All-Football Friday! The questions facing Georgia

Nobody wants to recall the two season spread that saw UGA lose, what, 5 or 6 straight to SEC East opponents (Hint : Wasn’t that long ago). I’d say 8-4 won’t happen but I’d have figured we would have found the remains of Amelia Earhart by now, too. So MB, after this prediction, have you taken out ‘brick insurance’ from Bill Curry’s insurance agent..?

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My English is no so good, but me talked to Ali Akbar Laden and dis is wat we up come with:

GT 12 Jax St 14
GT 6 Clempson 21
GT 10 Miami 31
GT 7 UNC 16
GT 13 Miss St 28
GT 3 FSU 35
GT 0 VT 31
GT 9 UVA 18
GT 16 Vandy 24
GT 3 Wake 27
GT 17 Duke 33
GT 0 UGA 52

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Bradley you need to just go suck up to gatech your not a DAWG at heart and are a negative person.

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NORRIS, we kicked your ass all over sanford and son stadium last november in the rain.

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Were the three losses last season, each featuring a shocking breakdown, a sign that Georgia’s program, thought for so long to be on the rise, has crested?

DaaaaahhhhHHHHH!

Will Georgia walk the walk this season, as opposed to talking the talk?

uhhHHHHHH, pretty sure they will talk the talk like they have every year since 1985 or whatever year they rode Hershals coat tail and were selected number one in one of the polls.

get REAL.

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I’d bet a Coke that UGA loses four games.

Actually, I’m so confident, I’d bet 2 Cokes.

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Our ONLY chance against Florida is that the boys in Gainesville find it’s hard to live with the target on your back. Hate to say it, but Tebow is the man. But…OK State? Did you watch their Bowl Game? Seriously overrated team will have trouble staying on the field with us, IMO. LSU will struggle with their losses, and qb play. Arkansas not ready yet…but they best hurry as Petrino will probably leave to take the Florida job after Meyer goes to ND.
11 wins. Tech won’t do it twice in a row. 8 of 9 over the nerds.

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BTW bradley i was kidding on everything above except Chip Towers can kick your butt. He is the terminator and you are the puny human.

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UGA beat Ky by 4 points, lost the stat battle to USC but won by 7. Lost by 39 to UF, split LSU and Alabama. They should never had been ranked #1. To be honest, they overachived…. and you think that UGA will be better with Cox and with out Moreno?
The question I ask you Mark is what if UGA starts 0-2?

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coolaid drinker = another uninformed nerd talking out of his A**…

all american left tackles doesn’t play a game. the offensive line decimated by injuries. starting defensive tackles lost for the season…just about every single defensive end hurt. and yet the dawgs still found a way to win 10 games. anybody that knows anything about football knows the games are won in the trenches. this year uga is stacked on both lines. i see them suprising everyone early on with a blowout win at okie state.

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Mark,

If the Dawgs DO go 8-4, and I believe with all my heart they will, and not because of offense, but because of Willie Martinez’s continued inept handling of his duties.

Martinez’s horrible job over the last four years has been documented by me and others. In the two most important statistical categories, yards allowed per game and points allowed per game, the defense has gotten worse EVERY year under Martinez. That’s a four year trend of bad coaching that cannot be explained away by one year of injuries.

Also, the most damning stat is that under Martinez, Georgia has given up more points EVER.

He is the worst defensive coordinator in Georgia’s history. The proof is in the numbers, and these numbers don’t lie.

Numbers like 11. That’s the number of times a Martinez defense has given up 30 or more points in his four years.

That’s the most in Georgia’s history over a four year span. By comparison, Van Gorder had ONE game where his defense gave up 30 or more points.

The there’s 3. That’s the number of times Georgia gave up 40 or more points last year alone.

That is also a Georgia record.

Then there are the far more troubling trends. The absolute embarrassing performances where the defense was obviously not prepared to play by their coach.

WVU in 2006 Sugar Bowl. Tennessee in 2006 and 2007. Florida in 2008. Alabama in 2008. Tech in 2008.

There were times when the defense couldn’t make a stop to save their lives when they needed one, something they always could do with BVG as the coach.

Vandy and Kentucky in 2006. South Carolina in 2008. Tech in 2009.

There were all the maddening times where Martinez sat his defense in a zone and refused to change up his gameplan as senior QBs picked his secondary apart while his DEs couldn’t get pressure. Just absolutely refusing to bring pressure on the QBs by somewhere else besides his line.

Tennessee in 2006 and 2007. Florida in 2005 and 2006. Bama in 2008.

Then, there is absolute breakdown in smart play and on the field discipline under Martinez since BVG left.

The tackling is poor, and that’s been that way for four years, not just last year, Coach Richt.

Also, the stupid, MeAngelo Hall-like play from our defenders. All of the personal fouls, except when Penn Wages calls our games, were avoidable if our Defensive Coordinator actually knew what he was doing and taught his players correctly.

Mark, the big question is, when this team does go 8-4, finishing outside the top-25 for the first time ever under Richt, will that FINALLY be enough for Damon Evans to step in and fire Martinez.

We already know that Richt will never fire his incompetent best friend and former college roommate.

Just like his mentor, Bobby Bowden, refused to fire his incompetent son.

So will this year FINALLY be enough.

Because anymore Martinez, and Georgia will become what Bowden let FSU become… an also ran for YEARS down the road.

And that’s what truly scares me.

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That should obviously read the defense couldn’t make a stop against… South Carolina in 2007 and Tech in 2008.

Sorry.

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techdan, can we conclude that a 2 coke bet means you plan on attending 2 tech home games?

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lose to SC and LSU, win the rest and play for NC…OK, wake me up now

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Abe, be honest. Injuries are part of the game?

UGA is in the top 5 in recruiting almost every year??

Abe, SC started the season with Tommy Betcher and the back-up was Chris Smelley with no offensive line!!!! And a white running back that averaged about 2 yards a carry!!!! Sorry, can’t think of his name.

Be honest and tell what you think the Las Vegas line will be in the 2 games. I think Okie will be 5 point under and SC 5.5 under……but that is way to close.

Oh, I said UGA overachived and you a said that we won 10 games in spite of the injury bug. SO UGA OVERACHIVED! But, you are a dang lier if you are saying UGA will win the same with Cox and without N. Moreno.

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I realize this is a DAWG blog today, but I simply want to say that I firmly believe that UGA will be much better than most folks predict. The will be a team this year vice a 2 man show, and they have a very good coach. I advise my Gator Brethren to quit yapping at the Dawgs. It could backfire like all of the barking by the Dawgs did last year.
I am concerned about the UGA Game, and all UF fans should feel the same.
Go Gators.

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Ironically, UGA’s big problem last year was they didn’t finish the drill. They would think they had things won (or lost) at half time. Stafford was developing his pro career. I liked him and defended him. (Look at his stats). Ultimately, however, there were guys on last years squad who seemed much more concerned about their personal stats and potential to turn pro than their team or school. In defense of Willie, the D dealt with poor field position and had to stay on the field all the time because Stafford would either throw a pick or UGA would score quick and kick off, giving the other team the ball on the fifty. I think Stafford came in cocky and took away from the team from day one. No matter what the record says at the end, this will be a better team than last year. Once again, I will say expect close games and some last minute squeakers.

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It will be curious to see how Joe Cox, aka “The Sherminator” performs this year as a starter. Also, how will he be psychologically without his spooning buddy, Matthew Stafford.

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Joe Cox has been called upon on a couple of occasions, and he has come through. Remember Colorado 3 years ago. I think we will be really surprised at how this team turns out. If he doesn’t turn out to be that all star that I think that he is, there are 3 capable players right behind him. He reminds me alot of Matt Robinson coming in to replace the coaches favorite. We will just have to see how he does, but his history is good.

I see the potential for the dogs to be 8-4 upwards. They go to Ok state with nothing to lose, Ok State has to win to prove themselves. LSU will be having to prove it’s lofty rankings, and the gamecocks will be the usually tough battle with ” Mr. I don’t even respect Tebow \” as the skipper.

Tech will not be as good as they were last year, Auburn will be better, Vandy better, UT better, and Fla should move on up to the NFL. We all know how great they are, and it will take a great team and a lot of luck for someone to beat them this year. They are similar to UGA 1982 team. Loaded at each position. Weak at none.

Basically I think UGA will beat Tech, and LSU, but the potential for losses comes from USC, UT, and Auburn. 8-4 on up.

Mark Richt’s best coaching job was last year. Nobody wants to give him credit for it, but if you think about it, he had 3 superstars, and 27 season ending injuries. Time will Tell how good of a job this year will be, but he will beat one team he is not supposed to beat. GO Dogs

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Tech Dan, you’d have better odds betting on another Techie being found guilty of terrorism, or another Techie built parking garage falling down.

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Mark, I thought you vowed to stop making predictions months ago, because you were always wrong. let’s hope you keep up the streak. Tech will lose 3 games. Va tech, Vandy, and Ga if the Dawgs can out score them this time. And I am not implying the Ga offense will be that great, but the Tech defense will be that poor. Not championship caliber. Maybe close in the (weak) Acc.

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Q: Is Joe Cox the next D.J. Shockley, who led Georgia to an SEC title after waiting his turn, or the next Joe Tereshinski III, who waited to little avail?

A: He’s Joe Cox and he’ll make his own stamp on Georgia football.

Q: Can Cox make the throws Richt requires of his quarterback?

A: I know it isn’t college football or the SEC for that matter, but here are Joe’s high school passing stats:

Year G PA PC Pct Yds TD Int
2003 (Jr.) 16 373 237 63.0 3,983 43 11
2004 (Sr.) 11 363 240 66.0 4,509 66 5

By the way Chris Leak came out of Independence High School (Charlotte) as well and he knew a little something about the passing game. Joe will be just fine!

Q: Can Cox maximize the talents of A.J. Green and freshman Marlon Brown?

A: We don’t know anything about Marlon Brown other that he’s supposed to be a stud. Let’s leave him out of the picture until the season starts and he’s able to show us what he’s got on the field. As for Joe maximizing the talent of A.J., there’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll get the ball to A.J. as much as humanly possible.

Q: Since Green is the Bulldogs’ most gifted player, isn’t it mandatory that Georgia’s quarterback is more than just a game manager?

A: It’s Joe’s job to lead and to manage the game more so than anything. He doesn’t have to be superman. As for the Bulldogs offense, they’re not built around A.J.; they’re built around balance. Coach Bobo will call A.J.’s number when he feels it’s right and when Joe throws the ball up, it’s A.J.’s job to be the playmaker. By the way, A.J. will be an even bigger playmaker this year after putting on 20 more pounds of muscle!!! According to Head Coach Mark Richt, A.J. is now up to 207 pounds. “He’s faster and more explosive.” said Richt.

Q: Who takes over if Cox can’t move the team — true freshman Aaron Murray?

A: That’s a big IF! I see Joe being our QB for the entire season unless he gets injured. To answer the question though, I would say Logan because he’s earned the right to at least have a shot at the starting position. After that, I would say Aaron.

Q: Is Caleb King, of whom Bulldog Nation expects so much, really a first-string SEC tailback?

A: Anybody in their right mind and anyone that knows college football will tell you emphatically that Caleb is a first-string caliber back. Will he live up to his potential? That’s a different question.

Q: Is Richard Samuel better than King? Is Carlton Thomas better than either?

A: I can’t honestly say who’s better. All of Georgia’s backs bring something different to the game. At this point, it’s just a question of who will step up and be more productive at that position.

Q: In his absence, are we about to see how good Knowshon Moreno really was?

A: Knowshon’s the man! Everyone knows that, but you can’t compare him to the Dogs current crop of backs. It’s just not fair. Like I said above, each back is going to bring something different to the game and Knowshon certainly brought his own unique style. But so did Walker, Worley, Hampton, and Hearst. The thing is that the young men we have in the backfield now will etch their own name in Georgia football history and they’ll do it on their own terms.

Q: Can an improved offensive line make lesser backs look like Moreno?

A: Moreno’s gone and Georgia’s current backs, to be repetitive, will play the position their own way. Caleb will look like Caleb, Samuel like Samuel, Thomas like Thomas…you get the picture! Does it help that the O-line is solid? Most definitely.

Q: Is Stacy Searels as good an O-line coach as his reputation suggests?

A: Let’s see, during his four year coaching stint at LSU, the Tigers won a national championship, an SEC championship, and two SEC East titles. In each of his first two seasons at Georgia, he took offensive lines with three freshman starters and molded them into formidable units that were instrumental in the Dogs’ back-to-back 11-2 and 10-3 seasons. Coach Searels did an especially amazing job last year considering the fact that he had to work with an inexperienced and injury plagued line. Given the above facts, I would say that Coach Searels is pretty damn good. In my opinion, he’s one of college football’s top 10 offensive line coaches in the nation.

Q: Is Trinton Sturdivant, back from injury, ready to become the SEC’s best left tackle?

A: Sturdivant definitely has the potential to be one of the best left tackle in the SEC, but right now that honor belongs to Ciron Black out of LSU.

Q: Is Georgia’s line, which lists no seniors among its starters, poised to be the new foundation of the program, as opposed to the annual question mark?

A: Yes.

Q: Does bumping up John Jancek to co-defensive coordinator suggest Richt is displeased with Willie Martinez, with whom Richt insists he’s never displeased?

A: No, not at all. In my opinion, Coach Richt’s promotion of Coach Jancek was more of a political maneuver and a rather intelligent maneuver at that. First of all, the promotion keeps Jancek content, puts him in position for a hefty pay raise, and ensures his stay at Georgia for a few more years. Second of all, the promotion takes some heat off of Coach Martinez. Follow my logic here; when the ‘08 season ended the Bulldog Nation was incredibly displeased with Coach Martinez’s inability to consistently put together dominant defensive game plans throughout the year. Well, a lot of Bulldog faithful were calling for Martinez to be fired. Coach Richt obviously didn’t want to fire the man, but knew he had to make a move that would appease the Georgia fan base. Hence, the promotion of Jancek to Co-Defensive Coordinator. Long story short, Coach Richt bought Martinez one more season to turn things around on the defensive side of the ball.

Q: Can the team that managed only 24 sacks in 13 games last season find a pass rush?

A: Yes and I’ll give you three reasons why: Geno Atkins, Jeff Owens, and Kade Weston. Opposing offensive lines MUST double team these guys. And by drawing doubling teams on the interior line, Atkins, Owens, and Weston allow our defensive ends to get a good rush off the edge. Having Owens back from injury this year is huge!

Q: Can Geno Atkins and Jeff Owens mount a push as defensive tackles?

A: Does a bear $hit in the woods?

Q: Wouldn’t it work even better if Justin Houston, who had three sacks on G-Day, turned into a real edge rusher?

A: Of course. That was a stupid question…next!

Q: Is there a playmaker on D other than Rennie Curran?

A: Are you smoking dope or what? Of course there are other playmakers on D other than Rennie! Another stupid question…next!!!

Q: Is Curran the best Georgia defender since David Pollack?

A: Since Pollack’s last season in ‘04, Georgia has and had some absolute studs on the defensive side of the ball. In all honesty, I don’t think it would be fair to say that Rennie’s the best defender since Pollack. I think that he’s up there with the best, but there are too many others to consider. Check out the following list of Georgia defenders that are playing or have played since Pollack: Kedric Golston, Greg Blue, Quentin Moses, Tim Jennings, DeMario Minter, Charles Johnson, Tra Battle, Tony Taylor, Jarvis Jackson, Marcus Howard, Kelin Johnson, Jeff Owens, Geno Atkins, Kade Weston, Dannell Ellerbe, Asher Allen, and Corvey Irvin. No a bad group, huh? And don’t forget about the hardest hitting free safety in Georgia history; Thomas Davis. Yeah, I know he played his last year alongside Pollack, but he was a stud too.

Q: Can Curran make every single tackle? If not, why not?

A: Once again Mr. Bradley, are you smoking dope? These are some of the dumbest questions ever. Of course Rennie can’t make every tackle. The guy’s not superman for God’s sake!!! There are ten other players on that side of the ball that’ll make plays and are very capable of tackling a ball carrier.

Q: Will Branden Smith, the defensive back from Atlanta’s Washington High, start as a true freshman? Is he the best Bulldog DB since Champ Bailey? Will Richt, as he has hinted, let Smith return kicks and even play offense?

A: Yes, Branden will eventually start, but not right at the beginning of the season. I believe he’ll earn a starting spot by the fourth game. As for the Champ Bailey question, we don’t even know what Branden can do on the field yet. Give the kid some time to get into the system, let him play a few games, and then maybe ask that question. Remember Champ was a consensus All-American, earned first team All-Southeastern Conference honors, won the 1998 Bronko Nagurski Award as the nation’s top defensive player, was a first round NFL draft pick, and is an eight-time NFL Pro Bowler. Branden’s going to be stud for the Bulldogs on the field, but he’s got some work to do in order to reach the level of a Champ Bailey. As for Branden returning kicks and possibly playing some offense, I’m sure that Coach Richt meant what he said. Richt will most definitely utilize Branden as a return man (both kickoff and punt return) and will probably have a small package specifically designed for Branden inserted into the offense. But asking the young freshman to learn the entire playbook for both sides of the ball while having to maintain his grades is too much.

Q: Were the three losses last season, each featuring a shocking breakdown, a sign that Georgia’s program, thought for so long to be on the rise, has crested?

A: No, not at all. You can go ahead and send the following comment to the press, “Within the next five years Georgia will win the National Championship and two SEC titles under Coach Richt.” The football program will continue to rise as long as Georgia has Mark Richt as its head coach!

Q: Will a tougher off-season approach yield fewer penalties?

A: I sincerely hope so.

Q: Will the realization that Moreno and Matthew Stafford are no longer around engender more of a communal urgency?

A: Most definitely. Georgia, as a matter fact, will be a better team in terms of unity without Stafford and Moreno. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that I wouldn’t want Stafford and Moreno back because I definitely would. However, without their two big stars, the Dogs are forced even more so to rely upon one another. Mark my words; this TEAM will do great things this year!

Q: Will Georgia walk the walk this season, as opposed to talking the talk?

A: Georgia always walks the walk. Coach Richt, his staff, and the team have never been big talkers.

Q: Is Richt really at his most dangerous when less is expected?

A: A team coached by Mark Richt is dangerous every season!

Q: Was the surprise 2005 conference title, achieved against an unassuming-by-SEC-standards schedule, the guidepost for this team or a false clue?

A: The ‘05 Shockley led team has nothing to do with this upcoming season. People can draw comparisons all they want, but the 2009 Dogs are their own team and they’ll create their own identity throughout the upcoming season.

Q: Does Richt himself have something to prove after being ranked No. 1 in preseason and finishing out of the Associated Press Top 10?

A: No. We, as Georgia fans, all know that Coach Richt is a great coach and an even better man. If he were to retire today, he would go down as one of the greatest coaches in Georgia history.

Mr. Bradley,

In response to your prediction that Georgia will go 8-4, losing to Oklahoma State, Georgia Tech, LSU, and Florida, I say you don’t know a damn thing about Georgia football whatsoever! Of course that was clearly evident by your writing of an article full of some of the stupidest questions ever! I predict Georgia will go 11-1 with a loss to the Gators. GO DAWGS!!!

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10 and 2, beat LSU and Tech (most overrated team in the South). Give me an outstanding O and D line this year over marginal difference in an accurate passer like Cox (vs MS) and the outstanding KM vs good group of backs have this year. Most all who know UGA best conclude the bigest loss may be in DBs.

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