5 reasons Georgia needs to demote Willie Martinez ASAP

1. Georgia is 97th among 120 Bowl Subdivision teams in total defense, 108th in scoring defense. The Bulldogs rank last among 12 SEC schools in both categories. Simple question: Do you believe Georgia — with Rennie Curran, Geno Atkins, Jeff Owens, Justin Houston, Kade Weston, Demarcus Dobbs, Darryl Gamble, Bryan Evans, Reshad Jones, Brandon Boykin and Branden Smith — has the worst defensive talent in the SEC?

2. Georgia has one interception, one fumble recovery and four sacks in three games. It ranks 76th (tied) in sacks, 116th in turnover margin. Simple question: Does anyone think the Bulldogs’ personnel ranks in the nation’s lower tier in terms of speed, strength and level of aggression?

3. Over the past nine games, Georgia opponents have averaged — averaged — 33 points. In 42 games under Brian VanGorder, whom Martinez succeeded as defensive coordinator, one opponent scored more than 30 points, and that was the 2003 BCS champion.

4. Georgia opponents have scored 102 points in three games this season. In 1980, the national championship team yielded 137 points in 12 games.

5. Georgia football is first-class in every way — the head coach, the personnel, the offense, the recruiting, the facilities, the fan interest — except one. Athletics director Damon Evans says he wants his coaches to win championships. Simple questions:  Do you believe Georgia can win another SEC title playing this sort of defense? Is there any reason a program of such pedigree should have the worst defensive coordinator in its division?

729 comments Add your comment

fayncdawg

September 22nd, 2009
10:44 am

The Dawgs D is as poorly coached in the fundamentals as it gets, especially in the pass rush. The front four (NOT SEVEN) is talented enough to pressure green-as-grass QBs into making poor decisions. I mean how does a QB who has started fewer games than Joe Cox and was not a backup to the #1 pick in the NFL draft throw FIVE TDs on this defense? Did the #1 pick in the last draft ever throw 5 TDs? I still do not understand why the Columbia Chicken QB actually looked all-conference against this D. But to get back to my point, too many times I see the front four (especially the DEs rushing the QB with their heads and hands down. If our front four learns how get their hands up in order to deflect and/ or alter passes, they force these green QBs to throw bad passes more than half the time. If we can get this out of the front four, along with LBs who do a much better job reading the QB and DBs fly to every attempted pass, our defense would never give up more than 21 per game (and that should get us ten wins easily; might even give us a chance against Urban Crier). Fundamentals: hands up: read the QBs eyes: Fly to the ball. This might not be the recepe for a 50 sack defense, but it is a recepe for an efffective defense.

McDawg

September 22nd, 2009
10:44 am

get someone who can rush the passer and all thes eproblems will go away

LifelongDawg

September 22nd, 2009
10:44 am

I said it last night on the Bulldawg Blawg…Willie Martinez must be terminated from his contract NOW. This nightmare is not going to get better over the next 9 games. Anyone who believes otherwise is deluding themselves. Let Fabris go, too. He can take his directional kicking with him to whatever high school that will have him. I didn’t watch the Arkansas because it was bad enough listening. I can’t bear to watch the defense get beaten on play after play.

Alabama Jack

September 22nd, 2009
10:48 am

Please, please don’t mess with Martinez until December. We want to see him in Atlanta November 28 n 29 and 30th. Figure the game will last 3 days and we will gain 1,500 yards per back.

TrippDawg

September 22nd, 2009
10:49 am

If we had VanGorder as D-Coordinator over the last games, we very easily could be 3-0 and dealing with a couple of blow outs.

HH

September 22nd, 2009
10:51 am

Well, Bradley, I have to give you credit on this one. Sports journalists, at least at the AJC, are not the sharpest tacks on the block, (in Furman’s case, its dementia, at least now; no offense Schultz); however, you hit the nail on the head with this one.

All UGA fans can do is hope that somebody with sufficient power can put enough heat on Richt at the end of the season to force him to get rid of Willie.

Todd A

September 22nd, 2009
10:53 am

Daddy Dawg. Stick to bbq recipes on Dawg Chat.

JB

September 22nd, 2009
10:53 am

Real deal answer: when we look at Willie, we see our incompetent DC. When Mark looks at him, he see’s his old friend, teammate, his wife and kids, and he knows EVERYTHING about his life, his personal failures and success. He can’t do it….won’t do it………….The answer is the money. We blow up against some of these teams this year and the money starts to ‘dry up”, then you get Adams attention real quick. Remember why Adams was hired. Fund raising. Vote with your check book and you will have a new DC……..not from this blog, but the bulk of the folks who will be fed up. Yes, i know some of you give.

honest_abe

September 22nd, 2009
10:54 am

bugkiller: you’re killing me. you need to stop. i can’t stop laughing. so bvg had marcus howard for 1 yr and cwm for the rest. but you give all the credit to bvg for his coaching him up for that one year. too funny.

i bet all of you georgia isn’t going to be the last team arkansas hangs 40 on.

Denver Dog

September 22nd, 2009
10:54 am

Here is one other thing to consider, ASU like Carolina, and Arkansas, and Ok State, have had all spring and summer to prepare for UGA. That is one of the issues which we have by playing some pretty good teams this early in the season. All of the others played weak sisters, or no-one before we played them. ASU is the same way, and Erickson is bound to have the pumps primed. I don’t think we will see a Petrino style offense, but they will be loaded for bear, and if the same D is on the field, we may well get blown away, (not blown out) but blown away at home. I said last week that if we could get past the initial surge of Arkansas and stay with them we would win. THis week we have to stop the intitial surge. We will not play a better passer this year than Mallet, but we will play alot better defensive teams. The D must rise this week. Willie needs to coach every game with the old Hubie Brown addage. “I remind myself everyday that I’m only one step from the street”.

The question should be now, “is he”.

UGA009

September 22nd, 2009
10:55 am

Agree with most, but have to say… Those fumbles and turnovers are not helping us… remember, we have had to dig ourselves out of holes created by blunders on the offense too.

Sanford Drive

September 22nd, 2009
10:58 am

Agree w/ UGA 009. Richard Samuel needs to STOP fumbling.

JB

September 22nd, 2009
10:58 am

doctors are smart folks. most are as smart as it gets. Most folks get SECOND opinions, and they are glad they did. Mark, bring in someone to HELP willie.

UGA009

September 22nd, 2009
10:58 am

However, our D has not allowed us to pull away from opposing team’s air attack!

Big Dawg in Alabama

September 22nd, 2009
10:58 am

How is it that when the Dawgs try a trick play it never works but when anyone else tries anything we are always fooled? A kick off reverse? That doesn’t even work in Pee wee football.

LifelongDawg

September 22nd, 2009
10:59 am

honest_abe, you’re probably correct. Arkansas probably has some lower division opponents left that they can score at will on. They won’t put 40 up on Auburn, Ole Miss, LSU, or Bama. I guarantee that.

Skeeter

September 22nd, 2009
11:01 am

Anyone who doesn,t think WM needs to go is either stupid or knows nothing about football. There have been some valid points from some of you such as we are getting little or no pressure on the quarterbacks and our DE are non-factors,however, when your DBs are consistently beaten deep and often are 15 and 20 yards out of position it is poor coaching. Yes, CMR is ultimately responsible but the defense belongs to WM. They run the schemes he instituted as DC and practice them under his scrutiny. If the defense is ill prepared as you can obviously see on any given saturday, who’s fault is it?

Steve in Buford

September 22nd, 2009
11:02 am

CMR is the one who needs to answer these points. He is the man at the top of the program. Friend or not, Mark, this is business. And it is time to get down to bidness bud. The numbers tell the story.

chazzo

September 22nd, 2009
11:02 am

To all of the Van Gorder freaks out there:
How many seasons did VG face offences from Spurrier, Miles, Petrino, Saban, and Jones? Answer: zero.

How many out of conference BCS teams did he face? BC scored 20, FSU scored 13 (w/o their starting QB), Purdue scored 27, Clemson scored 28 and 0, Tech avg. 13.3.

If you look at the big games during his three seasons, it is interesting to note who was coaching.

Bama averaged 24 points against VG with two different coaches (price and shula).

UK averaged 26.5 against VG.

Spurrier took over at SC in 2005.

Tech avg. 13.3 over those three season with Chan Gailey taking over as head coach in 2002.

VG did face Spurrier at UF in his first season, a loss in which UF put up 20 pts. The offensive juggernaut Ron Zook put up 20 and 16 the two following seasons. He was a loser in Jax three times.

VG did face Saban’s LSU team loss to them, giving up 17 pts and 34 in the SEC championship.

The 2002/2003 and 2003/2004 UGA teams were phenomenal. That was a team that comes together once in a great while. It was just at special group at the height of maturity and all healthy. I think last years team would have been on of those special teams had the injuries not crippled them, and then the key guys graduated or went pro. This team is building and we’ll see another special team in two or three years if everyone stays healthy.

The comparison between VanGorder and Martinez is just not a just comparison. Raw data doesn’t mean a thing. You can use stats to say whatever you want.

As long as the D is coming up with big plays when needed and the dawgs are getting the W, I don’t care how many points or yards the other team gets.

Big Dawg in Alabama

September 22nd, 2009
11:03 am

I would like to know who and when we last dominated an SEC opponent on defense. Top 5 recruiting every year gets us 34 points allowed every game?

Nub

September 22nd, 2009
11:04 am

Great article……. All that disagree Buzz over to GT……..

Mutley

September 22nd, 2009
11:04 am

All of the kool-aid drinkers want to bring up the undersized DBs as the reason for the poor pass defense. Greg Reid is only 5`9 or 5`10 and he was the ACC defensive player of the week isn’t Brandon Smith supposed to be as talented? It’s no wonder Reid went to Florida State. If you were a talented defensive player who would you want to play for Mickey Andrews or Willie Martinez.

Jon Hughes

September 22nd, 2009
11:05 am

Abe you say the only problem is talent let me ask you this whose job is it to recruit the defensive talent? that would be Willie so either way he is a failure just depends on which area you want to say he fails at. I say he is a bad coach you say he is a bad recruiter either way the guy sucks.

DawginLex

September 22nd, 2009
11:07 am

No, you don’t hire someone from the outside in the middle of the year when you are 2-0 in the SEC.

No, I didn’t want him fired before the season started.

My stance has not changed. There were too many injuries last year to throw Martinez under the bus. This year, he has no excuses. He has a fully stocked compliment of players.

Richt is not going to do anything until the end of the year.

By then, it will be obvious what needs to be done.

And to the Tech folks, since pass defense is the weak part of the UGA defense, hoping that Martinez stays is not a real smart thought since this team stops the run and Tech can’t pass too well.

Hillbilly Deluxe

September 22nd, 2009
11:07 am

In 1980, the national championship team yielded 137 points in 12 games.

Yeah but they had Erk.

bulldawg4life

September 22nd, 2009
11:09 am

haterz fire or demote yourself/game gonna be play’d regardless of whut u think or feel anyway. never seen so many upset ppl. over a team that is 2 – 1 in 3 games/talkn reckless. ok, early in the summer i was reading georgia would be 0 – 4 and the season done with b4 the bye-week…lol ((a win is a win, dont care if i give-up 100 points and you gave-up 103. you lose and we’re at the top of our division w/room 4better football to play, its not time 2label us the spoiler-role yet)) arizona state next, 4days to get ready

murfdawg

September 22nd, 2009
11:10 am

Mark,
As usual you have it bassackwards. And I am here to set you straight and argue the point with you until you say “no mas”.Point #5 should be point #1 and nothing else needs to be said. As a lifelong Dawg, I have to admit every point is spot on. Good column.

chazzo

September 22nd, 2009
11:11 am

I forgot to put Urban Meyer and the spread. How many times did VG face Saban, Miles, Meyer, Spurrier, Petrino, and Jones (not to mention Bobby Johnson and Rich Brooks) all in the same season?

Daniel

September 22nd, 2009
11:11 am

I hate to jump on coaches, but to be fair, IF Georgia was looking for a DC, would they hire Willie?
The answer is obvious, so….
The scheme hasn’t changed but the caliber of player has, and that is directly linked to the DC at school who can recruit like GA.

DawgDreamer

September 22nd, 2009
11:11 am

Tech75

September 22nd, 2009
11:13 am

Tech fans – stay off this blog! Let the big dawg self-destruct on it’s own! They don’t need our help!

Herschel Talker

September 22nd, 2009
11:13 am

DawginLex – I guarantee you that between the fact that Richt and Martinez are buddies and the fact that Richt is too “nice” to do what needs to be done, that even though “by then, it will be obvious what needs to be done,” it still won’t get done. Mark Richt=Bobby Cox

DogDawg

September 22nd, 2009
11:15 am

It is clearly just a situation where Blind Willie has been promoted to his level of incompetence. Nice guy but the job is too much for him.

Mobile Dawg

September 22nd, 2009
11:15 am

Tim, would demoting, or firing Willie ASAP solve the turnover problem? Would it solve the penalty problem? Would it solve the kick-off problem? Those are some critical issues leading to some of our defensive woes that need attention. Fixing those issues would take a significant number of points off the board.

Tune into the Alabama/Arkansas game Saturday and see how Alabama does, they are claiming they have one of the best defenses ever, in the history of their program. Saban is a defensive guy first. Then let’s continue the lynching next week if necessary. I’ve heard enough for this week.

gdawginkalamazoo

September 22nd, 2009
11:17 am

I notice that this a few hundred post later but did anybody else notice that Bradley said that WM needs to be DEMOTED and not fired? Can we lay off the firing right away?

DawginLex

September 22nd, 2009
11:17 am

Tech75,

I’d say you have your own issues on defense wouldn’t you?

Yeah, thought so.

Toates

September 22nd, 2009
11:19 am

Damn, I guess when you had one DE suspended for two games and had to have your DT’s play DE, or one of your LB’s play DE due to thinness at the position because of injuries and the aforementioned suspension, well, that kind of crap is going to happen.

Not to mention playing three BCS teams, two on the road and one at home. Starting at OSU and turning the ball over three times(offense ad ST) doesn’t help one bit, especially when the QB had the flu. (Hey, if precious Urban Meyer can use the excuse, so can a dawg.)

Then, to come home and play a hated rival that you all predicted would be a 13-9 type game and ended up being a scoring shootout. Maybe that too was, turnovers. (What’s this? 3 turnovers again, putting the D in bad field position) Then scoring too quickly, if that is even an excuse, but the result, putting a D that was already tired, back out on the field. Remember, USC had 83 plays to UGA’s 53 plays. Don’t tell me that D was not tired. And to make it worse, played a 4 hour game.

Then they had to travel again, on the road and play an Arkansas team that you all, the media, were touting as the second coming, Ole Miss of 2009 as their offense and Mallet got rave reviews. He lights up UGA’s secondary with some laser accurate passes early an built a nice lead.

UGA answers and then takes the lead. The D stepped up in the second quarter, while the O decided to give them a breather, slight as it was, and was statistically strong. Arkansas blazes them in the third where the secondary had some major issues, and it was easy to see. But when it came crunch time in the fourth, they held up.

So yeah, there are some issues on Defense, obviously, but three turnovers a game by the O and ST, playing thee BCS teams and not one frickin’ cupcake to be seen in the immediate future, and you want to call UGA out statistically. Your prerogative, sir, but damn, I wonder how UGA’s D would rank statistically, if they played Charleston Southern, Troy, North Texas, Florida International, Louisiana Ragin Cajuns etc, as some of our brothers in this league have played.

At least give UGA the credit for playing three tough opponents to start the season, 2 on the road, all BCS and that is after praise was given to each team played. UGA was an underdog in two of those games. So, let me get this straight, when the media picks another team to win, the talking heads credit OSU as being the second coming of the Big 12, gives USC tons of credit with there defensive prowess and then tells everyone how Arkansas O is all the chit, and then UGA goes and loses to OSU in a game I wish I had not seen, spanks and torches the USC d for 37 points, (30 offensively), and then goes down and spanks Arkansas, even though all everything Mallet got his TD’s(did you even see some of those throws and catches?), UGA needs to fire Martinez, oops, demote Martinez immediately.

No sir, Mark Bradley, I will wait and see what USC does against Ole Miss this Thursday and see how good that USC D is, and how good Stephen Garcia has become.

I will wait and see what Mallet and Arkansas does to the precious and highly touted D of Alabama before I write UGA off on the D side of the ball. Hell, maybe Mallet lights them up, then what?

Yeah, UGA D has some scheme issues, or coaching issues, but the talent is there and can not wait to see that complete game get played where the penalties, ironically mainly on the O side of the ball, the turnovers are kept in check, and the team is actually a bit rested.

In a perfect world, UGA gets past ASU with a victory and saves this performance I dream of against I am sure, your precious team out of the West in LSU. You know, a game like the last three times we played LSU, where we just line up punch them in the mouth and kick their azz. I mean it hasn’t been close in the past three games.

That is what I wish, Then, a 5-1 UGA team hits the road and plays UT. By then, our O should be a fine tuned machine and we can see what we have against the Kiffin’s and the rest of the Chippendale clan and can go from there.

But I digress, it is what I wish, and a way of allowing myself to enjoy a season that comes around to late, and ends to early. I will always wear my “Estrada”, I mean, “Bulldawg” shades and do my best to enjoy the season. But you sir, have to write this schlock and try to get people to tune in by being a bit controversial. Wow, now that is difficult journalism. Hell, I could do your job, how hard could it be. Log into UGASports, hop on the Vent, see what everyone is bitching about, then write on that topic. Done. Article for the day.

Enjoy. And please, if Arkansas offense is for real, and if USC actually has a good QB and a solid D, don’t write some fluff piece trying to make amends as it will only sell you that much shorter in my eyes.

Damn, I miss Lewis Grizzard. At least he could make me laugh with his wit.

anotherdawg

September 22nd, 2009
11:19 am

I know most would rather just criticize just about everything there is about UGA’s program, but if you’re looking for a more positive, objective view, check out Eric Zeir’s take: http://www.georgiadogs.com//ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=8800&ATCLID=204799293

chazzo

September 22nd, 2009
11:20 am

Not only did the 1980 team have Erk… well, let’s be honest, they didn’t take on any real offensive power houses. I know everybody is going to rip this apart. I am not taking anything away from that team. I loved every minute of it. But, there was a lot of speculation about Georgia’s #1 ranking and ease of schedule. They shut everybody up when they defeated Notre Dame. But, there were some nail biters. Besides, the game was just terribly different twenty nine years ago. I loved Erk. Loved to see him with blood dripping down his face from head butting players. But, the comparison with Willie just aint valid.

Denver Dog

September 22nd, 2009
11:20 am

Tech 75, thanks for the reminder, we all need to use your experience on taking a division 1 power and making them a second rate team which beats major rivals one times in every 8 years. Tell us about it Tech man. Meanwhile, Free Willie.

LAKE OCONEE DAWG

September 22nd, 2009
11:21 am

Can’t fire the players, so get rid of the coach….That will always solve the problem….Talent rules the day on defense, you can’t hide talent on defense, and when players don’t make plays, they either don’t have the talent to make the plays or they are unmotivated to do so. It looks like the Dawgs play hard and are motivated, but somebody (seemingly a bunch) of these cats on defense are definitely over rated….When the ball snaps, it ain’t up to Willie to get to the QB, that’s where talent takes over. Willie’s scheme is basically the same scheme Van Gorder ran, so it is not where the guys are lining up….Think cover guys are over rated also….Sometimes getting caught up in all this 4 star and 5 star recruiting stuff gets coaches fired…What matters is what you do when the ball is snapped, not how much talent you have….And for Coach Richt, who generally wins 10 a year, I am sure he will listen to the bashers who come on this site and fire the coaches the bashers want fired…If there are mistakes made, it has been in recruiting. Willie is not coaching a bunch of All-Americans as some of you who come on this site would have people to think….Talent will rise, if it is there….Still waiting for the talent to rise, and I am sure Willie is too…..It ain’t Willie, its the players…Players make plays….If they can’t make plays for Willie, why do you think they will make plays for anybody else…..They have been bashed by the media, the fans, and I am sure their own coaching staff. Somebody has got to step up on defense and respond…But, it takes talent to respond….Show me the talent….

wow

September 22nd, 2009
11:21 am

we all know what needs to happen, but it won’t be now. What we could do is bring in an consultant (Tubbs or Croom) to help provide stopgap since they were good DC’s at some point. Put WM back to just Secondary and JJ to just LB’s and the “consultant” could do game plan and schemes/adjustments

Paddy

September 22nd, 2009
11:23 am

Would Central Michigan take WM back as its DC? 5 will get you 10 they would pass on that offer.

And I don’t believe this is a mob mentality against WM. There are many smart football comments that appear on these pages day after day. All you have to do is look at the games and then use the numbers that were supplied to us today by Mark. Of course it is never that easy and there are always circumstances that we as fans are not privy too.

With that said, we can only hope for a vast improved defense soon or we are going to have more defeats that we consider acceptable.

birddawg92

September 22nd, 2009
11:23 am

Martinez has been awful since the day he got the job. Anytime we play anyone other than doormat out-of-conference teams or middle-of-the-pack in-conference, we get outcoached. Early in his tenure we couldn’t stop the run (http://saturdayinathens.com/2008/09/10/post-cmu-game-reaction-to-ajc-blogger/)—whenever we played anybody decent we got run over—now CWM has over-corrected and our players have NO IDEA what they’re supposed to do in pass coverage. NONE. The Boykin play that Blackledge highlighted on Saturday said it all—the receiver runs right by him and he’s still standing there LOOKING IN THE BACKFIELD. Not running up for run-support or blitz, not dropping back into coverage—just STANDING THERE. And it’s not just Boykin—it’s the whole secondary. And of course, it doesn’t help that we get no pass rush without blitzing, EVER. Inexcusable with the level of talent we’re supposed to have in Athens.

I return to my mantra—anybody who hasn’t seen that CWM has been no good from the day he got the job has just NOT BEEN PAYING ATTENTION, including sportswriters. :)

http://www.saturdayinathens.com

Dawgs 73

September 22nd, 2009
11:26 am

Ok, so I have read several posts for and against keeping/firing Willie Martinez. I am an OBJECTIVE fan and I see things for what they are. I see GOOD coaching and I applaud it. I see BAD coaching and I question it…human nature. My OBJECTIVE side tells me that Willie while not being SOLEY responsible for the sub par performance on defense, is still the coach. If he is not the reason for the defense of performance, then who is? If those of you who are FOR Willie honestly believe that he is getting the job done, then PLEASE STATE YOUR CASE IN THE FORM OF FACTS. I have no personal animosity against Martinez, I just want the absolute best possible coach at every position of our beloved DAWGS.

Jon Hughes

September 22nd, 2009
11:27 am

Lake Oconee Dawg tell me how did the falcons go from a 4 or 5 win team with petrino to a 11 win team under Coach Smith and BVG? They had the same players minus D Hall? Could it have been coaching? and timely play calling? without a doubt coaching matters

Madison Dawg

September 22nd, 2009
11:27 am

Enter your comments here

To borrow a quote from the comments yesterday: “Willie Martinez and The Touchdown Factory.” The Dogs have plenty of talent on defense, however, they are consistently set up in the wrong schemes. Why can’t Willie Martinez make the appropriate adjustments???!!! The rushing defense can give up a few more yards if it will drastically improve the pass defense. Drop more guys back in coverage!!! Get after the damn quarterback, and make something happen!!! You’ll never beat the big boys of the SEC if you can’t rush the passer or cover wide receivers!!! On another note, how bout a blackout on Saturday night against Arizona State? Put the red tops back on for LSU, though. Coach Richt could call for a blackout today at his weekly press conference.

SaintSimonsLover

September 22nd, 2009
11:30 am

Some of you apologists on here make me sick. If any of you think Martinez is the answer at DC you are a moron. How much longer are we going to give him to run the defense into the ground. Do I expect us to completely stop every opponent and hold them to 10 or less every game? No, that is not realistic. Our defense doesn’t look prepared and that was against two of the SEC’s weaker teams. What do you think will happen against the UF/LSU/Alabama’s of the SEC? Look at last season for that example. We should never give up as many points as we do. Slick Willie should have been fired after last season. It is not talent or players, it is his coaching. Any of you blind homers who don’t agree need to go with him.

Stafford=Top NFL pick; Tebow=Top CFL pick

September 22nd, 2009
11:32 am

Time for Richt to put aside friendship and start making the hard decisions that every CEO must. Bring Kirby Smart home from Bear Bryant Whiskey U to be the D-coordinator – give him Martinez’s $250K salary, plus an additional $250K more (Richt should give $250K of his salary if necessary – he can afford it), as Tutorsee has raised the bar for coordinator pay. Kirby is one of the brightest coaches in the country, and is a great recruiter. He has also been apprenticing under Saban, so his schemes and coaching technique should be top notch. It is my desire for Richt’s tenure to exceed even Dooley’s, but I am afraid this will never happen unless he wises up and starts making the tough choices that every good leader must. The stats speak for themselves, as well as many notable “defensive breakdown games” – Miss. St ‘05 (remember when the defense was within a dropped pass of losing that game to Croom’s “juggernaut” offense?); losses to Vanderbilt ‘05 (winning drive); Florida ‘05 (Florida’s struggling offense scoring on its first three drives); Auburn ‘05 (4th and 17); West Virginia 2006 Sugar Bowl (28-0 1st qtr); Tennessee ‘06 (51 points); Tennessee ‘07; Alabammer ‘08; Florida ‘08; Georgia Tech ‘08; and our fortunate to win games this year with South Carolina and Arkansas.

birddawg92

September 22nd, 2009
11:35 am

Here, here, St. Simons! Your post would follow mine up great if they would ever post my first to begin with. Guess the AJC don’t like me including links to my own blog.

The real comparison season though is 2006—we should not be favored in a single game we have left, save Tenn. Tech. We will be lucky to be bowl-eligible. We will be outcoached in every other game we play.