Grantham returns Spurrier’s barb
ATHENS — Todd Grantham took note of Saturday’s barb from Steve Spurrier –- and returned the volley Tuesday night with a reference to Spurrier’s lack of success in the NFL.
Spurrier, the South Carolina coach, poked at Grantham, the Georgia defensive coordinator and long-time NFL assistant, after Gamecocks running back Marcus Lattimore had 182 yards rushing against the Bulldogs by saying: “That little inside zone play, the NFL doesn’t run that play. That’s a new scheme, I guess.”
Grantham was asked after Georgia’s practice Tuesday if he saw Spurrier’s comment.
“Yeah, that was texted to me,” Grantham replied with a grin. “I appreciate his assistance, you know. But we actually knew what plays they were running. And they actually run that play in pro ball, and our offense actually runs that play, too. So we’re kind of on top of our game.
“It was kind of an out-of-left-field comment,” Grantham added. “I kind of took it more as a shot at the NFL. I really wasn’t sure if it was because of his lack of success there or what. So I kind of took it more like that than anything.”
Spurrier was 12-20 in two seasons as coach of the NFL’s Washington Redskins.
Grantham coached in the NFL for 11 seasons before being hired as Georgia’s defensive coordinator this year.
South Carolina beat Georgia 17-6 on Saturday.
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715 comments Add your comment
ga gator
September 15th, 2010
8:23 am
Lex, you and I usually agree on most things but you have to admit two things:
1. Spurrier is an ass for his comment directed at Grantham.
2. Grantham should keep his mouth shut if all he can say is “I appreciate his assistance, you know. But we actually knew what plays they were running. And they actually run that play in pro ball, and our offense actually runs that play, too. So we’re kind of on top of our game.
That made Grantham sound like he knew what was going to happen but didn’t know how to stop it.
I learned in my 57 years that if I got my ass handed to me to just keep my mouth shut and wait for payback down the road.
Lefty LaRue
September 15th, 2010
8:28 am
If that was Grantham on top of his game, UGA is in trouble. Cheap talk. What has happened to UGA? Dooley would have never allowed such comments.
DawginLex
September 15th, 2010
8:28 am
Comments from Spurrier are expected. Bottom line is he has been quiet 4 out of the last 6 years. I don’t mind Grantham firing back. It signals a breath of fresh air for me that we aren’t going to stand pat, status quo and let other teams whip us without doing something about it.
His kids were in the right spot but just couldn’t tackle the big running back. We only gave up 17 points. We should have scored more and won the game. If we consistently give up 17 points in big games, i like our chances.
wonderful to see
September 15th, 2010
8:30 am
the dawggie faithful writhing and squirming like an earthworm on a hot sidewalk…
GaGator
September 15th, 2010
8:32 am
DawginLex
Saturaday, it looked like Granthams DB were just hollering at Lattimore, they sure as well couldn’t tackle him. Spurrier had his running backs coach count how many tackle Lattimore broke.
He broke 46 tackles, that some DC that can’t get his boys to hit!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cardinal Sin
September 15th, 2010
8:35 am
Bottom line: GA got owned look at the scoreboard!
Enough Said!
ga gator
September 15th, 2010
8:35 am
Lex, personally I feel he should have waited until he had a dominant NT before he implemented the 3-4. Without a big guy like Mt Cody which all of the NFL teams have that run the 3-4, you will get the ball run down your throat. It isn’t schemes that win it’s players.Willie had a bend but dont break philosophy but didnt have play makers in the secondary to create turnovers. Tony Dungy did in Tampa Bay and Indy and it worked.
DawginLex
September 15th, 2010
8:35 am
Lefty,
Coach Richt is actually following Dooley’s script. When Dooley was there, Coach McDuffie was the bad cop and Dooley was the good cop. Grantham is Richt’s bad cop like BVG was.
One year in the late 1970’s, Mack Guest went to Coach Dooley to complain about Coach McDuffie. Coach Dooley was jogging on the track and Mack ran along next to him and told Coach that McDuffie was treating everybody like crap and a lot of the guys were upset about it. Coach Dooley told him he would take care of it.
The next day, Coach McDuffie was waiting on the team after Dooley told him about it and they ran sprints.
Grantham is the bad cop for Richt. It is what this team needs. He doesn’t have the personnel yet to run the 3-4 the way it needs to be run. It will take a year or two.
It is what it is
September 15th, 2010
8:36 am
The comeback by Grantham puts in image in my mind.
There is an old man standing beside his house looking at a big oak tree. This tree is in the way, and needs to be taken down because it is in the way of his plans, and “By God he is the man for the job”.
After studying the tree, he devises his “game-plan”. He recognizes that this tree is strong, and is leaning toward his house. He figures that eleven of his boys, pulling against the ropes, should be able to move this tree any way they needed. “Heck we are Georgia boys, nuttin’ is tougher than us”.
The old man fires up his chain saw and goes at it. They are all working like dawgs, sweating like pigs. The wood chips are flying. The tree begins to move, and the old man and his sons are thinking “yeah we can handle this, it ain’t so tough; we are Georgia boys.” They are hootin’ and hollerin, and sweatin’ and pullin’.
The force and speed of the tree begins to drag the boys around like children. The tree begins to pick-up speed, and it is getting impossible to contain. Now the old man is a spectator. It seems that the old man underestimated this oak tree, and its ability to whip his boys, and make them cry. These are Georgia boys.
He watches as this tree, unimpeded by his boys’ efforts, tears through the roof of his house, destroying it. He and his boys, battered and bruised from the fight, look in amazement at the damage that was done. They can’t believe what just happened; everyone had told them that this was an easy task. It is just an oak tree, and “you are Georgia boys”.
Just then his old lady comes to him and asks “what the H@#$ just happened?” The old man gives his old lady a wry smile and a wink. He taps his temple with his fore-finger and says: “I was right on with my “read” of the tree. I knew by the lean, the lay of the land, and the direction of the wind, just exactly which way that tree was going to fall. Nuttin’ outsmarts a Georgia boy”.
A few months later, the old lady sends the old man packing. He should have kept his mouth shut.
DawginLex
September 15th, 2010
8:39 am
The problems with this team lie with the OC. He was quoted yesterday as saying about Aaron murray “I don’t know how to open things up more for him. I guess it just comes down to letting him make more plays.”
ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ga gator
September 15th, 2010
8:40 am
It is what it is ………….You made me sleepy, Im going back to bed.
Lilburn Dawg
September 15th, 2010
8:40 am
GaGator………thanks. A lot of times when people are on the losing end of any situation or when life treats them bad all they want to do is find an excuse or someone else to blame. There was just no two ways about it in the South Carolina game…………..we got beat. It was our own fault. Period. We didn’t prepare hard enough, we didn’t play well enough, we didn’t have the better players, our coaches didn’t have the better game plan, etc……….whatever the reason was………it was our own fault. We have to improve ourselves rather than snipping at Spurrier for beating us. Spurrier did well. I’m more surprised at Grantham for not accepting this than any of the fans.
Dooley Noted
September 15th, 2010
8:40 am
You flea bites are so thin skinned. All Spurrier has to do is look at you funny and y’all are all ready to mug the man in a back alley some where. What are you going to do when Derrick spanks your little furry butts and afterwards comments that, “Hey, they haven’t done jack since Dad was there!”?
GaGator
September 15th, 2010
8:41 am
DawginLex
“It signals a breath of fresh air for me that we aren’t going to stand pat, status quo and let other teams whip us without doing something about it.”
Doing some thing about, well I hope talking trash is not what you meant, maybe Granthem should take like man, be quite and go back to basics, tackling drills till they are bloody should get their attention.
You can through out barbs when you win, just work harder when you lose. Grantham has been talking a good game since he was hired and not shown he can back it up yet.
ga gator
September 15th, 2010
8:42 am
I agree with that Lex. Last year Mallet put 41 on the Dawgs. I know willie was in charge, but at least the offense scored points. While I do believe the D coordinator is much better, he doesnt have the players for his scheme, so I still expect Ark to put up at least 30 and I worry that the offense can match it.
ga gator
September 15th, 2010
8:43 am
Believe it or not GaGator and I are not the same person, just a coincidence.
j
September 15th, 2010
8:44 am
The guy gets rolled and still tries to talk? Laughable! Lets see what Patrino has in store for that weak D.
JB
September 15th, 2010
8:45 am
Lefty…………..don’t you need to be worried about what Al Grop is planning this week for Yeck.
Dawg4life
September 15th, 2010
8:47 am
Spurrier shouldnt have made that comment to begin with. He had already won. He is a sore winner and thats really all that was. And all the comments about” If Grantham knew what plays he was calling, why wasnt he able to stop him??” Are you serious??? Just cause you know something is coming doesnt mean automatically you can stop it. It takes work. Grantham was right to fire back.GA will win. SC will lose. All will be right in the SEC East…
GaGator
September 15th, 2010
8:47 am
ga gator
You are correct, we went through this last year—Go Gators
PSJDawg
September 15th, 2010
8:48 am
This game was not lost b/c of CTG’s scheme. Maybe a couple of times they were out of position, and couple of times the secondary didn’t make plays on the ball. It was lost b/c of a pathetic excuse for tackling (even for arm tackling it was bad) and a fumble inside the five. Points crapped away. But getting back to the tackling thing – its a fundamental that i thought was being addressed this offseason – boils down to no tackles, long, extended drives (and offensive hickups) = tired defense. Simply, don’t take crap from Spurrier no matter what – his team just seemed to want it more.
SEC OFFICIAL
September 15th, 2010
8:50 am
we did not lose you the game, your little thugs in uniforms did
ga gator
September 15th, 2010
8:52 am
Here is what I think the problem stems from, 2 a days really are not about getting you in shape anymore because most teams work out year round. 2 a days are about getting you tough; maybe it was a mistake after all to eliminate them.
GaGator
September 15th, 2010
8:53 am
I’m affraid ya’ll are in for many more barbs from Spurrier, do you have any idea what that
game did for SC recruiting. SC is beginning to attract much better players. You give Spurrier talent closer to what Richt gets and Srurrier will put Richt into early retirement, of course he should have already be let go. This 8-5 season he is about to get stuck with, should be the end, I don’t think the AD will put up with Mr. Niceguy too long.
Smokewagon
September 15th, 2010
8:54 am
Herschel shut Spurrier up a couple of years ago.
Ed
September 15th, 2010
8:54 am
Paging Todd Grantham….Lattimore just scored again.
john
September 15th, 2010
8:55 am
you can best believe Spurrier didn’t coach what that young running back did Saturday. You got credit for the win Ole Ball Coach but dont think for one second you had anything to do with it.
G'Ville Dog
September 15th, 2010
8:56 am
He’s definitely a Dawg now! Love this Man
Dr. Phil
September 15th, 2010
8:56 am
Smokewagon, which one of Hershel’s personalities?
SEC OFFICIAL
September 15th, 2010
8:56 am
no foul on the lattimore touchdown
DawgNation
September 15th, 2010
8:57 am
Who cares what Spurrier has to say except for all the Bulldawg haters who live their lives vicariously through him. I recall we are not playing South Carolina till 2011 so lets focus on this weeks game and quit worrying about a game that we have already put behind us. The only thing CMR and CTG need to do is adjust those players attitudes on tackling and CMR needs to make this Bobo’s “produce or step down” game and take over the play calling if Bobo continues with this lets play not to lose instead of playing to win mentality. It doesn’t matter what the defense does if the offense can not score more than 6 points a game.
Dr. Phil
September 15th, 2010
8:57 am
G’ville Dog, you mean you like coaches who make stupid comments that prove they dont have a clue?
Mike Bobo
September 15th, 2010
8:58 am
Hey don’t put all the blame on me. Half of my defense is suspended
ga gator
September 15th, 2010
8:58 am
I know and understand why all Dawgs hate Spurrier, but one thing you have to admit; he had the guts to fire his own son as play caller and it has taken Richt far too long to do the same.
Lattimore
September 15th, 2010
8:59 am
You guys just can’t tackle, coach tells me I broke 46 of your “Olay” (as in bull fighting for the uninformed) tackle attempts. I ran against better defenses in high school.
gt
September 15th, 2010
8:59 am
If you had to shoot one in the head in the south, which one do you think would be shot? NFL or college football. Who is the reining kind of college football, the winiest coach in the best conference in the universe. Georgia should stop wetting itself every time Spurrier takes a shot at it and listen to what he is saying. It might be the only worthy free advise and insight ,outsiders, which fans are, receive on why their team is a under achiever. Georgia either owns the local press or the press doesn’t understand football, because every year you see this hurricane forming in Athens and every year it is downgraded to a tropical storm or some times for Tech fans like me, pure sunshine. If Georgia ever woke up and realized they are buying 100 gallons of gas and getting about a mile’s worth of travel, Spurrier might start making sense to them. Here’s hoping they stay mad at the “Ole Ball Coach” and make him their problem instead of the real one.
DawgNation
September 15th, 2010
9:00 am
ga gator
September 15th, 2010
8:58 am
I know and understand why all Dawgs hate Spurrier, but one thing you have to admit; he had the guts to fire his own son as play caller and it has taken Richt far too long to do the same.
Great point.
SOUTH GA DAWG
September 15th, 2010
9:00 am
BOUT TIME SOMEONE ON THE STAFF STOOD UP TO HIM. GLAD AT LEAST ONE MEMBER OF THE STAFF HAS SOME BACK BONE!!!!!!!
RxDawg
September 15th, 2010
9:01 am
486 comments about this?….well 487 now.
DawgNation
September 15th, 2010
9:02 am
488 and counting.
Mike Bobo
September 15th, 2010
9:03 am
its not that we don’t have backbone, it’s about that spurrier is right, you have no idea what goes on in that visor
Lattimore
September 15th, 2010
9:04 am
Smokewagon
Walker NEVER faced a Spurrier team—-look it up.
Grantham may have won....
September 15th, 2010
9:05 am
….the war of words, Spurrier still won the game on Saturday. And can Grantham really call someone else out about NFL success? I’d rather he just ignore Spurrier and get his work done. Engaging in this nonsense is a no-win scenario.
Steve Spurrier
September 15th, 2010
9:07 am
thats right
producewiz
September 15th, 2010
9:08 am
Spurrier back at it. Enjoy it.He gives it and he takes it. think he stirred it up again and is happy about it?YEP
Lattimore
September 15th, 2010
9:08 am
SOUTH GA DAWG
September 15th, 2010
9:00 am
BOUT TIME SOMEONE ON THE STAFF STOOD UP TO HIM. GLAD AT LEAST ONE MEMBER OF THE STAFF HAS SOME BACK BONE
LOSING DOESN’T MATTER, JUST TALK BACK TO HIM, “WE KNEW WHAT SC WAS DOING AND WE WERE ON THE TOP OF OUR GAME”-THIS GUYS A LOSER
gdawginkalamazoo
September 15th, 2010
9:10 am
Sic em’ Coach Grantham! That’s the problem with the college game some coaches just sit back and take that sh!t from smart a$$es like Spurrier. Glad to see our new DC standing up like a man.
Friend of YF
September 15th, 2010
9:11 am
Hahahaha. The only place that georgia football is still great is in the press not the football field. The dogs (and their fan base) can only talk the talk now a days. Hahaha. They can’t beat a Florida or Alabama and will play 500 against Tech as long as Paul Johnson is there. Hahahaha. Been saying it for 3 years now. One day you guys are going to have to admit that YELLOW FUZZ was RIGHT all a long! Hahahahahahahaha. AND………….you guys deserve it.
Steve Spurrier
September 15th, 2010
9:11 am
good thing hes standing up like a man, because his defense wasn’t after the ole ball coach had a crack at it
Dawg Gummit
September 15th, 2010
9:12 am
CSS has always been a jerk and has no class when he wins. As a UGA fan, CMR has never won a game and taken shots at the teams the Dawgs have beat. It is about time another coach took offense to CSS’s classless comments. I guess it has been so long since he won anything of substance at UF that he took at shot. His best team, experienced QB, Defense, at home playing UGA with Freshman QB and first real game with a new defense. Not a real upset that SC won the game. For all the bravado also remember UGA about 5 yards away from 14-12 or 14-14 before a fumble in the second half. Congatulations to USC for the win, too bad your coach has to act like he has not been there before.