Official Post-Game T-shirt (Click to Buy)
First off, God Bless Mikey Henderson. Now, some rambling thoughts from Saturday night.
The Good:
- Counter Punching: The hardest thing to do when punched in the mouth is to get back up and throw another punch. When Alabama tied the game 10-10, the Bulldogs immediately responded with a long TD drive. When the Tide tied the game 20-20, we again immediately drove down the field without flinching. To counter punch a physical team like Bama on the road is a very good sign for the program's future.
- Guts: Our defensive ends and linebackers were completely worn out in the fourth quarter. You couldn't completely see how tired they looked on TV, but from up close it was evident. When Andre Smith leans on you for 60 minutes, it takes its toll. Richt's timeout with around 3 minutes left wasn't just to let the defensive "regroup" as Todd Blackledge pointed out on television. They flat out needed a blow. Richt, Fabris and Martinez were constantly encouraging them to dig deep for just a few more plays. Great show of guts by those guys to keep digging. I didn't think we could get a three and out in Overtime with them so tired, but they did it. Like I said last week, tougher team wins it. Our guys were just flat out tougher.
- Offensive Line: Georgia started three freshmen offensive linemen on the road in front of 92,000 blood thirsty fans, and they didn't give up a sack. Incredible. Granted, the Bama defensive line isn't the greatest we'll play this year, but the work that Coach Searels has done with this group is amazing. By the way, I found out that his name rhymes with "girls" or "squirrels" not "quarrels." (Per his extended family)
- Linebackers: Washington and Ellerbe made a bunch of plays, and they showed much more aggression and violence than in weeks past.
- Sean Bailey: He is quietly having a great year. I see a lot of clamoring for Knowshon to get more touches (which I'm all for) over Thomas Brown, but Saturday their stats were almost the same. Where is the screaming for Bailey to get more catches? He's dropped two this season, but so what? He's making more plays than any UGA wideout since Reggie Brown's senior year. Get this guy the ball!
- WR blocking: Mo Mass absolutely crushed Bama's best CB early in the game. He's another guy having a quiet yet effective year.
- Kickoff Coverage: our best job of stopping the return that I can remember in years.
- Asher Allen: Allen made some real whiffs on the tackling front in recent weeks, but that wasn't an issue on Saturday. His tackling was so strong that Martinez used him on corner blitzes to offset Bama's stretch running plays behind big Andre Smith.
- Painful TE Drops: I don't want this thread to turn into a Tripp Chandler bashing fest because I don't think that's a fair response to a game that we won. But as Richt said in his Sunday press conference, Chandler has to improve. Or someone else needs to play.
- Killer Penalties: The penalties we earned on offense were brutal, and the ones we didn't earn (but still got flagged for) like the pass interference call on the uncatchable ball in the fourth quarter nearly cost us the game. We have to play smarter than that.
- Traffic Post-Game: the residents of Tuscaloosa, the Alabama fans, the City and County Governments of the Tuscaloosa area, Mal Moore, the Alabama Department of Transportation, the US Department of Homeland Security and Forrest Gump should all be kicked in the balls for letting the post-game traffic problems continue. They've been playing football in T-town for almost 120 years. Are you seriously telling me that they haven't figured out how to get people out of town yet? Do you honestly not have a disaster evacuation plan by now that can be applied to post-game traffic? At least partially if not fully. The crazy thing...that WAS their new and improved plan! I guess the money that should be spent on new traffic plans is all being spent on Nick Saban's salary. Hopefully, Cordy Glenn (OT recruit) found himself in the same post-game traffic that I did. That would've been enough to decide between UGA and Bama for me.
- I've been to Tuscaloosa three times ('94, '02, and '07). Each trip has been just that drama packed. Their fans were great, the environment was amazing and the rain mostly held off. Everything great about college football was on display for the world to watch. I'm loving our chances for a 10-2 season entering the bowl. Let's get Haverkamp healthy, destroy Ole Miss and head up to Knoxville for a a shot at a fourpeat.
- -- Scott Howard's Call - some fan uploaded this
-- Stafford's moment in T-town - Tony Barnhart
-- Dog Pile fun, but Hairy - AJC
-- Sunday Teleconference Transcript - David Ching
-- A defining Moment - ABH
-- A last look back - UGASports.com
-- 142z Takeoff - Get the Picture
-- An Open Letter - DawgSports.com
23 comments:
He caught the ball when it mattered near the end, but I swear Chandler's hands were laminated. Someone help this kid!
I would not even try to make excuses for drops that there are no excuses for.
Sometimes everything you touch just turns a funny color. There are no good explanations for it.
But I am convinced that the guy will be fine going forward.
God knows we are going to need him.
The Mo Mass block was a beauty to behold. Even calling it a crusher does not do it justice.
I'm tellin' ya fellers. I am extremely excited and happy with what I am seeing so far this year even with a loss to the Chickens.
These guys are playing with passion. And they don't give up. And my god they are young. I know that is a point you don't want to drive into the ground or use as a crutch but by god it is a point that is relevant.
I believe the each and every week it is going to be a dog fight to the end. I just don't see us destroying ANYBODY.
But 10 wins certainly is not out of the question.
Excellent recap, Paul. Agree on all fronts.
Richt's traits as a coach that people were howling about after Cackalack are the same traits that enabled us to march into Bryant-Denney and own the place.
Don't let Richt's demeanor fool you, he's a football coach which means that he has a huge ego. And he showed Saban that you don't have to strut around to prove how big your balls are. Just let the players on the field do the talking.
Now lets put this one behind us and move on to the Orgeron.
HUNKER DOWN HAIRY DAWGS
Mo Mass is quietly having a good year. No drops and blocking like Hines Ward. I would like to see him with more receptions.
When UGA gets a lead, the offense goes into conservative mode and it drives me crazy. It feels like we're playing not to loose instead of playing to win. The Bama game shouldn't have been close. Put the game away with points instead of trying to run the clock and leaning on the defense to make a stop.
The motto is "finish the drill". This applies to play calling. Play to win and put your opponent away when the opportunity is there.
I have said it before, but it bears repeating: CMR predicted we would "get better as the season wore on" and that we'd end up being a very good football team. The facts are telling it. By the time we get to Jax, we should be hitting on all cylinders.
You're a bit more optimistic about the rest of the season than I am -- as thrilled as I am with the win, I honestly don't think we played all that great on Saturday -- but any team with this much heart and toughness is going to have a chance in every game it plays. GO DAWGS!!!!
Since, I'm not shy in issuing criticism, I want to offer deserved praise equally.
The defensive gameplan was great. They got burned on the coverage the one time (it happens), but they mixed up blitz packages, they covered receivers, and they tackled ball carriers. It was one of the better defensive efforts UGA has put together in some time. The fatigue at the end certainly was a factor, but with time and depth (with size), that could be lessened.
The team played well and were rewarded with a big win in a tough environment. They deserve one brief pat on the back before getting focused on Ole Miss.
I think we're looking at a minimum 8-peat.
Doug, I agree that we didn't play great. But have you looked at the rest of our schedule other than LSU and UF?
AU, UT and GT suddenly look much more beatable. We're going to have a huge revenge game against Vandy, and UK can't play a lick of defense...even though their offense looks exceptional.
I hope we play LSU this year!
Coach Squirrels has done more with less (guys who weren't super prospects, have no experience and even precious little college strength and conditioning work) than any position coach I can remember.
As he continues to coach up the current bunch, they work their way into full grown man status in the weight room and our recruiting stops being the train wreck it has been, we should have some really good OLs in the next few years.
Anyone have Wallace Gilberry's address? I figure he's pretty bummed, might want some flowers sent his way. Just whenever.
+1 Andrew
Good one Andrew! I forgot all about that - what a jerk Dingleberry is.
yeah, it was a great win despite the overall complexion of play, which was so-so, especially on offense. but i think there was some marked improvement on defense, particularly on the line. except for just a couple of bama’s series, the front four got great pressure and penetration—and it was consistent. i’m one of those guys who has been pretty critical of cwm, but he deserves some real credit for this win. i, too, liked the mix of defensive play-calling—much less static than in some past games. and did you see cwm and fabris whooping it up after the fourth-and-one stop? that was great!
i wonder if the coaching staff has had a sports psychologist work with the receivers/ends on the pass dropping? sheesh. . . . as they say, the first step to recovery begins with admitting there’s a problem. i have to say, maybe it’s just the eternal pessimist in me, but when stafford launched that faberge egg of a perfect pass in ot, the whole time the ball was in the air and on a perfect arc to meet mikey henderson in stride--who had just enough separation for him to lay it over his shoulder—i was thinking to myself: “he’s not gonna catch it.” i’m happy to have been wrong.
great game, and now it belongs to the ages. . . .
I have to imagine the Bama Defense was pretty tired at the end too. At one point we had a 31-to-16 minute advantage in TOP. Of course, Bama's offense was probably pretty rested for those late scoring drives.
I was glad to see the Dogs FIGHT for a big win.
In addition to MoMass' block, I loved Moreno when he popped that defender back about 4 yards at the end of a good run near the sidelines. He jacked that guy good.
One note: Get Ellerbe a new chin strap or helmet, that kid's helmet got knocked off at least 4 times.
That game was not won by playing finesse football. I really like the delayed blitzes. I hope we make them a more consistent part of our defense b/c this defense has a lot of speed and the blitz works, even if we don't get the sack.
I feel better about the team after watching that. We have to run the table to win the East, but it least it's still winnable.
Hope we play better next week against Ole Miss than we did last year. I was at the game and we did not look good. At least Coach O will be here, though.
"Yaw yaw yaw, footbaw."
His helmet pops off b/c of his dreads and he is getting after it. I dont mind it one bit.
If you look around college football that seams to be happening a lot. I think it is a combo of the new alien helmets and the amount of players who have dreads.
no, its b/c he isnt strapping down all four buttons on his chin strap.
"Still man enough?" You guys are starved for locker room material. That was Pat Dye, and in case you forget, he was an AUBURN coach.
I'm starting to wonder about the intelligence of Georgia people, if you're willing to take the word of an opponent's rival coach and make it material for motivation.
I still hate Dye for saying that ("Georgia's not man enough") because you didn't need the motivation.
Infamous Angel,
I'm sorry that I can't seem to hear you. I have a three game winning streak stuck in my ear.
Could you speak up?
Traffic was worst than Athens??? Now that is bad. Wish we could get our own glass house figured out.
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