There's so much to say. I have no idea where to start really. I've had a day and a half to process it, and I'm still at a loss as to where to start.
I suggest starting here. Blutarsky suggests that something is missing. You can't look at what he calls the randomness of our "no shows" over the past three years and think there isn't something wrong at the DNA level of the program.
Some will say it's the "Richt lacks a killer instinct" thing that we've been hearing on and off for the past 8 years. I don't buy the idea that because Richt is sincerely a good person / nice that he's somehow flawed. He may be too loyal to some of his assistants and/or too trusting / hands off in his approach to their game plans. That I'd almost certainly agree with. But I don't buy that he's inherently too nice to win a national title.
However, there is something to be said for the old prison concept of walking into the yard on your first day and kicking the shit out of someone to send a message to everyone else. That's essentially what UF did to LSU and UK. They sent Georgia a message.
And you know what? It worked. We played and coached like we were afraid of them. The players talk about swagger. A team full of swagger doesn't walk out onto mid-field of a its two biggest games and take a dump on itself.
Lastly (for now anyway)....here's the thing about Meyer's time outs and the end. He is a vindictive son of a bitch. To quote Chris Dimino on 790theZone today, "Meyer's revenge tank isn't remotely close to being full." We have to get our act together before going back down there because he'll run it up again if he gets the chance.
More later. I'm still trying to decide what all to post about.
(Update: Comments are back on. I turned on comments for posts going forward. I kept them locked for the old stuff from last week. Just please remember that the tone we've tried to set here is one of "Why" and "How" not "So and So sucks" and "fire so and so.")
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30 comments:
Its funny how you guys cheered the Dancing in the endzone last yr which drew flags and was extremly classless..Richt lied about it and was smiling on the sideline.....when Meyer calls a couple of timeouts (which are legal and drew no flags) he is a prick and a son of a bitch...glass houses buddy...oh yea.....how do you like that foot up your ass?...hey Matt b...how do you feel today??
Actually, as a UGA fan, I'm embarrassed by the celebration.
However, Meyer's calling 2 timeouts with 40 seconds to go, the UF player's extending his hand to a fallen Stafford only to bring it back as soon as Stafford reached for it, etc., just typify the class at Florida. I'll take one classless celebration over consistent classlessness any day.
That said, I agree PWD -- something is missing. We are not an elite program. We're good, but not elite. We had two chances this year to become elite and failed. Rennie Curran said before the game that in the past our guys were almost scared of Florida. How can you be "scared" of a football team for crying out loud?
Obviously UF got some help from the refs, but the refs didn't end up losing the game for us. We did.
Still, add Penn Wagers to the Urban Meyer category as far as I'm concerned. Classless.
UF fans, if you celebrate Meyer's timeouts at the end of the 49-10 game, you should be ashamed of yourselves. Defend it all you want, it was unnecessary and ridiculous.
Also, the celebration last year was about getting ourselves motivated, not about showing up the other team.
But Meyer has shown repeatedly that he is a total ass, from running up the score on everyone he can find, to kicking field goals with less than a minute to go and the game in hand, to punching recruits in the chest when he meets them.
In the Florida tradition of dickhead coaches: Spurrier, Donovan, now this guy.
As a fan you were embarrassed by it??? If you guys were so embarrassed by it why was a video posted of it on this web site on the 31st?? Why was it used as a header until today?? Drop the "we are classly when WE act classless" crap...Urban kicked sir Richt ars again and will do it next yr aswell...you wish Richt had a 10th of the coaching ability as Urban...you calling him classless is just a way for you to feel better about your VERY apparent piss poor coaching staff....Keep BOBO around...we love that guy!!
Hey boogers, I don't know how Florida fans handle things but UGA fans are allowed to have their own opinions on topics. We're not beholden to a groupthink. ovn is embarrassed by the celebration. I'm not and there are plenty of other people who weren't embarrassed by it. ovn wasn't the one who posted that pic on this site.
I personally think throwing around "class" is just an attempt to use societal rules to get people to agree to disadvantageous positions. If Georgia doesn't want Meyer to run up the score then Georgia needs to play some D to keep that from happening.
The officiating was pretty bad but it didn't keep us from a win. My personal opinion is that when someone holds to the point that they're pulling a jersey away from the body and they don't get flagged, the officiating staff is an f'ing failure. At least Georgia got so blown out in the second half that it didn't matter.
There were some heartaches during the game but the only thing to consistently get on my nerves was Georgia's complete and utter failure to stop Florida in situations where we knew exactly what they were going to do. For example, if Florida is lined up on the goalline, don't let Tebow run the damn ball in. At least make him do something different. Even if you have to sell the run and he does the jump pass. That's a lower percentage play.
Booger, you're damn right I was embarrassed by it. I loved the end, but didn't like the means. Etc. I didn't post the video. I still cringe when I see it. It's something Meyer would do; not Richt.
Again, if you think calling 2 timeouts with 40 seconds left in a 49-10 game is "classy," there's really nothing more we can discuss. We're just too different. It has nothing to do with him beating us. In fact, until I heard that yesterday (I turned the game off with 5 mins to go), I had no ill-will toward Meyere about the game. That stat, however, changed my mind. Tebow's explanation solidified it.
"Class" definitely is Mrs. Meyer standing on a table after the game screaming"What goes around comes around!," isn't it? I can't even imagine Spurrier's wife doing something "classy" like that.
I'd like to know what went around that required that kind of display?
Seriously. I'm an Auburn fan, and I know we suck. But a Florida fan teaching anyone else about class is absolutely ridiculous.
Something wrong at the DNA level? I have to disagree completely. You have to look at some things:
1. Florida is damn good and has a crap-ton of speed.
2. We are damn good but have suffered catastrophic injuries. How many starters yesterday were barely supposed to see the field this year?
3. The combination of momentum, HUGE blown calls and our own untimely penalties resulted in a big loss. I cannot stress enough how huge those non-calls were. People like to say the team should have overcome, but those were simply MASSIVE blown calls and MUST be taken into account.
I'll tell you what's wrong at the DNA level: This year's team does not have any discipline. It's the cause of poorly-timed penalties; boneheaded mistakes in the red zone; thinking your cannon arm will get the ball through that safety; being given the responsibility to call plays out of formations, then audibling to the obviously wrong play; lining up in the right formation on a goal-line defense; and staying in your lanes during the play.
Perhaps the biggest way the lack of discipline is evident on this team is seeing what happens when things start going the wrong way: they do not have the will to stop it. That takes more individual and collective discipline than any other individual element: To focus on what you know you need to do and do it instead of lapsing into the kind of improvising that breaks down a team.
WOW all i can say is WOW....You justify your whole team running on the field Dancing like a bunch of idoits as "motivation" and that it wasnt directed towards the Gators..this is okay in your minds...i want you to tell me how you would feel about it if it was reversed...tell me! Judging by the way you reacted to some timeouts i could only imagine you would have lost your freakin minds...but since you guys did it its all okay.....
Let's all move on from the celebration. The two sides view it totally differently and neither is going to be able to understand the other's point of view. UGA was better in '07, Florida was better in '08.
Any type of conversation about "class" is futile b/c as it's currently constituted, the WLOCP is going to bring out the worst in both sides.
That being said, I don't think Mark Richt has to prove to anyone he is an honorable man and for Gator fans to attack his personal character is pretty tacky. There are enough instances of Urban being a snake to make people a little queasy, but aside from the celebration, I'd say Richt has handled life in the public eye pretty well.
I don't think it's discipline.
I think it's leadership.
I completely agree that the idea that Coach Richt is too "nice" to win a national title is just ridiculous. If anyone has seen how he gets on to officials, they will know that he is not too nice. Also, just ask the players if Coach Richt and staff are too "nice" durind practice. Coach Favers is out of control (and i love it) and Coach Richt has been known to jump on somebody for doing something stupid. Just because he is rather calm in interviews and refrains from using too much profanity doesn't mean he's too nice. So everyone just needs to drop that.
I do have concerns though with some of our other coaches, namely Coach Bobo. While he is a hell of a motivator, I don't think he has the perspective to be OC at an SEC school. He has only coached at one school in his entire career, and I believe we are seeing this inexperience now. While I don't fall into the "Fire Bobo now" crowd, I am beginning to wonder if he really has what it takes for this job.
Finally, I think PWD is completely correct about leadership. We really just don't have a very visible emotional leader. Stafford is great and definitely cares a lot about this team (contrary to what a lot of people think), but he's just doesn't have the infectious positive attitude of someone like... I won't even say it. Knowshon is awesome, but he hasen't shown that he can respond to adversity. Rennie is only a sophomore. We need someone to be the guy. The key now is don't give up. Losing to Auburn or Georgia Tech could really put this season over the edge.
I have a few thoughts on how the game ended up the way it did.
1)Our red zone play calling sucked again. We looked to have it figured out last week and just went right back to the awful calls that lead to FGs against UT and Vandy this weekend. It feels like Bobo has a plan and stays with it even if the defense is right (runnig zone read against 8 in the box, etc.).
2)The penalty calls and no-calls killed us. The bad spot and review of Tebow's first down was awful and eventually led to a TD. The INT called back was a borderline call that we always lose for some reason. On the replay you can see Wynn was being held and was hit in the face also. Stafford's INT to Haden should have been defensive holding as Verne and Gary pointed out multiple times and the long TD to Murphy should have been a penalty as he used Asher's jersey to both slow down Allen and propel himself forward. Brandon Spikes would have been flagged for 2 or 3 personal fouls if he was wearing a red jersey. Etc, etc, etc....
3)Even though he barely saw the field, Bryan Evans still managed to get beat from the safety position for a long TD. I don't know what happened or what needs to happen, but our secondary is awful and is not getting any better.
We moved the ball well but didn't capitalize on it. We shut down Demps and Rainey but it didn't matter. Field position killed us, the refs killed us, and untimely turnovers killed us. After we stalled in the red zone the first time, I could see where this game was heading. It was ugly but we still need to play the season out. We can't just give up.
Go Dawgs!
Truth be told, regardless of "classiness" or lack thereof, Georgia got outplayed. Yes, the poor officiating did hurt the Dawgs. But if you go back and look at previous games compared to the Florida game, Georgia made the same boneheaded mistakes they've made all year long. Too many very blatant penalties, a weak offensive line, and a poor excuse for a defense.
I knew after watching the Vandy game that Georgia was in serious trouble. They let Vandy complete pass play after pass play after pass play. Our defense has been less than stellar all season. *shrugs* Maybe next year will be out year.
I question the leadership as well, both with the coaching staff and with the players. Some of our players are rumored to have been seen in downtown Athens after the game drinking away their sorrows. From my perspective, they should have been embarrassed for the way they went out and played rather than going out in public. They not only let down themselves, but also let down the entire bulldog nation. There are a lot more problems than just leadership but I don't think anyone has the time to post it all
There must a lack of leadership, but its with the coaches. How can our play calling be so ridiculous in the red zone? Apparently, the coaches don't realize how rare it is to have a backfield as talented as Knowshon and Sutherland. I used to scream for CMR to give up play callin. I was hopeful that Bobo, having played in the TE Donnan offense and studied under Richt all these years, would be able to draw on multiple philosophies and improve our TD to FG ratio. Apparently not. And now we can't even count on the FGs.
And if that didn't suck enough, Richt tries an onside kick trailing 7-3 in the first half. WTF? Were you stupid or scared? I think its the latter, but I can't rule out the former.
Don't give me the whiny excuses about how bad we sucked under Goff and how I should be thankful. I'm not expecting too much to think that in YEAR EIGHT we would be further along than this. Every major SEC team has won a NC or gone undefeated in this era (90 to present). Some say we are the Ohio State of the SEC. Really? If we got smoked 2 out of 3 times for the NC, that still leaves one crown.
The players were good enough to win on Saturday. The same goes for the game with Bama. But something is missing in our preparation and/or mental makeup. It's like we need a coach for pyshological preparedness and motivation. What happened Saturday wasn't an aberration. It started against WVU in year five, then UT in year six and seven, Bama and UF in year eight. Losing happens, but the level of self-destruction we are seeing is beyond losing and its become more frequent.
Everyone,
What are your thoughts on this season having the potential to turn into 2000 all over again? The UF loss that year demoralized that team, then they went on to lose to Auburn in OT and completely no show against Tech. God forbid this team have the leadership void that team did, but I'm not so sure anymore.
I think we'll win out. I hope for a matchup with Ohio State in the Capital One Bowl, or Missouri/Oklahoma in the COtton Bowl, to redeem ourselves ever so slightly.
Obviously it's a letdown. I hope the coaches and the players suck it up, pull it together, and keep the team in focus.
It's the wrong time for Stafford, Mo Mass, and Knowshon to start daydreaming about the NFL.
We could've had something special. That failed. Now let's end on a good note, and maybe -- just maybe if MS and NM come back next year -- try try again.
Another thing I notice with UGA in big games is that we start off with Plan B. By that I mean, we adjust our game before the first snap. We did it against Bama and we did it this weekend. Good teams play there game and force the other team to adjust. We adjust before the snap and if that doesn't work we move to Plan C, never trying what has made us who we are. I don't think this team will fold, they are far too talented imo. Any thoughts?
The 2000 team had much greater problems. Quincy was injured and shouldn't have even played against Florida that year. Some seniors were planning on going to the administration to ask Donnan be fired. Of course, Adams beat em to the punch. This team does not appear to be in that sort of toxic mode (from Section 119 and my couch at least).
Sadly, we could lose every game remaining on the schedule without the team melting down. Road games are hard enough without the wicked run of four in a row. Plus Tech is good this year.
It should be pointed out that the 2000 defense was loaded with NFL players. This defense probably has four (Ellerbe, Curran, Geno & Asher). Our offense is much better in 08 vs 00. Coaching is a toss-up. Donnan wasn't smooth off the field, the way Richt is. But Donnan was much better on the field during the game.
I agree that the 2000 had larger problems, but I'm not convinced this team won't do the same disappearing act. A huge part of the problem in 2000 was that Stroud and Seymour were obviously looking ahead to the NFL. Could MS and KM being doing the same? Dunno, but it's possible. I do agree that Donnan was better in game than Richt.
Donnan's problem(besides being a jerk) was that his teams were never probably conditioned and quit on him. They were mentally fragile and fell apart at the first sign of adversity. I'm scared we're seeing the first signs of the same thing with this team.
What did Urban Meyer's wife do?
We got out-coached...plain and simple.
Badly.
Again.
I love these people who keep talking about how florida "crushed us." They obviously didn't watch the game. Georgia beat Georgia. Florida just swept up the mess.
Also, we have GOT to stop scheduling tough teams before this game. When are we going to start doing the math?
Urban Meyer's wife stood on a table and yelled at the top of her lungs "What comes around, goes around."
Matt Hayes wrote about it in the SN. Here: http://today.sportingnews.com/sportingnewstoday/20081102/?pg=12&pm=1&u1=friend
I know several who witnessed it. She screamed it with glee like a drunk teenager.
What can you say, she's a classy broad. I hope it comes around there way next year.
I would like to hear some commentary and reasons behind why Moreno is taking himself out of the game so much. I think it is hurting the flow and consistency of this offense, especially in the Red Zone. Does Knowshon have conditioning issues?
Speculating on Moreno: The person who knows an athlete best is that athlete. I suspect that Moreno and Richt (and Bobo) have an understanding that Moreno will take himself out when he feels gassed and will put himself back in when he is fresh. Moreno expends a LOT of energy on the field so he may need a breather more often than others. Also, he is not a real big RB; I am okay with it. Plus I like getting King some meaningful carries as Moreno may well be gone after this year.
Donnan on the field had some remarkable games, but just not against Tennessee, Florida or Tech. Too many losses to the good teams. I bet you remember the Carter Administration fondly as well.
If nothing else, the Meyers' classless actions should serve as motivation FOR US next year. If it doesn't, then Richt needs his head examined.
Football is as much about emotion and mentality as it is skill and physicality.
Surely Richt knows this...right?
Urban Meyer's wife did WHAT?? wow...that's so sad. you would think a grown woman would hold herself higher than that. guess not.
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