I've said it before, and I'll say it again. It's simple physical science and rudimentary math. Slow doesn't catch fast.
If you have the fastest player in college football returning the kicks, you aren't going to have a reasonable opportunity to chase him down and tackle him using walk-ons, 280 lb defensive ends, back-up fullbacks and back-up quarterbacks. That issue is complicated when they approach the ball carrier tentatively and don't maintain their lanes.
We have a roster full of players like Richard Samuel who were born to cover kicks. The kid was a dominating linebacker in high school who runs fast and has no problem running into people. Why he's not on every coverage unit, I'll never know. There are an abundance of tight ends, linebackers, safeties and wide receivers on this team.
Jon Fabris is a
The celebration penalty changed the game. But our inability to cover the final kick lost it for us. Think back to Baton Rouge in 2003. Everyone remembers Billy Bennett missing three field goals as a major reason we lost. Most folks remember our WRs inability to catch that day and our daycare aged offensive line being manhandled by the veteran LSU defensive line. But most folks forget that it was the kickoff following the 93 yard TD run by Tyson Browning that was returned to near midfield that set up the final Tiger miracle score.
How many more games will our kickoff coverage hurt us before we try something truly different? It's maddening.
See Also:
-- Upon further review - Blutarsky
PWD
*I over reached with the initial adjective. I do believe that he's done a very good job with what he's had HEALTHY to work with over the past 9 years. The DEs have arguably been our most consistent group during that period. Last year, he had next to nothing to work with that was healthy. He had one starting DE that was 2 biscuits shy of 300 lbs and a redshirt freshman as his only healthy guys.
25 comments:
Amen! Now only if it will fall on the ears of people who CAN actually change it.
Jon Fabris is a whale of a defensive ends coach
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He's done a very good job with what he's had HEALTHY to work with.
What depresses me with Hale's article is Richt saying he was impressed by Ealey but is not making any changes to the depth chart.
He must know something I don't. But it sure has hell doesn't seem that way.
THe inference has to be pass blocking on Ealey.
The approach to Special Teams is beyond comprehension.
1. Everyone in the Stadium, including UGA, knows that Logan Gray is going to fair catch the punts coming his way. After only gaining 1 first down in the 1st half, you would think the coaches would use a punt return as a means to better position the offense.
2. There are only 85 scholarship players. Yet, CMR goes out and blows a scholarship on a kicker for the purpose of kicking the ball in the endzone. Has this kicker even dressed out for a game yet? Call me crazy; however, CMR could have used that scholarship on someone that could maintain his assignments and make a tackle on kickoff coverage.
Two years ago I went to Coach Richt's Football Camp for Women. One of the best, most incredible experiences I have ever had.
As part of the workshop, you get to pick which part of the team you would like to be immersed in, offense, defense or for the first time, special teams. I chose special teams because I was interested to see how it worked. Ever since, I have feared for our special teams unit. We were instructed by Coach Fabris, who is an incredible motivator and educator. I wanted to run thru a wall for him after the session. The thing that worried me however is this. At the time, and they may be doing something different now, they special teams practiced ten minutes a day three days a week. They got 20 minutes of instruction on top of that. How can anything work well when you don’t have anytime to work on it? I feel like after our session, I could go on the field and kick protect as well as any of the guys we have out there.
Another concern was that if they used starters from other disciplines, they generally go pulled from special teams as soon as they got good. This means every week new players are rotated in and there is no stability or knowledge of the skills. I think this showed last week and in the general execution overall in our special teams over the past few years.
Coach Fab knows what it takes to make special teams work. I believe that. He is not given the time or players to make it happen. Top down decision.
I am beginning to think that Coach Richt really needs to reevaluate the playbook and edit out some stuff to allow for other areas of the game to be taught and to allow players to get up to speed quicker. The learning curve seems too high for UGA. Greenie started out with a small playbook that grew big. Winningist QB in NCAA history. We owe it to others to give them a chance.
If Joe gets hurt, what happens then? All of the talk about Logan Gray not being ready is scary. Why not? Does it really take 3 or 4 years as a back up in the system to get it? If so, then frankly changes need to be considered.
Grey being trotted out to fair catch is dumb and a signal to the other team that we are not a threat. Do we really have no one that can catch and run? Sad.
What's even more concerning is that our backup QB is the only player the coaches trust to call a fair catch! That's not a good signal to the overall intelligence of the team.
Here is my question....
This year UGA is actually 22nd in the nation on touchback percentage on kickoff returns. That's not bad.
However, to follow up PWD's point, when the other guys get the ball...you know the fast guys...we can't catch 'em. UGa is #69 (hee hee) in Average starting position...and I beleive that includes the touchbacks. The AVERAGE starting position for UGA's opponents is the 38 yard line. (Maybe kicking the ball out of bounds is a good idea for us, no?)
Take away those touchbacks and opponents are starting on the 43 freaking yard line!!! AFTER KICKOFFS!!!
To put that in perspective, without those touchbacks, UGA's kickoff coverage would be around 110th in the nation...right about with Duke, Toledo and Kent State.
Nice.
(http://www.cfbstats.com/2009/leader/national/team/offense/split01/category29/sort01.html)
Here is my source on stats...please correct me if I am wrong.
why all of a sudden did we start playing pansy defense as soon as we got the lead? sure the D played good for 57 min but why not the last 3?!?!
martinez is an idiot. we went to prevent defense again when we had the lead.
WE WILL NEVER WIN WITH WILLIE MARTINEZ.
richt better fear his own job if a change isnt made at DC at the end of this year.
i would give anything for saban to be our coach. he knows what a defense is.
p.s. PWD, i agree with your point about fabris.
Why do we put Logan Gray back to field a punt? Answer, because there is no plan to return the punt.
You're not wrong Irwin, you're just an a**hole. (Although, I'm not sure who Irwin R. Fletcher is.)
Thanks a lot Bin Laden!
at least logan catches the ball. prince should never return a punt again after those fumbles.
Sorry to jack the comments but I have a question.
When people say Vandy tickets for games in Nashville are always easy to do...is that to mean that there are always an abundance of them floating around before the game...or are there just usually alot available online?
I always prefer to have tickets in hand to something rather than just showing up and hoping to get them.
What are some others' experiences with traveling to Vandy?
Thanks!
Now...Dude...that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from.
overall intelligence of the team.
After seeing Boykin bring that interception out of the end zone this is exactly what I was wondering.
Fair catches on punts tells me that the coaches have no confidence in the players at all. Hell even Prince Miller called for a fair catch and there was not anybody within 25 yards of him.
The players are afraid to play and the coaches are afraid to let them play.
Square: Both. I've bought tickets for VU on gameday in Nashv. before for less than $10. I'm not saying you can do that next w/e, but I am saying go with or w/o tix. You'll be fine.
Where are the visitor sections in Vandy's stadium? Thanks in advance!
Another question I have...except for LSU, we are seeing an increasing number of short kickoffs from other teams, keeping it away from Boykin and Smith.
Are we ever going to put in an upback on our kickoff return team who is actually a threat, or are we going to continue to use our entire fullback depth chart?
I've never been to Vandy with tix in hand. IT IS HANDS DOWN the easiest place to get tickets. Wait until before gametime and head to the stadium. CHEAP....
Let me tell you the story about the tortoise and the hare...
- Jon Fabris
Lord, are walkons faster than whales?
- Mark Richt
Why the hell is Logan Gray on the tackling team for kickoff coverage? Why do we not put starters in on our kickoff team and take it seriously?
EVER.
"fastest college football player" EVER.
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