Aaron Davis with the pass defense to get the interception.
(Photo courtesy of Jim Hipple)
Showing posts with label Clemson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Clemson. Show all posts
September 2, 2014
September 1, 2014
UGA vs. Clemson: Defense Photos
All photos courtesy of Jim Hipple.
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| Not exactly a smile, but certainly some excitement from Pruitt |
UGA vs. Clemson: Offense Photos
All pictures are courtesy of Jim Hipple. I included special teams in here, as one Gurley picture is the kickoff return, and Wynn's only touch was a punt return.
Participation
I count 45 players got into the game Saturday.
Remember when we only had 22 more players than that on scholarship?
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Remember when we only had 22 more players than that on scholarship?
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August 31, 2014
3 Questions Answered: Clemson
- How does our offensive line match up with their defensive line? Well, it was a tale of two halves. In the first, it was a stalemate. The Tigers got good push on pass plays, they were disruptive in the middle, and generally did well in bottling up all runners not named Gurley. In the second half, especially on toss sweeps, we utterly crushed their Dline.
- Has Bobo found the secret to getting Mason to being the QB he can be? Do we really need a QB?
- How much does the Pruitt factor mean? Who is Todd Grantham? Seriously, the adjustments we made at half were spectacular. As their Oline got tired, we increased the pressure.
I'll have more later, I'm off to Lake Sinclair for family reunion stuff.
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Depressive Tyler is dead
About that whole dominating the line of scrimmage thing....
| Clemson Drive Summaries | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| START | QTR | POSS. | YARD | PLAYS | YARDS | RESULT |
| 15:00 | 1 | 04:14 | CLEM 30 | 12 | 70 | Touchdown |
| 09:04 | 1 | 01:15 | CLEM 10 | 3 | 8 | Punt |
| 06:36 | 1 | 00:39 | CLEM 16 | 3 | 3 | Punt |
| 03:16 | 1 | 01:34 | CLEM 9 | 3 | -4 | Punt |
| 00:35 | 1 | 01:43 | CLEM 22 | 6 | 78 | Touchdown |
| 11:51 | 2 | 04:23 | CLEM 32 | 10 | 68 | Touchdown |
| 07:15 | 2 | 01:29 | CLEM 25 | 5 | 18 | Interception |
| 04:10 | 2 | 03:22 | CLEM 18 | 13 | 65 | Missed FG |
| 11:27 | 3 | 01:54 | CLEM 23 | 3 | 8 | Punt |
| 06:31 | 3 | 01:20 | CLEM 6 | 3 | 5 | Punt |
| 03:17 | 3 | 01:04 | CLEM 20 | 3 | 7 | Punt |
| 00:16 | 3 | 02:20 | CLEM 8 | 4 | 19 | Punt |
| 10:26 | 4 | 01:21 | CLEM 17 | 3 | -3 | Punt |
| 08:53 | 4 | 01:09 | CLEM 19 | 3 | -6 | Punt |
| 07:34 | 4 | 02:10 | CLEM 25 | 3 | -15 | Punt |
If you are keeping score at home, that is 15 total yards offense in the second half for Clemson. I'll have more later, but this is the first time in many years that I've left our first game of the season actually optimistic about our team. We've got stuff to work on, but as long as our offensive line plays like they did tonight, we'll be fine.
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August 30, 2014
Lewis Grizzard's letter to his son
I'm not posting all of "Great moments in a would be father's life" because I don't want to be accused of living in glory years from 30 years ago, but it fits with my current mind set. My favorite passage is
I hugged perfect strangers and kissed a fat lady on the mouth. Grown men wept. Lightening flashed. Thunder rolled. Stars fell, and joy swept through, fetched by a hurricane of unleashed emotions.
Grizzard was an unmatched poet when it comes to capturing a moment that all of us can relate to, even if you weren't alive in 1984. He hated Clemson the proper way, lustily and with vigor. Actaully, he hated everyone UGA played in the same way.
Here's hoping folks have a few more names to add to their boy names list after tonight. It is game day folks.
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August 29, 2014
Three Questions: Clemson
Yeah, it's back....
- How does our offensive line match up with their defensive line? Vic Beasley is a beast. The bigger issue is the rest of their defensive line, which is quite good and deep. If Theus can one on one Beasley most of the game, we'll be fine. I think he can, but he's got to be the guy we recruited.
- Has Bobo found the secret to getting Mason to being the QB he can be? For my money, Mike Bobo is one of the best positional coaches in the nation. What he's done in developing talent and scheming around weaknesses/towards strengths is really impressive. Don't make the mistake that we'll be the same back shoulder fade, deep out passing team we were under Stafford and Murray. We won't because that isn't Hutson Mason's strong suite. Mason hits 65% and goes for 225 and a TD or two to a RB and/or TE, we'll have the offense we need to win when you factor in what we can do running the ball.
- How much does the Pruitt factor mean? I've spent a lot of time worried about what Grantham's coaching vs. Pruitt's coaching means. Clearly, we are less experienced on defense. Are we less talented? No way. Are we better coached? I think so. If Pruitt is the man, and he can be with the front seven we have, then Saturday could be pretty fun.
I'm not into predictions, but I think we have the talent to beat Clemson. They are have plenty of question marks at skill positions, but the one question they don't have is at offensive coordinator. Morris is very good at scheming towards his strengths and towards defense's weaknesses. To do that with our front, they have to take chances, chances that could pay off for us.
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Friday Morning Meltdown: Clemson edition
My close friend and professional confidant, Dr. Arnie Goldstein, suggests that writing down concerns, rational or irrational, is a good way to deal with them. So here goes:
- Jeremy Pruitt was the beneficiary of significantly better talent at Alabama and FSU. His unit will look like Decided Schematic Advantage's offense at Florida, and Pruitt will end up head coach at Kansas.
- Hutson Mason is Joe Cox, but without the game to get Matt Stafford to spoon him.
- Defensive players look tentative because they are afraid of getting fired and are so headscrewed because defense ain't supposed to be so simple.
- All those Freshmen were over offered and over rated.
- We have seven starters who are secretly suspended for weed.
- 2009 offensive line version 2.0 is here. Will Friend is Neil Callaway 2.0.
- Todd Gurley's ankle.
- All those Freshmen were over offered and over rated.
- Tracy Rocker will soon be known as Agent Rocker by Auburn fans.
- We have seven starters who are secretly suspended for weed.
I need a drink.
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Q&A with Kyle King on Georgia vs. Clemson
Kyle graciously agreed to do a Q&A on Clemson since Danny Ford was busy playing Pai Gow in Macau (probably). Kyle has written a book on the rivalry that is a mush have for Georgia and Clemson fans. You can order it here.
What is your favorite game in the series?
1984. No. 2 Clemson rolls into Athens looking for all the world like a legitimate contender for a second national championship in a four-year span; no team in college football had had a better record over the previous three years than the Tigers. Clemson was up by two touchdowns at halftime, and it looked like the Tigers were going to justify their lofty ranking in a big way. However, the Bulldogs came storming back to stun Clemson, 26-23, thanks to a record-setting 60-yard field goal by Kevin Butler.
What is your favorite game in the series?
1984. No. 2 Clemson rolls into Athens looking for all the world like a legitimate contender for a second national championship in a four-year span; no team in college football had had a better record over the previous three years than the Tigers. Clemson was up by two touchdowns at halftime, and it looked like the Tigers were going to justify their lofty ranking in a big way. However, the Bulldogs came storming back to stun Clemson, 26-23, thanks to a record-setting 60-yard field goal by Kevin Butler.
August 28, 2014
August 26, 2014
Clemson Tickets Available
This won't be the LSU game, but I wouldn't be shocked if the market is still tight until right before game time. Our ticket vendor has Clemson tickets getting down inside $130/ticket (as of right now).
That's down a good bit from last week. I've had a couple of folks offer me tickets in the $150-175/ticket range, so that isn't terrible.
That's down a good bit from last week. I've had a couple of folks offer me tickets in the $150-175/ticket range, so that isn't terrible.
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The Rematch: Morris vs. Pruitt
I've been rolling this around in my hat rack for a few days, but didn't quite know how to approach this. For a quick refresher, Pruitt's Florida State defense held Clemson's very high powered offense in check, only giving up 7 points to the starters.
Thankfully, Tigernet goes there for us. Both coaches have different talent levels at key positions, but you have to think Morris has the upper hand because he's recruited several of these guys, and they've been playing in his system longer. The other upside, for Georgia partisans, is that FSU was the only team to completely stymie Morris' offense last year. While some of that was talent on talent, some of that was scheming to get pressure on Boyd and allow FSU's tough LBs to neutralize check down passing threats.
From that perspective, we only need our DBs to be competent, if our front seven is as good as advertised. If we do that, I'll feel ok with the outcome.
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Thankfully, Tigernet goes there for us. Both coaches have different talent levels at key positions, but you have to think Morris has the upper hand because he's recruited several of these guys, and they've been playing in his system longer. The other upside, for Georgia partisans, is that FSU was the only team to completely stymie Morris' offense last year. While some of that was talent on talent, some of that was scheming to get pressure on Boyd and allow FSU's tough LBs to neutralize check down passing threats.
From that perspective, we only need our DBs to be competent, if our front seven is as good as advertised. If we do that, I'll feel ok with the outcome.
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August 25, 2014
Monday of Game Week
Quick thoughts as I recover get back into the grind:
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- Estes has semi-confidence in a depth chart. I keep trying to find hope in the reluctance of coaches, especially on defense, to single out guys at positions. I keep failing to do so.
- The one thing on defense I am excited about is how they keep talking about simplicity and attack. That'll be a nice change if they've been able to coach that into the players.
- Another take away from Estes' piece is Greg Pyke's ascension in the offensive line pecking order. I love having the rotation guys in there, but still am stung at how inconsistent this unit was last year. That'll be something to focus on with a very good Clemson defensive front coming to town.
- I'm nervous about our receiving corp after Conley and Bennett.
- Also, don't be surprised to see us run some sort of jumbo package with Hicks and Rome in the game. Just a hunch.
- I wonder what is going on with Collin Barber. After the blocked punt at Tennessee, he started screwing with his footwork. He hasn't been the same since then.
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August 23, 2014
Word of the day
Iktsuarpok (Inuit): That feeling of anticipation when you're waiting for someone to show up at your house and you keep going outside to see if he's there yet.One week, y'all.
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August 22, 2014
At least we are starting to look at Clemson
Amid my personal meltdown over UGA not practicing for Clemson yet, I missed this:
I need a drink.
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“It took a little while to get transitioned there,” Richt said. “You couldn’t quite get the tempo that you hoped for. You definitely couldn’t get the tempo of Clemson’s offense, the pace in which they go. …We’ll have to do a better job of getting that together. It was one of the first shots for our scout team to start simulating Clemson.”
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August 20, 2014
Mixing it up on defense
One takeaway from yesterday's open practice is just how much rotation there will be on defense this year. While there is definitely a feature vs. bug discussion to be had, one thing that keeps floating around in my mind is how this will play out with personnel groupings.
It looks like Ramik is taking some time to get back into playing shape, but honestly, did we think/want him playing nearly every down as he did last season? And Floyd seems to be still banged up, but the coaches have been clear that Lorenzo Carter has earned playing time:
All of this is to say that none of the news coming out of practice is making me feel any better about how we'll match up against a Clemson offense that is designed to feast on young DBs. Think how much they went at Brendan Langley last year.
The only upside of all these guys getting reps is that with Chad Morris' love of HUNH offense, 80+ plays isn't out of the question for our game. Those fresh legs could help late in the fourth quarter, even if they aren't quite sure what they are supposed to be doing.
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It looks like Ramik is taking some time to get back into playing shape, but honestly, did we think/want him playing nearly every down as he did last season? And Floyd seems to be still banged up, but the coaches have been clear that Lorenzo Carter has earned playing time:
Carter will play whether Floyd is healthy or not."Brain lock." That is concerning, especially considering we haven't put in Clemson's scout team yet. I hope we are just looking at this the way we would a regular practice scenario, installing the Clemson game plan/scout team to go against next weekend, but damn if it isn't hard to think we might need the extra time to get a very green defense ready for that first game.
“Either way, Lorenzo is going to play,” Richt said. “He’s had a really good camp. He’s like a lot of freshman. He’ll do something outstanding and he’ll have a brain lock.”
All of this is to say that none of the news coming out of practice is making me feel any better about how we'll match up against a Clemson offense that is designed to feast on young DBs. Think how much they went at Brendan Langley last year.
The only upside of all these guys getting reps is that with Chad Morris' love of HUNH offense, 80+ plays isn't out of the question for our game. Those fresh legs could help late in the fourth quarter, even if they aren't quite sure what they are supposed to be doing.
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Hicks moving around
On one hand, Hicks getting reps as the first FB is a good sign for his progression as a blocker back at FB, yet the coaches recognize they want him on the field during passing situations. On the other, it means Rome and others aren't quite where the coaches want them to be.
We are now ten days from Clemson and Georgia hasn't started scout team work, which means our offense is our offense. I'll get to what that nugget suggests for defense, but the coaches think enough of what we are bringing to the table that they don't feel we need to scheme around Clemson.
That is both heartening and terrifying, especially considering Clemson's defensive line.
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We are now ten days from Clemson and Georgia hasn't started scout team work, which means our offense is our offense. I'll get to what that nugget suggests for defense, but the coaches think enough of what we are bringing to the table that they don't feel we need to scheme around Clemson.
That is both heartening and terrifying, especially considering Clemson's defensive line.
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August 14, 2014
Clemson's kicker dreams of game winner
One thing that makes us human is our wish, no need, to be the hero in our own stories. Thus this:
Lapik has his own issues. He walked away from Clemson last season. Even Swinney has had his concerns (from June):
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Three seconds left on the game clock in Sanford Stadium late in the evening on August 30 with Clemson trailing by two, and Ammon Lapik lines up for a game-winning field goal that would start off Clemson's season on a high note.Yeah, I'm sure. The Chattahoochee HS product chose Clemson over Georgia Tech, so it shouldn't surprise you that he wants that to happen.
Lapik has his own issues. He walked away from Clemson last season. Even Swinney has had his concerns (from June):
“That’s the one position that I’m the most anxious to see perform in fall camp,” Dabo Swinney said. “I have less knowledge. I know what I’ve seen in practice and know what Ammon Lakip has done in practice. But I’ve seen Cole Stoudt and have a much better understanding of what he is and seen him a lot on game day. Ammon, I have no idea what to expect.”The problem with kickers is that kicking is 90% mental and the other half is physical. That's good news, right?
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August 11, 2014
Clemson first scrimmage notes
Clemson held their first scrimmage of the fall this past weekend. As you might expect, Dabo Swinney is happy with his offense:
On defense, Swinney made a point of praising goal line situations and that they didn't allow a rushing TD in those situations.
Clemson replaces plenty on offense, so it bears watching how Chad Morris builds the offense to utilize Stoudt, who is less mobile than Boyd and doesn't have Sammy Watkins and Martavis Bryant to throw to. Stoudt threw for something like 4000 yards his senior year of HS, and he's gotten some meaningful snaps over the past three years.
In that way, Stoudt, a red shirt senior, and Hutson Mason are mirror images of each other, both replacing record setting multi-year starters, and both waiting their turn to take the helm of the offense. The difference is Morris' schemes have always relied on the QB to be both accurate and quick with his reads on the fly. Bobo's schemes are much more reliant on pre-set plays and functional utility. Plus, we have four RBs that would start for Clemson this year, which is awesome for my psyche.
The down side is that our young DB corp and LBs will be tested early and often in pass protection, which is terrible for my psyche.
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“I liked the tempo that was set by the offense at the outset. The first-team offense went right down the field (against the first-team defense) and scored a touchdown on the first drive. Then the defense came back strong and at the end of practice won the short-yardage situations we scripted. The defense dominated the goal-line situations."Cole Stoudt, the starting QB coming out of spring who is Tajh Boyd, had two passing TDs. His backup Deshaun Watson, had two as well. Swinney singled out TE Jordan Liggett for his play.
On defense, Swinney made a point of praising goal line situations and that they didn't allow a rushing TD in those situations.
Clemson replaces plenty on offense, so it bears watching how Chad Morris builds the offense to utilize Stoudt, who is less mobile than Boyd and doesn't have Sammy Watkins and Martavis Bryant to throw to. Stoudt threw for something like 4000 yards his senior year of HS, and he's gotten some meaningful snaps over the past three years.
In that way, Stoudt, a red shirt senior, and Hutson Mason are mirror images of each other, both replacing record setting multi-year starters, and both waiting their turn to take the helm of the offense. The difference is Morris' schemes have always relied on the QB to be both accurate and quick with his reads on the fly. Bobo's schemes are much more reliant on pre-set plays and functional utility. Plus, we have four RBs that would start for Clemson this year, which is awesome for my psyche.
The down side is that our young DB corp and LBs will be tested early and often in pass protection, which is terrible for my psyche.
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