AJC > Sports > Blog > Archives > 2006 > September > 04
Monday, September 4, 2006
Lessons learned in opening week
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It is said that a team’s greatest improvement is from the first to second game because so much is learned after the first weekend of the season. The same goes for sportswriters. Here are just a few things that we have learned with one game in the books.
1. The quarterback position in the SEC is in good hands for the future.
True freshmen Matthew Stafford (Georgia), Tim Tebow (Florida) and Mitch Mustain (Arkansas) all played meaningful minutes on Saturday. Their fans, as fans are prone to do, wanted more. But remember this: When the kid is in, you’re always running a condensed, simplified version of the offense. Over the course of a game it will not bear fruit against a legitimate SEC defense. Mustain will get his first start on Saturday against Utah State because Arkansas has to make something happen. Georgia and Florida have the luxury of being patient.
2. Tennessee is better than we thought.
Was it Yogi Berra who said that “50 percent of the game is 90 percent mental?” Well, you get the idea. Tennessee thumped Cal a lot worse than 35-18. For the first time in a while the Volunteers looked like a team that had a clue — and a heart. The offensive linemen were slimmed down and aggressive, thanks to the coaching of former Georgia assistant Greg Adkins. The wide receivers caught the ball AND blocked, thanks to new energy provided by Trooper Taylor. It was a good start against a team that was vastly overrated at No. 9. Now let’s see what happens when Florida comes to Knoxville on Sept. 16.
3. USC ain’t going anywhere.
With a new quarterback and a new running back the Trojans went into Arkansas, which had been geeked up after last season’s 70-17 thumping, and, as Steve Spurrier used to say, “laid half a hundred on them.” Wow. And now that it appears California is not the real deal, there doesn’t seem to be anybody on the schedule who can beat USC until the final game with Notre Dame in November. If Texas beats Ohio State on Saturday, could we be looking at a Texas-USC rematch for the BCS championship?
4. The bottom half of the ACC doesn’t look very good at all.
Duke lost to I-AA Richmond. N.C. State struggled with I-AA Appalachian State. North Carolina lost at home to Rutgers, who just lined up and ran right over the Tar Heels. Maryland struggled with both William and Mary. Virginia was so inept against Pittsburgh that it was embarrassing. The good news is that the top half of the league is strong and, for the locals, that Georgia Tech is in it.
5. Irish fans and Irish haters shouldn’t read too much into Notre Dame’s 14-10 win at Georgia Tech.
We thought Brady Quinn and Charlie Weis would have some problems against Jon Tenuta’s defensive scheme and they did. But they made enough adjustments and just enough aggressive plays to win. It also didn’t hurt that the Big Ten officials made a horrible call on the “helmet to helmet” personal found penalty at a crucial point in the game. Notre Dame will beat Penn State by double digits on Saturday.
