AJC > Sports > Blog > Archives > 2008 > November > 06 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USCan Tech overcome the loss of Gardner?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Five burning questions as we head into the weekend:
1. Can Georgia Tech overcome the loss of Andrew Gardner?:Georgia found out this season that replacing a good left tackle is a hard thing to do. Once Trinton Sturdivant went down in the summer it started a game of musical chairs trying to get the entire line stabilized. Georgia Tech faces the same task, but now it’s November, in replacing the injured Andrew Gardner. Playing in Chapel Hill is difficult enough. Having to play the Tar Heels without Gardner is even tougher. You know that North Carolina’s defense (which allows 113.6 ypg rushing) is going to put an extra defender in place to slow down the run and force Tech to pass. North Carolina leads the nation with 17 interceptions on the season. It would be easier to get the running game going if Gardner were there. That is a tough, tough injury for the Jackets.
2. What will be Georgia’s frame of mind at Kentucky?: Part of me thinks the Bulldogs will be anxious to play and get the nightmare that was Jacksonville behind them. Another part of me wonders if they will have a whole lot of enthusiasm for the trip to Lexington. If Georgia comes out flat, the Dawgs could be in for quite a battle in the bluegrass. Kentucky has a pretty good defense (No. 26 nationally) and has an offense that is getting a little better with freshman quarterback Randall Cobb. With Auburn coming up next week, this is a dangerous game for Georgia.
3. Can Florida lay a big number on Vanderbilt?: History says Florida will win ugly Saturday at Vanderbilt. The Gators are coming off an emotional win over Georgia and it will be hard for them to perform at that level for two straight weeks. Florida’s 1996 national championship team had to fight for their lives to win at Nashville, 28-21. The 2006 national championship team beat Vandy 25-19 in Nashville. The 2002 Florida team, the only one to beat Georgia that year, escaped with a 21-17 win in Nashville. So I think it will be close. But a friend of mine says it won’t because the Gators, ranked No. 5 in the BCS, know they have to keep winning impressively. If Urban Meyer gets a chance to hang a big number on Vanderbilt, he will. It should be interesting.
4. How much extra security will Alabama take to Baton Rouge?: I’m hearing that the security detail will be beefed up for Nick Saban’s first trip back to LSU, where he won the national championship in 2003. But here’s the irony of the “warm” reception Saban will receive. I believe the hostile crowd will only serve to make the Crimson Tide even more focused than they usually are. Alabama is a different team, and better, team on the road because Saban demands that they focus on the task at hand. Just ask Arkansas (49-14), Georgia (41-30, 31-0 at halftime), and Tennessee (29-9).
5. What will the “Vol Walk” be like on Saturday?: Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer announced on Monday that he will be stepping down at the end of this season. So before Saturday’s game with Wyoming, Fulmer will lead his team on the pre-game “Vol Walk” for the next-to-last time. The last time will come on Nov. 29 against Kentucky. It’s bound to be an emotional scene. The Tennessee players are obviously angry with the school’s administration at the way this thing was handled. I wonder if their play will reflect that in the final three games?
.JPG)
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Comments
By Ryno
November 6, 2008 8:05 AM | Link to this
I guess I’m just going to have to say it. No one is going to bother Nicky Satan this Sat. in Red Stick. Yeah, right. He’ll be riding in one urine covered bus…and then he’ll get TO the stadium.
By RAMBLE ON!!!
November 6, 2008 8:34 AM | Link to this
Wow, thanks Tony for giving GT and/or the ACC 20% of your time!!!
By Alpharetta Dawg
November 6, 2008 8:37 AM | Link to this
Quit making excuses for UGA…UK lost all its playmakers to injury and are not the team that started strong…dod you see the UF game…did you see they beat MSU by 1 point? UGA should win easily but then again UGA has written the book on how make average teams look great until late in the 4th quarter.
By Will
November 6, 2008 9:02 AM | Link to this
Big Tone,
My Dawgs will win another ugly one Saturday and the Gators will have no problems. My point is the gators are more motivated and hungrier than my dawgs(see last Saturday). UGA has no back-bone, no fight(coaches included). Other than the AJ Green kid I don’t see anyone who gives a s**! So I won’t either anymore. That game really set our program back last week.
By gtdude
November 6, 2008 9:14 AM | Link to this
Didn’t FSU put in an extra man to force GT to pass? How’d that work out for them?
By Who cares"
November 6, 2008 9:19 AM | Link to this
UGA is the new Clemson and Mark Richt is Tommy Bowden in red and black!
By BASEBALL KEN
November 6, 2008 9:19 AM | Link to this
Hey Tony, I think the Dawgs are not ready for this UK team, too much pro talk about Stafford, Moreno. Coaches making excuses all week (WM, Bobo and CMR). UK still looks at UGA as a measuring stick for their program, so they will be ready. I feel like we aren’t taking this game serious and might leave Lexington with a big, fat L and no respect from the country.
By Bill
November 6, 2008 9:22 AM | Link to this
UGA fans need to be content with where they are. UT will come back in a couple of years. They haven’t been as good as UF in almost 2 decades and don’t look now but Spurrier is putting all the building blocks in place to make a run in Columbia. They will be lucky to hold on to 3rd in the East when Moreno, Stafford and Greene leave. Greene is the only superstar in that mix anyway. The others are waaaay over-rated. Dems the facts.
By JWC
November 6, 2008 9:36 AM | Link to this
TONY,
I FEEL ITS NECESSARY TO ADDRESS YOUR STATEMENTS TO TIM BRANDO RE: TUBERVILLE TO CLEMSON BEFORE THE YEARS END??? THE RUMOR WAS YOU HAD STATED THAT ON HIS RADIO SHOW YESTERDAY. PLEASE EXPLAIN, AS THERE IS NO OTHER NEWS TO MENTION OF SUCH A SCENARIO!
By Wrecker1
November 6, 2008 9:38 AM | Link to this
Good thinking Tony, UNC will put an exta defender in the box to make TECH throw the ball. Wow I bet no DC they’ve faced this year ever thought of that. TECH’s base set makes a defense play a balanced look, if you try to load up the box there will a 2 on 1 throwing the ball right down the middle of the field.
By Jim
November 6, 2008 10:05 AM | Link to this
Dear LSU fans… Are you that scared of Nick Saban? I mean, after all, the man did provide you with the only success your football program has ever known. He brought 2 national titles to your school (and if you think Les Miles was responsible for the 2007 title, you’re crazy) and yet you have some venomous hatred for the man. Giving up 50 pts to two SEC teams already has you a bit nervous, huh? I love it. Here’s hoping Saban hangs 60 on you….I guess what they say is true, when they stop talking bad about you, you know you aren’t the best anymore. RTR.
By Miles
November 6, 2008 10:49 AM | Link to this
The issue at LSU this week is not security, but rather who will win the game! Fulmer’s Vol Walk will, I’m sure, be greeted with an insidious respect. Fulmer has every right to give all the unsupportive fans a one finger salute! Fulmer’s firing is, unfortunately, yet another reason that coaches have very little loyalty to their programs. The Athletic Directors throughout the country will say one thing and do something else entirely diffferent within seconds, i.e., hypocrisy!
By Wozzo the Wonder Dog
November 6, 2008 11:00 AM | Link to this
Please cut back on GT/ACC coverage to no more than 5 - 10% total. Since you only have five points that should be one time every two to four weeks. Thanks.
By Notre Don't
November 6, 2008 11:03 AM | Link to this
Top 10 weird things so far about this football season:
Good news, Big 10 to add 12th team. Bad news … it’s Lassiter High School.
Clemson is looking for a coach to return them to glory. Only problem … they’ve NEVER been in GLORY.
Auburn is so desperate … they’re simply TP’ing each other now.
FLA just scored again on UGA.
Bad news for Arkansas … Petrino just borrowed a typewriter from the computer lab.
Georgia Tech realizes dream. A good football season will take their mind off ugly co-eds and no “action”.
FLA just scored again.
Mark May just picked UGA to lose during their off week. Weird.
Dr. Lou announces Urban Meyer has a rash from kissing his own butt.
Notre Dame STILL sucks!!!
By Tony Barnhart
November 6, 2008 11:04 AM | Link to this
JWC,
I got a couple of media calls on this. First of all, I didn’t say that Tommy Tuberville would be at Clemson before the Iron Bowl. Brando and I were having a discussion on his radio show and Brando speculated that, if Auburn did want to make a change, it would probably happen before the Iron Bowl. He then speculated that Tuberville’s agent, Jimmy Sexton, would try to find a place for Tuberville to land, just like Houston Nutt. Then the discussion went to Clemson and the fact that it might be a fit for him. It was all speculative. It was not a statement of fact. But once it gets on the message boards, that kind of stuff takes on a life of its own.
TB
By Most of you guys just dont get it...
November 6, 2008 11:15 AM | Link to this
When you pay a coach $1.5mil - $4mil per YEAR it is totally unacceptable for the TEAM not to show up week after week (see UGA as exhibit 1). Saban gets it, Miles gets it (yes, LSU lost seemingly bad to UGA and UF, but they matched UGA offense for offense, and put up a bunch on UF before the game got out of hand), Meyer gets it, heck, even Paul Johnson gets it; Tuberville, Fulmer, Rodriguez and Richt DO NOT get it.
Comments on this and other blogs say they will accept 10 wins a year, or 4 losses rather than 6-7 losses a year. Yes, teams do lose games (that’s why they play the games). But, good teams ALWAYS show up and good coaches ALWAYS have their teams show up - they may not win every game, ‘cause, as the saying goes “on any given Saturday”. But, at least they show up - that is why Richt is just another version of Bowden, and, right now, UGA is just another Clemson
By saint nick
November 6, 2008 11:21 AM | Link to this
LSU will get drilled Sat.!!!Bama wins big with 48 style points!!!ROLL TIDE
By Bobby
November 6, 2008 11:41 AM | Link to this
Tony, had to get that jab in about Alabama led 31-0 at (halftime). There is 60 min. of football and we won. get over it, you personally don’t know if the pups could have won.
By flat car
November 6, 2008 11:55 AM | Link to this
Well if the MR quote in Chip T’s article in today’s AJC is accurate “You know what, I know people have said that but I really have not studied it to see exactly what’s happening,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said of Moreno’s absences. “I just think when Knowshon is gassed to the point where he’s not going to be as effective as the next guy he’s going to let us know.” we dog fans have something to worry about. Gassed in the 1st quarter! If a head coach doesn’t know when his best player is taking himself out that’s a major coaching breakdown. That’s been going on all season. I thought we had finally shaken off the coaching complacency here in Athens last season. Talent goes only so far.
By UGA
November 6, 2008 12:25 PM | Link to this
Read a interesting fact today…..”Stafford is appraoching a int record.” Nearly as many picks as Greene had in four years of starting, half as many td’s and no SEC championships. We need more David Greenes, not overhyped talent. Without heart, who cares how good of an arm you have. We need to recruit winners, not future first rounders that never develop. If he leaves after this year, he’ll be remenbered as a “Rich Man’s Reggie Ball!” Hope he comes back to prove me wrong.
By Risingtideinfla
November 6, 2008 12:37 PM | Link to this
It took Coach Richt a year to learn a lesson. See penalty 2007 GA-fl game. I believe excessive celebrate is the reason Meyers ran the score up. On the LSU game, Miles called Saban”Satin”.which he didn’t admit to. What is on record is Miles saying 2 teams from Louisiana beat bama in 2007. Is that grounds for a spanking. probably. Suggestion to LSU fans. Don’t bet against bama this week.
By Scott
November 6, 2008 12:48 PM | Link to this
NO, TECH will lose to U , UNC and UGA.
GA will beat KY, they have more talent and KY is injured. GA BY 14
AL will beat LSU by 30.
VOL fans will show Phil the respect he deserves.
GATORS SCORE AGAIN !!!!!!!!
By PLAYOFF?
November 6, 2008 12:51 PM | Link to this
Published: Thursday, Nov. 06, 2008 | Page 1C Here’s the Story
President-elect Barack Obama hit the hot button with his comments on “Monday Night Football.”…”I think it is about time that we had playoffs in college football,” he said. “I’m fed up with these computer rankings.”… In the days since Obama’s remarks, USC’s Pete Carroll, Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops and Texas Tech’s Mike Leach have called for a Bowl Subdivision playoff – and Leach’s team is No. 2 in the BCS…
Where are the SEC Coaches? All talk? Come on if you want a playoff it time to put up or shut up, loudmouths.
By The road warriors
November 6, 2008 12:54 PM | Link to this
Hey Rino,
I hope LSU fans do urinate all over the Bama bus with Saban on it. All its going to do is stir the hornet’s nest even more. You got a freaking freight train coming your way. Bama is going to run over, around, and through LSU. We are focused, confident, and we know we are going to bit@hsmack LSU. We are at home in visitor’s stadiums.
Incidentally, I forgot to mention that Death Valley is Bama’s home away from home. We OWN THAT HOUSE!!! We went 17-0-1 there between 1969 and 2004 when Saban finally ended “THE STREAK”. We even smacked you in back to back years at LSU when the conference split into divisions. Now that Saban is leading the charge for the crimson juggernaut you can look forward to us OWNING YOUR HOUSE AGAIN!!!!
By Penn Wagers Payback
November 6, 2008 1:17 PM | Link to this
Scott-
Gators hold again…then score.
Are we sure those weren’t the official’s TOs at the end of the game?
By BCS Champs Again
November 6, 2008 2:03 PM | Link to this
Jim and other gump aka bama fans….LSU has beaten the gumps 5 times in a row….Les has won a BCS NC…Les has a better record at LSU than saint nicke…(saban does not get credit for last year)…saban is doing a great job at gumpville with Shulas recruits….Don’t bring up what happenend in the bears tenure cause he is long dead…and probably turning in his grave to see bama be run by such a arrogant…self centered…lieing coach like saban…but with that said….LSU will beat bama in Crystal City for the 6 consectutive year….payroll tide…we are a rolling…Geaux Tigers
By HEY ROAD WARRIORS
November 6, 2008 2:03 PM | Link to this
Your a dumb@ss the streak was ended in 2000 with an LSU win over the GUMPS. Get your facts straight @ss clown.
By Scott
November 6, 2008 2:06 PM | Link to this
Excuses, Excuses. Interceptions, fumbles and just being outplayed. 49-10
By boomer
November 6, 2008 2:09 PM | Link to this
Gators will run around and through…the tide….aka gumps…(like that)
By AL
November 6, 2008 2:13 PM | Link to this
I’m sitting in Atlanta waiting to fly back to Kuwait. Passed on Holiday leave to come home and watch LSU and UF games. Baton Rouge was fun of course but had concerns about the defense. Went to Jax for my 12th time since 1979 was more disgusted with a Georgia team than any time in my life. Don’t take your butt’s back to Jacksonville if you’re not ready to play a REAL football game or a real team. For the crying players and coaches that complained about fans leaving (Istayed until the bitter end) WAH WAH WHA WAH!! Show up next time! We were all in the stadium early , cheering on the boys. Thirty minutes before Florida fans started coming in. Our side was full. UF does not have better players PERIOD they have a better team and apparently better coaching. If you don’t like the score being run up on you….don’t get behind! For the first time in my life I was pulling for Florida to score 100. Rub our face in it. Bring down a propared team that stays in the game or stay the hell at home. We’ll get the Brownie Troops to come down next year. At least we’ll get some effort. PITIFULL! I will go back to Afghanistan and watch them in the Liberty Bowl. Tech is going to whoop their butts , if they don’t “Man-Up”
By saint nick
November 6, 2008 2:23 PM | Link to this
Attention LSU fans,
Do you realize your team gave up 50+ points in two games?????Bama will dominate BOTH lines of scrimmage!!!!Bama rolls 49-17!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By BCS Champs Again
November 6, 2008 2:34 PM | Link to this
Attention saint nick and all gumpers….
Do you realize bama has not beaten LSU in over 5 years….what we gave up against UF and UGA has no bearing on Saturdays game in Crystal City….I am sure UF will drop a boatload of points on the gumps if and when you play them….Trust me you won’t get 50 or even 49 Saturday…Your dreams of Miami end Saturday…..Geaux Tigers
By hop
November 6, 2008 3:15 PM | Link to this
I am a dawg fan but mark richt is in total denial in thinking his defense is not in in trouble.
dawgs must focus on getting a fire breathing head defensive coaching much from his players. the d/line is terrible and we don’t need to say the reason is it is young which it is not.dawgs are playing juniors and seniors.
i am afraid that matthew safford has not improved much since his freshment year and mike bobo has done little to advance his progress.
dawgs good lose one or more games this year and that would be awful with this talent.
By Dogbyte
November 6, 2008 3:19 PM | Link to this
I really wonder if ANYONE reads the “commentary” of a bunch of losers whose most difficult decision is whether they will have fries with that, as well as those who are asking that monumental question. Do I? No, I just scroll to the bottom, make my comment and go about my business. Bye.
By Gumps smell like corndogs
November 6, 2008 3:21 PM | Link to this
Actually the defense has only given up 50+ once this season.
I say this b/c you can’t blame the defense of LSU for the two pick sixes against UGA.
Now on to the gumps.
Strong words from a team that hasn’t been that impressive except against UGA. I am not saying LSU has been lights out either b/c we haven’t.
I look for this to be a closer game than the gumps think. I beleive that it comes down to a late 4th quater drive.
GEAUX TIGERS!!!
THWG and
ROLL TIDE ROLL RIGHT DOWN THE BOWL AND THROUGH THE HOLE!!
By NO COMPETITION
November 6, 2008 4:04 PM | Link to this
The only teams in the SEC that haven’t been exposed (as in blown out) in at least 1 game this year are Bama and the Gators. Florida lost to an inferior team, but only by 1 point. The rest of the Suck East Conference is no competition. What? Ugay, down 31-0 at the half to Bama, and don’t even mention the Florida game, I heard they are still scoring on the puppies. LSU? Don’t think so. We’ll see if Bama is any good, they haven’t played anyone yet. For all the big talk by the Suck East Conference, your a 2 trick pony, maybe 1 trick.
By SecIsFootball
November 6, 2008 9:41 PM | Link to this
BCS Champs Again….The last 5 years have nothing to do with what will take place on Saturday. We won in BR for years and years and years and eventually you guys broke that streak because you finally became the better team. Right now, it is EASY to see who the better team is. Losses are one thing but having hung 100+ in your two losses says a lot about your team right now. I am going to guarantee victory, but I think our chances are above average.
By GT 90
November 6, 2008 11:18 PM | Link to this
Who are your picks this week Mr. Tony Know It all since you went 2 or 3 for 12 or something like that.
GT loses to UNC b/c Nesbitt’s injury and homefield advantage
LSU upsets Bama b/c they really haven’t been thoroughly tested on the road. Tenneweak wasn’t a test and once UGA woke up, they almost came back to beat them Plus LSU’s D is underrated.
UGA takes care of biz-naz and hands UK a 14 pt or more loss. The focus is back.
TTech beats OK state but loses to Oklamoma setting up a Florida or Texas / PSU national title game.
And yes, I’m a tech fan who predicts GT will lose. This isn’t our year. Give CPJ another year or two and then we’ll start talking 10 wins or so. But TB got it all wrong last week and he’s paid to create these picks…so yes, I’m going to grill you, TB.
By gman
November 7, 2008 12:12 AM | Link to this
Wondering if the dawgs can get up for KY? Who cares. They don’t care-why should we? Whatever happens, happens. Does it really matter? The season ended in Jax with a resounding thud.
Richt hasn’t wondered why KM comes out of games? He thinks CWM is doing a great job? Hopeless.
By won with who's players?
November 7, 2008 2:11 AM | Link to this
2.I may have missed it but I didn’t see the officials in Jacksonville miss 2 FG’s, fumble, throw 3 picks or attempt an ill-timed on sides kick. But hey maybe thats me and the refs did give UF a 39 point advantage or was it that UGA didnt have an off week or maybe it was because Florida had 2 1/2 hours less travel time to the stadium no I think it was the UGA players realized all the time uga fans were talking about Jean Shorts half their fanbase in the state are wearing them everyday. Im just not sure which excuse err reason it was UGA lost by 39 points. Surely it can’t be that they just got beat by a better team with a better coach a better QB and more playmakers? Could it?
By AL
November 7, 2008 4:48 AM | Link to this
Been watching UGA since Ray Goff was the QB. I love Georgia football. BUT, I can tell you this. When Coach Dooleys teams got off the bus in places like Jacksonville and Tennessee or even at home against an Alabama. There was getting ready to be some football played. Hardnosed football. No they didn’r always win but by-gosh they came to frigging play. The other team knew it too. When Georgia left the stadium every Saturday they left it all on the field baby. This team is soft. Last years team at Tennessee was soft. All that on the line and they don’t even show up. They run around at pregame like a bunch of pretty-boys like they’ve already won the beauty contest or all they have to do is show up or something. Get your a* in there and hit somebody. Curran and sometimes ELerbe is the only players that would even make a Georgia team 20 years ago. Give us back our hard nosed team or join the ACC or Mac.
By John
November 7, 2008 5:50 AM | Link to this
Georgia will never win a championship as long as the current head coach has the job
By Chris in Bama
November 7, 2008 6:15 AM | Link to this
Im really getting sick and tired of everyone calling bama fans “gumps” and saying that we fu*k our sisters, mothers, etc. Are Georgia, Mississppi, Tennessee and Louisiana that much different? Absolutely not! I have been to all of these states and I know that they are almost exactly the same. It is disrespectful and if I was face to face with any of you you would get the sh!t kicked out of you.
On another note, any LSU fan that thinks you are gonna squash Bama has another thing coming. It will be a close game by no more than 14 points difference.
Thirdly Bama has just as much shot as anyone else to win the NC bowl bid, LSU and UGA have NO shot. Bama has weaknesses and expect that someone will expose them at one point or another, however it will not be LSU. Bama controls it’s own destiny.
If you keep effin with my home state and calling me and my family names then why dont you just meet me somewhere in the middle and I will kick your a* all the way back to your mommy’s house. Never know she might be in Bed waiting for you. B@TCH!
RTR!
By JWC
November 7, 2008 6:23 AM | Link to this
Tony,
thanks for clearing that up. It certainly doesnt seem out of the question should we get thumped by UGA, I had actually heard Fulmer expressing open interest in the job yesterday. Clemson is a damn good job quite frankly.
By gtforever
November 7, 2008 7:50 AM | Link to this
Chris in bama…. Spoken like a true SEC fan! And you wonder why people talk about your team like they do…. Your funny man, just take a chill pill!
By Chris in Bama
November 7, 2008 2:53 PM | Link to this
gtforever….Spoken like an SEC fan? How did you come to that conclusion? I talk about my team….I don’t think my team will be able to go undefeated, Florida may very well be the one to expose Bama’s weaknesses. All I said is that it wont be LSU. Why don’t your team just accept their loss to Georgia. The ACC is a damn joke. All of the talk lately has been about the BIG12 and SEC not the ACC. I wonder why that is. The ACC has barely been a respectable conference in it’s entire history. The ACC might have 1 strong team, SEC has about 3 and the Big12 has about 4. Just buzz off.