UGA blog finds new home
Morning all. As I’ve said a couple of times this week, we’re converting this blog over to a WordPress platform and it will be a permanent move the first of next week.
Those of you who are regulars probably know that I’m not what you’d call techno-wizard when it comes to these things. But from what I understand the technology offered in this new format should make the blogging and commenting experience better for all. Of course, I’ll be learning as we go along, too. But I’m hoping to provide more pictures and video and things like that which should bring the blog more to life.
Of course, this blog is nothing without all you guys so I want to heartily invite (read: beg) you to come over to the new site by CLICKING HERE ON THE NEW ADDRESS and save it in your browsers. As of Monday, Feb. 23rd, this will be the permanent home of the UGA blog you so love or, in the case of some of you, love to loathe. If you’d prefer to copy and paste or just memorize, the new address is: http://blogs.ajc.com/uga-sports-blog/.
See at the new place!
AJC > Sports > UGA > Blog > Archives > 2008 > November > 12
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Dogs’ defenders want to have more fun
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Hundreds of questions and thousands of comments this week. The grand majority have been about Georgia’s porous defense. I tried to answer the most prevalent ones the best I could based on interviews this week:
- Lots of questions — and even more statements — about the defense. Can’t possibly boil them all into one but I’ll have just share some observations and then some player and coach comments.
CMR has been adamant about saying that it’s “a team game” and Georgia’s defensive shortcomings haven’t fallen solely on that unit’s shoulders. He pointed out that in the last two games the Bulldogs’ opponents have started possessions inside the 41-yard line seven times due to special teams breakdowns and/or turnovers.
“That’s almost unheard of to have that many in a season, let alone only a two-game span,” Richt said.
He added [with a laugh]: “It’s perfectly acceptable to force them to kick a field goal every once in a while.”
All the defensive players Tim and I talked to this week vigorously defended defensive coordinator Willie Martinez. They held a players-only meeting on Sunday and have come to the conclusion they’re simply not having enough fun, that they’re just taking the game too serious.
“I don’t feel like we’re having enough fun out there,” linebacker Darryl Gamble said. “Football is supposed to be fun. It just seems like more of a job in that perspective and just going out there and try to get things done the way coaches want it without having fun.”
Said cornerback Asher Allen: “The past couple of games there have been times where people have made plays and never really celebrated. I feel like that’s just a part of the game.”
Senior defensive tackle Corvey Irvin has emerged as the vocal leader of this bunch and it was him and linebacker Rennie Curran that led the metting. “We’re going to set everything else aside - all the BCS and all the other stuff - and we’re just going to play football this week,” Irvin said. “Our goal is just to get our swagger back and have fun. We’ve got to punish, man. We’ve got to punish. That’s it.”
- What’s Georgia doing about all its special teams’ breakdowns?
I asked CMR if they were spending more time on special teams this week in light of all the breakdowns last Saturday. He said they were not but he doesn’t believe special teams are a chronic problem for the team. Here’s his complete answer:
“We feel like we spend enough time on them. It hasn’t been a year-long issue really, just this last ball game. This last ball game is the worst we’ve done on special teams as a unit in a long time. Overall it hasn’t been too bad. We were number one in [punting] before that last ball game. Before that last ball game we were number one in punt return. I think we’re still number one in punt return. Our kickoff coverage has been decent. Extra points and field goals have been pretty good. We did have the Florida game where we missed a few but overall it’s been pretty good. You can’t overkill it especially this time of the season. It’s going to wear guys out. Our numbers are thinning out. You have guys that are playing a lot of defense. Rennie Curran for example, he’s two special teams, plus playing almost every snap on defense.”
- A few of you guys asked whether AD Damon Evans or President Michael Adams would intervene about making a coaching change on the defensive staff.
In a word, no. I talked to some folks in the know on the subject and essentially what I got back was that CMR has won 80 games in eight seasons and such decisions are his and his only to make.
- Why isn’t DeAngelo Tyson playing more?
Because Geno Atkins, Corvey Irvin, Brandon Wood and Ricardo Crwford are playing better.
- When’s the last time Georgia gave up 38 or more in three straight games?
Actually our Tim Tucker answered that in a story earlier in the week — 1900. FWIW, the Bulldogs went 2-4 that season, E.E. Jones’ first and only year as coach.
Some links:
Nice piece from David Hale in the Macon Telegraph on Matthew Stafford’s continued growth as a quarterback… .
Here’s the latest on Auburn’s injury situation… .
Here’s some insight on Auburn quarterback Kodi Burns from the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer… .
Here you can listen to the entire Tommy Tuberville press conference from yesterday via an audio file.
Permalink | Comments (128) | Post your comment | Categories: Football
.JPG)
-1.JPG)
Services »
