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AJC > Sports > UGA > Blog > Archives > 2006 > September > 10
Sunday, September 10, 2006
A twist of fate
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Funny how unexpected events sometimes allow you to make a difficult change while saving face. That ankle injury in Columbia allowed Mark Richt to insert the quarterback who gives Georgia the best chance of notching some big wins this year without having to publicly demote Joe T., a merely adequate player who’s done everything asked of him.
Could we have won the game if Joe T. had played the bulk of it and Matthew Stafford had been limited to a few series? The way the Dawgs defense (and the Cocks offense) played Saturday night, the answer is yes. But Stafford having most of a game against an SEC opponent under his belt no doubt will pay benefits down the road this season.
So, what next? If Joe T.’s ankle heals quickly, Richt has indicated he’s still the starter. If that’s the case, you’ll probably see him sharing playing time with Stafford in what amounts to a co-starter situation. If the ankle takes a while to heal, well, by the time Joe T. returns I don’t see Richt benching the phee-nom. I think the torch has been passed, even if they don’t make that official.
Yes, Stafford looked like a true freshman. A true freshman who’s going to be brilliant. He didn’t always make the right decision, and as Richt noted in his post-game press chat, the coach didn’t exactly help him by continually calling for more difficult long balls instead of safer dinks. “I made a couple of dumb calls that probably hurt him,” Richt said, and that pretty much echoed what some of us were saying during the game. But, as Richt noted later, while “I called a couple of deep shots that really weren’t there,” Stafford has “got to learn to throw it away.” But the kid has an incredible arm, and I like the way he scrambles, too, even if he is what Richt laughingly called “a big joker.”
Actually, of the three interceptions, only the first one was really Stafford’s fault; he overlooked an open back in order to try to float one downfield. The second pick was a blatant case of uncalled pass interference (strange that the ESPN crew ignored that fact) and the third one, in addition to being a bad call, saw Mohamed Massaquoi cut off the route prematurely, too. Still, you have to consider: Even with the Dawgs winning, if Joe T. had thrown three picks, fans would be screaming for a new starter. And if poor ole Joe Cox had thrown three, there’d be calls for his scholarship to be yanked. Interesting how context changes perception.
OTHER THOUGHTS THE MORNING AFTER: I said last night that the defense looked awesome and that was the case much of the night, particularly the goal-line stands, where they fully lived up to the “ERK” memorial stickers on their helmets. But with the exception of Charles Johnson, the pass rush was less than it could have been Saturday night, and there was some arm tackling on receivers that needs to be eliminated. Still, the run defense looked vastly improved for the second week in a row. … The offensive line was still a little inconsistent, but better, especially considering they were dropping like flies. They did a fantastic job on that touchdown run by Danny Ware (which, by the way, was a terrific check-down by Stafford), and at times the Dawg blockers gave their young QB almost TOO MUCH time in the pocket, resulting in him reaching for throws he didn’t really need to make. … The backs were mostly running hard and looking good. I still think we need to use Thomas Brown more on the outside until the line can consistently open bigger holes for him. Up the middle, go with Kregg Lumpkin and Ware, who are more likely to be able to break tackles. Brown may be the strongest player on the team, but he’s still small for a running back. … The officials were incredibly inconsistent Saturday night in what they consider pass interference. Too bad that’s not something that can be reviewed on replay. … Richt’s time management still could use some work. Georgia burned time-outs that it really didn’t need to use early in both halves. And what the heck was the purpose of that TO before the last field goal attempt when the FG unit was already on the field? Trying to ice our own kicker? … I liked the increased use of the two-back sets, first with Lumpkin and Brown and later with Ware and Brown. That’s GOT to give a defense pause.
STUPID QUESTION OF THE DECADE: Loran Smith, noting that the Dawgs had dedicated the game to Erk Russell, then asked Coach Richt, “What brought that about?” I can just imagine how blunt old Jim Donnan would have handled that one, but Richt was diplomatic, beginning, “Well, the fact that he passed …”
ONE LAST NOTE: One of my favorite Erk Russell quotes (and there are many) was when he related that after the famous Appleby-to-Washington TD against Florida, Washington had, using Erk’s own phrase, told the coach that he “rose to the occasion.” Just as the much loved big man’s scrappy defenses did many many times, Georgia’s defense, in stopping a pair of fourth-and-goal tries by Spurrier’s team Saturday night, also rose to the occasion. The best tribute they could have offered to a legend.
