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AJC > Sports > UGA > Blog > Archives > 2006 > September > 28
Thursday, September 28, 2006
A Bulldog fan wonders …
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ON OFFENSE: As Georgia prepares for the late late show in Oxford Saturday, I’m wondering whether Coach Richt will follow his usual game plan of splitting the offense just about evenly between run and pass, or if he’ll come to the same conclusion as Wake Forest last week: that the Rebels’ defensive front is particularly vulnerable to the run. The Demon Deacons ran the ball 53 times against Ole Miss, throwing only five passes. End result: a big win on the road for Wake Forest. Considering the Dawgs’ running game could use some work, this might be the perfect opportunity to let a back (preferably Kregg Lumpkin) get 20 to 30 carries in a game and try and establish a rhythm.
A side benefit would be getting the late-starting game over faster. Ole Miss and Wake’s game lasted just 2 hours and 35 minutes, the fastest in Division 1-A this year. Worst case scenario would be going into overtime after midnight.
ON DEFENSE: I’ve expressed skepticism in the past about the job Defensive Coordinator Willie Martinez is doing, and Georgia’s first half against Colorado raised those doubts again. What is it with the Dawgs’ D in the first half of games? Are they not mentally ready or motivated? Is their some flaw in their game preparation? Are Martinez’s game plans lacking? Colorado quite obviously had watched film of Georgia (probably the Sugar Bowl), but our players looked as if they didn’t have the slightest clue what the Buffs were gonna do. Usually, the Dawgs adjust well at halftime, but you’ve got to wonder why it takes that long. Whatever the problem is, it needs to be rectified.
NO HARD FEELINGS: The feedback I’ve heard and read from Colorado fans about their experience in Athens last weekend was overwhelmingly positive across the board. They praised everything about gameday at Georgia, including the warmth, generosity and hospitality of the UGA fans (and, not surprisingly, how pretty the women were). One Buffalo fan posting on the NetBuffs site said that after the game Georgia fans sought out CU fans to congratulate them on how their team had played. (I saw this happening and, in fact, did it myself.) You can read the CU fan’s post at http://www.netbuffs.com/message_board/football/2006/September/26/399574 .php. Intense rivalries like we have with the Vols, Gators and Jackets are great, but, frankly, I’d rather have the sort of friendly atmosphere we had at the Colorado game any time. (Unfortunately, the obnoxiousness of our rivals’ fans plays a big part in why that won’t happen.)
TAILGATING UPDATE: Graham Coffey is a senior at New Hanover High School in Wilmington, NC, who hopes to go to UGA next year (following in the footsteps of his sister and both his parents). As part of a school project on sports and the Internet, Graham has volunteered to file reports to the Blawg on various aspects of the gameday experience this season. After hearing that the South Campus alcohol-free Family Friendly Zone had been “condensed” for lack of use, I suggested Graham check out the more heavily used North Campus family zone. He did last Saturday, and reports that two hours before kickoff (prime tailgating time), there were six tailgate groups totaling 47 people in the zone. Those 47 people were being guarded by seven police officers. Says Graham: “Most of the people there had small children and were glad to have a place to provide them with some recreation. In the zone was a giant blowup slide and a popcorn vendor. People that were inside the zone all said that they liked the idea. However, every person interviewed outside the zone thought it was a waste of valuable tailgating space.” Maybe the Family Friendly Zone idea will catch on, but so far it seems to be off to a slow start.
ONE MORE THOUGHT: A Blawg poster noted earlier this week what a classy, confident kid Joe Cox appeared to be in post-game interviews. Listening to him on the locker room show Saturday, my son and I had the same thought: He’s unusually articulate for a college football player. Joe T. is also a very intelligent kid but tends to talk in coachspeak, which isn’t surprising considering he practically grew up at Butts-Mehre. Matthew Stafford, what I’ve heard of him, sounds pretty much like your typical 18-year-old — not particularly articulate. Of course, speaking isn’t what they’re on the team to do, but you want your quarterback to be smart, and Cox shows every sign of being a thoughtful young man. He makes a good impression.
