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AJC > Sports > UGA > Blog > Archives > 2008 > August > 31
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Not bad for August
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OK, so after going up 38-0 on a day so hot and muggy that even some of the Coke boys and girls were probably cramping, and with the coaching staff throwing lots of second- and third-stringers into the game, the Dawgs relaxed a bit, got a little tired and sloppy, and let the boys from Statesboro score three second-half touchdowns.
Georgia’s debut might not have made quite the statement that 45-0 or 45-7 would have, but it’s not the cause for alarm it would have been if the game’s outcome ever had been in question or if those scores had been made early against the starters. And part of the problem was that the Georgia offense’s quick-strike capability tended to leave the defense on the field for an awful long time.
Still, I can’t imagine any Dawg fans leaving Sanford Stadium Saturday who weren’t impressed and encouraged by the talent and flashes of brilliance shown on offense (from both veterans and first-time players) and the lights-out play of the defense for most of the first three quarters. Yes, there were too many penalties, particularly offsides calls (especially on defense). But it was the first game. If that continues over the next couple of games, then it’ll be a problem. And yes, a few passes were overthrown, underthrown or dropped. But with Matt Stafford completing 62 percent for a career-high 275 yards, it seems a bit churlish to make much of that complaint.
Actually, the only thing the Bulldog Nation really had cause to gripe about Saturday was the bad luck that saw another of our strongest players lost for the season to injury. And there’s not much Mark Richt and his staff can do about that.
No, Georgia didn’t play a perfect game. But considering the Dawgs weren’t playing one of those much-touted openers like Boise State or Oklahoma State, they looked pretty much where you’d expect them to be in the first game. Next week should be a bit more of a challenge; I get the feeling the Dawgs will rise to it.
AMONG THE GOOD THINGS WE SAW SATURDAY: Word had leaked out of practice last week that freshman kicker Blair Walsh was having a little groin problem, but you couldn’t tell it from the way he kicked Saturday. I loved that he put his first kickoff in the end zone, though after that he bent to his coaches’ will and went for those directional kicks into the corner. … Good feeling having that depth at tailback. Richard Samuel may have fumbled on his first play, but he turned in some slashing good runs in the first half. And how about that Caleb King weaving in and out of the Eagles defense as he racked up 95 yards in the second half. … Giving Joe Cox planned playing time in the first half is a wise move on Richt’s part. The more experience he has, the better off we’ll be in the long run. Cox had a nice run negated by a flag. And third-stringer Logan Gray got a couple of chances to show the added running dimension he’ll bring to QB. … Stafford to A.J. Green. Get used to the sound of it, because we’re going to hear that a lot. But some of the old hands also looked good, with Kris Durham pulling in that 61-yarder for a score and one of Mo Mass’ three catches being one of his patented acrobatic snags. And what a weapon Georgia has in throwing to Knowshon out of the backfield!
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT: The Dawgs’ kickoff coverage continues to be spotty, with Southern getting a 45-yard return one time when they hit the seam. … Tackling was a bit ragged at times. … Need to cut out the offsides penalties. … Not enough pressure on the Southern QBs. That definitely needs to change this next week.
More on the Sanford fan scene later in the week.
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