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AJC > Sports > UGA > Blog > Archives > 2008 > October > 24
Friday, October 24, 2008
It’s crunch time
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’ve talked to a bunch of UGA fans this week, and I’d say the mood about Saturday’s game is cautiously optimistic, with the two keys being whether our young, injury-riddled, patchwork offensive line can keep the Tigers’ “Express” rush out of the Georgia backfield long enough and, conversely, whether the Dawgs can mount enough pressure on LSU’s two young QBs without having to resort to the blitz constantly.
I think our defense stacks up pretty well against LSU’s offense. On the other side of the ball, LSU’s defense isn’t as highly ranked in the conference as some we’ve faced this season, but you know they’re going to bring the house against Matthew Stafford, especially if it’s third and long. And we didn’t handle third and long too well against Vandy.
What Stafford has to do is get rid of the ball quickly, but I’m hoping Mike Bobo will rethink all those screen passes he’s been calling lately. I still don’t understand why we’re not dunking it over the line to backs and tight ends. Heck, put both fullbacks in or both tight ends in, keep one to block and toss it to the other. At least, it’s positive yardage, unlike those screens. Like they tell running backs, move north-south, not east-west. The screens haven’t worked that well and at times haven’t even been well-designed plays. Like last week when we threw it out to A.J. Green without any blockers near him. What’s the point of that? Even if he gets past the first man, he’s nearly always double-covered and his odds of getting past the second are slim.
That’s kind of how a lot of fans seem to be viewing Georgia’s schedule: While we may get past one of the next two teams, they say, the odds are long against winning both games. If Georgia loses one, it would hurt less for it to be to LSU, since they’re in the SEC West and beating Florida would keep us alive in the East, which is the most important thing. But, at least on paper, the LSU game looks like the more winnable one.
Then there are the fans who refuse to even consider such scenarios. Georgia’s got the talent to win out, they say. The Dawgs just have to finally put it all together and have that breakout game everyone’s been expecting, and then success will feed on success, like late last season.
Great team or good team? The next two games will tell.
