A defensive look vs Georgia Southern

So the season has come down to playing two teams that are both going to give us everything they have. As you know, Georgia Tech ain’t bowling this year. Which means the annual renewal of Clean Old Fashioned Hate will be their defacto bowl game. It’s on North Ave. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain. You know, because everything in their eyes is being able to besmirch UGA fans year round.

But why is that what Dawg fans are talking about this week? Georgia Southern, in my humble opinion, is better equipped to pull the “upset”. Here’s why.

First, they have Matt Breida (#36). This junior running back is averaging nearly nine yards a carry. He’s fast as lightning and only needs a crease to break one open. He may be a little on the small side compared to other backs we’ve seen, but he makes the most use of the carries he gets. This Georgia Southern offense relies heavily on Breida and he has proven to be quite the weapon to challenge an opposing defense’s discipline and tackling ability. In other words, one half-hearted arm tackle and/or one missed gap and he’s putting you in his rear view.

Second, the Eagles have two quarterbacks that can gash and punish defenses up the middle and around the tackles. The Eagles have clearly settled on Cornelia Ga’s Kevin Ellison (#4) over Favian Upshaw (#13). Although neither have been able to throw the ball efficiently, Ellison is averaging over seven yards a carry leading this offense. He has good vision and makes efficient use of the blocking in front of him.

Clearly, the key will be getting Georgia Southern in third and long situations. That’s what did them in on their season opening visit to Morgantown and eventually in their loss to App State last month. Ellison won’t be able to carry the Eagle’s offense on his arm alone. However, I think we’ll see plenty of shots at our secondary through the air. Coach Fritz knows that if he can put up enough points (especially early in the game) it could put too much pressure on our own offense to support itself.

So I would look for some seam routes to try to catch the middle of the field open, aka Pruitt’s Achilles heel. The Eagles' three biggest weapons in the passing game are BJ Johnson (#12), Myles Campbell (#81), and Ryan Longoria (#31). Johnson and Campbell are averaging around 17 yards a catch. It’s just that they’ve only been targeted a handful of times a game. Longoria leads the team in receptions and can be difficult to cover, especially when Ellison is given enough time to find him open. They don’t utilize the passing game much, but this could be the game when those plays are bookmarked in the playbook in hopes of some easy yards and/or quick scores.

Later in the week I'll look into what our offense might be able to manage in this game. But all in all, I think our defense matches up well with this Georgia Southern offense. If Pruitt can minimize any damage on potential big plays it will keep the pressure off of our struggling offense. In fact, you can go ahead and mark that down as a key to the game here. The Eagles can steal this thing with a few well-timed shots. They’ve proven they’re not afraid of bigger programs against the likes of Alabama and Florida, not to mention Tech. And we’ve seen it historically in Sanford in previous meetings.

In short, for them this isn’t a trip for a paycheck. It’s a trip to add to the win column. Hopefully the Dawgs will treat it as such.

All stats via cfbstats.com

ULM rewatch - the defense

You know, I had another long recap post on the defense. I went into substitutions and the two touchdowns and was starting to delve into what it all could mean moving forward into SEC play.

But that's really unnecessary. I felt good hitting <PUBLISH> on the special teams post because just the energy into all the punting and the kicking and the coverage and the blocking is such a stark contrast from recent years. And I felt good with the offensive post because I think it's important to look at the new quarterback and the talent that surrounds him.

But the defense, well...let's just say it was Saturday, in Athens!

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Tailgate Roundtable - Pruitt in year two

Staying on the defensive side of the ball, today we talk about what Pruitt's defense might be able to build upon in his second year in Athens.

Defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt is quite popular among both fans, players, and recruits. Does the defense's struggles against the run last season concern you? Do you anticipate improvement in that area in 2015? 

AHD - Pruitt had his hands full straightening out a young and thin secondary. We were middle of the pack performance wise in the SEC against the run. We've added some talent and it will show on the field. We had our moments in 2014. Held the Barners to 7 points, shut the Zoo out and Arky couldn't push us around on that front line. We will be better. 

Robert - Not being able to stop the run against Florida and Georgia Tech was especially troubling, but I do see improvement.  I would be surprised if we didn’t see Pruitt’s defense improve across the board.  Grantham wasn’t the best recruiter or evaluator of talent.  Pruitt is starting to get some of “his guys”.  I am particularly interested to see Trenton Thompson and how quickly he makes an impact.  All reports are he is a beast, and him clogging holes along the defensive line should aid the rush defense.

BDB - I see nothing but improvement too. Given his propensity to connect with recruits, and his knack for downright coaching, I think we've only just begun to see what Coach Jeremy Pruitt can do. In fact, we may be a year away from truly seeing the results of all his efforts. But if a couple things click, look out in 2015!

Summer's most pressing questions

Spring semester classes are done. GDay and spring practices are a fairly distant memory. As we ease towards the summer months, here are the questions I have rattling around in my head.

1. Who will step up at quarterback?
Yes, why not start out with the obvious? The idea of bringing in the kid from South Bend was laughable to me. But uneasily so. After all, we are still waiting for the next starter under center to emerge. And I truly hope one does over the summer and especially into August camp. If this questions lingers into the season it could seriously hurt the team's chemistry. So if Park or Ramsey or Bauta want it now, the time has come for someone to take the reins.

2. Who will snap the ball to Bauta, Ramsey, and/or Park?
Unlike the question at quarterback, I think we have a better idea of who might start at center. Sophomore Isaiah Wynn is still in a race with some others for the starting job, but he seems to have only solidified his hold this spring. If he returns in August in the same form I would bet the coaches would like to name him the starter given his youth.

3. Who will catch the balls thrown by Bauta, Ramsey, and/or Park?
Aside from overly dramatic concern when a junior with four career catches leaves, the depth at wide receiver should come into question. Mitchell and Scott-Wesley are plenty qualified to sit atop an SEC two deep, but can they sit there for an entire season? McKenzie had a great spring expanding his role in receiving, right up until his injury at GDay. Other names to keep an on are Charlie Hegedus, Reggie Davis, and Shakenneth Williams, as well as true freshman Terry Godwin.

4. Will the run defense improve to a championship level?
Coach Pruitt's 2014 unit, except for a trip to Columbia SC, was very impressive against the run the first half of the season. Once Florida ran right through, around, and over us though all bets were off...until the bowl game. Hence the reason for the clarifier in the question; the run defense was good overall last year, but not up to SEC Championship/BCS Playoffs standards. As was pointed out in Kevin's roundtable, there may be some questions in the secondary, but the edge rush should be second to none which will only help ease the tension with the pass defense. So Pruitt just needs to find some run stoppers for first down and short distances.

5. Will Collin Barber return to 2012-13 form?
We'll especially need this early in the season as a new quarterback gains his footing and teams stack the box to slow down Chubb. Our punt game was strong until last season. I've wondered aloud about Barber's junior season. It makes me wonder, even though there are no lingering physical effects from his 2013 concussion, if he's just not over that hit on Rocky Top.

In a few months many at William Hill American football betting may be wagering on a big season for the Dawgs. Whether Georgia can live up to it may rely mostly on the answers to those questions.

Roundtable wrapup

Really appreciate Kevin at College Football Zealots setting this up. It was a fun way to pass some time in the off season.

Here are some parting thoughts after yesterday's conclusion.

If the season started today, which of our quarterbacks would you want under center (and why)?

I think Greg hit the nail on the head with his last sentence - "Leadership will go a long way toward making up for any for any athletic deficiencies that Bauta might have relative to the other candidates." He and I seem to be on the same Bauta Bandwagon. Ramsey adds a dimension we need in the offense; a vertical passing game is the perfect compliment to Chubb's chunks of yardage on the ground. 

We knew the coaches weren't going to name a starter this spring. The last thing we need is a quarterback or two transferring because they feel the competition is over. It's pretty evident, just from how the first team reps were shaking out the last couple scrimmages, that Park is the longshot. I think Bauta has the commitment off the field that the coaches like to see. The next few months gives Ramsey a chance to show some of that leadership Poole referred to. I'm sure Coach Shotty is watching carefully. 

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Georgia must replace both of their leading receivers, Chris Conley (36 rec in 2014) and Michael Bennett (37 rec), this season. Barring injury, Malcolm Mitchell and Justin Scott-Wesley should be able to contribute greatly in 2015 but depth is a big concern. Who needs to step up in this area and who do you see as the other top contributors?

Expectedly, the tight ends get a lot of mention in the responses. And both Greg and Tyler make mention of some of the talent coming in August that could add depth. But Kevin reminds us of the threats in the backfield, specifically Sony Michel. "One guy that didn’t show up in any of the other responses is Sony Michel. Yeah, he’s a running back but in his freshman season we saw that Georgia had the ability to line him up anywhere in the offense including quarterback and wide receiver. In the first four games last year before he started to get banged up, he had six receptions with one for a touchdown. With Michel and McKenzie, Georgia has two wildcards that can be play-makers from anywhere on the field and from any situation. When it comes to making a difference in 2015, keep an eye on both of those guys."

Then BassinDawg picks it up in the comments and on Twitter (make sure and click the link for video evidence):

#Dawgs How nice would that be? Chubb & Marshall in the backfield, Sony in the slot! #ThereGoesMichel #GoDawgs https://t.co/kE9kgOUOW8
— GATA Dawgs (@BassinDawg) April 21, 2015

Yeh. That'll do quite nicely.

What is your biggest concern on defense (and why)?

Perhaps I just wanted to keep the memory of the 2014 WLOCP in the dark recesses of my mind, but Blutarsky is dead on with this point - "Interior run defense. Georgia has to replace a lot of experience on the defensive line and at inside linebacker. And it’s not like last season’s run defense was all that stout at times. You wonder if Pruitt can find that happy balance between having lots of defensive speed, which generally means not having as much defensive mass, and being able to stop power running games." 

I really think the front seven will be much improved this coming season. But until we see that with our own eyes against the likes of the Gamecocks, Tide, Tigers, and Gators, this has to be the primary concern.

This could change but right now what is your gut feeling on what makes this season a successful one for Mark Richt and the Georgia Bulldogs?

This question was taken in a different direction by yours truly. And I agree with my colleagues on their responses. Winning the East should always be the standard by which seasons are judged. You can't win the SEC without taking out the garbage in your own division. And if you win the SEC then you stand a good chance of being in the national discussion.

But after all these years of watching the program come close here and there, the fact that the coaches have no excuses is what intrigues me most. As I said, "I’ve never disagreed with those fans that expect more from the program, just in where the blame lies ultimately. Now all that is just noise from years past. It’s time to put up or shut up. No excuses."

Whether you like Coach Richt or not...and whether you blame him or support him...he's the head football coach at the University of Georgia and deserves the full support, both vocal and financial, of the administration. I'm interested to see what he can do now that the bar has been raised.

Thanks again to Kevin and the other guys. That was fun.

"Nobody out-works you today!" - Jeremy Pruitt

I know it was released to the official site last week, but...Spring practice ended last week. So we're officially in the never-ending doldrums. Which is why I'll just be sitting quietly in a corner watching this on a loop.

"Stomp your foot and let's go!"

Checking the list

I often make a list of off season topics to chew on sometime between now and August. Here's what I have so far.

1. Finish the recruiting drill. Gonna be a big class. Lots of committed talent. Now that the staff is rounded out and filled in, Richt and Co. need to finish strong.
2. Renew all driver's licenses and make sure all scooters are up to code.
3. Answer the questions on offense - QB battle for supremacy!!, who takes Boss Andrews' place??, and develop a deep rotation of wide receivers that can block downfield (as well as catch the football, of course).
4. Answer the questions on defense - second spring of Pruitt's secondary transformation should involve less attrition and more confidence, right?, the departures of Wilson and Herrera leaves both big holes at ILB and much opportunity, bolster the defensive line depth.
5. Keep Nick Chubb away from pedestrian crosswalks.

“Maten was hit by a car? Which football player was driving it?” - Jimmy Williamson, late Sunday evening #cmrhlco pedestrian crosswalks
— Bernie (@BernieDawg) January 13, 2015

6. Continue to develop the new special teams' identity. This past season saw great strides in both production from special teams as well as an improved mindset. But there's always room for improvement (ahem! Kick it deep!).
7. Build a championship culture in both attitude and practice.

That last one is pretty vague I know. But my thoughts are that while the media and fans point to Richt/Pruitt stealing personnel and ideas from Saban, what is actually taking place is a new and improved mission statement towards winning. The nearest model to emulate, by both association and proximity, is in Tuscaloosa.

I would suspect that even as early as GDay we will see that this phenomenon we refer to as The Pruitt Effect is just beginning to take root. So how soon will it truly bear fruit?

Belk Bowl preview

As I pack for Charlotte, (actually, while the family and I help fee the local homeless today) here's some predictions for Tuesday evening. Not sure I'll have much more before the game as things are pretty busy right up til kickoff, so please add to this in the comments.

Gonna miss these guys.

• First, don't be surprised if Keith Mrshall plays. Not saying he'll definitely play, especially since there are a couple of backs that may be ahead of him on the depth chart. But word is Marshall has practiced very well this week and really wants just one more year in Athens. Yes, we heard similar things about Marshall back in August, and really before then, about his progression after knee injury. But if he's healthy (and I think he should be) and he truly only wants just one more year of eligibility, then he should be a good change of pace to Chubb.
• All that being said, I think Sony Michel will have an explosive play. Maybe two. He's just the kind of player that we grew accustomed to Grantham defenses overlooking. And #1 can play many positions in a Bobo game plan.
• Also, that being said, how well does Lilly execute Bobo's game plan? It's one thing to have the same plays designed and highlighted as would've been had the offensive coordinator stayed. It's another to call based on instincts and hunches. And experience.
• How big of a deal is Michael Dyer not making the trip gonna be? He's not even their leading rusher. But my guess is he would have factored heavily in Petrino's gameplan. Plus, this is an offnse used to having more than one running back and then figuring out which is the hot hand. Now all that is changed.
• While we're talking about folks not making it to the Queen City, how big of a deal is it that Isaiah McKenzie is in absentia? Sounds like Malcolm Mitchell has taken his reps at punt return. My guess is Mitchell gets more looks (or at least the first look) at punt returner over Reggie Davis. Georgia has options to replace McKenzie, but no one has that kid's play making abilities in the return game. Could be a factor, albeit a subtle one.
• Can the defense play with discipline? It's one thing to not let Grantham get in their heads during media interviews. It's another to allow Pruitt to show he's the better overall communicator that we know he is already.
• Senior leadership. Bowl game wins are almost dependent on it. If you have a group of good ones that really, really want to go out on top, then you have a better chance of seeing a team focused on winning.

Otherwise, it's really just a means to an end. 

Go Dawgs!

One year removed from Grantham, big game looms

Walking away from Sanford after losing to in-state rival Tech, I knew whatever bowl we ended up in against whatever opponent said bowl matched us up against...it'd be a huge game for the Georgia Bulldogs. When it was announced that Charlotte was the destination and Louisville was the opponent, it was a matter of time before the comparisons between Pruitt and Grantham began.

I think Weiszer hits in the biggest difference here.

The biggest difference is the vast improvement on the back end.

Georgia surrendered big plays — touchdown passes of 73 yards against Auburn, 77 against Clemson and 99 against Nebraska — last season, but hasn’t give up a pass play longer than 38 this season.

The Bulldogs are the only team in the nation to not give up any pass plays of 40 or more yards, according to cfbstats.com. Opponents had 10 against Georgia in 2013.

Georgia-Auburn rewatch: the defense

They are the story of the game. Because we figured we'd be able to move the ball on Auburn's defense. It really was just a matter of how much Bobo was tempted to throw the ball. But the defense was the same question mark going into this game that it has been all season.

And boy did they provide a definitive and resounding answer.

I sure sang the praises of the linebackers on Sunday, deservedly so. And much is being made of Pruitt utilizing Floyd at the nickel so he could have both him and Carter on the field at the same time. But looking over the game again it really shows how much work Mike Thornton and Ray Drew did in the trenches. As Richt said, it allowed Herrera and Wilson to "clean up". And with Thornton and Drew (as well as Bailey, Johnson and Dawson when they were in the game) standing their ground, the linebackers went to work. They were attacking the ball like they were back in October's road trip to Columbia and Little Rock. That road trip produced their best six quarters to date under Pruitt's new defense. Saturday produced it's first complete complete game since then.

In the secondary, Auburn did its fair share of testing Georgia on intermediate and deep routes. Marshall threw some into tight coverage and his receivers made some tough catches. Pruitt's d-backs made them earn it. Uzomah was targeted early and often. But the tight end never broke free on any crossing routes which Auburn likes to run on occasion. In the past those have killed us. Not Saturday.

I didn't realize until rewatching it just how much freshman Malkom Parrish played. He looked good out there. But really, the whole defense looked spectacular. And it really started with energy towards the ball; wherever it went there were red jerseys in hot pursuit. Disciplined and determined defensive football. That was a joy to watch again.

It's been something we've touched on here and there this season, and it's definitely going to get more and more attention as we transition slowly into Pruitt's second season, but the way he and his defensive staff shuffle in players is so nice to see. More importantly, as Tanner mentioned while tailgating Saturday, there's not a huge dropoff when Davin Bellamy or Reggie Carter or Sterling Bailey comes into the game.

And that speaks to coaching. These guys are being taught well. I know we're all still frustrated by the way the defense performed against Florida. And we should be. But there are sure signs to be excited about this defense. The consistency week to week will come. Saturday night, against a very dangerous offensive team with loads of speed and talent, was a big step.

Georgia-Auburn rewatch: What if...

I've decided to break my rewatch into a couple different posts. Truly, there's not much more to say about this game other than Georgia dominated the Tigers. It seems as if Pruitt has Malzahn's number, for sure. But Auburn never really attempted to adjust to what Georgia's defense was doing. I didn't think Auburn challenged Georgia up the middle nearly enough to win the game. Seems like there were yards there to be had. And Artis-Payne was having a much better game than the Tigers' other playmakers.

I'm not saying that would've turned the game in Auburn's favor completely, but it's worth asking; what if Auburn had run Artis-Payne, the SEC's rushing leader, up the middle more?

Next, what if Gurley's kickoff return had stood? First, it was a good call and the touchdown should've come off the board. Vavlas Rankin had a good hold of an Auburn guy and it was an easy call to make. But as I rewatched it this question stuck out to me. Because Auburn had just scored on their first possession. Granted, Pruitt's defense forced them to convert a few third downs, but first blood was still theirs.

Then Gurley totes it 105 yards. If it stands we may not even go to a commercial break there. ESPN might have just replayed the return a couple times, sent it down to Holly Rowe for a quick update, and then suddenly the defense is right back out there.

Again, it may not have swung things in Auburn's favor completely. But we spent some time talking about the energy and momentum of this game as one of the keys all last week. Turns out Georgia's defense was prepared and ready to be a dominant force. Would it have been able to do that had it spent most of the first quarter on the field?

No, I'm not saying I'm glad Gurley's return didn't stand. Especially given the way things ended, it would've been nice for that to be one of the official highlights. But this was a game of momentum and this defense continually stamped out all of Auburn's after that first drive. So it just made me wonder...

Sunday's Thoughts on Wow. Just wow.

Not many people saw that coming. But some of us could feel that coming. The general and seemingly safe consensus was this edition of the Georgia-Auburn series would be a back and forth slugfest. But as the week wore on there was this feeling in my gut that the Dawgs could finally put together a complete and thorough game.

But boy, it was really nice to see it play out before my eyes.

- The crowd was fantastic. After a week of wardrobing back and forth, the stadium looked amazing and the fans really brought their complete A game too. The temperatures didn't alter the enthusiasm one bit.
- (I do have one gripe about the piped in sound, but I'm going to save that for tomorrow so we savor this completely and thoroughly.)
- And Pruitt's boys brought their A game as well. The linebackers played fast and disciplined, a stark contrast to two weeks ago. Herrera and Wilson were everywhere and Floyd seemed to respond well to the week off with four tackles and a sack. Jenkins was his usual disruptive in the backfield self. Just dominating.
- Marshall running the ball was really what scared me going in. I could imagine times where we had everything covered but he alluded one defender and gashed us repeatedly. But that never happened. The defense held him to 41 yards, well below his season average.
- A lot is being made about the tailbacks, deservedly. But my offensive points start with Hutson Mason. That guy came to play. The receivers didn't have their best collective effort. But Nama and I kept remarking at how spot on his passes looked. He and Bobo challenged Auburn deep and Mason put it on the money. Even though many of the pass plays didn't pan out, it really set the tone for the game Auburn's defense was faced with from the outset.
- And then Chubb and Gurley went to work. 290 yards later the Tigers' defense was reduced to rubble. The offensive line continues to get better each week and even when the run play was stuffed up, the pile moved forward and not backward.
- Chubb passes the 1000 yard mark for the season. And he's done that with just five starts now...as a freshman. Safe to say his Heisman campaign for 2015 has officially kicked off now?
- A little anxious about Gurley's injury, but he appeared fine walking off the field and from what I could see afterwards. We should know more later today after Richt's teleconference.
- And I admit I was little surprised to see Gurley get so much work. He had 29 carries, showing little signs of fatigue as the game wore on. But his 146 yards helped him pass Garrison Hearst in career rushing yards. Considering how much time he's missed for various reasons that's just impressive. He'll officially end his career as the second best all time in Georgia history, right where he belongs.
- Perhaps the biggest key to the game was the way the team responded to two huge special teams plays being called back. Raise your hand if you can remember a time when that sort of thing would've crushed a Georgia team's emotions. Simply an outstanding job by the coaches to keep the team focused and executing the game plan.
- And another tip of the cap to the coaches for using that time out on fourth and one to come up with a play and the stones to get the first down instead of a field goal attempt. The result, a touchdown.

There's so much more. I'm looking forward to watching the replay at some point today (while in a much warmer environment) to relive it all again. It was an incredible win. Texas A&M didn't put the cherry on the top for us, but it was sweet nonetheless.

Go Dawgs!

Auburn week - news and notes

Some headlines between Athens and Opelika. No two-ply needed.

- Cory finds Georgia's run defense improved over its performance against Florida, but still a ways to go.
- Kimberley remembers when Sugar fell from the sky.
- Shhhhhhh. Don't talk about it.
- sUGArdaddy reminds us of some chaos that surrounded the 2012 matchup between GEORGIA-auburn. And to hide our wallets.
- Relatedly, Spears breaks down the A&M-Missouri game.
- The team is stepping up for Gurley on the eve of his return and admitting "We're all human."
- Booker has some nice photos and a couple observations from yesterday's practice.
- With D'haquille Williams week to week, Quan Bray is expected to step up for the Tigers.
- And from the FYI File, ticket prices for Saturday have dropped significantly since I checked on Monday. Down from about $180 in the top deck to $148 and up.

Go Dawgs!

Sunday thoughts on the pig pickin'

I don't watch College Gameday. But I did watch Twitter while it watched College Gameday, and the angst level was particularly high. Personally, I just kept wondering if word of the national disinterest in a Georgia sans Gurley team was reaching the ears and eyes of the team out in Little Rock.

Whether it did or it didn't, Richt's team made quite the statement. Whenever Hutson Mason hangs up the cleats he should make a nice career as a motivational speaker.

- That opening drive by Arkansas was everything this game was built up to be - smash mouth, physical football. It was efficient and bullish enough to make you a little worried.
- But if this was supposed to be a grind it out three yards and a cloud of dust affair, Georgia didn't get that memo by the time Mason took the first snap.
- That play action was probably Mason's best of the season and the ball was thrown perfectly to Conley. As impressive as Mason's 78% completion percentage was last week against Missouri, his 10+ yards per attempt yesterday was equally so.
- And that was clearly by design. Bobo decided to get the Razorbacks' defense off kilter early and his quarterback responded by making his best throws of the season.
- And then Chubb took care of the rest.
- I mean, what more can you say about this kid? I'll let Nabulsi handle that kind of heavy lifting:

Nick Chubb's first two starts: 68 carries 345 yards 5 catches 3 touchdowns 2 SEC road victories
— Radi Nabulsi (@RadiNabulsi) October 19, 2014

-  Seems to me that young man has earned a bye week. Good timing.

- Special teams. Take away the poorly executed onside kick and it was about as good of a day in the kicking game as you could ask for as a whole. Morgan had four of his seven kickoffs go as touchbacks.

- And hey! A blocked kick! Cool.

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- Damian Swann was everywhere the ball was it seemed: 11 total tackles, two forced fumbles, a sack, an interception. Wow.

- If the first few games were about watching the secondary struggle, the last two have been about watching them play with more and more confidence. Sure, it was uncomfortable to watch the second half slide into Arkansas' favor, but the reaction to the ball and the overall coverage skills are vastly improved over the first couple weeks of the season.

- Staying with the second half drop, give Arkansas credit. They didn't give up and took everything Georgia was giving. It many ways, that was the team we expected to see in the Razorbacks.

- Which makes the way Georgia started even more impressive and brings me back to that first point. During two weeks when little attention is being given to the team as a whole, the coaches have had the guys ready to play and the team leaders have led with their words and their play.

Looking forward to the bye week. Looking forward to some closure in Gurley-Gate. Looking forward to spending 14 days devoted to nothing but hating Florida.

The Pruitt Way

I'm not a guy you'll hear saying "Just wait til next season". Mostly because I probably have more football seasons behind me than I do in front. And normally I wouldn't even attempt to make this point the day of a key SEC road test. But I know we're all frustrated with the program and the ones who oversee it. We had hoped to have answers this week and little if any came.

But I find comfort in these thoughts and quotes that Loran Smith passes along from his feature on our defensive coordinator:

He would rather work with a player who wants to learn to excel by doing it the right way, no matter his level of ability, than one with all the ability, but cannot conform to a disciplined approach to playing the game.

 “We are beginning to realize that it is like an important performance. You can’t do the show if you haven’t rehearsed it. Over and over again.

“You succeed,” he says, “by forgetting what you have accomplished and knuckling down for the next guy. Arkansas is, by far, the most physical team we have played to date.”

Things are changing. It may not be as swiftly as we hoped. But it's clear to me that we once again have a defensive coordinator that not only talks the talk, but walks it with authority and discipline.

And with a winning attitude.

It's always week to week with Pruitt

Last week it was Brendan Langley. Who will it be in Little Rock?

For the fifth time in six games, Georgia sported a different starting defensive backfield. Seven different Bulldogs have earned the nod at the beginning of at least one game.

Senior cornerback Damian Swann doesn’t expect that trend to change as the season progresses.

“(Pruitt) wants to play the guys who have the best week in practice. Not to say (guys who aren’t starting) didn’t have a good week in practice,” Swann said. “But I think everything that goes on with the different lineups, that’s coming from Pruitt. Whatever Pruitt wants, that’s how we’re going to play. Every week, guys are competing for playing time." (via Benjamin Wolk)

"We are going to be something different and give the same effort."

Yesterday I mentioned how successful Pruitt's 4-2-5 look was against Missouri, but that going into Little Rock it would likely be something different. Take it away Ramik:

Georgia will be seeing a totally [sic] offense, than it did in Columbia, Missouri. While Missouri runs many four and five wide receiver sets, Arkansas often lines up with two and three tight end sets. 

And even though Missouri was held scoreless, the members of the defense know that it is a new week and a new, different opponent.

“It’s a new week. We barely looked at Missouri,” Wilson said. “They are a physical team, but with the game plan we got this week, it’s gonna be fun for us.”

"Get a big neck."

While Georgia came out with a three-safety defense against Missouri, this week’s defense figures to be more conventional,  given the opponent. Wilson knows that the defense is going to have to adjust, while still putting up results similar to Missouri.

“We are not the same defense that is gonna come out every time,” Wilson said. “We are going to be something different and give the same effort.”

When summing up the matchup between Arkansas’ rushing attack and Georgia’s rush defense Johnson also was brief.

“It is going to be an all-out fight."  (via R&B)

I especially like the "same effort" part. And given that Arkansas is first in the league in rushing the football, it's gonna be a Mambo Gook kinda night in Lil' Rock.

Pruitt's no-name defense taking shape

The offense may have been without Todd Gurley in Missouri, but the defense added Brendan Langley. And he started at free safety. Now, Langley only had two tackles on his stat line, but played a whale of a game in coverage. Even when he was being thrown into the fire early last season I liked Langley's ability and upside. He has good size and long arms. It was great to see him contributing back there Saturday.

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That being said, it was much more than Langley moving back over from offense that put together this shut out. Let's start up front where Pruitt started with Thornton, Drew, Floyd and Jenkins at the line of scrimmage with Wilson and Herrera behind them. Georgia was able to contain Mauk, pressure Mauk, and take away Missouri's run game quite effectively. The rest was left to Langley, Mauger, Sanders, Swann and Bowman. And they all did a great job staying with their men and leaving little room for Missouri to get a passing game going.

By the way, Mauk came into the game with a 144 passer rating, and Georgia held him to a 43. In a word, that's dominance.

But if we know anything about Jeremy Pruitt, in our short time together, it's that he's creative. Sure, he's going to put the best guys on the field that can give Georgia a chance to win, but he's going to adapt to what the opposing offense is doing. Arkansas is running the ball two-thirds of the time they snap the ball. I wouldn't be surprised to see Corey Moore back in at safety Saturday as he's more of a downhill run stopper. Pruitt might also go back to using both Toby Johnson and Mike Thornton on the line, which moves Jenkins back to the "Jack" linebacker.

We'll see. The really interesting thing for me is seeing how differently Pruitt preps for each opposing team and his commitment to taking away certain aspects of what they are trying to do. On Saturday that was giving Mauk looks that made him uncomfortable releasing quickly which allowed the pass rush to catch up to him in his progressions. This Saturday it will likely be something much different. Again, we'll see how the defensive coordinator prepares and adjusts.

All I know is it's something we haven't seen in nearly a decade. And I'm very excited for the future.

Sunday Thoughts on Grown Chubb Football

Georgia wins, Missouri loses, and Sakerlina doesn't win. So pretty damn good day.

- My first thought after the game was over was that if we thought we showed them some Grown Man Football in 2012, we were wrong. Dude, that was just a whoopin'.

- Possible I missed a few, but I had the number of times Gurley was mentioned about even with Chubb.

- That being said, "Baby Gurley" made me puke a bit in my mouth every time I heard it.

- I guess the big question for us is, "When did your nervousness relent?" Only getting a couple field goals despite two early turnovers was uneasy. Then the Tigers came out hot in the second half and I found myself reminding my kids (who had pronounced the game over about an hour prior) that this was a team that came back from twenty down to beat the one team that beat us.

- But Bobo wasn't done. Nick Chubb and Brendan Douglas weren't done. And Pruitt wasn't done either.

- So...turnovers, pressuring Mauk, or time of possession...where do we start? Logic and reason say with the pressure applied to Mauk.

- The defense yesterday was a thing of beauty. Pruitt mixed in different looks for the Missouri quarterback and let his guys go to work. As a result, Mauk spent much of the afternoon on the run with not much of anywhere to throw the ball.

Hey dude, you want this? Here you go.

- And the run defense was much better than I anticipated. Those are two good running backs and as a team Missouri was averaging 178 yards a game on the ground. Georgia held them to 50 yards total.

- Back to the pressure up front, Missouri was 0-7 on third down and Mauk finished 9-21 for 97 yards. Oh yeh, and four interceptions. When he was on the run (when he is the most dangerous and the most likely to covert third downs) he only completed one pass that I remember.

- Overall, a confident defense playing lights out on the road? Yes, I think I like that a lot.

- Next, turnovers. The secondary just seemed to always have the play in front of them. The Missouri receivers are not what Pinkel usually has in terms of talent, but the Pruitt's defensive backs were rarely trailing the play like in previous games.

- The beneficiaries were Mauger, Swann and Sanders. Mauger had two picks!! They just always seemed to know where Mauk was going.

- And the Mauk fumble, man, God bless Leonard Floyd's long arms! (Just watched that play again while typing this and the wife would like to add that he was obviously being held too.)

- The time of possession was skewed heavily in Georgia's favor, mostly due to being +6 in the turnover margin. 42:23 to 17:37. Wow.

- Missouri had 12 drives, only one went for more than four plays. Only four plays in Georgia territory, three of which were interceptions. They were never even in field goal range and only sniffed the goal line once on the last play of the half, a play that ended with a dropped pass that was perfectly placed. And a holding penalty.

- The only word to describe it is dominating.

- And while that word can be used to describe Georgia's punishing rushing attack, it can also be used to describe Hutson Mason's afternoon. Yes, he "managed" the game well, but he also made some throws we haven't seen much of since the bowl game. That touchdown pass to Bennett was perfect. And Bobo used Mitchell well on the outside to stretch Missouri's defense enough to create room for Chubb and Douglas.

Great game. I'm hopeful we'll get Gurley back for the next game. Regardless, Little Rock presents a difficult road test. Halfway through, it's been an eventful season and a very tumultuous week. But Georgia now is firmly in the driver's seat nonetheless.

Go Dawgs!

"He's got more blitzes than I can count."

Nice piece by Emerson here on the marriage of Coach Pruitt's scheme and the load of talent Coach Sherrer has at outside linebacker.

Georgia has 11 sacks this year, tied for 30th nationally for sacks per game and tied for fourth in the SEC. But that’s only part of the story. The NCAA doesn’t track quarterback pressures, but Georgia credits itself with 52 this season, easily on pace to eclipse last year’s total of 109.

Jenkins (nine) and Floyd (seven) lead the way, but perhaps most tantalizing is that Carter has six in more limited playing time.

That's quite a wrecking crew, and it's no wonder Pruitt tries to get them on the field at the same time. Speed rushers with long arms and bad intentions.

Those pressures are almost as good as a sack. Jenkins opined that defenders need to be about a yard away from the quarterback to effect the throw.

“Getting him to where he’s not able to step through his throws. That’s a minimum thing we want to accomplish,” Jenkins said. “But really affecting the quarterback, we want to mess with his head, is getting him on the ground. Because if I were a quarterback, I know I’d hate getting up play after play after play.”

Against Tennessee, Jenkins was credited with six pressures but just one sack.

“I think I counted five hits on the quarterback where he threw the ball at the last second,” Jenkins said. “And really after the first time that’s when I said, ‘All right I’m gonna punish him for throwing that ball.’ ”

And they're all licking their chops thinking about getting after Vandy's young quarterback this Saturday.