Transitioning from week one to week two

Below is the latest episode of 4th & 3 Dudes. You can like, share and subscribe in your favorite podcast feeder and on YouTube. But first, a couple thoughts.

Last week the coaches let Gunner hold the reins for three quarters. I make a point in this episode that when Pugs came in the offense really didn't miss a beat. So I wonder if this week the split will be closer to 50/50. Even better, would like QB2 and even QB3 to get some game time experience.

Overall I think we all agree that its great to see so many young players get time on the field. I mean, Elyiss Williams caught a touchdown pass in his first collegiate game!

But like Nama said, at the end of the day, we really just want to end the game against the Governors without injuries. A healthier team heading to Knoxville would make us all happy. Especially the coaches.

Okay...on with the show!

Carson "what the heck" Beck

Let's start with what we know.

• Beck has an NFL arm that he will use to play on Sundays.
• He has been pretty conservative with the ball dating back to last season. Checks down to safe(r) targets when necessary.
• Except when he doesn't. The biggest games we've had this season (@ Bama, @ Texas, Florida) he's made some costly decisions with the ball. It's not just the 11 total INTs this season compared to six (!!) total last season. It's that most of them have been very bad reads/decisions.
• Sometimes a QB gets dinged with an INT that could actually be another offensive player's fault - bad route, tipped ball, receiver got outplayed for the ball. Most of Carson's are entirely on him. And that's what's unsettling.
• That all being said, Beck is our clear QB1, and based on the fact that he's thrown 7 interceptions in the last three games and yet Kirby still has not pulled him, it ain't very close between Beck and QB2.
  

Some things we've seen and heard that shed some light:

• Bobo calls plays to start a game to get Beck in a rhythm. We know this based on our early game plans. When it goes well you get a 51-13 win over Kentucky in Athens last season. When it doesn't you get a 13-12 rock fight like we saw in Lexington back in September.
• Beck has lost his most trusted targets. This is pretty evident as well. Many times Beck and his targets are not on the same page. And it's not just McConkey and Bowers being in the NFL. Word is his greatest rapport with a receiver after 2023 ended was with RaRa - gone! Next was Colbie Young - not available.^*
• Beck is not like Stetson. Well duh, but let me broaden this out. We've had quarterbacks for years who have (at least) grown up in Georgia, some even lifelong Dawg fans. Zeier, Bobo, Greene, DJ, Hutson, Fromm, Stetson just to name a few. Beck I think is more like Stafford. He came to Athens because it was the right business decision. Beck wanted to learn from Monken and now Bobo, because they could best prepare him for the NFL Draft.

Personally, I don't fault that decision if it's indeed true. He signed with Georgia right as Coley was being replaced by Monken. His other SEC options were Florida and Alabama. We know Mullen wasn't a great recruiter, so I see why Beck chose not to take his chances in Gainesville. So it was Sark or the incoming Monken. Beck had to see a better opportunity in Athens with Fromm leaving town. He'd be in a QB room with JT Daniels (Soph), Stetson Bennett (Jr), and D'Wan Mathis (Fr).^** Alabama had Mac Jones (Jr) and Bryce Young (Fr).

Regardless, to my earlier point, Carson Beck is who we've got. In the third quarter against the Gators, Kirby/Bobo had every right to put in Stockton or Rashada. They didn't. That's all we need to know about which quarterback gives us the best chance to win. You can whine and complain, it doesn't matter. Beck is our quarterback. Ride or die! Just find a way to enjoy it. It's college football, not political nonsense. 😎

Kirby Smart and Mike Bobo know football. The rest of us are just thumb typing and sideline watching. Go Dawgs!

^{* Sounds like there is a chance Young makes it back on the roster. But at the moment for the unforeseeable future, the senior wide receiver is suspended pending battery and assault charges.}

^{** Jamie Newman had transferred to UGA, but opted out in August 2020. Since Newman was a senior and Bennett was a junior and former walk-on, I can see why Athens was the more attractive landing spot.}

GDay - what I saw

You win some. You lose some. But only in a spring game can you do both in one afternoon. Here are my casual observations from the Red vs Black scrimmage.


Gameday feeling. Great crowd is what Kirby wants and that is what he gets. The energy gives the young players a taste on what fall Saturdays are like when the games count. And it gives the recruits something more to think about for sure.


Justin Fields is a large dude. I don’t put much weight in spring performances, especially at quarterback. But Fromm sure gets a lot of tipped and batted down balls at the line of scrimmage. Or maybe I’m still just sore over the one that bounced off a Bama’s player’s helmet in Atlanta back in January. 

VIA

Mainly it was nice to see what Fields can eventually bring to the game when he does earn snaps. Lot of zip on the ball and such a fluid runner.


As for Fromm he had a few really nice deep balls. Ridley had one of them ripped out by McGhee on what would’ve been a very nice touchdown. But on a day that saw about 90% of the plays as passes, I thought the best pass came from Fields off his back foot when he lifted a beautiful ball to Landers in the corner of the end zone.


GDay 2018 definitely lived up to Kirby saying it would be a game for the quarterbacks. And since there were so many passes we didn’t get to see much of Holyfield. But I thought he and Herrien looked good in pass protect when they were needed.


Speaking of pass protect, how about Keyon Brown and Brenton Cox showing off that a simple tight end ain’t gonna be able to ward them off. Scary fast dudes with a nose for the quarterback!


Monty Rice definitely eased some of my concerns about losing Roquan. He was adding pressure up the middle and chasing down ball carriers all day.


Ahkil Crumpton had some nice catches, especially the one he caught across the middle in traffic but still snuck around the edge for some more yardage.


That’s some of what I saw. Hope you enjoyed some spring ballin’ as much as we did. Go Dawgs!

GDay - what I'm looking for tomorrow

First of all it will be interesting to see how many folks get turned away. With only 78,ooo seats available tomorrow and record crowds for this event thus far under Kirby’s watch, ain’t everybody gonna get a first hand look at Justin Fields arm and Holyfield’s legs.

Regardless of seating arrangements and availability, I think the first thing I want to see is how well the middle of the field is covered by our defense on passing downs.

VIA

You see, one does not just replace a player like Roquan Smith. It’s impossible. But I have great confidence that the coaches have recruited talent behind him. So I’m confident that we have someone that can blitz through the heart of the offensive protection. Afterall, the name Natrez Patrick comes to mind. And I’m confident we may have someone that can defend the field laterally from sideline to sideline.

But what made Roquan so very special was how well he defended the middle of the field in passing situations. He could cover a tight end. He could take away a slot receiver’s crossing route. And there was nary a team that would dare to throw a middle screen in front of Roquan Smith.

In other words, opposing quarterbacks had a lot to process at the line of scrimmage when they looked across and saw Roquan staring at them. Were Monty Rice and Nate McBride paying close attention? I hope so. And again, I have full confidence that the coaches have recruited the right players.

Because it’s been since before the disgraceful John Jancek linebacker coached era that we could defend that area of the field on any down that effectively. I miss Roquan a lot already. I’ll miss him a lot more if we see a lot of successful seam routes and crossing patterns.

Elijah Holyfield should have himself a day. The fans aren’t the only ones I suspect that want to see how he manages 20 or so touches in a game(like) situation.

Pass protection. Kirby says it is structured to be a quarterback’s game. As nice as it is to have a true sophomore quarterback that lead us within a breath of a National Championship, I think everyone would be thrilled if Justin Fields made some plays. Still, in a spring game it’s hard to gauge things like pass protection. However it will still be something to keep a close eye on.

And not just for the obvious reasons of seeing how the coaches rotate tackles and guards. We lost two absolutely amazing pass protection runnings backs in Chubb and Michel. Holyfield and Herrien have big shoes to fill as (probably) the only scholarship backs available tomorrow. We know Fromm can hurt teams with his arm as well as his legs if need be. And we suspect Fields will eventually be able to do the same to opposing teams’ defense. But we’ll need to have solid pass protection, and that sometimes means a small running back stepping up into the path of a blitzing monster.

Special teams are typically hard to truly evaluate, but Kirby had this to say yesterday:

“Our special teams, we think we’ve got some good competition going on, so we’ll be coming after punts, we’re going to do everything real on kickoff and kickoff return, we’re just not going to tackle live,” he said. “But everything is going to be as real as possible other than that. Same thing with punt and punt return, so we’ll be rushing them and we’ll have punt returners back there trying to return them. We’ve got great competition at punter, great competition at returner. I’d love to see some guys have some pressure on them and have to make kicks and catches.”

So perhaps we can at least see some of these punters under rushed conditions. And those are a few things I’m watching for, in addition to seeing some new guys that have supposedly stepped up big thus far, like Brenton Cox and Cade Mays. What’re you ready to see from some football in April?

Jake Fromm - sophomore slump??...not likely.

Whoever holds the number one quarterback position at Georgia is often under the spotlight, but Jake Fromm may be under more pressure than most in 2018. After beginning last season as a backup, he was thrown into action and stood up tall to serve his team and take them to the Championship game. Despite losing that game, Fromm has earned huge recognition from scouts, coaches, and fellow players for the way he embraced his situation last year.

And this time around there could be a lot more to come from him.

Fromm came from out of the blue after an injury to Jacob Eason, and since then he has never looked back. Coming in with nothing to prove last season, he will face a very different proposition this season when the games get underway. The decision to play Fromm last September when Eason went out in the opener was an easy one. Now, many expect newcomer Justin Fields to challenge for playing time sooner rather than later.

That adds some pressure for the incumbent sophomore signal caller in Fromm. Plus, the expectation will be that Fromm will not only replicate last season’s play, but build on it thanks to that experience, as well as show himself off as being one of the better young quarterbacks in the conference and the nation.

Fromm has shown a penchant for handling the pressure, both on the field and off of it. And all indications are that he’s embracing the role of “seasoned starter” well thus far.

The pressure is on Fromm already, because many people are looking at him as a possible Heisman Trophy winner. The latest betting shows he is 12/1 to lift the Heisman. One reason Fromm is such a big price is that some people still believe that last season was a fluke, and he hasn’t improved enough to be a starting quarterback. Should Fromm go out and throw brilliantly in his opening two or three games of the 2018 season, then he will become a genuine Heisman contender, his price will certainly fall.

The road to where he is now has been a strange one for Jake Fromm, but no one can argue that he has taken advantage of the opportunities given to him. He now heads into a new season where he is being talked about as a potential Heisman Trophy winner, so has a bit of pressure on his shoulders. However, we know from watching him mature so quickly last season that he has a good head on him, and is more than capable of handling that pressure.

Is Lock the best quarterback we'll see the rest of the season?

Statistically he is just ahead of both Bentley and Stidham in yards per game. But Lock trails both in completion percentage.

It's worth noting that Saturday night was Lock's best game since Missouri opened against SW Missouri St. They knew their best shots were going to be deep against a young secondary. They missed a couple but made a few. It didn't help that we couldn't generate much of a pass rush.

Still, the end result was never in doubt because with an open playbook, Fromm tossing darts, and a steady bevy of running backs that could barrel over defenders or hurdle them, Missouri wasn't going to be able to stop the offense from scoring.

Florida (6th)
South Carolina (8th)
Auburn (4th)
Kentucky (11th)

That's the rest of our SEC schedule with the respective total defense conference rank. Somewhere in there is a game or two where the offense probably looks closer to what we saw in South Bend. In those kind of games it often comes down to quarterback play in the fourth quarter. And we all remember that Wimbush couldn't answer the call.

I like Fromm's chances to shine in that kind of moment. He showed how dangerous he can be Saturday with the whole play book opened up and receivers making catches instead of dropping them. As a result he leads the conference in yards per attempt.

Can Franks, Stidham, Bentley, or Johnson answer the call? Franks didn't really scare me until he also racked up 82 yards rushing in Saturday's loss to A&M. Glad Tucker has that film on his desk this week. Bentley and Johnson both take good care of the football, but they don't have a strong rushing game to open up those intermediate and deep routes consistently.

Stidham has a nice deep ball and is completing 65% of his passes. He trails only Fromm in YPA. He'll also be at home. I hope our defensive line can torment him the way Clemson did.

Although we've run through the first half of this schedule like a chain saw, these next few games are going to be a bigger test overall. Historically, Florida has been good at coming up with new wrinkles to generate offense in Jacksonville. I'm always thankful for this week off, but I'm already looking forward to seeing this Georgia team play football again!

Go Dawgs!

Why there’s not a quarterback controversy in Athens

I’ve heard this topic pop up in both casual conversation as well as in formal ones in and around the media. So let’s nip this in the bud shall we?

First, the illogical opinion will be framed around concepts derived outside of the football field. People will say things like the following even though they’re not based in what’s real:
- “Well, Eason was the starter before the injury. So he should get the QB1 spot when he’s ready for action again.”
(Reality - Sorry, this is SEC football and not a five year old tee ball team. Georgia is 4-0, 1-0. Every snap must be earned, from the placeholder on field goal attempts to the quarterback.)
- “Fromm has looked like a freshman at times and that scares me.”
(Reality - Without two drops and one throwaway Saturday evening Fromm would’ve finished a perfect 11-11, 250+ yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs. What exactly about that is scary? Maybe you should watch a nice Hugh Grant romantic comedy on Saturday nights.)
- “Eason worked hard for this chance and deserves the opportunity.”
(Reality - I agree with you...but that was a month ago. We’ve won four games since Eason went down. He can work his way back and earn it again.)
(Bonus reality - Small sample size, but before he was injured Eason wasn’t exactly in sync and hitting on all cylinders. Similarly, people saying that Fromm has under performed are basing that on a small sample size. Who has the most data, experience working with both young men, and best vantage point to make the decision as to which player has earned the next snap? The coaches. Not you, and certainly not me. Kirby, Chaney, and the offensive staff are no doubt putting every effort into determining which player, 10, 11, or 12 gives us the best chance to score points.)

And that brings me to my last point. When we fired a 10 win a year coach a couple years ago we told the world we were ready to adopt a new mindset. Remember? That new mindset isn’t anything about giving a player time on the field just because it feels right or because one has another year of experience on the player behind them. It’s about winning, not about hunches and what feels like it’s just the right thing to do.

Like it or not, that’s where we are. If this mindset doesn’t get us to Atlanta this year or next I’ll be screaming for a new mindset to take over. Nothing against Eason, I hope when he’s ready he pushes Fromm to get better or pushes himself past Fromm to get the start.

Either way, it makes the team better. Go Dawgs!

Sunday Thoughts on being the much, MUCH better Dawg in the fight

It’s hard to know where to start, and time is short for me this morning. But I know this - I can’t wait to rewatch this game!

Probably the best way to break down my thoughts this morning is in these three parts:

Crowd 

Loudest and involved Sanford’s crowd has been since 2013 LSU. Now as usual, a lot of that had to do with what was happening on the field, which was in a word, spectacular. And we’ll get to the coaches and the players in a minute. But whenever the crowd noise can impose its will on an opponent it’s with more than a mention.

The level of engagement matched the intensity on the field. (Well, except for the crew behind me that spent 10 minutes having everyone check under their seat for a phone that ended up being in one of their pockets. Hahaha) It was a night to remember as a fan of Georgia football.

Coaches

The score clearly indicates that MSU was out-played. But it doesn’t take much to realize that in between the lines to see that it was the Georgia coaches preparation and game plan that set the tone. From the perfect play call on our first offensive series to having an answer for everything they asked Nick Fitzgerald to do, it was quite a statement for Smart and his staff.

As amazing as the game plan and play calling were (and yes, it’s time we give Chaney a break y’all; even I can see he’s earned it) it’s the physicality and the discipline on the field that is just as nice to see.

Take this for instance:

“We play physical and we practice physical,” Bellamy said. “Sometimes you’ll be like, ‘Gosh, coach, we’re going full pads again?’ But on Saturdays it shows how physical we are and I think that’ll keep carrying over.”

We might be a long way from realizing our dreams since it’s still just September, but it’s clear something is going right in Athens with Georgia football.

Players
I think I would start with Deandre Baker. His game last night is a welcome sight considering all those years we suffered under Willie Martinez with defensive backs out of position and never, ever, ever turning to the ball to make a play (not to mention avoid the interference penalty). There were times when Fitzgerald made the right decision to throw Baker’s way, but it was never because 18 was out of position, just in single coverage.

And that interception was just a thing of beauty. The defensive front seven has earned every bit of praise and headline they’ve made, but it’s time the secondary earned some props. They held their own while Parrish was out, and now they are their own force to be reckoned with.

Offensively, anytime you can use the program’s second all time leading rusher as a lead blocker for a true freshman sensation, you’re living life right. Even though we have trouble running in between the tackles, Chaney is using the players he has to find production outside of that. On Chubb’s direct snap touchdown run, great downfield block by pulling Wynn into a hole that Jayson Stanley opened up.

Fromm had his best game thus far (and again you have to commend Chaney for putting a true freshman in good positions to make safe throws. Perhaps the experience of trying to do the same thing last year for Eason helped in that regard). He started by completing his first eight passes and ended up  4-5 for 143 yards on throws of 10+ yards. So it’s not just checking down and throwing the ball away.

And I’ll end with the execution on special teams. Nizialek (sp?) is amazing. He’s now averaging 44.5 yards per punt and the ball is up in the stratosphere forever! Blankenship wth six more kickoff and guess what? Six more touch backs. I cry tears of joy every time it happens. What a time to be alive!

And just like that it’s Tennessee week. Let’s go help the UT brass write out Butch’s pink slip!

Sunday thoughts on my God all those freshmen!

I mean, at one point Fromm tried to throw the ball away and Swift caught the damn ball with one hand.

Jeebus.

If you are a freshman and attended the game last night, chances are you saw the field with your mouthpiece in place.

Of course, the biggest question for the season was where Jake Fromm actually and truly was on the QB depth chart. Unfortunately that was answered quickly as Eason left the game with a knee injury in the first quarter. Fortunately, the true freshman did better at footballing as an 18 year old than I did at attending Poly Sci back in 1989.

Seriously, that kid has a set of stones and delivered exactly what we wanted - a decisive victory. Good bye Nichols State, hello App State hillbillies. Kudos to Kirby and his staff, because that's exactly what you want to see from a game where you're paying the opponent seven figures to travel.

Beat. Them. Down.

But truly, the night belonged to the defense. And Tucker's squad had plenty of its own kids making plays. LeCounte and transfer JR Reed came up big. And clearly Trent Thompson is still a bad mutha. Dom Sanders and Roquan Smith did all they could to earn the shut out.

Just a great opener to be honest. I don't know how you could be disappointed. And let me be clear, if you're bitching today about a third string QB throwing picks when he hadn't had anymore reps under center than I had in August, you need professional help.

Now we wait to see how long Eason is out. I would expect he won't be ready for the golden domers next Saturday. So we march on...trusting the youth on the bench.

Go Dawgs!

Eason's offense, questions and maybe some answers

It's pretty easy to feel comfortable with a defense that returns so much talent and experience, especially up front. Trent Thompson will lead a unit backed by promising stars such as Roquan Smith and Natrez Patrick. And there's also a couple senior linebackers that put off professional dreams for one more season to try and live up to their potential in Davin Bellamy and Lorenzo Carter.

And I've also pointed out some reasons to feel pretty comfortable with the 2017 slate of games. The home schedule may not offer much at first glance, but I'm encouraged that playing teams like App State and Samford under Sanford Stadium's lights should provide a better atmosphere than last year's game against Nicholls State. And hopefully the scoreboard takes it easy on our nervous system as well.

So most of the questions/concerns I have are on offense and special teams:

• What will Eason in year two look like?
• If When a game comes down to a kick, do we have someone the coaches trust and have prepared for just such an occasion?
• Will Chaney call plays for an offense that is working on the same page consistently?
• The offensive line can't be worse than last year, but exactly how much better will it be with so much youth?
• Can Mecole step in for McKenzie in both the return game as well as the dependable slot receiver position that we depend on so much?

Those are the big ones right now. For that last question, I'm encouraged when I read things like this from Terry Godwin:

“Whenever the ball is up, he’s going to go get it,” Godwin said of Hardman. “When you see that burst of speed, I mean, I haven’t seen anything like that in a long time. He has something special.”

A lot of people were wondering last year where Hardman was and why he wasn't getting more looks with the ball in his hands. I certainly hope he makes the coaches sorry they kept him on defense last year. It might leave a sour feeling in our guts for what might have been last year, but it could sweeten our tea a bit if he can produce like we seem to be counting on him to.

As for Eason, I'm not concerned at all really. It's good to have Ramsey back as insurance, and I think Fromm has the talent to step in if needed this season. And he certainly has the game to challenge Eason in the future.

But this is Eason's season to shine. On the latest Waitin' Since Last Saturday podcast, Lietch and UGA beat writer Emerson discuss the pressure on Eason in the offseason. They point out something that we tend to forget - #10 won a game against Missouri with his arm, and should've won one against Tennessee as well. I would also add that it was his throw to McKenzie that turned the tide against the Tar Heels in the opener.

So we know what he can do in pressure situations and we've seen him make all the throws. Can he have the time to make all the reads this season? Will his deep ball provide a more consistent threat to stretch the opposing defense? Will the receivers drop less passes that are on target?

I think our quarterback is poised for a great season. I think our offensive line is built more for what Pittman and Chaney are aiming for up front. Hopefully that means we can use Nauta and Blazevich as receivers more. And it sounds like Chubb 2017 is back to his old 2015 self, and behind him is enough talent to fill the entire SEC East with starting tailbacks.

We saw what quarterbacks like Greene, Stafford, and Murray were able to do in their second season. They all did so with a competent if not good offensive line, well rounded running backs and receivers to keep defenses honest. If Eason is afforded the same luxuries those guys had, it could be a lot more fun to watch the offense this season than it has since Murray graduated.

Go Dawgs!

Two things I'm sick of - black jersey chatter and Stafford comparisons

Yes, I understand fans' fascination with the black jerseys. Whether you are pro-alternate uni or against, I know that it's not your fault the discussion is so lively and energetic each season as to when/if the black ones will be donned and displayed.

I'm just sick of hearing about it. Who really cares? Ask yourself that question. Even if you have a strong opinion one way or another, do you really care which jersey your team wears? I mean, haven't we explored the "Black Jerseys" from every possible angle six ways from Sunday?

I've long been over it. I really, really wish UGA would just keep it all under wraps and make it a surprise so that the only discussion happens the day after rather than the weeks before.

Or, just scrap the black ones and wear road whites all season!

Now that we've re-established that I'm eternally in the minority, onto the next topic. Matthew Stafford was a great quarterback. People who take the time to watch NFL games tell me that he still is a great quarterback. But he's no longer in Athens, so it's really none of my business.

Just like with the black jerseys, I guess I understand the comparisons some are dying to make with Jacob Eason and Stafford. They're both prototype quarterbacks in stature and arm strength. Like Stafford, Eason was destined for an NFL mock draft before he even finished his senior year of high school.

But that's about where the comparisons should end (for now). I've mentioned before that I think at this stage in his development Eason is making decisions based more on his vision than his arm. That's something we couldn't always say about Stafford. In fact, as good a talent as Stafford was and as many games as he won for us, there was always that tendency to make plays with sheer arm strength. That's a trap even the best quarterbacks can't get by with in the SEC.

My hope for Eason is beyond that. Again, it's still early, but I think it's fair to say that we're seeing a young quarterback that sees the field and works through his progressions more and more with each game. Stafford had 10 interceptions his junior year. Eason stands to attempt more passes than Stafford did that season and currently has half as many interceptions.

Now, part of that is coaching. How many throws have you seen Eason make deep and between the hash marks? Most of his deep passes are safer and down the sideline. I think that goes back to what we were hearing during August, that Eason was steps ahead of the experienced guys but not reading things well enough to challenge the heart of the defense. Stafford might have had security clearance for more of the field when he dropped back to pass.

Regardless I think it's not an apt comparison to make and ultimately I hope we are more likely to compare Eason to someone like Murray who lead the team to two SEC Championship Games. Preferably with the win-loss record in Atlanta flipped in Eason's favor.   😎 

Sunday thoughts on four seconds short

If you're coming here for a pity party or to look for blame, keep clicking amigo. I'm pretty okay all things considered.

Because on a day when the referees brought their C- game, the team's best player only played one snap, and a team with vastly more experience was down and out against our young pups...I can only see sunshine this morning.

But dear God in Heaven, I absolutely HATE losing to those bastards. Ugh. Onto the bullet points!

• I sure hope we don't have to defend against a hail mary anytime soon as my heart just can't take it. But if we do, I'm sure the coaches will have Lorenzo line up at the goal line in that situation. If he's in front of that play, well then....
• But really you have to start with Eason yet again. So I think I'll just embed what I posted on twitter last night:

If you need hope, that last UGA drive was still magical. Improbable catches by Godwin, McKenzie, and Blazevich. 4-4 for Eason, great throws.

— Bernie (@BernieDawg) October 2, 2016

I mean, there ain’t many dudes on earth able to make those throws. That’s what Kirby means when we grew up today. Hurts still, but..wow.

— Bernie (@BernieDawg) October 2, 2016

• That's the truth. Uncle Verne and Danielson kept on keeping on with the Stafford comparisons. I guess I get that in a way. But Eason is so very far ahead of Stafford. Even if you put aside the fact that Eason has long been the clear starter, the comparison really stops with the fact that they both enrolled early. 
• I've mentioned before that Eason makes plays with both his arm and his head. Stafford, especially at this point in his career, was just an arm. A really, really sexy arm. But still, Eason has something more. 
• Yes, he still looks like a freshman at times, but it's truly less and less each game. He's growing up fast. And I'm loving it!
• The defense showed improvement. I'm going to stop short of saying it was a vast improvement because they still gave up big plays and had trouble containing Tennessee's best player.
• But, they were better in coverage as I had predicted. And they pressured the quarterback consistently. Well, until we only rushed three with four seconds left.
• Hey, we can has a field goal kick!!

I don't think there's much more to say other than the road ahead is much more manageable. That's not to say that there aren't challenges ahead. After all, this is still a young team with a young coach and a freshman quarterback.

But, even though we lost to that team from the inbred hills of tenersee, I feel good about where this team and this program is heading. Chubb played one play. they had a hail mary answered, and Catalina still hasn't been named as an accomplice to a murder. The sun is about to rise. And I'm already starting to get hungry for some chicken.

The Mizzou recap is pass heavy and undefeated

Just getting around to having the time to put these thoughts together. I think Kirby put it best in the post game press conference, we’re so close to being 0-3 really, but those guys are playing really hard and instead we’re undefeated. Unreal.

Eason

• Eason is growing up before our eyes. I know we came into that game hoping to be able to run more effectively. The game dictated that we go pass heavy, and 10 really stepped up. Couple bad balls and the one interception, but it’s obvious he’s something special.
• I mean we knew he was going to be special, but it’s different now. The comparison to Matt Stafford is no longer relevant because Eason has so much more composure than Staff did at this point.
• The bottom line is that Eason is working through his progressions which is why he’s starting. He’s reading things well and making plays with not just his arm but his head.
• I think the touchdown pass to Payne exemplifies this. Payne was open and it seemed an eternity passed before Eason finally decided not to throw to the receiver trailing in the back of the end zone. I was sure he'd waited too long, but he zipped that ball in there and Payne ran a great route to meet that throw.
• Just shows he has a different set of skills and his college football mind is developing up to his arm's talent level.
• Yes, he still has a long way to go, but you have to be encouraged with our quarterback’s growth, especially after that game winning 4th down throw.

McKenzie

• Kirby alluded to the only concern we can have about 16 at this point, and that is that there’s no way his body can handle carrying that much of the load the entire season.
• We’ll get to the offensive line in a minute, but Chaney has to find a way to get some yards using his stable of running backs and tight ends as well as guys like Godwin.
• 16 is dynamic and a game changer. We knew that before the season. But it’s more than a little uneasy seeing how much we have to rely on him.
• Still, McKenzie deserves all the accolades he should receive this week. The touchdown run is one only a few guys in college football can make. His first touchdown catch would have just been a long reception for many receivers, but he found a way to make it into a touchdown.
• And the game winner, whoa Nelly. Perfectly placed ball, but 16 went up and got it. Showed a lot of tenacity and grit.

Defense

via

• Defense struggled but made a ton of plays when we needed them to. Not sure what Drew Lock was thinking on Mauger’s  interception in the endzone, but that was a game saving pick.
• And Mauger is clearly the type of player Smart wants. He’s a senior that hasn’t played much but continues to practice hard and makes the most of his time on the field.
• Coach Tucker is going to have to find a pass rush this week if our secondary is to have a chance to keep up with Ole Miss.
• After getting picked on repeatedly Briscoe improved in pass coverage in the second half, but some of that may be attributed to Missouri leaning more towards running the ball once they had the lead. Huepel has to be kicking himself for the shift in his philosophy after halftime.
• I was hoping we’d be more physical than we were, especially considering our lack of pass rush. The next couple games are critical for this defense. As a fan you want both the front seven and the d-backs to dictate the play, but we need at least one facet to step up.

Special teams

• I’m glad we didn’t have to line up for another field goal, but if we had it would’ve been interesting to see if the coaches actually would’ve stuck with Ham or given Rodrigo a shot.
• I would expect more emphasis on this phase of the game this week in practice. You can’t give up return yardage and leave points on the field like we have and expect to beat Ole Miss on the road and Tennessee the following week.
• And there’s moments to build on for sure. For instance, Tyrique McGhee had a great tackle in kick coverage. Just seems to me we have some guys sticking to their lane and others not as conscious about it or trying too hard to make a play.

Offensive line

• I was legitimately optimistic after beating UNC. I saw real promise in the run blocking and thought we’d have some time to develop better pass protection.
• Nicholls showed our offensive front could be outworked. That was an eye opener.
• Then Saturday night we saw a great defensive front just dismantle them play after play. Charles Harris never stops. He might end up being All-SEC for sure and might be the best pass rusher we see, even better than Tennessee’s Barnett and Auburn’s Lawson.
• But we have to run the football more effectively. Just as McKenzie can’t carry us at receiver all season and survive, Eason can’t throw it 55 times a game. We just can’t rely on that week in and week out.
• The coaches know that. Chaney is in Athens because Kirby respected him as a play caller and developer of quarterbacks. If the line can’t run block we have to do two things: find guys who can and develop plays that get Chubb to the second level.

But in all honesty, what do I know? Seriously. I looked closely at our schedule in August and scoffed at Missouri being able to beat us. I truly believed we would go in there and run them out of the state.

So I don’t know squat, except that I have a bruise on my arm from pinching myself Sunday morning.

Did you see what we just did?

— Bernie (@BernieDawg) September 18, 2016

I know I love teams that fight hard. This team does. They believe in each other from start to finish. And that’s the biggest reason why we’re heading to Oxford undefeated.

Go Dawgs!

Sunday Thoughts on double entendre'd pancakes

Yesterday 'tween the hedges is what happens when the following perfect storm hits:

• inflated early season ranking inflates players' egos
• inexperienced and non-cohesive offensive line plays in front of a freshman quarterback
• receivers that can't consistently get separation
• and playing against a team with absolutely nothing to lose

Absolutely nothing.

And that's where I want to start. Because you have to tip your cap to the Nicholls Colonels. As much as I hate seeing my team struggle, I always really enjoy seeing an underdog rise to the occasion. It's what makes college football great. Those guys were tremendously undersized. Tremendously! They barely had enough scholarship players to fill one bus. Just one! And they gave a bunch of four and five stars all they could handle.

Now, take a step back from the ledge and bear with me now. Read the last sentence of that last paragraph again. Because that's a good thing. I mean, right? There's no question the guys in Red read those press clippings last week and grinned a little too big last week. There's no question they came out the tunnel at Kirby's first home game having already lost whatever pregame direction the coaches' had given.

And there's no question they struggled to regain their composure the next 60 minutes of the game clock.

That's what young teams do y'all. Think about all the young players we're putting out there. All over the field. Even at quarterback, the most important position on the team. Plus, you even have experienced guys like McKenzie making crucial mistakes and even Chubb fumbling the ball...just a weird day. Real, real weird.

So here's how the coaches fix this:

• Keep Eason in. No one is going to respect Lambert deep and running backs need some room. Keeping 10 in there keeps the safeties deeper and helps the offensive line grow up.
• Unleash Rocker and Pittman this week. If I were Kirby I'd tell them to chew ass from dawn til dusk. SEC play starts Saturday night and SEC wins come from the trenches. Those guys need to eat space and eat pancakes.
• Get McKenzie and Godwin more touches. Those guys can neutralize some other mistakes with their speed.

And hey, the kickers played well yesterday. Otherwise we're the headline on ESPN for 24 hours as having lost to an FCS team. Anyone remember Appy State? No, not that one. This one. I really, really like that we trotted Ham out there for the 53 yarder and he nearly delivered. Even though he missed it, it still shows necessary confidence. Necessary.

Granted, a little surprised Blankenship prefers non-fake turf. But then again, so do I. Especially when it's Sanford's.

Two more things y'all. First, hearing a lot of uncomfortable comparisons to Saban's first loss to UL Monroe. Or whatever. Last time I checked we do our goddamn business in Athens GA. Who are y'all, Travelocity.com?

Look, we just need to chill. Stop bitching and moaning and comparing and trying to make this game fit so nicely into your cerebral cortex. Yesterday wasn't as fun as we'd hoped. We should've known better. The coaches should've known better. The players definitely should've known better. But I'm always reminded of how new seasons go when there's a new coach, new philosophy, new procedures, new everything:

Before the season starts, I just ask that y’all support your team. It’s a new era. Many of y’all ain’t experienced this yet. (1/3)

— Bernie (@BernieDawg) September 3, 2016

Not always easy. But we’ll get there together, thru the ups and downs. Go Dawgs! (2/3)

— Bernie (@BernieDawg) September 3, 2016

That said, we’re gonna run unc out of Atlanta like he’s a 21st century Tecumseh Sherman. Go Dawgs! #DawgsOnTop (3/3)

— Bernie (@BernieDawg) September 3, 2016

Okay, speaking of pancakes. Shout out to Smokewagon for borrowing ol' Russ Tanner's variable speed rotary griddle thing, which happens to be the most amazing invention I've ever ever ever experienced. It fed a legion of hungry Dawg fans pancakes, bacon, sausage, and eggs. If only it would pour my beer faster...

Pancakes for a hungry hoard of Dawgs!

A video posted by Bernie (@berniedawg) on Sep 10, 2016 at 6:20am PDT

Good night Offseason, you miserable bastard.

Originally posted at BullDawg Illustrated

Tae Crowder on the first day of fall camp (Photo: Greg Poole/Bulldawg Illustrated)

Two days. The butterflies are tumbling around in your gut and you’re all twitchy with scenarios. What if it comes down to a field goal? What if Nike replaces our uniforms again? What if Chubb misses the bus?

Of course, that last one can’t happen because he’s driving the damn thing. But before the season starts there’s a few things I’d like to deposit here so that once Saturday hits we can fully focus on actual football. Talk is soon over. The toe will meet the leather!

1.It looks like the Indoor Practice Facility will be ready for use before the (potential) bowl game (and if somehow we don’t make a bowl game this season there will be enough hand-wringing and angst to make us all want to go into an early hibernation). So I want to come clean on my record here. I’ve been against it. It’s a waste of money, except on the recruiting trail. You’ve got keep up with the Joneses to impress the 17yo’s these days.

Why am I against it? We could use the money elsewhere, most notably in upgrades to Sanford to make concession lines less daunting and to help the restrooms resemble something newer than 1970’s era urinal lanes. Yes I know the upgrades to Sanford are ongoing, but they’re way overdue. Like, YEARS! But I was also against it because I could envision a day when Richt would get talked into using it just for kicks and giggles. In other words, the IPF would become a toy of convenience for current players instead of just a recruiting enticement for future ones.

I’m not sure I see Kirby being so swayed. Granted it’s still early and we’re all getting to know him, but if we’re preparing for a road trip to Jacksonville and a weather system is preparing to move across the panhandle, I absolutely do not want to read a tweet about the team heading indoors to avoid a few sprinkles. I think Coach Smart is on the same page. But I’ll be watching.

2. Don’t be swayed by anyone trying to convince you that someone other than Jacob Eason will start Saturday. Lambert may play, but he won’t take the first huddle. Ramsey may play, but if so it would be from a punting formation.

3. Also don’t be swayed into believing what many would have you believe when they say North Carolina will be greatly improved on defense. Greatly improved for Chizik’s squad means they’re no longer in the 5th percentile stopping the run. Chubb will have a day. And so will Douglas. And so will Crowder and Herrien. And The Real Deal 2 as well if he can go.

4. Sakerlina plays tonight. Nothing like some junior varsity on a Thursday night. Gonna be nice to crack open a beer and sit out on the porch to watch Agent Muschamp's bulging carotid get 'Dored.

5. Lastly, I know I’m new here so I wanted to give you a couple days notice before my regular Friday pre-game post. It’s not for the faint of heart. I mean, if my pastor reads it he doesn’t mention it to me directly. So I take that as tacit approval as well as full absolution. And if my mom reads it I get text message that is partly a battle against her phone’s auto-correct and mostly a “Listen here boy” lecture. But at it’s roots the Friday Misery’s sole purpose is to set the table and ring the dinner bell.

Sure, a weekly reminder that it’s time to let the Big Dawg eat!

Let’s face it, we spend some of a game week packaging away the previous win or loss and the rest of it worrying about the upcoming Saturday’s matchup not to mention the tailgate plans, and tickets, and injury list, and the lawn that needs to be mowed and that meeting with your kid’s teacher and the injury list again and also whether you’ve been drinking too much coffee. So Friday needs to be spent setting our jaw and getting our minds set and focused on how much we hate the next opponent.

You’ve been warned. Don’t click on it unless the color baby blue makes you purely miserable.

Around the Tailgate - The issue at quarterback

Originally posted at BullDawg Illustrated

Jacob Eason (10) tossing the ball with Greyson Lambert (11)

A big opener against the Tarheels looms. We have a new coaching staff. The program as a whole has that new car smell. Perhaps more so than any other August there are more questions than answers, so naturally, I turn to some folks I trust to get their opinion on a couple things. Let’s spend a few days going Around the Tailgate!

First let’s tackle the quarterback controversy question issue…

I'm not going to ask your opinion on the quarterback battle because we're all tired of discussing it from that angle. But try this one...First choice - Eason starts the season but it means we have a couple more losses due to his growing pains (think 7-5 with more wins toward the back of the season than the front). But it's clear he's developed very well by season's end and there's no question that next season is going to be special. Or, second choice - We deal with the question marks at quarterback into October and wait for Eason to earn his time in practice in order to get a couple more wins. What's your preference?

Namaman: As for Eason, I am all for working him in like we were doing with Stafford his freshman season.  Get him his series each half and let him get a feel for the speed of a real game before throwing him to the lions. Starting as a true freshman anywhere, much less the SEC is a tall order. I want to believe all of the hype and think he could come out like gangbusters and take the reins from the first snap in the Georgia Dome, but why not let him work his way into it and perhaps by the time we get back Between the Hedges to play Tennessee, Eason will be ready to start on the merits of his play (and not because of an injury to Lambert).

Robert: I do not ever want to sacrifice a win on the football field.  I am absolutely fine dealing with the question marks into October.  What do you tell the seniors on this team?  “You laid the foundation for the 2017 season, but we didn’t put you in the best possible position to win early on in 2016.”?  I also trust the coaches to make the decision here.  I know who the fans want to see, who the media wants to see, and even who the casual football fan wants to see.  What is important is who gives us the best opportunity to win.  In the UNC game, that may not be @skinnyqb10.  It doesn’t matter, because even if he doesn’t take snap one, he will play early and often.

Joe Waterloo: Unless Eason is the clear cut leader I would go with Lambert in game one.  I know a lot of people say Eason is the eventual starter so let him take his lumps in season 1 so next year can be special.  The problem with that is college and pro football are both full of examples of the can't miss prospect getting thrown into action too soon and never recovering from the psychological toll of not living up to expectations.  If Chubb is healthy game one against a UNC defense that was very porous against the run last year I go with Lambert.  Regardless of who the QB is this year we are going to be very dependent on the running game if we are going to have a good year.  Lambert certainly isn't anything  special, and he isn't going to win any games for you, but he's been there and knows how to hand the ball off.  Work in Eason a series or 2 and then wait for week 2 against Nichols St to get more reps.  The goal should be to have him ready by the 2nd half of the season.  That will be more than enough experience heading into next season without sacrificing any legitimate shot at a surprise in 2016.

The Wrangler: All we hear out of camp is that Chubb is healthy and has had good scrimmages and taken a few hits.  Knowing we have one of the best ground games in the conference, I would like to see Eason start.  We can take our lumps with him learning the speed of the game.  He is the most touted recruit for GA since Stafford, and although he never won anything, I would say that was because his defense was very weak.   I agree that Stafford had his freshman moments, but the same could be said of Lambert last year (and he is a “veteran”)   All indications are that our defense should be pretty strong this year.  Outside of Kimbrough, we haven’t lost a lot of players with starting experience, and we know Kirby has had these guys coached up.  Kirby’s job is to build for the future, and the future is Jacob Eason.  While we all want to play in the dome in December, most level headed GA fans just want to see a well-coached team that brings everything they have on every play.  Give me that, and I can live with 7-5 – check that, give me that, and we will compete for the East regardless of the starting QB.

Smokewagon: I would go with option 2, which sounds like 9-3 compared to 7-5.  I am not sure who those other 2 losses would be to, but I can only imagine the extra agony associated with losses 4 and 5.  Going 7-5 is pretty much like going .500 when the schedule has Nicholls State and UL Lafayette.  In both scenarios above, I would presume we feel good at quarterback going into the next season with Eason as a sophomore (and Ramsey as a senior).  Therefore, I prefer option 2 with wins 8 and 9, which may be Auburn and Tech.  I am looking forward to seeing Eason’s productive career and I hope it involves no losses to either those two teams.  As I type this, I am thinking how disappointed I will be with the 3 losses in a 9-3 season.  I am guessing the 3 losses would be Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Florida…… The more I think about this, I think both options stink.  Start Eason and win them all!

That does sound good Smokewagon! As much as it would be nice to have Coach Cheney's salary, I don't envy him trying to decide who to send out to the 2016 season's first huddle. Like Nama said, hopefully, the decision is based on merit and not due to injury. Or by shaking the Magic 8 Ball.

See y'all tomorrow when I ask the guys to circle one game on the schedule.