Gameday - ColaWest

Help a blogger out. Should've posted this yesterday, but I'm off to shake as many Mizzou hands as I can. It occurred to me that this is a great opportunity to offer some advice to our new SEC brothers and sisters. What advice should I impart? So far I have:

- Make at least one trip to Oxford.
- On second thought, travel. Everywhere. It's our blood oath.
- Don't talk basketball until December.
- Don't let your beat writers talk bad about Saban's non conference opponents

Jump in with the comments. They'll travel all the way to Columbia and find my phone somehow.

Friday Misery - a state of Show Me

First off, hey Coach Dye...why don't you just kiss my ass and go to hell.

In case you're new around here (stares west towards Missourian interweb subscribers), this is my weekly in-season post that is not for the faint of heart. It is not for the timid. And it is not for those who don't appreciate my foul mouthed keyboard. So if you're reading this with your pastor, you might want to bookmark it for later. However, if you are a man or lady of the cloth, then please have a seat. Because you're going to appreciate this like none other.

Patty, did Eric Ramsey hit the record button
with his right or left index finger?

Religious inequities
Because what we're talking about here...this weekend...in the first ever SEC matchup between Georgia and Missouri, is religion. More specifically we're talking about the joining of factions within the constraints of a unified religion.

The Southeastern Conference is not for those who "enjoy a good game of football!!" on a Saturday afternoon. It's not for those that like to drive up to campus just in time for kickoff, then get home in time for some quiche, a chardonnay and a rerun of Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. Lastly, the Southeastern Conference is not for people who refer to their team as "them".

Saturdays in the southeast are designed around one question - "When do WE play?" From there it branches off into anxillary questions such as "Are WE televised?" and "Who's bringing the bourbon?" We live it, we breathe it all year long and gulp it down from August through the New Year. It's not just a Saturday. It's the week leading up to Saturday. It's Thursday night as I type this and I already feel like I'm missing out on what's going on. You know damn well there have been RVs parked in and around Columbia MO since Wednesday, maybe earlier. Right at this moment someone dressed in red and black is hunkering down in close proximity to this Faurot Field the Dawgs will play in Saturday night.

My plane departs Friday morning. Somehow, some way I will find myself to this western civilization. By luck or divine intervention I will help Georgia fans from all over the globe indoctrinate these Tigers formerly known as Big 12ers into the ways of the righteous, the deserving and the elite. Football isn't a passing fancy, it's an investment. It takes time, money and your undivided attention. It breaks marriages apart, but really...if she had just tried to understand why beating Florida was so important she probably wouldn't have left. If he knew how much liquor you had snuck into Sanford Stadium as a sorority pledge he probably would've appreciated you for what you truly are, a southern belle with a taste for gridiron destruction!

Yes, this trip like any other is about business. There is the usual business on the field with the added task of helping thousands of newbies slough off their past indiscretions and accept real football as their new faith. It should go just fine I think. I hear midwesterners are nice people. I'll teach them to say y'all and help them pour out their Zimas if they are that misguided. The word BBQ in these parts isn't a verb, is it? 

And God help me if one Missourian even friggin' mentions basketball! It's FOOTBALL goddammit!! Act like you've been here, even though you haven't.

Show, don't tell
Old man football? That's a compliment son. You think your offense is hot shit don'tya? You just love watching it march down the field on those poor little Jayhawks and hearing the crowd go apeshit when the quarterback tucks it and runs for a touchdown. "Well golly Darlene! Tip another cow and call me a boot spur. That boy done scored for the 10th time this afternoon, his 65th of the season. And it's not even November yet!"

Go ahead...tell him he needs Medicare.

You're not in Kansas anymore so sit your ass down hotshot and lemme bend your earhole a minute. Your cute little offense with the linemen that don't truly have to block and the receivers that resemble bean stalks is just that, cute. You think your fans go crazy over a damn touchdown? Wait til you hear ours after Shawn Williams plants that bean stalks' ass in the dirt your girlfriend calls makeup. Wait and listen to the roar when Old Man Gurley trades his cane in for a third down run between the tackles for one more than the yard he needed. And Lord help us if Motel 6 gets a sack. Your corn silos will shake from the shear joy being screamed towards the Heavens. Mrs. Bernie will grab you by your overall buckles and hurl your narrow ass across the stadium, which will vibrate with the enthusiasm of the Bulldog Faithful nationwide. From Columbia MO to Athens GA and all points in and around, Glory Glory will make you question your former ways. It will destroy your pompous attitude and make you feel like a little bitch dog, yapping around the dinner table hoping for a scrap.

And it will be then, at that very moment, when you will have a choice. You can hate us because our old, tired, BCS bloated ass just put you in your rightful place on God's green Earth. Or you can hate us with the same respect we hate you with as our SEC brother. You're not the Tell Me state. You're the Show Me state.

And what we want shown to us...some goddamn respect! Until that happens, you're just another Vanderbilt that slipped in the backdoor for the feast at the Thanksgiving dinner table.

See you cowpokes soon. For the rest of you Dawg fans, let us bow our heads and give our usual road trip prayer: Lord, please we pray on this beautiful weekend that you have blessed us with, we pray for the quarterbacks that get in Jarvis' way. That they not be so severely maimed that they can play against our true rivals in the coming weeks. And Lord, please don't let this plane run out of bourbon. Thank you! Amen.

Georgia-Missouri, a preview

In a little over 48 hours toe will meet leather in the SEC opener. The talk will come down to the walk. The discussion will cease. Preparation will succumb to execution. So how will the Dawgs fare? What are the priorities?

We'll miss Commings' physicality on the edge. Grantham's
guys will have to be ready to pick up the slack. (via)

1. Contain James Franklin. His receivers are big targets and Franklin has proven when he's on, his arm is a legitimate threat (63% for 2800 yards in 2011). But if he gets loose on enough runs to where he's averaging 5+ yards a carry (averaged 4.5 last season), then he's a much different animal. I expect Grantham and the defensive front to focus on containing #1 with designed blitzes and disciplined rush lanes. Devoting CRob (or perhaps Tree) to shadowing him on certain downs/situations wouldn't hurt either.
2. Jam receivers. This will be key to forcing the offense to do something they don't often have to do - adapt. Missouri is used to enforcing their will on opposing defenses. Todd Damn Grantham couldn't care less about their will, except how it tastes sprinkled on his celebratory meatball sandwich.
3. Wrap up. When defending this offense often the only thing between a ball carrier and a big gain is one man. Therefore we can't have them slipping through tackles without wrapping them up, or at the very minimum slowing them down enough until help arrives. This can be the key to minimizing drives and forcing some punts. Any punt or even a field goal attempt is a huge shot in the arm for the defense Saturday night.
4. Control the clock. This is a game where the no huddle can truly make a difference early and often. I expect Bobo to employ it frequently to minimize the Tigers' defensive substitutions and maximize time of possession. Let Murray organize the set, call the play, reset if needed and burn as much clock as all that allows. As much as Mizzou fans make of their offense, their defense is no more ready for our playmakers than we are their scheme. Utilize this to our advantage and keep their 32.8 points per game scoring machine on the sideline. 
5. Help the OLine. As bland as last week's playcalling was, I do expect to see plenty more of the zip passes out to the boundary for King and Co. That and a lot of handoffs, quick pitches. Make it easy for the young line and just let them do what they're comfortable doing - bulldozing what's in front of them. 
6. Minimize mistakes. Cut down on the penalties and protect the ball. Of course this is always a must. But one of the things that impressed us the most last week was the lack of penalties. Granted, there were several flags Wagers' crew could've called on Buffalo, but the mind-boggling false starts and holdings and interferences and personal fouls were not present. Can that become an early season trend? The test is taller this week, but also more critical. 

Some other good reads previewing the matchup:
- Tyler on the Tiger spread option.
- Socrates sees some size differentials in the trenches.
- ImYourHuckleberry on jamming the receivers.
- cfbstats: Missouri   Georgia

Georgia injury update

Malcolm returns to almost full speed it sounds like...

Malcolm Mitchell, who moved from receiver to cornerback prior to spring practice to help out the secondary for this matchup, practiced with the defensive backs looking much-improved on his sprained left ankle from a day earlier. Coach Mark Richt said Mitchell will make the trip to Missouri. “He did pretty good,” Richt said. “I’m not certain that he’s full-speed, but it’s Wednesday. I’m encouraged. We’ve got a couple of more days to see. He got scout work.”

... and Theus also gave it a go...

Meanwhile, starting offensive right tackle John Theus returned to practice for the first time since spraining his left ankle in Saturday’s win over Buffalo.

“He looked good, moving around a lot better than he was,” offensive lineman Austin Long said. “I haven’t really seen him or talked to him about how it felt since we got out of practice.”

So right now it sounds as if Mitchell and Theus are close to probable. Dantzler was seen limping more, but hopefully by Saturday his ankle will be at full strength. In their place, Austin Long and Xzavier Ward have been working at tackle.

Mizzou injury update

A lot of good info in Emerson's Q&A with Missouri beat guy Dave Matter, right down to places to eat and pre-game. Thanks for that especially. But of particular interest is the update on the injury front.

Missouri has had some injuries, including on the offensive line. What's the prognosis on the key guys, and how important would those injuries be?

Matter: Jack Meiners, the top option at right guard, is questionable with a strained knee and didn't practice Tuesday. I'd be surprised if he plays. If he can't practice midweek, that doesn't seem like he'd be functional enough to play well against Georgia. He's Missouri's biggest guard and strongest player overall. If he can't go again, Max Copeland, a former walk-on, starts again at right guard and Evan Boehm, a true freshman, starts again at left guard. Copeland graded out higher than any other lineman in the Southeastern Louisiana game, but the caliber of play obviously changes against Georgia.

Middle linebacker Will Ebner is also questionable with a neck stinger, but he's confident he'll be able to play. If he can't play, Donovan Bonner would be the first linebacker off the bench. He had a productive camp, and there might not be much drop-off if he has to play. 

Rad more here: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2012/09/05/2189067/the-view-from-mizzou-qa-with-dave.html#storylink=cpy

Special Teams and the over pursuit

Yesterday I mentioned the this kid for Mizzou named Murphy is a dangerous threat at kick return. Take a look especially at the 3rd highlight in this Top 5 from week one.

In all the trash talk and other discussion about Missouri and Texas A&M joining the SEC, the debate has centered around the question of whether they can live up to the competition week in and week out. In my mind, it's important not to over pursue here and reach beyond what is the reality.

Missouri will have 11 guys on the field just like us. It won't be their 6th SEC game, it'll be their 1st. Georgia might surprise them with depth, talent and speed. But the Tigers stand just as much of a chance to surprise the Dawgs as well. Guys like Marcus Murphy can beat you just as well as Branden Smith can, or a Tavarres King. Southeast Louisiana over pursued Murphy and got burned.

Stay disciplined and don't get burned Dawgs.

Missouri depth chart observations

The Tigers are plugging some holes on offensive line. So I decided to take a look at their depth chart last night to see what I could find. Here's some general observations:

QB James Franklin

• The backup quarterback is a redshirt freshman, Corbin Berkstresser. I think he's one of the guys that got in trouble recently. He was 5/5 last week for 60 yards and a touchdown against SE Louisiana.
• Did you know that TJ Moe (their most experienced, athletic player) serves as their holder on placekicks? I don't guess it's out of the question at all for a wide receiver to hold for kicks, a spot usually reserved for backup quarterbacks or the punter. But this bit of news also got me thinking of how convenient it would be to run certain fake kicks if necessary. 
• Last season Moe was 2/3 passing for 71yds and a touchdown. Not sure if those 3 passes were off of fakes or on offensive gimmicks. Probably the latter. 
• I heard Richt mention the size of their receivers. Whoa boy! Moe is one of their smallest. And they have like 38 receivers on the roster. I'm kidding, but not by as much as you think. Most of their "Y X and Z" targets are in the neighborhood of 6'3" and up. Prince Miller would be lost in those woods my friend.
• Of course everyone is talking about their freshman receiver Dorial Green-Beckman (6-6, 220lbs). But it seems as if he has yet to emerge as a starter and every down threat. Remember that the Tigers have a balanced offense. So their receivers must be ready to block just about every play. My guess is Pinkel needs to see that aspect develop more first. 
• We'll see plenty of Green-Beckman, but Moe is clearly the guy to keep closest tabs on. Other than QB James Franklin that is.
• The offensive front is definitely SEC caliber in terms of size. Average right at 300lbs and everyone's over 6'3". Corn fed, for sure. But they're clearly still worried about losing their senior RG Jack Meiners (questionable) who they've replaced with a junior named Max Copeland. They also started the true freshman you've probably heard about, Evan Boehm, at LG in the spot of injured (and out for the year) Travis Ruth. That's a freshman in a senior's spot. So from LT over to RT you have a senior, freshman, sophomore, junior and junior.
• Defensive front is about average in terms of size as well, but their linebackers are small. All three starters Gooden, Ebner (questionable with a stinger) and Wilson are all around 230lbs.
• They really spread the ball around in terms of rushing, just like they do through the air. Their senior tailback Kendial Lawrence got most of the carries last week. But they're also pretty high on Marcus Murphy, a soph from DeSoto TX. Murphy also returns kicks and punts.
• Speaking of which, Murphy is probably their biggest threat on kick returns. In 2010 as a freshman he averaged nearly 20 yards a return. On punts just last week alone he averaged 36 yards and had two touchdowns. (And we thought Gurley had a big day) Russell Hansbrough got the only kickoff return last week for Missouri. He took it 56 yards. Again, against SELA, but still. We need Marshall Morgan to keep booming to the endzone.

That should set us up pretty well for a look and some keys for Georgia going into this game. If you can't tell, I'm getting a little amp'd up for this one. Ready to touch down in STL and have Mizzou fans "show me" their state. 

Locker Notes - Mizzou and #oldmanfootball

If you're new around here, we pull out the locker notes from time to time to get the guys ready for the next game. I start with a few. You can add others in the comments. It's a big week, what with the SEC opener and being in charge of officially welcoming Missouri to their new conference. Let's hand them out.

Jarvis Jones - you're too old for their brand of football, so just play your game and bring the pain.
DickSamIV - I see you doing work out there. Slip out in the open for one of those screens or check downs and you can be gone!
Collin Barber - diggin the hang time. Keep up the good work.
Chris Burnette - let that line follow your example and everything else offensively will fall into place. GATA!
C-Wash - I've heard great things from this summer. Get out there and make SEC Defensive PotW!

Okay, here's a sharpie. Lots more where these came from.

Pinkel is "impressed"

Maybe it's just my last dose of Geritol, but Mizzou coach Gary Pinkel seems to be going out of his way to paint a picture of appropriate reverence in the wake of DT Sheldon Richardson's comments the other day. Everyone on the Georgia roster is impressive. The coaches are terrific. The Bulldog bloggers are terrific. Coach Richt is really impressive. And Jarvis Jones helps make the entire front seven terrific.

Soberly impressed. (via)

We are playing a great football team, very impressed. I just watched their bowl game a minute ago and I watched their game last week against Buffalo, amongst other games, they are a very, very talented team, Mark Richt has done a great job there. If you look at the job he has done there the past 12 years, his win-loss record and success that he has had there in the best league in the nation, I’m very, very impressed and always have been. We are excited about this and we will get working at it and play our first SEC game in ‘The ZOU’ this Saturday. “

On the excitement building up to Saturday’s game...
"I think, first of all it is historic that’s why. It’s the first SEC game, first SEC home game, so I think that it is going to go down in history. They are always going to point at it and talk about it, look at it and how it came out, but then we are also playing a great football team. So we are not just playing this average team from the SEC, there is not many average teams anyway, so we understand that we are playing a great football team, a well-coached team, so I think a combination of all obviously makes it very, very big, hopefully there are a lot of big games to come and we will see how that sorts out.”

On Georgia QB Aaron Murray…
“Well he is very impressive, how he handles their offense, fundamentally he is good, he makes good decisions, he makes good throws, he drives the team at the end of half and the fourth quarter. He has some talented wide receivers and tight ends around him and he is a real good player.”

On the challenges OLB Jarvis Jones presents to the offensive line…
“Well they are good up front all across the board so, if you look at their defensive line and their line backing core, they are outstanding. He is a great player off the corner, can do a lot of different things with him, but they have a lot of good players, you can’t zero in on one, but you game plan like we always play, we play against high level players and you game plan best you can, but you also have to go out there and do those kind of things, block and tackle, those are fundamentals of playing and you have to do those on both sides of the ball.”

On Georgia’s freshman running back Todd Gurley…
“He’s really quick, explosive, he’s a very impressive young player, has a lot of talent, he was a heavily recruited player. He is what was expected of him.”

Dawgcast, looking back at Buffalo

While the Ol' Dawg is away, Derek settles on your humble blogger here to recap the Buffalo game. We talk about the good, the bad and the uninspired. Oh, and that kid named Gurley.

Check it out.