Glory Glory!
Saturday, August 3, 2013
But so did Jarvis...
Jordan Jenkins has big shoes to fill for sure. Jarvis Jones had 14.5 [edit] sacks last season alone. But which came first, the system or the star player?
A Georgia defensive pass rusher has thrived in Grantham's system in every year he's been in Athens. Justin Houston used his junior season to vault into the NFL. Then Jarvis did the same in 2011 and 2012. So odds are in Jordan Jenkins favor. Still, he, his teammates and his coaches are cautiously optimistic.
A Georgia defensive pass rusher has thrived in Grantham's system in every year he's been in Athens. Justin Houston used his junior season to vault into the NFL. Then Jarvis did the same in 2011 and 2012. So odds are in Jordan Jenkins favor. Still, he, his teammates and his coaches are cautiously optimistic.
- “Jordan has all the characteristics you look for in playmakers. I think it’s just a matter of working and developing and perfecting his craft. If he does that, I think I’m excited about what he can do.” - Coach Grantham
- “He’s quick, strong, fast, agile. He’s everything. He’ll definitely set the tone for this defense off the edge.” - Mike Thornton
- “I think he’ll probably get some of the same type of opportunities that he got a year ago, but that remains to be seen. If they watch film and say he’s the guy we’ve got to do something different with, he may have to learn to beat some more double teams than he’s ever had to deal with.” - Coach Richt
- “He knows that he needs to perform and I think he will...It will be fun to watch him this year and hopefully he’s Jarvis-esque on the field.” - John Theus
- “Personally, I just want to be able to keep the fans happy, keep myself happy and just have a great year this year...Just have that breakaway year that I want and my family wants.” - Jenkins
Friday, August 2, 2013
Keith Marshall 2.0
Gonna be a big year for Keith Marshall. Don't you think he's tired of hearing about his friend Todd Gurley? Don't you think he's sick of playing second fiddle?
Let the windmill bi-ceps free Dawg!
h/t Logan Booker of Bulldawg Illustrated
Thursday, August 1, 2013
"NO DEPOSIT, NO RETURN!" - Erk Russell
Practice starts today. Camp opened and iPads were dispensed. Now it's grind time. And what better way to start than with a look at one of Erk Russell's infamous August calendars. (Here's last year's. And many thanks to Scott for sharing the one below.)
In 1982, while Georgia was preparing for an opener against Clemson again, Russell was busy starting the Georgia Southern program from scratch after 40 years of dormancy. No real surprise that he incorporated a method he'd used in Athens to motivate his players and raise the bar each and every day.
When GSU hired Erk, Lewis Grizzard is noted for commenting - "When they landed Erk Russell, they got themselves a franchise." And right on cue, in just the Eagles fourth season and just their second as a full NCAA member, Erk lead Georgia Southern to their first national title.
Erk Russell was a master motivator. We should remember him at all times, but especially in August. Because no one could get a team in shape mentally and physically like Erk.
 |
| Click for larger version |
Clemson coach sings some Motown
Up beyond Lake Hartwell you can hear Aretha really belting it out. Or maybe that's just Tiger defensive line coach Dan Brooks.
I guess we all knew that. But still sounds a little odd coming from an assistant coach in another conference talking about a game Georgia lost. My guess is Coach Brooks may have watched that game a few more times than I did.
"They know they have to prepare," he said. "I think a lot of it is their mentality of how much they respect that opponent. You want them to respect every opponent. But they respect Georgia more because they saw Georgia in the SEC championship game and saw them go to their bowl game and play well. There is a definitely a respect factor."So that's what coming within a breath of beating Saban's minions gets you. Respect.
I guess we all knew that. But still sounds a little odd coming from an assistant coach in another conference talking about a game Georgia lost. My guess is Coach Brooks may have watched that game a few more times than I did.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
A leaner and meaner position battle, hopefully
Ching does a thorough job of breaking down the top position battles to watch out for now that practices are upon us. And of course there's lots of intrigue, from how Kolton Houston will fit into a fairly muddy offensive tackle rotation to who can challenge for Josh Harvey-Clemons' spot in the opener.
But after watching the defensive line grow softer and softer in the final games of 2012, the position I'm watching with the keenest eye will be the nose tackle. It is Thornton's starting spot to lose. But he gives up 60 or so pounds to his predecessors and has some eager and slightly bigger bodies right behind him. To make it even more intriguing, longtime defensive line coach Rodney Garner is gone. Newly appointed Chris Wilson has already made a name for himself on the recruiting trails. Can he have this line ready for prime time opener AND the grind of the SEC slate?
But after watching the defensive line grow softer and softer in the final games of 2012, the position I'm watching with the keenest eye will be the nose tackle. It is Thornton's starting spot to lose. But he gives up 60 or so pounds to his predecessors and has some eager and slightly bigger bodies right behind him. To make it even more intriguing, longtime defensive line coach Rodney Garner is gone. Newly appointed Chris Wilson has already made a name for himself on the recruiting trails. Can he have this line ready for prime time opener AND the grind of the SEC slate?
Returning contenders: Michael Thornton (0 tackles), Taylor
Newcomers: Junior college transfer Chris Mayes, prep school transfer John Atkins, freshmanDe’Andre Johnson
Breakdown: Fourth-year junior Thornton inherited the job from the massive duo of John Jenkins and Kwame Geathers. And yet it’s reasonable to wonder how the line will function differently with the 290-pound Thornton in the middle instead of his 350-pound-plus predecessors. Coaches and teammates say Thornton can handle the job, but Mayes and Atkins -- who both weighed roughly 320 pounds -- are lurking behind him on the depth chart. And it’s not out of the question that Taylor could move inside in certain situations, either. The job seems to be Thornton’s to lose, but it would not be a surprise to see several different players lining up inside early in the year as new line coach Chris Wilson weighs his options.
Building up towards the opener
Georgia opened camp yesterday. Clemson opens on Friday. Between now and August 31st, this game is only going to get bigger. And bigger. And bigger.
So here's some storylines that will be interesting to follow. Of course, about every position on the defensive side of the ball is up for grabs. We'll talk about those plenty in the coming weeks. Here I used broader strokes using what I think will be a more national scope.
Quarterback battle
Aaron Murray and Tajh Boyd are two of the nation's best. They're considered legitimate pre-season Heisman candidates and their performance in the opener could have far reaching implications for them personally and their teams' chances at titles.
The good news (and bad news) for fans on both sides is that each signal caller is a senior with a wealth of experience to go on. Murray broke numerous school records last season while passing for 3,893 yards, and could overtake Peyton Manning's SEC career touchdown mark this season. Boyd matched Murray's air attack with 3,896 yards himself and also added 514 rushing yards. The Clemson quarterback's dual threat is something Georgia will have to have an answer for on defense. Which brings me to...
Defensive gameplan
In what is certainly shaping up to be a high scoring affair, Georgia's Todd Grantham and Clemson's Brent Venables have a busy month ahead of finding the right playmakers and making the necessary adjustments.
For the Tigers that will mean finding a way to control Georgia's rushing attack (which totaled 2,556 yards in 2012) without giving Aaron Murray too many options downfield. For the Dawgs it will mean finding the players and the scheme that can control both Boyd's legs and his arm. No easy task for either defense. But whichever side prepares more thoroughly, will likely make the difference in the outcome.
The Point Spread
The game is clearly a hard one to handicap. Some have Georgia as about a 3.5 point favorite while others favor the home team, but narrowly. Do these lines move and how much will be an interesting subplot in seeing where the money on this game is most comfortable. People will be checking out the sports betting sites at TopBettingAction.com for the latest stats and information. A key injury here or there could cause a major shift. Some press about a newcomer's impact could affect the line as well.
There will be a lot of action wagered in this one I'm sure. It's the biggest game of the opening weekend. The national media will all be on hand and the spotlight will be bright. Which brings me to...
Ticket Demand
As we wait impatiently for cutoff scores to be announced, the price for a ticket to this game continues to rise. The bigger the hype the bigger the price. If Clemson does indeed send UGA 8000 it will make things a little easier for those traveling and planning on getting a seat inside. But regardless, it will be a seller's market with big prime time dollars being spent. Good time to be a scalper in Pickens County.
Focus
So which team avoids the intense drama, speculation and spotlight that this game will grow into and goes into Memorial Stadium to tackle, catch and cover instead of to star gaze and melt under the humidity and pressure? There's no question that Richt has more wide-ranging experience with this sort of thing compared to Dabo. But a Georgia fan only has to remember back to Boise State in the Georgia Dome a couple years ago to wonder what Richt and his staff will do differently.
If anything at all. The coaches lead the way, but the team whose focus is the keenest will be the one whose individual leaders take control of the team. From here on out, each and every rep, each and every drill, each and every block is aimed at winning the opener and starting the season out the right way.
So here's some storylines that will be interesting to follow. Of course, about every position on the defensive side of the ball is up for grabs. We'll talk about those plenty in the coming weeks. Here I used broader strokes using what I think will be a more national scope.
Quarterback battle
Aaron Murray and Tajh Boyd are two of the nation's best. They're considered legitimate pre-season Heisman candidates and their performance in the opener could have far reaching implications for them personally and their teams' chances at titles.
The good news (and bad news) for fans on both sides is that each signal caller is a senior with a wealth of experience to go on. Murray broke numerous school records last season while passing for 3,893 yards, and could overtake Peyton Manning's SEC career touchdown mark this season. Boyd matched Murray's air attack with 3,896 yards himself and also added 514 rushing yards. The Clemson quarterback's dual threat is something Georgia will have to have an answer for on defense. Which brings me to...
Defensive gameplan
In what is certainly shaping up to be a high scoring affair, Georgia's Todd Grantham and Clemson's Brent Venables have a busy month ahead of finding the right playmakers and making the necessary adjustments.
For the Tigers that will mean finding a way to control Georgia's rushing attack (which totaled 2,556 yards in 2012) without giving Aaron Murray too many options downfield. For the Dawgs it will mean finding the players and the scheme that can control both Boyd's legs and his arm. No easy task for either defense. But whichever side prepares more thoroughly, will likely make the difference in the outcome.
The Point Spread
The game is clearly a hard one to handicap. Some have Georgia as about a 3.5 point favorite while others favor the home team, but narrowly. Do these lines move and how much will be an interesting subplot in seeing where the money on this game is most comfortable. People will be checking out the sports betting sites at TopBettingAction.com for the latest stats and information. A key injury here or there could cause a major shift. Some press about a newcomer's impact could affect the line as well.
There will be a lot of action wagered in this one I'm sure. It's the biggest game of the opening weekend. The national media will all be on hand and the spotlight will be bright. Which brings me to...
Ticket Demand
As we wait impatiently for cutoff scores to be announced, the price for a ticket to this game continues to rise. The bigger the hype the bigger the price. If Clemson does indeed send UGA 8000 it will make things a little easier for those traveling and planning on getting a seat inside. But regardless, it will be a seller's market with big prime time dollars being spent. Good time to be a scalper in Pickens County.
Focus
So which team avoids the intense drama, speculation and spotlight that this game will grow into and goes into Memorial Stadium to tackle, catch and cover instead of to star gaze and melt under the humidity and pressure? There's no question that Richt has more wide-ranging experience with this sort of thing compared to Dabo. But a Georgia fan only has to remember back to Boise State in the Georgia Dome a couple years ago to wonder what Richt and his staff will do differently.
If anything at all. The coaches lead the way, but the team whose focus is the keenest will be the one whose individual leaders take control of the team. From here on out, each and every rep, each and every drill, each and every block is aimed at winning the opener and starting the season out the right way.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
"Never Forget" the fumbles, Go Gatah!
Behind the scenes, the WLOCP continues (h/t BassinDawg) to eat at Muschamp especially hard. But invoking a dash of 9/11 sentiment..?? C'mon William.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)