Dawg + Dolphin

Thought this new profile pic in Ray Drew's facebook page was cool. Wish him the best.

Big OOC games on the (distant) horizon

We'll probably have flying cars by then, but McGarity is eyeing key non-conference matchups for the 2020's.

"I ask staff, I ask friends, I ask donors, if you had two or three places where would you like to go? And they've aligned with what I think," McGarity said Tuesday before a UGA Day in Albany. "So that's what we're trying to do, is do some experiences not only for our fans but our students."

You can scratch one possibility off the list: Ohio State.

Georgia and Ohio State had a memorandum of understanding to play in 2020 and 2021. But that was canceled by Ohio State, and McGarity said it will not be revived.

"Once Urban came in that was off the table," McGarity said of Urban Meyer, hired as Ohio State coach in 2012.

Michigan is another unlikely opponent, McGarity said, pointing out the Wolverines were "tied up" with other schools, including Florida.

But the A.D. played coy when other schools were mentioned by reporters.

"I think Penn State would be a great matchup," McGarity said, nodding when USC and UCLA were also thrown out. "You're thinking like I'm thinking. Those are the type of venues that we'd love to play in. You mentioned three, and those are three that I would agree with you on. You've got the Coliseum, the Rose Bowl and Happy Valley. I think our fans, that'd be pretty neat. So that's the type of iconic things that we're talking about doing." (via Emerson)

Nice dig at his former corch there, huh?

Losing that game in Corvallis a few years back has always stuck in my craw. There's some great beer up yonder. Hopefully they wouldn't run out like the Sun Devils of Tempe did when we came to town in aught eight.

On a related note, the administration is spending more money and they're scheduling big non-conference games that will excite the players and the fans alike. Now if they'd just stop piping in that engiNerd song I might just have to pinch myself.

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. 

via

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.

CFBZ post-Spring roundtable questions

Kevin Causey at College Football Zealots asked some Dawg bloggers a few questions. If you've been reading here you probably know my feelings on the QB competition. But if you'd like more intelligent, well thought out answers to such questions, you can do yourself a favor by checking out Kevin's site the next few days.

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

2- 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?

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

4- 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?

Should be a fun way to wrap up Spring practices. Appreciate him giving me a seat at the table. Go Dawgs!

Humpday Hilarity - "It's a trick Gen. Sherman!!"

God, I miss Grizzard. And I know you do too.

"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!"

Humpday Hilarity - You can take away Dr. Lou's microphone, but....

...you can never take away his own augmented and personalized Swahili.

What I heard (and then saw) from GDay

Wasn't going to post on the spring game as I wasn't able to attend. We actually just listened to it in the car on the way home from vacation. But then I found that my DVR had recorded it for me, so I checked the film to verify what I thought my ears had heard. Here's some thoughts.

From Coach Schotty's guys:

Faton Bauta, GDay 2015. (via GeorgiaDogs)

• The QBs. Pretty much verified where I thought we were here at the end of spring practice - a big arm and a big leader. If the big arm (Ramsey) is going to win the starting job, the big leader (Bauta) is going to make him earn it. The players have been saying for awhile that Bauta out works most everyone on the team. I don't know about you, but that's the kind of player I want under center. Time for the Ramsey to step up if he wants to be the quarterback for the University of Georgia. Being the backup makes you popular on message boreds. Being the starter requires a lot more than popularity.
• Speaking of stepping up, that's the big difference I see between the two guys right now. Bauta is quicker to react, knows where he wants to go with the ball, both more consistently and more accurately. Even on the long completion to McKenzie, Ramsey held the ball too long. It looked to me like he knew where he was going to go with it and simply held it another second to fit the ball in there. That may work in mid-April, but in a few months, not so much.
• The RBs. Not much to say here. Schotty clearly wanted to give his quarterbacks some live plays to air it out. The running plays were very vanilla, between the tackles type runs, and they didn't challenge the corners much if at all. What was great to see was how definitively Turman accelerated with the ball. His first 14 or so carries went for a total of less than 30 yards I think. Then boom! After a few seasons of piecing together this unit, I still pinch myself at the quality depth we have now.
• The OL. Solid starting five and better depth than I expected. And let's be honest, they had their hands full (figuratively and literally) with Pruitt's front seven. All around I was very pleased with what I saw. Coach Sale has made a splash recruiting. Early indications are he can coach em up too.
• The WRs. McLendon had to be busy in his first spring coaching his old position, especially after McKenzie went down. Still, they'll be a solid and diverse bunch, specifically if some of the August additions can contribute right away and JSW eventually knocks the rust off. Bonus: is a full season of a healthy Malcolm Mitchell too much to ask for Football Gods?
• The TEs. Any worries about depth at the receiver position are lessened somewhat by what we saw from the tight ends. That play-action from Bauta to Jordan Davis was music to my ears in the car. I couldn't wait to see it with my eyes. Tight ends have flourished during the Richt era, but quite frankly we've needed more from this position the last couple seasons. Some depth here can only help this offense in the fall.

From Coach Pruitt's guys:

• The LBs. You just have to start here because of the absolute embarrassment of riches Pruitt has at his disposal, especially on the outside. How long did it take you to remember that Floyd and Bellamy were in street clothes? Jordan Jenkins plays rent free in the backfield; Natrez Patrick reminds me of a young Lorenzo; and Lorenzo is making me think he was holding back during his eye-opening freshman season. The only disappointment thus far from this group is the fact that we won't be able to hear Munson's multiple attempts to pronounce Chuks Amaechi's name.
• The DL. I thought Mayes looked great, Bailey too. One of the by-products of a vanilla running offense is lots of gaps for the d-line to fill. And they stood up to that challenge for the most part, as well as pressured the quarterbacks multiple times. And at the risk of pouring on too much praise for the linebackers, that squad is only going to make the defensive front look better and better.
• The DBs. And while we're referring to symbiosis, the defensive backs stand the most to gain from a plethora of pass rushers. Bauta was forced to check down many times. Some of that was due to the pass rush around him, but it also showed the young squad in coverage was doing their job. I forget who McKenzie beat, but that almost deserves a pass as that task must be like trying to grab the leash of a lathered down greyhound rounding turn three. I really liked seeing Tramel Terry fly around and lay some licks on receivers. Malkom Parrish seems to be worthy of some of the praise he's received as well. And as we know from Signing Day, there's a lot of help coming in August. Overall, this is still a position of much youth, but it's so much more stable than a year ago, is it not?

From Coach Richt's guys:

• Special teams were....disappointing. No punt rush and we still can't get a decent punt off. No kick rush either and Morgan misses a 42 yarder. It all adds up to this - four and a half months to find someone that can punt a football into a well covered area (preferably more than 32 yards downfield) and who is going to hold place kicks for our senior kicker.

That's pretty bare bones and really nothing earth shattering. But that's the way GDay is supposed to be, right? What'd I miss?

The case for Faton Bauta

A little over a year ago I wrote this post supporting a redshirt sophomore hybrid/dual-threat/longshot as the next quarterback for Georgia. A year removed and I haven't really changed that position.

That's not to say that I don't think Mason earned the right to be last season's starter. In truth, this time last year he had already taken the reins to end the 2013 campaign. I recognize my position as just a fan with keyboard and trust the coaches to make the true and actual decisions.

This spring is different in many ways. Of course, much like Murray was eventually succeeded by his backup in 2013, Mason was forced to give up the huddle early too when he couldn't finish the bowl game. Brice Ramsey entered to finish off the 2014 season and so began the speculation that he was the heir apparent. However, it's clear that Ramsey doesn't have the firm grasp of the top spot that his predecessor did a year ago.

Which is why these next few months and especially August are going to be so interesting to watch. Ramsey, once presumed the next in line, has had plenty of time to develop, but hasn't separated himself from his colleagues.Maybe some of that is due to the change at offensive coordinator. Maybe not. Jacob Park, according to reports, has the swagger, but does it translate into consistency on the field?

Here's Coach Schotty himself on what they're looking for:

“I think we truly have three guys that are capable of doing it,” Schottenheimer, who coaches the quarterbacks, said last week. “We’re rotating the reps with the ones, giving them all a shot to work in there with the first group. What we’re looking for as a staff this spring is there are going to be good days, bad days, but we’ll come to a point with, ‘Who’s being the most consistent?'" (via Weiszer)

Competition in the spring. Consistency in the fall.

Faton Bauta has something both of those guys don't, more experience. This is Bauta's fourth spring camp and I bet that is something the other offensive players appreciate. I have little doubt that over the course of a season Bauta would take much greater care with the football than Park, and maybe Ramsey as well. My reasoning with that statement is similar to my reasoning last spring; Bauta is more than an arm. He's the type of player that will look to make plays with his arm, his feet and most importantly, his head.

Heading into a season that figures to see a lot of handoffs to #27, don't you think Schottenheimer and Richt would like to see someone under center they can trust completely? We'll have a better picture of Mr. Park after GDay, but right now he sounds like a gunslinger with chip on his shoulder. Boy we could've used that a few years ago. In 2015, not as much.

Back to the word "experience", you're right. Ramsey has more of it when it comes to in game, non-garbage time, meaningful snaps type experience. He has a live arm that can make all the throws. And there will be downs and distance this fall when we need an arm like that to move the chains and maybe even win a ball game. But doesn't Bauta add more of a dimension to the backfield with the likes of Chubb, Michel, Marshall, Hicks, Turman? As defenses zero in on Chubb after he's carried the ball for 150+ on 24 carries entering the fourth quarter, wouldn't it be nice to have a quarterback that can not only call the read option but can also run it?

That's where having Bauta as the starter truly excites me as a fan. When we're talking about keeping defenses honest, I like Bauta's ability to do that with his arm, his feet and his head more than the other guys. And I think Schottenheimer is thinking that over pretty hard the next few months as well.

If nothing else, I'm willing to bet that if Ramsey or Park beat Bauta out for the starting job, the dual-threat junior from West Palm Beach will have made them earn it.

Mike Campo releases new IPF renderings

Mike Campo, renowned architect from the firm Merence Toore and Assoc., has provided more details about the soon to be UGA Indoor Practice Facility, most notably that it should come at a cost under two hundred....dollars....two hundred American dollars.

Reached at his Statham GA office, Mr. Campo provided these details:

"I've worked on this non-stop since earlier this morning. I think you'll see these renderings show a functional, or at least a practical use of space. And yes, I've told Mr. McGarity that I could indeed keep the price tag under $200."

Pressed for his inspiration in this unique design...

"Well, I took my kids to McDonald's for breakfast before school this morning. Little Mikey was playing with this pile of straws instead of eating his hotcakes. When I turned to yell at the little brat for the fourth time I realized he'd built this tower that reached almost all the way to the ceiling. Boom. Genius!"

Okay...but what will the roof be made of?

"Like I said. We're still in the early stages. But Lil Lucy spilled juice all over her McMuffin wrapper. It seemed to hold pretty well against those elements. So that might give us a start."

Sounds pretty lightweight in frame. Aren't you worried about the wind?

"Yes. I've already told Coach Richt that his team might have to wear jackets on certain days. You know, due to the open air design.

Look, I've got to go. Bubba Wayne over at the trailer park has a noon appointment. He's building a new deck for Lucinda Earl!"

He hung up before I could ask if he was an Auburn grad.

---------

Addendum: The years have not been kind to the Mike Campo phenomenon. I should've suspected this. First, once Hale left Macon his old Dawg Extra blog became harder to bookmark as it auto-redirects to the Ledger Enquirer. The old blog was where I first discovered Campo. Now, the AJC has removed the original article (and subsequent comments that include Terence Moore getting duped) from its site. So, the only remaining evidence may be from my copy and paste job in 2013, which was actually copied and pasted from my first celebration of Happy Mike Campo Day in 2010 (albeit slightly embellished). 

If you're new to this April 1st tradition, I suggest you start there.