Friday Misery - the one where Jake Ganus has more tackles than Jacob Eason

(due to time constraints, we join this episode of the Friday Misery already in progress…)

...and you can’t resist the temptation because you obviously live by the seat of your tired ass pants and have absolutely zero impulse control which means you’ll take any chance to stray from the task at hand which is to beat...

Oh look! A squirrel!!

...Georgia Southern.

Who really gives a shit what the AJC thinks Coach Richt’s picture with his quote prized recruit unquote really means? Who cares a good gotdamn how many eggs he had in his omelette?

And you too, Mr. Guy with the Glass Half Full. I can do my own math. I can even add without my fingers. So yes, I know the possible win total for the season without even asking my 13 year old for any help carrying the one.

And yet, I don’t care.

I don’t.

Really.

I just don’t.

You’re all wishing away the season. Hell, some of you blew out the candles on it long ago. It’s going to be a night game in Sanford and all you care about is whether or not Richt shook some kid’s hand firm enough. You’ve got such a damn hard on for some teenage boy that you won’t even bother recognizing any of the ACTUAL GEORGIA RED BLEEDING SENIORS WHO HAVE GIVEN TIME AND EFFORT AND GUTS AND ACTUAL GOTDAMN LIMBS FOR THIS PROGRAM. I don’t give a shit about your ifs and buts candy and nuts. You know why? Because this time next year you’ll be aiming that bulge in your pants towards some other seventeen year old.

You sicken me.

Georgia plays Georgia Southern.

Tomorrow.

Night. 

They will actually play a football game!

Isn’t THAT the reason we love this time of year? Isn’t THAT the reason we Hunker Down? Isn’t THAT the reason we care so damn much?

Jake Ganus stepped in with one more season of eligibility. His own school turned its back on him and he said “Fine, I’m going to Athens to tackle some other assholes in the wrong colored helmets. I’m going to play for Georgia where they want some damn players, and where they need some guys like me that have a big ol’ motor and a willingness to bring bad intentions once the ball is snapped.”

And he’s not the only one you’re turning your back on. Ganus isn’t the only DAMNGOODDAWG you’ve already forgotten as you log onto your message bored and plan out just how Coach [insert any name from the sublime to the ridiculous] is going to get your new quarterback SEC ready. No, you’ve also turned your back on Quayvon and Jordan Jenkins and John Theus and Kenny Towns and Sterling Bailey and Chris Mayes and James Deloach and Jay Rome and Hunter Long and Marshall Morgan and Josh Dawson and Devin Bowman and Collin Barber. You’ve forgotten all about guys like Malcolm Mitchell and Justin Scott-Wesley and Keith Marshall and Kolton Houston and what they’ve sacrificed to make this team better.*

I’m just tired of all the asshats and their thumbs that smell like poo. I’m tired of people forgetting the love of the game because they’re too butthurt over October to wear their colors through the highs and the lows. I’m just miserable at the thought of a DawgNation divided against its own team just because some “fans” are too simple-minded to give a shit about what matters. What really, really matters

IMPORTANT:

It’s November 20th, so CLICK HERE for a MAJOR recruiting UPDATE!!!!1!!1

(you’re a dumbass)

Now, back to actual football...

We’re favored by 14. How can we possibly score enough y’all? How? We needed our smallest player on the roster to score 12 points on his own last week just to beat lowly Auburn. This is Georgia Southern. The program that ERK built with his own hands. The TEAM that will walk into any stadium and play anybody. They’re going to come in here tomorrow night with a full roster - not just the sixty something players they’ve been allowed the last few they’ve visited - of players wanting nothing but to kick our ass. They’re not in the hunt for a moral victory. (That’s the team we play next week.) This is Georgia Southern and they intend to win a tackle football game. The Eagles are going to run run run run pass run run run run run run pass run run run run run run run run run run run. This is going to be an ugly game and we’re going to need to be loud.

STAND UP DUMBASS WHEN YOU READ THIS!!!

I said we’re going to need to be loud!! We’re going to need to be early for our seniors. We’re going to need to be OUR team’s 12th man. We’re going to need to be ready to pick them up when they’re down. We’re going to need to be ready to lift them from goodness to greatness with our voices. We're going to need to #RaiseTheFlag and #LightUpSanford.

Please bow your heads....Lord, thank you for Quayvon's Facemask, may it rest in peace, and all the other seniors on our roster. Please forgive our shortcomings and deliver unto us one more win in Sanford this season. Amen and Go Dawgs!

*I know I forgot some. Lo, I too am imperfect.

"You're always welcome home"

Enough said. We will miss y'all.

The Home from Georgia Football on Vimeo.

Why worry about GSU?

Take it from a midget who knows...

Saban: "People forget about Georgia Southern. They went through us like shit through a tin horn."

— Cecil Hurt (@CecilHurt) November 19, 2015

Y'all more concerned about Richt's omelet with some five star that don't know shit about winning college football games. Maybe you'll wake up before kickoff.

Maybe.

A defensive look vs Georgia Southern

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All stats via cfbstats.com

2016 Season, feat. Nick Chubb as The Terminator

Dawgs247 caught up with the hobbled star Friday night as Cedartown played Oconnee County.

When posed with the question he quickly turned his head and began nodding.

"Yeah," Chubb said with a cracked smile, "I'll be back."

In all seriousness, the rest of the article is a story of caution and moving forward slowly. Wishing Chubb the best as he rehabs and recovers.

Sunday Thoughts on Eight of the last Ten

The 56th win in this series finds Carl Lawson's picture on a milk carton.

Let's start the bullets with the defense. 

- As big as the turnover margin was, the halftime adjustments put pressure on the Auburn offense and forced enticed Malzahn to panic into using Sean White and thereby disrupting some of the rhythm they had rushing the football. What Jeremy Johnson lacks in throwing the football he makes up for in scrambling and running the football. Auburn got away from that when they probably didn't have to. Especially considering White was clearly still hobbled.

- Auburn went into the locker room at the half with 161 yards rushing. They finished the game with 231. Pruitt's defense did a much better job maintaining their discipline and managing the edge later in the game. Great game by Jenkins and Floyd, which was refreshing to see.

- And hello Mr. Carter! Couple tackles and a forced fumble, not to mention a key quarterback pressure.

- Malkom Parrish! Wow. Auburn smartly avoided running to his side, so he never got a tackle. But that interception might have been part of the reason Malzahn eventually sent White in.

- Isaiah McKenzie had a big day - 4 carries for 26 yards and a touchdown, 2 catches for 16 yards, and of course the punt return that he took back for six. He wasn't the only offense on the day, but his speed and dependable hands made a huge difference.

- Maybe Schotty should drink some of Ekeler's Red Bull.

- As much frustration as I had over the short yardage shotgun situations, I thought overall Schottenheimer mixed the wildcat formations with the traditional sets effectively in the second half. He also did a better job of utilizing his weapons than he did last month.

- It was a shame Lambert didn't connect with Mitchell on some of those deep throws. I thought those were great play calls.

- It's a shame Marshall couldn't play either. Was hoping for a big day from #4.

- The offensive line had a mostly effective day. They gave Lambert time and I think it's more than fair to say giving Wynn the task of stopping Lawson was effective. The run blocking never fully sprung Michel into wide open spaces. But it's hard to tell if that's more of a function of the blocking or the fact that everyone knows we're running Sony between the tackles.

- And the third down conversion ineffectiveness continues to be a real concern. Dodged a big bullet with the face mask penalty on the lone touchdown drive.

- Speaking of the first touchdown, Mitchell continues to prove his effectiveness as a blocker.He locked that edge and McKenzie's speed did the rest.

The Fire Em ALL narrative is now harder to hear as it is starting to get drowned out by the Georgia can still win 10 games. Regardless, lot of football left. And if ten wins is to happen, this offense is going to continue to use playmakers like it did yesterday. Against Auburn it was just enough to overcome some suspect playcalling and get yet another win on the plains.

Go Dawgs!

Two keys to burn the barn

Last SEC game of the season. A return to the scene of the crime. "Oh, hello there Mr. Trigga. Who's been up for stroking your ego these days?"

1. This game will be won in the turnover margin. Last year’s score wants to tell you we curb-stomped them in Athens. Truth is they moved the ball pretty well and even converted 8 of 14 third downs. Auburn’s downfall was in the -3 TO margin - two lost fumbles and one interception. We’re not going to see the Auburn team that everyone was laughing at when they were under-performing earlier in the season. Their offense is going to challenge Pruitt’s just like last year. Hopefully we can create some plays and match their speed.
2. Keith Marshall. Look, it’s no secret that defenses aren’t afraid of Schottenheimer. He doesn’t have a downfield passing game to threaten them deep and Chubb is not in the huddle. What they may be overlooking is that Georgia still has plenty of weapons. Get #4 on the field with Godwin, Mitchell, Michel, and McKenzie. Just find a way to do that. Somehow. Some way. Then watch these plain men get burnt.

No one outside of Athens or Opelika cares about this game. Hell, some Dawg fans can’t stop bitching about how there’s nothing left on the table to eat. Poor bastards.

This game is about respect. This game is about the coaches having already removed their heads from their ass and are ready to get back to some winning ways. It’s about players who were there two years ago when “it” happened.

Win this game. Go out and win it!

Go Dawgs!

the Friday Misery is missing and Coach Dye may be implicated

Sometimes the Internet can be a magnificent thing. At other times it can take your 750 words, shove them in some mysterious cyber dumpster, and leave no traces of where your magnificent prose is.

In over seven years of blogging, I’ve only lost one post. Until yesterday. So, now there’s two out there somewhere and there will be no regular post today. Sure, we could sit here for a few hours and speculate about whether Cam Newton stole it and then threw it out of a dorm window, or whether Pat Dye mentions the post’s whereabouts in the Eric Ramsey tapes.

I don’t know. Maybe. I’m just tired of looking and wondering and fretting and stressing. If you need firing up, watch this YouTuber from Crazy Uncle Lou. He sent it to me the other day and I think it captures the basic essence of what we usually do here on Fridays.

Hey, let’s bat that shit down and beat Auburn this weekend. Go Dawgs!

Humpday Hilarity - Abuurn bros

Auburn bro 1: “Look at all the chicks looking at my chest!”

Auburn bro 2: “Those are dudes man.”

Auburn bro 3: “Yeh, this is lame and it's starting to get cold.”

Auburn bro 4: “I need to go to the bathroom.”

Auburn bro 5: “No way man. Last time we broke rank the B got in the wrong place.”
Auburn bro 6: "Yeh. We don't wanna look dumb."

Auburn week - early thought on the offense

Not that I know anything about offensive strategery, but we need to get Keith Marshall and Sony Michel on the field at the same time. As I said last night, I was pleased to see the "Wild Dawg" formations and how it utilized some of our greatest offensive speed in Godwin and Michel. I would assume we might even see them throw the ball some this Saturday on the plains.

Maybe. Just a thought.

Another one is to just take Lambert out of the huddle instead of splitting him out wide. Let Michel option to Marshall. And let Godwin and Mitchell speed sweep and aid in the misdirection of the defense. We're not utilizing #4 and #26 enough and it's clear the coaches have little to no faith in our quarterbacks' ability to stretch the field vertically. So do everything we can to stretch it from sideline to sideline.

Another reason why we should give the ball to Marshall more - he's better than Michel between the tackles. Sony gets there so fast. The blocking is virtually the same as we saw for Chubb, but no back in America has the vision Chubb does. Running Sony into the line has bursts of several yards. Use Marshall more on just some of those and he'll break one open...like we've seen in Opelika before.