Two days.
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Thursday, September 3, 2015
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Fifteen years and only four with QB competitions
This is my last thought on Lambert being named the starter, until Sunday.
If you look back during Richt's tenure there have been few (true) competitions for the starting quarterback role. His first five seasons he had Greene and/or Shockley. In 2008 and 2009 he had Stafford entrenched as the starter. From 2011-2013 we had the height of Murray's reign. Last season there was much debate among us outside the arena, but there was never much question that Mason was the guy.
That leaves these years:
If you look back during Richt's tenure there have been few (true) competitions for the starting quarterback role. His first five seasons he had Greene and/or Shockley. In 2008 and 2009 he had Stafford entrenched as the starter. From 2011-2013 we had the height of Murray's reign. Last season there was much debate among us outside the arena, but there was never much question that Mason was the guy.
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That leaves these years:
- 2006. Was a true competition, but one that was more about how quickly Stafford could pick up the playbook as well as the speed of the game at this level.
- 2009. Actually very similar to last August in that fans debated about how much Logan Gray might be used and whether Murray/Mett might avoid a redshirt, but it all ended with little doubt that Joe Cox was entrenched as the starter.
- 2010. A very real competition between Murray and Mett ended in a Remerton bar before it gained a full head of steam. There may have been some talk about Mason entering the mix, but Murray was the guy.
So this is just Richt's fourth August with an open battle on the QB depth chart. He said yesterday he was ready for the "zoo to be over", which to me speaks to the importance of whomever he and Schottenheimer elevated to the starter needed as few distractions as possible. Given that this topic has been running its course since December 31st, "zoo" may not have been a strong enough analogy for what might have ensued over the next few days prior to kickoff.
How this competition was handled - from spring reps, to Park leaving, to pursuing a graduate transfer, to naming said transfer the opening game starter - is a debate for another day. The key to this season, at least in terms of the quarterback, may be how Brice Ramsey and Faton Bauta handle being veterans to the campus but second fiddle to the huddle yet again.
And really, who better to empathize with that feeling than Mark Richt and Brian Schottenheimer.
Humpday Hilarity - Grizzard's rivalry jokes
If you don't mind football players going to class as long as it's basketball season, or didn't have enough pimples to get into the North Avenue Trade School, then you'll enjoy this one.
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Nick Chubb and his mom's wasted kilowatts
Georgia's sophomore running back evidently harnesses the power to run over, around, and through would be tacklers from his bathroom light in Cedartown GA.
Funny Nick Chubb superstition: He leaves his bathroom light on at his mom's house before games. Texts mom before games to do it. #UGA
— Jason Butt (@JasonHButt) September 1, 2015
He's like a complex onion. And I love watching each layer get pulled back.
Greyson Lambert, intangibles, and UL-Monroe
Greyson Lambert probably hasn't even finished unpacking his boxes. And yet, the former Virginia Cavalier is the new starter for the Georgia Bulldogs.
Much has been made about Lambert finishing the spring in Charlottesville as the backup. Even more has been made of his stats - 10 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. I bet if I had the chance to ask Lambert about those two numbers he'd own them. But the truth is Charlottesville is not Athens. There's better coaches and much better talent in Athens.
So for my analysis, I'm doing just what Richt and Schottenheimer did when Lambert decided to transfer and throwing what the guy did last year out the window.
I'm not going to say last evening's news shocked me. For the last week the idea of Lambert edging out Bauta and Ramsey had gained plenty of traction. But for nearly a month I had just resigned this QB race to playing itself out in the first couple games.
That being said, naming the Virginia transfer the starter before the opening game was a little shocking. And it posed a lot of questions in my head.
Namely, what does that say about our recruiting at the position the last few years that a guy can step onto campus and a few weeks later is atop the depth chart? One thing is abundantly clear - Brice Ramsey may have finished the season as the man, but he is not Schottenheimer's man. Coach Bobo leaving for Fort Collins impacted Ramsey's grasp on the position.
There's also been a lot made about Ramsey never taking the reins off the field either. However, Richt has made comments about the quarterback's improved work ethic and ability to lead. In the end it wasn't enough to hold off Lambert.
Faton Bauta on the other hand, at least according to his teammates, out-works everybody. He's been considered a longshot to win the job though mostly due to his counterparts' ability to stretch the field with their arms. Even before Lambert transferred, it was clear that although Bauta had the overall skills and mindset, both Jacob Park and Ramsey had the stronger arms.
So it appears in Lambert both Schottenheimer and Richt have something that could be considered the best of both - a strong arm, experience, and a readiness to work at getting better. That's why I found DJ Shockley's tweet last night quite insightful:
Much has been made about Lambert finishing the spring in Charlottesville as the backup. Even more has been made of his stats - 10 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. I bet if I had the chance to ask Lambert about those two numbers he'd own them. But the truth is Charlottesville is not Athens. There's better coaches and much better talent in Athens.
I'm not going to say last evening's news shocked me. For the last week the idea of Lambert edging out Bauta and Ramsey had gained plenty of traction. But for nearly a month I had just resigned this QB race to playing itself out in the first couple games.
That being said, naming the Virginia transfer the starter before the opening game was a little shocking. And it posed a lot of questions in my head.
Namely, what does that say about our recruiting at the position the last few years that a guy can step onto campus and a few weeks later is atop the depth chart? One thing is abundantly clear - Brice Ramsey may have finished the season as the man, but he is not Schottenheimer's man. Coach Bobo leaving for Fort Collins impacted Ramsey's grasp on the position.
There's also been a lot made about Ramsey never taking the reins off the field either. However, Richt has made comments about the quarterback's improved work ethic and ability to lead. In the end it wasn't enough to hold off Lambert.
Faton Bauta on the other hand, at least according to his teammates, out-works everybody. He's been considered a longshot to win the job though mostly due to his counterparts' ability to stretch the field with their arms. Even before Lambert transferred, it was clear that although Bauta had the overall skills and mindset, both Jacob Park and Ramsey had the stronger arms.
So it appears in Lambert both Schottenheimer and Richt have something that could be considered the best of both - a strong arm, experience, and a readiness to work at getting better. That's why I found DJ Shockley's tweet last night quite insightful:
Lambert has the intangibles on the field that separated him in this race in my opinion! Demeanor/attitude go along way for a QB!!!
— DjShockley (@DjShockley3) August 31, 2015
All that aside, it's still a race. As I've mentioned before, even going up against Louisiana Monroe is a bigger test than a scrimmage. Both Bauta and Ramsey have played in front of 92,000. I think I can speak for all us when I type that we're anxious to see how Greyson Lambert does on Saturday in fornt of that many "expert quarterback coaches" like myself.
Miami Hurricanes bringing sexy back
OMG. Did y'all see this? (h/t AHD)
And that's just one of the many interesting poses the team had. They've got a long way to go to catch up with Vanderbilt's PR nightmare, but dude....why?
Monday, August 31, 2015
My apologies Mr. Pollack
Hope to have some more on this development tomorrow. But for now, just owning up to being wrong.
Give Lambert some credit, even if this was Ramsey's job to lose, Greyson transferred in and went right to work.
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Patience, a noun. (part two)
Coach Richt has been patient. And before you take that the wrong way, my meaning is that he's waited to have the support, financial and otherwise, that he now enjoys.
The rambunctious energy that surrounded the Belk Bowl turned in the old coach's favor. Ever since he's been letting it ride and watching the cash stack fat.
Way fat.
Coach Richt bashers and Coach Richt apologists alike have to agree that the level of support for the football program in Athens is at a level that is unprecedented. Gone are the days of those that put Richt on a pedestal saying things like "Well, if only they'd let the man have the support staff he deserves..." or, "I mean jeez, Richt got caught paying his own staff out of his own bank account!"
In short, it's time to put up or shut up. No excuses. Morehead helped McGarity open the coffers. And now there's a lot less office space in Butts-Mehre.
No, I'm not declaring 2015 a Natty or bust season. But the investment should show some measure of return, no?
In the very least, I'm anxious to see how our team performs with all of this influx of support. We've all been patient. Let's see what happens the next couple seasons now that UGA is finally all in.
The rambunctious energy that surrounded the Belk Bowl turned in the old coach's favor. Ever since he's been letting it ride and watching the cash stack fat.
Way fat.
Coach Richt bashers and Coach Richt apologists alike have to agree that the level of support for the football program in Athens is at a level that is unprecedented. Gone are the days of those that put Richt on a pedestal saying things like "Well, if only they'd let the man have the support staff he deserves..." or, "I mean jeez, Richt got caught paying his own staff out of his own bank account!"
In short, it's time to put up or shut up. No excuses. Morehead helped McGarity open the coffers. And now there's a lot less office space in Butts-Mehre.
No, I'm not declaring 2015 a Natty or bust season. But the investment should show some measure of return, no?
In the very least, I'm anxious to see how our team performs with all of this influx of support. We've all been patient. Let's see what happens the next couple seasons now that UGA is finally all in.
Patience, a noun. (part one)
"In this day and time, patience gets your butt fired."
Tracy Rocker, ladies and gents. Please, try the veal.
There's been little question that Trent Thompson is gonna have to be the key to helping stop the run and making plays that eluded Pruitt's first Georgia defense in losses to Florida and Tech last season. But it's nice to know two things: 1) Thompson's being groomed by President of the Athens Chamber of Hardasses, Mr. Tracy Rocker, and 2) Mr. Rocker plans to rotate his d-line.
In 2012 we had two future NFLers at nose and Grantham wore Jenkins and Geathers down to the point where in the SECCG they couldn't stop Bama from anything they wanted to do on the ground when it counted the most. Glad Rocker is bringing his talent along as it develops.
All of that aside, "patience" is an interesting word for this season. Let's look at that a little closer in the next post...
Tracy Rocker, ladies and gents. Please, try the veal.
There's been little question that Trent Thompson is gonna have to be the key to helping stop the run and making plays that eluded Pruitt's first Georgia defense in losses to Florida and Tech last season. But it's nice to know two things: 1) Thompson's being groomed by President of the Athens Chamber of Hardasses, Mr. Tracy Rocker, and 2) Mr. Rocker plans to rotate his d-line.
In 2012 we had two future NFLers at nose and Grantham wore Jenkins and Geathers down to the point where in the SECCG they couldn't stop Bama from anything they wanted to do on the ground when it counted the most. Glad Rocker is bringing his talent along as it develops.
All of that aside, "patience" is an interesting word for this season. Let's look at that a little closer in the next post...
Saturday, August 29, 2015
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