Woohoo! I always cheer for the HBC, but this week, it's special. As much as
he hates the dawgs, wouldn't it be cool if HE were the reason their program
went into a meltdown?
Randy
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On
Behalf Of Woody Bass
Sent: Sunday, September 04, 2011 8:25 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [gatornews] CFN.com: Three & Out: SEC Wrap - Georgia's Vanilla O
Three & Out: SEC Wrap - Georgia's Vanilla O
Georgia head coach Mark Richt
<http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/95/956325.jpg>
Georgia head coach Mark Richt
By Barrett Sallee
CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted Sep 4, 2011
| More <http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&pub=scout>
CFN SEC columnist Barrett Sallee shares three thoughts, news and notes on
Week 1 in the SEC.
Reach me via e-mail at [email protected] or on Twitter @BarrettSallee
<http://twitter.com/barrettsallee>
Three & Out returns every Monday in 2011 to give you three SEC thoughts,
news and notes. In the first regular season edition of 2011, we take a look
at the Georgia <http://georgia.scout.com/> debacle, LSU
<http://louisianastate.scout.com/> 's statement and Florida
<http://florida.scout.com/> 's new-look offense.
MELTDOWN
Georgia came into its matchup with Boise State
<http://boisestate.scout.com/> at the Georgia Dome on Saturday evening with
a lot to prove. But sadly for them, the only thing the Bulldogs proved is
that they're the "same ole Georgia."
Offensive line problems? Check. Suspect pass defense? Check. Running backs
that are over-hyped and under-perform? Check. Stubbornness to adjust to the
defense and be creative with the offensive gameplan? Big time check. Overall
lack of heart? Checkmate.
The departure of running backs Caleb King and Washaun Ealey was really big
on Saturday night, because Richard Samuel
<http://cfn.scout.com/a.z?s=451&p=8&c=1&nid=5420043> and Isaiah Crowell
<http://cfn.scout.com/a.z?s=451&p=8&c=1&nid=5714348> clearly aren't ready
to be every-down running backs. In Brandon Boykin
<http://cfn.scout.com/a.z?s=451&p=8&c=1&nid=5419997> 's first play ever on
offense, he took it 80 yards for a touchdown. He didn't touch the ball
again. Hello? Mike Bobo <http://cfn.scout.com/a.z?s=451&p=8&c=1&nid=5419995>
? Are you even in the booth???
If you enjoy meltdowns, tune in to 680 The Fan or 790 The Zone in Atlanta
this week, because they're going to be legendary. The game against Boise
State was by no means a defining game for Mark Richt
<http://cfn.scout.com/a.z?s=451&p=8&c=1&nid=5420041> and Co., but it is a
strong indicator of where the program stands, and it's a dark, dark place.
"It's a long season," said Georgia head coach Mark Richt. "We've got to get
our minds right. A game like this, no question, we know more about our
football team than if we played someone and beat them by 40."
Mark Richt is right, but sadly for him and his future employment, the thing
that we know most is that these are the same ole Bulldogs.
Considering the way that Boise State handled the Bulldogs with realtive
ease, Georgia's game this week vs. South Carolina
<http://southcarolina.scout.com/> suddenly becomes the biggest game of
Richt's head coaching career. Win it, and Georgia still has life in the SEC
and the schedule to get the season turned back around. Lose it, and it may
send the season so far off track that Richt won't be able to make it to
November.
SAME STORY, DIFFERENT VERSE
He's kooky, unorthodox, eats grass and wears a funny hat; but whatever Les
Miles <http://cfn.scout.com/a.z?s=451&p=8&c=1&nid=5765537> does behind the
scenes, it works. The LSU Tigers could have let the offseason distractions
of Russell Shepard <http://cfn.scout.com/a.z?s=451&p=8&c=1&nid=5722881> 's
NCAA controversy or quarterback Jordan Jefferson
<http://cfn.scout.com/a.z?s=451&p=8&c=1&nid=5650076> 's legal issues get to
them. They didn't, and the credit for that goes to the coaching staff.
Auburn proved in last year's BCS National Championship Game that the way to
beat Oregon <http://oregon.scout.com/> is to make it an old fashioned
slug-fest, and LSU did just that Saturday night in Jerry World. Oregon's
game plan is to win with speed, but that doesn't work when the opposition is
bigger AND faster than the Ducks in the trenches, which is typically the
case for most SEC teams. In our Final Thoughts Before Week 1, I said that
LSU would win B-I-G <http://cfn.scout.com/2/1101479.html> for this very
reason. Good job self.
I don't believe in preseason polls, but if we were to start one after Week
1, LSU would be my No. 1 team in the nation. But can they repeat that
performance on a week-in, week-out basis? We'll see.
The Tigers were able to hide quarterback Jarrett Lee
<http://cfn.scout.com/a.z?s=451&p=8&c=1&nid=5722863> to an extent, using
running backs Spencer Ware
<http://cfn.scout.com/a.z?s=451&p=8&c=1&nid=5722889> and Michael Ford
<http://cfn.scout.com/a.z?s=451&p=8&c=1&nid=5722850> and a stifling defense
to control every aspect of the game. SEC defenses can and will stop that
eventually, so the Tigers will have to adjust as the season progresses.
A BETTER FIT
Last season, Florida quarterback John Brantley
<http://cfn.scout.com/a.z?s=451&p=8&c=1&nid=5369819> was a square peg and
Urban Meyer's spread offense was a round hole. Enter Charlie Weis
<http://cfn.scout.com/a.z?s=451&p=8&c=1&nid=5369809> , and a much more
functional offense.
Florida has been a complete mystery since the Will Muschamp era started, but
if Saturday's domination of Florida Atlantic
<http://floridaatlantic.scout.com/> was any indication, the Gators are in a
much better place than they were last season. John Brantley's 21-of-30, 229
yard performance proved that he won't be beat by 2010 twice, which was a big
concern heading into the season. One of the biggest questions facing the
Florida offense was whether or not the stable of running backs recruited for
the spread system would be able to handle the switch to the pro-style. They
did. Jeff Demps <http://cfn.scout.com/a.z?s=451&p=8&c=1&nid=5369826> broke
100 yards and Chris Rainey
<http://cfn.scout.com/a.z?s=451&p=8&c=1&nid=5369861> added 79 of his own.
Granted, it's FAU, and Florida is SUPPOSED to dominate them. But they
wouldn't have last year, so Saturday was a big step.
Georgia isn't going to win the SEC, which leaves South Carolina and Florida
as the main contenders. Would you be surprised to see the Gators in the
Georgia Dome in early December? If their offense keeps it up, I wouldn't.
Barrett Sallee covers the SEC for www.CollegeFootballNews.com. He can be
reached at [email protected], or on Twitter at @BarrettSallee
<http://twitter.com/BarrettSallee>
--
GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY!
1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions
2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions
2008 National Football Champions |
Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996),
Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us
--
GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY!
1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions
2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions
2008 National Football Champions |
Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996),
Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us
