Leftovers: some additional observations on the Arky game

Since I waste an inordinate amount of time reading post-game analyses, thought I should waste a bit more with some observations that I didn't much see anywhere else:

1) PBO (Penalties By Opponents):  Like all Dawg fans, I'm disturbed by the persistence of our team's Plague O' Penalties this year (particularly by the O-Line in the Arky game).  But after three games, it's worth noting that our opponents are getting flagged even more.  The Dawgs have 32 penalties for 249 yards through three games.  Dawg opponents have 39 penalties for 314 yards.  On three straight occasions, teams playing Georgia have racked up more than 100 yards in zebra sanctions.  That's a lot, and after a while, this stops being a coincidence and starts being a pattern.  Is there something about Georgia's play, or the kind of games our play produces, that makes our opponents shoot themselves in the foot even more than we do?  I dunno, but it bears watching. 

2) Dropsies Gone?: In losses over the last three years, in the spring game, and in the Okie State game, our offensive struggles were significantly magnified by dropped catchable passes.  Indeed, this has been a chronic complaint off and on about Georgia's receiver corps.  The problem seemed to abate significantly against South Cacklalackey, and with the exception of one drop by Taverres King, I don't recall a single muffed catch by a Dawg receiver against Arky.  Is this a coincidence, luck, player determination, or coaching?  I dunno the answer to this one either, but it's a pretty big deal when you are in shootouts.

3) Opposing QB Heroics: We've now played back-to-back games in which the opposing QB had a breakout performance.  As it happens, both these gents were VHT prospects who for various reasons never much got it done until they played the Dawgs.  There are possible explanations other than Georgia defensive ineptitude or the shootout character of the games: the notoriously immobile Mallet gave up the chili-cheese-fries and lost about forty pounds, and Garcia seems to have, you know, grown up.  If they go on to become big program-defining stars, then perhaps our defensive performances in these two games won't seem so damning.  We'll have to wait and see.

4) Most Underrated Big Play: One very big play in the Arky game that I haven't seen anyone mention was when Richard Samuel snaked his arm underneath a ton of Hawgs to recover his own fumble deep in our territory in the fourth quarter.  There was confusion, since it appeared originally that the refs were calling him down, but the replay showed he fumbled and somehow recovered.  This was when we led 49-41, and right before the great Butler punt that led to our final FG.  I submit this is was as big a recovery as Thomas' in the Cackalackey game after Cox got sacked and fumbled.   Samuel, of courrse, shouldn't have fumbled in the first place, but I'm very glad he got it back. 

If I missed any other little-mentioned factors, please add some in the comment thread. 

Go Dawgs!