Georgia Bulldogs to Scrimmage on Wednesday; Dawg Sports to Panic Right Now
by T Kyle King on Aug 24, 2010 9:53 PM EDT
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PrintBy now, you know the drill: Seth Emerson impartially reports over at the Bulldogs Blog, after which I overanalyze what he has described with my own unique brand of panic, because that’s just how I roll. Here is Seth’s latest, regarding Wednesday’s scrimmage:
The coaches will be in game position, the booth or the sidelines. They’ll play at least 30 minutes like a real game, transitioning from defense to special teams and so forth. They’ll go so far as simulate a coin toss. . . .
It’ll be simulated to the extent that it’ll be the Georgia players going against the scout team simulating Louisiana-Lafayette. So if "Georgia" wins the toss, it could elect to receive and Aaron Murray and company will go against the scout team. And vice versa.
But they will also interrupt play to simulate some game conditions, like an onside kick. . . .
Asked to name their punt return guys, Richt said AJ Green, Branden Smith and Carlton Thomas, Bacarri Rambo and Logan Gray.
I don’t know about you, but I’m liking this immensely. For one thing, having the coaches in game position will assuage my previous fears. For another, I’m glad to see them anticipating an onside kick. I don’t want to get overly worked up about Pelican State schools which previously had two directional indicators in their names, but the 2005 Louisiana-Monroe game still chaps me.
The visiting Indians trailed only by a 17-0 margin at halftime of their September 17, 2005, visit to Sanford Stadium, but the Bulldogs were set to receive the kickoff to start the third quarter. Unfortunately, the Red and Black were caught napping when ULM got the second half underway with a surprise onside kick. The visitors recovered and drove for the touchdown against a Georgia defense that hadn’t expected to be on the field at all. The score cut the lead to ten points, and, although the ‘Dawgs went on to claim a 44-7 victory, the whole thing still burns me, so I’m glad we’re getting ready for that kind of skullduggery trickery.
Finally, while that list of punt returners went on one name too long, I’m glad to see that a special teams philosophy more akin to Urban Meyer’s has taken root in the Classic City. The kicking game is to football what the yellow light is to a traffic signal: it isn’t on for long compared to the other two alternatives, but, boy, it makes a big difference when it is. Big plays get made on special teams, so big-time players need to be on the field when footwear accosts pigskin.
In sum, I find no fault with the Georgia Bulldogs based upon this latest report. Does that make you as nervous as it makes me?
Go ‘Dawgs!
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The punt returners list went on one name too long?
Come on, who are we going to get when you absolutely, 100% have to have a punt fair-caught?
Hmm i actually thought he was talking about AJ Green,
cause he has been off the field with injury way too much for my comfort. But hey i guess we are gettin’ him for only one more year anways.
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.
I Corinthians 9:24
by Southern Dawg on Aug 24, 2010 11:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Nah, vineyarddawg was right.
If our most electrifying offensive player says he’s healthy enough to return punts and he wants to do it, then, by all means, give him a chance. The evidence of A.J. Green’s inability to do something to which he has set his mind is scant, at most.
Urban Meyer puts his best players on special teams. How’s that working out for him?
Go 'Dawgs!
by T Kyle King on Aug 24, 2010 11:23 PM EDT up reply actions
I'll be alot happier
When I see the coaches handle a fake punt we can all see coming… watching them bungle these over the last few years has been one of the most infuriating things I have ever experienced.
"I want anything wearing red and black to tear the head off anything that isn't."
- Lewis Grizzard
by RedCrake on Aug 24, 2010 11:14 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
YOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!
Watch him crank it, Levitical style.
Seriously how long does it take you to think up these?
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.
I Corinthians 9:24
Some of them just come to me, the way "Greenzo" just popped into Jack Donaghy's head.
Some of them are expressions I actually use. (I have a seven-year-old and a two-year-old in my household, so finding creative ways to curse without actually cursing is a necessary skill.)
The rest of them are just random combinations that strike me as funny, after the fashion of a Bill Brassky joke joining disparate elements (“He killed Wolfman Jack with a trident!”). My wife (a world history teacher) and I actually discussed some of the historical figures to use, resulting in the following exchange:
Susan: “What about Ramses? Is Ramses funny?”
Me: “Yes . . . but only if you call him ‘Ozymandias.’”
Go 'Dawgs!
by T Kyle King on Aug 24, 2010 11:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Ozymandias
Ozymandias? A laugh riot. King of kings my left foot, you colossal wreck mammylapper. I got your lone and level sands stretched right here.
Concerned
The report makes no mention of how Richt is preparing his players for the high-pitched squawk played over the stadium PA in the home stadium of our week 2 opponent, South Carolina.
I can just see it now, Garcia closes his eyes and throws a pass that Gurlee happens to catch. Our defense isn’t too shaken up about giving up one first down – COCKADOODLEDOOOO – Whoa, what was that?! What’s going on?! (The ball is snapped, Garcia completes another pass, the nightmare continues)
Don't worry; Coach Richt has it covered.
On the Friday night before the Bulldogs play in Columbia, he’s taking the team to see a Godzilla movie. That’ll get them accustomed to the shriek.
Go 'Dawgs!
by T Kyle King on Aug 25, 2010 12:04 AM EDT up reply actions
I'll be honest here.
The quote that really got me going wasn’t in this story of Seth’s, but in the one below it titled “Regarding Hutson.” The quote in particular that got to me is this one.
Head coach Mark Richt was asked Monday if a decision was forthcoming on whether Mason will redshirt.
"I guess we really haven’t thought much about it," Richt said.
Umm, really? We really haven’t thought much about it? You’re talking about one of the most important what if’s that the team currently faces, and the coaching staff hasn’t thought much about it? This set me back about eight months in my optimism and reminded me of last year.
I’ll say this: Richt needs to decide who is going to be his second string quarterback. We need to have a second-string quarterback prepared and ready to go into the game at a moment’s notice. Quarterback is the most important single position on the field, and I don’t want to leave any decisions about who will play if Murray goes down to the last second. If Logan’s at WR, then that should be the end of it.
I think he's blowing smoke
I simply refuse to credit that Richt has not thought about whether Mason is redshirting.
by first and thom on Aug 25, 2010 9:16 AM EDT up reply actions
I agree.
One thing I learned after the “Jacksonville is hotter for us than it is for them” comments is that Mark Richt’s dry sense of humor doesn’t come through well in print. I’d be very surprised if “I guess we really haven’t thought much about it” wasn’t said with a wry half-smile.
I think they have thought about it, and I think there is only one option: Hutson Mason will do mop-up duty in the fourth quarter of non-competitive games (I fully expect to see Mason under center in the fourth quarter against Louisiana-Lafayette, thus ending all speculation), but, unless Mason comes along quicker than expected, Logan Gray will be pressed into service at QB if (Heaven forbid) Aaron Murray loses time to injury.
Go 'Dawgs!
Soo does this mean
that we don’t usually simulate a real game when we scrimmage? Is this a new development?
They do real-time situations,
but it isn’t a “real game”, under most circumstances. The scrimmage part of it is more that the players are going live, as opposed to at a limited speed. For instance, they’ll put the teams in various situations and they start scrimmaging from there…the first team offense will stay on for five minutes (regardless of turnovers or touchdowns) and vice versa with the defense.
by hailtogeorgia on Aug 25, 2010 9:08 AM EDT up reply actions
Also,
this game is going to include SEC officials making the calls, as opposed to the coaches calling penalties.
by hailtogeorgia on Aug 25, 2010 9:48 AM EDT up reply actions
Simulating a real game, eh?
I hope the fact that I haven’t ordered a keg and didn’t burn my hand on the grill haven’t thrown things off track… But then again, I suspect they didn’t want an EXACT replica of gameday.
"I talked about retirement a little bit, but told them I'd be the same ol' grumpy, pissed off guy." --Bobby Cox
The day ain't over yet...
… you’d better get on the phone.
by vineyarddawg on Aug 25, 2010 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Guess I need to throw a pot of chili on the stove, too…
"I talked about retirement a little bit, but told them I'd be the same ol' grumpy, pissed off guy." --Bobby Cox
by Anthony Pace on Aug 25, 2010 4:12 PM EDT up reply actions
'05 La-Monroe
I recall whining on the Vent in the 3rd quarter of that game that Duke was beating their scrub worse than we were beating ours.
I love that ’05 team, as we all should, but boy did they ever have a knack for putting it in cruise control.
According to Georgiadogs.com
Rambo crunk that Soulja Boy for a 66 yard interception return for TD. I hope to see that MANY times this season.
And the results are in...
… The 1’s and 2’s beat the scout team 38-0. And they only played one half. (The official score was 38-24, but Richt spotted UL-L 21 points and counted a missed FG.) So, the question is… how much better is UL-Lafayette than our scout team? Normally, I would say that our scout team shouldn’t be too much worse than their first team.
But damn, those results are so positive, they’re making me start to worry. You know, when the dress rehearsal is perfect, that’s usually not a good sign.
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