Know Thy Enemy: How Do the Georgia Bulldogs and the Boise State Broncos Stack Up After Spring Football?
by T Kyle King on Apr 19, 2011 12:15 AM EDT
in Georgia Bulldogs Football
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PrintSince the focus of G-Day was getting ready for the season-opener in Atlanta against the Boise St. Broncos, it’s worth taking a moment to cast a glance across the continent to see what the pride of the WAC Mountain West was up to over the weekend. While Mark Richt was insistent that his coordinators not put anything new on film, Chris Petersen appears to have taken the opposite approach, pulling out all the stops so that the Georgia Bulldogs’ coaches will have no idea for what to prepare.
Among the wrinkles put on display by the Broncos were the hurry-up, the pistol formation, the tackle over formation (three offensive linemen on one side of the center and one offensive lineman on the other), the read option, and the traditional option on offense, and the 1-5-5, the 3-3-5, and nickelback blitzes on defense. Geraldo Hiwat was the clear offensive star for BSU, although another receiver of interest to Bulldog Nation is Kirby Moore, not because he is Bronco quarterback Kellen Moore’s brother, but because we had a Kirby Moore of our own.
Since there was some discussion of it in the comment thread, it is worth taking a look at Boise State’s projected starting offensive line, which looks like this:
- LT: Nate Potter (6’6", 293)
- LG: Joe Kellogg (6’2", 305)
- C: Thomas Byrd (5’11", 284)
- RG: Jake Broyles (6’4", 257)
- RT: Charles Leno (6’3", 249)
That could make for some interesting matchups if Todd Grantham makes good on his promise to field Kwame Geathers and John Jenkins on the defensive line at the same time.
Go ‘Dawgs!
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I've got a simple theory for games like this...
When one team features an OL with two players hovering around the 250 mark….
… prepare for an ass whoopin.
Spring HT/WT Numbers
Kyle, your OL numbers are old. The Spring numbers are:
LT: Nate Potter (6’6", 300)
LG: Joe Kellogg (6’2", 299)
C: Thomas Byrd (5’11", 288)
RG: Jake Broyles (6’4", 278)
RT: Charles Leno (6’3", 278)
Could you give us a short breakdown on which guys are
returning starters or new starters?
Just curious.
Starters
UGAVike, Broyles and Leno are new starters. Kellogg is a 2-year starter. Potter and Byrd are 4-year starters. Potter is a projected 1st round draft pick. Although Byrd is short, he is very smart, experienced and uses great leverage. He is a preseason 3rd team AA. This may come as a shocker to many but BSU had more preseason AA players than any other team except for Alabama. The criteria for these teams are equal, regardless of conference. BSU is loaded for 2011.
I'm just sayin..
If I played in a league against 10 yr olds, I’d be considered an All-American too.
How much of Leno's weight gain was in the chin?
Couldn’t resist.
Still, an average of 289-ish across the front looks really small, especially compared to Georgia’s starting 5, who average a shade under 336. Heck, Bruce Figgins is playing fullback at 6’4, 272. Of course, it could be that BSU is that rare school that doesn’t inflate the numbers. It reminds me of Bear Bryant’s old saying: “Fast guys get tired. Big guys don’t shrink.”
Looks like the Boise contingent has found this post.
In the early morning hours (east coast time), the Bronco victory options have a combined 55% of the vote.
I’m holding off on my 2011 season preview until closer to the season itself when we have more information, but at this point, it’s hard to get a good read on the game. I’m sure Boise’s line was at a weight disadvantage against Oklahoma and Virginia Tech, as well, and they managed to overcome that handicap.
At this point, I’d lean towards a narrow Georgia win, but that’s just because I’m biased. It’s probably closer to a toss-up than I think.
I agree with you there
It’s not like our guys are that much bigger on the defensive front than Virginia Tech and Oklahoma. While it can’t hurt to have that kind of size and explosiveness out there, that’s not the be all, end all.
To win the game I think we need to contain the option, pressure their QB as much as we did Zabransky the last time we played BSU, and execute offensively. That means no turnovers, Murray needs to have a typical game, and we need to have our run game be a threat.
Not to give you too much of a heads up,
although I’m sure Richt and the rest of your coaching staff are aware, but we rarely run the option if at all. Kellen’s a bada** but he’s slower than molasses.
Yeah, we've gotten a link from Scout's Boise State message board, . . .
. . . and an OBNUG commenter (not, it should be noted, an OBNUG site administrator, moderator, or other person listed on the masthead) who views Dawg Sports as just another Georgia version of OBNUG linked to the posting, with an encouragement to vote. Kevan and company do great work over there—-I have linked to OBNUG frequently, and I think Kevan would be the first to tell you that you won’t find an SEC partisan who has praised Boise State more consistently than me, dating all the way back to 2005 at Kyle on Football—-but I’d like to think we’re not just running any ol’ weblog over here, either.
In any case, yeah, vineyarddawg, you’re right; it’s the Jorja Fox poll all over again, it seems.
Go 'Dawgs!
by T Kyle King on Apr 19, 2011 11:18 AM EDT up reply actions
I don't think you have to worry about that
Dawg Sports is clearly a cut above in the stories that are posted here compared to the majority of blogs out there. Not to say that it’s the best because that would be a slight to other blogs, but that I think you and the others here do a great job of researching before you post an article, as well as being fair to opposing teams. As Georgia fans, I think most of us have been brought up to be pessimistic regarding our team from listening to Munson so many times where if I hadn’t known that we were beating the team by 4 TD’s I’d think we were about to lose the game.
Jake and Charles are actually both about 280
And very athletic. Should still be a battle in the trenches though.
i love you braham
"One thing I will never do as long as I’m at Georgia is lose to Florida." - Herschel Walker
Yes, but "Ball" is replaced with "Dive Play, Futile and Obvious Reverse, and then Hopeless Deep Throw."
by first and thom on Apr 20, 2011 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions
No, I've seen that shirt....
and it’s no longer for sale in the Gainesville area. All the leftover shirts were boxed up and shipped to Philly.
most excellent
"One thing I will never do as long as I’m at Georgia is lose to Florida." - Herschel Walker
omg
i need the address to find this shirt.
and CMB’s address.
OMG – i love it.
"One thing I will never do as long as I’m at Georgia is lose to Florida." - Herschel Walker
Well,
I parked myself squarely in the Boise State delivers a beatdown, revenge style. Not because it’s what I think will happen, it’s what I want to happen. And that is more important to me. That and this poll and my vote won’t affect the outcome anyway.
I do think Boise State now and Boise State back in The Game We Do Not Speak Of, are vastly different in terms of talent and mindset. Zabransky was nowhere near the level of play that Kellen is at now. As is the rest of the team. It’ll be tougher to rattle Moore, Nevada and TCU have both showed it can be done (Moore’s only two losses are these). I trully think it’ll be more of the style of the Va. Tech game; come out early, lose the lead, fight back for a close win. Either way a blowout is implausible to me. Boise State hasn’t been blown out since 2005, fittingly enough, they get to right that wrong.
What I think will turn Dawg fan’s heads in early September will be the Bronco Defense. They are nasty. And what you don’t glean from Kyle’s quick breakdown is that they dominated one of the best returning offenses in the country in their Spring Game. Led by Heisman candidate Kellen Moore, the Offense lost 21-13. Be wary of that. These slow, small, weak boys in Boise can flat out play football.
I can’t wait for September!
Championships should be earned on the field, not in newspapers or computers.
On Spring Games
I ignore them. Every spring game victory is also a spring game defeat. It would be equally plausible to say that the vaunted offense is nowhere near as strong as it should be because the BSU defense held it in check.
Everything depends on the premise that BSU’s offense is great. But who knows? Moore is a stud (we all know that), but it takes more than Moore.
Don’t hear me to say that I think this one will be easy, or even that UGA will win. I’m staking out the more modest proposition that spring games are little more than a temptation to draw sweeping conclusions from a small and intentionally-polluted sample.
We’ll take your best shot and give you ours, too. Memories, like traditions, run long down here and we are thirsty for a repeat of 2005.
by first and thom on Apr 19, 2011 10:51 AM EDT up reply actions
I completely agree
Spring games are not a good indicator of how well your team will play in the fall. However, even though everyone else in the nation wants to think it’s the Kellen Moore show up here in the Northwest, we have had and will continue to have a complete team on both sides of the ball. Your O-Line better bring their A game.
our D-Line isn't too shabby either
DE Shea McClellin 6’3 258
DT Billy Winn- 6’4 295
DT Chase Baker 6’1 296
DE Tyrone Crawford 6’4 276
Um...I'm not sure anyone was actually complementing your Offensive Line.
It’s combined total weight is only 395 pounds heavier than Georgia’s Defensive Line….and your O-Line also has 5 men. Our D-Line only has 3.
The way I personally interpreted Kyle’s “Interesting Matchups” comment was, “It will be interesting to see how much our D-Line completely towers over the BSU midget* squad.”
So…..there’s that.
*Sorry, I meant to say, “Little Person”
The King is dead. Long live the King!
by Afghan Dawg on Apr 19, 2011 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Don't get it
What is it with everyone down south talking up size and numbers so much. Is that all you have to brag about? It really just sounds like you’re all compensating in some way. Let the play on the field speak for itself come September.
The prospect of fielding packages featuring defensive linemen who weigh . . .
. . . 340 and 360 pounds, respectively, will get a fan base focused on the size of mountainous nose tackles.
Go 'Dawgs!
by T Kyle King on Apr 19, 2011 11:12 PM EDT up reply actions
To act like it's irrelevant is even more annoying
The reason why we care about size and numbers is because our teams have gotten dominated at times by the types of players that we have now. Marcel Dareus, Nick Fairley, Mount Cody, etc. The reason why we’re excited is that we have a big nose tackle coming in from a JUCO (same one Fairley came from, he actually took over for Fairley) that seems to be just what Grantham ordered for his 3-4. Last year we were playing people that were not big enough to be a nose tackle in a 3-4 in that position. This year, we can move those guys out to end where they’re more suited for it.
So yeah, we’re not obsessed with size and numbers any more so than you’re in denial that they mean something. I’ve said before they’re not the be all, end all.. David Pollack was one of our best players and he was not the fastest player, the strongest, etc but he never quit and he played out of his mind every single play. Teams still have to execute and play hard, every single play. That being said, I’ll take a big, athletic, fast team that plays hard every single play, than a undersized, shorter, fast team that plays hard every single play.
by andycapps on Apr 20, 2011 9:22 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
bad tweeter David Pollack )
"One thing I will never do as long as I’m at Georgia is lose to Florida." - Herschel Walker
As a generalized group...
… one of the primary sets of position players that separate SEC teams from those in other conferences is the fact that our “big uglies” on the line of scrimmage are not only huge, but fast as well.
In the past, an undersized player could make up for his lack of size with quickness and agility, out-positioning himself against a larger opponent, and thereby gaining the tactical advantage on most plays. In the SEC, however, the defensive and offensive lines are huge, but they also as a generalized group are just as fast and agile as the small guys from other conferences’ teams.
So, if you now re-draw the tale of the tape, consider men of equal speed and agility, with the only difference being that one group is 30-40 pounds smaller than the other, it should be clear why SEC teams generally have a great pass rush against out-of-conference foes from BCS conferences.
There are always exceptions to this rule, of course… but on the whole, it’s a pretty accurate assessment.
(I can not believe I just used the “ESS EEE CEE SPEED” argument.)
by vineyarddawg on Apr 20, 2011 10:06 AM EDT up reply actions
You sure did use that argument
But it is true. I guess that was my main point. If you can have the same speed and quickness in a guy that is 30-40 pounds heavier and several inches taller, why wouldn’t you want that instead?
No offense to Boise
but if this line can contain UGA’s running game, it is going to be a long, long season.
Seeing as Georgia’s run blocking TEs (White and Lynch) and starting FB (Figgins) are almost as big/bigger than Boise’s DEs, there is no reason for them not to generate a push into the second level on every run play.
Exactly
On paper it should look like Moses parting the Red Sea when we run the ball. I’m hoping that Ben Jones and Co. have a great season and that he has those guys whipped up into a frenzy for the first game, as I know he’s been won’t to do so far this preseason. Hoping we can play some smashmouth football to wear out their defense and that the field will really open up for us when we do that.
By saying the above, I’m really looking for the emergence of Big Bad John and for the coming of Crowell and to see what he can do. Ken (Boo) Malcome seems to be a north-south runner that can bruise a defense, King cannot do that. Ealey, God knows what Ealey can do.. Crowell will hopefully be able to do that and to make people miss.
Yeah Boo has the potential to really be a great 4th quarter tailback.
Of course, I said the same thing about Washaun after the Tech game in 2009. But he still has a chance to do good things if he has his head screwed on right. Bottomline, the best possible outcome for us against Boise is to come out, grab a lead, then settle in and run the ball snap after snap to end the thing. We also would do well to force some mistakes, but I have to be honest, I haven’t seen Kellen Moore make a lot of mistakes these past couple of years. That’s worrisome.
All of the above is true
Yet it’s always hard to tell how good BSU is until they play the slate that we do. Of course, they don’t control what teams they play, and they would probably do fine in a BCS conference after some adjustment to the types of athletes they’d face in 9 games out of the year.
All I’m saying is that if Kellen Moore had put up those stats on a team such as Auburn, Alabama, South Carolina then I’d have a better measuring stick to evaluate them by. As it is, in my eyes it has a giant asterisk next to it as those stats are mainly against teams that are below the caliber of competition of UGA or other BCS conference schools. I’m not saying that Moore isn’t legit or that BSU isn’t legit, but that I just don’t know how legit they are yet. If it makes BSU fans feel better about this post, I am worried about the game and I look at it as anything but a guaranteed victory.
as a Boise State fan...
that was probably the most level headed argument about the Boise State SOS, it is true we dont have the toughest schedule but as you mentioned that is something that is for the most part out of our control… I have to say after reading these comments I am impressed by you guys, this is some intelligent football talk with little “my team is better than your team” garbage, which is rare on these blogs, I think it will be a very good game and not an easy one for either team… good luck to you guys this season (after the first game of course!)
by lifelongbronco on Apr 21, 2011 12:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Thanks, lifelongbronco.
We try to keep the discourse at a high (or, at least, civil) level, and, if you look through the site archives here, I think you’ll find we generally have given the Broncos their due.
Good luck to y’all, as well; I hope Boise State goes 12-1! :)
Go 'Dawgs!
by T Kyle King on Apr 21, 2011 12:54 PM EDT up reply actions
Thanks for the compliment
And for noticing that I wasn’t trying to be condescending or an “SEC homer.” And I agree with Kyle, I hope you guys go 12-1.
I am very much thinking about coming to the BSU/UGA game in Atlanta but I’m in Ohio and already planning on coming down for the UGA/Auburn game in Athens later in the year, so not sure if I’ll be able to swing that.
Keep the game in front of us
Moore is tremendously talented and will make his throws. A lot comes down to safety play, but I don’t think we’ll lose a game where Moore has to throw all game long. Their OL will have to double team at least one of BBJ or KG, which lets us get good ILB pressure without having to blitz from the outside. Also, let’s blitz from the outside and let Apocalypse Drew loose.
On O, I want to run at their strength. BSU puts stock in their DTs. Let’s run at them, big on big. If we can win the individual matchups there, everything else gets easier. Also, given the size differential, I expect to see Orson Charles out wide and motioning into the line, giving us the chance to run against nickel. If they stay in base defense, he can release.
I expect a battle, and I think we can win if we slow the game down.
by first and thom on Apr 19, 2011 3:54 PM EDT up reply actions
If everyone will recall...
… Erk Russell’s “Junkyard Dawgs” defenses were undersized, as well. It’s not always about the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.
We’ll just have to see how they perform on gameday.
by vineyarddawg on Apr 19, 2011 4:10 PM EDT up reply actions
We should be able to whip them on the line
That doesn’t mean we will. We’ve lost to opponents who were much less physically equipped than our guys before. Mississippi State springs to mind. Boise State is very fundamentally sound, and each seems to know his assignment on any given play like the back of his hand. Throw in the fact that they believe they have something to prove, and it could be a long day for the Dawgs if they don’t come ready to play.
That being said. I’d love nothing more than to throttle another mid-major in front of a large audience. Boise’s always irked me for some reason. Maybe it’s the color scheme.
Sic 'em Dawgs
by ClassicCityDawg on Apr 19, 2011 10:20 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
The thing is...
you’re not acknowledging that 2 of the 4 starting DL are pre-season all-americans (Winn 2nd team and McClellin 3rd team). With that said, the other two aren’t far behind them. This DL is going to the best we’ve ever had and it isn’t just the starters. Michael Atkinson coming back from suspension is an excellent backup at 330+ lbs. Playing well doesn’t necessarily require you to be the biggest. When you watch Winn shake off a 300+lb guard and take down your QB or RB behind the LOS in 1.5 seconds, you’ll know what I mean.
If he acknowledges that they're on a preseason All-American list in April . . .
will you acknowledge that preseason All-American lists formulated 5 months before the season starts are incredibly premature? And that being a “nationalchamps.net All-American” is to being an “All-American” as having a Cracker Jacks secret agent decoder ring to being a “spy”? Because I think that sounds like a fair trade.
To elaborate...
Winn was an All-American in 2010 as well. Plus the only other AA DT in the country that didn’t graduate or go pro is Jared Crick. McClellin wasn’t an AA in 2010 but none of the AA DE’s are returning in 2011. McClellin had a solid 8.5 sacks and 12.5 TFL in 2010 (http://www.cfbstats.com/2010/team/66/sack/index.html). He’s undersized but he makes up for it with his intensity and technique. My point was that the DL is the biggest strength on the Broncos that everyone underestimates. For Georgia to win they’re going to have to score some points because we all know the Broncos will score. The key to their offensive game plan is won or lost in being able to have their way with the Bronco DL. Sorry boys, I just don’t see that happening.
Sounds a little cocky.
We don’t know anything. Either team is capable of winning this game. I expect that we will attack the DL because of our size advantage. We don’t have to “have our way” to win – a normal amount of give-and-take gives us plenty of chances to control the clock and move the chains. We’ve played against some pretty good DTs in our day.
by first and thom on Apr 20, 2011 1:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Hey
You all started trashing our DL as if they are the scum of the FBS. If you can’t run on them then “it’s going to be a long, long season”. If you can’t run on them maybe that’s because they can play ball with the best in the country, give them a little credit. And if you do have a bad game running the ball, it doesn’t mean that you won’t still succeed in the SEC East, only South Carolina had a rush defense in the top 30 last season so don’t fear. The Broncos have had a top 30 rush defense in every season since 2006 except 1. Over that period we played some good offensive rushing teams like Nevada, Fresno St., TCU, Oregon. My point was, don’t look down on the DL like they’re trash because they’re actually pretty good and one of the biggest overlooked strengths of our team’s success. I really am not that cocky about my team and any game could always be a loss. Obviously, this game is huge for us and we all have the utmost respect for any team from a big 6 conference, especially the SEC.
I know you may be a little touchy...
…given (1) the traditional lack of BCS cred from others (you get it from us) and (2) lingering memories of last time you came to Athens. If we decide to trash talk your DL, it will be a little more explicit.
We are looking forward to playing you guys. You have our full attention, and I know of no higher tribute we can pay.
by first and thom on Apr 20, 2011 2:53 PM EDT up reply actions
"trashing our DL as if they are the scum of the FBS."
Ok, see here’s where I ask you to pull actual language out of any of the posts you responded to and show me which of them treated that DL as “the scum of the earth.” I saw some people say they were undersized, and question their selection to a cheesy website All-American team. I saw first and thom refer to them as the strength of your team. But I somehow missed the scum of the earth part. Go ahead. Show me where the bad men touched you trashed your DL “as if they are the scum of the FBS.”
I stand by my previous assessment.
This lot has an inferiority complex that makes Georgia Tech look like a big brother.
by vineyarddawg on Apr 20, 2011 4:45 PM EDT up reply actions
But Kyle King voted them #1 to open the season on his blogpoll ballot.
Egad! What more do you people want out of life? Door-to-door unicorn valet service?
I love Ben Jones
Dude has ice water in his veins and fire coming out of his eyes. I hope he can get our OL as pumped up as he is constantly.
Boise played two single-digit games last year
And in both of them, they gakked up 17-point leads. If we’re serious about this whole playing all four quarters thing, I like those odds.
"playing for all four quarters thing"
That right there plus year 2 of Grantham are the things about which I am by far the most curious regarding 2011. I know I’m not the only one. And the two are overlapping considerations.
I think Kellen Moore played a total of 2 4th quarters last year too.
by 4EverBleedBlue on Apr 20, 2011 5:12 PM EDT up reply actions
Um, I think his point was that if it's close in the 4th it will mean . . .
things have not gone according to the Broncos’ usual script.
Hello, my name is Boyd Abateman, the Boise State Fan.
Yeah, it rhymes… wanna fight about it?
by vineyarddawg on Apr 21, 2011 9:10 AM EDT up reply actions
For the record...
I’m still not quite ready to talk about Boise State.
I’m truly still hungover from last year. And although there were some very positive signs from Spring camp and the G-Day game concerning our defense, I think I’m going to adopt the Tankertoadian Doctrine which is, in my estimation, most prudent. If we get through the next 19.5 weeks without the following, I might change my tack:
1. No off-season arrests take place (recruits notwithstanding).
2. No off-season injuries (bad Red & Black writing notwithstanding).
3. No Jersey selling to “collectors” who are actually whatever the NCAA says they are to justify whatever motives the NCAA has.
4. Anything else that can possibly go wrong (insert meme here _________________).
I’m usually not this negative, but until we actually beat someone (and Boise State certainly is that someone), I’m afraid I’m just going to have to adopt a wait-and-see attitude* without much bombast. 6 and 7 will do that to a person.
Anyone want to talk about food some more?
*Subject to change under the following circumstances: Our wide receivers actually learn to catch the ball consistently during two-a-days, Our offensive line gels, Big Bad John™ actually establishes himself as #1 Nose Tackle (which would truly mean he’s pretty damn good) and a running back emerges.
"If we score, we may win. If they never score, we'll never lose."
-Erk Russell
Ban the word "emerges" from your vocabulary
Replace with “an appropriately-licensed runningback appears in compliance with all applicable rules and regulations, employing his blinker liberally, and obeying all signs and traffic control devices.”
by first and thom on Apr 19, 2011 4:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Noted
and “emerge” needs to be a lexicon entry.
"If we score, we may win. If they never score, we'll never lose."
-Erk Russell
by DavetheDawg on Apr 19, 2011 4:38 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
But if the back applies his blinkers too liberally,
the Athens PD would probably arrest him for inappropriate flashing.
by Cherokee's Grip on Apr 19, 2011 4:28 PM EDT reply actions
Are Boise fans stuffing the ballot boxes on this poll?
Or do we have that many negative nancies?
They're stuffing the ballot box.
This posting was linked on SB Nation’s Boise State weblog, One Bronco Nation Under God, and on Scout.com’s Boise State message board.
It’s Jorja Fox all over again, I tell you!
Go 'Dawgs!
Ok, I'm starting to feel the annoyance finally begin to turn to hate.
A team wearing Florida’s colors, but with Georgia Tech’s massive inferiority “I gotta pee all over your stuff” complex.
/Urge to kill rising…
by vineyarddawg on Apr 19, 2011 10:41 PM EDT up reply actions
We also got a link . . .
. . . from The Sporting News.
The OBNUG gang is a quality bunch of guys, and the visitors to the site generally have been well behaved, so I’m not irked about it, but I wish more of the folks from out West would take the time to do their opposition research. I’ve consistently spoken well of Boise State, and I pegged the Broncos as my preseason No. 1 team last year, so I wish there was greater awareness of the fact that the above posting wasn’t written by some mouth-breathing SEC stereotype who thinks football was invented in the Confederacy.
Go 'Dawgs!
by T Kyle King on Apr 19, 2011 11:23 PM EDT up reply actions
They were like this last time too.
Though most Boise State fans don’t speak of their last trip to Georgia because it was too traumatic. Except for Jared Zabransky. That guy doesn’t speak of it because he literally has no memory of ever setting foot in Athens, Georgia, just fleeting nightmares of Dannell Ellerbee viciously attacking him again and again and again.
/The above smack expires in September, so I’m using it before it goes bad. Waste not, want not and all.
And, if I dare to hope...
…replace it?
by first and thom on Apr 20, 2011 10:45 AM EDT up reply actions
Go ahead and dare.
You know, if we lose and it’s close (other factors must be considered of course), I might not feel horrible. However, close losses have sometimes been treated as blow-outs in public perception (e.g., 2006 Sugar Bowl, 2008 Tech).
I'm not really concerned about their spring game gimmickry.
The coaches have a full season of film to review, and Boise will do what they always do, run their base offense out of multiple sets and throw in a few trick plays here and there. If Georgia is improved as much as they need to be on defense, I think tthey win. If not, and it’s pretty much the same defense we’ve seen the last two years, they won’t.
I'm not even seeing that much.
I’m getting “What A real Dawg in Idaho wears” in boldface, followed by Kent Cattron’s byline, with nothing except a line’s worth of white space in between.
Go 'Dawgs!
Oh, there's supposed to be something there?
I took it to be a joke, implying that a real Dawg in Idaho wears nothing at all. (Because, you know, it’s a real-life dog.)
by vineyarddawg on Apr 20, 2011 4:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Size of O & D line?
I hear a lot of speculation on the ability to run and on the size of the line as a sign of hope UGA may have some luck there.
My question to you Dawg fans is, are you lines better than VT’s? or TCU’s or even Oregon St, or Oregon’s?
Us Boise fans heard all preseason last yr how Tyrod and the 2 RB’s were the best running trio in the country and how much bigger their line was, but that didn’t turn out well for VT.
I don’t put a lot of stock on size as much as skill, strength and football knowledge. Boise’s DL has been considered one of the best in the country the last couple years.
If the running game doesn’t turn out well who are your receivers you’ll be counting on?
Cheers!
Tavarres King
will be a solid contributor, and is probably the most consistent WR on the roster. He is (obviously) a step down from AJ Green, but any receiver will be a step down from AJ.
Our number 2 receiver spot is the most uncertain. Should Marlon Brown decide to live up to his potential, he could have a great season. The coaches and other players also seem to be high on redshirt freshman, Michael Bennett, but he has no game experience. Branden Smith and Malcolm Mitchell will likely play a major role in the offense, either from the slot or in a scat-back type capacity. Other names to look for are Rantavious Wooten and Chris Conley.
However, outside of the actual WR position, there are two dangerous weapons that will line up at TE. Orson Charles is a freak athlete and will likely be lined up both to the side of the OT and in the slot. He is a mismatch for most linebackers or safeties and is very dangerous in space. Aron White is more of a “classic” TE when compared to Charles, but still has great hands and always seems to have a couple of clutch third and distance catches every game and is a legitimate redzone threat. Jay Rome is a highly touted recruit who will be coming in, but I think that our depth at TE may convince the coaches to redshirt him and extend his eligibility.
Also, our fullback is a converted TE, so I would expect to see that big man get the ball out of the backfield a couple of times.
So, that’s a pretty detailed breakdown of our pass-catchers. Only King, Charles and White are proven as of now, but there is a lot of talent and potential there to wreak havoc on defenses throughout the season.
About the lines
I think our line is better than Oregon State’s and probably VT’s. With my homer glasses on, I think we are better than Oregon and TCU, but I don’t really know. But here’s the thing: we play a pretty different style of ball with a different offensive philosophy and a different mode of blocking. We’re not a zone-read or option team. The offense is built around four major components (1) running between the tackles (2) running outside the tackles (3) play action; and (4) drop back passing. We turn to the screen game and passes to the FB to mix things up. The resulting blocking schemes are less fluid but can result in pretty overwhelming power at the point of attack. Also, by relying on TEs and FBs in the passing game, we create mismatches.
Nobody is so foolish as to think that we’re just going to line up and win by girth. We’ve got more respect for you than that. (At least for know, and especially when we don’t think about 2005). We also remember Utah in 2008.
But I think it safe to say that BSU has not played a team like ours in a while. The others you list are good (if not better), but their good is different.
by first and thom on Apr 20, 2011 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Motivation
Something that didn’t really get discussed a lot last year was the extent to which Georgia faced (and lost) an unusual number of “statement games” for opponents. That was true of the SC, Arky, MSU, Colorado and Liberty Bowl games. It’s no excuse for losing, of course, but it was a real if marginal factor.
Ironically, Georgia’s bad season, bad bowl game, and bad vibes for the coaching staff have made the Boise State tilt a “statement game” for the Dawgs, incessantly discussed by the players during the recruiting period and the spring. Logically, it’s the Carolina game that should be the focus for a season where winning the SEC East is both critical and entirely possible, but It’s All About Boise now, best as I can tell.
I know every game with a BCS conference power on national TV is a big deal for Boise State, but this time, I don’t think they are going to have any motivational edge.
by donkeydawg on Apr 20, 2011 8:36 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I don't know how much motivation UGA will have if they are focused on the sec instead of BSU.
I also know their is a huge difference in the attitude of bsu. The leadership of this team is going to be the difference… Petersen will not under-estimate uga and will pound it in to the players, with the help of Kellen Moore… what the country hears about Moore is his accuracy and stats… what bsu fans hear is how smart he is and how he prepare’s for games and how he gets the team ready… when we played in 05 we tried to go toe to toe with your larger athletes and we paid for it… now we will be beyond prepared, facing a team that is in my opinion a few steps behind your 05 squad…. on a side note, i’ve seen all these posts about our line and K. Moore, but nobody mentions Doug Martin… He was nicknamed the muscle hamster for a reason and is by early estimates the #3 RB in next years nfl draft… I can’t wait to see him go head to head with your LBs
Fair points, 84bsufan.
I don’t think motivation will be a problem for either team. There’s no question Georgia takes this game seriously; reminders about the Boise State game were on display at the Georgia athletics website and on the scoreboard at G-Day last week. Clearly, it’s being emphasized heavily in Athens.
This game is a big deal for both programs; the difference is that, in 2011, the roles from 2005 are reversed: this time, Boise State is the one looking to cement the national stature it has established over the last several seasons, and Georgia is the one looking to put its name (back) in the national conversation. It should be a great game, in any case.
Go 'Dawgs!
You think we might be a few steps behind our 2005 squad, huh?
You’re wrong. Dead wrong. Stone-cold dead wrong. And it’s a big deal.
We’re miles behind the 2005 squad. Unless “more than 10,000” is your definition of a “few,” then take your trolling elsewhere.
by first and thom on Apr 21, 2011 10:47 AM EDT up reply actions
The Dawg Sports guide to the care and feeding of muscle hamsters . . .
will be available from Schitcicker Press shortly. Mark your calendars.
Seriously guys?!??
We’re already comparing our line to theirs to show how much we’ll dominate? And we’re undergirding our argument with SEC athleticism talking points???
Look, I’m GA through and through; I wear a bowtie to every game; I take a date in a dress; and I can tell you almost every play we’ve run against SEC opponents and NATS in a given year. But we have a LOOONG way to go before our line stats prove a darn thing. For one, it all sounds suspiciously like last year, where our experience and size – especially with the return of The Luxury – would tear asunder opposing squads for dual 1000-yard rushers. And second, was it not this very weblog where Mark Richt was accused of dereliction of duty for coaxing only abysmal performance from what should have been superior athletes?
Guys, we need to take a pill. Our superior athletes got their faces ripped off by Mississippi State and Central Florida, and now we’re lining up against the team that stoned Oklahoma when it had Adrian Petersen. Let’s repeat that: Boise’s undersized whitebread lines dominated a top NFL running back and his huge O line for 4 quarters (he did get one—one—good run in OT). And now we’re sitting here, pointing at paper to show irrefutably that once that high school kid shows up in Athens, we’re going to shove him down their throat.
I’d agree with Kyle that the stats make the matchups "interesting," because that can mean anything. But looking at these comments, and I hate to say this—if Munson were here, he’d mistake this for a Bammer thread.
Which allows me to close on a Bammer note. Until I see otherwise, I’m staking out a Sabanite position and saying that our line, and our running game, haven’t proven sh…
by Krautdawg on Apr 21, 2011 10:11 AM EDT reply actions 2 recs
Your last line
Sounds more like Spurrier, and to be honest, that might be a better way of thinking. And it’s true, we’re very unproven in many aspects on the team. We have a lot of talent, at this point we’re going on “surely we can’t be as bad as last year” and “these offseason workouts are kicking our butts, Corch!”
The things that have me most excited so far are these younger defensive players posting pictures of Erk Russell and saying GATA on their Twitter accounts. If our defense can really transform and do what Erk used to live by, we’ll be okay. “If we score, we may win. If they never score, we’ll never lose.” We need our Junkyard Dawgs to step up next year and be tenacious and refuse to let teams score. All of their offseason workouts and being bigger than the other guy won’t keep them from scoring, but that cornered mentality and just refusing to give any ground will win games.
You realize that "the team that stoned Oklahoma" (and their running god)...
… had the same basic players as the team that got stoned in Sanford Stadium in the previous season, right? (Including the indomitable Ian Johnson and Jared Zabransky.) And anyway, that’s 2006… the Boise team from 2006 had zero players that will be on the field in 2011.
Plus, Georgia didn’t exactly “get its face taken off” by UCF and Mississippi State in 2010. Should we have beaten those teams? Sure. It’s not like we got blown out of the stadium, though. Every game we lost was one where we let the other team break a close game open and win in the fourth quarter.
by vineyarddawg on Apr 21, 2011 3:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Perhaps an explanation is in order.
Somehow, even though their trades probably cost me a job, I ended up with investment banker friends. And in their parlance, when someone who’s supposed to be weaker, smaller, or less experienced than you beats you at what you’re supposed to be better than them at, you’ve gotten your face ripped off.
So when our giant, strong, experienced line went into Starkville and [bowl location that I refuse to name], and couldn’t get a push against smaller, less experienced D lines, I argue they got their faces ripped off. Did we stay in those games? Sure, but not because of the superior line that (a) we had in both of those games and (b) this thread argues will carry the day against Boise.
That was the point. Outside of ’07, there’s been no evidence since around ’04 that our linemens’ superior measurements will translate into dominating performance. (Mercifully, Shockley, Moreno, & Murray saved us from the facing we often deserved.) This weblog, along with plenty of others, has, to put it gently, regularly mentioned our inability to capitalize on our metric superiority.
Somehow, however, despite our consistently subpar past performance, zero evidence that our line’s performance has improved (except spring practice quotables), and even the loss of Sturdivant, we’re here arguing that the superior measurements we’ve had all along will blow Boise off the line. Count me ardently meh.
Related to that point is that Boise appears to do the opposite. Sure, we stoned ‘em in ’05, and then Petersen took over and had tiny, slow Ian Johnson slicing through OU’s huge front 4 within a year. Petersen & Co. show up for big games against metrically superior competition; we’ve been lucky to hold our own even when our stats put us at an advantage.
Vineyard, I hope this year’s different. If we blow Boise off the line for 4 quarters I’ll buy you a bourbon, assuming I’m coherent enough to remember this bet and/or effect a transaction at that point. But for now I’ll remain Pauline and eschew what I see as false hope.
Different team, Same respect!
I wept last time we faced Georgia. Z was a great player, but sure got spooked between the hedges. I don’t think that will happen to Kellen. As a died-in-the-wool bronco fan I just hope our different (and better) team still has respect and care for going into a place like Georgia. Those bad boys are big. I do think bronconation will come out with a close win, but it will be a heart attack field goal that does it. Go Broncos, Respect to the Dawgs.
The thing about this game is this:
I honestly have about as much of a clue as to how Georgia will fare as I have about how long gas prices are going to stay artificially inflated. However…
…or was it Robert Goulet?
The areas of concern are well stated in the prior posts in this thread. Because of this, I can honestly say that I have absolutely no idea how we will ultimately perform against the Broncos. I don’t expect Kellen Moore to get rattled like “Z” did, either. But it’s still a “home game” with a partisan crowd. This cannot be totally discounted. I get last year’s win over Va. Tech at their home/neutral site, I do. But it’s a new season with new personnel for both teams.
Partisans. You want them on your side…
This is the biggest opener, in my opinion, since Clemson in ’02. That game paved the way for a great season, and solidified the successes of ’01.
This year, we are trying to regain what we had no so long ago. How far we have come and how far we have to go will be determined in a matter of hours in the Dome.
/Don’t look now, but I guess I’m ready to talk about Boise State…
"If we score, we may win. If they never score, we'll never lose."
-Erk Russell
Moore is a darn fine QB
He has the better record, better numbers, and better highlights. BSU has, as of today, the better QB. But Murray is on the same bus, and maybe in the same van, as Kellen Moore. If both play to their ability, there’s not that big a difference and we can make it up in a number of different areas of the field and on both sides of the ball.
I worry that Murray plays tight in big games. The great thing about the 2005 game (well, not the great thing, but one of the several) was watching Shock get out there and just play. Murray will have the stouter challenge, but I hope he can bring that same kind of ease to this one. A lot of that will depend on our ability to RDB.
by first and thom on Apr 22, 2011 2:09 PM EDT up reply actions
You definitely want Partizan on your side.
At least, you do if you’re sitting in their fans’ section.
by vineyarddawg on Apr 22, 2011 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm thinking
this could be a scene during the next Iron Bowl…’cept with real bombs and bullets and stuff.
"If we score, we may win. If they never score, we'll never lose."
-Erk Russell
by DavetheDawg on Apr 22, 2011 10:09 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
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