Post-game reflections on Georgia Bulldogs loss to the chickens
By Beau Bock
I just watched every play of the Tennessee-Oklahoma first half, and I couldn’t tell you one thing about what I thought I saw… I was sick; felt like I had been sucker-punched after watching the Georgia Bulldogs flush one away in muggy, rainy air of Williams-Brice Stadium.
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Our Dawgs did just about everything wrong, came from behind and were only four yards away from going in front for the first time, with only four minutes left in the operation. Here we were, the proud purveyors of the finest running back in America, backed up by the deepest pigskin-luggin’ corps in the country; so, whadda we do…we stick it in the belly of number 3, three times, right?
Nah, suddenly Mike Bobo had the brilliant idea of making a video for the Jimmy Fallon show, and performed a ‘now you see it, now you don’t’ trick. He went play action, the DE wasn’t taking the bait, and forced Hutson Mason to squirt gravy, just for an instant, and grounding the ball.
Now, someone’s gonna have to explain to me how that was grounding when it came within inches of the heels of a crossing receiver, but so be it, ‘Grounding’ was the call, but we shouldn’t have put ourselves in peril with that call.
Getting back to the ‘Best Back in America’ – in that situation Todd Gurley should not have been used as a decoy, he should have been regarded as the nuclear button. Press the pig in his gut three times, using clock as you go, causing the Ol’ Ball Coach to spit and gurgle and drool all over himself, watching Gurley drag about three ‘Cocks over the goal line with him.
I hate to be accused of taking a shot at Coach Bobo, because I really like the guy. I believe he is one of the better offensive coordinators in the nation, even though he gets little credit here at home. He simply made a mistake tonight. He’d been so antsy trying to come back, time and again against the ‘Cocks, only having South Carolins respond successfully to every Bulldawgs scoring foray.
You think you’re climbing the mountain and Carolina keeps answering. Your defense is exhausted, he felt he had to close the deal right then and there and made an emotional play choice. He didn’t pluck victory from the jaws of defeat, but he did not lose the game.
Y’know who lost the game..?
The game was lost by that fraud of a defensive coordinator who keeps showing up like a recurring nightmare. If Todd Grantham couldn’t coach his starters, how can you expect him to leave some secondary depth who know what’s going on out there.
Freshmen aside, the lack of defensive coaching over the last four years, leaves Jeremy Pruitt having to climb out of a deep hole. Our secondary didn’t play with confidence tonight since these young DBs only have five weeks of coaching to fall back on. Early on, we played zone and I was thinking that maybe it would be more natural and comfortable to put our guys in man coverage
Here’s your culprit for Georgia’s failed attempt at beating the Gamecocks in 2014. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
As it turns out, Coach Pruitt had us in zone, man, bump, clamp and combo coverages. It was too much to ask of a green, unseasoned bunch and they never did find their swagger…
The game was not lost by Bobo, just as Georgia didn’t lose an SEC Title in 2012, and a sure subsequent defeat of Notre Dame for the National Championship. Nor, did we lose that Alabama game by 5 or 10 yards, as acne impaired, young Dawg fans like to offer.
That game, SEC Title and Crystal Trophy was lost by Grantham when he conceded 350 overland yards to the Crimson Tide running backs Most of those yards came on one play, behind two tight ends that they ran over and over due to Grantham’s inability to determine what was wrong and make an adjustment.
Remember, Mike Bobo made all the right calls in that Alabama game; tonight he made a mistake. Now, instead of dictating our fate, we need help. But, our young secondary learned more tonight, than any Georgia defender has over the last 4 years.
AND, oh yeah, it woulda been nice if we coulda converted a chippie…. Y’know, the ability of a player to execute under pressure predicates the notoriety of his head coach and offensive coordinator
Usually, 35 should be enough to win!