Duck - wrote

I know some get upset when I mention coaching, but we have the players, and if we can not or continue to lose to top 20 teams, then who am I suppose to blame. I also say that if USC, Missz, Fla, ect score 28 or more points on us , then I will no longer be a fan of CTG. There comes a time when you look and the players, the talent, and if we still continue to lose to top 20 teams and get scored on by 28 or more points, then there again its coaching or lack there of.

There comes a time when you look and the players, the talent, and if we still continue to lose to top 20 teams and get scored on by 28 or more points, then there again its coaching or lack there of.

I have felt pretty much the same way last few years...... there is no more excuses about lack of depth, lack of experience blah blah..if we don't win the bottom line is it falls on the coaches. There should be no team that has more talent on the schedule than UGA.

duck, here is hoping that the knee surgery went well. Guess maybe it did if you are back upstairs . . . wow.

Sometime back there was conversation about Grantham and how long he should be allowed to get his "house in order". I can understand and accept the first two years, converting from (almost)strictly four man fronts to three man fronts taking a period of time.

Along with Grantham, there were other changes in the coaching ranks on the defensive side, major changes in my opinion. The other defensive coaches had to get into the "grand scheme" of Grantham's way of doing things. These coaches have never worked with or under Grantham, same with the players . . . . it was a period of watching a lot of film, lots of technique and position work on the field. Coaches and players had to learn how to play it "Grantham's way".

Here is where I go with that . . . . . The current players that are responsible for how this defense performs this year have really stepped up and said they "believe" that they are a top five, maybe even the best defense in the country. That comes from the players, not the coaches. Almost to a man they say they understand what Grantham, Olivadotti, Lakatos and others have been taking to the practice field each and every practice and schooling these young men.

My biggest concern truthfully is if for some reason Grantham leaves the program, that would create a huge void in my mind. He is a teacher first, and a good teacher is 99% of the time a great motivator. Many things were said after the "explosion" in Nashville after the Vanderbilt game. One of the positives that came out of that "face off" is our defense new that this was not WM. Grantham is a shadow of no one, Grantham is Grantham.

Appears to me that this defense is two deep, not going to bring up the same things that many of the media are doing. All I have to say about the suspensions is this . . . Coach Grantham says "next man up" and it has been a motivating factor for the young folks entering UGA and wearing the Red and Black. Coach Grantham looks ahead, does not dwell on the negative.

Below is a young man that has joined ranks with UGA sitting in the same booth with Coach JTII. Down this way we are familiar with Sherman Armstrong. You won't hear a lot about him during football season, but I will guarantee everyone this, he will make these young players better. Great get for UGA.

www.georgiadogs.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/...trong_sherman00.html

duck probably did not answer your question. I will now. This defense under Grantham and his coaches are going to make the folks in Columbia, South Carolina miserable this year. Spurrier and Franklin wanted it, they are going to get it.

Buc, I hear you on the D, my problem is that can and will the players back up their mouth. If you will remember, they ran their mouths in the SEC championship about they were the best D. To their credit they did back it up for 2 quarters. Got blown out the 2nd half. We go to the bowl game against a big
10 team that we should have beaten by 14, they come out the 2nd half and run us off the field. It just seems to me we have players that only want to play 2 quarters of ball. We have the same group returning that played 2 quarters of outstanding D only to give out the middle of the 3rd and the 4th quarters. Will they be in better condition this year, I don't know, I hear so, but for me the proof is in the playing.

duck, I am going to assume that you have played football, think I saw where you mentioned that once upon a time. Older I get, the less I remember 5 minutes ago.

Going to play a game with you, if you are willing.

Name one player on our defensive side that you would swap for a player on South Carolina's side. Go through the entire 11 players. Remember I understand that you are trying to point out coaching. I am not against that, discussing personnel on the field in pads at this point.

Next exchange would be this . . . . what defensive coach on UGA's side would you exchange for one on the South Carolina side.

Would also say this . . . . have listened to many in the media bring up the fact that we were all over (excuse the following language) LSU's ass for one half. Name one team that has been that hard or progressive against LSU other than ALABAMA.

duck, can only speak for myself. I watched Erk for more years than I can count take young men and produce a defense that had more to do with UGA wins than VD's production on offense with three yards and a cloud of dust. Young men that were inspired to play football in Sanford Stadium. I try not to do that, know that many on this board grew up with VD. VD in fact did not or does not come close to what Mark Richt has done. That is a fact.

You know that I do not harbor any ill feelings one way or the other about how you feel. That is what this board is all about, or should be.

Todd Grantham is the best "teacher" in the short span of time he has been in Athens that I have witnessed watching UGA Football in all of my years. Brother, when he departs it will be a damn sad day in Athens and Merritt Island, Florida. I watched this happen with Erk, many on this board were too young to know what had happened . . . I remember. The Stadium in Athens is Sanford Stadium, if that changes, so will my feelings.

One more statement . . . why are all of the publications and talking heads talking about UGA's Defense and Todd Grantham . . . . with all of the powerful backfield additions we have added in the past two or three years to the offense, why are we not pointing out the offense. You have made mention of AM. I have tried to stay away from that. Would you (duck) want to stand behind what AM has had to do and take the beatings he has taken? What about this year, do you or anyone else want to guarantee AM that we are ready on the offensive line?

Go Dawgs, Coach'em up!

Buc, I was on board with CTG and I still think he has done an outstanding job. I guess, I have been reading to many other quotes from other sports writers not associated with UGA. I have read several statements from others about our great D pading stats against week teams. What did our D do against BS, USC, Vandy, Fla, LSU, MS. For me, our D did win the Vandy game, but let it get out of hand, the D did lose the MS game, and almost let a weak Fla team come back and win. So you see, I read this and start to think, maybe we do still have problems.

I don't know Buc, I am not saying that CTG is not the best thing since Erk, he is, I love his fire and his desire to win. I just know that this year, we have the horses, and we should be 2 to 3 deep and every position. I am just being skeptic until we beat our first top 20 team and not let someone like Vandy or KY score 28 to 35 points on us. I am so tired of the media giving us high ranking and such, then on the other hand, come back and say well UGA has not beaten a top 20 team in 2 years.

It is just a catch 22, you want to believe that this is the year, and that all the pieces are in place, the coaches are on the same page and we will not lose. As you know, I am not the type to just jump on the band wagon and say we'll win 11 games this year, blow everyone out, make SS at USC eat crow. I just take one game at a time, and hopefully over the course of 4 to 5 games I can judge how good we are or just how ordionary we are.

Oh, as for your question about changing coaches, would not change any of ours for any of USC. Last year, they just had the better players than we did, not coach. Will be interesting to see how our two D stack up this year. USC is getting a lot of attention about their D as well and the O, with Shaw. Just saw a sports breif with SS and said that with Garcia gone, Conner Shaw will make USC a great offensive team.

Really hard to predict wins and losses this day and time. Many years back we could come reasonably close on those we should/would beat and the games we figured to be tight. There are too many quality athletes in the football "business" these days for any one school to rule the roost. Although Alabama might strongly disagree with the last statement.

SS could be on the mark with Shaw being better than Garcia. Garcia was "all that" in high school in the Tampa area, had one serious problem that does not need to be discussed here, it however prevented Garcia from being special in college. We have witnessed that at UGA also.

I mentioned on this board when UGA received AM's signature to play for the Red and Black that he was a gunslinger. That to a point has proven to be true. I don't believe that he has had all of the necessary parts to be alll he could be. I will also say that he has tried to be "more" than he is on more than one occasion. I would love to see AM use the folks around him, rely on the other players to do their jobs and not push the envelope.

This season I do believe from all I can gather, IC is going to be more than a handful. He flat out did not know the play book last season and if you don't know where you are supposed to be, creates problems for the entire unit. Saw too much of that, had me screaming at the Television, was not the TV's fault. I also believe that IC has had a rude awakening about the amount of time he will spend in the UGA backfield, Mark Richt has let him know that he is on pace with the way Grantham does things. Next man up. I like the fact that Richt appears to have had a "attitude" change, look what the "attitude" change did for our defense. (Willie vs. Grantham).

Not really fretting about the suspensions at the beginning of the year duck, there are a lot of SEC caliber players residing in Athens and it only helps us, not hurt us in the long run. This is what creates that "two deep" lineup that has proven all too often to bear fruit.

Sorry to be so long. This year will tell all of us a lot about where we are when we discuss players and coaches. Can't hide from facts whether in the press box or on the field playing and coaching, out there for all to see. Defense says they are ready, not hearing a lot from the Offensive side, that could be a very good thing for both units.

Malcom Mitchell the first true two way player since Richt has been coaching.

dogbytesonline.com/malcolm-mitchell-geor...r-under-richt-58094/

The D will be just fine this year..........we are 2 and 3 deep at most positions, so when Bobo runs it up the gut for a 3 and out we can at least put some fresh legs in to give the starters a rest. That was the problem that I saw last year. Not enough depth at key positions, so late in the game our D had the hands on hips look. Hope to see very little if any of that this year combined with our S&T program.

Talent on both sides of the ball, so this year it is on the coaching staff as to how well this highly touted team will do.

Me I have bought into our D but still will not drink the kool-aid of a Bobo run O.