From Athens-This & That

Good Morning All,
Well the SEC media days have come and gone thank god for little favors.

The good news is we are one week to closer to Sept. 1 and getting the conversation back on the playing field.

This is my 9th July in Athens.

Soon the Dawgs will put on the pads and get down to the real business of getting ready for the season.

Unlike some of the previous July’s IMO there is a sense of progress with our players, coaches and AD.

We had our setbacks last year like the first two and last two games.

I have spoke here about how the last two games gave CTG a host of teachable moments which he has put to good use.

All spring long he was in the face of his defense about how we climbed out of a 0-2 hole and then ran off 10 W’s only to sink back into stink city.

I think that the fall version of this tune will carry even more fire.

With each passing week I see his “tude” carrying over to other coaches and players on both sides of the ball. A very good thing!

This year I would like to see our defense play like we did the first half of the SECCG and our offense play like they did the entire game against Assburn.

We do this all season long, like we can and should; the chapel bell will ring long and loud here in Athens. Coach’m up!

“Our Team-Our Time- No Regrets”

Lots of talk about Mizzou.

Big stage-night game on espn2

Of late we have not done that well in primetime.

That all changes on Sept. 8th-

Dawgs will show up ready.

Russ and gang will get the “W”

Even with the missing players CTG - “D” will shut Mizzou down

Pause and give thanks

Have a great weekend and a safe week.

As always “Go Dawgs”!!!

You have set a high bar for Friday posts, yd1. Another stellar post!

Speaking of last year and the disappointing finish . . . Yes, we lost the last two games. LSU clocked us. A lot has been said about that game, but I think back on it and our team simply gave up after that punt was returned. We quit. We were quitters. Senor, no mas, por favor! We surrender! It was like we were French or something.

However, in that last game, I don't know how many kicks Walsh missed, but I keep going back to things that the Vikings are saying. You know, the Vikes have a "Special Teams" coach. He told us all why Walsh missed the WINNING field goal against MSU. Here he is again on Walsh after working with him:

["He was widely known as the best kickoff man at the combine, but we also had him as the best field-goal kicker," Priefer said. "... He was the biggest kicker out of all the kids at the combine.

"I went and worked out the top five or six kickers, and of the guys that I worked out, three of them were drafted. Considering all of them, I thought Blair had the strongest leg. We're excited to see him kick field goals."

Apparently, the fact that Walsh had a bad senior year doesn't worry Priefer.]

Of ALL the things I've read about CMR, this is his worst indictment. Many of you will say it's the off field discipline. Many will say it's the offensive line. Many will say it was Willie Martinez. Many will say it's his Christianity. But for ME, this is his worst indictment as a coach. Here we have PROOF. Here we can MEASURE incompetence that DIRECTLY resulted in a loss. Walsh missed TWO FGs in OT. Everyone remembers the second one because it was a heart breaker. Nobody remembers that he missed a SHORTER FG in the first OT. If Priefer or practically anybody else had just said something to Walsh, we went from 10-4 to 11-3, and our last game was a win against a ranked opponent. But here we sit lamenting the negative momentum we've got going into the season, because our HC doesn't believe in having a ST coach. We've got the money for it. Just "don't believe in it". This is a critical year. I want success - especially since we are so good that our special (ed) teams don't even need a coach. That sounds like CHAMPIONSHIP SWAGGER to me.

thriller if you haven't seen this link or don't remember it . . . .

blogs.ajc.com/junkyard-blawg/2009/10/08/...-blaming-the-kicker/

Now my blood is BOILING, Buc. That was in 2009. He had 3 years to get it right since then. I only mentioned the MSU game. Everyone talks about how great the 'Cocks are. Here are two clips from the play by play from that game:

4th-2, SCAR16 13:14 B. Walsh missed a 33-yard field goal

4th-7, SCAR32 2:20 M. Ingram rushed to the left for 68 yard touchdown. J. Wooten made PAT

Do the math. That's 10 points off special (ed) teams. But we don't believe in a ST coach. We don't need one. Un-do those two plays above (I know . . . ifs and buts) and the final is 45-38 UGA, and that's even WITH the bone headed turnovers.

"We don't need no stinking ST coach" is SWAGGER talk. I expect CHAMPIONSHIPS from teams that display that type of SWAGGER.

I've been thinking about this ST coach situation. It is a tough decision imo because there are limits to the number of paid coaches you can have on staff. That has been Richt’s argument. What position coach am I going to get rid of? That’s the reason that they break it up among the position coaches. It’s not a money issue. If I had to eliminate a position coach, it would probably be TE. However TE is a unique position. It’s not altogether OL, and it’s not altogether WR. Also keep in mind that our TE’s have been pretty good. Is there a correlation? Also, John Lilly is an excellent recruiter.

To me, hiring a ST coach in the college ranks involves more "thought" than in the pro's.

Beamer coaches ST's at VT and Meyer did it at UF.....they didn't hire a ST coach and eliminate another position coach. Tough decision on that issue imo.......wonder how many collegiate teams in D-1 have a ST coach only and if so, what position coach did they eliminate.

"Catch 22"??

wlayton wrote: I've been thinking about this ST coach situation. It is a tough decision imo because there are limits to the number of paid coaches you can have on staff. That has been Richt’s argument. What position coach am I going to get rid of? That’s the reason that they break it up among the position coaches. It’s not a money issue. If I had to eliminate a position coach, it would probably be TE. However TE is a unique position. It’s not altogether OL, and it’s not altogether WR. Also keep in mind that our TE’s have been pretty good. Is there a correlation? Also, John Lilly is an excellent recruiter.

To me, hiring a ST coach in the college ranks involves more "thought" than in the pro's.

Beamer coaches ST's at VT and Meyer did it at UF.....they didn't hire a ST coach and eliminate another position coach. Tough decision on that issue imo.......wonder how many collegiate teams in D-1 have a ST coach only and if so, what position coach did they eliminate.

"Catch 22"??

Good points, wlayton. I've said before that my opinion should never be trusted. I guess my take on this, though, is when your special (ed) teams cost you two games - that's HALF of your losses - and there really isn't much of an argument that they didn't - then I think one of two things happens. Either you hire someone, or you ASSIGN someone. (Or "hire" someone who doesn't have the title of "coach"? Just sayin'.) Whichever is the case, when half of your losses can be DIRECTLY attributed to ONE aspect of your team performance, and then the professionals put in print that they know exactly what the kicker was doing wrong . . . and then after they work with the guy he's seen as probably the best kicker in the draft . . . and then they draft him and work with him and cut an experienced kicker loose . . .

I know I've been saying "hire" someone. But WHATEVER Richt is doing ain't working, and other schools don't get to use more coaches than he does. Like I said, wlayton, they don't have to hire a ST coach to make me happy . . . go into the season with the attitude that nothing needs to change on that squad if he wants to. I have no choice but to trust the coach on that. But I do get to expect that with our returning talent, top flight coaches, supposedly easy schedule, special teams SWAGGER, and on and on, that this WILL BE a championship season.