From Athens- Game Day Friday #6

Someone show me, please, 'cause I'm ain't seein' it:

I keep hearing that the 'Cocks defense is all that and a bag of chips. I keep hearing how their team has the top defense in the country. I keep hearing how UGA plays a "soft schedule", and I don't hear a WORD about the "softness" of that 'Cocks schedule. So I did some investigating, and here is what I found.

They have played Vanderbilt (us too, and we killed Vandy, they didn't), East Carolina (a team that lost to them, and North Carolina and UCF), UAB (a team that is 0-4, losing to Troy and Tulsa), Missouri (a team we ALSO beat, in their home stadium, when they were still a mile high on their own hype, and by the same margin the 'Cocks beat them by in Williams-Brice), and Kentucky (a 1-4 team who played the 'Cocks close and was winning until the 5:30 mark in the 3rd quarter - a team that lost to the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers).

I'm the FIRST to tell you that Buffalo played us close for a half. Nobody on this forum "whined" louder than me. And Florida Atlantic looked tough for a few minutes, until the brick wall fell on them. I'm the FIRST to tell you beating Vandy is no big feat. I the FIRST to tell you beating Tennessee in a nail-biter was aggravating.

BUT . . . at least we've played TWO teams that have winning records!!!! The 'Cocks haven't even done THAT much!!!! And at least when we beat Missouri, the Tigers thought they were the greatest team ever to grace the conference. They were SKY HIGH and playing in front of a HAPPY, LOUD, JUBILANT home crowd. And at least we have beaten a team of the caliber of Tennessee - which of the teams the 'Cocks have beaten can honestly be said to be of that same caliber? Seriously?

The only difference I can see in USCe from last year to this year is that Stephen Garcia has been replaced by Connor Shaw (upgrade), and Alshon Jefferies is gone (downgrade). For UGA, we got rid of IC and picked up Gurshall . . . anybody wanna go BACK?! NOT ME! And this year our O-Line is healthy, and our D has some experience, and our receivers are FAR better than one year ago.

Someone please tell me how impressed I should be with those DEs of South Carolina, based on their current resume of WINS against QUALITY opponents! 'Cause I ain't seein' it.

thriller, I hear ya and you make great sense........but.....


USC's front four ARE for real. Believe me, we haven't played anybody even close to their front four. Maybe we can block them, maybe not, I don't know. We can still beat them even if we can't block them well if we spread the field and have Gurley line up in the "pistol" and AM get rid of the ball quick. If Bobo runs the power formations, they will stuff our running game....of course this is just my feable opinion.

Taylor and Clowney are BOTH first round draft picks and Clowney could very well be THE first pick in two years.

Afternoon,

Time is draggin can't wait to bail out of work this afternoon.

It has turned into a blue bird day here in Athens. Clear sky and has warmed up to low 80's.

Perfect for Firday Night Lights.

Thiller I am picking up what you are laying down. No time to be fearful of the chickens.

I am with you also Mayor we need not try and run over USC. I like Gurshall on the edge behind our pulling guards. Then turn on the burners and run away from the DB's

I have been meaning to bring up the fact that Gurshall tends to run away from people. Both have outstanding speed to the goal line.

Go Dawgs !

thriller wrote:
Someone please tell me how impressed I should be with those DEs of South Carolina, based on their current resume of WINS against QUALITY opponents! 'Cause I ain't seein' it.

You should be real impressed with those DE's, because they are really, really good.

We may beat SC by 2 TD's, but you've still got to recognize the strength of their team
in this area.

Wartdawg wrote:

thriller wrote:
Someone please tell me how impressed I should be with those DEs of South Carolina, based on their current resume of WINS against QUALITY opponents! 'Cause I ain't seein' it.

You should be real impressed with those DE's, because they are really, really good.

We may beat SC by 2 TD's, but you've still got to recognize the strength of their team
in this area.

I'm not saying those guys are BAD. I'm just asking, based on the games they've played in, and the quality of their opponents, what their "resume of greatness" is? They've got a lot of sacks - 7.5 of which I think came against Kentucky. But like I said, we have beaten two teams with winning records. One of those teams played Florida tough for most of the game, until it got away from them.

I guess I'm just a little ticked at the suggestion that USCe has beaten "somebody" and we haven't. We beat a very good UT - the best QB in the conference (who has one of the fasted releases you'll find). Sure, we had to scrap for that one to pull out the win. Has USCe done that? Yes. Against who? Vandy. We both beat Missouri, and they had the easier time - but the margin was the same, and we were in the MUCH more hostile environment.

So I KNOW Clowney and Taylor are "for real", whatever that means. But I haven't seen their "resume of greatness" yet. It wasn't Abuurn last year. It wasn't Vandy this year. It wasn't Kentucky for 3 quarters. Heck - honestly - and everyone knows this - it wasn't UGA last year.

I think we win in a RELATIVELY comfortable game. I think 24-14 sounds about right.

Believe me thriller, we are with YOU.....


look at it like this. They are only 2 guys on the starting 22, they don't win the games by themselves. Also, look no further than our on Jarvis Jones. Gotta believe you think he's a dominant player but he did basically nothing against UT.....but you can bet that USC fears him and will account for him.

Doesn't mean we can't beat them, we can, just they can totally disrupt a game if you don't respect and plan for them.

I pray you are right but I will be pleasantly surprised if we can block those two DE's.