From Athens- Mid July Hash

Mark Richt making the rounds.

espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=9499357

Picked this thread, since we're still in July . . .

I was just ruminating (as my waste line expands, I figure I should give rumination a try) on the overall state of the team. A few thoughts:

1. Our offense is unfairly stacked . . . and I'm loving that. Everyone talks about "Climpsn this and Climpsn that", but honestly, picking teams on the playground, I'd take our offense over Climpsn any day. Why? Aaron Murray - not as mobile, though more mobile than many think. He's a veteran for whom the game has slowed to a snails pace, with a rocket arm (my proof is that pass just before half last year against Ole Miss - about 50 yards in the air on a rope and hit a moving target in the hands). Todd Gurley - stud - maybe he's not Herschel, but nobody is, and he's STILL a stud. He's also backed up by Keith Marshall, who - mark this down - will BREAK OUT this year. Marshall = Reggie Bush with pop. Michael Bennett - he's back and he's badder than ever. Malcolm Mitchell - I'm getting giddy. Scott-Wesley, Conley, Rumph (this year's Marlon Brown), and I'm not even mentioning everyone. Quayvon Hicks/Merritt Hall - would you REALLY want to be a MLB and see either one of those guys coming at you with a head of steam? I didn't think so. Lynch/Rome - seasoning is a GOOD thing. They will be the force that makes LBs and DBs take their eye off that running game for just that SPLIT SECOND. O-Line? We have some experience there. Could that be our weak spot? Well on a comparative basis, yes. But WEAKNESS? No. I saw what they did - twice - to Alabama last year on obvious running downs - on our second TD, BOTH lines were in the end zone. Yes, we are unfairly stacked.

2. Our defense is better than most think. I'm the first to admit that when you lose 7 to the NFL, you lose a LOT. And we DID. And we don't have JJ or AO back. Losing Shawn Williams hurts too. Losing Bacarri Rambo hurts. BUT . . . you always have to remember the guys we didn't lose, who got SIGNIFICANT playing time last year. Jenkins at LB will be a beast. Amarlo Herrera - got called out last year - and he responded - and will again this year. Garrison Smith - stud. Damian Swann is a genuine athlete who just MAY turn out to be a ball hawk this year. I can't wait to see the "already legendary" Tray Matthews - if he's HALF that good, he'll be GREAT. I believe it was Garrison Smith commenting too that the other guys across the D Line are "not little babies". They're big, smash mouth football players. Could we have more experience? Sure. Do we still have a lot? I think so. I think we'll be better than most think.

3. Special teams. Marshall Morgan, I am not happy with you. Kickers are usually either the leading scorer on the team or close. Losing one to "BUI" is both unnecessary and HARMFUL to the TEAM. Get it together. And learn to hit the short ones the way you usually hit the long ones.

So overall, I'm STOKED for this year. I hope everyone else is too. July is, mercifully, almost gone. And I've just used almost all of my free time for today, so I look forward to reading others on this board.

GATA!!!!!!

Thriller,
You getting me STOKED too! Not that I wasn't almost there, but you make some great points. Our O should be awesome. I just hope we can get everyone involved. If we do .... we may be unstoppable.

The D will take a little time to jell, but you are right. Lot of guys got significant playing time last year. They know what is expected of them and they will not disappoint.

Go Dawgs! GATA!

BTW: Who is going to Clemson? Some of Big Dogs Tailgate Crew will be there ... me included.