Time to Talk Georgia/Clemson

Especially at the beginning of each of the last two seasons, it looked like CTG used a lot of 4-3 looks - I'm sure to allow the D to play some more straight forward coverages. Watch the progression. My bet is that with some of the young guns, we'll see the OLBs with a hand on the ground a lot.

To me, you beat Climpsn by making Boyd throw, and don't give him much time to do it. Buc said it earlier - you don't HAVE to sack the guy - hurries will shut down an offense VERY effectively. Quick - can you name a Climpsn receiver other than Watkins? Me neither. Take away Watkins, hurry Boyd. I think we can do that and we'll be fine.

My take is this:

1. We'll come out fired up, but making some mistakes. Vanilla D early - very 4-3 looking.
2. Our offense will misfire (as will theirs). First games are frequently sloppy and filled with penalties. I'm okay with that, as long as it's not those stupid "I just made a play, look at me" unsportmanlike penalties that kill our own drives. Lots of holding and procedure calls, guarantee you.
3. It'll be low scoring early on, something like 3-3 or 7-7 mid-second quarter.
4. Half time adjustments will be made - Climpsn's D Line will start getting tired of the beating they'll take at the hands of Hicks, Hall, Gurley and Marshall. You have to admit - even if you are a stud D Lineman or LB, those guys will make you wish you had eaten a second or third helping of Wheaties.
5. Our O will (BETTER) get their timing down better by the third quarter. Still low scoring, but this is where you'll see the veterans taking over. Which offense would you rather have - no joking now - theirs or OURS? I know the answer to that question. TRUTHFULLY - so does everyone else on earth - including Climpsn.
6. Fourth quarter, we don't exactly pull away (when do we EVER), but things get slightly more comfortable. Right now (this may change), I'm thinking UGA 38, Climpsn 28. If this is an offensive "shootout", then UGA 48, Climpsn 35. I'm still thinking lower scoring though - sloppy play is what you can usually expect in a first game.

How can UGA win? Veteran offense plays the way it is capable and the defense hangs in there - we win. How can Climpsn win? Veteran offense makes unforgivable blunders, lots of turnovers, makes Climpsn's D look better than it really is, and our defense spends way too much time on the field. Bad guys win. I'm not very pessimistic on this game - I see us winning this one. Week 2 is much more of a concern. And yes, LSU is there in the back of my mind already.

Buc, thanks for the link it was a good read. No doubt we are much better without Garner and I know if you don't have all members of the team pulling their on weight it wil affect how the unit as a whole functions. But it is hard for me to give Coach TG a pass especially with his D-line experience he had to see what was going on. My hope is he now has his coaches and his players time to see his scheme work.

thriller good read. On the mark when talking about opening game gitters. My thinking is that would come very close to the truth with many new faces on the defense. Their field, lot of noise in the beginning. ESPN being there all day sending their signal all over the country. This could come down to "Special Teams" plays or PLAY.

DAWGtm posted: Buc, thanks for the link it was a good read. No doubt we are much better without Garner and I know if you don't have all members of the team pulling their on weight it wil affect how the unit as a whole functions. But it is hard for me to give Coach TG a pass especially with his D-line experience he had to see what was going on. My hope is he now has his coaches and his players time to see his scheme work.

DAWGtm, just a thought . . . . There was a lot of chatter about Grantham leaving for the NFL last season. Could it be that he served notice to the higher ups that he had a thorn in his side which needed to be removed? That of course being Garner.

Garner had a history with Mark Richt and the University of Georgia. Good, bad or otherwise, over the years Richt had a tendency of holding on to his coaches. Need I bring up Willie Martinez? He was a damn thorn in all of our sides. Could bring up the S&C area of our team. Couple of best friends that Richt brought to Athens with him.

If Garner had remained, I have no doubt that Todd Grantham was on the first bus out of Athens. Came close to posting some of this back when it happened.

If memory serves me, Grantham did not jump on that bus. Now it comes down to what you post, and rightly so. This is Todd Grantham's defensive team. No one, including Richt interferes with Grantham's decisions. That is not an ugly statement, Richt has said on more than one occasion that Grantham runs the defense.

Garner was the Recruiting Director, he basically ran the show. Now we go back and look at some of the comments by player(s) that were being heavily recruited by many D1 schools, Garner was not on our side at that point. You don't set up prospects visits and not show up. That is an absolute no/no.

Look where some of the top talent in Georgia landed after Garner left Athens. If I am Malzahn, have a meeting in ATHENS with Garner and I hear that two or three of the best players in Georgia are coming with me . . . . what? Sounds like sour grapes on my part . . . . might be, but it is hard to dispute where some of that talent is now.

Could take this further, no need to. Time to recognize what a good move it was for Mark Richt to hire Chris Wilson. Richt did not do that without sitting with Grantham, take bets on that. I know this . . . . Garner was a Richt man, not a Grantham man.

In my opinion . . . . this was another part of Mark Richt's change in his coaching decisions. Richt is not the same coach that arrived in Athens many years back. His backbone has stiffened in my opinion, and I like it. Usually it is those closest to us that do the most harm. I said that.

Clemson bloggers are getting louder, maybe after halftime on the 31st their stadium will have more Dawgs in the stands than Tigers. Thoughts of another Tiger group that left at halftime in Auburn.

Go Dawgs, coach'em up . . . .

Edit: Here is a link that explains how Garner felt his entire time in Athens. He said it.

www.auburntigers.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/081113aac.html

This years team has defently got a different feel about it. Seems like they feel that there's unfinished business. They have a lot more unity and team concept love how Gurley throws a thank you to the O-line. The young man understands if it wasn't for them his job would be most difficult. I believe we will handle Clemson and by the time Nov gets here our D will have jelled and we can welcome Garner home with a shut out.

Believe as many of you that this game will turn into a comfortable win in the second half. Expect emotions on both sides to make for an interesting game early but once we settle down it will be pound, pound, pound.

Am very disappointed in this being a night game. I'm a Hartwell native and made the last trek in '04 by boat, been planning for this one a long time but 20 miles on the lake is to far to travel after midnight. Will be watching in Duval County smoking a big brisket........

My next door neighbor "Curt" is a big Auburn supporter with a lakehouse here on Lake Sinclair. He's been needling me about how bad the "Pussycats" are going to beat up on the Dawgs for almost a year now. Ready to put his loudmouth to sleep for a while. GO DAWGS! GATA