From Athens- Game Day Friday # 5

Appears that Nick Chubb has been ruled out for the Tennessee game. Hate that he has the high ankle sprain. Really wanted Nick to play. One thing with Ron Courson, not going to work on the edge, wants the players to be physically ready. High fives to Courson from me.

Leaves little doubt that we will see some freshmen Saturday. Hold on to the ball, too many turnovers thus far in 2016.

sadlerdawg, if we can get anything out of the offense, no reason to believe what the media is predicting.

Not like the Tennessee defense is all that when looking at their defensive backs. Would really like to see Willie return to Knoxville having given up a couple of touchdowns through the air. Their DB's are not all that . . . . understand our problems also.

Somehow, Mel has to dial up some defensive stops. Believe he will do just that. Still say stack the box and make them throw the football.

Buc wrote: Still say stack the box and make them throw the football.

If our secondary played even respectable in the last 3 games, I'd agree with you. But as it stands, stacking the box is a recipe to burn us real fast if the pass coverage is as horrible as its been the last three weeks. One thing is for sure, Dobbs can find receivers and if he can't, he'll make something happen on the ground. Granted, he's not a DeShaun Watson, but he has wheels and isn't afraid to use them.

I'm not trying to sound pessimistic, but I don't see any clear strength right now that we have that would give us an edge to slow down any opposing offense.

SouthernDawg, maybe I am wrong, probably, but . . . . Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara have to be stopped at or close to the line of scrimmage.

If our defensive line and backers cannot do that, to use sadlerdawg's word . . . . which I agree with . . . . 'Bitch Jones' has enough knowledge to keep the ball on the ground. Jalen Hurd is a 'man'.

One thing that 'bothers' me more than most of our problems . . . . 'kicking game'. Punter also had a lot of special things being said about his talents . . . . we will see. Punting could be crucial against Tennessee, do not believe that to be an understatement.

For sure the 'calvary' is scouting the country for a kicker, now.

Guess it comes down to this . . . . Four quarters of SEC Football. Bitch Jones with his 'senior' football team against Kirby Smart's efforts to get the previous head coaches players to understand what "playing between the HEDGES mean".

Buc,

Amen to the kicking problems. It is literally beyond belief how bad our kicking game is. I've seen JV football on Thursday night with more kicking talent than we have right now. I simply don't understand it. I understand kicking struggles but I don't understand a complete collapse of play to the point that to be safe, we ought to just shut the kicking game down and go for it on all fourth downs outside the 20 yard line. Hell at this point I have no confidence in PATs.

At the risk of not sounding too pessimistic and to find a ray of hope, here are my keys to victory.

1. Show up.

Before anything else, walk into Sanford Stadium with the attitude and the will to win. I can take losing a game that we competed in, and I think all bulldog fans can. What I can't take is flying the white flag in the first quarter and not giving two sh--s about the game and playing like you have no vested interest in the scoreboard.

2. Force turnovers and capitalize on them

We need to force turnovers in this game and then get points on them. And gauging by our kicking game, those points are going to have to be touchdowns. Nothing else is going to work. We need some real pass defense in this game because you can bet that Dobbs is going to test us early and often. The Ole Miss game paints an inviting picture to try us.

3. Catch the ball

We don't need big plays out of our offense. We need a drive that picks up 10 yards here, 10 yards there in the air. We need fundamental football. Pitch and catch. That being said, our receivers are going to have to create some space between themselves and the defenders. They can't keep forcing Eason to be perfect on each pass. That screws with his head far too much forcing him to either overthrow it or throw it behind the receiver. You can't expect him to thread the needle on every pass because his receiver can't create space. Eason and the receivers have got to get on the same page and he has to have the confidence that they're going to catch it.

And for the third straight week, I'm begging someone to put Mecole Hardman in the slot. Yes, he's 5'-11", but dammit, our receivers have got to have some speed to create some gaps. What we're doing ain't working. We can keep doing what ain't working or we can try something else.

Mecole tweeted this out some time ago:

Mecole Hardman, Jr. @iiAm_Mesho

@KirbySmartUGA

I heard you might need some more fire power at WR? Just call my name and I'll give you more than you need

4:41 PM - 1 May 2016
205 205 Retweets 615 615 likes

Use a flex bone formation and put him in the slot.

4. Offensive Line

I don't expect miracles and I'm pretty sure come Saturday night, I'm going to be talking again about how inept our offensive line is. But they're going to have to dig deep and find some way, any way, however they can do it to open at least some holes for Sony to run through. We have to be able to open the passing game up and we're never going to be able to do that if we can't get some yards on the ground.

5. UGA

Where the hell has UGA been? We need him to fire the crowd up. I'm dead serious about this. While the rest of the dawgs have been laying down, we definitely need one dawg to stand proud.

See you guys at 3:30

Again, allow me this . . . .

I really like the way #35 Brian Herrien and #13 Elijah Holyfield run with the football. Both have 'attitudes' and run that way.

Not forgetting that #1 Sony Michel is not as some 'elsewhere', very few here have said he was more of a "scat back".

Sony is back and playing with an arm guard. He will stick his nose in the stack, Sony Michel is a great back and I expect tomorrow we will see some things from Sony that are special. Sony knows that Nick Chubb will not be in the lineup, he also is a special young man that treasures what he and Nick have done and the friendship and respect that both have for each other.

If our Special Teams play anything close to 'Special' tomorrow, point spread is 'REDUCED" . . . . me thinks.

We are not devoid of "TALENT". We have some inexperience, but I continue to remind myself that sometimes "inexperience" is not a bad thing in the game of football. My bet is this . . . . Smart and Company have spoken to "inexperience".

Tennessee . . . . I would wager that Head Coach Kirby Smart has seen enough to know that the "TALENT" he/we have will get and be given a serious introduction to "Bitch Jones" and what the "Checkerboards" bring to the table.

Sometimes it takes a "tail whipping" to arouse "manhood". Ole Miss explained what "tail whipping" is and reminded some wearing the Red and Black that "some grow up quicker than others".

I look forward to the game tomorrow.

Go Dawgs . . . . all about "us". Think about the word "us", I do often. Have for many years.

Still remember our previous head coach saying that he was going to get involved in the "kicking game" because it had found the bottom of what the kicking game should be. Same head coach that said he was going to get involved in the "Special Team" play, needed correcting.

Have refrained from this but . . . . Mark Richt ripped us off. Such a "glib POS".

Other than that . . . . as the "Bleeding Hearts" like to say . . . . such a "good man". Went to South America "one time" and the "Bleeding Hearts" used that for several years.

Mark Richt is nothing short of what has been said on this board for a long time . . . . "A CARNEY".