UGA-ly game in Athens Today

[Oklahawg]

I finally got to see a game live for the first time since our women's soccer team showed up to play USC in week #3.

I felt going in that (a) UGA had superior talent, virtually at every spot on the field, and (b) UGA had a superior coach at every spot on the coaching roster. If I'm UGA I'm worried, sort of. There were at least a half dozen Hogs that looked ready to start for UGA. McFadden. Jones. Fairchild. Jackson. Vaughn. Harrison. Skinner would have looked all-conference in any other game, I suspect.

I am stunned that UGA was content to use HDN's playbook for this game, save Tereshinski's first couple of passes. Nothing down the middle to stretch and expose our anemic coverage. Nothing in the way of a bubble screen or waggle. Stuff that we are on film having little hope of covering. UGA, in short, almost got out-coached. I don't recall the last time a UA team out-coached an opponent.  Probably one of those bloodbaths with Sherrill's bunch at MSU. Maybe at Bama in 2003. Maybe.

Hillis needs to sit. He didn't block well. He fumbled twice. His lack of wheels cost us on a punt late when the ball was low and deep, but Hillis could only get the ball back about 10-12 yards. Jones, McFadden or Fish might have broken it for the distance. Wes Murphy and Mason Templeton caught and blocked well enough to even take Hillis out of the mix at TE/H-back. Jones caught the ball well out of the backfield, negating Hillis' value there.

Did anyone else notice how bad the timing was on the motion man who was SUPPOSED to be a run/handoff option? Rarely did the ball snap in time to even have a direct snap to the motion man. I sure would have liked to see some misdirection out of that formation--anything to give Jones and McFadden an extra few inches when they get the ball. Fish, Logan, Poole...none of them got a touch, right? No bubble screen, no one-step hitch, no reverse, no WR option. Nada. It doesn't require a pass to open up the defense. Simply getting the ball to WRs can help.

Sad that the best downfield pass was from McFadden, falling backwards. I loved watched Monk boxout. Would much rather watch him catch the darned ball, though. On the last-play hail mary, why was Reggie Fish out there? At 5-7 is he much of a threat on a jump-ball? Who drew that play up?

Defense was commendable, especially considering that we showed them early that we couldn't stay with their WRs, who I thought were rather pedestrian compared to others we've seen this year. The tried 2 deep passes all day, right? One for two, although the completion right before half was a dagger to the heart. UGA was a team with not much more confidence in their QB than UA. Somehow, they couldn't get the ball to those massive TEs and quit trying to find the middle of the field.

How could the Auburn package of misdirection not work for UGA? Almost as good an OL but there was zero threat to throw the ball, I guess. I'm not willing to suggest that we made good adjustments. I have grown to pessimistic for that. It is a possibility, I suppose. Sims was still out of position on way too many plays, sprinting up field only to have the play redirect behind him.  Fairchild looked like a player today. Growing up, and fast. Still puzzled about the combination of misfits holding down secondary spots. Not suggesting that there is a better combo but I am surprised that certain players continue to get reps, and others get none. Is Washington redshirting? What about Desmond Williams? Is there no role for those guys?

Player mismanagement by HDN hurt. Hillis returning punts. McFadden being gassed--when Jones had shown flashes also, and seems particularly adept at receiving the ball--and being trotted back out there. Not one WR reverse off of motion, wasting the threat and not utilizing that set of skills, as mentioned, but also as a way to take some load off of McFadden.

The hurry-up at the end was as painful an experience as I've seen. I'd have rather seen Jones or McFadden on the stretch play. All of the buzz about QB and not one series for a different QB. We ran successfully all game. RJ can't throw a pass to save his life right now, mechanically screwed up and so pysched he's a risk to get intentional grounding just throwing it away. This was the perfect time to get Mort or Dick or Barthel a series. Nothing to lose, first of all. Secondly, the running game was working. Anything they bring to the field passing the ball would have been a step forward. Pisspoor management of your people, and another nail in the uphill PR battle.

Luigs, McFadden, Jones, and Fairchild should be all-freshmen SEC. McFadden, with 1000 yards being likely, could be all-SEC. And, be a part of a 3-8 team.