Tech vs. GA

[DrReality]

Weather should make this one a doosy. Looks like it could rain most of the day.

That will make the ball hard to tough for Tech to hang on to with their offense and

make the Dogs passing game difficult. Could be a very interesting day.

[Swish]

WOW.

[Plainview1981]

WOW.

Some of the worst defense I've ever seen. This game should get somebody canned.

OUCH!

[EazyRoc]

Georgia Tech is the best college football team in the state. I wasn't surprised to see them win.

[dlpin]

Mark Richt is the typical college coach where good recruiting hides his deficiencies in play calling most of the time. But in big games or against good game day coaches, he is always exposed and comes up short.

[DrReality]

1. Be surprised if the defensive coord is here next year.

2. Paul Johnson made the difference. I think he has made a career out of upsetting higher ranked teams. he's for real.

3. Tech just owned the second half. I was glad to see it.

Also glad to see the streak end.

[AHF]

I am not happy to see the result but am not at all surprised. Like I have said previously, this UGA team is soft and undisciplined. Their defensive line as a unit is terrible and generates no pressure in the backfield. If they would have won the game - which they only lost by 3 - they would have been the worst 10-2 team I have ever seen.

Hopefully, they will make the necessary changes on defense and return both of their starting tackles on the offensive lines and be MUCH stronger in the trenches on both sides of the ball next year.

Losing Stafford is fine with me at this point. He will be a better pro QB than a college QB, IMO. He is like Jeff George with a good attitude. He doesn't have the accuracy or moxie to be a truly outstanding college QB.

Good luck to Tech in their bowl game, they should be playing for the ACC championship because they are as good as any other team in the ACC.

UGA needs to win their bowl game and hit the drawing board for next year because they should return enough talent to be a better team next season, IMO.

[Plainview1981]

I am not happy to see the result but am not at all surprised. Like I have said previously, this UGA team is soft and undisciplined. Their defensive line as a unit is terrible and generates no pressure in the backfield. If they would have won the game - which they only lost by 3 - they would have been the worst 10-2 team I have ever seen.

Hopefully, they will make the necessary changes on defense and return both of their starting tackles on the offensive lines and be MUCH stronger in the trenches on both sides of the ball next year.

Losing Stafford is fine with me at this point. He will be a better pro QB than a college QB, IMO. He is like Jeff George with a good attitude. He doesn't have the accuracy or moxie to be a truly outstanding college QB.

Good luck to Tech in their bowl game, they should be playing for the ACC championship because they are as good as any other team in the ACC.

UGA needs to win their bowl game and hit the drawing board for next year because they should return enough talent to be a better team next season, IMO.

Other than a fairly strong arm I'm not seeing what Stafford has. Like you said, he is far from being a really accurate passer and he makes some dumb choices. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. I can't see him being an elite QB. Probably better than Greene who was strictly a college QB.

Edited December 1, 2008 by Hotlanta1981

[AHF]

Probably better than Greene who was strictly a college QB.

Greene is a good comparison. So is Joe Hamilton. Neither will ever have the pro success that Stafford will. Both were dramatically better college QBs, IMO.

[TheTrueSiete]

Bottom line in this game is that the defense has lost all the swagger it had in the BVG days... I remember when Thomas Davis and Sean Jones were rapping up and laying people out, but now you see Bryan Evans and Co. trying to bump people out of bounds? All intensity, passion, and fundamentals went out the window when Martinez took over... He has got to go... The only question is who would replace him?

Also, I would have to disagree with the ones that don't believe Matt can produce in the NFL... As long as he doesn't get drafted by the Lions, I think he will be fine... He needs a little work on decision making, but so did Matt Ryan...

7

Edited December 1, 2008 by TheTrueSiete

[Traceman]

Greene is a good comparison. So is Joe Hamilton. Neither will ever have the pro success that Stafford will. Both were dramatically better college QBs, IMO.

Stafford doesn't get his due because GA hasn't won like they did under Greene. Greene never had a better season than the season Stafford had this year. Stafford has a higher passer rating (153.2), a higher completion percentage (61%) and a higher Yds/A (9.12) this season than Greene EVER had. After the Bowl game, Stafford will have more yards in a season (he has 3209 in 12 games to Greene's 3304 in 14 in '03) and more TDs in a season (he has 22 in 12 games to Greene's 22 in 14 games in '02) than Greene ever had.

Greene looked better because GA had a GREAT D when he was here. GA's D was PATHETIC this year. GA's D has given up 307 pts this year in 12 games (25.5 ppg). In the year that Greene put up his best numbers ('03), GA's D only gave up 139 pts in 12 games (11.5 ppg). Stafford is a GREAT QB, statistically better than Greene or Shockley ever were at GA, he just happens to be playing at a time when GA's D is probably the worst it has been in decades.

Stafford is going to be a great pro QB if he gets in the right situation (I don't know if ANYONE can succeed in DET). His decision making/accuracy has improved tremendously over the last couple of years and NO ONE has a better combo of arm strength/accuracy than he does.

[DJlaysitup]

Stafford should come back for his Senior year IMO....and in the meantime work on his mid-range accuracy. Too many times I've seen him throw behind players. He has a strong arm and is a good QB overall - but he isn't even close to what Matt Ryan was last year in terms of making all the throws on the button. One more year of work at UGA and I think he will be ready to go in the NFL.

[AHF]

Like I said, Stafford reminds me of a Jeff George with a good attitude. Outstanding arm; great numbers; but rarely seems to elevate the team to me. I have no doubt he will be a better NFL QB with receivers who can make better adjustments as we have seen with how good AJ Green makes him look at times.

I just don't see the "it" factor with Stafford. It may be the number of interceptions, I am not sure. (In 4 seasons Greene threw a total of 32 interceptions, a number Stafford will have equaled in 3 years assuming he throws one pick in the bowl game.) There is no doubt that Stafford's QB rating is better than Greene's in 2 of his 3 years (Greene's soph year was significantly better than Stafford's) and from a pure numbers perspective he is the better QB.

I guess I just have felt like Greene brought more consistency and leadership to the team and did more to raise the team's level than Stafford has done. For pure numbers, I would have cited to someone like Danny Wuerffel rather than Greene.

You make a very fair point about the defense being better for Greene but bottomline, IMO, Stafford will be far from irreplaceable.

It would be nice to see a Manning/Martin parallel with Stafford/??.

[Traceman]

Like I said, Stafford reminds me of a Jeff George with a good attitude. Outstanding arm; great numbers; but rarely seems to elevate the team to me. I have no doubt he will be a better NFL QB with receivers who can make better adjustments as we have seen with how good AJ Green makes him look at times.

I just don't see the "it" factor with Stafford. It may be the number of interceptions, I am not sure. (In 4 seasons Greene threw a total of 32 interceptions, a number Stafford will have equaled in 3 years assuming he throws one pick in the bowl game.) There is no doubt that Stafford's QB rating is better than Greene's in 2 of his 3 years (Greene's soph year was significantly better than Stafford's) and from a pure numbers perspective he is the better QB.

I guess I just have felt like Greene brought more consistency and leadership to the team and did more to raise the team's level than Stafford has done. For pure numbers, I would have cited to someone like Danny Wuerffel rather than Greene.

You make a very fair point about the defense being better for Greene but bottomline, IMO, Stafford will be far from irreplaceable.

It would be nice to see a Manning/Martin parallel with Stafford/??.

Wuerffel was the definition of s system QB. I can only imagine the numbers Stafford would have put up playing for Spurrier or if he had played at Texas Tech.

I think Stafford elevates the team quite a bit. We scored plenty of points this year, we just couldn't stop anybody. Green makes Stafford look good at times but he makes Green look good too. He makes throws that few, if any, other college QBs can make. He made Massaquoi look like TO against Tech, the D just stole all his glory.

I think Greene did a great job of staying calm when things got tough and he made plays in the clutch but Stafford does that too. Hell, he threw for 407 yards and 5 TDs behind a weak O-line and against a VERY good Tech D last Saturday. The problem is that as soon as he makes a clutch play, this sorry D gives it right back.

The bottom line is that most GA fans will always consider Greene (and Shockley too for that matter) to be better than Stafford because Greene (and Shockley) won an SEC championship and Stafford didn't even make it to the Championship game.

[dlpin]

UGA's D has been bad in the big games, but I think they are being turned into scapegoats for a team that was outcoached and outplayed on both sides of the ball when it mattered.

Allowing 31 points in the first half agains Bama was bad, but so was gaining less than 100 yards total with 2 turnovers in the first half.

Similarly, the offense was just as bad as the defense in the loss to florida.

Even in some of the wins the O was less than stellar.

People need to look at how UGA has played long term, and the fact is that Richt is a great recruiter and motivator, but lousy game day coach.

[TheTrueSiete]

UGA's D has been bad in the big games, but I think they are being turned into scapegoats for a team that was outcoached and outplayed on both sides of the ball when it mattered.

Allowing 31 points in the first half agains Bama was bad, but so was gaining less than 100 yards total with 2 turnovers in the first half.

Similarly, the offense was just as bad as the defense in the loss to florida.

Even in some of the wins the O was less than stellar.

People need to look at how UGA has played long term, and the fact is that Richt is a great recruiter and motivator, but lousy game day coach.

How is the D the scapegoat? Had they not allowed 31 points in the first half, we probably would have won that game against Alabama... Had we not fell behind by so much against Florida, we could have utilized Knowshon more instead of HAVING TO THROW THE BALL to get back in the game... You're complaining that the offense was less that stellar in wins? Hmmmm.... Lots of people are blaming Richt for being a lousy game coach, but his record speaks for itself...

One question for you... How many games has the D given up 20+ points during the Martinez era? Now compare that to the previous DC's....

7

[AHF]

How is the D the scapegoat? Had they not allowed 31 points in the first half, we probably would have won that game against Alabama... Had we not fell behind by so much against Florida, we could have utilized Knowshon more instead of HAVING TO THROW THE BALL to get back in the game... You're complaining that the offense was less that stellar in wins? Hmmmm.... Lots of people are blaming Richt for being a lousy game coach, but his record speaks for itself...

One question for you... How many games has the D given up 20+ points during the Martinez era? Now compare that to the previous DC's....

7

Frequently in those bad losses the offense compounded the errors of the defense.

In the Alabama game, the first half of the game was the most critical period. The offense had two drives in the first quarter: 5 plays for 29 yards and 3 plays for 1 yard. In the second quarter, the best drive was 3 plays for 9 yards and a punt. The other two drives ended in a fumble and a Stafford interception. The offense held the ball for less than 10 of the 30 minutes in the first half, leaving the defense exposed on the field at the same time it was being drubbed.

In the Florida game, the third quarter was the critical time. What did the offense do?

Stafford interception

3 and out

Stafford fumble

Stafford interception

While the defense was getting killed 21-0, the offense was doing everything it could to put Florida in the best possible position to destroy the defense. Brutal quarter offensively.

In the Georgia Tech game, during the critical third quarter the UGA offense gained a total of 1 first down leaving the defense again exposed on the field while it was being drubbed. Absolutely no help in keeping the Tech offense off the field.

This was not an offense that manned up and get some first downs to save the defense in critical situations. The offense and defense folded together in the most damaging series of the season.

The defense deserves a lot of blame but a great college QB, IMO, gives his defense some relief when it is collapsing or at least puts the team in a situation where they have to be outgunned. This offense spit the bit in the worst times of the season every bit as much as the defense did.

[dlpin]

How is the D the scapegoat? Had they not allowed 31 points in the first half, we probably would have won that game against Alabama... Had we not fell behind by so much against Florida, we could have utilized Knowshon more instead of HAVING TO THROW THE BALL to get back in the game... You're complaining that the offense was less that stellar in wins? Hmmmm.... Lots of people are blaming Richt for being a lousy game coach, but his record speaks for itself...

One question for you... How many games has the D given up 20+ points during the Martinez era? Now compare that to the previous DC's....

7

You make it sound like UGA was competitive in those games, then the defense came in and gave it all away.

Now, dont get me wrong, Richt is the best HC UGA has had in years, and quite possibly the best recruiter UGA ever had. But is too mellow in tough games, and, more importantly, he and his staff on both sides of the ball are just average in game day coaching.

His record against teams that have won 8 or more in a season is 9-13 (maybe 10-13 if LSU wins another one).

he is 2-5 against florida for a reason.

Great guy, but I doubt he will win a national championship any time soon.

To say it is all the D's fault is to ignore how lackluster the offense was in those key quarters.

[jhay610]

Frequently in those bad losses the offense compounded the errors of the defense.

In the Alabama game, the first half of the game was the most critical period. The offense had two drives in the first quarter: 5 plays for 29 yards and 3 plays for 1 yard. In the second quarter, the best drive was 3 plays for 9 yards and a punt. The other two drives ended in a fumble and a Stafford interception. The offense held the ball for less than 10 of the 30 minutes in the first half, leaving the defense exposed on the field at the same time it was being drubbed.

In the Florida game, the third quarter was the critical time. What did the offense do?

Stafford interception

3 and out

Stafford fumble

Stafford interception

While the defense was getting killed 21-0, the offense was doing everything it could to put Florida in the best possible position to destroy the defense. Brutal quarter offensively.

In the Georgia Tech game, during the critical third quarter the UGA offense gained a total of 1 first down leaving the defense again exposed on the field while it was being drubbed. Absolutely no help in keeping the Tech offense off the field.

This was not an offense that manned up and get some first downs to save the defense in critical situations. The offense and defense folded together in the most damaging series of the season.

The defense deserves a lot of blame but a great college QB, IMO, gives his defense some relief when it is collapsing or at least puts the team in a situation where they have to be outgunned. This offense spit the bit in the worst times of the season every bit as much as the defense did.

Quoted, for truth. This team just never clicked all season. Whatever they had coming down the stretch was lost somehow in the offseason. I personally think they were the natural choice for preseason #1 considering their play in the final games last year and the return of all those starters on both sides of the ball.

Sadly, this team just underachieved. It is clear that the defense has lost that hard edge it had in the Van Goerder days. Martinez' scheme just doesn't work against a disciplined team like Alabama that is more than happy to drive down the field in 5-10 yard chunks. A good team just won't make the mistakes that Willie's scheme depends on.

Also, for this D to work it MUST have elite pass rushers coming from the edge; otherwise a QB will just sit back there and pick u apart. The Georgia DEs were far from elite this year - they were non-factors - thus there was no pressure on QBs all year. A big part of GA's D last year was the sack - I believe they lead the league. They really missed Marcus Howard this year.

As AHF stated the offense was mostly good this year but disappeared in the times the D needed it most. A great offense can bail a bad defense out, or at least cover it up enough to keep the game competitive. When AL, Fla, and GA Tech were chewing up the D, the offense was folding. In the Fla game especially they repeatedly got the ball on a short field courtesy a TO or special teams gaffe - which were awful for the most part as well (special teams).

Very forgettable year but I think the people calling for Richt's head are way out of line. The man has delivered multiple SEC titles to a school that fancies itself as one of the SEC's flagship programs, but certainly had not been producing those type of results for the better part of nearly two decades.

I hope they can get it turned around and get more aggressive on the defensive side of the ball - they will have to unless they get some incredible impact DEs in next years class.

[TheTrueSiete]

Quoted, for truth. This team just never clicked all season. Whatever they had coming down the stretch was lost somehow in the offseason. I personally think they were the natural choice for preseason #1 considering their play in the final games last year and the return of all those starters on both sides of the ball.

Sadly, this team just underachieved. It is clear that the defense has lost that hard edge it had in the Van Goerder days. Martinez' scheme just doesn't work against a disciplined team like Alabama that is more than happy to drive down the field in 5-10 yard chunks. A good team just won't make the mistakes that Willie's scheme depends on.

Also, for this D to work it MUST have elite pass rushers coming from the edge; otherwise a QB will just sit back there and pick u apart. The Georgia DEs were far from elite this year - they were non-factors - thus there was no pressure on QBs all year. A big part of GA's D last year was the sack - I believe they lead the league. They really missed Marcus Howard this year.

As AHF stated the offense was mostly good this year but disappeared in the times the D needed it most. A great offense can bail a bad defense out, or at least cover it up enough to keep the game competitive. When AL, Fla, and GA Tech were chewing up the D, the offense was folding. In the Fla game especially they repeatedly got the ball on a short field courtesy a TO or special teams gaffe - which were awful for the most part as well (special teams).

Very forgettable year but I think the people calling for Richt's head are way out of line. The man has delivered multiple SEC titles to a school that fancies itself as one of the SEC's flagship programs, but certainly had not been producing those type of results for the better part of nearly two decades.

I hope they can get it turned around and get more aggressive on the defensive side of the ball - they will have to unless they get some incredible impact DEs in next years class.

That's really all I'm saying... We NEED a DC like Van Gorder again... He had passion, and you could see it in every one of his defensive player's... Remember, sometimes these "poor" defensive ends just need to be coached and motivated to bring out the athletic ability... Van Gorder did, Willie doesn't seem to...

7