SINCE WE LAST SPOKE: 9-25-14
WHAT WE LEARNED IN WEEK 4
NATION:
BIG-10 BLIP: I think I saw the corpse move. The Big-10 deservingly left for dead in the CFB Playoff picture after a disastrous first Saturday of September did not resuscitate it’s National Championship hopes but did throw a flurry of non-league counter punches prior to bidding the first month of the season adieu. The proud old league was 12-1 in Week 4 including 4-1 vs Power-5 Conference foes. Indiana –who lost to a Bowling Green team that Western Kentucky beat by 4 TDs in Week 1- earned the most impressive victory with a last second win vs previously unbeaten and then #18 ranked Missouri in Columbia (OK Tigers anymore embarrassments like that and back to the Big-12 you go). Though none of the other Power Conference wins were against ranked teams Iowa and Maryland also won on the road versus Pitt and Syracuse respectively and Nebraska defended the Lincoln turf with a victory over Miami. The only black eye was suffered by Michigan who if a College Football Season was a prize fight would already be looking like Jerry Quarry after losing big at home to Utah only two weeks following the Notre Dame thrashing on September 6th.
NO JUSTICE FOR JAMEIS: Jameis –
who should have his name officially changed to Shame-us- Winston’s latest brush with stupidity, should have cost his team a victory and possibly a chance to defend their National Championship. The latest super-talent to prove that the Heisman is not given to the smartest player in the land is on a path of self-destruction that will almost certainly end poorly regardless of how many games he wins or how many hall-passes he is given because of it. Clemson did what unfortunately they so often do in do-or-die situations and gave away a likely victory with a mixed-bag of turnovers, missed chip shot FGs and even a point blank launched snap to allow Shame-us to escape yet another brainless blunder.
SEC:
STATE OF THE WEST: Louisiana move over, Mississippi is the real
State in the SEC West. The Bullydogs took on raucous Tiger Stadium after dark and despite some late-game Les Miles fortune dominated the game in a series that had seen them lose 14 straight in a venue where they had lost in their last 11 visits. State –Mississippi that is- rushed for over 300 yards with RB Josh Robinson (197) missing a 200 yard performance by a tick and QB Dak Prescott blitzing John Chavis’ “D” for 105 of his own. The only bad thing that could possibly come from such a valiant and valuable victory? The Dogs may have unwittingly bolstered the hopes of their hated rival Ole Miss Rebels who visit Death Valley on October 25th.
SWING (GAMES) IN VOLS FAVOR? At the beginning of the season when perusing Tennessee’s schedule I felt –and still do- that the year would be defined by how the Vols performed versus Florida, Ole Miss and Missouri. Those were the very challenging –yet winnable- contests that seem to jump out at first glance. As the year has progressed I would probably add South Carolina to the category of opportunities to gain a statement win. Conceding the week-to-week fluctuation in who I think we can beat and who I don’t last weekend provided a harbinger of hope that at least a split of those four contests is possible. Florida was doubled-up by an Alabama team that was uncharacteristically generous (4 turnovers) and the Gator secondary was torched again (445 yards 4 TDs) by a previously pedestrian Blake Sims. Missouri lost at home to Indiana who had done nothing prior to arriving in Columbia to suggest they could beat any SEC team that doesn’t reside in Nashville. Speaking of Vandy they played what has to be one of Spurrier’s most inconsistent teams off their feet and may have been even more competitive had Patton Robinette not been forced out of the game with an early injury. The weeks ahead may once again alter my outlook on the Vols swing games but for right now hope abounds.
WHAT WE WILL LEARN IN WEEK 5:
PAC-12 POSITIONING Though early returns suggest Oregon is clearly the PAC-12 stud recent history suggests we not hand the Ducks the league trophy before their time. That being established a couple of early-season matchups that will go a long way toward defining who the Duck’s main threats are kick off this Thursday and Saturday when UCLA visits Arizona State and Stanford travels to Washington. UCLA has slumbered their way to a 3-0 start and would like to avenge a late-season loss in the Rose Bowl to the Sun Devils that cost them a second shot at Stanford in the PAC-12 Championship Game. The visitor has won the last 2 matchups and the Bruins hope that trend holds or their season will take an early bad turn and bolster the chances for more lightly regarded Arizona State. On the North side of the league ledger Stanford will be looking to get off the conference deck after an unexpected home loss to USC with a visit to Seattle to take on Washington. The Cardinal and Huskies were expected to provide the stiffest division challenge to Oregon but another loss will assure that Stanford can only ruin one Saturday in Eugene rather than a whole Duck season as they have the last two years. Washington on the other hand will face their first true test of the season (4-0 vs Hawaii, E Washington, Illinois & Ga State) in Chris Peterson’s first PAC-12 Conference Game. The Huskies have dropped 7 of the last 9 in the Series.
BLOW-BY OR BLOODY NOSES Like contrasting styles? Tune in Saturday at 3:30 on CBS when Arkansas and their huddle-up then bludgeon your opponent running game travels to College Station where Kevin Sumlin’s get-to-the-line and run as many plays as possible attack awaits. Brett Bielema and his bully backs Alex Collins (490 yds #1 in SEC) and Jonathan Williams (391 yds #4 in SEC) have kicked sand in a trio of wimps faces (Nicholls St, Texas Tech, N Illinois) . It will be interesting to see if they can do the same to an A&M defense that has improved from a dreadful 220 rushing yards/game surrendered in 2013 to a much more palatable 136.3 so far this season. On the other hand the Aggies are one of three SEC offenses to run over 300 plays this season with 304 trailing only –surprisingly- Alabama with 312 and Mississippi State with 308. They also average a league leading 612.5 ypg and 55.3 ppg so the Hogs would be well advised to keep the ball in order to protect their defense which gives up 373.5 ypg (8th in SEC) and 23.5ppg (11th in SEC). One of the SEC’s super-speed offenses that Bielema so abhors has already worn down and run away from the Hogs (Auburn 45-21). The question is how much has Arkansas truly improved in the four weeks since?
SHAME-US vs SHAM Shame-us Winston returns to action Saturday as he and the Seminoles travel to Raleigh to take on NC State. The Wolfpack -while improving weekly- have reached the 4-0 mark in less than impressive fashion versus a pair of teams better than their name and size suggests -but State should never lose to- Ga Southern and ODU, a South Florida team that Willie Taggert has just started rebuilding and Presbyterian who I believe I used to play basketball against at the Oak Ridge Civic Center. This could prove to be a better contest than many believe however with the awkward feel to Winston’s return and the fact that the Wolfpack have somehow won the last two meetings in Raleigh.
THE REAL COLUMBIA Two teams hard to get a feel for that play in different Columbias faceoff in the South Carolina location when Missouri faces Spurrier’s Gamecocks. The Tigers had a 2012 moment this past weekend losing at home to double-digit dog Indiana and South Carolina struggled against what everyone believes to be an atrocious Vandy squad and everyone agrees is in disarray. Two of last season’s great backup QBs are now directing the Gamecock and Tiger offenses and doing so quite well. Dylan Thompson is the 4th leading passer in the SEC (285 ypg) while Maty Mauk is 6th (244.5) They have combined to throw 25 TDs (Mauk 14; Thompson 11) and only 7 INTs (Thompson 3, Mauk 4). Both will be expecting big things again Saturday against defenses ranked 10th (Mizzou) and worst (S Car) in Total Defense in the SEC.
THE BEAVE BOWL: Somewhere the caller Beave is smiling and on-hold ready to ambush some unsuspecting show host who fails to realize that Oregon State and USC square off Saturday night in The Coliseum. Those who have ears let them hear.
WHAT WE MUST SEE FROM VOLS IN GAME 4:
MAKE IT ABOUT MASON: Georgia trails only Arkansas in rushing offense at 304 yards on the ground per game while passing for only the 12th best clip at 167.3. Todd Gurley is probably the best college football player in the land and leads the SEC in rushing at 134 ypg. Hutson Mason on the other hand throws for just a little more than Gurley runs for (139.7) and poses no threat as a runner (10 carries -8 yards). So load the box and rush the passer with reckless abandon when the Dogs choose to throw.
ONE BACK IS ONLY A FIGURE OF SPEECH: The Vols need to quit being so literal when they lineup in a one-back set. It is legal for the QB to carry the ball on occasion and Justin Worley must choose to do so more frequently if the Vols are to be effective running the ball going forward. As an aside they also need to give Worley and their beleaguered offensive line more help in obvious passing situations by utilizing a two-back set regardless of who fills the role.
KICK A BAD HABIT: I hate to continue to play a sour note but the Vols Special Teams deserve to be called out as consistently as they underperform. The Vols rank 11th in Kickoff Returns (20.43 ypr); Tied for 8th in FGs (.667) ahead of only Kentucky and Vandy (60%) which is never a good thing and dead last in Punting at 37.23 ypp the only team averaging less than 40 yards per attempt. For the Vols to have ANY chance Saturday they must be much better in every aspect of special teams. The Dogs feast on special team’s weaknesses and the Vols are currently a target-rich opponent.
WHAT VOL FANS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT GEORGIA?
OFFENSE
Georgia has six returning starters on offense that helped set a school record by averaging 484 yards per game in 2013.
Sr QB Hutson Mason has been solid in his first full season as a starter (42-59; 71.2%; 419Yds 4 TDs; 0 INTs)
Jr RB Gurley has scored 39 touchdowns (31 rushing, 6 receiving, 2 kickoffs) in his career. That ranks second only behind the legendary Herschel Walker who had 52
Gurley has rushed for more than 100 yards 15 times in his career
Georgia has a trio of talented tailbacks in addition to Gurley and Keith Marshall. Sophomore Brendan Douglas and freshmen Sony Michel and Nick Chubb
With Malcolm Mitchell still out Senior WRs Chris Conley and Michael Bennett anchor the 2014 receivers group. The duo has combined for 18 catches and 337 yards this season.
Bennett is the team leader with 10 catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns.
After losing three 2013 starters the Georgia O-Line led by C David Andrews (30 consecutive starts) and LT John Theus (22 starts at RT before this season) has led the Bulldogs to average 304 yards rushing/game
DEFENSE:
Vols O-Line will once again be tested as Georgia has eight sacks on the year.
The Bulldogs ranked second in the SEC with 33 sacks in 2013, trailing only SEC Eastern Division champ Missouri who finished with 41.
DT Toby Johnson leads the Dawgs 3-man D-Line with 2 tfl and 1 sack while DE Sterling Bailey has 2 PBUs
Georgia has one of the best LB corps in America led by Jordan Jenkins (16 tack, 2 tfl; 1 sack), Ramik Wilson (23; 4 tfl), Leonard Floyd (13; 3 tfl; 2 sacks) and Amarlo Herrera (24; 4.5 tfl)
The Bulldogs had seven different starting lineups in the secondary in 2013 and finished 13th in the SEC in INTs with only 7. This season’s starters SR CB Damian Swann (29 consecutive starts prior to illness vs Troy last week), Jr CB Devin Bowman, Sr SS Corey Moore and R-Fr FS Aaron Davis hope to give the Dawgs more stability this season
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK Marshall Morgan ranks eighth in school history with 230 points and is tied with Todd Gurley with 30 points this year.
Morgan made an SEC record 20 straight FGs (breaking Fuad Reveiz old mark of 19) but missed two straight at the end of the loss to South Carolina.
Jr Collin Barber and Sr Adam Erickson are listed as co-punters on the Dogs depth chart but Barber has 10 punts (42.1 ypp) to Erickson’s 1 (37 yds) this season.
After an atrocious return game season in 2013 (Last in the SEC in both PRs and KRs) the Dawgs have already returned a kickoff (Gurley 100 yds vs Clemson) and a punt (Isaiah McKenzie 52 yds vs Troy) for TDs
OTHER FUN (or maybe not) STUFF:
Georgia will be looking to even the all-time series Saturday as the Volunteers hold a 21-20-2 advantage
A Bulldog victory Saturday would match Georgia’s longest winning streak in the series. The Bulldogs won five in a row from 1909-1924.
Under Mark Richt Georgia has blocked 21 Punts, 15 Field Goals and 4 PATs and converted them in to 144 points.
The Bulldogs have 19 Special Teams TDs plus four safeties in the Richt era
BEANO OPEN DATE: Mercifully this should be the last Friday for weeks to come that I miss riding shotgun with Tony B on the Friday edition of the Tony Basilio Show. I have missed the banter and will be anxiously anticipating the buildup sure to be at a fever pitch for the Gators visit the following day. Until then God Bless You and Go Vols!
IN A PERFECT WORLD: The Vols would Step on (The Dogs) face with a hobnail boot and break their nose.
