Three Observations
3. Storyline we all missed
When we mentioned last week that we were watching a few injury issues, we had no idea Joenel Aguerro would miss the entire game vs.Clemson. I don’t envy Travaris Robinson and Donte Wiliams going into their first games as Georgia’s secondary coaches, against a ranked team, having to revamp multiple positions. The secondary is Kirby Smart’s baby, messing it up is akin to using Grandma’s decorative soaps. Moving three guys around in the days leading up? Those guys had to be tight.
Still, Malaki Starks is, as Smart noted, Georgia’s best player at five positions. And Gator girls are easier than your dad’s second wife. Both statements are known facts. What was unknown was how KJ Bolden would fare. Before the first series was over, he shone. Bolden went on to play the most snaps of any defensive back. The former five-star who strung FSU along until signing day wound up second in the team in tackles with four solo stops. Football is easier to that kid than your dad’s third wife.
The Georgia defense gave up three points to No. 14 Clemson despite being without a key starter and losing two more along the way. Not bad for a team that lost three defensive backs to the NFL.
2. Mystery solved.
News outlets last Saturday plastered “BREAKING NEWS” all over their screens when the second worst-kept secret in history was revealed. Trevor Etienne wasn’t going to play. Our own Rivals national team even credited a competing network for breaking the news we had reported a day earlier. When I asked what in the spinning Linda Carter was going on, they wanted to know why we didn’t tweet it on Friday. Apparently, if we don’t tweet insider content, it doesn’t exist.
Some outlets reported Etienne may miss this week as well. As my wise aunt would say, those folks are hard to underestimate. Trevor is playing. And he has the full backing of the team. I can’t go into details but this incident is buried as far as his teammates are concerned. Smart has mentioned repeatedly what a leader Etienne has been since arriving from Florida. We will see for ourselves soon.
1. Cursed position of the Year
Like every team, Georgia suffers injuries to its players. Unlike most teams, the Bulldogs' injuries always seem to pile up at one position group. Remember when James Coley’s offense was reliant on a pair of freshmen wide receivers? Or when Georgia had to move wideout Dillon Bell to running back as that position room looked like a Revolutionary War fife and drum reenactment?
This year the defensive front is compiling injuries like your ex collects upside-down pineapples.
This week we won’t see Mykel Williams, Jordan Hall, Warren Brinson, or Xavier McCloud play against Tennessee Tech. Hopefully, some will return for the Kentucky game.
Two Questions
2. When will we ever learn?
When our staff score predictions were posted on the Clemson board last week, the Tiger faithful had a field day ripping our picks. Eight of us picked Georgia to cover what looked to be an impressive spread, a number that dropped as the game neared. By halftime, the Commodore 64s were being warmed up with blistering attacks on our analytical skills, partisanship, and parental marriage status. By the time Georgia was done whipping Clemson like it stole something, the deleting of those scathing drafts could be heard all the way over in Evans, Georgia.
I too doubted that Georgia would win like it did. Cover? Sure. Club them like a baby seal that owed you money? Nah. Yet there remains a fundamental rule about Georgia football under Kirby Smart. Don’t bet against the Dawgs when they have more than a week to prepare. It’s not foolproof, but it has an ROI rather like NVIDIA.
1. Is the Nate Frazier hype too much?
Last Saturday in an enthusiastic Yuengling fervor, I tweeted that Nate Frazier would win the Heisman before he leaves Georgia. During our postgame show, in a Hunker Bourbon-fueled diatribe, I doubled down on that statement.
With a few days to think about it, and after some Wake Up Coffee, I need to reconsider. It was just one game. There are two other freshmen tailbacks who are really good as well. The Heisman now goes to quarterbacks, not tailbacks. Over the last 20 years, 16 quarterbacks and only three running backs have won it. Plus Georgia spreads the ball around too much. Even if they didn’t, Smart won’t let his starters pad their stats like Lane Kiffin is going to do with Jaxson Dart.
But I still believe Frazier will win. That kid is faster than a young Radi’s finger over the pause button watching Basic Instinct. I’ll see you in New York.
One Prediction
You are going to see a lot of people be very excited about what Gunner Stockton can do,
3. Storyline we all missed
When we mentioned last week that we were watching a few injury issues, we had no idea Joenel Aguerro would miss the entire game vs.Clemson. I don’t envy Travaris Robinson and Donte Wiliams going into their first games as Georgia’s secondary coaches, against a ranked team, having to revamp multiple positions. The secondary is Kirby Smart’s baby, messing it up is akin to using Grandma’s decorative soaps. Moving three guys around in the days leading up? Those guys had to be tight.
Still, Malaki Starks is, as Smart noted, Georgia’s best player at five positions. And Gator girls are easier than your dad’s second wife. Both statements are known facts. What was unknown was how KJ Bolden would fare. Before the first series was over, he shone. Bolden went on to play the most snaps of any defensive back. The former five-star who strung FSU along until signing day wound up second in the team in tackles with four solo stops. Football is easier to that kid than your dad’s third wife.
The Georgia defense gave up three points to No. 14 Clemson despite being without a key starter and losing two more along the way. Not bad for a team that lost three defensive backs to the NFL.
2. Mystery solved.
News outlets last Saturday plastered “BREAKING NEWS” all over their screens when the second worst-kept secret in history was revealed. Trevor Etienne wasn’t going to play. Our own Rivals national team even credited a competing network for breaking the news we had reported a day earlier. When I asked what in the spinning Linda Carter was going on, they wanted to know why we didn’t tweet it on Friday. Apparently, if we don’t tweet insider content, it doesn’t exist.
Some outlets reported Etienne may miss this week as well. As my wise aunt would say, those folks are hard to underestimate. Trevor is playing. And he has the full backing of the team. I can’t go into details but this incident is buried as far as his teammates are concerned. Smart has mentioned repeatedly what a leader Etienne has been since arriving from Florida. We will see for ourselves soon.
1. Cursed position of the Year
Like every team, Georgia suffers injuries to its players. Unlike most teams, the Bulldogs' injuries always seem to pile up at one position group. Remember when James Coley’s offense was reliant on a pair of freshmen wide receivers? Or when Georgia had to move wideout Dillon Bell to running back as that position room looked like a Revolutionary War fife and drum reenactment?
This year the defensive front is compiling injuries like your ex collects upside-down pineapples.
This week we won’t see Mykel Williams, Jordan Hall, Warren Brinson, or Xavier McCloud play against Tennessee Tech. Hopefully, some will return for the Kentucky game.
Two Questions
2. When will we ever learn?
When our staff score predictions were posted on the Clemson board last week, the Tiger faithful had a field day ripping our picks. Eight of us picked Georgia to cover what looked to be an impressive spread, a number that dropped as the game neared. By halftime, the Commodore 64s were being warmed up with blistering attacks on our analytical skills, partisanship, and parental marriage status. By the time Georgia was done whipping Clemson like it stole something, the deleting of those scathing drafts could be heard all the way over in Evans, Georgia.
I too doubted that Georgia would win like it did. Cover? Sure. Club them like a baby seal that owed you money? Nah. Yet there remains a fundamental rule about Georgia football under Kirby Smart. Don’t bet against the Dawgs when they have more than a week to prepare. It’s not foolproof, but it has an ROI rather like NVIDIA.
1. Is the Nate Frazier hype too much?
Last Saturday in an enthusiastic Yuengling fervor, I tweeted that Nate Frazier would win the Heisman before he leaves Georgia. During our postgame show, in a Hunker Bourbon-fueled diatribe, I doubled down on that statement.
With a few days to think about it, and after some Wake Up Coffee, I need to reconsider. It was just one game. There are two other freshmen tailbacks who are really good as well. The Heisman now goes to quarterbacks, not tailbacks. Over the last 20 years, 16 quarterbacks and only three running backs have won it. Plus Georgia spreads the ball around too much. Even if they didn’t, Smart won’t let his starters pad their stats like Lane Kiffin is going to do with Jaxson Dart.
But I still believe Frazier will win. That kid is faster than a young Radi’s finger over the pause button watching Basic Instinct. I’ll see you in New York.
One Prediction
You are going to see a lot of people be very excited about what Gunner Stockton can do,
