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Opinion The Georgia 3-2-1 Report

Radi Nabulsi

Publisher
Staff
Nov 17, 2003
39,499
221,564
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Three Observations

3. Whatever you say, Kirby


Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key said over the summer that he hated Georgia. Kirby Smart was asked about that on Monday. Smart had a diplomatic answer with this nugget in there: “...it will be an emotional game, but I don't get emotional about it.”

I call BS.

Smart gets emotional about every game and this one in particular. His answer made him look like he was as dispassionate as your ex-wife. He sounded like he was cooler than black and white Elvis Presley. It was a strong counter. When your opposition says they hate you, respond with, ”Well, I feel nothing for you.”

The reality is that Scott Sinclair is going to have the fight of his life trying to keep Smart off the field. Georgia’s legendary “get back” coach is as strong as an Auburn heifer, but Smart’s hatred of Tech burns like Centralia. Smart wants to pummel Tech. He wants to see the disappointment on the faces of Tech grads, their wives, and their wives' boyfriends.

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2. Motivation from a former Tech coach

Questions were asked this week about the coaching exchange between the two teams. Josh Crawford left Tech for Georgia and Buster Faulkner went to Tech from Athens. There are rumors that Faulkner might one day come back to Athens but I can see him taking another job first, like Southern Miss.

Yet it might not be Crawford or Faulkner who provides the edge this week. Former Tech Defensive Coordinator Andrew Thacker is part of the Georgia staff and seems to have no love for his former squad. He addressed the Georgia team on Monday and had the players ready to charge with the Noble 600 into the Cossack and Russian lines.

I won’t share everything he said but the Bulldogs were fired up.

Personally, I would have led off with something like, “I just went to the bathroom and 3D printed a Tech diploma” but I am sure Coach Thacker was much more classy.

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1. Keys to the game

Don’t let the line from Vegas fool you. Speaking with people at Tech, they fully think they can win this game. Some of them expect to. With the way Georgia has played up and down, their confidence is understandable.

Georgia needs to win first down on defense, play their assignments, and be disciplined, unlike last week. Get Tech behind the sticks and then cut the defense loose.

The Bulldog’s offense needs to take what Tech gives Georgia. The Jackets mix up pressure with disguises, so Carson Back and company need to read their keys.

Tech is going to try to control the clock and reduce the game, keeping Georgia’s offense off the field. There won’t be a lot of Georgia drives if Key has his way.

This Georgia senior class has a lot on the line. They could leave school having never lost to Auburn, Florida, Tennessee, or Tech. Hard to believe. Plus I don’t see Georgia’s defense coming out as flat as they did last week. There’s a busted Powerade cooler that died at halftime last week that will serve as a grim reminder of what happens when Smart is not pleased with the effort.

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Two Questions

2. What is the status of Colbie Young?


Smart wouldn’t get into the details of what Young was doing at practice or when he might be cleared to play. But here is what we know. As of Wednesday, Young was working on the side of practice, not in drills or with the team. Georgia is not expecting him to play this week or in the SE Championship game. They are preparing to get him back in time for the playoffs.

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1. Could we see a new tailback?

When asked about the status of running backs Roderick Robinson and Branson Robinson, Smart revealed that they had taken a few contact reps. “They did take some reps in with the twos and rolled through there, just seeing where their confidence level is and where they are mentally.” Fair enough. But we understand that Roderick did more than just roll through with the twos. Don’t be shocked if he gets a carry on Friday. Ideally, they won’t need him, but it would be nice for him to get a snap or two in front of the hometown crowd.

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One Prediction

The Georgia Bulldogs are going to pick up four or five difference-makers in the Transfer Portal.

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P.S. We are less than a week away from Signing Day. The Transfer Portal opens in 11 days. Georgia is trying to flip a five-star or two. The Bulldogs staff is going to try to land a few kids out of the portal. To do all this, it takes money. Like it or hate it, that is the nature of the game now.

A billionaire just bought LSU’s quarterback commit and now the kid is going to Michigan. Georgia doesn’t have billionaires doing this. So I like what the folks at Bulldog Snacks are doing. They are sending big checks to UGA based on crowdsourcing. If they get a lot of Georgia fans to change their spending habits, the Dawgs will be right in the thick of the battle.

Please consider trying their Black Friday deals on www.bulldogsnacks.com. They are running a 25% OFF any purchase of $40 or more on the site starting Friday and going through Monday.

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If you have tried them, please leave a review on the site. (Maybe mention you heard about them on UGASports)
 
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