Am I being too negative ? Help !!

[lv20gt]

1) Many penalties are directly related to freshman playing or players playing new positions. Especially the false starts. But in general most of our games have had similar penalty numbers for both sides.
us vs them
FSU - 10 for 80 vs 8 for 55.
UCF - 7 for 49 vs 8 for 51
Cuse - 15 for 104 vs 7 for 85 (fwiw this was the game where cuse was playing literal whistle sounds pre snap over the speakers which I still think is nonsense).
UL - 7 for 55 vs 9 for 78
Clemson - 3 for 40 vs 2 for 20.
BC - 10 for 62 vs 10 for 102.

The Cuse and Clemson games are outliers on different ends, and otherwise we're high but so are our opponents usually. That isn't really to be unexpected with the amount of youth we are playing, especially with an abnormal practice situation. I don't see any reason to view the increase in penalties as a more than issues related to youth and the weird situation . Obviously it is still something that needs addressing but some of those should go away with increased experience.

2) Turnovers. This is to be expected with a true freshman QB that is leaned on as much as we have. Experience should help address that.

3) This has been an issue for a long time. Probably a combination of multiple issues.

4) Our blocking on extra points has been really bad. That certainly needs to get fixed. The low kicks are hopefully just some issue with a freshman kicker.

5) Not sure I really agree, at least in the sense of not being ready and then adjusting at half. Against FSU and UL I thought we were pretty good out the gate. UCF, Clemson, and BC pretty much had their way most of the game (which is its own problem). Really only the Cuse game that comes to mind.

 

[LibertyTurns]

What is really getting to me is that we know we have no chance to win this Saturday.

This is the biggest thing I’ve had to adjust to. A couple of years I used to believe we could win every game, mutt and Clemp included. We always used to have a chance. Not sure why everyone seems to have just mailed it in this season, myself included.

 

[Sheboygan]

1) Many penalties are directly related to freshman playing or players playing new positions. Especially the false starts. But in general most of our games have had similar penalty numbers for both sides.
us vs them
FSU - 10 for 80 vs 8 for 55.
UCF - 7 for 49 vs 8 for 51
Cuse - 15 for 104 vs 7 for 85 (fwiw this was the game where cuse was playing literal whistle sounds pre snap over the speakers which I still think is nonsense).
UL - 7 for 55 vs 9 for 78
Clemson - 3 for 40 vs 2 for 20.
BC - 10 for 62 vs 10 for 102.

The Cuse and Clemson games are outliers on different ends, and otherwise we're high but so are our opponents usually. That isn't really to be unexpected with the amount of youth we are playing, especially with an abnormal practice situation. I don't see any reason to view the increase in penalties as a more than issues related to youth and the weird situation . Obviously it is still something that needs addressing but some of those should go away with increased experience.

2) Turnovers. This is to be expected with a true freshman QB that is leaned on as much as we have. Experience should help address that.

3) This has been an issue for a long time. Probably a combination of multiple issues.

4) Our blocking on extra points has been really bad. That certainly needs to get fixed. The low kicks are hopefully just some issue with a freshman kicker.

5) Not sure I really agree, at least in the sense of not being ready and then adjusting at half. Against FSU and UL I thought we were pretty good out the gate. UCF, Clemson, and BC pretty much had their way most of the game (which is its own problem). Really only the Cuse game that comes to mind.

BC ?? Also, why are we are 88th out of 102 in most penalties ?

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

Other teams are having this problem. Look at LSU and oklahoma. There problems are worse than your typical high senior turn over year would produce. Every team is suffering.

LSU has lost two games but aren't having near the problems we are. They have almost a third less penalties than we do and score twice as many points per game. They've lost 0 fumbles and have thrown 5 INTs. Oklahoma has slightly less penalties than us, 9 turnovers (3 Fumbles and 6 INTs) while scoring 39+ PPG. Meanwhile, we have 65 penalties, 18 turnovers (more than LSU and OK combined) and score less than 23 points a game. Both LSA and OK are able to kick FGs reliably. I hold my breath on the PATs. We have issues, and they are mostly due to the time required to rebuild this team. Yes, the loss of spring hurt, but every team lost the spring. We just need to get through the dumpster fire phase. Last year was raging, this year it's smoldering. Hopefully next year it will be much improved.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

Not sure why everyone seems to have just mailed it in this season, myself included.

They watched a few games?

In all seriousness, this season was a write off even before COVID struck. We have an easier schedule and still can't win. We'd have been brutalized with our original schedule. I still think the process is on schedule though and the next couple of years will be better.

 

[Pointer]

They watched a few games?

In all seriousness, this season was a write off even before COVID struck. We have an easier schedule and still can't win. We'd have been brutalized with our original schedule. I still think the process is on schedule though and the next couple of years will be better.

I haven't given up on this staff just yet, but my concerns are not being reassured... Quite the opposite actually. I mean the staff can't even put an accurate depth chart together.

 

[LibertyTurns]

They watched a few games?

In all seriousness, this season was a write off even before COVID struck. We have an easier schedule and still can't win. We'd have been brutalized with our original schedule. I still think the process is on schedule though and the next couple of years will be better.

I’ve been around a long time, not as much as some of you, but this is my 5th decade as a GT fan. I’ve watched some way overmatched GT teams win games they had no business winning. Something’s missing here. Could it be we’ve made losing something we’re ok with? We’re now comfortable with losing and it doesn’t matter as much anymore?

 

[RyanS12]

We're gonna pull a Falcons soon and win 3 out of 4 games remaining.

Great..... There goes our number 1 pick in the Portal Draft. Lol.

 

[lv20gt]

BC ?? Also, why are we are 88th out of 102 in most penalties ?

What about BC? We had issues, but those issues were persistent throughout the game.

And yes, we are penalized a lot. Our opponents are as well as we're 25th in opponent penalties per game. Penalties are up across the board and we're playing in games where the refs are calling a lot of penalties (usually). Also, we are 69th out of 102 in penalty yards which isn't good but it also isn't absurdly high either.

As far as why goes. We're starting a true freshman QB who had little time to work with the OL in terms of timing. We also a true freshman RT, a converted long snapper playing TE, and several other freshman making impacts. It's not really a big surprise that we're below average in penalties, especially since we're making an effort to play up tempo which plays into that.

 

[Deleted member 2897]

I don't calling facts out, as being negative. There are people that are just realists. The reality is, we make too many errors. The reality is, we look unprepared, too often. The reality is, Collins can recruit, but has yet to show any on field coaching abilities. To me, Collins is an exact model of what Mark Ritch was. A good recruiter that could never get the full potential of the players. So far, that I all I have seen. Now, I would gladly take the 9-10 win seasons that Ritch brought. I don't think Collins is the answer. I think he talks a good game, but really cannot back it up. So, how is that for negativity? We will hear the "greatest change over in college football history" as an excuse for the next 3-4 years.

interesting sidenote – Mark Richt had a better overall record by this point in his tenure than Kirby “Smart” does.

 

[THWG]

Unfortunately, this team ( for whatever reason ) has 5 very glaring weaknesses :
1) Waaaaay too many penalties
2) Waaaaay too many turnovers
3) Waaaaay too many missed tackles
4) Waaaaay too many missed XP and FG
5) Waaaaay too unprepared to start a game
Since we have quite a few experienced players at many positions - obviously not QB though - I am struggling to find a reason other than coaching to explain these
weaknesses. A lack of talent may be a partial factor. But penalties, sloppy tackling ? That's just poor effort and focus, IMHO.
Sorry for being so negative , but these things should not be happening in the 2nd year. I know the players know they are not playing well. How could they not ?
That is also obviously affecting their confidence.
But the frustrating thing is that they seem clueless on how to fix this. They seem to just be waiting for their LUCK to change.
Am I missing something ??

I just see a lot of youth in this team. There are players with experience, but the depth of the team is mainly Freshmen and Sophomores. Young teams make a lot of the mistakes that we keep seeing and mainly 4 of the 5 that you mentioned. Then like other posters stated, add COVID on top of that and it's just a weird year. The main thing I have seen with this team is inconsistency and again that should be expected with a young team.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

I haven't given up on this staff just yet, but my concerns are not being reassured... Quite the opposite actually. I mean the staff can't even put an accurate depth chart together.

The ATL chart worry is overblown. The staff knows who is playing. There is no real reason other than tradition to make it public.

 

[Coloradojacket]

I’ve been around a long time, not as much as some of you, but this is my 5th decade as a GT fan. I’ve watched some way overmatched GT teams win games they had no business winning. Something’s missing here. Could it be we’ve made losing something we’re ok with? We’re now comfortable with losing and it doesn’t matter as much anymore?

I am into my 6th decade and I agree. I think those of us that have been around see things that make us uneasy.
The dancing on the sidelines, the lack of discipline true or not, the continuous explanation being we have to wait 5 years for recruiting to give us a team, the "greatest turn around in history,...from a 7 win bowl team.
But one thing that I think started this was last year's loss to the Citadel. It was a thumbing of facing a CPJ offense that they did not prepare for, and ended up running us over.
I watched the press conference from this week and it made me really feel uneasy.
The experiment will continue, but if this is the result, we can't wait 5 years.

 

[Pointer]

..

The ATL chart worry is overblown. The staff knows who is playing. There is no real reason other than tradition to make it public.

If we're about branding and perception of the program, this certainly does not help. It creates the perception that this staff doesn't really have a plan for who's playing or not. Also kind of leading players along in a way.

But yes this is the least of my many worries.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

I’ve been around a long time, not as much as some of you, but this is my 5th decade as a GT fan. I’ve watched some way overmatched GT teams win games they had no business winning. Something’s missing here. Could it be we’ve made losing something we’re ok with? We’re now comfortable with losing and it doesn’t matter as much anymore?

4th decade for me. I don't think the desire to win has gone away, and I don't think the team is OK with losing, I just don't think we have enough horses in the stable to make a difference right now. In 1980 the talent differential and depth vs ND wasn't nearly as large as it is today.

 

[Jmonty71]

interesting sidenote – Mark Richt had a better overall record by this point in his tenure than Kirby “Smart” does.

Yep... He just couldn't beat the big boys.. Or win the big games. Seems superficial. To me... I would be very happy with a coach that won 10 games almost every year.

 

[Jmonty71]

4th decade for me. I don't think the desire to win has gone away, and I don't think the team is OK with losing, I just don't think we have enough horses in the stable to make a difference right now. In 1980 the talent differential and depth vs ND wasn't nearly as large as it is today.

Hit the nail on the head. Not enough experience and/or talent. The questions are... will we reach that point? and / if we do, how will the coaching staff show that they can teach / coach? Is it simple Ws? Or do we want to see fundamental schemes and plays?

 

[Coloradojacket]

4th decade for me. I don't think the desire to win has gone away, and I don't think the team is OK with losing, I just don't think we have enough horses in the stable to make a difference right now. In 1980 the talent differential and depth vs ND wasn't nearly as large as it is today.

Augusta, I was at that game and the talent differential was huge. We played Wisenhunt at QB, a converted tight end and he was 5th string. It was one of the greatest coaching jobs Curry ever did.

 

[LibertyTurns]

4th decade for me. I don't think the desire to win has gone away, and I don't think the team is OK with losing, I just don't think we have enough horses in the stable to make a difference right now. In 1980 the talent differential and depth vs ND wasn't nearly as large as it is today.

Let’s take 2015 FSU game for example. I didn’t go to that game thinking we had no chance. Huge numbers of highly impactful injuries & playing against a good team loaded with talent. Going into the game I thought if we block well enough, grind out 1st downs and gradually wear them down, make a couple stops and perhaps a turnover or 2 and control the clock maybe we shorten the game and have a chance. They get nervous and have a lot to lose, we play loose, controlled, etc. Out-smart them.

Now I find myself just hoping we won’t get crushed. Last night from the local HS game I got random co-workers texting me “hey it’s like we’re playing GT”. It’s so bad this last month we’re getting the kind of attention that’s not good for the program. Time for a good game to restore some dignity to the program.

 

[SOWEGA Jacket]

Spread offenses depend on 1 position to basically win games. The Quarterback. We are playing a true freshman without a spring practice and a unique fall practice behind a still retooling offensive line. Collins is “All In” on riding Sims through this practice season in hopes that the practice mistakes Sims is making in games go away in upcoming seasons. Personally, I think that’s the right move. We’ve all seen the talent Sims has which we haven’t seen from a QB in a long time. Right now his mind is slow on the option reads which causes his body to be a beat slow. Same with his reading of defenses. It also didn’t help that BC and Clemson were eating our OLines lunch before the reads could even be made. But, Sims has shown me enough of the upside that he’ll be a flat out stat machine for his remaining 4 years. Nothing I’ve seen indicates he is “bust” material. I see GT’s scoring ability will take off with Sims at QB and the WR, TE, and RB’s that Collins is getting committed and on campus. Like the Joe Ham days that will make up for a lot of defensive issues.