Are the 2014 and 2015 OLs Bigger, Better, or Both?

Skeptic

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One barometer that, to me, substantiates both a bigger and a better OL last year---
In his Tuesday presser during the week we played them, Mark Richt said that they were used to Ga Tech bringing a "small" OL. He said that traditionally, we were quick and athletic but small.

His warning to his team that week was that Ga Tech was still quick and athletic. But, this time, they were bringing in "...an OL like we see every week in the SEC. They are just as big as anybody we face and can still move like they always can. On their film, and off my memory, I warn my guys: If you take 1 play off....if you freelance for even 1 play and neglect your assignment--that's the play that can go for a home run."

He added, "We can't simulate with the scout team what Ga Tech will do on offense. We try to run their plays. But, the sheer speed of it is something you just have to experience in a game. Those OL will get up on you so fast--and get you on the ground faster than you can believe-- and the play just runs right by you. Now-- they've got size, too. It'll be a challenge."

(That's my memory of what I heard him say; some joker will come up with the transcript. I promise you, it'll be darn near word-for-word.)
I believe the same thing was said about every opposing coach. That is, the speed and quickness of the offense and how it could not be replicated in practice and thus was always a surprise starting with the first play. Couple with the quickness of its execution under Thomas it must be a windstorm out there when the ball is snapped.
 

ilovetheoption

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All I know is Burden is a freak. We have never had a lineman under PJ with his size and quickness off the ball, and he wasn't even our best lineman last year.
Burden is a STAR. I remember preseason last year Eric saying something to the effect of "he comes off the ball like he was shot out of a cannon, and is a destroyer at the second level".

I've always said that the mid 90's Nebraska lines are the goal here, where the guys are big enough, but CRAZY athletic, and Burden could line up next to Brendan Stai or Zach Weigert at look 100% in his element.
 

iceeater1969

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Please don't kill :)retorcly )me for suggesting the possibility - burden to right guard?
In a short time He could be even better than shaq. With him next to Erin we again have a beast of right side.

He has been practicing at guard, but is the drop off to big for the new center.

By way my son who played guard in college and coaches says Braun is great

For me i am fine with what ever coach does.
 

DrJacket

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Turned out I'm the joker who went and dug up a pretty complete transcript of that 2014 Ga Tech week Mark Richt presser. I referenced this earlier. Here are some excerpts you might enjoy.

Oh, and I dare you to try to read this in retrospect without grinning a sly grin :cool::D:

** Their offensive line is very impressive, three returning starters there. Actually nine -- excuse me, six returning starters offensively overall, but three are up front. And they average nearly 300 pounds. They're big, their athletic. In some years past they weren't quite as big as these guys, but they're bigger, stronger, faster than I've ever seen.


**We work on drills, you know, to work on cut blocks, and then, you know, we'll get some scout team work as well, but you just can't simulate it. You can't simulate how well they play offensive football and the way they block, and they're not always cutting. You know, and a lot of teams cut block, so it won't be the first time we'll play a cut block all year. But you know, on average they probably do it more than most people. But you have to – I just got a feeling we're going to have to play a series or two to really get a feel for how fast it happens, and not so much fast in between plays, but when that ball is snapped, how fast things happen, how fast they can get you on the ground, how fast they can be up on you. So it's going to be interesting to see. I mean we work hard to get our scout team to try to simulate it, but you just can't do it. You can't do it.


**I think just the original thing I was talking about as far as, you know, just how the game goes, I mean how you have to be ready every single snap, because any snap it could go to the house. If one guy makes a mistake or one guys decides he's not going to play good fundamentals this play or one guy decides he's going to do his own thing, bam, big play. Because you'll see a lot of three, four, three, two and a half, you know, and then bam, big play, pass or run. And that's what we gotta try to minimize, if possible.
 

Skeptic

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.... You can't simulate how well they play offensive football and the way they block, and they're not always cutting. You know, and a lot of teams cut block, so it won't be the first time we'll play a cut block all year. But you know, on average they probably do it more than most people. But you have to – I just got a feeling we're going to have to play a series or two to really get a feel for how fast it happens, and not so much fast in between plays, but when that ball is snapped, how fast things happen, how fast they can get you on the ground, how fast they can be up on you. So it's going to be interesting to see. I mean we work hard to get our scout team to try to simulate it, but you just can't do it. You can't do it.


**I think just the original thing I was talking about as far as, you know, just how the game goes, I mean how you have to be ready every single snap, because any snap it could go to the house. If one guy makes a mistake or one guys decides he's not going to play good fundamentals this play or one guy decides he's going to do his own thing, bam, big play. Because you'll see a lot of three, four, three, two and a half, you know, and then bam, big play, pass or run. And that's what we gotta try to minimize, if possible.
And some people think he doesn't know football.
 

takethepoints

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I posted this on the other thread:

This has been discussed here before. This is a rehash of those posts.

A big part of this is that opposing teams began to watch how VT plays us. Foster was the one to start moving his DL a yard off the LOS to give them a better chance of defeating cut blocks inside. So other teams began to do the same thing.

Problem = VT is usually right close to the fastest D in the country, especially on their DL. They can move around a drive block and defeat a cut block a reasonable amount of the time; see their games against us and OSU last year. OSU tried to drive block them and the VT DL spent the entire game in their backfield. Other teams - Ugag, MSU - have DLs that are fairly easy to cut block, if they give you the opportunity. So they moved back and suddenly found out just how difficult life can be when you give a big, talented OL a yard's head start on a drive block. For an entire game. Of course, it also helps if you could beat them up considerable at close range and they know it. Oth, the best DL we faced last year - the Tiggers - did a pretty good job at close range defeating all kinds of blocks, but, luckily, DLs like that are few and far between.

If the other side gives us the opportunity to cut block on the OL, we'll take it. Improving talent has made that less an option for opposing D's, however.

Two additions:

1. It sure does help that our QB runs the plays so fast and has backs who can cooperate. That means that the OL doesn't have to hold its blocks as long on running plays. That, in turn, means that play action pass plays don't require as good a block right off the bat; the DL is looking for a run every time.

2. I wouldn't worry about Shamire too much. My guess = he starts and Brown plays every third series. He's just too good to sit down more then that.
 

Northeast Stinger

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Turned out I'm the joker who went and dug up a pretty complete transcript of that 2014 Ga Tech week Mark Richt presser. I referenced this earlier. Here are some excerpts you might enjoy.

Oh, and I dare you to try to read this in retrospect without grinning a sly grin :cool::D:

** Their offensive line is very impressive, three returning starters there. Actually nine -- excuse me, six returning starters offensively overall, but three are up front. And they average nearly 300 pounds. They're big, their athletic. In some years past they weren't quite as big as these guys, but they're bigger, stronger, faster than I've ever seen.


**We work on drills, you know, to work on cut blocks, and then, you know, we'll get some scout team work as well, but you just can't simulate it. You can't simulate how well they play offensive football and the way they block, and they're not always cutting. You know, and a lot of teams cut block, so it won't be the first time we'll play a cut block all year. But you know, on average they probably do it more than most people. But you have to – I just got a feeling we're going to have to play a series or two to really get a feel for how fast it happens, and not so much fast in between plays, but when that ball is snapped, how fast things happen, how fast they can get you on the ground, how fast they can be up on you. So it's going to be interesting to see. I mean we work hard to get our scout team to try to simulate it, but you just can't do it. You can't do it.


**I think just the original thing I was talking about as far as, you know, just how the game goes, I mean how you have to be ready every single snap, because any snap it could go to the house. If one guy makes a mistake or one guys decides he's not going to play good fundamentals this play or one guy decides he's going to do his own thing, bam, big play. Because you'll see a lot of three, four, three, two and a half, you know, and then bam, big play, pass or run. And that's what we gotta try to minimize, if possible.
Does anyone else share the impression I have that Richt and CPJ respect each other? I have never seen either of them feel the need to talk trash about the other. And, as someone already said, Richt clearly understands the nature of Tech's offense as well as the fact that everybody does cut blocking.
 

danny daniel

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Does anyone else share the impression I have that Richt and CPJ respect each other? I have never seen either of them feel the need to talk trash about the other. And, as someone already said, Richt clearly understands the nature of Tech's offense as well as the fact that everybody does cut blocking.
completely agree
 

ilovetheoption

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A big part of this is that opposing teams began to watch how VT plays us. Foster was the one to start moving his DL a yard off the LOS to give them a better chance of defeating cut blocks inside. So other teams began to do the same thing.
FWIW, I'm pretty sure Groh was actually the first to do it. I remember watching when he switched a DE to NG against you guys, and set him back a yard, and watched him wreak havoc on your system. I'm of the opinion that it was part of the reason that Johnson hired Groh in the first place. He saw that he was an x's and o's schemer that threw Johnson a curveball.
 

Yaller Jacket

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I sure don't know the answer to this question, but I have pondered it a bunch since late last season. It seemed to me we didn't start showing much different than other years until the last third of the season. (Except pass blocking. We were better at that all season long) That would indicate to me that we improved a lot over the course of the season and/or CPJ called a great mix of blocking assignments late year. I just hope we resume where we picked up at the end of last year.

Maybe Richt got it just right. If so, it's hard to say what UGA (or anyone else for that matter) can do to combat his problem. Big linemen who are also fast and athletic, big lineman who you don't know until it's too late whether they are going to cut or drive you, and an offense run too fast for you to duplicate it in practice. And a pretty good passing game. My!
 

Whiskey_Clear

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Does anyone else share the impression I have that Richt and CPJ respect each other? I have never seen either of them feel the need to talk trash about the other. And, as someone already said, Richt clearly understands the nature of Tech's offense as well as the fact that everybody does cut blocking.

I imagine they do respect one another. Makes sense as both are very good coaches. Say what you want about the mutts.....they have a classy head coach. Willing to bet their next one won't be. ;)
 

Whiskey_Clear

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They have had discipline problems, that I grant you; and I admit I don't follow them closely. But he seems to be cracking down harder on that than he may have several years ago. I don't blame coaches much for player transgressions so long as they are dealt with when they happen. And he seems to have given the boot to several.
 

Whiskey_Clear

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But I will add that widespread discipline problems are the responsibility of the coaching staff so your criticism is valid. Few programs challenge as hard, year in and year out, for the Fulmer Cup.

I still think he's an overall classy guy in media interviews and with his mission work. A big step up for the mutts. Some on his staff have been less classy and that is a ding on him also. But again....historically speaking....a step up for the mutts.
 

JacketFromUGA

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As a UGA alum I can honestly say CMR is one of the best men in the business. He quells a lot more problems then come out.

Love the coach even if I'm not fond of the team and fans
 
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