Dive/Shaq

[GTMD]

i re watched the UGA game from last year and one thing that struck me was just how much of a beast Shaq was at guard- blew people off the line, handled open field/pull blocking very well blowing up athletic LB .

Was our dive so effective because of the experienced B backs we had or more because we had a beast at guard?

The effectiveness of the dive is key for our offense and I saw it run as good as I've seen it since Dwyer last year- my thoughts are that Shaq was a huge part of this and not sure what caliber of guard play we will have this year and how the loss of Shaq will affect the dive this year.

I'll let the smart guys here fill me in with more well informed opinions!

 

[gtg936g]

Shaq was a big part of it. I called it the Mason follow. The BB just has to follow the guard and hold onto the ball. When he releases you did not want to be next man up in the secondary.

 

[AE 87]

i re watched the UGA game from last year and one thing that struck me was just how much of a beast Shaq was at guard- blew people off the line, handled open field/pull blocking very well blowing up athletic LB .

Was our dive so effective because of the experienced B backs we had or more because we had a beast at guard?

The effectiveness of the dive is key for our offense and I saw it run as good as I've seen it since Dwyer last year- my thoughts are that Shaq was a huge part of this and not sure what caliber of guard play we will have this year and how the loss of Shaq will affect the dive this year.

I'll let the smart guys here fill me in with more well informed opinions!

Carries by Zach (26) and Synjyn (16) accounted for 42 of our 86 plays vs georgie. You may need to be more specific.

 

[GTMD]

Carries by Zach (26) and Synjyn (16) accounted for 42 of our 86 plays vs georgie. You may need to be more specific.

That's exactly what I'm talking about- those were mainly dive plays by our b backs- were they effective primarily because of Shaq (and thus was much of our success due to him )?

If so I have concerns on who is going to replace the beast that Shaq was and it was largely his play that opened up our offense (along with JT and great decision making/wide receiver play)

Can we duplicate the success of the dive, without which we may struggle (or at least not be as dominant) , without a guy like Shaq?

 

[InsideLB]

I think we can duplicate the success. We also ran it to the other side with good results as well. Trey Braun has been overshadowed. He is a very good lineman. Burden was a huge part of the dive too. Dude flat out gets to the second level. We will also be realizing very soon just how good he is from Bedford's color commentary. And Devine is nothing to sneeze at either.

Shaq was a special guy, sure. However he'd be the first to say our offense takes all 5 guys playing as a unit...and we have some pretty great linemen coming back along with some very promising back ups. The dive actually is the least of my worries.

The perimeter is where we are more likely to struggle a little. Ultimately I think we'll be fine there too. Of course if you go up against a front 4 like Clemson's of last year or Iowa's in the Orange Bowl, those guys stop everybody.

 

[RamblinCharger]

I think we can duplicate the success. We also ran it to the other side with good results as well. Trey Braun has been overshadowed. He is a very good lineman. Burden was a huge part of the dive too. Dude flat out gets to the second level. We will also be realizing very soon just how good he is from Bedford's color commentary. And Devine is nothing to sneeze at either.

Shaq was a special guy, sure. However he'd be the first to say our offense takes all 5 guys playing as a unit...and we have some pretty great linemen coming back along with some very promising back ups. The dive actually is the least of my worries.

The perimeter is where we are more likely to struggle a little. Ultimately I think we'll be fine there too. Of course if you go up against a front 4 like Clemson's of last year or Iowa's in the Orange Bowl, those guys stop everybody.

Supposedly Mississippi state had one of the best front 7's in the nation, but we handled them up front. I attribute that to us being a lot better as an entire group on the OL than we have been since CPJ arrived. We have a lot of quality lineman. We will miss shaq as he is paving the way for his running backs in the NFL, but I think we will, as a group, be at least as good as we were last year. I hope (knock on wood) that everyone stays healthy all season. We seemed to avoid most of the bad injuries on both lines last year and it would be fantastic if that could happen again this year.

 

[danny daniel]

Agree with the comments about Shaq's blocking but there were also many blocks by Burden (on the LB) and Joe (on OLB or DE) where the defenders would have been seeing skyward but a big body on top of them was obstructing the view.

 

[GTonTop88]

Shaq is pretty irreplaceable for this season but with the depth and experience there is no reason why our OL should at the very least be as good as last year. With Devine and Brown swapping out I hope they can hold down the RG spot. We just may have to run behind Braun more so this year but a fresh Shamire can be a good path maker also. I remember seeing Shamire owning Mario Edwards is the ACCCG a couple of times and he was an All American at one point.

 

[Boomergump]

Across the board we look a little stronger on the OL. Well, at least under the tent at fan day anyway. Shaq was great and nobody will be quite like him. However, I remain confident about the OL moving forward.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

The coaches are throwing the kitchen sink at the RG spot and hoping somebody steps up. It's far from settled. Andrew Marshall and Trey Klock have been thrown into the frey along with the true guards. Nobody seems to want it.

 

[SidewalkJacket]

We ran so much more than the dive in those ugag and MSU games. LOTS of power off tackle and unbalanced line stuff. Every BB give isn't a dive.

 

[MidtownJacket]

The coaches are throwing the kitchen sink at the RG spot and hoping somebody steps up. It's far from settled. Andrew Marshall and Trey Klock have been thrown into the frey along with the true guards. Nobody seems to want it.

I think this is going to take care of itself this offseason.. Guys are going to see the "Marquee" aspect of that position and watching Shaq go on to make it in the NFL is going to help deliver the message loud and clear. It is the closest thing an OL can get to glamour (except for when they pick up the QB and hit him with a good game pat after a touchdown)

 

[PBR549]

We ran so much more than the dive in those ugag and MSU games. LOTS of power off tackle and unbalanced line stuff. Every BB give isn't a dive.

We ran the trap more effectively than we have in the past. It could have been because people were afraid of the trap option and were running the linebackers outside. I haven't studied it that closely.

 

[Boomergump]

Shaq going to the NFL will certainly not have a negative effect on recruiting. However, I think many of us have underestimated the draw that this offense has for the typical OL prospect. Think about it. Would you rather fire off the ball, delivering punishment in the run game, or lean back on your heels and catch people in pass pro all day. I know what my answer would be. If you think you are a bad A, then you want to pancake some people. Am I right?

 

[Skeptic]

Supposedly Mississippi state had one of the best front 7's in the nation, but we handled them up front. I attribute that to us being a lot better as an entire group on the OL than we have been since CPJ arrived. We have a lot of quality lineman. We will miss shaq as he is paving the way for his running backs in the NFL, but I think we will, as a group, be at least as good as we were last year. I hope (knock on wood) that everyone stays healthy all season. We seemed to avoid most of the bad injuries on both lines last year and it would be fantastic if that could happen again this year.

I knew of their reputation -- "A" and "B" defensive lines, interchangeable, masters of the universe. What surprised me was how sluggishly they moved -- in my opinion -- compared to the O lineman across from them. I gathered that part of their preparation for the option was to pause before committing -- the real football guys can comment on that, but I thought it was foolish against an O line that was big, quick and athletic -- but really they were just outmanned. And in the end, overrated. Not having their DC might have hurt, but when your HC becomes a sideline study in a change-of-career pose, then nobody would have made a difference.