Duke Postgame: GT loses 41-23

[RickStromFan]

This year’s attrition is as bad as 2015 and we all know how bad that year was. Still hoping we can find lightning in 1 or 2 more of the remaining games.

Agreed - Not sure why so many fans refuse to acknowledge this. We are playing TWO WALK ONS on the OL. Don't people understand what this means?

 

[RickStromFan]

Funny, that somehow the buck stopped with the DC or the AD or the Board or the President for the last decade, but now it rests entirely with the current head coach. Wonder what changed?

yeah, PJ should've been able to out-scheme opponents in 2015 even though damn near 70% of the starters missed games due to injury! Just out-scheme 'em!!!

/massive sarcasm, btw.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

Nothing to do with recruiting, it is coaching. If you are looking to get a bunch of 4 stars....you will be waiting a long time. Duke has never had a better class than us and they beat the crap out of us.

Actually, according to 24/7 recruiting rankings: Duke had a better class than we did in 2016 (but then so did a lot of teams we were ranked #60 that year) and also in 2019 but just barely. Both teams since 2015 have averaged out as having top 50 classes but just barely. Duke's best class was 2016 coming in at #33 and ours was 2015 and 2018 coming in at #44 both years. Duke's worst year was 2018 when their class was ranked #63 and ours was 2016. They have done a better job of recruiting defensive linemen but this is not a great team by any stretch. They just got beat by Pitt. I was more impressed with UNC but with Cut coaching it will be interesting to see their game.

 

[Vespidae]

My only thought is circle this game next year. They intentionally ran up the score and have risen to my #2 most hated team. Payback in 2020.

Duke running up the score. It used to be Alabama that did this. My how things change ...

 

[AlabamaBuzz]

Funny, that somehow the buck stopped with the DC or the AD or the Board or the President for the last decade, but now it rests entirely with the current head coach. Wonder what changed?

That was never ME. I never blamed Ted Roof or anyone else for our performance. So, if you are directing that to others, fine. I always hold responsible the head honcho to the team.

 

[Ibeeballin]

I thought the OL played decent. I think to blame this season on the OL is a cop out. Just chicken s***. Our defense is not good. Our coaching has not been good either. We don’t recognize what we do well and what we don’t. Our offensive gameplan has bee erratic at best. I don’t put this loss on the coaching. But with very good coaching it could have been a game. Sad part is most of us don’t recognize how good of a game day coach PJ was.

Our defense isn’t really any better than before it seems. Our offense is just not cutting it. Would rather have Key calling the plays than what is happened now.

if you think the OL is a cop out I’m not sure what to tell you then

 

[Kennethshannon20]

Positive Stats

• Season high 379 offensive yards, last week was our previous season high/back to back improvement
• Season high 8 3rd down conversions/ again improved
• Scored in first for 1st time this season
• Season high 14 first half points
• Season high 206 yards passing.

 

[Technut1990]

The experts nailed it. Irrational fans not so much.

I’ll plead to being irrational I really didn’t believe CGC would totally disengage from the talent he had/has on this team in favor of absolute wholesale change.

I thought he would coach to what he had AS he changed the program. Obviously I was wrong big time

 

[AlabamaBuzz]

I’ll plead to being irrational I really didn’t believe CGC would totally disengage from the talent he had/has on this team in favor of absolute wholesale change.

I thought he would coach to what he had AS he changed the program. Obviously I was wrong big time

AND, that is mostly what I am disappointed by - good coaches figure out a way to field a competitive team, even if it means running stuff they don't want to run later. If this is all about recruiting, and I guess that is what it is about, I seriously doubt the product being shown now can tempt great players. Maybe, they will be sold by the hype and vision, but I have my doubts - I work with young people a lot, and generally, they are not about what they cannot tangibly see.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

A positive is that we lost ZERO fumbles and threw ZERO interceptions today.

Ask UGA how important it is to play a clean game. That is a sign of progress and maturity of James' part but attempting to run up the middle on fourth down from the gun is disturbing.

 

[Ibeeballin]

Other than a few transfers, I am not seeing the DL and OL talent choosing GT that will make the difference. I do agree they are trying. Trying will not be enough, so I sure hope they can out coach some of these guys. How will we EVER beat UGAG or Clemson without superior coaching, or does this really not matter to some of you, as long as we beat Duke?

I’m so tired hearing of y’all just point out 2 schools when there is 10 teams on our schedule. We may not out recruit them but we damn sure better get on equal footing/have fighting chance when it comes to size & depth.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

No no no no... Duke has top 25 recruits and we have bottom 25. #fakenews

OK, I am slow on the uptake so laugh at me.

 

[AlabamaBuzz]

I’m so tired hearing of y’all just point out 2 schools when there is 10 teams on our schedule. We may not out recruit them but we damn sure better get on equal footing/have fighting chance when it comes to size & depth.

And, you made my point. Equal footing will require either equal recruiting OR slightly less recruiting with SUPERIOR coaching. It will depend on how much less recruiting wise on how much the coaching will have to make the difference. You guys are "all in" on this staff and HC, and I just don't see it.

 

[SOWEGA Jacket]

That is such BS.....you do not Throw away seasons in college ball. If that is the mindset,the Collins and TStan should be canned immediately.

Well, that is what we are doing whether you or I agree. This season and next season are throw aways while Collins turns the roster and recruits. TStan won’t be fired and neither will Collins. And you are wrong. Teams throw away seasons all the time.

 

[ezbee]

Take a deeper look since 2015 (the last class that would be playing)

Rivals rank
Duke- 52
GT- 50

So the same. Now look at the players in those class and see who are still at their respective program. That is where the disconnect is. The recruited the same but those same players got a chance to develop and mature

I actually saw a lot of positives today but come on, duke could have put 60+ on us today if they wanted to. Easily. There isn’t that big of gap.

 

[smokey_wasp]

I’ll plead to being irrational I really didn’t believe CGC would totally disengage from the talent he had/has on this team in favor of absolute wholesale change.

I thought he would coach to what he had AS he changed the program. Obviously I was wrong big time

He tried to go run heavy and gave Oliver a chance early in the season. It didnt work and people complained. If you are going to lose, at least get useful reps out of it.

 

[Jacket in Dairyland]

It’s all about the lines. Our skilled positions are fine. We will continue to be manhandled (even worse) along the lines. I just hope Graham can survive the rest of this season. We hired Collins to recruit ourselves out of this hole. We didn’t hire him to out coach Cutcliffe, Brown, etc. We hired him to out recruit those guys so the 2019 and 2020 seasons are throw always. It sucks but that’s what we are looking at. I know we are frustrated but I gotta give Collins credit. Dude is busting it on the trail.

I agree. That's what the ATL is all about.....finding out who can play and who can REALLY play. I think we will take a HUGE leap next year, but this year is one is to lay the foundation. BTW, I think Patenaude will not survive. Mediocre RPO coaches are a dime a dozen these days.

 

[pbrown520]

No doubt its been bad all around. No excuses. Just hard to scheme when nobody can win a matchup other than Graham and Brown.

Sanders is winning some too. JP Mason and Howard are playing well. Transfer TE has overall been fairly disappointing.

 

[g0lftime]

Pros
We can still be bowl eligible
UGA lost

Cons
- Our team is not prepared to play first half of ball games. I don’t know if it’s coach preparation or lack of mental focus, but it’s there.
- Mid half adjustments seem lacking. Our first drives of a game seem scripted well. As soon as defenses respond we seem to be out of moves.
- is personally thought it was a waste to run Yates out for one play, but I don’t think it’s too important.

Why in the world waste a game with Yates on one PAT when we were behind by like 3 TD's. Now he can play 3 more without losing a red shirt. Made no sense. I have to question the mentality of that substitution at that time. Kick the point and go for 2 if you score again. The 4th down calls were bad in this deep formation. This coaching staff is losing me real fast.
Our DL is undersized and not athletic enough to compensate for it. We could have used Big B in the middle of the DL.
We could not block their blitz all day.
The score did not really indicate how badly we were beat today.
BTW I was at the game. Maybe 20k at most for their homecoming. We usually have more Tech fans here as well. This is a tough year.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

fair pt but when your OL is as porous as ours, what are you gonna do? Thankfully, we're in the shotgun. Playing under-center behind our OL is suicidal.

I wonder about that. When we would run that simple speed option out of the gun, it just seemed like everyone including the line was more comfortable. One of Mason's best runs was off a pitch from James on what looked to be an option play. Maybe we should do more of it. We had over 300 yards total offense which isn't that bad compared to their production but they ran for four TDs in the first half and got that blocked punt.