PT for Lucas Johnson

[augustabuzz]

That 2013 mutt game was perhaps the most frustrating loss I have ever witnessed. I don't know what happened at halftime. Did CPJ call off the dogs? Did the entire team relax, thinking they had it won? Did the mutts really improve that much at halftime? I definitely don't blame it on Vad; he had an awesome game, and he was burning the mutts. That was just another one of several games when we have shown that, for whatever reason, we can't maintain a lead. It's like we just don't have a killer instinct. I don't want us to run up the score like some teams do, but I don't want them ever to relax either until there is only a minute left in the game.

Lack of depth, the main reason UG does not want to move the game earlier in the year.

 

[RyanS12]

That 2013 mutt game was perhaps the most frustrating loss I have ever witnessed. I don't know what happened at halftime. Did CPJ call off the dogs? Did the entire team relax, thinking they had it won? Did the mutts really improve that much at halftime? I definitely don't blame it on Vad; he had an awesome game, and he was burning the mutts. That was just another one of several games when we have shown that, for whatever reason, we can't maintain a lead. It's like we just don't have a killer instinct. I don't want us to run up the score like some teams do, but I don't want them ever to relax either until there is only a minute left in the game.

We let them score right before halftime. That was a huge momentum swing.

 

[Jacketman1]

Anyone looking for the Vad hit against UNC that changed everything, here it is at exactly 30 seconds in.

 

[GTFLETCH]

Not to rehash last year's QB thread, but he was playing against 2s in the 2017 Spring game. I hope I am wrong, since he has good top end speed, throws a soft ball and looks like our #2 going into camp, but he kinds looks like a more accurate less imposing Vad Lee. And it doesn't seem like CPJ wants to rework the offense too much. It's one thing to run more midline/counter/trap with Quon, but adding 3/5 step stuff hasn't gone well.

It also seems like he was comfortable as a backup, where Jay Jones was clearly not.

I agree... I think Tobias may win the #2 spot, if LJ were going to be the starter it would have happened by now.

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

Lack of depth, the main reason UG does not want to move the game earlier in the year.

Yeah, typical Tech prevent or prevent-style defense. However, that was just one score; we quit scoring ourselves in the 2nd half, and you know damn well the mutt defense didn't improve that much over halftime.

 

[Jacketman1]

Yeah, typical Tech prevent or prevent-style defense. However, that was just one score; we quit scoring ourselves in the 2nd half, and you know damn well the mutt defense didn't improve that much over halftime.

GT was up 20-7 at half. Ugag got the ball first and scored a field goal to make it 20-10. The next drive, Butker missed a 43 yarder. Next thing you know Ugag scores a TD to make it 20-17. However, we answered with a TD of our own, a 7 yard slant to Smelter on 3rd and goal to make it 27-17. The dwags raced down the field and scored to make it 27-24. The pivotal moment IMO was the ensuing drive. 5 minutes left in the game, GT up 3. 2nd down, Vad drops back and throws an interception to the sideline, right in front of me. I could see Harvey-Clemons charging in as Vad released the ball. Ugag quickly tied it with a field goal, and the last drive was a punt, leading to OT. All of this to basically say that the offense didn't change that much. I think the strategy was similar, but we had 3 empty drives: a missed FG, a killer interception, and a punt on a possible game winning drive. So only one punt, but that interception hurt.

 

[bravejason]

...a killer interception,

It feels like GT always loses the turnover margin in the uga game. It seems like GT can be relied upon for a couple turnovers and uga never turns the ball over. I know there have been a couple of late uga turnovers that have sealed wins for GT, but I suspect those are the exceptions to the overall pattern. If someone needs something to do, I’d like to see the turnover margin for each game.

 

[GTRX7]

That 2013 mutt game was perhaps the most frustrating loss I have ever witnessed. I don't know what happened at halftime. Did CPJ call off the dogs? Did the entire team relax, thinking they had it won? Did the mutts really improve that much at halftime? I definitely don't blame it on Vad; he had an awesome game, and he was burning the mutts. That was just another one of several games when we have shown that, for whatever reason, we can't maintain a lead. It's like we just don't have a killer instinct. I don't want us to run up the score like some teams do, but I don't want them ever to relax either until there is only a minute left in the game.

To be fair, I would argue one of the things this offense has shown to be best at over the years is maintaining leads.

Have we given some up? Sure. But less than others.

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

To be fair, I would argue one of the things this offense has shown to be best at over the years is maintaining leads.

Have we given some up? Sure. But less than others.

That may be true overall, but the exceptions are GLARING.

 

[RamblinWreck92]

We let them score right before halftime. That was a huge momentum swing.

plus a missed FG in the 3rd qtr after a nice sustained drive.

Vad threw 23 passes that game, completing 11 for 200+ yds. We've not attempted that many passes in a game since. Even when we were getting blown out in 2017 late in the 3rd qtr vs mutts, CPJ just kept running QB Keepers. I've never seen him give up like that before.

 

[RamblinWreck92]

That may be true overall, but the exceptions are GLARING.

plus, we haven't had an old-fashioned Death March in a few years.

I think the "exceptions" outnumber the times we've maintained when you think about it.

 

[bke1984]

That may be true overall, but the exceptions are GLARING.

Yeah, like multiple 20 point meltdowns. The Georgia Southern game in 2014 was close to being added to that list. That was one of the worse meltdowns I’ve seen, only to narrowly escape with a win because of a gift bad pitch. Don’t get me wrong, it counts...but sheesh have we laid some eggs with big leads

 

[UgaBlows]

I think you meant he visibly shied away from contact the rest of the season. I remember that moment as the turning point for Vad as well. It infuriated me the rest of the season how we would have to punt because he would fall down without contact just short of a first down or would run out of bounds just short of a first down. I couldn't believe they left Justin Thomas on the bench.

Iirc he ran out of bounds late in the ugag game instead of taking contact and trying for a 1st down marker that could have sealed the game for us.

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

Yeah, like multiple 20 point meltdowns. The Georgia Southern game in 2014 was close to being added to that list. That was one of the worse meltdowns I’ve seen, only to narrowly escape with a win because of a gift bad pitch. Don’t get me wrong, it counts...but sheesh have we laid some eggs with big leads

I can't remember off hand which one it was, but one of the two Sun Bowl games was the same, except in that one, we ended up winning.

 

[lv20gt]

To be fair, I would argue one of the things this offense has shown to be best at over the years is maintaining leads.

Have we given some up? Sure. But less than others.

We gave up 5 double digit leads last year.

 

[Josh H]

We gave up 5 double digit leads last year.

Tennessee, Virginia, Miami, Duke, what was the fifth one? I can't really count Duke because losing by 23 isn't so much "blowing a lead" as it is a pitiful performance.

UGA and Clemson was a curb stomp from start to finish.

 

[lv20gt]

Tennessee, Virginia, Miami, Duke, what was the fifth one? I can't really count Duke because losing by 23 isn't so much "blowing a lead" as it is a pitiful performance.

UGA and Clemson was a curb stomp from start to finish.

VT. Won the game, but we had a 12 point lead that we gave up before we scored our last TD to go ahead for good.

Anyways, I see this argument as the sister argument to the one about how our offense isn't built to come from behind. It's not really that sizable in either case and the biggest advantage/disadvantage is whether we have to significantly change our offense or not in certain circumstances. When we have a 10 point lead with 5 minutes left, we can run our base stuff while other teams change their offense. However when we are behind by 10 with 5 minutes left we have to change our offense while other teams can stay more or less in base stuff.

 

[whitegoldsphinx]

Iirc he ran out of bounds late in the ugag game instead of taking contact and trying for a 1st down marker that could have sealed the game for us.

I remember that one. How can you not lay it on the line under those circumstances?

Please don't get me started. If I were an offensive lineman busting my tail blocking for him, there would have been harsh words.

 

[Jacketman1]

It feels like GT always loses the turnover margin in the uga game. It seems like GT can be relied upon for a couple turnovers and uga never turns the ball over. I know there have been a couple of late uga turnovers that have sealed wins for GT, but I suspect those are the exceptions to the overall pattern. If someone needs something to do, I’d like to see the turnover margin for each game.

Sure, I can. So, in the past eleven games(2007-2017), this is how the turnovers have stacked up.

2007: Ugag 1, GT 3
2008: Ugag 2(including a memorable Morgan Burnett pick 6), GT 1
2009: Ugag 1, GT 2
2010: Ugag 2, GT 4. All were fumbles, one Orwin fumble inside the UGA 5 yard line, and another Tevin fumble returned for a touchdown.
2011: Ugag 1, GT 2
2012: Ugag 0, GT 2. We lost 42-10. We also outgained them 426-379, had possession for 20 minutes longer, and had 8 more first downs.
2013: Ugag 1, GT 2
2014: Ugag 3, GT 2
2015: Ugag 0, GT 3
2016: Ugag 2, GT 2
2017: Ugag 0, GT 1
So the averages are: GT: 2.18, Ugag: 1.18.

 

[GTRX7]

We gave up 5 double digit leads last year.

True. Last year was bad. A first-year QB and terrible defense will do that. That UT game still stings. We did everything right on offense to win that dang game, including in the 4th. I still think the fumble and missed FG late in the 4th dampened the whole season. I anticipate better results holding leads this year.