UGA Postgame

dressedcheeseside

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Stop with the "he was in HS" stuff. He's played 12 games. He ran the wrong way several times and his blocking was atrocious. At that position we can't afford to have 1 run of 6 yards then 3 runs of negative plays or no gain. Hit the hole hard and fast and run the track. That's what a bb needs to do. That position is key to the offense. Our offense sucked bc our BB's sucked this year
I think there is some truth to this, however, your last statement ignores the incompetence of Abacks, wr's and inconsistencies at qb and OL. There is no unit devoid of responsibility in this year's debacle of an offense. Our O does begin with the dive and establishing it is paramount. However, every unit has something to do with it's success.
 

upwgdrb

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
199
Everything is debatable. I just don't happen to agree with your opinion. I could tell you I know lots of people that think ZL was better all around player but what difference does it make. I could tell you that ZL is getting a NFL paycheck and SD is cutting hair in his dad's barber shop but what does that prove . I think MM is a good back just not in this offense as a BB this year. He didn't demonstrate enough to me that made me think he was a complete back this year in this offense. My opinion could change next year if he improved on what I think he needs improvement in. But here's the catch.... Our opinion doesn't mean squat. PS was the starter bc PJ thought he gave GT the best chance to win.

Unfortunately college sports do have politics involved in who gets to play. Anyone who has interacted with college sports realizes this quickly. I am sure CPJ told PS he would start if he came here and he did. It happens. We desperately needed experience after Leggett went down.

I want to say right now PS is a great kid and prayed with huge heart with an injury. If he had been in our system several years, I think he could have been a real horse.
 

upwgdrb

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
199
And the one he got no gain on stopped a promising drive. Sorry, his performance yesterday made me a lot surer that he'll be moved sometime this spring.
I just don't get it. Who is going to be our bback next year that is demonstrably better than MM? I really want to know who you think could step up and why. I do agree Allen can contribute. I don't see him as our feature back.

This kid is the best back we have had come here since JD.
 

Lee

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
841
Remember though MM got a bunch of yards in our first two games against you know who. Once the going got tough after those first two, I'd bet his YPC took a big hit.

I believe MM belongs on the field. He is our most explosive player but needs daylight, as does anyone else.

He did pad his stats against two inferior teams at the beginning of the year. This is not uncommon for bbacks in our offense though. Last year we played Wofford and Tulane to start the season. I would say that's not much different than this year and that our schedule overall was easier last year as well. Even with that being said, if you take the first 2 games of the season out MM still averaged 6 YPC.
 

Lee

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Messages
841
And the one he got no gain on stopped a promising drive. Sorry, his performance yesterday made me a lot surer that he'll be moved sometime this spring.

Folks we witnessed history yesterday! For the first time since PJ has been here we saw a bback get stopped for no gain on a promising drive. Said bback is therefore not cut out for the position if he cannot gain positive yardage on every play regardless of how the Oline performs, especially on promising drives . If he had only gotten that first down we would have magically not have made the rest of the mistakes we did yesterday offensively and would've blown them out...

I'm starting to think this kid stole your son's gf or something. How anyone can watch him run the ball and not think he's the best pure rb we've had come through here since JD is baffling to me. Barring any injuries, I feel better about him starting at bback next year than I do Justin at QB if Byerly gets a waiver.
 

stingyoa$$

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
274
Unfortunately college sports do have politics involved in who gets to play. Anyone who has interacted with college sports realizes this quickly. I am sure CPJ told PS he would start if he came here and he did. It happens. We desperately needed experience after Leggett went down.

I want to say right now PS is a great kid and prayed with huge heart with an injury. If he had been in our system several years, I think he could have been a real horse.


Your sure....hmmmmm. I highly doubt PJ promised him anything. PJ seems like a straight shooter to me that doesn't make promises to players. Iirc I read an article where PS said he watched a game on TV with his dad and they thought GT was a good place for him to come into and reached out to GT. I guess when your a good BB in this system and make it look easy every one thinks they can do it well.
 

stingyoa$$

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
274
I think there is some truth to this, however, your last statement ignores the incompetence of Abacks, wr's and inconsistencies at qb and OL. There is no unit devoid of responsibility in this year's debacle of an offense. Our O does begin with the dive and establishing it is paramount. However, every unit has something to do with it's success.

Think of the Tevin years at QB and the year Vad Lee was the QB. Do you think those Oline's were any better than what we had this year? I don't think they were as talented as what we had coming back this year. This year we had a QB that was being talked about in pre season Heisman talk. AB and BB play was really bad this year it derailed the offense IMO. There wasn't a COMPLETE player among the groups. Dive is the 1st option and when you don't do it well you end up with a 3-9 season.
 

Whiskey_Clear

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To those pissing on JT in this thread.....id like about 60 seconds to wreck both your shoulders and see how well you throw the ball.....then I'd have ya throw it 50 times or start working on your ankles too......

I don't really want to hurt anyone but damn folks....y'all do seem to forget what he did...just last year.....and had to run for his life last year when throwing it also.

If we can't pass pro better going forward we may need 4QBs game ready at all times.
 

stingyoa$$

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
274
To those pissing on JT in this thread.....id like about 60 seconds to wreck both your shoulders and see how well you throw the ball.....then I'd have ya throw it 50 times or start working on your ankles too......

I don't really want to hurt anyone but damn folks....y'all do seem to forget what he did...just last year.....and had to run for his life last year when throwing it also.

If we can't pass pro better going forward we may need 4QBs game ready at all times.


My point...he had very little help from the skill positions this year.
 

upwgdrb

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
199
To those pissing on JT in this thread.....id like about 60 seconds to wreck both your shoulders and see how well you throw the ball.....then I'd have ya throw it 50 times or start working on your ankles too......

I don't really want to hurt anyone but damn folks....y'all do seem to forget what he did...just last year.....and had to run for his life last year when throwing it also.

If we can't pass pro better going forward we may need 4QBs game ready at all times.
If he was that hurt and I think he was since the ND game, then Jordan should have played a lot more. This is a coaching issue and a good symbol of some of our problems this year.
I really only have seen a coup,e of posters say anything negative about JT except he needs to improve his passing. I think he has some opportunity there don't you?
 

Whiskey_Clear

Banned
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If he was that hurt and I think he was since the ND game, then Jordan should have played a lot more. This is a coaching issue and a good symbol of some of our problems this year.
I really only have seen a coup,e of posters say anything negative about JT except he needs to improve his passing. I think he has some opportunity there don't you?

Sigh.....if Byerly had been available...id agree with your first point....much as I like MJ he was not a viable alternative except when JT just couldn't go at all. And I saw more than two and those sentiments and they have been expressed in other threads also.
 

takethepoints

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6,098
Folks we witnessed history yesterday! For the first time since PJ has been here we saw a bback get stopped for no gain on a promising drive. Said bback is therefore not cut out for the position if he cannot gain positive yardage on every play regardless of how the Oline performs, especially on promising drives . If he had only gotten that first down we would have magically not have made the rest of the mistakes we did yesterday offensively and would've blown them out.
First, if Saturday was the only time I've seen Marshall stopped for no gain or negative yards, I wouldn't think that he should move to AB. Problem = I have seen him stopped for no gain or negative yards a lot more then once and in crucial situations as well. As I said above, I'll trade getting us to a first from 3rd and 3 for a 20 yard run any day of the week. The guy who gets the first is likely to be one that gets the long runs as the D wears down. But I've already gone over why I think Marshall isn't that kind of game breaker. We have players both on the sidelines now and coming in next year who are.

Second, yes, we might very well have scored on that drive. Mistakes happen (more often when you are playing freshmen, btw), but there is no guarantee that they will continue. And, if we had, I think we would have won the game. Ugag was offensively impotent Saturday and we lost (again) by one score.

Third, as to your being baffled: there's a reason, as I've pointed out before, that all of Coach's BBs at Tech have been 6', 220 lbs or above. That reason is one I've expounded on at length and I won't do it again. But what it comes down to is that the position calls for above all else is a pounder; the two guys last year were close to perfect for that. Dwyer was perfect for the position because he was both a breakaway back and a pounder. Marshall is a great breakaway talent, but he can't pound. I think once we figure out how to use him he'll be a bigger asset then he is now.
 

Lee

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
841
First, if Saturday was the only time I've seen Marshall stopped for no gain or negative yards, I wouldn't think that he should move to AB. Problem = I have seen him stopped for no gain or negative yards a lot more then once and in crucial situations as well. As I said above, I'll trade getting us to a first from 3rd and 3 for a 20 yard run any day of the week. The guy who gets the first is likely to be one that gets the long runs as the D wears down. But I've already gone over why I think Marshall isn't that kind of game breaker. We have players both on the sidelines now and coming in next year who are.

Second, yes, we might very well have scored on that drive. Mistakes happen (more often when you are playing freshmen, btw), but there is no guarantee that they will continue. And, if we had, I think we would have won the game. Ugag was offensively impotent Saturday and we lost (again) by one score.

Third, as to your being baffled: there's a reason, as I've pointed out before, that all of Coach's BBs at Tech have been 6', 220 lbs or above. That reason is one I've expounded on at length and I won't do it again. But what it comes down to is that the position calls for above all else is a pounder; the two guys last year were close to perfect for that. Dwyer was perfect for the position because he was both a breakaway back and a pounder. Marshall is a great breakaway talent, but he can't pound. I think once we figure out how to use him he'll be a bigger asset then he is now.

First, you and stingyoa$$ might as well go start a petition to get him removed from bback consideration all together. You might be the only 2 to sign it, but it's obvious that you to will do whatever it takes to prove that he doesn't belong there. Everyone else seems to be excited about what he can do moving forward. Does he have flaws? Yes. He was the first true freshman ever to play, much less start at bback in PJ's time here. He's got things to learn, but he is special with the ball in his hands.

Second, where are these backs that will be better than him and beat him out? You do realize that everyone outside of Leggett and a kid that hasn't even signed yet had the opportunity to take the spot from him this year dont you? Many fit the very description of the ideal bback you just described. Call me crazy, but I don't think size is the most important thing for a bback. If he was built like Searcy or T. Marshall, I would agree with you that he does not have the size to take the pounding, but he's not. Have you seen his build? He is very solid with a strong lower half and has yet to go through an offseason of S&C.

Your boy MLD (who I think will be a very good aback for us) had every chance to beat him out in the fall. It was apparent fairly early that he wasn't going to so he got moved to aback. Q had an opportunity when he came back as well but was moved out to aback when we had the string of injuries. If he was better than MM than PJ would've moved him out there and left Q at bback. This is not to disparage either of those two guys either because I both think will play big roles moving forward. This is just to point out two things. One, how special MM is to have beaten out, not only them, but Skov and Allen to an extent as well as the year went on. Two, to prove that your size theory doesn't hold water.

If you were running the show Emmitt Smith would be an aback in our offense. Same goes for MJD, Ray Rice...and the list goes on. If PJ thinks like you do, no wonder we can get any elite RB's to come here. I'd love to hear that sales pitch. "You're one of the best backs in the country but your not 6' 220. We want you to come and dive at DB's feet for 90% of your reps. We'll try to get you 5-6 carries a game though."

Lastly, I'm not sying that MM needs to get 250/300 carries next year either. I like the idea of having a bruiser come in and pound on a D as well, just not as the feature back. I also think having 2 capable guys keeps both of them fresh which makes them both more dangerous at the end of the game when the D is hanging. I'd love to see MM get 175-200 carries next year assuming he's healthy with us utilizing him in some more creative ways (more speed option, screens, dump offs like the one in the uGA game) with Q or Allen getting the remainder. Go watch his 3 highlights from the Pitt game(#24 run D btw). That will show you what he can do when the line opens up holes for him and when we get him to the edge.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/video?gameId=400756955
 

swampsting

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1,868
My point...he had very little help from the skill positions this year.

Agreed. And JT may not be the kind of kid who tells coaches he's hurt. He might be the Black Knight, even after Arthur lops off a leg and an arm. "It's just a flesh wound."

I think JT certainly pressed this year, figuring he had to force things since he didn't have senior B backs, senior A backs and senior NFL caliber wide receivers around him. With better health and more confidence in the folks around him, I think he'll have a better year next season.
 

stingyoa$$

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
274
"He was TOO GOOD to keep off the field. I think he was partly wasted this year. He should've gotten more carries than he did".


With all due respect, I think you're confusing the need for a healthy body for being " TOO GOOD to keep off the field". PS was the guy until he became injured. A banged up MA got the start in the Miami game over a healthy MM IIRC. A perfect opportunity to "get more carries" if PJ thought they were deserved. Prior to Quade's and Nathan's injuries, they were being talked about as being the 2 freshmen skill players that looked like they could step in play and help. When talking about MM the comments weren't as glowing about his readiness to step in and help this past year. This information was available on a paid site from interviews with CPJ and CBC. Spend 10 bucks and go listen to it yourself. Interestingly enough, their skin color has nothing to do with my excitement. I said, "Q's" style of running (from HS highlights) looked to be a cut from the cloth of last years BB's. We had 2 pretty good ones last year and I find it interesting that you compared him to ZL.

Who knows if QW and NC could have helped this offense this year or not, but we will never know because of their injuries. History of this offense tells us that players don't always end up in a position where the fans think they should play. How many QB's ended up playing quarterback? Golden was all everything coming out of HS as a QB and never took a snap. He turned out to be a pretty good defensive player for GT. How many guys signed to play BB ended up playing another position? Perkins and Snoddy come to mind. SD was a QB and AB before he settled in at BB. That turned out pretty good for GT last year. After seeing MM's size and style of running, I think his style is more suited more of an AB. I don't think of BB as a position of finesse. MM looks more like a finesse runner. That's just my opinion. That's what these boards are...opinions.

I'm not a big believer in playing freshman and it says something about recruiting when you go into a season hoping and praying a freshman can save you arse. The one thing that we do know now that the season is over is the production we got this year with who played, produced a 3-9 record. A 3-9 record! One of the worst records in PROGRAM HISTORY!
 

takethepoints

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6,098
First, you and stingyoa$$ might as well go start a petition to get him removed from bback consideration all together. You might be the only 2 to sign it, but it's obvious that you to will do whatever it takes to prove that he doesn't belong there. Everyone else seems to be excited about what he can do moving forward. Does he have flaws? Yes. He was the first true freshman ever to play, much less start at bback in PJ's time here. He's got things to learn, but he is special with the ball in his hands.
"You will do whatever it takes to prove he doesn't belong there"; Coach is paying, like, zero attention to opinions stated here. Especially your and mine. A few points:

That a lot of people like Marshall at BB doesn't mean they're right. I don't think they are, but it isn't up to me. Coach will make that decision.

Maybe the problem this year was the OL; a lot of people think so and they didn't tear up the pea patch, especially on pass blocking. I don't think they're the root of our problems, however. It was more a dearth of experienced and talented skill people.

And now a little data analysis:

Min. 1st Qu. Median Mean 3rd Qu. Max.
1.000 3.125 4.650 7.420 8.425 23.000


That's a summary of Marshall's ypc (I left out ND since he didn't play and, yes, today I have too much time on my hands. I did a boxplot too, but I can't figure out how to insert it here.) The 23 is his ypc in the Alcorn game. It is a far outlier and the sole reason for his high average ypc. Here's how how he looks without Alcorn:

Min. 1st Qu. Median Mean 3rd Qu. Max.
1.000 2.800 4.300 5.689 6.100 15.900


The median is what we should be looking at and, as you can see, that's pretty decent for a freshman. But you keep comparing him to Dwyer and that doesn't float when we use the correct measure for his performance. What I'm betting is that if he got out to the edge he'd be doing as well as Lynch or better. Here's his picture, without Tulane (1/45):

Min. 1st Qu. Median Mean 3rd Qu. Max.
-2.60 3.75 8.55 8.39 11.80 21.00


Out on the edge Marshall could be at 8.5 - 9 ypc too, imho. That's all I'm saying here.

But, like I intimate above, I think you are taking this way too seriously. And I need to get back to work.

Update: The edit function on the site doesn't work to get the spacing on the Lynch summary right! It looks fine in the editor, then none of my edits work. You people will just have to soldier on.
 

Milwaukee

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I don't understand how "JT is running for his life", "JT doesn't even have time to get to his drop", "as soon as the ball is snapped someone is in JT's face" are all the reasons why our passing game was terrible this year. But our running game was so bad because the "backs aren't hitting the holes"???

There weren't holes to run through most of the time, unfortunately.

I just don't understand some of the logic I'm reading in this thread. But what do I know.
 
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