Coaching reflections

[DyeCampAlum 335]

With the regular season complete, I see enough to say just a few things…. I don’t know if I can put them in order. I am as concerned about recruiting as anybody, and only time will tell on that. Also, what do I know?

1. It looks like the players are all in on this staff. The vaccination thing was a potential disaster, but it doesn’t seem to have disrupted the team’s solidarity.

2. I thought, generally speaking, this defense was magnificent to watch. No awesome pass rushers, but we got a rush. Best LB play I can remember even with injuries. A lot of the criticism we’ve seen, it seems to me is misplaced. When the offense can’t score or sustain possession, a defense will wear down. We’ve seen that, and we saw it last night.

* Folks forget that good defense has changed dramatically over the past decade. What Georgia is doing is almost unheard of. I spoke with an FBS DC a couple of years ago, and he said the goal is not to stifle the other team but to disrupt them. So you’re going to have some rougher games. If you give up 21 points, you should win. The median points allowed in the SEC was 24.5 going into Saturday, and Auburn was at 22. Our defense was really, really strong unless they were asked to do too much.

3. We saw high quality special teams play.

4. The offensive scheme isn’t exciting, but the design seems to make sense. We saw dramatic improvement with Nix, who seemed impossible to coach. I tend to like a “brand,” but maybe that’s outdated. There were some genuinely puzzling play calls in key moments. 

5. If I had to pin down one weakness in this team, it’s mediocre OL play. We play a weaker opponent, and we dominate. We play a good SEC team, and we struggle. We play an outstanding SEC team, and we’re helpless. It filters out to everything: play calling, defensive consistency, QB play. It didn’t help that receivers couldn’t get open on their own.

I was out of town for the USC game, so I don’t know what happened there. If I’d seen it, maybe I’d have a little different opinion.

So on the whole, I’m optimistic. Highly concerned about recruiting, especially OL, but everything I’m seeing is consistent with a very promising path. A genius OC would certainly help, but I’m here for this.

Edited November 28, 2021 by DyeCampAlum

[ThurstontheWelshCorgi 576]

If there is one weakness I can pin down it is the widereceiver corp. We desperately need a Seth Williams / Coates / adams guy, a small speedster would be great too. Kobe Hudson is essentially all we have and he is great but we need more.

I never saw high quality special teams play this year.

Definitely need a need new oc as well but other than that I can track with everything else.. Defense was solid most the year with a hiccup here or there.