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ATHENS Georgia nosetackle Jordan Davis exploded out of his stance and lifted the tackling dummy, squeezing it as he charged running down the field. 'Wrap up!' a unidentifiable coach yelled. 'We need to tackle better!' There was a notable sense of urgency in the drill work observed during the media viewing portion of practice on Tuesday. Jordan Davis appears closer to 100 percent than he was in last Saturday's loss to South Carolina The No. 10-ranked Bulldogs, now on the outside looking in on the College Football Playoff projections, find themselves with something to prove against incoming Kentucky on Saturday night. Some, including ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit, no longer believe Georgia will win the East Division. Coach Kirby Smart has said the focus for his team needs to be more immediate. It starts with the 6 p.m. kickoff against the Wildcats at Sanford Stadium (TV: ESPN). RELATED: Georgia stats compared to Kentucky and title contenders 'I know our guys are excited to get moving forward and get to work on Kentucky, which has a physical football team,' Smart said. 'We have really good leadership on the team. I know they're prepared for that. And there's no time sitting back feeling sorry for yourself because you've got good teams each and every week.' Georgia proved itself a contender when it was full strength. But there are questions about whether the program has championship caliber depth. The most pressing area of concern is at receiver, where Lawrence Cager (shoulder/rib) remains missing from practice and out indefinitely. The offensive line is also out of sorts with left guard Solomon Kindley still not looking healthy in practice and his backup, Justin Shaffer (neck), still missing from practice and on week-to-week status. It has forced Cade Mays to left guard his fourth position of the season while Ben Cleveland tries to remain healthy enough to anchor down at right guard. Last Saturday, with Big Ben banged up, sophomore Jamaree Salyer finished the game at right guard. The return of a healthy Davis on the defensive line is big, as he ranks as one of the more dominant run stuffers in the SEC. Sophomore cornerback Tyson Campbell has been back in full-speed drills the past two days. It has provided more optimism Campbell could be back sooner than later from the painful turf toe ailment that has sidelined him since Sept. 14. Freshman defensive lineman Travon Walker, however, continues to be out. Walker was spotted with a cast on his left arm and not dressing out for last Saturday's game. Linebacker Nate McBride has been missing the past two days because of a family funeral, per UGAsports.com. Georgia-Kentucky Game Week Closer look: How Georgia's offense adds up Cover 4: How do Bulldogs get back on track D'Andre Swift says We know how good we can be' Big Ben Cleveland says challenge to go out and prove something' Winners and losers from South Carolina game Loss to Carolina could prove season defining WATCH: Rodrigo Blankenship discusses missed field goals Georgia recap: How the Bulldogs lost 20-17 in 2OT to South Carolina Stock Report: Bulldogs stock falls in mistake-filled loss to Gamecocks Demetris Robertson clutch in fourth quarter for Bulldogs Remainder of 2019 season impossible to predict The post Georgia football practice observations: Bulldogs ratchet up sense of urgency appeared first on DawgNation. -
DawgNation has four staffers who cover Georgia football from every angle: Beat, live streams, photos, podcasts, recruiting, etc. The 'Cover 4' concept is: 1) Present a topic; 2) Offer a reasoned response; 3) Share a brisk statement to support the opinion. 4) Pepper the page with photos for the big picture. For this edition, we discuss the remedies required for Georgia to fix its flaws and still win the SEC East. DawgNation continues with the 'Cover 4' concept. The focus is always a timely 'Cover 4' look with each of our guys manning the secondary on a pertinent topic. The quick in-and-out game remains. These takes are designed to come out quicker than former Bulldog Nick Chubb scored his third touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens this year. The latest 'Cover 4' question is: How does Georgia football recover to still the SEC East? Brandon Adams: Be more creative on second down The 'why' from 'DawgNation Daily' here: 'This was a topic on DawgNation Daily leading into the South Carolina game. The Bulldogs had been among the most likely teams in the country to run when facing second and long. That trend continued vs. the Gamecocks. If UGA wants to be more dynamic and explosive, second down is where it needs to happen.' Mike Griffith: Perimeter receivers The 'why' from 'On the Beat' here: ' Teams will continue to load the box and cheat safeties up until Georgia receivers beat press coverage and make them pay. Once perimeter threats are established, UGA can stretch the field. Right now you see them doing it horizontally, but that's not as effective . ' Connor Riley: Find its best five OLs and just play those guys The 'why' from 'Good Day UGA' here: 'Georgia's offensive line has a lot of talent. Perhaps too much, as Kirby Smart continues to rotate in players throughout the game. This is what he did at quarterback last year with Jake Fromm and Justin Fields and that helped no one. Smart needs to find his five best guys and stick with them . ' Jeff Sentell: Don't go -4 in turnover margin. The Intel here: 'It might seem simplistic. Or even an outright lay-up answer to a complex question. But there's no reason (OL injuries, Press beaters at WR, Whizbang new plays) which makes more sense than avoiding a 4-0 margin in the turnover battle. That's the way to avoid another South Carolina. Do that, rely on the run game and take the shot downfield when it is there. It is not 'Do more' of this or 'Do less' of that. It is 'Do better' at Georgia football. That's the way this program was built to win.' Recent 'Cover 4' topics of note: The South Carolina Gamecocks to watch out for Which Tennessee Vols can hurt Georgia? Debating the nation's top 4 teamsfor now and down the road Which SEC East rival poses the biggest threat? What is the toughest game left on the schedule? What is the biggest edge that Georgia will have on Notre Dame? Who has already opened our eyes after just two games? What is your take on the legendary Vince Dooley? The most improved Bulldog since last season is . What kind of numbers will D'Andre Swift put up in 2019? Jake Fromm's best quality? The Cover 4 crew chops that one up The post Cover 4 on Georgia football: How does this team recover to win the SEC East? appeared first on DawgNation. -
It has not been the best start to the season for the Cleveland Browns, as they limp into their bye week with a 2-4 record. But none of that is because of Nick Chubb. The second-year running back has turned into not only the best former Georgia running back in the NFL, but perhaps one of the best all-around players in the league. He racked up another 122 rushing yards and scored two more touchdowns on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. Chubb did fumble the ball in the loss, but that didn't stop quarterback Baker Mayfield from praising Chubb. 'Nick is an incredible player and somebody that we rely on,'' Mayfield said. 'Mistakes are going to happen. He is going to be a whole lot harder on himself than anybody else in this whole world can be. We trust him wholeheartedly, and we are not going to stray away from getting him the ball.' Chubb is second in the NFL with 607 rushing yards. He also has six rushing touchdowns on the season, which places him fourth in the NFL in that category. Browns have the week off and return to action on Oct. 27, as Cleveland will face the New England Patriots. Another former Georgia running back plays for the Patriots and that is Sony Michel. He picked up 86 rushing yards on 22 carries for New England in its 35-14 win over the New York Giants. The Giants defense has three former Bulldogs on it. Alec Ogletree racked up 12 tackles in the loss, while rookie cornerback Deandre Baker picked up four. Outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter had a strip-sack of Tom Brady, which led directly to a Giants touchdown. Back-to-back Golden TDs for the @Giants! @MarkusGolden scoops and scores to tie the game at 14. : #NYGvsNE on @NFLNetwork | @NFLonFOX | @PrimeVideo How to watch: https://t.co/I6INVckndX pic.twitter.com/gP3HjEjjGc NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2019 Todd Gurley did not play for the Los Angles Rams this past Sunday as he deals with a thigh contusion. As for the Georgia wide receivers in the NFL, Mecole Hardman hauled in four catches for 45 yards, albeit in a losing effort against for the Kansas City Chiefs. Chris Conley of the Jacksonville Jaguars did not have a catch in a 13-6 loss to the New Orleans Saints. Former Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 18 of his 32 pass attempts for 265 yards for the Detroit Lions. Detroit led for the entire game against the Green Bay Packers, but was undone by some dubious officiating late in the game, which allowed the Packers to pull out a 23-22 win on Monday night. Defensively, Thomas Davis of the Los Angeles Chargers racked up seven tackles in a losing effort. Reshad Jones of the Miami Dolphins had eight tackles, but the Miami was unable to pick up its first win of the season against the Washington Redskins. This past week, a number of former Georgia greats were off, such as Roquan Smith and Leonard Floyd of the Chicago Bears. As for this week's Top Dawg our weekly honor which goes to the former Bulldog who had the best week in the NFL we have to give it to Chubb given his strong performance. This is the second time this year Chubb has earned the honor. Top Dawgs in the NFL Week 1: Leonard Floyd, Chicago Bears Week 2: Mecole Hardman, Kansas City Chiefs Week 3: Mecole Hardman, Kansas City Chiefs Week 4: Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns Week 5: Sony Michel, New England Patriots Week 6: Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns More Georgia football stories from around DawgNation Closer look: Georgia football offensive identity by the numbers Georgia football freshmen report: South Carolina 20, UGA 17 3 Georgia football takeaways: Players, not plays, key to success Critics tackle Georgia, players feel challenged to go out and prove something' Georgia football winners and losers after stunning South Carolina defeat South Carolina's AD apologizes for damage to UGA's treasured hedges The post Nick Chubb continues to show why he's one of the NFL's best running back appeared first on DawgNation. -
Austin Hooper is in a contract year and he is putting together the best year of his career. Through six games, Hooper has nearly set single-season career-highs for receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Austin Hooper’s 2019 stats (NFL rank among tight ends) 42 rec (1st) 480 yards (2nd) 11.43 avg 3 touchdowns (t-2nd) 0 drops (Hooper and George Kittle are the only tight ends with 25+ receptions and zero drops) Hooper is the youngest tight end in NFL history to record 40+ receptions and 450+ receiving yards, through a team’s first six games of the season. He is just the sixth tight end to ever record those numbers within the first six games of a season. Austin Hooper’s single-season highs (difference between current stats and single-season highs) 71 rec (-29 rec) 660 yards (-180 yards) 4 touchdowns (-1 touchdown) -
ATHENS Kirby Smart is not ready to overhaul Georgia's pro-style offense after Saturday's uncharacteristic lack of efficiency, and the numbers would seem to back him up. As alarming as the 20-17 overtime loss to South Carolina might seem, Smart attributes the defeat largely to the minus-4 turnover disparity. There were also two missed field goals from a normally reliable All-American kicker. Indeed, it took a lot to go wrong for the Bulldogs to lose to an inferior opponent like the Gamecocks. 'If you look at the game's outlook overall, probably the toughest thing for us is, number one, turnovers,' Smart said. 'In the SEC, do a study, four and zero in turnover margin, you're not going to win, period. I mean it doesn't happen.' UGA quarterback Jake Fromm hadn't thrown an interception all season entering the game. Saturday's loss to the Gamecocks marked the first three-interception game of Fromm's career. At that, two interceptions were the fault of receivers, one running the wrong route, the other having the ball go out of his hands. Tailback D'Andre Swift and tight end Charlie Woerner said Monday they're comfortable with the Bulldogs' offensive identity, neither envious of more high-scoring, uptempo offenses. 'No, not at all, we're not them, they're not us,' Swift said. 'So however we decide to go about the game plan and try to win the game, that's what we're going to do.' Woerner agreed. 'We're Georgia, and we're going to continue to run the ball, that is who we are,' Woerner said. 'We have really good running backs, and we can block well. But we can do both. 'We just need to execute better in the pass game and then we'll put up more points.' Scoring is what Smart said matters most to him, and the Bulldogs rank in the nation's Top 20 in scoring offense (18th), and defense (6th). 'I think the most important part of an offense is scoring points . now, how do I get to those points?' Smart said. 'Do I get to them through explosive plays? Do I get them through long, methodical drives, which has so far been our MO? That's been the identity we have, of long, methodical drives, and we've had some really good long, methodical drives. 'At the end of the day we're all judged by, number one, how do I score points, how do I protect the ball and how explosive can I be, and that's what we're focused on.' So with the South Carolina loss being the outlier, it's worth a look at how Georgia measures up against other College Football Playoff contenders and future opponents: Scoring Offense 1. LSU, 52.5 2. Alabama 51.0 3. Oklahoma 50.2 4. Ohio State 49.3 T-14. Clemson 39.2 18. Georgia 38.5 40. Auburn 33.8 53. Florida 31.7 99. Kentucky 23.5 Rushing Offense 3. Ohio State 288.5 5. Oklahoma 286.3 15. Clemson 238.8 16. Georgia 237.2 20. Auburn 229.8 41. Kentucky 192.3 T-58. Alabama 170.8 68. LSU 165.7 93. Florida 140.7 Passing Efficiency 1. Oklahoma, 207.15 2. LSU 207.00 3. Alabama 206.80 5. Ohio State 190.74 21. Florida 159.82 23. Georgia 157.56 58. Clemson 141.51 85. Auburn 129.31 114. Kentucky 112.36 Third Down Conversion Rate 1. Ohio State 55.9 2. LSU 55.1 4. Alabama 53.4 12. Oklahoma 49.1 25. Georgia 46.3 26. Florida 45.8 34. Auburn 43.5 41. Clemson 42.7 90. Kentucky 37.0 Scoring Defense 4. Ohio State 8.80 points per game T-6. Georgia 12.30 T-6. Clemson 12.30 10. Florida 14.10 14. Alabama 17.00 18. Auburn 18.30 31. Oklahoma 20.30 40. LSU 21.20 50. Kentucky 23.70 Rushing Defense 6. Georgia 73.3 8. Ohio State 82.0 13. LSU 91.8 20. Auburn 101.3 22. Clemson 104.5 27. Florida 110.9 47. Alabama 133.2 51. Oklahoma 140.5 82. Kentucky 173.2 Third Down Defense 3. Ohio State, 25.6 percent 9. Oklahoma 27.8 13. Clemson 29.5 17. Auburn 30.7 19. Georgia 31.5 T-35. Alabama 34.1 T-35. Florida 34.1 38. LSU 34.4 113. Kentucky 44.7 Pass Efficiency Defense 4. Ohio State 95.12 5. Clemson 95.45 17. Georgia 111.89 22. Alabama 113.58 29. Kentucky 116.57 35. Florida 119.15 37. LSU 119.29 46. Auburn 122.76 65. Oklahoma 129.19 Best win (per Sagarin computer): Auburn (No. 8 Oregon) Florida (No. 9 Auburn) Georgia (No. 11 Notre Dame) LSU (No. 12 Florida) Oklahoma (No. 14 Texas) Ohio State (No. 20 Michigan State) Alabama (No. 21 Texas A&M) Clemson (No. 21 Texas A&M) Kentucky (No. 77 Toledo) College Offenses rank by Yards Per Play 1 Oklahoma 9.56 2 Alabama 8.07 3 LSU 8.01 4 Wash St 7.81 5 Ohio St 7.31 6 Georgia 7.25 7 Utah & Louisiana 7.15 9 UCF & Memphis 7.01 11 Baylor 6.98 12 Louisville 6.95 13 Tulane & SMIss 6.93 15 Arizona 6.91 16 Clemson 6.87 17 Notre Dame 6.86 Phil Steele (@philsteele042) October 14, 2019 The post Closer look: Georgia football offensive identity by the numbers appeared first on DawgNation.
