How Do We Match Up Against UGA?

glasscutter256

All-American
Jan 31, 2009
2,173
29
67
Huntsville
Here is my 2 cents. I don't think pass rush is as big a deal as most. It looks good to get sacks, but Murray can run better than most people realize. He can buy time and gain yards with his legs.
The 2 areas of importance are turnovers and secondary coverage. In UGA's win over UF, Florida turned the ball over 6!!! times. Georgia does a great job of forcing fumbles and getting interceptions. They are very opportunistic defense. In the GT game, they stripped the RB on the 1 yd line and returned it to the 50. That changed momentum big time. What worries me is that Alabama has not been very good in the turnover margin the past 4 games. We lost fumbles against W. Carolina and the barn. Now, UGA is very capable of turning the ball over as well. Murray is still a gunslinger and Gurshel are freshmen still. I think UGA has to win the turnover margin by at least 2 to beat us.
As far as secondary coverage, our coverage has been very soft and undisciplined at times. We are not breaking on the ball or taking good angles. Getting to the receivers very late and giving them chances to make runs after the catch. Malcolm Mitchell and King can be very dangerous after the catch. Rome is a matchup nightmare against Vinnie, Haha or Lester. We have to be able to hit and tackle them at the catch.
 

BigBama76

Suspended
Oct 26, 2011
1,002
0
0
Atlanta, GA
I think we can move the ball on them running or throwing if we play like we're capable. Like others I think our pass rush and secondary weaknesses have been exposed here lately but their QB is on the short side so maybe just having those big lineman in his throwing lanes will affect him. Also, if he gets rattled he has a tendency to make bad decisions. I'm not sure they've had a game yet they didn't fumble at least once if not multiple times.
 

Alasippi

Suspended
Aug 31, 2007
12,875
2
57
Ocean Springs, MS
I've never seen so much concern over a defense that finished the season leading the country in scoring defense and total defense. Simply put, it's impossible to improve on being the best in the country statistically. Number one is number one and the rest of the country is not.

Georgia doesn't match up with us well at all in my opinion.

One, they are very undisciplined and make way too many mental errors and get way too many dumb penalties. How they won the Florida game still escapes me because they really kinda played like crap. Florida just happened to have played a bit worse.

Other than that they've played one good team in USC and got their butts handed to them.

Their defensive line is good but it's nowhere near as good as the offensive line(ours) they'll be going up against.

Their linebackers are very good and their secondary is good but they haven't faced any offense this season that even remotely compares to ours, and I mean not even close. We're averaging 40 a game folks. Who have they played that comes close to that?

Are they the best team we've played? No way. If they went into Baton Rouge on a Saturday night they'd get kicked back to Athens with a tail beating of about 38-3 on their hands and their tails between their legs.

Finally we have a Senior Class that has the experience of what it takes to win championships both SEC and National. This isn't strange territory to our guys. For Georgia it is. And we have a coach named Saban who I'll take over Mark Richt in a key game any day of the week.

I'm really kind of amazed. A few weeks ago we could supposedly beat NFL teams. We have one bad quarter and lose one game and suddenly everybody's scared to death of Georgia who's not even in our league.

We'll win this game by at least 17 points and probably worse. As far as the point spread I'll surprised if we're not favored by at least ten.

Vegas will have more confidence in us than a lot of folks around here suddenly seem to have.

Bama 35
Georgia-17

sip
 

rgw

Suspended
Sep 15, 2003
20,852
1,351
232
Tuscaloosa
Alasippi, you have a point but it is fair to note that the 2010 unit was ranked in top 5 in most defensive categories and 10th in rushing defense.
 

jcabama

1st Team
Jul 19, 2004
499
243
62
Bonaire GA
Hey guys, go look at Georgia's stats against Georgia Tech and tell me if you are still THAT concerned.......Tech had 426 YDS. Total yards and 306 yds RUSHING on Georgia's vaunted defense. I aint skeered. :)
You have a point. GT had 134 yards and is a half yard from making the game interesting when their undersized back got the ball ripped from his arms at the goal line. They neutralized Jenkins in the middle often and gutted them numerous times before they gave up to turnovers and no defense. I like that we've had two games to rest so that legs for our starters are fresh, not like the were against a good, fast aTm team who got us early. I think the secondary will play well enough and we'll find some pressure but I'm counting on our ground game to keep Murray on the sideline early. If that is successful, I see a win pulling away. Will be on the front row cheering them on!
 

CrimsonEyeshade

Hall of Fame
Nov 6, 2007
5,412
1,522
187
You have a point. GT had 134 yards and is a half yard from making the game interesting when their undersized back got the ball ripped from his arms at the goal line. They neutralized Jenkins in the middle often and gutted them numerous times before they gave up to turnovers and no defense. I like that we've had two games to rest so that legs for our starters are fresh, not like the were against a good, fast aTm team who got us early. I think the secondary will play well enough and we'll find some pressure but I'm counting on our ground game to keep Murray on the sideline early. If that is successful, I see a win pulling away. Will be on the front row cheering them on!

To be fair, Georgia Southern bopped perhaps the finest UA defense ever for more than 300 yards on the ground last year. Then look what we did to Auburn and LSU. Success against the option is a poor indicator of how a defense will perform against a more conventional offense.
 

jcabama

1st Team
Jul 19, 2004
499
243
62
Bonaire GA
Agree that an option offense is difficult to gauge but the yards are generally gained outside. GT punished the middle of the UGA defensive line regularly in the early going. That's what I saw that tells me we can work on Jenkins and company inside. I trust Barrett, Chance and Steen to do at least as well as the undersized interior OL that GT has. I just hope we don't give up on the run like we did with aTm because I believe it is the key. By the way, believe we were short three NTs in that game as well.
 

rgw

Suspended
Sep 15, 2003
20,852
1,351
232
Tuscaloosa
Even if they could attack the inside of UGA's defense, it is hard to gauge how that transfers to our game. The way GT blocks is unlike our scheme. The things GT does with the option attack stretches the defense out horizontally in ways difficult to emulate with a traditional offense. It is truly a complete throwaway for us because I don't see us becoming a cut-block principled OL in the run game nor very likely to turn McCarron into an option pitchman.

Also, my point about the 2010 rankings is that they looked statistically dominant but Alabama has such a talent advantage that we dominate 90% of the teams we play every year. The worth our defense is only judged by how they play against the best and they've been lukewarm at best against teams on even talent footing offensively to our defense. FSU was the best run defense in the nation heading to UF game...because they hadn't played a team worth a darn in the ACC or out of conference.
 

Al A Bama

Hall of Fame
Jun 24, 2011
6,658
934
132
I've never seen so much concern over a defense that finished the season leading the country in scoring defense and total defense. Simply put, it's impossible to improve on being the best in the country statistically. Number one is number one and the rest of the country is not.

Georgia doesn't match up with us well at all in my opinion.

One, they are very undisciplined and make way too many mental errors and get way too many dumb penalties. How they won the Florida game still escapes me because they really kinda played like crap. Florida just happened to have played a bit worse.

Other than that they've played one good team in USC and got their butts handed to them.

Their defensive line is good but it's nowhere near as good as the offensive line(ours) they'll be going up against.

Their linebackers are very good and their secondary is good but they haven't faced any offense this season that even remotely compares to ours, and I mean not even close. We're averaging 40 a game folks. Who have they played that comes close to that?

Are they the best team we've played? No way. If they went into Baton Rouge on a Saturday night they'd get kicked back to Athens with a tail beating of about 38-3 on their hands and their tails between their legs.

Finally we have a Senior Class that has the experience of what it takes to win championships both SEC and National. This isn't strange territory to our guys. For Georgia it is. And we have a coach named Saban who I'll take over Mark Richt in a key game any day of the week.

I'm really kind of amazed. A few weeks ago we could supposedly beat NFL teams. We have one bad quarter and lose one game and suddenly everybody's scared to death of Georgia who's not even in our league.

We'll win this game by at least 17 points and probably worse. As far as the point spread I'll surprised if we're not favored by at least ten.

Vegas will have more confidence in us than a lot of folks around here suddenly seem to have.

Bama 35
Georgia-17

sip
Alasippi,

I always respect your opinion. I sure hope it's accurate! I think I'll just go ahead and take it to the bank and deposit this win and start worrying about the Golden Domers.

I think I'll just go to bed and sleep during this game and tell my wife to wake me up after the game and let me know if it was 35 to 17 or worse with a Bama win. This way I won't have to worry about a heart attack during the game.

On Bama's win yesterday, the old heart was beating normally the entire game. Being honest, it was beating a little fast until we were ahead 14 to 0. After that I just relaxed knowing that it was in the bank.
 

Al A Bama

Hall of Fame
Jun 24, 2011
6,658
934
132
Weren't the announcers saying that the Dawgs had two 300+ pounders in the middle of the line on yesterday. Is it going to be hard to move those guys? And with those guys taking up two defenders each, possibly, will that give #29 Mr. Jones, the linebacker, the ability to give Bama's offense Big Time Fits?
 

Al A Bama

Hall of Fame
Jun 24, 2011
6,658
934
132
Weren't the announcers saying that the Dawgs had two 300+ pounders in the middle of the line on yesterday. Is it going to be hard to move those guys? And with those guys taking up two defenders each, possibly, will that give #29 Mr. Jones, the linebacker, the ability to give Bama's offense Big Time Fits?
I meant taking up two Bama (OL) blockers each.
 

teamplayer

Hall of Fame
Jul 31, 2001
7,573
2,330
282
cullman, al, usa
Even if they could attack the inside of UGA's defense, it is hard to gauge how that transfers to our game. The way GT blocks is unlike our scheme. The things GT does with the option attack stretches the defense out horizontally in ways difficult to emulate with a traditional offense. It is truly a complete throwaway for us because I don't see us becoming a cut-block principled OL in the run game nor very likely to turn McCarron into an option pitchman.

Also, my point about the 2010 rankings is that they looked statistically dominant but Alabama has such a talent advantage that we dominate 90% of the teams we play every year. The worth our defense is only judged by how they play against the best and they've been lukewarm at best against teams on even talent footing offensively to our defense. FSU was the best run defense in the nation heading to UF game...because they hadn't played a team worth a darn in the ACC or out of conference.
Exaclty. As the old saying goes, there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics. Stats can often help and give an accurate gauge on things, but they can also be misleading. I think our defense last year was even better than the stats indicated. That defense was rarely out of position, and I can't even remember them missing a tackle. This year, I can't say the same thing. We have looked very dominant against weaker teams, but both LSU and Texas A&M moved the ball extrememly well against us. We even got pushed around a little, were out of position, and missed several tackles. Therefore, in my humble opinion, even though we finished number one in defense both this year and last, this year's defense isn't on the same level as last year's. That is why an offense with the balance that Georgia can bring to the table has me worried.
I have also seen our offense sputter against both LSU and Texas A&M. Sure, we may have averaged over 40 points, but we only scored 21 and 24 against those top ten teams we faced. That's a big difference. Again, this causes me concern. I hope some of you guys are right when you predict that we will destroy Georgia, but I think it will be a close game. I like our chances, but I am still going to worry until the clock reads zero after the fourth quarter with us in the lead. Roll Tide!
 

Just Win

All-SEC
Dec 22, 2003
1,883
0
55
58
Alabaster, AL, USA
As far as the point spread I'll surprised if we're not favored by at least ten.

Vegas will have more confidence in us than a lot of folks around here suddenly seem to have.

Bama 35
Georgia-17

sip
You were close. I've seen Vegas lines from 8.5 to 7.5 so far. And your assessment is spot on. I'm not worried about winning as long as we come ready to play. And I'm sure we will. The TAMU game woke us up out of our bored stupor. We'll handle UGA and throttle ND.
 

Matt0424

All-American
Jan 16, 2010
3,909
0
55
Hoover, Al
You know why they don't scare me? The sidelines...

Nick Saban is still our Coach, and Mark Richt is still theirs... He's screwed up Georgia teams with much more talent than this...
 

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