Wednesday January 02, 2008

Constructive Criticism

Constructive Criticism
I read the posts. I sit in the stands. I take the calls on the radio show and I answer the e-mails. I hear and read the answers that we all think we have. None of us have all of the answers including Bowden. But it is fun to hypothesize what the problems are and solutions should be.

I have never coached a down of college football and almost every reader of this blog can admit the same thing. But I have often said that I can’t play guitar but I can listen and tell the difference between Eddie van Halen and some cover band at the Esso.

I have read and heard your comments and suggestions and wanted to share mine. Here are a few things I would to see in 2008:

Fullback
I don’t mind the one-back or the spread with one-back beside the quarterback but I do think there is still a place for a fullback in the offense especially in short-yardage.

I watched Georgia several times this year and Brandon Sutherland is a very tough fullback but I think Clemson has something similar in Chad Diehl.

In my opinion, a lead blocker is crucial in certain looks on offense. Sometimes Clemson uses a lead blocker but they do it by pulling an offensive lineman, tight end or h-back. Heck they even have a wide out involved in the blocking scheme between the tackles on certain looks. I just think a very physical fullback is a weapon and in short-yardage situation he may be benficial.

It was nice to see a three-point stance and even a four-point stance on offense on some of the short-yardage plays Monday so that is a step in the right direction. But I think a big, physical fullback would be a weapon. And in my opinion they have a stud ready to take over the roll in Diehl.

Diehl really impressed coaches when he enrolled last January and was probably the biggest surprise of the last recruiting class. He tested much better than the staff may have thought. He ran better, jumped higher and lifted more than many realized but he also took it to the field. In the spring and fall camps, Diehl made a huge impression. One assistant coach told me recently that he thought Diehl was the toughest player the Tigers had on offense.

If the offensive line is inexperienced next season I can think of no better solution than to give Diehl a shot as a lead blocker to take care of the immediate threat. A lead blocker can often eliminate the first defender that has a chance to tackle the ball carrier and I think Diehl should be given a look at that role.

I know Georgia is better because of Sutherland. Arkansas’s offense was all about Darren McFadden and Felix Jones but I know they are better because Peyton Hillis was a great lead blocker and he was also their leading receiver. West Virginia is terrific with Pat White and Steve Slayden but Owen Schmidt is a big part of their offense also. Diehl should receive his medical hardship after his injury so here is to four great years of Diehl being very involved.

Mark Richt
I know few want to click onto Tigernet and read about how great Georgia is but I think Bowden could take a note from Mark Richt from this past season. A good friend of mine is an avid Georgia fan and he subscribed to the theory that your team takes on the personality of your head coach. He complained about Richt and how he was emotionless on the sidelines. But Richt changed mid-way through this season and finished with a 7-game winning streak.

Richt was very successful at Georgia before this season. He had won his division and the SEC. He had been to Sugar Bowls and was a national title contender a few times before this season. Richt was as calm as a cucumber on the sidelines and people took notice. When the Dawgs won games their fans claimed he was very calm and showcased poise and composure. Many coaches feel players will react to their head coach. If he is calm in the face of pressure then they will be calm as well. If a head coach gets too emotional they will say he is panicking.

Perception is important and they same Dawg fans that claimed that Richt was winning then he has composure but when UGA loses they complain that the team lacks emotion because Richt lacks emotion.
That all changed this year. Georgia was 4-2 and coming off a bad loss to Tennessee 35-14. They used a late turnover and a last second field goal to have big comeback to beat Vanderbilt 20-17 or the Dawgs could have fallen to 4-3. Instead, they beat the Commodores on the last play but the big change came the next game.

I saw Georgia play Oklahoma State in person and South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee and Vanderbilt on television and the Dawg fans were right when they said Georgia played with little or no emotion. That all changed with 6:00 to go in the first quarter in the Florida game when the Dawgs ran onto the field and go a couple of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.

Richt orchestrated the penalty. He orchestrated the emotion. He changed. The old Mark Richt would have never done that. He would have never stood for it.

Georgia used black jerseys against Auburn and Hawaii for motivation later in the year but it was a different Richt. He was emotional on the sidelines. As I watched the bowl game last night I saw Mark Richt waving his arms to the crowd trying to get the crowd pumped up. He would have never done that in the past but Georgia was a better football team for it.

There is a fine line too much emotion and not enough. When Maryland won 10 games a couple of times I thought Dave Sollazzo was great. When they took a turn for the worse maybe he was too emotional. Will Muschamp is a fantastic defensive coordinator for Auburn but some felt he was too emotional in a couple of losses this year. Clemson saw Reggie Herring for several years so most have seen this. But Clemson has not been too emotional in recent memory.

864-834-6060

The Brad Hughes All-State Insurance Agency

There are other issues that can be fixed and some other will arise every season. These are just two suggestions I came up with to go along with many others I have read or heard since Monday night.