» Georgia Kick Coverage, Like GroundHog Day ROUGHING THE KICKER

Georgia Kick Coverage, Like GroundHog Day

Have you ever watched a Georgia game and felt like you were actually watching Groundhog Day instead? The same song starts playing and you get that pit in your stomach. Well, the first quarter of the season is done. I wanted to check out the kick-off stats around the country and was really not suprised with what I found. Blair Walsh is better, coverage is not. Blair has already matched the number of touch-backs(4) from last year on only 21 kick-offs. Even with this being true, the coaches are not letting him consistently attempt kicking it deep. His two kicks out of bounds did bother me, but it is a risk inherent in the directional kicking philosophy. He had one lucky bounce last week, two were not so lucky.

I thought we had turned a corner with the South Carolina game. Blair’s kicks were deeper and/or placed well. One kick was kicked deep, but a coverage breakdown allowed the returner to reach mid-field. I think that squelched Coach Richt’s willingness to kick deep. Forget the fact that even with the long return, SC’s average starting field position was the best in recent memory.

Even so, our coverage is worse overall, giving up 26.73 yards per return.

That’s another category where our national rank is in triple digits.

Bowl Subdivision (FBS) National Team Report
Kickoff Return Yardage Defense

Year: 2009

Thru: 09/19/09 Minimum Pct. of Games Played

Rank	Name	Returns	Kickoff Return Yardage	TDs	Yardage Per Return	Kickoffs	Touchbacks	Wins	Losses
1	FIU	4	43	0	10.75	5	0	0	2
2	Pittsburgh	15	221	0	14.73	22	7	3	0
3	Washington	15	226	0	15.07	16	1	2	1
4	Arkansas St.	10	154	0	15.40	13	1	1	1
5	Colorado	12	186	0	15.50	13	2	1	2
6	Navy	12	187	0	15.58	14	1	1	2
7	UCF	12	191	0	15.92	15	2	2	1
8	Rutgers	17	275	0	16.18	19	2	2	1
9	Vanderbilt	11	180	0	16.36	12	0	1	2
10	LSU	18	296	0	16.44	18	0	3	0
11	Louisiana Tech	12	198	0	16.50	16	1	1	2
11	Mississippi	12	198	0	16.50	17	5	2	0
13	Iowa St.	15	248	0	16.53	15	0	2	1
14	Air Force	20	336	0	16.80	23	3	2	1
15	Florida	22	370	0	16.82	25	1	3	0
16	Baylor	7	118	0	16.86	9	1	1	1
16	Kent St.	7	118	0	16.86	8	0	1	2
18	Duke	12	203	0	16.92	13	1	1	2
19	TCU	15	257	0	17.13	16	0	2	0
20	La.-Lafayette	13	229	0	17.62	14	0	2	1
21	Tulsa	14	250	0	17.86	16	2	2	1
22	Houston	15	270	0	18.00	16	1	2	0
22	North Carolina St.	21	378	0	18.00	21	0	2	1
22	Oklahoma	21	378	0	18.00	22	1	2	1
25	Cincinnati	17	314	0	18.47	25	8	3	0
26	California	22	411	0	18.68	25	1	3	0
27	Boston College	15	281	0	18.73	18	1	2	1
28	Marshall	8	151	0	18.88	13	2	2	1
29	Illinois	10	189	0	18.90	11	1	1	1
30	Northern Ill.	16	303	0	18.94	17	2	2	1
31	Western Mich.	9	171	0	19.00	14	5	1	2
31	BYU	13	247	0	19.00	18	2	2	1
33	Boise St.	21	400	0	19.05	22	0	3	0
34	UNLV	12	229	0	19.08	17	4	2	1
35	Ohio St.	15	287	0	19.13	17	2	2	1
36	Clemson	22	421	0	19.14	22	0	2	1
37	Idaho	13	251	0	19.31	16	4	2	1
38	Virginia Tech	16	314	0	19.63	18	2	2	1
39	Eastern Mich.	10	197	0	19.70	11	0	0	3
40	Oregon St.	15	296	0	19.73	17	2	2	1
41	Kansas	20	397	0	19.85	23	3	3	0
42	Texas Tech	14	278	0	19.86	20	6	2	1
43	Arizona	12	241	0	20.08	15	3	2	1
43	Memphis	12	241	0	20.08	14	2	1	2
45	Buffalo	10	201	0	20.10	12	2	1	2
46	Southern Miss.	20	403	0	20.15	21	1	3	0
47	Rice	11	222	0	20.18	12	0	0	3
48	Kansas St.	8	162	0	20.25	10	1	1	2
49	Northwestern	17	345	0	20.29	20	1	2	1
50	Stanford	15	305	0	20.33	17	2	2	1
51	Iowa	14	286	0	20.43	16	2	3	0
52	Utah	11	225	0	20.45	16	5	2	1
53	Ohio	10	205	0	20.50	14	0	2	1
54	Mississippi St.	18	370	0	20.56	18	0	2	1
55	West Virginia	18	371	0	20.61	20	0	2	1
56	Indiana	15	310	0	20.67	18	2	3	0
57	Syracuse	13	270	0	20.77	13	0	1	2
58	Fla. Atlantic	6	125	0	20.83	6	0	0	2
59	Michigan	14	292	0	20.86	20	5	3	0
60	North Carolina	17	355	0	20.88	17	0	3	0
61	Arkansas	14	293	0	20.93	17	0	1	1
62	Tulane	6	128	0	21.33	6	0	0	2
62	Hawaii	15	320	0	21.33	18	2	2	1
64	South Fla.	20	427	0	21.35	23	2	3	0
65	Texas A&M	12	258	0	21.50	15	2	2	0
66	Miami (FL)	11	240	0	21.82	13	0	2	0
67	Akron	12	262	1	21.83	14	2	1	2
68	East Carolina	13	284	0	21.85	15	2	1	2
69	North Texas	10	219	0	21.90	12	1	1	2
70	Oklahoma St.	10	220	0	22.00	19	9	2	1
70	Central Mich.	15	330	0	22.00	17	1	2	1
72	Ball St.	11	243	0	22.09	13	2	0	3
73	Georgia Tech	17	376	0	22.12	18	0	2	1
74	Arizona St.	15	333	0	22.20	17	2	2	0
75	Connecticut	8	178	0	22.25	13	3	2	1
75	Kentucky	12	267	0	22.25	13	1	2	0
77	Nebraska	11	245	0	22.27	21	10	2	1
78	UTEP	12	268	0	22.33	14	1	1	2
79	Maryland	15	338	0	22.53	16	0	1	2
80	Wake Forest	11	248	0	22.55	15	3	2	1
81	Texas	16	362	0	22.63	24	7	3	0
82	Southern California	14	319	0	22.79	17	3	2	1
83	Missouri	18	412	0	22.89	23	5	3	0
84	Oregon	16	367	0	22.94	16	0	2	1
85	Michigan St.	19	439	0	23.11	20	1	1	2
86	Bowling Green	12	278	0	23.17	14	1	1	2
87	Troy	9	209	0	23.22	12	2	1	2
88	Tennessee	14	326	0	23.29	18	3	1	2
89	Army	13	303	0	23.31	14	0	2	1
90	Purdue	14	327	0	23.36	17	3	1	2
91	Notre Dame	19	444	1	23.37	20	0	2	1
92	New Mexico	9	212	0	23.56	9	0	0	3
93	UCLA	15	354	0	23.60	20	5	3	0
94	Western Ky.	6	144	0	24.00	8	1	0	3
94	Wisconsin	14	336	0	24.00	17	3	3	0
96	SMU	12	292	0	24.33	18	4	2	1
97	Toledo	14	342	0	24.43	17	0	1	2
98	Florida St.	11	270	0	24.55	20	9	2	1
99	Auburn	20	491	0	24.55	23	1	3	0
100	UAB	14	345	0	24.64	18	0	1	2
101	Alabama	22	547	2	24.86	25	2	3	0
102	Temple	7	175	0	25.00	7	0	0	2
103	Colorado St.	16	408	0	25.50	17	0	3	0
104	San Diego St.	13	332	0	25.54	14	0	1	2
105	Fresno St.	19	491	0	25.84	20	1	1	2
106	Penn St.	14	362	0	25.86	17	3	3	0
107	Utah St.	8	211	0	26.38	10	2	0	2
108	Georgia	15	401	0	26.73	21	4	2	1
109	New Mexico St.	4	107	0	26.75	9	4	1	2
110	Middle Tenn.	15	405	1	27.00	15	0	2	1
111	Minnesota	11	302	0	27.45	14	3	2	1
112	Nevada	2	56	0	28.00	4	1	0	2
113	La.-Monroe	15	442	2	29.47	17	0	1	2
114	South Carolina	16	473	1	29.56	18	0	2	1
115	Washington St.	10	301	1	30.10	14	3	1	2
116	Wyoming	8	241	0	30.13	11	2	1	2
117	Louisville	13	397	1	30.54	13	0	1	1
118	Virginia	9	306	1	34.00	12	3	0	3
119	Miami (OH)	3	106	0	35.33	6	3	0	3
120	San Jose St.	8	283	1	35.38	9	1	0	3

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DawgLeg

Bernie: your quote: Why do I think that the following phrase has escaped Fabris’ mouth on more than one occasion: “Yeh, this shotgun formation thing is just a fad. Just like Coca-Cola.” YOU SURE KNOW Fabris. This would be a great Rex post for him to read….if he could read.

IveyLeaguer: Have to disagree with you. Bogotay can not and does not put it deep enough. Forget DK this poor kid got sold a bushel of goods when they recruited him. He thought he would have no competition but CMR wants competition at all positions and if you are in the know you know he is losing to Walsh in distance, hang time, position and no need to mention FG ability. Nice kid I guess but in deep water.

Go Dawgs…get rid of DK’s and Fabris and field a good cover return squad and we will be in great position.

Great work Rex super post!!

Go Dawgs!!!

09/29/2009 at 1:40 PM

IveyLeaguer

I have two thoughts about the kickoff situation:

1) The average starting field position of the opponent is the stat that counts (avg. starting yard line, minus any previously imposed penalty yardage). That’s the most important one. I’m still looking for that stat. Whatever it is, it’s better than last year (how could it not be), but that’s not saying much.

2) Bogotay should kick off and Walsh should stick to FG’s. If we make that move, our kicking game will be set for the next 3 years. If we don’t, it’ll cost us down the road this year.

Of course, the most likely reason Bogotay is not kicking off is he’s having trouble adjusting to DK. DK is not going to work unless the rule changes back to kicking off from the 35. If we, would scrap DK, and focus our attention on COVERAGE, we could go back to being solid in our ST.

~~~

09/26/2009 at 10:56 AM

Bernie

So we’re second in the SEC in touchbacks, but the overall product is worse. Why do I think that the following phrase has escaped Fabris’ mouth on more than one occasion: “Yeh, this shotgun formation thing is just a fad. Just like Coca-Cola.”

09/24/2009 at 3:53 PM

ROUGHING THE KICKER by Rex Robinson