by Rex Robinson

Posts tagged “Special Teams Win Games”

A Special Teams Dream

Georgia Fans are clamoring for the redistribution of wealth that they perceive is available on the new and improved Bulldog staff.  Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham runs a base 3-4 defense and the perception is that a full-time special teams coach might be a possibility.

The limitations placed on coaching staffs by the NCAA may preclude a special teams guru. You can only have your head coach, 9 assistants and two GA’s on the field at any given time . I have no knowledge of Coach Richt’s plans, but here is the present breakdown

  1. Mark Richt(HC)
  2. Mike Bobo(OC/QB)
  3. Stacey Searels(OL)
  4. Tony Ball(WR)
  5. John Lilly(TE)
  6. Bryan McClendon(RB)
  7. Todd Grantham(DC/LB)
  8. Rodney Garner(DL)
  9. Scott Lakatos(DB)
  10. Outside Backers or Special Teams?

It seems to me that it would be difficult for Coach Grantham to coach the outside backers/defensive ends because of the vast differences in their responsibilities from the inside backers. I do like Grantham’s decision to coach LB’s because he said during practice he will get valuable time with the D-Line(Inside Drills) and the DB’s(Pass Skeleton). It just seems like he could spread thin during fundamental periods with inside and outside backer skill-sets being so different.

The most important issue regarding special teams is not if there is one man doing it all or not. It’s the special teams philosophy and time spent implementing said philosophy that really matters. It would still work with coaches sharing special teams responsibilities if the philosophies and personnel choices are more sound. That was where Georgia struggled most.

All I know is this, every time I hear Todd Grantham talk, I get all tingly inside. This is going to be fun to watch, no matter what.

Go Dawgs!

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01/21/2010 | Categories: SPORTS | Tags: , , , , | 7 Comments »

That is How You Finish a Drill

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There was a lot of concern in the Bulldog Nation as to how the Georgia Football team would handle the adversity of losing almost their entire defensive staff. On top of that, there were rumblings of growing dissatisfaction among the players. Many fans thought the players were not motivated to play in a lesser bowl game, especially a game that would disrupt Christmas.

I must say the defense answered the call, with a true bend but don’t break effort, holding Texas A&M, the best offense in the Big 12 to only twenty points. The offense did look inept because Joe Kines Aggie defense was not going to let the Dawgs run the ball, but put the game in Joe Cox’s hands. It was working too until the Georgia special teams took the game over.

After Texas A&M scored their first touchdown, the Dawgs immediately reversed the momentum with 17 points created by special teams. Brandon Boykin returned the ensuing kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown, Baccari Rambo blocked a punt to set the Dawgs up on the two yard line and then Blair Walsh kicked a 49 yard field goal.

This wave of kicking game excellence, which also included a blocked field goal by Geno Atkins, bought enough time for the offense to finally get going and the Dawgs ended up with 44 total points, a Georgia Bowl game record. Not bad for the “worst team” in the Mark Richt era. The eighth win of the year put CMR at 90 wins in his 9 years at UGA, a remarkable record.

I’ll be honest. With all the seeming negativity swirling about the program this past month, I didn’t know what to expect in this game. Someone deserves alot of credit for putting this team in a position to win. Mark Richt? Sure. Rodney Garner? Absolutely. His D-line pressured Aggie quarterback Jerrod Johnson all night. Apparently defensive G.A. fill-ins Todd Hartley and Mitch Doolittle did a great job  as well. Kudos to them.

But what I was most impressed with was a group of players that exhibited enough pride to rise above all the negativity and doubt to Finish the Drill, one last time. Go Dawgs!

12/29/2009 | Categories: SPORTS | Tags: , , , , | 11 Comments »