Is this real life?
I'm baaaack! It's been a long time since my last post. I didn't do a Kentucky recap because I was on a hiking trip and had to watch the game in bits and pieces. So at kickoff, this was my view. Can't really complain too much.
Quick thoughts on Kentucky before we move on:
- I'm still a little shocked at how easy we handled that game. I thought we'd have to give a little more effort to get the win.
- Kentucky, meet Lorenzo Carter.
And now for this week. I'll be honest, I'm still not 100% sure I believe the game really happened that way, so my observations are probably a bit scattered and not as thorough as usual. But here goes nothing:
- Hutson Mason looked good. Even as a huge Hutson Mason critic, I love being able to give him credit when he deserves it. He made some great passes Saturday, and his excellent stats would have been even better were it not for some great defensive plays by Auburn's secondary. Lots of passes were batted out at the last second that looked like sure catches. (Please note, these passes were not just dropped by receivers. Auburn's defense actually got hands on the ball and knocked it out.)
- I believe in the Pruitt Effect. I would love to see more consistency (I mean, this defense that dominated Auburn in every way is the same unit that gave up over 400 yards to Florida. Crazy.), but I know it will come with more time spent adjusting to the new scheme brought in by Pruitt. Anyway, I was thoroughly impressed by the defensive effort. Auburn came in averaging over 500 yards a game, and we held them to only one touchdown (scored on their first drive) and only 80(ish) yards in the second half. Jordan Jenkins and Leondard Floyd gave Nick Marshall grief all night, and Auburn's O-line basically had to hold Jenkins to keep him from getting to the backfield. Even when Marshall scrambled away from the sack, many times he ended up having to throw the ball away because our secondary was (presumably) providing such good coverage. The defense also had two fumble recoveries and an interception. Can't do a much better job.
- I didn't think it was possible for Nick Chubb to get any better. But it seems I was wrong. Week after week he has looked stronger, faster, and more confident, running down opponents' throats until they are exhausted and probably baffled as to how it's seemingly impossible to bring him down. I think he's going to end up being even better than Gurley by the time he leaves, and that's saying a lot. (More on him later.) So now it's up to all of us to make sure that Nick Chubb NEVER signs any autographs ever until he leaves UGA. EVER.
- Watching Gurley go down made it nearly impossible to enjoy the win. Before the game while I was eating my good-luck buffalo chicken pizza, I voiced worries about Gurley suffering an injury in his first game back. I just had an uneasy feeling, and it's also textbook UGA luck. I wish I had been wrong, and I also wish I had kept my mouth shut. While his injury appeared to be a non-contact ACL tear in the end of the fourth quarter, I'm not quite convinced it wasn't bothering him a bit earlier in the game. He just didn't seem to make it to the holes as fast as usual, especially in the second half. Either way, he deserved so much better, and my heart breaks for him. While I think we will be fine offensively without him, I wanted a better ending for him. Watching Gurley play during his time at UGA has been truly magical. He seems to be a great person with an incredible work ethic and a heart for his teammates. I know he'll come back from this stronger than ever and will continue to make UGA proud in whatever he chooses to do with his life. I also know he has a great support system around him and seems very positive. (Malcolm Mitchell reportedly rode with him to the hospital, having recently undergone the same injury) He leaves quite a legacy, but knowing that he's been mentoring the young running backs in his four week absence makes me that much more confident in our future.
Other miscellaneous thoughts:
- Auburn seemed to have brought their own refs to the game. The flag on the fake punt was absolutely absurd.
- Our play calling was bold, and it paid off.
- Kimbrough is a straight up killer on special teams. Seriously. If I saw him running at me, I would play dead for sure.
- Every time Davis is back to return any kind of kick I have to close my eyes. He gives me fumble feels and I don't like it. But over all, special teams was a huge success for us.
- Some big-name recruits were visiting this game, including Jonathan Abram (committed 10/31/14), Albert Huggins (4-star DT, UGA/Clemson), Chuma Edoga, Josh Sweat (5 star DE, offers from basically every school in the country, #5 in ESPN300), Jaleel Laguins, and Chidi Valentine-Okeke. Some were committed to UGA previously, some were undeclared, some we are still trying to flip from other teams. All had nothing but great things to say about the coaches and the game.
- Side note: Can you imagine Verne and Gary trying to pronounce some of those names? They need to quit while they can still remember what it felt like to be ahead all those years ago.
A few of my favorite moments from the game:
David Andrews's touchdown celebration:
Scott Howard's excitement calling the game. But especially "CHUBBY TIME" at 1:38. Makes me laugh every time:
That time Nick Chubb showed us that he doesn't need anyone to block for him because he can handle it himself.
Looking ahead:
- While I would love to see Missouri lose to Tennessee this weekend, with the news today of two of Tennessee's defensive players being suspended, I think Arkansas may give us a better chance.
- Georgia Tech isn't going to be a cakewalk.
- We've handled the teams from the "mighty" SEC West pretty well so far, so I'd love a chance to face another in the SEC Championship.
- I'm excited to share some of the recruiting videos I've been able to explore in my free time since I'm no longer following the Braves (JHEY??? REALLY??), so stay tuned!
