Mediocrity is NOT an option

Mistake:

(n) an error in action, calculation, opinion, or judgment caused by poor reasoning, carelessness, insufficient knowledge, etc.

Etc. in this situation could be translated as fumbles, holding in the back field, off sides, and my favorite…delay of game. With 9 penalties that cost us 63 yards, it is evident that mistakes lost this football game!

I could sit here and become a very defensive fan. I would have told you prior to the Miss St. game that I was not as worried about our past two SEC losses, being as they were to nationally ranked teams. I would have told you that I had full faith we would overcome our slump and that I predicted we would win all our games after being 0-2. But all of that is unnecessary after what I witnessed on Saturday. I will tell you that the team I watched was less than mediocre. I don’t quite understand what the problem is. Actually I do, it is called mistakes.

Offense:

I still support Aaron Murray and believe that he has the potential to become phenomenal. Murray completed 18 of 31 passes for 274 yards and a touchdown. He has heart and determination but just needs to get polished. Carlton Thomas did a great job and has the ability to plant and accelerate. He and Murray might be better assets if they were protected! If given space they will make plays. Kris Durham played great. I hate for him that his TD got called back and am hoping that he is well after that hit!

Defense:

They have got to adjust and be able to break the rhythm. Get pressure up the middle and close the gap. Here again, mistakes do not win games. I have said it before and will say it again that I am a girl and I do not fully understand every aspect of football, but I do know enough to understand that when we are on defense, offensively they are 3^rd and 2, they call a time out….guess what? Be prepared for something out of the ordinary. Attention defense, play smart and be more prepared.

Special Teams:

Blair Walsh seems to be the only consistency Georgia has experienced all season. His accuracy and dependability is much appreciated! Brandon Boykin’s determination to play for the entire 60 minutes always impresses me. He had a great run back in the 4^th quarter, but he can only do so much. Not to mention, he still fought for it with 1 minute and counting.

If you want to have a winning team back then don’t be a fan that makes the mistake of placing individual blame on one coach, player or play. Don’t jump on the bandwagon of solely blaming Mark Richt, Mike Bobo or Todd Grantham. First, Richt has announced that he is the head coach and takes full responsibility. Let’s not forget what he has done for UGA over the years. He admits that this is a new position for him and that it is not one he wants or likes. Bobo, while I am not a fan, didn’t call for another fumble at the one yard line or for the holding in the back that cost us the touchdown. Will he be reevaluated after this year? Yes, and rightfully so but you cannot say that we lost this game because of just poor play calling. Those were good plays that if not for mistakes would have possibly produced a different outcome. Grantham needs time. He completely reworked our defensive strategies and perfection cannot be expected without time.

Every time we made a big play it was taken away from us with penalties! This does not win football games! We continue to get beat because we continue to get outplayed. Both physically and mentally! My hope is that we take these mistakes and learn from them. This is not the season that I predicted. I never imagined my Dawgs would be 0-3 in the SEC, our worst record since 1993. (I was five then, so it’s safe to say that I have never experienced a season quite like this). However, we have a long season ahead of us and now is not the time to hang up hope! Our next three games are winnable in my opinion. The coaches and players must readjust, rebuild, learn from their mistakes and fix them. That’s it. This was hard enough to relive. I’m hoping, expecting, and counting on a winning streak! GO DAWGS!