A Georgia Fan's View

[Telx1]

Now I understand why Bodi is concerned that exchanging views with a Georgia fan might bring out some offensive posting on his part!

ND offense
-Wimbush is very athletic as we all know. He can be a problem if we arent discipline on that read option
-He is a decent passer but he is a first year starter and it shows. He is a one read guy most of the time and his accuracy is questionable.
-ND trust what they have in number #6 at reciever. Dont want to call him a nightmare but he is very capable. Others are meh.
-The oline look ok this game but i think it had more to do with the opponent. Temple defense lost alot and it shows, night and day difference fron last year.
-backs are capable of making plays when given room. Don't think they will have much against us.

ND Defense
-Not very good at all.
-They held temple to 16 but just like the offense, it looked better because of the opponent.
-the secondary is not good, if temples qb was capable there was alot of opportunity there
-Dline got very little push, most of their pressure was from temple holding the ball too long.
- backers are either slow or small and cant tackle. Saw alot of reaching. They got beat to the outside when temple actually tried to run it.

If we go into this game and not commit mutiple turnovers and control field position, we should win pretty easily. That defense is going to have a long day defending our rushing attack all game and even with a true freshman there will be ample passing opportunities. Our secondary wil be tested but i think they can hold their own enough to win. They are not running the ball against us.

Worst case (other than a loss obviously) we win 34-20. Could very well be 41-10 if we go for the kill.

 

[twalsh]

Now I understand why Bodi is concerned that exchanging views with a Georgia fan might bring out some offensive posting on his part!

ND offense
-Wimbush is very athletic as we all know. He can be a problem if we arent discipline on that read option
-He is a decent passer but he is a first year starter and it shows. He is a one read guy most of the time and his accuracy is questionable.
-ND trust what they have in number #6 at reciever. Dont want to call him a nightmare but he is very capable. Others are meh.
-The oline look ok this game but i think it had more to do with the opponent. Temple defense lost alot and it shows, night and day difference fron last year.
-backs are capable of making plays when given room. Don't think they will have much against us.

ND Defense
-Not very good at all.
-They held temple to 16 but just like the offense, it looked better because of the opponent.
-the secondary is not good, if temples qb was capable there was alot of opportunity there
-Dline got very little push, most of their pressure was from temple holding the ball too long.
- backers are either slow or small and cant tackle. Saw alot of reaching. They got beat to the outside when temple actually tried to run it.

If we go into this game and not commit mutiple turnovers and control field position, we should win pretty easily. That defense is going to have a long day defending our rushing attack all game and even with a true freshman there will be ample passing opportunities. Our secondary wil be tested but i think they can hold their own enough to win. They are not running the ball against us.

Worst case (other than a loss obviously) we win 34-20. Could very well be 41-10 if we go for the kill.

Kind of remind you of the LSU fans before the Music City Bowl?

 

[j22201]

Read my thoughts on the thread below. You must be talking to a homer.

 

[rgc7]

Now I understand why Bodi is concerned that exchanging views with a Georgia fan might bring out some offensive posting on his part!

ND offense
-Wimbush is very athletic as we all know. He can be a problem if we arent discipline on that read option
-He is a decent passer but he is a first year starter and it shows. He is a one read guy most of the time and his accuracy is questionable.
-ND trust what they have in number #6 at reciever. Dont want to call him a nightmare but he is very capable. Others are meh.
-The oline look ok this game but i think it had more to do with the opponent. Temple defense lost alot and it shows, night and day difference fron last year.
-backs are capable of making plays when given room. Don't think they will have much against us.

ND Defense
-Not very good at all.
-They held temple to 16 but just like the offense, it looked better because of the opponent.
-the secondary is not good, if temples qb was capable there was alot of opportunity there
-Dline got very little push, most of their pressure was from temple holding the ball too long.
- backers are either slow or small and cant tackle. Saw alot of reaching. They got beat to the outside when temple actually tried to run it.

If we go into this game and not commit mutiple turnovers and control field position, we should win pretty easily. That defense is going to have a long day defending our rushing attack all game and even with a true freshman there will be ample passing opportunities. Our secondary wil be tested but i think they can hold their own enough to win. They are not running the ball against us.

Worst case (other than a loss obviously) we win 34-20. Could very well be 41-10 if we go for the kill.

 

[rgc7]

Telx,
I though that the Ga fan saw some weaknesses that we all saw, but I think that our coaches
Will correct those problems before the Ga game ?
Ga. Didn't exactly play a powerhouse last week either, so I think that this Ga. game wil be a big game
For both teams. Certainly, big for us, and may well foretell just how good our season may be ?


.

 

[IRISHJD98]

.No need to prepare for us. They should get some rest. I'd hate to see them wear themselves out with unnecessary practice before the national championship game.

 

[Telx1]

Telx,
I though that the Ga fan saw some weaknesses that we all saw, but I think that our coaches
Will correct those problems before the Ga game ?
Ga. Didn't exactly play a powerhouse last week either, so I think that this Ga. game wil be a big game
For both teams. Certainly, big for us, and may well foretell just how good our season may be ?


.

Agreed. There are clearly some accurate observations, just excessive in their interpretation and how these play out Saturday. Nothing wrong with enthusiasm for your home team, just makes for interesting reading when on the other side.

 

[benchwarmerdawg]

That is just one guys opinion. All fan bases have those that only see things through their teams colored glasses. Most UGA fans know the game will be a challenge and should be close.

 

[ftnfan62]

I have not seen UGA's defense but believe the beat a good Sub conf team by 24. That team would not have beat Temple so from the look test, a 30+ win over a decent D1 vs a 20+ win over a decent D2 is hard to say you would look for a blow out.

I agree that getting to the outside seemed like a weakness but maybe the defense saw something in film that changed on them.

Our secondary is hard to judge. As you get up, you tend to take a more conservative approach, more zone. bend but not break.

ND matches UGA closely star for star so I don't see a 41-0 but I guess that could happen as much as Nd could be win 41-0.

As far as the line there were some pretty massive holes. I'm not sure what he saw but the line was typically 2-3 yards down field before the push stopped. So I think from a line perspective we are ok. UGA will have a much better front so those probably will be a win some, lose some.

I'd guess it I will be a good game that both teams have oppty to win and the team obviously that hits the streaking receiver in stride or makes the pick wins.

 

[twalsh]

Agreed. There are clearly some accurate observations, just excessive in their interpretation and how these play out Saturday. Nothing wrong with enthusiasm for your home team, just makes for interesting reading when on the other side.

People need to remember that the "biggest improvement is between game #1 and game #2" applies to both teams, not just theirs. I will be very surprised if this game isn't in doubt heading into the 4th quarter.

 

[twalsh]

ND matches UGA closely star for star so I don't see a 41-0 but I guess that could happen as much as Nd could be win 41-0.

Two of the ten programs in the country where more than half of the scholarship roster is four/five star recruits. Lots of talent on both sides.

 

[IRISHJD98]

That is just one guys opinion. All fan bases have those that only see things through their teams colored glasses. Most UGA fans know the game will be a challenge and should be close.

Truth is we're just fans. Its okay to be biased. We can have fun with it.

Unless we're talking about USC or Michigan. That's just, well, different.

 

[ArsenalDawg]

The majority of UGA fans I know (myself included) think this will be a very tough game for us; Eason or no Eason. In fact, I predicted a loss in the pre-season before Eason's injury, so suffice to say I'm feeling even less confident than before.

Of course there will always be some overconfident if not outright delusional UGA fans with their bold predictions on message boards, but like most other fan bases out there and their unhinged fans, such loquacious types comprise less than 1% of the overall fan base.

I do think by years end UGA will be one of the top 10 teams in all of football, but its simply too early in the year with too much young talent to rely on at this stage in the game. ND 27 - UGA 20 in what will be a fun one to watch.

 

[NDSMC78]

People need to remember that the "biggest improvement is between game #1 and game #2" applies to both teams, not just theirs. I will be very surprised if this game isn't in doubt heading into the 4th quarter.

I think most ND fans share this sentiment, and from the limited UGA posters that I have read on this board, they seem to feel the same way.

 

[Dawg to the Bone]

Overzealous fan. We all have fans that think "our team" is going to win them all by 50 points. Most UGA fans, being fans, think we will win a close game. Some have said we will (gasp) lose.

I predict a close game along the lines of 24-17. Either team.

I think that Notre Dame has a little better offense because of the O line ( not skill players) and UGA has a better defense in the front seven.

I guess besides special teams and turnovers, who can win the LOS will determine who wins this game. Will ND's very large and talented O line beat UGA's NFL rich defensive front seven and will NDs pedestrian but talented Defense beat UGA's pedestrian, young, but talented offensive line? If you can answer that you can probably determine who will win this game.

Which QB will turn the all over more. The UGA Freshman running a ball control offense in a hostile environment or the ND QB who is a dual threat with possibly more opportunities for turnover?

 

[KCDawg34]

I have not seen UGA's defense but believe the beat a good Sub conf team by 24. That team would not have beat Temple so from the look test, a 30+ win over a decent D1 vs a 20+ win over a decent D2 is hard to say you would look for a blow out.

I'd discount the OP's views a good bit. I assure you there are very few Dawg fans believing we go into ND and roll the Irish. It should be a good game, which may come down to just how many mistakes our true-freshman QB makes.

That said, Appalachian State is NOT a D1AA/D2/FCS team. They are a legit D1 (FBS) team which plays in the Sunbelt and who went 11-2 and 10-3 over the past two years (adding two bowl games to their record). And UGA was pitching a shut out until our third-string QB came in to throw back-to-back interceptions (2 attempts/two interceptions) late in the fourth quarter.

Temple, another strong Gof5 team, has been very good the past few years under Matt Rhule, but he left them for greener pastures at Baylor (though I'm sure he's questioning that decision now). It will be interesting to see how they do under Collins (whom is probably very happy not to have been a part of that Florida debacle this weekend).

 

[South Bender]

With Eason out, look for a full dose of Chubb and Michel. Smart is an idiot if his game plan is anything other than to run both of those guys until their legs fall off.

Which in turn makes our game plan easy - STOP THE RUN. Easy in the sense that we know what we have to do. Not easy because we have to shut down two very accomplished backs.

If we shut down the run and UGa is forced to throw the ball, they're in trouble.
Saying that gives me pause, as we've made All-Americans out of opponents inexperienced QB's in the past. If your guy doesn't melt under the bright lights of ND Stadium and the ghost of Rockne, maybe he'll be ok. I'm betting not, though.

ND - 27
UGa - 17

 

[irishstuey81]

Is Chubb and Michel a big upgrade over Adams and Dex (if ****ing kelly doesn't realize that he just may be the best on team Im at a loss on his ability to coach)?

ND doubled up GA in on yards per rush in the first game, what does that mean? Maybe nothing. We don't know this early in the season, but to say Georgia will out athlete us is not factually accurate. There are a handful of teams that have better athletes than ND and Georgia is on par with ND.

I sure as ****ing hell hope Kelly puts are best players on the field this Saturday. Dex, CJ, Claypool, Coney, Stepherson (if he's not suspended or whatever the **** is going on there) need to play.

This should be a good game with what looks to be evenly matched teams.

 

[Telx1]

Enjoy reading the comments from Georgia fans dropping by. Unexpected Blowouts happen every week with turnovers and consecutive easy scores, etc... but I sure as hell don't expect a blowout this game. We need our two freshmen back up interior defensive linemen to show huge improvement, especially Hinich if we expect to keep Georgia's running backs from taking over the game. Should be a really hard fought physical game, and as several have posted, I expect the game to be up for grabs entering the fourth qtr.

 

[j22201]

I think people are really not giving App state any credit. They lost to Tenn in OT last year and won their conference. They are a D1 program that returned their all time leading passer and conference player of the year at RB. Temple lost everything including their coach from last year. I'm very confident App Stare beats Temple if they were to play. This means nada for this game, but don't discount App State. Had we left starters in, we win 42-0 or so. I noticed ND starters where in late in 4th. Our 3rd string was in by then.

 

[KCDawg34]

Is Chubb and Michel a big upgrade over Adams and Dex .

Hard to say, as I don't know much about your RBs, other than the numbers show they are good.

Here are their stats:

Chubb. 33 games. 550 attempts (16.6 carries/game). 3,520 yards. 6.4 Avg. 27 Rec. 331 Yards.
Adams. 25 games. 293 attempts (11.7 carries/game). 1,932 yards. 6.6 avg. 28 rec. 235 yards.
Michel. 34 games. 450 attempts (13.2 carries/game). 2,473 yards. 5.5 avg. 55 rec. 525 yards
Williams. 18 games. 66 attempts (3.7 carries/game). 405 yards. 6.1 average. 4 rec. 16 yards.

Couple thoughts:
- Adams has the highest YPC average of the four, so he is obviously a baller. Chubb averaged 7.4 YPC before he went down in the sixth game of his sophomore season when he tore multiple ligaments in his knee, including his PCL. He managed to return the first game of his junior year, but wasn't quite the same as he was before, averaging only 5.0 YPC for the year. From everything we have heard and seen so far, Chubb is back and better/stronger than ever. I fully expect him to increase his YPC over last year (which he did in the first game).
- Chubb and Michel combine for more attempts per game. We haven't had great QB play the past two years, so we have literally leaned on the ground game more than ever. Last year, with a true freshman QB (sound familiar) virtually every team would put 8-9 in the box and just dare us to throw. We ran more between the tackles than I could ever have imagined.
- Michel bulked up a bit and is even stronger between the tackles than he was before. He is also a very strong reciever out of the backfield. He has great hands and exceptional speed, and it is awesome when he gets matched up with a LB.
- Only other point I have is that Chubb started the year at #4 all time yards as a UGA RB. That's not bad when you consider that list includes Walker, Hearst, Moreno, Davis, Gurley and more.

I outdoor posit that UGA's backfield is better, but ND's is darn good.

 

[thehellyousay]

I think people are really not giving App state any credit. They lost to Tenn in OT last year and won their conference. They are a D1 program that returned their all time leading passer and conference player of the year at RB. Temple lost everything including their coach from last year. I'm very confident App Stare beats Temple if they were to play. This means nada for this game, but don't discount App State. Had we left starters in, we win 42-0 or so. I noticed ND starters where in late in 4th. Our 3rd string was in by then.

they also lost to Troy, and to Miami by 5 TDs... don't get me wrong, I love how hard they play and their winning attitude, but they don't belong on the field with a P5 opponent, Tennessee notwithstanding... I also don't think GA has to apologize for a 3 score win - they covered, and TCoB...

Not saying ND's win over Temple was huge either - they were favored by 17, won by 33 - TCoB...

I think people are watching this game to see how legit both teams are - first true test for both teams, really...

 

[j22201]

Agree, this weekend is the true test for both teams! Looking forward to a great game.

 

[Irish Grandeur]

Hard to say, as I don't know much about your RBs, other than the numbers show they are good.

Here are their stats:

Chubb. 33 games. 550 attempts (16.6 carries/game). 3,520 yards. 6.4 Avg. 27 Rec. 331 Yards.
Adams. 25 games. 293 attempts (11.7 carries/game). 1,932 yards. 6.6 avg. 28 rec. 235 yards.
Michel. 34 games. 450 attempts (13.2 carries/game). 2,473 yards. 5.5 avg. 55 rec. 525 yards
Williams. 18 games. 66 attempts (3.7 carries/game). 405 yards. 6.1 average. 4 rec. 16 yards.

Couple thoughts:
- Adams has the highest YPC average of the four, so he is obviously a baller. Chubb averaged 7.4 YPC before he went down in the sixth game of his sophomore season when he tore multiple ligaments in his knee, including his PCL. He managed to return the first game of his junior year, but wasn't quite the same as he was before, averaging only 5.0 YPC for the year. From everything we have heard and seen so far, Chubb is back and better/stronger than ever. I fully expect him to increase his YPC over last year (which he did in the first game).
- Chubb and Michel combine for more attempts per game. We haven't had great QB play the past two years, so we have literally leaned on the ground game more than ever. Last year, with a true freshman QB (sound familiar) virtually every team would put 8-9 in the box and just dare us to throw. We ran more between the tackles than I could ever have imagined.
- Michel bulked up a bit and is even stronger between the tackles than he was before. He is also a very strong reciever out of the backfield. He has great hands and exceptional speed, and it is awesome when he gets matched up with a LB.
- Only other point I have is that Chubb started the year at #4 all time yards as a UGA RB. That's not bad when you consider that list includes Walker, Hearst, Moreno, Davis, Gurley and more.

I outdoor posit that UGA's backfield is better, but ND's is darn good.

Nice breakdown! Adams is a special back at ND. (pulling from memory) He set the ND single season record for a frosh, could be the only ND back to rush for over 800yds three consecutive years if he breaks it this year, holds the longest run from scrimmage in ND stadium (possibly longest run for ND back)...probably much more that I cannot remember. He would have been a 5-star recruit for sure but was hurt his senor season and ND took a chance on him and he trusted ND - it is paying off.

 

[irishstuey81]

Hard to say, as I don't know much about your RBs, other than the numbers show they are good.

Here are their stats:

Chubb. 33 games. 550 attempts (16.6 carries/game). 3,520 yards. 6.4 Avg. 27 Rec. 331 Yards.
Adams. 25 games. 293 attempts (11.7 carries/game). 1,932 yards. 6.6 avg. 28 rec. 235 yards.
Michel. 34 games. 450 attempts (13.2 carries/game). 2,473 yards. 5.5 avg. 55 rec. 525 yards
Williams. 18 games. 66 attempts (3.7 carries/game). 405 yards. 6.1 average. 4 rec. 16 yards.

Couple thoughts:
- Adams has the highest YPC average of the four, so he is obviously a baller. Chubb averaged 7.4 YPC before he went down in the sixth game of his sophomore season when he tore multiple ligaments in his knee, including his PCL. He managed to return the first game of his junior year, but wasn't quite the same as he was before, averaging only 5.0 YPC for the year. From everything we have heard and seen so far, Chubb is back and better/stronger than ever. I fully expect him to increase his YPC over last year (which he did in the first game).
- Chubb and Michel combine for more attempts per game. We haven't had great QB play the past two years, so we have literally leaned on the ground game more than ever. Last year, with a true freshman QB (sound familiar) virtually every team would put 8-9 in the box and just dare us to throw. We ran more between the tackles than I could ever have imagined.
- Michel bulked up a bit and is even stronger between the tackles than he was before. He is also a very strong reciever out of the backfield. He has great hands and exceptional speed, and it is awesome when he gets matched up with a LB.
- Only other point I have is that Chubb started the year at #4 all time yards as a UGA RB. That's not bad when you consider that list includes Walker, Hearst, Moreno, Davis, Gurley and more.

I outdoor posit that UGA's backfield is better, but ND's is darn good.

Good Post and thanks for the numbers.

I worry about comparing any numbers with ND. I won't go into depth why...but Kelly is why.

I think you might be right that as a duo Chubb and Michel could very well be better, but Adams and Dex aren't far behind, like you said.

 

[zonairish]

Overzealous fan. We all have fans that think "our team" is going to win them all by 50 points. Most UGA fans, being fans, think we will win a close game. Some have said we will (gasp) lose.

I predict a close game along the lines of 24-17. Either team.

I think that Notre Dame has a little better offense because of the O line ( not skill players) and UGA has a better defense in the front seven.

I guess besides special teams and turnovers, who can win the LOS will determine who wins this game. Will ND's very large and talented O line beat UGA's NFL rich defensive front seven and will NDs pedestrian but talented Defense beat UGA's pedestrian, young, but talented offensive line? If you can answer that you can probably determine who will win this game.

Which QB will turn the all over more. The UGA Freshman running a ball control offense in a hostile environment or the ND QB who is a dual threat with possibly more opportunities for turnover?

Good assessment I only like Notre Dame to win because it's a home game if it was in Athens I would say the Dawgs would win

 

[twalsh]

Hard to say, as I don't know much about your RBs, other than the numbers show they are good.

Here are their stats:

Chubb. 33 games. 550 attempts (16.6 carries/game). 3,520 yards. 6.4 Avg. 27 Rec. 331 Yards.
Adams. 25 games. 293 attempts (11.7 carries/game). 1,932 yards. 6.6 avg. 28 rec. 235 yards.
Michel. 34 games. 450 attempts (13.2 carries/game). 2,473 yards. 5.5 avg. 55 rec. 525 yards
Williams. 18 games. 66 attempts (3.7 carries/game). 405 yards. 6.1 average. 4 rec. 16 yards.

Couple thoughts:
- Adams has the highest YPC average of the four, so he is obviously a baller. Chubb averaged 7.4 YPC before he went down in the sixth game of his sophomore season when he tore multiple ligaments in his knee, including his PCL. He managed to return the first game of his junior year, but wasn't quite the same as he was before, averaging only 5.0 YPC for the year. From everything we have heard and seen so far, Chubb is back and better/stronger than ever. I fully expect him to increase his YPC over last year (which he did in the first game).
- Chubb and Michel combine for more attempts per game. We haven't had great QB play the past two years, so we have literally leaned on the ground game more than ever. Last year, with a true freshman QB (sound familiar) virtually every team would put 8-9 in the box and just dare us to throw. We ran more between the tackles than I could ever have imagined.
- Michel bulked up a bit and is even stronger between the tackles than he was before. He is also a very strong reciever out of the backfield. He has great hands and exceptional speed, and it is awesome when he gets matched up with a LB.
- Only other point I have is that Chubb started the year at #4 all time yards as a UGA RB. That's not bad when you consider that list includes Walker, Hearst, Moreno, Davis, Gurley and more.

I outdoor posit that UGA's backfield is better, but ND's is darn good.

Other than knowing that Athens is a great place in which to go to school, and that they are best friends, I remain perplexed that both of them, or either of them, came back this year, knowing the issues UGA was going to have on the offensive line. IMHO, Sony, who we recruited very heavily, will be the superior NFL back because of his versatility in the passing game. Chubb is more of a banger, which can be a limitation in the NFL.

 

[KCDawg34]

Other than knowing that Athens is a great place in which to go to school, and that they are best friends, I remain perplexed that both of them, or either of them, came back this year, knowing the issues UGA was going to have on the offensive line. IMHO, Sony, who we recruited very heavily, will be the superior NFL back because of his versatility in the passing game. Chubb is more of a banger, which can be a limitation in the NFL.

Why they came back only they can say. But it obviously shows that Kirby is an elite recruiter, even when recruiting those guys already on the team.

And while Sony's versatility is exceptional, I would disagree with you on Chubb. Nick can and will run over people, but he gains most of his yards because he is shifty as heck within the interior line and he can cut back on a dime. He has some incredibly fast feet with an innate ability to make tacklers miss.

 

[ftnfan62]

I'd discount the OP's views a good bit. I assure you there are very few Dawg fans believing we go into ND and roll the Irish. It should be a good game, which may come down to just how many mistakes our true-freshman QB makes.

That said, Appalachian State is NOT a D1AA/D2/FCS team. They are a legit D1 (FBS) team which plays in the Sunbelt and who went 11-2 and 10-3 over the past two years (adding two bowl games to their record). And UGA was pitching a shut out until our third-string QB came in to throw back-to-back interceptions (2 attempts/two interceptions) late in the fourth quarter.

Temple, another strong Gof5 team, has been very good the past few years under Matt Rhule, but he left them for greener pastures at Baylor (though I'm sure he's questioning that decision now). It will be interesting to see how they do under Collins (whom is probably very happy not to have been a part of that Florida debacle this weekend).

Fair. I played at a 1AA and we used to play them so obviously I was not aware.....I will say they were and are a top notch program prior to FBS. My point was mainly around after 1 game, against almost similar talent, the IRISH had a larger margin of victory so I could not understand the logic of 41-0. I could understand it if ND squeaked by...but both teams seemed to be equally dominant.

 

[IRISHJD98]

I think people are really not giving App state any credit. They lost to Tenn in OT last year and won their conference. They are a D1 program that returned their all time leading passer and conference player of the year at RB. Temple lost everything including their coach from last year. I'm very confident App Stare beats Temple if they were to play. This means nada for this game, but don't discount App State. Had we left starters in, we win 42-0 or so. I noticed ND starters where in late in 4th. Our 3rd string was in by then.

Serious question: What did you Georgia fans learn from your win over Appalachian State that you didn't already know?

We're excited about last Saturday's game, not so much because we beat a team we should have, but because (we hope) we learned a lot about this year's team. With two new coordinators, a new starting QB, and a complete media lock-down of what could and couldn't be reported, many of us didn't have any idea what to expect.

Plus, last year was a miserable year for us. We spent most the season and all the off-season chirping angrily at each other on this board.

Don't hold it against us that we care more about our win over Temple than yours over App State. We're still trying to figure out what we have. You guys pretty much know.


.

 

[G8R-H8R]

Serious question: What did you Georgia fans learn from your win over Appalachian State that you didn't already know?

We're excited about last Saturday's game, not so much because we beat a team we should have, but because (we hope) we learned a lot about this year's team. With two new coordinators, a new starting QB, and a complete media lock-down of what could and couldn't be reported, many of us didn't have any idea what to expect.

Plus, last year was a miserable year for us. We spent most the season and all the off-season chirping angrily at each other on this board.

Don't hold it against us that we care more about our win over Temple than yours over App State. We're still trying to figure out what we have. You guys pretty much know.


.

We are in a unique position - cannot emphasize enough. This is year 2 for us under a totally new staff (including new S&C). Our coach is trying to transform us into a much more physical style football team than we had under the previous regime (and what he saw routinely at Bama). We have A LOT to learn about our team and program still. Last year was really house money.

No predictions - just hoping for a good physical football game & that we hold our end of the deal......

 

[Zorich 88]

Now I understand why Bodi is concerned that exchanging views with a Georgia fan might bring out some offensive posting on his part!

ND offense
-Wimbush is very athletic as we all know. He can be a problem if we arent discipline on that read option
-He is a decent passer but he is a first year starter and it shows. He is a one read guy most of the time and his accuracy is questionable.
-ND trust what they have in number #6 at reciever. Dont want to call him a nightmare but he is very capable. Others are meh.
-The oline look ok this game but i think it had more to do with the opponent. Temple defense lost alot and it shows, night and day difference fron last year.
-backs are capable of making plays when given room. Don't think they will have much against us.

ND Defense
-Not very good at all.
-They held temple to 16 but just like the offense, it looked better because of the opponent.
-the secondary is not good, if temples qb was capable there was alot of opportunity there
-Dline got very little push, most of their pressure was from temple holding the ball too long.
- backers are either slow or small and cant tackle. Saw alot of reaching. They got beat to the outside when temple actually tried to run it.

If we go into this game and not commit mutiple turnovers and control field position, we should win pretty easily. That defense is going to have a long day defending our rushing attack all game and even with a true freshman there will be ample passing opportunities. Our secondary wil be tested but i think they can hold their own enough to win. They are not running the ball against us.

Worst case (other than a loss obviously) we win 34-20. Could very well be 41-10 if we go for the kill.

This is an absolutely ridiculous post. First of all you talk about Temple like they are a losing doormat team. They had two back to back ten win seasons. Now if you want to compare opponents App State!!!! Need I say more???

You watched one game and have defined the ND QB? Come on, he never had to check down to another WR because the first read was always open. His accuracy is one of his biggest strengths so I don't know where you got that.

You bash the ND defense. You bash the RBs and oline after only watching one game. Your dogs played App St. You can only take two things away from the dogs first game
#1 Your bulldog mascot is cool
#2 You lost your starting QB in a meaningless game.
I guaranty your backup QB will not march into ND stadium and lead the dogs to victory.

31-17 ND

 

[IRISHJD98]

We are in a unique position - cannot emphasize enough. This is year 2 for us under a totally new staff (including new S&C). Our coach is trying to transform us into a much more physical style football team than we had under the previous regime (and what he saw routinely at Bama). We have A LOT to learn about our team and program still. Last year was really house money.

No predictions - just hoping for a good physical football game & that we hold our end of the deal......

I guess I've missed it, but what's the unique position?

And whatever it is, that's cool. But we had Brian VanGorder running our defense at this time last year. Seems like a good Dawg could cut us a little slack for talking about starting off the season with a solid win that gives us some hope that we're recovering.

 

[ivan brunetti]

This is an absolutely ridiculous post. First of all you talk about Temple like they are a losing doormat team. They had two back to back ten win seasons. Now if you want to compare opponents App State!!!! Need I say more???

You watched one game and have defined the ND QB? Come on, he never had to check down to another WR because the first read was always open. His accuracy is one of his biggest strengths so I don't know where you got that.

You bash the ND defense. You bash the RBs and oline after only watching one game. Your dogs played App St. You can only take two things away from the dogs first game
#1 Your bulldog mascot is cool
#2 You lost your starting QB in a meaningless game.
I guaranty your backup QB will not march into ND stadium and lead the dogs to victory.

31-17 ND

Temple isn't the type of program that "reloads". They lost most of their starters from last year's team. They lost their coach. The only ranking I could find has them as the 78th best team in the country. Close to Appalachian State at 72nd (Sagarin predictor).

http://sagarin.com/sports/cfsend.htm

I think ND will win at home by 4, but not because the Irish beat some kind of superior team last weekend.

 

[G8R-H8R]

I guess I've missed it, but what's the unique position?

And whatever it is, that's cool. But we had Brian VanGorder running our defense at this time last year. Seems like a good Dawg could cut us a little slack for talking about starting off the season with a solid win that gives us some hope that we're recovering.

I'll clarify & reiterate -

2nd year under new regime. I've always believed that is where CFB programs see the most improvements if there are any to be made. I'll take everything I've seen from US from the past year + App State game and throw it in the trash.

This game will show more about where Ga program is at (to Ga fans). And note I'm not making any predictions.

 

[IRISHJD98]

I'll clarify & reiterate -

2nd year under new regime. I've always believed that is where CFB programs see the most improvements if there are any to be made. I'll take everything I've seen from US from the past year + App State game and throw it in the trash.

This game will show more about where Ga program is at (to Ga fans). And note I'm not making any predictions.

Got it, for you guys this year's about measuring improvement. It makes sense.

And I'll clarify my previous post about fans learning about this year's Irish team which you were responding to. In all the time I've followed Notre Dame football, is which getting to be a pretty long time, I can't think of a year we started where there was so little excitement or interest over the season starting. Many of us didn't have any real idea - beyond speculation - of what Chip Long's offense was going to look like or the extent to which Kelly was going to actually adopt it. I could make similar observations about Elko's defense.

On top of that, the media wasn't even allowed to report much due to new restrictions such as "Reporters may not reference play type, formations or personnel information". The information flow was channeled entirely through Kelly ("Media members are forbidden from tweeting or using any form of social media until practice is over and/or coach Brian Kelly has met with the media.").

I'm not a Kelly hater. But for years we've had under-fulfilled promises of multiple TE's sets and a greater emphasis on the run game, only to have it abandoned the very moment opposing defenses put an eighth man in the box. Its like its against the rules to even try. IMO (others may disagree I suppose) the scrimmages and very limited bits of practice video looked a lot like a new chapter in another pass first offense. Also under Kelly the offensive approach has always been pretty fluid from week to week, making the offensive identity a bit elusive.

So when I was talking about having a lot to learn about this team, I really meant everything. Even really basic stuff. Like you, I know its hard to gauge genuine player improvement from a single game (or more). But we did learn (maybe) something about the coaching staff's approach to the season. For example, we have three pretty good TE's at the top of the depth chart. But Long played all five of our TE's, which meant burning the redshirts of two highly ranked true freshmen (rivals had them ranked as the #1 & #3 TE's in last year's class). For me, that suggests that Long (and Kelly) is committed to using the 2 & 3 TE sets in the power running game we saw Saturday.

So when I posted we have a lot to learn coming in and you pretty much know what you have, that's the type of stuff I was referring to. Sure, you won't know if Georgia's a legit a playoff contender until further down the road, but I think you're defense is legit.

In close games, I'd prefer a great defense over a great offense. So even assuming based on one game that our O Line and your front seven are as tough as billed, I'm not making any predictions either. I know so little about this team, I really wouldn't be shocked any outcome.

 

[Dawg to the Bone]

Serious question: What did you Georgia fans learn from your win over Appalachian State that you didn't already know?

We're excited about last Saturday's game, not so much because we beat a team we should have, but because (we hope) we learned a lot about this year's team. With two new coordinators, a new starting QB, and a complete media lock-down of what could and couldn't be reported, many of us didn't have any idea what to expect.

Plus, last year was a miserable year for us. We spent most the season and all the off-season chirping angrily at each other on this board.

Don't hold it against us that we care more about our win over Temple than yours over App State. We're still trying to figure out what we have. You guys pretty much know.


.

That the defense was solid (as expected).
That Chubb is indeed healthy.
That Fromm can lead this team.
That the O line is at least serviceable.
That we do have a few receivers capable of being great.
That our special teams appears improved.
That we have some Freshmen that are ballers.
That J.R. Reed, a newcomer, might have a special year.
That Lecounte, a freshman, is quick and physical.
That talented freshmen Swift and Gibbs will see some playing time this year.
That the drop off between first team defense and second team defense is worse than I would like.
That the run defense looks very good so far.

 

[IRISHJD98]

That the defense was solid (as expected).
That Chubb is indeed healthy.
That Fromm can lead this team.
That the O line is at least serviceable.
That we do have a few receivers capable of being great.
That our special teams appears improved.
That we have some Freshmen that are ballers.
That J.R. Reed, a newcomer, might have a special year.
That Lecounte, a freshman, is quick and physical.
That talented freshmen Swift and Gibbs will see some playing time this year.
That the drop off between first team defense and second team defense is worse than I would like.
That the run defense looks very good so far.

Great stuff. Thanks. Its nice having fans share observations.

Your observation about the difference between your 1st and 2nd team defense . . . not knowing your roster, it seemed like you had guys rotating in and out for the first three quarters. You talking about those guys that shared that rotation (or maybe that's a misconception on my part), or they guys that were on the field at end of the game?

We kept playing our "starters" late, but had a lot of guys rotating all game (24 on defense). JMO, but I think Kelly was trying to see how they held up for four quarters in light of the new S&C program (had a coaching change there too). We were pretty much tapped out mentally and physically by the 4th quarter last year.

 

[Dawg to the Bone]

Great stuff. Thanks. Its nice having fans share observations.

Your observation about the difference between your 1st and 2nd team defense . . . not knowing your roster, it seemed like you had guys rotating in and out for the first three quarters. You talking about those guys that shared that rotation (or maybe that's a misconception on my part), or they guys that were on the field at end of the game?

We kept playing our "starters" late, but had a lot of guys rotating all game (24 on defense). JMO, but I think Kelly was trying to see how they held up for four quarters in light of the new S&C program (had a coaching change there too). We were pretty much tapped out mentally and physically by the 4th quarter last year.

The last quarter and a half after we went up 31-0, we stared playing entire second string Offense and defense. Both sides did not fair very well by comparison. Of course two interceptions and field position did not help, but you would like to have seen more bite out of both 2nd team units.

I think they play okay when they retate in with the first teamers, but on their own, not so good.

 

[twalsh]

The last quarter and a half after we went up 31-0, we stared playing entire second string Offense and defense. Both sides did not fair very well by comparison. Of course two interceptions and field position did not help, but you would like to have seen more bite out of both 2nd team units.

I think they play okay when they retate in with the first teamers, but on their own, not so good.

Bryce Ramsey was the kind of 2 for 2 that nobody wants to be.