Never, ever supposed to lose to Tech

in any sport.

Glad that order has been restored.  We still owe them a few games in basketball, though.  I think that with the recruits coming in next year and with what we have now, we should be able to win at their place.

Congrats to the whole Dawgs team.  Somewhat concerned that neither Charles Mann nor Kenny Gaines played well.  I know that Chuck has been moved around a bit and that Gaines had the knee injury, but I hope they get their mojo back.  Chuck was 1 for 6 from the floor. Maybe he needs to stretch more.  He has bulked up a good bit over the last couple of years.  I wonder whether he needs to work on flexibility.

After seeing James White play for the first time, I think Georgia fans will be thrilled that UGA ended up with Mike Edwards and not White.  White has potential, and he did score 4 points against us.  At the end of the day, however, I'm not sure how much he would have helped UGA this year if he had in fact signed with us.  Same with Tevin Mack.  Mack is averaging 5 points a game on 24% shooting.

The fact that neither White nor Mack signed meant the scholarship was open for Mike Edwards to take.  James White, having only one year of eligibility, would have had to fit in and produce right away.  Meanwhile, Edwards has four years to develop, and he has all the physical tools to have a breakout year next year.

J.J. Frazier was the story today.  Totally outplayed their guards and ended up with 35 points.  Hope it was a cramp there for him at the end.

Great win for the Dawgs.

Boy, if Tech is going to play D

like this, it could be a long year for some folks.

Still can't believe they shut down UGA at the goal line multiple times last year.  Can't just line up and whip those guys like it was possible in the past.

And then for them to take over a mile away from the end zone and score a touchdown to tie it right before half-time, they have to believe that they're going to win this game.

Four Trips inside the ten-yard line

at home, and we can't punch it in against Tech?  They hustled to the ball and got our guys stopped.  Then our vaunted o-line can't create a seam.  Didn't this happen a long time ago?

Meanwhile, they run the ball up the gut all day long.

Totally disgusting.

Paul Johnson has a team, folks, and we may not win again for a while.  Hate to say it, but when we can't stop the dive play, we're in big trouble.  This game amounted to UGA being hopeful for opportunistic miscues.  And with a good quarterback, there will only be so many.

I'm way too old for this!

4th down from the three.  22 seconds left!

When Tech's Line Outplays Ours,

we're in a heap of trouble.  Even if their line plays us even, with the option trickery, they may one day blow us out.

Won't be today, but our 17 to 14 lead is very slim.

We may win, but this game could be the start of a very troubling trend.  They can run the ball, but we can't.  And then on defense, seeing Tech stone us on three separate possessions from within the five yard line, makes this the type of game that they might steal.

Four Fingers Held Up

Game has moved fast.

I think Paul Johnson has his qb.  It's a real series, now.  They're playing hard.

Georgia has the ball at the beginning of the fourth quarter.  Let's score a td, Dawgs.

Bobo will earn his keep now

We need to run the football to give our defense a break, but Tech has tied it up and they know we want to run it.  Bobo will have to mix in the pass to keep Tech honest.

Jarvis Sanks is Smiling

They deserve that one.

Reminds me of the Tony Taylor (?) snatch and score.  Think we had one like that a couple of years ago, too.  Didn't we?  Who was our linebacker that ripped the ball out as Tech was about to score?  That play changed the game around.

Maybe Tech will feel so down, they'll fold the tents.  Our defense better get bowed up.

I Take That Back!

Touchdown!  Damian Swann runs it back 97 yards.  Previous play is under review.

Touchdown!  Woo-Hoo!

Looks Bad, Folks

They took the ball first in the second half and drove it down our throats.  Ball is at our two-yard line.  We can't stop the run.

Quadfecta?

Ughh!

1.  Yesterday afternoon, Mizzou beats Arkansas, keeping Georgia from winning the SEC East and ending all hope of UGA advancing to the first NCAA football playoffs.

2.  UGA loses last night in basketball to Minnesota, a game that on paper we probably should have taken.  Mark Fox and the hounds are playing .500 basketball yet again.

3.  Now, two UGA lost fumbles at the goal line.  Tech has their option game going, converting two fourth down plays and moving the ball 80 yards.  They even scoring on a fade route.  Tied at half.

4.  Losing to Tech at home would be unthinkable, especially during a season that they won their division and we didn't.

What's that, a "quadfecta?"  Is that even a word?  Hard to describe how bad that would be.

I think Georgia still wins by 14, but they're scaring me.  We'd better play hard during the second half.  Four sports reversals in one weekend is too much to bear.

Hats Off to Auburn

They did what we could not do.  Took it to Alabama and beat'em.

We came close.  They finished the drill.

Hoping that Missouri beats Texas A*M.  Much rather have Missouri represent the East than South Carolina.  While I'm in prediction mode, I think Texas A*M beats Missouri.  Hoping I am wrong again.

I tell you, Nick Marshall is going to be a tough guy to deal with.  He's got serious wheels and a powerful arm.

Maybe Hutson Mason can use today's game as a springboard and give us a championship next year.  Still football to play this season, but if Mason can get the job done, our defense will have a year to grow, we get several skill guys back, our backfield will be loaded, and it could be our year.

Great, Great Win for The Dawgs

I gave up.  Shouldn't have.

Maybe I should stick to basketball.

Great win for Mark Richt!

How about Grantham's D?  Did they step up or what?  Incredible.  20 to nothing and they held those guys to 7 more points in regulation.

Wow!  Great job by all the Dawgs.  Congrats to all!  Go Dawgs.  Tech, losers again!  12 out of 13!

Boy, was that ugly

Can't believe we have lost to Tech three in a row.  They've beaten us twice straight at home.  How does that happen?

Daniel Miller keeps rubbing Fox's face in it.  No doubt in my mind that Fox came in and told Miller he wasn't wanted.  I knew it was a bad decision then.  Certainly is one now.  Miller scored 14 points on 6 of 9 shooting with 13 boards.

Even if Fox tried to keep Miller, he didn't try hard enough.  We sure could use him.  We looked totally over-matched out there.  Things won't get any better next year, either.  We struck out on every big man recruit for 2014/2015.

Don't see why Fox keeps on removing a player from the floor after they make a good play.  If the guy is hot, leave him in there!  Why doesn't Fox use a 1-3-1 to get a few steals, or go to the press when we need a bucket?  Why didn't he call a time-out?

Fox is struggling, folks.

I hate losing to Tech.

Dawgs Whip Tech

Sure it's a bold prediction, but with the exception of the most recent history, we always beat Tech at the Steg.

This game sets up well for us.

1)  It's at home.

Hopefully we'll have a good, noisy crowd.

2)  It's early in the season

On paper, Tech has the better team.  However, their talent might not gel as well during the first half of November as it will next month, when we usually play them.  If an upset is to happen, better to catch the superior team early, rather than late.

3)  Guards' Game

The new emphasis on hand-checking makes college basketball even more of a guards' game.  That should neutralize some of Tech's size in the post, and play to the advantage of UGA's physical guards, Mann & Gaines.

4)  Morris vs. Bolden

UGA has apparently suspended Brandon Morris.  He won't play tonight.  Bad news for Georgia, but the loss of Brandon and his 4 points and 2 boards is offset by Tech's loss of Chris Bolden and Bolden's 7 points and 2 boards.

Dawgs win 72 to 61.

Daniel Miller Leads Tech to Victory

over #6 Miami.

Miller had 17 and 5, shooting 67 percent from the floor.  When's the last time we've had a post player step up like that against a top ten team?

Sure hope Dixon and Cannon live in the weight room during the off-season.

Dawgs Lose to Tech

We're 2 for 6.  We lose to Tech.  We scored in the low fifties yet again.  By every measure, this season is spiraling out of control. 

The most frustrating thing to me is that Coach Fox seems clueless on how to fix it.  He has some help on the bench, but he won't use his roster effectively.

He insists on starting three power forwards.  Do not start Nemi, Thornton and Donte Williams.  They're not quick enough to cover shooters, and not talented enough to give us a scoring punch early in the game.  Decide on one of them and sit the other two. 

Putting Donte Williams at center is the most obvious answer.  Meanwhile, slide KCP to the three again and start Kenny Gaines at the two.  Since neither Vincent Williams nor Charles Mann played that well, then go with size and start Mann.  More minutes for Morris!  Please!  The guy fills the stat sheet with 9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal in 19 minutes. 

To give him more time on the floor, move Morris to the four position.  He played it in high school.  See if it works for a game or two.  It's not like we're on a roll and in danger of breaking our winning streak.

I don't call players out on the Blog.  But anyone can see that the guys who are 0 for 7 and 1 for 8 need to sit, and the guys that are 2 for 2 need to play.

Don't Know How We're Going to Do It,

but we just Have to beat Tech.

On paper, Tech should win.  They have home court advantage, a better overall record (they're 4 and 2, and we're 2 and 5), and probably better talent to boot.

The one thing that we have that could lead us to a victory is our pride.  Our football team beat them two weeks ago, our Lady Dawgs beat them the other night, and now the men's basketball team has to do its part.  A loss to Tech in hoops would be unthinkable.

At 2 and 5, we had better get the season turned around.  We're desperate and we need to play like it. 

Let's jump on them early and get the victory.

Go Dawgs.

Recap of the UGA vs. Tech Game from Fox Sports South

I hesitated to post this because the story is so bad.

I hadn't realized that we were the poorest shooting and lowest scoring team in the SEC. We may have played some tougher teams than others, but Georgia Tech is no world-beater on defense, and I think we lowered our shooting percentage against them.

We're struggling.

Just in case the story linked above is ever removed, I quote below just a portion of the article.  How did UGA manage to lose to Tech at home?  Here's how:

"Adding to the home team's frustration, their defense was unable to hold off Georgia Tech big men Daniel Miller and Kammeon Holsey, forcing them to go zone and opening the door for the Jackets outside game, which also worked.

The combination resulted in a 68-56 victory for Georgia Tech (5-4).

The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Yellow Jackets and was the first in 14 tries at Stegeman Coliseum, ending a 35-year drought there.

"We just wanted to make them shoot over us," said Tech Head Coach Brian Gregory, who was six years old the last time the Yellow Jackets emerged from Stegeman with a win, back in 1976. "Our defense right now is one guy guards the ball and four guys cover. In the first half it was too much one-on-one defensively. In the second half the guys did a better job of helping out."

Georgia (4-5) lost its fourth straight game and second in a row at home. The Bulldogs made only 8 of 26 shots (30.8 percent) in the second half and hit only 17 for 49 for the game (34.7) percent for the game, while making only six of 23 three-point attempts (26.1 percent)."

"Their defense in the second half was better than our offense," said Georgia Head Coach Mark Fox. "Our interior play is very poor right now. We're not getting any interior scoring and so we're settling for outside shots and that is an issue with our team right now."

The struggles on the interior led to the domination of Tech bigs Daniel Miller and Kammeon Holsey, who combined for 22 points on 11-for-14 shooting and keyed a 34-14 edge in points in the paint.

"It's just getting it done in the post," said Miller, who got it done on both ends, as he had a game-high nine rebounds and four blocked shots — one more than the entire UGA team. "The men were guarding behind us and I'm playing really well with Kam right now."

"It was getting the ball inside, knowing they can't guard us one-on-one," said Holsey, who was 6-for-9 from the field. "Just making quick moves and decisive moves."

We can't score inside, and we are getting dominated by Daniel Miller.  Karma. 

We lose to Tech at home.  UGA basketball has come to this.

Tech Beats Georgia

At home, no less. Hard to admit it, but we're worse than I thought we would be. We can still improve, obviously. The problem is that we have so far to go.

We lost 68 to 56. Nobody shot particularly well, with the exception of Gerald Robinson. The most telling stat was the lack of production from our big men. Four points from our post players on 2 of 11 shooting. A total of 77 minutes between five players. Just 14 boards between them.

Daniel Miller was the difference in this game. Guy shot 5 of 5 from the floor. Had 10 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks. Would be nice to have him in a Georgia uniform. If Fox came in three years ago and as one of his first official acts sort of showed Miller the door, he surely regrets it now. It was a mistake then, in my opinion, because Miller was a 6' 11" guy with a big frame and good fundamentals. Coordinated. High academics and a good team player. All he needed was strength and conditioning and enough time to get used to the competition. Besides Miller's stature and upside potential, my opinion on the Miller scholarship was that it was an institutional integrity issue. In other words, UGA should have honored its commitment to Miller and his family, despite the fact that Coach Felton was let go.

Enough on that topic.

I don't think we game-planned well for tonight's contest. Have no idea why we didn't start the game with the press. They only had one legitimate point guard available. The one time that we did go to a press we got a turnover and a bucket.

I also disagree with Fox on his substitution patterns. He seems to pull guys just when they're getting in a rhythm. Guys are used to playing a lot of basketball. They have enough stamina. Let'em play until it's obvious they need a blow or until they're not shooting well any longer.

Another suggestion is that we need to get some other plays. We run the triangle exclusively. Instead of playing to drive the ball to the basket, we run players off of screens to shoot threes. We don't have good catch and shoot guys, though. There is no Ricky McPhee this year. We need to emphasize a couple of isolation plays so that Robinson and Caldwell-Pope can take their guys off the dribble.

Once again right at 50 percent of our shots were three-pointers. That is not a winning strategy. Certainly not when we're making only one of four from behind the arc. They attempted 12 three-pointers to our 23. They adjusted at half-time and once again we did not.

We're 4 and 5 on the year and I'm not sure we have the horses to be competitive in the SEC. Trying to stay upbeat but to lose by double figures at home to Tech is hard to swallow.