probably would be less concerned if I thought it was just a rust issue.
I agree. The thing that really plucks my twanger is the degree to which the D, which is purportedly ahead of the O talent-wise, just flat-out stunk. We've seen poor tackling before. We've seen poor in-game adjustments to heretofore unknown or unanticipated schemes or personnel alignments that turned out to be highly effective before. We've seen athletically subpar starters look like they don't only lack the talent to start in the SEC but also don't seem to have the coaching or the FB IQ to react quickly or appropriately as plays were unfolding. But yesterday's D performance was the manifestation of all these deficiencies to an extent that really pissed me off.
By and large, I was pleasantly surprised by the O performance. The OL certainly isn't a finished product, but we did manage to generate a reasonable semblance of a running game. The passing game was very strong - and THE ONLY reason we didn't leave Oxford with an ugly loss. Davis and Pierce were serviceable and Trask, Pitts and Toney played at a very high level. I've seen enough progress on that side of the ball to believe that we will at least have a chance to win a shoot-out with anyone on the schedule. That guarded optimism is partially the result of the quality of O play we saw yesterday and the noticeable absence of good O play on the part of several upcoming opponents. LSU, TA&M and UGA all looked very ordinary on O. The Dwags were absolutely pathetic until FF once again demonstrated that a million dollar arm is useless when paired with a dime store brain. Without his help, UGA could have been in real trouble.
I expect that the D will probably improve as the season wears on. But then again, how could it not? But the handwriting is clearly on the wall. We cannot and will not achieve championship level D play with TG, English, et al continuing to bungle every phase of their responsibilities - starting, but not ending with better, more balanced recruiting. I will give DM credit for fielding an effective and entertaining O that looks capable of forming one half of a really good FB team. But the D was a train wreck yesterday and if DM doesn't seize control of the situation soon, it will eventually be his undoing.
Signed,
Not quite hopeless, but deeply concerned near Pensacola
