The football fan in me thought that if we could somehow eliminate the self-induced errors, channel a little bit of momentum from a win and a lot of emotion because, well, it’s the Dawgs, that we could keep it close and maybe give ourselves a chance. Who wasn’t a little giddy after the opening drive and then holding UGA to a FG? Then on cue, they grab another gear and we simultaneously start imploding. And almost before you know it, we’ve gone from leading and competing at 7-3 to scoring twice in the 4th just to make it 43-20. Very disappointed overall, but upon reflection, Billy has shown us what to expect all season to this point.
I‘m realizing that as frustrating as the offensive strategy and execution is, what is happening on the other side of the ball might be the scariest part. It’s been detailed in several threads, but I’m repeating it here…we can’t generate a consistent pass rush, we are inconsistent against the run and frequently gashed off-tackle and lose contain, and our secondary, as the old saying goes, couldn’t cover a hooker with a bedspread and then loaf or give up on the play after a reception is made. Yet we keep trotting the same cast out, make the same calls and same mistakes, same poor effort on display, all after explaining that “we can coach/play better, we’ve got a good plan in place, we study the analytics, etc. and etc.
Sooner or later, you’ve got to call it what it is…Insanity! Because continually doing the same things over and over and expecting different results is just that. I really appreciate what Billy’s trying to do for the culture and the roster/talent through his recruiting and I don’t believe that we should be undefeated, UGA is that much better than us right now (though I felt we could have better competed), but Utah was winnable and a thrashing at the hands of UK never should have happened. Right now and maybe in the foreseeable future, we will have trouble keeping up with the opposition as long as we play D like we’re playing and accept the product we’re putting on the field. There’s a modicum of hope regarding Arky, but I hate to think how many points and yards LSU might put up, barring multiple arrests prior to the game. I really hope I’m proven wrong, but that’s how it feels in the current post mortem.