This team is most frustrating for....

...the pundits. Because the Bulldogs are too schizophrenic to put into a category for cliched sweeping generalizations. And sweeping generalizations are easier to write (trust me...I love them). All we really know about this team after three games:

1. AJ Green is basically unstoppable.

2. The defensive results do not match the defensive talent. I'm a Willie Martinez apologist by almost any yardstick, but at this point...excuses or not...they have got to tighten up.

3. They don't quit, and they believe in Joe Cox.

4. Directional kicking still doesn't work.

As for my thoughts on the game (in no particular order)

• Joe Cox - Dean Legge nailed it. If Joe Cox's shoulder is injured, it should be injured every week. 375 yards with 5 TDs is amazing. Hale says Cox's performance didn't surprise the Dawgs. Do you realize he was about inches on the missed bomb to T. King from 6 TDs and about 425 yards? Where's the love asks Blutarsky? UgaMummra has all 5 TDs on Video.
  
  
• OchoDos - Es mas pesos en el tercero oportunidad.
  
  
• Drew Butler - Holy crap. He's good, and it's not just lucky bounces at this point. He kicked the leather off the ball at Arkansas. Although, we were close to getting one blocked. We either have to block a little better or get it out of there faster or the Gators might block one.
  
  
• Ryan Mallett - Is much better than I expected, but that slide to the turf on 3rd down inside the 10 yard line late in the 4th quarter was about as big a wuss move as I've seen in a while. That was exactly the sort of dumbassery I was expecting to happen all game. If you're 6'7" and 240 lbs, you lower your shoulder there and make something happen. Not slide. He ignored some easy underneath stuff to force bigger plays (a la Stafford) that cost them. But overall, he was exceptional for a guy in his 5th start. They are very lucky to have him.
  
  
• Branden Smith - The kid has outrageous ability, but this was the first game where it looked like he may be overwhelmed by the breadth of responsibilities. It's asking a lot for a freshman, who by his own admission didn't watch much film in high school, to learn offense, defense and two special teams units (kickoff return and field goal block). He looked positively lost on offense. They need to find a way to focus him a little so he can be come great at something as opposed to a fast, novelty at lots of things.
  
  
• The Razorback PA System - As Bulldog in Exile points out, the Hawgs were cheating their balls off with the PA System playing piped in music on 3rd down when UGA was at the line of scrimmage. It was most over the top in the 4th quarter.
  
  
• The Defense - They only gave up 20 points after the Dawgs stopped turning the ball over, but a few more field goals following the first three turnovers was a reasonable expectation. I re-watched the game on TV after we got back from Fayetteville, and the camera angles didn't do justice to how open the Razorback receivers really were. If you're looking for hope for the season, the best UGA cornerbacks of recent note (Oliver, Minter, Jennings, Thornton, Bryant, etc) didn't come into their own until mid-way through their second season. So Boykin should start to click somewhere around UT or UF if he follows the prior trends.
  
  
• Play Action Defense - Play Action passes weren't invented this off season. Why do our LBs and Safeties seem so bamboozled and frozen by that most basic of fakes?
  
  
• Is the Offense "Enough" - Yes, the Razorback defense is truly awful, but South Carolina's defense is pretty good. We moved the ball pretty effectively on the Cocks. I believe that we can score on anyone we play...including the Gators. Not 40-50 a game, but we can score some serious points. The kickoff return team should give us good enough field position and the punt return unit at some point has to return to last year's SEC leading unit production. If we trim the turnovers, we can score enough to be in any game.
  
  
• Is the Defense "Enough" - Right now...they are enough to beat mediocre teams, and I think they are enough against the run to look above average against teams with bad QBs. Luckily, the QBs at LSU, UT and GT aren't scaring anyone right now, and I like the run defense in all of them. Unluckily, Douche 3:16 is still the Gator QB and AU is passing better than they have in a long, long time. It's going to be a wild ride for the rest of the season

I thought 9-3 was par before the season, and I still do. But this offense can win 10+...if they trim turnovers and get ANY help from the defense.

BTW -- If you google "Mitch Mustain" do you get his mom's blog?

See Also:
-- Wooten the Ball Carrier - Bulldawg Blawg
-- Tickets: Arizona State at UGA

PWD