Improving the defense: lather, rinse, repeat
Georgia’s players are damned if they do and damned if they don’t when it comes to their reaction to a loss. If they turned confrontational and started on the whole “in the arena” business again, things would be ugly enough. But even when they fall on their own sword and own up to poor play, that too sometimes just doesn’t sit very well.
I do appreciate Rambo admitting to leaving a lot in the locker room and noting a need to step up his play. The Rambo vs. Evans question was at the heart of many fans’ dissatisfaction with the defense and the staff last year, but Rambo hasn’t exactly been dominant or sharp so far in his short time as the starter and leader of the safety position. It’s not exactly Tebow’s Promise, but at least he’s not pleased with his current level of play.
Darryl Gamble’s assessment might be more troubling.
“I’d say it was maybe a little effort and a little bit of guys being shell shocked out there in their first SEC game – a lot of guys weren’t ready for it.”
Not ready for their first SEC game? What? Pretty much all of the defenders who played Saturday, save Hamilton and a few others, have seen SEC action before. This wasn’t Georgia State going to Tuscaloosa. This was a noon start in Columbia for a ranked SEC contender against a team the Dawgs had lost to once in the past seven years. And they were the ones shell shocked? How in the world has this happened from a team ranked #1 just two years ago?
Not being prepared, focused, hungry, and unfazed in such an important game is a big deal. Again, it’s a program problem. Put alongside the sub-par play from the offensive line, and it wasn’t a team prepared to compete for important early-season position in the SEC East. It’s a laziness we put on a certain group of coaches last year, but the problem persists. It hasn’t been long enough to let a culture change kick in, but steps in that direction we thought we saw in Week One were erased the second that the next opponent started pushing back.
Talk about rededication and fiery Sunday film sessions now rings about as hollow as it should have back in 2008. Enough talk.
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UGA69Dawg
September 14th, 2010
6:11 pm
I guess short of another concussion Rambo will now be a fan favorite whipping boy. The kid had 12 tackles and was cleaning up after a front 7 who is still trying to touch Mr. Lattimore let alone tackle him. He is trying to be a leader and lead through example and the fans are killing him. Why were the fans so fast to blame Rambo like he was the only D player that sucked in this game. We need to stop calling out players by name or no high school player in the state will play for us. Coaches know better than to throw a player publicly under the bus but “fans” don’t get it. You fans think recruitment is hurting now just keep this BS up.
Cullowheedawg
September 16th, 2010
7:37 pm
I never thought I would say WIMPY about the DAWGS. I do not mean the players as I don’t think their play is the issue, it is the COACHES that set the tone for the play and have the game plan. At half time, they had an opportunity to make changes like open up the offense or get the %^^%$ run blocking and run game going, but they were not able to do that. I guess they were just sitting there watching Latimore and forgetting what their job was.
Cullowheedawg
Vious
September 17th, 2010
12:52 pm
Anyone who sees this team play and looks back to the 2002 team sees such a ridiculous decline across the board
And I understand how many points that the 2002 team scored in USC but we were a hard-nosed D, tough on the lines, and had confidence galore.
Now? Do we have any of these?