College Football
Saban Rolling Out?
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The other day the Southern Sports Edition posted a story “The Question of the Day”, which consisted of 50 questions the southern sports fan should ask concerning sports in our region.
There were a lot of intriguing questions asked- you should give it a read if you haven’t already- but the one that stuck out to me was “How much longer will Nick Saban coach?”
I knew Saban was older than I originally thought (he’s 67 to be exact), but I hadn’t really spent much time pondering how much longer he’ll actually continue to coach.
It’s difficult to gauge the happiness of someone who is obviously allergic to smiling and showing joy more than once a month, but when you’ve dedicated your life to something and had the type of success Saban has achieved, you just don’t think of that person giving it up.
I admit, I don’t really pull for anyone in the SEC, so I can understand how that conversation may come up a little more often amongst fans.
If I had to guess, and that’s strictly what this is, I would say it’ll be at least 4-5 more years before Saban calls it quits.
Since 2008, Saban’s second season at Alabama, the Tide have finished tied for first or won the SEC West outright in every year except two, 2010/2011.
Over his tenure he has won 5 National Championships, 6 SEC titles, regularly finishes in the top 3 in recruiting and just happens to be the highest paid college football coach.
I realize at some point all those things pale in comparison to allure of stepping away from the stress of the job, but when you’re on a roll like that, it makes it more difficult.
No matter when Saban decides to hang it up, part of the fun is trying to predict who will take the reins once it happens.
I think the first call obviously has to be to Dabo Swinney. I don’t think he’d take it- Clemson gave him an opportunity and you could argue they are premier program in college football- but he does have a history with Alabama and you can never underestimate just how convincing some boosters can be.
The second call I’m making- it’s at this point you may throw whatever you’re reading this on against the wall and figure out some way to put a voodoo curse on me- is Kirby Smart.
Again, much like Swinney I’m not saying Smart would take the bait, but depending on what happens over the next few years in Athens, I wouldn’t completely discount it.
After those two, it’s a who’s who of coaches they could go after. Do they stay within the Saban coaching tree and go after someone like Jimbo Fisher or Mark Dantonio? Or, do they go outside the “family” and hire someone with nonties to either Alabama or Saban?
Outside of Swinney and Smart, it would probably be in Alabama’s best interest to look outside the program. There are plenty of decent coaches with a connection to Alabama, but I think you’d be looking at Matt Doherty with UNC type situation as opposed to their current one with Roy Williams.
There are more pressing questions with immediate repercussions, but when it comes to our region’s most popular sport and the one man who has had a stranglehold in the SEC, the timing of his departure, and what may follow, just might be the most important one of all.
Flight Path?
By: Mike Anthony
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Coming off of his first full season as a head coach, in which he turned a 2-10 catastrophe into a 10-3 bowl-winning squad, it would be easy to envision that Georgia Southern’s Chad Lunsford is breezing through his summer.
Then again, he’s now an established FBS head coach, and those guys aren’t known for breezing through much of anything.
Less than a month after Georgia Southern’s Camellia Bowl victory last December, Lunsford found himself in the middle of a press conference reminding reporters and his team alike that – for all of the huge strides taken in 2018 – the Eagles had only finished third in their own division and that there was plenty more to strive for.
“One thing we’re talking a lot about this summer is embracing expectations,” Lunsford said. “Last year was a different deal because of what we were coming from. Now we’re back, and everyone needs to know exactly what the expectations are for the Georgia Southern football program.”
The Eagles surprised the entire college football world by sprinting out to a 6-1 mark last season, highlighted by a 34-14 drubbing of archrival and eventual Sun Belt champion Appalachian State just days after App had gained its first ever FBS top-25 ranking.
But losses to UL Monroe and Troy following that high-water mark kept the Eagles from participating in the first ever Sun Belt championship game.
“We had the opportunities to achieve our goals last season,” Lunsford said. “We didn’t do it. A lot of last year was about how we responded better to adversity, but we didn’t get it done in some games where it would have really helped us.
“When it was time for us to put ourselves in the driver’s seat, we didn’t. I think everyone understands now what it takes to go that next step and to deal with what we know is going to be an even tougher schedule this season.”
The 2019 Georgia Southern team was finally all together in one spot last week as incoming freshmen arrived on campus.
Full team workouts were still a few days away and fall camp won’t convene until early August, but Lunsford and his staff wasted no time in beginning the process of bringing together the 2019 squad as its own unique and special unit.
Following team activities throughout the week, players and their families all attended a huge cookout – complete with tons of food and even a huge water slide.
“College football is a business,” Lunsford said. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t make it a family business. We want everyone from players, to recruits, to all of their families to feel like we’re all invested in this together.”
As a longtime assistant within the Georgia Southern program, the culture and personality of Lunsford made him a clear favorite of players when an interim had to be named midway through the 2017 season. He kept the same personality in taking the Eagles from a spiraling mess to a conference contender in just one season.
Time will tell how the 2019 team will fare, but the team is sold on Lunsford and he is just as confident that he can use his established culture and newfound momentum to demand and expect even greater things for his team this fall.
Atlantic Waves
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Let’s take a look at the ACC Atlantic division and predict how the teams will finish this season.
Clemson: The last time we saw the Tigers they manhandled Alabama in the national championship.
They finished the year 15-0 and I expect 2019 to be more of the same. Clemson is by far the most talented team in the conference and it’s not even close. They remind me of Florida State in the 90’s when they ran through the ACC.
They have one tough game at home Week 2 against Texas A&M. That was a close game last season but it was on the road in a hostile environment. Trevor Lawrence is a Heisman frontrunner and he should win it. They will go undefeated again.
Syracuse: The Orange went 10-3 in 2018, which was a big surprise. We will see if they can sustain that success in 2019. They have 7 starters returning on defense and quarterback Tommy DeVito is a rising star. They play Clemson at home September 14th and that will be the biggest ACC game of the year.
They have had some success against Clemson recently, so I think that will be a close game. The ‘Cuse should win 9 games.
Florida State: The Seminoles are the gold standard for a dynasty in the modern ACC era.
Former head coach Jimbo Fisher had a ton of success but they did not play well in his final 2017 season. He was replaced with Willie Taggart and so far, it looks like a bad hire.
In his lone season in Oregon, the Ducks were 7-5. After he left, they were 9-4. FSU was 7-6 in 2017 and they slipped to 5-7 under Taggart.
The ‘Gulf Coast’ offense he brought to Tallahassee was terrible. Tailback Cam Akers is really the only bright spot for the team and he’s hoping to have a bounce back year. He rushed for over 1,000 yards as a freshman in 2017 but last year only had 706 yards. I think they can win 7 games.
NC State: The good news is the Wolfpack have 8 starters returning on defense. The bad news is on the other side of the ball.
Offensive coordinator and QB coach Eli Drinkwitz left to become the head coach at Appalachian State. They also lost three starters from a standout offensive line, two 1,000-yard receivers and quarterback Ryan Finley. All of those weapons led them to a 9-4 record and they were 6-2 in the ACC.
I expect them to take a step back because they have so much to replace on offense. They should win 7 games.
Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons were 7-6 last year, which is very good for this program.
An interesting fact is they have two players from the show QB 1 Beyond the Lights, Tayvon Bowers and Sam Hartman.
Hartman played well as a true freshman, throwing for 1,984 yards and 16 touchdowns in 9 games. They have the opportunity to go to their fourth consecutive bowl game and that should happen. They will win 6 games.
Boston College: The Eagles were 7-5 in 2018. They relied heavily on quarterback Anthony Brown and running back AJ Dillon. Both of them return this season so expect more of the same. They are good enough to win at least 6 games.
Louisville: The Cardinals were terrible last year, which got Bobby Petrino fired.
He was replaced by Scott Satterfield who had the same position at Appalachian State.
This is the worst team in the conference so I think they will win 3 or 4 games.
How The West Was Won
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Why don’t we take a look at the toughest division in all of College Football and that, my friends, is the SEC West.
Here are my SEC West Predictions for 2019:
Alabama 12-0: Tua will be the frontrunner for the Heisman, and Najee Harris may be the best overall running back in the SEC when it is said and done production wise.
The Alabama receiving corps with headlined by Jerry Jeudy are the best in college football.
Nick Saban is the best in the business, and the Tide has the best starting 22 players in the country.
LSU comes to Bryant-Denny, but dangerous road trips to Texas A&M and Auburn seem to be the only hurdles on the regular season slate. Alabama heads to Atlanta for another epic showdown with Georgia for the SEC Title.
LSU 9-3: Coach O has got the Tigers headed back in the right direction.
Joe Burrow is back under center for a second straight season. John Emery is coming in at running back, and LSU has the best defensive backfield in the conference.
With that said this team is not going to beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa. A tough road game at Texas in week 2, and dangerous SEC road trips to Starkville and Oxford in mid-season. I think the Tigers drop one of those Magnolia State road trips.
Texas A&M 8-4: This schedule is brutal with the SEC West slate plus Clemson and Georgia. Is this team ready for primetime?
The Aggies lost their leader rusher and tackler from 2018. Is Kellen Mond an elite SEC QB? Jimbo Fisher is an elite coach, but it’s still too early to proclaim the Aggies as great in this division.
The Aggies will lose to Alabama and LSU in the West this year.
Auburn 8-4: Gus Malzahn is sitting on the hottest seat in the conference.
Who is going to be the starting QB? Will a running back up to Auburn historical standards surface? The front seven on defense will be solid and Derrick Brown may be the best defensive lineman in the conference.
Who knows about this team? Georgia and Alabama come to Jordan-Hare. Brutal schedule with the opener in Dallas against Oregon and a trip to Florida make it hard to predict big things for the Tigers in 2019 which usually means they play in the National Title game right?
A lot of questions right now in Auburn, Alabama. Gus is feeling the heat.
Ole Miss 8-4: This is my SEC West sleeper team. Yes, I see 8 wins on the schedule.
This team has some talent on offense with Matt Corral at QB. Ole Miss always has productive wide receivers. Can this defense hold up is the question?
I think the Rebels come back in 2019 after the probation period and go bowling.
Rich Rodriguez may have struggled as a head coach, but he is one of the best offensive coordinators in the business. This offense will cause problems in the SEC.
Mississippi State 6-6: The Bulldogs are going to struggle in 2019.
How do you lose three first round draft picks on defense from 2018 and improve on that side of the ball?
MSU gets in a bowl at 6-6 and the heat starts getting turned up on Joe Moorhead in 2020. Keytaon Thompson has talent at QB. The jury is out on the Bulldogs.
Arkansas 4-8: Chad Morris is in a total rebuild in Fayetteville.
It is going to take a couple more recruiting classes for Arkansas to be competitive again. Proud program that let a Big 10 coach come in and drive it over a cliff. Hog fans need to be patient with Chad Morris.
Bowl Teams: Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M, Auburn, Ole Miss, Mississippi State
Division upset of the year: Ole Miss over LSU in Oxford on 11/16. LSU suffers a letdown after losing to Alabama on 11/9.
SEC Championship Game: Georgia over Alabama
Putting In The Werts
By: Mike Anthony
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
In 2017, Shai Werts was a redshirt freshman who was thrown into the fire as the quarterback of an inexperienced offense that ended up posting the worst record in Georgia Southern history.
Last season, Werts entered the year with plenty of question marks around his ability to run the offense and take control of games.
He answered the questions with plenty of big plays and bold statements as he fueled one of the best turnaround stories in college football history. Werts looked smooth in driving the Eagles’ option attack and didn’t turn the ball over once all season en route to a 10-3 record and a bowl victory.
Now entering 2019 as a grizzled veteran and unquestioned team leader, Werts is ready for the added expectations.
“I feel good,” Werts said as he relaxed on a couch at the Ted Smith Family Football Operations Center Monday afternoon. “We’re ready for a big year. We’ve got a lot of games that will make it tough to top last year’s record, but that’s what we’re setting out to do.”
Werts was cheery and casual with his answers, but he isn’t taking anything for granted. His demeanor was the same coming off of a 2-10 season where not much of anything went right for him.
The cheerfulness is part of his outward personality, but it only partially hides a more serious side under the surface. That focus and determination played a large part in getting the offense on track last season and is still burning even after the success of 2018.
“We took a lot of pride in what we accomplished last year,” Werts said. “I know some people are still picking us to finish behind Troy (and Appalachian State) again this year. They are really good teams, but we definitely take it to heart that some people don’t think we can beat them.”
For each of his first two seasons, Werts had the benefit of some senior leadership in the backfield with him.
There is still plenty of talent at the skill positions, but several offseason transfers and the graduation of running backs Wesley Fields and Monteo Garrett and tight end Ellis Richardson leave Werts with far more career snaps under his belt than anyone else who will line up in the backfield.
That can be an issue in the Eagles’ triple-option scheme. Even if running backs have all the vision and speed in the world, all of the timing between players has to sync up perfectly in order for reads, gives and pitches to work as designed.
That’s where Werts is stepping up as a leader. “We have a thing at least once a week called ‘Blue Collar’,” Werts said. “It’s player-led, with no coaches. We’re just going over plays individually. We’re getting on the same page right now. When fall camp starts, that’s when it will be time to execute in game situations and see who steps up.”
The 2019 Eagles are a complete unit, with all incoming true freshmen checked in for their first day on campus. Workouts, meetings and a few team bonding activities will fill up the calendar in the coming weeks, with fall camp slated to begin during the first week of August.
Georgia Southern kicks off the 2019 regular season on Aug. 31 with a trip to Baton Rouge to take on LSU.
The SEC East Crystal Ball
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We are now under three months and counting until the start of College Football Season.
As far as I’m concerned, no other sport compares to College Football and the best conference from top to bottom is the SEC.
Clemson from the ACC won the Natty in 2018, but the ACC is nothing near the caliber of the SEC in football. If that previous statement bothers you then get some sensitivity training. We will take a look at the SEC East.
Here are my SEC East Predictions for 2019:
Georgia 11-1: Kirby Smart is the best recruiter in the business. Georgia has the best 85-man roster in the country.
Jake Fromm could be a sleeper contender for the Heisman. The offense could be scary good with the best offensive line coach and players in the country.
Will this team lay an egg against someone they are not supposed to? History says yes.
I’m dreading the Auburn trip on 11/16. This team will play for the SEC title and will contend for the College Football Playoff. If the Dawgs win the SEC, they are in. This could finally be the year. The pass rush must improve in 2019.
Missouri 9-3: Kelly Bryant will be at QB in 2019. Barry Odom is doing a fine job in Columbia. Could the Tigers be 8-0 coming to Athens on November 9th? Florida comes calling on November 16th for second place in the East. Give me the Tigers over the Gators.
Florida 8-4: Two words, Feleipe Franks. Will Franks lead the Gators to back to back 10-win seasons?
Dan Mullen has trolled UGA in the off-season, but the schedule is tough. The Gators open against Miami and have Auburn, LSU, and Georgia in the heart of the SEC schedule.
Florida is putting all of its’ eggs in the Georgia basket, but they better be careful.
They have a solid defense, but again Feleipe Franks. If this team contends in the East it will be because of improved QB play. Can Mullen recruit with Kirby? Time will tell.
Tennessee 7-5: If the Vols win in Gainesville on 9/21 then excitement goes through the roof in Rocky Top.
Jeremy Pruitt is a fantastic coach and he is starting to put some pieces together in Knoxville.
Will Tennessee ever beat Alabama again in football? Pruitt needs two more top 15 recruiting classes to get Tennessee back to being Tennessee again. Be patient Vol fans you are on the way back.
South Carolina 6-6: The Gamecocks have a brutal schedule. Alabama and Texas A&M from the west and Clemson to close out.
I think Will Muschamp is a pretty good football coach, but with Georgia being a national power, and Florida and Tennessee on the way back it is going to be hard for Carolina to get any traction in the division.
South Carolina is putting together a good 2020 recruiting class. This team will upset someone in 2019, and ruin their season.
Kentucky 5-7: The Cats will come back down to earth in 2019. Benny Snell is gone.
The Cats host Florida early in the season after breaking a long losing streak that stretched over 30 to the Gators in 2018. Basketball is king in Kentucky. Cats go back to being a bottom feeder in football.
Vanderbilt 3-9: Vandy hosts UGA in the opener and LSU in week 3. This is going to be a long season for Vandy football.
Vandy fans might better tune into the College World Series starting this weekend as that may be the high-water mark for the athletic program for the rest of 2019.
Biggest division game: UGA vs UF in Jacksonville
Division upset of the Year: South Carolina over Texas A&M. The Aggies get caught overlooking Carolina at home the week before playing Georgia in Athens.
Bowl Teams: Georgia, Missouri, Florida, Tennessee, and South Carolina.
The Tough Coastal Life
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The summer is just getting started and I can’t wait for Fall to get here. In just a few long months football season will start.
I’m going to take a look at the Coastal division in the ACC and see how each team should finish. If you’re wondering why I didn’t pick the Atlantic it’s because we all know the final answer, Clemson wins with ease.
The Coastal is the much weaker division. By default, that makes it very competitive because they lack a dominant team. The only problem is the division champ is just waiting to be slaughtered by Clemson in the ACC Championship.
Perfect example, Pitt (7-7) won the division and was mauled by the Tigers 42–10.
Duke: They have the most stability with the longest tenured coach in the division, David Cutcliffe. He’s led the Blue Devils to 6 bowl games in the last 7 years. That’s very good considering Duke was a perennial doormat for most of their history.
They have to replace their starting quarterback, Daniel Jones who was the 6th overall pick in the draft.
The schedule is very tough. They start the season against Alabama in a neutral site game in Atlanta. They play both Virginia schools on the road. Then in November, they play Notre Dame, Syracuse and Miami. They will struggle to win 6 games.
Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets are replacing Paul Johnson and his triple option scheme after 11 seasons. They will look totally different under new head coach Geoff Collins.
The Yellow Jackets will now run a spread offense, which means most of their roster does not fit that scheme. They also will have a learning curve adapting to a new scheme.
The book ends of the season are going to blow out losses to Clemson and Georgia. The games in between are somewhat manageable. I expect them to get 6 wins, mainly because there are other teams in the division with first year coaches.
Miami: The Hurricanes should be the cream of the crop. Former defensive coordinator Manny Diaz is now the head coach. They also have Ohio State transfer and former five-star quarterback Tate Martell. If he’s anywhere near as good as he thinks he is then he will be a Heisman finalist.
The season begins against Florida in Orlando. After that, the schedule is easy. The Florida State game used to be a big deal but the Seminoles aren’t good anymore. Get ready for more turnover chain celebrations in 2019. I think the Hurricanes can win 10 games. At worst, I expect 9 wins.
North Carolina: Mack Brown returned to UNC and has not coached since 2013. The Tar Heels were 2-9 last year so they are very bad.
I think Brown is rusty and he inherits a bad football team. The season begins against South Carolina and 11 of 12 games are against teams that went bowling last season. They should improve but they will still have a losing record, 4 wins at best.
Pitt: The Panthers have back-to-back games against Penn State and UCF. They should win 6 or 7 games.
Virginia: UVA improved significantly last year in Bronco Mendenhall’s 3rd season on the job. Other than Notre Dame, Miami and Pitt the other games are manageable. The Cavaliers can realistically expect to win 8 games.
Virginia Tech: The Hokies only won 6 games in 2018, which is a down year for them.
They have not lost to in-state rival UVA since 2003, so I assume that’s a win. Va Tech should finish with 7-8 victories.
Best Of SEC
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2019 College Football Magazines have landed in the book stores.
I get most of my sports information on the internet nowadays but I still like to pick up a magazine or two when the SEC editions hit the stores. Here are my top three’s in selected topics. What makes this fun is everyone has a different and strong opinion one way or the other.
Top Game Day Experiences:
- Baton Rouge: if you have never attended a LSU home game in Red Stick you are missing a treat.
The Cajuns know how to put on a party and carry that intensity into the stadium. It is loud in Baton Rouge and the Tigers will be a pretty good football team in 2019. Best road trip in the SEC. This place is the best tailgating experience in all of college football.
- World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party: The UGA/UF games in Jacksonville have it all drinks, food, dancing, brawling (I got spit on in 2008 and you know that got addressed) and a heated football rivalry.
I have fraternity brothers on both sides heated up about this game already this fall and it’s only May.
- Athens: Best college town in America. Weather and atmosphere are great for big fall games in The Classic City. Can you imagine what it will be like on 9/21 when Notre Dame rolls into town?
Best Student Sections:
- South Carolina: Carolina students get to the game early and they rock “Sandstorm” in Williams Brice and wave those white towels.
- Ole Miss: If you want to see former and what future Miss America’s look like head to Oxford this fall and hang out in The Grove. A feast for your eyes.
- Florida: The Gates are on the way back and when they are good the student section there rocks. It helps that you can leave the stadium and return more juiced up than before. I don’t know if they have changed that policy or not since I went there last.
Best Defense:
- Alabama: The Tide have been checking into this spot frequently. Can the Tide continue to produce first round defensive lineman?
- Auburn: The Tigers have Derrick Brown back and maybe their best defense in years. Gus needs a great season and this defense will do its part.
- Florida: The Gators will be able to rush the passer as good as anyone and the SEC is a pressure league. Can Florida hold up at cornerback is the question?
Best Offense:
- Georgia: Jake Fromm is the best QB in the SEC. Yes, I said it Alabama fans. The Dawgs have the best offensive line and best set of running backs as well.
- Alabama: Tua is injury prone, but is a big play QB when healthy. Best set of wide receivers in the SEC. Very Good offensive line.
- Texas A&M: Jimbo can coach up some offense. The Aggies will put up some points in 2019 with Kellen Mond at QB. This team is on the rise.
Best Team:
- Alabama: Best starting 22 in the country. Saban is maybe the greatest head coach in college football history.
- Georgia: Best 85 man roster in the country. Kirby has assembled a monster.
- LSU: Don’t sleep on this team. Coach O has them almost back to being the LSU we know again.
Best Head Coach:
- Nick Saban: Nick is on the Mt. Rushmore of College Football coaches.
- Jimbo Fisher: Jimbo has a Natty at FSU and will build the Aggies into a beast.
- Kirby Smart: Best recruiter in America and has turned this program into a national power in just 3 years.
College Football starts in less than 100 days.
A Lot Of Buzz
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Georgia Tech Spring Game was April 26th. Paul Johnson has been the head coach for the previous 11 seasons.
This is the first season under new head coach Geoff Collins. There is a drastic change on offense and we got a glimpse of it in this game.
A record crowd of 21,194 fans came out to Bobby Dodd stadium to watch. The Jackets used the first play of the spring game to give one final tribute to Paul Johnson and his flexbone system before introducing fans to the new Georgia Tech offense.
One routine 12-yard completion to Tyler Cooksey fired up the crowd. The play marked the first reception by a Georgia Tech tight end since November 24, 2007. There were a wide range of plays and formations that have been absent from The Flats for the past decade.
The new strategy is a 180-degree turn from what we have seen under CPJ. The Yellow Jackets are now an Air Raid team and that has different concepts.
One key thing we will now see is the mesh concept. The defining feature of a mesh concept is two receivers running crossing routes over the middle of the field. The crossing receivers quickly read whether the defense is playing man or zone coverage and modify their routes accordingly.
Against zone coverage, the receivers cut their routes short and sit underneath in soft areas, while against man coverage the receivers continue their routes across the field.
The Gold team showed this early on. They came out in a shotgun bunch formation and wide receivers Malachi Carter and Jalen Camp run crosses over the middle.
The defense is playing a zone, and you can see both receivers slow down to break off their routes when they recognize the zone coverage. Quarterback Lucas Johnson scans the field from right to left, sees the linebackers sitting in their zones, and checks down to running back Jordan Mason for a 7-yard gain
Tech lined up in a few different Shotgun formations for the game. One of the featured formations was the Shotgun Split Slot that uses three receivers and two halfbacks.
Most of Tech’s halfbacks are converted A-backs who spent equal time over the last several years practicing rushing, receiving, and blocking. That skill set can be utilized in this two-back set where both running backs are a threat to take a handoff, lead block, or go out for a pass.
It looks like the quarterback battle is between James Graham and Lucas Johnson. Tobias Oliver missed the game due to injury and he has a chance to compete. He played a lot last season but he struggles to pass the ball.
Johnson made many check downs during the game so his numbers were efficient. He finished the day 12-of-16 passing for 87 yards and a touchdown. His best throw of the night came on a 19-yard back-shoulder pass to Malachi Carter.
Graham takes more risks and threw the ball downfield. His first pass was complete to receiver Adonicas Sanders for a 15-yard gain. The next pass was a 39-yard touchdown to Sanders again.
After those two passes, Graham went just 1-of-7 passing for 3 yards.
We have quite some time before Week 1 kicks off against Clemson but I’m excited. I think this will be a good first season for coach Collins.
Leave It On the Field
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The University of Georgia is going to name the playing field at Sanford Stadium after long time head coach and athletic director Vince Dooley.
A ceremony has been planned for Georgia’s 2019 opening game on Sept. 7 against Murray State to dedicate Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium.
“I was very pleased for the family and pleased for all the ballplayers who have been so loyal and for all the friends and supporters,” Dooley told The Associated Press.
The plan, announced Thursday by University of Georgia president Jere Morehead and athletic director Greg McGarity, must be approved by the university and the board of regents, which is expected later this month.
Morehead said Dooley’s impact on the university carried beyond athletics.
“Coach Dooley’s many contributions to this university can be seen across campus, from Georgia athletics, where he achieved unrivaled success, to the learning environment, where today many academic programs and initiatives bear his name,” Morehead said in a statement. “The university community will continue to benefit from his service and dedication for generations to come.”
Personally, this is great news for long time Georgia fans. Coach Dooley was and is Georgia football to me. I attended Vince Dooley football camps as a youth and had some of the best times of my life with friendships I still cherish to this day.
Coach Dooley’s brand of football, which was the power run game, solid defense, and exceptional special teams is the brand Kirby Smart brought back to the program when he was hired in 2016 and you know those results over the past couple of years.
Dooley went 201-77-10 in his 25 years as head coach of UGA. That included 6 SEC Titles and the 1980 National Championship.
Coach Dooley is one of the top 5 coaches in SEC History, and the greatest head coach in UGA football history.
Once Dooley arrived at UGA in 1964 he did two things that made him the legend he is in Athens and that was he owned the Florida and Georgia Tech series.
The Yellow Jackets still haven’t recovered from the dominating Dooley years, and Florida was beaten in Dooley fashion over the past two seasons under Kirby Smart to the point to where their head coach takes veiled shots at UGA in the press consistently nowadays.
I still have UF friends that suffer from the “Vince Dooley Effect” to this day and I have one friend that still deals with that trauma by taking shots at UGA fans on social just this past week. Vince “The Gator Slayer” Dooley was 17-7-1 against those Gators in Jacksonville.
Eventually Sanford Stadium is going to become Sanford-Dooley Stadium, but this is a great first step.
I’m going to get chills when Notre Dame runs out onto Dooley Field this upcoming September.
And yes, long time Gators, it has been 39 years and counting since the last National Championship, but the Vince Dooley effect still controls you.
Coach Dooley is now 86 years old, and is a treasured person in our great state. He will always be my first and most cherished memory of Georgia Football.
