Playoffs?
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia looked like the best team in the country most of last season. But the College Football Playoff passed without Kirby Smart’s Dawgs because they had to face an elite Rolling Tide in the SEC championship, and the upset win for Nick Saban’s team ended up keeping Georgia out of the playoffs.
Could Georgia fall victim to a brutal schedule in a supersized conference? Could one of college football’s best teams miss the Playoff again? It’s possible after the Bulldogs lost on the road last Saturday at Bama.
Georgia rallied from a 28-0 hole to take the lead before Ryan Williams’ spectacular catch-and-run allowed Alabama to reclaim the lead and secure Kalen DeBoer’s first big win as Crimson Tide coach.
The Bulldogs might have an even tougher game next month at Texas, a team that beat Alabama last season in Tuscaloosa. Texas made the Playoff last year and already routed Michigan in Ann Arbor this year.
Three weeks later, they have another tough road trip to face a loaded Ole Miss roster in Oxford with Playoff hopes of its own (despite a shocking loss Saturday to Kentucky). And a week later Georgia hosts Tennessee, a team as good as any in the country.
Bigger conferences mean schedules are tougher. Among national title contenders, no one has a tougher in-conference schedule than Georgia this year- which is rather inexplicable in the first year of the SEC’s 16-team configuration with Texas and Oklahoma.
All together, the Bulldogs face three opponents ranked in the current top AP top five, plus No. 12 Ole Miss.
It’s still easy enough to assume Georgia can or will win all of their remaining games, considering the Dawgs return quarterback Carson Beck at a program that hasn’t finished lower than No. 7 in the past seven seasons.
But Georgia also got bullied by Alabama for a half before it came alive. Georgia also didn’t score a touchdown until the fourth quarter in a 13-12 win against Kentucky earlier this season.
So, let’s say Georgia, which opened with a quality win over Clemson , navigates the rest of its schedule and avoids landing on the wrong side of any shocking upset.
It’s not unthinkable that Georgia goes 1-2 at Texas, at Ole Miss and home against Tennessee and is sitting at 9-3, likely with just two Top 25 wins on its resume: Clemson and whoever else they can beat. It’s hard to picture it, because Georgia hasn’t lost three regular-season games since Smart’s first season.
If the Bulldogs finish 10-2, they’re in. If they go 9-3, they will have at least one quality conference win and should root for Clemson to win the ACC.
This is Georgia football, if they clinch the Playoff, nobody will want to play them. Can UGA survive the toughest schedule in 2024 and squeak into a championship opportunity?
Napier To Get Chomped?
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Florida Gators football program is facing serious pressure as they get ready to host UCF at The Swamp.
Despite the team’s recent struggles, Gator fans have stayed loyal, packing the stadium for every game. But their patience might be wearing thin.
Under head coach Billy Napier, the results at home have been mixed—10-6 over two and a half seasons—and this year, Florida’s just 1-2 in Gainesville.
Even more worrying, they’ve lost four of their last five home games, including a painful overtime defeat to Arkansas.
Florida’s current 2-2 record (1-1 SEC) has raised plenty of eyebrows, and Saturday’s game against UCF feels like a must-win, not just for the season, but for Napier’s future as head coach.
Losing to UCF, a team with a much less storied football history, could be a huge blow. Gator boosters and fans aren’t going to accept a loss to a program that started playing in Division III back in 1979. For Napier, a loss could be the final nail in the coffin.
One of Florida’s big problems this season has been their slow starts. Sure, they built a 21-point first-half lead in their win over Mississippi State, but in other games, it’s been a different story.
They were shut out in the first half against Texas A&M and managed just 10 points in the first half of their opening loss to Miami.
Napier knows this has to change, especially at home, where the energy of the crowd can make a big difference. “Starting fast is critical to playing winning football,” he said, hoping the home crowd will help give his team the boost they need.
But the issues go beyond just the slow starts. Florida’s defense has been shaky, to say the least. They’re near the bottom of the SEC in both scoring defense and total defense, allowing way too many points and yards.
After their win against Mississippi State, the Gators had an open week to work on some of their defensive issues, especially when it comes to dealing with fast-paced offenses.
Cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. admitted the team struggled with tempo in the Mississippi State game, saying they sometimes found themselves just standing around, waiting for signals. That’s something they’ve been working on ahead of UCF.
UCF, by the way, will have a familiar face at quarterback: KJ Jefferson. Gator fans will remember him from last year, when he led Arkansas to a shocking upset over Florida at The Swamp.
Jefferson is a dual-threat quarterback, and his size and athleticism will make him tough to handle again. Napier knows it’s going to be a challenge, saying Jefferson creates problems because of his physicality. Marshall also noted that Florida’s defense needs to take away Jefferson’s ability to run and force him to beat them through the air.
On top of all the on-field problems, Florida’s dealing with some off-field headaches too. Recruiting has taken a hit recently, with prospects like four-star safety Demetres Samuel Jr. flipping his commitment from the Gators to Syracuse. Florida’s current recruiting class is ranked 21st in the nation, which isn’t terrible, but it’s far below what Gator fans are used to.
Recruiting experts are already warning that the uncertainty surrounding Napier’s future could make things even worse.
When a coach is on the hot seat, it affects recruiting, creating a vicious cycle of bad results and missed opportunities to bring in top talent. And there’s even more at stake if Napier is fired midseason, thanks to the transfer portal.
Even former Alabama coach Nick Saban chimed in recently, criticizing Florida for cycling through coaches without finding real success since Urban Meyer left.
Saban thinks the issues run deeper than just coaching and pointed to the overall structure of the program as a problem. He suggested that if Florida doesn’t figure things out, they’re going to continue struggling as the season goes on.
So, heading into this weekend, the Gators are at a turning point. Beating UCF could give them a much-needed boost and calm some of the noise surrounding the program.
But another loss, especially at home, might push things even closer to the breaking point for Napier and his staff.
Back To The Front
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Clemson started the 2024 football season by getting pummeled 34-3 to #1 Georgia. This caused us to look at the Tigers and wonder if the game had passed by head coach Dabo Swinney. After he suffered his worst lost in more than a decade, Swinney was optimistic.
He watched film from the UGA game and saw a team that, according to him, matched Georgia physically and lost, in large part, due to a handful of unforced errors and an inability to capture any “momentum.”
“We matched up well. It didn’t go our way, but we were physical, we could run. We’ve got a good team,” Swinney said. “We’ve got a bunch of good, young talent. It’s going to come together, and it’s going to be fun to watch.”
Is he optimistic, delusional or correct in his assessment? One thing he has not adapted to is the transfer portal era we are living in now. Four FBS programs do not accept transfers. They are Army, Navy, Air Force and Clemson. As you can see, one of those things is not like the others. It makes sense for service academies to do but it is strange that a regular Power 4 school does not.
“We’ve done it in a unique way,” Swinney said. “Now people want me to go do it some other way. They’ve lost their freakin’ mind. I’m not doing it another way. Everything doesn’t go the way you want it every single time, but that doesn’t mean you get away from what your foundation is, what you believe.”
As Swinney would say, the Clemson stock took a hit after the first game. The Tigers have responded with three straight wins since then and they are now ranked #15.
All three of their wins have come at home against Appalachian State, NC State and Stanford. The closest margin of victory was 24 points against NC State. The Wolfpack came into the 2024 season as a top 25 team but they were trounced 51-10 in Week 2 by Tennessee. Clemson has not faced world-beaters over the last few weeks.
Clemson’s player retention rate is among the best in the country — only Northwestern and Oklahoma State had fewer players leave in the December window than Clemson’s 12. They also had the highest graduation rate of any Power 4 school. Clemson is the only team in the country to rank in the top 25 in both the AP rankings and graduation rates for 13 years straight.
Clemson’s record from 2021 to ’23, the supposed downturn of the program — was 30-10, the eighth-best mark of any program in that span. Maybe they were having issues because Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne left for the NFL.
They have their first true road game of the season at Florida State (1-4) this week. It’s ironic because the Seminoles QB, DJ Uiagalelei started at Clemson. Then he transferred to Oregon State and now FSU. He took some parting shots at the Tigers after he transferred.
“I didn’t want to do what I was doing at Clemson,” said Uiagalelei. “I didn’t really like what we did there scheme-wise. I didn’t think we did very much. I thought it was very basic. It didn’t help me out as a quarterback and play to my strengths.”
He was benched after a bad loss to ACC newcomer SMU last week, so he’ll watch this game from the sideline.
The Tigers only have one ranked team on the schedule the rest of the season. I think they will be 11-1 going into the ACC Championship game.
Blowing Out The Buffs?
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When you’re trailing 28-7 early in the third quarter, typically you don’t think running the ball is a recipe for a comeback win. Unless, of course, you’re RJ Harvey.
UCF’s star running back carried his team to a dramatic, 35-34 comeback victory over TCU two Saturdays ago, finishing with 180 rushing yards and two touchdowns on a career-high 29 carries, plus a 29-yard receiving touchdown.
The Knights erased a 21-point deficit in the second half to open their Big 12 play with a win, The Knights are now 3-0.
Harvey went into halftime with a respectable 66 yards on the ground before shredding TCU’s defense after the break, ripping 114 yards,6.3 yards per carry to flip the momentum and score in UCF’s favor.
With a home showdown against Colorado and coach Deion Sanders on Saturday, Harvey finished sixth in FBS with 1,416 rushing yards in 2023, averaging 149.3 yards per game in 2024 (fourth in the country).
What makes UCF particularly dangerous is that Harvey doesn’t have to do it alone. Toledo transfer Peny Boone, Cincinnati transfer Myles Montgomery, and speedy senior Johnny Richardson round out arguably the deepest running back group in college football, with all four averaging at least 6 yards per carry. Add in dual-threat quarterback KJ Jefferson, and the Knights have the top rushing attack in FBS at 375.7 yards per game.
UCF lost five in a row to open league play in 2023, their first season as a member of the Big 12. The challenges of upgrading from the AAC to the Big 12 manifested into several late-game collapses, including: Kansas State, Oklahoma, and a 29-point meltdown against the Baylor Bears. Those Knights didn’t have the horses or swords to keep up.
Coach Malzahn worked to rectify 2023’s roster through the portal, adding 24 transfers this offseason.
“There’s nothing like experience in college football,” Malzahn said. “The more experienced team you have, the better chance you have to be successful. We have a lot of older guys who have played a lot of football.”
That experience showed up on the road against TCU. UCF’s defense tightened up just enough, forcing two punts and three field goals, the last one a desperation 58-yard attempt that sailed wide right as time expired.
Jefferson is still finding his footing with the Knights through three games, but when the team needed him to step up late against TCU, the veteran delivered, including a pair of 20-plus-yard touchdown passes to senior wideout Kobe Hudson.
The bigger issue last season, however, was a defense that wilted against Big 12 competition, particularly against the ground game. UCF allowed 4.9 yards per carry in 2023.
The current three-game sample isn’t enough to get excited about. They were best in the Big 12 with 2.5 yards per carry allowed in 2024, and the additions of players like Pace, Arnold and defensive linemen Nyjalik Kelly and Dayan Dotson have strengthened the defense at all three levels.
Is it improved enough to contend in the newly crowded and chaotic Big 12 race?
UCF gets their next chance to prove something on Saturday against Colorado, fresh off the Buffs’ Hail Mary overtime win against Baylor.
It’s still up for debate how much better this Colorado team is compared to their last place finish in the Pac-12 in 2023, but it boasts two game-changing talents in Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, as well as the Coach Prime effect: Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff” pregame show is headed to Orlando, Fla., and the game gets the network’s 3:30 p.m. ET national spotlight.
It’s probably the biggest showcase UCF has had since ESPN’s “College GameDay” in Orlando in 2018.
These Knights will face more challenging in-conference tests against Iowa State, BYU, Arizona and Utah later in the schedule, as well as a short trip to Gainesville on Oct. 5 for a non-conference game that could kill Billy Napier’s tenure at Florida.
If UCF truly is good enough to compete for a Big 12 title, it should take care of business at home against a Colorado team that needed a last-second miracle to beat Baylor. The uniqueness of Saturday is an opportunity to burnish those bona fides with plenty of eyeballs watching.
UCF is a young Power 4 team with a lot of growth. Saturday at 4 pm, The Bounce House will be rockin and a large national audience will see UCF. UCF 34 Colorado 23
Making The Grade?
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Hard to believe already but the regular season for high school football in Georgia is at the halfway point of the year.
Today we’ll take a look at the report card for the four Bulloch County high school football teams; Southeast Bulloch, Statesboro, Bulloch Academy, and Portal.
Southeast Bulloch (4-1; 3-1 Reg3-3A) | A-
Southeast Bulloch has been off to a great start to the season with the only blemish on the card being the road loss at Calvary Day School.
The Jackets offense has been steadily growing despite a couple of injuries and culminated three 100 yard rushing performances so far.
Jacket Country saw Jayden Murphy rush for 160 yards and two scores against the Atom Smashers and Colby Smith following up with 130 yards and a score in the contest against Johnson. Smith followed the Johnson game up with 124 rushing yards against Windsor Forest last weekend.
Sophomore Quarterback Rhett Morgan is growing up before Head Coach Jared Zito’s eyes with two passing scores on the year and 5 explosive plays the past two weeks thru the air.
The Jackets defense led by Senior Kyle O’Brien, and Sophomore Brant Horst at the linebacker spots have held their own only allowing just over 100 rushing yards per game on the year and forcing 12 turnovers in the first five games.
Statesboro (2-3; 1-2 Reg1-5A) | C+
Second year Head Coach Matt Dobson has had a tough go at through the first half of the year.
After falling to cross town rival SEB in the opener, the Blue Devils picked up their first victory against Veterans 21-10 in week 2.
SHS then dropped their first two region matchups against Greenbrier and Glynn Academy but picked up their first region win against Bradwell Institute last week 41-36.
Quarterback Beckham Jarrard has taken the boro by storm in his freshman season already with over 800 passing yards and completing 62% of his passes with Keon Childers the favorite target racking up 298 receiving yards and two scores.
Statesboro has a tough road ahead down the back stretch but look to build off an impressive game against Bradwell Institute.
Bulloch Academy (6-0) | A+
The Gators have come out hot as ever in 2024 ranking #1 in the GIAA rankings after the 6-0 start.
Head Coach Aaron Phillips builds off the state semifinal appearance last season with a march to continue the winning ways in 2024.
Shamar Jenkins has been a huge boost for the Gators on the offensive side both at running back and receiver while the BA Defense has been the huge linchpin for the Gators success.
BA looks poised to enter region play then take a march deep into the GIAA state playoffs that culminate at the end of November at Allen E. Paulson Stadium for the GIAA State Championships.
Portal (2-3; 1-2 Reg 3-1Ad2) | C
The Portal Panthers continue to find the new identity after losing a number of players from a year ago to graduation and are now playing on Saturdays.
A couple of those that have stepped up is senior running back Jaylon Strickland and Brian McQueen.
Strickland recorded his first 100+ rushing yard game in the victory over Byran County last week and has racked up 360 on the year with 2 scores.
McQueen who has made the shift from quarterback to receiver is accountable for five touchdowns on the year (2 rushing, 2 receiving, 1 passing).
Portal seems to be rounding into shape and looking to get back to the success they’ve shown in the past few years.
Changes?
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Jacksonville Jaguars are facing turbulent times, with questions swirling around their quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the overall direction of the team.
Following a brutal 47-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football, head coach Doug Pederson admitted that significant changes might be necessary to reverse the Jaguars’ fortunes, which could even involve a potential shift at quarterback.
After the blowout, Pederson emphasized the need for adjustments across the board, from play design to personnel, saying, “everything’s on the table.”
Pederson, however, remained vague about whether Trevor Lawrence’s position as the starter could be affected, particularly noting the importance of considering injuries and performance as the team evaluates potential changes. While Pederson didn’t definitively commit to benching Lawrence, his noncommittal response indicated that no position is safe as the team seeks answers.
The need for change is clear. Through Week 3, the Jaguars have one of the league’s worst offenses, averaging a mere 13.3 points per game, their lowest point production since 2013.
On the defensive side, the team is giving up 361 yards per game while struggling to create turnovers and generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks. With only five sacks and no forced turnovers, the defense has failed to complement an already sputtering offense.
The schedule doesn’t provide much breathing room, either. The Jaguars face the Houston Texans next on a short week, setting up the possibility of a dreaded 0-4 start, something the franchise has endured five times in its history.
The matchup against a rising division rival makes the upcoming game even more critical, as Jacksonville’s window to salvage the season narrows.
Pederson also addressed concerns about his own job security following the humiliating loss to Buffalo. While he indicated that those conversations remain private, he assured reporters that team owner Shad Khan has been “very supportive” during the team’s struggles.
Despite the looming pressure, Pederson remains focused on making the necessary adjustments to turn the season around.
Monday’s game was nothing short of a disaster for Jacksonville, as the team was thoroughly outclassed by the Bills. Buffalo scored on its first six drives, including touchdowns on all five of its first-half possessions, leaving Jacksonville in a 34-3 hole by halftime.
Despite entering the game with high hopes after two narrow losses to AFC opponents, the Jaguars found themselves overwhelmed from the start. Pederson was candid in his assessment, calling the result “shocking” and admitting, “this is who we are right now.”
While Buffalo’s offense flourished, Jacksonville’s offense floundered. Trevor Lawrence struggled mightily, going 21-of-38 for 178 yards with one touchdown, four sacks, and a costly interception.
Lawrence was replaced by backup Mac Jones late in the game after a thoroughly underwhelming performance. The offense as a whole could not find any rhythm, managing just 239 total yards and converting only two of 13 third-down attempts.
Despite a massive contract extension in the offseason, Lawrence has yet to deliver the performances expected of him, and the Jaguars’ faith in their franchise quarterback is beginning to waver.
As the Jaguars sit winless at 0-3, the optimism that surrounded the team before the season is quickly evaporating. The franchise, which has lost eight straight games dating back to last season, is spiraling out of playoff contention.
Jacksonville owner Shad Khan had declared the 2024 team as the best ever assembled under his ownership, but the early returns suggest otherwise.
Still, there’s a narrow path to redemption. Jacksonville faces back-to-back divisional matchups against the Houston Texans and the Indianapolis Colts, both of which offer the opportunity to reset the season.
However, if the Jaguars are to capitalize on this opportunity, they must correct their numerous flaws and deliver a complete performance, something that has eluded them so far.
“No one’s going to feel sorry for us,” Pederson said. “This is who we are right now, and it’s not very good.” Lawrence echoed his coach’s sentiment, admitting that, “No one’s coming to save us.” The Jaguars will need to save themselves, starting now.
NFC South Pretenders?
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We are three weeks into the NFL season.
I think it is too early to really weed out the contenders from the pretenders. In the NFC South, three of the four teams lost this weekend.
We are going to examine the teams and see if they have something to worry about or if they will be fine the rest of the season.
New Orleans: The Saints (2-1) lost to Philadelphia (2-1) at home, 15-12. Going into this game the New Orleans offense has looked amazing. Klint Kubiak is in his first year as the team’s offensive coordinator and he has revitalized the careers of Derek Carr and Alvin Kamara.
Philly just lost the Monday night game to Atlanta and their defense has played poorly.
They kept the Saints in check this weekend. The key players for the Philly offense were Saquon Barkley and tight end Dallas Goedert. Goedert had the best game of his career, with 10 receptions and 170 yards.
Their next game is on the road against the Falcons.
Tampa Bay: The Buccaneers (2-1) lost to the previously winless Denver Broncos (1-2) at home, 26-7. Denver has looked bad on offense prior to this game and they are starting rookie QB Bo Nix. I think he has to have the record for the shortest name in NFL history, but I digress.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield has proven that he is a good starter in the league. He has great weapons like wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. They beat Detroit on the road last week and the Lions are considered a legit Super Bowl contender.
Week 5, they play Philly at home.
I believe they overlooked a bad Broncos team after that big win and that is why they lost. Going forward, I think they are still the best team in the division. They advanced to the second round of the playoffs last season and I think they can do the same this year.
Atlanta: The Falcons (1-2) lost the Sunday night game at home to the two-time defending Super Bowl Champs, 22-17. Kansas City (3-0) is a better team, but Atlanta had opportunities to win the game.
They intercepted Patrick Mahomes in the end zone and did a good job keeping the Chiefs offense in check.
Kirk Cousins is still playing inconsistently and he does not look comfortable in the offense. He has four touchdowns, three interceptions and three fumbles. He has to improve, stop turning the ball over and get the ball to playmakers like Drake London and Kyle Pitts.
The next game is at home against New Orleans.
I think the Falcons are an eight or nine win team that will struggle to make the playoffs.
Carolina: The Panthers (1-2) were the only division team that played a road game this past weekend and they beat the Raiders (1-2), 36-22.
Second year quarterback Bryce Young was benched after starting 0-2 and veteran Andy Dalton stepped in to get the win.
It feels good to win but the excitement will be short lived. Carolina has been a poorly run franchise since David Tepper purchased them in 2018. They will win maybe four more games this season.
Their next game is against the Bengals.
Trouble In Athens?
By: Charlie Moon
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
My friends in South Carolina are going to be mighty shocked when I say this.
The Dawgs have problems.
Growing up in South Carolina a Dawg fan and being in sports journalism for 2.5 decades, I hear it when I say something about the Dawgs they don’t agree with.
Last year, I said the Dawgs were one of the best four and should have been in the playoff – regardless of the SEC Title loss to Bama. Dawg fan or not, it was what it was. The committee’s goal was to get the best four. The Dawgs belonged – period. Point blank. So many became “Over-reaction guy.”
“How could the Dawgs be in? They just lost to someone outside the top 4.
Or the…. “We don’t want to see Bama and the Dawgs rematch.”
The bottom line was, the Dawgs AND Bama were 2 of the best 4 – if not the best 2. And don’t call me crazy because Bama lost to Michigan. Going into the playoffs, how many of you had Bama beating Michigan?
Once the playoffs were done, experts came out of the woodwork. It was what it was.
But after last Saturday’s field goal fest in Lexington, I’m wondering if the Dawgs will have to be a benefactor of the new 12-team playoff format. I know some of my good ole friends will balk at this, too, but let’s be real.
In the 2- and 4-team format of the last 30 years, there should have been many more SEC squads in, even if it meant as many as 3 of the 4 were SEC squads.
I try not to be hyperbole and/or “overreaction guy.” Y’all know. It’s like “over-reaction guy’s” brother or ”backwards hat guy.” You know that one guy that yells at every play, but probably couldn’t even tell you one offensive line starter. Or they always boo at every flag – even before the ref makes the call.
Well, “over-reaction” guy has it easy this week, saying things like: “Man, the Dawgs stink” or “I told y’all about Carson Beck!”
Then, there’s the elephant in the room. “I told y’all Mike Bobo ain’t no offensive coordinator.” Ahhhh boy, Dawg Nation has argued that since Bobo’s first OC stint between the hedges, 2007-2014.
Deep dive time. Chew on these factoids. In the Dawgs’ 8 quarters against Power 5 teams (Clemson, Kentucky), they’ve tallied just 5 TDs.
In fact, four of the 5 came only in the 2nd half against Clemson alone. It took an entire 3 quarters and 3:00 for UGA to get in the endzone against the Cats.
Maybe the Cats had more brawn than our experts believed, or maybe there’s something amiss in Athens.
Yes, UGA lost guys like McConkey and Bowers from last year, but the cupboard in Athens is supposed to be filled to the brim.
Trevor Etienne ran it for 79 yards on 19 carries. Of those 19 carries, 12, count them, 12 were against 7 men in the box playing the run.
A 6-man line can’t account for 7. Well, sometimes they can. But you can’t expect them to do it all night wrong.
What’s the point here? Either one of two things are happening here.
#1 The OC is not getting the offense into the best fits, which is the job of a coordinator.
#2 The QB is not recognizing and audibling at the line.
Look, no OC is going to have the perfect call and no QB is going to always notice. But to have it happen 12 out of your top RB’s carries, is unacceptable.
Yes, there are times when an OC mandates the call stick and doesn’t give the QB an option to change the call at the line. And of course, there’s this, this is the first year of the helmet earphones allowed for one player. They have the option to communicate with Beck at the line.
And who knows, maybe I’m overreacting. This was not the biggest issue Saturday night, but it was the most glaring to me.
Sure, there could be issues that the UGA coaching staff are not going to discuss with the press. Maybe the receiver core wasn’t ready for the bigtime. Maybe there’s an undisclosed nagging injury to Beck.
Whatever it is I’ll only say this.
If the Dawgs don’t figure this out by September 28, Bama is going Roll our Tide right out the Dawg Pen and they won’t even have to pull an “Al from Dadeville.” Because the whole country will see it.
Sound The Alarm
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
How does a college football team win 13 games one year and turn into an absolute train wreck the next?
Florida State’s Mike Norvell — who signed an $11 million yearly contract extension in January to —is facing that question.
His Seminoles, picked by the media to repeat as ACC champions, lost to Memphis 20-13, last Saturday to become the ninth preseason AP top-10 team since 1950 to lose its first three games.
If that isn’t embarrassing enough, Norvell left Memphis five years ago to coach for FSU. Now, for the second time, the Seminoles have started a season by losing their first three games.
“I know what it takes to win games,” Norvell said after Memphis outgained the Seminoles 337 yards to 228 inside of Doak Campbell Stadium.
“I know what it takes for a team to go out there and be able to execute and play at a high level. We all have to do a better job of what we’re doing throughout the course of the week and challenge the players, challenge the coaches. Because we can’t continue to come into games and see things that absolutely are not a part of what we are and who we are.”
On one hand, this might be how good Florida State is without Jordan Travis , Keon Coleman, Johnny Wilson, and Trey Benson. A collection of leaders on both sides of the ball for last year’s Florida State team are now NFL players.
It took Travis a couple of years after leaving Louisville to settle into FSU’s leading role at quarterback. He earned the respect of his teammates through the struggles of Norvell’s first two seasons (3-6 and 5-7) before their success in the last two. Those Seminoles, whether brought in through the portal or homegrown, developed into a championship team and enjoyed playing together.
This collection of transfers and homegrown players do not look like they’re having fun, and the culture does not look good.
The offense is just awful. The first half against Memphis was a comedy of errors, and a parody of the program Bobby Bowden built 5000 years ago.
It started with former Alabama running back Roydell Williams fumbling on the second play and ended with freshman Lawayne McCoy muffing a punt after his teammate Quindarrius Jones was blocked into him.
It was one of three turnovers in the half, which included only 67 yards of total offense and three first downs.
You cannot blame Adam Fuller’s defense. The Seminoles have given up 24, 28 and 20 points in three losses.
The majority of the issues are on offense. Is it evaluation? Development? Belief in the system? Things are clearly not trending in the right direction.
Recruiting has been good but never great under Norvell. The 2025 class took several hits in recent weeks when two blue-chip defensive linemen decommitted. There could be more defections if the results on the field don’t improve.
Norvell’s press conference last Saturday ended with a fire alarm going off in the building.
Nobody at FSU is going to fire Norvell anytime soon with the amount of money left on his contract, but it’s fair to sound the alarms about FSU’s future after smelling smoke early on.
College Football Progress Reports
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We are only a few weeks into the college football season but we have learned about some of the prominent teams around the country.
It’s a little too early for report cards but we can make progress reports for some of the programs around the Southeast.
Georgia: The Dawgs are 3-0, which is good. They beat up on #14 Clemson 34-3 to start the season. The biggest take away from that game was the Tigers are not very good.
They followed that up by beating FCS Tennessee Tech 48-3. Last weekend they struggled at Kentucky and won 13-12. These are the same Wildcats that lost 31-6 to South Carolina the week before. I think UGA will be fine but the next test comes September 28 at Alabama.
Grade: A-
Alabama: Nick Saban is gone and Kalen DeBoer has stepped in. The Crimson Tide have beaten Western Kentucky, USF and Wisconsin. The South Florida game was close in the first half but they won 42-16.
These wins are not impressive but the schedule will get harder. We will learn a lot about this team when they play Georgia.
Grade: A
Tennessee: This has to be the most surprising team in my opinion. Redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava stepped in as the starter and he looks like a Heisman candidate.
The Vols started the season with FCS Chattanooga and won 69-3. They played #23 NC State in Charlotte and won 51-10. Last weekend they demolished Kent State 71-0.
Grade: A+
Miami: Are the Hurricanes back? We seem to ask this question every few years. They opened the season at Florida and won 41-17. They followed that up with blow out victories against FCS Florida A&M and Ball State.
QB Cam Ward transferred in from Washington State and he’s playing great. Their next game is at USF. You can’t say I have something against the state of Florida with this grade.
Grade: A
Florida State: The wheels have completely fallen off in Tallahassee. They started last season 13-0 but have not recovered since losing the Orange Bowl.
The Seminoles came into the season ranked #10 and lost to Georgia Tech in Ireland. Then they dropped home games against Boston College and Memphis to fall to 0-3.
Mike Norvell’s seat is burning up right now.
Grade: F-
Florida: Speaking of hot seats, Billy Napier’s is in flames. Unlike Norvell, he has not had double-digit wins in Gainesville.
He actually has not had more than 6 wins in a season. We talked about the embarrassing loss to Miami earlier. They did beat FCS Samford for their lone win this season.
The Gators lost to Texas A&M at home 33-20 over the weekend. The score makes this game seem closer than it was. They travel to Mississippi State for their next game.
Grade: F
Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets are 3-1, which is better than most people expected them to start the season.
The wins are against FSU, Georgia State and VMI, an FCS team. The loss was at Syracuse, 31-28. I thought that was a game they were going to win. They play at #19 Louisville this week.
