I Miss Greg Blue Sometimes
Fri, 23rd January, 2009 - Posted by |
Looking at this clip is like looking at a different era of Georgia football.
In those days, the defense was dominant and nasty. Being at the games with my brother we’d talk about how we actually looked forward to the D being on the field because they made things happen, and you could count on a big hit or two each game to make the crowd gasp.
Those days the offense tended to sputter and the D seemed to keep us in the games. It’s a far cry from Kentucky burning you for 38 and Tech scoring at will… on the ground.
Is it Willie? Is it the personnel? There are lots of guys that are playing in the NFL now from that team; Blue, Jones, Jennings, Thurman, Davis… that’s right off the top of my head.
In five years will we look back at this year and see that the personnel just wasn’t there?
Or will we see a lot of our D talent shining in the NFL and wonder why the defense wasn’t as dominant and fierce as the one shown in that clip?
Tags: 2003 / Auburn / Big Hit / Georgia Bulldogs / Greatest Hits / Greg Blue / UGA
Here’s what I don’t understand. Wouldn’t Willie have been all of those guys position coach (except for Thurman)? So what the hell happened? It’s like you said under BVG the defense was nasty and also intimidating. Since then they’ve been anything but. I don’t mean to trash any players or coaches but that killer instinct was lost somewhere during the transition. And I’m not just referring to last year.
Watching the Falcons this year I’d see BVG on the sidelines and the guy is just mean and intimidating. I think that quality permeates through the entire defense. He looks like a guy players would fear disappointing. They buy in too… ’cause at the end of the day the results and accolades are there.
I get the sense that Willie’s more of a player’s coach. Celebrating more with players, etc… I don’t know.
I don’t think Willie’s a bad guy, or a bad coach but something isn’t quite right. Maybe he can hire an assistant or something to be the fire-breather type.
I know BVG won’t be coming back but that but I sure miss how the D played back then.
Hope we get back there… and soon.
RidgeDawg
He looks like a guy players would fear disappointing.
That reminds of something I heard Pollack say on his radio show last season. I don’t remember verbatim but it was something along the lines of “It didn’t matter who you were or what you had accomplished, under BVG you didn’t know if you had a starting spot from year to year or week to week”. He also said even in his senior year as a two time All-American he never felt that his starting position was secure. I think that’s one of the things missing. Fear of losing your starting spot. We all know what complacency can do to ya.
I also hope we get back to playing defense like that again very soon.
I agree, and I think it’s promising that Reshad Jones felt the heat from, and eventually lost his job to Bryan Evans.
Maybe that was the result of some kind of awakening on Willie’s part. Guys gotta feel the fire from behind them or they’ll start phoning it in.
We’ll know about the D against Okie State that’s for sure.
RidgeDawg
That Blue could lay the wood, couldn’t he? We missed him though during that Sugar Bowl that was played at the GA Dome. Must’ve been an imposter in his jersey.
Yeah, he wasn’t the best cover guy, and he took some awful angles.
But man, when he connected I’m thinking the opposition took notice.
RidgeDawg