JerryBeeds
07-10-2005, 06:09 PM
Commentary: What happens if Coach isn't right about his QB?
By Michael A. Lough
Telegraph Staff Writer
Imagine, if you will, an opposing coach - say, that Fulmer guy or chatty Spurrier fellow - has a player he's been bragging on for years now, talking him up and up and up.
Said he was almost a co-starter at his position, and strongly inferred that there was great competition for that job. Some believed there was a rotation when there wasn't, for the player didn't play much, and rarely for long.
The situation seemed forced, as did the spin that the player disrupted an opponent's preparation. Of course, no competent defensive coordinator wastes time worrying about an offensive player who may not play at all, will play sparingly and almost never at crunch time.
Had that view come from their own team's coaches, the reaction would likely be different.
"Why we worryin' about that guy? He won't play when it matters. Let's worry about who'll play."
Indeed. Is there say, a Georgia fan who thinks former defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder fretted about anybody who only might get a dozen snaps, if any? No.
And the youngster's major chance to impress - with extended playing time against Georgia Tech - turned out to be something of a dud.
For most of three seasons, the play hasn't approached the expectations, so it's of great debate how good this player will be on the field full-time, having inspired smiles and grimaces almost equally.
It's of absolutely no debate, however, how good this player is off the field.
He's a character player. He has above-average grades, is involved in the community, is polite, mature and never been an ounce of trouble. Add his decisions not to transfer because this was, well, home, and he's an absolute posterchild for what any program's looking for.
But the numbers and execution - to those with vision unaltered by a red tint - have been rather pedestrian. Combine that with the hype, and there's a potential situation brewing.
What happens if The Situation arises?
It's somewhere in the first half of Georgia-Boise State. What does Mark Richt do if quarterback D.J. Shockley struggles and the Bulldogs' offense stalls and the visiting defenders of blue football fields everywhere have most of 92,000 fans reaching a little more feverishly for their flasks?
Has the quarterback situation of the past five years been handled right or handled questionably?
Up to now, the answer to many is the latter.
The same coach who's raved about Shockley walled him into a one-and-done plan most of the time. Richt has spent the summer telling Bulldog Club gatherings that it's different now.
"There's a lot more pressure going into a game knowing you've got one series," Richt said in a one-on-one at the Middle Georgia Bulldog Club in May. "You go in for one series and you throw that incompletion up into the stands on a broken play and you've got to sit the bench the rest of the game.
"That makes you want to do something spectacular. That makes you want to do something heroic."
It's always nice when somebody else makes your point for you.
Shouldn't Shockley have played more to avoid that "must be perfect" mindset? Wouldn't it have been more logical, considering the build-up, to play him in consecutive series, and then go from there? Haven't spectacular and heroic things been expected?
Yes, the second-guessing has been alive in The Nation for awhile and it increases around a player given few opportunities who now is expected to hang the moon each Saturday despite little space travel experience.
What if there's been a misjudgment? Hey, coaches are human, too.
There's a belief that the Bulldogs are in trouble if Shockley can't do it. Joe Tereshinski is a different type of quarterback, one who - despite Georgia's romps - has yet to throw a college pass. Ditto redshirt freshman Blake Barnes, whose progress is unclear.
The next candidate is true freshman Joe Cox, who has that terrifying label attached to his name: true freshman.
Do the coaches focus on Shockley and pray, or be prepared for injuries and steal more time with the backups?
Part of the spin has been a comparison with former Richt pupil Charlie Ward, forced almost within hours of David Greene's last pass as a Bulldog.
But it's an unfair one. Ward won a Heisman Trophy in his second year as a starter, and this is Shockley's only shot. Plus, Ward started early on at punter, so he had plenty of clutch playing time.
Richt has said that Ward threw eight interceptions in his first two games as a starter in 1992. That's not comforting, considering the opposition, his experience and the No. 3 team around him. Plus, that Heisman came the next year. Shockley doesn't have a next year.
In a 48-21 debut win over Duke, Ward was 17 of 33 for 269 yards and four touchdowns, ran nine times for 84 yards and lost a fumble. Boise State's substantially better than Duke.
A week later against No. 15 Clemson, Ward hit 20 of 39 passes for 258 yards and two scores and four more interceptions, plus 53 yards on 11 carries in the 24-20 win. South Carolina, Georgia's second opponent, won't be ranked but that game will feel like a top-10 showdown.
Pressure? Oh my.
So, can Shockley possibly live up to the expectations heaped upon him? The pressure is undeserving, but here's how this might work out.
Shockley fits into what Georgia's plan the past four seasons has been: don't lose. Don't do anything wacky, let the defense hold things down, and take advantage of that and manage a win. But can he decrease some of the mistakes that hampered him regularly?
Here's the odd thought: Richt has spent so much time on selling Shockley's potential, yet here's a scenario for a modernized Dooleyball: a powerful running game with an athletic quarterback.
Georgia has a quality running back corps, a big-time tight end, a deep and veteran offensive line, and skilled, but unproven wideouts to go with another solid defense. One can easily foresee Richt sticking with the apparent philosophy that the offense bides its time rather than engineering an explosive offense that knocks opponents out.
The Anti-Spurrier Plan of game management rather than point production, has pretty much worked. But will it work again?
And thus the possibility of major angst by 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 3, about halfway through the second quarter.
It's easy, for all the right reasons, to hope a solid player succeeds, for his sake. It's just as easy to wonder, though, if it'll happen.
What if Coach is wrong? Then again, what if he's right? Goodness. Just be prepared for anything.
http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/12097505.htm
By Michael A. Lough
Telegraph Staff Writer
Imagine, if you will, an opposing coach - say, that Fulmer guy or chatty Spurrier fellow - has a player he's been bragging on for years now, talking him up and up and up.
Said he was almost a co-starter at his position, and strongly inferred that there was great competition for that job. Some believed there was a rotation when there wasn't, for the player didn't play much, and rarely for long.
The situation seemed forced, as did the spin that the player disrupted an opponent's preparation. Of course, no competent defensive coordinator wastes time worrying about an offensive player who may not play at all, will play sparingly and almost never at crunch time.
Had that view come from their own team's coaches, the reaction would likely be different.
"Why we worryin' about that guy? He won't play when it matters. Let's worry about who'll play."
Indeed. Is there say, a Georgia fan who thinks former defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder fretted about anybody who only might get a dozen snaps, if any? No.
And the youngster's major chance to impress - with extended playing time against Georgia Tech - turned out to be something of a dud.
For most of three seasons, the play hasn't approached the expectations, so it's of great debate how good this player will be on the field full-time, having inspired smiles and grimaces almost equally.
It's of absolutely no debate, however, how good this player is off the field.
He's a character player. He has above-average grades, is involved in the community, is polite, mature and never been an ounce of trouble. Add his decisions not to transfer because this was, well, home, and he's an absolute posterchild for what any program's looking for.
But the numbers and execution - to those with vision unaltered by a red tint - have been rather pedestrian. Combine that with the hype, and there's a potential situation brewing.
What happens if The Situation arises?
It's somewhere in the first half of Georgia-Boise State. What does Mark Richt do if quarterback D.J. Shockley struggles and the Bulldogs' offense stalls and the visiting defenders of blue football fields everywhere have most of 92,000 fans reaching a little more feverishly for their flasks?
Has the quarterback situation of the past five years been handled right or handled questionably?
Up to now, the answer to many is the latter.
The same coach who's raved about Shockley walled him into a one-and-done plan most of the time. Richt has spent the summer telling Bulldog Club gatherings that it's different now.
"There's a lot more pressure going into a game knowing you've got one series," Richt said in a one-on-one at the Middle Georgia Bulldog Club in May. "You go in for one series and you throw that incompletion up into the stands on a broken play and you've got to sit the bench the rest of the game.
"That makes you want to do something spectacular. That makes you want to do something heroic."
It's always nice when somebody else makes your point for you.
Shouldn't Shockley have played more to avoid that "must be perfect" mindset? Wouldn't it have been more logical, considering the build-up, to play him in consecutive series, and then go from there? Haven't spectacular and heroic things been expected?
Yes, the second-guessing has been alive in The Nation for awhile and it increases around a player given few opportunities who now is expected to hang the moon each Saturday despite little space travel experience.
What if there's been a misjudgment? Hey, coaches are human, too.
There's a belief that the Bulldogs are in trouble if Shockley can't do it. Joe Tereshinski is a different type of quarterback, one who - despite Georgia's romps - has yet to throw a college pass. Ditto redshirt freshman Blake Barnes, whose progress is unclear.
The next candidate is true freshman Joe Cox, who has that terrifying label attached to his name: true freshman.
Do the coaches focus on Shockley and pray, or be prepared for injuries and steal more time with the backups?
Part of the spin has been a comparison with former Richt pupil Charlie Ward, forced almost within hours of David Greene's last pass as a Bulldog.
But it's an unfair one. Ward won a Heisman Trophy in his second year as a starter, and this is Shockley's only shot. Plus, Ward started early on at punter, so he had plenty of clutch playing time.
Richt has said that Ward threw eight interceptions in his first two games as a starter in 1992. That's not comforting, considering the opposition, his experience and the No. 3 team around him. Plus, that Heisman came the next year. Shockley doesn't have a next year.
In a 48-21 debut win over Duke, Ward was 17 of 33 for 269 yards and four touchdowns, ran nine times for 84 yards and lost a fumble. Boise State's substantially better than Duke.
A week later against No. 15 Clemson, Ward hit 20 of 39 passes for 258 yards and two scores and four more interceptions, plus 53 yards on 11 carries in the 24-20 win. South Carolina, Georgia's second opponent, won't be ranked but that game will feel like a top-10 showdown.
Pressure? Oh my.
So, can Shockley possibly live up to the expectations heaped upon him? The pressure is undeserving, but here's how this might work out.
Shockley fits into what Georgia's plan the past four seasons has been: don't lose. Don't do anything wacky, let the defense hold things down, and take advantage of that and manage a win. But can he decrease some of the mistakes that hampered him regularly?
Here's the odd thought: Richt has spent so much time on selling Shockley's potential, yet here's a scenario for a modernized Dooleyball: a powerful running game with an athletic quarterback.
Georgia has a quality running back corps, a big-time tight end, a deep and veteran offensive line, and skilled, but unproven wideouts to go with another solid defense. One can easily foresee Richt sticking with the apparent philosophy that the offense bides its time rather than engineering an explosive offense that knocks opponents out.
The Anti-Spurrier Plan of game management rather than point production, has pretty much worked. But will it work again?
And thus the possibility of major angst by 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 3, about halfway through the second quarter.
It's easy, for all the right reasons, to hope a solid player succeeds, for his sake. It's just as easy to wonder, though, if it'll happen.
What if Coach is wrong? Then again, what if he's right? Goodness. Just be prepared for anything.
http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/12097505.htm