My honest outsiders view of this App State team

[JustVisiting]

I'm a Dawg fan who went back and watched your game's against Tennessee and Miami from a year ago. I admittedly didn't watch any games other than those two, but I wanted to post my impressions here and see how much you guys may agree or disagree with what I saw.

Here's my post from a Georgia forum:

Formation Stuff:

-- They were in the pistol 90% of the time. Unless it was third down and an obvious passing situation, they were in the pistol. They didn't run a single play under center in the two games that I watched.

-- They liked to bring a TE into the backfield next to the QB Taylor Lamb and utilize him as a lead blocker. You will see this a ton.

-- They also like to morph into a triple-option look by bringing a WR in motion and allowing Lamb to either hand to the back or run the option to the edge with the WR.

Personnel:

-- QB #11 Taylor Lamb: He's a veteran and I'm sure he'll be up for this game with all of his Georgia ties, but this guy shouldn't concern UGA at all. He is a very average runner in an zone read offense and he really struggles to push the ball down the field in the few instances per game that they try to do so. You have to make him throw the football down the field.

-- RB #25 Jalin Moore: He ended up leading the team in rushing, but only because the starter got banged up. He's a serviceable back with solid speed. Not the biggest guy. He is going to be their main weapon offensively.

-- WR #6 Shaedon Meadors: Solid size at 6'2, but he didn't do anything against the Vols or the Canes. He had some good games for them in the middle of the season, but this guy is not a matchup problem at all.

Departed Personnel:

-- RB Marcus Cox: It can't be understated.. this was the best player they had and he's gone. Cox went for over 100yds against the Vols and he had 48 in the first quarter against Miami before he got hurt, and that doesn't even count a spectacular 80yd TD run called back on a ridiculous hold by a wideout downfield. When he went out against the Canes, that's when the game began to spiral on the Mountaineers.

-- WR Deltron Hopkins: Think a poor man's Isaiah McKenzie, but even smaller. He was the guy they went to when they wanted to get to the edge in the run game. Remember the note above about motioning a WR into the backfield? This is the guy that they went to in that option look as well as on the jet sweeps and things like that. He's gone thankfully.

Overall Thoughts:

App State is going to try and run the football. That is who they are and they're going to utilize draws and option looks to get it done. Unless they added someone through recruiting or transfer, there is no one on the outside that the Georgia secondary should be concerned with in man coverage. The Dawgs need to outnumber them up front like the Canes and just play disciplined on the back side. If guys are doing their job and not trying to be heroes in Game 1, this team can't match up with the Georgia defense. Taylor Lamb is not a gifted enough passer to beat you down the football field and they generally don't ask him to do so because of it. Mind the TE's sneaking out and play man all game.

If UGA tackles well and Eason/offense doesn't gift them a bunch of turnovers, this opponent is not scoring more than 17 points. Yes, they absolutely should've beaten Tennessee and they're picked to win the Sun Belt once again, but it's not because of the offense.

[AppSt94]

Fair assessment based on the limited sample size. You are correct in that we will run the ball, and then run it some more. I can see why you would call Moore a "Sevicable" back. I mean you guys have have quite the 1-2 punch. The likes that no one else in the country has. However, as good as Moore is, he would have been third on depth chart behind Terrance Upshaw if he weren't ineligible. We also have Darynton Evans who will be utilized in multiple ways. Lamb is a winner and I would take him over Eason any day of the week. I'm not saying that Eason isn't good, but he needs to be more consistent.

There is no real reason for me to believe that we are going to light up the scoreboard. UGa has a good defense. The X factor is going to be our defensive scheme against the youthful o-line of the Dawgs. If they can pick up the blocking and give Eason time to operate then you should be fine.

[Seattleapp]

What an awesome Georgia homer post

[/\PP ST/\TE GRAD 09]

I'm a Dawg fan who went back and watched your game's against Tennessee and Miami from a year ago. I admittedly didn't watch any games other than those two, but I wanted to post my impressions here and see how much you guys may agree or disagree with what I saw.

Here's my post from a Georgia forum:

Formation Stuff:

-- They were in the pistol 90% of the time. Unless it was third down and an obvious passing situation, they were in the pistol. They didn't run a single play under center in the two games that I watched.

-- They liked to bring a TE into the backfield next to the QB Taylor Lamb and utilize him as a lead blocker. You will see this a ton.

-- They also like to morph into a triple-option look by bringing a WR in motion and allowing Lamb to either hand to the back or run the option to the edge with the WR.

Personnel:

-- QB #11 Taylor Lamb: He's a veteran and I'm sure he'll be up for this game with all of his Georgia ties, but this guy shouldn't concern UGA at all. He is a very average runner in an zone read offense and he really struggles to push the ball down the field in the few instances per game that they try to do so. You have to make him throw the football down the field.

-- RB #25 Jalin Moore: He ended up leading the team in rushing, but only because the starter got banged up. He's a serviceable back with solid speed. Not the biggest guy. He is going to be their main weapon offensively.

-- WR #6 Shaedon Meadors: Solid size at 6'2, but he didn't do anything against the Vols or the Canes. He had some good games for them in the middle of the season, but this guy is not a matchup problem at all.

Departed Personnel:

-- RB Marcus Cox: It can't be understated.. this was the best player they had and he's gone. Cox went for over 100yds against the Vols and he had 48 in the first quarter against Miami before he got hurt, and that doesn't even count a spectacular 80yd TD run called back on a ridiculous hold by a wideout downfield. When he went out against the Canes, that's when the game began to spiral on the Mountaineers.

-- WR Deltron Hopkins: Think a poor man's Isaiah McKenzie, but even smaller. He was the guy they went to when they wanted to get to the edge in the run game. Remember the note above about motioning a WR into the backfield? This is the guy that they went to in that option look as well as on the jet sweeps and things like that. He's gone thankfully.

Overall Thoughts:

App State is going to try and run the football. That is who they are and they're going to utilize draws and option looks to get it done. Unless they added someone through recruiting or transfer, there is no one on the outside that the Georgia secondary should be concerned with in man coverage. The Dawgs need to outnumber them up front like the Canes and just play disciplined on the back side. If guys are doing their job and not trying to be heroes in Game 1, this team can't match up with the Georgia defense. Taylor Lamb is not a gifted enough passer to beat you down the football field and they generally don't ask him to do so because of it. Mind the TE's sneaking out and play man all game.

If UGA tackles well and Eason/offense doesn't gift them a bunch of turnovers, this opponent is not scoring more than 17 points. Yes, they absolutely should've beaten Tennessee and they're picked to win the Sun Belt once again, but it's not because of the offense.

Fair assessment. Can't be mad and agree with most. Anything can happen though. Nobody expected us to take Tennessee to overtime. I like our chances if it comes down to a last play hail mary for App.

[EastHallApp]

Generally correct. You are underselling Moore - he was conference OPOY. I think Lamb's a little better runner than you give him credit for, but the critique of his arm is nothing that hasn't been said here many times.

Meadors wasn't healthy in the games you saw. May or may not make a difference (and he may not be healthy now either), but it's worth noting.

But big-picture, you're likely right about our offensive MO. We'll try and run, stay on schedule and shorten the game as long as we can stay close.

I notice you didn't say anything about our D. We'll play a 3-4 with an undersized but quick line. They gave Tennessee all kinds of trouble. Miami had a plan to get the ball out quick on passing plays and it worked. I'm sure Georgia will look to overpower us up front.

My concern is how our secondary will hold up against downfield throws. They're good, but when they've struggled, it's been against QBs who could test them vertically.

[High Country Student]

Quick touch ups. Deltron Hopkins transferred. He wasn't much of a factor for us and ended up getting beat out.

Although Cox was huge for us in his time here, I wouldn't sleep on Moore. He stepped in as starter after Cox went down the in the third game of the year and still won conference offensive player of the year.

I feel that we have a good offense and you have a good defense but your defense will win that battle based on pure talent head to head more than likely. With that being said, Taylor Lambs best attribute is his willingness to manage a game and not make poor decisions. If we can minimize turnovers, the game may be interesting.

UGA's offense is somewhat unproven outside of a few positions and our defense has really been solid all around other than the one letdown against Miami. They have proven that they can compete with better athletes. If Georgia's offense is not meshing well, we could easily force them to make some mistakes.

Not saying any of that will happen but in summary if we minimize turnovers and our defense matches Georgia's offense, it could turn into a ballgame. Emphasis on the could, not will.

[Bearboy]

Hard for you to do a real assessment without looking at both sides of the ball. I think if we get to Eason early and force a couple of turnovers, this game gets very interesting. It's not like the dawgs offense is tried and true. I look for our D to confuse your OL to some degree. The determining factor in this game will be the play of Chubb.

[diehardapp18]

Fair assessment based on the limited sample size. You are correct in that we will run the ball, and then run it some more. I can see why you would call Moore a "Sevicable" back. I mean you guys have have quite the 1-2 punch. The likes that no one else in the country has. However, as good as Moore is, he would have been third on depth chart behind Terrance Upshaw if he weren't ineligible. We also have Darynton Evans who will be utilized in multiple ways. Lamb is a winner and I would take him over Eason any day of the week. I'm not saying that Eason isn't good, but he needs to be more consistent.

There is no real reason for me to believe that we are going to light up the scoreboard. UGa has a good defense. The X factor is going to be our defensive scheme against the youthful o-line of the Dawgs. If they can pick up the blocking and give Eason time to operate then you should be fine.

I am one of the biggest Lamb defenders on this forum and on campus. But man this take is awful lol. Eason was a true freshman last year and a top 10 recruit out of HS. He is legit and has x20 more talent than Lamb. That is just facts.

I think this was a very fair assessment of our team. Our offense always struggles against big teams, and I doubt Georgia will be any different unfortunately.

[manonabuffalo]

I think we matchup with UGA worse than we did with UT overall, but I see openings if we get a few breaks early in the game. If we are able to control the clock, keep penalties down, and keep UGA from throwing downfield for big chunk plays we got a good chance to make them sweat or even win.

Special teams will likely play a huge part in this game as so often is the case early in the season. We missed an XP and game winning FG against UT, I think Rubino is solid now so doubt that happens again. Where we could have issues is on punt returns and punting where we are filling a lot of holes early.

[mikeyosef]

Fair assessment of our game plan, probably the same assessment the Vols coaching staff made last year in preparation for the game. I don't think Tennessee was one bit surprised by our game plan on offense or defense. We don't do trick plays and we don't have a very ESPN highlight type offense, we just execute very well. We are the underdogs for good reason but we are coming to play, not get a paycheck, and that should be of concern to any favored team, SEC or otherwise.

[AppSt94]

Fair assessment based on the limited sample size. You are correct in that we will run the ball, and then run it some more. I can see why you would call Moore a "Sevicable" back. I mean you guys have have quite the 1-2 punch. The likes that no one else in the country has. However, as good as Moore is, he would have been third on depth chart behind Terrance Upshaw if he weren't ineligible. We also have Darynton Evans who will be utilized in multiple ways. Lamb is a winner and I would take him over Eason any day of the week. I'm not saying that Eason isn't good, but he needs to be more consistent.

There is no real reason for me to believe that we are going to light up the scoreboard. UGa has a good defense. The X factor is going to be our defensive scheme against the youthful o-line of the Dawgs. If they can pick up the blocking and give Eason time to operate then you should be fine.

I am one of the biggest Lamb defenders on this forum and on campus. But man this take is awful lol. Eason was a true freshman last year and a top 10 recruit out of HS. He is legit and has x20 more talent than Lamb. That is just facts.

I think this was a very fair assessment of our team. Our offense always struggles against big teams, and I doubt Georgia will be any different unfortunately.

I didn't say that Eason was not good and nor did I say that Lamb was the more talented QB. What I said, as inferred by the sentence following the one that you focused on, was that Lamb is a proven winner at the college level and the Eason was inconsistent. Sorry if I didn't acknowledge that he was a true freshmen playing in the SEC, but decision making and execution are transferable attributed to the level of competition.

[The Rock]

I personally feel like Lamb is more than a "very average" runner when he keeps the ball. Sure, he is no Jalen Hurts, but you won't see him running the ball 15 times per game (I hope. If he does, things probably aren't going well for us)
As said earlier, he is a smart qb and knows when pulling it is the best option and usually picks up good yardage when he does. In our bowl game last year vs. Toledo, he rushed 9 times for 126 yards, or 14 yard per carry average.
He also passed for 119 yards with a TD and no ints.
True, he won't stand in the pocket and throw bombs all day, but that's how our offense is geared. We run, pretty successfully, usually then when the D is playing for the run, we will take a chance down field. He hasn't however performed well against the power 5 teams in the past.
Our receiving corps were not that strong last year, but I feel that will change this year. If it does, I think you will see more production out of Lambs pass game, and opening up our run game even more.
Jalin Moore isn't just a serviceable back, he has the potential to be a game changer. Last year was really the first year he got any significantplaying time, and it often took him a couple of series to get in the flow of the game early in the year. That is why he didn't get much time in the Tennessee game. He wasn't productive early on when cox was. We needed all the offense we could get, thus we stayed with cox. I think this year Moore will be more productive immediately knowing he is the starter and having much more experience coming in.
I think special teams will be crucial. A brand new punter in an SEC environment will be tough, and we can't get backed up deep in our own territory.

Obviously we are the underdogs, but we also have a lot of experience coming back, and if you think they aren't still upset about letting opportunity slip last year at Tennessee, you are sadly mistaken.
I hope it will at least be a close battle to the end either way.
GO APPS!

[bigCasu]

This is what happens when an opposing fan gets tired of hearing about the hype and decides to do something about it.

When you decide to make some comments about this team and what they have been able to do the last 2+ years and do not mention the offensive line.... once again..... this is what happens.

[Saint3333]

Here's my take, without considering anything UGA did last year or what they bring back or lose (which is 10% less research than the OP).
Win or lose against App, UGA underperforms versus fan expectations and finishes third in the SEC East.

[bigdaddyg]

This is what happens when an opposing fan gets tired of hearing about the hype and decides to do something about it.

When you decide to make some comments about this team and what they have been able to do the last 2+ years and do not mention the offensive line.... once again..... this is what happens.

I agree. We have what should be one of the top O lines in the country. What the heck is a "serviceable back"? The man was POTY and I believe is the preseason offensive POTY? Granted it's the Sunbelt but he ain't some chump back. I have always been a sports realist and size, speed and superior talent tends to trump "trying your best" and even heart. But I firmly believe that we have a coaching staff that can get the absolute best out of the talent available. It should be a good game.

[boonegoons89]

Living in Georgia the last three years, I can tell you Georgia fans are insufferable. Might be worst than Stink fans.

[MtnDevil95]

I tend to agree with what other App fans have said already.

I hope that Smart and the Dawgs sleep on Taylor's ability to run out of trouble and make something out of nothing. That defensive sleeping served Ohio and Toledo well in the bowl games . . . oh wait, no it didn't, Taylor ran for big plays turning the tide of both games . . . yep the Dawgs definitely don't need to worry about Lamb.

Running for 1,400 yards for a season seems to be more than just "serviceable," even in a run first offense. Certainly when Moore did that while sharing carries with the likes of Marcu Cox who himself gained over 1,000 yards on the season. Even a "very serviceable" back will be dangerous running through one of the top o-lines, so I would be happy if the Dawg's overlooked the O-line and Moore running past them.

As for the App State defense, yes Georgia's ex-Head Coach (who will likely win an Natty before the Dawgs) drew up a great game plan that accentuated Miami's speed and strength advantages over App's defensive backfield, but Eason is no Brad Kaaya. If Smart runs, and with Chubb and Michel, why would he do anything else, this moves the focus into the trenches. On paper the UGa big uglies may be bigger and uglier (the latter no doubt), but I like App's chances with the experience and abilities of the Mountaineer front 7.

I'm not blind with hope for an App State upset, but I don't think this will be a cupcake game for Georgia either. Maybe App only scores 17 points on the Dawgs, but had the Mountaineers put up 17 in Knoxville, that game doesn't go into OT . . .

[CVAPP]

We suck. You Dawgs need to focus on your real season opener at Notre Dame.

[Rekdiver]

I expect UGA to pound pound pound and let eason slip in a pass. Season opener: I dont expect any let down from UGA. They will want to get this game over early and play subs so they can focus on UND.

[ericsaid]

I'm a Dawg fan who went back and watched your game's against Tennessee and Miami from a year ago. I admittedly didn't watch any games other than those two, but I wanted to post my impressions here and see how much you guys may agree or disagree with what I saw.

Here's my post from a Georgia forum:

Formation Stuff:

-- They were in the pistol 90% of the time. Unless it was third down and an obvious passing situation, they were in the pistol. They didn't run a single play under center in the two games that I watched.

-- They liked to bring a TE into the backfield next to the QB Taylor Lamb and utilize him as a lead blocker. You will see this a ton.

-- They also like to morph into a triple-option look by bringing a WR in motion and allowing Lamb to either hand to the back or run the option to the edge with the WR.

Personnel:

-- QB #11 Taylor Lamb: He's a veteran and I'm sure he'll be up for this game with all of his Georgia ties, but this guy shouldn't concern UGA at all. He is a very average runner in an zone read offense and he really struggles to push the ball down the field in the few instances per game that they try to do so. You have to make him throw the football down the field.

-- RB #25 Jalin Moore: He ended up leading the team in rushing, but only because the starter got banged up. He's a serviceable back with solid speed. Not the biggest guy. He is going to be their main weapon offensively.

-- WR #6 Shaedon Meadors: Solid size at 6'2, but he didn't do anything against the Vols or the Canes. He had some good games for them in the middle of the season, but this guy is not a matchup problem at all.

Departed Personnel:

-- RB Marcus Cox: It can't be understated.. this was the best player they had and he's gone. Cox went for over 100yds against the Vols and he had 48 in the first quarter against Miami before he got hurt, and that doesn't even count a spectacular 80yd TD run called back on a ridiculous hold by a wideout downfield. When he went out against the Canes, that's when the game began to spiral on the Mountaineers.

-- WR Deltron Hopkins: Think a poor man's Isaiah McKenzie, but even smaller. He was the guy they went to when they wanted to get to the edge in the run game. Remember the note above about motioning a WR into the backfield? This is the guy that they went to in that option look as well as on the jet sweeps and things like that. He's gone thankfully.

Overall Thoughts:

App State is going to try and run the football. That is who they are and they're going to utilize draws and option looks to get it done. Unless they added someone through recruiting or transfer, there is no one on the outside that the Georgia secondary should be concerned with in man coverage. The Dawgs need to outnumber them up front like the Canes and just play disciplined on the back side. If guys are doing their job and not trying to be heroes in Game 1, this team can't match up with the Georgia defense. Taylor Lamb is not a gifted enough passer to beat you down the football field and they generally don't ask him to do so because of it. Mind the TE's sneaking out and play man all game.

If UGA tackles well and Eason/offense doesn't gift them a bunch of turnovers, this opponent is not scoring more than 17 points. Yes, they absolutely should've beaten Tennessee and they're picked to win the Sun Belt once again, but it's not because of the offense.

1. The pistol is the formation that allows the offense to most efficiently utilize the stretch running play from.
2. The TE you refer to is, for all intents and purposes, an H-Back.
3. There is no "triple-option". This is misdirection that allows for more blockers to be on the side the ball is going to than there are defenders; this essentially nullifies the potential size and speed disparities by giving the running back and offensive line more favorable match-ups.
4. Taylor Lamb is savvy when he needs to be. You failed to mention several dropped passes that stalled drives during the Miami games where the receivers would run before the catch. This issue was for the most part in later games by rotating some younger guys in.
5. You didn't address the defense.
6. Moore, while serviceable, is that way due to the offense being run. I think you'll be surprised how quickly the backs get to the second level in this system if there is an opening, regardless of if you see number 25 or 20 running the ball.
7. Deltron Hopkins leaves a void that will allow for a player far more versatile to get more touches. He was the back-up against Miami after Cox went down.
8. UGA should've lost to Nichols State last season and played a Louisiana - Lafayette team close that App shut out; take that for what it's worth (probably not much).