lbzdually
Banned
Coming off UGA's 2015 season, when the Smart hire was made, I was not sold on him. The 2016 season was very disappointing and it seemed like UGA had no direction. I saw Smart look lost at times with clock management. I saw plays that reeked of desperation, especially the final play against Vanderbilt. Then the bowl came around and when UGA got behind TCU, I got nervous. I thought, here we go again. But then the team started getting it's identity-defense that was stepping up at just the right time. They had trouble with athletic QB's all year but they shut TCU's offense down. The running game and timely passes got the offense clicking. Then I fully expected the big 4 of Juniors, Carter, Bellamy, Michel and Chubb to go pro, after all they had a down year that could have been attributed to a coaching change. When they decided to stay, I knew that meant they saw something us fans didn't behind the scenes. They saw a team that was like clay getting molded. Coaches knew what they wanted to do and they had a plan, but it was just off and the clay foundation could not hold the weight of a big program like UGA. When the juniors came back, they gave UGA the chance to have that concrete poured and the future of the program solidified.
Now that the foundation was solid, the framework of the program was like a huge piece of steel. The potential was there but no shape yet. During the year, they slowly started taking shape. The Notre dame win was big, but I felt UGA had far superior talent and got by the skin of their teeth. I fully expected Mississippi State to play UGA hard and I had visions of Fitzgerald just running it down UGA's throat, with UGA possibly winning a close game, but with the realization that MSU may very well come in and beat UGA. When I saw the complete and total physical domination, I started to think UGA could compete for the East. Win after win followed, leaving rival programs Tennessee and Florida in shambles after beatings by UGA. I thought UGA was there.
Then came the Auburn game. After the first scoring drive, I just knew UGA was going to go undefeated. Then the mistakes they had not been making all year came in bunches. The beating was complete and total. I thought UGA had regressed and was going to tank the least few games. The GT beating did not do much, because, well they sucked this year. What I did not realize is that the loss to Auburn became the forge that hardened all UGA's player's, not just the senior's. They all became molded by the fire and anvil, with Smart and his staff being the hammer that kept pounding them into the exact shape they need to be to keep the party going.
Then came the SECCG against Auburn. It was the opposite of the earlier game. Auburn scored early and easily. Then UGA punted and Auburn moved the ball at will deep inside UGA territory. It was the play that saved UGA's season. The hit and fumble against Stidham by Bellamy changed the game. From then on, UGA played like they knew they could. They were so focused that Auburn was overwhelmed. The foundation was there, the structure was completely formed, but something was still lacking. They needed a weapon. You don't do out and take down a mighty beast without a weapon. The forge was needed for something else.
Against Oklahoma, it looked like Oklahoma held all the weapons. 31-14 before the half. UGA needed something big because Oklahoma got the ball to start the 2nd half. The squid kick seemed innocent enough, but remember that first year gripe I had about clock management from Smart? Well he and Chaney had a play and a plan to get 3 points. A quick out got Blankenship close enough, but it was still a long FG. It was long and true. A weapon emerged. The second half UGA thrived. Fromm, Wims, Chubb and Michel became swords against Oklahoma's weakening shields. Game was tied, UGA was driving and then Michel fought for that extra yard and fumbled and Oklahoma ran it back, I felt horrible for Michel. UGA could have folded, but they rose up slayed those mighty Sooners with a mighty blow by Michel in overtime. UGA had it foundation, structure, and weapons now and I knew UGA could play with Alabama.
In the NCG, UGA played lights out. It was about to be a bloodbath, with them up 13-0 and blocking a punt deep in Bama territory. A poor call of offsides stopped that. UGA kept fighting, kept striking and did not fold. At the end Bama made the play with one of their many weapons and won the game. Now all of the team that returns next year gets to grind against the close loss, by beating UGA in the way Bama did, they became the file that will sharpen the many weapons that are at UGA and will be at UGA very soon. Smart only gets better from here and this loss will also sharpen his resolve. UGA only gets better from here on out. The offensive lines gets bigger and more talented, the DB's are taller and more physical, the QB situation gets better as experience and a generational talent in Fields coming, the RB's reload (I'll stop short of getting better, but with Swift, Holyfield and Herrien getting the experience this year and the RB prospect in Zamir White is the best at UGA in a long time, with James Cook almost a 5 star himself, it is debatable) and a host of young guys emerging on the interior D-line, along with 5 star talent at the ends, it only gets better from here. It's a great time to be a Dawg fan. I doubt Smart no more.
Now that the foundation was solid, the framework of the program was like a huge piece of steel. The potential was there but no shape yet. During the year, they slowly started taking shape. The Notre dame win was big, but I felt UGA had far superior talent and got by the skin of their teeth. I fully expected Mississippi State to play UGA hard and I had visions of Fitzgerald just running it down UGA's throat, with UGA possibly winning a close game, but with the realization that MSU may very well come in and beat UGA. When I saw the complete and total physical domination, I started to think UGA could compete for the East. Win after win followed, leaving rival programs Tennessee and Florida in shambles after beatings by UGA. I thought UGA was there.
Then came the Auburn game. After the first scoring drive, I just knew UGA was going to go undefeated. Then the mistakes they had not been making all year came in bunches. The beating was complete and total. I thought UGA had regressed and was going to tank the least few games. The GT beating did not do much, because, well they sucked this year. What I did not realize is that the loss to Auburn became the forge that hardened all UGA's player's, not just the senior's. They all became molded by the fire and anvil, with Smart and his staff being the hammer that kept pounding them into the exact shape they need to be to keep the party going.
Then came the SECCG against Auburn. It was the opposite of the earlier game. Auburn scored early and easily. Then UGA punted and Auburn moved the ball at will deep inside UGA territory. It was the play that saved UGA's season. The hit and fumble against Stidham by Bellamy changed the game. From then on, UGA played like they knew they could. They were so focused that Auburn was overwhelmed. The foundation was there, the structure was completely formed, but something was still lacking. They needed a weapon. You don't do out and take down a mighty beast without a weapon. The forge was needed for something else.
Against Oklahoma, it looked like Oklahoma held all the weapons. 31-14 before the half. UGA needed something big because Oklahoma got the ball to start the 2nd half. The squid kick seemed innocent enough, but remember that first year gripe I had about clock management from Smart? Well he and Chaney had a play and a plan to get 3 points. A quick out got Blankenship close enough, but it was still a long FG. It was long and true. A weapon emerged. The second half UGA thrived. Fromm, Wims, Chubb and Michel became swords against Oklahoma's weakening shields. Game was tied, UGA was driving and then Michel fought for that extra yard and fumbled and Oklahoma ran it back, I felt horrible for Michel. UGA could have folded, but they rose up slayed those mighty Sooners with a mighty blow by Michel in overtime. UGA had it foundation, structure, and weapons now and I knew UGA could play with Alabama.
In the NCG, UGA played lights out. It was about to be a bloodbath, with them up 13-0 and blocking a punt deep in Bama territory. A poor call of offsides stopped that. UGA kept fighting, kept striking and did not fold. At the end Bama made the play with one of their many weapons and won the game. Now all of the team that returns next year gets to grind against the close loss, by beating UGA in the way Bama did, they became the file that will sharpen the many weapons that are at UGA and will be at UGA very soon. Smart only gets better from here and this loss will also sharpen his resolve. UGA only gets better from here on out. The offensive lines gets bigger and more talented, the DB's are taller and more physical, the QB situation gets better as experience and a generational talent in Fields coming, the RB's reload (I'll stop short of getting better, but with Swift, Holyfield and Herrien getting the experience this year and the RB prospect in Zamir White is the best at UGA in a long time, with James Cook almost a 5 star himself, it is debatable) and a host of young guys emerging on the interior D-line, along with 5 star talent at the ends, it only gets better from here. It's a great time to be a Dawg fan. I doubt Smart no more.
