Spring Game discussion ...

Never really can take anything from a spring game IMO defensively, because they always are restrained from really playing out. The offense was decent, but then Samuel and Dowdle didn't play, so it wasn't a true indicator.

About the biggest things we learned perhaps is that the #3 QB depth chart between Ulrich and Joyner is truly a distant #3 QB depth chart. They are pretty far behind Scarnecchia at #2, and then Bentley as the starter.

Edwards looks ready to go: he had a total of 7 receptions for 117 yds and a TD. Overall the WRs dropped too many passes, which makes the day look even better as the teams combined for 365 passing yds and 3 TDs, even with the drops. OrTre Smith also added 2 receptions for 41 yds. Both Chad Terrell (ACL) and Dreak Davis (groin) were also out for the spring game.

Ty Williams and AJ Turner were strong in Rico's absence, with a total of 7 carries for 100 yds (14.3 YPC) and 1 TD. Turner also added 2 catches for 52 yds and a TD as well.

Defensive players who also sat out the game were Bryson Allen-Williams (shoulder), Jamyest Williams (shoulder), Antoine Wilder (elbow), and Jaylon Dickerson (shoulder), but again the defense would've been hamstrung regardless.

I did like how true freshman LB Rosendo Louis - who CWM has talked very highly of - led the "Black" team with 5 tackles. RS-Fr. MJ Webb, So. Damani Staley, So. David Johnson, and RS-Jr. Shamiek Blackshear all got QB sacks. We need to develop our DL depth if we want to get back to the success we've had in past years.

But overall I think the defense didn't perform to Coach Muschamp's expectations. I certainly expect our defense to make bigger noise in fall camp, after stewing over the spring game all summer long....

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If Werner has a big influence, then I see the passing game be the emphasis of our offense which I feel much better about than a rushing attack running into a wall with an oline that is better suited for pass protection

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Actually I've read comments from both McClendon and Bentley Sr. that there will be more expected from the RB corps this season.....primarily for one of the group of Rico, Ty, and AJ to step forward and claim the job outright. It sounds like they are wanting a more dominant run game as well, but we will soon find out....

I thought the offense with Bentley at qb looked sharper than any Spring Game offense I’ve witnessed except maybe one of Shaw’s years.

The HUNH looked very good to me - better than anytime it was tried here previously. I also noticed the RPO plays seemed to be read and run much better.

When an RPO play is run well, it makes a defense look clueless. There were two plays that did that which stood out for me and we saw nothing like them the past two years.....

One play was a pass play to the right side just beyond the LB’s and heading to the north end zone. The LB’s has come up to stop the run and Jake tossed it to a wide open receiver (forget who it was but any of us could have thrown for that completion). About a 25 yard catch and run I think.

The other was a running play where Jake and the RB are rolling to the right and OL is shifting right. Because RPO plays we’re keeping LB’s confused, no LB’s were crashing to stop the run and were instead on the heels a bit. Jake ended up handing off and because the defense is guessing the RB had a lane on the right side and went for about 10-12 yards.

The offense will be soooo much better in 2018. If we have a Top 50 offense, which I think we will, and just a similar defense to last year, this is a 10 win team.

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HUNH looked better? Worthy of hope?

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I think this system suits Bentley more. It lets him get out of his own way and make 1 or 2 reads and get the ball out. It also doesn't have routes that take a day and a half to develop.

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Running game showing promise, or no? Freshman added depth?

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Not to sound cliche but with the HUNH helping Bentley in the passing game, that plus defenses struggling to line up will help the running game. Yes the one freshman who got snaps, Deshaun Fenwick, lived up to the hype. Ran with fury and is, I believe, our biggest back. He will see time at least in short yardage situations and will probably see more playing time as the year goes on, like UGA used Swift last year.

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DLine depth ... maybe?

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I think this hasn't been talked about all that much in terms of total # of potential contributors. We have the knowns of Kinlaw, Wonnum and Kier Thomas, but we have also heard a lot about Kobe Smith finally getting it together. The key thing here, for me, is that we all saw how well Danny Fennell did down the stretch last year at the buck position. Now, when he's asked about the defense, Champ talks about Fennell playing more at Sam than anything else. that tells me he's seen enough from the likes of Enagbare, Tyreek Johnson, Brad Johnson, Aaron Sterling, Shameik Blackshear etc that we don't necessarily need him on the line as much anymore.

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Too many injuries, too many guys sitting out, to tell us much?

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To me, the only injuries that have positions in question are the ones at Safety i.e. Jaylin Dickerson and Jam Williams. However, I think that even with those, due to overall lack of depth particularly at that position, those guys will be on the field regardless.

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Comfortable with Scarnechia at #2? Jay Urich impress anyone with his speed?

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Personally, I'm not comfortable with anyone at #2. It is a huge drop off between Bentley and everyone else. Werner can make huge strides with Urich and Joyner but if they are out there with the game on the line we're in serious trouble.

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Kicking game looking better?

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He did look more confident and we do have the advantage of the transfer coming in to provide competition.

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Or was it all just kinda meh ... can't take anything away from a Spring Game?

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you can't take a lot away from it but you can see who can win 1 on 1 battles and do their jobs. Until you can see them play within the scheme its hard to know anything for sure.

Man ... all good stuff guys. Thanks!

Yeah, I liked Fenwick a lot too and can't wait to see Valentine as well. But I've got a sneaky feeling that they would like to redshirt both of those guys and give them a year to get bigger and stronger. We should have the guys to be able to do that ... if we can't establish a running game with Dowdle, AJ, Denson, Williams and Kinlaw then something is wrong.

Wolford is determined to get that line providing some push. The RPO in the HUNH is deadly IF Bentley can make the right read ... something he didn't always do even in the slower version of the RPOs last season.

Werner is key to all of this IMHO. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that he really is the true QB whisperer. FWIW I've been told he loves it hear and feels like this will be his last stop ... and that he feels like he can make his legacy here.

We seem to be fairly loaded at WR ... not really worried about WR too much but I am iffy about Deebo's return. There are a lot of doubts about him staying healthy.

We're gonna be okay at TE aren't we? When I saw Markaway go down I was like "uh oh" but we dodged a bullet there. August, Pollard, Crosby ... we should be okay, right?

The secondary is worrisome but if anyone can save us there it is Boom and T-Rob hope.

Yeah, I loved that Louis kid at LB. He looks like the real deal. But we're a little short handed in the LB department this year so we gotta hope for no injuries. I know they want to sign four or five in this next class.

Speaking of the secondary ... the kid who they are converting from HS QB - he's being turned into a nickle safety right? And then there is Charleston ... I keep thinking he might really contribute back there this year. This staff just seems to find plug and play players and we really need help in center field.

Nixon continues to impress IMHO.

Back to the offense. This new offense is so dependent on timing. Bentley and Scarnecchia are under orders to spend every spare minute working with the WRs and RBs during the off-season running plays so it becomes second nature to them ... and that will be the difference in this upcoming season IMHO. If they really work hard at it we'll see a big difference in game one.

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Nixon continues to impress IMHO

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I think the play of the DL will have a lot to do with how our secondary looks. The DL this year will have a lot more speed and will get to the QB a lot more quickly than last year. That reduces the amount of time that the secondary has to cover. I think the scenario that they may be pushing for is to see how quickly the can throw Jaycee Horn/Mukuamu into the fire at CB and have Nixon shift over to Nickel. In addition to Jam, Dickerson, Roderick, Charleston and Montac at Safety, we also have Jonathan Gipson coming in as well. I personally wouldn't be surprised to see Charleston get the nod on plenty of starts back there, but I think it will be a revolving door with a lot of subs.