Top Five Steps to a Turnaround

ATHENS – Dean Legge reviews the top five steps Georgia should use to turn their season around.

This list my be a lot longer than just five simple things, but the Bulldogs can turn things around if they can accomplish the following:

5. Get pressure on the quarterback

Georgia stands no chance of hanging with the big boys – Florida, Auburn and Georgia Tech – and will struggle to beat the likes of Mississippi State and Kentucky if pressure is not applied on opposing quarterbacks. Remind Charles Johnson and Q. Moses that their NFL stock is continuing to slide every time they finish a game with limited hits on the quarterback.

4. Light a fire under the running backs

Danny Ware and Kregg Lumpkin have both shown what good they can do with the ball. Lumpkin and Ware both, however, have their vices. Lumpkin struggles mightily in pass protection, and Ware can’t seem to hold on to the ball consistently. Thomas Brown may not have run the ball the way most were expecting him to do at the start of the season, but he had never set up an easy score for the other team with a fumble – Lumpkin and Ware have. Figure out a way to get both to perform, or else use Brannon Southerland more, if possible.

3. Shore up special teams and defense

The trademark of Mark Richt teams at Georgia is spectacular special teams play coupled with a stifling defense – that has not been the case this season. Georgia’s special teams have shown flashes of brilliance – Brown and Henderson’s touchdown returns – and flashes of weakness – blocked punts and too many long returns. Georgia has the players to make it work on special teams – but they have to do it. The Dawgs’ defense, too, has shown both the good – two shutouts – and the bad – giving up 50 points in Athens, this season. The defense is going to have to play better for Georgia to get to a decent bowl game.

2. Find the playmakers

This is simpler said than done. A.J. Bryant seemed to be this year’s answer at wide receiver, and he still may be, but he had another costly drop on Saturday. Teams now know not to kick the ball to Mikey Henderson. Thomas Brown, who was Georgia’s best-looking running back for the last two games, is out for the season with an ACL injury. There is almost nowhere to turn; it is vital that someone step up and do something.

1. Pick a quarterback and go with him

Joe Tereshinski, Matthew Stafford, Joe Cox, Matthew Stafford, Joe Tereshinski and back to Matthew Stafford – it must end. Georgia may be mathematically eligible to win the SEC East, but that is now very, very unlikely. The turnover at quarterback, three different starters in seven games, has been too much for this inexperienced team to handle. With that said, none of the quarterbacks have played consistently enough to warrant receiving the starting role for the entire season. But if the Dawgs are going to lose to the likes of Vanderbilt, they may as well with an eye towards the future of the program and start Stafford.