Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2016
BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
PAGE 3B
Georgia Tech game was
more of the same for Bulldogs
The Game Plan
Is the AFC West
the best division in football?
There is a chance it
might have been surprising
if it didn’t look so familiar.
For roughly 54 min
utes of game
time Saturday,
Georgia showed
itself to be a
superior team to
archrival Geor
gia Tech.
It took care
of its business
until it was time
to finish the
job, and then it
failed miserably.
Again.
Another home
loss in a game
that should have been
wrapped up long before the
other team had a chance to
steal it.
Another disappointment.
Another failure.
Such is the mark of a
7-5 team, certainly not one
that “attacked the day” this
season.
As Georgia carried a
27-14 lead over the Yel
low Jackets into the fourth
quarter, no Bulldog fan
could be faulted too much
for being confident and
feeling like their team was
in good shape.
The offense had been
productive and was in con
trol.
The defense, much
like in the upset win over
Auburn, was dominating
the second half.
But sitting there, all I
could think about was how
the lead should have been
larger.
On two occasions, the
Bulldogs had to settle for
field goal tries after receiv
ers dropped easy passes
deep in Georgia Tech ter
ritory and the first of those
tries missed.
It was all too reminis
cent of the loss to Vander
bilt where having to settle
for field goals instead of
touchdowns and too many
special teams blunders
resulted in a 17-16 defeat.
And the devastating Hail
Mary loss to Tennessee
certainly wasn’t forgotten.
It might have been easy
for those feelings of anx
iety to subside when the
Jackets faced a second
down-and-12 at its 4-yard-
line, down by 13 with just
over six minutes left.
Georgia Tech’s tri
ple-option offense can
pick up chunks of yardage
when it’s working, but it’s
not designed for a team to
come from behind rapidly.
But Justin Thomas does
have the ability to throw
the ball, and Georgia’s sec
ondary has a long history
of looking clueless.
So I wish I could say I
was surprised when Thom
as completed two passes,
covering 61 yards, and the
Jackets scored a few plays
later to cut the lead down
to 27-21, but I wasn’t.
Nor was I surprised when
Georgia failed to pick up a
first down on two crucial
fourth-quarter drives that
might have helped salt the
game away.
That opened the door
just a little bit, and Tech
walked through — on their
way to a second straight
win in Athens.
This is a rivalry game
and crazy things do happen
from time to time. Geor
gia Tech has now won
six of its last 26 tilts with
the Bulldogs, but as long
as Paul Johnson is at the
helm, it will continue to be
a competitive rivalry.
Above all, though, this is
Georgia, and I really don’t
think it even matters who
is on the sideline anymore.
I watched in 2014
when Georgia inexpli
cably let Tech back into
the game and lost, so this
fourth-quarter perfor
mance on Saturday was no
shock by any stretch.
It was the lat
est meltdown
for a program
that has not been
able to consis
tently finish
games in recent
years.
That’s why
it hasn't won
a Southeast
ern Conference
championship
in 11 years, and
that's why it
hasn’t taken the
step from a good program
to a great one that we have
all been waiting for.
Kirby Smart was brought
in to change that after the
Mark Richt era had run its
course.
The expectations may
have been set too high
after such a promising start
in the opening win over
North Carolina.
After all, this was a tran
sition year.
But it’s impossible to
say it's too lofty a goal to
beat Vanderbilt and Geor
gia Tech at home. Actually,
it’s foolish.
Smart and offensive
coordinator Jim Chaney
made the decision early on
they were going to live and
die by the highs and lows
of handing the controls
over to talented, but raw,
true freshman quarterback
Jacob Eason.
Eason had his big
moments and less than
desirable ones. The receiv
ers were inconsistent in
both their pass catching
and blocking. The offen
sive line was downright
atrocious at times.
But that couldn’t real
ly be scapegoated the last
third of the season and
especially on Saturday,
when the Bulldogs rolled
up over 400 yards of
offense and got over 250
on the ground combined
from running backs Sony
Michel and Nick Chubb.
The ill-timed decision to
throw the ball that led to
the interception that led to
the game-winning touch
down was inexcusable.
Ultimately, it comes
down to execution, but the
players should have never
been in position to commit
such a costly mistake.
It was the latest coach
ing blunder, and the rookie
head coach Smart and his
staff, especially Chaney,
should go into the offsea
son with a lot to learn and
work on.
Georgia finished the reg
ular season ranked 89th
nationally in total offense.
Its point total was the
lowest it’s been since the
schedule shifted to 12 reg
ular-season games.
There has to be some
accountability at some
point.
I don’t know that this
loss really has much of an
impact on Smart’s eventual
legacy at Georgia.
He should be given some
benefit of the doubt as a
first-year man, but more
must be demanded along
with that.
I can’t point to any real
hard evidence of true prog
ress throughout the season.
I see more regression than
anything else.
Next year will bring its
own uncertainty.
The Bulldogs are likely
to lose Chubb and Michel
to the NFL, and even if
Brian Herrien, Elijah
Holyfield and company
have the potential, Chubb
and Michel aren’t guys
that can easily be replaced.
You might think there’s
f
scott
thompson
no direction for the offen
sive line to go but up. But
consider the unit is still
losing three starters.
What young guys will
step up?
The defense figures to
be pretty stout, but all
Georgia fans should under
stand by now that nothing
is ever a sure thing in col
lege football.
For now, it’s off to the
latest glorified exhibition
instead of a bowl game
that actually means some
thing.
After that’s over, this
team will need to think
long and hard about Sat
urday.
Not so much about the
game itself, but about
how the outcome rep
resents what the program
has become — one that
constantly comes up a lit
tle bit short and therefore
isn’t taken seriously on the
national stage.
Now is the time to begin
changing that.
This time, when you say,
“attack the day,” walk the
walk.
Scott Thompson is editor
of the Barrow News-Jour
nal. He can he reached at
sthompson@barrowjour-
nal.com.
Trying to determine the best
division in the NFL is always
a fun debate.
Most years it seems to be
pretty obvious. The NFC East
is usually regarded as one of
the best divisions in football
and over the last few years the
AFC North and the NFC West
have been able to make an
argument.
But this year it’s a little
more difficult to determine,
but if I had to give the honor
to one division I would give it to the
AFC West.
The AFC West is filled with some
good teams. The Oakland Raiders are
surprisingly at the top of the division
with a 9-2 record - yes. you are reading
that correctly.
The Raiders have the second best
record in football and currently have
the same record as the New England
Patriots. Are we back in 2002?
Not far behind the Raiders are the
Kansas City Chiefs with an 8-3 record.
The Chiefs started the season 2-2 but
have since gone 6-1 in their last seven
games.
On top of that, the Chiefs are coming
off of a huge road victory over division
rivals and the defending Super Bowl
Champion Denver Broncos.
The Broncos are sitting at 7-4, still
having a good shot to make the play
offs - and maybe even win the division.
Denver hasn’t had the season they were
hoping to have in defending their title,
they have suffered some tough losses
but still find themselves in a good place.
The fourth place team in
the division is the San Diego
Chargers.
The Chargers have a 5-6
record but I’d still argue they
are a good team to have such
a record. They have had some
tough breaks and have had
a hard time finishing games
in the fourth quarter. If they
could figure out some of those
issues they could find them
selves right at the top of this
division. Not to mention the
fact that the Chargers have beaten the
Broncos once already this year and have
come close to beating both Kansas City
and Oakland - although coming close
doesn’t get you anything in the NFL.
Trying to determine the best division
in the NFL isn’t an easy task. It’s not so
simple as each division plays each other
and you just calculating the records.
You have to factor so many things into
play. Like the way the divisional teams
play against each other and the way they
compete outside of their division.
I think, when it’s all said and done,
the AFC West will prove to be the best
division in football.
You will have at least two teams from
the AFC West in the playoffs. Who
knows, maybe even three. There is still
a lot of football to be played, but be on
the lookout for these teams.
Tyler Rollason is a Winder-Barrow
High School and University of West
Georgia graduate. You can email com
ments about this column to tyrollason@
yahoo.com.
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WATER RESTRICTIONS/DROUGHT NOTICES
November 18, 2016
Due to the worsening of drought conditions, the EPD has declared a Level 2 Drought Response
effective immediately.
During a Level 2 Drought Response, outdoor landscape watering is only allowed two (2) days a
week determined by odd and even-numbered addresses. Even-numbered addresses and
properties without numbered addresses may water on Wednesday and Saturday between 4:00
p.m. and 10:00 a.m. Odd-numbered addresses may water Thursday and Sunday between 4:00
p.m. and 10:00 a.m.
Prohibited outdoor water uses include the following:
Washing hard surfaces such as streets, gutters, sidewalks and driveways, except when
necessary for public health and safety;
Using water for ornamental purposes, such as fountains, reflecting pools and waterfalls;
The use of fire hydrants, except for firefighting, public health, safety or flushing;
Washing vehicles, such as cars, boats, trailers, motorbikes, airplanes or golf carts;
Non-commercial washing, or pressure washing, of buildings or structures, except for
immediate fire protection; and
Charity, or non-commercial fund-raiser, car washes.
The following activities are allowed under both Level 1 and Level 2 Drought Responses:
Irrigation of personal food gardens may be done at any time of day;
Irrigation of new and replanted plant, seed, or turf may be done at any time of day for 30
days after installation;
Drip irrigation or irrigation using soaker hoses may be done at any time of day and hand
watering with a hose with automatic cutoff or handheld container may be done at any time
of day;
General landscape watering may be done between 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. on the
designated days.
For additional allowable uses refer to EPD Drought Management Document
Rule 391-3-30-.03 Predrought Mitigation Strategies
Go to Barrow County website for more listings: www.barrowqa.org
Barrow County is included in the 52 counties for Level 2 Drought Repsonse. More water
conservation information is available at http://epd.qeorqia.gov/water-conservation.
Water conservation kits are available at Barrow County Water office upon request.
Barrow County Board of Commissioners
30 North Broad Street; Winder, GA 30680
www.barrowga.org
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