Second quarter
1. Georgia 1st-10 on their own 47 after the break and run play-action out of the ace. Stafford goes deeeeeeep to Green and McFadden (+) is all over it (cover +). Pass is long anyway; Stafford's been a little off to this point on his deep balls.
2. The counter to Moreno, and this time Doolittle (+) forces his way into the hole, causing Moreno to try a sliver up the middle; Stevens (+) has eluded the block of a WR and tackles immediately. Well done.
3. 3rd-10. It's ... a QB draw? On 3rd-10? Stafford shows precisely why this is a bad idea, forgoing what appears to be some measure of open space outside to juke his way directly into the path of Carter (+), who nonetheless had some work to do to discard his blocker and wrap up at the LOS. Puntin' time!
4. Dunn calls for a fair catch on the 16 with no one within 10 yards of him. Cripes, Dunn, we don't have to have the spectacular play you gave us last time, but can't you burrow for five yards or so at least? Don't you think this offense needs all the help it can get? (ST -).
5. Ace. Waggle, Burns (+) floats one to Hawthorne (+) at the sticks. Hawthorne makes the grab and shrugs off a tackle for a 13-yard gain. Dave Archer doesn't like Burns lofting it up like that, but when your guy is that wide open, the main thing is just getting it there, no?
6. Two-TE ace, Tate carries up the middle for almost nothing. I think it's Green who screws this up (line -); the play is designed to get everyone going right and then let Tate cut up behind the morass, with Green sealing off the DT on the left. Instead he merely brushes him on his way to block the same LB Ziemba's aiming for, and the DT is free to tackle unencumbered.
7. Spread. QB draw, and Georgia blitzes the corner right into it. Tate (+) alertly picks him up and blocks the corner into an LB, giving Burns a chance to get outside ... where Billings (-), having first given up on blocking the corner, now misses the safety. Then again, maybe this is a good move: after riding Burns out of bounds for no gain, he shoves him to the ground to pick up one of the stupider 15-yarders you'll see.
8. 1st-10 on Auburn's 45, Ace with a TE and H-back. Trott motions to the weak side and Tate carries that way ... or at least he does for a moment, before completely reversing his field and running into open space on the opposite side. This looks like a five-yard loss waiting to happen (and he started this play running far too east-west), but you have to give Tate (+) some credit for breaking three different tackles and bulling his way for 12. Whew. (Nice cut by Pugh here, btw, to give Tate the corner.)
9. After Georgia hands over five yards for an offside, it's 1st-5 on the UGA 37. Spread. QB draw, Georgia blites one of their two LBs and Bosley gets a piece of him (line +), opening up the middle. Fannin's got a one-on-one block to get Kodi the first; he makes it (+) and Burns (+) scoots for 7.
10. I. Play-action, Pugh loses his man (line -) and Burns is flushed from the pocket. He tries to sneak one into Fannin along the sideline 15 yards downfield; Curran gets his paws on it 10 yards downfield and nearly picks it.
11. Ace, Trott again motions into an H-back spot on the weakside. Waggle, Dawgs are all over it with a guy in Burns's face and one on Trott. Burns (+) does his Burns thing and jukes his way free before firing a bullet to Trott; Trott (-) not only drops it but pops it into the air and nearly gets the thing picked off. Infuriating.
12. 3rd-10, spread. Screen to Tate and the line (+), Trott, Hawthorne, and Billings (who gets away with a bit of a hold, FWIW) form what really might be fairly called a wall on the left side. Tate dashes outside for 12. Auburn's into the red zone! Yes! I mean, Oh No!
13. Two-TE ace. Give to Fannin. Green gets completely owned, but Bosley's done an excellent job with his guy and Fannin (+) sort of hops around Green and his guy for, somehow, 4.
14. Ace, Fannin over the weak side, where Georgia's blitzed the corner again. Green's just a hair late getting over to cut him off and drags him down by the neck; it's a legit holding call and killer given that the rest of the play was well-blocked and had Fannin inside the 10. (line -) Not a good drive here for Green.
15. Spread. Draw to Fannin and it's cleanly blocked initially, getting Fannin to the linebackers. Unfortunately Bosley's failed to do much with Ellerbe and as Fannin tries to get past them he's swarmed. Further bad luck ensures when Fannin's spun out of the tackle three yards backwards, then regains his balance enough to basically just reestablish forward progress at the new, crappier spot. No gain.
16. 3rd-16. Spread. The line (+) gives Burns a good pocket. Too bad the ball flies out of his hands for no reason whatsoever as he attempts to pass. Georgia recovers. (Burns -). From 2nd-6 on the 14, Auburn goes hold-no gain-turnover. Your 2008 season int he red zone in microcosm, folks.
17. Quick toss to Moreno. Despite the announcers (and the PBP) giving Doolittle credit here, I think it's Marks (+) who knifes through and trips Moreno up. Loss of 1.
18. Wow, a seven-man blitz from Auburn. Stafford goes with his first available read, an out to Green, but Doolittle (+) jumps up and bats it away.
19. OH HELL HE'S BLITZING SEVEN AGAIN. Thorpe is on an island with the streaking Massaqoui and while he's not beaten badly, he's definitely given up a step and it's 6 points if Stafford hits him; Etheridge is coming unblocked, though, and I think it hurries Stafford just enough to cause the overthrow. Terrifying, but effective, I guess. Three-and-out!
20. Dunn is having an absolute howler today. This time he loses the ball in the wind and lets it land at the 10 when he's got 10 yards on a return, minimum. Dawgs down it at the 7. 10-15 yards of field position lost again. (ST -).
21. Ace, handoff to Tate around right end. Pugh's driven back, Trott misreads which LB to block (line -) and it's a quick loss of 1.
22. Spread with a bunch left. QB draw, tons of room over the left side (line +) and a thumping Tate block get Burns 8.
23. 3rd-3. Could really use the first down this deep in our own territory. Spread, QB sweep, and as predictable a call as this is I think it still picks up the first if Pugh doesn't make a sorry effort on blocking Curran at the point-of-attack. Pugh gives him a sort of love tap and then stands there watching Curran tackle after a gain of 1. (line -)
24. 35-yarder from Durst into the wind. No return. Could be worse, I guess.
25. 1st-10 Dawgs at midfield. Straight drop from Stafford, finds Green in the zone for 12. This is actually a nice bit of analysis here from Archer--he notes that Moreno drifting into the flat pulled Johnson forward enough that Green could get in behind him in the zone. Which is exactly what happened. (I don't think you can fault Johnson, mind you; it's just a good play.)
26. Toss to Moreno over the left side and dammit it ought to go for nothing; Goggans (+) had blown things up and Bynes and Stevens are both in position in the hole. Somehow, Moreno spots the tiniest of creases between the trailing Blanc and Ricks and leaps through it for 5. Darn these talented players!
27. Play-action, then a screen to Moreno and ... uh-oh. Touchdown. How'd it happen? First, the d-line doesn't read it at all. Second, all the deep receiver action comes to the opposite side of the field, drawing Bynes and Stevens that way. Third and most importantly, there's a crackback block by the receiver on the opposite side on Evans, who's holding down that half of the field; he gets flattened by it and I wonder if Powers (who's lined up over the guy and sort of drifts behind him into the center of the field) fails to yell CRACK the way I remember being taught in junior high football. As mentioned Powers (--) has drifted out of position and Moreno has both two blockers and a ton of room--still, the tackling effort of Powers (who backpedals all the way to the goalline), Bynes, and Etheridge leaves a lot to be desired. 7-6 Dawgs.
28. Raycom presents the kickoff to us from the directly-on-the-sideline angle. So Davis returns it to the 25. But I don't know how. Apparently Georgia's in the Christmas spirit again, though, handing Auburn another 15 free post-play yards for some infraction or another.
29. I, give to Fannin around right end. Good blocks by McKenzie on the strongside end and by Green on the LB give Fannin the corner; he picks up 5. (Line +)
30. I again. Um, perhaps Gabe McKenzie should have been brought back over to the offensive side of the ball as soon as we started requiring TEs to block again? He gets a terrific sustained block on the end here, which along with Pugh's drive of his guy to the turf, a little clip by Davis, and even a brush-block by Billings on a charging LB gets Fannin a crease. That's five yards, but then Fannin (+) drags 1, 2, 3, 4 of these clowns for six more and draws a facemask! Hell of a play. (line +)
31. 1st-10 on the Georgia 30. Ace, H-back strongside. Waggle, Georgia completely unfooled and Burns (+) makes a splendid throw off his back foot to McKenzie anyway. Gain of 6.
32. Two-TE ace. Ziemba shoved backwards, then watches his guy break free and tackle for loss. Fannin with no chance here. (Line -).
33. Spread on 3rd-5. You'll never guess what the call is--Burns on the keeper! Wholesale failure on the line (and another corner blitz) sees four Dawgs in the backfield before Burns gets outside the tackle box. Where are the little curls and slants that Burns had so much success with against WVU and Ole Miss? (line -)
34. Byurm (-) on for a 42-yarder. In this wind, I'm not optimistic. That's why--the kick sails wide by a mile.
35. With 23 seconds left, Georgia kneels out the half.
End second quarter
Two drives covering 17 plays, 98 yards, and 8:17 combined result in zero points. So it goes.
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