What a weird game.

I guess what we want to see at this point is progress. Did we? I don’t know what we saw. On one hand, the defense seemed to play well, getting some key stops, better tackling, and holding Utah to “only” 27 (that’s still a lot of points, but many expected a blowout). You decide if that’s a step forward or not because I can’t draw any conclusion based on what I saw.

Utah had just under 400 yards of offense. Wilson was extremely efficient, 14/17 200 yards and a TD. Booker had 121 yards on nearly a 5 yard clip. That’s balanced offense by Utah. Meanwhile, if you look at the Beavs, there wasn’t any balance. The leading rusher was Victor Bolden, then Nick Mitchell. That’s no way to run an offense. It’s like the offense is being run in reverse and they’re afraid to use the running backs. Very odd considering the game Nall had last week and that Mitchell needed the help. You can understand why people hate Baldwin based on all this. I get it. If this continues next year I’ll be on that bandwagon, but his resume suggests big offensive numbers and balance, so I’ll wait and see on him.

Regarding Mitchell, I guess it caused a semi-stir when I called him a “tweener” who would make a good backup. That’s what I saw tonight. I like to give QBs more time than just one game before drawing conclusions, so I’ll leave that open-ended. But I feel about 90% sure that’s what Mitchell is. Subject to adjustments as we move forward. He played fine tonight given the circumstances, but I see concerning issues.

Sounds like Collins is in GA’s doghouse and that relationship is strained. My guess is the story I reported here and a lot of the rumors we’re hearing leak from other sites are true. You had to be blind not to see SC as a headcase, imo. Sorry. But it was just so obvious; no hindsight required. If he remains with the team, I think using him inside the 10 and using Mitchell everywhere else is the best option. This would allow Collins to run for TDs when the field shrinks inside the 10. I don’t think Mitchell can make the throws down there anyway. That’s a skill in itself.

Big picture: game went about as I expected (I had it 35-20). Wish I saw more progress. These are painfully slow baby steps. Also, I don’t understand why GA isn’t going after a big time QB recruit. Someone mentioned Davy Moore in a different thread — it was a great point. Why stop recruiting him over personality issues, and then sign a mega headcase like Collins? But beyond that: why isn’t GA recruiting a big time (is Moran really the answer?) QB this cycle? Even if he believes in Garretson, what if he gets injured? The lack of a QB might define the Andersen era. If he doesn’t get a big one this cycle he could be setup for failure.

Go Beavs.

Just wondering if there are any left.

Apparently a rumor on Blitz claims he’s transferring.

This could be a rough one.

I don’t see the Beavs being able to stop Booker or Wilson running the ball. The Beavs simply tackle too high and without intensity, though they are carrying some defensive momentum (17 points over 6 quarters is a positive). On the flip side, Utah are a bit overrated — they looked very small and slow vs USC — but they do play with defensive intensity that OSU can’t match. I can see Utah putting up 300 yards on the ground and getting over a handful of sacks if Mitchell is the QB.

The Beavs shot at an upset will be through turnovers and special teams. The mix of Mitchell and Collins is a wildcard, and I don’t know what to expect from that. In the pre-season I thought this was a 50/50 game, but now you have to think Utah by a margin.

35-20, Utah