2006 Georgia Force Season Preview

by Matt Eichenblatt
Tuesday January 17, 2006

Ah, it’s finally football season. Yes, I know the Rose Bowl is over and the Super Bowl is only three weeks from being completed, but nothing says football season to me like the start of Arena Football.

Last year, the Georgia Force experienced their best season since moving to the state four years ago from Nashville. With an 11-5 regular season record and a trip to Arena Bowl XIX, Force fans everywhere can look back and call 2005 a success. Just don’t tell Georgia Force head coach Doug Plank that.

In an interview with Channel 2 Action News Plank told reporters "the only reason anyone is here is to win a championship. It is my job along with the rest of the staff to set that precedent that winning is the only reason to be at practice every day. I know everyone here is looking forward to the season."

With the start of the season only two weeks away, it is time to take a look at what the Force have going for them in 2006, in what should be an exciting year for Force fans everywhere.

POSITION BREAKDOWN

Offense

QB- With the success Matt Nagy had stepping in for injured start Jim Kubiak last year; it was an easy decision for the Force to permanently hands the reigns of the offense to him for 2006. By setting career highs in pretty much every statistical category in only eleven regular season games, the expectations are high for Nagy in 2006. Nagy standing at 6’2 will have the benefit of having almost all of his receivers back for this season, with the exception of OS Troy Bergeron, who after his stellar Rookie of the Year season has decided to take the year off and prepare for the NFL draft.

The backup for Nagy will ultimately be decided in training camp. 4th year quarterback Glenn Gauntt will try to hold off Sam Clemons, a newcomer to the Force this year out of Western Kentucky. Look for Gauntt to retain the backup position and Clemons to find himself on the practice squad for this season.

WR- Returning this year at OS for the Force is none other then offensive standout Chris Jackson. Following a year in which Chris put up 17 TD receptions for the Force in only eight weeks after being acquired from Grand Rapids, the Force expect Chris to have an even bigger year in 2006 with his switch from a WR/LB to OS. Having Chris become an OS this year will be a giant boost for the Force because it will allow Chris to do what he does best, scoring touchdowns.

Also returning to the Force this year is WR/LB Derek Lee who also spent time this off-season on the training camp roster of the Chicago Bears. Last year Lee led the team in touchdown receptions with 33, and caught over 1,200 yards worth of balls from Kubiak and Nagy on his way to becoming one of the biggest receiving threats in the AFL.

The absence of 2005 AFL Rookie of the Year Troy Bergeron still leaves the Force with a big void at WR. The options to fill this void are WR/DB Ricky Parker and WR/DB Quentin McCord who many remember was a talented receiver for the Atlanta Falcons in 2002 catching five touchdown passes from Michael Vick that year. The battle between Parker and McCord in training camp will be an important one for Georgia, and the winner will have to step up his game to make an impact for the Force on offense.

OL-This year, the Force return a very experienced front, headlined by first team All-Arena selection, Jermaine Smith. Going into camp, the Force will carry 10 OL/DL looking to cut that number to roughly 5 or 6 and adding one more to the practice squad, but the starting three seem to be set. Expect to see Smith at Tight End, Adam Metts at Center, and Marcus Keys at the Guard position.

The real question on the line though is figuring out whether or not this squad will be able to run block like they did in the 2004. FB/LB Robert "Rock" Thomas had one of the best years two years ago, rushing for 13 touchdowns and 233 yards. Last year, Thomas’ production had a severe drop-off, mainly because the push up front was not there. If this unit can step up its run blocking and take the pressure off the passing game, Georgia will undoubtedly have the premier offense in the AFL.

FB- This year, the Force will have a tough decision on who to use as the Fullback for the 2006 season. While Robert Thomas has done a fantastic job for the Force the past two years, the option of using Kevin Aldridge is still one the Force staff must be toying with. Aldridge is a strong runner who is extremely hard to take down..

Thomas is not getting any younger, and the development of Aldridge is something the Force need to pay attention to. Thomas is still the starter for the Force on offense, but expect to see an increase in Aldridge’s playing time.

Defense

DB- This position is the biggest weak spot in Georgia’s defense. Last year, Georgia relied heavily on the spectacular play of DS Kevin Gaines who tied for 5th in the interception category last season with 6. With Gaines taking his services to Philadelphia this season, there is a big void in the Force secondary.

This year, the Force have brought in four DS this year to see which one can try to fill the void Gaines left. The slight favorite of the four has to be Willie Gary, a four-year veteran who has been a backup for three seasons with the Force. The other DS will be a battle between two-year vet Nate Coggins, and rookies Chris Brown and Earthwind Moreland.

With the move of Chris Jackson from WR/DB to OS, there will be another chance for a newcomer to step up. If WR/DB Quentin McCord can show the prowess to play defense, expect him to be in the opening day lineup.

The one player who many expect to be the rock of this secondary is seven-year veteran, Ricky Parker. Parker was second on the team last year in interceptions with 3, and drew the top receiver whenever Gaines was not in. Look for Parker to have a big year on defense for the Force.

LB- The Linebacker play for the Force last season was exceptional, and this season should be no different. Returning for the Force this season for the Force are Derek Lee and Robert Thomas, both of whom started for the Force last year. The other man at LB will be LB/FB Kevin Aldridge who last year had 13 tackles and 6 assists as a backup last year.

The linebacker unit will need to be the lynchpin for the Force Defense. Because of the uncertainty in the strength of the secondary, it will be up to the linebackers to minimize the amount of big plays, especially in the running game. In the Arena Bowl last year, the Linebacker position took an uncharacteristic beating, being gouged for four rushing touchdowns. As long as they don’t have a repeat performance like that in 2006, this position should remain the strong point of the defense.

DL- The Defensive Line for the Georgia Force this season is a true "force" to be reckoned with. This year’s line will be anchored by previously mentioned 2005 All-Arena selection, Jermaine Smith. Smith, a 5th year veteran out of the University of Georgia, collected 3.5 sacks as well as 19 tackles last year for Georgia, but no one performance was bigger then the National Conference game against the Orlando Predators. In that game, Smith accounted for 2 safeties, 4 tackles, and 1 sack in Georgia’s 60-58 victory.

Rejoining Smith this year on the Line are Adam Metts, and Gillis Wilson, two players with extensive Arena Football experience. Metts, had a stint with New Orleans in 2004, saw his production almost triple in tackles and assists once he returned to Georgia. If Metts can continue on his upward trend this season, he could join Jermaine Smith on the All-Arena squad.

The biggest advantage the Force will have going for them this year on the line is the experience their big men have playing with each other. Last year, the play of the defensive line was outstanding. With all three starters returning, the Force should be sound at the Defensive Line position in 2006.


5 Burning Questions for 2006

Will Matt Nagy continue his impressive offensive output in his second year with Georgia?
Truly, I don’t see why not. Even with OS Troy Bergeron leaving to prepare for the NFL draft, Nagy will have more than enough weapons to have a repeat performance of last year’s success.

The biggest key to Nagy’s success will be his ability to spread the wealth this season. With the move of Chris Jackson to OS, he might become too dependant on him and forget about his other weapon, WR/LB Derek Lee. If Nagy can avoid turnovers and remember his leading pass catcher last season (Lee), he should have no problem continuing the success he had in 2005.

Will the absence of Troy Bergeron leave an irreplaceable void in the Force offense?

Yes and No. Last year, Georgia had the ability to keep teams guessing because they always had three receivers on the field that could beat them deep in Jackson, Lee and Bergeron. This year they only have two.

Saying Bergeron’s absence won’t hurt the Force is stupid, but to think that his loss is devastating is also naïve. This year, the Force brought several new receivers to camp to see which one could be Georgia’s third receiving threat. Among those are WR/DB Ricky Parker, and WR/DB Quentin McCord.

While many expect Parker to take over the starting role because of his balanced talents on offense and defense, the Force coaching staff is hoping that McCord might surprise them and steal the position by showing some defensive skills. But that is a big if. Parker will be probably be the starter on opening day, but that could change later on if McCord continues to improve.

Will the Force once again go undefeated at home?

As much as I want to say yes, I am going to have say no. Last year, the Force were 10-0 at home by accumulation a perfect record in both the regular season and postseason at Phillips Arena, and AFL record. But the sheer odds that they will go undefeated at home are astronomical, especially in the division they play in. With home games against five playoff teams including every team in last year’s final four, it is hard to say this team will not slip up at least once.

The downside of last year’s record was that the Force were an anemic 3-5 on the road, a record I expect the Force to increase to supplement the losses they might suffer at home. Their road schedule outside the division is not any easier then that of their home schedule, but I expect the experience of the players and coaching staff to play a factor in pulling out close road games, unlike they did last year.

How will the Force fair in the Southern Division this year?
The Force are undoubtedly playing in the AFL’s toughest division. Last year, the Force had to play in two rubber matches en route to Arena Bowl XIX by facing both the Tampa Bay Storm and Orlando Predators for a third time.

Georgia is the best team in the division on paper, returning nearly everyone from their Arena Bowl team last year. With that said, the Force should win the division this year; but it could be closer than many think. If Tampa Bay can overcome not having their Head Coach Tim Marcum for the first two games of the season, they will be the biggest threat to the division crown in 2006. The onus to keep this team in contention will be on Coach Plank and his staff to make sure the team doesn’t come out flat and expecting the division to be handed to them. If they do not do that, it could be a rough ride for the Force this season.

Will the Force return to Arena Bowl XX?
While the Force are preseason favorites to return, I still think it is too early to tell. With the recent upgrades of many National Conference received in the off-season, there will be plenty of teams with enough talent to derail the Force this season. But will they?

If Matt Nagy can continue to spread the ball around, and if the defense continues to force turnovers, the Force will return. Last year, the Force were able to go to the Arena Bowl without their opening day quarterback, and injury that often destroys season. I am confident that the Force will not let injury be a factor, and that if it does, the Force will have depth to replace players.

One thing that was a problem for the Force last season was digging themselves into deep holes, forcing them to mount comebacks time and time again. Though many comebacks were successful, ultimately that strategy failed in Arena Bowl XIX when they were unable to successfully erase a late 4th quarter deficit. If the Force are to be successful this season, they will need to avoid starting out sluggish. If that is accomplished, the Force have a good shot of returning to Las Vegas in June.

Matt Eichenblatt is a free-lance writer from the Atlanta area. He has followed Arena Football since 1999 and has been attending Georgia Force games since they moved from Nashville five years ago. As well as being a football enthusiast, he is also looking forward to graduating from the University of Alabama with a degree in Finance and Communications.