The Year of the Bulldawg June 11, 2008

 

Well, not quite, but if we win the MNC this season, we’ll certainly have a fantastic argument.

I hope all Dawg fans know that the University of Georgia is the only athletic program to have had:

1. a team play (not to mention win BIG) in a BCS Bowl
2. the Men’s Basketball Program in the NCAA Tournament
3. the Women’s Basketball Program in the NCAA Tournament
4. the Baseball Team compete in the College World Series 

And that list doesn’t include another National Title in Gymnastics, Equestrian National Title, Swim Team in the NCAA final top ten (Diving program as well), Softball Team competing in the Regional Playoffs, Women’s Tennis NCAA Tournament final top ten finish, and another National Title for the Men’s Tennis Program.

I’m sure I’m leaving something out here, but that’s all I can think of for now.

Unbelievable year. It’s great to be a Georgia Bulldawg!

 

Go Dawgs!

Curse of the Carolinas November 18, 2007

I swear, I think its in the water….

Every year its the same old story. Clemson blows their shot at a title and SCUm watches their delusional dreams circle the drain.

I won’t even approach the subject of UNC, NC State, Duke or Wake. They’re basketball schools with occasional success (see Wake 2006). But I respect them immensely for their academic records.

I will however, laugh my ass off at what continues to happen at Clemson and SCUm.

Last night Tammy Bowden has yet another shot to win his division and compete for an ACC Title. Yes, I did just say the words ACC and compete in the same sentence. They were at home, under the lights, on ESPN2, wearing their orange jumpsuits, touched the rock and ran down the hill. Hell, they even had thunder & lightening on their side! Yet, no amount of luck, talent, resources, or hype could keep them from their eventual destiny…blowing it BIG!

When they came out in the first quarter and started moving the ball, I really thought they were gonna prove me wrong. Through 3 quarters of play, they held BC to a field goal. Clemson made Matt Ryan look more like a 3rd stringer instead of a Heisman contender; the BC offense just couldn’t keep the ball moving. But in the end, even Clemson’s tough D (I have to admit they’re pretty good) gave up 375 total yards. Ouch.

It’s so typical though. They just give up. After Ryan hit that last TD to put them ahead, Cullen only completed 4 of 9 passes & his receivers couldn’t catch a cold. Beaten again.

What I don’t get is why Clemson faithful tolerate this year after year? Don’t get me wrong, I take great pleasure watching them fall. But, its like watching a train wreck - you know its gonna jump the tracks & crash, but you just can’t take your eyes off of it. Seriously, Clemson has too many attractive variables to keep wallowing in the mire. You’ve wasted 9 years on Tommy Bowden and he’s yet to lead you to a division title, much less an ACC title or a BCS bowl - a national title hasn’t even been a pipe dream! There’s plenty of $$ in IPTAY, great facilities, great educational opportunities, history/tradition, beautiful campus, top recruits, etc. Yet since 1991, the end results are always the same: failure & disappointment.

You should’ve worn the purple pants

The lamecocks are even worse. Everyone says the University of South Carolina is where good coaches come to die. Laugh, but there is a good deal of truth in that statement. Just look at the records of Lou Holtz and Steve Spurrier while leading the lamecocks. Even Spurrier can’t keep SCUm’s overall winning percentage above .500

In November 2004 they acquire the services of the Ol’ Ball Coach and immediately start scouting a space to display the crystal football in their still non-existent trophy case. Remember, they left last year’s trophy back in Memphis. Yet even after 3 seasons this ”coaching god”, known as the evil genius in college football, has yet to finish the year with less than 5 losses. He’s recruited top classes, paid top dollar for the best assistants, bent the rules of colegiate admissions, played every qb in the state…and still nothing but the status quo in Columbia.

This was the year they were finally ready to compete for the SEC East title, remember? They made their way up to #6 in the polls midway through the season. Only to crash & burn in true Carolina style! On the way back down they lost their last 4 games, all SEC opponents mind you.

Now all that’s left to play for is the annual battle for the Hardee’s Biscuit Trophy, otherwise known as The Ghetto Bowl. Yes that’s right folks, next Saturday Climpson and SCUm will check their crack cocaine, stolen computers, knives, and AK-47’s at the door for another chance to humiliate our state on national television.

Stay classy boys…

I just don’t get it. I guess my vision is cloudy. I come from a long line of Georgia fans & grads. We’ve had our share of trouble, embarrassment (see Jim Harrick), losing seasons (see Ray Goff), and disappointment. But there are huge differences between UGA and the 2 colleges up the road, the biggest one of them being, we would never tolerate mediocrity as a way of life. We would never digest failure as a daily meal. And we would never remain resigned to being a cellar dwellar. As a South Carolinian, by tax note only, I’ve witnessed over the years the outright glee & excitement in an 8 win season at Climpson & SCUm. It blows my mind that they celebrate only 4 losses! Hell, Lou Holtz could’ve been elected Governor of this state when he only lost 4 games. At Georgia, 4 losses will get you fired…just ask Jim Donnan.

Like I said earlier, it must be something in the water.

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Side note: who knew Clemson’s qb Cullen Harper is the son of UGA’s Jeff Harper? Jeff played on the 1980 National Champoinship team. He’s the bald dude, sixth row up. Interesting to know Cullen’s first choice was Georgia - we signed 4-star Blake Barnes that year instead. 

That’s Just Craptacular… November 18, 2007

Thanks a lot Vandy. Thanks a whole helluva lot.  

How do you enter into the 4th quarter beating the shit out of UcheaT, 24-9, and blow it??? How on earth do you allow Eric Ainge & Co. to shut you out and put up 16 points against your D that dominated them the entire game??? And for the love of Pete, how does Bryant Hahnfeldt miss that f#cking kick???!!!

Seriously Commodores, explain this one to me. I don’t get it, especially given what you pulled off last year…

On October 14th 2006, you marched into Sanford Stadium, on our Homecoming no less, and bitch slapped my Dawgs with a last second field goal. From the one & only Bryant Hahnfeldt. This look familiar?

Yet, you couldn’t hold on for the upset of the week against your most hated rival. You had ‘em beat and blew it.

“Vanderbilt’s Bryant Hahnfeldt barely missed a 49-yard field goal with 33 seconds left — the ball grazed the upright — and the Vols (No. 20 BCS, No. 19 AP) escaped with a 25-24 come-from-behind win over the Commodores on Saturday.”

Worse still, you gave Fat Phil another excuse to be classless, arrogant bastard:

“A lesser team would have bagged it, possibly,” coach Phillip Fulmer said.”

Thanks a lot Vandy. Thanks a whole helluva lot.

Blackout Highlights November 15, 2007

Alright, this is gonna be quick y’all. I’m sitting here waiting for my Organic Chem class to start (boo!) but am so psyched, I had to post. 

I’ve been waiting all week for this. I swear, I feel like a crack addict when it comes to ugamummra’s recap videos! The Bulldawg Blawg finally posted their highlight clips from the Auburn game this morning. I know you’ve seen a lot of highlights from this game, but none are like this one - trust me.

It’s a little over 9 minutes, but its totally worth it. How often do you hear Munson calling plays over AC/DC, Dropkick Murpheys, and The Rolling Stones? Its badass I’m telling you.

Hopefully this guy, a master with the Munson Mixes, will come up with a blackout mix soon…hint, hint  

A few things stood out for me again: 

I hope to hell we stick with the toss-sweep for UK on Saturday. It’s been working like a charm for us lately. Seeing Knowshon’s power as he turns the corner is amazing. And, I’d love to see a stat showing just how much yardage he gains after contact. Kid never quits. I love what Herschel had to say about him yesterday in the ajc:

“I tell you what. He runs extremely, extremely hard for a guy his size,” Walker said of the 5-foot-11, 207-pounder from Belford, N.J. “I knew a little bit about him when they redshirted him, and I told a lot of people, wait until they see this guy play, because he’ll get a chance to make it to that next level. I mean, don’t the guy for Dallas right now [Marion Barber] and Knowshon look like the same guy?”

Talk about high praise.

The other things that grabbed my attention were the big catches that didn’t count. I mean there were some amazing grabs from Mo Mass, Bailey, Tripp Chandler, and the one from Brannon Southerland before that hit. But, the catch from Mo Mass when he introduced himself to the hedges was a thing of beauty. And the grab from Mikey Henderson when his big toe touched the line was heartbreaking. That kid amazes me; I hate his touch was called incomplete.

Bottome line, we weren’t the ones with a case of the dropsies on Saturday and it made all the difference. Here’s to hoping the trend continues!

Gotta run, class is calling…

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Update: Check out this article from The Birmingham News on how Tommy Tuberville should fear Matt Stafford instead of Nick Saban. Gotta love the reference to Georgia’s version of “fear the thumb.” h/t: gsb

Go Dawgs!

Forget Tony Robbins November 14, 2007

I got your motivation right here…

Can anyone say locker room material?

There’s no need for any Tony Robbins seminars. No need to walk on hot coals, do the trust fall, or some group mandala. The Dawgs don’t need another blackout, bench-clearing TD celebration, or sideline soulja boys. We’ve got plenty of motivation for this game with Kentucky.

Just take a good look at Matt’s face. This is all the motivation they’re gonna need.

I haven’t forgotten that pathetic, cheap shot on Matthew from last year’s game. I seriously doubt any of our guys have either.

That game was a heartbreaker. 24-20. Our offense never got going, turnovers killed us, and our defense just could not stop the wildcats’ last drive. But if you remember, this game was the last time we were humiliated and beaten last season. This game was the catalyst to salvaging what was left of the season. This game sent us into Auburn with something to prove. This game taught the Dawgs how fight for a win.

I don’t expect this game to be a cake-walk. But I damn sure don’t expect us to lose either. It’s Senior week, the last home game of the season (can’t believe it!), and time to get even. Time to put the wildcats back in their all-too-familiar place: cellar dweller of the SEC East.

There will be no goal posts coming down in Sanford Saturday. There won’t be any wildcats carrying back pieces of our hedges. And Matt’s Stafford’s face will never look like that again.

Go Dawgs!

Dawgs Got Black Magic November 13, 2007

The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry is one of my favorite games of the year. It was a must-see game in my family and I never missed one until I moved overseas. My Dad HATES Auburn…with a passion…in a way that makes him grit his teeth at the mere mention of the plaineagletigers. As his daughter and a UGA alum, my disdain of the barners therefore comes honestly.

Which is exactly why I’ve had this obnoxious grin on my face since Saturday night. To humiliate Auburn two years in a row and reclaim Sanford with a home win is like Christmas morning. To do that and whip Florida in the same year is like a dream come true! Seriously, I’m so deleriously ecstatic right now I can’t contain my gloating.

This game was bigger than just another home win. It was possibly one of the greatest games I’ve seen Georgia play in all my life. It ranks right up there with the 2004 LSU game for me. It’s more than rivalry or revenge though; its validation that we deserve a seat at the table.

My only regret is that I wasn’t there to witness it in person. Just hearing all of Sanford shake in a way I’ve only witnessed a handful of times in my 30 years of sitting on the South side, was enough to make me cry. That’s the kind of game you tell your children about someday, you know? 

Even though I wasn’t there this year, I watched it from home and saw the CSS replay twice. Just can’t get enough, I guess. But each time I watched the replay I came away with the same thoughts on the day:

The Good

1. The fans - CMR has said over and over the last few weeks how important the fans are to the team. He’s made it his mission this year to take all of the Bulldawg Nation along for the ride by getting us involved in the process of winning. He’s practically begged us to come out for the Dawg Walk, get in the stands early, scream loud while the opponent’s O is on the field. Didn’t you see him pull a Pollack, waving his hands & getting the crowd up while Auburn was calling audibles on 3rd down Saturday? It’s bigger than just wearing black for the team. It’s about being apart of the magic. And, thank God the fans listened.

2. Coach Richt - A lot has been written this week in blogs, on ESPN & SI, on message boards, etc. about the change in demeanor for CMR. I don’t believe he’s a different man or coach, for that matter, I just think he’s settled into his new role: leader, motivator, engineer. Out of necessity, he forced himself to be calm all those years as OC for Florida State. Now he’s allowed himself to loosen up a bit and step into the role of Head Coach, leading a good team towards goals only achieved by great teams.

3. Brandon Cox - I love this kid man (he’s freakin’ 24) like I love Reggie Ball. He turned Kelin Johnson into this year’s Tra Battle. Eight interceptions in the last 2 games we met. Damn sorry to see him go.

4. Ballanced attack - It’s undeniable that this Georgia team is not the same team that came out flat against SCUm and just flat out didn’t compete against UcheaT. The offense is firing on all cylindars. They fought back when Auburn decided to spoil our rout in the 3rd quarter. They racked up 417 total yards against one of the nation’s top defenses, passing for 237 and rushing for 180. And I can’t say enough how amazing it is to see our receiving corps get after the ball like they deserve to play on Sundays! The defense is miles ahead of where they were just 6 weeks ago. That line was constantly invading Auburn’s pocket, making big tackles, forcing punts (Auburn was 4-11 on 3rd down), and causing turnovers. Out-freakin-standing! I was one of those calling for CWM’s head a while back and thought Muschamp would do a better job.  We’ve taken him to the woodshed the last 3 times we’ve faced his team, counting his 2005 LSU squad. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking.

The Bad

1. 17 unanswered points - this is where I started to shake me head and expect the inevitable meltdown or lamecock curse of the black jersey. I’m glad we took back momentum, but 17 points in the SEC is often a total score. If not for the Stafford to Bailey strike downfield, we may be having an entirely different discussion.

2. Verne Lundquist & Gary Danielson’s version of superman - I like the Soulja Boy thing. I don’t want piped in music to overtake the Redcoats EVER, but I like what it does to keep our guys loose and having fun. However, seeing Verne & Gary shake their asses is not something anyone needs to see again, ever.

well, maybe just one more time for giggles

The Ugly

1. The officiating - My God! As soon as I realized Penn Wagers was calling this game again, I knew we were in for trouble. He proved at the WLOCP that he was gonna put us in our place. Apparently he’s still out to prove his point. If I NEVER see that asshat officiate another Georgia game again, it will still be too soon. However, when I watched the replays, I saw some penalties that we definitely deserved. Not all, but some. The late hit on Cox, for example, was unnecessary and classless - that’s something I expect from Florida & Tennessee, not Georgia. You can most certainly play with passion & intensity, just don’t be stupid. On the road to racking up 98 yards worth of penalties let Auburn back into the game twice. To most teams, yardage like that would cost the game. We’re lucky as hell it didn’t for us. And I’m telling you, if we give Kentucky 98 yards, Andre Woodson will use his arm to punish us and erase any shot at playing LSU in the dome on December 1st.  Those 98 penalty yards were a season high for us, btw. Hopefully the team got the memo. Hopefully Penn Wagers will be at the LSU/Ole Miss game.

It’s a new day in Athens, folks. The team that looked young, inexperienced, and even scared to play at the beginning of the season has matured into something to be feared. I’ve even seen posts on LSU message boards hoping that UT makes it to the SECC game and not us. That’s awesome. I think this team knows they can win, not because of an endzone celebration or a black jersey, but because they want it and know they can go out and get it. History has been made at UGA this season. Demons of old have passed away, records of losses have been erased, and new heros have emerged on the field at Sanford. We’ve once again earned a seat at the table. 

Glory, Glory to Ol’ Georgia! How sweet it is…

Go Dawgs!

How ‘Bout Them Dawgs! October 29, 2007

“If you ain’t the lead Dawg, the scenery never changes.”

Truer words were never spoken, Lewis. It’s been easy for me to think about Mr. Grizzard the last two days simply because he knew, understood, and wrote often of Gaytor Hate. I feel pretty confident that even from heaven he’s relishing Georgia’s “stomp of the chomp” with the rest of Bulldog Nation right now.

45-37-2…scratch that. Make it 46-37-2

I don’t know what it is about this game. I just feel like a weight has been lifted off our shoulders. Every year when I look at the schedule and think of what our record might be come December, I’ll admit I’m guilty of assuming my Dawgs will probably lose this one. It’s hard to witness the heartbreak year after year and think anything different. But now, I’ve got visions of the Georgia Dome & the Sugar Bowl replacing the earlier disappointment-laden nightmares of the ever-crappy Liberty or Independance Bowls . 

Yeah, dominating the gaytors Saturday means our scenery is definitely starting to change.

Go Dawgs!

The Biggest Loser October 24, 2007

I know this is Anti-Orange Week Part II and I should be sticking with a full-plate of Gaytor Hate, however I’m deviating from the program for a moment because I came across these babies, courtesy of the Bama - UT game last Saturday.

Outstanding. We’ll see just how much he loses in the offseason…

Honestly when it comes to Anti-Orange Week, it really doesn’t matter to whom you focus your hate. A gaytor, UcheaT, a Barner, Climpson - whatever, they’re all the same.

Now back to your regualrly scheduled program… Do the world a favor and go smack a Gaytor!

Go Dawgs!

Oh Happy Day! October 21, 2007

Jason, this one’s just for you….. 

Since UGA wasn’t playing yesterday, my Dad and I got to enjoy one of the most humiliating ass whoopins in SCUm history. And, knowing their history like I’m sure you do, that is saying a lot.

I loathe Steve Spurrier. And, I loathe the lamecocks. I mean it is a deep-rooted hatred people, just as deep as the disdain I feel for the Nerds on North Ave., or the jort wearing, yankee-loving rednecks of Gainsville. So nothing makes me happier than to see the crack-o-lina gamecrooks lose BIG!

Dad and I were gonna play a game of tennis yesterday and then grab a bite for lunch. But as we headed to the club we tuned into the Vandy-SCUm game just to check the score…. and our plans changed. We noticed quickly that the Dores came to play. We also reveled in the knowledge that not much has changed in the armpit of South Carolina. When the lamecocks get stunned early they fold their tents and run cryin’ back to momma. I’m telling you, its in the water I swear.

Here are some noteable stats from yesterday that made my day quite frankly: 

1. In the last six quarters of football, SCUm has been outscored 39-6. And that’s against unranked UNC and Vandy. Ouch!
2. In yesterday’s game the lamecocks were held to an average 1.2 yards/ rushing attempt. Cory Boyd must not be “back like cooked crack” after all. That’s gotta suck, huh?
3. Vandy’s thumping of SCUm was the Dores biggest victory over a ranked team in 70 years. Leave it to the lamecocks - always makin’ history!
4. Both Blake “the big bm” Mitchell and Chris Smelley were sacked for a combined seven times. That’s gonna leave a mark.
5. The lamecocks have now gone six quarters of play without a touchdown. And they were ranked 6th in the nation? More like 6th in the east division.
6. SCUm was 1 for 12 on third down yesterday, matching their mark against the tarheels last week. Good God!

Now that’s just embarrassing. Couldn’t happen to a more deserving program! But, this by far has to be the quote of the day, from Matthew Zemek of FoxSports:

“Spurrier used smoke and mirrors — and Tyrone Nix’s defense — to somehow acquire a 6-1 record. After Saturday, South Carolina fans who were getting a little giddy were brought back to Earth, because they surely realized elite offensive talent has yet to come to Columbia.”

Amen to that Matthew. Unfortunately, speaking as someone who has to endure the delusions of grandeuar from crazy-ass lamecock fans on a regular basis, I know this latest disgrace won’t take their heads out of the clouds. If over a hundred years of losing and a barely .500 record can’t do it, a mere beat-down from Vandy sure as hell won’t either.   

This spanking means so much more to me than just seeing the loss of pride, self-respect, and dignity in the lamecocks. No, it means watching Spurrier suck it! If you’re a Dawg fan, then I’m sure you remember this pathetic jab from SOS earlier in the season:

“It wasn’t like they were some big, powerful team. They’ve actually lost five in a row to Eastern Division opponents. Even Kentucky and Vandy beat ‘em last year.”

Well karma is indeed a bitch stevie. After having his ass handed to him on a silver platter yesterday, the ol’ ball coach had this to say:

“This was a crucial one for us, but then again Vandy beat Georgia (last season). They can beat Florida. Heck they can beat anybody.” 

Maybe so, but they sure as hell didn’t beat Georgia this year

Go Dawgs! 

Thank God for the Bye Week October 15, 2007

I couldn’t watch the entire game Saturday. I caught bits and pieces, checked the score multiple times and shrugged. It’s a sad day when you’re just not surprised anymore that the Dawgs are losing. It’s a depressing day when you’re just not surprised anymore that the Dawgs are losing to Vandy. Ugh.

I’m all about optimism and positive thinking, so if I’m disheartened when thinking about the rest of the season, I can only imagine that Larry Munson is about ready to jump off a cliff.

I read two great recaps earlier today that you should definitely check out. One theme from both is the fact that we were lucky as hell to have escaped this one with a win.

First, read Kit’s. Truer words were never spoken:

“We are not where we need to be to win any more games this season. It’s time for us to discover whether or not we’re going to be a team that wins one game for the rest of the season, or wins them all. Honestly, if we pull it together and play to our talent level, we’re 10-2. If we are the same team that we’ve seen over the past 3 games, then we’re 6-6.”

Then read Senator Blutarsky’s as well. Here’s the best line, imo:

“Don’t get me wrong, a win’s a win and all. But last night showed that there are still some serious structural problems with this team. Without the turnovers and Bobby Johnson’s inexplicable decision to throw out most of his team’s offensive playbook for the second half, we are most likely sitting here this morning shaking our heads (or worse) over the first Georgia team to lose back to back games to Vanderbilt in fifty years.”

Yeah, that last part nearly made me throw up. If not for Vandy’s mistakes I imagine it would be anarchy outside Damon Evans’ office today, with Dink NeSmith leading the revolt.

 

Continuing the trend of sad news from Saturday, Kregg Lumpkin may be out for the rest of the season. Seriously, that is a cruel twist of fate. He has always been one of my favorite players, for a variety of reasons, but mostly because he’s a warrior. He doesn’t complain about his carries, or lack thereof. He just works hard and personifies what a true team player should be. I think everyone has seen the clip of Kregg pulling his jacket over his face while ESPN was trying to get a close up after he was sidelined. Honestly, I can’t look at it without trearing up. I just hope he’s back in time for the bowl…if we make it to a bowl that is.

  

  

   

This morning as I checked out Dogbytes and saw a story on Brandon Coutu. I remember feeling so bad for him when he missed that last second field goal at Bama. So I was really jazzed when he nailed it Saturday in Nashville, especially because he’s said in several interviews how he’s always dreamed of making a game winning kick. But again fate dealt another cold turn to a bulldog. After one of his best moments as a Dawg, Coutu comes home to find his house had been burglarized. The place was apparently ransacked & some expensive possessions were stolen, including gifts from the SEC Championship and bowl games. At least his SECC ring wasn’t taken though. Hopefully the ACC Cops will find the bastards that broke into his home, that is if they’re not too busy busting students on scooters throughout campus.                                                             

  

  

So that’s it for Vandy. Thank God we have a bye week to regroup and get ready for the WLOCP. Speaking of which, Bill your information sucked. Kickoff is at 3:30 and will be on CBS as usual. Unfortunately for me, I’ll be at home studying for midterms just like last year. Truth be told, I’m not sure there’s enough Gin in the god-forsaken state of Florida to numb the pain of the inevitable ass-kicking we’re gonna receive. Unless we can completely do a 180 like UT did before playing us last week. Stranger things have happened I guess. 

Go Dawgs!

Disgraced October 8, 2007

We were disgraced Saturday in Knoxville. I don’t know any other way to say it. We were flat-out disgraced. Simple as that.

I’ve talked about this game until I’m blue in the face. I’ve read all the blogs & message boards. I’ve watched the Mark Richt Show and I’ll be listening to the Bulldog Hotline tonight. But, I refuse to watch the replay. I just can’t do it. I won’t do it.

I’m a tried & true Dawg fan, born red & black, went to UGA through the end of the Goff years and witnessed the beginning of the Donnan years. I’ve lived & breathed the bad times in Bulldog Nation and I don’t want to go back, damnit. But, we’re now 0-6 against our SEC East foes and those long buried memories of heartbreaking losses are slowly creeping back.

I’ve called for CWM’s head and I refuse to apologize. Like I said, it’s been a long time coming. He’s not the right man for the job. Simple as that.

If you don’t believe it read what King has to say:

“This was Georgia’s 19th loss in Mark Richt’s six-and-a-half-year tenure with the Bulldogs. In his first 11 setbacks, the Red and Black D surrendered 14, 24, 24, 20, 20, 17, 16, 34, 19, 24, and 14 points, respectively. The only honest-to-goodness skunking suffered by the ‘Dawgs during that period came in the 2003 S.E.C. championship game against the eventual national champs. Since the 2005 Cocktail Party, though, Mark Richt has lost eight games, in which the opposing team has scored 31, 38, 51, 24, 21, 24, 16, and 35 points in succession.”

Then read what Senator has to say:

“…somebody has to take a hard look at why Georgia played the same defensive scheme against the same offensive set up that shredded it in Athens last year, with essentially the same results.  And that’s after an Ole Miss game that exposed the same problems for significant periods of play the week before - with their head coach saying publicly on his show that his staff had caught some weaknesses in Georgia’s ability to defend against spread receiver, single running back offensive formations.  When you get called out in public like that and don’t respond, that’s either due to fear, stubbornness or lack of creativity.  None of which are attractive attributes for a defensive coaching staff.”

Saving the best for last, read what Kit has to say:

“I’m tired of this “we’re a second half team” bullshit, because it is exactly that…bullshit. If you can’t play 60 minutes of football, don’t put on the uniform. Also, if you can’t coach 60 minutes of football, don’t put on the headset.”

I learned a long time ago, you cannot change what you don’t acknowledge. The majority of the fans have acknowledged that we’ve got BIG problems in several areas, especially the D. But I fear CMR will not acknowledge, privately nor publicly, that big changes need to occur among his own personnel. Every week he still talks about what the players aren’t doing. Well, only a moron believes our self-destruction is a player issue. You can’t blame the players for running the same crappy scheme you give them!

When will enough be enough? When will we decide to be competitive again? When will we acknowledge that we’ve got big problems that require significant change?

I don’t know the answers to those questions. I wish I did. All I do know is to keep doing what I’ve done my entire life, through thick & thin, good times and bad… wear my red & black with pride and honor, cheering my Dawgs on to fight another Saturday. 

So as I write this blog I’m playing a Dawg favorite, Corey Smith’s Every Dawg, to put this loss to rest and move on to Vandy. If you don’t know this song, you should. Just in case, here’s the lyrics:

A long ride back from Jacksonville
500 miles from a game we should’ve won
Man we ought a burn down that stadium
Thought this year was gonna be ours
Talking too much junk in those Florida bars
Now I’m stunned
man I wish it was 1981

Now I know why they say
Every dog has his days
Can’t win every game we play
But every dog has his days
Longing for those glory days

Like the one he cried run Lindsay Run
I was too young to be there but I’m sure it was fun
I bet that crowd was flyin high
And I bet Glory to ol’ Georgia was cried as the band played Man I wish I could feel that way today

Now I know why they say
Every dog has his days
Can’t win every game we play
But every dog has his days

And I played back my favorite victories
Like that last minute win up in Tennessee
I bet them hobnails hurt like hell
And I got sweet memories of 2002 won the SEC
And the sugar bowl too
Man we had a ball down on Bourbon Street
Ooh, those were the days

Just got my tickets in the mail
Septembers coming fast and I can hardly wait
They say these guys they might take us all the way
And if they do I’ll be flying high
And there’ll probably be a happy tear in my eye but rain or shine
I’ll be yellin’ Go Dawgs! from the 20 yard line, and

I know why they say
Every dog has his days
Can’t win every game we play
But every dog has his days

And we’ll be singing
Glory, Glory to ole Georgia
Glory, Glory to ole Georgia
Glory, Glory to ole Georgia
Oh Georgia Hail to thee!

My proudest accomplishment and honor to date is graduating from the University of Georgia in December of 1998.  I thought I was a Dawg long before I stepped foot on campus as a student in the Fall of 1995. Truth is, I became a Dawg September 2, 1995 as I watched my beloved bulldogs pummel SCUm from the student section in Sanford. That was my first game as a freshman, my initiation into Bulldog Nation. I remember that day like it was yesterday; it was one of the best days of my life. I knew I was where I was supposed to be. I was graced to be a Bulldog.

We went 6-6 that year losing to UT, Florida, Auburn, Ole Miss, Bama, and then Virginia in the Peach Bowl. I went to every game that year, home & away. We sucked bad but I didn’t care, I was having the time of my life! I proudly lost my voice every Saturday screamin’ Go Dawgs and singing Glory.

That’s what it means to be a Bulldog, folks. Know where your allegiance lies, and cheer for the Dawgs through thick & thin. Once a Dawg, always a Dawg. How sweet it is…

There’s only one thing left to say y’all… Go Dawgs. Please. GO DAWGS! 

A VOLuntary Drubbing October 5, 2007

Anti-Orange Week Part I is here…UGA at UT. I’m so glad I’m not going to this game. I HATE Knoxville, all things Orange, rude & obnoxious hillbillies, and losing in god-forsaken Neyland Stadium. Recent history shows that the Dawgs feel right at home in the house fat Phil built, but I’m a little worried  we may have overstayed our welcome.

Seriously, I’ve had a horrible feeling all week about this game. I don’t know if it’s because of last year’s debacle in Sanford, or the fact that the Vols have had a whole week to regroup and get their act together. I just want to get this game over with.

I’m not gonna do a preview because Kit wrote an excellent one as always, and I have nothing else meaningful to add. I’ll just say that I think this game hinges on 2 big factors:

1. Defense - Sometimes we have a great one and so far this year UT doesn’t. At all. Hopefully a miricle didn’t occur during their week off. If so, we’re screwed.

This is an excerpt from my bedtime prayers last night:

Please God, help Willie Martinez understand the meaning of the words “blitz” and “GATA.” And Lord, I would be oh-so-grateful if you could somehow show Brandon Miller how to knock Erik Ainge’s block off. I believe you will God, because Lewis Grizzard said you are a Bulldog!

2. Run the damn ball - Thomas and Knowshon are our version of Clemson’s thunder & lightning. Just let them do what they do, run down the clock and back to Athens with a win.

I hope the feeling I have in the pit of my stomach is just nerves. And because I was raised right, I’m gonna ignore my pangs of worry and bet on my Dawgs…. UGA 34  UT17

Even though I’m not doing a preview, Anti-Orange Week Part I wouldn’t be complete without poking some fun at Fat Phil and the Rednecks of Rocky Flop. Enjoy!

My God, it’s like a nightmare on Hee Haw

Priceless!

  

Here’s to hanging 50 on Rocky Top!

Go Dawgs!

Tide Rolled September 25, 2007

I’m a little late to post any kind of extensive game recap, analysis, or go through the stats. I’ve been busy with school, life stuff, and quite frankly, I just didn’t feel like it. Besides, all of the other Georgia blogs have covered it and any attempt on my part would just be an act of redundancy.

I do have a few quick hits & thoughts about the game though, so indulge me.

My predicted score wasn’t that far off (UGA 31 Bama 24) actually. I’m pretty proud of that, maybe I should consider doing “The Vegas” sometime in the future.

My Dad was spot on with his points of optimism:

a. Never bet against Mark Richt on the road
b. Every year under Richt the Dawgs have a signature win
c. The Dawgs play better as the underdog
d. Practices weren’t closed this week for nothing

Good job Dad - you were right. Enjoy the moment, you don’t hear it often from me!

My 5 keys to the game weren’t too far off base:

1. Matt Stafford did have a command of the offense. He played with confidence and rolled with the punches. The interceptions were mistakes, but not too costly. I said before, if he has a great day, then we grab momentum early and hang on for the win. Check.

2. The O-line did an amazing job. Considering the facts that Scott Havercamp didn’t even travel, Clint Boling played injured, and we started 3 freshman in an SEC road game, I’d say it was damn near phenomenal. They never gave up a sack, they made key blocks on the scoring drives, and made holes for the run. 

3. The kick return coverage was outstanding. We only allowed 80 yards on 5 kicks (average of 16 yds/kick for those that don’t want to do the math). That’s a drastic improvement from the 211 yards (from 6 kicks) we yielded to WCU.

4. Knowshon. What can you say about this kid that hasn’t been said a thousand times? Here’s a new one: I heard Todd Blackledge compare him to Cadillac Williams. Fantastic; I’ll buy that. But, I need to mention as well that Thomas Brown had an equally fantastic night. In fact, he had more carries than Knowshown. I was really surprised when I saw that stat. It seemed like it was the Knowshon show; he’s definitely the topic of conversation right now. Meanwhile, Thomas quietly keeps pounding his way through defenses and down the field. Knowshon may have earned the SEC Freshman of the Week accolade, but Thomas deserves some major props as well.

5. The Defense kicked their butts into gear. This past Saturday they showed some GATA. The secondary was awesoe shutting down Bama’s passing game - the same passing game that lit up Arkansas the week before. The most impressive stat to me was the 3rd down conversion, or the lack thereof for the Tide. We limited them to converting only 3 of 15 - that’s only 20%. Outstanding! Brandon Miller recovered that botched punt; and even though we couldn’t do squat with it, at least he got after it. That’s progress, I guess. Asher Allen was a beast & stepped up when we needed him the most in OT, stopping Bama from converting on 3rd down. Midway through the 4th quarter they started to look slugish - and Bama’s scoreboard proves that - but it was impressive to see them regroup and get ugly in OT. Thank God.

There were a few negative things about the game I could point out, but I won’t. The fact is the Dawgs played with character, grit, & heart on Saturday and any negative talk would just ruin that right now. I don’t know how great the Dawgs are gonna be the rest of the season, but I do know they’re good. They’re good enough to win on the road in the SEC against an equally good team with an excellent coaching staff. They’re good enough to face adversity head-on, early in the season, and as a very young team. And that’s the real essence here: they are just that, a team. That was more evident to me on Saturday than anything else. Who knows what’s gonna happen in the coming weeks. Who knows where we’ll end up in the SEC standings, the polls, or bowls for that matter. I don’t. What I do know is that they’re already proven winners and the sky’s the limit for the foreseeable future.

image courtesy of ABH

Feels damn good to be a Dawg, dosen’t it?

Bama or Bust September 21, 2007

All summer long when the topic of this game would come up, I would always say that I’m not worried about this game in the least. I figured, Bama has sucked pretty consistently for the last few years and I didn’t think even the great “Nick $atan” could get things clicking enough to beat us in week 4.

Scene from tomorrow: “Will that be paper or plastic?”

Well, Miss Cleo I am not; clairvoyance is just not my thing. I’m also not an expert (by any stretch of the imagination) on college football. I’m just a girl who loves the game and the Dawgs! So take my game preview for what it’s worth…very little.

If you want a real preview, then check out the posts from these guys.

Last Saturday my brother and I watched most of the Bama / Arkansas game. During the second half when the Hogs finally wised up and put the game on DMac’s shoulders, I honestly started to feel good about our chances. But then the last Bama drive came, as well as the reemergence of my dinner. Let’s just say neither was welcome or pleasant.

Since then I’ve been dreading this game and have been pretty pessimistic about our chances of leaving T-town with a ‘W’. But yesterday my Dad reminded me of a few things:

a. Never bet against Mark Richt on the road
b. Every year under Richt the Dawgs have a signature win
c. The Dawgs play better as the underdog
d. Practices weren’t closed this week for nothing

He’s right, no doubt. Optimism is creeping it’s way back in. Now, I’m not naive enough to think his points will necessarily be the difference makers, but I do think they’re proven variables in a winning formula.

Add to that some thoughts, in no particular order, on what the Dawgs will have to do to give themselves a fighting chance:

1. Matt Stafford - We’ve seen him play with command and confidence (Auburn ‘06) and we’ve seen him play without it (SCUm ‘07). He is a different quarterback when he knows he can lead his team, and when he knows he can win. His talent, focus, and drive are unquestionable. If he can come out firing on target with successful results, then we win. If he’s having a great day, then we grab momentum early and hang on for the win. It’s as simple as that.

2. The O-line’s Gotta Hold - Everybody’s talking about how Trinton Sturdivant and Clint Boling may have trouble with their first SEC road game in a hostile environment. Honestly, I think the noise in Bryant-Denny is gonna be a shock for maybe the first few plays, but after that I expect they’ll focus & get to work. Velasco, Big Cheese, and Coach Searels will make damn sure of it, I promise. The big question mark for me is really whether the line can open up holes for the run and hold off Bama’s D from getting to Stafford.

3. Kick Return Coverage -  Bama is gonna no doubt look to exploit this very obvious weakness in our special teams game. In my WCU rant last week, I talked about how this part of our game, or lack thereof, ticked me off the most. It’s just unnecessary at this stage in the season & shouldn’t be happening with our level of talent. Period. If we GIVE them good field position because we forgot how to wrap up the returner, then we might as well just go ahead and add 6 points to the Bama scoreboard.

4. Give The Ball To Knowshon - There are still a few unanswered questions about this team, but one glaring certainty is Knowshon Moreno. This kid is a beast and deserves the carries. Alabama proved last week in the second half against Arkansas that they are vulnerable defensively against the run. Hopefully, Bobo will use Knowshon and TB to wear down the Bama D, as well as the clock, and set up the pass.

5. The Defense Has To “Do Work” - The Georgia D has to wreak havoc on the Bama O-line, which is no small order, and set up shop in their backfield. Against the cowboys there was GATA from our defense. Against the lamecocks there was none, as Kit so aptly pointed out. Supposedly, the starting lineup of linebackers for tomorrow will be: Ellerbe, Washington, and Dent. If we have a prayer of stopping Bama’s offense, then the defense must “do work”:

a. Rattle QB JP Wilson into making mistakes by BLITZING!
b. Cover up WR DJ Hall and stop the big, downfield plays
c. Create some freakin’ turnovers (try to recover a fumble boys)
d. Stop the run: aka Terry Grant

Just play smart defense! That’s all! This isn’t rocket science, Coach Martinez.

We have some of the most talented players in college football. We also have some of the most talented and winningest coaches in college football. Beating Bama tomorrow is not only doable, but should be expected damnit!…..regardless of what the media has to say.

So, here’s my prediction: I say we win this one for Munson… UGA 31 Bama 24.

Btw, right now my family has touched down in God-forsaken Tuscaloser for tomorrow’s game. Look for my Dad (aka the mustache) & brother on ESPN GameDay - those fools think they’re actually gonna get on camera. Anyways, Rob will be the tall blonde in red & black hitting on a Bama hottie. You have ZERO loyalty bro

Go Dawgs!

P.S. - Uga always gets the last word…