With each passing minute i’m regretting not making plans to be in Stillwater. Thanks to the Dawgcircle on twitter however, i’m getting constant twitpics and updates. Yesterday Mackie of Blogging Pantsless sent out this pic from presumably a restaurant in Stillwater.

Photo courtesy of Mackie-one of the funniest men on the planet

Yeah, good luck with that cowpokes. To top it off though, Mackie sent out this tweet earlier today:

“walked out of lunch to find some asshole broke my UGA car flag…it’s on now.”

Stay classy Okie State fans. Way to represent your program and show some hospitality to more than 8,000 Dawg fans giving your little town one hell of an economic boost. I hope the immature jackhole that vandalized Mackie’s property isn’t indicative of the rest of that fan base. Hopefully Mackie will run into T. Boone and demand he cough up the dough to replace his Georgia gear. I’ve heard he’s good for it.

Thanks again to Mackie for letting me post his photo! Hope & pray all of the traveling contingent from Bulldawg Nation has a great time, brings home a big ‘W’ and travels safe!

GATA DAWGS!!!

image courtesy of EDSBS

Alright, so do you want the good news or the bad news first? Truth is there is no good news so i’ll just hit you with an ounce of terror & depression for your Friday. Word out of Athens (via ugasports.com, The Red & Black and now espn) is that starting QB Joe Cox has the flu. He did not board the buses that left Athens at 1:30 for Hartsfield International, but is expected to fly out to Stillwater tonight to join the team. I’m assuming he’s in triage w/ Ron Courson administering a tamiflu drip as i type. Evidently he’s been battling it all week & practiced little Wednesday or Thursday.

Typically i have a very Larry Munson-ish attitude when it comes to these things, but i’m starting to come around & think positively. I mean he didn’t get the nickname “Ginger Ninja” for nothing. According to the Senator’s blog a commenter said:

“UPDATE: the source who talked to Cox said he talked to him again mid-afternoon, that Cox confirmed he was leaving tonight and said, ‘If I had to play tonight I could.’”

To which the Senator replied: “I think Joe would probably say that if he were a quadruple amputee

Truer words were never spoken Senator. My money is on Joe playing tomorrow. Will he be 100%? No way, which is what really scares me. But remember, this is the same guy who as a sophmore came in to finish what freshman Matt Stafford couldn’t: beat Colorado by scoring two touchdowns at the end of the 4th quarter. I loved Joe Cox before he signed at UGA, but he hit hero status with me when i heard how he rallied the Dawgs that day:

In the huddle Joe told the offense: “If we can’t score two touchdowns in 15 minuets, we don’t deserve to wear the ‘G’ on our helmets!”

But if the stars don’t align & Joe can’t play tomorrow, let the fearing of the Greyhound begin. Light some candles, rub your rosary beads, and say a little word of prayer for Joe Cox tonight Bulldawg Nation. He needs it.

GO DAWGS!!!

Just when they thought i was out…they pull me back in.

Surprise! I’m not dead and, much to my own shock & horror, WordPress didn’t delete my blog. I’ve been a tad busy the last 6 months what with all my studying, graduating, job hunting, and all. But now that we’re just days away from the start of the most glorious time of year, the lure of my cobweb draped blog coaxed me back. Now let’s just see if i remember how to post this damn thing.

If you’re a friend of the blog you know i don’t do big flashy previews. I’m much more inclined to make an ass out of myself by trash talking & proving what a worthless fan base others have in addition to stating my case on how the Dawgs are gonna whip some tail. Its just what i do folks. And this game in particular is making my job a hell of a lot easier as of late. The cowboys of Stillwater have developed a taste for the pokey, Mike Gundy is a man but evidently doesn’t share CMR’s penchant for discipline (Justin Houston says hey!), a big starter leaves to snuggle up with Hello Kiffy, rumors abound concerning Qb Zac Robinson’s hammy (we know the feeling ‘pokes), and now they refuse to shake our hands! WHAT??!! Actually i agree with Gundy on this one; no need to risk a swine flu outbreak. To top it off Okie State comes saddled with the uber-creepy, not to mention dumber than a bag of hammers, Big-Daddy Warbucks himself:  T. Boone Pickens.

As PWD says, “Even T. Boone can’t buy first downs”

I mean honestly, the wheels are starting to come off this wagon. Sounds a little too remniscent of the Dawgs circa 2008, no? Now y’all know i don’t like to wish harm on any opponents but i’ll make an exception just this once…. Hot Damn am i tickled pink somebody else has caught the viral bastard we were infected with last year. If only they would be so kind as to sneeze a little towards the direction of Gainesville. Pretty please?

Speaking of viral bastards, did y’all hear about the latest craze to hit teh interwebs since William Hung sang She Bangs on American Idol? Oh yes, the corronation of T. Boone Pickens’ shrine could not be dedicated without a special little diddy to mark the occasion: Cowboys Forever. Umm, sounds a little like something that got left off the Brokeback Mountain Soundtrack to me, but whatever floats your boat ‘pokes. Personally i’m a little partial to this hot number, the song not Boss Hogg there rockin’ the mic:

Woo! He’s a looker ain’t he ladies?

Its just too bad all that money, the new shiny digs, the fancy new theme song, or even Pistol Pete can’t change the inevitable outcome of this game. I’ll admit i’ve had my moments of doubt concerning the hype surrounding OSU’s “vaunted offense.” But then i remember the tears of Colt Brennan after our Defense turned his head into a chew toy and showed Hawaii what big-boy ball is all about. I also remember our version of “shock & awe” when the cowpokes came to Athens, then left with their tails between their legs. No, there will only be one top ranked team left standing on Saturday, and it damn sure isn’t gonna be Oklahoma State…. and here’s why:

Mark Richt Owns The Road. Sometimes i think we forget just how miraculous Coach Richt’s record on the road is, especially considering we compete in the toughest conference and in some of the most feared stadiums in the country. We rack up 10 win seasons like Roger Federer hauls in trophies. There’s not another Coach in the country that faces the level of competition we do and can boast a stunning road record of 30-4 in enemy territory. More importantly, our Dawgs away from Sanford have a 10-2 record against ranked teams, going 3-1 against the top ten in the country! Last year we traversed one of the toughest road schedules in college football, with an historically bad Defense not ever before seen at Georgia btw, yet we still went undefeated in all 5 true road games. Eat that Cowboys!

We’ve Got A Pass Rush. You hear that? Everytime i say it, i hear a chorus of angels singing the Hallelujah chorus of Handel’s Messiah. Yes, ladies & gents we have ourselves a pass rush. Its no secret to anyone that visits this blog i am no fan of Willie Martinez & mourn the loss of BVG daily. As we all know Martinez’s Defense only works with a damn good pass rush (see last year’s epic FAIL). But when he does get the production he needs from the Junkyard Dawgs, its on like donkey kong! The depression of losing Justin Houston’s bad ass for the first 2 games has lifted with the continual great news from scrimmages & practices that DE’s Rod Battle and Demarcus Dobbs have a bit of a chip on their shoulders from last year and intend to prove they’ve heard of GATA before.

“There is a sense of something to prove, and there is a sense of urgency,” Dobbs said. “Defensive ends at Georgia are known for getting sacks and are known for causing pressure. We’ve had some talented guys here in the past, and being hit from the media all last year about not being able to get to the quarterback makes us want to live up to our end of the deal.”

Power On Offense. I realize to some outsiders that sounds strange considering we lost the #1 pick in the draft, a first rounder in Knowshon, and 2nd rounder (a massive bargain imo) Mo Mass. But as we’ve seen as as Coach Gundy himself acknowledged, Georgia doesn’t rebuild, we reload. It doesn’t hurt that we get back from injury one of the best left tackles in college football, Trinton Sturdivant. In addition we now have the best OL in the SEC (anybody miss Neil Callaway?). With the mammoth bodies we have on that line, making holes will not be a problem nor will Joe Cox have to run for his life. Sure i’m not thrilled that Caleb King is out with a hamstring pull, but we’ve got the beast that is Richard Samuel who runs like his ass is on fire! He’s apparently lost his case of the dropsies & is one of the most cerebral backs we’ve had at UGA, according to his teammates. The kid is wicked smart & dedicated his offseason to polishing his game, becoming a film rat, and learning to emulate Herschel running over Bill Bates. Color. Me. Giddy. Last but not least, Joe Cox, the “Ginger Ninja”, is about to prove why he was a Parade All-American & hasn’t lost a game since middle school. If Richard Samuel is cerebral, then Joe Cox is the new President of Mensa. No one, not even Bobo i’m convinced, knows Georgia ball like Joe Cox. And NO ONE wears the ‘G’ like he does. He’s more than a rah-rah guy and he’s more than the unquestioned leader of this team. He’s the reason why Bulldawg Nation is excited for Saturday. He’s a winner and won’t settle for anything less, simple as that. Like Shockley, he’s worked his ass off for his shot and you can bank on the fact that he’s not gonna blow it.

Look, i can dazzle you with Phil Steele-like stats all day, but you’ve already seen that on the other 537 Georgia Blogs out there. Just know this: we’re infinitely more talented on both sides of the ball and on the sidelines. More importantly, we’re hungry & ready to prove we’re not the underdawg many think we are. And unlike Okie State, this ain’t our first rodeo.

The Chapel Bell will ring Saturday night…… Dawgs 35 OK State 24

GO DAWGS!!!!!!!

It was fun while it lasted! Athens got more snow than I ever thought possible for Georgia! Click Uga for the rest of the photos from the ABH. That was probably one of the prettiest snow storms I’ve ever seen and I’m so grateful I had the day off from classes today to enjoy it. But back to real life and responsibilities tomorrow

I’m gonna blog more this week as soon as I figure out something worthy to say. The off-season really sux.

I’m not a stats geek, but I’ve always loved keeping a baseball card version of Dawg player stats in my head, the starters at least. I learn as much about a player’s background as I do their 40 time. I was made to be a scout, though I think my gender hampers my lofty aspirations a bit. So having the opportunity to just be a fly on the wall at Lucas Oil Stadium this week for the NFL’s biggest job fair would be a dream come true. No joke – I would kill to spend the next 6 days, watching the workout & position drills, taking the Wonderlic, and sitting in on the interviews. Add to the mix the fact that Georgia has 8 Dawgs competing, and I’m more than just a little giddy at the thought.

But since no one’s beating down my door in desperate need of my expertise, I’ll be scouring teh interwebs & the godforsaken nfl network like everyone else for every little morsel of info I can get my hands on. For those interested, here’s the official schedule of events from Sporting News. Be sure to check here for the video series on Matt Stafford’s path to the Combine and here for official stats & interviews. And the NFL network will be airing portions of the Combine starting Saturday at 11am as well. Before all the drills & interviews get started though, here’s a look at the NFL Draft Scout analysis of the eight Dawgs participating in this year’s Combine: 

Matt Stafford
Positives: Perhaps a bit shorter than preferred, but has excellent bulk and strength for the position. …Durable performer who never missed a college game due to injury, despite a leaky offensive line. … Efficient footwork and depth on his drop from center. … Quick to scan the field and go through his progressions. … Elite arm strength. … Can make all the throws and shows power and toughness getting the ball deep even when defenders are closing and making contact. … Consistent with excellent accuracy to all levels of the field. … Consistent placing the deep out on the far shoulder of his receiver, away from the defender. … Has good deep accuracy and trajectory. … Lofts the ball high enough to allow his receiver to run under it. … Aggressive, but has developed into a smarter passer over his career and will take what the defense gives him by dropping to his second and third options. … Learning to look off the safety. … Underrated core strength. … Keeps his eyes downfield and will step up in the pocket and is willing to take a hit to complete the pass. … Surprisingly nimble in the pocket and can avoid the rush. … Underrated straight-line speed and will take what the defense gives him. … Takes his own success and that of the team very seriously. … Extremely competitive. … Team captain. … Undefeated in bowl games.

Negatives: Can get fundamentally lazy… … Though he has an efficient overall release, should be able to speed it up for underneath screens passes to take better advantage of the surprise to the defense. … Sloppy footwork. … Will get lazy and throw off his back foot, which could lead to turnovers in the NFL… … Willing to throw into tight spots, though more often than not he places the ball where it needs to be… … Not great accuracy on crossing routes. … Too often leads his receivers too far or forces them to reach back, slowing their momentum and limiting their ability to generate yardage after the catch.

Knowshon Moreno
Positives: Tight-skinned athlete with good overall musculature. Good quickness to the hole. Reads the defense and anticipates where the hole, including cutback lanes, will appear. Exceptional lateral quickness and elusiveness in tight quarters. Very rarely tackled by the first defender. Good acceleration past the initial wave of defense and into the secondary. Good spin and stiff arm, and has phenomenal leaping ability to jump over tacklers. Attacks the line of scrimmage and is a tougher interior runner than given credit for. Can drop his shoulders and has good leg drive. Runs through a lot of tackles due to his competitive drive and toughness. Keeps his legs churning and will spin away from tackles. Soft hands for the reception. Natural receiver who poses intriguing possibilities to be split out wide. Good quickness and effort as a route-runner; isn’t just a threat on dump-offs in the flat or screens. Provides a pop in pass protection. Extreme competitor who can put the team on his shoulders. Wants the ball with the game on the line.

Negatives: Questionable top-end speed. Lacks the prototype size and bulk some teams are looking for in a bell-cow runner. A bit flashy, and will celebrate a bit too much after big plays.

Brannan Southerland
Positives: Solid build for the position. Experienced fullback with the athleticism to contribute as a blocker, runner and receiver. At his best blocking on the move. Locates his target and can break down in space to hit him squarely. Keeps his legs churning and maintains good contact with his target. Hits the hole quickly as a runner and has flashed the leg drive for short-yardage success. Earned the Leon Farmer Award for his dedication to the UGA strength and conditioning program and was named a team captain in 2008 despite only appearing in eight games.

Negatives: Flashed impressive leg drive and toughness as a runner early in his career, but has become less of a factor in the running game each of the past three seasons – dropping in touchdowns from eight (2006) to five (2007) to one (on only two total rushing attempts) in 2008. Only marginal hands out of the backfield. Not a natural receiver. Marginal initial pop as a lead blocker. Relies on agility and technique to clear lanes, rather than pure power or aggression. Didn’t appear to be the same player this season after missing the first half of the year with a fractured foot. Surgically repaired navicular bone in his left foot requires a Combine check.

Asher Allen
Positives: Shorter than scouts would prefer, but has a good build. … Good straight-line speed. … Legitimate cover skills. … Loose hips to turn and run with receivers. … Accelerates smoothly. … Cuts smoothly and generates burst to close quickly out of his cuts. … Should be able to handle the nickel role early due to his agility. … Secure open-field tackler who flashes some pop, considering his size. … Natural kickoff returner. … Sees the field well and can accelerate through the pack. … Mentally tough. … Responded to the challenge of playing on an island as a sophomore in the SEC and looked like he belonged immediately. … Isn’t a finished product.

Negatives: Lacks prototype height to play on the outside. … Aggressive and will bite on the double-move. … Lacks the elite recovery speed if beaten initially. … Responds to the challenge of bigger receivers, but loses out too often on jump-balls. … Has obvious athletic ability, but hasn’t yet “arrived.” … Allows too many passes into his chest and will drop easy interceptions. … Broken hand requires a Combine check.

Dannell Ellerbe
Positives: Well-built athlete with the frame to add additional mass. … Versatile defender with experience at all three linebacker positions. … Aggressive to attack the line of scrimmage in run support. … Good speed to the outside to meet the back at the edge. … Reads his keys quickly and puts himself in position to make the play. … Good overall athleticism. … Among the better inside linebackers in the country in pass coverage. … Gets good depth on his drops and reads the quarterback’s eyes. … Good short-area quickness and balance in coverage. … Can beat blockers to the action due to his lateral agility and aggression. … Effective blitzer who combines his explosiveness with legitimate hand technique to disengage from blockers. … Flashes explosiveness as a hitter.

Negatives: A bit undersized for the traditional inside linebacker position. … Relies on his athleticism and aggression to beat blockers to the ballcarrier but struggles disengaging from blocks when confronted. … Flashes explosiveness as a hitter, but too often tackles high, leaving him susceptible to missed tackles. … Struggled with a knee sprain in 2008 and wasn’t the same player. … Some concern that he played soft in 2008, trying to protect his stock.

Mohamed Massoquoi
Positives: Prototypical NFL build for the position. Good height and surprising overall musculature with the frame to add additional mass. Possesses at least adequate straight-line speed to challenge deep. Can throttle down to separate from defenders. Long arms which he extends well to make the tough reception. Flashes good leaping ability and body control to snatch high passes out of the air. Good vision for the cutback. Good elusiveness for a receiver of his size. Good size and strength to run through arm tackles and create positive yardage after the reception. Stepped up his level of play as a senior. Became a vocal and on-field leader as a senior.

Negatives: Simply drops too many passes. Prone to lapses in concentration or not looking the pass into his hands before trying to make a defender miss. Allows passes into his frame too often, resulting in some ugly bounce-backs. Bit of a long-strider with build-up speed. Lacks elite foot quickness and agility to consistently gain separation from NFL-caliber cornerbacks. Tends to disappear for long stretches.

Corvey Irvin
Positives: Long arms with a square build and room for additional growth. … At least adequate initial quickness off the snap. … At least adequate lateral quickness to generate some pass rush from the interior. … Learning to utilize his long arms to keep blockers off his body. … Locates the ball and plays with good hustle in pursuit. … Good lower leg drive to anchor against the run. … Gets his arms up to provide obstacles in the passing lanes. … Improved throughout the week of practice at the Senior Bowl.

Negatives: Raw and lacks the eye-popping athleticism to indicate high upside. … Not quick enough off the snap or when moving laterally to generate much of a pass rush. … Only short-area quickness. … Needs an open lane to close. … Adequate size and strength to hold up against the run, but struggles to disengage.

Jarius Wynn
Positives: Looks the part. … Appears to have the frame to handle adding additional mass and make the transition inside to defensive tackle. … More technically refined than most junior college prospects. … Good hand usage to take on and slip blocks. … Has the lateral agility to force the play out wide. … Can break down in space and make the secure tackle. … Might be an ascending player.

Negatives: Lacks burst off the snap. … Bit of a “tweener.” … Lacks the speed off the edge to generate a consistent pass rush from the outside and the bulk to play inside at this time. … Needs an open lane to close on the ballcarrier. … Never established himself as a playmaker in the SEC despite plenty of hype.

Maybe I’m a little biased, after reading some of the negative assessments I have to wonder if these scouts ever watched any film on the guys they’re critiquing. The part about Knowshon being a little too flashy and tends to celebrate too much after big plays? Huh? Knowshon is famous for popping back up and running to the huddle – he’s the antithesis of the Ray Lewis & T.O. mold. And the same tired complaint about Mo Mass disappearing for long stretches? Seriously? That may have been true his sophmore year, but certainly hasn’t been true for the last 2 years. The line about Dannell palying soft this year to protect his stock flat-out pissed me off to be honest. But what really irked me though was the knock against Brannan Southerland in terms of his production. What should have been noted here was that with the emergence of Knowshon, the fullback wasn’t utilized as much in scoring opportunities, but his blocking ability alone is the best in cfb! Hopefully all our guys will test well & show they’re just as much a part of the reason why UGA is consistently one of the top producers of NFL talent in all of Div 1 football. Best of luck to all our guys at the Combine this week from a grateful & proud Bulldog Nation.

GO DAWGS!!!