These Dawgs are Knocking and I Think They're Coming In

Georgia's offense moved the ball consistently on South Carolina and did so from multiple sets involving a handful of playmakers. By the second half, the South Carolina defense had no prayer of stopping the Dawgs. The Dawgs did stop themselves several times and those issues must be eliminated. If that happens, the Dawgs offense, which has scored over 30 points in 8 of their last 10 games (over 40 in 6 of those), is poised to take us fans on a rocket ride. This potentially explosive offense coupled with continued improvement from the defense which effectively held South Carolina to 17 points will result in at least nine wins this season. After an 0-2 start, nine wins will be a welcome turn around.

Here are a few key points that fill me with optimism for our offense going forward:

- Aaron Murray has made too many mistakes in the first two games - interceptions, fumbles, holding the ball too long, etc - and he is too smart and too talented to not correct those issues in the next two weeks against Coastal Carolina and Ole Miss.

I fully expect Aaron to settle down and become more comfortable with what the offense is doing especially with the emergence of Isaiah Crowell as a guy getting the ball 25 times a game. I believe that the majority of Aaron's mistakes have resulted from him trying to do too much in his effort to lead this team by example and carry them on his shoulders. He showed last year that he knows he can throw the ball away or accept a sack instead of allowing disaster to strike. In the first two games, we have had a season's worth of disasters and I believe this will abate along with the rise of and reliance upon super-talented Isaiah Crowell.


- Speaking of Crowell... He showed just why he was so highly touted coming into the season and based on the admissions of Coaches Richt and Bobo, he will be getting 20 to 25 touches from now on. Here is my assessment of Isaiah: He is quick enough to get to the hole or the corner; powerful enough to break tackles; has the vision and shiftiness to make people miss; and has that extra gear to get gone when he is in space. Against South Carolina he had 118 yards on 16 carries for 7.4 yards per carry and 2 receptions for 40 yards. His two touchdowns are just the first of many that he will amass this season. I won't be surprised if #1 ends the season with 15 to 18 TDs.

- Orson Charles. Even when he isn't getting balls thrown to him, he attracts extra attention from the defense. South Carolina had him double-teamed on every snap and they did shut him out. But, as a result, we had 19 receptions spread out among 8 other players and none of them were Aron White. The point here is that we have guys open when Orson is doubled up and Aaron is finding them. Malcolm Mitchell is a dual threat with the speed to hit on the deep ball and the hands and route-running skill to work the short passing game. Michael Bennett has made his case for the role of "possession receiver" previously held by Kris Durham. Our receiving corps is plenty capable of putting up big numbers, especially when Tavarres King plays up to his full potential.

- Effort. I have said it before and I will say it again. These Dawgs have their backs against the wall and they know that the only way out is to give maximum effort on every outing. We saw that Saturday against South Carolina. I am expecting nothing less for the rest of the season. We will probably see a flat performance at some point, but I hope it is against a team that we can beat even while flat.

As we reflect upon the season from our 0-2 perch (can you be on a perch at 0-2?) this is what I expect over the next three weeks (assuming we don't have devastating injuries and have enough linebackers to play):

I believe we will win big in our next three ball games - Coastal Carolina, Ole Miss, and yes... Miss State. We will be better on both lines of scrimmage and Bobo will have discovered the most effective ways to use Crowell, which will open up other opportunities on offense for guys like Charles, Mitchell and even Figgins coming out of the backfield. The return of Baccari Rambo made a distinct impact in our secondary, but we have to develop some new linebackers immediately to get us through this three game stretch. By midnight on October 1st, we will have great cause for optimism for this team as we prepare for our invasion of the state of Tennessee.

Go Dawgs ! GATA!

Effort Effort Effort

I hate that we lost that game to South Carolina. I hate that Coach Mark Richt has to endure more ugly rhetoric having just missed on a huge win that would have placated the masses for the time being. I hate that Christian Robinson injured his foot and will miss 2 or 3 games. I hated the way that game felt like so many of our recent games in Jacksonville where we shoot our feet off over and over coupled with some rotten luck. I pray that we have now gotten that out of our system so we won't witness it all over again on October 29th.

Now let me tell you what I loved...

- The effort from everyone on Saturday was tremendous. From my point of view, the Dawgs played their asses off and gave one of the best efforts I have seen for 4 quarters in a long time. Sadly, we outplayed SC but our mistakes killed us. Even so, the team showed that their is much fight in them and there are some very good things coming our way this season. I am not expecting us to run the table, but we will be capable of beating any team left on our schedule and I expect us to capture some memorable wins over some, if not all, of our hated rivals - UT, UF, AU and GT. I am thankful that we have a little relief in the level of competition the next two weeks and hopefully we will improve steadily before Miss State rolls into Athens.

- The fans. Sanford Stadium was loud and raucous, as it should be. No surprise there. But, after the game when the players were heading off the field, tens of thousands of fans remained to clap our guys off the field. It was classy and impressive and I am proud of our fans that showed such enthusiastic support in recognition of the maximum effort from our players.

- Isaiah Crowell and Malcolm Mitchell are two special offensive talents and we need to keep getting them the football.

- Bruce Figgins catching the ball from the fullback position is a thing of beauty and we need more of that as well. I love that the stadium echoes the name "Bruuuuuuuce" every time he makes a big play. I hope we get to do that a lot down the stretch.

- Brandon Boykin is explosive. We already knew that. But this year, he just seems more Champ Bailey-Deoin Sanders-Devin Hester explosive. It isn't a matter of if, it is when he is going to take another kickoff back for a TD. Maybe get a pick 6 or another offensive TD. Every time he gets his hands on the ball, he is a threat.

- And the number one thing I loved about Saturday... the way the players rallied around their coach and left everything on the field in an effort to get a crucial victory. They played with intensity and a sense of urgency that we never saw last year (a little against Tennessee). They will need to continue to give that level of effort and if they do, good things will come. Just how good remains to be seen. But one thing is always true, you won't get extraordinary results without extraordinary effort.

Go Dawgs! GATA!

Charlie is Ready to GATA

Charlie is our 6 year old Westie and as you can see, when he plays defense, he gets after their asses!

Kiss My Ass, Kick My Ass, Kick Your Ass, Season 2, Volume 2

Kiss My Ass - Steve Spurrier's Discpline Policy. In Spurrier's world, if you screw up in the off-season, you just might get suspended from the team during the early summer. But even if you have been suspended 5 times, you will be reinstated the day practices start back up. Now, screw up during the season and you might get the treatment below! Yeah, Spurrier's Discipline Policy and SOS himself can both Kiss My Ass!


Kick My Ass - Herschel Walker. This one is a little too obvious, and I didn't need to see the ESPNU Special SEC Storied program on Herschel to remind me. I don't need to see his two MMA fights to remind me. I don't need to watch highlights of all of his long TD runs to remind me. But based on the fact that he kicked the ass of every one of the 2011 Georgia Bulldogs in a private workout this summer (at least all of those that weren't too much of a prima donna to get out of bed for the workout) and due to the fact that he is still 210 pounds of chiseled mass with less than 3% body fat who has a super-hero alter ego... there is no other possible outcome. Herschel Walker can Kick My Ass.


Kick Your Ass - Al Qaeda. With the 10th anniversary of 9/11 coming this Sunday, is there any doubt about whose ass needs to continue to get kicked? Osama Bin Laden, your ass is dead! Atiyah Abd al Rahman... dead! Keep coming at us, we will keep killing you and your leaders. We will never forget. As long as radical Islamic terrorists are attempting to destroy our way of life, we will continue to Kick Your Ass!


WE WILL NEVER FORGET!

Gamesmanship or Insanity?

Gamesmanship or Insanity?

All this talk about the no-huddle, no-hurry, shotgun formation offense either represents a mild attempt at gamesmanship or utter insanity. If I was a coach I would do more of what works and less of what fails. Sounds pretty obvious right. And if my job was in jeopardy, I would double or triple down on the successful stuff. So the mere fact that Coach Bobo has indicated that Georgia will be sticking with its wildly unsuccessful no-huddle, no-hurry offense, to make any sense at all, must be a ruse attempting to get South Carolina to devote at least a little bit of time paying attention to it in practice and in chalk talks. But, if they must give it another shot and they must do it in this crucial game with South Carolina, please convince us that you are not insane and abandon it early enough for us to remain in the game if it proves as disastrous as it was in the Boise State game.

Update: You know when would be a really good time to work the kinks out of the no-huddle, no-hurry offense? September 17 against Coastal Carolina.

Also, the hubbub over Crowell and Branden Smith both wearing jersey #1, so they can't be on offense at the same time should be another attempt at playing coy. Surely we would want to get Branden Smith on offense if his foot is healed. This is especially true for the South Carolina game since he had the 60 yard TD run against them in 2009 and if nothing else, he would be a perfect decoy. If Crowell is an offensive weapon and because Branden Smith is potential explosive when on offense, only a buffoon would not figure out a solution to the two #1's dilemma. I can see the value in stating publicly that there is no solution, but only if you actually have a solution. In which case saying the opposite could create some doubt for the opposition. Or, in the alternative, if in fact there is no solution, then why not say "We have plans to use them both on offense at the same time despite the jersey dilemma." See how this works? Here is a video that may explain the strategy better than I can. (could not embed, damnit, but I promise the time spent going to this video will be well worth it) Do you suppose that something like this is going on in Bobo's brain? Pure battle of wits!

That is all. Thank you.

Go Dawgs! GATA!

Imagine If You Will...

Imagine If You Will... (Rod Serling voice)

... Your football team takes the field in a strange stadium away from home. The expectations are high but the wiser fans know that the football does not always bounce as expected. In this game, your defense surrenders 35 points by way of a surgical "dink and dunk" passing attack along with steadily effective running plays. Your offense cannot establish any sort of rhythm and sputters despite having many potential playmakers. At the conclusion of this disappointing contest, your fan base is convinced that your team is finished for the season and a great malaise befalls even the most optimistic observers. There is nothing but doom and despair. The apocalypse is nigh. Now imagine that everything you believe, everything that your eyes have told you, everything you have heard far and wide, are about to be turned completely upside down. You have just entered the Dawglight Zone...


I could be referring to the game Saturday in the Georgia Dome, but instead I was harkening back to an unnerving loss to a Tennessee team in 2007 that was nowhere near as consistently good as the Boise team that just beat us. And we lost in Knoxville by a score of 35-14, looking absolutely listless in the process. Yet, somehow, that Georgia team got its collective shit together and went on to win the remaining 7 games and finished ranked #2 in the country. I am not proposing that this is what will happen in 2011, but I am proposing that sometimes teams really do come together, turn the corner and reach their potential. I am not sure exactly what is the potential of this UGA squad, but all summer long I have expected that the over/under on wins would be around 9.5. And if we are to win 9 or 10 games, this would be a fantastic week to get the first one. Winning the SEC East was not and is not an unreasonable goal. It is still fully attainable. We must funnel our energy in a positive way to help this football team GATA on Saturday and get a much needed crucial victory over South Carolina and the evil one.

Hang in there Dawgs. Hang in there like a bloody tick.

Go Dawgs. GATA!

My Glass of Kool Aid is Half Full

My Glass of Kool Aid is Half Full

I am ready to look forward and stop looking back at the Boise game. But, a little more consideration of the Boise game is needed for me to look forward with a glimmer of optimism. When I left the Dome, I felt like we were doomed this coming Saturday against South Carolina. But I have started rationalizing (or perhaps irrationalizing - if that is a real verb) that there are some fixable issues and if they are fixed this week, we can beat the Gamecocks. By fixable, I am stretching and proposing that we may figure out how to pass block on 3rd down and stop the false starts (we had four).

Aaron Murray was sacked 6 times and 5 of them were on third down. Surely South Carolina will see that and plan for similar pressure. Now, the responsibility falls on our o-line and coaches to figure out how to neutralize the pressure that we know is coming from Ellis Johnson's defense. Coach Richt acknowledged that attempting some screens is an option. How about using 275 lb Bruce Figgins in Pass Pro?


I don't see him whiffing at defensive ends like we saw in the Dome. If we had played a team like Louisiana Lafayette in the opener, we may not know the severity of this problem, but based on the results in the Dome, we know where the bulkhead is leaking so hopefully we know how to patch it.

False start penalties are especially frustrating because in addition to disrupting any potential flow you may have going, adding 5 yards to the distance for a first down typically means changing the play call, possibly changing the personnel and naturally makes it harder to make a first down. These are all gimmes for the defense and in a close game against a talented opponent, we simply cannot afford these gimmes. Coach Richt mentioned that they will go to more silent counts this week and that should help the tackles. Maybe that will solve it, but another solution would be for Ben Jones to get in the ass of the culprit who can't remember the snap count. Accountability to your teammates is an effective motivator. Use it. And while we are on the subject of gimmes, remember when David Greene would draw the defense offsides at least twice a game with his cadence and hard counts? More of that please. Make the other guys screw up and give us some free yards and attractive down and distance situations. This is especially true when you know they have their ears pinned back to aggressively rush the QB. Will someone get this memo to Coaches Richt and Bobo?

Now... looking forward. We know South Carolina is good but there is reason to consider that their defense may not be as stout as the Boise defense - at least based on their first week performance. The Gamecock defense yielded 31 points to East Carolina in the first three quarters while the game was very much in doubt. ECU couldn't run the ball very successfully (28 for 85 yds) but the QB was 35/56 for 260 yards and 4 TDs. Both teams lost 4 fumbles in this game and the Gamecocks returned one for a TD and had a long punt return for a TD. Two stats I like very much... South Carolina registered zero sacks and allowed ECU to convert 9 of 19 third downs and 2 of 2 fourth downs.

I still have no idea how our defense will stop Lattimore, Garcia and Jeffery, so hopefully we can outscore them.

There is no doubt that the Dawgs have their hands full, but at least at this point, my glass is still half full. A victory over South Carolina would make our most important season goals still attainable. We need this win. I am behind this team, evidently pushing the bus. If the Kool Aid runs out, I will have to fill it up with some high ABV craft beer.

Go Dawgs! GATA!

A Handful of Positives

The Boise game is over and we lost to a better team and we showed a frustrating inability to make in-game adjustments and a baffling distrust of going back to plays that worked. But, there were a few positives that I would like to mention before moving on to the more important task of hating South Carolina and Steve Spurrier.

- We had three long touchdowns and none were nullified by a taunting or excessive celebration penalty. That is not insignificant and may be a sign that in addition to having no arrests in the off-season, we may see more personal discipline on the field. We had 7 penalties for 50 yards, which is not terrible.

- Boise State had no plays greater than 20 yards. If you have watched many Boise games in the past few years, big plays are a staple of their game. Of course, missing the NFL departees (Young and Pettis) and the Dutchman were part of the reason, but still... our corners and safeties took away the deep ball. Now, let's shore up the soft underbelly.

- Malcolm Mitchell and Brandon Boykin have jetpacks in their cleats. Now we just need to get them the football more often.

- Aaron Murray survived with his health despite being sacked 6 times and pretty much being on the run the entire night. (See how I turned the poor play of our porous offensive line into a postive? Lemons/lemonade.)

- Drew Butler averaged 47.8 yards on 5 punts.

- Third down defense. We held Boise to 4 of 12 of third down. I don't have the stats on the YTG on those conversions.

- The Nike Pro Combat Uniforms. How is this a positive? We NEVER have to see them again.

There you have it Dawgs, a handful of positives. Now stay positive and let's get after Sackerlina and make Spurrier throw his visor so often that his rotator cuff falls off.

Bad News and Good News

The bad news is that our Georgia football team was out-coached by Boise's Chris Petersen and his staff and not by just a little. The old statement about how Bear Bryant could take his'n and beat your'n and then take your'n and beat his'n could just as easily be said about Chris Petersen and what he accomplished in the Georgia Dome Saturday night. Does anyone have any doubt that if we had swapped players (or coaches) with Boise back in March that Peterson could take Aaron Murray, Orson Charles, Jarvis Jones, Brandon Boykin and the others and whip the bunch from Boise by at least two touchdowns? In reality, that Boise team is extremely well coached and execute with great precision. Once they figured out what Georgia wanted to do on offense and defense they made the necessary adjustments and never looked back. But for a few monster plays from the Georgia offense, this could have been a 28 point blowout.


The good news is that we will not play a more well-coached team the rest of this season unless somehow we face Alabama in the game that now seems so incredibly unlikely. Oh sure, some have high regard for the evil visored one, but if I was building a program today, I would choose Petersen over Spurrier. Dan Mullen looks like a fine coach and is doing great things at Mississippi State but Petersen has a few more years on his resume. Not that any of this is assurance that we won't be out-coached again, but we won't face a team as well-coached as Boise, so we've got that going for us.

Domeward Bound

I am now officially shutting down the laptop and leaving for Atlanta. No more posts before Sunday. I am predicting a Dawgs victory because to do otherwise would be unDawgly and unGawdly. Can't wait to see everyone at TweetGate.

Go DAWGS! GATA!!!!

Kiss My Ass, Kick My Ass, Kick Your Ass, Season 2, Volume 1

Welcome to Season 2 of the wildly popular and highly acclaimed feature... Kiss My Ass, Kick My Ass, Kick Your Ass in which I identify three individuals for praise or scorn.

Kiss My Ass - Craig James. Craig James is a whiny puke and I cannot, for the life of me, understand how he still has a job with ESPN or any other football media outlet. His manipulation of the events that led to the firing of the Dread Pirate Mike Leach was merely the icing on his cake of douchiness. I think we all get dumber every time he speaks during a broadcast. And, as if I needed any additional reasons, he says Boise State will beat Georgia tomorrow. Hey Craig, keep reading your Twitter feed and Kiss My Ass!


Kick My Ass - Bill Goldberg. The word is that former Dawg Bill Goldberg is getting back in the ring. (HT Senator Blutarsky) Just one look at this photo and I concede... Goldberg can Kick My Ass!

Kick Your Ass - Rep. Andre Carson. Andre Carson has nominated himself as Race Baiter in Chief with his recent asinine statement that certain members of Congress want to see black people hanging from trees. That is some real civilized rhetoric there boss. Too bad the late great Democrat Senator Robert Byrd is no longer with us to dispute your vitriol. We don't want to see you hanging from a tree, but I do want to break off a switch and whip your juvenile ass with it until you grow up.

That's right Andre, put 'em up. How big a ole boy are you, anyway? Looking like George Foreman and shit.

Jody's Boise State Review

If you have time... here is a thorough review from the reliable View from 336.

Footie Picker Weekend 9/3

My picks are in bold and gold. There is almost a statistical certainty that half of these will be right and half will be wrong. If you can determine which are which, you may be able to make some money off of these picks. Picking against the point spread.

Saturday

AUBURN 22 Utah State
SOUTHERN CAL 21 Minnesota
NOTRE DAME 10.5 S. Florida
Byu 3 OLE MISS
S. Carolina 20.5 East Carolina (in Charlotte)
OKLAHOMA 24 Tulsa
Boise State 3 Georgia (in Atlanta)
Oregon 2.5 Lsu (in Dallas)
VIRGINIA 8 William & Mary

Monday

Miami 5.5 MARYLAND

I WANT TO BELIEVE

I WANT TO BELIEVE

I am an optimist. Always have been. It works for me. I have friends who are pessimists. Seems fairly miserable, but to each his own. In the past few days, my stolid skepticism from the off-season is magically morphing into guarded optimism. I am not prone to irrational exuberance, but I am pleased with this emerging optimism which will, of course, on Saturday afternoon explode into an indestructible runaway freight train of bullet-proof invincibility. But for the next 48 hours or so, it will remain as reasonable, logic oriented guarded optimism. Here are 10 points that give me optimism (go elsewhere if you want to find a list of reasons for pessimism):

1. Aaron Murray was pushing the 70% completion mark last season and has benefited from another spring and fall camp. It is reasonable to assume that he has a better grasp of our offense and is better at reading defenses than he was last year. If the game continues to "slow down" for him, then his personal goal of breaking the 70% mark is within reach which would bode very well for our ability to sustain drives and open up the running game.

2. Orson Charles will see more balls this year and will continue to create mismatches for opposing defenders. Despite the fact that AJ Green is gone, I believe that Orson will continue to get open and catch balls in space with room to run.

The same is true for Aron White. Then, as a semi-secret weapon, Arthur Lynch can also catch and run and will likely be overlooked by defenders assuming that he is in the game to block with his imposing 275 pound frame. Lastly, Bruce Figgins can haul in passes on fullback routes, especially screens, and will be a load to tackle at 275 pounds. I have always been partial to tight ends and we have an embarrassment of riches with these four talented guys.

3. Ben Jones. When your center is likely the meanest SOB on the team, it's a good thing.

4. Jarvis Jones has the potential to help ease to pain of losing Justin Houston to the NFL. Justin led the team in tackles for loss (19.5) and sacks (11) and Jarvis steps into his shoes at outside linebacker. With his dreadlocks, Jarvis resembles Marcus Howard. Let's hope is play is comparable to either Howard or Houston and if it is, opposing QBs are in the crosshairs. (Side note - am I the only one that keeps inadvertently saying Jarvis Jackson instead of Jarvis Jones?)

5. Alec Ogletree. If you are blind, but not deaf, you will know when Alec makes the tackle. The thud can be heard in the stands or through the television. Think Rennie Curran, only taller.

6. The Brandon/Branden tandem. Speed kills. Speed on the turf kills faster. Boise may not kick it deep to Brandon Boykin, but any time they do, he is a legitimate threat to go coast to coast. Hopefully Branden Smith will be close to 100% recovered from his foot injury. We will need him. I think that the odds are good that one of these guys comes up with a pick six sometime this season, the sooner the better.

7. Strength and Conditioning. Coach Joe Tereshinski can be a scary dude. When players would rather practice with nagging injuries than spend the practice in "The Pit" with Joe T... your S&C program has improved. Plus we added a nutritionist and team tables which means a lot less McDonald's and Waffle House, presumably.

8. Tavarres King averaged 18.67 yards per catch last season with 27 receptions. In his freshman season he averaged 20.94 with 18 receptions. This year he is relishing the opportunity to be the top receiving threat. It isn't possible to replace the impact of having AJ Green on the field, but Tavarres is a legitimate deep threat and Murray can work on his 70% goal by hitting TK in stride on some deep balls.

9. Coach Todd Grantham. You want fiery, you got it. You want intensity, you got it. You want Erk Russell back? Come on, get real. But, if you want a return to the defensive success we had under Brian Van Gorder... stand by because there is enough talent on this defense to make it happen.
(Image by Jim Hipple)

10. You didn't think I would leave him out did you? "Jaws will drop." If you don't know what that means, you soon will.

GO DAWGS! GATA!

Bumping Uglies

BUMPING UGLIES



You know, I think I could begin the analysis of every team, every season starting with this post. The bottom line is, if you don't have talent in the Big Ugly department, you aren't going to win any championships.

I have said it many times and I will continue to say it as long as it remains relevant... a winning season begins in the middle of the defensive line. Boom. That is not novel but it is indisputable. For best evidence please see: Glenn Dorsey, LSU National Champs 2007; Terrence Cody, Alabama, 2009 National Champs; Nick Fairley, Auburn, 2010 National Champs. If you can wreak havoc from the nose guard position, every other position on defense becomes more productive. It comes down to this basic tenet... if you can get a serious push from the nose and draw two blockers there, you will have an end, linebacker or safety running free to make a stop at or behind the line of scrimmage. It's not rocket science... it's not even economics (which apparently is harder than rocket science). The outside rush and the ability to have a safety free in run support both come down to solid nose guard play. We struggled at this position last year, but this year we have two bonafide 350 pound players sharing snaps at this position, Kwame Geathers and John Jenkins. And that will be the starting point of the turnaround for this defense.


Whether Jarvis Jones or Sanders Commings has a great season depends greatly on the play at nose guard. A disruptive force in the middle creates opportunities for the rest of the defense. This is true whether we are playing a wide open passing offense like Boise State or the triple option of Georgia Tech. In passing situations, if we get a sufficient push from the middle then the QB can't step up in the pocket... which means he can't easily step into the throw, has to throw early or has to move. If we get a strong rush from the edge, moving is not much of an option so that leaves a hurried throw as the alternative to a sack. Naturally, hurried throws lead to less accurate throws. The progression doesn't happen as described if the push from the middle is weak. We should see marked improvement in our 3rd down pass defense based on this position alone. On run defense, it comes down to hats on hats and if they need two men to block the nose, we have an extra hat running free. Stopping a guy like Marcus Lattimore begins with solid play at nose guard.


Conversely, the success of our offense can reliably be linked to the soundness of our center. If our center is solid and he can communicate effectively down the line of scrimmage, we are in the best position as an offensive unit. A strong center makes the guards and tackles better. We are going to need that this year. This translates to both our running game and passing game.

Based on the guy we have snapping the football and the two behemoths at nose guard, I am optimistic about our chances to win the SEC East this season. Obviously four year starter, Ben Jones, is a beast at center. He performed exceptionally well against Terrence Cody as a true freshman and has only gotten better. As such, he is currently viewed as the top NFL prospect at center in the nation. We couldn't ask for more from this position and we will receive a great effort this season from one of this team's most ardent leaders. And on the defensive front, the emergence of Kwame Geathers and the addition of John Jenkins has added a dimension that was wholly absent from last year's squad. This addition will be more than enough to elevate the play of our ends, linebackers and safeties. These improvements will be the hallmark of our success on defense in 2011.

In my narrow view... if you want some reason for optimism about the 2011 season, look no farther than the middle of both lines. Exceptional play there equates to exceptional results on the scoreboard. Every time.

Are These Underdogs WonderDawgs?

In 2005, Boise State came to Athens as the underdog and fashionable upset pick among the football talking heads. D.J. Shockley and company sent the Broncos home looking more like minidonks after a 48-13 woodshedding. However, you can toss that piece of information out with the morning coffee grounds because the 2011 Boise State team is coming to Atlanta as favorites and again they are the fashionable pick among the football talking heads. So Georgia is the underDawg in this contest and nobody but nobody expects Little Georgia to beat Mighty Boise. Do you realize how utterly ridiculous that last statement is and yet it is true. And you can even imagine Larry Munson saying it with a straight face.

Boise comes in ranked #5 in the AP Poll while Georgia is at #19. Las Vegas has Boise as a 3.5 point favorite despite the game being played 2172 miles from Boise in the Georgia Dome. Since their embarrassing loss to Georgia in 2005, the Broncos have fared very well in openers against major conference foes like Oregon (twice) and Virginia Tech. Meanwhile, since the Dawgs dominated Boise in 2005, Georgia has managed to lose to Oklahoma State, Colorado and Central Florida. The roles are clearly reversed from that game 6 years ago.

If you will recall, when Oklahoma State came to Athens in 2007, the Dawgs handled them fairly easily. But when we went to Stillwater in 2009, we had a lackluster performance and lost. I believe that our team felt that by just showing up, they could beat the Cowboys and after marching the length of the field for a touchdown on the first possession, they mailed it in and failed to play much for the remainder of the game. I bring this up because I think that particular reversal of fortunes should be instructive for our team as we prepare for Boise. Though none of our current roster was on the team when Boise came to Athens, the memory of that game is still fresh in the minds of Dawgnation. It may create a tendency for fans to be overconfident or to underestimate Boise State, but there can be no way that our team is taking them lightly or will be overconfident. There should not be another Oklahoma State (2009) or Colorado performance this coming Saturday. By the same logic, however, all Boise State's Coach Chris Petersen has to do to get his player's attention is to point to the results of the 2005 game. I do not believe we can expect that team to come into the Dome overconfident and under-prepared. No, this will be a game in which both teams have tons of motivation and much to prove. Georgia wants to show that they have gotten the ox out of the ditch and Boise wants to show yet again that they can compete with teams from the automatic qualifier conferences.

I think the 3.5 point spread in favor of Boise State is fair. I am glad we are playing them in the Georgia Dome. This is the perfect opportunity for the Dawgs to announce that they are back... if in fact, the Dawgs are back. Are these underdogs WonderDawgs?

On Game Day, I will be visiting a couple of tailgates. One is the TweetGate being organized by Ludakrisi for our Dawg Tweeps. And the other is the Shepherd Spinal Center S.H.A.R.E. tailgate with proceeds benefiting a program that provides rehabilitation and community-based care to U.S. military service members who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. I look forward to seeing my fellow Dawgs before, during and after the game. Between now and Saturday, I will have more to say about our team and the game. But for now, I am fired up that we are merely days away from live action. Remember to Spread-the-Red this Saturday. Go DAWGS. GATA!

Pulpwood on Boise State

Pulpwood Smith coming atchall to open the 2011 season:

Definitely NSFW

It Never Leaves You

By now, everyone has surely seen the wonderful video recently released that will serve as an advertisement for UGA. In the song that accompanies the video, REM sing that "This place is the beat of my heart" while the text reads "You may leave, but it never leaves you."



There are three places in the world where these words ring truly nostalgic in my heart: my parents' home in Douglas; the classic city of Athens; and the U.S. Naval Academy.

All three are inextricably woven into the fabric of my life. My parents met in Athens and I grew up listening to their stories about their time at UGA. Some of my favorite childhood memories are from cool fall Saturdays in Athens tailgating with my family, cousins, aunts, uncles, friends and friends of friends. My grandfather's brother, Howell Hollis, who coached golf at UGA for many years, provided us with some of the best seats in Sanford Stadium. I usually sat next to my mom's younger brothers, Howell Hollis (named after our Uncle Howell of course) and Bo Hollis. They were in high school then and were essentially de facto babysitters. During halftime, they would take my brother and me to go slide down the hills adjacent to the end zone under the railroad tracks. For you young folks, that last line made no sense. Haha. The games were always the highlight of the trip but the entire experience of tailgating, seeing family, playing on the hills, throwing those little plastic footballs and barking for the Dawgs combined for my bred-in-the-bone connection to Athens, Sanford Stadium and the team I love.

On Thanksgiving weekends we would stay in Atlanta at my grandparents' home and go to the UGA vs Ga Tech freshmen game that was linked the Scottish Rite Hospital in some fund-raising capacity I believe. That is another sentence that will make no sense to the young ones. We would also go to the varsity game. On Thanksgiving Day we would enjoy the Dallas-Washington game on TV while I pulled for my favorite pro football player, Roger Staubach (USNA grad incidentally - see how this starts coming together?)

But... perhaps the most memorable game every Thanksgiving was the family Turkey Bowl. In Atlanta, we would play on this unusual triangular patch of grass that was nestled between three streets in front of my grandparents' home. My mom and dad, brother, sister, uncles and some of their friends would join the game which somehow always ended in a tie (to prevent 364 days of trash talking.)

In 1975 my Uncle Howell enrolled at the Naval Academy (see a pattern?) while Uncle Bo enrolled at Ga Tech (please hold the boos and hisses.) After my grandfather passed away in 1978, our Thanksgiving tradition moved to Douglas where the Turkey Bowl Game continued and thrived. By the mid '80's Uncle Howell's wife and three kids were on the field.

By 1984, both My brother Drew and I were Midshipmen at the Naval Academy (see what I mean?) and coming home for Thanksgiving was one of the highlights of every year. Sadly, Uncle Howell passed away a few years ago, but the Turkey Bowl Game still includes my mom and dad, Uncle Bo and his wife and son, my brother and his wife and 5 children, my sister and her husband and 3 children and my wife and our two children, and me, and usually some friends and occasionally some stragglers. In my 45 years, I have been away from family on Thanksgiving twice: in 1990 I was in Subic Bay Philippines after 92 consecutive days at sea in the Persian Gulf and in 1991 I was stationed in San Diego and unable to get home. When I was in the Gulf, my aunt videotaped the Turkey Bowl game and mailed me a copy in a care package - so I didn't miss the game completely.

Important note... after blistering the Ga Tech curriculum for 4 years, Uncle Bo finally got his butt over to Athens for Law School and his 3 years of law school coincided with the three years that #34 stalked the goal line - and coincided with my high school years.

On many weekends during this era, I would play my HS football game on Friday night and leave Douglas at 5:00 am Saturday to get into Athens by 9:00 to meet Uncle Bo to watch Herschel run over people. And for the past 15 years, Uncle Bo and I have sat together in section 127.

Because I was wise, I became a Navy Supply Officer and got to spend the 1988 football season, Vince Dooley's twilight season, as a student at the Navy Supply School in Athens. Then I came back in 1992 to be an instructor. In 1993 I started law school in Athens and in 1994 my brother started law school in Athens. I met my wife in Athens and proposed to her on the steps of the beautiful Chapel on North Campus. And now my kids love the Athens game day experience and so it goes.


I know this post rambled on, which is appropriate because I am a rambling man, but here is the clincher. My heart swells with pride and my eyes tear up every single time I hear the Redcoat Marching Band playing the first notes of Fanfare on a game day and then again when the Dawgs run onto the field. The same thing happens when I watch the Midshipmen march onto the field before a game and when the players and the brigade sing Blue and Gold at the end of the game.

It also happens when I walk through the main gate at the Naval Academy after being away too long. It happens when I hear the national anthem. It even happens when Zsu Zsu hears the bell ring. And it happens every time I think about my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving and how much the family tradition means to me and our family and how it has evolved over the past 45 years. Without question, home, Athens and Annapolis are places that I have left, but they will never leave me. Oh my heart, oh my heart indeed.


I am ready for some football! Go DAWGS! GATA!

Great Post from a Dawg in New Zealand

This article sums up many of the things in life that matter most to me. Well done Adrian.

A Bulldog in New Zealand

Hope Springs Eternal on NSD

The Dawgs signed a great recruiting class today and much credit must go to Coach Richt and his staff for working hard to find talent to meet the needs of this team. A homerun running back, some beef on both lines of scrimmage and some speedy athletes in the defensive backfield - to name a few.

All indications are that Crowell will be a difference maker. Anyone want to bet that he won't redshirt?