Shit.

Pictures coming soon when I finally feel like writing.

All I know is that I hope Gator fans don't feel too excited about that win. The better team beat themselves on Saturday.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

This might take a minute.

So, let me apologize to any children that read my previous post and said "Mommy, that's that word you screamed last Saturday!!!" However, if you're too young to handle my F-Bomb, then you're way to young to read the shit that goes through my cranium.

Before I go any further, BIG thanks to PWD and The Georgia Sports Blog for linking me up. My hits have doubled since he did it, so again, big thanks for that. In other Dawg-gone Blog News, I turned over 10,000 page views sometime in between Sunday and Monday. Another big thanks to everyone that's dropped in over these short months I've been doing this. The sad but true secret is that probably 5,000 of those visits came from me trying to see if anyone's commented to the shit I say. Thank God the Dawgs started playing or I wouldn't have a life.

Anyway, this blog will be torn into two parts. The first part being the pre-game breakdown of the annual Cocktail Party and the second part being a short essay on how great it is. I hope you enjoy.

Well let's not keep you kids waiting. With my apologies to PWD, Dawgbone.net and every other trusted UGA source out there, he's what I think.


The World's Largest Cocktail Party

When UGA has the ball:

1. PROTECT JOE T. III -- I love our O-Line. I really really do, but please understand that D.J. was bound to get hurt last Saturday with all the pressure he was feeling. Our O-Line just didn't step up. Max-Jean won another award for Saturday's performance, but for the life of me, I don't know why. Part of being a true fan is always asking for more and placing blame where due, but still love them at the end of the day. That's what I'm doing here. Our O-Line hurt us badly. We can't play like that against Florida who we all know is going to bring heat every down until Joe proves to be a threat with his arm. Please please please please PLEASE be working on the blitz this week....PLEASE.

2. Bring back the running game -- All we heard the entire offseason was about Georgia's talented stable of backs and how an inexperienced D.J. Shockley was going to have to rely on that ground game to get things going. *Ahem* They call them ANALysts for a reason. Anyway, I still haven't seen the breakout game for our running backs and if the O-Line does its job, this will be that game. Look for T-Brown to finally have his breakout game, Danny should have some good runs here and there, and expect Kregg to see some good playing time as well. Richt will know he has to substitute backs in regularly to keep guys fresh for pass protection so expect plenty of touches all the way around. Hell, I'd definitely be looking for the screen. I hope we run it all over Meyer and his boys because I'm still pissed about when Zook did it to us. It was like playing NCAA Football with a five year old who only knows one play. I hope we run it 20 times and score 50% of the time off of it. Well, let's not be greedy. 49%

3. WRs must have their best game of the year -- From catching the ball, finding soft spots in zones, blocking downfield, all the way to getting off the jam, if the WRs don't bring their "A+" game, we're dead before it starts. They are the key in winning this game I think. Our defense will be our defense and our running game will be feared even though it hasn't really done much of anything. But our WRs are viewed as a weakness and with a new QB comes new timing and new confidence. If the guys on the receiving end don't step up for the guy on the throwing end, we're screwed. Plain and simple. That being said, Mo Mass breaks out in this game. I've been saying it for a while, but this time, I actually think it'll happen. This game last year was when Leonard Pope went off because he was "under the radar" then. Expect Mo Mass to do the same.


When Florida has the ball:

1. G.A.T.A. (Get After That Ass) -- Put Leak on his ass. Everyone else has and we should too. Just take a page out of 'Bama's book and knock him on the ground. I think Leak is a stellar QB and Meyer is just rattling his NFL ready brain by putting all that stupid shit in there called "The Spread." Let the kid throw the damn ball...just not against us. Anyway, Leak hasn't thrown an interception in a Georgia/Florida game so I don't think we really should play the pass as much as Martinez probably will. I know we want to force turnovers and GTBB and all, but I still think if we just pressure a LITTLE, it'll do us world's better. Prevention defenses only prevent you from winning kids.

2. Use our LB Corps -- We're finally getting somewhat healthy at LB and it couldn't have come at a better time. Brandon Miller will play, Tony Taylor (a HUGE addition) is hungry for action, and Jarvis Jackson is a beast. Let's not forget about my boy Danny "Get Ver-Dun" Wheeler. Our entire LB Corps have done a great job of stopping the run, blitzing the QB (in the rarity of it being called upon to do so), and slowly drifting back into coverage to force turnovers. I'm really proud of our defense. They've done a great job and I think the middle men have a lot to do with that.

3. Let the DBs play ball -- Rubbin's racin'. That's kind of what I'm hoping for when Tim and Demario get the chance to shine. I'm looking forward to our guys playing a physical, in-your-face type of coverage scheme. I think Martinez has enough faith in this defense to let them go out and each part do their job seperately. Expect a lot of man-on-man at the beginning and maybe switching to zone to help our guys stay fresh. I really think our secondary will bring lots of different looks this weekend to try and confuse Leak even more since he's already been confused a lot by "The Spread."

Special Teams:

1. Coutu is Swahili for "automatic" -- I just knocked on wood. Just keep it up buddy and you'll be loved on a level that only Billy Bennett has seen.

2. Ely-Kelso -- You are MUCH better than that other Kelso on Fox. You probably don't punk people as well, but damn it, you keep kicking like you are and you TOO can shag Demi Moore. Hell, I'll do you one better. You keep Florida from fair catching anything past the 10 yard line and your first round of hookers is on me. Wait. Sorry, for a second I flashed back to the Jim Donnan era.

3. Thomas Flowers -- Patience. You finally had it at the UT game and look what happened. Trust your blockers. They haven't really had a bad outing since UL-Monroe.

Overall:

We will win this game. I'm not saying it over and over again hoping it will happen and trying to trick myself into believing it, but as each day wears on, I see how feasable winning this game actually is. The bookies already pissed off the team by declaring us five point underdogs to another team that hasn't really shown anyone anything (except for Wyoming. They FEAR Florida). On top of that, when a guy like Shockley, who has the most respect of the team than anyone else, gets hurt, the others step up to win the game for him. This team will come out, arm in arm with Shockley leading the pack and Joe T. right beside him. This is a TEAM unlike any I've seen before. These guys want to notch their place in Bulldog history. A win here does that for them. They know what's at stake and they want to win. Finally it's a "you before me" attitude in Athens. We need to go out and play our game, which in all honesty hasn't been that flashy anyway. We just need to play solid football for 60 minutes. We do that and we win. Plain and simple. Florida will take the lead (albeit a small one) and we will fight back. We convert in the Red Zone (they will too) and it will be a dogfight the entire game. Field position and turnovers and who has the most yards rushing will be the stories of this game. If we take two of those three, we win. Besides, let's not forget, a win clinches the SEC East and a loss forces us to have to win the next two games. None of our guys want that pressure. They just want to play.

Predicted Score: 30-23

Dawgs win.


Part Two (awww you forgot about part two):

I won't make this long but let me tell you quickly why this game and this rivalry is so important to me.

I'll never claim to be that Dawg fan that knows every player for Georgia from the past 50, 60, 90, 100 years. I'll never claim to be the guy you turn to when you need advice about what we should do to win the game. But I am the guy, like many Dawg fans abound, that feels sick for a month after a loss, that rejoices on the memory of an Auburn blowout in Athens, and that feels the rush of hoping that a football hanging in the air for an eternity comes down in the hands of a running Dawg who will hopefully score 6 on the play.

I'm the fan that watches the TV and listens to Munson. I'm subsequently the Dawg fan that's ballsy enough to want to replace him when he (unfortunately) steps down because I feel a care about this team enough to make a career out of talking about it.

I'm that Dawg fan that bleeds the truest color of Red and Black that you'll ever see. I see the Dawgs on the field and their NFL dreams never cross my mind. Their tests never eek into my conciousness. All I think about is how they suited up today to play for those that love them endlessly even though only a handful of them actually know who they are. I think about how each one of them wants to be forever linked to an infamous Munson call that after 20 years will become righteously famous.

Oh, if your blood doesn't boil on Gameday for the Dawgs, then you haven't lived. And I mean that.

When this time of year approaches I'm spoiled of past memories of my adventures as a member of The Redcoat Band and how this is what we counted down for at every practice. The hours of drinking and talking about how we're going to wear out that Gator ass only to be followed up on Saturday night with "we'll get them next year...go make me another...and make it strong." I hate losing to Florida on a level that is reserved for...well, I don't know and rightly couldn't tell you offhand, but it's deep. As deep as it gets. As deep as Tech. But with Orange and Blue.

I don't need to throw out comments of jean shorts, mullets, and wife-beaters on Gameday. Hell, they do it themselves. But never have I seen a more undeserving state to have had so many years of flawless football. But it wasn't always flawless was it? It wasn't flawless in 1997 when we surprised the world and Steve Spurrier gave an interview that I have on my computer right now. "The day belongs to the Bulldogs." It's like hearing the devil say "thank God." And then all was right.

But they have spoiled our fun too. I remember 2002 when we were upset by a Florida team that just outplayed us. When we watched our Nat'l Title hopes go up in smoke en route to an SEC Championship.

That fire burns today and it burns inside of every Dawg fan alive. This isn't a "rivalry." I don't even know what it could be described as. If Georgia wins, the state should have Monday off. That's how big this is. If Georgia loses, the state should have Monday and Tuesday off because that's how big our headaches are. Having your heart broken by a woman and losing to Florida are two things no man should experience. However, if she leaves in the fourth quarter with a minute to go and we're winning, I think it would be OK. But that's just me.

I'll be like a lot of Dawg fans this Saturday. I'll be in Jacksonville and I'll be surrounded by many more just like me and all of them talking shit. However, I'll be different. I'll be relishing in such a glorious experience and how I got to see it all live at least one more time in person. Life is never as good as it is before kickoff of Georgia/Florida, and it never will be.

Every year the motto is "this year, it's different" and I'm not referencing the 13 out of the 15 years we lost. I'm talking about how every year the stakes get higher, the implications grow stronger, and the hate grows into...respect.

No matter the outcome, we'll still be ok and we'll live to fight another one. However, if we win, what a day it will be. I hope I get to see history in action on Saturday when the underDAWGS acheive a level greater than glory and everyone notches their own spot in Bulldog Lore.

With that, I must say two things:

1. Please don't pick us Corso.

2. Go Dawgs.


Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Go Dawgs).

I'll write a post-game breakdown (probably tomorrow or Tuesday) when I can say anything other than...

FUCK!!!!

Until next time kids.

Be safe (and protect your QB).

First of all, I had a great dinner tonight and my Stacy is full. After the football part, I'll explain what you just read.

Ok, so the Dawgs and the Hawgs lock it up this weekend in what many people are calling a "W" already for our beloved boys in Red and Black.

Not many people are going to like what I'm about to say, but we're in danger with this game.

Here's what I think...

When UGA has the ball:

1) Protect D.J. -- This IS a reccuring theme ladies and gentlemen. When our hero (who, after the midpoint of the season, is up for many national QB awards) snaps the ball and has time to throw, he eats defenses alive. FINALLY we have a system the encourages the long ball. Amazingly we didn't have that when we supposedly had the "great" receivers here. The truth is, Shockley's legs allow us to stretch the field. Since we always have the ability to go deep, people must play the long ball, thus throwing the safeties farther back into coverage. Shock runs or the Three-Headed Monster runs and we win the game. We hope. Anyway, O-Line has to play well and protect our guy so he can have an easy day and no injuries. NO INJURIES.

2) Control the Clock -- Arkansas has one aspect of their game that makes this particular meeting incredibly dangerous, and that is their running game. They run the ball so effectively it frightens me. In fact, that's pretty much all they do since their passing game is nonexistent, but they still managed to rack up almost 200 yards against Alabama, whose rushing defense is one of the best in the nation. We have got to keep their ground game on the sidelines. Their O-Line outweighs our D-Line by a good 30 pounds on EACH MAN. We gotta keep that bacon off the playing field.

3) Score in the Red Zone -- 'Nuff said, we gotta get more TDs but props to the kicking game for being automatic lately.

When Arkansas has the ball:

1) Stop the running game -- Obviously, from the facts given above, we have to stop them from running the ball. They won't even attempt to pass since both QBs blow harder than Katrina. With our D-Line damn near dead and our Linebacking Corps hurt as well, we have really got to make a statement. That statement is "our backups don't suck."

2) Kill their kick returns -- We suck at it and Arkansas is pretty good at it. We need our guys to tackle effectively and not expect Greg FUCKING Blue to make every hit. Essentially, our "assassins" (the guys who line up wide on punts to try and force a fair catch or be the first to hit the returner...thanks Red & Black) have got to force little to no returns and maybe even a muff or two. Ha...I said "muff."

3) Change it up -- Florida is idle this week. That means they'll be eyeing our defense and looking for holes. Chris Leak (who I still believe is almost NFL ready mind-wise) will be studying this game like we studied UT/UF. Martinez needs to throw some different looks defensively (i.e. more blitzes PLEASE) in order to give Florida so much film to study that they can't get it all in.

Overall:

1) DON'T LOOK PAST THIS GAME -- I'm guilty of the "Florida Bug" too because it's the time of year that every Dawg fan looks forward to, but seriously, we're playing a damn good 2-4 team and we can't afford any fuck-ups. We need to stay focused.

Final Thoughts:

This is a big game for us as is every game when you're 6-0. People are talking about UGA in the Nat'l Title hunt and now it's to the point that we're finally starting to listen. However, I still see this team united more than any team before it. Without a clear "superstar" this team relies on each other to get the job done. They do that in this game and again, come away with another "W." However, it will be close. Closer than any of us will like. One thing I want to know is if the team will come out arm-in-arm during pre-game instead of running out like they usually do. I hope they do because I think it gets them in the right state of mind. I guess I'll have to wait and see and get reports since I won't be in Athens this weekend. I'll be in the metropolis of Perry, where we have a fair and people race pigs.

Anyway, Dawgs do what they need to do and preparations for Florida begin.

Prediction: 24-13


Moving on.

We were kicking ass last night in trivia until I was SO SURE about the answer of who smacked the game winning homerun in the 1993 World Series. Apparently Joe Carter, who was my second guess, hit that homerun instead of Kirby Puckett. My erroneous answer led to many more thereafter so it's essentially my fault we didn't place. However, many great things happened. I ended up spending more time with three great friends. I named my stomach Stacy after we determined that we should "go with our gut" and since Stacy was the only one with any answer, she happened to be our gut and thus became MY gut. I'm sure she's thrilled. I'll be honest though, I'm truly honored for her to be my gut. She kicks tons of ass. One of the coolest people I've met in a long while.

Also, my penis is named Rusty mainly because it hasn't been used in a while. HA!

Um. (I literally just looked around trying to find shit to write about).

A trailer for the new Nicholas Cage movie called "The Weather Man" just aired. For some reason, I think old Nick might be having a career surge. I haven't watched any of his new shit (I don't think many other people have as well) but the trailers for it seem really fresh and kinda weird. They seem to be movies that are more written well than acted well. If you catch my drift.

Well, I'm as spent as my $2 when have a craving for a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Blizzard from DQ.

Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Go Dawgs).

Just like a bathroom trip after eating my chili, you knew this was coming.

Here I am to again revel in my own greatness of why I should be betting on sports instead of on poker. However, I'm really not ballsy enough to do that so I never will, but even if I had the guts I wouldn't do it because I never tempt fate when it comes to my beloved Dawgs. Speaking of tempting fate, there will be a homework assignment at the end of this blog, so please, have your pencils in your hand. *Ahem* Please point all dirty thoughts to this blog.

Last week's predicted score: 33-13
Last week's actual score: 34-17

By the way, I predicted 2 of 3 upsets.

*Ahem*

Ah-thank-you.

So the scariest game of the year for me has once again come and gone and I'm now breathing a little easier. However, I, like the rest of the Dawg Nation, realize that every passing day is a day we could possibly lose control of the SEC East car we are currently driving. All we have to do is win the next two games...that's it. We all know it won't be easy though.

So here's the breakdown:

What we did right:

1. Never gave up -- Vandy was driving all over us the entire game long. However, we again stepped up and for the fourth time this year played 60 full minutes of football. I'm really proud of this Dawg team and I have a feeling that with the circumstances raised (i.e. Florida) we will be a much tougher team because of the emotional bond between the players. D.J. has the full respect of that locker room and our "no name" defense keeps making a name for themselves. Isn't that ironic? Don't ya think?

2. Defensive stars emerged -- Ray Gant stepped up big time in this game and our D-Line did a lot of growing up after having Anderson gone and then losing Golston. Speaking of Golston, he is too big to fit in a closed MRI so they're putting him in an open one tonight. Results should be in tomorrow, but I wouldn't expect major damage. I would expect him to be on the shelf until Auburn, though. We've got a lot of talented guys on the defense just waiting for a shot and apparently Richt has enough faith in those to not take the redshirts off of the guys we've got waiting in the wings. I wouldn't expect a major drop off in defensive production. I think we're still solid. Remember, for all your Dawg update needs, please visit this site and this site.

3. D.J. stayed protected -- Did anyone else almost sheet der drawors when D.J. went down and clutched his knee? I felt like I had been kicked in the nads. D.J. has got to stay healthy for the entire year. He's tough as nails but he IS the glue that holds this team together and no one else, and I mean this, has the respect on the team that he has. We need to get in control early against Arkansas and sit Mr. Shockley because he needs to be healthy and alert for UGA vs. UF.


Now what we didn't do so good:

1. Running the ball -- Our offensive rushing production just hasn't been there this year. I don't know what it is, but our three-headed monster is more like a guy with multiple personalities. Sometimes you get the good one, sometimes you get the lazy one, and sometimes you just get the weird one. For our O-Line to keep winning awards left and right, I sure would like to see more downfield holes open up.

2. Catching the ball -- Two words. Sean. Bailey. I was really high on this kid and I still am but he dropped two very important early passes that could have helped put this game away early. Seriously, Vandy is light years better than what they were last year, but they are still Vandy. We could have and should have been in control early enough to put this game away.

3. Playing error free football -- Still more stupid penalties that cost us major yardage. I know this happened, but I can't think of specific instances. Oh well, I know it was there.

4. Swallowing the ball -- Actually, this has nothing to do with the Dawgs (thankfully) but I wanted to let you know that your sister sucks at it.


Ok. Now a quick word about the BCS.

FUCK!

Just kidding. I actually think everything is fine when it comes to us and the BCS. USC has proven that it can be beaten and I still think it just might be beaten. Texas is the team that I think has the easiest road to the Rose Bowl even though history has shown that the Big XII Championship is no cake walk. Anyone else remember when O-how-the-mighty-have-fallen-klahoma lost to Kansas State in 2002? I do. Va Tech still has a loss left in them (even though they look incredibly impressive on defense) and I think that loss will come at an incredibly inopportune time since history has shown us that is Va Tech's ways.

Basically, what I'm saying is if we win out, I don't see how we couldn't be in the Nat'l Championship. BUT WE HAVE TO WIN OUT.

I won't even bother updating my top 25 because to be honest, it's friggin pointless to try and do. So many teams past 15 just plain suck anyway that it's just a toss-up. By the way, I hope everyone now understands that FSU blows. I've been thinking lately that they might be the most overhyped team in the land, but then Cal went and sucked it up as well. So far, those two are in a footrace to see who can implode first. My bet is on Cal. By the way, if you'll remember, I predicted that UVA would have a decent year and surprise a couple of teams.

Ahhh, being right. It never gets old.

Anyway, your homework assignment for this week is something I've been pondering to myself lately and even though I encourage everyone to answer (since I'm a comment whore), I want you to think about it for a minute.

The Question:

What worthwhile possesion/activity would you give up to witness, in person, a UGA National Championship?

For me, I think it'd be a toss-up between getting rid of my chevelle (aptly named Zeus) or never watch The O.C., House, 24, or WWE Wrestling again. And I seriously think I'd do all five if it meant seeing all of it for free.

That's just me though. What would you do?

Trivia returns tomorrow night!

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

P.S. -- For your viewing pleasure, I have decided to show you the anatomy of a Greg Blue hit.

1. UP



2. DOWN

Here's your UGA vs. Commie preview:

Let's start out with what we need to do when we have the ball.

1. Open holes for our running game -- Vandy's defense has not been the talk of the SEC; their QB is the one getting all the attention. How about we own the clock by running the ball and keep Jay "I'm Bound for the NFL" Cutler from seeing that many snaps tomorrow? I'm all about that plan. Besides, the more we run, the more they tire. We proved last week that fresh running backs run all over defenses, even ones like UT's which was touted to be extremely dominant up front.

2. Protect D.J. -- Make no mistake about it, people want to see D.J. Shockley vs. Jay Cutler. Cutler was proclaimed pre-season first time SEC QB for a reason. That kid has got a brain up there that just screams "I eat up zones." However, D.J. leads the SEC in nearly every necessary QB category. D.J. is the typical running QB but with "I eat up man-to-man" in between his ears. D.J. adds another dimension with his legs but don't look for him to run that much in the next two weeks. We don't want to give Florida the gift of 1) seeing a lot of game film and 2) playing without D.J.

3. Stretch the field -- I liked how Richt was very agressive last week in chunking the ball a few yards farther than we usually do. I'm ready to see more of that. To be honest, I think we'll see a UGA offense that will be reminiscent of the opening game. D.J. won't be quick to take off, but if we start the game with a few decent catches, expect the longest TD pass of the year to come at some point in this game. Please believe, we make a statement with our WR core. By the way, don't be surprised if Mo Mass finishes with his first (and maybe second) TD of the season.

When Vandy has the ball:

1. Bump the WRs and bring the blitz -- As you've probably read two times already in this post, Vandy has a pretty damn good QB. I watched him eat up a talented LSU secondary with quick decisions and the ability to improvise. We have got to do what LSU did and bring some heat to the poor kid. Martinez has done a fantastic job of putting together the tied-for-the-toughest-defense-in-the-SEC (I think Alabama's defense is awesome as well). Expect him to change it up a bit and bring a few more corner blitzes or safety blitzes. Blue dominates again and we finish with at least one INT.

2. Don't worry about the run -- 'Nuff said here. Do YOU know the name of Vandy's RB without having to Google it first? I didn't think so and for those scoring at home, neither do I.

3. Vandy must finish with less than 30% for 3rd down conversions -- Plain and simple, early on we need to take their confidence of being able to convert a 3rd down. If we can get in there and play 2 quarters of brainfart free football, we should be OK.

Special Teams:

1. REPEAT LAST WEEK.


Final Thoughts:

All in all, expect Vandy to show up early and Dawg fans should probably sweat for the first 8 minutes. However, coming off of a big win, the team has heard a lot of ATL talk as well as Pasadena talk. Along with that, they've heard more about how they played at Vandy last time they were in Nashvegas and how they need to make a statement this game. Team unity is at an all-time high and the Dawgs know what's at stake. I think it's time for people to fear UGA again because no one is afraid of Florida or UT anymore. Dawgs announce their arrival, but do it in classic (and classy) Richt fashion, which means without blowing out the other team.

Dawgs: 33
Vandy: 13

Also, before I jet, I'd like to post my win/lose ideas for all the games tomorrow.

LSU over Florida
Michigan over Penn State

and...

Notre Dame over USC

Yes, I said it.

Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Go Dawgs!!!).

1. I'm sore as shit. Running will do that too you. Thank God trivia got canceled tonight so I could rest some, but I do miss the trivia bunch.

2. Dave has a hilarious SNL skit on his blog. You should check it out.

3. I recently joined Myspace and even though I love my blog more than life itself, through Myspace I have found a way to connect with 6 people in two days that I never thought I'd ever see again. One of them being my first ever "real" girlfriend (4 months in sixth grade bitches), who is hot. I mean REALLY hot. And consequently really married. Congrats Tami. She's a good soul.

4. I miss blogging about things other than football, but since that's all I'm thinking about these days, I can't help myself.

5. Speaking of which, I appreciate all the comments on my great breakdown of the UGA vs. UT game. Assholes.

6. Russ, congrats on the iBook.

7. How about the new iPod Video thing?!?

8. I haven't been playing efficient poker as of late. Damn it.

9. [NAME REDACTED]. You, me, drinks. Soon.

10. I keep thinking about an ex-girlfriend (not the one mentioned above), and not one you'd think that I would be thinking about. This is different. It's not at an unhealthy level or anything, but she creeps in my mind from time to time. Kind of an odd feeling when you have no reason to think about her. She's just...there.

11. And I'm spent.


Until next time kids.

Be safe.

I promise to be fair and biased.

Pic of the day, week, year, and season (should the wheels come off the train that is rolling):



Yes, that would be your illegitimate father Charles Johnson hitting Rick Clausen in a fashion that made Ike Turner proud. (Editor's Note: I do not condone domestic violence. I had another joke I could place here, but I decided against it. Political Correctness blows.)

Special thanks to GeorgiaDogs.com for the picture.

At this time I would like to flash back to the previous post and talk about how I am a genius. Don't worry about going back and forth with the scroll button, I'll do all the work for you right here.

1. Protect D.J. -- We did a fan-fucking-tast-ic job of this on Saturday. Our O-Line finally played like they have been wanting to all season. If you'll remember, Kirk Herbstreit picked UT to win this game because of the play of UT's front four. I believe they're still a fantastic unit and one of the best in the nation, but our big boys just won the battle up front. We didn't float the pocket like I thought we would, but I believe that's probably because we didn't have to. We just flat out played old school SEC football where the game was won in the trenches. Give props to the big boys up front. They gave D.J. enough time to shred the defense. More on our offensive play shortly.

2. Pressure their QB -- Look above. We didn't do it enough I don't think, but Willie Martinez's strategy is GTBB or Get The Ball Back. Man did we ever. Big props to Demario Minter for making his first career INT the biggest of the season so far. Our defense just flat out owned UT the whole game, not allowing them to get into any sort of groove. We played championship ball yesterday. Let's hope we can do that more often.

3. Run the ball effectively -- We did just that...to an extent. Early on we had nothing going in the running game but D.J. was creating opportunities with his arm. His legs also played a big role, but I'd like to see less of him scrambling and more of him finding the open receivers. Florida's defense is smaller than UT's but they're faster and D.J. scrambling isn't going to do much. Our O-Line gave great protection, but had problems creating lanes for our backs. Again, Danny Ware showed us his stength and heart. We ran the ball effectively in the fourth quarter, but my personal opinion on that was UT just gave up. They were emotionally drained after giving up that beautiful punt return for a TD, and they were just out of gas and knew they had been dominated. Overall, good job in the running game, but we weren't dominant. Also, big props to Brennan Southerland who not only scored a rushing TD but got the call as a reward for a HUGE third down conversion earlier in that drive. Good job by the new guy who Kirby Smart (running backs coach) said was "Born to play fullback." He was flat out J.T. Wall'ish out there.

4. Kicking game has got to bring it -- Ely-Kelso did just that. BEAUTIFUL special teams play yesterday all the way from a quick and successful FG attempt, to a punt inside UT's 1-yard line, to a gorgeous (and now historic) punt return for a TD that had NO FLAGS. Special teams play was oh-so-sweet yesterday.

5. RED ZONE IMPROVEMENT -- There will be more on this in just a second, but overall, we improved in red zone defense drastically as well as some improvement on red zone offense. Minter's INT was HUGE. I'm still blown away by our defensive play and when UT did make a trip to the red zone, they were a little conservative. Big props to our guys in this area.

Also I'd like to point out the final score: 27-14

The predicted score: 24-17.

Ah-Thank-You.


O.K. You've heard the good. Now, the not-so-good.

1. Not putting teams away early -- We had a lot of chances to take UT out of this ball game early on and just couldn't capitalize. Our receivers had a couple of big dropped passes (think: Sean Bailey) that we could've really used to get out in front early. All that being said, I like Richt's determination to take deep-ball shots at the UT defense even when some of them didn't pan out. The first down after the interception BOMB to Kenneth Harris was not only necessary for the Dawg Nation to get back into the game, but also for D.J. who probably needed a good confidence booster after one mental mistake.

2. Speaking of mental mistakes -- Poor D.J. played an outstanding game except for two mistakes. One, being the INT that led to a UT touchdown and the other being the fumble that led to, well not really much, but still not good. The first one was just D.J. letting the defense read his body language (I've said before that he telegraphs a bit too much out there when he knows who he's throwing to before he takes the snap), and the second one was just not protecting the ball. Both are easily corrected and no harm, no foul. He'll run a little this week for it, but the game film will be what corrects the mistakes.

3. The officiating -- WORST OFFICIALS EVER. Seriously, it wasn't the penalties as much (UT got the worst of those) as it was the no-call Leonard Pope TD (he was in I SWEAR) and the Mo Mass catch off the sideline that was ruled incomplete. Let's not even get into touchdown that really wasn't at the end of the game for UT. You know it's bad when the officials won't review a play because they feel sorry for you. Something like that hurts us in the polls though after the sports writers look at the score, read a few highlights, and then vote. What good is instant replay if you don't fucking use it except for the home team? UT has the worst officiated games ever (think: Florida last year), and I'm still pissed about the lack of ability to use perfectly good technology. Dumbass Zebras.


Now the ugly.



Thanks Russ.


Final Thoughts:

Overall, a BLAST to watch in Athens. I got calls from Dawg friends all over, including those chilling out in Nashvegas and one William Owens. Quote from Big Willy Style: "I knew you were going to send out some crazy ass text message, so I thought I'd beat you to the punch." If UGA football is religion, then Saturday's game was a revival that brought good souls together.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves and start buying into the SEC Championship, Nat'l Championship talk just yet. We've got a quality team in Vanderbilt (Editor's note: I just giggled when I said that because it's something I never thought I'd say.) coming up and we need to maintain focus. It's nice to be in the driver's seat in the SEC and with Florida having a tough road game at LSU this Saturday, we could be the only no loss team in the SEC come Sunday morning with the closest team already having two losses. However, we've got to stay focused, take this one game at a time, and stay healthy. I'll do a pre-breakdown of UGA vs. Vandy around Thursday so be looking for it if you give a shit.

All-in-all, let me put it to you like this:

I love UGA football and find it to be one of the only things I enjoy no matter the outcome. What I saw Saturday was the beginning of uncharted territory for a team in the Mark Richt era. Team unity is at an all-time high and I think they realize that this is the year we could win it all, but it's on their shoulders. Without a "superstar" among the group, people will continually doubt us and question our fortitude. We will continually answer with a cry of "Why not us?" and proceed to do what we do best, and that's put up more notches in a season that I predicted at the first of the year to be the season every Dawg fan since 1980 has dreamed of. We're one of a few teams that can only be beaten if we do it ourselves. With players coming out arm-in-arm, eight wide, 10 rows deep before a game to show unity, we made a statement about this team.

Anyone remember when the New England Patriots were introduced as a team instead of individually before beating the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI?

Yeah, it's like that.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

First of all, to be grossed out, go here.


Now, the real deal.

Well, I'm nervous.

That's not a good thing.

But I am quite optimistic (in a realistic sense) that UGA will walk out of Knoxville a winner this Saturday. I won't delay the inevitable, so here's the pre-breakdown of the game:

1. Protect D.J. -- This is always an obvious, but moreso this week in that UT's defensive front four are quite a dominating unit. If you watched any of the UF/UT game, then you know what I'm talking about. Chris Leak didn't spend a majority of the time on his ass for nothing. Florida's O-Line blows like your sister, but they were also up against a great D-Line. How do we stop this? Well, for one, having an O-Line as experienced as ours helps a TON. It's always good to know that you have veterans protecting your most important player. Secondly (and this is my own suggestion), I say we float the pocket some. D.J.'s got a good enough arm on the run and UT plays enough zone to where we could float the pocket and make their D-Line have to do a little more running. I think we condition more than any other team in the nation so their D should tire out a little quicker than our Offense.

2. Pressure their QB -- Whether it's Jim Bob Cooter (thanks [NAME REDACTED]), Erik Ainge, or Rick Clausen taking the snaps, UGA HAS TO GET PRESSURE ON THE QB. Hopefully, we can do this early enough to get Clausen (who gets the starting nod this week) banged up a little. That boy is as busted up as it gets with two dislocated fingers (on his non-throwing hand), bruised ribs, and tendonitis in his Achilles. I mean the poor guy's been wearing a boot all week. That doesn't scream "Prepared for anything" to me. We put Clausen on his ass, or better yet, make him scramble and let him hurt himself, and we'll force errors. Statistically, when we force errors this year, we tend to turn them into points.

3. Run the ball effectively -- Us, not them. We must control the clock, wear out their D, and keep their offense off the field. We've had two weeks to study game film, so if anyone's prepared for UT's different looks defensively, it should be us. Now their Defense is one of the best in the nation vs. the run, so it's not like we're going to get a lot going at first. It's going to be a battle in the trenches before we can *hopefully* start pushing that front line around. I'm not lying at all. Their front four is GOOD. However, our three-headed-monster of a backfield offers enough variety in run styles (speed, power, and finesse) that we can run screens, power I's, and every other type of running formation known to man (except the wishbone of course). We run the ball effectively, they put more guys in the box, D.J. eats up the coverage, Dawgs win.

4. Kicking game has got to bring it -- Punts of 40+ yards average and no missed field goals. Plain and simple, it's got to happen.

5. RED ZONE IMPROVEMENT -- Another cut-and-dry improvement has to be the play of our Red Zone offense and defense. There's no room for strategy here. It's not like floating the pocker or anything. We've just got to play better inside the 20.


All that being said, I think we cover the point spread on Saturday (read here if you don't know what it is). I'm not expecting a blowout by any means, but please understand, this is the most hyped game since we played South Carolina. We've been through 4 weeks since that game and I promise you, we're looking to improve and establish the fear that we created after the Boise State game. Richt knows how to win on the road and I think we go into Knoxville with an edge and rawness you haven't seen in a while. It will be a battle, please believe, but I also think UT is overrated. We'll see if I'm right or wrong.

Final Score:

UGA: 24
UT: 17

Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Go Dawgs!).

P.S. -- For Sugar Bowl related news, go here. I like the idea of Miami and Atlanta switching bowls so no team plays in Atlanta twice.

This is what happens when I have NOTHING to do on Sunday. I played in an online tourney. One of those large ones with 2400 people and I finished about 358. Not bad, but no $$$ to show for it. I'm getting better but a lot of that also has to do with luck.

Anyway, I said a long time ago that some of the news sources that are internet based were actually some of the first bloggers (see: Matt Drudge). However, this was wrong. For some odd reason I thought about this today. Here is the first blogger EVER, before the internet was really even popular.

Doogie Howser, M.D.



Thanks Doogie. You did a great job.

Also, in finishing out this blog I'd like to say:



Only 6 days until The Shocker returns!!!

Go Dawgs!!

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Off day = Scouting day

After my nap of course.

Anyway, I'm calling the upset. I predicted a while ago that I felt Alabama was well equipped to win a struggling SEC West. Today, I'm picking the Tide over Florida in what will be Florida's toughest road game. It will be a low scoring game and if Florida wins, look for them to take that momentum into the Cocktail Party.

Let's hope they lose.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.