One of the reasons I crave college football so much is because it's the only time of the year that I live for a week at a time. Wins stay with me for 6 days, while losses stay with me for 364 days. Tomorrow, the 6th day is over and at 9:00 PM on ESPN2 we find out how I'll feel about the next 6 days or the next 364 days.

Ole Miss is not a great opponent. They have a couple of playmakers on defense in the areas of speed and strength. Overall, their scheme is not great, it doesn't take anyone off guard, and it's not hard to plan against.

Offensively, they are in worse shape. UT's former Shockley (without the whole "winning" part) has not grasped the offense like they had planned, which I attribute to his short amount of time with the playbook at his fingertips. However, I also attribute his short amout of playbook experience to him being too fucking stupid to get into college on time.

To put it bluntly, in the Ole Miss area of the game, they suck.

However, UGA has shown flashes of brilliance on top of flashes of stalling, stuttering, playing without heart, coming out flat, and looking confused. Which team will show up tomorrow? Bet your ass it will be the former and definitely not the latter.

Every season we have a game where we fight and crawl to get back in it. If you'll recall from the history books, when this happens, we usually do not come out flat for another game the rest of the year. Hell, a glorious example would be how we played what I would consider our best game EVER in 2004 against LSU, came out flat the next week and lost to UT, and then beat Florida later on.

Hot-Flat-Hot. It's like a good looking girl with a great butt and no boobs. You start at the bottom and work your way up. The middle ain't so great, but it finishes well.

Expect Stafford to start, Cox to play a ton, and the playbook to be opened. The last part was taken from an article I read today in the AJC where Richt basically said he hasn't let the QBs dive into the playbook enough and now's the time. Hell I hope so with UT on the horizon.

Anyway, I think we'll be amped up for this game and we'll have a chip on our shoulder the size of Colonel Reb.


Geno thinks:
UGA: 36
Ole Miss: 10


If Geno put his picture up they'd have to rename the site "Hot or ____.com"


Kit thinks:
UGA: 30
Ole Miss: 13

Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Go Dawgs!)

Hi everybody.

So I'm going to take a break from the regular Dawgdom to let you know of a new found friend of mine, Paul Rossano. Paul is the nice fella who decided it would be smart to put an advertisement in the comment section of the Vegas blog that I wrote not too long ago.

I wasn't thrilled.

After doing some digging via the sitemeter below, I found that someone had searched "proprietor blog" and through technology, those words matched up on that particular Vegas post. He clicked, he commented to benefit himself, and then he just left, like a pervert with herpes. He feels the only thing he needs to do is spread himself around without regard to who gets in the way.

So, I found Paul's e-mail which happened to be tied to a ".com." So, I looked up that particular site and low and behold; a phone number.

"May I speak with Paul?"

"Yes, hold on one second."

Unfortunately Paul wasn't around at the time so I left him a voicemail voicing my happiness for his visit to the blog. I made it known that while I hope he had an enjoyable time, please do not return to promote your site without making it known to me first...especially if this is a UGA Football/Kit Says What He Wants to Say blog and not one about real estate. He is more than welcome to call back on my cell phone number that I left as well as the e-mail address that I provided. Should he decided to give that out for shits and giggles, I hope he knows that I can afford the gas money to drive to New York and "voice my displeasure." Don't put it past me. I might even have someone to crash with.

So, if you'd like to e-mail Paul about some real estate in upper NY, please give me a shout and I'll pass his e-mail addy along. Until then, I'll just delete the comment.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

So I wont. Not for very long at least.

We damn near beat ourselves on Saturday. Hell, even I got caught up in the hype of what (on paper) seemed like a very easy contest between UGA and a very bad Colorado team. Again, the Gods of College Football showed me why I live, eat, sleep and breathe this sport 24/7 as I was witness to ALMOST one of the greatest underdog stories in the history of UGA football; but one that wouldn't have been in our favor.

To say the win is bittersweet is an understatement. 60 minutes have never before in the Mark Richt regime created more questions than answers. We showed up flat and the team with more heart nearly won the contest. The team with the best athletes actually won, but you have to think that the quality loss (if there is such a thing) shows that Dan Hawkins inherited a program that he can do a lot with if given the time.

We did not deserve to win that game. WVU '06, UT '03, UCF '99, Purdue in '00, and BC in '01, are all examples of how we can find ways to not show up against teams we think we can easily beat. Every year we read our own hype, believe it, and expect the pundits to win the games for us. However, we established character for this win and we'll never come out flat for another game for the rest of the year.

I don't know about the QB situation. I personally believe that for Stafford's sake, you start him next week against Ole Miss, but you rotate Cox in LIBERALLY. The QB with the hot hand keeps the job. Stafford's young and needs grooming. Cox is young and had a very good game after not looking so hot against WKU. I just hope all the Dawg fans that had a chubby over Stafford finally see that he is not the savior for UGA...yet.

One thing I want to make absolutely sure to mention...Hearing our fans boo our team is deplorable. I understand that you donate money every year so you may have the seats in Sanford that you have. However, our fans have the tendency to do stupid shit at the drop of a hat. When we're trying to recruit the BEST TALENT IN THE NATION, you do not boo your team at a crucial point in the game, I.E. just before halftime. To put it simply, it was as dumb as it gets, and a true mark of how idiotic our fans can be at times. I'm still sick over that. Even if the team would've lost, please understand that those kids are just that...KIDS. They become men on the football field throughout the course of their careers, but they're not there yet. Act like you've had better raising.

In going along with that sentiment it should be mentioned that I had the pleasure to meet some Colorado fans and they were all extremely nice.

Some quick hits before I let you go:

1. I have a fantastic quote for the weekend that is no where near postable due to the "graphic nature" of how to seduce a commonly talked about seducible woman. If you'd like to hear it, let me know, but I can't put it here even though I said I would. Too many eyes whose owners I don't know read this blog now and I might get a couple of e-mails about it. Just know it involves Woody Allen movies, Mashed Potatoes, and being soaked.

2. It was great to see some good people this weekend like Trina and The Song Writer. I listened to some old Redcoat recordings from '99 and watched the videos from 2002 and 2003. Good times would be a severe understatement

3. I also saw and spent time with someone I have a history with. It was nicer than I thought it would be, which is a good thing.

4. I got drunk. It was fabulous.

5. Some changes to the blog are coming soon. More like updating links and the like, so nothing major. Just so you know...

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

PWD and The King have covered up UGA vs. Colorado pretty well. If you're not going to be in Athens (like ME!), then go check out their information overloads so you can grab some perspective.


Here's what Geno thinks:

Dawgs win 34-10

-and-


What would Ralphie taste like as a Philly Cheese Steak?



What Kit thinks:

Predicted score:
UGA -- 23
Colorado -- 13

Hey, shut up. We're 3-0 and I've predicted 23-13 a couple of times now and every time I have we have shut out the opponent. I'll do whatever it takes to win.

Anyway, sorry about some omissions on the Redcoat Chant I posted in the previous blog. I didn't forget both parts ("Woot Woot" is "raise the roof"), but I did forget where the "hop" went. I was hoping no one would notice, but you did...so blow me.

One quick thing to check out before I let you go. There is a Liberty Mutual commerical floating around that has what I feel is a great tune because no matter how good you feel, this one seems to bring you down to your knees like a loss to 1-AA Montana State. The band is called "Hem" and here is their Myspace page. I would encourage you to listen to the track called "Half Acre." In my opinion, it's damn good.

See you in Athens.

Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Go Dawgs!).

First, the hits:

1) It appears that Pollack is going to be fine. Every day I see another article where it states he is expected to make a full recovery and possibly return to action next year. That is a huge relief for someone who has possibly the biggest motor of any UGA player in decades.

2) PWD has a couple of short posts over at his site. One of those is on Colorado giving our defense some bulletin board material. I personally think hyping the other team with the number two scoring defense in the nation thus far is a bad idea. But what do I know? I don't play. I just coach from the sidelines. Also, check out the post on UGA's decision to shrink the family friendly zones.

3) The King has an excellent post about comparing Grey's Anatomy characters to SEC schools (the photo of Izzie is hotter than shit). Anything Grey's Anatomy is worth a read to me, especially if it backs my opinion that Meredith Grey is a slut. This one doesn't, but I'll take what I can get since EVERYONE DISAGREES WITH ME....except any guy.

4) We get Dannelle Ellerbee (spelling NOT checked) back on Saturday. Refer to number 2) on this list for an idea on his impact.


Now onward to Redcoat stuff:

1) I came across this link (CLICK THAT LINK!!!!) via Russ' site. I would LOVE to find out who did this and who had the time/patience/hatred to get it done. I'm sure there's a great story I haven't heard behind that since I geniunely have no idea who did it. In other news, if I died tomorrow, I'd leave my middle finger to that asshole. I always wanted to give it to him anyway.

2) Recently after a post on Dawgsports.com (The King's site), I got a request from someone who asked me to give some words to the Redcoat Chant. I figured since this site is now being read by people who might not have been in Redcoats, here is a good of place as any...

The Chant (every line repeated by the girls):

Hey lift your head up to the sky
'Cause we're the Redcoats passing by
And if you heard what I just said
Get down on your knees and bow your head

Go Dawgs
Go Dawgs
Go Dawgs
Go Dawgs

Hey what's that coming down the track?
A huge machine that's red and black
Ain't nothing finer in the land
Than the Georgia Redcoat Marching Band

Go Dawgs
Go Dawgs
Go Dawgs
Go Dawgs

Four clicks followed by the band playing "Go Georgia Bulldogs"
After 8 "Go Georgia Bulldogs" being sung, the band moves on to:

G!
E!
O!
R!
G!
I!
A!

Goooooooooo Dawgs! Sic 'Em!

Hey get up off-a that thing HUH!

Drum Break
Raise roof

HUH!

After another Drum Break you hear a rumbling start about 12 beats before you hear:

AAAAAAHHHHHHH SOCK IT TO ME, SOCK IT TO ME, HELL YEAH!

HA HA HA
HO HO HO

WOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

More drum break
Sousa's swing
Drum's slow...

HUH!

AHHHHhhhhhhhhhhh.....

Now it should be noted that sometimes in between spelling "GEORGIA" during the chant, the band has been known to insert, for example:

G!
E:
Kit Kitchens is a
O!

Ect. ect.


I hope that clears some stuff up. Preview coming tomorrow.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

P.S. -- If I screwed the chant up, I'm sorry....unfortunately it's been a while since I've done it.

Well, the results are in and Geno and I both know jack shit about college football.

EHHHHHHH! Wrong answer!


Geno was with your mother last night Trebek!

Looking at our previous meeting with the Blazers plus the fit they gave Oklahoma, I would say it wasn't UAB looking that poorly, but more UGA's D. looking that damn good.

I'll go ahead and do a quick review, but let me preface that by saying I'm going off what I heard on the radio as well as what I've read between other UGA bloggers like PWD, The King, David Ching, and The Dawgvent.


When UGA had the ball:

Apparently we looked sloppy but Stafford showed major signs of improvement. A zero INT day is a good one in my book, but it seems we're still being plagued by a case of the drops and we also have caught the stupid penalties bug that was circulating the lockerroom last year. The sloppy play on the O-line can be corrected by having them bust their ass the next few weeks on fundamentals while we prepare for the easiest stretch in our schedule leading up to UT.

Stafford will continue to grow into his new role, but I really hope he doesn't get on a tear only for Joe T. to start the UT game. I like Joe T.'s heart, how he reads defenses, and how tough he is, but if Stafford is in a rhythm, I believe you stay with the hot guy.

The running game is shaping up rather well with each back putting their own unique touch on the game. I still think there's a lot of room for improvement in some areas, especially in relation to how T. Brown's been running the ball, but I don't think anyone could ask for more from Danny Ware. Every game he surprises me with a bigger run than expected. Sounds like he really wants to challenge for a starting spot.

Our wide receivers are hit or miss right now, but I think the coaches realize this group needs to be pushed more than previous years' groups due to the young talent. I hope we really put the heat on them and challenge them to make themselves get better. A fine example would be how we benched Mo Mass and Kenneth Harris in an effort to motivate them. More of this please.


When UAB had the ball:

Apparently Erk would've been proud of the JYD defense that was displayed on Saturday. When the opposing team doesn't make it past your 36 yard line, you've had a helluva day defensively no matter how good or bad the other team is playing. Not much to say here other than I hope this streak continues. Why these guys are playing so hard is beyond me, but I like it and here's to more shut outs than ever before.


Special Teams:

My boy Brandon Coutu nailed a 55 yarder. First Billy Bennett and now this kid. I swear, we just do that whole kicking thing well. Ely Kelso also had a great day with what I believe to be a 50-yard punting average (I could be wrong on this part).


Quick Hits:

1. Thomas Flowers appears to be done for the season after tearing a ligament in his foot. The good news is we don't HAVE to have him for this team to win, but his presence was definitely felt on Saturday. I hope it's not as serious as they originally thought, but he is gone for a while, that is for sure.

2. Thoughts and prayers go out to David Pollack. The Dawgvent is lit up with posts about him having a fractured C6. Whether or not this is accurate remains to be seen, but regardless, he had one helluva injury on Sunday. I hope he makes a speedy and full recovery. He does have feeling and movement in all extremeties, but this seems very similar to Decory Bryant's injury from a few years back. Let's hope all shakes out well. There were a few occassions where I visited his apartment and he came to mind due to a mutual friend we had. Other than being quite the cocky fellow, he's incredibly nice and geniune. Again, nothing is confirmed as of now, but a few well wishes wouldn't hurt.



3. Former Dawg Josh Mallard had a good day on Sunday with the Falcons. He knocked the shit out of Chris Simms on one play and really showed some Patrick Kearny type speed from the end. D.J. saw zero playing time, but that's because the game was so close. I'm just waiting for the Falcons to get rid of Shaub so Shock can see some playing time.

4. The hot seat watch continues as Vegas is surely taking bets on when Larry Coker and Chuck Amato will be fired. I'll cite The Dawgvent again when I say that Tubberville seems to be an early buzz word for the Miami job. I still think they go with Butch Davis, but what do I know? My guess is Miami doesn't can Coker until the end of the year since their schedule is cake the rest of the way. However, Amato's key may not work tomorrow.

5. I'll try to get better about 1) My predictions and 2) My blogging frequency. The boss was out all week last week on vacation so I double worked myself all week long. Let's hope this one is less stressful leading up to a guys only weekend in Athens.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

So many of you may not know this, but I actually have relatives living elsewhere, and when I say "elsewhere" I mean "north." Not too long ago I caught up with a distant cousin of mine who also expressed an interest in college football, but from a different perspective, and by "different perspective" I mean "very not politically correct."

Needless to say, after many e-mails I finally gave in to letting the ole cuz' take the reigns and test drive The Dawg-gone Blog for a game that should be winnable, but is still worth of discussion, I.E. UGA vs. UAB.

Well let's not keep you waiting any longer. I give you my cousin; Geno Belafonte.



Como Estan Bitches?

UAB vs. UGA. Also known as "the game UGA shouldn't lose, but could find a way to." Personally I think all of you southerners are full of crap when it comes to football, but what do I care? I'm here to tell it like it is, unlike my weak ass cousin who bleeds red and black so badly, if someone cut him open, he'd be only 3 colors away from a kickass Bob Ross painting.


Go Dawgs.

UGA is coming off a very big win against a USC team that flat out sucks. The Dawgnation are walking around like they did something special when the real test will come this weekend as the Super Mario villains blitz the hell out of new QB Matthew Stafford.

Personally, I think the Dawgs have the game, but here's a couple of keys to success from yours truly:

1) Run the ball effectively: This is simple to do, but UGA has "the best running game in the history of the universe" and still sometimes can't seem to get the ground game going. Having a SLIGHTLY bit deeper O-Line this week might help, but the truth is, they just need to let their RBs do their thing.

2) Play action Matt Stafford: If number 1) shakes out, then this one will be a breeze. The kid has a helluva arm and aside from a couple of bone-headed mistakes against USC, UGA could really use a kid that can be a threat to throw deep. Once his mind gets right, the rest will fall into place.

3) Keep UAB off the field: Again, relatively simple with our caliber of defense, but you'd be surprised as to how difficult it could be. Ask Oklahoma if UAB sucks. Then ask Oklahoma if THEY suck. If both answers aren't yes, then Oklahoma is lying about the first question.

I believe this game is going to be won or lost on the line of scrimmage and how well Stafford gets the passing game going. If UAB does what USC should've done, then UGA might have a tough day. If not, the "hype of the century" continues and UGA fans everywhere will need to buy more lotion and tissues.

Anyway score is:
UGA -- 27
UAB -- 13

Cheers bitches!





So there you have it, straight from "the man" himself. Personally, I agree with every statement except I think Captain Yankee left out the kicking game, which I think we'll see a lot of on Saturday. Should Ely-Kelso and Coutu do their thing, we win this easily and they make our defense look good.

Kit Kitchens' Predicted Score:
UGA -- 23
UAB -- 13

Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Go Dawgs!).

P.S. -- Let me know what you think of Belafonte. If you like him, I'll let him come back. If not, he's toast.

9/11 is always a very peculiar day for me in these times. I woke up this morning to a very surreal feeling knotted in my stomach in a way that is indescribable. Last year, I spent my 9/11 scorning America for playing the Red State/Blue State game instead of getting real work done post-Katrina. To this day, we still worry way to much about Left vs. Right instead of Right vs. Wrong.

Today is five years later from the day I woke up to Jud banging on my door at 09:30. You see I was a Junior at UGA and was enjoying an easy day off from class from my Intro to Economics professor. We had a test that Thursday and he gave us Tuesday off to study.

Jud mumbled something through the door that sounded something like:

J: "Hey man, I don't mean to alarm you, but you might want to get up for this. I think the country is under attack."

K: "Look, I don't want to be bothered and that's low to make shit up just to get me out of bed."

J: "Hey, I play around about a lot of shit, but if you think I'm lying about this, then you can go fuck yourself."

I'd guess I'd better get up.

I was like everyone else that morning. I was just a confused soul who could've never imagined what was happening. Every 20 minutes it seemed something else was going wrong. I got a call from my dad who told me that if it got worse, I should hop in the car and head to south Georgia where we used to own land. We could camp next to the spring-fed pond where we would have fresh water to drink. It'd be the last place people would want to destroy.

I never contemplated HAVING to live off the land. Ever.

My emotions were jilted, my brain frazzled, and I couldn't imagine tomorrow. Have you ever been so jaded that you couldn't see past this very second and not a second farther? "Frozen" would be an ideal word to use.

I've never been accused of being the most serious person at a party or function. I've never been accused of being careless either, but I have danced along the line of the fun never stopping. I was forced to grow up a lot that day. I was forced to imagine what it would be like if I couldn't finish college because who knew if we were looking down the barrel of more attacks and possibly WORSE attacks. What if THIS was the appetizer?

I became something more than a citizen that day. I became an American. After the immediate danger passed I realized there is a far greater world outside of my own and I needed to be more conscious of it. I spent more time listening to my elected officials, I started watching Fox News for fun, and I started listening to talk radio. Granted, those things aren't on the level of donning a uniform and fighting for my country, but it's something. I took pride in being more informed and having an opinion. Besides, I know my attitude and my temper. I can't be in the military. It just isn't for me. At least I'm not making excuses about it.

That day I became cognizant of the sacrifices of those in the past, present, and near future. I also became mad as hell at ignorance now that I had been personally affected by it. Other than my accent, no one has ever held anything against me. I'm white, male, and a Christian. I hadn't had anyone hate me and want to kill those around me. This event was as close to home as it got.

I'll be brutally honest. I still don't care that much for New York. I'm too "small town" to ever live in and around it. But no one place or city deserved that. No one in the Pentagon deserved to be hit with a plane. And 44 people should not have faced the choice that those brave few faced on United 93. It just wasn't fair and continues to be that way.

This morning I woke up anxiously awaiting the replay of 96 Rock's Regular Guy's show from 9/11. I wanted the shock all over again. I needed it. I liked having that empty feeling in my stomach again. You know why? Because it means I still know what it feels like to appreciate what you have around you. I wish we never needed a wake up call, but I got the one I anxiously awaited this morning.

And I'm a better person for it.

There are so many that gave their life and WILL GIVE their life as a direct result of what happened on a Tuesday five VERY LONG years ago. I'd love to have my 9/10 life back, but trust me, I wouldn't have appreciated it nearly as much as my 9/12 life.

We should all take advantage of what we have today. As a country, we bicker, bitch, whine, piss and moan, but at the end of the day, we should know where we stand.

There's no solid way to end a blog like this. There's nothing I could say that could be profound or make your life any different than it was today, but I shouldn't have to. Everything you need to see can be found in 4 locations around the country. One in PA, one at the Pentagon, and two empty spaces in the heart of NY.

Don't worry about "never forgetting." We need to focus all our efforts into "starting to remember."

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

R.I.P. Erk. There's a blog for you coming, but it cannot be today. I'm not writing well enough right now to pay the respects that I should be able to pay.

There's one time a year where it is OK to shout out loud "I'm going to choke the Chicken" and/or "Let's go beat Cocks" and it's the weekend UGA plays USC. A good friend of mine named Ray Porker used to love weekends like this just so his extremely loud self could scream it from the rafters.

The Dawgs played lights out on Saturday. I can't remember a time where the UGA/USC game was so one sided, but the balls, calls, and offensive stalls worked in our favor on Saturday. USC looked flat, uninspired, and overmatched by UGA's speed on both sides of the ball. So let's not keep anyone waiting. Here is your review:

When UGA had the ball:

1. O-Line play -- The boys up front REALLY stepped it up on Saturday night. Great pass protection, blocking downfield, picking up the blitz (when there was one because there wasn't that many), and just being the hosses up front kept us in a position to win. Velasco had a few great downfield blocks from what I remember (and trust me, after shutting out Spurrier, my friend Jack made sure I don't remember much), the lanes opened up in the running game really kept the game in our favor. It's really exciting to see a group of guys play above their level and that is exactly what happened. It's quite scary to see two of our folks go down, but from what I'm reading right now, Turner is questionable and Seth Watts is probable for UAB (shout out: Dawgbone.net). That is not terrible news given we get our two suspended kids back (Ian Smith and Dan Inman) for UAB. We didn't get too banged up here against a quality opponent, so expect everyone healthy for the Colorado game barring any injuries during UAB.

2. WR play -- Not too great here because there were times where we should've fought for the ball more (I.E. Stafford's under-thrown pass that the receiver should've came back for), but the blocking was solid and that is the trademark of Tony Ball's influence in the passing game. You have to believe that even though he is a running back's coach here at UGA, his knowledge of downfield blocking and special teams have found its way into our other coaches' game plans. I'd like to see our guys get a bit more physical, but for the most part, we held on to the ball (shout out: Martrez Milner) and we made decent plays to help the running game.

3. RB play -- Fantastic here. I have never claimed Danny Ware as my favorite back and to be honest, my favorite has always been Kregg, but CMR has proven he likes to go with the hot back in the given situation. For the past two games, the hottest of the three headed monster has been D. Ware. Kregg made some good runs up the gut to keep the chains moving, but to hear so much about Thomas Brown in the offseason (a recurring theme) he hasn't shown me that much in games (also a recurring theme). Thank goodness we're so deep here. Also, thank goodness for good blocking because we didn't break that many tackles and/or make guys miss. When we get up against a more physical defenses like UT, this might be an area of concern. But for now, it's still early and we're still doing the major things right. It's just time to start fine tuning.

4. QB play -- Here's the $1,000,000 question...Is Joe T. ever going to see another snap of football? My guess is no. Big props to Matt Stafford who came in and should flashes of GREAT poise, but the biggest props go to CMR for keeping it simple for the kid. Now we can start getting him polished to get him ready for the bigger games upcoming. Rookie mistakes like the throw at A.J. Bryant downfield instead of a wide open Danny Ware 10 yards closer will correct themselves under CMR's tutelage. One thing's for sure, he's got a helluva arm. He's big, he reads the defenses as well as possible given his experience, and he could possibly emerge is the Freshman of the Year should he keep up play like he did Saturday night. He's the next big thing, but not right now. Let's give him time and work with the first team and we'll see what he becomes. These next few games are NOT going to be cake walks.

When USC had the ball:

1. D-Line -- Not much to say here other than we looked fantastic. USC's O-line was overmatched and undersized compared to our big boys up front. CJ and QM had a field day back there giving Mitchell and Boyd fits all day.

2. Linebackers -- B. Miller had a great play to possibly save a touchdown, but that's really only the highlight I can remember. That really tells me two things...1) Not much got past the D-line and 2) We didn't bring a lot of heat. I'd still like to see Martinez blitz more because I felt a Spurrier QB to be able to eat up the zone better, but it just didn't need to happen in order for us to win the game. Only one more game and we get Ellerbe back, which will be a speed boost for our guys. He does stupid things in the offseason, but I think he's an Odell Thurman type of LB and could really emerge as a great cover guy on top of his tackling ability.

3. Cornerbacks/Safeties -- There were some blown coverages that never got taken advantage of due to the D-line play, BUT we did some things right. Kelin still looks good and we made some really nice tackles when the time called for it. Hopefully we can become more disciplined in regards to the play action and out and ups. If we can play the receiver until the ball gets there, then we'll become a helluva unit. Right now, we're playing the QB and getting burnt on play actions and pump fakes SOMETIMES. When UT rolls into town, please understand that we must be better in zone coverage in order to win that game.

Special Teams:

1. Brandon Coutu -- The kid can kick the ball a country mile and he doesn't do that whole "missing the uprights" thing too much. Not much more you can ask here.

2. Gordon Ely-Kelso -- Another solid performance, but he didn't see the field much, WHICH IS A GOOD THING. The less I see of the kid, the more excited I am.

3. Kick Returning -- Not that great but mainly because of USC's style. Hopefully Mikey can get healthy so we can get our speed back there. Asher Allen is a great talent, but I don't think he's ready yet.

Intangibles:

1. Nerves -- Let's face it. USC was more nervous than we were for this game. They looked horrible on offense and I'll guarantee you that the Old Ball Coach woke up this morning thinking he probably watched his team play the worst game since he was at Duke. They just looked pitiful. I don't know if they took themselves out of the game, but it seems like they were hoping for a break to gain momentum. Mitchell seemed frustrated and there were times you could see him taking it out on his team. That is a no-no. He lost his poise and so did his players. USC's defense tried to keep them in it, but once they realized they couldn't stop the run and that the offense wasn't going to give them any help, they quit trying too.

2. Crowd -- The crowd just couldn't get amped up about horrible play from their team. I don't think I blame them. Our guys responded well to the pressure and it looks like the team-marching-out-arm-in-arm-on-the-road thing is here to stay. I really like that. Hell, I jumped out of my seat when I saw them coming out. Without a star to rally around this year, we needed team unity in a bad way.

3. Erk -- I like the "ERK" on the back of the helmets, but I honestly wanted to see them come out with "JYD" patches or initials to really emphasize what Erk established. If anything good can come from the death of a great man like Erk Russell, it's that our team might play a little meaner just to do it for Erk. I think that's being evidenced by an impressive shut out on the road. Here's to us staying physical, fast, and mean.


Well, there you have it. The next few weeks should be interesting and I'll be glued to Dawgbone, PWD, Ching's Blog, and Dawgsports.com to see how our team is shaking out with its new look under center. Just wait until we get everyone back and healthy. We might just have a solid run at this.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

So, it's been almost a week since the game.

What do we know about our team?

Answer: NOT MUCH.

The game against WKU was a much more less interesting game than I've seen in a very long time. In fact, if I could go back and watch ESPN, I'd swear they were faking it all day long. It really seems like last weekend was the NFL preseason in comparison to what we have on tap for this forthcoming Gameday.

So, let's break it down, only to build it back up.


Against WKU:

Offense: Stagnant would be an understatement. Joe T. made the right reads, checks, and when he could, throws. A few dropped passes hurt us in the scoring department, but what concerned me the most was the lack of the "most dominant running game in the history of the universe" (feel the sarcasm). Yeah, our stable of backs are good, but without an O-line, which blatantly is obvious, they can only do so much. D. Ware looks good and my boy Kregg is, well Kregg, but we are not going to dominate without depth on the O-line. I still like Cox, even though he didn't show me much. I am also sick and tired of hearing about Stafford. He looks good and polished when IT'S SIMPLE. The real test is going to be later on in the year. I'm really tired of the Faux CMR's screaming to put him in. I want to hear one person tell me that Stafford is ready and actually have the know-how to back it up. Just one.

Defense: Faster. Stronger. Deeper. No, it's not the newest Jenna Jameson flick, but it's our guys wearing the red and black that attack QBs. Our D-line played a little "eh" and so did the linebackers, but I truly believe it was because of the opponent. UGA usually doesn't get up for games that isn't worth getting up for. We tend to shoot ourselves in the foot like that sometimes. Our cornerbacks really weren't tested, except for when we had BLOWN COVERAGE which I believe led to a touchdown. We can't do that kind of shit against the devil. He'll get us. Big shout out to Kelin Johnson who had a helluva day. All in all, I think the "D" stands for Damn good.

Special Teams: LET'S HEAR IT FOR TONY BALL BRINGING SOME "BEAMER BALL" TO THE CLASSIC CITY!!!! Seriously, we looked leagues better on special teams. You take the Mikey Henderson SNAFU out of the mix and you've got one of the most productive special teams day in UGA history. Ely-Kelso apparently had a "Dean's Daughter Date" so he wasn't too amazing, but never forget that he's Ely-Kelso and apart from being at UGA for what seems like 10 years, he's probably one of the best punters in the nation. B.C. looked good as well. The kid has a damn cannon for a leg. We're more than fine in this area.



Against USC:

Offense: Let's make no jokes here. The O-line that has the better day wins the game. We're both absolutely atrocious in this area and it doesn't seem to be getting any better. We're literally one injury away from a very bad start to the season. Let's hope USC doesn't bring very complex blitz packages, because I don't think we're going to light it up via the passing game. However, that's exactly what they're going to do, so we might as well hope we can use the Tight End and Running Backs to take advantage of some short yardage passes. Who knows what'll happen? I can only guess.

Defense: I think it's going to be mighty tough for Blake Mitchell to throw to Sidney Rice from his back. Our damn D-line is packed full of monsters and the Linebackers are too fast to deal with. USC doesn't have a very dominant running game, so I don't expect them to light it up that way. I do expect them to throw the ball...a lot, but not in the area of P. Oliver. Look for the devil to find other not-so-well-known targets to throw our gameplan off. So, here's hoping we bring heat early enough to keep Mitchell from eating up our zone coverage. I honestly think we're pretty solid here and the Cock N' Fire offense doesn't scare me as much this year as it did last.

Special Teams: We own that ass. Other than a very weird punt scheme, I know we have them beat with our FG unit. I also think we're much better against the fake than we were last year. I love the new one man kickoff return unit and Mikey should be back in action Saturday. We're good in this area.

All in all, the game is going to come down to whose Offense doesn't stall. I agree with PWD when he says the first one to 18 wins. I'd even venture to say the first one to score two touchdowns wins. I do disagree with PWD on the intangibles, though. We have a young enough team that might respond negatively to a primetime night game with a crowd like that at Williams-Brice.

I guess we'll just have to see on Saturday.

Prediction:
Dawgs -- 23
USC -- 13

Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Go Dawgs!).

Even though I have plenty to say, I'm still way too damn tired, worn out, exhausted, malnurished (kidding), and flat out spent to really post anything worth while. I worked out tonight, which is a bonus, since the 4-day cold from hell kept me in the bed much of last week.

However, I did have time to create a new Munson Mix using Audioslave's "Cochise." It's a chronological account of Munson's greatest calls vs. USC all the way up until last year where D.J. went end-over-end to score the TD.

Anyway, as always, click here to listen to the mix in full and if you want me to send it to you, just shoot me an e-mail at KitZeus99 [at] aol.com.

A full review of WKU and preview of USC should be up by tomorrow. It shouldn't be too long since most everyone else has already said what I have to say. We'll see, though, since I have the tendency to ramble on until I get my point across.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Sorry it's been a week since I blogged. I've been under the weather lately and busy as shit at work.

New Munson Mix has been created. I'll post a link to it next week.

Game Prediction:
UGA -- 31
WKU -- 13

See you in Athens.

Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Go Dawgs!).