There will still be a lot of talk going forward about how much of an amazing talent Knowshon Moreno is. Most of that has to do with yet another 100+ all purpose yard effort, with most of that coming on the ground.

However, Thomas Brown is getting respect but not the spotlight. He's quietly having one of the best years of a Georgia running back since maybe Garrison Hearst. No, I'm not kidding. Think about it. Thomas Brown currently has 393 rushing yards only 5 games into the season. On his current pace, ESPN has him finishing just around 940 yards rushing at the end of the year. Now, do I think he'll get that close? Nope. Not with Knowshon getting more carries and Lumpkin's comeback on the horizon. However, it's very exciting to me to know that we have at least two tailbacks that are potential 1000 yard rushers. Just a rambling thought.

Let's get to the recap shall we?


The Stats Say:

That we can run the ball and that we played pressure-free Defense. We racked up over 380 yards on the ground and had a pretty uneventful day passing. On the opposite side of the ball, we allowed too many yards on the ground and through the air, while getting no sacks whatsoever.

More on this below.


The Pros:

Thomas Brown -- I touched on this in the opening, and there's really not much to say more than that. TB had a career day, and even if it was against an atrociously bad rushing defense, not many kids are going to rack up 180 yards against any team, much less an SEC one. Good effort by him and I hope he gets the props he deserves within the Dawgnation.

C.J. Byrd -- Great day for C.J. as he led the team in tackles and had the huge fumble recovery from Ole Miss on the one yard line as they were about to score. He is a very big kid and has proven to be a solid tackler against the running game. I'd like to see him get an interception or two and show how solid he can be in the passing game, but I'll take what I can get right now with how porous our run defense has been.

Brandon Miller -- Not to get down on the guy, but I never thought he'd have a good enough day to warrant some props. I swear he's not a LB and fits much better as a DE, but yesterday he racked up five solo tackles, one assist, and an interception. He also had a good day special teams-wise. Props to the guy for having a decent day. Maybe it'll continue.

WRs -- Mo Mass especially had a good day in getting open at tough times and really helping out Stafford when he was struggling to find an open receiver. Also, the WR corp in general did a great job of blocking dowfield to give TB and Knowshon an opportunity to make some of those runs. Our blocking in general this year has been tons better than in years past.

Second-Half Adjustments -- They still came a little later in the second half than I would've liked, but we kept Ole Miss from getting any points in the fourth quarter and we put the game away by scoring four unanswered touchdowns. Defensively, we still didn't get pressure, but we played better in regards to the running game, and defended the pass more accurately.


The Cons (there are a lot in my eyes, but here's what I got to focus on):

The O-line -- Sorry, but put the rushing stats aside, we just did not do a great job yesterday of creating holes and protecting the QB. There were plenty of times yesterday where the running backs made something out of nothing and there were plenty of times where Ole Miss didn't bring pressure and still got Stafford to hurry. I understand we have two running backs that are doing a wonderful job right now, but they're not always going to be able to create something out of nothing. Don't get me wrong, I know we're young up front and have done a better-than-expected job, but there's still some room for improvement here.

The D-line -- There was no pressure at all yesterday. None at all. That is a problem that we have got to correct. We were getting run all over by BJGE and gave Seth Adams all day to find an open receiver. From here on out, "bring pressure" will be a key to the game in every preview until we actually do it. No sacks yesterday is atrocious against the Offense we played. We have to bring pressure against Tennessee or they will carve us up.

Special Teams -- We were still poor on our kickoff coverage. There were times where we could've killed Ole Miss and really questioned their place in the game, only to let them get a big return and give them hope to get back in it. Our coverage has really got to improve over this hit-or-miss type playing.

Killer Instinct -- We finally decided to put the game away in the fourth quarter as opposed to putting it away in the first quarter like we could have. It's a constant shame to begin a game without fire when we feel like we should win it. Our team and coaches have got to find a way to stop coming out flat or we're going to have a letdown like Vanderbilt last year. I can't say it enough; we've got to get mean and make the other team question why they put on their uniform today instead of sleeping in.


Overall:

People will remember this game exactly the opposite than they should. They will look a the score and say "the Dawgs are a good team that can finally put points on the board, and Ole Miss is still a joke in the SEC." And the people saying that would be exactly wrong. We played flat football, played poor defense, couldn't throw, and thankfully had a helluva day running. That sums up the entire day.

The only things I can say is that maybe we were looking ahead to next week's game instead of taking care of business. That's a possibility. It's also a possibility that we couldn't shake the hangover of the amazing win at Alabama (which looks a little less impressive this morning). The truth is there is no excuse for not putting Ole Miss away early when we obviously could, and then using the rest of the game to get some other guys quality minutes.

Simply put, my fear is that we will read the papers, love the stats, and roll into Knoxville thinking we are better than we really are. Here's hoping for another week of closed practice.

Thoughts? Disagreements?


Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: College Football, Game Recaps, UGA Football

Sorry the preview is way late. Work’s been “you-know-what” this week and I just haven’t had the time to write a long post.

Man, I can’t believe it’s time for another game. You know what I love about our schedule this year? There’s a nice break right before Florida to get us ready for the rest of the season. In years past, the season has pretty much been over before the Dawgs got to take a breather. Anyway, I’ll get into all that later, I was just saying that I still feel fresh and amped up about UGA and college football.

And with that perfect segue, let’s begin our preview:



When Ole Miss has the ball:

The Rebels were an entirely different team last week when they squared off against Florida. Most of that had to do with playing to win and to upset a top ranked opponent; which is what we here at The Dawg-gone Blog like to call “playing with heart.” Talent-wise, Ole Miss is recruiting better than they have in the past few years, but that talent is still quite young and I’m not completely sold that they’re buying into the system they’re running. I’m not saying that the system sucks, but right now you’re looking at an Ole Miss team without a proven leader to rally the troops. Seth Adams showed some promise and a little bit of poise last week, but the truth is that everyone is focusing on Jevan Snead to be that guy and he won’t take any snaps until next year.

There’s always the talented running back in Ben Jarvis Green-Ellis, but he had a rough go last week against the Gators. Don’t let that one performance fool you, though. He ate up the Dawgs and most teams he faced last year. He’s not the most talented guy in the SEC, but he has great power and is a pretty good overall back. I think Ole Miss would have more success, and even take a little more pressure off the young QB, by running BJGE as much as possible this week. They tend to have the same type of mindset as us in that they run to set up the pass.

Defensively, we need to do more of the same from last week and that is to bring the pressure to throw off the timing. Our CBs stepped it up at Alabama where they ended up playing pretty decent ball. Now that they’ve got that under their belt, you can expect the coaching staff to be more willing to give the leash some slack. Turn our CBs loose so they can play as they were meant to, and that will free up your LBs and Safeties for run support. It’s as necessary this week as it was the last and maybe even more so. Ole Miss left everything on the field last week against the Gators, but a win against Georgia on the road would mean as much to them and possibly more. It is imperative we put 7-8 in the box and dare them to throw, even though they had decent success last week throwing the ball. I still think Ole Miss is more of a danger in the running game as opposed to the passing, but I don’t expect our defense to sleepwalk against them like Florida did. I attribute much of the Rebels’ offensive awakening to Florida’s defensive narcolepsy. Pressure, pressure, pressure. Blitz, blitz, blitz. When in doubt, think “What Would LSU Do?”



When UGA has the ball:

Defensively, Ole Miss gave Florida (who is one of the best, if not the best offensive team in the SEC) fits up front. Their Defense and our Defense have a lot of similarities in that they lost their best LB to the draft, are young in the Secondary, and don’t impose too much of a threat with the D-line. However, when they focus and play with determination, they can be quite the cohesive unit. If you look at it on paper, though, we just have to play up to our talent level (a problem after a signature win) and play to win instead of playing not to lose. Aggressive football is key again this week.

We showed a very balanced offensive attack against Alabama. We passed a lot, ran a lot, and kept the clock moving. We’ll need to do more of the same this week, but I’d like to see us establish the run early and stick with it. The combination of Thomas Brown and Knowshon Moreno has been a very beneficial one for the Offense, and I have a feeling their 1-2 punch of power & speed should easily wear out the Ole Miss Defense while giving our Defense some time to rest.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see us air it out a lot, but I think overall it’s just not a good idea. There’s no need in overworking our guys up front if we can pound the ball and give them a little breather here and there. We need to stay fresh going into the next few weeks because the games don’t get any easier from here. Again, I’d love to hang 50 on everyone we play and really establish some dominance over some teams, but I think there’s a way to do that and minimize our risk of injuring someone we need. We can pound the football, run the clock, and air it out when we need to. Let’s put the game away early and hit the cruise control button by the fourth quarter. I’m not saying it’s going to be that easy, but it should be if we play early, aggressive football, put some points on the board, and make them question their confidence. If we do all that, we should have no problem getting a comfortable lead and keeping it.



Special Teams:

I heard Richt say this morning on the radio that Coutu is still down about his two misses last weekend. It’s understandable. When you’re as automatic as that guy has been as well as being the savior of so many games, it’s got to break your heart when you can’t come up with the clutch kick to win it all. Reports say he’s been working on some mechanics this week to get his confidence back up, and barring some unfortunate circumstance where we need to win it on a field goal, he should have a couple of chances this week to get his confidence where it needs to be.

Coverage wise, we need an exact replica of our game against Alabama. We had our best coverage all year in regards to our special teams and Ole Miss is not shy about coming after our punts. Heck, they blocked two of them last year in our game (that we easily could have lost) and there’s no reason for them to believe they couldn’t do the same this year. We have to GATA on kick offs and kick returns to play the field position game. We really want that Ole Miss Offense to question their ability to drive 90 yards, because I guarantee they won’t question it to drive 30.



What I think will happen:

I don’t see this game as a “trap game.” Yes, the timing is perfect because it falls directly in between a big win and bigger game next week, but there’s something about this Dawgs team that I really like in their ability to focus and prepare. I think they learned their lesson against USC and probably won’t be inclined to make that mistake again.

What does scare me though, is the fact we’re not on television. I think we play a LOT more aggressively when we know someone’s watching. My biggest fear is the Dawgs think they’re going to steamroll Ole Miss and since only 92,000 people will see it, it doesn’t have to be too impressive. If we play with that attitude, we’re in for a helluva fight.

That being said, the biggest key to the game is how our fans get behind our team. It’s an earlier kickoff, which means not as much time to tailgate, and the opponent is one that we have no hatred towards beating. Richt even addressed this on the radio today when he asked for the fans to be very loud come game time. Recipes like that usually create a neutral atmosphere that keeps the Dawgs from getting out of the gate with some steam. I DO NOT EXPECT THIS TO BE A PROBLEM. I think our fans will show up and show up in a way that will get our team ready to play some football. It will be a gorgeous autumn day and we are finally ramping into the meat of our schedule. Our fans are smart ones and they understand that this will be a contest not to be taken lightly. The Dawgs will feed off that and Georgia should win comfortably in this one.

UGA: 34
Ole Miss: 16



Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Go Dawgs!).

Labels: College Football, Game Previews, UGA Football

First of all, let me just say that I know I'm going to get a lot of heat over this one. I actually have had this sitting in the "draft" bin for quite some time and never really wanted to pull it out. It should be worth noting that what you're about to read is merely OPINION and not FACT. I'm also not calling for anyone to be fired, reprimanded, or otherwise condemned in any way. Just pointing out what I think is a shitty situation.



Not too long ago I had a post about cops in Athens abusing their job privileges. I cited an example of how they will arrest a football player for carrying a beer, but will willingly let underage girls who are drunk off their asses run rampant around town for the sake of getting laid.

Blunt, but true.

After a brief trip to Athens the weekend before the OSU game, I'd like to share with you this tidbit of photo evidence followed by the video (my camera battery was dying so it cuts off abruptly):



They must've known I was up to something.







It should be noted that I'm not saying this particular cop (we'll call him Officer Slappy) was doing anything illegal nor am I calling for his head on a platter. I was just proving my point that on any given night downtown, you will find ACC cops being surrounded by girls, shooting the shit with them, and not (in my opinion) staying "impartial" to their job. All of this goes on while our players are getting pulled over while riding scooters and being sent to jail.

Just my $.02 on this. There goes my chance of ever getting out of a ticket ever again.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: Athens, Fun while drinking, Stupid People

In anticipation of the next tailgate, I went ahead and created a couple of new Munson Mixes. Now, I tend to be a bit of a rock and hip hop (to an extent) junkie. Sorry, but country music has never been my thing.

Either way, if you want either of these two, please send me an e-mail to KitZeus99 [at] gmail.com.

The first one is Wolfmother's "Woman." It's basically a play on two of Larry's longer calls where "old lady luck" defeated Auburn and Tennessee. You can click below to hear the song. It's a quick tune with a lot of singing that doesn't allow for much Munson, but I like the song in and of itself and it works well with these two classic calls.




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The second is one that if you play at a tailgate and you have women present, it will get the party going. It's Kanye West's "Stronger." The theme for this one is based on calls for Kregg Lumpkin, Sean Bailey, and Thomas Brown; all players who have gone down with serious knee injuries and came back stronger than before. The one warning I have is that it does contain some explicit lyrics, so it's NSFW or your Grandmother. I would have added a link, but after I uploaded it, I noticed that a sample rate problem caused the tune to play at a much MUCH faster tempo. In non-geek-speak: he sounds "chipmunked."

Either way, if you want this one as well, let me know. I'm actually much more pleased with it than I thought I would be. I'm still working on getting it uploaded maybe via a different site, just so people can get a listen in.

"Woman" has been added to the jukebox to the right in case you want to hear it in the future. If I can find a way to upload "Stronger" without any chipmunks singing, I'll be sure to post it. Again, if you want them, let me know.


Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: Munson Mixes, UGA Football

Let me go ahead and start by saying that UGA fans aren’t perfect. We don’t always “rock other peoples’ face off” when opposing teams come into town. We have been known to be unruly at times. But I don’t think we’re one of the worst in college football. And by worst, I don’t necessarily mean “bad.” It’s more like “here’s 10 teams whose fan bases could stand to hang out with Tim Gunn for a weekend.” You know…just to chill out a little and get some more class and style.

So let’s not keep you waiting.


The Ten Worst Fan Bases in College Football:

10. Ohio State – Have they done anything to me specifically? Nope. However, I just don’t like them. I don’t like salads either. Some things just don’t vibe with me like they do other people. I think my real disdain for them began with Maurice Clarett. Reports have been hit or miss, but I have heard that Jim Tressel runs a clean and disciplined program. Such reports have come from faithful OSU fans who are blind to the fact that they celebrate a former coach who kicked a kid from the opposing team’s ass DURING A GAME. I’m not saying they’re all bad people, though. I’m not even angry with them that they win in a league whose commissioner says the SEC is full of a bunch of kids who can’t make Big Ten (11) grades. Whatever, no biggie. I just don’t like them. Never will. I like the band, though. Hence the reason they’re ranked where they are.


The face of "pride."


9. Alabama – Sometime soon, I plan to make a list of the other schools I’d cheer for had I not been a UGA fan. When I make that list, I’ll probably put Alabama very high on it. I respect their tradition, winning ways, and most of the alumni have been great to me. However, since Saban has joined them it’s like the Tide have lost their mind…and their respect. When UGA walked out of BDS Saturday night, they reeked of bourbon from all the drinks thrown onto them from the stands. I know Alabama has this elitist attitude and feel like they should win every game, but come on. You don’t just throw drinks at KIDS who won a game where both teams left it all on the field. You stay classy, Alabama. Enjoy the Independence Bowl this year.


8. West Virginia – Ok, I get the fact that you guys have never really had a team until recently. I totally understand how that much success in such a short time can change people and make them act like they’ve lost their mind. Take a look at lottery winners, “Pac Man” Jones, and Michael Vick. Sometimes success can drive you crazy. However, the burning of couches? Seriously? Any time you do something that Detroit fans would do after a big win, you can consider your actions “not responsible.” Like I said, I love the pure passion they show inside the stadium. But outside, it’s like a scene from Escape from New York. Come on. Love your couches, people.


The more you know.


7. LSU – “Passionate.” I’d describe LSU fans that way. I admire their undying respect for their football team. They have supported the Tigers in a very admirable way. However, the throwing of footballs, sticks, rocks, cups, etc. at our bus when we traveled to play the Bayou Bengals in 2003 will always stay in my mind. It was like that scene out of “The Replacements” where Clifford Franklin is so pumped because he’s seeing his football heroes and then they start pelting him with eggs because he crossed the Scab line. I remember feeling a sense of mutual respect as our bus passed tailgate after tailgate, but as we got closer to the stadium, all you could hear is the pounding of debris on the side of our chartered transportation.


6. Florida – Is there really any need for me to explain this? Gameday for them is like a cookout at a family reunion; not a religious experience like it is for us. Now personally, I’ve never really encountered a horrible Florida fan. But my buddy (and former Battle Hymn soloist) Amos nearly got a horrible scar put on his cheek by some Florida girl wanting to extinguish her cigarette on his face. The key word is “nearly” because his red headed girlfriend (now wife) dotted that UF girl’s eye with a right hook. And, in case you needed further proof after that story, just see the pictures below. Do I really need to say more?


The word? "Manly."




Kevin Federline says: "Go Gators."


5. Auburn – HA! I’ve been waiting for years to see Auburn go through the rough times they deserve. However, the best part is watching the Plaintigeagle fans scramble trying to explain what the heck is actually going on. Auburn has always been a brutal place to travel to, and even though our rivalry with them is more of one of tradition than hate, it’s still a rivalry that has produced some poor sportsmanship. When Auburn beat UGA in 2001, thousands of Dawg fans stood and watched as the Hedges were absolutely destroyed by Tiger players and fans as they picked off branches for souvenirs. The damage stayed for years and I have never forgotten that. I also made sure I remembered in 2002 as I snipped myself a *little* piece of their hedges when we beat them. And when I say little, I mean little. Those things are prickly and ate my arms up. Anyway, Auburn fans blow. It is what it is.


4. South Carolina – Blind loyalty regardless of the circumstances. The difference between USC and Georgia Tech? Georgia Tech won games before the past 5 years. Another difference? USC sold out their games in those losing seasons. Two completely opposite scenarios with completely opposite expected outcomes in regards to attendance. You have to at least give the Cock fans some credit for that. However, that blind loyalty goes hand in hand with utter stupidity. I have had a bad experience every time I’ve been to Columbia. Whether it was ungodly hot, or their fans were ungodly drunk and touchy-feely on our dance team, there was always something bad about that place. Besides, they’re all Cock fans…literally. I only call someone that when I really hate them anyway.


3. Miami – When talking football language, there’s always a “U” in “ghetto.” ESPN’s coverage of the Miami/Texas A&M game was absolutely classic. They talked about the history of the Orange Bowl and then how badly that dump needed to be torn down. The reason I’m bringing that up is because Miami fans (those who DON’T go to the university) are kind of like the Orange Bowl…broke and busted. Let’s all admit it. You can go to a Miami game and should you not die inside the stadium, you might as well be the Running Man outside. Not a safe place. Also, when your mascot wears a chain-link necklace with some “U” bling on it, your priorities are out of place. On top of that, I’ve always heard horrible things about Miami fans, whether they’re beating people up or performing some type of bodily function on an opposing team. Pure trash. Again, it’s all off-campus people, though. The actual Miami campus is really, really nice.


Image speaking for itself taken from EDSBS.


2. USC – You know what pisses me off? Celebration of a championship that you didn’t win. USC fans, much like the rest of us, want to live in a world where the BCS doesn’t exist. That’s all well and good, but they only want to live in that world when it benefits them. Take the 2003 season, for instance, where LSU stomped OU’s ass in the BCS title game only to have the AP vote USC the National Champion after they drubbed Michigan in the Rose Bowl. Don’t get me wrong, USC MIGHT have been the best team that year, but they didn’t win the Championship, much less play in the game. That’s like me saying UGA was the National Champion in 2002 because we were the best team, but because Florida beat us, we didn’t play in the game. Weak. Do me a favor USC fans and remember the good days now, because it ain’t going to be all Hollywood glitz and glamour once Pete Carroll bolts at the end of this year.


Amen.


1. Georgia Tech – As I have proven over, and over, and over, and over again, I hate Georgia Tech. All the way from their stupid guide to how their female gameday dates should act (like they’ve ever had one anyway) to the stories I have told of getting hit with bourbon and bottle rockets. There is no doubt that Georgia Tech fans are the worst in the United States. All teams at all levels included. I’d rather be jumped at a Miami game, set on fire in Morgantown, be hit with better bourbon in Alabama, be some Florida girl’s personal ashtray, get nailed with rocks in Baton Rouge, get harassed by a drunken Cock, take an uppercut from the ghost of Woody Hayes, listen to a Trojan talk on and on about their three-peat, and have pieces of my hair torn out for souvenirs by an Auburn grad than to deal with Tech fans. I know some good Tech people. Heck, I have some in my family, but their utter and absolute disregard for reality just bothers me straight to my core. Look, the world needs nerds. Someone’s gotta keep making those bad-@$$ games I play on Xbox 360, but don’t play football. Don’t even worry about sports. It’s not your thing. Go celebrate long division or something. Stop wasting the rest of the world’s time.


Fighting the good fight.

Well there you have it. Feel free to post your own lists below in the comments section. A new Munson Mix will be posted tomorrow.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: College Football, The List

Well that was a helluva game wasn't it? I mean I'd like to spend many, many, many paragraphs explaining why my keys to victory were spot on. How I nearly nailed the score (again). And even spend a little time talking about me being awesome in general.

But now's not the time. There are more important things to discuss, so let's get to our recap.


The Stats Say:

Alabama and Georgia played a nearly identical game offensively. We were almost dead even in passing, rushing, first downs, completions/attempts, total offense, net punting yards, etc. There are three glaring differences, though. We won the "battle" for penalties (nine for 71 yards) and won the "battle" for giving the ball away (two turnovers to their one).

Aside from bone-headed mistakes like ripping J.P. Wilson's head off or Stafford throwing off his back foot unnecessarily (again), we played a very solid and balanced offensive game. We had 40 rushes and 36 pass attempts. However, I wouldn't say that we should get used to that kind of run/pass balance. We are dedicated to the ground game, but early on the run wasn't really working for us and we were forced to throw the ball. At least we found something that was working and exposed it.


The Pros:

Stafford's Poise: I think we watched the maturation of the leader of this team. Stafford has shown flashes of brilliance since last year with his talent alone, but last night was a night that he will never forget as a player. When things were going wrong, he wanted the ball and he wanted to share it with his offensive playmakers. He wanted to be protected by that O-line, hand the ball off, and throw it downfield because he had the utmost confidence in our ability to win the game. That's not taking the world on your shoulders and making mistakes trying to get a win. That is managing the game as you see fit and getting the ball to the people who can score the points.


Stafford with time to throw.


WR Play: The blocking downfield was spot on again, and there was even a bit of meanness to those guys that we haven't seen in a while. Mo Mass absolutely rearranged Simeon Castille's insides on a block and I guarantee you that Castille didn't forget about that all night. On the "we should do this all the time" side of things, we caught the ball well, got some yards after catch (one great play by Sean Bailey in particular), and got open all night long. A solid effort by our WR corps.


In the bidness, we call this a "downfield shot."


RB and O-line Play: You might be wondering why I lumped these two groups together. Well, the main reason is because of one stat that isn't mentioned above: ZERO SACKS. The guys up front did a great job of containment and when Alabama did blitz, we picked it up to get Stafford enough time to try and make a play. Yes we did OK running the ball, but the most important thing to me is how we did not give up momentum by letting that Tide Defense gain some confidence. Great game by the youngsters.

Defensive Play: You know what I saw last night? Blitzing. You know how happy I was about that? Very. The stats say we never put J.P. Wilson on his ass for a sack, but I don't care. We got pressure and threw off the timing. There were plenty of balls thrown that were short and off target. I could've hoped for a little bit better of a game from our Secondary coverage-wise, but overall, we did a great job of bringing different looks and blitz packages to throw off Alabama's offensive momentum. Also, props to Asher Allen for playing a great game and having some crucial pass breakups.


The Cons:

TE Play: Not to call Tripp Chandler out or anything, but the guy has never been that inconsistent catching the ball. I don't have an official count of how many drops he had, but I think it was in the area of about three or four. It wasn't a good night for the senior, but he did have a crucial catch to keep the chains moving before the last missed FG. At least he redeemed himself some towards the end.

FG Play: I said in my preview that Coutu was automatic and that he can be counted on for the clutch kick. I absolutely still stand by that statement. However, last night was a rough one for the senior from Lawrenceville, GA. I don't know what got in his head and rattled his confidence, but don't expect it to become a trend. Even though UGA's beloved kicker (one in a long line of many) struggled some, he'll get through it. It's what the guy does. Besides, let's not forget that he did make two crucial field goals to help us never surrender the lead.

Stafford's Patience: Look, I said he had a great game and played like a leader. I still stand by that, but he has got to work on knowing when to step up, take the damn hit, and throw off his front foot instead of his back one. I know at least one of those two INTs last night happened because he could not put enough zip on the ball, so he has got to work on staying patient and true to his mechanics. There are better teams out there than Alabama. He's got to start stepping into his throws more. Period.


Overall:

This is a signature win. Quite possibly the one that will define our season. Our little UGA team that could went to T-town and put silence to the doubters. Last night's game was won with determination and an attitude of Us vs. Them. That's the kind of win that will rally this group and let them see the light at the end of the tunnel when they're struggling. It will also give them the confidence they need to face bigger and meaner opponents in SEC play.

Don't get me wrong. After nearly every big win, we have the tendency to over-hype ourselves and sleepwalk into the following games. I don't really see that happening this time around, though. I think this is the kind of win that gives a team focus and confidence. I think you saw the birth of a new attitude in Athens...one that really believes they can win championships.


Let's hope the next time we see this it's in the Georgia Dome.

The momentum train is loading now. Better hop on while you can. Next stop: Ole Miss.


Until next time kids.

Be safe.

*All pictures taken from Rivals.com.

Labels: College Football, Game Recaps, UGA Football

I'm not scared, afraid, nervous, or anxious of this game. I was before South Carolina and we all saw what happened, right? Am I predicting a victory? We'll I'm a f*cking homer for UGA, so of course I am, but let's take all that out of the equation and talk about why I think my optimism (with pessimistic tones) has some warrant.



When Alabama has the ball:

Expect Saban to pound the football early on to try to wear out the defense. This will force us to stuff some in the box and bring the safeties up for run support. Our D-line play is more critical to success than any other game we’ve played this season and we really need a performance from them like the one against OSU. It’s extremely important for them to blow up the line of scrimmage and stop the run so we can back our safeties off. I heard Richt say on the radio that our young CBs are going to be forced into some man-to-man situations and he’s hoping their up to the task (see #2). Richt knows that Saban is out to make us tired and then have us play catch up.

Also expect the Tide to try and get on the board early and make the Dawgs play from behind. Hal Mumme says, “PLAY ACTION PASS, NICK!” I also have a feeling you can expect a shot downfield on the first series. It’d be a huge momentum builder, and if last week as any indication, Alabama may need to get some early points to have a shot of staying competitive for four Quarters.

On offense, J.P. Wilson is turning out to be a hit or miss QB. Sometimes he’s really hot and can’t be stopped, and others he looks like an average QB on an average team. They have a good little running back in Terry Grant (and Glenn Coffee to an extent), but no real offensive playmakers that require us to double team a WR or stuff nine in the box. You could say that DJ Hall fits into this category, but I don't see Hall being as imposing as a Calvin Johnson. Hall has the added bonus of being a senior, but that's a mental edge. Physically, if we man-up, I think we can contain him.

The key to us winning on Defense is good, solid play and, say it with me, BLITZ TO THROW OFF THE RHYTHM OF THE OFFENSE. We need to make some plays, force some turnovers, and make the Tide question their ability on offense. Also, don't forget how tired Alabama's defense became last week and how little depth they really have on the other side of the ball. If we keep the offense off the field, we got a real chance in T-town.

Finally, if you're worried about anything that I just said, remember that Marcus Washington will be starting at Mike, Akeen Dent (possibly) at Sam, and Dannelle Ellerbee at Will. That's what we call a "shake-up" because of under performing people *Brandon*cough*Miller*cough*. There's a new fire in the front seven. Trust me on this one.



When UGA has the ball:

Bobo said to Ching that he’s been conservative with the play calling, but it’s getting time to start taking more shots downfield. To that I say:

“Aaaaaaaaaaa—mennnnnnnnnn”

Seriously, it’s time for us to open it up a little bit. Alabama's secondary were burnt a few times last week against Arkansas and their whole defense in general looked a little tired at times. I said earlier this week that I think Knowshon Moreno's play and how our coaches intend to use him stand to be our biggest factors to winning the game on Thursday (see #3). Expect Alabama to blitz as much as possible and force our still young, but very talented, QB into turning the ball over. The Tide is going to need the momentum in this game. What we need to do is find ways to get two TBs into the backfield. Perhaps split one wide and make Alabama play the game of "run or pass?"

In building upon that, Moreno has shown flashes of playmaking ability and the hype is around this kid to start doing some really special things. It's time for him to step up and break one for about 60 yards. I think it happens in this game, and I would even go so far to say that it happens on a pass play.

Other than Know-"one-man-show"-n, our O-line has got to play their nuts off in order to give us a fighting chance. We've really got to protect like our mind is bad because if Stafford does not have time to throw, then we may be looking at a very ugly game. It's critical for blitzes to be picked up in enough time to run some short routes and stay ahead of the chains.

Finally, the WRs. Simply put, we need to get open, catch the ball, and block downfield. I say if we do what we're supposed to 85-90% of the time, we score big points.



Special Teams:

Richt said to Ching (again, I'm telling you, Ching is automatic) that he does not expect Butler to travel with the team. That's fine. Mimbs has done a better job than I expected and I think that speaks volumes about our future in the kicking game. If Butler was giving Mimbs a run for his money, then how good is Butler as a Frosh? Anyway, we will inevitably have some 3-and-out situations, so playing the field position game and having our Defense get some crucial stops will be important at a few stages of this contest. We need to protect Mimbs well because I believe Saban will bring heat as much as possible on Saturday and try to take advantage of our poor blocking.

Field goal wise, we're more of the same. I know Coutu would have loved to have gotten his FG back from USC, but the kid is as solid as a rock. As long as the protection holds, he's got the leg and confidence to get the clutch kick. I feel confident here that if we need crucial points, we can rely on him to get them for us, but again, only if the protection holds like we need it to.



The Intangibles:

The fans will have all day to tailgate in an atmosphere that will be electric to say the least. That being said, the fans will have ALL DAY to get boozed up, tired, and pissed off should things not go their way. We can take advantage of that. Last weekend was a long one for Alabama fans and you see how UGA fans handled two night games in a row. Expect the crowd to be electric at the start, but if we can get the early lead, I'm not positive they'll get things going for their team in order to jump start a rally.

Emotion is at the center of this game with all the UGA talk of "No Respect" and all the Alabama trash talking. Thankfully, we closed most of our players to the media this week. Alabama may have some bulletin board material to focus on, but 1) It didn't come from our guys and2) It's not nearly as good as the stuff we have from them.

The Dawgs are focused and ready to make a statement. We want to prove we're better than people want to suggest. Our team will be very business-like when they walk out of that tunnel. Just wait and see. They'll only have a "W" on their mind.



What I think will happen:

This game will not go without its moments of close calls. I expect us to get on the board, and maintain a lead through most of the game. I don't know if we get on the board early, though. I wouldn't think that Alabama or UGA scores on their first possession on the fact that aside from maybe a shot downfield for momentum, you're looking at two great coaches trying to figure out what the other team is bringing.

UGA should have the lead for most of the game, but it will be a slim one. Alabama's a better than expected football team because they're playing with tons of heart. Had I done an SEC preview, I would've listed LSU, Alabama, and Auburn in that order in the West. Make no mistake, this weekend we're playing a solid football team, not one that's lucked their way into a 3-0 start.

That being said, I think UGA has better athletes and the added bonus of a man like Mark Richt, whose road record speaks for itself. He's a great source of focus and motivation for our kids and his decision to close practice all week was one that I will stand up and cheer for. It sent a message to the fans and, most importantly, to the team that we're in this game to win this game.
Dawgs play a good game, and so does Alabama, but I think we walk out with the victory.

UGA: 27
Alabama: 20



Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Go Dawgs!).

Labels: College Football, Game Previews, UGA Football

Well, The Blogosphere just been all kinds of a buzz lately talking about this week's game. It might be the most hyped one this year for the Dawgs depending on how they fare (fair? Can anonymous from PWD's blog tell me if I used that correctly?). If UGA wins, then Florida might be our biggest game. If we lose, then we'd have to win out for the Tech game to even come close.

So what's the theme of this hype week? Why it's "respect" apparently. Take a look at #9 on yesterday's list and you'll see what I'm talking about. Carolina Dawg and DawgsOnline are all over it as well. However, Dawgbone.net has the market cornered on setting the stage for the Dawgs to be "man enough" on Saturday.

Does it all mean anything? Not right now to the Dawg fans. It won't really sink in until later on this week for most of us, but for the Dawgs, they apparently have gotten the message loud and clear. Richt has closed practice to the media and Ching has reported that he's noticed some coaches staying extra late doing some homework.

I like this kind of focus from Richt and Co. Hopefully they're bringing a solid game plan to Tuscaloosa this weekend. I'd love for us to be the spoiler for Nick Saban's Gameday arrival back to college football. Think about how much more sweet it would be to see UGA fans on the College Football Scoreboard behind Lee, Kirk, and Chris instead of Tide fans.

Like I said earlier; this team needs to ruin 92,000 peoples' day.

Game preview tomorrow evening.



Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: College Football, The Blogosphere, UGA Football

Since I traveled to the homeland of Perry, GA this weekend to spend a little time with the parental unit, I didn't have time to do a recap of the game. However, since I don't want to throw off the "mojo" for this weekend's incredibly tough challenge, I will combine this week's list with my thoughts from the weekend's game.

So let's not waste any more time:


The Ten Thoughts I Have Going Into This Weekend's Game:

10. Is Alabama that good or that lucky? A lot of what I've seen has shown Alabama to be really flashy sometimes and dead in the water at others. Some of their struggles have almost been mirror images of ours and this past weekend they clawed their way out of quicksand to steal a victory. But was Arkansas as good of a team as advertised?

9. Who will talk trash this week to fire up the opposing team? My money is on Saban's bunch to run their mouths and give us some good bulletin board material. There's so much hype around this game that I can't see those kids shutting up about how they're going to take it to Georgia. Even worse, I can't see any 'Bama fan shutting up about how they're going to take it to Georgia.

8. Will Nick Saban be seeking revenge for the 2004 LSU game in Athens? In Saban's last year in the SEC, Mark Richt and the Dawgs collectively handed Satan...sorry, Sa"B"an...and the Tigers their asses. Not only did we serve them their own ass for lunch, but we added a side of "stank on my dangle," for them to munch on. It was the most perfect game I've ever seen played, and you know Saban hates knowing he was on the opposite end of it.

7. Will Mark Richt be seeking revenge for Saban's comments at the SEC Media Days? In case you've forgotten, or didn't know altogether, shortly after Mark Richt had a cordial "hello" with Urban Meyer (who was passing by), he went out of his way to say "hello" to another passerby in Nick Saban. Saban returned the favor by telling Richt he was in Athens not too long ago watching his son's band play and was surprised by all the football players he'd seen at the bar. Needless to say after UGA's discipline issues, Richt was not pleased...and for the first time since Richt's been a Dawg, it showed. My money says that football player inside Richt is ready to strap on pads and hit someone in the mouth. And that QB inside Richt is ready to hang 50 on 'Bama if he can.

6. Will Alabama fans run out of gas before the game? Sure, ESPN night games are prestigious, and having Gameday in town is even more so, but will 'Bama fans use the time wisely to spend all day getting hyped up, or will they run out of steam by being too drunk come 7:45 PM? My guess is a little of both. I expect a raucous, but extremely tired crowd. Remember, they just did this last week. If UGA can get in there and take the wind out of their sails, we might have a good shot against them.

5. What defense will show up? Will UGA be the GATA defense we saw against OSU or will we try to play smart defense like we did against USC? I'm hoping for us to pin our ears back and try to force mistakes instead of sitting in zone and waiting for them to happen. Say it will me now..."Stunt. Blitz. Hit." Repeat.

4. Will Demiko Goodman have a coming out game? A lot of talk is going around this kid and his blazing speed. He definitely made some fine catches on some tough balls last week. He's got the physical tools to make it happen, but he just needs to get a little more confidence. Perhaps an 80-yard deep one to him will help that happen?

3. How will we use Knowshon? Richt has already said that he expects 'Bama to stop our run and force us to pass. It makes sense. Our offense has sputtered a little but has not been completely incompetent. The Tide is going to expect us to use screens and short passes to try and wear them down and get back to our running game. Does this mean we might see Knowshon go wide and then across the middle? Could we use his playmaking ability to occupy some safeties and open up the seam routes? To me, how we use Knowshon is the biggest offensive key to winning our game.

2. Is our Secondary ready to play man coverage? We're going to have to blitz in this game. I'm serious. We've got to put 8 in the box and dare them to throw. With three games under their belt and two of those to decent offensive teams, isn't it time we baptize these kids by fire? So we get burnt deep once. At least we're giving them a shot to step up. Let's stop being so safe. Get out there and hit someone in the mouth. DARE THEM TO THROW.

1. How will this young UGA team fair on the road for the first time? Thankfully, we had three starts at home to understand what it's like for us to play as a team this year. Now, we need to step it up a notch and learn what it's like to ruin 92,000 people's day. Mark Richt has been an exceptional coach overall, but his road record is one to be proud of. No doubt, he will have our players focused going into this game, but once they step foot-to-turf. It's all on them. Will they be "man enough" to handle that?



As always, your list is welcome in the comments section.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: College Football, The List, UGA Football

Somewhere between the time I write this (it's 8:55 PM now) and tomorrow around 5:00 PM, I will have received my 100,000th hit to the site.

To most people, that really isn't that big of a deal, but to me it's a huge one. In honor of that, I just wanted to give a quick thanks to everyone who reads the useless shit I write and actually takes the time to respond to it. Writing this blog has been one of the most fun things I could've possibly done, and I hope to continue doing it for as long as people will read it. Hopefully, after a little more research, the Web address of kitkitchens.blogspot.com will finally be replaced with www.dawggoneblog.com. At least that's the plan.

I do have to say a huge thanks to Russ, who invited me to do this whole blogging thing in the first place as well as PWD and The King, who linked me early on and gave me some pointers along the way. I'd keep on going, but know that every link on the right is to a person that has helped me do this and I am very grateful for that. I haven't won any blogger awards (yet), but I have fun doing this and that is all I can really ask for.

I'll finish up now, but again, thanks for all the support and for taking the time to see my little corner of the internet. It means the world to me.

See you at 1,000,000.


Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: General "Kit" stuff, The Blogosphere

First of all, I have to mention that today was the first day I've shaved since somewhere around early August. I'm not one of those people that looks good facial hair. In case you don't believe me, I present to you Exhibit A:


"To Catch a Predator? Never seen it."

However, I am also one of those superstitious people. VERY SUPERSTITIOUS. Some people have to shave on Gameday. I, however, can't shave the day before or the day of the game. It's just bad Karma. Sorry, but the truth is the truth.

So I decided that I'd not shave until after OSU, and since the ladies loved it anyway, it was no big deal, right? Wrong. I kept the damn thing throughout the USC game thinking it would bring luck.

And it's now gone. Fun experiment, but when your facial hair is long enough to actually have a milk mustache, it's gotta go.

Anyway, to the real reason why you're here...


When Western Carolina has the ball:

Let's not kid ourselves here. The Catamounts are not an offensive juggernaut. Their most dangerous weapon last year was RB Darius Fudge. He had 229 attempts and 1001 yards. Against those in the Southern Conference, he's a force. Not a huge force. More like as powerful as me with you standing still and me getting a 10 yard cushion. Anyway, he's a runner.

And he graduated last year. So they're screwed there.

QB wise, they're nothing special. Their best passer threw 6 TDs with 5 INTs last year and was 55% accurate.

So they can't run and can't throw. What do we do?

We practice our "beat the shit out of J.P Wilson" Blitz Packages. It's time we stop playing this "smarter than thou" football on defense. We need to stand up and hit someone in the mouth. Give our first teamer's some complicated schemes in the first half and then let them rest in the second. Keep them fresh, but let a couple of DBs know what it's like to get a sack. Let a LB stunt and drift off into coverage for a pick. Let's get crafty and flat out f*cking mean. We know how to do that right?


When UGA has the ball:

As bad as the Catamounts are on offense, they're just as atrocious on defense. Erk Russell once said "if they don't score, they can't win." Well the Catamounts didn't win but 2 games last season. Get my drift?

I'm just saying that let's use this time for some practice as well. Why not run some new formations, get some young guys in the game, and get our confidence up. We don't want to kill them, but 50+ points would really give us some confidence for a long week of practice. Let's give the playmakers a chance to gain some ego and sit them down.


What I think will happen:

Seriously, if we lose to Western Carolina, I don't know what I'd do. Running naked while on fire and leaving a trail of skittles falling out of my ass wouldn't be as humiliating as something like that. Do I think we have a legitimate shot to lose? Well, it's college football. Everyone has a legitimate shot of losing any game. Do I think we'll lose this one?

NO.

My guess is the Dawgs will be hungry to prove something even though you could buy premium tickets on the bridge for somewhere in the area of $20. This is our annual cupcake game and thankfully, it comes after a loss, so we have something to prove. I say we go out there and prove it. It won't be the prettiest thing ever, but at least it'll give us some momentum going into the tough stretch before Florida.

UGA: 45
Western Carolina: 10


Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Go Dawgs!).

Labels: College Football, Game Previews, UGA Football

Got a lot of stuff going on today and tomorrow will be spent writing the preview of the Western Carolina game. So with that, I present to you some quick hits.

• Everyone has a different opinion on what happened last Saturday. There was a lot of discussion on the recap post of "whether or not the band played enough" and "whether or not the crowd was as crazy during the game as they were the week before." From what I remember, the crowd wasn't as good for the first half and then they got into it when they realized we had a good chance of losing. My opinion is that they should have been fired up from the get-go and maybe we wouldn't be 0-1 in the SEC. Again, just my opinion. As far as the band goes, I'm sure they played as much as always, but probably weren't mic-ed (?) well enough to be heard on TV.

• David Ching, in my opinion, is absolutely on fire this year with his coverage of the Dawgs. I swear, I feel like I should be paying for his site.

• New blogs to check out...well, they're at least new to me. Get the Picture (Dawg), Carolina Dawg (Dawg), Best of the SEC Blogs (recaps all different SEC blogs), UGAGRAD1995 (Dawg...meant to put this one up a long time ago. Sorry Paige), Only Time Will Tell (General). That should get you by for a while.

• One last thing, stolen from EDSBS just for Russ.

Labels: College Football, The Blogosphere, UGA Football

Today is Tuesday, Sept. 11.

I'm not saying that it’s any different than Wednesday, Sept. 11, but in 2001, the attack happened on a Tuesday. Kind of strange how things come full circle and you realize how much has really changed.

I consider myself a patriotic person. I love the country I live in and even though I rarely agree with any politician in Washington, I am grateful for the work that has been accomplished in years past to give me the opportunities and freedoms I live with today. Many good people have lost their lives battling the bad people that are jealous/envious/angry at what we have. I appreciate that and I hope you do as well.

Today, in honor of that, I present to you a sobering view of what Tuesday September 11, 2001 was like for me.



The Ten Things I Remember from Sept. 11, 2001:

10. Waking up to a knock on my bedroom door, with Jud on the other end saying, “Dude, you need to get up. The country’s under attack.”

9. Seeing the look on my roommate’s faces as we watched the towers go down.

8. Worrying about my Mom, who was locked down at Warner Robins AFB and had no way to communicate with me.

7. Feeling more helpless than I ever have felt.

6. Feeling more angry than I ever have felt.

5. Watching news anchors be afraid of the bad news they were giving.

4. Seeing George W. Bush, our leader and President, cry while giving a speech.

3. Realizing that “secret underground bunkers” really do exist and that our leadership felt like we needed to put our President in one.

2. Knowing that if I was in one of those towers, I could’ve easily been one of those people that jumped out of fear.

1. Hearing my Dad tell me over the phone, “If things get any worse, pack enough clothes to survive a week and meet us at the spring lake. We can cook there, wash ourselves, and survive on the land until things calm down. I love you and everything’s going to be ok.”



Please take the time today to remember how lucky we have it. I rant and complain about a lot of things and I know I take a lot of things for granted on a daily basis, but I hope to never confuse minor inconveniences for actual problems. The truth is we all have it really good and I love our spirit of always trying to make it better.

One thing I meant to ask last week and forgot was that I strongly encourage you to put your list in the comments section. Not only this Tuesday, but every Tuesday. However, instead of just encouraging, I'm actually going to ask you to do that this week. Sept. 11, 2001 was so important that every American remembers what they were doing and how they felt when they heard the news. I think it's critical to never forget that and to remind each other about it.

Looking forward to what you have to say.


Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: General "Kit" stuff, The List

Seriously, WTF just happened? Were we trying to give a national audience a different view of Georgia? Surely we weren't trying to show how good a Steve Spurrier coached offense can be. We couldn't have been actually handing the game to them on a blitz-free silver platter, right?

Wrong. Let's get to it.


What we did wrong:

Nearly everything if you want the $.02 version, but broken down more, we did two things exactly the opposite this weekend as opposed to last.

1. We didn't blitz. At all.
2. No blocking offensively. None.

The Defense:

On defense we looked as incompetent as I've ever seen us look. I said in the preview that for us to be successful against that particular system, we had to play aggressive football. Blake Mitchell ate our zone for dinner last night and I'm sure he loved every single minute of it. Aside from a couple of instances where USC's O-line missed an assignment, Mitchell had all night to throw and it showed.

Scheme-wise it was exactly the opposite of ALL THE GAMES WE'VE WON RECENTLY. Seriously, this frustrates me the most. I'm not sure if Martinez thinks he's smarter than the offenses he's playing against, but when he thinks we should win we play safe football (every loss last year and last night as well), but when he believes we're going to get our ass stomped in the ground, he runs a jailbreak up front (OSU, Auburn, Georgia Tech). That is the epitome of bass ackwards thinking.

PWD nailed it with this gem:


Who has two thumbs and doesn't blitz?

It should be noted that I have no problem with Willie Martinez's Secondary Coaching. He has made a point to take our guys and use their talent to force more turnovers. Since he has become the DC, we are getting more interceptions and usually at crucial times. That is good.

What is NOT good is the D-line and LB scheme that he runs. Our D-line is young and very green. The only reason they looked so good last week is because we backed them up with LBs while they were rushing the QB. It was an absolute madhouse up front for OSU, and this time around it looked more like a 4 on 5 game of "Patty Cake." Ridiculous.

Hopefully, Richt will go knee-deep in someone's defensive coordinating ass and ask them why in the hell we didn't blitz last night...at all. Until that happens, I'd expect more of the same, and that's unfortunate.


The Offense:

It's called "downfield blocking." It's very helpful in creating holes and getting Yards After Catch. I know you guys know what I'm talking about because it happened last week. A lot. However, what I saw on Saturday was half-assed attempts by our guys against a much quicker USC Defense. I can specifically remember instances where Mo Mass and Brannan Southerland (of all people) dropped easy blocks that could have garnered first downs at critical points. How bad was it? I was HAMMERED out of my mind watching this on television and I still remember it clearly today. So yeah, it was real bad.

What else went wrong? Stafford's progression. Chandler played a good game in that he found places and opportunities to get open when nothing was there, but he never got a look. Our offensive scheme relies heavily on TE production and there were opportunities last night, but he never got a look. Stafford has a couple of things to work on this week and the most blatant one was his ineptitude to check down receivers. He also have a very poor night throwing the ball on time and on point. He was constantly over, under, and behind receivers. I'm not a QB and damn sure not a QB coach, so Bobo will have to work with him on that.


Special Teams:

Coutu did almost all of what he was asked. I would've loved for him to have made that first field goal so we're not going for it on 4th down last night, but the kid kicked it about as well as he could. I know he's probably beating himself up pretty good right now, so there's no reason to kick him when he's down (pun intended).

However, on kickoffs we need some more leg. He's not going to kick it out of the back of the endzone and even if he does, it's not a bad thing right now. We can't tackle on kickoffs or punts for some reason, so I say that he needs to just crank that bitch up to 11 and let it fly. It can't hurt.

Mimbs was called on a lot last night and I felt he delivered pretty well given what he was asked. He made a very acrobatic catch and kick early on the game that saved us a quick score by USC and tons of momentum. If I could give out helmet stickers, he'd get one for that. We do need to take a look at that long-snapper though, and see what's going on with whoever that is. Not a good effort for two weeks now.


The Intangibles:

This would be the fans. Due to some reasons not discussed here, I did go to Athens yesterday to see some friends, but was planning on returning back to Atlanta to watch the game. When I arrived in Athens at around 11:30, most tailgates were just getting put up. I mention that because the tailgating atmosphere is one of my judges for how well we're going to play that night. As soon as I saw the Dawg crowd not into it, I became even more worried.

On TV we did not sound loud at all. Hell, I couldn't even hear the Redcoats. It was a bad showing on television, but I have no idea what the atmosphere was like at the actual game. Maybe I'm wrong, but I just didn't get the impression that we were in it.


To Sum It Up:

USC wanted it more. Plain and simple. They might as well have worn hard hats to the stadium, because they came to work hard and grind it out, no matter the circumstances. We, on the other hand, worked about as hard as Nick Burns, the IT guy on all the SNL skits.


"Willie Martinez Version 2.0 doesn't blitz. MOVE!"

In all seriousness, we played without any heart or aggression. There was no GATA mentality on our offense or defense. We were weak on both sides and it showed. USC wanted to win this game more than we did and the only reason it was close is because we are still the better, more athletic team. We just need to take this beating for what it is, learn what we did wrong, correct it, and whip some cupcake ass next weekend. It will be interesting to see if the team responds positively to the loss, or if they will let it get them down.

All is not lost for the SEC crown, but it's a long shot based on history. All SEC games are now must-win and we need USC to pull one more upset, but get beat twice. If we win out and USC loses 2 games, we're in. Sounds tougher than it really is, but we are as talented as we think we are. We just gotta step it up on the "heart" department.

I'll leave you with this quote from Richt:

"There were coaching decisions that could have changed the outcome of the game," Richt said. "But we're all in this together. I'm not pointing fingers. We had opportunities and didn't take them. Now, we have to regroup and make sure we get better if we want to win this league right now."

Thoughts? Disagreements? I'm a dumbass? Let me know.


One last thing. I got some positive feedback on "The List," so a new one will be posted up late Monday/early Tuesday.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: College Football, Game Recaps, UGA Football

This is the kind of game that scares the crap out of me. See how I did that right out of the gate? You’re worried now, aren’t you?

Well, I am too a little bit.

You see, the Dawgs have the tendency to bash negative expectations into the ground, but do the exact opposite when the expectations are high. It’s the same stuff we run into year after year when we play not to lose instead of playing to win (see: Florida). This game has huge implications for both teams and it seems like after the OSU game, all of the pressure is now on UGA.

So, here’s how we keep ourselves from being disappointed Saturday night:



When USC has the ball:

It has to start up front again. I, along with everyone else, was very impressed by how we totally dominated OSU’s O-line. Watching our Defense play the game of “how many red shirts can be in the backfield” was entertaining. It’s got to be even more of the same with this game because of how USC is going to air it out. I’m not positive on this, but I have an inkling that Spurrier took a look at the game film from OSU and saw that if they’re given time to find a window in our zone, it’ll be a pretty dang big one.

There are only two ways to counteract that type of problem:

1) Don’t give the QB time to throw.
2) Don’t give him anyone to throw to.

The first one is taken care of with great D-line and LB play, but the second is fixed only by our secondary (sometimes LBs play a role in this, but bear with me). The one glaring weakness I saw from last Saturday was that our CBs were playing off the ball way too much to make me feel comfortable. That might have been a scheme thing because it was common knowledge that Bobby Reid was not the type of QB that was going to slice you up with his mental prowess. However, if it wasn’t, then we’ve got to get up on the line, bump some people, and throw the timing off. USC is not a dangerous team, per say, but the system they run is and if given enough time and opportunity, the system will expose our weaknesses.



When UGA has the ball:

More of the same please. We hung 35 on a craptacular defense, but even against cupcakes last year we weren’t that efficient in the red zone. Richt said even though the stats counted us as 5 of 6 from inside their 20, he really saw it as 5 of 5 because the last time, they were just running out the clock. THAT is an exceptional improvement over not only last year, but all of the years under Richt. MORE OF THAT KIND OF EFFICIENCY WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

We also need the WRs and RBs to block as well as they did last week. I don’t think the running and catching part is where they’ve really shown the most improvement. The dropped passes are more easily correctable than anything else and it seems that our guys spent an extended amount of time in the offseason making sure that’s no longer a problem. That being said, the downfield blocking is what I was most impressed with last Saturday. They gave our RBs and other WRs a chance to really break one at any given time. Our kids have been taught that for years, but it’s like it finally clicked last weekend. Yards After Catch was our SECOND most impressive stat last weekend (170 of 234 yards), and we’ll need those guys to keep making the opposing team miss.



Special Teams:

I’m sorry. I really like Coutu. I think he’s a good kid and has a golden leg. However, I love not having to rely on that leg to win games. I’m sure we will at some point this season (maybe more often than we all like), but for the time being, it’s nice to think our offense is going to put points on the board. We know what we have in the FG game, so there’s no point in bringing that up.

What we really need to improve on is our blocking on punt returns, kickoff returns, and on the FG attempts. If it’s bad enough where Richt wants to go for it on 4th down to avoid a potential missed assignment, then it’s pretty dang bad. Don’t let the stats fool you; Mikey Henderson made something out of nothing on that one punt return and he had to dodge 4 white shirts that got to him immediately after he caught the ball.

On kickoffs, I think we did fine with the new rule, but it’d be nice to kick it a little deeper. A couple of those kicks were only to about the 10 or 15 yard line. It’s a little nit picky, but it is what it is. PWD wrote a pretty good piece about our kickoff coverage and where we can improve.



What I think will happen:

USC has weapons and an offense designed by one of the best to ever coach the game. Even Spurrier thinks they can be competitive. I tend to agree somewhat. They can be competitive, but not for the SEC East this year because all the teams have the potential to beat anyone in the SEC. Every SEC East team has talent and nearly every one will score an "upset" this year. Bank on at least the lion's share of them ruining someone else's season.

Anyway, sorry for the tangent, but basically what I'm saying is that Spurrier is again coaching one of those teams. In 2005, South Carolina scored a major upset against Florida to send UGA to the Georgia Dome and eventually to an SEC crown. While I'm not sure that this year will be the same, I do believe the Gamecocks have at least one "upset" within them. I just don't believe it will be this game.

It's not going to be the offensive masterpiece people were planning the UGA/OSU game to be, but it will have its moments. Expect "Bags O' Tricks" from both teams playing to win instead of playing not to lose. It will be a more competitive game than last year because USC and UGA both know what's at stake. However, UGA has more athletic talent that truly believe in the system and we will find a way to *again* keep the opposing team's offense off the field. Our playmakers will do their thing and the crowd will be too pumped up about 2 night games in a row. The atmosphere could possibly win this game all by itself. We just want it too badly right now.

UGA: 24
USC: 13


Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Go Dawgs!).

Labels: College Football, Game Previews, UGA Football

Every Tuesday, there will be a new installment of "The List." Think of it kind of like Doug's "Random Ten +5" but different. The inspiration comes from my tendency to rank things unnecessarily and figured it'd be a nice addition to the blog. Let me know if you like it/hate it in the comments section. Oh, and these posts will probably be laced with profanity because it's my chance every week to rant...and I have a filthy mouth.



Top 10 Coaches I'd like to kick in the nuts:

10. Houston Nutt -- Seriously, with a name like that, he just deserves it. It doesn't sound like he should be running a football team, but instead be a type-cast porn star whose money shot line is "Everything's bigger in Texas, baby." Add on the fact that I think he's one of the most overrated coaches in College Football and he's a shoe-in (pun intended).


"Is that how you like it? Everything's bigger in Texas, baby."



9. Steve Spurrier -- I know most of you probably expected this one to be higher, but I can't hate the Ol' Ball Coach as much as I used to. The truth is he's probably a blast to hang out with away from the game, and would whip your ass in golf. The only reason he gets the nod is because of all the years at Florida, the shit he's talked about UGA, and the fact that he hung 50+ on us in our house. A kick in the nuts is deserved, but not a totally swift one. Does anyone really believe he's into coaching at USC or is he just enjoying a free membership to Augusta National? And let's not even start on how funny some of the other shit he's said has been.


Seriously, some of this shit writes itself.



8. Chuck Amato -- How did this guy ever get a head coaching job? It's seriously one of the biggest mind-boggling things I've ever seen. He looks goofy as well, wore those shades non-stop, and I swear couldn't coach his way out of a paper bag. He took a great talent in Phillip Rivers and found a way to let him slip right through his eligibility. And then there's this picture:


"What? You want to kick me in the balls? WHY??!!??"



7. Urban Meyer -- Yeah the guy coaches Florida. But there are two blatant things that I just can't get past, whether he's the Gator coach or not. 1) The fact that everyone talks about his offense when Charlie Strong won the National Championship last year. 2) That he wore that damn ugly leather jacket after the Nat'l Championship game was over. Who told him that was a good idea? Did he have an audition for "Grease" or something?


"Why, this car is Auto-matic. Its System-matic. Its Hyyyyydro-matic. Why, its Greased Lightning!"



6. Phillip Fulmer -- Aside from the nicknames of "The Great Pumpkin" and all that jazz, what really pisses me off about this guy is how he runs what I feel is a dirty UT program. While UGA is consistently getting blasted in the media, UT players commit crimes left and right only to serve a one-game suspension (usually in a game that has no implications whatsoever). There is a reason why EDSBS named the award given to the dirtiest program every year the "Fulmer Cup." My prediction: This guy will be on one of the hottest seats in the country by the end of the year and he deserves it.


Gets hot under those man boobs, huh?



5. Dennis Franchione -- This one's the easiest of the bunch. He told the Alabama players that were facing some tough years due to NCAA violations that he "needed them to stick with Alabama," and then he bolted for the Texas A&M job because it was "his dream job." Since then he's sucked it up every year and deservedly so. He's an asshat if there ever was one.


What did you say? Couldn't understand you over all the bitch ass crying.



4. Pete Carroll -- Recruiting at USC is like recruiting at Miami. You're going to one of the most beautiful places on the planet as an 18 year-old all while being surrounded by some of the most gorgeous women you've ever seen. That's a layup in college football no matter who coaches there. Let's not forget that Pete Carroll has failed everywhere he's gone until he got to USC, and even though I hate Les Miles (who's coming up shortly on this list), he nailed it when he said the Pac-10 is a weaker conference than the SEC. I can't wait for the day USC loses Pete Carroll and then he goes somewhere else and sucks again.



3. Les Miles -- This guy is a blemish on the SEC. I couldn't smoke enough peyote to make me think that LSU fans really love him, and I can't wait for the Saturday this year when he goes out of his way to create a loss in a gift-wrapped win. Trust me, it will happen. Stir in the fact that he runs his mouth at times he shouldn't, put it in the bowl of cupcakes that LSU constantly feeds upon, and bake at a temperature of "WTF?" and you've got a delicious dish of "he won't be here past 2009."


I want "YOU" to come to LSU and underachieve.



2. Tommy Tuberville -- There is no other coach on this planet in any sport that whines more than this guy. He does it non-stop. Much like Urban Meyer, the success he enjoys is mainly due to his assistant coaches because before Al Borgess showed up and taught him how to utilize two phenomenal RBs, Tubberville was Auburn's version of Jim Donnan. He looks like the politician who will admit no wrongdoing, or the CEO that dipped into your pension to make himself richer than he should be. Oh, and academics? Don't even ask under this guy's watch.


Image from EDSBS.



1. Nick Saban -- Anyone surprised? Anyone? Seriously, was there ever a doubt? Let's be honest. He's a good coach. He really is. But, he's the kind of coach no one respects. Nobody likes him. I don't even think Alabama fans like him as much as they say they do. They know he'll get them wins, but none of them think he's the coach of the future. He'll stay as long as he can to maximize the potential of the program and then leave to get a larger payday. My guess is that if he isn't happy in two years and he can go to a program where he can win immediately, he's gone. Add on all the "I don't have time for this shit" and "Richt, I saw your players downtown in Athens the other night" comments and this guy deserves my Nike Swoosh imprinted on his scrotum more than anyone else.


"God Complex? How can I have a complex about myself?"




Honorable Mentions:

Lloyd Carr -- App. State deserved to be congratulated on their win, and I never saw him do that. That should've been the FIRST thing out of his mouth on every interview. However, even though he's always sucked, he' so old that I'd feel like I was kicking a man right before he enjoyed his apple sauce. You just can't beat up old people nowadays.



Chan Gailey -- Look, I hate Georgia Tech, but I don't hate this guy. Kicking him in the nuts would be the equivalent of beating up a special ed kid. Reggie Ball for 4 years? The guy's suffered enough.





So there's the first installment of The List. Like/Hate? Let me know.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: College Football, Photo Hunt, The List