The Dawg-gone Blog

We've Moved.

2010-09-02T16:47:00.002-04:00

Should've done this sooner, but realized I hadn't so just for those that aren't aware, the DGB has moved to a new home.

Just as an FYI, www.dawggoneblog.com will point to the new address, so you don't have to change your bookmarks, hopefully. However, the official URL is dawggoneblog.blogspot.com.

I hope you enjoy the new site. We're loving it so far.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

P.S. -- Enjoy this space while you can. I'll be moving this blog private soon.

The End is The Beginning

2010-07-27T21:06:00.003-04:00

Dramatic title, no?

Dear Faithful (and God bless you for being so) Readers,

Sorry for the lack of any update for a while now, but if you follow me on Twitter, you guys know that something big has been coming down the pipe for a couple of months. This "big event" made me make the decision to keep from updating very much even though a slew of news regarding ADs, BMWs, red lingerie, NCAA inquiries and our drinking town with a football problem has hit the news cycle.

The big reveal is finally here and I'm happy to say that this blog will no longer by my home. No seriously, I'm happy to say that.

A couple months ago I was approached by an old friend who works with a former blogger (Jmac, for you old-schoolers out there) and they wanted to know if I had any interest in having this blog become the staple Sports blog for their site, Beyond The Trestle.

Naturally, I was thrilled, not only to work with my old friend, but also because the growth potential by making the move would do wonderful things for me. It's well documented that I currently find myself in a job I love, which takes up odd hours at times, hence making updating regularly a challenge. It was so much of a challenge that I contemplated making a move offline altogether, just to step aside and have one less thing to worry about.

However, that's no longer an issue. The new site is not up as of this moment, but expect the first post early next week. At that point, this address will route to the new site and content updates will no longer be provided here.

Now, the most important (and exciting) part of all this is a handful of new things. Here they are:

Content updates at least once daily, but probably 2-3 times a day during season
In-depth previews, reviews, and predictions
A podcast (which is something I've dreamed of doing for a while)
Dedicated, realistic analysis, with the same homerism you'd expect from me
A team of writers to offer differing views and to again, keep those content updates coming
Real-time information as it comes from UGA since we'll be listed with the SID
Facebook and Twitter feeds for you social media gurus out there
Many more things I can't even think of off the top of my head
One word -- PONIES

Ok, the last one is just to keep the kids interested, but if a pony happens to run on the field during a game, you can bet your sweet bottom we're going to cover that event in depth.

For those wondering, yes, parting with Blogger and this address is a little bittersweet. It's like getting a newer, more reliable car but leaving the car you've driven since you're 16.

The best part? It's still The Dawg-gone Blog. Nothing's changing for the worse, just getting enhanced for a better experience for you -- the most loyal readers who stop by and actually pay attention to a guy who talks about football when he was the worst fullback to ever play the game (and this was little league football, too).

The next update will be the last one and it will be the one that links to the new site. Thank you again for 5+ wonderful years at this shack. It's time for us to go all "Jeffersons" and move it on up.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

P.S. -- Tuck Fech.

North Campus Rant

2010-03-29T16:02:00.002-04:00

I meant to talk some about the defense, but I couldn't do it. I got carried away on ranting about the North Campus people. By the way, I had a BLAST ranting about the North Campus people. I originally recorded this Friday but haven't had the chance to post it until today.

Defense stuff coming in the next couple days. Until then, enjoy!

UGA doing to GT what it usually does...

2010-03-08T17:33:00.003-05:00

Obviously, there's no one out there who hates losing to Georgia Tech more than I do. In fact, if we played them 1,000 times and tied ONCE, I'd be stuck on the tie. It's just how I roll.

Anyway, the only silver lining to losing to Georgia Tech is beating them handily the following year. The unintended consequences mean things like THIS AWESOME VIDEO (embedded below for your view pleasure) happen, making my heart smile over and over again.

As always, please remember that it's not a slap. It's a high five to your face.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Five AWESOME Years

2010-03-05T18:22:00.004-05:00

Today's the 5th B-day of the DGB. I thank you all and ramble about other things in the following video...which is the antithesis of actually "blogging" but you get the point.

Oh, and since it's the birthday of the DGB, I feel an appearance by resident Site Girl, Keira Knightley is in order. You're welcome.

DGV: Quick Note About Bashing Recruits

2010-01-29T00:29:00.002-05:00

For your video viewing pleasure. Please excuse my lack of shaving.

Quick Thoughts: UGA loses to UF

2010-01-27T20:55:00.005-05:00

So we lost by 16 points Florida. It happens and we'll have our shot in Stegeman soon.

Some quick thoughts for you guys:

1) McThree -- Ricky McPhee is a VERY fun player to watch. He's another one of those clutch-shot white dudes that UGA always seems to have around. The previous ones were the Weehunt brothers from the early 2000s. Some of the shots he took tonight were amazing, from some very deep threes to a nice falling jumper on the baseline for two. He also single-handedly (apparently, "handedly" isn't a word, who knew?) kept the game from slipping into a tailspin with his play.

2) Trey Leslie -- If you took Trey Thompkins and mixed him with Travis Leslie, you'd have one of the most exciting basketball players ever. Leslie still struggles with his shot, but made some nice athletic plays. Thompkins did well tonight with some big shots and was hot early.

3) Better make it the first time -- We couldn't seem to grab a rebound to save our lives. Whether on our end after a missed shot, or on their end after they (rarely) missed a shot. We've got to rebound like we did against Tennessee or we'll get beat by a lot of teams in the SEC.

4) Oops! -- Turnovers were probably the biggest dagger for us tonight. We just absolutely got killed in taking care of the ball. Sloppy, sloppy play was the theme and probably gave us the biggest hindrance in mounting a significant comeback. As Dawgfan17 perfectly stated:

Looking at the UF game tonight and most of our games for the season, if we can cut down the to's they can be much much better. We have turned it over 10 more times than UF so far and the game is a 10 pt game. If we turn it over even just 4 less times with both teams shooting 50% that is +4 points for us and -4 for them and the game is basically a tie. Everything else we have done this season has been a huge improvement. Go Dawgs!

Couldn't have said it better myself. The best news is, that's a COACHABLE problem, and I have no worries about our coaching ability.

5) Coach, you can't say that on TV -- Fox got T'd up in what I think was eerily reminiscent to the way Bobby Cox gets thrown out of Braves games. Oh, don't get me wrong, he was right in being upset about the no-call, but instead of moving on, he let it boil over and let his players know he was OK with tossing etiquette out the window. He let his players know that he had their back. I liked it. A LOT.

6) I think I can, I think I can -- We've got some great things going for us right now in regards to overall improvement, but this team is going to have to learn to win on the road for us to get over the hump from being a mediocre team to even a good team. It's not the matter of winning, it's the matter of getting used to the idea of winning away from home. Our confidence sucks in that regard and it shows at times. Of course, when you have a team full of guys who haven't achieved road success in 4+ years, it's going to creep into their heads that they can't do it. A win against South Carolina this weekend would be HUGE for us.

7) Tick Tock -- I didn't remember to elaborate on this the last game, but one of the most overall improved things I've seen is our use of timeouts. It's been a blessing to see Coach Fox take timeouts to stop runs and coach up our guys. They're, for lack of a better word, quite timely. Felton never did that and it drove me crazy.

8) Ratings are up -- The biggest difference in a double-digit point loss to Florida this year versus last year? I was still tuning in this year. Last year's team quit in that game. Absolutely quit. It was disgusting and I had to turn it off. We all knew this game was over after the four minute mark, but I was still interested to see what this team would do. If any of us can take one thing away from tonight's loss, it's the proof in the pudding that this team is NOT last year's team.

So, there you have it. What stuck out to you?

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Quick Thoughts on the Dawgs win over UT

2010-01-23T20:33:00.004-05:00

So the game is fresh in my mind still and I've got about five minutes to burn, but here are some quick hits on the game from what I remember:

1) Travis Leslie is a beast. Just a flat out monster. His leaping ability makes him a threat off the glass and a very good shot blocker. If this kid can find some range from 13-17 feet out, he's going to be VERY dangerous. He's just a highlight reel waiting to happen. Oh, and don't underestimate his ability to dish the rock. He had some SPECTACULAR feeds tonight to guys around the rim.

2) The offense still runs through Trey. Thompkins had a good, but not extremely big night. The other guys still have to rely on him to be the "go-to" guy with the ball, though. When he turns it on, it raises the level of our play significantly.

3) Price is right. Jeremy Price had a nice game tonight, crashing boards, getting put-backs and converting on second chances. We'll need to him up his level of play to give us a strong inside presence going into the meat of our SEC schedule.

4) Dustin Ware = David Greene? Dustin Ware is not a flashy guy and he's good for roughly 7-10 points a game, but he takes care of the basketball and really directs that offense well.

5) No 5-hour energy here. There's definitely a late-game crash after our initial boost of energy. For everything we did right tonight, we still had our hiccups. Closing out the game, there was a stretch from 5:31 left to 1:37 left in the 2nd half where we didn't score a point. If the lead had been 10 or less, we would've found ourselves up a creek. We've got to find a way to dig deep and close out these big games. Close losses are still losses.

6) Thunderdome. Stege was rocking tonight. The students and fans really turned out and that's huge for us. We need that kind of support to build what Fox is trying to build in Athens.

7) Mark Fox just may be the guy. From his interviews, tweets and on-screen presence when coaching, he's creating an attitude in our team that has been missing for a while. The kids are having fun playing basketball again and the fans are enjoying watching it. If we can consistently get better week by week, we'll definitely see some type of post-season play. We just have to know we can do it.

Overall, big win and a very good way to get the fan base fired up.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

P.S. -- Negative points to the student who covered himself in peanut butter. I get the enthusiasm, but peanut butter? Really? Of course, when you think about it, it's probably a lot cheaper than face paint. Hate it for the people around him though.

Understanding The Changes

2010-01-21T03:18:00.001-05:00

Today is the first day the new coaches, Grantham & Lakatos, get to meet the current UGA players. It's not a day where position changes will be made (that will happen after film study and spring practice), but it's a day where the ball gets rolling. It's essentially the day to put the former complacency that surrounded our program on notice.

Now, earlier tonight I read a great and simple explanation of the 3-4 defense at the following URL: http://football.calsci.com/DefensiveLine3.html. Sorry I can't hyperlink, but I'm typing this on my phone. Also, a hat tip to David Hale (http://ugadogsblog.blogspot.com) who shared the link on his blog.

For those who don't have time to read the article, essentially, the 3-4 is a defense tradiyionally designed to go against running teams. However, the traditional 3-4 calls for the DTs to have 2-gap responsibility, meaning every gap on the offensive line is supposed to be plugged by a DT. It is my understanding, but only a guess, that in Grantham's 1-gap system, the LBs have their own gaps for which they are responsible. That means it's basically one person per gap, or three DTs and two LBs responsible for every hole in the O-line, with the rest of the LBs and DBs free to play zone, man, spy packages, blitz, etc.

In order for this defense to work, it relies on fundamentals (like everything else in football, but something we have ignored in recent years) to make it successful. Sure tackling, playing your assigments, hat-on-hat, DBs playing the ball and not face-guarding, are all important aspects to make the new D a good one. It'll start tomorrow with introductions, carry through spring practice, then position changes, then summer workouts, and then we'll finally see the best 11 players on the field.

So, don't expect this new regime to do anything more than feel like a new regime until sometime in August. In fact, I'd warn that G-day will probably be sloppy, but will give us a good look at seeing guys fly to the ball like we expect.

So, tomorrow the changes begin, but much like the actual search for a new DC, it is going to be a relatively slow process -- especially since we have a recruiting class to fill out and there won't be any actual "coaching" happening until spring practice in late March or early April.

Until then, let's just all remember that the true path to championships goes through Jacksonville, and until we stop wetting the bed below the state line, defensive changes won't matter.

I'm just sayin'.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Posted with LifeCast

Georgia Gets Grantham

2010-01-15T00:44:00.001-05:00

Rivals is saying this is a 3-year, 3rd highest paid assistant in the nation, done deal.

So far, the message boards and Twitter have been popping with optimism and relief now that it's all over. That's a good thing. I think half of our fans were on suicide alert when the Smart thing fell through.

So UGA will most likely now run a 3-4. I'll bet Garner stays and what will be interesting to see now is if we get Travis Jones and who will coach DBs.

Exciting time to be a Dawg. GATA, Grantham. Glad to have you on board.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Posted with LifeCast

Kirby Staying At Bama

2010-01-11T17:49:00.003-05:00

You've no doubt heard by now that Kirby Smart turned down the opportunity to become the next DC at UGA. All things considered, it sucks for us but Kirby made a career move today instead of coming home to Mama.

Saban surely said to him that if he stayed he'd have a head coaching gig for sure in 1-3 years. You can rest assure that the conversation also included "if you don't succeed immediately at UGA, your name will cool off and you may moss a great opportunity while trying to be loyal to you alma mater." In the end, I think the intagibles kept Kirby, not the money.

Where do the Dawgs go from here? I have no clue. Not a single idea. All I know is that we have egg on our face. We look like fools and we also look like a school that no one with any proven success (Chavis, Foster, Smart) wants to be at. These are perceptions, not reality.

If I'm in the UGAAD, I'm leaking info about a term sheet being signed and Kirby changing his mind at the 11th hour. Plenty of folks and I disagree on this, and I'm not saying we skewer Kirby publicly, but a well-timed "leak" would be my plan of action.

However that can't be the focus now. The focus is getting on the horn and finding someone who drastically WANTS to be at Georgia. With our financial resources, we'll find someone good or even GREAT. The idea at this point though, is to stop giving everyone raises and start putting ink to paper.

We were at a stage where the longer this went, the better our chances of securing a top-flight guy. Now, the longer this goes, the worse it is for our program.

This next week is CRITICAL. You can put it any more simple than that.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

P.S. - Sorry for any grammatical errors. It's not always easy to do this from my phone.

Posted with LifeCast

Here's to 2010

2009-12-29T00:58:00.001-05:00

If you would have told me we'd be 9-4 or 10-3 after the bowl game this year, I would have taken it in a heartbeat. I think most of us would have. Truthfully, the Kentucky collapse soured a lot of fans on what has essentially been a scratch and claw (no pun intended) 2009 campaign for the Dawgs this year. Every win was earned and fought hard for as our team struggled through repeated shots in its own foot.

Who can you credit for those things? Well, you have to start at the top and credit CMR and most of the staff for doing what we've all known him (and them) to do so well. He kept the fabric of the season from unraveling when everything (and subsequently everyone) was falling apart around him. You're eight games into a season, the roars of firings are coming down hard, another loss to a hated rival, and overall mediocre play could have permeated the locker room walls. However, the man at the top did his best to maintain focus.

Then you have to credit the true leaders of this team. You can hate on Cox for his talent as much as you want, but when you have a guy in the huddle who has the DESIRE to give it his all, those around him play harder. Guys like Owens, Atkins, Curran, Jones (both Ben and Reshad), and Green all refused to go quietly into the night. Refusing to leave a legacy of disappointment in what some of them would come to know as their final season in the red & black.

Offseason arrests were down. The talents such as B. Smith, Charles, and Ealey burst onto the scene. All of this in the face of a population that repeatedly called for heads of nearly every person on the sideline wearing a headset.

Gentlemen (and ladies), there's an opportunity here that I believe is within our grasp. Right now it appears that our leader has taken steps to improve the team with an "any means necessary" attitude. He wants to step up the discipline, step up the desire, and stoke the fire.

IF, and it's a big "IF," we can carry what we did right this year and improve our focus to eliminate the instances where things went horribly wrong, we have the chance to reclaim our spot at the top of the SEC in 2010. I don't believe there will be a "QB controversy." I don't believe there will be any "me first" attitudes going into camp. The best thing about coming off of 2009 instead of 2007 is that we haven't earned a damned thing yet. There will be no #1 (or hell, maybe even a #15) ranking going into this year.

The work begins now when it comes to earning our stripes, taking our respect, and having recruits say once again that "UGA is building something special and I want to be a part of it." We've never been a team of "Over Dawgs." We're a team of "Under Dawgs" and that's the way I like it.

Why? Because when it comes to football in the SEC, nothing is a given. We have the unique opportunity to do things the "Georgia Way."

Here's to 2010.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

This Liar Has A First Name

2009-12-27T15:31:00.001-05:00

It's U-R-B-A-N. The liar has a second name it's M-E-Y-E-R.

I can't believe I let that snake in Gainesville make me feel bad about his health and now, ironically, he's had a "change of heart" and is coming back.

I'll bet his family, who he essentially listed as his reason for leaving, is thrilled to realize they're again taking a back seat to his desire to be the best corch evah.

Well, until then, we'll just be stealing your recruits, watching Addazio fumble through life like a blind man at a laser show, and waiting on your return so we can swiftly punt you in the gonads.

I still hope Cincy thoroughly rolls your ass. Go Bearcats.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Posted with LifeCast

The Meyer Effect

2009-12-27T04:27:00.001-05:00

I, like many folks, have been utterly blown away by the events that took place today regarding Urban Meyer and the now vacant head coaching position at Florida. I mean not only are you looking at Florida losing what is statistically the best coach they've ever had, but they are in what could only be classified as a "cluster f*ck of epic proportions."

Florida proved today that it is the standard in college football right now. Its losing Urban sent shockwaves throughout CFB in a manner that Notre Dame could only dream of nowadays.

Speaking of which, how dumb does Brian Kelly feel right now?

Moving on to what this does to Florida:

In separate instances, you lose Tebow, OK. You lose a great DC, OK. Urban leaves for whatever reason, sucks, but OK. You lose a whole host of other talented players due to graduation and early entry into the draft, OK. Your staff begins to slowly leave, including your recruiting coordinator, OK.

All of those things in separate instances are manageable. Together, it's a shit show.

Make no mistake, Florida is Florida. They will get a good head coach. They will still win 8-10 games or more a year based on talent alone. However, you can't replace "the best" with better. Why? Because he's the best. ANYONE is a step down at this point.

Oh and don't be surprised if Stoops, who is quite comfortable in Norman, doesn't take the 7-days-week, fickle fanbase, ridiculous expectations job at Florida. Any head coach with any sense of self-preservation, & making over $2 million a year, won't be taking that job.

Florida would be mindful to go after an offensive guy. A defensive mind sets the offense back at least two years learning a new system. That's why I think Kyle Whittingham from Utah will be the new HC there.

Oh and if you think it's gonna be a cake walk in the SEC, think again. It's more wide open than it was, but our chances overall haven't improved THAT exponentially.

However, ones got to think the person who's flat out orgasmic about this is Lane Kiffin. He's so excited, he probably has already committed a handful of secondary violations by now.

Best wishes to Urban on a speedy recovery. I never wished him ill, but I'm damn glad not to be facing his teams anymore.

What are your thoughts?

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Posted with LifeCast

Merry Christmas!!!

2009-12-24T10:32:00.003-05:00

Got stuff I gotta run and do, so hope you enjoy the Vlog.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Christmas Time

2009-12-15T00:57:00.004-05:00

Look, I'm as exhausted of the DC search as anyone else, so I'm offering a break to you guys. Honestly, I'm sick and tired of hearing "Kirby Smart," "Vic Koenning," "Bud Foster," "Brian Van Gorder," and all the rest. Seriously, there's just no point in stressing about it.

So instead, I'm writing about the holidays. The holidays are essentially three things for me: 1) Best time of the year, 2) When I watch heart-warming and funny movies, and 3) When I listen to the most depressing music available. I don't know why #3 is that way, but it is. Something about it's cold, crisp, and depressing music just fits.

So, here's my list of #2 and #3 from me to you:

Best Movies to Watch:

1. Notting Hill -- Boy meets Girl. Girl is super famous and lies to Boy. Boy takes her in anyway. Girl tells Boy she's just a Girl, standing in front of a Boy, asking him to love her.

2. Christmas Vacation -- Honestly, this is the best of all the Vacation movies in my opinion. From killer squirrels & shitters being full, to super-sleds & "pass the Tylenol."

3. Love Actually -- This is the greatest date movie ever made. However, it's not a first date movie. This movie will fill your world with puppies, rainbows and confetti. Use at your own risk.

4. Scrooged -- Bill Murray, mice with antlers stapled to their heads, and Solid Gold Dancers. EPIC WIN.

Best Music to Listen To:

1. Imogen Heap -- Hide and Seek

2. Counting Crows -- Long December

3. Coldplay -- Sparks

4. Coldplay -- What If

5. Alvin & The Chipmunks -- Christmas Don't Be Late

6. Aimee Mann -- Build That Wall

7. Aimee Mann -- Wise Up

8. Aqualung -- Strange & Beautiful

9. Band of Horses -- The Funeral (mainly for the slower parts, which are super haunting)

10. The Beatles -- Yesterday

11. The Beatles -- Eleanor Rigby

12. Ben Folds -- Landed

13. Big & Rich -- Drinkin' 'bout You

14. Bill Withers -- Ain't No Sunshine

15. Counting Crows -- Colorblind

16. Damien Rice -- The Professor

17. Dave Matthews -- Some Devil

18. Dave Matthes & Tim Reynolds (Live at Luther College) -- Christmas Song

19. Fleet Foxes -- Blue Ridge Mountains

20. Hem -- Half Acre

21. Gary Jules -- Mad World

22. Israel Kamakawiwo'ole -- Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World

23. James Taylor -- Fire & Rain

24. Jeff Buckley -- Hallelujah

25. Jim Sturgess -- Across the Universe

26. John Legend/Stephens Family -- It Don't Have to Change

27. John Mayer -- 3x5

28. Joseph Arthur -- Honey & The Moon

29. Keane -- Somewhere Only We Know

30. Kostia -- Winter Ride

31. London Symphony Orchestra -- Carol of the Bells

32. Louis Armstrong -- What a Wonderful World (the original's always the best)

33. Matchbox 20 -- Time After Time (acoustic version)

34. Modern Skirts -- Sugarpile

35. Otis Redding -- Try a Little Tenderness

36. Petra Haden & Bill Frisell -- Satellite (not a DMB cover)

37. Petra Haden & Bill Frisell -- Yellow (yes, this is a Coldplay cover)

38. The Postal Service -- Against All Odds

39. The Postal Service -- The District Sleeps Alone Tonight

40. Robert Earl Keen -- Feeling Good Again

41. Robin Thicke -- Dreamworld

42. Slow Club -- Christmas TV (this is an EXCELLENT song)

43. Tally Hall -- Haiku

44. Tally Hall -- Just Apathy

45. Tipitinas Foundation -- O Holy Night (you've heard this before on Studio 60)

46. Your Vegas -- Christmas & Me Are Through

Ok, there you have it. If you guys don't hear from me sooner, please have a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and please also be very safe out there.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

A little late...

2009-12-07T22:44:00.004-05:00

Ohhhh NO! This post is all late 'n' junk. Here, let me get in my way-back machine and post this before the SECC game. Oh shoot. I can't. Because I can't time travel. Soooooooooooooo.....

K, bye!!!

Giving Thanks

2009-11-26T21:36:00.001-05:00

This will be quick because I have a date with a bar and I can't be late.

1) I hate Georgia Tech but I hope every Tech fan remembers that it's what a rivalry is supposed to be. If I had a dollar, I might give you .99.

2) When tailgating on saturday, Tech baseball players will be taking donations for "Prayers for Chance." please contribute if you can. Very classy move by the other side.

3) Thanks to all the readers and viewers. Without you guys I have no reason to do any of this. Thank you so very much for giving me a reason.

4) I still think Georgia Tech wins on Saturday. If that happens, the ribbing from Tech fans will be well deserved. Just keep the profanity down if you can.

Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Go Dawgs!).

Posted with LifeCast

Hate Week 2009 -- Math Class!!!

2009-11-23T19:05:00.011-05:00

Since I was asked by a commenter in my last post to provide some statistics about how UGA is better than Georgia Tech, I figured, "When in Rome." In this case, "Rome" means "Nerds" and "When in..." means "Let's use graphs!!!!"

So, thanks to some help from my top-notch research team, I present some graphs for your enjoyment STATISTICALLY PROVING Tech's inferiority.

This lesson in statistics is 100% over until tomorrow.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

So Frustrated, Words Can't Describe

2009-11-22T15:53:00.002-05:00

But I tried anyway.

Warning: The video contains alcohol, some profanity, and...dare I say it...Maalox.

Enjoy!

Dawg-gone Vlog -- UGA vs. UK

2009-11-19T20:43:00.003-05:00

First thing's first, it's a damn shame that Uga VII passed away earlier this morning. When I recorded this, the news hadn't broken, so there won't be any commentary of it in the video. Like most of the Bulldog Nation, we're all saddened by the passing of every Uga. However, as PWD noted, the Seiler family are the ones that should receive our deepest condolences. Our mascot is their family pet.

Secondly, I'm going to get your Hate Week 2009 kicked off by posting this classless act by some asshole who has no idea where rivalry ends and total asshatery begins. I also hope that others in Tech's circle don't follow his lead.

For those who can't view the picture, don't worry, I'll repost it next week. I hope we f'n kill them on the field and ruin their fun. Nothing would make me happier.

In the last precursor to the video, I wanted to go out of my way to give a shout out to a nice gentleman named Bobby who stopped me on my way from one tailgate to the next last Saturday. Bobby said that he's read the blog regularly for a long time and that he just wanted to introduce himself. Bobby, that made my day sir, and I appreciate you not only reading, but also your compliment. It was great meeting you as well and thanks again!!

Ok, so now we have the Vlog for this week. Total random eye-roll count is somewhere around 15 for the video. I'll work on that for the next one. As always, I hope you guys enjoy.

Dawg-gone Vlog -- UGA vs. UF

2009-10-29T21:38:00.004-04:00

Intensity? Cheesy.

Seriousness? Absolutely.

Fart near the end? Negative. That was my cellphone vibrating.

"Dear Florida Gators" -- A Hate Letter to The Team & Fans

2009-10-28T15:34:00.006-04:00

Editor's Note: For maximum effect, this letter should be read in a tone which emphasizes that you are right, they are so incredibly wrong, and they're idiots for being that way. It's the swagger in your voice that's the trick. The kind of tone where you're making fun of them and they don't even realize it. Think "Dennis Miller on a rant" and that should just about do the trick.

Dear Florida Gators,

I'm going to make this as short as possible. I don't want to even think that I wasted a perfectly good 30 minutes to an hour's worth of time when I could be watching something 10x more interesting like "Ghost Hunters" or hell, even "Lou Dobbs." I'll take old Lou telling me how much this country's gone to hell because of illegal immigration rather than spending 1/4 of my brain power exerting myself over this post.

UGA fans hate you. We all do. We all have reason to, as well. You see, as the little baby of the SEC until somewhere around 1992, we just kind of let you exist. We didn't put you out of your misery like we should have. We showed mercy in letting you exist. But noooooooo, you had to go and hire the Evil One and cast a spell on us. Now, every time we cross into the state of Florida (something we also hate), we wet the bed and run home talking about "next year."

We're tired of "next year."

Enjoy your time with The Chosen One, aka, Tim Tebow. He's your Herschel. We know what it's like to have one of those. You know, that player who makes the whole team better by being on the field, or even just talking on the sidelines. Yeah, like I said, we've been there before. We despise you for it, too. If for no other reason than because it reminds us of the fact it's been almost 30 years since ours whipped you up and down the field.

This isn't as much as a letter of hate as it is a letter of warning. You'd BETTER win on Saturday. It's in your best interest to do so. Why? Because if you don't, then you all know it's going to be bad for a very, VERY long time. This is your last chance to parade around your trick pony. Get as much out of him as you can. The losing consistently should start soon and you don't want to bring all that on to you this quickly do you? The talent level is equal. The coaching? Well you have that in your favor for the time being.

But it's catching up to you, and quickly. We'll do what we need to do. You need to win the game so that the bleeding doesn't start sooner than it should. It's coming. I know it's coming.

There's no pressure on us, by the way. We know what we are. We are a 4-3 team looking outside in. We have no realistic shot at anything except pride. You know what builds pride? Taking someone else's. Guess who has more to lose in this game? The team with no shot at anything but pride, or the team who could lose their SECC-punched ticket, their MNC shot, and the title of "prettiest girl in school."

We're on the outs in this one, Gators. The last time we felt that way? 2007. The time before that? 2004. We're rested, you're tested. You've never gone undefeated in a season. You think we don't want to be the one that crashes your birthday party, craps in your cake, and then sleeps with your girlfriend upstairs because the "hunch punch makes her do regretful things?"Oh, you're wrong sir. We WANT to be that team.

And right now, we ARE that team.

No pressure,

Kit

"Dear Florida" -- A Hate Letter to The State

2009-10-27T19:26:00.004-04:00

Editor's Note: For maximum effect, it's important to read this hate letter in a pious, yet almost discouraged, tone. Preachy, but not expectant of change. For a good example, it'd be about the same kind of tone Agent Smith uses in The Matrix trilogy.

Dear Florida (The State),

I don't like you. While your beaches may be nice and serene, you find ways of bringing in rednecks from around the globe to ruin it on any given weekend in the summer. While your Gulf of Mexico water may be crystal clear, on your side it's filled with the urine of guest stars on COPS, World's Deadliest Police Chases, and any other show you might randomly find on a boring Sunday while watching TruTV.

Your inhabitants are too northern to be considered southern and your geographical location is too southern to classify you as northern. You are purgatory. I'm sure you've heard of purgatory. It's for those without purpose. It's an area where you're not good enough to go to heaven and not too blatantly awful to be in hell.

I don't like your football teams. FSU is way past its prime, Dat UUUUUUUUUU is as inconsistent of a team that I've ever seen, and USF is an excuse for people around Orlando to see football. You do have one consistently good football team, though, in the Florida Gators. Tomorrow, we'll discuss my hate for them in more detail.

It's no secret that I'm a UGA fan, Florida. I've traveled past your borders for the past 10 years straight just to come out with two, count them, TWO victories. However, I kept going back for more and more, because I hate you Florida, and any day that I was able to dance in your street after a victory is a day I'll cherish. It's kind of like going into Emeril Lagasse's house and telling him his food sucks, then laughing uncontrollably as I munch down McDonald's in his face.

I won't be visiting you this year, Florida. I'll be here, hating you from afar. However, even though I'm one day late in kicking off Hate Week Part I for 2009, please know that I didn't forget you. I just couldn't find a way to adequately express myself until now.

It's not the same kind of boiling disgust that I have for that joke of a school, fan base and football team right down the street from my house. No, my hate for you Florida is a different kind. The same kind of hate the U.S. still has for Russia. That kind of hate where I can tolerate you, but I can't stand to be near you for extend stretches of time.

So, Florida, should there be a catastrophic earthquake where one state has to break off and drift out to sea, I'm choosing you. It would have been California, but they give us movies and good wine. You give us sand in our crotch and horrible drivers. I think my choice is justified.

Regards,

Kit

P.S. -- No, seriously, I really don't like you at all.

The Flawed System

2009-10-20T17:18:00.004-04:00

It seems everywhere we turn nowadays there's flaws with college football as a whole. Dawg fans notice gigantic flaws within the team, SEC fans are subjected to huge flaws in officiating, and college fans in general are pissed with the often-flawed BCS system.

As Dawg fans, we go out of our way sometimes to find the flaws. Hell, I'm guilty of it as much as anyone else. We beat Vandy handily, but I was no where near satisfied with the victory. Aside from a 4th quarter where we had guys in that seemingly wanted to play football, there really wasn't much to talk about other than A.J. Green.

Sure, the Defense played OK against a horrible Vandy team, A.J. played exceptionally well for his three catches, and Bobo showed us a "moment of brilliance" playcall with that screen pass to Caleb King, but other than that, I think we all left a little unfulfilled.

That's not to say it was all bad, though. I mean with what the team's been through, you'd have to think that the Dawgs were as down in the mouth as any team in America right now. An overly-talented team struggling in every game, a coaching staff on the verge of collapse, and a fanbase that has no idea what they really want to happen other than "change." Unless Helen Keller was suiting up for UGA, you know the players were hearing or seeing things that sent shockwaves through the lockerroom. It's going to happen.

The most important thing is that a 10-win season is OBTAINABLE. Is it likely? Not at all, but OBTAINABLE is better than impossible. At this point, I'd settle for revenge and a one-day-at-a-time mentality. I'd settle for our players trying to go and ruin Florida's season by beating them in Jacksonville. That's all I want to think about and that's all I want to hear about. I want a team mentality where everyone realizes that they truly have nothing to lose.

However, that's not going to happen unless Mike Slive gets a hold of the referees in this conference. Even I was getting tired of hearing about how all the SEC refs hate us, but the truth is, I'm starting to think that sans Florida and Alabama, they really do hate everyone. The numbers aren't lying and it's downright scary. With our statistics regarding penalties growing exponentially since the Celebration in 2007, combined with the LSU screw job, and the debacle in Gainesville last weekend against Arkansas, you can surely bet that no call is 100% right.

I guess the thing that's most frustrating about it all is that these calls aren't DETERMINING games. They're just influencing them. Arkansas didn't lose last weekend because of bad calls -- they lost because of missed field goals. We didn't lose against LSU because of a bad call against A.J. -- we lost because we can't cover worth a damn on Special Teams. The frustrating thing about the penalty issue is that a bad call of a non-touchdown or interception can be overturned with video evidence nowadays. A bad penalty call sets the tone, changes momentum and helps someone greatly while dismantling someone else's chances. It's not a matter of fairness -- it's a matter of responsibility.

No one's asking the refs to call every ticky-tack penalty. They're asking the refs to call it down the middle. They're asking the refs to call what needs to be called, and when it doubt, don't call it. It's that simple. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that we're dealing with hyper-sensitivite SEC referees when it comes to all teams not named "Alabama" or "Florida." I'm not subscribing to any conspiracy theories, but all I know is that those games are called differently for those teams than they are for the rest of the conference, especially in regards to Florida.

Slive needs to get on it, or Slive will be barking up a bad tree. SEC Football is religion to a lot of fans. It's one thing to have one school think the refs are against them. It's entirely different to have 10 schools think that way.

So, let's all enjoy the bye week for what it is...a chance to relax and focus for next weekend. We all need that right now.

Here's wishing a flawless week for you and yours.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Dawg-gone Vlog -- UGA vs. Vandy

2009-10-15T18:09:00.004-04:00

Starched shirt returns!

Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Go Dawgs!).

A Call to Our Version of Normalcy

2009-10-12T17:34:00.011-04:00

Let's admit it, kids. On Saturday, I was PISSED. More pissed than I was when UGA lost to South Carolina at home in 2001. I remember how I treated that loss and it ended with me punching things, throwing boxes (I was still unpacking my apartment at the time) and just generally throwing a hissy fit. Why that game specifically? Because in 2001, I was excited about Mark Richt, our program and where we could go. We had talent -- South Carolina did not. We had begun a new era -- South Carolina was still South Carolina.

Since then, we've experienced some of the highest moments in UGA's storied history. We've won two SEC Championships, competed for a third and were only a handful of plays away from playing for the national title in those three years, plus the epic screw-job of 2007.

I wasn't that fan on Saturday though. I've been accused way too many times of being a "Disney Dawg." One that always errs on the side of caution. One that thinks it's better to be a Georgia fan than any other college football fan on any given Saturday. One that looks upon past success and keeps faith. I wasn't that fan on Saturday and I'm just now on Monday coming back to being that fan again. That being said, I'm still not quite there yet. It's with an incredibly ominous tone that I express how much I hate this feeling.

Saturday's game was the worst game I've ever personally seen a UGA team play. I know there have been worse, but I also know it wasn't beat out by much. We were out coached, out hustled, out hearted (yes, I said "heart"...har har), out cared, and out classed by a UT team that is essentially already playing for next year. You heard Lane Kiffin. You heard him classify our game as a "great recruiting victory." He doesn't care about what that team does this year. He's already given up this season in hopes of building a better one next year. That's not only disheartening for us, but flat out embarrassing.

I know our guys care about winning. I know the coaches, players, trainers and fans all care about leaving the field with a victory. However, I'm not sure if they're afraid of what will happen if they leave the field with a loss.

It's important to recognize that changes need to be made. It's important to also realize that they're not going to be made right now and even if some responsibilities shift hands, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HEAR ABOUT IT. It's like what PWD said in regards to Bobo first taking hold of the playcalling duties. CMR was only going to pass those off in a position of power. That time was 2006...the only other time a team in the CMR era has been considered as "disappointing."

Both PWD and The Good Senator have amazingly well thought-out posts on the subject. Blutarsky has a couple more than PWD does, but both have great articles that should be read and should be read as quickly as possible.

It's important to realize that wholesale changes need to come, but not at the behest of the season. We're six games in, with six to go. An SECC is out of the question for the most part, and there's no reason to think we'll do any better than an Outback Bowl appearance. These are facts. We as fans, need to understand and come to terms with that.

However, there's no need to think that it's now time to throw Logan or Murray out there to the wolves. Regardless of what you want to say, Joe Cox gives us the best chance to win at QB. What's stunting him is our incredible lack of a running game...something we've NEVER experienced in Athens under Mark Richt. Maybe that's why we're so shaken up as a fan base.

The reason I titled this post as "A Call to Our Version of Normalcy" is because I just want us to feel better about UGA football. I'm OK with losing games as long as I know that we're doing the best we can with what we have. I don't feel that way right now. I'm not sure the best players are playing on our team. I'm not sure that coaches feel any sort of heat from within about their decisions. I'm also not sure that fans realize that if you fire Willie Martinez, Rodney Garner is going to be the first person offered that spot. If you can't handle that, then you need to take a deeper look at how Mark Richt's ran this ship.

I want our coaches to blame themselves and be openly PISSED about losing. I want our coaches to stop blaming our players for losing. I want our coaches to realize that if a player is not "executing" on the field, those same players are being taught what to do from Sunday -- Friday, when the COACHES are guiding them along. Personal accountability is what's wrong with this team.

I got a piece of what I wanted to hear from CMR when he basically said that everything needs to get better. I heard fire in his voice. I heard discontent. I heard disgust. I heard anger. I heard an F'N FOOTBALL COACH.

All I ask is that Blair Walsh stop being thrown under the bus for things that aren't his fault. All I ask is that we grab our O-linemen by the facemask and challenge their manhood. All I ask is that if we're going to f*** up, that we F*** UP BIG. I can deal with effort mistakes. I can't deal with lack of effort, and that, my Dawg-friends, comes from the top.

I want Mark Richt to remain in Athens as long as it has a football team. I know that he will do what he's consistently done to make us better. I know that it'll be tough for him as well. I also know that our fan base couldn't be more discontent with where we're currently at, and where they THINK we're going. I also know that our problems are ones that can be fixed, with the proper change in attitude.

In my call to normalcy within our football team, I want less "Execute The Play" and more "Finish The Drill."

I hope they do, too.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Dawg-gone Vlog -- UGA vs. UT

2009-10-08T17:52:00.002-04:00

Well, it's been another busy week so that means another Dawg-gone Vlog. Discussed this week is the potential move of the UGA -- GT game to the first game of the season in 2011, as well as predictions for this week's contest against the Vols.

Sorry for the shakiness of the camera. If I barely touch the desk, the webcam goes nuts and moves all over the place. So if you get motion sickness, you've been warned. I will not buy you a new keyboard when you blow chunks on it.

Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Go Dawgs!)

Just gonna get this out of the way...

2009-10-05T18:36:00.002-04:00

I'm still too frustrated to go at length about the LSU game (and trust me, I could go for f'n days about it), so I'm just going to hit the high points and let y'all decide what to think.

1. Willie coached his ass off. Save the last play where guys didn't make the much-needed tackles at the time, our defense saved us from getting blown out. The score should've easily been 21-0 at halftime. Secondary still needs work, but we knew it was going to be rough back there this year. I think Bryan Evans is a good kid, but kudos to Rambo for earning more PT.

2. Mike Bobo is getting better, but still isn't consistent. We basically have one play right now that defines our offense -- it's the "Throw it to A.J." Play. I'm sorry, but that's not going to cut it the rest of the way. I think Bobo dialed up some good calls on Saturday, but we had guys, especially Joe Cox, not capitalize on big opportunities. Overall though, it'll get better only when the running game shows up again. I will say that every time we run it on 3rd and long, I die a little.

3. Speaking of the running game, where is ours? Part of me wants to say it's the O-line, but a majority of me says it's not. Richard Samuel is not a "toss sweep" guy, yet that seems to be the play we like him in. Caleb King is not a straight ahead runner, but yet we seem to try and power him forward. Waushan Ealey is like fresh air right now and running like a kid who REALLY wants to be the #1 guy. My question is, where's D-Jax? Where's Carlton Thomas? I'm not saying Ealey isn't good, but it's the age old "chicken vs. egg" question. If a freshman is making waves, does that mean he's really that good or are the four older guys that bad?

4. Our kickoff coverage makes me want to move to Canada. You know what drives me really batty about Florida? The fact that their kids look like they enjoy every snap. Even the special teams units give it everything they have. Why? Because at Florida, a special teams starter is considered a starter. We've got to quit throwing scrubs out there. I know those guys play hard, practice hard and have a lot of heart, but hell, I've got a lot of heart. That doesn't mean I think I need to strap on some pads and try to tackle Trindon Holliday. You don't win games by playing your #3 Offense and Defense. Why in the f*** would we think we're going to win the special teams battle by playing some of the slowest players on our team?

5. All I'm going to say about the penalty is two things: 1) Tim Brando nailed it when he said that the SEC doesn't want journalists to look deeper into who draws those excessive celebration penalties and 2) It changed the momentum, but it didn't keep us from tackling Holliday or Scott.

6. I should have a Vlog for the Tennessee game up this Thursday. It's a busy week for me and writing isn't going to cut it. So, you guys will get to see my huge head and way-too-damn-short haircut very soon.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Dawg-gone Vlog

2009-09-17T19:21:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the first edition. If you hate it...sorry.

Stepping Away from the Ledge

2009-09-15T01:26:00.003-04:00

Ok, I know I should be happy with winning against South Carolina, and trust me, I totally am, but it's tough to sit back after watching that epic battle Between the Hedges and feel great about Saturday's win. Honestly, it was one of the best games I've seen in Sanford Stadium and I'm thankful for that, figuring I had awesome seats for it, but objectively, there were a lot of things left to be desired. Before we hop onto the bad, let's talk about the good some first.

You have to give props first and foremost to Joe Cox. Aside from him staring a hole through A.J. Green for that pick-six, he played a helluva game. He had decent protection for most of the day, but decent is probably the best word I've give to it. He made great throws, good reads and managed the game quite well. I don't care how good your running game is, you have to have a heads up QB to hang 41 on anybody and he did that with great satisfaction in my opinion.

Secondly, hats off to Richard Samuel. He broke tackles, ran with authority and honestly did a much better job balance-wise of getting positive yardage. I'm a little perplexed as to why he stayed out of the game for a while when Carlton Thomas took over for a few series, considering he had the hot hand at the moment, but then again, I'm not on the sidelines and hopefully there's a good reason for it. Either way, Samuel showed that he could carry the load if called upon.

Next is A.J. Green, who does what A.J. Green does. The WRs as a whole did great, including Michael Moore, who may only have 17 receptions this year, but hell, they might all be touchdowns since that's pretty much the only time the ball's thrown his way. But A.J. stepped it up and bailed Cox out a few times with some very impressive catches. The kid is a natural born playmaker.

Special teams as a whole deserves some credit too, since it kept us in the game, essentially won the game for us and gave us all a huge sigh of relief. I'm sure the people around me thought I was nuts, but I went totally apeshit when Blair kicked the ball deep in the endzone for a touchback. Then, I nearly got my block knocked off from the rabid Dawg fan behind me who almost killed me when Brandon Boykin returned the kickoff for the score. No offense to the guy behind me though. I appreciate that kind of enthusiasm. Then, you can't forget DeAngelo Tyson who essentially won the game for us with a blocked PAT late. I mean honestly, it's been years since the Dawgs have done something like that, and it happens rarely in college football as it is.

Then you have to single out Rennie Curran. I *heart* Rennie Curran. I'd let him date my daughter if I had one. I'd vote for him for President. The only thing I wouldn't do around Rennie Curran is hand someone I cared about a football. Once he got done with them, all that would be left would be a mushroom cloud on confetti. I'd hand Kanye West a football around him, though. He could use a tune-up from one of the greatest playmakers to don a UGA uniform in a long time.

Now, let's talk about some things that weren't so great.

Mike Bobo's playcalling left a lot to be desired. I'm still firmly on the Bobo bandwagon, and the reverse call to Branden Smith was pure genius (nice block by Joe as well), but sometimes I just feel like we find something that's working and then we switch it up too soon in a lame attempt to catch the other team off guard. Samuel was hot and we put Thomas in the game for an extended amount of time. We still don't use the TE as much as I would like, especially with Orson Charles showing now that he can make some plays, and we seem to get conservative when we have at least a 10+ point lead. If Mike Bobo had the mentality that we're always playing from behind, we'd probably really embarrass some folks.

Willie's Soft Zone nearly killed me. With all the injuries last year, I stood behind Willie saying that we should give him one more shot. However, and not taking anything away from Stephen Garcia who had essentially the game of his life, we were dinked and dunked to death last Saturday. I'm sure Petrino is looking at our game film and licking his chops at the WR screens and TE in-routes that he's surely going to try against us on Saturday. I understand that the defense played fairly well, we had some hurt personnel and that Garcia played out of his mind, but giving WRs 5-7 yard cushions every play isn't going to help . At some point, we're going to have to let our CBs do their thing and if we get burnt, we get burnt. However, underneath routes move sticks, keep your defense gassed and eat clock. WE should be doing that to them, not allowing them to do that to us.

Finally, North Campus' trash is an abomination. Please take the time to look at this post by PWD and slap anyone whose trash you may recognize. As PWD noted, it's irresponsible crap like this that screws everyone. I'm fine with folks having a large tailgate, getting bent and then firing it up in Sanford, but I'd much rather see people appreciate the liberties they have on Gameday. Other colleges are much tougher on these types of things than we are and right now, I wouldn't blame Adams one bit if he immediately imposed some new rules on tailgating. Either appreciate what you have or be prepared to have it taken away. There's no middle ground here.

Ok, now that I got all those things out, I feel much better. I'm going to try a new thing this week if I can get around to it. Even though I'm not camera savvy, I might try some video or audio blogging this week, depending on which works and is easier to upload. I had some friends mention to me that as much as they love my writing, I'm much better at talking football. I'd really love to dedicate some time to a podcast if I can, but I don't have the means or the avenue to do something like that AT THIS POINT. If that changes, though, you guys will be the first to know. A small video or audio blog though? I think I could handle that.

Now, let's get healthy (thoughts and prayers to Rod Battle), rested and ready for what I'm sure will be a really tough test against Arkansas on Saturday. I was looking at the schedule today and if we can go 5-2 or even 6-1 through these first seven games, it actually eases up a LITTLE after the Florida game following the bye week. If we could somehow go 6-1 through the first half of the schedule, 10-2 isn't out of the question. However, a slip up here and there could easily put us at 8-4 or worse. It's all about how we play from week to week.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

An Open Letter to Fairweather UGA Fans

2009-09-06T23:36:00.006-04:00

The following is an open letter to anyone dumb enough to think that Coach Mark Richt (CMR) is no longer the right guy for this program. Proceed with caution.

You have been warned.

Dear Dumbasses,

Yep. That's what I called you. I know that starts us off on a bad foot, but at this point stupid is as stupid does, right? I mean, would you rather me called you "Dear Concerned Citizens Who Are Without Intelligence?" I mean that'd be like calling Megan Fox "adequate looking."

Beginning yesterday and leading into today, the message boards have lit up with you morons thinking that after one game, which if I need to remind you was a loss to a higher ranked opponent, CMR and everyone associated with him need to be dismissed. Now, I'm not claiming to know everything, but I do know Georgia Football and I'm quite sure that at this point, I know more than you.

I was always taught to dance with the girl you came with. Well, after losing two top 15 draft picks (namely a QB who I've learned to appreciate more since yesterday and a RB who I wish would've never left....ever), you seem to think that we'd be better this year than we were last year. Don't get me wrong, I read the practice reports too. I heard the offseason workouts were going well. I heard our RBs were looking good and that Joe Cox had come into his own.

You think it's a good idea to fire the coach who got us two SECC rings and consistently puts a top-20 team together? You think it's good to fire the coach who brought us back into the national picture? You think it's good to fire the coach who gave us a team in 2007 that might have been the best overall team we've seen since 1980? Sure, that team didn't win the SECC, but did you watch that team filled with CMR's recruits?

Here are some of your comments to a post on the Dawgvent labeled "If Not CMR, Then Who?", with the posters' names removed to protect those who may face retribution from others with brain cells:

"I'm all for it...how about Muschamp for HC?"

"we seem to go to SECCG when UF and UT are down...well, those days are pretty much over, and I believe he will be continually outcoached by the teams with equal talent...ready for some new blood myself."

"No coach can ever be bigger than the program. Richt and his staff are seriously underperforming and sooner or later we must have accountability. Richt is fast going from one of the top twenty coaches in the country to middle of the pack or worse. We have looked poorly coached for a while now and it doesn't look likely to change anytime soon."

How has Richt fared since graduating the last of Donnan's players...the same players that were key to him winning two SECCs??? He's done less with more than any coach I can recall at Georgia including Donnan. Donnan's problem was that he was too stubborn to make changes that were best for the team (sounds familiar to me). He also could not catch a break with his DCs. Bottom line...there are better candidates out there than Richt. It's not up to me to find them...but they exist.

"John Gruden"

Each break in the paragraphs was from a different poster. Now I'm not going to claim to be the end-all-be-all in UGA football, but out of all that hot air, I didn't see one good point. In fact, out of every coach that people could've chosen, the best the came up with was Will Muschamp and John Gruden? John F'N Gruden? Hell, he won a Super Bowl with Tony Dungy's players, took over as GM and ran the Bucs back into mediocrity. In fact, if there's anything he CAN'T do, it's run a team effectively from top to bottom. Look, the best part of John Gruden's regime is now the DC at Tennessee. Besides, do you a-holes really want to experience Lane Kiffin part two? Let's hire another NFL guy and deal with THAT ego.

I could give a damn if you think I'm being harsh, or cruel, or dumb, or anything of that nature. I could also give a damn if you think I'm wrong, because I'm not.

Look, I watched the same game you saw yesterday. I saw Joe Cox play a very vanilla game with bad playcalling, poor running after first contact (I'm worried about Richard Samuel's balance and ability to break tackles), a horrible injury to a good kid, and a defense that was doing every damn thing it could to redeem itself from last year.

Yes I'm also worried about our kickoff coverage. Yes we lost seven points to a horrible call and probably cost ourselves another seven by a bogus block-in-the-back call on a punt return. Yes, I saw what you saw and no, I didn't like it one damn bit either.

But some of you folks have your heads so far up your own asses that if I pushed you, you'd roll all the way to Gainesville, FL and I'd hope to hell you stayed there. And if you think that because you're a booster or some type of fundraiser it makes your erroneous opinion correct, you are high off your ass.

Please put your tickets on eBay. I'll be heading to Athens this weekend and if you're going to spend your time booing and/or pouting, you don't deserve to be there. Obviously you have no idea what this is about and where we are as a program.

Sincerely (and no, I don't mean that),

Kit

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Mike Gundy's Pregame Refusal

2009-09-02T22:02:00.002-04:00

There's been a lot made of Mike Gundy's latest refusal to take part in the AFCA's idea of a pregame handshake between teams on opening weekend as a show of sportsmanship. It should be noted that CMR is totally behind the idea, but Gundy has openly refused the idea fearing that a brawl may break out should the teams meet before kickoff.

My take on the whole matter sort of sides with Gundy, but not for the lame ass reason he's listed. While Gundy says he fears a brawl, what he's really saying is that he's getting his troops amped up and he wants nothing to do with anything that will quell that fire he's trying to light inside them. He wants his players amped up and ready to hit from the time the football gets kicked off. While that energy COULD lead to some type of altercation, an altercation is more than highly unlikely. Those kinds of things only happen when USC and Clemson play each other and any time a team from Florida plays another team from Florida (see: Florida vs. Florida State, Florida vs. Miami, Miami vs. Florida Atlanta, etc.).

I don't side with Gundy, but I see his ulterior motive in not bringing his players down. I side with the fact that TRUE sportsmanship happens AFTER the game when one team leaves as a loser and the other as a victor. Think about it. How many times did any of us when playing little league sports shake hands BEFORE a game?

None.

However, after the game, it's customary for the teams to high five and say "good game" to the other squad, regardless of whether or not they actually felt that the game they played, or the game the other team played, was good. When you can take that loss like an adult, hold your head high and wish the other team well, you've practiced TRUE sportsmanship.

What Gundy's gotten himself into is a mess where he looks like the villain in a shitty PR stunt by an organization trying to do something to gain attention. The AFCA has concocted this idea that doing this will somehow make the sport look better, when we all should know that, yes it's just a stupid handshake, but no, it means jack shit.

We already have a pregame handshake between the captains of the different squads at the coin toss. We already have the coaches go out and talk to each other during warmups. We have all of these things in place already and now the AFCA is asking for some type of PR stunt in the middle of opening weekend?

You want to see true sportsmanship, then go watch any game after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001. We played Arkansas that year and not one player on the field put their own agenda above that day. In fact, that's the day I cared the least about UGA football and the day I cared the most about being lucky enough to attend an event of such magnitude.

So, don't side with Gundy, but in my opinion, don't side with the AFCA either. If they want sportsmanship, they should request something that actually puts the sport on the back-burner. The best way to do that is make both teams swallow their pride and wish the other team the best for the rest of the season.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

New Munson Mix!

2009-09-02T01:10:00.003-04:00

Ok, so it's been a busy month, but I've finally caught the football season bug and in return, have created a new Munson Mix for you guys' enjoyment.

It's another tune by Wolfmother called "The Joker & The Thief" and was most recently made famous by the movie "The Hangover." However, I saw it as a good excuse to make Mike Gundy the Joker and the Dawgs' win in 2007 as the Thieves.

It's a good blend of Munson's calls (the last game from which I've found any audio recordings) and Mike Gundy's "I'm a man! I'm 40!" rant from a few years back.

I hope you guys enjoy and as always, you can shoot me an e-mail at KitZeus99 {at} gmail {dot} com and I'll get this one and any others you'd like over to you.

Preview coming soon along with a new article on Examiner.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

I F'N HATE Georgia Tech

2009-08-11T18:29:00.002-04:00

I don't want to single out Tech fans because it gives them great pleasure when they know they've gotten under my skin, but the desperation they show consistently irks me to a point where I can't handle it any longer.

For instance, I used to read articles on the AJC about the Dawgs. USED TO. However, there's this one a-hole names Saint Simons who always, ALWAYS posts "45-42" as the first comment. ALWAYS.

Now, winning and rubbing it into your rival's face is all well and good. I'm all for it. But doing it in every post and being the first to do it is just an absolute cry for help. Hell, that means this doucebag sits on AJC.com all day long waiting for a new post to come up just so he can comment on it. Then, all the guy has is "45-42?" Really? I mean that's like talking smack to Tiger Woods and all you can say "Oh yeah? Well you didn't win The Masters this year." I mean after you look at everything we have from making our program one of the most profitable in the country, selling out every game, not needing a media marketing program to get people to come, having a band full of students that go to our own school (for those who don't know, GSU students comprise a significant portion of Tech's band), etc. etc., you'd think that Georgia Tech could do better, but they can't.

Georgia Tech, you should actually take a lesson from UGA in regards to the UGA/FL series. Yes, we thoroughly enjoyed our victory in 2007, but that still doesn't make the record any better. We are well aware to watch our mouths with the Gators b/c ultimately, they have it going for them over the last 18 years.

You'd all be well served to watch your mouths when our coach hasn't lost on YOUR field. Sure, you'll still be a good-to-better team in the ACC this year. You know, that conference that hangs its laurels on Virginia Tech to prove their legitimacy? You know, the conference that couldn't sell out a championship game if they gave away free tickets to the Cheetah and two-for-one lap dances? You're more delusional than Britney Spears on a bender and the catch is that at least she's popular and has done something in the last 20 years.

One day my life will be complete when that joke by Coke you call a college disappears off the face of the earth when the spaceship behind the meteor finally returns and you drink the Kool-Aid like you should have years ago.

There's only a handful of you guys that I like and the truth is, I try hard to like everyone. Separately, you aren't that bad, but as a group, you become a mob of morons waiting to cement their legacy as the most annoying fan base on the planet. Sure, LSU is horrible, but at least THEY'LL fight you. You couldn't raise a fist in anger unless someone spoke harshly about World of Warcraft.

So, keep on going, you worthless bunch of virgins. We'll be at your home in November and we'll be ready to take back what's rightfully ours...

Your Pride.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Oh and Tuck Fech.

An article, some blog-love and Erin Andrews

2009-07-31T00:48:00.002-04:00

So, I'm blogging for the second time this month (shocker, I know) and I just wanted to rant a moment about a couple of things since I'm on a decent whiskey buzz right now (thanks Four Roses!) and feed like jabbering on like a monkey in a tree.

1. Nobody does it better -- PWD has one of his teh awesomez posts that's full of Phil Steele-type statistics, but this time coming in regards of our penalty situation from last year. I read it earlier tonight and it really puts things in perspective about one area of our game that could use some vast improvement. As PWD notes, it's not about reducing the penalties as much as it's about reducing them at the right times.

2. Weekend at Bernie's -- One person who's been a blast to follow on Twitter has to be Bernie of Bernie's Dawg Blawg fame. Not only does he tweet regularly, he also blogs just as much, which means he's a good read at any point in time. So that being said, if you come here and find nothing new, be sure to jump over to Bernie's place and get your read on. Oh, and it's a damn good blog too.

3. "Who's ready for the game? Ah...nevermind" -- You know, part of the reason I can't force myself to write is mainly because I'm just not "there" yet. "There" is that part of the preseason where you sit back and think to yourself, "man I CANNOT WAIT until football season." Sure, I think we'll have a good year. I could see us easily having 9-10 wins and possibly (it's going to be very tough but "possibly") appearing in the SECC. I'm excited for Joe Cox and all those guys, but man, I just ain't "feeling it" yet. Quinton over at PWD's blog had a similar feeling, but that was nearly a month ago. Either way, I'm just ready to kick it off and finally get excited.

4. Plug it in, plug it in. -- I work for a company that sells gift baskets, holiday tins and holiday towers. If you're part of a company that does any gift-giving during the holiday season, please let me know. I'll cut you a deal.

5. One more? -- Sure, why not one more plug? I've got a nice post over at the Examiner about UGA and Carver-Columbus' situation and why it needs to be ironed out...PRONTO.

6. My name's not "Tom" -- I'll just put this out in the open. ALL STRAIGHT MEN (and some women) WANT TO SEE ERIN ANDREWS NAKED. However, what happened to her was plain awful. Truthfully, it's pretty horrific, even for a Florida Gator like herself. Since she lives in Atlanta, I'll stick up for our own and say that I hope whoever did this is brought to justice and gets ass-pounded in a prison by some guy named "Booty" for a very long time.

Well, there's my rants. Enjoy your weekend.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

The Difference a Year Makes

2009-07-20T02:05:00.002-04:00

Hello again, everyone. Yes, I am still alive.

Moving on...

I was bored and trying to sleep (obviously failing at that) and so I started surfing blogs. I hadn't checked out Mackie's in a while (not because his is bad, but because I suck...you should read his blog every day) so I went over there and started reading his 2009 preview of the teams we should be concerned about playing. It's 10 teams total according to him so I'm guessing he'll leave off Tennessee Tech and maybe Vandy/Kentucky. It's just a guess. I really don't know.

Anyway, I came across this post regarding South Cracka-lacky and he linked his "highlights(?)" from the previous year's game and it gave me some perspective.

While it was a blast watching Knowshon and Matthew do their thing (and even Brian Mimbs who had a 539 yrd punt in the 4th quarter), it's amazing how drastically different are problem areas should be this year. Some will be the same, like DEs and their production, but look at the problem areas in 2008 and 2009 in comparison.

Offense:

OL:

2008 -- Problem due to injuries

2009 -- Should be one of the stronger points of the Offense

Verdict: Better. I mean, when you look at the SC highlights and see Kiante Tripp in on the OL, you realize things could be a lot better than last year. I love Tripp, but you want to talk about a desperation move? We were just plugging in big bodies. Welcome back to the big men in Trinton Sturdivant and Vince Vance. We missed you guys.

FB:

2008 -- Southerland was hurt most of the year so Munz and Chapas got good experience

2009 -- Munz and Chapas doing their thing again

Verdict: Push

RB:

2008 -- Knowshon, Knowshon, Knowshon, Caleb/Richard for one play, Knowshon some more

2009 -- Um....Caleb? Maybe Carlton Thomas? Maybe Richard Samuel/DJax/Ealey? No idea.

Verdict: Worse (has to be when you lose a guy like Moreno)

QB:

2008 -- Matt Stafford. No doubt about it at any point in time. Cox saw virtually no PT

2009 -- All Cox. Less arm strength, better accuracy and touch, plus better leadership

Verdict: Push. While you can't compare them physically, the much discussed "better team focus" is something to be excited about for sure. We'll know after we play Okie State if we're better or worse.

WR:

2008 -- MoMass teaches A.J. Green how to be a star. A.J. figures this out by the second game

2009 -- No MoMass, but other veteran guys like Michael Moore step up to compliment A.J.

Verdict: Slightly Worse. Sure, Mike Moore is good, but MoMass was a DGD through and through. Plus, A.J. is really one of the only truly experienced WRs on the roster with solid playing time. Marlon Brown and Rantavious Wooten provide depth, but little experience scares me.

TE:

2008 -- We completely lost our TE game due to injuries in both the TE Corps and the OL

2009 -- Figgins is suspended for half the year, but we have White, Charles and Lynch.

Verdict: Better. Even though we will barely see Figgins at all, White is going to be dangerous in my opinion. I also think Orson Charles may be a certified stud when the year is done. Also look for Lynch to be an impact player at some point during his career as well.

Defense:

DT:

2008 -- Small issue due to injuries and lack of DE production

2009 -- Better now that Jeff Owens is back in the mix along with Kade and Geno

Verdict: Better. How could you not be when you have three potential first-day draft picks (and two potential first rounders) in the mix? I'm very glad to have #95 back, not only on the field, but leading this Defense again in general.

DE:

2008 -- We had DEs? Funny. I couldn't find them.

2009 -- Well, we were looking better injury wise, but we're still dying from suspensions, inexperience and a few nagging injuries. Justin Houston getting suspended really sucks and right now we don't have a game-changer like we had from 2002-2007.

Verdict: Push. That's not a "middle of the road" push either. We're still bad at this position. We just didn't get any worse or better.

LB:

2008 -- Ellerbee was hurt for much of last season and didn't make the impact he wanted. We also lost Marcus Washington to a full-season injury.

2009 -- #33 is gone, but Washington is back to provide experience. Rennie is a Junior and we have big bodies and good speed.

Verdict: Better. LB play was kind of a "missing piece" last year. Not as missing as DE play, but we just couldn't seem to get it together. Gamble's play at LSU was great, but Rennie was really the only true bright spot. I think we'll be much better this year with health.

CB:

2008 -- "Hi. My name's Asher Allen. You don't throw my way."

2009 -- "Asher Who?"

Verdict: Worse. Our CBs have usually been a great spot for us, but losing Asher hurts big time. That leaves Prince Miller to carry the load in regards to playing time with possible Redshirt Freshmen or Branden Smith anchoring down the other side. We're not riddled with bad players, but we're absolutely dying from youth and inexperience.

Safety:

2008 -- We don't tackle. We bump.

2009 -- We're baaaaaaack!

Verdict: Better. You're going to think I'm crazy, but I feel like Bryan Evans has found his home at Safety. Sure, I think Reshad Jones is going to play much better (since we all know he wants to go to the NFL and needs a good season to do so), but Evans is going to be the anchor of that unit. He likes to hit and he's got pretty good coverage skills as well. The only thing to worry about here is our depth. It's not good at all. Quentin Banks still needs to get healthy and soon.

Special Teams:

Punter:

2008 -- Brian Mimbs was clutch.

2009 -- Drew Butler one-step kicks his way to glory.

Verdict: Worse. This has nothing to do with anything regarding Drew Butler. I'm sure he's going to be a good punter, but I think it's going to take a minute for him to get his legs under him in game situations. Plus, if we can't kick it out of bounds inside the 20, we're screwed anyway. You know our ST tackling sucks.

FG Kicker:

2008 -- "My name is Blair Walsh. Everyone blames me even though it's not my fault."

2009 -- "My name is Blair Walsh. At least you can't blame me for kickoffs anymore."

Verdict: Better. Look, this kid had a rough go of it last year and it was totally not his fault. I like CMR and I think he's great, but he blamed Walsh for a ton of things that weren't his fault. After our Offense scored more points than a UGA Offense in a long time, plus the FGs when we didn't score, this kid's leg got tired. Couple that with Jon "No Touchback" Fabris' idea of Special Teams and you have a kid so far under the bus, he can't save himself. Now he can just kick FGs and let that be his claim to fame.

Kickoffs:

2008 -- Why would we kick it out of the endzone when we can kick it out of bounds?

2009 -- Can this new kid kick it out of bounds? Let's hope so!!! (not)

Verdict: Push. This has nothing to do with new kicker Brandon Bogotay's (sp?) leg strength and everything to do with Fabris' resistance to changing what he needs to change, which is kick the damn ball as straight as possible and hopefully our guys will cover/tackle as necessary. Until then, it ain't gonna get any better, folks. But that horse is dead, no sense in beating it further.

What's the best part about this post? Not only did I give my boy Mackie a shout-out, but also got the chance to split this into two parts for the Examiner and post those separately. Sweet!!

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

My Father

2009-06-22T00:47:00.002-04:00

I told you all that since my new gig with Examiner that I was going to use this space to vent more personally sometimes. So, if you've come here today looking for UGA news, I'm sorry but you're not going to get it.

I tried to get myself ready for bed after washing a load of clothes and having Sportscenter play off in the background. Monday begins another long week of calls and trying to reach new customers for the new job I have. I'm loving my job and couldn't be more blessed at this time in my life as far as work goes.

I took the clothes out of the dryer, hung them up and put new ones in. I stood in the living room as Sportscenter aired their Sunday Conversation about Payne Stewart, the Scottish (I believe) golfer who died tragically in a plane crash a month after he won the U.S. Open. I sat there as they detailed his win and spoke to his wife on what it meant to him. However, the kay factor in the whole thing is not the triumph of a man in sports, but a loss of a great father.

I had a rush of emotion at that very moment. A huge lump formed in my throat and I just had to sit down. I threw the clothes on my bed quickly, grabbed my phone and sent off a simple text message to my Dad, who I saw hours earlier today in Perry:

"I love you Daddy."

Ridicule as you wish, but as a 28 year old man, I have no qualms -- literally zero -- with still referring to my dad in person as "Daddy." He did to his dad until the day he died and I will until the moment he passes on. I'm from the South. It's what we do.

Then wave after wave came over me. I got to thinking about how lucky I was that I still had a father. That even after everything my dad and I have been through, that I got to spend a wonderful weekend with him, even though the Father's Day gifts (and birthday gift since he turned 54 on Saturday) had yet to arrive and I had nothing to give him but cards and promises that he would have them soon. I was thankful, humble and forgiving of past issues between us. That moment of clarity that we all get when we realize how quickly someone of such great importance to us can be taken from us. From cancer to car wrecks and heart attacks to plane crashes, life and God remind us how brief our time can be here.

And I cried. I'm still crying. Not flowing tears, but the welling up kind. The kind that make it tough to see and type because your hands are trembling. The kind that pains you to breathe. The kind that you fight because once that flood gate is opened, it's an uphill climb to turn off. Once that release valve is hit, all you end up with is a pounding headache, a sore chest and pure exhaustion.

I cried not only because of myself being blessed, but I cried for others who don't have that opportunity. My friends Jeb, Stacey and Allyson, who all lost their fathers before they were ready to. For other friends who have fathers in poor health due to cancer and other diseases. For people who should've been dads but never got the chance because they passed on too early for our liking.

When I left Perry today, I didn't really get the magnitude of Father's Day. Of course it's important to honor your dad. Of course it's important to remind him of how much you love (or miss) him. However, life gets in the way sometimes. My work computer was in Atlanta. I work out of my home in Atlanta. I needed to be in Atlanta by sundown.

I spent a lot of time with my dad over the weekend but I also watched him sleep halfway through Friday evening and half of the day Saturday. When I left, he was probably either heading back to Winston Salem where he lives or he was going to go back inside and catch a nap. He's exhausted because he's still working the same job he took years ago when he sat me down and said in essence, "Kit, I'm taking a job working nights so that we can afford for you to go to college. I'll miss out on more things like you playing on Friday nights in the band and you being in plays. But I'm doing this because I love you and deserve to go to UGA where you earned the right to attend that school. You're going to go and get an education so that you won't have to work hard like me to provide for your kids. I hope you understand."

And I did.

I didn't come from money. Not saying that everyone does, but without my dad taking the job at what was then a cigarette factory in Macon, I wouldn't have been able to realize my dream of going to UGA. A dream that I shared with both my parents, but one that was particularly special in the eyes of my dad.

I didn't grow up poor, but I didn't grow up rich. However, I grew up confident because of my parents. I learned how to be a man because of my dad. I learned how to avoid beginning fights but making sure that I'm keen on finishing them because of my dad. I shared his triumphs and learned through his mistakes. I'll be a good parent one day because of my parents as a unit. I'll be a great father because of my dad.

For every new father that I forgot to congratulate today and every old father who I forgot to say "thank you" to, I'm sorry. I got wrapped up in reality and forgot briefly what was really important. I'll do my best to try to keep it from happening again, but I'm human...I also learned how to be one of those because of my dad.

There's no good way to end a post like this. I could put pen to paper all night and not even remotely come up with a good way to express how much my dad means to me. However the best way to end things are usually complimented in the same manner in which they began...

I love you Daddy.

Until next time kids (and fathers).

Be safe.

Thoughts on Cinderella

2009-06-17T00:12:00.003-04:00

As I was perusing the blogs earlier today looking for tidbits on the new commitments that UGA got today, I came across a great post by PWD about Boise State and its "worthiness" of being a BCS Championship contender.

First, it's a great article and regardless of the side of the issue you fall on, but it does support my thought of people earning their seat at the table for the BCS discussion. So, since it supports what I think, of course I'm linking it. I don't link dissenting opinions. Who do you think I am, The Good Senator?

I've said for years now that if UGA could live off of a win like Boise State could live off of one, then we'd have played in the BCS Champ game about three or four times now. If you think about it, Boise State beating Oklahoma could've been one of the best games the BCS has EVER had in regards to play. It also could've been one of the worst things to happen to the system's credibility.

Let's be completely honest, for every Boise State or Utah, there are 100 Hawai'is. Utah had a beef last year and Boise State kind of had one in 2006, but let's not forget that Boise State beat Oklahoma, who would lay down for St. Vincent's Girl's School of the Blind's JV team if you put them in a BCS bowl. Utah did what all BCS wannabes should do -- play tougher competition.

The only problem I have with "BCS Busters" is that it's all media driven. The talk begins before anyone takes a snap. Hell, UGA was given the preseason national championship last year, but we all see how that worked out for the real national championship.

There is one caveat with all of this, though. How many actual contenders want to actually play a "BCS Buster?" I'd have to imagine that Boise State does have a little bit of a tougher time finding top quality opponents to play. I mean they call Arkansas State a "Cupcake" and not a "Buster" for a reason, right?

So, for all of you who want to crown "Cinderella" before the season even begins, just remember, Cinderella was hot. She didn't get that way by eating Krystals and chugging Chick-Fil-A milkshakes.

I'm not saying. I'm just saying.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

P.S. -- Like PWD, I'd like to send a great big thank you to Dawgbone.net. It was crushing to hear that they are taking a bit of a sabbatical, but I can tell you that if anyone deserves it, they do. They've worked hard and given Dawg fans a great service for free for upwards around 5 years now. Whether or not the sun has set on Dawgbone, I don't know, but if it has, I owe them a great deal. I would've given this up years ago had I not been fortunate enough to be linked up by them. Enjoy the time off!!!!!!

Georgia picks up a top recruit for 2010

2009-06-09T21:36:00.001-04:00

Georgia picks up a top recruit for 2010

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The Double Standard

2009-05-12T01:22:00.003-04:00

As I'm sure you've heard by now, we have three new Dawg players suspended due to a "violation of team rules." Technically, Tony Wilson is leaving due to being medically disqualified, but humor me here by allowing us not to split hairs. Rumors are flying that the three in question are suspended due to failed drug tests, which means probably pot or liquor, which PWD noted earlier today. When I say rumors, I mean "unnamed sources," which pisses me off, but that's another blog for another day.

Now when I first caught wind of the whole thing, I sent out a Tweet (ha ha ha...tweet) that 1) That sucked, 2) Things were already much worse this time last year and 3) That I was not surprised. The latter of the message was echoed by Groo, and just about everyone else who's followed the Dawgs over the past 3-4 seasons.

Look, as PWD said, you take 85 athletes and a handful are always going to find themselves in trouble. A violation of team rules is certainly different than getting arrested and creating a huge black eye for the program, but rules are rules. All should be treated the same right?

Well, obviously in Athens, they're not. Look, I like the way CMR runs this program. I like the players, I like our coaches (most of them) and I appreciate the work they do both on and off the field. However, where my problem begins and ends is with one Bruce Figgins.

Apparently, this is Big Bruce's second offense, which means he's done this before. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't a long-snapper last year by the name of Jeff Henson get kicked off the team for a similar problem of two strikes? If you need a refresher, here it is:

Long snapper Jeff Henson, a junior from Gainesville, was arrested for public intoxication and urinating in public. He was booked into the Athens-Clarke County jail at 3:46 a.m. and was released on $750 bond at 10 a.m. Because Henson also was charged with DUI last November — he missed the Sugar Bowl as punishment — he was suspended indefinitely. Henson was the eighth Georgia football player arrested and jailed in 2008.

Now, let's say that Bruce's problems are with pot, which is an illegal substance in this country. Not legal like alcohol to those of a certain age, but illegal to anyone of any age. Henson as an idiot for sure, but he made two poor choices with a LEGAL substance that cost him his spot on a team.

However, Bruce has apparently made two poor choices with an illegal substance and was outright busted for it. According to these sources, he failed the drug tests. That's proof in said pudding, ladies and gents.

So as a team, are we saying that it's worse to get busted by the cops and create that PR nightmare for the program than it is to use an illegal substance? Is it OK to screw up twice in two consecutive years and still have your spot on the team? The only thing I can think is that Henson messed up twice in the course of one season (during the season and shortly thereafter), which may be the reason he was suspended. I'll be honest, I really hope that's the case.

Everyone knows of my undying love for all things UGA. Everyone also knows that I think pot should be legal and we should tax the shit out of it. That's beside the point. The point is with Big Bruce's problem getting swept under a glass rug where everyone can see it anyway, are we sending the wrong message to our players and fans? Are we saying that a DUI, public intoxication, public urination or public disturbance is worse than failing a drug test? I don't know about you guys, but I've pissed outside before. In my mind, that's a little better off than failing a drug test.

Of course, we'll never know the real truth, but if I'm going to keep having the same respect for this team that I've always had, I'd like to see the "two strikes and you're out" rule applied to the larger issues as well as the ones related to police. Sure, the PR is much worse when you're handcuffed, but I'd argue it's just as bad when everyone knows what happened and the players get off easier. It's still a black eye for the university, no matter how the punch was thrown.

If I wanted to cheer for a team with a rug in one hand and a broom in the other, I'd be a Florida fan.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Greetings From Nashvegas

2009-05-06T02:48:00.001-04:00

So I'm trying out LifeCast to see if I can write from the road with my new gig. Hopefully this won't erase the past 4 years or so, but we'll see I guess. I apologize in advance for an misspellings that might take place.

There's a ton of stuff to talk about from the hiring of Mark Fox to Gday and my adventure to The Masters on the final Sunday. However I don't have the time or patience to get through all that by typing it out on my iPhone. I just wanted to give everyone a heads up on what I've been up to the last few weeks.

I just recently took a new job working with some wonderful people so I'm pumped about that. So while I no longer work in advertising, I'm fortunate enough to work in sales and marketing, which is kind of similar and different in many ways.

Nonetheless. I have vowed to myself to blog more and I promise to do more if at all possible. I know I keep saying that but getting laid off is not the blessed extended vacation I tried to make it out to be. Thankfully, I'm in a better job and living the dream so I can't complain whatsoever.

So bear with me. I'm not dead. I promise.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

P.S. -- I'll be ending my affiliation with Bleacher Report shortly because I think they suck. They railed me not too long ago because my autopost from this blog to their site wasn't full of enough UGA material one time. Sorry, I didn't know I meet their standards of lettin them repost my work for free. What an f'n waste.

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Weighing in on the BBall Search

2009-03-31T02:47:00.008-04:00

Ok, I'm not going to claim to have a damn clue as to what UGA is currently doing. If you think you're going to get that here because maybe I have "sources," then you're dead wrong. I don't have sources. I have information, but none of that is "insider" worthy. You should go read the stuff PWD's been writing in order to get an accurate picture.

However, I would like to weigh in a bit on everything and just see what could possibly come of the search. Currently the names I'm hearing include Sean Miller, Tubby Smith, Mike Anderson and Leonard Hamilton (more on Hamilton in a second). MY OWN PERSONAL DREAM LIST would include:

Jay Wright
Jamie Dixon
Sean Miller
Tubby Smith
Mike Anderson

And here's the problems with each:

Jay Wright -- Ideally, he's my top guy. I pretty much *heart* Jay Wright. However, his contract is absurd, specifically his buyout clause. I doubt anyone is able to touch this guy when 'Nova's offseason begins. Here's what I posted about Wright verbatim on The Dawgvent earlier today:

When I look at the coaches out there and the ones that I have on my huge wish list, I still consistently have one name at the top, and that's Jay Wright at Villanova.
Dont get me wrong, I'd be thrilled to have Anderson, Dixon, Miller, T. Smith and a whole host of other folks, but looking at Wright's numbers, they've been EXTREMELY impressive.
In 15 years as a head coach, he's had:
* 7 NCAA Tourney appearances (5 in a row)
* 1 Final Four (which is still yet to be concluded)
* 2 Sweet Sixteens
* 1 Elite Eight
* Hasn't missed the NCAA or NIT in the last 11 years
His team has been by far the most well-coached team I've seen in the tournament thus far. The "hook and ladder" inbound pass against Pitt was nothing less than superb attention to detail and coaching. He mixes great defense with great shooters and dribble-drivers. He has a specific scheme for both offense and defense, which is something we've lacked under the Felton tenure. For everything Harrick did, he had a specific offensive scheme that his teams ran and it worked well while it was here.
The main thing that works against us is that EVERYONE loves Jay Wright, including Villanova, who have made it increasingly tough to interview and buy him out. His contract is a MAJOR challenge, even for a school like us who has money to burn.
In the end, I think we end up with Anderson, but I'd crawl butt naked backwards over a bed of pine cones to make it happen.

Jamie Dixon -- I like the way his teams play and you can tell he recruits well. Pitt always has a good team, maybe even very good, but rarely in that league of "great." However, I think his style would transition well to the types of recruits Atlanta produces. I also highly doubt he bolts for anywhere when the offseason begins, but if he does, I think it'll be for a much higher profile program than ours.

Sean Miller -- This is a guy much like Jay Wright in that his teams are always well coached and he consistently wins at the NCAA Tourney. Xavier had a relatively good run for the past two years in the field of 64 and I also think his level of coaching and style would transition well to what we're trying to accomplish. He's not completely off our list yet, but I haven't heard his name as much as others. I'd be thrilled with this hire though.

Tubby Smith -- I'd be thrilled with this hire too. Tubby has great AAU ties, can recruit lights out, his teams win consistently, he's not that old (57) and has a personal vendetta in the SEC, specifically against Kentucky. I think he can recruit the kids we lose state-wide to other programs and keep them away from the Florida's, UT's and Mississippi State's of the conference. Tubby has said that he's "very happy" in Minnesota, but who knows if that's true or not. Until his name leaves the list officially, I'm not counting him out.

Mike Anderson -- As PWD stated, Anderson's style of "40 minutes of hell" would play well in Athens and should fire up the fan base. The way Mizzou (RAH!) handled Memphis with their up-tempo style was a thing of beauty, especially since Memphis plays the same type of style themselves. However, with Memphis' Coach Calipari seemingly leaving for UK, it's possible that Anderson would rather go to Memphis than Athens. Also, the Tigers (of Memphis) have the same kind of money to throw at Anderson to make him want to come. If you had Memphis in one hand and UGA in the other, with the same amount of money offered, what would you do? That's the $64,000 question with this guy. I still would like the hire, but I'm not sure we're going to nail this fish.

Now, let's talk a bit about Leonard Hamilton. I'm sure most of you have no idea who he is, because I didn't either when I read his name. For those who need to know, he's the current head coach of Florida State, and the Seminoles made quite an impressive run in the ACC and the ACC Tourney. However, they were bounced out by Wisconsin in the first round as a five seed.

The problem with Hamilton is that 1) he isn't proven as he only has two NCAA Tourney appearances under his belt as a head coach and 2) He's only slightly over .500 as a head coach overall. That's not good...at all. Hiring Hamilton will be more of a whimper than a roar; more of a dud than a scud.

I've said it, PWD's said it, the message boards say it and even Damon Evans has said it. We need a coach that will fire up this fan base and breathe some life back into UGA hoops. The coach's name should do this alone, but it will take at least two years of winning to get the excitement back, as opposed to hiring a "name" and getting that immediately.

If we want to consider this search a failure, then we hire Hamilton. If we want to consider it a success, we need a name. Any one of those above would be ideal.

Also, before I let y'all go, I've heard Rick Pitino's name being thrown around some, but I think we have a 99.9% chance of NOT landing him. There's no reason for him to come here, he also makes an absurd amount of money at Louisville and there are more prestigious programs, namely Arizona, that will throw everything they have at him. However, if we do get that .1% and land him, you could consider the search an EPIC WIN for UGA and Damon Evans.

Stay tuned. This thing will be done sooner rather than later.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Stewart vs. Cramer -- My Take on the Matter

2009-03-13T11:39:00.008-04:00

I told you that with the Examiner.com gig, I'd like to weigh in some more on some personal things and that's what I figured I'd do today. Besides, it's a lot easier to get this out over a blog instead of sending out about 500 Tweets over Twitter (say that sh*t five times real fast).

Anyway, I, like the rest of America, watched a portion of The Daily Show last night that featured Jon Stewart's thrashing of Mad Money host and Financial "Analyst" Jim Cramer. Now, it should be said up front that I tend to like Cramer. I don't think he's slimy or shady, but more of a guy who understood how the system "worked" and helped a lot of people make a lot of money within that system. Yes, he did some crazy things like helping rumors spread to drive stocks up and he told people to buy stocks that ultimately failed. Whether or not he knew about the inevitable failure, I'm not sure. However, what I do know is that Cramer is no better or worse than half of the "news anchors and reporters" that you see on television that report the "facts" in order to skew a story. That's the climate we live in today. Very rarely will you see people reporting a story like it is. It just doesn't happen.

I think it's also fair for me to point out that I have NO problem with CNBC's Rick Santinelli's "Rant" that subsequently brought up dozens of "Tea Parties" across the nation. What I do have a problem with is "articles" like this one from Crooks and Liars that claim it was all staged.

Crooks and Liars claims that Santinelli's rant was staged as part of a right-wing conspiracy due to Santinelli being in bed with the Koch's (owners of the largest private company in the nation), and so on. However, much like Cramer's shoddy reporting on the financial outlook, this "article," again the term is used very loosely, offers nothing other than speculation instead of facts. Rumors aren't news. Show me someone at CNBC or someone who was actually on the floor when Santinelli ranted saying that they saw cue cards and then we can talk about things being staged. Until then, shut up and report. Besides, even if it was staged, Santinelli is not a reporter. He's another "analyst" and his job is to offer an opinion. He did. I'm OK with that.

I know that seemed like a huge digression, but truthfully, it leads me to the meat of my point. From a public relations standpoint, Cramer was sent over to Stewart's house by CNBC and he was slaughtered. In football, you don't go to an opposing team's stadium for that kind of beating unless:

1. You're getting paid ample amounts of money to do so.
--OR--
2. You're getting that team to come back to your house so you can return the favor.

CNBC could have done a "home and home" with Stewart so that equal parts get their time in front of their audience. However, Cramer went and took his beating in front of Stewart, who, I have to be honest, was quite fair.

What I have the main problem with though is that Cramer is not a bad guy and he shouldn't be the face of the problem. Cramer's job is a lot more complicated than Stewart's. Stewart gets the luxury of waiting for news to happen and then weighing in on it. It's a very REACTIVE approach where he's never wrong. Cramer is the exact opposite. He's always on the PROACTIVE side of things. He has the unfortunate circumstance of always having to predict what people need to do with their money based on news, rumors and the like.

I'm sorry if people don't like the fact that stocks move up and down on rumors, but that's what happens. That's what's been happening for YEARS. That isn't what got us into this mess. What got us into this mess are the people sitting behind walnut desks and taking millions for a salary while borrowing against their employees' 401ks. What got us into this mess was people lying on their homeowners' applications and now getting money to help them out of their situations.

I understand Stewart has an agenda here and that is to kick CNBC's ass for canceling on him...specifically the aforementioned Rick Santinelli, who was supposed to go on the Daily Show but cancelled for no apparent reason. I totally get the witch hunt and why Stewart wants to do it.

The problem is the premise of Stewart's witch hunt is way off. You can't put a face to the current economic situation. There are two reasons for what's going on and why it's not going to get better for a while. The first one is because you have a lot of people in very high places doing a lot of shady things that led to tremendous and unconstrained growth over a period of time. Inevitably, it was all going to come crashing down. When people started buying out of Wall Street, that's when they finally said "OK, it's here" and cashed in their chips.

The second part of it comes when President Obama offered nothing towards the new "stimulus" package. We're spending money we don't have, printing money we can't back up and giving money to people who honestly don't deserve it. We shouldn't be bailing out Wall Street or the auto companies. We shouldn't be bailing out homeowners who didn't contribute to their mortgages. People who bought things they couldn't afford and credit card companies who let them do it along with allowing illegal aliens to get free healthcare with no way for them to pay it back. All of these things add up to the situation we're in now.

The age of irresponsibility has finally bitten us in the ass and it's got a kung fu grip on us. However, that's what's supposed to happen. That's how the system works and that's how the system is SUPPOSED TO WORK.

For example, I work for a small business. I'm getting laid off because of lack of work. It's not because I'm a bad employee or because I did something wrong. There are people with higher seniority with me and it ended up being my turn. Am I mad? NO. I'm not mad. Am I disappointed? A little, but only because I've worked hard for a very long time, paid my taxes and never asked for a dime in return. I honestly want to get a new job ASAP so I don't have to take unemployment. I might need the government's help to get by, but I don't want it. I want to get a new job ASAP so that I can be the self-sufficient person I want to be.

I'm absolutely SICK of people trying to put a high-profile face to this mess. It's ridiculous. If anyone wants to put a face to this, I implore you to wish in one hand and sh*t in the other and see which one fills up first. There are THOUSANDS of faces that have led to this problem. From people who bought houses they couldn't afford to Wall Streeters with shady agendas to Ponzi schemes with high-ranking officials.

You want a face to this mess, go get an American Flag. We created this problem and no one stepped up to stop it when everyone was making money. Now that everyone's losing it, we're trying to point fingers. It's reminiscent of the Katrina disaster when instead of helping people, our leadership was busy pointing fingers and trying to say whose fault it was.

We're a country full of people taking Teflon baths hoping that the sh*t won't stick to them when it's thrown. It's absurd and downright offensive. I'm tired of bailing out those that don't deserve it and I'm tired of people getting thrown on the fire for this mess.

Let's get over it and move on shall we? There will be plenty of time to figure out how we got on the roof when the building's on fire. Until then, don't you think we should be trying to find a way to get downstairs and go out the front door?

Just my two cents. I could be totally wrong. I mean after all, common sense went out of style YEARS ago.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Just when you thought I was dead...

2009-03-02T20:11:00.002-05:00

So I promised in my last post that it'd be a few days before I would blog again soon. Is 25 days soon enough?

I also promised to blog about some more personal stuff than usual, so can I just vent for a second about this economy? Of course I can. My name's on the deed here, right?

There are a few things "grinding my gears" right now and they include 1) watching our basketball team play like...well, me 2) college football being over and 3) our financial "crisis." Let's tackle them in order shall we?

1) I get it that our bball team has lost focus, but do we have to play like we've never seen a basketball court? Honestly, I think the Lady Dawgs could give them a run for their money. At least the girls look like they want to win a game. Ridiculous.

2) This one speaks for itself. Do you know how ridiculously tough it is to keep conjuring up stories about college football without college football going on? I don't work at CNN. I can't manufacture news.

3) I understand things are bad. TRUST ME. Without getting into specifics, I KNOW how bad they are. However, I'm sick and tired of our leadership and the media scaring the ever loving crap out of everyone. Report the news. Don't scare us into a recession. Let these businesses flop. Set the marker back to zero and let the strong survive. It's called capitalism. Either jump on the boat or move along.

Anyway, that's me in a nutshell for right now. Be sure to click the Examiner stuff (link to the right). I could use the hits...LOL.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Well that took a while

2009-02-03T22:18:00.002-05:00

Oh look who hasn't forgotten he's got a blog. I'm running out of "work's been hell, writing for the Examiner, blah blah blah" excuses. I get it.

So, here's some quick hits just to whet your appetite.

1. The Examiner thing is going. Pretty much any quick bit of info I come across will be posted there. You know, information like Greg Reid going to FSU instead of Georgia.

2. Anything non-football related will go here, such as my bitching about the basketball team. I'm not going to do it right now, except to tell you that if UGA hires Bobby Knight, we're much less serious about establishing a top-tier program than we've stated. I believe Damon is serious about our program, so I'm guessing he's serious about hiring someone who's mattered in the last decade.

3. By the way, now that I have the Examiner thing going, expect me to write a little bit more personal stuff than I have in the past. I used to write a ton of personal stuff regarding politics and so on, but got away from it when I started finding my niche in blogging about UGA sports. I have missed being able to write stuff more personally, so expect a few things here and there.

I promise I'll blog more in the coming days.

And thanks to everyone who wished me happy birthday. It's been one of the best ones yet.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Asher's replacements

2009-01-13T19:10:00.003-05:00

I posted this word-for-word in my Examiner.com piece (CLICK IT!), but I figured it was good and needed to share it here as well. If it sucks, just disregard.

With the surprising announcement that UGA cornerback Asher Allen is departing for the NFL, the scramble has already begun for the Dawgs defense to try and find someone to replace him at the short corner position. The wide corner position will still be held by Prince Miller and Vance Cuff.

Mechele, our Georgia Bulldogs Examiner, has the announcement on Allen's departure, and here you will find a list of potential replacements at his position. Unfortunately for the Dawgs, the list is full of inexperience at the position. The year next to the players' names will be their status for the 2010 season.

Current UGA CBs:

Brandon Boykin (So.) -- Boykin is an athletic playmaker who saw the field sparingly for UGA this past year; mainly on special teams. He has good size at 5'10" and even though his weight is only 176 lbs., a year in offseason strength and conditioning should help his frame. He also has great speed and won the Newcomer of the Year Award on defense. He will most likely be first on the depth chart when spring drills arrive.

Sanders Commings (RFr.) -- Commings was redshirted this year but is a large defensive back at 6'0". His drawback is that he weighs almost 210 lbs., which makes him a near lock to be a safety for the Dawgs. Should his speed improve and he drops about 20 lbs. in the offseason, he's not likely to be a replacement.

Makiri Pugh (RFr.) -- Pugh is a very athletic player, but was hampered by injuries for most of the year and was relegated to either sitting out or participating on the scout team. However, his size and frame fit the bill as a potential replacement (6'0" at 188 lbs.). With more reps, he could be a solid contender for playing time.

Baccari Rambo (RFr.) -- Aside from having one of the "cooler" names on the UGA roster, Rambo is an intimidating presence in the secondary. However, he's quite oversized at the position, much like Sanders Commings, at 6'0" and 208 lbs. He ran quarterback on the scout team this past season and redshirted as well. The UGA coaches have praised Rambo's ability to read quarterbacks since it was his position in high school, and like him as an equalizer in the secondary. It's unlikely that he'll move from his listed position as a safety.

Nick Williams (RFr.) -- Yet another redshirt for the Dawgs, Williams played linebacker in high school and that seems to be where he'll end up at UGA unless he improves his top-end speed and learns the cornerback position quickly. However, he is on UGA's roster as a defensive back, so it's possible he'll end up there, but I would say it's not likely whatsoever.

Chad Gloer (RJr.) -- Gloer is very athletic and has until this point, been a force on special teams. He played sparingly against Georgia Tech this past year, but did record a couple of tackles in the contest. He is a walk-on for UGA, but like former walk-on Andrew Williams, he could see playing time due to his time in the system and the fact that plays with a high motor. His time playing the position could lead to some playing time down the road, but most likely not as a starter.

Incoming UGA Recruits:

Branden Smith (Fr.) -- The first name to pop up on everyone's mind upon Allen's decision was that of incoming freshman Branden Smith. Smith is a very talented and very quick cornerback, who makes great plays on the football while in the air. Although he is a five-star recruit according to Rivals.com, it is unlikely that he'll start from day one. He will need to work on his technique some, but it is more probable than possible that he will see the field, especially in nickel defensive schemes.

Jordan Love (Fr.) -- Many consider Love to be a sleeper in this class as Rivals only has him rated as a three-star defensive back. However, Love has the frame (6'0" at 185 lbs.) to be a lockdown corner at some point in his career. He is also very quick; posting a 4.41 40-yard dash. He will have some work to do on his technique, but depending on how he comes into fall camp, he could very well avoid a redshirt and see the field.

Shawn Williams (Fr.) -- At 6'1" and 195 lbs., Williams is a hard-hitter and a great run stopper. He is built in the same mold as former Georgia greats Greg Blue and Thomas Davis. It's possible that he could see the field as a defensive back, but it is almost certain that he will be playing safety in college. He also lacks the top-end speed needed to hold down the short corner position.

Potential Recruits:

Greg Reid (Fr.) -- The formal verbal commitment to the University of Florida, Reid is being heavily pursued by UGA as a cornerback. Once considered to be a Florida lock, Reid is now going to decide which college he is going to on February 3. He's slightly undersized at the cornerback position (5'9") but is close to where he needs to be regarding weight (175 lbs.) and plays much bigger than his body. He won defensive MVP honors at the Under Armor All-American game on ESPN. He is considering UGA, Florida, Alabama and Florida State. Many recruiting analysts think it is a two-team race between UGA an Florida for his signature.

Regardless of who ends up taking Asher Allen's spot on the defense, one thing is for certain, and that is the secondary will be loaded with inexperience next year, especially at the cornerback position.

Well, there you have it. In my opinion, it was a boneheaded move for Asher to go since another good year would have likely made him a first or second round pick. However, whatever he makes when he gets drafted will likely be a lot more than I've ever made, so I guess it makes sense.

Good luck Asher. Wish you were here.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Dawgs pick up Robinson

2009-01-12T22:57:00.002-05:00

I don't have time to really get into it because I'm exhausted, but lost in all the mess over Stafford and Knowshon was the fact the Dawgs picked up commitment number 18 in DE Montez Robinson.

The Examiner.com write up can found here. Click it if you love me. In the meantime, I'm going to bed. I'm ready for this week to really get going.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Stafford and Moreno going to the NFL

2009-01-07T18:05:00.002-05:00

It became official at 3:00 today. I'll get into the break down of the press conference and my thoughts on it later (when I have time to write), but in the meantime, check out my Examiner.com write up about it.

If you're wondering what I'm thinking. I'm thinking we're fine. Maybe better the fine. I'll get more into it later, but I'm more optimistic about our chances next year than pessimistic. How's that sound?

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Stafford and Moreno to go Pro?

2009-01-07T00:17:00.004-05:00

I can't cite any sources because I don't have any well-connected ones, but what I do know is that when a rumor is this white-hot, and this one is, there is a certain fire to the proverbial smoke. Tomorrow (Wednesday), it's expected that both Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno will announce their intentions to turn pro.

I'll be honest, the timing of the whole thing took me by surprise. I think it's taken a lot of folks by surprise because there's not many folks writing about it right now. However, it SHOULDN'T have taken too many of us off guard as UGA resumes classes Thursday and a Stafford and Moreno no-show would've killed the surprise.

A big, nay, HUGE hat tip has to go to The Song Writer, who first informed me of the rumor about 9:00 or 10:00 tonight.

Tomorrow should be interesting, but if I'm right about this, I won't lie. I'll be a bit disappointed. I wish those two, who may be two of the best players to ever suit up between the hedges, would've been able to go out with at least some type of championship. However, if you were to tell me that I could make $70 million (with $30 million of it guaranteed) and I may or may not become the next Ryan Leaf, I'd still do it. In fact, for $30 million, you could tattoo "I came too early" on my butt and I'd still be happy...and about $30 million more rich than you.

Let's see how tomorrow shakes out first, but if this is true, then we need to get behind those two and wish them well. They're still Dawgs.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Smith to UGA...Garner Staying

2009-01-05T23:54:00.004-05:00

Two quick things:

1. Branden Smith has chosen to attend college at UGA. To sum up my Examiner.com write up of the commitment, just know that it's a BIG get for us.

2. Rodney Garner is staying at UGA. Just yesterday I said he was 99% sure to be gone. Then, he just changed his mind. I agree with PWD that it's tough to ignore $400K and it's damn tough for fans to ask Garner to be loyal to Richt, but Richt not to be loyal to Martinez. I still think the timing sucks after Garner said he was coming back, but at least he's coming back, right?

Anyway, those are the two major stories. It's late and I'm ready to go to bed after watching Texas' amazing comeback win against Ohio State.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

UGA vs. MSU

2008-12-31T17:11:00.001-05:00

Ok, I'm gonna keep this short and sweet. We should win this game. We just have to do the right things the right way.

As always, Jody's Information Overload can be found here and Doug's game preview can be found here.

When MSU has the ball:

Stop the run. There's statistics that say they can throw the ball, but the truth is, does anyone here really believe them? I don't. Aside from Ringer, I couldn't name another single player on their team. So that means we have to stop Ringer (AND TACKLE HIM) every chance we get. MSU's passing game is a non factor until Ringer gets to running well and then we won't be able to defend.

When UGA has the ball:

MoMass is 90 yards away from 1,000. A.J. Green is 45 yards away. Knowshon and Matthew could very well be playing in their last game. Look for the Dawgs to be aggressive and try to play one of the most electric games offensively that we've ever seen. It won't be tough. We just need to go for for the jugular like Florida and put it away early....and then pile on some more.

Special Teams:

We shouldn't have to talk about this, but I will. We need this area to step up big. Walsh is going to be money FG wise, but I'm just praying our coverage on kickoffs and on punts is good enough to keep us out of bad situations.

What I think will happen:

With all the jibber jabber about how disappointing our season has been, a lot of folks have really written off the potential for this UGA team to be damn good. If we go out there and play to that level, you might just walk away impressed.

However, don't count MSU out. UGA was once considered the top team in the land and MSU was never even given an honor close to that. This is a statement game for them as much as it is for us. We just have to play harder.

Dawgs win and hopefully win big.

MSU -- 20
UGA -- 52

Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Go Dawgs!).

Quick Hits

2008-12-30T18:45:00.003-05:00

Ok, I get it. “Kit you’ve been a bad blogger, where have you been, blah blah blah.” Well, it’s not like I’ve been hiding or anything. The truth is, there isn’t that much to report on and due to the holidays, I haven’t had that much time to sit down and say “here’s a full article on this” or “here’s some quick hits on that.”

Anyway, there are a few things I’d like to touch on before I TRY and write a full-blown game preview. No promises on the preview, though.

Are you following me on Twitter yet? If not, you should. If there’s any breaking news, I usually post it there first, AND you get the bonus insight of living in my head, complete with random thoughts. Twitter’s free and your friends are doing it.

Can I rant for a minute about the ridiculousness that is Georgia Tech buying rings to commemorate their win against us? “We beat us some UGAg, let’s go get some bling.” Stupidity at its finest. Oh and before someone wants to give me sh*t about us retiring Sapp’s jersey, let me go ahead and stop you in your tracks. Retiring a jersey is one thing because it’s honoring the individual effort of a player who did great things. PLUS, it’s not some cheesy ass piece of jewelry with a score on it. You tell me what sounds better: “This guy helped his team beat our hated rival, so in honor we retired his jersey” or “We beat Georgia so we bought some rings.” Case, considered yourself “rested.”

If you haven’t visited Mackie lately over at Blogging Pantsless, you should. He’s still pumping out great posts, and one of those included this gem about a UGA degree offering the highest ROI of ANY SCHOOL IN THE NATION. Yes, that includes private schools and Ivy League schools where they don’t give grades, you’re just allowed to come back. So, to that commenter from Tech that wanted to brag on and on about his Mercedes and how much better his degree is than mine, I’d like to offer up the classy question: “How’s my ass taste?” (Captain Obvious says that YouTube clip of Shaq is NSFW) *****Update***** Thanks to BamaDog's keen observance, it turns out that UGA is now 4th in the ROI right behind, you guessed it, Georgia Tech. Well, color me f*cked. I'm still leaving the paragraph though. It's too hilarious to take down.

So it seems that Stacy Searels is staying with UGA instead of going back to his alma mater of Auburn. This is what we in the world of the fan call “good news.” Seriously, he is one of the most important hires of the Richt era so far and retaining him is huge. If he can put together an OL with the talent he had to work with this year, think of what he can do next year when everyone’s healthy and we have two good OL recruiting classes behind us.

For my money, Stafford stays and Knowshon’s gone. The only insider knowledge I have is word of mouth, so it’s not reliable, but I think both really are 50/50 right now. They both seem to love college and UGA, so that works in our favor. However, I think Knowshon knows he’s one injury away from being a second or third round pick (even when he gets healthy again) and that will lure him to the NFL. I think Stafford, on the other hand, knows he needs one more year to have career longevity in the NFL and if he can be a top five pick without the stats, then he’ll be one with the stats (and hopefully the rings to boot).

Don’t forget that Branden Smith (“Percy Harvin Jr.” out of Washington HS) will announce his college decision on Saturday (Jan. 4) during the ESPN Under Armor game (8:00 pm ET). He’d be a huge get for this recruiting class, and I think the Dawgs are pretty much the team to beat right now for his signature. Definitely one to keep an eye on.

Ok, well that does it for me. Don’t forget to keep checking Examiner.com if you want to read an unbiased opinion on Georgia Football, or if you want to help me make money (because the lottery ain't working for sh*t).

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Brian Van Gorder Facts

2008-12-24T12:45:00.002-05:00

Am I one to mock?

If you answered this question with a “no,” “maybe,” or “I don’t know” then I’d like to welcome you to the blog. This is obviously your first time here.

Anyway, one of the reoccurring themes since the Alabama game has been the constant comparison between former defensive coordinator Brian Van Gorder and current defensive coordinator Willie Martinez. Dawg fans have been relentless in putting BVG on a pedestal while taking liberties at throwing WM under the bus.

Now I’m not saying that a little bashing of Martinez isn’t warranted. Lord knows I’ve done my fair share, and so has the President-elect. However, I think anointing BVG as the second coming of Erk Russell is a little premature and, honestly, annoying. BUT, it makes for good writing.

So, with that in mind, I’d like to give you some Brian Van Gorder “facts” that you may not have heard before (for the record, #2 and #3 were not written by me):

1. BVG let the dogs out. And he's pissed that you asked about it.

2. BVG once bet NASA he could survive re-entry without a spacesuit. On July 19th, 1999, a naked BVG re-entered the earth's atmosphere, streaking over 14 states and reaching a temperature of 3000 degrees. An embarrassed NASA publically claimed it was a meteor, and still owes him a beer.

3. The chief export of BVG is PAIN.

4. BVG doesn't coach. He merely sends mortals out to do his work so that less people get killed.

5. If you ask BVG for a form of identification, he steamrolls you to the ground and then puts you in the "lips jar."

6. BVG in a call to Tim Tebow: "Tim, I am your father."

7. Chernobyl wasn't a disaster. Merely a place where BVG spiked the nuclear football.

8. BVG has already read this list and has come up with schemes to defend against it.

9. BVG doesn't recruit players. He keeps them from going somewhere else.

10. How do you know if you've gotten a present from BVG for Christmas? You wake up on December 26.

11. BVG sneezed on a man once. After three days in the hospital, countless surgeries to fix internal bleeding and a visit from Dr. House, the man was released.

12. BVG is the one man Urban Meyer WON’T point and stare at.

13. If BVG would have taken part in “The Celebration,” he would have left a path of passed out strippers and empty cans of Old Milwaukee.

14. BVG’s secret ingredient when he cooks is BLITZ.

15. BVG’s “Two Thumbs Up” is not a sign of a job well done. He’s just telling his players to let the other team live.

16. BVG IS the best thing since sliced bread.

17. BVG doesn’t introduce himself. He just asks “Have you accepted BVG as your personal lord and savior?”

18. People are petitioning Webster’s to eliminate the word “perfect” from the dictionary and replace it with BVG. For example, “For two payments of $19.95, you can own the ‘BVG Pushup.’”

19. BVG taught Dirk Diggler everything he knows.

20. If Rennie Curran swam from Liberia to kick your ass, BVG was the one saying “Stroke! Stroke!”

Well, there you have it. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Merry Christmas to all of you and I hope everyone has a very happy and safe new year.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Owens will stay

2008-12-18T23:50:00.002-05:00

Per David Hale, defensive tackle Jeff Owens announced today after bowl practice that he will be returning for his senior season.

The announcement does come as somewhat of a shock as most of those that cover UGA football had him leaning towards leaving for the NFL even though he tore his ACL in the first game of the season against Georgia Southern. Since then, Owens has been aggressively rehabbing his knee in preparation for the offseason, or possibly the NFL Draft.

In the interview, Owens also stated that Coach Rodney Garner, the UGA defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator, told Owens that he would be staying with UGA through next year. This is also a huge plus as Garner was rumored to be in the running for a possible defensive coordinator position with the Auburn Tigers, along with being associated with vacated head coaching jobs across the nation.

This is all good news for UGA as they look to retool their defense next season to get more pressure on the quarterback and do better against the run. With Owens back in the lineup, UGA will have Owens, Kade Weston and Geno Atkins anchoring the defensive tackle positions.

To me, I was actually surprised that Owens was even considering the leap. He was good, but nowhere near good enough for someone to draft him high when he had a bum knee. In order to go even on the first day, he'd have to work out at the combine, and that's still a pipe dream. I'm glad he's decided to come back, but if you're asking me, I think he was more forced to than anything else.

Either way, I'm excited. Having Owens, Atkins and Weston rotating in and out with Tyson providing a good backup role will do wonders for us. Now if we could just work on that defensive end problem we're having...

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Get your Grill Topper!

2008-12-14T21:54:00.002-05:00

As the Christmas Day inches closer on your calendar, it's worth reminding everyone that it's not too late to order your Georgia Grill Topper today. For those who are rabid about tailgating, or just grilling in general, it's a great gift.

Also, for anyone worried about fitting the Grill Topper in a loved one's grill, trust me when I say it's a non-issue. The Grill Topper is designed to fit on top of your current grill rack, so there's no measuring or being worried about it's ability to fit on the grill.

I'm happy with my Grill Topper. You should grab yourself, or a loved one, a Georgia-themed Grill Topper in time for the holidays (and the bowl game) and be happy with yours as well.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

P.S. -- They have other teams as well...but we forgive them for it.

Searels to Auburn?

2008-12-14T01:58:00.002-05:00

By now, you've probably finally stopped laughing at the Gene Chizik hire over on the Plains. However, one rumor that's floating around and gaining some traction is that O-line Coach Stacy Searels has already been in contact with Auburn officials about joining the new staff. (subscription required)

I say it's gaining traction because apparently Richt has no comment on the matter yet, which in the gossip world always means "yes," but I have no idea if it means the exact same thing in the football world.

Personally, I think Searels name has been thrown around already with Auburn officials as a "must-get" guy, no matter who came in to be a head coach, but I doubt that merely hours after the hire of Chizik, Searels has already been contacted. Hell, Chizik hasn't even had enough time to pack up the trophy case he bought for all those Big XII titles he's won. I highly doubt he's had time to pick up the phone and call potential assistants.

The Chizik hire has been incredibly rushed, it took everyone off-guard and the Barners are very pissed about it. What I think is most likely the case here is that Searels' name has been kicked around and some of those famous tight-lipped Auburn boosters let it out that Searels was a target. From there, the story gained ground and took off running.

I'm not saying that we shouldn't worry about losing Searels, because we certainly should be. However, nothing's set in stone and if you think that UGA won't make a STRONG push to keep him on staff, you're insane. Out of all our assistants, Searels is one of, if not the most, important one to keep for future success. He made an O-line this year out of duct tape and bubble gum. We'll do whatever we can to keep him.

More to come.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

P.S. -- If you're looking for a great "damn, what a stupid mistake they made" article about the Chizik hire at Auburn, also check out PWD's post about the differences between Chizik and current Buffalo head coach Turner Gill. The folks in power at the Plains REALLY f*cked this one up.

Anonymous Tech Fans

2008-12-11T17:55:00.003-05:00

Man, you guys are bona-fide idiots aren't you? I think we've already extensively covered the fact that you won the game. You're not going to hear an argument from me at all. In fact, in my Examiner.com recap, you'll notice that I was VERY complimentary of Georgia Tech. I said at the beginning of the season you guys would be tough to beat and I was laughed at back then. Now, I have the unfortunate opportunity to tell throngs of Dawg fans "I told you so."

Two (yes, TWO) weeks after the Tech game, though, some Tech fan has decided to find my blog and throw his thoughts into the pile:

Yes, UGA will always be the football school, while Georgia Tech ranks much better in academics. Being a Tech grad, I'm happy with that and the fact that my income also ranks over and above my UGA friends'. So all you UGA fans go to the game next year in your beat up Chevy, and I'll go in my new Mercedes, and we'll all watch another good round of football. But when we leave, I'll go back to the Town Club while UGA grads go back to the farm and the convenience stores.

I find it really sad that football is UGA's biggest accomplishment.

What's next? We gonna settle this with a dance off?

Look, just because you won a football game doesn't change the reason why I can't stand you people. You Tech fans all suffer from that syndrome that affects "less equipped" males. You've played second-fiddle to UGA for so long that you just HAVE to go out of your way every time you do something that is better than us.

Honestly, it's more than a little annoying and it's something that I wish would just quit altogether. But I know that you guys have nothing better to do than to crunch numbers (literally) so I'll let you have your fun.

One thing, though. If you're so f*cking smart, how do you explain:

Your flag boy?

Your idiot fans who can't cut -- AND -- Your redneck fans who sneak knives into stadiums?

Your "literal name" symbols of the school?

Your inability to sell tickets?

Your inability to get laid?

You see, you can have your "Mercedes" and whatever other bullsh*t you wish to claim. You can laugh all you want about this year. The truth is, about 9 out of 10 people will take a degree at UGA over Tech any day. High school kids fight tooth and nail to get into our school because we offer things Tech never can. We offer the chance for someone to grow up, be social, find their way through a myriad of different career choices and the chance to make fun of the dorky little bitches down the street (that'd be you guys).

If you can't handle it, I suggest you use all that engineering knowledge to build a bridge and get the f*ck over it.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Time to Rant...

2008-12-08T21:08:00.002-05:00

Well, where do we begin?

How about we begin by having you click over to my Examiner.com write-up for the game and tell me with a straight face that you disagree with anything I said.

I don't know what's worse: the fact that I'm writing about Georgia losing to Tech and not using four-letter words, or the fact that I wrote everything with the least bit of shock in my words.

Now I don't mean to get off on a rant here, but to say that UGA has problems defensively would be an understatement the size of Elliot Spitzer's apology to his wife. As I was watching the Tech game, I kept having the feeling that with every tackle after 4-5 yards rushing, we were just polishing the brass on the Titanic. Sure, I had just as much faith that the ball might bounce our way and we could pull one out, but the truth is no one on the defensive side of the ball (sans a Liberian named Rennie Curran) deserved to win that game.

Now offensively, it was a different story. We were a force to be reckoned with not only with throwing the ball, but also with accurate play calling. Stafford made a couple of ill-advised throws, but for the most part, he was where we needed him to be.

Furthermore, words cannot describe the amount of respect I have for MoMass. He might just go down as my second favorite Bulldog behind D.J. Shockley. He left his guts on the field Saturday, and truth be told, he deserved better than to have to walk off the field with his head hung in shame.

I've seem some half-assed attempts at tackling before, but this is the first time I can remember that I saw a Mark Richt team get progressively worse with fundamentals as the season went on. Now I'll support CMR and what he does for the university as long as he is our head coach. Even if/when he leaves, I'll still be a fan. Will be for life.

However, our players have been thrown under the bus so much that they're getting road rash. In fact, Blair Walsh has used his time wisely by learning to fix an axel, flush your transmission fluid and grease joints.

I don't have a problem with how we choose to run our team. We try to graduate players, put players in the NFL and win some games along the way. However, our utter lack of addressing problems adequately is something I'm really sick of seeing. If we can't tackle in the fifth game, we shouldn't be having the same problem by the twelfth. If we're missing assignments against Georgia Southern, we shouldn't be missing them against Georgia Tech.

I'm not a coach. I'm not paid $2.8 million a year to figure that out. Is the answer firing a coach? I don't know. Is it keeping things like they are? NO. That most certainly is not the answer.

Our answer is currently getting ready to play Michigan State in the Capital One Bowl. Hopefully it's the one we're all looking for.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Picking my battles

2008-11-30T15:03:00.002-05:00

For those wondering, I did receive a call from Ms. Natalie yesterday rubbing my nose in our loss. She, and the rest of Tech's fans, earned the right to do it, so I certainly won't begrudge them for it.

However, for every P.O.S. Tech fan that touched our hedges, f*ck you, and I truly mean that. If you had anything in your crumbled up, shoe-box sized, homeless infected, urine soaked stadium worth taking, I could guarantee you that we'd get our revenge. Thankfully for you, every time we win at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Mark Richt Field, we just want to get the hell out of there and touch nothing on the way.

Anyway, no I don't want to talk about the game. There's nothing positive to say. Losing to Georgia Tech for me is like getting your nuts beat in with a bamboo shoot. Tech won the game and won it outright. I won't take it away from them.

Win the game or not, Georgia Tech still is, and always will be, the Joke by Coke.

But I am going to pick my battles when I discuss our team later this week. Maybe I'll write about it today or maybe I'll write about it later on. I'm not sure because I don't know where to begin. There's not much to say that hasn't already been said. This team is the definition of insanity, and if you don't know what that means, then Google it and tell me you disagree.

So no, I really don't want to talk about it.

The Endgame 2008

2008-11-28T19:24:00.002-05:00

I hate Georgia Tech. More than you can imagine. However, I won't bore you with a bunch of details of why we're gonna win, what I think will happen, what we need to do against Tech's offense, etc. etc.

What I will say is that losing to Georgia Tech would severely ruin my weekend and the next 364 days. If our players aren't thinking about that, then we might be in trouble.

Come on Dawgs. Do this for the good guys.

UGA 27

GA 21

Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Go Dawgs and Tuck Fech!).

Gameday Everyday

2008-11-26T09:07:00.004-05:00

Look, you guys know me by now. I'm not going to just promote any website or product as an advertiser here that I would be hesitant to buy or use myself.

So, please trust me when I say that if you are or know a rabid Dawg fan like myself, and said fan likes to grill, then The Grill Topper is going to be a present that he (or she...no discriminating here) would absolutely love.

Now I've seen and been approached by a lot of proprietors of products like this, but all of them have been extremely expensive and way out of my price range. The Grill Topper is the same quality product, but at a much more reasonable price.

I'm going to have a link up and over to the right through the holidays and I'm going to keep plugging this until the holidays have come and gone. If you don't have time to click on over right now, that's fine, but please do make some time in the future to give them a look.

Also, for those poor souls who aren't UGA fans, they have a host of other teams that they make Grill Toppers for as well, so feel free to go to their homepage located here and check out their other teams as well as grilling tips for searing the meat properly with your Grill Topper grill.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Clean Old Fashioned Hate Week 2008

2008-11-24T22:22:00.004-05:00

You know, I was actually having a tough time coming up with something to write earlier today. I was even sitting back thinking "man I really don't have that much to write about and I have too much work stuff to do."

Then I read this comment that was posted today on last year's post "The Endgame:"

You are a bitch. If I ever met you in person you could bet I'd punch you in the face.

Now, mind you, this comment was left TODAY on a post from last year. If that doesn't give you any motivation to get into the spirit of hating Georgia Tech, then I don't know what will.

Ok, John (who just might be my roommate), you'll never punch me in the face, for a number of reasons:

1) Merely stating that you'll do it means you won't. You're like that guy in the bar that slams his fist down real hard, then points and stares at the other guy who's currently leaving with his girlfriend.

2) I can't take you seriously as a Tech fan. A real Tech fan wouldn't talk about fighting. A real Tech fan would've said "I'll see you in W.O.W punk. Your magical bow with fairy-tipped arrows won't save you now." Being a Tech fan is one thing, but pretending to be one is like being an assistant crack-whore.

3) If you were really mad at me, you would've tried to prove me wrong, because everyone knows that gets underneath my skin worse than anything. But then again, that wouldn't do any good, since I'm always right.

So, John, if you're a Tech fan and I've gotten underneath your skin, then I'd like to extend my hand to you in honor of this week:

I don't need a picture to say a thousand words. Just two will be fine:

TUCK FECH.

It's time to play. Enjoy the hate week ladies and gents.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Want to read about Georgia Tech?

2008-11-19T21:24:00.003-05:00

New Examiner.com piece is up about the Georgia Tech vs. Miami game tomorrow night. If you love me, you'll click it.

Actually, I'm kind of proud of it. Besides, the more I learn now, the easier next week's preview will be.

Leave a comment over there and let me know what you think.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Around the Interwebs

2008-11-18T21:46:00.003-05:00

Exhausted yet again. So, in that vein, I'm totally going to mail it in tonight. Besides, there are a ton of people out there who are writing much better than I am right now...and they're doing it with the excessive use of expletives.

Also, before I get too far into it, it looks like Geno and Asher are coming back for next year. However, the jury's still out on Knowshon and Stafford. My guess is we won't hear anything until after the bowl game.

Here's some links you need to check out:

I meant to link to this sooner, but Mackie's highlights of the UGA/Auburn game are not to be missed.

For everyone who can't stop complaining about this year's team, PWD puts everything in perspective and if you don't agree with what he says, it's time to re-evaluate your priorities.

If you know me or read this blog, then you know there's no team out there that I loathe and despise more than Georgia Tech. The Good Senator does me proud by offering a Tech story daily in preparation for next weekend's game. That's a link to the promise...it gets me fired up to see other people hate Tech and revel in our victories. EIAR, B indeed.

In more of the "what does a UGA fan feel like right now" mold, Doug has a good summary of his thoughts after the Auburn game as well. It's a long read, but very worth it.

Finally, the kick ass beat writer (aka David Hale) has your Tuesday practice notes. However, if you've found this blog, there's a good chance you've already been there first. If not, what the hell are you doing HERE?

Ok, there you go. Post mailed in. I'll have to write objectively about Georgia Tech tomorrow on Examiner.com. I hope you all have the chance to swing by my post and laugh. Personally, I'll be dying inside.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Give Your Heart to Jesus

2008-11-17T20:14:00.002-05:00

Because your ass is mine.

No, not you specifically. I'm speaking to Mr. Anonymous, who also posted the same lame duck, gratuitous dumbassitude comment on The Good Senator's blog under the name "Thomas Brown."

You see, when I woke up this morning, I noticed this novella-length post by some dude who, at first, tried to make some semblance of an argument, but it slowly fell into this area usually reserved for the writers of the new Knight Rider. So, as a result of a sort of bad day, I'm going to go ahead and blast this guy with everything I have. I hope you all enjoy. And for the record, I'm NOT annoyed with this guy and he didn't get under my skin. I'm just having some good-natured-Ari Gold-inspired-fun.

I can handle someone making an argument that suggests we haven't recruited positions like on the OL well. Hell, that's the truth. We haven't recruited that area well excluding the past two seasons. However, that was the fault of a man named Calloway, who's now the problem at UAB.

I can also handle someone saying that we're underperforming at certain positions, because we are. We're certainly underperforming at the safety position. We're underperforming at some of the DB positions. We're underperforming at TE for sure.

But the ridiculousness of your argument lies in the fact that you make NO F*CKING SENSE. There's a saying I like to use a lot and it crosses all barriers. From the idiot fan, to the loser of the street fight and all the way to the winner of the spelling bee. That phrase is simply "Act like you've been there before."

You, sir, act like a spoiled child who knows nothing of football, coaching or what it's like to be a grown man. Your ignorance is baffling, your cowardice is annoying and your points are pointless. Right now, you're indebted to me for a good 10 minutes because after reading your post earlier today, I was actually insulted that someone that dumb would leave a comment like that on MY blog. That's like spitting on the Mona Lisa. They should've never let you through the door with your plaid, cut off shirt and jean shorts.

You can say that we've have players underperform, but your ridiculous notions that we're losing games and underperforming because we haven't recruited good enough TEs and DEs is staggeringly stupid. We are missing quality DE play for sure, but it's damn sure not because we don't have the athletes. Trust me, we do. You also can't say that we have done a poor job of recruiting TEs because Figgins was highly rated, White was highly rated and Chandler has been a warrior for us, regardless of the stigma that he's not consistent. He's damn sure one of the most dominating blockers we've had at that position in a long time. On top of that, I'd give you $50 to see you walk up to Big Bruce Figgins himself and tell him he's not worth the "G" on his helmet. He's playing through a bum shoulder, but I guarantee you he'd whip yours real nice with just one good arm.

Then, you dumb son of a bitch, you have the audacity and direct stupidity to post this run-on-sentence gem (not only on my blog, mind you but again, word for word on The Good Senator's as well)

And, to the totally oblivious to all this who know nothing of college football who now say they are unhappy and dissatisfied with a 2-Loss Season when we were ranked Preseason Number 1 with all these wastes of Scholarships at some positions while disregarding other positions totally on the roster, please FIND YOURSELF A DIFFERENT TEAM TO ROOT FOR because I said we would Lose 2 games this season in every single post I ever posted on this blog as a direct result of the fact that we are clueless to sign 17 players at one position all in 1 year and then not fill any other position, then the following year sign 17 at some other position and have them all mature together without redshirting them all or playing them all in the same year to spread it out at that position, and have others who everyone was quite aware would actually never fit in at their position with what we otherwise already have at their position here.

First of all, you haven't posted something this moronic on MY blog because this place is like school. A couple of visits to this space of the internet and I would have educated your ignorant ass.

You want to be an irrational asshole, go find another space of the internet to do it because I can't have you dumbing down my readership who are unfortunate enough to skim your mindless dribble. You ain't worth the red and black you swear to follow. Let's give you the benefit of the doubt and agree that you called us losing two games this year. Congrats man, you're one of THOUSANDS who did the same thing.

And if you want to be the fool that is upset that we recruited kids like Knowshon Moreno even when we didn't have running backs that were seniors at the time and, in your eyes, it wasn't a need at the time, I'd much rather give one of the most electric players since Reggie Bush a scholarship here than to have him get one at any other school in the nation.

Now if you can handle yourself, and act like a responsible worth-his-damn-salt fan and want to respond to me calling you a f*cking fool, go ahead and knock yourself out. I'll give you a fair shot to do so.

However, if you'd like to waste my time and everyone else's time by posting the same mindless dribble across all blogs, I'd much rather see you go somewhere else and do that. Let me suggest www.dawgsgoneblog.com. If you're going to pretend to be someone who knows a sh*t about football, you can do it on a blog that's a pretender as well.

Are we finished? I think we are.

You know the drill kids. Until next time, I want you to all be safe. However:

Until next time Mr. Anonymous.

You can go f*ck yourself.

Can you hear me now?

2008-11-16T20:50:00.004-05:00

GOOD!

With apologies to Tommy Tuberville, who I'm sure would hear every word of this if it were read aloud, I'd like to say...

AUBURN SUCKS!

You know how I know this? Well, mainly because they were beat by us, who played quite possibly one of the ugliest games I've seen us play on both sides of the ball in a long time. Ugh, I'm talking about South-Carolina-Sorority-Girl-Ugly, here. Anyway, let's get into the game breakdown, shall we?

The Stats Say:

In a nutshell, the stats say this was a hard fought win for UGA and a tough loss for Auburn, who made this one helluva game in the 4th Quarter. The truth is, it was a good all around game, but we kept Auburn in this game MUCH longer than they should have.

Also, the stats say that our penalty problems came back with a vengeance in this game. There were multiple times where drives had stalled or we found ways to force a 3rd and long, only to give up some kind of stupid penalty that kept Auburn drives alive.

The Good:

1) WR Play -- A.J. Green and MoMass proved their worth yet again by making tough catches, running great routes and getting necessary first downs. Can anyone honestly say that aside from MoMass, have we seen a UGA receiver make a catch in the endzone like A.J. did in the 4th Quarter? I can't think of a single receiver we've had since maybe Reggie Brown that had hands as solid as that...and Reggie Brown didn't have those until his junior year.

2) Knowshon Moreno -- Since people started calling him "soft" for taking himself out of the game too much, he's responded by rocking the proverbial face off of the Dawg Nation. He racked up 189 net yards on the ground and through the air total. If anyone thinks he ain't trying now, then I don't know what to tell you.

3) Matt Stafford -- Another game without any interceptions and made some really tough throws that really only a QB with his arm strength could make. He still overshot our WRs on some deep balls, but sometimes that happens. Once he puts EVERYTHING together, he's going to be dangerous. I really hope he's wearing Red & Black when that happens.

4) Rennie Curran -- Thank God he's only a sophomore. When all is said and done, he might be one of the best UGA LBs we've ever seen. The kid is a flat out ballhawk.

The Bad:

1) Penalties -- We touched on this earlier, but the penalties have to be cut down or we're going to put Tech in some really good spots against us. I'm also sick of hearing about all the "well that's what happens when guys play aggressive" talk that our players spit out. That's the biggest pile of BS I've heard in a while. It needs to be fixed. Period.

2) 2nd Level Play -- We'll touch on this in the "ugly" part as well, but when Auburn's players got into the second level of our Defense on Saturday, we took some of the poorest angles and had some of the most out-of-position players I've ever seen.

3) Offensive Production -- I say "production" even though I really mean "POINTS ON THE DAMN BOARD." Seriously, we get nearly 400 yards of Offense against one of the better Defenses in the NATION and all we have to show for it is 17 points? 17 points in two weeks means that we lose to Tech.

The Ugly:

1) Tackling -- Man that was some of the most piss poor tackling I've seen in a very long time. I'm talking about flat out bouncing off guys. With all the motion that Tech uses, if we try to tackle like that in two weeks, we'll lose by 30. Playing an option team means playing solid, assignment-based football. Assignment-based football means shooting gaps and playing man-on-man. Tackling better is not a request. It's necessary.

2) Kicking Game -- Not to knock Blair Walsh (because we all know kickers are head cases and if you knock them, they go crazy), but part of the whole "leaving points on the field" problem deals with the kicking game as well. I know he didn't get under the ball like he should have and he knows it too because he's the one that said it. However, there's a whole lotta mechanism that needs to be cleared and done quickly.

Well, there you have it. It could always be worse, but it really needs to get a lot better. The good news is that we've won three straight over Auburn and in two weeks, we get to try and make it eight wins over Tech.

Let's hope for a productive off-week. Deal?

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

UGA vs. AU

2008-11-13T20:41:00.003-05:00

Man I am some kind of exhausted today. Between beginning the new gig at Examiner and work being out of damn control, I'm just beat.

This one will be kind of short (I'm hoping), but you know what happens when I tend to bloviate. As always, you can find Jody's Information Overload here and Doug's preview here. You can also find my preview at Examiner.com here and you should click that one. A lot.

When AU has the ball:

Well, what do they do? Aside from having a mediocre rushing game, they might as well just run out there and kneel on the ball a lot. The Kodi Burns experiment is going about as well as the Tony Franklin one, and if the Tigers didn't have Ben Tate and Brad Lester, they'd really be hurting for some offense.

Now, that's not to say that Burns is completely ineffective. He's rushed for a good amount of yards this year, but the passing game has been somewhat lacking. In fact, since Auburn is so change happy, I would suggest they go ahead and begin calling themselves the penguins, because this team is definitely not getting anywhere through the air.

What scares me is if we don't go out there and play solid, assignment football. We'd better go hat-on-hat and shoot the gaps well because the athletic ability of Burns will get us if e don't play as solid as we can defensively.

What I do like is the fact that Corvey Irvin, Rennie Curran and Dannel Ellerbe called the Defense into a players only meeting and demanded for more out of the unit. Whether or not that translates into actual play on the field is yet to be seen, but I'd be interested to see if there is any more excitement and swagger from the guys.

When UGA has the ball:

Well more of the same, really. The effort was there for sure and aside from two untimely fumbles from MoMass, we played GREAT on the Offensive side.

I'd like to see Stafford have the same type of mentally-tough effort against Auburn because they have a much better Defense than UK, especially in regards to their DEs. Our beat up O-line is going to have their hands full. The good thing is that Auburn has not been as good stopping the run, but they are VERY GOOD against the pass.

Stafford's going to have to play mistake free football and we're going to have to ride this win through the legs of Knowshon Moreno in order to come out of Auburn with a win. Plain and simple, old-school Mark Richt pound-the-rock-to-milk-the-clock football is going to win this game for us.

Special Teams:

Just don't suck this week. Please. OH, AND BEFORE I FORGET, don't let Tristan Davis score.

What I think will happen:

UGA's got a good team this year and Auburn doesn't. I'm not being mean towards the Tigers, but it's true. I think the team that plays the smartest football is the one that walks away the winner, so whoever can play assignment football the best and keep the mistakes at a minimum will be the ones that get the "W" on Saturday.

UGA 38

AU 17

Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Go Dawgs!).

Let me "Examine" you

2008-11-12T21:53:00.003-05:00

I told you changes were coming.

I encourage, actually I beg and plead, all of you to go check out my new writing gig at Examiner.com. My bio page hasn't been completed yet, but the first post is up and you can find it by clicking here.

Now, for anyone who may be worried, I will not stop writing this blog and in fact, I won't even slow down. You'll still get the same 3-4 posts a week out of me and this will still be primarily a UGA focused blog.

For anyone who doesn't know what Examiner.com is, I invite you to go and check it out. It's like About.com for cities across the nation and when they approached me to write for them, I jumped at the opportunity. The only way I was even asked to write for them is because of people like you that read the stupid stuff I write here and yet keep coming back for more.

I can't tell you how excited I am about this opportunity, but also how thankful I am for this blog.

Thanks for sticking with me so long and I promise I'm not going anywhere any time soon. But in the meantime, click that link above and let me know your thoughts.

Thanks!

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Big Changes Coming...

2008-11-10T19:25:00.002-05:00

Posting's going to be light over the next day or so due to work and other commitments, but hopefully soon I'll be able to share with everyone a new project that I've been working on.

In the meantime, here are some quick hits for you:

1) PWD takes a great look at the Defense. I'm not completely on the "Fire Willie" bandwagon, but I'm certainly on the "significant improvement" bandwagon. Something's missing. I don't know if anyone really has their finger solely on the cause yet.

2) The Good Senator has a post on passion and how a playoff would kill that. I think when all is said and done this year, the drumbeat for a playoff will be louder than ever.

3) Since I don't believe I will be able to break down the Kentucky game this week due to all the other stuff I have going on, but David Hale does a helluva job. One that's so good, that I might just not ever write one again. I know a lot of you guys miss Ching, but for my money, and no offense to Ching, I think Hale is just as good if not better.

4) Lastly, another great read about some knee jerk reactions and final thoughts on Kentucky from Ally. If you wanted to relive what it felt like on Saturday, that's your post.

Again, I hope to have some good news (and a new link for you to chew on) in the next few days, but it probably won't happen until Wednesday. Sorry, but some other stuff takes precedence right now.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

UGA vs. UK

2008-11-06T21:42:00.002-05:00

Ok, so I sat down to write this preview and after looking at this screen for well over an hour, I can't even dare to know were to begin.

So I won't. I can't get over the Florida loss. I can't focus and I know the game against a 6-3 Kentucky team is a big one, especially given what they did to us in Lexington in 2006. However, I'm of the mindset that there are few things that I can't take and getting embarrassed like we did last Saturday and then writing a long preview about what we need to do is one of them.

As always, you can find Jody's Information Overload here and Doug's been missing since Obama was named president. He was last seen running up and down his road with a "Change '08" sticker on his ass and an American flag tied around his neck. As for me, you're getting the Erk Russell version of a preview. Quick, simple and when done right, unstoppable.

When UK has the ball:

1) Hit 'em hard. Hit them like you're trying to put out a fire with brute force. Tackle them effectively and when you make contact, take them to the ground.

2) Get after that QB's ass. He's inexperienced and when he sees you coming at him, he'll flinch. When that happens, make sure he had a good reason to in the first place.

3) If a pass is thrown it had better hit the ground or hit one of our guys in the hands. When that happens, we'd better intercept it and put our Offense in good position to score points.

When UGA has the ball:

1) We'd better block hard. We'd better road grade some guys. I know their Defensive Line is tough, but they're not Dawgs. However, you are. You have the luxury of being coached by one of the best in the nation. You have the luxury of working out in the best facilities in the nation. You are also, by the grace of the Almighty Himself, wearing Red and Black on Saturday. If that doesn't give you enough will to hit someone in the mouth, then I feel sorry for your soul and your butt because your soul has no hope and your butt should be firmly planted in Athens.

2) We'd better run hard. We give you the ball, you take off with it. When you get hit, you fall forward for extra yardage. The first man that hits you should never be the first man to take you down. For every red shirt that falls down, there'd better be five blue ones taking him to the ground.

3) We'd better catch the ball. They'll grab you at the line. They'll bump you in coverage. It's your ball and show how thankful you are to have your QB throw it to you by catching the damn thing. Fight for your space, fight for the ball and then fight for extra yards.

Special Teams:

1) Should we stall on a drive and have to punt, we need to kick it deep, high and cover. We do those three things, we'll have no problems.

2) Should we have to kick a field goal, put it through the uprights. Simple, right?

3) If they punt, we try to block it. If they get the punt off, we try to catch it and score with it.

4) If they kick a FG, we try to block it. If we don't and they get three points, as long as we have one more than them at the end of the day, I'll be OK with that.

What I think will happen:

I don't know what I'm going to eat for lunch tomorrow, much less have a damned clue as to what's going to happen in this game. I've been disappointed some this season and it ain't the first time I've felt it and it damn sure won't be the last. But in regards to this game, at 12:30 on Saturday, we'd better whip ass for 60 minutes. There should be scoring, there should be determination and there should be domination.

Anything less is unacceptable.

UGA 42

UK 20

Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Go Dawgs!)

UGA Defense - Change We Can Believe In

2008-11-05T18:02:00.002-05:00

Editor's Note: Yes, this is a blatant rip off of the excellent work Doug did in the offseason, but I had an idea I thought was funny and I ran with it. I hope Doug won't mind, but if he does, please know that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. It also should be noted that I voted for McCain.

From the desk of: President-Elect Barack Obama:

My fellow Americans,

Look how far we've come. As I write this, I am now the new President-Elect of this great nation and I humbly accept the honor that you have bestowed upon me. Today is a great day. A day of hope, a day where change is beginning and a day that I will consider to be the first of great things to come for this country.

However, more change is required and until I get into office officially, there are still some things that need to be addressed. You heard me speak of how the middle-class is eroding. That's right, the heart and soul of this country is fading away leaving people feeling as helpless as ever. In a place where opportunity, freedom and hope go hand-in-hand, situations like this need to be addressed.

Since I have no official policy-making authority right now, I have decided to use my newfound position to influence areas where my voice can be heard. Where I can inspire and give hope to those who need it the most.

College football.

You see, while campaigning last week, I was able to catch the annual UGA-Florida game from the road. What I saw was a Defense that needed hope, a helping hand and a chance to get back on its feet. I saw the heart and soul of this Defense, the Secondary, lose the ability to stop the Florida Gators from putting up massive amounts of points. Points that should have gone to the Georgia Bulldogs.

In an effort to "spread the wealth," I have developed a plan that will lift the UGA Defense back to where it should be. Back to being the heart and soul of this team. Right now, gone are the days of Erk Russell and Brian Van Gorder. Gone are the days where an opposing team steps on the field against the Dawgs and feel like they may never get an edge Offensively.

Those days will come again.

My opponent, Urban Meyer, would like for you to believe that I'm soft on Defense. That's simply not the case. I'm actually very hard on Defense, but for too long have we had "soft" Defense on this team. We need change, ladies and gentlemen. Change we can believe in.

This Defense has had a "bend but don't break" mentality. Standing up, if I bend over, I may not be broken, but I'm twice as close to kissing someone's feet or being a prisoner's boyfriend. That, is unacceptable in Barack Obama's world.

In my world, we stand tall, we talk with our hands, we motivate with our actions, and most importantly, we WIN.

My plan is simple. We must do the basics right. We must create a Defense that is fair, balanced and accepted across the ENTIRE Dawg Nation. Here is my plan in four simple steps:

1) Raise the responsibility of the Secondary -- For far too long, the front seven of this team has bared the brunt of an opposing Offense, while the Secondary sits back, and fails the rest of the team. That's not to say those people in the Secondary are bad people. I care about them all. However, they cannot keep going at this pace and keeping true growth from happening over the entire Defense. We must raise the tax of responsibility and coverage on the Defense in order to ease the struggles of the front seven. It will not be easy, but in my plan, only the top part of the Defense will get taxed. If this works effectively, the taxation of the front seven will only lower in this regard.

2) We must limit and fix injuries -- As you all know, health and well being are important things to me. I want this team to be healthy and I will do whatever it takes to keep them that way. Under my plan, Jeff Owens would have a robotic knee. My ultimate goal is to see players succeed and in order to do that, they must be healthy. So, at the government's expense, the next player to be hurt will become a Robo-Dawg.

3) We need strong, aggressive leadership -- You saw my campaign ads. I go for the jugular. We need a coach on the sidelines that feels the same way. I'm not saying Willie Martinez needs to be fired, but he certainly needs a change in attitude. Martinez, as a red-blooded football man, needs to find that aggression he had when he sacked Colt Brennan 2,439.5 times in last year's Sugar Bowl. In my eyes, that's the only surge that worked (ha ha!). That aggression has been lost under the last year of the Bush administration (and who can blame him for that), but no longer. I will meet with Willie personally and show him how to be ruthless, aggressive and condescending, even with a smile on his face. I did it all through the debates and in my ads. Trust me, we can make "Evil Willie" something else other than a bad name for a porno flick.

4) We must associate with other badasses -- As you can tell, I like to have people around me that have the ability to blow sh*t up at any point in time. Take my association with William "Bill Brasky" Ayers for example. That man could make a bomb out of a strand of hair, stick of gum and a Mickey Mouse doll. I see nothing wrong with that. In fact, I would suggest that UGA re-associate themselves with resident badasses like Brian Van Gorder, David Pollack, Odell Thurman, Thomas Davis and Greg Blue. We need to do dinner with these blood-thirsty maniacs and let our association with them breathe fire into this team. BOOM!...heh, just kidding. That wasn't a real bomb.

Citizens of this great country, join me in this fight for a restoration of the middle of the field. Help me keep the greedy "let's let them get as many yards through the air as possible" Secondary in check by raising the tax of responsibility and lowering the tax of humility for EVERYONE.

We can do this. The hope is there. The change is necessary. The difference is YOU.

I'm President-Elect Barack Obama and I approved this kick-ass message.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Quick Hits

2008-11-03T19:38:00.003-05:00

A combination of traveling down to Jax for a total ass whipping and then traveling to Charlotte and back today for work has left me, well, "depleted." So, I've just got some quick things to touch on before getting back into the ~~grove~~ GROOVE (shout out: The Song Writer) later this week.

First, let's start with a list of must reads for you. My personal favorite is Mackie's take on the game. For some reading that involves more than one word, check out PWD's take and also don't skip over what the Senator said as well.

Philip Fulmer is gone at UT. This helps us this year in terms of recruiting, but there are some big names being thrown around for the vacancy. Personally, I think it's tough for the Vol Nation to hire someone from within (especially with Cutcliffe gone) that is capable of bringing the program back around. Names like Lane Kiffin and Will Muschamp are tough to ignore, even though you couldn't pay me to take Muschamp.

Finally, people need to stop with the "Bench Knowshon & Stafford," "Fire Martinez & Bobo," and "So-and-so is going pro." Look, if you really think the way to win the next three games is to bench our two best players, you're insane. Also, if you think we should fire BOTH coordinators, then you're insane as well. You can beat the drum about firing Martinez and I won't completely disagree, but the aggressiveness is what's missing right now, not scheme. The attitude isn't there. Name another DC right now you'd like to have that will run a better scheme and have the aggression that we need. I think you'll be hard pressed to find one...and if you say Muschamp, you're crazy as hell there, too. I like his aggression, but Muschamp has been dominated time after time by the Dawgs AND his CBs are always getting crushed. That's not an answer.

Just my random thoughts. More posting later.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

The Rant

2008-11-02T19:50:00.003-05:00

Seriously, we're not going to discuss what happened on Saturday, but we're going to talk about what has happened and continues to happen within our team, especially in big games.

Let's go ahead and clear the air by saying that 1) Florida has earned the right to gloat as much as possible, 2) Urban Meyer is a classless a-hole and 3) I believe I team WANTS to win games like this.

However, our team is lacking something, but not just something like pressure on the front line, or complicated enough blitz packages to adequately force the turnovers we need in order to achieve the success we've seen as little as 3 years ago.

This is not a rant about "heart." We have plenty of desire to win every game we play. I can see that within our players. They want to win as badly as we want them to win. I know it must've killed them yesterday to experience the total domination that was the second half of that game.

This is a rant, though about our aggressiveness, our nasty streak, our ability to embarrass opponents and our swagger. We have NONE of those things above right now and haven't had it all year, especially on the Defensive side of the ball. It's a shame to say it, but gone are the days of Junkyard Dawg-dom and who know when, or if, they'll ever come back.

I love UGA and UGA sports just as much, or more, than most people out there. Hell, I've spent three and a half years writing about it for free. You would think that I care just a little bit about what's going on, and at the same time, have managed to keep some objectivity along the way.

But I can't take this anymore. I miss the "Lips Jar." The jar created by Brian Van Gorder for opposing players' paper lips (or maybe even entire heads) to be placed in after a large hit. I miss the headhunters of Greg Blue and Thomas Davis. I miss the motor of David Pollack and the determination of Charles Grant. I miss the speed and tenacity of Odell Thurman.

What I miss is someone on that sideline who turns the players we have on the field literally sweating talent, into players like the ones mentioned above. You can scream about leadership in that locker room all you want, but it starts and ends with the coaches.

For the life of me, I could never see a situation where I would want Mark Richt fired. I'm not the guy that is screaming for his head. However, some of the things we're seeing right now need to be fixed and fixed quickly. Now while a good portion of the Dawg Nation has called for the head of Willie Martinez, I have held off.

I'm breaking that silence now.

In order to go to the next level, we've got to stop just playing Defense and begin playing Dawg Defense. We need a fire, an aggressiveness and an attitude that is only found in some of the top Defenses across the nation. I need an Erk to come to UGA and have some Dawgs ready to take heads off, protect the middle and go crazy at the sign of a big hit.

I need a Defense that makes Offenses tremble. While I believe most of the problems are on the Defense, I also need an Offense that scares Defenses with touchdowns instead of field goals. I need an attitude that we had last year, but have yet to see this year.

Somewhere along the lines, it appears that we believed our own hype. That our talent alone would somehow get us to the SEC Championship this year. Well guess what, our preseason #1 ranking hasn't won us a damn thing other than some excellent TV coverage so that we can get our butts kicked in front of a national TV audience.

Look, I'm not asking for heads to roll, but I'm asking for something, ANYTHING, to put the actual fire into the red and fear into the black that we don for games. I don't care how it happens, but we're a long cry from Willie Martinez jumping into the arms of Dannell Ellerbe after an interception against Hawai'i.

Please get aggressive, please be feared and please do not take a business-like approach to preparing for Kentucky. The quotes after our loss to Florida are a joke. I don't want you to cry, but I certainly want you to be less like you were after getting your ass whipped, and more like you should be feeling when you're ready to fight back.

Now's the time to get mean. I'm ready when you are.

Ugh.

2008-11-02T09:13:00.004-05:00

This one hurts like no other game in a long time for me. We totally went out there and wet the bed against a VERY talented Florida team.

This loss falls squarely on the shoulders of our players and coaches. If you're a Dawg fan and you're disappointed, pissed off or ready to roll some heads, I don't blame you. I am as well.

Much like PWD, I've cut off commenting for a while until everything cools down a bit. The message boards are melting down and I know that some of it will spill over from there. I want no part of there here on my blog. Plus, if I thought there was a Florida fan out there (other than Seth) that could keep from using profanity to the Nth degree to gloat their win, I'd leave them on. However, I've never seen so many A**-holes in one place trying to start fights.

You won, you deserved it, we get it.

Oh and don't expect a recap of this bag of sh*t. You won't find it here. If you saw what happened, there are no words to neatly put this loss away, so I'm not even gonna try.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Hate Week 2008 Part I - UGA vs. UF

2008-10-30T23:33:00.004-04:00

Well, Hate Week 2008 Part I is slowly drawing to a close as the game approaches and even though there's not enough posts in me to really tell you how much I hate the University of Florida, I guess at some point I'm going to have to quit my childish behavior and act like someone who knows a little bit about football.

As always, you can find Jody's information overload here and Doug's preview here.

So, let's not waste any time talking about the rivalry and spend a little bit of time talking about the game.

When Florida has the ball:

Geez, where do you start? I mean from the top to the bottom, there's a ton of playmakers in every spot of the Gator Offense. Obviously Dawg fans feel that Tebow is beatable, but he's still a top talent and a game changer at his position. His ability to buy time in the pocket pays off in dividends because there's only so much coverage you can lay down on Harvin and Co. before they eventually get open.

Also when looking at Tebow, you have to give respect to his ability to throw the long ball. While I would say that Stafford has the stronger, more accurate arm, Tebow can still put the ball on the money and anyone who disagrees is flat out wrong.

At WR you have the all-everything in Percy Harvin. Once considered to be one of te fastest players in all of college football, he's now more known for his elusiveness as much as his speed. He's ridiculously tough to tackle and he catches the ball quite well. It's also tough to call him just a WR because he's just as likely to go into the backfield and receive the ball.

However, it's nearly as tough to defend other players in Jeffrey Demps and Chris Rainey. Rainey has come on the scene much like Noel Devine did for West Virginia last year and Demps is now dubbed the fastest player in college football. Those two players are doing an exceptional job in running the football as well as catching it, but have really picked up the slack left by the not-so-impressive Emmanuel Moody, the USC (the real one) transfer.

The one real weakness of the Gator Offense is actual on the Offensive Line. There's all this talk of "wider splits" to give them easier access to hit their blocks, but the truth is, they have not done a superb job of keeping Tebow upright. They haven't given up nearly the sacks of the 2003 UGA team, but you can still get pressure on Tebow if you try hard enough and go hat-on-hat with those guys.

Our key to winning here is to do three things. We need to get adequate pressure with 4-5 guys up front, keep Florida in 4th and long and we need to force Florida into field goal situations. The first is easy enough to do if we can just play the dominant football we're capable of instead of what we've seen so far. I know that's easier said than done, but we have the athletes up front to play pressure football; it just hasn't clicked yet.

On the second point, we've got to shoot for 4th and 3+. A situation like 3rd and long means nothing if it results in 4th and 1 because Meyer will go for it every time. Most likely, if he goes for it, he'll convert and that will just wear out Defense down physically and mentally. We have to find a way, whether through incompletions, proper tackling (another "easier said than done" thing) or sacks to get Florida into punting situations. We'll touch on their Special Teams later, but I'd much rather Florida kick anything than for them to run another play.

Lastly, we have to make Florida settle for 3 instead of 7. It's obvious that the Gators score points, so to think that they won't get their fair share on Saturday is ludicrous. What we have to do is limit opportunities and if they get points, make sure they're the kind that doesn't kill you. Sure, it sucks to give up any scores at all, but I'll take Florida kicking 4 field goals and have UGA get 2 touchdowns. Wouldn't you?

The real magic number here is 3 seconds. Keep that in mind because that's the amount of time Tebow has to either get rid of he football or take a sack. If he has to throw that football within 3 seconds, then the chances of a mistake GREATLY increase if we exercise proper fundamentals in coverage. However, if he has all day back there to throw the football, we're toast.

When UGA has the ball:

Well our little-baby-look-how-cute-and-injured-they-are Offensive Line grew up last game didn't they? They blocked well and protected well in route to helping us rack up 52 points on LSU in Death Valley. They made me one proud Dawg that day and we're going to need another solid performance from them in this game.

We already know what we have with Knownshon and Stafford, but we're going to need exceptional play from our Fullbacks in order to really make the running game effective. I'd still expect to see a lot of plays where Southerland is lined up as a TE because we'll stay with the toss-sweep as long as it keeps on working for us. An interesting matchup will be Southerland versus Brandon Spikes, who has turned out to be a dominating LB for the Gators.

Not to be forgotten in all this is how well Florida's Secondary has played in comparison to their effort last year. We absolutely torched them but it's going to be a little tougher this time around, even with better WR play from MoMass and A.J. Green.

Our key to success here has got to be our ability to score points on nearly every drive. Should our Defense not be able to stop Florida's Offense like we'd hope, then we're going to need superb play from every position in order to put us in good shape to score points because the Gators will probably match us score-for-score for most of the game.

It's imperative for this game to be won and lost through the legs of Knowson Moreno, much like we did against LSU last week, although, we were pretty balanced from the get-go as soon as we snapped the ball. If Bobo can keep the aggressive attitude and gameplan for this game, then we might be in for a good day.

Stafford's play is going to be crucial as well. I thought he played an exceptional game lat week by stepping up into the pocket and keeping his mechanics in check, especially under duress. We'll need some really poised play from him because he will feel the heat a time or two. I'm positive that Charlie Strong has some big things planned for Saturday.

Special Teams:

Well, Florida's got themselves a version of Beamer Ball, don't they? All the way from their exceptional blocking and returning, to forcing tons of pressure on the punter or kicker to get the ball off early and high.

When it comes to punting, I trust Mimbs will get rid of the ball in plenty of time and I'm almost positive that we'll give him plenty of time to do so. We don't cover punts well, but we've had moderate success in blocking for them this year. However, what worries me is that when Mimbs tried to punt directionally, like in the Alabama game, he caught a severe case of the shanks. The chess match we're about to get in on Saturday is going to be all about who does the small things right and field position is going to play into a big part of that.

In the returning game, Florida is probably the most dangerous team we've played to date in that regard. Brandon James is a man with the ball in his hands and he has the ability to break one at any point in time if we kick it directly to him. So we either have to learn to directionally kick, or we'd better cover like our brains on fire.

Now, in regards to kicking field goals, I think Blair Walsh has the edge here. Florida opts for touchdowns instead of FGs, so their kicker has not been tested like ours has. I think if we put the game on their kicker's shoulders, then we have a great shot at winning.

In the return game for us, I'm still no sold that Prince Miller and Logan Gray should be splitting time back there since to me, I think Miller is a much better option back there. Watch me say something like that and then Logan Gray will bust one for a score this weekend. Hey, I'm fine with being proven wrong in that regard.

The Intangibles:

Usually, I don't touch on stuff like this, but for this game, it's going to be the real engine that drives the winner. We've talked about The Celebration. We've talked about our game last year, we've seen the film, we've all heard about how the Gators really feel about what happened last year and everything else you can think of.

Florida is out for revenge and UGA is out to prove it's legit. This game has national and SEC title implications. The winner is all but guaranteed a slot in Atlanta in December, whereas the loser is looking at the Capital One Bowl at best.

both teams have too much to lose in this game, which is why my blood is itching so badly for us to kick this thing off. There's too much hype in this game and even though I'm excited as hell to get going, I'm really enjoying the national attention we're getting surrounding this game.

The truth is, Florida has more to prove here than we do. We're the ones that got the best of them last year and we're the ones that left them dumbfounded after our first score. Now, does that put more pressure on Florida to perform or does it put more on UGA to match that level on intensity?

We know our fans will be in the game and this is the first time in a long time that I think the entire Dawg Nation agrees that we have a legitimate shot to win. That new mentality will keep us playing hard in Jacksonville for years to come.

The team that masters these intangibles of revenge and legitimacy is the team that will stroll out of Jacksonville with a win on Saturday. If Florida is so hell-bent on revenge that they forget their fundamentals, then they'll lose badly. However if UGA thinks that they don't have something tp prove as well and play their game based on how Florida plays, we'll get crushed. We have to do things our way again, just like last year in order to be happy on Sunday.

What I think will happen:

Florida has been playing on all cylinders for weeks now, whereas UGA finally looks like they've put it together on both sides of the ball. This game is too close to call if you just look at the paper statistics, but if you did just go off of that, then you have to say Florida will win on Saturday.

You have to look at the whole picture and see which team you think will perform well under the pressure. The team that understands and handles the pressure adequately will be the one claiming bragging rights for the next 364 days.

Look for the game to get off to either a very slow start or an extremely high paced one. For UGA to win, it MUST score early and often and force the Gators to play from behind, which is something they haven't been used to for much of this year. If I'm Mark Richt and I win the coin toss, there's no doubt in my mind that I want the ball first. If we can score, maybe we can deflate the Gator team early on.

However, what I think will happen is that we'll sputter right out of the gate and that Florida will just want the game a little more than we will. There won't be any special celebration from them or anything like that, but their response i going to be to hit us in the mouth as early as possible and as hard as possible in order to let us know they're here to play.

Florida will score first and we'll be playing catch up the rest of the game. I hate to say this, but we'll bring it close but not close enough to ever really put the future of the game in doubt. Florida gets their revenge and we stay angry until this time next year. Just like last year, however, I'm BEGGING to be proved wrong.

UGA: 38
UF: 45

Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Go Dawgs!)

Hate Week 2008 Part I - The Party

2008-10-30T12:42:00.002-04:00

As I write this, I'm in the metropolis known as Perry, GA and am almost ready to hitch a ride down towards Jacksonville. However, I'm going to make a pit stop in Sunbury, GA and you should as well.

You see, I went to college with a friend whose parents own a nice little restaurant on the coast called the Sunbury Crab Co. and tonight they're having their annual GA/FLA Tailgate Party and Oyster Roast (details below). In fact, the place is built in their backyard. It's a heckuva nice place, and if you need that "Bulldog Point of Pride," their son was a Battle Hymn Soloist and is one of the best friends I have to this date. He's the soloist in the You Tube video below.

So, if you happen to be heading down to Jacksonville, it's right off of I-95 at the Midway exit. The full "press release" of the GA/FLA Tailgate Party and Oyster Roast is below. Tell them Kit sent you and then come find me at the bar.

Bulldog fans, kick off the GA/FL weekend in style Thursday, October 30 at the Sunbury Crab Company Restaurant on the Georgia Coast. It’s the 5th annual Ga/Fl Oyster Roast Tailgate Party!

Enjoy local oysters, shrimp, blue crab, and clams all harvested within sight of this scenic waterfront restaurant. Pay just $20.00 and you can sample it all at the seafood tent in the downstairs courtyard, or if you prefer, order off the menu upstairs. Live entertainment on the downstairs stage by The Midway Allstars (no cover charge for this special event).

Restaurant opens at 5pm, party starts at 6pm…GO DAWGS…(Florida fans with a sense of humor are also welcome).

www.sunburycrabco.com for directions

Tired, hungry dawg fans can stop in for Sunday lunch on the way home.

Hope to see y'all there.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Hate Week 2008 Part I - The List

2008-10-28T22:26:00.003-04:00

I don't have time to write a fancy intro to this thing. Hatred is abounding. Must. Write. List.

The Ten Things I Utterly Hate About Florida Fans

10) They Don't Respect Stafford -- Even after last year's complete domination through the air (as well as on the ground), the Gator contingent still thinks that Matt Stafford couldn't hold Tebow's jock. Well, I hate to tell you, but everyone else outside of the state of Florida disagrees. There's a reason why Dawg fans are sweating and that's because Stafford has a real chance of going pro shortly after this season and by doing so, he could be the #1 pick in the NFL Draft. You don't hear any of that talk around Gainesville, do you? Watch Tebow on Saturday and see how many times he, ON HIS OWN, audibles the team into a different play. Superman's got the physical tools, but apparently he shipped off of Krypton before he got that mental prowess that Stafford has. I want a QB that can RUN an Offense. Not one that can merely execute it.

9) Nothing Good Ever Came Out of Florida -- "Heaven's Waiting Room" is nothing but a sand pit, surrounded by ocean. Sure, you've got that cool space shuttle launch once in a while, and I can't disagree that Daytona, Miami and PCB are some of the best places for spring break, but seriously what has Florida contributed to the world lately? Oh that's right, y'all do that whole "orange juice" thing. But seriously, I haven't drank a drop of Simply Orange since I saw Urban pimp it (shout out: Mackie).

8) Gator Fans are Stupid -- No, really. You guys are morons. Thank God you have a genius like Orson Swindle keeping part of the world thinking that some of you have some sense. However, most of us with half a brain know the truth and, that is something in the water in Florida has convinced all of you that mullets, Trans Ams and being on COPS is still cool.

7) You Don't Dress Up for Games -- Seriously, what good fan of college football in general doesn't see Gameday as a time to strut your best stuff? Instead you wear T-shirts and parade around in your Sunday afternoon's best. Save that sh*t for the NFL.

6) I Think Tebow is an "OK" Guy -- Alright, this might not have much to do with the fans, except in regards to their undying love for him, but man I can't force myself to hate the kid and that drives me nuts. J.P. Wilson, Rudy Carpenter and Steven Garcia are all people I despise, but for some reason, I just can't hate the kid and he BLEEDS Orange and Blue. He's a good kid, he sets a good example and he always says the right things to the media. What I REALLY hate is that he ended up at a place like Florida. I do hate that "jump up and down while waving arms" thing that he does AND I think the jump pass is flat-out stupid. So, I got that going for me I guess.

5) You People Ignore Math -- Without sounding like a Georgia Tech geek, I despise the fact that you want to point out your total domination of UGA since 1990, but still ignore the overall record or the record over the last 5 games. Wake up Florida people; we're not the same team you dominated for all those years. At least ACT like we have a shot of winning because, much like last year, if we do win you'll look stupid for another 364 days.

4) You're Hypocritical -- Yeah, we've had some kids get arrested in the offseason for doing things like driving drunk, carrying around an UNLOADED gun (which was later dropped) and touching some pregnant chick's belly, but at least none of our players SHOT OFF AN AK-47 or STOLE A DEAD GIRL'S CREDIT CARD. Until we have a guy do that, you morons have ZERO right to talk. PERIOD. CAPS!!1!!11!!

3) You Believe Offense Will Win You Championships -- You fools really think Chris Leak won you that National Championship? Seriously, there should have been two separate lines of ass kissing. One that lead to Ron Zook for recruiting those players and another that led to Charlie Strong for keeping you in those games. I can't wait until Strong moves on and you guys realize what you REALLY need to do in order to win. Offense is cool and chicks dig the long ball. I get it. However, Defense will keep crystal balls in your trophy case and allow UGA prospects to knock them over and break them.

2) You're Screwing Everything Else Up -- Tommy Tubberville is on the hot seat right now because thought this "Spread" idea was a good one. Wonder where he got that from? Don't get me wrong, I hate him, but man, your disease of this "Spread" offense is, well, spreading. I'll be honest, I think the Spread is a flash in the pan and more teams nowadays are figuring out how to beat it. You had about a two-year head start where guys said "man that team is fast, we need to get faster players on Defense" and that's what they did. Beat up on UK all you want to, but speed won't win EVERY game. Sure didn't look that fast against Ole Miss.

1) Urban Meyer is Your Head Coach -- No need to go any further. The guy is a tool bag if there ever was one. Here's a list of some of his accomplishments:

"Top 1% of 1%."
"Trust me, Jevan. Tebow is going to play LB."
"OK Ronnie, you can work out with the team and hang around the team but you are NOT on the team, OK?"
"Tim Tebow is the Greatest Player of Our Era."
"It was a bad deal. And it will forever be in the mind of Urban Meyer and in the mind of our football team. So we'll handle it, and it's going to be a big deal."
"It's two teams battling it out for the SEC East, and it has no bearing on it whatsoever..."

I could keep going, but there's no need to. However, via Ally, Gators Wear Jean Shorts has this gem:

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Well, there you have it. Now you know WHY I hate Florida fans so much. So, join in down in the comments section and let me know why YOU hate them so much.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Hate Week 2008 Part I - View Behind Enemy Lines

2008-10-27T20:29:00.004-04:00

So over the course of the past year, I made a friend that happens to be a Florida Gator. Earlier this season, he forwarded his SEC preview that he wrote to me and it was as funny as it was informative. I instantly thought that it would be a good addition to Hate Week Part I for us Dawg fans to hear things from the other side.

I hope you'll enjoy. If you disagree with what he writes, feel free to let him know in the comments section. However, this is my house and I do appreciate you using proper manners to my guests. Curse me all you want, but keep it respectful, capice?

Florida/Georgia 2008 - From a Gators Perspective

Leghumpers,

Greetings from the Land of Jorts! Well the game that we all have been looking forward to for 360 days is finally upon us. Two years ago I said that this Cocktail Party would be the most anticipated game in the last 20 years of the series and it looks like that prediction was right on the money. I can’t remember any other time heading into this game that Dawg and Gator fans were more excited about their respective squads. Both teams are playing their best football of the year and I see that trend continuing for the rest of the year. I really believe the winner of this game will go onto beat Alabama in the SECCG. Bama has looked like ass, ever since the first half of the Georgia game and both the Dawgs and Gators have most of their tough SEC games out of the way. This one should be for all the marbles.

The entire point of me writing this was to bring a differing opinion about the game to the site. With that being said, it would be pointless for me to base that opinion on my love for the Gators and not on the facts because I’m sure everyone here cares the same way about the Pups. So let’s keep all of the “Knowshon is the best RB in the history of football” and “Tebow could cure cancer” homerisms out of the way and look at the facts. We’ve can save all of the trash talking for the Landing or the Touchdown Lot before kickoff on Saturday!

The 2007 Game

Before the game last year, I don’t think the Dawgs knew how good they were and Florida didn’t realize how many holes they had on defense. Georgia was ready to fire every position coach they had after the beatdown in Knoxville a few weeks prior and were in desperate need of the off week before last years’ showdown. Florida had just won a shootout against then 8th ranked Kentucky after losing in their last possession the previous two games against LSWho and Auburn. Georgia had to kick a last second field goal to beat SEC East powerhouse Vanderbilt in their last game before J'ville. But then Mark Richt went and pulled the biggest second half turnaround this state had seen since the Braves in 1991.

Stafford had been up and down the entire year, pretty much single handedly losing the South Carolina game. Pup fans were ready for him to cash in on his all world potential and start playing like we all knew that he could. And that is just what he did. Stafford made a number of big throws in the game exploited a weak Gator secondary. This was also the game that Knowshon Moreno used to establish himself as a household name in the SEC. He went for 185 on 33 carries and I honestly don’t think the Gators could have slowed him down if they played with 12 men on defense. The rest of the Dawgs fed off of his energy and the offense turned into the juggernaut that the Pup fans knew it could be. Percy Harvin did all that he could do to match the production Georgia was getting from Moreno. Unfortunately for Gator fans, Percy couldn’t play on the O line. Marcus Howard sacked Tebow like seventeen times and Superman really never got on track. Georgia punched the defending National Champs directly in the mouth and we never really did anything to regain the momentum. With that being said, let’s talk a little more about that “momentum”…………….

So You Think You Can Dance?

I may be one of the only Gator fans at last years’ game that really didn’t think that the Pups pre-orchestrated dance party was that big of a deal. I actually thought it was pretty awesome! It provided the shot of adrenaline that the Dawgs’ needed. It helped make the statement that “we are tired of being Floridas bitch.” But the fact of the matter I don’t think it was as big of a deal as people made it out to be. Florida scored on its next possession and led for a good part of the first half. Georgia won because Florida couldn’t tackle Knowshon Moreno, not because of Trinton Sturdivant’s sweet ass dance moves. I don’t think that the Gators will retaliate in any way this year. That’s not really Urban’s style. But even if they do, I don’t think it will really affect the game. Football is about blocking and tackling, not who has the better celebratory dance.

2008 Prediction

Again, the whole reason that I am writing this is to give all of you with Red and Black glasses on another perspective on next Saturday’s game. Do I think Florida is going to win? Of course! I wouldn’t be wasting time writing this b.s. if I didn’t! But, I’m not one of those homers that think my team is going to win every game just because they show up. I predicted our Ole Miss loss the morning before it happened and I am much harder on my own team than I am on others. I’m pretty realistic and I try not to get caught up in all of the emotion surrounding these games every week and just stick to the facts. But unfortunately that isn’t always what the SEC is about.

College football is as much about momentum and not overlooking your opponent as it is about 40 times and statistics. In rivalry games, anything can happen. And, I think this is going to be one of those once every 15 to 20 years games, much like the Lindsay Scott game or Spurrier’s first game back in the monsoon-like 1991 battle. Just like all big games between two heavyweights, it will probably come down to who can avoid giving up the big plays and special teams. Let’s take a look at each position for each team.

Unit by Unit Analysis

Let me start off by saying Stafford has looked really good so far this year. He is finally starting to cash in on some of his John Elway like potential. He has been able to avoid the big mistakes that plagued him throughout his first few years and has developed into a team leader. The emergence of AJ Green certainly hasn’t hurt either! Stafford has the best “arm” in the country and is capable of making all the throws and plays his team needs him to. He leads the league in Passing Yards per game and will have a big day against the Gators.

Tim Tebow has not been himself this year. Some of that is his fault and some of it is Urban Meyer/Dan Mullen’s fault. He has a lot more weapons at his disposal this year and doesn’t have to carry as much of the load as he did last year. He is next to last in the SEC in attempts in 2008 so his numbers are obviously nowhere near his Heisman trophy winning campaign in 2007. But, Tebow has been able to manage the offense very well and only has 2 interceptions on the year. He has begun to run the ball more the past few games which has added another element back to the offense. I expect the much of the same from Tebow this week. All that Florida needs from Tebow is for him to play like he always does, solid.

Advantage: EVEN

Running Back

Knowshown Moreno is the best back in the SEC. Much like Tebow, the Dawgs always know what you’re going to get out of him. Michael Smith had a field day against the Gator D a few weeks ago when he ran for 130 yards or so, and I think Knowshon will do the same. With a healthy Sutherland now leading the way, look for Slowshon to run for 100 +yds.

The Gators have a three headed monster at running back this year. Depending on whether or not Emmanuel Moody is back 100% from a high ankle sprain will determine how many carries each of the backs will get, but I suspect that he will still be gimped up. That leaves Jeff Demps (the fastest player in college football) and Chris Rainey to share the workload. Both backs are capable of taking it to the house if they get past the first level of the defense and for little guys actually run very tough between the tackles. The Gators will get plenty of yards, but you can’t pick against the best back in the conference.

Advantage: DAWGS

Wide Receiver

If it was legal to just skip college and go straight to the NFL, then I think AJ Green would have never made it to Georgia. Absolute stud. Mo Mass is solid, but not spectacular and after that it kind of drops off for the Pups. Kenneth Harris and Michael Moore are decent, but I don’t see them making much of an impact in a game this big. If AJ can’t get his catches, the Dawgs will sputter in the passing game.

Florida has the horses, but again, they have the second fewest attempts in the SEC, so there aren’t that many balls to go around. Percy Harvin is still the best receiver in the league, sorry AJ. Louis Murphy and Carl Moore have been steady this year, but both are due for a breakout game very soon. A team strength for the Gators is that they seldom drop balls. Tebow, unlike Stafford, throws an extremely catchable ball and doesn’t have to worry about drops. This is why I give the slight edge to the Gators at this position.

Advantage: GATORS

Offensive Line

Yes, I know that Georgia has had 39 different offensive lineman get hurt so far this year. Who cares!? They have still been solid across the board. Three sophomore and two freshman, and they are playing like veterans. Stafford has only been sacked 9 times all year and Knowshon has obviously gotten his yards. When you recruit like the Dawgs and Gators do, you can afford to suffer a few injuries.

Up until three games ago, Florida’s offensive line was piss poor. With the emergence of RS Sophomore Carl Johnson, they have finally gotten it together and the offense has begun to click as a result. UF has also started to use wider splits, which has allowed their running backs more room to operate in space. UF has given up 10 sacks to UGA’s 9, but I really don’t see either line being much of a liability or advantage in this game. Because of the inexperience of UGA, I give the slight edge to Florida.

Advantage: GATORS

Punting

Brian Mimbs and Chas Henry are the two best punters in the SEC. Henry is an ex high school QB and has been perfect on fake punts throughout his career. Urban loves fake punts in big games so look for something to happen here. Florida has the best punt block team in the country, and I did notice yesterday that Mimbs stands too close to the line of scrimmage when punting so watch out for a punt block, Dawg fans. They do have the exact same average so this one has to be a draw.

Advantage: EVEN

Defensive Line

To have the #1 rush defense in the SEC, you don’t hear much about UGA’s defensive line. Corvey Irvin is solid but I really don’t see anyone on the Georgia roster that impresses me. But the results speak for themselves. If you lead the SEC in rush defense, you are doing something right.

The exact same thing goes for Florida. Lawrence Marsh is the best of the bunch, but this group underachieves. Jermaine Cunningham and Carlos Dunlap were talked about a lot in the preseason but neither one have gotten a sack since Nam. If there is one area FOR BOTH TEAMS that will hold them back from winning the conference, it is the Defensive line. Due to the fact that the Dawgs have the top run defense and Florida is third I give them the edge.

Advantage: DAWGS

Linebackers

Rennie Curran is the type of guy that everyone would want on their defense. He is fun to watch play. Ellerbee is obviously a great player too. I’m hearing he is supposed to be back on the field next week? Daryl Gamble has been great in his absence. This is a team strength for the Dawgs. Fast and hard hitting linebackers are always a given for Georgia.

Brandon Spikes is the best linebacker in the SEC (Rolando McClain a close second). He is slower than dirt but he is always around the ball making plays. Dustin Doe, A.J. Jones, and Ryan Stamper are all solid but not spectacular. This is also a team strength for the Gators. Since Ellerbee is coming off of an injury, I give a very slight edge to UF.

Advantage: GATORS

Secondary

This part of Georgia’s team confuses me. When you look at each player, they are all terrific, but after the game when you see how many passing yards they gave up, it tells a different story. UGA gives up the second most passing yards of any team in the SEC, which is a cause for concern against Tebow and company. Rashad Jones is very good, but much like Major Wright for the Gators, he goes for the big hit too much instead of making plays on the ball. Asher Allen is a good player, but after that it gets kind of dicey for the Pups.

Florida starts three true sophomores and one true freshman in the secondary, and what was considered a team weakness at the beginning of the year has now become a huge strength. With that being said, we haven’t faced a QB like Stafford so far this year, so it is tough to tell what will happen. Florida is first in the league in Pass Efficiency Defense so you have to go with the Gators.

Advantage: GATORS

Kicker

ATTENTION ALL DAWG FANS……LAY OFF BLAIR WALSH!!!!! He is a freaking true freshman! You’ve been very spoiled the past 8 years with Bennett and Coutu but this kid may be the best of the bunch. Big leg for a little guy.

Jonathan Phillips is 9 for 9 this year, but only a few of those have come from more than 40 yards. Urban really doesn’t believe in field goals.

Advantage: DAWGS

Coaching

Yeah right. I’m not going to touch this one. That would be like wearing a white hood around Hollywood Road in Atlanta. I’d just be looking for a fight! Both coaches are the best in the business.

Advantage: EVEN

BY THE NUMBERS: Something HAS to give!!!!

UF rushing offense: 2nd in the SEC

UGA rushing defense: 1st in the SEC

UF Passing Defense: 1st in the SEC

UGA Passing Offense: 1st in the SEC

UF Scoring Defense: 1st in the SEC

UGA Scoring Offense: 2nd in the SEC

Matt Stafford: 2nd in the SEC in Pass Efficiency

Tim Tebow: 1st in the SEC in Pass Efficiency

Knowshon Moreno: 2nd in the SEC in rushing

Jeff Demps: 1st in the SEC in average yards/rush

AJ Green: 1st in the SEC in Receiving Yards/game

Percy Harvin: 1st in the SEC in Receiving TD’s

KEYS TO VICTORY

I could obviously go on for hours about different stats, strengths, weaknesses, blah, blah, blah but I really think that the game will come down to four key factors.

• Red Zone Success
Florida is first in the SEC in Red Zone Offense and second in Red Zone Defense. When Georgia has had trouble scoring this year, it is because they are settling for field goals instead of TD’s. If this turns into the Blair Walsh show, then the Pups will be in trouble, because the Gators count by 7’s.

• Punt Teams
Florida has the best punt block team in the country. It has been well documented that when Urban Meyer coached teams win 90+% of the time when they block a kick. As I mentioned earlier, Mimbs stands very close to the line of scrimmage sometimes on punts and could be an easy target for the Gator special teams. Also Brandon James hasn’t returned a punt for a touchdown in a few games so he is due. The punting game could be a HUGE turning point for both teams.

• Penalties, Penalties, Penalties
We are just as bad as you when it comes to penalties. Most talented teams have the same issue. I will take an aggressive, talented, highly penalized team every day of the week! But if one of the teams is able to avoid the yellow hanky on Saturday it could prove to be a huge advantage.

• AJ Green
He is one of those type of guys that could single handedly make enough plays to beat a team. If he gets deep on our 5’10” DB’s it could be strike up the band time. If it happens more than once, it could be start up the bus time, for the Gators.

Final Thoughts

I appreciate everyone that took time out of their busy day to read this junk. Although, much like myself, I think that you should reassess your goals and get a damn girlfriend. But, back to the game. The truth is I have no freaking idea what is going to happen Saturday. It is Florida Georgia for crying out loud. Ron Zook beat you guys twice when you had a team that was eight times better than we were. Last year, we beat Tennessee by 40, they beat you by 25, and then you kicked our ass up and down the field. This is the SEC. Anything can happen on any given week.

However, there are a few certain things that I can guarantee go down on Saturday:

1. There will be a number of Florida fans that will sport Blue Jean shorts to the game and honestly see nothing wrong with it (God bless them and their ridiculous taste in clothing).

2. The Dawg fans will put four times as much effort and energy into planning their tailgate and picking out their outfit, than they will thinking about the actual game.

3. I will drink too much beer and end up making an idiot out of myself before passing out in someone's kitchen.

All kidding aside, I would like to thank Coach Mark Richt for making THIS A RIVALRY again. To be completely honest, I never really held any disdain for the Pups until last year, because we only lost to them twice since I even knew what football was. But now let’s just say all of us Gator fans know why our elders hate all things Dawg.

I think that it is going to be an awesome game. Definitely should be a high scoring contest. Both offenses are way too good to not put up a lot of points. I think that Florida has the advantage on special teams and that something big is going to happen that will push us over the top.

FINAL SCORE: FLORIDA 38 DAWGS 31

For everyone going down to the game be careful and don’t do anything TOO stupid. For all of you watching at home, the referees cannot hear you, and I promise that both Offensive Coordinators know a lot more about football than you do so get off of their back. Enjoy the game and Go Gators!

P.S. Dawgs lick balls!

*Editor's Note -- About the author: "Seth X" is a decent enough person for a Florida fan. He's written other popular articles and books such as "The Top 2% of 2% -- Why I Love Milk," "Urban's Whey -- How Protein Saved My Life," and "C.R. Took My Girlfriend -- White Chicks Love to Make it Rainey." He will be in Jacksonville this weekend and will hopefully drive back to his residence in Atlanta on Sunday a very depressed soul.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Hate Week 2008 Part I - The Celebration

2008-10-27T08:00:00.000-04:00

"That wasn't right. It was a bad deal. It will forever be in the mind of Urban Meyer and in the mind of our football team. We'll handle it, and it's going to be a big deal." -- Urban Meyer in "Urban's Way"

Look, there's a nice way to kick off this week and the best way to do it in my mind is to talk about what everyone's been talking about since it happened nearly 365 days ago.

The Celebration.

According to Urban Meyer, The Celebration was something that somehow wronged him in some way. It was something that he didn't see as necessary or important. He saw it as a slap in the face to good sportsmanship and his team.

However, what he apparently missed in all this was the ass-whipping he and the rest of the Florida Gators took shortly after that first touchdown was thrown. You see, the big problem with what happened in Jacksonville last year was that the whipping boy decided not to get whipped anymore. Instead, said whipping boy stood up and dared the other to hit back. When that happened, however the bully didn't know what to do.

I mean let's think about it like this, we had heard over and over again about the 15 of 18 and how much the Gators were in our heads. However, surely a master motivator like Urban Meyer would have enough of his wits about him to realize that we were going to get tired of it and actually try to play a football game. I mean no one likes losing, right?

Well, when UGA said "this song will not be the same this year," they meant it and dared the Gators to change the jukebox.

The funny thing is, they did.

What gets lost in all this jumbled up mess of dancing, players rushing sidelines and all that is the fact that Florida REGAINED the lead. That's right, we hit them in the mouth and they responded. They responded well enough to take a 17-14 lead in the second quarter. It was on a 43 yard FG by Joey Ijjas.

So did our dancing in the first quarter really do that much damage in the second quarter? If I recall correctly, we only did it once, so was it post-traumatic stress? Did you see a replay and it freaked you out again? Was Trinton Sturdivant's boogaloo that horrific to where it burned the image into your retinas and you couldn't see to defend Stafford's Bomb to Massaquoi, or Knowshon's scores, or our FGs? Did we really scar you that badly?

Look, I don't know the outcome of this weekend's game. If I did, I'd lay the house on the winner and quit my job shortly thereafter. However, what I do know is that the crying needs to stop. No one gives a rat's ass about The Celebration. No one cares that Tebow was a little banged up.

All people care about is who won the game and in 2007, you didn't. I hope to God you don't win this year, but you can't change the past and the past says we beat the hell out of you last year.

So I'm looking forward to seeing what this weekend holds, but as far as I'm concerned, Urban Meyer and the Florida Gators' need to be on notice. No tricks this weekend. No motivational ploys. We've already hit the bully in the mouth. Now we're waiting for the rematch.

Well, waiting is such a strong word. I'd more say that we're really, really REALLY looking forward to it. So much, that "Hate Week 2008 Part I" is now in full swing. Get ready to Celebrate.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Geauxing to the Outback Bowl

2008-10-26T19:42:00.001-04:00

Man I'm having a helluva time focusing on getting this recap out for a variety of reasons. The main one is because today kicks off Hate Week 2008 Part I. We're going to get to all that shortly, but we've got to recap that ass-whipping in Red Stick before we go any further.

This may be shorter than usual, but I'll try to make it worth your while.

The Stats Say:

That our Offense finally took stats and turned them into points. The most important stat of the day was 52 and really, nothing else matters as much as that. Of course, we took care of the football and caused LSU to make mistakes with it that helped translate into points as well.

Now, the 38 on the LSU side of the scoreboard is a little disconcerting, but then we could point to the stat that shows that LSU gained roughly 180 of those yards in the 4th quarter alone. We also kept pace with them tit for tat in that we both racked up 14 points in the 4th, extinguishing any hopes of them having a comeback.

The Good:

1) Matt Stafford -- Seriously, the kid had an exceptional day. He took care of the football and threw for 249 yards and 2 TDs, and he rushed for one as well. If you're looking for efficiency out of your QB, you needed to look no further than #7 on Saturday. He managed the game well and ran the Offense nearly flawlessly. It really was the complete game we were looking for him.

2) Knowshon Moreno -- He ran the ball extremely well on Saturday and netted himself 160 yards. I'd be interested to know when the last time we had a running back who rushed for 150+ in back-to-back games. He is quietly becoming Herschel-like in dependability when it comes to getting yards and you always know you're going to get his best effort.

3) Darryl Gamble -- 13 tackles and 2 INTs that were returned for touchdowns. That's a HELLUVA game.

4) Gary Danielson -- I know he's an announcer, but damn he was dead on this past Saturday with calling a good game. Everyone knows that I'm a huge fan of Uncle Verne, but Gary Danielson has been just as good. In fact, he's gotten my respect ever since he was the first to mention the Celebration was planned and his performance yesterday just solidified that he, in my mind, does just as much research as anyone else when getting ready for a game.

The Bad:

1) Giving Up 38 Points -- Look, as long as we win, I don't give a damn how many points we rack up, but it's important for our Defense to flip the switch and intimidate some folks. Now, we did get 2 sacks for a total loss of almost 30 yards, but I really wish we wouldn't have gotten eaten up so poorly with the simple plays. I mean seriously, Charles Scott is not fast and we did not clog the middle and try to force him to the outside. On top of that, we went and let LSU eat us up with screens. We do that against Florida, it's curtains for sure.

2) Poor Tackling -- Yeah, this one happens sometimes with us, but we flat out got freight-trained on some of those runs from Scott. What's scarier than not being able to tackle a guy who could hardly outrun some of our LBs? Not being able to tackle guys who run faster than any guy on our team. Much faster. If we don't cure that "missed tackle" thing that's plagued us a little bit this year, we'll get gashed bad this weekend.

3) Getting Carved Up on the Run -- Man if you would've told me that LSU could tally 200 yards of rushing against this team, I would have told you that you were insane. However, they certainly did just that and for it's scary knowing that since we're going up against a team that does so good of a job of getting the ball in their playmakers' hands in open space. We've got to curb that kind of performance.

The Ugly:

1) Missed FG -- Hey, I really feel like I'm reaching to find stuff for the "ugly" list, so I'll just throw this in here. The truth is that in the past two games, Walsh has had a hard time getting the ball through the posts and even though he connected on one FG attempt, he missed the other. Thankfully we have been in positions where those misses don't totally come back to bite us, but there's a real possibility that we will be this weekend. We just need to make sure we capitalize on as many opportunities as possible.

2) Retaliation -- Darryl Gamble let the cat out of the bag after the LSU game when he said the Seniors have "something up their sleeve" for this upcoming game. Look, if the Seniors have anything planned other than whipping Florida Gator ass, I don't want any part of it. This is a week to pack a lunch and some Advil because it's going to be a damn long week followed by an absolute war on Saturday. We HAVE to stay focused to win in Jacksonville.

Well, there you have it. LSU is in the past and Florida is in the future. Time to make it happen.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

*Editor's Note -- I did pretty good with the recap except I forgot one HUGE piece of the puzzle and that was the Offensive Line. Those guys played lights out and should have not been forgotten by a bumbling idiot like me. Congrats to all of them, not only for keeping Stafford out of serious trouble all day, but also for keeping the penalties down for the second straight game as well.

UGA vs. LSU

2008-10-23T21:35:00.007-04:00

How does one start a post like this? We've talked about the beginning of this stretch of games all year. As UGA fans, it's all we've heard about since before the season began. Hell, I think it ended as soon as LSU won the championship last year.

So what's different from then to now? Well, our Defense is not exceeding expectations by any means and, to be honest, neither is LSU's. Our Offense is better than expected, and LSU's is about where we thought they were.

Yet, I'm more worried about this game than any other game we've played this year. I'm optimistic that UGA can come out with a win, but it's going to be a damn hard fight in order to get one.

No sense in wasting any more time worrying. Let's get to the X's and O's. As always, Jody's Information Overload can be found here and Doug's preview can be found here.

When LSU has the ball:

You have to wonder at this point in the season if LSU would be a top 5 team if Ryan Perrilloux would've gotten his sh*t together. However, Miles has done a superb job keeping LSU in games with the 2 QB system. Part of that lies in the balance that LSU has in the running game, led by big MOFO Charles Scott. Scott reminds me of T.J. Duckett in some ways because he's a big bruiser that runs downhill and invites contact. You can't forget Mr. Track Star himself, Trindon Holiday, who is small and quick in the mold of a Darren Sproles without the strength.

LSU has a decent set of WRs as well, who all possess speed, but suffered from a case of the drops last week against South Carolina. They're big though, with Brandon LaFell being their main target and the one who is on the receiving end of a good share of passes.

What scares me the most? An O-line primarily recruited and partially coached by Stacey Searels himself. If I'm correct (and I may not be on this), LSU still employs the same zone-blocking scheme that Searels coaches at UGA today. If LSU is anything on Offense, it all starts up front behind those big uglies.

The way UGA beats LSU in this matchup really lies in our D-line. If they can step up and get consistent pressure while not giving up large chunks of rushing yardage, we should be OK. However, we've got to be just as balanced in the Secondary as well, since our tallest CB (Bryan Evans at 5' 11") is a good 4 inches shorter than LaFell. Tim Jennings proved years ago that small CBs can play big, but we REALLY have to play big in the Secondary to have any shot as well.

Pressure up front is key, though, and we need to do our best to make LSU as one dimensional as possible in order to win.

When UGA has the ball:

The craziest thing about this year has been the role reversal from having a dominant Defense to a great Offense. It really struck me today when a poster on the Dawgvent listed about 20 reasons why he "guaranteed" a win against against LSU and you had to get all the way to #13 before he even mentioned the Defense. Granted, it's message board chatter, but it still holds some weight because statistically, we're more set up to win a shootout than we are a defensive struggle.

More-so than LSU, our success depends SOLELY on the Offensive Line. As always, in Stacey Searels we trust, but we are facing one of the more dominant D-lines in the conference, and one that gets all-world Defensive Tackle Ricky Jean-Francois back. It doesn't stop there, though. LSU is very deep on the D-line and it's going to take all we have up front to keep pace.

I expect us to see a lot of toss sweeps again in the running game, especially since we'll see Brannan Southerland back at TE after Chandler had a setback this week and will see little, if any, time. We need those dominating FBs out on the outside to try and spring Knowshon, which also gives some of our better WR blockers like MoMass opportunities to block downfield.

In the passing game, Stafford's got to limit the turnovers. The LSU fanbase is like a starved pit bull and if you turn the ball over, you feed the beast. Stafford, in my opinion (as well as Jody's), is the key to this game. He's the leader on this team and he'll be the one to calm everyone down when that crowd is trying to break our spirit.

Special Teams:

Well, we've talked about Blair Walsh being relatively unproven until he kicks that crucial field goal in Death Valley. Now he gets his chance. Brian Mimbs also needs to have a big day as well, because there will be some times where we can't get anything going and we'll need to make LSU drive the length of the field and earn their points.

LSU is just as balanced on Special Teams as we are. They have a solid FG kicker and are decent in the return game. While they're not as solid on Special Teams as, for example, Florida, they're still formidable in that area.

A LOT of pressure is on Remarcus Brown to do some great things on kickoffs. He's definitely the man now and we are going to rely heavily on him to put us in decent field position. We'll really need to be strong in this area, like every other area, as well.

What I think will happen:

Man, I really think this is going to be a tough one for us. While I'm not ready to predict a loss, I am ready to say that if we don't bring our best football to Baton Rouge, we'll walk away with a loss. The thing that scares me the most are the distractions we've had this week. From rumors about Kiante Tripp, to injuries that include Aaron White's shoulder and Akeem Hebron's season-ending ankle dislocation, I'm super worried about our focus. I'd be lying if I said that I think we spent enough time game-planning for this contest. Add in the fact that our most crucial game of the season is next week versus Florida, and even I'm completely distracted.

Expect UGA to come out and really try to establish the ground game. A lot of speculation this week has included questions about whether or not we take the ball if we win the coin toss. My opinion is that we choose to kick and see how our Defense is going to stack up against their Offense. LSU fans are always crazy, but to me, they'd be slightly LESS crazy after about 3-4 minutes into the contest and an LSU Offensive drive that stalls. Of course, people have asked the question "How Loud is Loud?" and the truth is, no one really knows.

We'll have to stop LSU on the first drive and then score first and make them play from behind. However, we've got to put in 60 good minutes of football in order to pull off a win...just ask South Carolina about that. This game is won and lost on the feet of Knowshon and our O-line. I think we go out, stop LSU, score first and then just try to keep the game in check for most of the way.

I don't think we blow them out by any means, but a workman-like performance ain't gonna fly either. UGA's gotta hit LSU directly in the mouth and we've got to have a "man-enough" mentality here. I think regardless of the distractions this week, we actually do that and we walk away from Baton Rouge with a hard-fought win. It'll be ugly because it always is, but I think our talent on both sides of the ball outshines what LSU has.

The biggest part of what we do needs to be to find the spark that ignited our run the rest of the way down the line from last year. It's imperative that we start playing not to lose and start playing to win. We've got to get mean and stay mean as hell for the next month.

I think we can do it and I think we do it here. We'll definitely earn the win, though.

UGA 24

LSU 20

Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Go Dawgs!)

No List This Week

2008-10-22T23:55:00.005-04:00

I know it's the second week in a row that I haven't posted a List and I do apologize about that. However, there have been some other things lately that needed my attention and it's caused me to fail a little bit on my blogging duties. I'll definitely have a preview up tomorrow, though, regardless if I have to stay up until 3:00 am to do it.

I do have some "around the blogosphere" tidbits for you, though:

Quinton at the Georgia Sports Blog informs us that Pulpwood is back for LSU. As always, Pulpwood breaks it down properly.
The Good Senator provides some highlights from Chip Towers' post at the AJC. It's a good "Cliffs Notes" version of the article. Also, be sure to check out this week's Mumme Poll.
Mackie at Blogging Pantsless has this gem of an article written in LOL Cajun. How about you check it out?
Hamp's also got some final thoughts from Vandy. Always good to get another take on a game, but I never thought about that SEC Truck commercial like that until he mentioned it.

Ok, I think that's it for right now. Preview coming tomorrow.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

"He hates these cans!"

2008-10-19T20:51:00.006-04:00

There are a ton of people out there who are absolutely disgusted with our performance on Saturday, but I'll be honest, I'm really really REALLY pleased with this win. All in all, Vandy is a damn tough team. They have the record to reflect that. They've also played, and in 5 cases, beat, teams that are very good and very competitive.

We'll break down the game, but before I go any further, everyone needs to understand one thing and one thing only: we won.

The Stats Say:

The stats indicate that this game could have been a blowout. Think about it like this, Blair Walsh missed two field goals, resulting in 6 points not making it to the board. Take that and couple it with the points we gave Vandy on turnovers and you have a totally different ballgame.

However, you could've seen it coming from a mile away. Vandy is a ridiculously opportunistic team. They lead the SEC in turnovers taken and every game they've been in, they've been in it because of their Defense.

Nothing was different than that on Saturday. We gashed them on the run, we blocked well downfield and we executed well on some long passes. If Stafford doesn't turn the ball over twice (the second time he's done that in as many games), and we convert on those field goals, then the score is more like 30-7. At that point, I think we would have been excited about the game, right?

The Good:

1) Forcing Turnovers -- Darius Dewberry and Reshad Jones both had good days in capitalizing on turnovers, even though we dropped at least another two possible interceptions in the game as well. However, it's nice to know we could finally get some interceptions in there.

2) Commitment to the Running Game -- I absolutely love the toss sweep and I'm a huge fan of Bobo using it to perfection. Knowshon had a helluva day running, racking up over 170 yards of offense, including a touchdown. Nothing wrong with that at all.

3) Shaun Chapas Continues His Dominance -- Last week Chapas busted out and showed great balance, not only with blocking, but also running the ball and catching it out of the backfield. This time around, he continued to do the same thing. I'll admit, I've been extremely worried about the departure at Southerland at the end of the season, but if Chapas continues this trend, I'll be really pleased and les worried.

4) The Little Things -- There's a ton of things that went right on Saturday. Too many to mention, honestly, but honorable mention goes to the Offensive Line, less penalties, holding Vandy to less yardage than they've put up on average this year and racking up more yardage on Vandy than they're used to.

The Bad:

1) Stafford's Play -- Look, I'm a HUGE fan of Stafford, but I've said repeatedly that his mechanics are shot when he gets in a rush. However, this past weekend, he was hardly in a rush at all, yet he managed to look at his receivers so long, that his passes were batted and it caused interceptions. Granted, he still did a lot of things right, but turnovers resulting in points like what happened on Saturday will NOT fly in Baton Rouge this weekend.

2) Missed Opportunities -- I touched on this earlier, but we've got hands on stone lately. It's incredibly important for us to capitalize on mistakes when the present themselves. To keep on winning, we have to force turnovers and create opportunities from them. Asher and Darius both dropped for sure interceptions on Saturday. Great coverage, but missed opportunities.

The Ugly:

1) Lack of a Pass Rush -- This has got to change soon. We've got to get better doing this and we've got to do it quickly. It was right about this time last year when all this turned around for us, so we need to find that spark and make it happen again. Until it does, we're cruising for some losses.

2) Off-the-Field Issues -- Ugh. So Vince Vance gets arrested for driving on a license that expired on his birthday 7 days ago, you know, the day he tore his ACL. I guess while the swelling goes down, he should've gotten his ass to the DMV. I'm totally saying that tongue-in-cheek, by the way. Also, Brandon Wood gets arrested for DUI after blowing barely over the limit. Now, the reports I've heard say that B. Wood did well against all the field sobriety tests, and the cops were really excited about busting him, but that's neither here nor there. Either way, it sucks to lose B. Wood for at least one game, when we're already razor thin on the DL. S-U-C-K-S.

3) Fan Post-Game Reaction -- Ok, I get it that people are pissed at Bryan Evans, but let it go. The fade route to the back of the endzone wasn't his fault. If you're going to blame anyone, blame the Offense for putting the Defense in the position to work with such a short field. Points were going to result out of that drive any way you slice it. Plus, that fade route was one of the best throws I've seen all year. Then, we get fans not only blasting Evans for his play (which I will admit has been less than stellar), but blasting the whole team because we didn't blow Vandy out. Here's a hint, be glad we won and let's move on from there. You may not like the way Evans played, but he's a DGD and deserves the respect anyway. Trust me, no one's beating themselves up like that guy is. I guarantee that.

So there you have it. Feel free to tell me how dumb I am.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

UGA vs. VU

2008-10-16T22:16:00.002-04:00

Before I get started, is it just me or does this week not feel like the week before a big game? The problem with Vanderbilt is that EVERY team in the SEC looks at them like they're Vanderbilt of the old instead of Vandy of the new. The truth is, I don't hate them too much and I like to see them do well against other teams. Hell, I'm their biggest fan in regards to them becoming bowl eligible; just as long as they don't do it against us. I know I'm a bad fan.

So, even though I should be worried about playing yet another Top 25 team, another SEC foe and another team with a scrambling QB and scrappy Defense, I'm not. I should be worried about all these things, but I'm not. It's dangerous and crazy for me to do these things. So starting right now, I'm worried about Vandy. Worried as sh*t about Vandy.

As always, you can read Jody's Information Overload here and Doug's preview here.

When Vandy has the ball:

Vandy's Offense is probably one of the worst, if not the worst in the nation, and the stats back up the former of the two statements. Vandy is near the very bottom in Offensive statistics, but they have the amazing ability to make big plays at the right times.

Vandy's in the catbird seat of the SEC right now even though no one gives them a chance to win it all. Hell, you could say the same thing about UGA and Florida as well. Right now, you've got a helluva matchup setting up in Athens and we all know how the last two games have gone for UGA vs. Vandy. Vanderbilt runs a spread-type Offense that is a light version of what Wake Forest has done. Under Bobby Johnson, the idea is to get fast players and teach them fundamentals to make up for their lack of size. It's working amazingly well for them so far, wouldn't you think?

For Vandy, it begins and ends with QB play. Mackenzi Adams has technically been the backup for the past two seasons, but he's always come off the bench strong. In fact, he played very well against UGA last year and has played lights out in most of their games this year. Not in terms of statistics (more of that "but he's not good 'on paper' is he?"), but in terms of making plays when he needs to make plays. Just ask Auburn and they'll tell you.

Vandy runs an option-type-zone-read-type Offense that creates a lot of balance between QB rushing yards and RB (led by Jared Hawkins) rushing yards. In Vandy's win against UGA back in 2006, the QB (at that time it was Chris Nickson) ran all over UGA and we were not prepared for that kind of speed from a QB or a RB, AND NEITHER OF THEM ARE FAST! They were just faster than what we expected.

Luckily, we have a HELLUVA D-line that is absolutely gobbling up rushing yards and spitting them back up as losses. Another wonderful thing about what's going on is that UGA is facing a team that has been absolutely horrible in throwing the ball.

So what do we do? Well, Vandy's going to try to spread us out by running a lot of 3 and 4 WR sets out of the shotgun so that we're off-balance against the run and in tough situations against the pass. The good news is, we are talented enough to keep this from being a major problem as long as we isolate the big play. If Vandy is in a 3rd and 9, or even a 3rd and 1, we have to get them off the field and keep them from converting. If we can keep them from getting into a rhythm and keep them from gaining confidence. If we get them on the ropes, we should be able to keep them there relatively easy.

We really need the Secondary and the LBs to step up and give some solid support to the D-line who will have their hands full. The key is going to be to keep passing plays under 4 seconds. Keeping a passing play under 4 seconds means we have either sacked the QB or forced him to throw to a covered man. We've got to keep the pressure on the QB at all times and trust the blitzes. Not only trust the blitzes, but love the blitzes.

When UGA has the ball:

Well, we pretty much just need to do more of the same. I know a lot of folks weren't happy with the play calling efforts of last week, but I was actually a big fan of the job that Bobo did. Aside from Stafford making a mental error or two, we actually called plays that gave us an opportunity to let our playmakers create. We ran toss sweeps, quick throws to WRs with tons of cushion and stuck to the short and medium range passes.

Although the injury to Vince Vance sucks, I really think that we'll be fine with Boling at that position. The main thing we can't have is more injuries to the line. We are as razor thin on the Offensive Line as we were in 2003. The plan right now is to keep up the short to medium range stuff and keep those toss sweeps coming because it gets our speed guys on the outside and limits the chances for Stafford to be sacked.

Again, I know that many think Bobo did a poor job last Saturday, but that last drive by UGA in the 4th Quarter was a thing of beauty in my eyes and it's a staple of winning the Richt way.

Vandy is smallish and somewhat young on Defense, but they have a ton of speed and are very fundamentally sound. They are big threats in turnovers and sacks and we've got to be very smart with the football (aka run the hell out of it) in order to win this game. Knowshon should see 20-25 carries for us to win and we should absolutely run it to the outside to give guys like Brannan Southerland and Shaun Chapas a chance to pave the way with speed and big bodies.

Special Teams:

How about that Blair Walsh? Kid is going to be a good one, based on what we've seen so far. Hopefully the game won't be like last year's in the sense that we have to kick a game-winning field goal. But, if we do, I don't feel as nervous as I did earlier this year.

What's the best way to hide your poor kick off coverage? Well, you give your punter very little work to do (because you're too busy SCORING) and you kick the ball out of the endzone. I'm happy with that overall plan.

That also helps us keep the ball away from D.J. Moore, who is Vandy's very dangerous return guy. Yeah, we should kick it AWAY from him.

What I think will happen:

Well, right now, the spread is UGA -14.5, which means for all intents and purposes, we will not cover the spread. Vandy always plays us close and I expect Saturday to be no different. While I don't think we'll necessarily be in danger of losing, we could easily give this game away if we lose focus and forget how to play fundamentally good football.

On paper (I love that phrase) UGA is incredibly more talented than Vandy in a lot of aspects, but it's important for us to remember that Vandy has a TON of fight in them and they know how to come from behind and win. In fact, all of their victories to date have been in come from behind situations, they are on bowl-eligibility's door and they are not afraid to kick it in.

Look for a very workman-like performance from UGA. we're not going to amaze anyone, but we're going to play fundamentally smart football, grind the clock and be as efficient as possible until 60 minutes are up. It's time to put on the hard hat, because we've got some work to do to win this one.

UGA: 30

Vandy: 17

Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Go Dawgs!)

Can't Spell "UT Sucks" Without "UT"

2008-10-14T23:15:00.000-04:00

Yeah the title is lame. Sorry, but it is what it is. I apologize for the lack of posting over the past couple of days and you'll notice that this week's List may be non-existent or at the very least, late. That's because my Aunt had a health scare today that took my time away. Everything looks good now, but if you haven't told the people you care about that you love them, take some time today to do so. Just my two cents.

So I know I'm not the only one that left the game a little underwhelmed, but I also know that I'm not the only one that was excited as sh*t about a win on Saturday where the score didn't indicate the total domination that was the game.

As always, we had some things to be proud of and some things to be really pissed about, so let's get to all that right now.

The Good:

1) Matt Stafford -- Aside from his two interceptions (one of which was not his fault, but the other was), he had a great day throwing the ball and tallied up his first 300 yard game of his career. Sure, we never threw the deep ball (which I think sucked more than anything), but we did complete some high efficiency passes and we got the ball in some of our playmakers' hands and let them create. That's the point of throwing it to them right?

2) The Defensive Line -- Man, is there anything better than holding UT to only 1 rushing yard? Granted, some of those yards they gained on the ground were lost due to sacks (yes, we actually pressured and sacked the QB some this game), but to hold a team with hosses on the O-line and the talent behind that to only one yard is pretty impressive. On top of that, we always have that aforementioned pressure and sacks. We all know how much I love pressure.

3) Prince Miller and Asher Allen -- Those two guys played lights out on Saturday. Asher had some really good pass breakups and there were times where Stephens wouldn't even throw it towards that side of the field, whereas Prince Miller played great as well, had some good punt returns and even recorded a sack.

The Bad:

1) Safety Play -- We've gotten burned a few times due to some blown assignments lately and this time around was no different, especially on UT's second touchdown. Part of the problem with our zone scheme is that the CBs will "release" guys into coverage expecting a Safety to float over and provide help. However, that hasn't happened as much lately as we would like. Reshad is a good talent and C.J. Byrd is as well, but these guys have got to step it up soon.

2) Lack of the Tight End -- I know a lot of this has to do with injuries, but is Aaron White so bad that we can't have him run routes at all? Maybe we're saving things for a rainy day, but having the TE not be a factor in the game at all is troublesome to me. I'm hoping that we can utilize that weapon soon because the TE is a big fixture in the success of Mark Richt's Offensive Scheme.

3) No Dagger -- There were a couple of missed opportunities in the red zone and out of it that kept us from putting that deadly dagger in the heart of UT. The game was much closer on the scoreboard than on the field and we probably left at least 14 points out there due to not making the right play calls, stupid turnovers and bad calls from the refs.

The Ugly:

1) The Injuries -- Man, it SUCKS losing another Offensive Linemen for the year. Big Vince Vance was trying his best to hold down the most crucial spot on the Offensive Line, but his torn ACL (on his BIRTHDAY no less) is a crucial blow to our young O-line. The good news is that Clint Boling is a VERY talented player and given enough reps, he might turn out to be a force on that side. In Stacey Searels we trust.

2) The Redcoat Band Drumline -- Look, this is my band dork moment of the day, so bear with me. I have NEVER heard the band sound that bad...EVER. I'm not a drummer and I damn sure don't pretend to be one, but I know what sounds like sh*t and the Redcoat Band sounded like sh*t on Saturday; especially the drumline. Trust me, I'm not alone in thinking that, either. While the drumline was trying to be cute, they were sloppy to a degree that made the whole band look bad. Seriously, if I were still in Redcoats, I would've been embarrassed on Saturday. Get your sh*t together guys.

Well, I'm sure I'll draw a little bit of heat here and there for that recap, but it is what it is. What else stuck out to you guys this past weekend?

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Grobe'd!!!!1!!1!!!!!!11!!!!!

2008-10-13T12:11:00.004-04:00

Apparently Clemson University has woken up and realized that with all their ridiculous amounts of talent, they should be winning games. In response to this wake-up call, they have fired Head Coach Tommy Bowden today.

After the Ray Ray fiasco and their numerous recruiting issues, it couldn't have happened to a better a$$hole.

"Tax increase on families making over $250,000? Yeah, that's no longer an issue."

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

UGA vs. UT

2008-10-09T22:19:00.004-04:00

Well the wounds have been licked and the time has come to go out and prove that 'Bama was a fluke. At least that's what we're hoping for at least. I'm actually kind of proud of the rhetoric I've been reading on the message boards. Unlike the days leading up to the 'Bama game, the Dawg Nation knows this game is HUGE for us and we're going to be in for one helluva fight.

Now, on paper you would think that UGA should dominate UT in all kinds of ways. However, statistics don't win football games, as we all know. They might set up game plans, but the plays have to be made on the field.

As always, you can find Jody's information overload here and Doug's preview here. On our end, though, wow about we go ahead and get to the meat and potatoes of this game below?

When UT has the ball:

Tennessee has had all kinds of problems this year offensively. If there's one thing you can say about Phil Fulmer, however, it's that despite all their offensive woes, they still have their crappy offensive coordinator. Dave Clawson has not done anything worth noting as of yet and it turns out that UT's best game offensively so far has been against UCLA in a LOSS. They have been barely worth noting the rest of the season, including an absolutely putrid performance last week against Northern Illinois. I'll say that again...NORTHERN ILLINOIS.

Let's be honest though, UT has recruited well over the years and if they have anything, they have big uglies on the Offensive Line that can make holes when necessary. On top of that, they have enough of a QB (regardless if it's Nick Stephens or Jonathan Crompton) that can hand it off to their talented, and fumble-prone, running backs.

Expect UT to not try and get too cute right when they come out of the gate. If I'm UGA, I'm giving UT the ball first and putting 7 in the box to force Nick Stephens to try short passes like John Parker Wilson. However, this time around, we've hopefully learned enough to keep from getting our asses handed to us by the dreaded "3-step drop." I swear, after reading so many articles about the 3-step drop, you'd think it was something brand spanking new.

UGA's got to get after Nick Stephens and put as many on the line as possible before the snap. Whether we bring the heat or not is irrelevant, but with a QB that's playing in the biggest game of his career (which also happens to be the SECOND time he's ever started a game), we have to make him think we're coming after his ass and scare him to death. On top of that, we need to press UT's receivers and dare them to beat us deep. The best way to combat the dreaded 3-step drop? Kill the timing by bumping the WRs.

When UGA has the ball:

People think that UT has a craptacular defense. For the most part, I would agree based on the scores I've seen and the games against Florida and UCLA. However, statistically, UT is a very good defensive team.

As important as it is for us to come out and confuse UT's offense, our Offense has to be absolutely mind bogglingly (not a word) good. We have to be able to set up the run first (from all aspects of the game) and then pass with high efficiency. Stafford needs to really rely on those short to intermediate passing attempts and the WRs have to help him out by getting open early and catching the ball when it's forced in there instead of being laid in the basket.

The best thing to mention is that we get Brannan Southerland back after his foot injury, which has kept him out so far this year. He's the most dominating blocker we have and he will be crucial in taking pressure off of the O-line to spring those big runs. Plus, he's a great safety valve coming out of the backfield for Stafford.

In the running game, I expect us to pound the rock much more often in this game than we have so far. This game is the first in a stretch of games in which none of them are easy...for the rest of the year. It's imperative that we get Knowshon his reps, but Caleb King and Richard Samuel need to get theirs as well. Trust me, games will be won and lost on the legs of Knowshon, but he has to be fresh and healthy enough to get us through this stretch. Expect heavy rotation of RBs on Saturday.

Also the O-line has to begin playing like they've done this for years. There's no more scheming around other defenses. It's not going to happen. Those guys have got to stand up, hit someone in the mouth, protect Stafford and open up gaping holes. It's a lot to ask from a young unit, but it's necessary.

Special Teams:

Well, Walsh is good and I think we've found some new options for punt returner in Prince Miller and kick returner in Richard Samuel. So in those aspects, I think we're going to be OK. However, our punting has got to be drastically better than it was against 'Bama and our coverage is getting there, but it's still got a ways to go.

As far as UT goes, I know that they're getting Britton Colquit back after his suspension, so you know their punts will be good. Hopefully we can GATA and block another one this week.

What I think will happen:

Look, I'll keep this short and simple. This is a game that means a lot to us on many different levels. This is a revenge game, it's a game where we have to prove to the world we weren't a fluke and it's a game where we can show the maturity that we need to show in order to make it through this brutal stretch of games.

We need to come out aggressive as hell. More importantly, we need to be aggressive from toe meets leather until the Chapel Bell rings. UT is going to play us tough because they have to. Phil Fulmer is fighting for his life here. A loss to UGA puts UT at 2-4 on the season and puts them in the Peach Bowl AT BEST. At worst, it costs Phil Fulmer his job in the middle of a season. Either way, it makes UT a very dangerous team between the hedges.

The biggest difference? UT traded David Cutcliffe for Dave Clawson. THAT will be the difference in the game on Saturday. I fully expect the Dawgs to GATA and score our points. We'll be in a fight, but I fully expect us to play fundamentally good football, cut down on the stupid penalties and come out with a hard-fought, solid win.

UGA 24

UT 13

Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Go Dawgs!).