Urban Legends

According to ESPN, at 7:00PM on December 26th Urban Meyer has resigned his position as the head coach of the Florida Gators. Not much insight has been given as to why he has suddenly stepped down, but health concerns are believed to have played a part in the decision. I will be updating as soon as I know more.

Verification

From the Washington Post Article:

Foster staying at Va. Tech
Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster is staying in Blacksburg.

On Monday, the university offered a new financial package that will keep Foster in place at Virginia Tech. Foster, who has been the Hokies' defensive coordinator for the past 15 seasons, had been approached by several schools about their defensive coordinator openings.

He said he was contacted by Florida Coach Urban Meyer and Florida State Coach Jimbo Fisher about the defensive coordinator vacancies at both their programs, but Georgia made the most serious overture toward Foster.

"Coach Beamer has been extremely good to me," Foster said. "I want to ride this thing out with him. We’ve been doing this along time together and there’s not reason to stop there, and let’s finish this thing. It’s a good deal all the way around. I’m extremely pleased."

The financial terms of the new arrangement were not immediately available.

Fostering Images of Defense (((UPDATED)))

According to Jim Donnan on his daily radio show, and a statement released by VT athletic director Dave Smith, Mark Richt has contacted VT DC Bud Foster about the vacant position with the Dawgs.

Foster has long been atop my list of candidates for the position, I just never thought he would make the lateral move nor did I think Richt would actually pursue him. Don't hold me to this, but I was reading an article the other day about Foster's defenses in his 15 seasons as DC, and in those 15 seasons they have finished in the top 30 in total defense 14 times. Pretty good track record, if I'm remembering correctly.

The possibility of anything happening is purely speculation at this point, and I know the GA masses would love to see Kirby Smart, but this is one name you HAVE to put above him right now. Foster would, in my opinion, be the best possible DC hire possible this offseason.


***According to a few leaks via Twitter that have not been verified, Foster has received a new annuities package from VT and a revamped contract and will be staying with the Hokies.*** 6:35PM

The D Buzz

Mark Stoops: Outstanding in his field


The word circulating on the mean streets of Athens, GA is that there's about an 80% chance that the new defensive coordinator of the Dawgs is going to be current Arizona DC Mark Stoops (little bro of ol' Bobby), or current 'Bama assistant HC Sal Sunseri.

Granted, I would still rather see Kirby over either of those names, both would still be a huge improvement over what we've become accustomed to in recent years. I guess it's worth noting that Stoops did lead the 21st ranked defense this past year.

Another noteworthy factoid for all you recruiting hawks out there, the highest rated uncommitted QB prospect in the nation (according to Rivals.com) has UGA atop his list. Hutson Mason from Lassiter High School said he wants to visit all schools on his short list, but as of now, GA is still a solid number one.

Going Bowling...Unfortunately

As all of the Dawg nation knows by now, we have been selected by the bowl committees to play Texas A&M in the Independence Bowl in the beautiful town of Shreveport come December 28th. Kick-off has been set for 5pm.

I believe we got a slight shaft in the selection process, thinking we probably deserved the Chick-fil-A Bowl, but, had we taken care of business against Kensucky we wouldn't even be having this conversation.

I'll be back soon for insight and updates regarding A&M, and a bowl game breakdown. It could be another wild one, though I wouldn't expect our defense to perform any worse without a coordinator than it did with one. However, I would expect a whole bunch of points from both sides.

Free Willie

And with that title I'm not making assumptions about the price you could receive his coaching services (or lack there of). No, as most of you know, Willie was officially relieved of his duties as DC in a news conference around 3pm this afternoon. HC MR apparently thought the lackluster performances of the defensive unit were further rooted beyond the coaching of WM, and also decided to cut ties with defensive ends coach John Fabris and linebackers coach Jon Jancek.

The move didn't really shock anyone, as the defensive unit has gotten progressively worse under the direction of Martinez. What was shocking is that it took an extra 48 hours for Richt to pull the trigger on the announcement than most had expected.

As far as replacements are concerned, quite a few names are being tossed about, including the two who I think would be the best fits for our system. The names I've heard discussed so far have been Kirby Smart (DC, UA), Bud Foster (DC, VT), Tommy Tuberville, Brian VanGorder (DC, Falcons), Kevin Steele (DC, Clemson), and Jon Tenuda (DC, ND). Personally, I would love to see Foster or Smart. I've always enjoyed watching a Foster defense terrorize opponents, and he seems to coach the type of smash mouth ball we need again within our program. Smart would also be not so far below on the totem pole. He currently has the second best defense in the SEC, and is in the top ten nationally, 'nuff said. (Oh, and as you all know he is a GA boy.) Having had the displeasure of watching Notre Dame this year, I can't see how Tenuda would be much of an improvement over WM. VanGorder left once already, and I honestly can't see him dropping from the ranks of the NFL to come back as an assistant in college, though he would be a welcome sight on the sidelines. Tuberville is in that boat as well, having been an SEC HC for so long, I don't really see him coming back the game as a DC with so many HC positions surely to be coming open in the next few weeks. And, quite frankly, I don't know a dang thing about Steele, so I really can't comment one way or another.

Keep checking for updates, I'll have them as soon as I hear a peep one way or the other.

Good, Clean, Old Fashioned Win

I'm going to venture about a half-step out on a limb and say I'm probably not the only member of the Dawg nation who thought the final four regular season quarters would ultimately result in a paraphrasing of our entire season. I went so far as to venture we may even lose by a ridiculous four plus touchdowns. Amazingly, and by what I can only assume was the grace of Erk, it didn't. In fact, it was far from anticipated blowout I had predicted in the early afternoon hours on Saturday. Had our fallen compatriot UGA VII made it to season's end, he would have assuredly gone to be with his brothers when the clock showed zeroes with our boys on top by 6. And if that didn't finish him off, the 300 plus rushing yards we managed to accumulate would have certainly done him in.

I for one can say there is no way in the world I could have ever seen the game turning out the way it did. A victory, while a bit far-fetched, wasn't completely out of the question, as it never is in a rivalry game of this magnitude. But that way it was done, not even Nostradamus could have foreseen. Had you shown me these stats:

Rushing Yards: 339 - 205
Passing Yards: 76 - 135
Turnovers: 1 - 2
T.O.P.: 30:03 - 29:57

I would have asked two questions. How in the world did we manage to rush for 200 yards, and how did we manage to keep the ball for half of the game? Then, had you told me our boys were the ones on the plus side of the possession and the ones with 300 yards rushing, I would have laughed, very obnoxiously. In fact, had I not seen it happen with my own two eyes there's a good chance I still wouldn't believe it to be true.

But as the old adage goes, I guess it's better late than never. Our preseason "best offensive line in the country" finally decided to make an appearance, albeit in the final regular season game. Throughout the game the hogmollies up front were forming holes wide enough UPS could deliver through and consistently pushing defenders five and ten yards off the ball. Throughout its entirety we saw the type of game we have become accustomed to seeing from our Red and Black clad boys.

For the first time this season we also seemed to stick with what was working on the offensive side of the ball. We didn't get fancy, but then again, we didn't need to. Bobo saw we could run it, so run it we did. Both backs set career highs on the ground by the second quarter, and Cox had the best quarter of his career in the first 15 minutes of the game. (*editors note: Cox didn't attempt a pass in the first quarter) It wasn't flashy, but it was effective.

Defensively, we played better than what was expected, though we did give up a few long pass plays due in no small part to missed tackles at or near the line of scrimmage. However, any time you can limit the leading rusher in a triple option system to 41 yards, you have to feel pretty good about your performance. Let's just hope one game doesn't make everyone forget the rest of the season. Also, not to be the naysayer, but you should remember Yech was still in a position to win the game in the waning moments of the fourth quarter, and very well could have if Reggie Ball, rather, Demaryius Thomas could catch the easy ball, and if CPJ didn't completely abandon the option that got him to that point.

All in all, it was a flat out good game. According to Chris Lowe and the boys at ESPN, it may have even been good enough to save us from the Toilet Bowl. The "experts" in the know have us back in ATL for the Chicken Bowl against VT, which would be a rematch of a few years back. Now it's just a waiting game.

Thankfully, all that bowl stuff can wait, and for GA fans, we get bragging rights for another 364 days. As Washaun's tape and Caleb's arms said, "We run this state". For one of the few times this year, it really is great to be a Georgia Bulldawg! Go Dawgs!

Halftime Adjustments?

Four turnovers. In the second half alone. That pretty much sums up our season in two quarters. A game destined to be dominated by our boys and send the seniors out with a final home win, we manage to completely blunder with four turnovers in the home half of the game. The last time I checked, halftime was a break given to both teams for a good rest and adjustments. Apparently we made adjustments, just not the right type.

Our boys dominated the game against the Cats, only to have the offense give it right back. Say what you will about Willie and his D, but when you give the opposition the ball inside your own 10 twice in a half, it's pretty hard to conceive there will be less than 10 points put on the board. It's been our achilles all year long, and it was once again this past Saturday. I'm not going to elaborate too much on what went wrong and what went right, because it's pretty obvious. Our inept offense once again proved it couldn't be trusted, and our D (which played an okay game), proved it cannot overcome the mistakes made by that unit. If nothing else, hopefully this game solidified the case for making changes at years end.

Our "leader" of a quarterback made two very costly throws, which included one on our final offensive drive that could have still won the game. Our true freshman RB showed his youth with a fumble on the one. And our coaching remained bland and unimaginative.

I won't be making a prediction regarding the GT game, as we all know how that one will likely turn out. Though I hope we emerge victorious, I pray we have done enough to this point to ensure both coordinators will be replaced this post season. I am deeply disturbed about the state of the program right now, as I'm sure most of the Red and Black faithful are.

On the bright side, it looks like we'll have Rambo and AJ back to face the Fuzz this upcoming week. I'll be back on later in the week and early next week to recap. I'm hoping for the best this week, but expecting the worst.

Blue (Gr)Ass Beat Down....Maybe

Well kids, I'm keeping it short and sweet this week. Partly due to the fact that it's two o'clock in the AM, and perhaps more to do with the fact that I've been drinking beer and playing poker for the past four hours. What do we need to know about the game Saturday?

First off, we know that Kentucky SHOULD be considered a "walk through", but for this years Dawgs, nothing can be taken for granted. Aiding in that assessment is the fact that the 'Cats best offensive weapon is most likely going to be out for the game. Randall Cobb, a "wide receiver", is the most prolific offensive threat that the Blue brings to the table, not only because he's a great catcher of the ball, but also because he can line up and play some QB. Having him out of the game, along with starting QB Mike Hartline could make the opposing offense quite anemic.

One thing the boys in blue do have going their way is their run defense. They are statistically ranked in the top tier of most SEC defensive categories. Their run D is above average, and if their is one thing we've had trouble doing this year, as we all know, it would be running the ball. However, I think we will be able to handle this weeks opposition with our ground attack, as we have been consistently improving in that particular area for the last four weeks. I look for another good outing from CKing as well as Ealey. Also, keep an eye on the Trouper from Tifton, GA. He was one of the most highly regarded prospects coming out of high school, and I believe he is now going to grab his 15 of fame.

I know that's a pretty bland run-down of what is to come, but come on guys, it's basically a dumber version of Vandy (or so I hope). I think we have another DECENT defensive showing, especially considering the injuries to the opposing offense. Somehow we find a way to put of a respectable amount of points against an above average defense.

Prediction: UGA 34 UK 17

A (Next) Season Changer

With the exception of a few key injuries Saturday, our boys had what I believe to be our best game of the season to this point. As most know by now, Rambo was concussed in the latter stages of the fourth quarter and AJ was sidelined with an arm injury, possibly for the season, after amassing only a couple of catches.

Even with those injuries, we were able to survive an early two touchdown deficit to grab a victory from the hands of defeat. Some have ventured so far as to say it was a must win game, and I would tend to agree. Though I feel confident we would have been able to become bowl eligible with a win against UK next week, it certainly feels nice knowing we can beat at least one first year head coach in an always tough SEC match-up.

Aside from being a win (a conference win at that), this game provided more of an off the record boost than most realize. Everyone knows the War Tigers hail from just across the border in Bama, and recruits from the area are often torn between the two schools. Heck, at this game alone UGA welcomed nearly 400 recruits, friends, and family. Losing this one could have been detrimental to our final class of 2010. Aside from beating Auburn on the field, we may have just beat them off the field in the recruiting ranks as well.

As far as on the field action was concerned, there were some highs and lows on both sides of the ball. For the first time this year in a game that actually mattered we were able to run the ball consistently for the duration of the game. Ealey looked like the back we thought he could look back, and C King showed flashes of his high school self. We finally managed to play an SEC opponent without turning the ball over, which if not for committing only four penalties would have been the biggest stat of the night.

Defensively, we looked pretty solid after the first twelve minutes. We actually played some solid coverage, pressured the QB, and forced some bad throws. I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried, because I honestly thought the game was over before it had started. Amazingly, our defensive unit showed some stones and "manned up" for the remaining forty seven minutes.

As far as the aforementioned injuries are concerned, we know for a fact that both Rambo and AJ are gone for the Kensucky game, and maybe for the remainder of the season. Rambo has the best chance of returning before whatever bowl we wind up in, an amazing feat considering he lay unconscious on the field for nearly twelve minutes. Before being placed on the back-board he did have motion in all his extremities and was diagnosed with only a concussion. The verdict is still out on AJ, and the coaches are keeping mum on his situation to this point. All I've heard is he hurt his shoulder/arm and doesn't have full strength or range of motion and he won't return to the field until he does.

Check back often for updates, and I'll be back with my breakdown and prediction on Wednesday or Thursday, barring any technical difficulties. Go DAWGS!

SEC TV Schedule for Final Weekend

The SEC television lineup has been set for the final weekend of the regular season:

FRIDAY, NOV. 27

* Alabama at Auburn, 2:30 p.m. ET, CBS

SATURDAY, NOV. 28

* Clemson at South Carolina, noon ET, ESPN

* Ole Miss at Mississippi State, 12:21 p.m. ET, SEC Network/ESPN Regional

* Florida State at Florida, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS

* Tennessee at Kentucky, 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU

* Arkansas at LSU, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

* Georgia at Georgia Tech, 8 p.m. ET, ABC

An Apology

To my loyal following:

I apologize for the lack of much anticipated updates over the past week. I have been experiencing some technical difficulties with blogspot's servers and haven't been able to provide the quality reading my faithful readers spend their days looking forward to. I can promise you I will have my full allotment of recaps, updates, and fearless prognostications in the week to come.

With love,

Herschel Walk the Walker

High School Memories

David Ching of the Athens Banner-Herald had a great article Sunday on the importance of this past weekends meeting with the out-classed Tennessee Vocational High School. I found several points in the article that I agreed on, but some I didn't.

Ching said we were in need of a good showing regardless of the opponent, which I completely agree with. We needed a confidence boost in any shape or form, and hopefully our high school opponent gave that to us. Ching also said we were in need of a game that we could get some of our inexperienced freshman some valuable game time and the opportunity to make big plays. That was accomplished, and hopefully we can look for more of the same in the games to come. Ealey had his first two career rushing TD's and looked pretty impressive although against an inferior defense. B Smith lined up in the WildDawg and took off for a lenghty run that resulted in a TD. I liked it, but also wondered why we would wait until now to use it. Does anyone besides me think we might have been able to use that spark against the Gaytors last week, or maybe against one of our other SEC opponents who put a whoopin' on us?

Ching also makes mention of the fact that our coaches were also in need of a spark. This I couldn't disagree with more. Coaches shouldn't need a spark to reiterate the fact that what they are doing is working or not working. All this game proved for our coaches is that they obviously aren't up to snuff with the rest of the staffs in the SEC, though they might be world beaters in DII.

There's really not much else to talk about from the weekend. We beat a team we should've beaten by a margin we should have won by. What else is there to say? We looked okay, they looked like an inferior opponent. We should know a lot more about how much our confidence was boosted when the War Tigers come a calling Saturday night.

I'll be back tomorrow or Wednesday with a breakdown, and if possible, I'll get another position by position from Scouts, Inc. Also, if you haven't heard already, the Kentucky kickoff has been set for 7:45 and will either be aired by ESPN/2. Another night game on a national stage in Sanford. WOO.

Black Britches Beatdown

For the first time since November of 1998, the Dawgs came out of the tunnel rocking some snazzy black trousers, the only difference being 11 years ago they were led out by a soon to be professional wrestler with a bald head. The result, however, was pretty close to the same thing. A wood shed whooping, with the high point of the game coming on the very first play when Walsh managed to kick one through the back of the endzone for a touchback.

Florida linebacker Ryan stamper said it best when he stated all the uniforms provided were "fake juice". Though I happen to like the black helmets, they apparently don't have enough "juice" inside them to get a Drama inspired "Victory!".

I for one have a theory on what would get a team "juiced" enough to be victorious, and that's a crazy little thing called preparation. Given a year to fume over the two timeouts with less than a minute remaining, and the 39 point embarassment handed out last year, one might think our boys would come out with a chip on their shoulder. That didn't happen. Maybe it was because CMR refuses to let anyone believe that this is anything other than "just another game". Regardless of how good and/or bad either team may be any given year, UF treats this game as it were a mid-season bowl, hence the reason they've won 85% of the games played in the last two decades. Maybe it's about time we started doing the same.

It honestly befuddles me to think how we can come out flat year after year in what is generally our biggest regular season matchup without some sort of gimmicky BS to get our fans and players fired up. It really is quite sad.

If we use the matchup against the Gaytors as a litmus test as to where our team should be (as we normally do), it's pretty dang clear we have quite a ways to go. Florida again pinned us like animal control without doing anything flashy.

Hopefully this game will further prove to our oblivious coaching staff that changes must be made. Bozo yet again had the imagination of a can of primer and WM only strenghtened his case for demotion. I really don't know what else I can say without sounding like a broken record, so I'll just let the firing talk be, with one exception.

I have long been a proponent of HCMR, but it's becoming increasingly obvious that he is unwilling to make the necessary changes on his staff. If it continues, I don't see him being around the UGA program very far into the future. I still believe he is a great coach. However, if he won't make the changes to turn the program around something will have to be done, and if it involves him moving on, then so be it. In a year destined for mediocrity, I would have loved to have seen a true freshman QB getting some action under center to better prepare for the year to come. Obviously that isn't going to happen, and if it does at this point, well, that's just blatant stupidity.

I'm taking tomorrow off to finish licking my wounds, but I'll be back on Tuesday to update any pertinant happenings. Word on the street is we'll know by then if we have a new face under center, just don't expect anything drastic.

"The Worlds Largest Outdoor Social Gathering" -- Michael Adams

So it's that time. Everyone knows pretty much all there is to know, and unfortunately there really isn't that much news to tell. This has been the most unimaginative pre-game week before the showdown in recent memory. No "inspirational speeches" by the Christ Child, no "we'll get 'em for the endzone dance" talk, and no "we're going to beat the hell out of them" talk from either side. No, in fact, this has been the kind of week that leads one to think that both sides are honestly concerned.

The Gaytors have had a few sub-par weeks leading up to the least most anticipated Party in years, and our fella's have had a week to soak in all the "upset" talk they can. I'm not going to bore anyone with match-ups and what we need to do and what they need to do moreso than I already have, so I'll just get to the point.

We seemingly do one thing well, and that is stop the run. Florida can't run the ball. We seemingly get beat by one thing more than anything else, and that is the deep ball. Florida can't throw the deep ball. We can't score many points, and at this point, it seems the Second Coming can't either, unless it's for the opposing team.

The Gaytors have a good defense, we have an inconsistent offense. We have a bad defense, the Gaytors have in inconsistent offense. So where does that leave us? I'm almost scared to admit it, but, I think at this point (especially with the off week), I really think we have a chance to win this ball game. I told my brother a few weeks ago that I was going to pick Heblow in a blowout. I'm not convinced I shouldn't, but then again, I'm a blind UGA homer. So here it is, and if it happens, you saw it here first. If it doesn't, just call me dumb.

Prediction: UGA 24 UF 23

Teblows Last Dance

Well boys and girls I hope you've enjoyed your off-week as thoroughly as I have, but now it's time to get back to the nitty gritty. I'll be posting my prediction and recipe tomorrow evening, but I wanted to go ahead and give you some positional breakdowns with a little help from Scouts Inc. Enjoy and check back in tomorrow for updates.

Georgia offense vs. Florida defense

• Georgia has used four different starting offensive line combinations this year, and while Cordy Glenn has started the past four games at left tackle, he has also started at both guard spots. At 328 pounds, Glenn can engulf defensive tackles and ends when he gets into position but he struggles with quickness. He's going to have a difficult time handling the Gators' speed off the edge if he's asked to line up at tackle, which is why it makes sense that he reportedly moved back to guard during the bye week. However, Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong can slide the versatile DL Carlos Dunlap inside, and Dunlap has the explosive first step to beat Glenn off the ball and the upper-body strength to shed blocks quickly.

• Florida's Joe Haden and Janoris Jenkins form perhaps the best cornerback tandem in the nation, but Haden (5-foot-11, 190 pounds) and Jenkins (5-11, 188) don't have great size. Georgia can exploit this vulnerability by lining up the 6-3, 230-pound TE Orson Charles at receiver and isolating him on one side of the formation. QB Joe Cox can then just loft the ball up and let Charles go get it, because Charles has the long arms to high-point the ball and shows good body control in the air.

• Look for Georgia to attack the middle of the Florida run defense. True freshman RB Washaun Ealey and 222-pound backup Richard Samuel are both tough between-the-tackles runners who can lower their shoulders and pick up yards after contact. In addition, FB Fred Munzenmeir is an effective lead blocker who has done a nice job filling in for the injured Shaun Chapas. On the flip side, Gators MLB Brandon Spikes is questionable with a groin injury that forced him to miss the Mississippi State game, and Florida's interior defensive line is banged-up.

Florida offense vs. Georgia defense

• Head coach Urban Meyer expects WR/RB Jeffery Demps to play even though Demps hurt his neck last week and is wearing a brace. Demps reaches top speed in a flash when he gets a seam, so the Bulldogs must stay in their gaps when he gets the carry. In addition, the Gators can line Demps up wide and run screens to him in an effort to get him into space. The Bulldogs must swarm to the ball and wrap up on contact when that happens because Demps is a shifty open-field runner who can make more than one defender miss. If Demps doesn't play or is limited, fellow speedster Chris Rainey will need to step up.

• Florida will likely continue to have problems running QB Tim Tebow inside in short-yardage and red zone situations. Tebow is a north-south power runner who needs a seam to be truly effective, and Florida's interior offensive line is allowing too much penetration. Georgia DT Geno Atkins is at his best using his above-average initial quickness and upper-body strength to shoot gaps and disrupt plays in the backfield. He is surrounded by a strong supporting cast as well, with the 315-pound Kade Weston getting good push up the middle and the active Jeff Owens holding his own at the point of attack.

• The Gators simplify Tebow's reads in a number of ways, including rolling him out of the pocket, running quick screens and running shuffle passes. These plays are designed to get their three best playmakers -- Tebow, Demps and TE Aaron Hernandez -- into space. Problem is, spaces become much smaller in the red zone, and that limits the effectiveness of such plays. Florida can and has created favorable one-on-one matchups by spreading the field in the red zone, but Tebow has been having trouble locating the open man and delivering the ball in rhythm over the past two games. Georgia can't let Tebow off the hook by biting on play-fakes or stepping up in run support too early.

Key individual matchup

Georgia WR A.J. Green vs. Florida CB Joe Haden

Scouts will keep a close eye on this matchup between players with first-round potential. When his footwork is sound, Haden has the burst and fluid hips to stay with Green underneath, and he rarely takes false steps. His ability to close on the ball in a flash and make plays when he gets there should also make Cox hesitant to throw at Haden. Green won't have much success getting behind Haden, either, because Haden is fast enough to turn and run with him. However, the 6-foot-4 Green has a significant height advantage, is an excellent leaper and has the long arms to snatch the ball out of the air, so he's capable of coming down with any jump balls.

Knoxville Knockout

In my last post from the past week I subtly hinted that Neyland Stadium might have less teeth than visitors (I believe it went something like "109,000 fans, 12 teeth). Having had a little over a day to digest the spicy smack-down that took place, I have realized the only toothless article in attendance Saturday was the UGA offense. Okay, that isn't entirely true; the UGA defense was pretty damn impotent as well.

I could sit here and type twenty pages paraphrasing everything that's been written in the past 24 hours about how the football program is in decline, HC MR is washed up and is no longer effective, about how the balance of power in the state of Georgia has permanently shifted to Atlanta, about how we are perennial under-achievers, how recruiting will never be the same and how all of our big-time recruits under-perform. But I'm not going to.

I believe it is what it is, a bad year. Mark Richt hasn't lost his edge, what he's lost is four members of last years squad to starting jobs in the NFL. The balance of power hasn't shifted, GT is having an above average year and we obviously are not. Five years of sub-par play is a decline, one year is an aberration. Some may still believe we are perennial under-achievers, but I think we are perennially a solid team that may have not lived up to legitimate expectations twice in the past 8 years. Recruiting will be the same, it always has been. Even Jim Donnan was able to land the biggest in-state recruits, and that isn't going to change.

I'm not even going to rant (too much) about how terribly we played Saturday, I don't have to, it was obvious. Ronnie Milsaps and Ray Charles could see how awful we were in pretty much all aspects of the game. The "strength" of our team, the offensive line, continues to disappoint. The running game is atrocious at best. Our QB still makes too many mistakes. The defense is flat out laughable. However, we do have a pretty good punter.

What I am going to rant about is how unprepared we appeared to be, how long we will continue to let the same mistakes keep occurring, and how our coaching staff as a whole can let our team quit like they did Saturday. If you watched the game, however painful it may have been, you would have sworn on your first born that nobody in a red helmet had seen a practice field in the last seven days. I understand what a last second loss can do for a teams morale, but the Dawgs of yester-year would have been angry about it, not flat. Big Red got his turn, and should be commended for waiting around for his opportunity, but he isn't getting the job done, time for a change. Ditto with the secondary. Unless we want a replay of this year in 2010, it's time to get the fresh faces some seasoning, starting under center.

The coaching staff, HC MR included, should be absolutely ashamed of themselves. When I say MR hasn't lost his edge, I mean I still honestly think he is one of the top 3 coaches in the SEC. However, I do think he is having trouble motivating his team without gimmicks (i.e. UF 2007). OC MB's play calling was as imaginative as a can of flat white primer. I know he's not physically on the field, but designing a drive that ends in points will get a team back into a game (literally and figuratively). And then there's Willie. Unfortunately, Willie IS on the field. I'm almost glad we had another poor showing so I can jump back on the fire Willie bandwagon. From the comments released in MR's teleconference Sunday evening, it appears changes are on the way, and let's hope they start on the defensive side of the ball. All in all, I would say this was one of the worst weeks I can ever remember for the UGA coaching staff, and I'm including last year's UA and UF games. They brought an unprepared team to one of the hardest places in the nation to play, and let them quit shortly after halftime. Saturday was an embarrassment to the University.


There will be no "need to knows" on Thursday in regard to the showdown with Vanderbilt, as I am going to be loving life far away from the rigors of work, and approximately 30 miles offshore. However, I will post my prediction and recipe, as well as any other pertinent news before heading South.

109,000 Fans, 12 Teeth. Welcome to Neyland.

Can the Dawgs go to Neyland Stadium and actually pull it out? I think they can, but for that to happen three things must occur.

1. We must find a running game

Richard Samuel, Carlton Thomas, and Caleb King have all had enough playing time to prove themselves. Samuel is young and seems tentative at times. Thomas, while fast, does not seem to possess the power needed to consistently succeed in the SEC. King has been injured, and now we find that he cracked his lower jaw in the game against LSU. Samuel can be productive, but it appears that King may spend the duration of his Metallic Trouser'd career on the injury roster.

Washaun Ealey ran with purpose against LSU. He hit the hole hard and continued to drive his legs until he hit the turf. He looked strong and fast. He seems to have great vision on the field.

Of course, I'm not saying that Ealey is the next Big Thighs, but after looking at our rushing stats from the past two weeks, I see no reason to not give him a chance.

2) Michael Moore, Orson Charles, and Tavarres King need to be more involved

With Eric Berry lurking over AJ Green's shoulder, it will be even more important for Big Red to spot other folks in the passing game, though the latter might be increasingly more difficult, seeing as TK is not going to be suited up for the game.

Orson has to become more of a target. He was huge in the Ark game but basically vanished against LS-Who. Michael Moore also has to make his presence known again, as he has basically dropped off the radar the past couple of weeks.

AJ Green is without a doubt one of the greatest receivers to ever play at the UGA, and who knows, he might wind up being one of the best ever, but having said that, he still can't do it alone. Bobo and Cox will need to find a way to get Moore and OC back into the mix. If Cox continues to throw into double and triple coverage, trying to get the ball to all world AJ, Berry is going to be a Rolex employee by the end of the day as good as he'll be cleaning clocks.

3) Get to Crompton early and often

If Georgia is to win Saturday, they must make life miserable for Crompton. He needs to get hit every time he throws the ball and have his ass permanently planted into the Neyland turf. JJ looked lost at times last week, and without his beast of a TB, he wouldn't have survived the defensive onslaught. Crompton has the talent of former UT great Jim Bob Cooter, and the arm of my neighbors 12 year old daughter. Make him hurt, make him bleed, and make him cry.

The UT defense will keep this game close, as there is no doubt they have incredible talent (and finally some coaching) on that side of the ball. However, their offense has looked even more anemic than ours at most times this season, and for that reason I see us pulling out a close one in the land of the Teefless Ones.

Prediction: UGA 20 UT 16

Excessively Excessive

Here is the link to an excellent article written today by MR. CFB Tony Barnhart, it is taken directly from his blog on the AJC. I recommend everyone follow his blog, as it is probably one of the better readings to be found involving all things football.

http://blogs.ajc.com/barnhart-college-football/2009/10/05/its-time-to-eliminate-the-excessive-celebration-rule/?cxntfid=blogs_barnhart_college_football

...and Mark May said it best?

"In my opinion, it was one of the worst calls I have seen in some time. Georgia had just led an excellent drive that put them on top with little time left in the game, only to have the games outcome altered by the officials. The outcome of a game should never be affected by a celebration penalty, especially one so minute as what Bulldogs were accused of. It is truly a disgrace." -- Mark May on the "penalty"

Honestly, I never thought I would say it, but I couldn't agree more Mark. Even Lou Holtz' old ornery ass thought it was a bogus call. Rece Davis was beside himself, as were the other 93,000 some-odd Bulldawg faithful in attendance of Saturday's game. To have the outcome of a game decided by a bogus flag thrown for celebration after the biggest play to happen in 59 minutes of play is absolutely absurd. Some may argue that the flag less important than the lack of coverage on the ensuing kick, but I would have to disagree. Yes, the coverage on the kickoff was bad to say the least, but still, a 40 yard return is less problematic if the ball is taken at the goal line as opposed to the 20. A hard fought, well-played game by both sides will long be overshadowed by a reckless ref throwing laundry around where he had no business doing so.

Aside from the last three minutes of the game, there weren't a lot of bright spots for either side, at least offensively. Our guys managed a total of 45 yards on the ground for the day, and the Bengals couldn't get it done inside the red zone. This game was dominated from the get go by both defensive units, yes, I said BOTH. Willie's boys got to the QB six time on the day, something we haven't done since blasting Brennan a new one in the Sugar Bowl in 2007. Only one big pass play was surrendered on the day, but was negated by a holding call. All in all, you would have to say it was our finest defensive performance of the season, even taking the final drive into account.

Offensively, we were pretty offensive for the second consecutive week, managing a mere 274 yards total for the game, including the aforementioned 45 yards on the ground. If there was a bright spot, it had to be Washaun Ealey, who kindred memories of the last player in red to wear number 24. Of course AJ was AJ, and ended the day with a more than respectable 5 catches and 99 yards. However, throughout the first 57 minutes of the game we looked mostly inept in all areas of the offense. Run blocking continued to be less than stellar, open receivers were too often passed by for the hope of a big play, and our two starting TB's looked as inexperienced as ever.

All of that being said, we still put ourselves in a position to win the game, only to have it yanked from our clutches by an over-eager officiating crew. We can only hope this game isn't so demoralizing that it stays with us into the next week and those games that follow. We played 60 minutes with one of the best teams in the country and if nothing else should be commended for such a hard fought game. Though our guys trailed, they never gave up, and made a play when it needed to be made. If there is a silver lining, it would have to be that we still control our own SEC destiny. Winning out, however improbable that may be, still gets us to Atlanta.


**On a side note, the rest of the SEC TV schedule has been released for next weekend, and UGA vs. TN will be televised by the SEC network at 12:21pm.

There's a Storm Bleauxing In...

A storm, perhaps, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it's reached hurricane strength winds as of yet. As all of you know, this week we will be welcoming the Bayou Bastard Children of Louisiana State to our humble stadium for one one the three ranked vs. ranked match-ups of the weekend. While the visitors come in sporting a nubmer four national ranking, nearly all of the prognosticators will agree they might not be so deserving, which is why I would assume our fellas in the metallic trousers are somehow favored by three as of this posting.

So what do we need to know about the Incestual Inbreeders from the lowlands? Despite their gaughty nubmer four ranking, the Bengals struggled mightily last weekend with the Westside Bulldogs, generally perceived by most experts (myself not included), as the 11th worst team in the SEC, just ahead of Vandy. The LSU offense relies heavily on their ability to run the ball to open up the passing game for their dual-threat sophomore QB Jordan Jefferson. However, last week they managed a measly 30 yards on the ground against a less than stellar MSU defense. I have no doubts that they should easily hit the 150 yard mark on the ground this week. Jefferson has long been touted the next Charlie Ward and is beginning to come into his own. Last week he threw for a career high 233 yards and two TD's against MSU. Though there is plenty of potential on the offensive side of the ball, LSU has yet to top 30 points and continues to struggle moving the ball with any consistency.

Unequivocally, the biggest issue facing our boys this weekend will be the defense of the Swamp Donkeys. For the first time this year, AJ green will meet his match in a defensive back. Patrick Peterson, 6'1" 211 lbs., will be given the duty of covering AJ. Contrariwise, our undersized backs will again be given the task of trying to cover much larger receivers in Brandon LaFell (6'3") and Terrance Tolliver (6'5").

While the LSU defense has had issues with dual-threat QB's, they are built to defend the traditional pocket passer. Their front seven is as good as any in the country when it comes to such. With a fairly strong performance last week as a building block, I look for our guys to turn in another good showing against a legit SEC opponent. I think we find a way to pressure Jefferson into making some poor decisions, and we should be able to stop their running game as we have done the majority of the season. It's going to be a close one, but, being the blind homer I am, I think we get it done with the home crowd backing. We won't cover, but don't be surprised if BW wins us two in a row in the waining seconds of the game.

Prediction: UGA 27 LSU 24



Recipe of the Week

Crawfish Dip

8 oz cream cheese
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp creole seasoning
1 tbs mayonnaise
1-1/2 tsp ketchup
Hot pepper sauce to own taste (2 tsp or more)
1/4 tsp onion powder, or substitute 1/4 cup fresh diced onion
1/2 cup boiled crayfish pieces

1. Soften Philadelphia cream cheese.
2. Add lemon juice, mayonnaise, ketchup, hot sauce and onion.
3. Mix together well, add crayfish pieces and mix again.
4. Serve as dip with chips or spread on crackers.

Serves six, you will probably want to triple for your tailgate.

Honor Roll

Two bulldogs were honored this week after their performances against ASU Saturday. One should come as no surprise, the other, maybe not as clear to some. Nevertheless, here is the entire list of SEC honorees.

OFFENSE

A.J. Green, WR, Georgia: Caught a game-high eight passes for 153 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown, in the Bulldogs' 20-17 win over Arizona State. The eight catches and 153 yards in receptions are both single-game bests in the SEC this season. Green also blocked a field goal attempt in the fourth quarter.

DEFENSE

Eric Norwood, OLB, South Carolina: Collected a game-high 10 tackles, including two sacks, in South Carolina's 16-10 win over Ole Miss. Norwood also partially blocked a punt and added two quarterback pressures. He leads the league with six sacks and has a school-record 28 for his career, which is tied for eighth all-time in the SEC.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Chad Jones, FS, LSU: Returned a punt 93 yards for a touchdown to open the fourth quarter in LSU's 30-26 win over Mississippi State. Jones also had seven tackles and tipped away a third-down pass at the goal line to save a touchdown in the final minute.

OFFENSIVE LINEMAN

Marcus Gilbert, OT, Florida: Graded out a "Champion" for the fourth consecutive week in Florida's 41-7 win over Kentucky. The Gators rushed for 362 yards, the most they've rolled up against an SEC team since Vanderbilt in 1989.

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN

Justin Houston, DE, Georgia: Filling in for the injured Rod Battle, Houston finished with four tackles and recorded the Bulldogs' only sack in the 20-17 win over Arizona State, which managed just 204 yards of total offense.

FRESHMAN

Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama: Scored the Crimson Tide's first touchdown of the game on a tackle-breaking 52-yard run in the 35-7 win over Arkansas. Richardson is now second on the team in rushing with 280 yards on 38 carries.

Wet, Wild, and...Willie?

I'm not going to harp on too many of the bad things this week, because, quite frankly, I'm starting to sound like that damned 'ole broken record that keeps playing on every other blog/vent/newspaper. Instead of telling you how giddy I am at work and how awful we played, I'll just stick to the good stuff kids go for and keep the negativity (and the fire Willie comments) to a minimum. Just to forewarn you, my tone may drastically change following the results of next weeks game.

In my last post I made what was believed to be quite a bold prediction, forecasting that our defense would have a respectable showing against a formidable PAC-01 opponent, and hold them somewhere close to 14 points. However, little did I know that predicting our defense to allow a beggarly two touchdowns would not be good enough. Amazingly, and obviously through some kind act of a much higher power, our defense held an opponent to 10 points (in case you were too drunk, or couldn't see through the torrential squalls, I will remind you that 7 points came via an interception return). The same beleaguered group, plus two new faces, who had just allowed 78 points in the previous 8 quarters and was in danger of resurrecting Erk from his permanent resting place to come down and donkey punch DC WM in the face actually had a good showing. And none too soon.

The ASU offense managed a total of 204 yards on the night, about 80 less than in the first half of the previous weeks' game. There were no defenders getting burned deep, no clueless corners getting arrested for loitering, and no stupid penalties that led to free first downs. Instead, we had defenders trying to jump routes, deflecting passes, and overall making plays. Our line finally came to the party and decided to put pressure on the opposing QB for the majority of the game for the first time this year. Overall it was a very solid defensive showing, one that Dawg fans have been waiting to see for the better part of a year now.

Offensively, we reverted back to the ways of week one, looking largely ineffective with the exception of all things AJ, and we continued to turn it over too many times. We again struggled to run the ball, and went to the fullback well about five too many times in short yardage situations. What I would like to know is if our QB has the authority to audible at the line as he sees fit, does that apply on third and one with ten defenders in the box? Our short yardage play calling definitely left a good bit to be desired, stalling multiple drives, but I'm not putting that on the players. On the bright side, we cut our penalties in half, though we still committed some bone-headed procedural mess that shouldn't have happened, especially on back to back plays.

So where does that leave us heading into next week's enormous showdown with the Bayou Bleaux'ers? As far as I can tell, we're in the exact same situation we were in heading into week one. Nobody knows how good we are, yet, nobody knows how bad we are either. We've had three straight weeks that didn't teach us anything except how inconsistent we can be. We know we have weapons, we just don't know how they need to be utilized; we know we can play good defense, we just don't know which week that will happen; we know we can play good offense, we just don't know which week that will happen; we know we turn the ball over too much, and thankfully, we know exactly which weeks that will happen. Check back in a few days for any updates that trickle my way and for the weekly recipe and prediction.

The Devils Came Down to Georgia

Ladies and gentleman, I'm going to finish my week with a bold prediction for the ages, and I haven't even started drinking yet. However, before I do that, I'm going to tell you what you need to know about the Sunflowers of AZ State.

As far as the all-time series is concerned, the Metallic Trousers are the epitome of dominance in this one, winning every meeting between the two schools and leading the series 1-0. As you may recall, last year our boys traveled out west for an early season showdown and handed the 'Flowers a 27-10 smackdown, and Knowshon handed us his best Superman impersonation.

This season, State is coming into the game flaunting a stout 2-0 record, having defeated two powerhouses hailing from Louisana-Monroe and Idaho State. In these two games the AZ offense has amassed a total of 98 points while the defense has surrendered a mere 17. Regardless of whom they have played and beaten, everyone out west thinks they can make a statement by jumping on an SEC opponent, so they will certainly be ready to play.

Offensively, the 'Flowers had to replace Rudy Carpenter, a three year starter at QB, with Danny Sullivan, who has managed to not thrown an interception yet this season. Actually, ASU leads the FBS in turnover margin thus far, while our boys rank 116th.

Defensively, State returns two big-time playmakers. DE Dexter Davis will be looking to put Cox on his back from his position on the line, while 26 year old senior LB Mike Nixon will be searching for the ball once it is airborn. Nixon tied for the PAC-01 (that's not a typo) lead with 5 interceptions last year. All in all, ASU appears to be fairly solid, yet largely untested. Just don't be expecting many 55 yard bombs this week.

Perhaps the biggest storyline of the game for ASU is the announcement that Thomas Weber will again be unavailable for the second week in a row. Weber, the 2007 Lou Groza Award winner as the nation’s top placekicker, has made 48 of 56 career field-goal attempts but he was unavailable last week because of a hip flexor injury.

As for our crew this week, everything seems to be going pretty well thus far. It turns out that Cuff only has a sprained MCL, not a tear, and as far as I know he will be available Saturday. Also, we have managed to make it through Wednesday without losing anyone during practice, knock on wood.

Willie Martinez did announce after practice yesterday that he will be giving some of our highly touted freshmen a look on the defensive side of the ball, so keep your eyes peeled for the new faces. Two names specifically mentioned were Bacarri Rambo and Sanders Commings (who is listed as a safety but will likely see some action as a corner this weekend).

When it comes to the prediction for this week, I've been tossing around a lot in this measly little head of mine, and have come to quite a scary conclusion. I think we have a good defensive showing on Saturday. I honestly feel that the players on the defensive side of the ball were genuinely ashamed of the way they performed last week, and will try to redeem themselves with a stellar showing against a somewhat formidable opponent this time around. Aside from that, I'm pretty sure DC WM understands the true meaning of "hot seat" right now, and with another poor showing he isn't long for the UGA world.

Prediction: UGA 34 ASU 14



Tailgating Recipe of the Week

El Grande Diablo Dip

2 cans of refried beans
1 pound of cooked ground beef
1 cup of chopped onion
1 large can of chopped green chilies
1 can Herdez sauce
3 cups of grated cheese, divided
1 cup of sliced jalapenos
sour cream
chopped green onions for garnish


1. Brown beef and onions in a large saucepan over medium heat. Drain and remove from heat.
2.Add all of the other ingredients except 1 cup of the cheese, the jalapenos, green onions and sour cream. Mix well.
3.Pour mixture into a 9x13 inch casserole dish.
4.Top with remaining cheese and jalapenos.
5.Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes until bubbly.
6.Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
7.Top with dollops of sour cream and green onions. Serve with torilla chips

SEC TV Schedule for October 3rd

The SEC television schedule has been released for October 3rd, and surprisingly enough, we don't have another night game. The showdown against LSU will be the CBS game of the week and will be played at 3:30. The entire line-up is as follows:


* Alabama at Kentucky, 12:21 p.m. ET, SEC Network/ESPN Regional

* LSU at Georgia, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS

* South Carolina State at South Carolina, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN Classic

* Ole Miss at Vanderbilt, 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU

* Arkansas vs. Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2

* Georgia Tech at Mississippi State, 7:30 p.m. ET, Comcast Sports Southeast

* Auburn at Tennessee, 7:45 p.m., ESPN

Fool Me Five Years, Shame on Who?

Once again I returned to work this week with a little hitch in my giddy-up after our fellas had an impressive offensive showing during their roll in the mud with Petrino's Pigs. For two weeks in a row now I've successfully forecast the games (not the scores), right down to the suspense at the end, and I'm beginning to think I might not be so bad at this stuff.

So, what did we learn this week? We learned that Richard Samuel might be the speediest back we've had since Robert Edwards and that he's a legitimate 25 touch per game guy. We also learned that he still can't hold on to the ball. We found out that Caleb might finally provide part two of our one-two punch on the ground, as he looked very impressive during his limited game time Saturday and showed the decisiveness that made him successful in high school. We learned Big Red is a bona fide QB and leader. For his efforts he was just awarded the Walter Camp Offensive Player of the Week honors after his 375 yard, 5 touchdown performance. We learned (or were at least reminded) that we could possibly have the best receiving corps in the nation, led by the best individual undergraduate receiver in college football, and that Orson Charles will continue to be a DC's nightmare.

We learned that Mallett might possibly be the best QB in the SEC when the Christ Child leaves for seminary (or when he's drafted in the 6th round). We learned that we still turn the ball over too many times. We were somewhat reminded of why MB was handed over the offensive reigns, though it doesn't take much to look impressive against that defensive unit. We learned the Porkers have a worse defense than we do, after being reminded of just how bad ours is for the better part of three hours. We learned DC WM still can't make in game adjustments, nor can he make halftime adjustments anymore. Sadly, we learned that until drastic changes are made, 40 points will no longer be enough to win games.

All in all, it was a thoroughly exciting game to watch, but it just went to further prove we HAVE to make some changes. I will never complain about a victory, especially one against a conference foe, but what has taken place over the last two weeks is bordering on insanity. As impressive as our offense has been (though we can't expect 40 points each week), if we only had a defense that was partially inept we could honestly be a legit top 10 team. At 10pm on Saturday night, poor Erk, God rest his soul, literally rolled over in his grave thrice and shat himself. I'm sure he is wondering what has happened to our "Junkyard Dawg" defensive days as the rest of us are. There is no pride, no glory, and certainly no sense of "we are flat out better than you" that our defensive units used to carry. What we have seen is a deplorable insult to our team and our school. If I can see it, everyone else, including our oblivious DC, should be able to see it as well. There should be no more sympathy, no more excuses, and no more Willie.

Pig Jig Pork Roast 2009

Well folks, it's about that time for some good ol' game time discussion. Having recently become a complete blogaholic, I have been scanning the pork posts for the past few days, and quite frankly, it's encouraging material. I've never encounter a fan base outside of Louisiana-Lafayette that thinks less of their team than do the porkers. Even though the early line has the Track Star and his relay team as a 1-2 point favorite coming in, the Arkansas faithful seem genuinely worried about our mediocrity (I saw one post go so far as to say our defense "scares me with their speed").

Now I know we showed vast improvements last week on the offensive side of the ball, but, our lack of D still allowed 37 points to a team who scored all of one touchdown the week before. Some people say we did well, allowing mostly field goals when it counted, but come on folks, 37 points is 37 points.

This week we meet up with an offense that is still largely unproven after an opener in which they racked up nearly 600 yards of offense against a Single A high school defense belonging to Missouri State. Ryan Mallett could be the next big thing in SEC quarterbacking after the Christ Child leaves Florida, but, how much can you really gauge success against an opponent as inferior as the one they faced in the opener? Petrino has long been known for his offensive mastery, but until they prove themselves against an SEC defense, regardless of how poor they might be, I'm not sold. The porkers have a history of solid ground attacks though this year they seem to be leaning more towards the air assault. I have no doubts they will score their points and create some huge gains, I just don't think they can do what needs to be done to beat a road worthy SEC team.

Defensively, our opponent returns 9 starters from the lackluster squad of last year, but they as well are still largely unproven. By all written accounts their D honestly seems worried about our offensive attack. I look for big things from our TE, and I see this as a coming out party for Orson Charles. AJ will get his touches and hopefully will provide us with a big play or two, but keep an eye out for the new faces.

Everyone knows the 'Hogs have had this game circled on their calenders since the end of last season and hope to make a statement with a victory come Saturday. I for one don't see them being able to hang with us for four quarters. It would come as no shock to me to see us get down early, just to have Big Red lead us to a second half comeback that concretes him as our staring QB. UA will be fired up from the start, and I can only hope our squad will be able to match their intensity. We get down early, pull it out in the end in another nail biting finish.

Prediction: UGA 34 Hogs 27



Tailgating Recipe of the Week

Spicy Pork Sausage Dip

2 packages Jimmy Dean hot sausage
1 can Rotel Habanero Tomatoes
2 8oz packages cream cheese
1 jar hot salsa
Tortilla chips for dipping

1. Brown sausage in skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, drain excess grease.
2. Combine tomatoes and cream cheese with sausage and cook for additional 10 minutes, or until mixture becomes creamy.
3. Move dip to a crock pot or other heated vessel to keep warm.
4. Enjoy!

The Big Cox Debate

During the post game celebration following the conclusion of the poultry pounding this past weekend, my constituents and I were discussing a very interesting subject. Why is Logan Gray (or Aaron Murray) not getting any REAL snaps under center? As far as we all know, one of them is the heir apparent at QB, and as of right now, we're looking at having our signal caller be another largely un-seasoned, very green newcomer. I can't speak for anyone else, but I know I would rather have the flow of a game interrupted for one or two drives than to have a repeat of a year which saw us go into every game worried about how our "new" quarterback would handle every new situation. I want to know what you think, after all, this is a blog. Give me your opinions. Would you like to see more of the younger guys, or are you content with getting what we can out of this year with Cox at the helm?

A State of Darkness

It was just announced today that the Arizona State game in Athens will yet again be played under the lights. Kick-off has been set for 7pm. Three in a row? Gotta love that new SEC TV deal.

SoCo Blessings and Beatings

Returning to work today was a good bit more enjoyable than last week. This week I can hold my head up high, well, higher than last week, and bask in the glory of a somewhat well deserved victory all the while admiring our advancement back towards the top of the national rankings (two out of three ain't bad, right?). Yes, as most of you know by now, we did in fact DROP two spots in the AP poll after escaping with our first conference victory of the year, and what a victory it was. Though my predicted score was just a bit off, I did get the ending right.

I joked in last weeks post about the offensive prowess that would be displayed Saturday, and amazingly, that is exactly what we were shown. More points were scored in the '09 match-up than in the previous three combined, all from two offenses that managed a total of 17 combined points in their respective openers. Who needs KnowStaff when you have a GreenCox right? However, despite the 41 points we managed to pound out of poultry, we still had to rely on RC to deflect a pass with twenty some-odd seconds left to preserve a victory. To say Willie's scheming is atrocious would be well deserved, but still an understatement.

A mere week after showing the Big XII how to somewhat contain the three headed monster that is the Okey Pokey offense and how not to score points, we give up 430 yards to a mediocre O and score 41 on an above average D, and we barely win the game. Now I understand WM has caught quite a bit of flack in recent years, and maybe not all of it was deserved, but something has to be done. Just last week the mighty powerhouse that is NC State held the birds to 250 yards, so giving up over 400 just isn't acceptable. Not only was the defensive play calling awful, it was late. At least five plays were started with our subs still running onto the field and our line standing up. Some may try to put that on the players, but if the plays were in, they would have been ready, so I don't buy it. I'm just glad we have recruited well enough to have some great talent on our squad so that even where there is a lack of coaching, we are still able to see some excellent individual performances (see Curran, Boykin).

Adding to the insult of making Stephen Garcia look like Sam Bradford, we find out today that we have lost yet another defensive starter to a torn ACL. Starting end Rod Battle went down in the second quarter and is now done for the year. His injury should be somewhat eased by the fact we get Justin Houston back from suspension this week to make the start against track star Petrino's swanky bunch of swine. Nevertheless, it's another injury and another position we have to fill with an untested young'n.

Although our offensive woes seemed to have been somewhat resolved with a week of seasoning, I'm still not too comfortable. Keep in mind that three of our scores stemmed from great returns giving us a short field to operate on. While I would like to think huge returns will be a regular happening, it's pretty unlikely that they will. Also, our offensive play calling was..well..pretty offensive at times. I've yet to figure out the personnel packages and substitution strategy. Richy Sams carried the ball a scant 15 times, with only four of those coming on consecutive plays. To me it was evident pretty early on that Thomas wasn't going to be effective, so why not give Sams 25 touches? He has obviously been capable when given the opportunity to carry the load, averaging close to 4.5 per carry on the season. Big Red played a much better game, efficiently guiding the offense for the majority of the evening, though he did make one terrible throw that you could see going the other way as soon as the ball was snapped. All-in-all, he did what we needed him to do and limited his mistakes. We again saw flashes of greatness from our receiving corps, which I believe will only get better as the season progresses. AJ gave us two more highlight reel catches, and TKing showed us he does in fact have the wheels that got him a scholarship. Does Orson Charles remind anyone else of a Kellen Winslow Jr. in his Miami days, minus the Armed Forces references? Before he leaves after his Junior year, he will be a force to be reckoned with.

A win is a win, no matter how ugly. It's good to know that you don't have to play your best game every time out to emerge victorious. That being said, a game like Saturday's lets you know you still have a long way to go, it's just easier to get there from .500. I'll be back Tuesday with updates and predictions, and I'll even try to get that recipe in early this week.

Sanford Bound

Well ladies and gents, I know it's not the outcome we had all hoped for, but at least there was an extra day to drink our sorrows away following the Stillwater stagnation. To add injury to insult, as most of you know we have again lost Sturdivant for the season with the same knee injury as last season. Your heart really has to go out to a guy who battled so hard to get back, just to have this year cut short with another bum leg.

On the bright side, this week we welcome the Big Cock and his lovable band of Poultry twixt the hedges for what most certainly will be an offensive dual (insert sarcasm here). The 'Birds managed a mere seven points against a pretty woeful NC State team in their season opener last Thursday. However, as badly as SC might appear to be, they always give us fits wherever we play them, especially if they're coming in as an underdog.

Between the downfield bombs last Saturday, there were actually a few bright spots for our boys out west. Our defense that was seemingly out manned most last year played a pretty respectable game against one of the most potent offenses in the country, allowing just over 300 total yards. Richy Sams also appeared to have found a home starting in the backfield and rushing for a very efficient 87 yards on 20 carries. Our downfall, as many predicted, was the lack of efficiency from the offense after an explosive first drive that traveled 80 yards and ended in an endzone celebration.

Turnovers at key points in the game again left us in many bad situations, and forced our defense to play on a short field repeated times. Big Red made too many mistakes and will have to tighten up or it won't be too long until my brother is taking snaps from under center. Chalk it up to first game jitters or ineptitude, either way it has to stop for us to be successful the remainder of the year.

Because this is a holiday shortened week, I as well will be keeping things short. The Recipe of the Week will be up tomorrow, as will any pertinent updates.

Due to the sudden importance of this game, we HAVE to find a way to get it done at home, or we're staring 0-5 directly in the face. Therefore, I think we take Spurs and the chickens to the coop in an offensive juggernaut, complete with an ending Mel Gibson would smile about.

Prediction: UGA 20 SC 16 in OT



**As a side note, I was listening to a song on the way in to work today that made me think of how Willie Martinez must be feeling during his Dawg tenure. I felt obliged to include an excerpt from the first verse for your viewing pleasure.

Chris Knight - It Ain't Easy Being Me

There ought to be a town somewhere named for how I feel.
Yeah I could be the mayor down there and say "welcome to Sorryville"
It wouldn't be on a map nowhere you might say that it don't exist
But if you make enough wrong turns it would be hard to miss

There ought to be a bridge somewhere they could dedicate to me
I'd probably come to the ceremony with a can of gasoline
I'd walk on over to the other side and there I'd light a match
Sit and stare through the smoke and flames and wonder how I'm gonna get back

Friday Update

It has just been reported that Joe Cox is battling flu-like symptoms, and had been for a few days. Despite feeling slightly under the weather, Big Red will still be starting the game.

Also, the Okey Pokey athletic department released a statement on Thursday citing there will be no pre-game handshake (you see how well that worked out last night for Boise State and Oregon). I honestly can't say that I mind not having half of our team kicked off the field for brawling, so, for once I agree with an AD.


Armadillo Eggs

1 lb. Chicken Breast Fillets
1/2 lb. hickory bacon
1/2 lb. pepperjack cheese (or whatever you prefer)
1/4 t. smoked paprika
1/4 t. each salt and pepper
olive oil (cooking spray will work also)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Using a meat mallet (or some other flat heavy device), pound fillets until they reach about 1/4 inch thickness. Center pepperjack cube on one end of fillet and roll chicken around the cube. Season the roll with spice mix. Wrap the seasoned roll with a slice (or two) of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Place all completed rolls on a greased baking sheet and spray with a light coat of cooking spray or a slight drizzle of olive oil.

Bake covered in oven for 10-12 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Uncover, and bake an additional 5-7 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Enjoy!!

The Other Cox

As most of you have probably heard by now, OSU defender Perrish Cox has not been suspended and will be allowed to play this Saturday. OSU officials said his arrest was "not a major moving violation" and would be handled internally.

It will be interesting to see if "internal handling" will include a one game suspension for a violation of team rules during a game of lesser magnitude.

The question I posed to myself earlier in the day (and to anyone else who may have been listening to me thinking aloud), was, why was his license suspended in the first place? If for a serious moving violation such as a DUI conviction or reckless driving, being stopped at this point could/should result in a probation violation. Keep your eyes on it and let's see what happens.

I'm looking forward to the weekend but I'll be back on Friday with the Tailgating Recipe of the Week. On the menu for our Wild West themed festivities will be delicious Armadillo Eggs.

Saddle Up!

Well boys and girls it's that time again, we are but a mere four days and 15 some odd hours away from what we all have been waiting for...REAL sports. For the first time since I can remember, the Metallic Trousers will be heading way out west for the season's inauguration with the Cowpokes from Murkywater. The hype surrounding this game is moreso than that of any season opener since going to Clemson to open the 2003 campaign. Not to say that facing the 'Pokes in 2007 wasn't highly anticipated, but two years ago, the visiting team hadn't established themselves as they have in the last year plus, and they certainly didn't have the potency they now posess on offense.

Keeping this offensive unit contained is quite a tall order for any defensive coordinator, but, with the recent success of DC WM (textual sarcasm), it will certainly prove to be a monumental task. The 'Boys have three remarkable weapons the opposition will have to key in on: dual threat QB Zac Robinson who lead an offense that averaged nearly 41 points and 490 YPG last season, WR Dez Bryant who racked up 1,480 yards in snatches in '08 (and also returns kicks on ST), and the mighty mouse that is Kendall Hunter at RB, a 5'8" brick (Thomas Brown anyone?), who scatted around on the ground for an impressive 1,555 yards last season. Those three, combined with an experienced offensive line, and a very thoughtful OC who really knows how to spread D's, we will undoubtedly have our hands full.

Defensively, the 'Pokes have been as equally impressive as our group of late. Last year alone they managed to finish a reprehensible 93rd of 119 major-college programs in total defense, allowing a scant 405 YPG to the opposition. Speaking matter-of-factly, scoring shouldn't come at a premium, and we should be able to hang our fair share of scores on a pretty lackluster eleven.


Our offensive unit will be led on the field by the Big Red Cox for his first meaningful appearance since a heroic effort against Colorado a few years back. He has the support of his teammates, and that of the fan base, so let's just hope support will translate into results. He won't be without help up front, as we will be fielding what could most likely be our best group of big uglies since the 2002 season. Returning plenty of experience on the line could make Red look like a miniature version of Staff if he can keep his cool in the backfield, and having number 8 on the outside certainly doesn't hurt. Speaking of, Greenie is coming off what many considered one of the best Frosh performances by an SEC receiver in quite some time, and that will assuredly draw him attention in two's for the better part of the season. While his numbers may not equal those of the season past, his success will undoubtedly open the door of opportunity for others such as talented true Marlon Brown to emerge as playmakers. Right now it looks as though Caleb won't be making the trip west, and Richy Sam will be getting the primary touches from the backfield. The youngster has put on about seven pounds of muscle this offseason, coming into the year at a stout 225, weight that could help carry the young'n through the fourth quarter.

Defensively speaking...honestly...who the hell knows? So long as WM is the DC (or co-DC as it is this year), can we really expect anything but mediocrity? The return of Owens on the line and Rennie in the middle certainly won't hurt, but then again, personnel has never been the problem, it's been the scheme. Hopefully, the numbers will improve enough to hold opposing O's to less than 30 points for the majority of games this season (something that HASN'T happened 11 times in the WM era).


So, where does that leave us? In a game exhibiting two offensive defenses, will either side be able to halt the opposition? I doubt it. The two overmatched defensive units will assuredly allow their share of scores, and I can't see either coming up with enough stops to keep this game below four endzone celebrations for each side. No, in this game, a game featuring two lackluster D's and (hopefully) two above average O's, I'm saying it comes down to special teams. Which side can manage points OUT of the endzone (assuming there actually is a hold at some point)? I say six points from the kicking game, excluding extra points, and Mr. Walsh (you heard it here first) puts us over the top.

Prediction: UGA 41 OSU 35

GO DAWGS!!!


***As a side note, I just read on ESPN.com that the only returning starter in OSU's secondary, Perrish Cox, was arrested last week for driving with a suspended license. This could turn out to impact the game significantly if Cox is indeed suspended for the opener, as he would have been the defender in charge of covering A.J. Green. I will keep an eye out for what's to come of the situation and post as soon as I hear anything more.

The Best of the Rest...

Alrighty then folks. After a well-needed relaxed weekend, I'll finish up with that much anticipated, post by-week schedule breakdown, all from a completely non-biased point of view.

As I continue to search for an article I read last week about exactly how and why our boys will be winning this year's White Trash Bash a.k.a. the Cocktail Party, all I have to say is: Tim Tebow. Everyone knows, including the big man upstairs, that he is the second-coming and therefore he cannot and will not be beat (unless of course the name of your school can be spelled with a crooked letter crooked letter I, humpback humpback I). Therefore, I will automatically chalk that one up to the L column and go about my day, hoping (I don't believe praying would do any good in this particular case) for an unexpected outcome.

Following what will assuredly be a good 'ole fashioned Holy ass whipping, we welcome the mighty powerhouse that is the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles to our humble home surroundings. Need I say more? It would take nothing short of a Wolverinian sized egg to be laid (see App. State), for anything other than the expected to happen. On the upside to a game of this caliber, maybe we'll get a chance to take our first good look at someone other than Joe Cox, a mobile Frosh perhaps?

We follow our second off week, excuse me, Tennessee Tech, with the rebuilding yet always dangerous War Tigers of the Quaintest Little Shithole on the Plains, or whatever the hell they call that place. Gene Chizik inherits a pretty lackluster bunch of chumps for his first real foray into head coaching (yes, if your mascot is a Cyclone, you're not a real team). All of the sudden Tommy Tuberville is looking like Bear Bryant.


For the last match-up of the year between the Privets, we welcome our favorite 'shine runners from the state known more for it's basketball, horses, and inability of family trees to bifurcate than for it's football. The 'Cats, fresh off a solid year that ended with a bowl victory, will certainly be looking to build upon Rich Brooks' success in recent years. Again, our boys should be heavy favorites and should take care of business, but be sure to keep BOTH eyes on these boys and not already have one on the Bees, or they could definitely sneak up and take a bite out of our asses.

After wrapping up at home, we meander our behinds down 316 to our annual season ending romp with our nerdy neighbors in the ATL. Now, come game time I will have an extensive write up on this particular brand of moron that resides at Bobby Dodd, as I have been fuming over it for the better part of 8 months now. If you want to fume as well, just have a look at the stupidity that continues to run rampant through the AJC's website and blogs. As for now, I'll just say we should win the game, if for no other reason, because it's on the road, and we have a better winning percentage on the road under CMR than we do at home.

So as of August 31st, and without getting into too much detail, I have us rounding out the year with CMR and the Beasts in Silver Britches "backing" their way into another 10 win season, going down to the Teabag in Jax and either the Bayou Bitches or the Cowboys on opening day. But, as mentioned, the Cowboys may get all they can handle, and I believe that one is certainly within our grasp. LSU and Okey are my toss-ups, and I believe either game could go either way, but I like our chances at home with time to prepare more-so than going on the road to a very hostile environment with a completely untested backfield the first game of the year. Keep your fingers crossed and your flasks full because both will likely be needed.

I'll start on the Cowboys breakdown tomorrow, so check back by Tuesday for my analysis and predictions, hopefully complete with Accuscore if they're up and running in time. WOOOWOOO!!

It's That Time Again...

After catching the tail end of the Braves game that they just so happened to pull out, it made me realize just how much I do in fact long for college football. So let all the football debauchery begin, from the perennial over-rating of those PAC-1o "powerhouses" to the (now annual) preseason Tim Tebow media blow-jobs. Indeed, there is much to discuss this go 'round, and it's a tall chore for anyone to decide where to begin, so, why not start it out right here at home with our beloved Silver Britches and the national hatred they've come to know and love.

To begin, an excerpt from one of my favorite articles of the preseason:

"Georgia will battle the Cowboys with plenty of energy for four quarters, but that game will likely end in defeat, setting the stage for a disappointing season. Put simply, the Bulldogs will be a second tier SEC squad in 2009." -- Douchebag from LA

Just to be sure I have this straight, a preseason number 13 ranking in both major polls, with most pundits in the know-how predicting another 10 win season and New Years Day bowl now makes you "second tier"? Have a look at the following:

"Are the Rebels as good as Florida? No, but no one is. Still, expect Ole Miss to finish near the top of the SEC standings." -- Same Douchebag from LA

Well now, it certainly seems to me that in a league destined to be decimated by the second coming of Christ and the shades wearing signal caller with the smoking hot daughter, EVERYONE should be second tier, correct? Nope, according to Mr. D-Bag and the LA times, that would just be our Dawgs.

Now, I'm no Nostradamus, and I wouldn't necessarily place a large wager on our boys making it to Pasadena come January 7th, but I don't think in any way we have a "second tier" team this season. For the last two weeks all I've been hearing is tough schedule this, tough schedule that...it's the SEC, every schedule is tough. Aside from the fact we open this year away from the Hedges and have to face a team that couldn't stop the Class A Montgomery County Eagles on defense (not that we don't have our own bit of improving to do), how's it so much different that last year? We follow that up with a home meeting from the 'Cock and his lovable band of Poultry, a game that by most accounts, we should win. We then head West for a potential trap game with the fleet-footed Bobby Petrino and the 'Hogs. Barring a 2006 Vanderbiltian sized brain-fart we should be leaving there with our heads held high and the smell of fresh barbecue on our jerseys.

Following the pig-pickin' will be our much anticipated meeting with PAC-1o puny Arizona State. You know that matchup looked a heckuva lot better when it was scheduled four or five years ago than it does today. To follow, we get an LSU team that I'm not too sure very many people know what to expect out of this year. Will they be good?...Yes...They're LSU, they're always "good", but are they the LSU of several years ago that everyone overlooked only to be stuck from behind by Jamarcus Russel's massive talent? I guess only time will tell, but, I think with the crowd and four games to prep, we find a way to get it done at home.

Following the brawl with the Bengals, we begin our rampant run through the home of the Hillbilly, a two week road trip that we should undoubtedly return from with no less than two more victories. That leads our boys into their first by week of the season before heading to Jacksonville to do battle with His Holyness and his Disciples, which also leads me to my first break. So heading in to what will most certainly be a reality check, I have our boys showing up sporting a paltry 7-1 record with LSU and Okey State being my toss ups. Check back in later in the week for the rest of the season outlook and a more in depth take on the Boys from Oklahoma (not the ones Ragweed sang about), complete with Accuscore projections.