Bulldawg Illustrated : Dawg Blog

Know Before You Go: Oxford, Mississippi

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The round-robin nature of SEC scheduling brings streaks of quality road trips to Georgia fans. After the past two years provided relatively lackluster trips to Fayetteville and Starkville, the Dawgs now enter a three-year tour highlighting the best of the SEC West with trips to Baton Rouge in 2013, Tuscaloosa in 2012, and quaint Oxford, Mississippi this Saturday.

This week I caught up with a fourth-generation Ole Miss Rebel, Mr. T. Graham Cotten (Honestly, how Mississippi can you get?) who is in his second year of law school at UGA. We were in the same section for 1L and I count him among my best friends today. Here is Graham’s guide to navigating Oxford for Georgia fans.

BI: How do you expect Ole Miss fans to greet Georgia fans who are making the twice-per-decade trip to the Grove on Saturday?

Cotten: In the morning, expect friendliness. After the game, there might be a little bit of bitterness and jealousy.

BI: Ole Miss is known for an upscale tailgating scene. Give us a rundown on gameday style at Ole Miss. (Do all guys wear ties or just pledges? what is the biggest difference between the way UGA fans dress and Ole Miss fans dress?)

GC: I think UGA fans have a lot more “gear.” There’s a lot of monotone going on with UGA style, and the “G” is everywhere. At Ole Miss, you really can’t tell what stadium you’re in by looking around. People wear their own clothes and it’s pretty colorful. If you see a tie, you’re probably looking at a freshman. Pledgeship doesn’t start until next week. If you see an Ole Miss Nike Sport collared shirt, it’s probably someone who graduated last year.

BI: What’s the best place for a nice dinner in Oxford after the game?

GC: The Grove. I expect there will be a lot of food and tailgating afterwards. Everywhere else will be packed, since the Square is quite small. Peek in Rib Cage though, it generally misses the crowd.

BI: Best place for a post-game cocktail?

GC: If it’s cold, go get a Hot Toddy at City Grocery (upstairs bar). If it’s warm, go get an Old Fashioned at City Grocery (upstairs bar).

City Grocery

BI: Best place to people-watch on campus?

GC: Downtown Inn has a patio bar, as does Old Venice, City Grocery, and some others. But the best place to people watch is in the Square, especially the ally in which the entrance to the Library bar sits.

BI: Hottest Craps table in Tunica?
GC: The one where Michael Oher is playing.

BI: Foolproof pickup line for convincing an Ole Miss coed to come visit Athens for the Auburn game?

GC: Ole Miss has girls?

Image: The Anti-Orange Page

Travis' Take

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

With our first road game of the 2011 season let’s take a look at what to expect down in Oxford, MS this weekend.

First of all, let me just say that Oxford is a really great college town and if you are sitting on the fence of whether to make the trek over for the game this weekend, I encourage you to pull the trigger, pack up the truck and head on out. The Grove is a really great place to tailgate and with an early kickoff this Saturday, what a better place to enjoy a home-cooked breakfast and a nice mimosa (or three). The hospitality that the Rebel’s fans will show you will be unlike any other SEC school aside from Vandy. It’s a great trip and I hope that you will be able to make it.

If you aren’t going, wake up Saturday morning, get some yard work done, then sit back on the comfy couch you’ve got and enjoy the Dawgs thrash Ole Miss. That’s right, I said thrash. I’ve got a lot of confidence in two things right now. First, that Ole Miss is the worst team in the SEC. This past week they were completely dominated in all facets of the game by the Vanderbilt Commodores, the resident cellar dwellers of the SEC for a long, long time. The final score was 30-6 but it could have been much worse for the Rebels. Their starting quarterback threw a total of five interceptions against a Commodore defense that frankly, is not very talented. The second thing that I have confidence in is that Georgia is playing good football right now and will continue to play good football through this weekend. Georgia has the talent to stack up against any team in the SEC. Talent has never been the issue, it is utilizing that talent in the proper way that has caused the Dawgs fits in the past few years. You can see a distinct change in direction from the ways of the past already in the young season. Brandon Boykin playing offense, Isaiah Crowell getting carries early and often (recall the Knowshon Moreno redshirt fiasco), Malcolm Mitchell taking over Marlon Brown’s spot as a starting wide receiver are all indicators that the coaching staff is committed to immediate success.

Let me just add caveat to all this. Remember that Houston Nutt is still the coach at Ole Miss in spite of the unprecedented amount of turmoil in Oxford right now amongst the boosters. For all his faults, Nutt still has the knack for coming up with a random big win once a year. Could that big win be Georgia? Eh, maybe, but I don’t think so. Generally Ole Miss is known for having great defensive linemen. 2011 would be the exception to that rule. The defensive line is experienced but quite undersized for SEC play. It’s quite the opposite for the linebackers. They are big and physical but have very little experience. The bright spot for the Ole Miss defense is in the secondary where they have two quality SEC corners. With that being said, I expect Coach Richt and Coach Bobo to pound the ball on the ground early and often. Hopefully with a series of counters, traps and outside pitches to Crowell. This will allow for our offensive line (who are starting to come together quite nicely)to push around the undersized Ole Miss D-line. There is no better running plays to attack an inexperienced linebacking corps like traps and counters. The phrases “over pursuit” and “freshman linebacker” go together like two peas in a pod. Here’s to hoping Isaiah gets 20+ carries and the second 100-yard game of his career.

Something that you may want to keep an eye on in Oxford if you get to go to the game is the increasingly large number of people who are unhappy with the Ole Miss administration in regards to the football program. Apparently some Ole Miss booster took an ad out in several Mississippi newspapers, ripping the Ole Miss administration and athletics department. You can read the full story HERE AT THE JACKSON CLARION-LEDGER

This was what the FULL page ad said:

ARE YOU TIRED OF LOSING OLE MISS FANS?

A cloud hangs over us. We’re told we’ll never compete in the SEC. That we lack the talent. The fan support. And the funding.

We respectfully disagree.

We believe that Ole Miss can compete in the SEC. And win Championships.
We believe that our coaches are not the problem. Or our athletes. Or our fans.

The Ole Miss Administration is the problem.

Our leadership has failed us. And our leadership must be held accountable.

Our coaches and athletes deserve it. Ole Miss supporters deserve it. We’ve waited long enough. We’re tired of losing.

Yikes. I don’t care what shape you’re football program is in. That’s bad news. Can you imagine if something like that ever happened surrounding the Dawgs? So that will be certainly something to keep an eye this weekend and as the season progresses on. Anyway, let’s cheer the Dawgs on to a victory this Saturday and let’s also hope it’s an easy one so that we can get our starters some rest. Not to look ahead, but there is a very big game coming up in Sanford Stadium versus the other Bulldogs of the SEC. As always, Go Dawgs!

Five Keys to Topping Ole Miss

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

1. Contain the Rebel Rushing Attack – Over the last two years, when Georgia has lost, the Bulldogs have not been able to stop the run. Think back to Marcus Lattimore, Mississippi State, Colorado, Florida, Auburn and a 100-yard individual showing from Central Florida. It’s happened again here in 2011. Lattimore, who carried 37 times for 184 yards and two touchdowns in 2010, toted the pigskin 27 times for 176 yards and a score in the Gamecocks 45-42 win between the hedges. Branden Bolden went down in the Rebels season-opening loss to Brigham Young. If the Rebels had him the whole way, they would have won. Ole Miss has a monster offensive line and you can bet
the Rebels will try and exploit what has been a Bulldog Achilles over the last two years.

2. Win a Supreme Kicking Showdown – The last two national punting champions square off. Georgia’s Drew Butler was the Ray Guy Award winner and unanimous first team All-American in 2009. Tyler Campbell led the country in punting last year. Both are having outstanding seasons thus far in 2011. Georgia has Blair Walsh, one of America’s premier place-kickers, has combined with Butler to give the Dogs a truly dynamic duo over the last two-plus seasons. If Georgia is going to rebound and make a run in 2011, Butler and Walsh have to keep it up.

3. Showcase Perimeter Athleticism – Isaiah Crowell, Brandon Boykin, Branden Smith, Malcolm Mitchell, Michael Bennett and the rest of Georgia’s corners/receivers should have an edge on the edge. Georgia has big play potential, and that’s shown thus far this season. If this is a grind-‘em-out game, Ole Miss will lean heavily on that strong and powerful offensive line. For Georgia to come out on top, a couple of easy scores should be just what the doctor ordered. Orson Charles can also be a factor, especially if Crowell is rolling and the offensive line can handle the Ole Miss pass rush without going “max protect,” Georgia’s standout tight end could have a big day.

4. Pressure Stoudt – Ole Miss has had issues at quarterback and tailback. Assuming he’s healthy, Bolden will be the centerpiece of the offense. The Rebels will try and ride him, then throw off of play-action. Georgia has to generate a pass-rush. In the opener against Boise State, All-American candidate Kellen Moore shredded the Bulldogs, hitting 28 of 34 passes. The Bulldogs never got to him. Georgia’s pass-defense will have to crank it up here in the teeth of Southeastern Conference play to create negative yardage situations and …….

5. Win the Turnover Battle – Turnovers! Georgia has lost so many tough, close games over the last couple of years, a lot of questions have been bellowed and asked. One easy big picture is solution is this: Before Georgia can start consistently beating good teams again, the Bulldogs must stop beating themselves. In the two losses, turnovers were critical, especially against South Carolina, which took advantage of two fumbles and an interception to chalk up 21 points (plus the fake punt TD that led to another touchdown). If Georgia starts winning turnover battles again, the Bulldogs will greatly increase the chances of getting back into the SEC win column.

Kevin Butler's Players of the Game for Coastal Carolina

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Kevin Butler, former University of Georgia legendary kicker and a member of the Georgia radio broadcast team, will each week during the 2011 football season select his offensive, defensive and special teams players of the week for Bulldawg Illustrated. Here are Butler’s selections and reasons why for the Bulldogs’ 59-0 win over Coastal Carolina.

OFFENSE – Freshman offensive linemen Watts Dantzler, David Andrews and Hunter Long, who saw the first playing action of their Georgia careers and acquitted themselves well both run blocking and pass protecting in the romp over the Chanticleers.
“I’m naming these three because certainly it was the first action they’ve seen this year, and they came in there and played mistake-free football,” said Butler. “The experience they get is only going to help us in the depth on the offensive line. These guys are really going to be the foundation for our offense moving forward, not only this year but for the next three years, and I think it was very key for them to get wet behind the ears with a team like Coastal Carolina, certainly before we get into the meat of our schedule and they experience much greater challenges starting in Oxford next Saturday.”

DEFENSE – Junior inside linebacker Shawn Williams, who made the move from strong safety this game and responded with three total tackles, including one tackle-for-loss.
“Shawn is a classic team player who has been working all summer and preseason at safety but because of injuries to our linebacking corps did what was needed and went to linebacker,” said Butler. “I think what Shawn brought is the experience of already being on the field to a linebacking corps that is young and inexperienced. He is the model team player.”

SPECIAL TEAMS – Senior place-kicker Blair Walsh, who booted a career-long 56-yard field goal and also eight extra points to run his PAT total to a school-record 152. Walsh also recovered a fumble on his own kickoff.
“Blair had that career-long field goal and it certainly could have broken my record (of 60 yards) because it cleared the bar by at least 10 yards,” said Butler. “He also notched his name in the record books beating Billy Bennett with his 152 PATs to Billy’s 148. And Blair also recovered the first fumble of his career by just being in the right position as a kicker. If you follow the kickoff in the right position, some things will fall into your lap and when Blair covered the ball up, he then found himself in a football game.”

Compiled by Murray Poole

McDonalds Monday

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

It’s another McDonalds Monday, presented by one of Georgia’s greatest fans, friends and deep snappers ever – Paul “Mongo” Messer and his McDonalds. McDonalds and the Bulldogs – I’m Lovin’ It!!!

A definite bright spot for Georgia, despite the disappointing start to the season is the play of some young standouts at the skill positions. Tailback Isaiah Crowell and receiver Malcolm Mitchell, both true freshmen, and redshirt freshman Michael Bennett have all done a lot of good things and offer the Bulldogs a great deal of promise.
…..
Ole Miss is really reeling. The Rebels got smoked in Nashville 30-7 by Vanderbilt. It was Vanderbilt’s greatest margin of victory in a Southeastern Conference game since a 49-19 win over Mississippi State in 1971.
…..
In 1971, Georgia had one of its greatest seasons ever, going 11-1. I touch on this magnificent campaign in my Bulldawg Illustrated column this week. This incredible team had its 40-year reunion this past Friday at the Athens Country Club, and it was a grand affair. My friend Mark Maxwell produced the highlight and tribute video which I was honored to narrate. For my friends in their late 40’s and early 50’s, this was right in their wheelhouse, and remains one of the most popular teams in Georgia’s grand history.
….
Congratulations to the great Jack Bauerle for his well deserved induction into the State of Georgia Hall of Fame. He’s led Georgia to four national championships and was the head coach of the 2008 United States Olympics Team and three U.S. World Championship teams. All the while, he’s been a tremendous and wildly popular ambassador for his beloved University. Jack Bauerle is a truly great Georgia Bulldog.
…..
Some teams that got big wins Saturday: Clemson, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, LSU (Thursday night) and Illinois.
…….
It looks like the conference expansion and reshuffling will leave us with four major leagues. There’s a chance that West Virginia could be the SEC’s 14th team. It looks like Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State are headed to the PAC-12, which will become the PAC-26.
Could Missouri and Kansas be bound for the Big Ten?
This has all happened as an extremely fast rate.
…..
Above all else, to echo the entire Bulldog nation, get well wishes, thoughts and prayers to the greatest college football announcer ever, the incomparable Larry Munson. If the Georgia Bulldogs had a Mt. Rushmore, Munson’s would be one of the four faces. To quote the greatest college football kicker ever Kevin Butler, who I do a couple of shows with, “he is Georgia football.” Get well Muns!!!
…..
The Dogs will win, and you can lay the ten.

That’s it for this week’s McDonalds Monday, brought to you by Mongo Messer and his McDonalds and the Bulldogs, I’m Lovin’ It!!!

Looking ahead to week 4 and beyond

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Editor’s Note: Brad Evans is a guest blogger for Bulldawg Illustrated. He writes from the perspective of a UGA alumnus and suburban dad longing every weekend to be in Athens. Instead, he ends up watching the game at home in a red & black bow tie, bourbon in one hand and cigar in the other, with his wife who is an Auburn grad and his 2 1/2 year old daughter and 2 month old son who are caught in the middle of mom and dad’s football loyalties.

I woke up early Saturday morning, threw on my golf attire (bow tie included because it’s a gentlemen’s game), hopped in the car and turned on some old Dave Matthews, let my hair dance in the wind via an open sunroof, and headed to the links. My morning was only made better by shooting the best round of golf in my life (albeit on a par three course). It’s always a good thing when your golf score and the points UGA put on the board are close to one another.

After playing eighteen holes and thoroughly enjoying the crisp autumn breeze, I found my way back home to watch Auburn finally lose with my wife (AU 04’) and her friend Holly (AU 03’). Oh yeah, did I mention I updated them with the Georgia score every two minutes? I didn’t? Well, I did – and with pleasure.

I was a little upset when I discovered ESPN8 (The Ocho) blacked out the game in Atlanta. I mean really…what could have better capped off one of those days that golfers dream about than watching Mark Richt & Co. hang 59 on the Chanticleers? I had to Google Coastal Carolina’s mascot and the first definition I encountered was – a prominent male vocal ensemble…come to find out it’s a third cousin, twice removed, of the war chicken family at Auburn.

Anyway, we’re 1-2 with Ole Miss next in Oxford. After their embarrassing loss to Vandy, I don’t think we’ll have a problem leaving Vaught-Hemingway with our second W. And, coincidentally, we’ll have the red headed step child of Mississippi football in our backyard the following weekend. Hopefully by then we’ll have an official Uga who will pick a fight with their bulldog, effectively inspiring our 2-2 team to another win.

That being said, we’ll make two trips to the state of Tennessee. The first of which is a fine university that for decades over has produced some of the best managers in all of fast food. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of receiving your order correctly at a drive thru, then you can thank the Volunteer grad who assisted you. I believe it’ll be a close game, but by then we’ll had been on a roll…winning three consecutive games – chalk up another W. Hell, give me two W’s…Vandy is a goner too.

As I see it, we’ll be 5-2 going into Florida with a bye week. And while we’re at it, let’s be honest; if Richt loses to UF again, he’ll be a goner too. This team desperately needs to beat Florida – maybe more than any other team Richt has coached.

I won’t get too ahead of myself (as if I haven’t already), but following UF we’ve got New Mexico State, the war chickens, and Kentucky at home. And finally, the North Ave. Trade School in Atlanta.

From my office I can see Grant Field, where I have been spying on those nerds for a few weeks. Between my telescopic lens and utilizing the lost art of lip reading, my covert operation has paid huge dividends. I plan on giving detailed notes to Coach Richt to review.

Who knows…we could end this season 10-2. Anything less than 9-3 will prompt a phone call from an untraceable pay phone, a seven figure offer, and an Athens Country Club membership to an “unassuming” defensive coordinator in Tuscaloosa.

I’m doing my part – are you?

If you would like to read other posts by Brad Evans, click here

Coastal Carolina Game Photo Gallery

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Click Here for BI’s Coastal Carolina Game Photo Gallery

BI Coverage Index: Georgia 59, Coastal Carolina 0

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Saturday brought beautiful weather and Georgia’s first win of the season to Athens. The Dawgs hit the road next week for what should be an easy win over a struggling Ole Miss team before starting a crucial two game stretch against Mississippi State and Tennessee. Get all the latest on the Dawgs’ victory here and look for BI Issue 9, the Ole Miss Issue, to be on newsstands Tuesday.

Articles and Notes:
Murray Poole’s Game Rewind
Post-Game Notes

Photo Gallery

Video: Locker Room Interviews

Podcasts:
Mark Richt
Aaron Murray
Brandon Boykin
Todd Grantham
Mike Bobo

Coastal Georgia Rewind

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Coastal Carolina head coach David Bennett had lit up the YouTube videos this past week with his zany rant over his team needing more dogs than cats on its roster but unfortunately for Bennett and his Chanticleers, they saw a few more Dogs than they wanted to Saturday at Sanford Stadium.
It hardly erased the sting of the opening two losses to nationally-ranked Boise State and South Carolina but, at least, the Georgia Bulldogs swung things back on the positive side with an expected 59-0 rout of little Coastal Carolina between the hedges.
After a contest in which the Bulldogs would have undoubtedly received stiffer competition from their scout team, Georgia will take its 1-2 record to Ole Miss this coming Saturday with hopes of evening its SEC slate at 1-1.
The Bulldogs methodically built a 35-0 halftime lead on the Big South Conference visitors from Conway, S.C. and that enabled Mark Richt and his assistant staff to clear the bench over the final two quarters and give Georgia’s second and third-teamers ample playing time.
“It was good to get a W,” said Richt. “A lot of good things happened today; a lot of good things have been happening all along but not until this Saturday did we get one in the win column. I think we have a very good team and today, they did about as well as we can ask them to do. I’m proud of the way we came out in the second half,” Richt said. “We substituted freely and a lot of guys got a chance to play. It was good to get a shutout – it’s hard to substitute a lot and keep them off the board. But our goal today defensively was just to not let them get started.”
Georgia’s touchdowns came one after another Saturday: a 27-yard run by freshman tailback Isaiah Crowell; a 1-yard sneak by Aaron Murray; a 32-yard pass from Murray to Tavarres King; a 7-yard pass from Murray to freshman Malcolm Mitchell; a 1-yard pass from Murray to King; a career-long 56-yard field goal by Blair Walsh; a 1-yard run by backup QB Hutson Mason; a 33-yard pass from Mason to tight end Orson Charles and, finally, a 17-yard run by backup tailback Carlton Thomas.
What Worked
When you play an outmanned team such as Coastal Carolina, everything should work pretty well, and it did for the Bulldogs as Georgia fans got a look at many of the young guys who will shape the future of this program. The Bulldogs rolled up 470 yards of offense via 194 rushing and 276 passing and totaled 23 first downs. And, the big thing, only one turnover. At the same time, Todd Grantham’s defense pitched its first shutout since the Vanderbilt game last season while limiting the Chanticleers to just 112 total yards and seven first downs.
What Didn’t Work
For the first time this season, nothing to fit into this category. Oh, you could be a little picky and point to the Bulldogs getting five penalties for 52 yards, several of which negated good plays, but they hardly mattered in this kind of game.
Top Performers
Offensively, Murray was 18-of-26 for 188 yards and three touchdowns in just over one half of play. Crowell rushed for 86 yards on 16 carries and had one catch for 12 yards in also barely over two quarters of play. Receiving-wise, King had a career-high six catches for 65 yards and the two touchdowns and Mitchell continue his sparkling play by also snaring six balls for 43 yards. Seeing his first extensive playing time, Thomas zipped for 71 yards on 15 carries and Mason relieved Murray and drilled six-of-nine passes for 68 yards and the touchdown while also scoring himself. In addition to his record-long field goal, Walsh booted eight extra points to become Georgia’s record holder with 152 career PATs. Walsh also recovered a fumble on one of his kickoffs.
“We’re really excited,” said junior flanker King. “We’re just going to try to keep getting better and keep making big plays. We feel like we’re a good team and can play with anyone.”
Defensively, junior linebacker Michael Gilliard had his first career start and responded with a team-leading eight tackles. Sophomore corner Jordan Love totaled five tackles while senior corner Brandon Boykin recorded four tackles, had one catch on offense for nine yards and also fashioned a 47-yard kickoff return. And junior safety Bacarri Rambo managed another interception for the Bulldogs.
Reeling Rebels await Dogs
Houston Nutt’s Ole Miss team went only 4-8 last season and, at the moment, the picture isn’t looking much brighter for the Johnny Rebs as Saturday’s 30-7 blowout loss at Vanderbilt left them at 1-2 on the young season. And, unlike Georgia, Ole Miss’ two losses didn’t come to nationally-ranked teams. Still, this is the Bulldogs’ first trip outside of the state of Georgia and it will be interesting to see if the team can win in the favorite’s role against a Rebel squad that is bound to be a bit angry and motivated after being embarrassed in Nashville.
“I’m sure Ole Miss will (show up in a foul mood) and we’ll have to prepare for that,” said Richt.

Post Game Notes: Georgia 59, Coastal Carolina 0

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Postgame Notes – Georgia vs. Coastal Carolina

Big Shutout: With today’s 59-0 victory, the Bulldogs posted their first shutout since the Vanderbilt game in 2010 and sixth overall in the Mark Richt era and second under current defensive coordinator Todd Grantham. Georgia beat the Commodores 43-0 in that contest. Georgia’s 59 points today was the most since the Bulldogs trounced Kentucky 62-17 in Lexington in 2004. The Bulldogs’ 59-point margin of victory is the most under Richt and the most since 1994 when they crushed Northeast Louisiana here 70-6. Georgia is now 42-7 against non-conference teams under Richt. This was the first-ever meeting with Coastal Carolina.

Sellout Streak Broken: Sanford Stadium did not sell out on Saturday for the first time since the Georgia Tech game in Nov. 25, 2000, which was Jim Donnan’s final home game as head coach. Today broke a streak of 64 straight sellouts. The official attendance for Saturday’s game was 91,946. A capacity crowd for the facility is 92,746.

Walsh Has Record-Breaking Day: Senior PK Blair Walsh set two career marks versus the Chanticleers. With Walsh’s eight PATs in the game, he is now the school record holder with 152 career PATs. Billy Bennett (2000-03) had the record at 148. Walsh finished with 11 points in the game., and he recovered a fumble.
At the beginning of the second quarter, Walsh drilled a career-long 56-yard field goal to put the Bulldogs up 38-0. This is the longest field goal for Georgia since Brandon Coutu connected on a 58 yarder in 2005. In his career, Walsh is now 9-of-14 from 50 or more yards, which is second only to Kevin Butler’s 11.

Murray Posts Big Numbers In Two Quarters: Redshirt sophomore quarterback Aaron Murray was 18-for-26 in just more than two quarters with 188 yards and three passing touchdowns. Both junior Tavarres King and freshman Malcolm Mitchell hauled in their second touchdowns of the year. King finished with a career-high six catches for 65 yards with 2 TDs while Mitchell had six catches for 43 yards. Murray also shot in for a 1-yard scoring run. Backup QB Hutson Mason also snuck in for his first career touchdown run from one yard out and ended the afternoon 6-for-9 for 68 yards.

Crowell Gets Another TD: In his first career start, freshman RB Isaiah Crowell had a 27-yard scoring run in the first minutes of the opening quarter. This is Crowell’s third touchdown this season after he scored one rushing and one receiving last week versus #12 South Carolina. Crowell finished with 86 yards rushing on 16 carries and had one catch for 12 yards.

Tackles: Junior LB Michael Gilliard paced the Bulldogs with eight tackles today in his first career start. At halftime, senior CB Brandon Boykin led the team with four tackles, including two tackles for loss. Boykin ended up with four tackles total and had one catch for nine yards on offense and one kickoff return for 47 yards.

Take Away & Give Back: Junior FS Bacarri Rambo had an interception and a 43-yard return before fumbling later in the play in the second period. This is Rambo’s team-leading second of the year and the fourth of the year for the Bulldogs. Late in the third quarter, redshirt sophomore CB Jordan Love forced a fumble that Blair Walsh recovered. Hutson Mason hit junior TE Orson Charles for a 33-yard scoring strike on the next play. Junior Ty Frix then recovered a fumble on a punt to give the Bulldogs the ball back deep in Coastal Carolina territory. Junior TB Carlton Thomas finished that possession with a 17-yard TD run. Georgia has now forced four INTs and two fumbles and converted them into 17 points.
The Chanticleers were unable to convert Rambo’s fumble into any points. Opponents have now scored 28 points on five Bulldog miscues.

Starters: The Bulldogs had three first-time starters against the Chanticleers. Freshman Damian Swann got the nod at CB for the first time in his career. Junior ILB Mike Gilliard made his first career start, filling in for injured senior Christian Robinson. The third first-time starter was freshman RB Isaiah Crowell. Junior SS Shawn Williams started his third consecutive game, but his first at ILB for the injured Alec Ogletree.
Also of note, sophomore OLB T.J. Stripling returned on special teams for the first time since injuring his leg at Colorado in 2010. Four true freshmen – OT Watts Dantzler, OG Hunter Long and OG David Andrews and OLB Ray Drew – also played for the first time in their careers.

Captains: Georgia’s captains on Saturday are senior C Ben Jones, senior FB Bruce Figgins, senior TE Orson Charles and senior CB/KOR Brandon Boykin.

Five Keys to a Successful Saturday against Coastal Carolina

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Freshman Impact – For Isaiah Crowell, Malcolm Mitchell and a host of promising freshmen, this is a golden opportunity to get a bunch of snaps and experience. In the secondary in particular, where talented players like Nick Marshall, Corey Moore, Damian Swann and Chris Sanders all have the chance to be starters early in their career, this is a golden opportunity to show what they can do. Since Crowell will be Georgia’s featured back throughout the season, maybe redshirt freshman Ken Malcome will get some carries.

Injury free – This is one of the oldest clichés in sports. Obviously, coaches don’t ever want to have injuries (though former Bulldog knocking out Drew Bledsoe worked out pretty well for the Patriots, as did Wally Pipp’s headache in the Bronx), but that goes double for a game that should most certainly be won. After the Chanticleers, the Bulldogs have four straight weeks of Southeastern Conference competition, and that will require all hands on deck to flourish.

Play Crisp – Penalties, turnovers, and a lack of focus are things Georgia absolutely does not need on Saturday. The Bulldogs need to look sharp, play crisp and set the tone for the upcoming tough stretch that begins the following Saturday in Oxford. Georgia has a chance to create some positive momentum and carry that over. After the struggles of the first two weeks, everyone in red and black wants to see Georgia play a good game – no matter who’s on the other side of the field.

Contain Hillary – Aramis Hillary is an outstanding quarterback who can run it and throw it. He led the Chanticleers in rushing in the season opening victory over Furman, scored the winning touchdown and hit 10 of 13 passes. Georgia will want to keep him in the pocket, get pressure and force him into mistakes. If Hillary is able to get hot throwing the ball, he’s an even bigger threat running it.

Remember the Biggest Homer in Bulldog History – It’s Georgia baseball’s shot heard ‘round the world. Both the Bulldogs and Chanticleers have outstanding baseball programs. Back in 2001 with the Regional Championship on the line in Athens, the Bulldogs trailed Coastal Carolina 7-6 with Andy Neufeld on first and two outs in the top of the ninth (Georgia was the designated visitor for this one). All-American super-hero shortstop and current San Francisco Giant Jeff Keppinger, who had hit for the cycle the night before, came to the plate, four-for-four with two homers in the game. The count was 2-1. “This is driven, deep left field, Oh My God he did it again!” The lined shot over the left centerfield fence was a no-doubted that inspired sheer delirium and ecstasy. Never has Foley Field been so raucous. Five-for-Five with three homers. Keppinger was in the middle of a 4-6-3 double play that ended it. Georgia beat Florida State in the Super Regional the following weekend and made it to the College World Series for the first of four times in the 2000’s. It was baseball’s Belue-to-Scott and nobody who was there will ever forget it.

What's New in Sanford Stadium for 2011

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Each year subtle changes are added to Sanford Stadium. Some are more noticeable than others. It has always been a small hobby of mine to examine a given photo of Sanford Stadium and try to deduce what year and game the shot was taken. Maybe after noticing some of this year’s more subtle changes you will be able to do the same.

Starting with the biggest change, most fans won’t strain to notice the new, $1.4 million video board. While the video board’s housing has the same dimensions, the screen itself has been modified to take up nearly the entire structure. If the athletic department could figure out a way to backlight the “Sanford Stadium” script along with the “G” for the night games this would look perfect.

2011 Scoreboard:

2010 Scoreboard:

Speaking of scoreboards, I noted in a Guide2Athens post on Agora my affinity for the old scoreboard from the 1990’s that featured the “GEORGIA BULLDOGS” script and Hairy Dawg hiding behind a Coca-Cola bottle beside the first-generation videoboard.

This year Sanford Stadium seems to have embraced the Helvetica font that was featured on that scoreboard (and has remained on the back of the scoreboard since the late 1980’s). Saturday you will notice that the font of the numbers on the field, and the “GEORGIA/BULLDOGS” script in either endzone has been changed from block letters to the more rounded, uniform Helvetica font. This is similar, though not identical, to the endzone script that was seen in the mid to late 1990’s at Sanford Stadium

1990’s Endzone Typeface:

2010 Endzone Typeface:

2011 Endzone Typeface:

Photo: Ward Black

From my research since Sanford Stadium began marking the field with numbers, this is the first season that Sanford has not had the block letter numbers with red shadowing on the field.

2010 Field Numbers and Endzones:

2011 Field Numbers and Endzones:

Even the Georgia “G” that formerly graced the goal line has been axed for the more uniform Helvetica “G”.

2010 Georgia “G” Goal Line:

The SEC logos on the 25 yard-lines are back for their third consecutive year. In 2008 and 2009, the logos had a red background with white “SEC” script. In 2010, the color scheme for the SEC logo changed for every game and usually included three colors, red, black and white. Keep your eyes peeled for yet another new color scheme for the Coastal Carolina game.

The band has moved from their long-time position in the Northeast corner of the stadium over to the West endzone beneath the Jumbotron. This is by design so that more of the stadium can hear the fight songs and such during big-time game situations.

Previous Band Location:

Photo: Wikipedia

2011 Band Location:

The large “GO DAWGS” banner behind the East endzone that made a brief appearance for the 2010 season is now gone.

2010 New Banner:

2011: No Banner

From a fan-experience perspective there are a few changes as well. There are new, sharper-looking pregame countdown videos. Even after a revision, I still think the “It’s Saturday in Athens” video is cheesy, but the “60-Seconds to Kickoff” video featuring Baba O’Riley by The Who is back and much improved from previous years.

Also, thankfully those Academy Sports video spots no longer feature Nickelback. But hold your excitement, the Nickelback songs have only been replaced by the ubiquitous Zombie Nation song that is second only to Sandstorm in the overplayed, unoriginal Techno-Pop Canon. To the powers that be, here is a good rule of thumb: if they play a song at Tech games, it has no place in Sanford Stadium. Please adjust your advertising guidelines accordingly.

The game program design is the same template from 2010.

2010 Tennessee Game Program:

Image: UGAA

And last but not least, another change that fans will surely notice this year is that the Jack Davis Stadium cups are back! Leaving the stadium around 9:45 p.m. Saturday I swept the South stands for any of these cups that may have been left behind. Needless to say, I didn’t find ONE. I guess I’ll pony up the $5/cup to get a set for home. Who needs all that wedding china, anyway?

2007 Stadium Cups:

Photo: Google Image Search

2011 Jack Davis Stadium Cup:

Note: After publishing this, Thomas Hinson of George Gibson’s sent me this note with more details on changes for 2011 and the history of how the field has been marked in years past. The note is included below

Just a couple tidbits I found Saturday…They closed the concession stands on the concourse directly behind my seats in section 131. That’s great for easing congestion, but it makes the lines longer at other concession stands and certainly makes for a longer walk.

As for the field markings, UGA didn’t start painting in the end zones until the mid 90’s, and with the exception of the 1992 season (100th year of football), they didn’t have a midfield logo either until the same time span. We also used to mark every 5 yard line with a number, like LSU still does. That continued until at least the Goff era.

This pre-1981 photo from Google Image Search shows the blank field as described in the note above

Travis' Take

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

As we approach our third game of the 2011 season I want to take a step back from my normal writing of a preview for our print issues and talk about my thoughts on the Dawg’s team thus far this year. I have had the very fortunate opportunity to cover the football team on a day-to-day basis since spring practice. Over this time I have learned much about how the football team operates and have gotten to know the players and coaches. Even so, UGA still keeps the media at an arms distance. We are able to watch short periods of practice and are allowed to talk to selected players and coaches after practice. Anything more than that is considered a God-send in the UGA media circles. It may not be much time around the program but for a fan-first like myself, it’s a wonderful, wonderful thing. As a result of this exposure, my love for the Dawgs, and more specifically this team, has grown exponentially since August. I saw these players working their tails off everyday for the betterment of the Bulldawg Nation. I saw the coaches with more fire and drive than I have ever seen before. I saw Coach Richt with a renewed vigor, a rejuvenated focus and an edge that hasn’t been seen since 2006. I was excited.

I couldn’t wait to kick off the 2011 season against Boise State. I’ve never been so amped up for a game in my life. When the team that I grew so close to came out of that tunnel in the The Dome, I felt that chill up my spine that goes along with something special. And it was special. That first quarter was something to behold wasn’t it? Our defense was flying to the ball, they were unrelenting, they were playing their best defense since Brian Van Gorder left as defensive coordinator in 2004. I was, however, thoroughly disappointed in our offensive attack. I heard from coaches and players alike that the offense was going to be different in 2011. That it wasn’t going to be the same, stale play-calling that we have grown so accustomed to over the past few years. But it wasn’t different, it was the same and I was left scratching my head and wondering if I was being told lies by players and coaches at practice. Alas, there was a break-through. I saw #2 jogging onto the field with the offense late in the first quarter. Long has it been asked why Brandon Boykin never played a snap offensively. With his unmatched ability to make plays with the ball in his hands, he seemed a likely candidate to create chaos for opposing defenses. And sure enough, there he was; lined up in the slot; #2. I turned to my good friend Molly and started shouting, “Boykin’s on the field! Boykin’s on the field! #2 in the slot!” She looked at me like I was crazy but I knew something extraordinary was about to happen. The snap, the handoff and just like that, he was gone. After the ceIebration had subsided, I turned back to Molly, grinned and said, “I told you so.” At that point I felt another chill; the offense was different too. Then something happened. It’s like we regressed in half of a quarter. That chill I felt went away in a flash just before halftime. For the rest of the game I was left with the same empty feeling I’ve had for the past three years. I walked out of the Georgia Dome disgusted as I’m sure most of you did as well. I truly believed that this team was going to be different. I thought that we had righted the ship and were headed towards former glory. I was angry, not with the performance or with the team or with the coaches. I was angry with myself for buying into the idea that this year would be special. I rode back home with my dad and brother-in-law who bleed red and black as much, if not more, than I do. They felt the same way. We were shocked that we lost to Boise State. Boise State! A team that Georgia crushed in 2005. Nobody thought a team from the WAC could hang with a team from the SEC. We are GEORGIA. We are invincible. That was the sentiment in the days leading up to the game. In the upheaval that followed the game amongst fans, this was the problem. Yes, we lost to Boise State. But guess what? We were supposed to lose to Boise State. It took me a few days to come to terms with this fact but I did. Boise State was ranked number five in the country. They returned the runner-up for the Heisman trophy in 2010. They returned one of the best defensive front sevens in the country. Most importantly, they had been there before. All of their players have played and succeeded in big time games before. The Chick-fil-a kickoff game was nothing new to them. They beat us and they were supposed to. That doesn’t make the loss any harder to stomach but it is what it is.

The Sunday following the Boise State game, once I had calmed down, I felt something else beginning to stir up inside of me. We had our first SEC game and home opener coming up in less than a week. The SEC season was still within our grasps. All it was going to take was a victory over those pesky Gamecocks from Columbia. At practice the week before the South Carolina game I once again saw a Coach Richt that I had never seen before. After an abysmal performance by the offensive line against Boise State, I fully expected Coach Richt to come to post-practice press conferences and do his usual side-stepping of tough questions about the play of the offensive line. You know, his usual, “We’ll continue to work hard and get better” act. Instead, I got something completely different. Coach Richt actually called out his offensive line in public, essentially saying that they need to get better or Georgia isn’t going anywhere this year. You NEVER hear this from Coach Richt. He was fiery and testy that whole week. Once again, I got my hopes up. I told myself that if Coach Richt is like this around the media then he’s even more riled up around his players. I woke up Saturday morning ready, more than ever, to hear that trumpet play the Battle Hymn of the Bulldawg Nation. Much like the week before, I felt that feeling come rolling up my spine just before kickoff. Sure enough, same as the week before, I was encouraged with what I saw on the field. We dominated in all aspects of the game. Including the offensive line; Isaiah Crowell had lanes to run in. But somehow, we went into halftime down by a point. Even still, we were playing with such intensity that I figured we would just come out in the second half and blow Steve Spurrier’s socks off. Actually, we kind of did. The offense started clicking, our offensive line was playing well and we were moving the ball down the field. Then the mistakes showed up. A fake punt, a pick six, a fumble return to the five yard line and a late fumble by the ever trustworthy Aaron Murray. 28 points we gave up off of mistakes; big play mistakes. Think about this folks, our defense only gave up 17 points to South Carolina on Saturday. That is one heck of a performance against a very potent offense. Nonetheless, for the second week in a row, I walked out of a football game disappointed with a loss. Unlike the previous week though, I wasn’t angry. I was encouraged. I saw a sense of urgency this past Saturday that indicates one thing to me; things with the UGA football program are different. I saw Mark Richt throw his headset Saturday and take a player by the face mask and let into him. Tell me, when in the past four years have you seen him do that? He hasn’t. The renewed vigor I saw all of pre-season was not all a show. I saw fight in him on Saturday. I saw fight in our players on Saturday. You know what may be the best part? We beat up on South Carolina on Saturday folks.
We imposed our will on them in all aspects of the game. It was four mistakes that sunk us or we would have won running away.

Many of you “drank the kool-aid” this off-season and you feel you have been let down. That’s understandable, we are 0-2 after all. Even so, I implore you to stick with this football team. I truly believe that this can be a special ball-club. If the improvement in our play from week one to two is any indication of how the rest of the season goes then you might see a team that ends up with a 10-2 record. You could also see this team 8-4. Who knows? It’s so hard to tell in the SEC but the schedule does line up favorably. If you see the Dawgs beat Mississppi State in a couple weeks, then they could be 5-2 heading to Jacksonville and riding a wave of confidence. So, Georgia fans, I’m calling you out. Don’t give up. Not yet. The Dawgs have lost to two top-10 teams to start off the season. One of them, we put ourselves in a position to beat soundly. This team is good, very good and the coaching staff is revitalized. Let’s show the team that we are behind them 100 percent. If we can do that, the sky is the limit for these men who now where the Red and Black. Go Dawgs.

McDonalds Monday

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

It’s time for another McDonald’s Monday, brought to you by one of Georgia’s greatest friends, fans and deep snappers ever Paul “Mongo” Messer and his McDonalds. McDonalds and the Dawgs, I’m Lovin’ it!!!

It was a heartbreaking loss for Georgia, as South Carolina won a typical Bulldogs-Gamecocks thriller 45-42. Eight of the last 11 meetings have been determined by seven or fewer points. The last four at Sanford Stadium have been determined by two, four, four and three points.
In last week’s issue of Bulldawg Illustrated, these were Georgia’s five keys to victory that I listed:
Five Keys to Beating South Carolina
1. Contain Lattimore – Marcus Lattimore racked up 184 yards and two touchdowns on 37 carries in his first SEC Game, leading South Carolina to a 17-6 win over Georgia last year in Columbia. He’s going to be good and pick up yardage, but the Bulldogs absolutely cannot let Lattimore go Video Game-esque nuts and completely dominate. Or Georgia will lose. The Gamecocks have a potent passing attack, but everything runs through Lattimore. If Georgia can control him, the defense can minimize the damage Stephen Garcia, Alshon Jeffery and crew are able to do through the air.
2. Protect Murray – South Carolina’s defensive front is one of the Southeastern Conference’s best, headlined by returning sack leader Melvin Ingram, All-SEC defensive end Devin Taylor , tough tackle Travian Robertson and Superfrosh Jadeveon Clowney. The unit clearly provides Georgia’s offensive line with one of its toughest tests of the campaign. Aaron Murray is one of the league’s best signal callers and he’s very good on the move. Murray isn’t very tall, while the Gamecocks defensive line is tall and strong – Taylor is 6-7, 250, Clowney 6-6, 256. Getting Murray on the move, rolling out by design, moving the pocket, that could be the Bulldogs best method of moving the ball through the air and slowing down the Gamecocks rush.
3. Excel with Butler and Walsh – The kicking game is an area where Georgia should have a big advantage. South Carolina is breaking in a new kicker and punter, while Drew Butler and Blair Walsh keep lofty company amongst the nation’s finest punters and kickers. Butler can boom ‘em high and deep and excels with the coffin corner kick. Walsh is accurate and has a great leg that shows on 50-plus yard field goal attempts and kickoffs. Field position is so often the name of the game, and the Dogs should have “two legs up” thanks to Butler and Walsh.
4. Pressure Garcia – Though he has been in the news throughout his career for off-field issues, Stephen Garcia is a very talented player and one of the SEC’s best quarterbacks. He’s a good passer and an excellent runner – very mobile. With Jeffery as a lethal deep threat and “Marcus the Magnificent” at tailback, Garcia’s ability to move makes him and the Gamecocks offense extremely dangerous. This will be a huge test for Georgia’s defense, which has some new faces and blossoming talent. If the Bulldogs can put the heat on Garcia, they can force him into mistakes. If he has time to throw, with Lattimore and Jeffery headlining his weapons cache, Georgia’s defense will be in trouble.
5. Cover up Jeffery – Brandon Boykin is one of the SEC’s top cornerbacks and kick returners. He got a lot of attention when he dared Boise State coach Chris Petersen to kick him the ball. The challenge now for Boykin is whether he can cover Jeffery in man-to-man situations. Boykin is 5-10, 183. Jeffery is 6-4, 229. But Boykin is tough and fast with good ball skills. Jeffery is the total package and a big time big-play threat. Boykin will have to be at his best and the Dogs are going to need all hands on deck to slow down Lattimore.

Item #1: Lattimore again gashed the Bulldogs, carrying 27 times for 176 yards and a touchdown. He’s joined the class of the likes of Bo Jackson, Stephen Davis, Danny Wuerrfel and Shane Matthews as all-time Bulldog killers. “Magnificent Marcus” dominated the fourth quarter. In two games against the Bulldogs (last season, he ran 37 times for 184 yards and two TD’s), Lattimore has tallied 360 yards and three scores.
Item #2: At times Georgia protected Murray, but not when the Bulldogs were down by three and a Jadaveon Clowney hit led to Melvin Ingram’s second touchdown. In essence, Georgia is starting three guards, a center and a player who was a nose guard a year ago. This is an area where attrition and some recruiting misses have really hurt.
Item #3: Drew Butler is arguably Georgia’s greatest ever punter and Walsh is one of the Bulldogs best ever kickers. But a fake punt TD and missed field goal really hurt the Dogs, while the Gamecocks nailed a long field goal.
Item #4: Georgia did a better job of getting to Garcia than Kellen Moore. He was very shaky early, but the Bulldogs couldn’t cash in. Let’s face it, an outstanding team would’ve been up something like 24-7 at halftime, not trailing 14-13.
Item #5: The big play star receiver caught South Carolina’s first touchdown and had a huge fourth down reception. The Gamecocks did a great job getting the ball in their stars’ hands.

……
Congratulations to John Isner on his great run to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open. He came up just short against Andy Murray. The heavy rains were bad luck. Had “Big John” had a recovery day, I think he would’ve pulled off a win over Murray. Isner is a great Georgia representative. He’s a walking Bulldog billboard and a truly distinguished alum!
…..
That’s it for this week’s McDonalds Monday, brought to you by Mongo Messer and his McDonalds. McDonalds and the Bulldogs, I’m Lovin’ It!!!

0-2 with perspective

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

I don’t even know where to start on this one. So I’ll start here – guess where 15º 00’ N and 86º 30’ W is located? If you guessed where Mark Richt will be one year from now, you’re right…assuming he chooses the subtropical climate of Honduras to spread the good word. And truthfully, a man of his caliber should probably be doing what his heart desires.

In between puffing on a cheap cigar, drinking recession beer (PBR tall boys), and yelling at the television, I managed not to pop a brain vessel with the frustration that only comes from being a UGA football fan.

Admittedly, we played better (with the exception of an atrocious o-line and the usual discipline issues, i.e. Rambo). But, as I’ll teach Annabelle and Andrew – there’s only room for one winner in life – especially in the SEC. I, and Bulldog Nation, could care less about how hard you played…because in the end, we’re 0-2 gentlemen.

As angry as I was with the outcome, waking up Sunday morning to the tenth anniversary of 9/11 was sobering. I quickly forgot about the game and tried my hardest from tearing up while watching the memorial services. For a while I had both of my kids in my arms…squeezed tightly.

I remember 9/11 like it was yesterday. I woke up to my clock radio stating the U.S. was under terrorist attack. I was a student at UGA at time and ironically enough, I was heading to Baldwin Hall to attend a course named South Asian Trade & Security – where we were studying the possibility of an attack on U.S. soil. I was scared that day in Baldwin Hall (classes were canceled afterwards). I remember looking for planes in the sky – incapable of concentrating on anything, consumed with confusion, bubbling with anger.

Five years later I was staying at the Millennium Hotel in NYC…across the street from Ground Zero. From my room, perched forty plus stories in the sky, I was overcome with emotion while looking at that terrible hole in the earth. The memory of Ground Zero from that vantage point will forever be burned in my conscience.

So, while losing another ball game was no fun – it pales in comparison to what happened ten years ago Sunday.

I’ve got a feeling that Richt has a perception on life that most don’t…as he understands what’s really important and college football might not be what stirs him anymore. And that’s OK.

If he ends up leaving The University of Georgia, I hope it’s done with honor and class. Sure, we Dawgs hate losing, but we should equally understand that a man has to do what a man has to do.

Richt is a good man, a great family man, and an incredible ambassador of our University.

Let’s not forgot that.

Go Dawgs.

If you would like to read other posts by Brad Evans, click here

PHOTO GALLERY: Georgia 42, South Carolina 45

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Check out BI’s Action Photo Gallery from Saturday’s game against South Carolina here.

Georgia 42, South Carolina 45 rewind

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Old rivals Georgia and South Carolina went back and forth all day on the scoreboard as a total of 87 points were put on the Sanford Stadium scoreboard Saturday but unfortunately for the Bulldogs they ended the evening with 42 while the Gamecocks left the field with 45.

The heartbreaking defeat left Georgia at 0-2 (0-1 in SEC) on the young season while Steve Spurrier’s Gamecocks improved to 2-0, 1-0.

In a game where the Bulldogs snapped back courageously from their disappointing opening loss to Boise State and outgained the 12th-ranked Gamecocks 436 total yards to 395 and compiled 23 first downs to South Carolina’s 15, in the end Georgia couldn’t overcome four improbable plays that will forever haunt the Bulldog Nation when it looks back on this bitter setback.

There were two lost fumbles, one which the Gamecocks’ Stephon Gilmore ran back 56 yards to set up a South Carolina score and the other which defensive end Melvin Ingram scooped up at the UGA 5 and ran in for a touchdown. There was a 68-yard scoring run by Ingram on a fake punt just before the first half ended that staked the Gamecocks to a 14-13 halftime lead and, then, perhaps the dagger in the Bulldogs’ back was when Antonio Allen picked off an Aaron Murray pass late in the third quarter and took it in from 25 yards out. That send Carolina up by 28-20 and although Georgia bounced back once again to tie the game at 28 and then eventually take a 35-31 lead on Isaiah Crowell’s second touchdown of the night, those four plays which Bulldogs coach Mark Richt referred to as “giveaways” would prove too costly for the home team to overcome.

The mood in the Bulldogs’ dressing quarters following this loss was about what you would expect. The Georgia players thought they rendered great improvement over the opening setback in the Georgia Dome but that fact didn’t soothe their wounds any over letting the Gamecocks get out of Athens with the three-point win.

“I mean, we played hard,” said senior cornerback Brandon Boykin, “but their capitalizing on our mistakes … when you score on mistakes it’s critical and it’s hard (to win) when they play mistake free and you’re not. Despite all that we were still in the game but I think Coach Richt said it best, if we eliminate mistakes we can be a really, really good team. I feel terrible right now, just being a senior and wanting to defend your turf for the opening home game.”

Junior free safety Bacarri Rambo didn’t pull any punches after the game. He said he thought the Bulldogs outplayed the Gamecocks all over the field, and that’s what made this defeat that much harder to swallow.
“Team-wise, we outplayed those guys (Gamecocks),” said Rambo. “They know they were supposed to take that loss but they just had big plays … on our fumbles and their defense was scoring and they got that little fake punt and that really hurt us in the long run. Just take those plays out and we would have blown those guys out but we’ve just got to improve on the things that we messed up on so we just got to get back to practice Monday and work on those things to get better … just correct the errors we had this week.”

The Bulldogs certainly made more big plays on the offensive side of the ball than South Carolina. Crowell, the highly-touted freshman, made his Sanford Stadium debut a very good one by scoring on a 17-yard screen pass from Murray and on his 15-yard run to the right end zone corner in the final quarter. Crowell would end the night with 118 yards on 16 carries though he did have the costly fumble that Gilmore returned down to the shadow of the Georgia goal line.

Murray, completing 19 of 29 attempts for 248 yards albeit throwing the costly pick-six and also losing the ball on the fumble recovery score by Ingram, passed for a career-high four touchdowns … the screen pass to Crowell, a 26-yard scoring strike to Rantavious Wooten, a 19-yard pass to Michael Bennett and then a 33-yard pass to Tavarres King which came with just 2:15 remaining and made for the final 45-42 tally.

What Worked
The old saying goes that statistics are for losers but, most definitely, the Georgia offense did come to life after not being able to sustain a single thing against Boise State the previous Saturday. Forty-two points and 436 yards of offense should get you a victory but, on this particular night, that didn’t happen for the Bulldogs because they also turned it over way too much. Also, the Bulldogs’ defense, as Richt mentioned in his post-game remarks, deserved a better fate but simply couldn’t overcome the Georgia offense allowing Carolina to flip the field due to those inexplicable miscues.

What Didn’t Work
No need to keep rehashing it here … this Georgia loss all came down to the two lost fumbles, the pick-six for a score and the long TD run on the fake punt which came when the Bulldogs were seemingly about to take control just before intermission. Also, although the Georgia defense did a pretty reasonable job of slowing Marcus Lattimore’s running in the early going, the big Carolina tailback kept pounding and finished the night with 176 yards on 27 carries, just six yards shy of the 182 rushing total he hung on the Bulldogs last season.

Top Performers

Crowell and Murray posted fine overall numbers and freshman wideout Malcolm Mitchell again showed his great potential for the future by snaring five passes for 52 yards. Boykin set up Bulldog scores with his outstanding returns, hauling back seven kickoffs for 184 yards. Defensively, Georgia rendered a balanced effort with junior linebacker Christian Robinson showing eight total tackles and a sack and Sanders Commings (also a sack), Shawn Williams, Jarvis Jones and Rambo all following with six stops each.

Finally, a Coastal Carolina upcoming

The Bulldogs, after two weeks of playing in the big leagues and falling to a pair of nationally-ranked teams, should get a breather this coming Saturday when Coastal Carolina comes between the hedges.
“We have all the ingredients of a very good football team,” said Richt, under the gun for the Bulldogs’ slippage on the gridiron over the past three seasons. “But very good football teams don’t turn it over the way we did. So we’re potentially a very good football team. But we’ve still got a lot of football to play, and I think we’re still in the Eastern Division race. There’s still seven SEC games to go.”

BI Coverage Index: Georgia 42, South Carolina 45

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Mixed emotions permeate Athens after a respectable effort by the Dawgs fell short against South Carolina Saturday, and Georgia fell to 0-2 for the first time since 1996. Check in with Bulldawg Illustrated for continued commentary from Saturday’s action as we prepare for next week’s statewide print issue which will be on newsstands Tuesday, September 13.

Photo Gallery:
Georgia 42, South Carolina 45

Video:
Locker Room Interviews Georgia 42, South Carolina 45
Post-game interviews featuring comments from Aaron Murray, Isaiah Crowell, Mike Bobo, Todd Grantham and Brandon Boykin.

Game Rewind:
Murray Poole: Heartbreaking defeat

Podcasts:
Mark Richt’s Post Game Press Conference

In the locker room with Aaron Murray

In the locker room with Isaiah Crowell

In the locker room with Brandon Boykin

In the locker room with Todd Grantham

With Plenty of Football Left, Patience is Wearing Thin

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

As I was meandering down the stairwell from the 300 level Saturday afternoon, a large, middle-aged man in a David Pollack jersey labored up to his seats. “I paid too much damn money for these tickets to walk up all these stairs,” he complained to no one in particular. It was two minutes after kickoff and a long line of fans stood in a queue outside Gate 9. Much like the Pollack fan, they were not here to appreciate the new videoboard or other more subtle upgrades to Sanford Stadium, like the new uniform Helvetica type face that was found everywhere from the scoreboards to the endzones to the directional signs. They probably didn’t stop to consider how the band has been moved from their traditional spot in the northeast corner of the stadium over to the west endzone, so that more of the stadium could hear the fight song. When Michael Bennett scored a touchdown to bring Georgia within two points of closing South Carolina’s Fourth Quarter lead, it is unlikely that many fans paused to appreciate that Jack Davis art has returned to the plastic stadium cups before said cups were chucked from the upper levels en mass, spurning a sunset shower of bourbon and watered down Coke on the fans seated below.

No, all 92,746 people in Sanford Stadium on Saturday gathered for one overarching reason: to see their team win.

Despite a commending effort from the Dawgs, ‘ol Spurrier and the Gamecocks got the best of them. After getting dominated in the Dome, Georgia returned a week later to physically manhandle an SEC opponent between the hedges. After struggling to find any sustained offense in the opener, Mike Bobo conjured up a plan that resulted in 42 points against the stalwart SC defense. For the vast majority of the game, Georgia played the kind of football that so many Georgia fans paid all that money and climbed all those stairs to see, but it still wasn’t enough.

Dean Tate is rumored to have relied on the premise that there are three types of lies in this world: lies damn lies and statistics. Since 2009, Georgia football is now 14-14.. As Mark Bradley muses over at the AJC, with so many losses to Mark Richt’s credit, what is it going to take to get the Georgia fanbase, the athletic board, the press off of Mark Richt’s back? An SEC East Championship? Beating Florida? A BCS Bowl?

In my opinion, this is program in bad need of an SEC Championship. The sting of the 2008 loss to Alabama is still very real. What took Richt seven years to build; two SEC Championships, a new “Blackout” tradition, and a swagger unseen since Herschel Walker era; it all came undone over 60 timed minutes at the hands of Nick Saban.

An upset bid against the gold-standard of today’s SEC landscape may be Richt’s best bet to reassure this fanbase that he is the man to guide Georgia back to being a championship-caliber team. And a school with championship-caliber facilities, championship-caliber talent and championship-caliber support deserves nothing less.

I’m pulling for you, coach. The sweaty guy in the David Pollack jersey is too. Let’s get it started next week and keep the ball rolling all the way to Atlanta.

2011 UGA - South Carolina Preview Video

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

I had written about 750 or so words for this morning’s post that complained and fretted and worried about our beloved Dawgs. Then I stepped outside, felt the wonderful fall air that has descended on Athens this week and remembered that life is too short to complain about such things. The bottom line is that September has arrived and the Dawgs are playing one of their six games a year in Athens on Saturday. Win or lose, good coach or bad coach and the rest, it’s too much fun to be a part of the SEC football season to self-destruct in those seasons when your team is not on top of the heap.

I will get off my soapbox now, but that is the reasoning that went into making this video. Pass it around to your tailgate buddies and let’s get ready for another Saturday Between the Hedges!

Go Dawgs!