Monday, October 25, 2010

BANG! THAT'S US.



Although it was sickening to watch and more nauseating to listen to, I watched Urban Meyer's game week press conference today. In his usual holier-than-thou, declarative style, Meyer listed all the things he believed needed to be corrected to put out the fires that have been burning around the Florida program recently. One phrase that popped out to me was hearing Meyer say "It doesn't look like us out there. It doesn't look like BANG!."

Meyer was lamenting that the Gators have been missing some key players due to injury, but he was also talking about a couple of other things here and he listed what he felt they needed to address. Meyer's list went like this...

1. Turnovers
2. Explosive plays
3. Pass Efficiency (off due to drops, protection and execution)
4. Red Zone execution
5. Special teams (lack of big hits and blocked punts)


With a conveniently/strategically place bye week to work on these issues you can bet that Meyer and the Gators will be breathing fire on Saturday. More specifically this tells me a couple things...

1. Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey will absolutely play in Jacksonville.

2. Some "creative" play calling will show itself against the DAWGS in an effort to induce those explosive plays that Meyer is searching so hard for. The Gators will be trying to get to the edge in numerous ways.

3. When I hear Meyer talk about red zone efficiency I hear one thing...Georgia will see Trey Burton put to use in any number of ways if the Gators reach the 30 going in on Saturday.

4. Drew Butler and the DAWGS punt unit had better be ready...and the kickoff coverage team too. NOTHING changes a game like an explosive play on special teams and I will be stunned if we do not see a wrinkle or three from the Gators in the third phase of the game. I expect at least one punt block attempt and probably a fake punt or field goal try too.


I think you all know what a...er...healthy disdain I have for the Gators. But if I know anything about football and Meyer's Gators, they will play with an edge and they will try to create the plays they feel they need to be successful.

With that said, it will be just that much sweeter to watch the DAWGS rise to that challenge and trade licks, blow for blow, with their long time and bitter rivals.

Glory, Glory.

DAWGS vs. GATORS



Headed to Jacksonville? Just can't get enough of watching those DAWGS put the beat down on the Gators? Well, this is for you. DO IT!!!




Courtesy: UGA Hockey

Sunday, October 24, 2010

DAWGBEASTS and the WILDCATS




Justin Houston – The closer we get to Halloween, the more Justin Houston looks like a monster to opposing offenses. Houston finished with 5 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, including 2.5 more sacks to push his league-leading total to nine, but he also forced a fumble, recovered another and even broke up a pass. Georgia head coach Mark Richt said "Justin, he was fired up ready to play…you could just see the look in his eyes.”

Washaun Ealey – Georgia ran the ball when it wanted to against Kentucky on Saturday night and Washaun Ealey reached a new career high carrying the ball 28 times on his way to 157 yards. Along the way, Ealey set the school record with five rushing touchdowns.

Sanders Commings – Sanders Commings continues to come on for the DAWGS and he had another standout night on Saturday finishing with 5 total tackles, a fumble recovery and another interception.

Drew Butler – The DAWGS defense got after Kentucky all night in Lexington and that was due in no small part to the efforts of Butler. Georgia’s punter averaged 50.7 yards per kick and forced Kentucky to start in poor field position most of the game.

Brandon Boykin – Two inches was all Brandon Boykin said he would need to hit the seam on the kickoff return team and when his teammates provided it, Boykin did just that. Boykin made good with a 100 yard kickoff return for TD (the 4th kickoff return for TD of his career) against the Wildcats on Saturday night. Boykin now ranks second in Georgia history in career kickoff return yards with 1,482, trailing only Gene Washington who had 1,637 from 1973-76.

Glory, Glory.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

DAWGBEASTS and the DORES




Washaun Ealey – 17 carries, 123 yards, TD – Ealey came into Saturday’s contest expecting to carry the load for the DAWGS offense in the running game and did exactly that. Ealey ran HARD and still managed to protect the ball, and his pass protection was pretty good too.

Carlton Thomas – 4 carries, 40 yards, 2 TD – Thomas didn’t carry the ball that often, but he made it count when he did scampering in for touchdown runs of 15 and 9 yards…the first two trips to the paint in his career. Although he was also running tough, the thing that popped to me about Thomas was the explosion he had when he touched the football, even with an iffy hamstring. This zip is what makes Carlton special and different in the DAWGS backfield and I hope he continues to get his touches…in any number of ways. It was really good to see the kid have some success.

Ben Jones – Jones has had his ups and downs this season, along with the rest of the O-line, and don’t think for a second that those things are not connected. With that said, what we saw Saturday could be a key indicator in how the rest of this season is gonna go for Jones and Co. On Carlton Thomas’ first touchdown run, Jones pulled out and led Thomas into the endzone for his first career touchdown. Watching Jones jubilant celebration I couldn’t help but think that it just felt different. Seeing the DAWGS center grab Caleb King and shake him like a rag doll when he got back to the sideline (I still say King narrowly avoided a head butt there) was thrilling. Jones looked like a man possessed and it was great to see. He may be chewing turf again in celebration any day now. I would love for him to be able to let me know how the sod in Jacksonville suits the pallet. Keep livin’ it up Ben, that’s the type of fire we love to see from our DAWGS.

Aaron Murray – 15 of 24, 287 yards, 2 TD (12/3) – Murray is absolutely a repeat offender when it comes to this list. Coming into a season in which the quarterback position was seemingly the only unknown entity on offense for the DAWGS, Murray has absolutely become the one thing that DAWG Nation can count on every week to perform. This speaks to what kind of player the kid really is and to his dedication to the game…to the things that make you successful…like extra film study and attention to detail. Murray ran his season numbers to 12 touchdown passes against only 3 interceptions with two more TD tosses against the ‘Dores and folks, he’s left a few on the field this year. Georgia fans should sleep well at night knowing this young man is the face of the program for the next few years.

Kris Durham – 4 receptions, 112 yards, TD – Continuing with the theme of repeat offenders, Durham just keeps clicking along in the DAWGS passing game. The senior from Calhoun seems to catch everything thrown his way, including the ones that probably shouldn’t be thanks to a young quarterback, but that is yet another reason the senior wide receiver is on this list.

Justin Houston – 5 total tackles, sack – Houston is growing into a monster off the edge for the DAWGS, currently leading the SEC in sacks, and it couldn’t be happening at a better time. If Georgia is going to continue to resurrect their season, it will need every big play it can get from Houston.

A.J. Green – 3 receptions, 64 yards, TD – AJ makes the list this week for his touchdown reception alone. The type of athletic prowess displayed by Green on his 48 yard jaunt to pay dirt has not often been seen in Sanford Stadium and it was a beauty to behold. That catch and run was exhibit A in our ever growing stack of evidence that AJ Green is…(say it with us)…A DAMN BEAST!!!

Glory, Glory.

LIKE WE NEED THIS GUY TO HAVE ANY MORE MOTIVATION THIS WEEK



Kentucky's do-everything, play-maker that carries certified platinum BEAST status, Randall Cobb, is tweeting as he revels in the 'Cats win over #10 South Carolina last night and in doing so he does not try to hide his true feelings about representing the fans and their Ol' Kentucky Home....

@rcobb18: To all the fans: loved seein Yall come late, love hearing Yall tell us we suck during the game...Love that we can't pack the house when we play the #10 team in the nation...It means that much more to me.




Cobb is always a handful for the DAWGS anyway. I am certain that he, like all great players, will find a way to turn his feelings about the Kentucky fans into motivation that he will then use to get after Georgia on Saturday. The DAWGS better be ready.

Glory, Glory.

Friday, October 15, 2010

The VOLS, VIII and the DORES





Although we’ve been quiet for the most part this week, it has been a good week here at the BEAST. Coach Richt and the boys took care of the Vols without messing around last Saturday and that was just the start to an exciting week. Still flying from the DAWGS beat down of the Vols, some time last Sunday I realized that Big Bad Bruce was going to step up and claim the charmed life that awaits him as UGA VIII and I have been excited ever since. Throw in that this week Vanderbilt rolls into Athens (hopefully without hitting anything along the way) for Homecoming and I’ve been smiling pretty much all week.

I don’t buy into all that talk the beating the Vols is no big deal and that was one barb that was under my skin all week. Couldn’t break my stride, but it did bother me a bit until I realized that it brought me back to all the reasons that actually make it a big deal from where I sit in the first place.

The two games I most fanatically want the DAWGS to win every year are the tussles with Tennessee and Florida. This is tied primarily to my age and the time period I was a student at UGA. During those days, it was the Evil Genius and The Great Pumpkin that were ruining my fall Saturdays and my deep-seeded contempt for those two programs remains fiery and vicious to this day. Against this background, factor in that Tennessee had won three of the last four meetings, all three with ugly, blowout-type final scores and I was aching for a DAWGS win last weekend.



As for a more current motivation to be proud of our boys and their win last week, how about this….football games are hard to win. Any win against any opponent should be savored and not taken for granted. Besides, based on the way Georgia had played the month prior, it’s hard to believe that anyone was overly confident heading into that game. The bottom line is this…you just never know when the spark/break/moment will come that turns a season around. In 2007, if not for a late fumble and Georgia recovery deep in DAWGS territory on what looked for the world to be a game-winning drive for Vanderbilt in Nashville, the Sugar Bowl and ending the season with a #2 ranking would have never happened. Just last year, in a game that seemingly most DAWGS fans immediately dismissed, it was against Vanderbilt that Georgia finally settled on the offensive line starting five and began to find the running game that would carry the DAWGS down the stretch of the season. At the time, there were fans that didn’t want to hear about any successes in the rushing game because Vandy was somehow an opponent of no-count status. In retrospect, that was the moment that led to a glorious win on the plains in which Ben Jones ate the turf and Washaun Ealey and Caleb King declared to the world that “We Run This State!” So don’t tell me any successes the DAWGS had against the Vols last week don’t count for anything. For this DAWG, Saturday’s win over Tennessee was glorious. In case you’re wondering…Yes. I am holding out hope that the DAWGS can make me two-for-two this year in my most valued games.

Moving right along, I am absolutely pumped that Big Bad Bruce will take the up the mantle of UGA VIII this weekend. Forget the succession of kings, queens and princesses…this is the only succession I care about. Knowing that UGA VI’s grandson and a true, bloodline heir will be taking the collar makes me very happy. Everything just feels more right in the world. And Big Bad Bruce is a good looking dog too! Kid looks like a tank. I feel really good about the future with VIII at the reins and I believe he is going to be a fantastic ambassador for the University of Georgia and the members of the DAWG Nation.



To wrap up my thoughts from the week, I will just leave you with this. Vanderbilt is Vanderbilt and I suspect we all believe that our DAWGS should show up, play well and get the Homecoming victory tomorrow. With that said, I will never take any team or win for granted, but Vandy is a chance to continue to bail water and pick up some steam as we enter the final two months of the season.

Get after ‘em DAWGS and keep climbing as we make our way closer to the top of this hole that we find ourselves in. For everyone that will be heading to Athens and at the game, have a fantastic day and take a moment to remember what coming home is all about.

Glory, Glory.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

DAWGBEASTS and the VOLS




**AARON MURRAY – 17 of 25, 266 yards, 2 TD, 2 rush TD – Murray played his best game yet as a DAWG and we can rest assured that he will only continue to improve. The kid's throw to Rontavious Wooten was about as tough as they come and Murray's execution on that play was a thing of beauty. Is there anyone out there still looking around for SEC Freshman of the Year? Well you can stop looking…he currently resides in Athens, Georgia.

**AJ GREEN – It was great to see AJ working the middle of the field more on Saturday and the toughness displayed on his deep catch is one of the things that make him a truly special player. Green didn’t crack 100 yards this time out, but his presence on the field continues to help open things up as the DAWGS offense finds its legs.

**SPECIAL TEAMS – Georgia’s special teams units continue to play well, this week forcing a pair of turnovers on fumble recoveries. I give Blair Walsh and Jordan Love equal credit for that first forced fumble. Walsh may have actually punched it out, but at the very least he forced the issue and made the returner switch hands with the ball. It was during this switch that Love got his hand in there, the ball came out and the DAWGS pounced. Blake Sailors showed some great hands on the second recovery and took one of the worst “shoulda been” facemask infractions I’ve seen in a long while.

**JUSTIN HOUSTON – Houston continues to rack up the tackles for loss, adding three more including two more sacks to run his season total to six.

**DEFENSIVE LINE – The quality of play among the players involved in the rotation along the D-line on Saturday, including Brandon Wood and Kiante Tripp, had a lot to do with the DAWGS holding Tennessee to a mere nine yards rushing in the game. I saw players getting penetration and playing with good technique…that is what disrupted the Vols running game.

**TRINTON STURDIVANT – Sturdivant made his first start of the season on Saturday. In my view, you can absolutely see that his presence is having an effect on the performance of the O-Line.

**BOSS BAILEY – Boss was an honorary captain for Saturday’s game and delivered a pre-game speech to the DAWGS. Boss is a DAWGBEAST this week for using his audience with the DAWGS to say what we true Georgia fans feel and expressing just how much it means to represent the University of Georgia. Thank you, Boss. You’re a Damn Good Dawg.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

DOES AJ OWE YOU ANYTHING?



During Tuesday's weekly media session, AJ Green was asked if missing four games this season due to suspension would affect his decision to return for his Senior season at Georgia. The DAWGS brilliant junior wide receiver had this to say on the subject...


“I don’t know yet. But I do feel like I owe some of the fans some more stuff, just missing those four games. So I don’t know,” Green said. “Like I said, I’m gonna sit down with my family whenever the time comes and make the best decision for me.”


If he decides to jump to the NFL a year early, Green could be the top receiver taken in the 2011 NFL draft. If Green decides to go, certainly no one would blame him. However, this is not the first time the Georgia star has expressed his regret over having to miss the first month of the season, so we feel this is a completely fair and valid question.

Let us know what you think!


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Monday, October 4, 2010

WINNING MATTERS




I was absolutely thrilled to hear Coach Mark Richt detail the goings-on from Monday’s practice session during his call-in show. CMR had the DAWGS practice in full pads on a game-week Monday for the first time since he has been at Georgia and put the team through a series of man-on-man, hard-nosed and mandatory running game competition drills, ones vs. ones, where WINNING was rewarded. In each instance, the losers of each drill were held after practice to run extra sprints…a lot of them...while the winners watched. According to Richt, practice was "very, very physical". This is outstanding. Several times during the show, Coach Richt addressed the issue of toughness on this Georgia team once saying, “As for toughness, if they don’t have it they sure as heck will at the end of this week.” FYI, the Bulldogs will be in full pads on Tuesday too. Coach Richt is absolutely right here. Just like a blacksmith putting a razor edge on a blade using a hammer and anvil, sometimes there is just no substitute for using brute force to get the job done. Just like that blade, a football player can lose his edge if efforts are not made to insure that he does not. It is inevitable.

Football is a game that is played both ON and WITH an edge. The things that occur on the football field on every play….if you were to do those things on the street, or in your neighborhood, or at work to another person….you would be hauled off to jail for assault. To play great football, a player must run right up against that edge…the edge of sanity, the edge of self-control, the edge of the rules, against the edge of emotion…without going over it. When a player pushes to those edges, he is creating, constantly honing and playing with a certain “edge” that will slice right through adversity, fear and doubt. He is steeling his will and the combination of those things will invariably make that player victorious.

Winning absolutely matters in all instances on a football field. Every snap in a football game is a fight between two men and the ultimate goal is for one man to force the other to quit.…on that play, later in that drive or in the final quarter….forcing him to eventually accept defeat, to accept that he is beaten. A great football player wins his individual battles. A collection of battles won by teammates wins a play. A collection of plays won wins a series. A collection of series won wins the game. Winning has to matter to a player…every drill, every play. This is a mandate that must be hammered home by the coaches at every practice, every day. Coach Richt recognizes that this team has not been strong enough at the point of attack this season, that the mentality that “it’s just one play” and “we’ll get ‘em next time” is killing his season, and he is doing everything that he can do to rectify the situation.

Winning absolutely matters. With moves like this one, Coach Richt is declaring that he recognizes his team’s fundamental weakness and he is taking his team by the throat and demanding that they develop the razor edge that is required to win in the cut-throat world of the Southeastern Conference. Coach Richt and the DAWGS will win again, and it will happen soon. A sustained series of actions such as this one will absolutely produce results. It is unavoidable.

Glory, Glory.