A DAMN BEAST!!!

WELCOME TO THE SHOW

2011-12-02T18:52:00.000-08:00

Some shots from the Georgia Dome on the eve of the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta...

(All photos courtesy of genxdawg)

Glory, Glory.

THIS IS ALL I'M SAYING

2011-12-02T18:34:00.000-08:00

Coach Richt was asked the following question at the press conference on Friday:

If you win, you'll be the conference champion. What about the concept of two teams that haven't won their leagues playing for the National Championship?

Courtesy: genxdawg

COACH RICHT:

Well, we were in that situation in 2007, I guess, where we were fourth, and then two teams ahead of us lost. So we thought maybe we'll move up to the top two and get to play. But everybody had a big uproar about, well, Georgia didn't win their conference championship. They shouldn't play in the game.

I didn't agree with that. I still don't agree with that bottom line is if you play a game or have a season or have a system, there are certain rules that you abide by. If the rules say you must be conference champion, then that's the way it is. But if the rules don't say that, I don't think you have to be conference championship to play in that game.

I felt that way then, I still feel that way. If you want to change the rules and everybody understands, that's the rule. But if it's not a rule, why should somebody go stumping and try to convince everybody that should be part of the criteria when it's not. So it's not part of the criteria. I think it's fine to have people that don't win the conference play in the game.

I was so happy to hear coach speak at length on this topic and even more happy to hear that we absolutely agree on the subject. Just play by the rules. Whatever they are, just play by the rules. Regardless of anyone's opinion or agenda, the rules should not be ignored because "...this year is different." Too bad things were different when Georgia was involved. This is all I'm saying.

Glory, Glory.

DAWGBEASTS and the JACKETS

2011-11-27T21:30:00.000-08:00

ORSON CHARLES – Georgia’s junior tight end is a nightmarish match-up for almost every team he lines up against and you need look no further than Saturday’s game against Georgia Tech for proof. Georgia Tech had absolutely no answer for Charles and he finished with 5 catches for 95 yards against the Jackets, but the reality is he could have doubled those numbers if the DAWGS had targeted him more often.

Courtesy UGASports.com

AARON MURRAY – Murray was not as sharp last week against Kentucky as he had been against Auburn the week before, but he was still good enough to lead the DAWGS to a SEC East clinching win. Saturday against Georgia Tech, Murray was on point again hitting on 19 of 29 attempts for 252 yards and rang up 4 more touchdown passes.

ALEC OGLETREE – For the second consecutive week, the monster presence at linebacker that is Alec Ogletree lands on this list. Like I mentioned last week, Ogletree is really coming on strong for the DAWGS and against the Jackets, Ogletree was carrying a big stick finishing with 11 total tackles, 10 of which were of the solo variety.

MARK RICHT – Georgia’s lead DAWG improved to 10-1 against the Yellow Jackets. That, my friends, is dominance.

RAGING BEAST STAT OF THE WEEK – Aaron Murray has thrown 14 touchdown passes against only two interceptions in the last four games.

Glory, Glory…and TO HELL with Georgia Tech!

DAWGBEASTS and the WILDCATS

2011-11-20T22:56:00.000-08:00

JARVIS JONES – Jones collected 2.5 sacks giving him a SEC leading 12.5 for the season. That leaves the Georgia outside linebacker just 1.5 behind former Bulldog great David Pollack who hold's Georgia's single-season record with 14, and pushed his tackle for loss total to a SEC leading 18.5. Jones also forced a fumble that the DAWGS would recover and cash in for their only touchdown of the game.

Courtesy UGASports.com

ALEC OGLETREE – Tree certainly looks the part of a BEAST and he is playing like one too. Ogletree racked up a team-high 8 tackles, including a sack Saturday against Kentucky. After missing several games with an injury, Tree is finding his stride with every snap he plays and that will only lead to good things for DAWGS the rest of the way.

COACHING STAFF – Much has been made of Georgia’s 0-2 start to the season and coming off of last year, 2011 could have followed suit and gone really wrong. The DAWGS were able to rebound and turn things around thanks to the caliber of young man that makes up the Georgia roster, a talented and character laden bunch, but a great deal of credit must be given to the coaching staff as well. With that said, the men that lead the coaching staff must be acknowledged…offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and head coach Mark Richt...for guiding the DAWGS back to the top of the SEC East once again.

Courtesy Brent Sanderlin/AJC.com

BRANDON HARTON – Harton was not expecting to get much work on Saturday, but football happens and Georgia’s former walk-on wound up carrying the load for the DAWGS. Harton finished with 23 carries for 101 yards. Way to GATA when we needed you young man.

BLAIR WALSH – A few weeks back I wrote “…somewhere down the line the DAWGS are really going to need Blair to drill one to save our wrinkly bulldawg asses.” It turns out Saturday was that day and with the SEC East on the line, Blair came through more than once. I know that somewhere Rex Robinson was smiling.

RAGING BEAST STAT(S) OF THE WEEK – After Saturday’s SEC East clinching win over Kentucky the DAWGS defense leads the SEC in sacks (30), forced turnovers (27) and Tackles For Loss (85). Georgia ranks 2nd in rushing defense and 4th in total defense nationally. GATA!

Glory, Glory.

THANK YOU, LARRY

2011-11-20T20:28:00.000-08:00

There will be, there only ever could be, one Larry Munson. I am thankful that I can say I grew up in Georgia and had the privilege of listening to Larry as we both lived and died with the DAWGS. Munson is just as much the reason I went to the University of Georgia as any other and he is absolutely one of the main reasons I wanted to become a sports journalist. I always told myself that if I ever had the chance to live out my dreams, I would never forget what I learned from Larry. While it's a job and you have to be professional, if you feel deeply enough about a team or a place you have to let it show because honesty and transparency matter in broadcasting and journalism and allowing your passion to bleed through only makes the experience of the listener or reader more real and that much richer. I have worked very hard, been very fortunate and as a result, I do get to live out my childhood dreams every day. What's more, I even get to cover my beloved DAWGS and represent the University of Georgia in the process. I will always remember Larry Munson as a fan and I am honored and humbled to be able to claim membership in the fraternity of journalists that have covered (and in my case, lived and died with) the DAWGS...just like Larry.

You did not have to be a Georgia fan to be a Larry Munson fan but if you're a DAWGS fan and have ever heard Larry Munson paint the play-by-play picture of a Georgia Bulldogs game, you most certainly have a favorite Munson call. My favorite call comes from 2001 on Rocky Top against the Tennessee Volunteers. The play was huge at the time and would no doubt have gone down in Georgia lore on its own merit, but because Mr. Munson was behind the mic there was no doubt it was an instant classic. Now it is known by only three words...the hobnail boot. This play and this call mean the world to me because of everything it meant at the time and has meant since. It will forever be my favorite call by the legendary Larry Munson.

Thank you, Larry. Thank you for everything.

DAWGBEASTS and the WARTIGLESMEN

2011-11-17T18:10:00.000-08:00

AARON MURRAY – Was that Aaron Murray or Aaron Rodgers firing back shoulder throws deep down the field with a G on the side of his helmet last Saturday in Athens? If you didn’t know better, you might’ve confused the two. Murray not only hit the deep ball, he hit the intermediate, short and the dump off passes as well to the tune of 224 yards and 4 TDs. How about this stat; Murray had four TD passes at the half…against only three incompletions. At the end of the day, Murray had broken Matthew Stafford’s school record for touchdown passes in a season with 27 and tied Stafford’s career total with 51.

ISAIAH CROWELL & CARLTON THOMAS – Both of these DAWGS have landed on this list this season and this is a sweet return trip. Both Thomas (127 yards) and Crowell (132 yards, TD) went over the century mark for Georgia and Thomas recorded his first career 100 yard game. The best part is that both backs ran with a downhill tilt. You cannot have too many good backs to tote the rock in the SEC and DAWG Nation can rest well knowing that we have at least three men that can get the job done.

OFFENSIVE LINE – You cannot have the type of offensive success that Georgia had against Auburn unless the O-Line is doing work. Sure, there were plenty of dominator blocks to be found when you look back at the tape, but it was also a thing of beauty. Seeing Ben Jones and company pull around and lead Georgia’s backs down the field time after time was extremely gratifying and definitely something I hope to see a lot more of going forward. We are dishing out kudos to the big men on a job well done.

BACARRI RAMBO – Rambo made this one count. Despite being among the league and national leaders in interceptions this season, Georgia’s Junior free safety had not put one in the end zone until Saturday. Rambo grabbed his seventh pick of the season, the 12th of his career, and returned it 24 yards for the touchdown with a little help (in the form of a couple of crushing blocks) from his friends. Rambo’s score was the DAWGS first defensive touchdown of the year.

MICHAEL BENNETT –

Courtesy UGASports.com

I don’t think I need to say anything else.

RAGING BEAST STAT OF THE WEEK – Like our friend Krisi (@Ludakrisi) likes to say, you can’t spell GRANTHAM without GATA. Need proof? How about the fact that
the DAWGS defense has given up a total of 12 rushing yards to Tennessee, Florida and Auburn combined this season. We tip of our cap to @RadiNabulsi for sharing this beastly number.

Glory, Glory.

DAWGBEASTS and the AGGIES

2011-11-06T21:55:00.000-08:00

AARON MURRAY - Murray threw five touchdown passes in the 2nd quarter on his way to completing 18 of 23 passes for 238 yards.

CHRIS CONLEY - Conley had a breakout day for the DAWGS with five catches for a career-high 126 yards, including a 47-yard touchdown grab.

Courtesy: UGASports.com

BRANDON BOYKIN – Boykin made plays all over the field Saturday, racking up 6 total tackles, including a tackle for loss and a forced fumble on defense. On offense, Bam had a 42 yard catch and run for a touchdown.

BRANDON HARTON – Georgia’s former walk-on Brandon Harton rushed for a game-high 98 yards and a touchdown on a day that the DAWGS were without four running backs.

RAGING BEAST STAT OF THE WEEK – Georgia pushed its winning streak to seven games in the regular season for the first time since winning the first seven games of the 2005 season. Nine different players scored touchdowns for the DAWGS as they rolled up 627 total yards, their highest total in Mark Richt’s 11 seasons in Athens.

Glory, Glory.

I HOPE WE BEAT THE HELL OUTTA AUBURN

2011-11-06T15:06:00.000-08:00

Auburn had a great team last season. Congratulations on your SEC and National Championships, Tigers. I just wish you could have done it with a little less play after the whistles and with a little class. Auburn made the plays to win that game last year, but what we saw on the plains last year from the Tigers that was not related to Xs and Os was a pitiful display. I hope the DAWGS feel disrespected. I hope the DAWGS have a chip on their shoulder. I hope the DAWGS remember. The DAWG Nation certainly does. I hope we beat the hell outta Auburn. I hope we earn their respect. I hope we can contain our emotions and do it between the whistles. I know we'll do it with class. I hope we BEAT THE HELL outta Auburn.

Glory, Glory.

DAWGBEASTS and the HATED Gators

2011-10-31T22:35:00.000-07:00

RICHARD SAMUEL IV – Samuel’s statistics were solid (17 carries, 58 yards, TD), but it was when and how the DAWGS big bodied back did his work that landed him on this list. With Isaiah Crowell sitting out with an injury, Samuel carried the load and became the heartbeat of the Georgia offense in the fourth quarter. Samuel hammered out yards on punishing runs during the decisive drive that gave the DAWGS the lead, paying it off in the end with the go-ahead touchdown run from four yards out. Samuel followed that up by sharing carries with Crowell during Georgia’s final drive as the DAWGS ran the clock to double zeroes. Samuel has been the ultimate team player during his time in Athens, repeatedly doing whatever was in the best interests of the team. Finally, against the DAWGS nemesis and in a game where legends are made, Samuel had his moment.

Courtesy: UGASports.com

JARVIS JONES – Jones was all over the field for the DAWGS on Saturday racking up 5 tackles, 4 sacks and a forced fumble. Come to find out, Georgia’s stellar outside linebacker did all of this with a strained MCL. Jones was absolutely the definition of a BEAST against the Gators.

OFFENSIVE LINE – Georgia’s big men along the offensive line really played well, especially in pass protection when it really counted (the two TD passes on 4th down and the late completion to Chris Conley come instantly to mind) and the DAWGS dominated the line of scrimmage when the game was on the line. Georgia was able to run the ball when they needed to, taking possession of the ball with 5:32 remaining in the game and not giving it back.

**HUGE tip of the cap to Isaiah Crowell for his block on the 3rd quarter touchdown pass to Michael Bennett. Crowell ran the ball well when he was in the game, but that block was good enough to get the Georgia freshman mentioned on this list.

RAGING BEAST STAT(S) OF THE WEEK – Georgia’s defense held Florida to minus 19 yards rushing in the game

BONUS FACT – The DAWGS have now beaten Florida and Tennessee in the same year for the first time since 1988

Glory, Glory.

OUR DAMN GOOD DAWG!!!

2011-10-27T22:34:00.000-07:00

Glory, Glory.

THE PACKING LIST: FLORIDA

2011-10-27T22:20:00.000-07:00

Finally, it’s time for the DAWGS annual island party that just happens to include a football game against the team I loathe more than any other, the Florida Gators. Without a doubt, when it comes to the Gators there is absolutely no love lost by me and I would venture to say the greater part of the DAWG Nation. So, this week’s packing list is especially important and we’re going to check it twice before the trucks roll out and we head south for this year’s gator hunt. When you take a trip, nothing’s worse than getting where you’re going and looking for some thing you just KNEW you had packed, only to find that somehow you have left it at home. I know, right? Insert expletive here, quickly followed by hassle and headache. So, it’s time to find out if the DAWGS can win the first of a string of games that they’re “supposed to” and must win if they’re going to make a real push to the top of the SEC East. When it comes to Florida in recent years, I know that “supposed to” may ring a little hollow. But damn it, I for one think it’s time we restored some order in this SEC East battle and right now seems like the perfect time to me. We know traveling can get a little hectic and it can be tough to always remember everything, so we humbly offer up this week’s packing list.

SHORT TERM MEMORY: Georgia only has to focus on the task at hand. The history of this game should mean nothing to these players, especially the Dream Team, other than fact that over the long range history the DAWGS have dominated the Gators in much the same way Florida has controlled the recent history which should drive home the fact that each game is its own entity and must be won between the lines. Based on their quotes this week, the players (especially the younger players) understand and appreciate that this is a unique and special game. Certainly, it’s as unique and special as the Big 12’s mid-season marquis game, the Red River Rivalry. The showdown in Jacksonville is a big game every year regardless of the records, but it could be huge again if the DAWGS tick off a victory or two beside the St. John’s. Georgia’s young pups seem to enjoy the spotlight and have a real opportunity to grab the college football nation’s attention and place the focus back squarely on this game in the years to come with a victory. If the DAWGS feel they need a little help in driving the point home, I suggest they call someone that might know a little something about short-term memory and how useful it can be. I don’t know, maybe somebody like former Georgia great and NFL All-Pro Champ Bailey. Champer has a master’s degree in short-term recall-ology and it has served him well over the years. Football happens. Move on. Play the next play and win it. I’ll just go ahead and leave Champ’s cell number on a business card over the visor, just in case.

MURRAY’S CHIP: I wondered leading into last year’s game if Georgia’s Florida-born quarterback would feel anything extra when he lined up against the Gators. Turned out, he most certainly did. After the loss, I wondered all year if Aaron Murray would take especially hard…losing to his home state school and all. As we found out this week, it turns out Murray absolutely did. Murray is one Florida boy that wants to get right in this rivalry after last year’s loss. Georgia’s quarterback admittedly looked back on last year’s game several times during the off-season and used what he saw on tape as motivation for this year’s match-up. Well, now is not the time to let all of that competitive super fuel go to waste. Let’s make sure the box with the chip that’s been on Murray’s shoulder all year is the first thing to get on the truck. Quarterback play matters and great quarterbacks play great when it matters most. Anything that is going to stoke the competitive fires just a little more this week is a must have and cannot be left behind in the Classic City.

LEASHES: This week is pretty big regardless and with all the players coming back for the DAWGS this week from either injury or suspension, the guys may be a little overhyped. So, we felt like it would be a good idea to pack a few leashes to help the fellas control some of that emotion so that things don’t get out of control like they did in Nashville two weeks ago. I mean, we certainly don’t need or want to see some over-the-top antics or in-your-face trash talking going…..

You know what…..**** the leashes. Let it all hang out and GATA DAWGS!

BELTS: Now be careful with this box, it’s a heavy one. It is chock full of highest quality straps, and when I say it’s full…I mean it’s FULL. We’re packing belts for everybody. Players get a belt. Coaches get a belt. Trainers get a belt. The water girl gets a belt. The cheerleaders get a belt. EVERYBODY gets a belt because EVERYBODY is gonna be busy whippin’ some Gators ass! Put the box right at the back of the first truck so we can get to it first to make sure EVERYBODY gets one. It’s time for the show…an ass kickin’ ass whippin’ and we’re handing out the tickets. Get some, DAWGS.

G – E – O – R – G – (I’ve got your G) – I – (I’ve got your I) – A – (We’re gonna kick that ass!)

Go DAWGS! Beat Florida! And Nation, I will leave you with this…Every Day is a Great Day to HATE the Gators!

Travel safe, Nation.

Glory, Glory.

THE PACKING LIST REVIEW: VANDERBILT

2011-10-21T16:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay in checking the list Nation, but I figured with a bye week we could spread things out a bit. It was Vanderbilt. There was another victory, the DAWGS fifth straight, but everyone I talked to afterward was left feeling unsatisfied and even a little…dirty. But, all that’s done. The bottom line is Georgia is one of only two teams in the SEC East that has only one conference loss and that places them in a tie atop the division in the battle to get to Atlanta. The next one up is a doozy, but first we must put the wraps on Nashville.

FIRST ITEM: *GRANTHAM’S TOWEL* HEADACHE

This is what I wrote about Grantham’s towel and all that it represents…

This seems like an easy one to remember, but those are the things that hurt the most when you leave them behind. How ‘bout we just go ahead and tuck that one in the truck driver’s belt…just to be sure.

What the hell happened here? Not only did everything symbolized by coach’s towel not work as well as it had, for most of the game it appeared it didn’t even make the trip. The DAWGS defense surrendered 200 yards rushing and 28 points to Vandy last Saturday. The ONLY way that can happen is if the Georgia players are busting assignments and not handling their responsibilities. To be fair, the DAWGS did force four turnovers and did make a final stand with the game on the line to get the win. However, even a scrappy Commodore team should not have been allowed to make this game this close even though the offense certainly shares some responsibility on that point. Just talking about it again is making my head start to pound. You know what, just go ahead and pass the ibuprofen.

SECOND ITEM: *RECEIVER’S GLOVES AND EYE BLACK* CHECK

Thank goodness somebody put this box on the truck. I had stated that Vandy was going to throw it to us a couple of times in the game and we just had to make sure we caught the ball when they did. That’s exactly what happened. Vanderbilt’s quarterbacks threw three interceptions between them and also lost a fumble to the DAWGS. Check, check, check on this one.

THIRD ITEM: *BULLY ATTITUDE* HEADACHE

This is what I wrote about the DAWGS needed demeanor prior to the game…

All that talk of swagger and attitude…when you’re riding high and playing fast, these are the games you just dominate. This is a week when Georgia should be the baddest dude on the block and they need to show it.

This one made it onto the truck, but much like a chicken salad sandwich left on the truck’s seat in the sunshine, it went bad in a hurry. There was plenty of attitude coming from Georgia’s sideline last weekend, but it went unchecked and spoiled what could have been another solid building block victory in the road to a possible SEC Eastern division title for Georgia. Instead of taking what I had hoped would be a workman-like, good is never good enough, attitude against the ‘Dores our DAWGS took the much easier and much less satisfying tact of believing they had already achieved something of worth and deserved more than what they had actually earned on the field. At the end of the day, all the DAWGS got from it was a black eye for the program and a couple of suspensions for key players heading into the most important game of the season. Not quite what I was talking about. That ibuprofen isn’t doing the trick. After how last week went down, this bye week is coming at the right time for us too. I think I’m going to take some Excedrin migraine and rest a bit. No worries Nation, I’m sure I’ll get things worked out and be full speed by next weekend, just in time for the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Here’s hoping the DAWGS can do the same.

Glory, Glory.

DAWGBEASTS and the DORES

2011-10-17T18:11:00.000-07:00

MARLON BROWN - In his final collegiate game in his home state, the Georgia Junior wide receiver had a record evening collecting four catches for a career-best 121 yards and 2 TDs.

AARON MURRAY – The DAWGS RSo. Quarterback did exactly what he should have done against Vandy on Saturday. Against a team that blitzed a majority of the game (UGA coaches estimated as much as 90% of the time), Murray made the Dores pay hitting 22 of 38 passes, including completions to five different receivers for a career-best 326 yards and 3 TDs.

BACARRI RAMBO – In a catch 22 situation, this Georgia safety performed very well. Usually, if a safety racks up a high tackle total in any given game it means that too many runners are roaming in the defensive secondary. That was the case in Nashville this past week. Rambo answered the bell finishing with 8 total tackles, but also handled business through the air tallying an INT as well as two pass break ups.

RAGING BEAST STAT OF THE WEEK – Georgia won the turnover battle forcing four turnovers Saturday night…3 INTs and a fumble recovery.

Glory, Glory.

THE PACKING LIST: VANDERBILT

2011-10-13T21:11:00.000-07:00

From “See Rock City” to the Music City, the DAWGS continue their road warrior ways and head out to Nashville, Tennessee this week to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores.
When you take a trip, nothing’s worse than getting where you’re going and looking for some thing you just KNEW you had packed, only to find that somehow you have left it at home. I know, right? Insert expletive here, quickly followed by hassle and headache. So, it’s time to find out if the DAWGS can keep it rollin’ and win another in a string of games that they’re “supposed to” and must win if they’re going to make a real push to the top of the SEC East. We know traveling can get a little hectic and it can be tough to always remember everything, so we humbly offer up this week’s packing list.

GRANTHAM’S TOWEL: Georgia’s DC says it’s nothing new, but flashing that towel to hinder the opponent’s ability to steal the DAWGS defensive signals certainly is noticeable. One thing’s for certain, whatever is going on behind that screen has read like a Braille cipher to opposing offenses in recent weeks. This seems like an easy one to remember, but those are the things that hurt the most when you leave them behind. How ‘bout we just go ahead and tuck that one in the truck driver’s belt…just to be sure.

RECEIVER’S GLOVES AND EYE BLACK: Anything and everything that our defensive players can use to gain just a bit of an advantage in catching the ball, put in the box and get it on the truck. Word has it that Vandy is thinking of starting Jordan Rodgers against the DAWGS, but regardless of whether it’s Rodgers or Larry Smith turnovers are probable. Rodgers doesn’t have a lot of experience and Smith completes less than 50% of his passes. Georgia will continue to apply pressure defensively and that should cause poor decisions by the Commodores quarterbacks. Unlike in past games this season, Georgia must take advantage when the other team throws us the football. So, sticky gloves, eye black, whatever…when the DAWGS get a chance to turn the ‘Dores over this weekend they need to make it happen.

BULLY ATTITUDE: I mean no disrespect to Vanderbilt here, but this is the week where the mental approach the DAWGS take heading into the game is crucial. This is a road game in the SEC, but it’s not exactly the usual road game in the SEC. DAWG Nation will make its presence felt. In Nashville on Saturday, there will be as much red and black in the stands as there will be black and gold. This should give our boys a huge boost of confidence heading into the game. That confidence should lead Georgia into the game with an attitude much like that of a block bully…a feeling that nothing should happen at Vanderbilt on Saturday that our DAWGS don’t allow to happen. The DAWGS should take the field a little angry and aggressive with a bad attitude for no reason other than that is what Georgia wants to be right now. Vanderbilt is an SEC team with good players, but the Commodores are also a team the DAWGS should dictate to in every phase of the game. All that talk of swagger and attitude…when you’re riding high and playing fast, these are the games you just dominate. This is a week when Georgia should be the baddest dude on the block and they need to show it.

So, there you have it. The DAWGS are under the lights again this week. There is plenty to do along music row, but nobody making this trip can afford to get distracted. The DAWGS have already swept the state of Mississippi this season and they're half way to sweeping the state of Tennessee. So, one less thing for you to worry about, I shoved a broom behind the truck seat to finish the job in Nashville. Nation, keep focus and save your dancing shoes for after the game to celebrate what we hope is another Georgia victory. If you do decide to hit the bars while you’re in town, be sure not to set your glass down at the bar. I mean, you don’t want to end up with some ‘Dores fan’s beer mug that’s all watered down with the tears of another loss to the DAWGS now do ya? Now let’s handle business and bring us back a W. Safe travels, Nation.

Glory, Glory.

THE PACKING LIST REVIEW: TENNESSEE

2011-10-12T22:59:00.000-07:00

Now, that’s what I’m talking about. The DAWGS pushed that momentum ball all the way up to Rocky Top, crushed the Vols with it and now we’re downhill and gaining speed toward the Cocktail Party in Jacksonville in a couple of weeks. There is still the business of the Vanderbilt Commodores in Music City, but we’ll get to that soon enough. First, let’s check the Packing List for Tennessee and see how we did.

FIRST ITEM: *BOYKIN’S MOUTHPIECE* CHECK

Brandon Boykin didn’t take his turn on offense this week and Branden Smith performed very well when his number was called in place of Boykin’s, however Bam did play the entire game on defense and took his normal position on special teams as well. Boykin was hyped before the game and smiling widely during the post-game celebration, so it’s safe to assume Bam is not experiencing any problems with those loose teeth.

SECOND ITEM: *BLAIR’S BOOTS* CHECK

Walsh hit both of his field goal attempts on Saturday against the Vols (35, 23) and was perfect on his extra point attempts. Looks like Blair’s visit with an old friend last week has paid dividends and things are back on track. Walsh is striking the ball well and my money says Coach Richt will not hesitate to call on his veteran kicker at any point going forward, our wrinkly bulldawg asses on the line or not.

THIRD ITEM: *DEFENSIVE READING GLASSES* CHECK

We were concerned about the play-action game from Tennessee’s dangerous quarterback Tyler Bray headed into the game last week, but the were reading the Volunteers mail from the first snap of the game and put an end to all that business early on. The DAWGS dominated the line of scrimmage at the point of attack and held the Vols to negative 20 yards rushing. As the game went along, Georgia began to get more and more pressure on Bray. The result was a third straight game in which the opposing starting quarterback was not taking the snaps at game’s end. Coach Grantham seems to have found the right prescription for his guys and the DAWG Nation is loving the results.

FOURTH ITEM: *SPECIAL TEAMS BOOM* CHECK

Once again, special teams came up big for the DAWGS in Knoxville. Tennessee did a good job of kicking the ball away from the Georgia kick returners Saturday, but Georgia still found a way to have an impact in the “third” phase of the game. The DAWGS kicking game was solid and the kick coverage was good, but it was a defensive play made by a big man that went all “double thump” on the Vols this time as Kwame Geathers got a big paw on the Tennessee extra point attempt following their late 4th quarter touchdown to make the odds a little longer on a Tennessee comeback.

So, there you have it. Rocky Top is as tough a place to play as there is in the country regardless of how the team is performing in any given year. Georgia rolled in, eventually took the game over and the DAWGS were mere inches from making this one a laugher. The 4th quarter penalty debacle was astonishing. I know it was 80 degrees on Saturday, but that effort is making me strongly consider adding mittens to the Packing List for the offensive unit before the trucks pull out for Nashville this week…heat be damned. Anyway, Georgia is on the right path and is excited about the challenge that lies ahead. It’s way too early for the DAWGS to be looking too far ahead, but if you just keep putting one foot in front of the other you will get to where you wanna go…and the Nation will be right behind you woofin’.

Glory, Glory.

DAWGBEASTS and the VOLS

2011-10-10T22:44:00.000-07:00

CARLTON THOMAS – Isaiah Crowell has been the difference maker in the DAWGS offensive backfield this year, but Georgia’s little big man has been outstanding when he’s gotten on the field. Thomas finished with 7 carries for 37 yards against the Vols, but his game book reads much deeper and richer than that. Thomas protects the football, has a great burst, sticks his nose in there on pass-pro and is running HARD…and ANGRY. At five foot nothing, one hundred and nothing, Thomas will stick his foot in the ground and get up field and has NO issues dropping his shoulder and delivering a blow to finish his runs. Watch the tape from Mississippi, Mississippi State and Tennessee and you will see it. Thomas is playing like a BEAST and has earned his spot on this list.

Courtesy: David Manning/Staff OnlineAthens.com

MIKE GILLIARD – Coach Richt has been saying for a couple of years that Gilliard was ready to play and that he isn’t afraid to strike you. Some bad luck has become Gilliard’s opportunity and he has seized it. Gilliard has been playing hard since getting some time and his hard work culminated with a career-best 12 tackle performance Saturday night that included a sack. Even when the DAWGS get healthy again at linebacker, Gilliard will continue to get his minutes.

MALCOLM MITCHELL – We couldn’t believe Mitchell got caught on his big reception that flipped the field for the DAWGS in the third quarter. After the game, we found out why. It took a hamstring injury to slow down Georgia’s electric freshman. Mitchell finished with 3 catches for a career-high 126 yards. Get well soon MnM, I can’t wait to see what you you’re gonna do next.

MARK RICHT – Finally, to the man that holds the leash on the DAWGS. Coach Richt collected career win #100 on Saturday night, all of them coming at the University of Georgia. More than any other coach in Georgia’s history, Coach Richt is my head coach. We first got season tickets in 2001 when Richt took over and have been along for the ride for every win and every loss along the way. There has not been one day since Coach Richt got to Athens that we have wanted anyone other coach to lead our DAWGS. Congratulations, Coach. Here’s to the next one hundred.

RAGING BEAST STAT OF THE WEEK – Georgia held Tennessee….not some directional school….Tennessee….to NEGATIVE 20 yards rushing on 23 carries Saturday for an average of -0.9 yards per carry.

Glory, Glory.

A FIST BUMP FOR THE DEFENSE

2011-10-10T10:33:00.000-07:00

Although we were looking on from a dizzying height (literally) last Saturday in Neyland, we could still see the most beautiful sight our eyes could behold on the gridiron...a will-breaking rush defense sporting red helmets.

I'm not going to make this a long explanation piece by breaking down why it's happening or answering questions about whether this stout run defense is a mirage. I'm only writing to say that these DAWGS deserve some real credit when it comes to stopping the base run game of their opponents.

The following snippet comes from Marc Weiszer at the Athens Banner-Herald:

Georgia’s defense now ranks in the top 12 in five categories nationally: total defense (sixth), rushing defense (12th), third-down defense (fourth), pass-efficiency defense (eighth) and passing defense (11th).

The Bulldogs are also tied for 20th in scoring defense and 17th in tackles for loss.

Georgia held Tennessee to minus-20 yards rushing, the lowest total ever by an opponent against Richt.

“I’m enjoying a defense beginning to play like a Junkyard Dawg bunch,” Richt said.

Do not just dismiss that rushing total on Rocky Top as what should be expected against any opponent. That is NOT common as Weiszer points out and the DAWGS did not do it against some directional school. This rush D is for real.

As we've pointed out before, defense is where it's at and it should come as no surprise that Georgia's four (should've been five) straight wins have coincided with Georgia playing better and better on the defensive side of the ball.

Watching the opposing team's backs disappear into a huge stack of linemen time after time may not be the most flashy visual, but it is a beautiful thing to behold. One thing leads to another...Kwame Geathers, John Jenkins and Co. swallow up backs, linebackers run free to the ball, a twist along the defensive line here and a bull-rush there gets a little pressure, the quarterback's timing is thrown off and the end result is more sacks, forced fumbles, broken up passes and interceptions.

Good job, DAWGS. I'm not branding you Junkyard DAWGS just yet. Great defense is played by men that constantly carry a chip on their shoulder that have something to prove because they know that you are only as good as your last game. Junkyard DAWGS...well not just yet, but a strong effort in Jacksonville against a team with multiple game-breaking threats in a few weeks would go a long way proving you've earned it.

Go DAWGS and G.A.T.A!!!

Glory, Glory.

THE PACKING LIST: TENNESSEE

2011-10-05T23:41:00.000-07:00

Alright, the DAWGS hit the road this week headed for Knoxville having won their SEC road opener and looking to wake up from the nightmare that has been the last two trips to Rocky Top. When you take a trip, nothing’s worse than getting where you’re going and looking for some thing you just KNEW you had packed, only to find that somehow you have left it at home. I know, right? Insert expletive here, quickly followed by hassle and headache. So, it’s time to find out if the DAWGS can win the first of a string of games that they’re “supposed to” and must win if they’re going to make a real push to the top of the SEC East. We know traveling can get a little hectic and it can be tough to always remember everything, so we humbly offer up this week’s packing list.

*BOYKIN’S MOUTHPIECE*

On his way to landing on the DAWGBEAST list, Boykin went head over heels in his attempt to house a kickoff return and wound up with a bent facemask and a couple of loose teeth for his efforts. Boykin stayed in the game, wound up a BEAST and got some dental repair work most ricky-tick this week to make sure he can do his thing this weekend. A little extra wire can’t hurt the campaign to keep #2 in the game, but neither will a well-fit mouthpiece. Mold it. Pack it. Wear it.

*BLAIR’S BOOTS*

Four missed field goal attempts in the last two games for Walsh? Hell, I didn’t expect him to miss four all year unless they were from 55+. But, thems the facts. Confidence isn’t the problem. Walsh knows he’s got the goods, Coach Richt won’t hesitate to call on his veteran kicker again and deep down I think the DAWG Nation still expects Blair to make every kick he takes. But, just to be sure Walsh called in a little help from an old friend this week to help him sort out his swing and word has it that the kinks have been worked out. Let’s hope so. It may not be this week…but it could be…but somewhere down the line the DAWGS are really going to need Blair to drill one to save our wrinkly bulldawg asses. So, let’s make sure the accurate boots Blair has donned for so long that made almost every kick he attempted a foregone conclusion for those of us that make up the Nation find their way onto the truck before we head out on Friday. You know what, just go ahead and put ‘em in the cab.

*DEFENSIVE READING GLASSES*

I was not drunk the last time the DAWGS went to Knoxville and went down in a swirling firestorm of debilitating 3rd downs and long, naked bootlegs and Jonathan Crompton-Lane Kiffin flavored frustration, but you wouldn’t know it based on the resulting blackout that I have suffered surrounding those events. So much so that I had to refer to my own musings to remind myself of what a putrid ass kicking it really was. I’ve got big respect for Tyler Bray as a passer and even quipped following last year’s game in Athens that I sure was glad he hadn’t started for Tennessee or the result may have been entirely different. That respect leads directly to concern, especially when I recall what happened in 2009. That’s why the Grantham’s DAWGS cannot forget to pack their reading glasses. Based on the Vols rushing performances this season and the DAWGS ability to play the traditional run game, play-action (though it must be acknowledged) cannot be the colossal determining factor it was in 09. If Tennessee wants to take their chances on the bootleg this weekend, I hope Bray’s greeted by a shot to the chest from any one of our OLBs. This is a basic play and should be handled by the DAWGS defense as long as they READ THEIR KEYS and attack when they get the chance. Bray can run, but he’s not a runner and Georgia should contain and get after him whenever they can. If the DAWGS are disciplined and trust their eyes, they will lead them right to the football.

*SPECIAL TEAMS BOOM*

The one phase of the game that actually made the trip to Knoxville on the last visit was the special teams. Drew Butler averaged 49.8 yards per kick, Zach Renner blocked a punt, Walsh drilled a 52 yard field goal and Bam Boykin had a 100 yard kickoff return for touchdown on the DAWGS last visit to Rocky Top. When Georgia has won at Tennessee in recent years the special teams units have come through with an outstanding effort each time. This has been and can be the DAWGS not-so-secret weapon to put the hurt on the Vols and it needs to show up this weekend at Neyland. Special teams….a handful of plays that can change the game. Like a bolt from a clear blue sky. Boom…or maybe in the DAWGS case…Bam.

Alright, that’s all I’ve got for this week. It’s a night game, and it is in the hills of Tennessee, so you know ‘shine won’t be hard to come by. Take a nip if you like, but no drinkin’ and drivin’ y’all. Safe travels, Nation.

Glory, Glory.

DAWGBEASTS and the BIZZARO DOGS

2011-10-02T22:56:00.000-07:00

SANDERS COMMINGS – Just like he did on the road in Oxford last week, Sanders lived inside the jersey of the Mississippi State wide receivers on Saturday. Commings finished with three tackles, had two pass break ups that coulda-shoulda been INTs, recovered a fumble and made a nice play to grab an interception for a red-zone stop for the DAWGS.

BRANDON BOYKIN – Boykin is a warrior. Boykin repeatedly answered the call for his teammates on Saturday and made play after play despite taking some dings along the way. After a three and out by the defense on Mississippi State’s first possession, Boykin had a huge punt return to set up Georgia’s first score. To open the second half, Boykin got up-ended on the kickoff return and apparently knocked a couple of teeth loose, only to return later in the half to force a fumble that would lead to a Georgia field goal. Bam finished w/6 tackles (5 solo) including a tackle for loss, a forced fumble and a pass break up.

CORNELIUS WASHINGTON – Regardless of what happened after the game, Washington was a monster for the DAWGS on Saturday. The play he made on the first third down of the game was amazing as he rag-dolled the MSU tackle and obliterated Chris Relf in the pocket for the sack. Washington finished with four tackles and two sacks on the day to go along with numerous QB pressures.

Courtesy: AJ REYNOLDS/Staff Red&Black

RAGING BEAST STAT OF THE WEEK – The DAWGS shut down the Mississippi State running game on Saturday allowing only 1.6 yards per rush attempt.

Glory, Glory.

MALCOLM MITCHELL TD RECEPTION AGAINST MISSISSIPPI STATE

2011-10-01T21:51:00.000-07:00

To all those in the DAWG Nation that were telling me to watch out for Mitchell, I'm paying attention.

A WONDERFUL BULLDOG SATURDAY

2011-10-01T21:32:00.000-07:00

Ali and I made our first trip of the season to see the DAWGS play “between the hedges” today and a more perfect day you will never find. The first day of October brought wonderfully clear and crisp weather to Athens with blue skies that literally went on forever. You don’t have to be a young Georgia pup for that to put a bounce in your step. Mississippi State was the opponent on this day and the DAWGS dispatched the bizarro ‘dogs just as we all had hoped they would. Everything was vivid and brilliant from the tailgates dotting our beautiful campus to the Georgia red that seemed to glisten in a sun-splashed Sanford Stadium. Georgia played pretty well and our team got the win, but today was special and there was more to be had than just another “W”. Athens and the University of Georgia are special places in this world and it was good to be home. My Bulldawg Belle was by my side and all was right with the world. There are few days in the world of “fanhood” that allow for the type of brilliance and wonderment that this day afforded the DAWG Nation and friends, we should recognize and take advantage of them every chance we get. I love my university, I love my team and I love my life. From one very lucky DAWG to all of my Georgia people…Nation, I hope you made a memory or two today.

Glory, Glory.

DAWGBEASTS and the REBELS

2011-09-25T22:45:00.000-07:00

GEORGIA’S CORNERBACKS – Sanders Commings, Brandon Boykin and Branden Smith were in the hip pocket of the Rebs receivers all afternoon. Ole Miss completed a few balls into zoned coverage, but when the DAWGS were locked up in man completions were hard to come by for the Rebels.

ISAIAH CROWELL – Georgia’s stellar freshman continues to impress, setting career bests with 147 yards on 30 carries. Crowell has a “sudden-ness” about him that, combined with his vision, makes him a pleasure to watch.

MALCOLM MITCHELL – Mitchell has shown to be electric for the DAWGS so far this season and he did not disappoint Saturday in Oxford. The freshman from Valdosta plays beyond his years. Mitchell slyly created separation on his deep ball that would make you swear he was wearing number eight and had a different last name. Pair that effort with a couple of key catches that moved the chains for the DAWGS and you get a very productive three catches for 93 yards.

THE PACKING LIST REVIEW: OLE MISS

2011-09-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

Well, how does .500 feel, DAWG Nation? One SEC road game played...one SEC road game won. Dig it. Let's look back and see if the DAWGS followed our road trip packing check list for Ole Miss.

FIRST ITEM: *RUNNING GAME* CHECK

The DAWGS rushed the football 56 times for over 200 yards against the Rebs. We called for Isaiah Crowell to get at least 20 carries in the game and that's exactly what happened as Georgia's freshman toted the rock a career-high 30 times for 147 yards, averaging right at 5 yards per carry.

SECOND ITEM: *ISAIAH’S FLAK JACKET* CHECK

Clearly there was no issues here as Isaiah saddled up and carried the mail for the DAWGS on Saturday.

THIRD ITEM: *BALL SECURITY* CHECK

Well, the DAWGS did turn the ball over once with a pick. Aaron Murray went through his read progression, then went back to his first read...which you should never do...and as a result, the ball was batted around and Ole Miss came down with it for the interception. However, Georgia also had two takeaways in the game and won the turnover battle. The DAWGS backs also displayed great ball security despite taking some pretty good hits during the game. The DAWGS took care of the ball and just like we said, "...the production on offense should take care of itself."

FOURTH ITEM: *PRESSURE FROM THE DEFENSE* CHECK

Check, check and check. We said that the DAWGS needed to put the squeeze on the Ole Miss offense as a whole, and if that pressure led to sacks, all the better. Well, that's exactly what happened. The D-line got a good push up the middle and played the run well, the backers flowed to the football and the secondary were in the hip pockets of the Rebs receivers all day closely contesting nearly every ball thrown. The result? The DAWGS allowed only 34 yards rushing, 183 total yards, forced two Bacarri Rambo interceptions and, oh yeah, collected four sacks.

FIFTH ITEM: *PATIENCE AND PERSISTENCE* CHECK

Georgia knew they should be able to run the ball against Ole Miss and that's exactly what the did. Georgia rushed the ball 50+ times for 200+ yards and wore down the Rebs. Murray was efficient in the pass game and spread the ball around to seven different receivers on the day.

SIXTH ITEM: *EXPERIENCED LEADERSHIP* CHECK

Being the first road trip of the year, you can never know exactly what to expect. The DAWGS needed leadership from their veteran players and that's just what happened. Although just a second year starter, Murray led a young offense to an efficient and productive afternoon, hitting 17 of 26 passes for 268 yards and two scores. On defense, the DAWGS had a few players that have played a lot of football in the SEC and it showed as Abry Jones and Cornelius Washington anchored the front seven, while Rambo locked down the back end reeling in two interceptions for the DAWGS.

All in all, Oxford proved to be a very productive trip for Georgia. The DAWGS got that first conference road win out of the way, and that is huge with Knoxville looming in a couple of weeks where Georgia has not won since 2005. Murray put another notch in his belt as the leader of this team and the defense showed how you go to work and get things done when you head out on the road.

Glory, Glory.

THE PACKING LIST: OLE MISS

2011-09-21T23:06:00.000-07:00

So the DAWGS hit the road this week headed for Oxford looking for a win in their SEC road opener. When you take a trip, nothing’s worse than getting where you’re going and looking for some thing you just KNEW you had packed, only to find that somehow you have left it at home. I know, right? Insert expletive here, quickly followed by hassle and headache. Well, Georgia can’t afford that kind of goof up this week against the Rebels or this season could quickly combust into a “flaming ball of WTF?” for everyone in DAWG Nation. We know traveling can get a little hectic and it can be tough to always remember everything, so we humbly offer up this week’s packing list.

*RUNNING GAME*

Road games in the SEC are never a walk-over, regardless of the opponent, but one of the time-tested tempers for the heat of an opponent’s stadium full of rabid fans is being able to rush the football. For Georgia, that means good fullback play. Bruce Figgins and Zander Ogletree need to do their part to help lighten the load on the O-line and clear the road for the DAWGS feature backs. Isaiah Crowell and a returning Richard Samuel should look to have a big day against a Rebs defense that allowed 281 rushing yards and three TDs on the ground to Vanderbilt last week. Since Samuel is just getting back into things this week, look for Crowell to get his first 20 carry game for the DAWGS and that could result in some big numbers.

*ISAIAH’S FLAK JACKET*

After Crowell got dinged for a second straight week after not wearing his rib protection on Saturday versus Coastal Carolina, Georgia running backs coach Bryan McClendon made it known this week that the talented freshman won’t make that mistake again saying, "The bottom line is he's got to wear it until I tell him he doesn't have to." When you’re running hard it certainly helps to be able to breathe, so for goodness sake let’s make sure this piece of equipment makes its way onto the truck this week.

*BALL SECURITY*

Before the DAWGS can beat Ole Miss, they must first be sure to not beat themselves. Clearly, this was a lesson that should have been painfully learned against the Chickens two weeks ago. Secure the football, make good decisions in the passing game and the production on offense should take care of itself.

*PRESSURE FROM THE DEFENSE*

There has been a lot of talk this week about Georgia’s sack total up to this point in the season and you can count me among those that would certainly like to see the other team’s quarterback in the dirt on every play. I believe in a dictating defense and (as a Raiders fan) I completely agree with Al Davis when he says “The other team’s quarterback must go down, and he must go down hard.” With that said, sacks aren’t everything and I’m not talking strictly about rushing the passer. What the DAWGS really need to do this week is apply pressure to the Rebs O across the board with an in-your-face physical presence and an aggressive attitude that will disrupt their timing and force errors which will hopefully lead to turnovers. Force mistakes from a mistake prone team. Ole Miss threw FIVE interceptions last week in Nashville, so create your own luck DAWGS and GATA.

*PATIENCE AND PERSISTENCE*

The last thing the DAWGS need to do on Saturday is get all schizophrenic in their game plan. I’m looking at you offense. We’ve already mentioned that we see a clear opportunity to run the football against the Rebs, and that should open up the play-action passing game and shots down the field, but the key is that the DAWGS stick with the plan. Ole Miss is at home, their coach is under attack and they will come out playing hard. The Rebels have SEC caliber players too and early on the sledding may not be so easy, but if the DAWGS just keep pounding the rock it will break and Georgia should be able to take control of the game.

*EXPERIENCED LEADERSHIP*

This is probably the situation where Coach Richt is hoping he was right for playing Boise State in the season opener. He wanted to get his team used to playing in a big time environment with a high level of intensity and the nation watching. Well that may not be the case with an early kick in Oxford Saturday, but the idea is…basically…the same. Richt wanted to find out who his leaders are and who can keep their head and make plays when it matters. This is where your upper classmen and players with experience must take control when things get tough and lead the way. As we said above, road games inside the conference are never easy. If Georgia is going to begin to reclaim control of this season, and there is still plenty out there to be claimed for the DAWGS, it must start on the road this week in Oxford. With a team that is counting on production and explosive plays from a long list of young players it is imperative that the guys that have been there, done that, got the t-shirt and then returned it because it didn’t fit show the young pups how to get it done away from home.

So, I guess that’s it. Make sure these bags here in the front get on the trucks first, don’t forget your wallet and for goodness sake…hit the bathroom before we leave. Safe travels, Nation.

Glory, Glory.

DAWGBEASTS and the CHANTICLEERS

2011-09-18T23:31:00.000-07:00

The game plan is a little different this year Nation, in that I will only be acknowledging DAWGS that go full-on BEAST after victories this season. I mean winning is what it’s all about after all.

Damn it’s nice to get a win.

**BLAIR WALSH – 56 yard field goal and a fumble recovery – Blair didn’t kick all week as he battled a muscle strain and had to shake off the rust a bit, but his swing was pure from long range as he drilled a career-long 56 yard field goal and drove the ball well on kickoffs.

**SHAWN WILLIAMS – Williams moved down into the box and did a good job at linebacker showing the heart of a BEAST, being the first in line to do whatever he can do to help the team. I can’t help but think of the flexibility this gives the defense going forward. I see visions of Thomas Davis wreaking havoc in opponent’s backfields and I just get all giddy thinking about the match-up advantages the DAWGS can create as we go down the schedule.

**TAVARRES KING – 6 catches for 65 yards and 2 scores – TK seems to be getting more comfortable each week as the primary option in the Georgia passing game. There are plenty of young and talented playmakers that are beginning to show for the DAWGS, but those pups need a leader and a steadying presence on the field. If King continues his solid play it will bode well for the offense.

**ISAIAH CROWELL – 16 carries for 86 yards and a TD – Crowell once again showed a nice burst, balance and great patience in the run game, as well as a good set of hands in the passing game. So far so good for the DAWGS freshman as he continues to find his legs in the world of big time college football.

NOW THIS IS COOL

2011-09-09T18:33:00.000-07:00

Bubba Watson puts one between the uprights from about 110 yards away!

GO DAWGS!

Glory, Glory.

DEFENSE IS THE KEY FOR RICHT AND THE DAWGS

2011-09-06T11:44:00.000-07:00

For your entertainment, we present some cold hard facts brought to us by our friends at Coaches By the Numbers concerning Coach Richt's seat temperature, as well as further proof of our long held belief here at the BEAST that success starts with the defense. READ IT.

If Coach Richt and the DAWGS are ever going to turn things around it will have to start in the defensive huddle.

Glory, Glory.

AT THE DOME WITH THE DAWGS

2011-09-04T21:39:00.000-07:00

Here are a few images from this past Saturday at the Georgia Dome with the DAWGS

DESIRE...PASSION...EFFORT

2011-08-31T23:39:00.000-07:00

If there is one thing we all know about Georgia’s freshman class is that they are talented and very athletic. We have reports from witnesses to practice, veteran players and coaches to speak to the fact. We also know that several of the members of the “Dream Team” are listed on the DAWGS two-deep and will play Saturday against Boise State. Backed by this knowledge, we reached out to the DAWG Nation with a tweet because we wanted to know who y’all expect to show out in the Dome:

Anybody out there think any one of #UGA's "Dream Team" members are gonna ball out vs #BoiseSt Saturday? Who? Let us know! @genxdawg #DAWGS

We got several great responses, proving once again that the Nation is both informed and locked in when it comes to their DAWGS.

Staying on that track, we wanted to take a look at one key way the pups can have an immediate impact on the field for Georgia…special teams.

WE...LOVE...SPECIAL...TEAMS.

There is not one football coach in the country that handles a special teams unit that does not want the fastest and most athletic players on his squad and there is no group of football players on the planet that are more willing to prove what they’re all about than young and unproven players. When it comes to the DAWGS and the “Dream Team”, this sounds like a perfect match. Not to mention the fact that experience doesn’t really matter when it comes to this phase of the game. What does matter is DESIRE…PASSION…EFFORT…and juuust enough crazy to make you WANT to run into a wall at full speed…and that’s what makes it great. If you are fighting for the right to start on a special teams unit, you have got to want it. You have got to crave speed, collisions and chaos…‘cause that’s all special teams are. Simply stated, you have got to love the game.

Players, especially young players, often get caught up in a numbers game in position battles, but special teams are the one place that a young player can break out and change the game. Several Georgia players in recent years have made their name on the special teams units before having the opportunity to be an every down player. Kelin Johnson, Chad Gloer, Sean Jones just to name a few.

Isaiah Crowell, Malcolm Mitchell, Ray Drew and Damian Swann are all names that DAWGS fans recognize and each will have a chance to show their stuff on scrimmage downs against the Broncos, but there will be others that will have a shot to jump up and change the game on a single play thanks to special teams. It could be a freshman, or it may be a walk-on that has earned the right to wear the G and hook it up on the big stage. Maybe it’s a blocked punt, or a key block on a kick return, or downing a punt deep in opponent’s territory to flip the field that changes the game and sets the stage for a DAWGS victory.

So, don’t be so quick to head to the concession stand or to the fridge when those special teams units take the field. You just never know when your next favorite player is going to step up, break out and change the game right in front of you.

DESIRE…PASSION…EFFORT. THAT is what BEASTS are made of. THAT is what makes a great special teams player.

Glory, Glory.

HEY BRONCOS....RESPECT

2011-08-30T22:09:00.000-07:00

A couple of things jumped out to me while listening to some sound from Coach Richt on this weeks game with Boise State, but nothing more than the respect...as a coach and a football guy...that he has for Chris Petersen and his Broncos. This is a respect that is hard earned, well deserved and that everyone in the DAWG Nation should share for our opponent this Saturday.

Coach Richt on Boise State and the DAWGS:

“It’s important to play well. It’s important to get after it. It’s important to prove, even to ourselves, that we still know how to play football the way it should be played. Boise State is a great opponent to try to prove that (against) because I think they play the game the way it should be played. They coach it and they play it the way it should be played.”

Viewing the game from the defensive huddle as I do, these little tidbits shared by Coach Richt certainly got my attention:

Coach Richt mentioned the sparkling notes that Boise State led the nation in sacks, led the nation in tackles for loss and finished second in the country in total defense.

“Now we’ve just got to go do it, go play it, go fight the battle and just see what we’re all about.”

Glory, Glory.

GOOD TIMES AND DAMN GOOD DAWGS

2011-08-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite parts of college football season coming back around is just the attitude and the scene that comes with it. I really started feeling those old feelings today and it set my mind drifting back to good times spent in the crisp evening air as summer starts to give way to the fall. My soundtrack for this trip down memory lane was provided by a Damn Good DAWG and Georgia native, Jason Aldean.

Aldean's "Dirt Road Anthem" carried me out today, the version spiced up by Ludacris 'cause that's how I get down, and has now earned a permanent spot on my gameday playlist. Like I said, Aldean is DGD from Macon and wears his colors with pride. If I thought anybody was paying attention and I had the platform, I would do exactly the same thing. I have mad respect for Aldean. Not only because of his talents as an artist, but because this DAWG has his priorities in order.

Like I said, I'm a fan and Jason Aldean is one DAWG fan that has earned BEAST status on this blog. Jason, consider this your invitation. Any time you wanna grab your six string, pull up a chair and tilt one with us you're certainly welcome.

So DAWG Nation, embrace one of your own and crank up "Dirt Road Anthem" as you enjoy good times with your family and friends and enjoy the ride as our DAWGS G.A.T.A this season, because you can rest assured that Jason Aldean is one damn good DAWG that's gonna be barking right along with ya.

Glory, Glory.

31-0! WHERE HAVE I SEEN THIS BEFORE?

2011-08-24T22:54:00.000-07:00

During Coach Mark Richt’s press availability after Wednesday’s practice game, it was hard for me to focus after something Coach said right off the top got my attention. The practice game was set up to start with the second half of play with Boise State leading 31-0. Other than the fact that there were no injuries on the day, I can’t really pick out anything else that stood out to me after that opening statement. I just kept thinking…31-0. Second half. What is it that…? Then I had it. Thirty-one to nothing was the score at the half of the Alabama game back in 2008. A game in which the DAWGS were thoroughly whipped…in their own back yard…with a prime time national television audience watching. A game that had blistered the media in the week leading up to it with a dizzying display of hype complete with back and forth jabs between players and even coaches. This was the game that abruptly silenced all of the positive noise that had surrounded a Georgia team that came into the 2008 season ranked number one in the land. A game that, when it was over, had showed the college football universe that Georgia was no longer a prime time player, even with the likes of Matt Stafford, Knowshon Moreno and AJ Green on the roster, and was in fact…soft. A game from which Georgia, both the team and the DAWG Nation, have never fully recovered. That is why it sounded so familiar. That is why I could not forget.

In the unlikely event you need a reminder, this is how it happened.

Thirty-one to zero. Why would Coach Richt have chosen THAT score as a set up to be used in a practice game in preparation for THIS game with Boise State? Maybe it was just a coincidence. Maybe he just wanted to not make it too easy for the first unit Georgia squad to overcome the deficit. Coach Richt nearly said as much saying that he wanted to create a little urgency late in the half to make every rep valuable. I can see that. So, maybe there is nothing to it above and beyond what Coach said at all. Then again maybe there was, even if just on a subconscious level. Or, maybe there was even more to it than that.

Because I have the freedom to do such things, I decided to look back just a bit to see if Richt’s chosen scenario was just a random set-up or if it was actually a cunning maneuver by a coach that is both burdened and driven by all that game back in 2008 meant at the time and in the days since in an effort to insure a different result for his squad this time around.

A quick review of the schedule following that awful night in Athens in 2008 reveals that in every really big game the DAWGS have played since, a game that has attracted the attention of the college football world, they have lost. Later that season, Georgia teased us in a late October game on the bayou with a win at LSU only to lose a week later in Jacksonville. In the end, that was a win over a LSU team that finished the season 8-5, and just when they were back on the radar the DAWGS got ripped by Tim Tebow and the Gators. The DAWGS would go on to win a New Year’s Day bowl game, but by that time it just wasn’t enough to keep anyone not in red and black all that interested. In 2009 Georgia kicked off the season on the road with another big time match-up against Oklahoma State. There was a lot of reason for the nation to pay attention, but the DAWGS went down to defeat once again. Georgia would go on to lose another marquis match-up with LSU at home, followed by a stinker of a flop on rocky top. The DAWGS were standing well outside the spotlight the rest of the season and would wind up with an 8-5 record. Last season started awfully as Marcus Lattimore and the Gamecocks punched the DAWGS in the mouth in the second game of the year in a game that seemed to pretty much set the tone for how things would go the rest of the way in 2010. Colorado was interesting to non-DAWG types because of the inter-sectional match-up, but Georgia would lose despite the return of AJ Green to the line-up. Everybody was down on the DAWGS, but the team was at .500 heading into the annual grudge match with the Gators in Jacksonville. The boys fought hard, but in the end it was just another loss. Georgia salvaged a bowl game, but didn’t show up to play in it and the 2010 season came to a merciful close.

Ugh. That was awful to write and even worse to read back to myself. Now there were good moments during that span, and I am a DAWG through and through, but those are NOT the things that championship teams and programs are made of and everybody knows it. Coach Richt certainly knows it. He knows that the old “At least we tried. At least we played hard.” mantra is not good enough at Georgia and he believes that it is not good enough for his players or for himself. That is why I think Coach Richt’s selection of THAT score…31-0…set up to be used in a practice game in preparation for THIS game with Boise State…has a little deeper meaning whether the dean of SEC coaches would ever admit it or not. Coach Richt sees it as a reminder of where the train came off the tracks. I believe that it, even if only for him and only for a moment, added a little fire to the spirit and a little edge to the personality. It’s a little extra motivation in the odd span of time that is the in-between days that follow the end of camp, but precede excitement of game week installation. Or, maybe I’m just making too much of it all…adding a back story to a random and singular fact. Maybe I am completely off base and it was just a random number assigned to just another scrimmage.

Either way, this much is fact: Coach Richt knows that if his DAWGS can get a win on September 3rd in the Georgia Dome against a top five Boise State team…in front of a national television audience…under the glare of the bright lights of prime time with the entire college football universe watching…then this years Georgia team will have taken the first step on the long road back to SEC relevance, national prominence and will have begun to put a shine back on a program that has certainly been dulled in recent years.

I hope I’m right, even if Coach Richt would never admit it.

Glory, Glory.

A DAWGS PRO COMBAT EXCLUSIVE

2011-08-20T19:15:00.000-07:00

Exclusive to the twittah. Exclusive until now anyway. I decided to bring it here to the blog just to share with all you fine people that may not be following us @ADAMNBEASTBLOG in hopes that a few of y'all might decide to come along for the ride.

7 hours ago...

For what it's worth, we like the UGA Pro Combat Uniforms. Coming up, we'll tell you why. #UGA #DAWGS @Nike #ProCombat

4 hours later...

We like the #DAWGS #ProCombat unis. This guy does too & we agree w/ why ... Another worth a read.

3 hours later...

About the #DAWGS #ProCombat unis...everybody's entitled to their opinion and ours is that they're cool. They rock. They're bad ass.

Then came a run and we hit our stride...

"There's a lot of red going on." Yep. Georgia IS red. "They're busy." Yep. They're sleek and aggressive.

"Red on the facemask?" Hell, yes! I immediately thought of Erk. Apparently, so did this #DAWG.

"A silver helmet?" Absolutely. If it was good enough for Sinkwich, it's good enough for today's #DAWGS.

"There's nothing about a silver helmet that honors the 1980 champs." No, they didn't wear silver helmets in 1980.....

...However, 1980 was the year Vince went back to the famed silver britches. That's why the helmet is a nod to 1980.

"Red pants?" We all know the @HerschelWalker legend was born in red pants. If #34 wore them, they're fine. #DAWGS

So, let's all hear @crob45:

"No matter what we're wearing September 3rd we're gonna need all the fans support!"

and get behind them #DAWGS!

Glory, Glory.

QUICK THOUGHTS ON THE DAWGS AND SCRIMMAGES

2011-08-19T00:45:00.000-07:00

Whenever Coach Richt and his staff put the team though their paces in a scrimmage every member of the DAWG Nation can’t wait to hear how things went. Inevitably many fans will take the first reports of statistics from the scrimmage and attempt to read into the numbers and decipher some nugget of useable information. I know I’ve done it and if you reading this blog, odds are you have too. What’s new here is…I don’t do it anymore. I have just changed how I look at these things.

It is very easy to think scrimmage and equate that to “practice game” but that isn’t always the case. There are many reasons to care about, but not put too much stock in, the reports coming out of any scrimmage. Outside of definitive injury reports, virtually everything else should be taken with a grain of salt. What we read and hear as fans can be twisted virtually any way before it gets to us, either by a coach that wants to relay a specific message through the media to sway public opinion or not divulge some particular information, or by a reporter that writes a recap in a certain way because it might somehow tie to an over-arching storyline that has had legs throughout camp. Now, I do not mean to say that any of this is occurring within our coaching staff or by the fine reporters that do the hard work of following the DAWGS day in and day out. I am merely saying that from the outside, the looking glass that is our window into the world of all things DAWG is heavily frosted.

From being around the game of football in one way or another for the last 28 years and my experience of being on the practice field and sitting in many a coach’s office during that time, I understand that the blanket term “scrimmage” just is not the reality in most cases. More often than not, even within a full 2.5 to 3 hour session, these “scrimmages” are more pointed in their purpose as coaches want to see how their team will react in any number of very specific situations that might come up in a game. Because of this fact and the unavoidable in and out of players that may not be allowed to participate, calling a scrimmage a snap shot of how your team is looking is like taking a photo in the moment only to find out later that your finger blocked most of the lens. In the end, these scrimmage sessions provide us only a partial view and understanding of what’s really happening at best.

If you need further persuasion, just read up on the recent reports that Coach Richt took some advice from Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith about placing even a heavier and more consistent emphasis on situational practices. The thought here being that there are key moments in a game that will almost certainly dictate wins and losses and that those situations should be more heavily drilled. It puts a focus on winning when the money’s on the table, so to speak.

Nation…just like you, I want to hear the latest reports from every practice, scrimmage and if I could get them, meeting. This hunger is what makes Georgia fans and fans of the SEC the greatest in the country. All I’m saying is try not to get yourself too wound up one way or the other at every quick report you see when it comes to the DAWGS progress, especially when it comes to these scrimmages. I think you will agree with me that it is far more important that the DAWGS execute and win “when the lights are on” than when we are collectively standing outside the door and attempting to peer through the key hole.

Glory, Glory.

MOVE OVER BOBO, I’M CALLING THE PLAYS

2011-08-17T23:03:00.000-07:00

Every year…every game…at the stadium or in front of the widescreen…whether I’ve tilted a few or stone cold sober…every year, every game I try to predict what the first offensive play of the first offensive series will be for the DAWGS in each game. Not only do I test my own advance study of match-ups and tendencies, but I will inevitably (even when I try not to) turn and ask Ali Blue (usually the other best football mind in the room) what her opinion is on the subject and she will usually give some sincere thought to the question and give a well thought out reply. I do this for fun, just to see if I’m right…or if Ali’s right…and of course I want to see if she calls the same play I have called…and if either of us were right, did the play work? She knows I enjoy this and she plays along. Because she knows this means more to me than it ever could to her, she even goes first so I can hear her prediction just to see if her call matches mine. I will then regale her with my play call and will inevitably explain to her why I have chosen that play. She honestly listens to what I have to say. Maybe she really gains some insight from my offering, or it could be because it’s just entertaining. Doesn’t matter. I absolutely relish this tradition between us and it has now become a very enjoyable part of our game day experience.

Hopefully we have the opportunity to do this 14 times in any given season…12 regular season games, the SEC Championship game and a bowl game. I love to attack and I always have to push down the urge to call the post route. To take a chance at landing the haymaker right away. Sometimes I’m just feeling traditional and call the toss sweep. I mean, it is a staple of the DAWGS offense. Old reliable. Other times the advance scouting and film work (Yes, I do that.) figures more heavily and I’ll pick a play that takes advantage of some match-up that gives Georgia a clear advantage. It all depends on my mood.

So, with the season barreling towards us, I got to thinking about how much fun we have with this and I began to wonder if we were the only members of the DAWG Nation that take our shot at offensive coordinator. Surely not. We can’t be. That’s why I want to know about you. Do you or any of your fellow DAWGS give calling the opening play a shot? If so, we want to know about it. Tell us if you do. Do you share your pick with other DAWGS or do you keep it to yourself…even if you’re not alone. How do you choose the play? We want to hear from you and everything about your play calling process. Leave us a comment below or head over to the Facebook page and tell us your story there.

It’s September 3rd and the Georgia Dome is rocking. Aaron Murray leads the DAWGS to the line as the college football nation looks on. You’ve shoved Mike Bobo out of the chair and, for one play, you are directing the Georgia offense. What’s your call? TK to the post? Isaiah Crowell on the zone read? Or, do you like Orson Charles up the seam? Come on DAWG Nation, let us hear ya.

Glory, Glory.

I HAVE NO CREDIBILITY AND NO IDEA WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT

2011-08-14T22:33:00.000-07:00

…but, here are a few things I think I know about the DAWGS in 2011:

Tavarres King will catch 50 balls this season

Orson Charles will catch 40

Georgia finished with 24 quarterback sacks last season; the DAWGS will better that number this year

Alec Ogletree will lead Georgia in total tackles this season

Georgia will block a punt in 2011

The DAWGS will win on Rocky Top for the first time since 2005

Aaron Murray will throw 20+ touchdown passes

Jarvis Jones will finish with at least 5 sacks

The odds are better than even money that Coach Grantham gets a Powerade bath this year

Drew Butler will win the Ray Guy Award

The DAWGS will return a punt for a touchdown

Stephen Garcia will be the key to whether the DAWGS beat South Carolina or not

GEORGIA WILL BEAT FLORIDA IN JACKSONVILLE

Glory, Glory.

HOT READS: WARM UPS ARE OVER

2011-08-07T22:34:00.000-07:00

HOT READS: WARM UPS ARE OVER

Competition is vital. In the game of football, competition between players is an absolute must. It must be whole hearted and fierce, driven by a burning desire that cannot be doused by the self-doubt of benchwarmer reasoning. After the challenge, what is left is only the very best a group has to offer, but there really are no losers. No. The right to play has been won and as a result, the second option has been proven worthy of the right to join the winner in that great, common challenge that lies ahead.

Coach Richt as made it clear that competition and effort among this year’s DAWGS has not been lacking. The latest word from the practice fields only serves to validate that statement. Offensive line coach Will Friend has already issued a battlefield promotion to freshman David Andrews, moving the first year player up to the back-up role at center. If Andrews continues to progress, this should bode very well for the future.

Competition shows you who your “players” are, regardless of class. One thing that has apparently become abundantly clear over the first few days is there is a lot of athleticism on the practice fields, especially in this freshman class. Secondary coach Scott Lakatos raved about the physical talents of the new defensive backs and it seems the staff intends to find a spot for them saying, “We’ll put them out there and let them play.” This leads me to believe that several of these guys will get every chance to play immediately on special teams and possibly more. I say that’s a good thing.

I’m really feeling the attitude that I hear coming from the coaches too. When asked about his short numbers on the O-line, Friend said “All you need is five, nobody’s fretting.” That’s right. Man ‘em up, coach. Let’s play.

Defensive Coordinator Todd Grantham has a singular target for his men: WIN. When asked for five goals for this year’s defensive unit, Grantham only offered one. WIN. Every situation. Every one on one battle. Every drill. WIN. I hear ya, coach! Keep it simple. Grantham went on to say, “If you’re on our team and play defense, you have to know how to compete.”

You have to compete to have any chance to win. Once you’ve won enough battles to earn the right to step out and compete again, on Saturdays between the hedges with that G on the side of your helmet, then you will know that you are ready to take on all comers.

It appears that Kwame Geathers is down for the challenge. Big John Jenkins is on campus and competing hard, but Geathers has met every advance so far. Jenkins will have an impact on the field this year for the DAWGS, but at this point Jenkins is “…a very talented big man that’s very inconsistent,” coach Rodney Garner said. “He’s going to have to improve his fundamentals to play at this level.” Two anchors in the center of a defensive line, rotating to assure that they will always have a little bounce in their step. Yes, please.

Running backs coach Bryan McClendon is making me feel better and better every time I hear him talk about Isaiah Crowell.

“It’s easy for him, but the great thing that you see with him is you see a guy that doesn’t necessarily accept that ‘Hey, I’ve been doing this good so far.’ He’s constantly working, constantly trying to get better so that’s very encouraging.” McClendon continued, “He’s doing a good job of studying. He’s doing a good job of learning it. That stuff comes pretty quick to him. And that happens when you have a guy that, one, wants to be as good as he wants to be; and, two, is serious about football. Football is serious to that kid.”

That is exactly the type of focus and dedication it will take for Crowell to meet his own goals and lift his team to meet the expectations and hopes of the DAWG Nation.

Four practices down and the warm ups are over. It’s time to hook it up and get after somebody. I can’t wait to get the reports from the first practice in full pads and then the first scrimmage later this week. Just like Offensive Coordinator Mike Bobo said, “I want to see who will strike somebody, who won’t flinch. That’s the biggest thing.”

Glory, Glory.

HOT READS: 2011 FALL CAMP OPENS

2011-08-05T19:49:00.001-07:00

T.J. Stripling seems to be coming along fine with his rehab of a torn patella tendon, so maybe I was on to something with the idea that he could be a quiet key for the DAWGS defense this year if he gets back healthy.

Jonathan Jenkins looks great in his single digit practice jersey. Fingers crossed that he spends a lot of time in the backfield this season. The opponent’s backfield, that is.

Pleased to read that for Cordy Glenn, mashing is mashing. Glenn seems to be adjusting very well to bumping out to man the left tackle position this season. I feel really at ease with this change. I’m betting Aaron Murray does too.

Branden Smith has been showing out a bit, collecting five interceptions. Coach Richt mentioned he actually snatched a couple away from the intended receiver. Music to my ears. I want to see any of our DBs drive on the football in the air more often, especially Smith and Brandon Boykin given their tremendous skills once they have the ball in their hands.

Looks like Isaiah Crowell might get it. Word has it that he takes coaching and seems to genuinely love the game. Malcolm Mitchell could be in the boat with him. Both are flashing raw skills early on and are working hard, but until they prove it “while the band’s playing” I’m afraid we should all temper our expectations a bit. Running backs have to block and WRs have to sharpen routes and beat press coverage. The future looks bright, but until they get it done with the DAWG Nation watching, we don’t know a thing.

Aaron Murray looks all swole’ up. We know he’s a leader and a film junkie (love it), and maybe it’s just me, but Murray looks like he’s added 10-15 pounds of pure muscle. If I’m right, that’s great news. Let’s face it, there’s no way his jersey stays clean all year and a little more bulk can only help the DAWGS leader hold up.

Jay Rome appears to be a big man with soft hands that can move. This is exciting. Though Aron White and Orson Charles give every effort in the blocking game, I really slide to the edge of my seat when I think about the possibilities of a massive Arthur Lynch and an aggressive Rome just crushing down one side of the defensive line to clear some space for our backs.

Grass is finer. Coach Richt pointed out that having grass on the practice fields instead of turf grass, especially during recent days when triple digit temperatures are the norm, is really making a difference for the players. Hey, whatever helps the guys stay healthy and get ready to get after the Broncos is alright by me. Besides, grass stains are cool.

Glory, Glory.

FEAR IS NOT AN OPTION

2011-07-21T00:41:00.001-07:00

Georgia head coach Mark Richt will take the podium Thursday at SEC Media Days and meet the throngs of media that represent the greatest and most passionate fans in the game. We fans empower those members of the media in attendance to pick, prod and pry for any and every piece of information that we have not somehow already found and devoured during the football information famine that is the time between the end of spring practice and the start of fall camp. Richt will be joined by Aaron Murray, Ben Jones and Brandon Boykin for the event. This seems to be a crucible appropriate to harden Richt, the group of DAWGS at his side and other Georgia men that should be taking notes, for what lies ahead for when it comes to the 2011 season for the men that roam between the hedges…fear is not an option.

The time draws very near for Georgia to begin to reclaim the shine that everyone associated with the program had come to expect during Richt’s tenure in Athens. The shine that only comes from the warm light of the adoring spotlight shone on a program that expects to finish every season with double-digit wins, dominates the in-state wanna-be school and competes for league and national championships. It is not until you fall out of that light that one truly realizes just how cold it is out there in the darkness. That darkness is where the DAWGS find themselves after three seasons of declining win totals culminating in last year’s dismal 6-7 finish.

The amount of work and dedication required to battle your way back into the light (and the collective national college football consciousness) can be intimidating. There is no one person that must work harder than the rest, but rather it requires an overall uplifting of focus and effort for everyone involved with the program to achieve this favored spot once more. And it’s too late to start now. If Richt and his DAWGS have not already made the adjustments to their practices and attitude that are required, then this season will much more like the last few than anything the DAWG Nation witnessed from 2001-2005.

Each and every player, coach and yes…fan…that bleeds red and black must not be afraid to do what is necessary to snatch our beloved program by the collar and change the course of the near future of Georgia football. This will not be done by any singular gesture, but in each and every small one. How you prepare as a player, how you game plan as a coach and how you support your team as a fan will have an impact on the ultimate evolution of the process in Athens. Coach Richt cannot be afraid to take that chance to break a game open or put his boot on the neck of an opponent. Murray, who for my money is the best quarterback in the league, cannot be afraid to make that throw through a key hole when the game is on the line. Jones cannot be afraid to demand perfection from his line mates in this league that requires nothing less. Boykin cannot be afraid to break on that pass with a 50/50 chance to change the course of a drive or a game or a season.

These men are not alone. It will take everyone. Isaiah Crowell cannot be afraid to carry the ball 30 or 40 times because he’s a freshman. Tavarres King cannot be afraid to be a no. 1 receiver. Coaches Grantham and Bobo cannot be afraid the put their players in position to make that key play that could change a season, even when it could cost the game. The DAWG Nation cannot be afraid that we have been left behind by the HATED Gators or the Chickens in Columbia.

Georgia cannot be afraid of any challenge. There is no reason to be. We are GEORGIA! We are the DAWG Nation! We are the breed of All-Americas, Heisman trophies and championships. We are the breed of Herschel, Munson, Greene and Pollack. We must rise to meet every challenge, for our history demands it of us.

The hour is at hand. We must not doubt. We must not be afraid.

Fear is not an option.

Glory, Glory.

DAWGS ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

2011-06-13T09:57:00.000-07:00

As you may have seen today, I was invited to participate in a roundtable discussion with a few other bloggers about Georgia football over at College Football Zealots (Collegefootballzealots.com and @CFBZ). I am honored to have been included in such a discussion and I really enjoyed the process.

A lot of good stuff come across in the discussion and it was a lot of fun. You can check out the full article HERE.

Below you will find my answers to the questions posed for the piece. Please comment and let your voice be heard!

Thanks again to Kevin at College Football Zealots for including me in this process. I hope we can do it again soon.

1- Which game is more critical for Georgia to win: Boise State or South Carolina?

At first blush this is not an intimidating question, but when you stop and take a closer look this is a whopper. I’ve gone back and forth on this one for the obvious reasons. I started out with the baseline response that South Carolina is a conference game…the conference opener…and therefore was clearly the more critical win for Coach Richt and the DAWGS. Then last year came back into my mind. Georgia went 6 -7. Six and seven! What would be a better way to grab back some national spotlight and earn a little respect than to knock off Boise State, a top five team that has a history of playing very well on the big stage with the deck stacked against them, with a national audience tuning in? A win like that would be absolutely huge for the program.

That’s when it came to me. I had to strip away the glitz that goes with each of these games and get down to the gritty truth, so I went to the game tape.

When people think of Boise State, they often think of blue turf, trick plays and Kellen Moore arching another long touchdown pass to a wide receiver running wide open for the score. All those things are part of what makes the Broncos who they are, but that is not WHAT they are. In reality, the boys roamin’ the smurf turf are a hard-nosed, power running football team. They do it by disguising their base running game out of different formations, but they can also line up in the I-formation and get down hill. What’s more, the Broncos are a blue collar bunch that has the personality to go with that hard nosed style of play, something that I would say was found lacking in the Georgia squad last season.

Two words and one man was the reason for the Gamecocks success last season….Marcus Lattimore. There was a little good quarterback play and some solid defense, but Lattimore was the difference and the heart of the South Carolina team. A forceful back that ran with a purpose and could beat his opponents into submission, Lattimore is the definition of a power running back. After the dismal performance turned in by the DAWGS defense in Columbia last year, their second meeting with Lattimore and company should tell the tale of what we can expect from Georgia in 2011.

After digesting all of this, the answer to the question had to be Boise State. South Carolina and Lattimore will present Georgia with the basic football challenges that will probably indicate how the 2011 season will go for the DAWGS, but so will Boise State…only earlier on the schedule. Doug Martin may not be Marcus Lattimore, but he certainly is no slouch and Stephen Garcia is certainly no Kellen Moore. The Broncos program knows how to win and will not be intimidated when they face the DAWGS in the Georgia Dome, no matter how much red is there to greet them. If Richt’s boys can take out Boise State on September 3rd in Atlanta and display some mental toughness and a stronger defense against the run, the DAWG Nation as well as the millions watching at home will know that Georgia is back in the game.

2- Other than Isaiah Crowell, which incoming freshman do you think will have the biggest impact in 2011?

There has been a lot of buzz around the possibilities that exist on the Georgia depth chart for a wide receiver to step in and have an immediate impact. Malcolm Mitchell and Justin Scott-Wesley both look to be solid candidates to step into the breach and give Aaron Murray another weapon on the outside. However, just looking at the history of the WR position, odds are long that any true freshman wide receiver is going to be able to make too much of an impact early on. Add that to the fact that if you have ever read my blog you know I look at the world from the defensive huddle, my pick should not surprise….Ray Drew.

This young man appears to be ready built for early success in Athens. All reports tell us that Drew has a good head on his shoulders and the proper outlook on the game. Physically, Drew’s measureables indicate that he is field ready right now. Add this to a group of defensive ends that have not yet distinguished themselves from the one another (not necessarily due to their own efforts or lack thereof) and the situation sets up nicely for Drew to earn substantial playing time for Defensive Coordinator Todd Grantham early in the season.

3- Who are some under-the-radar guys that you think will step up for Georgia this year?

I have two names for you: Cornelius Washington and T.J. Stripling

Cornelius Washington – After a solid effort in 2009, I thought 2010 might be the break out year for Washington. Washington is a physical specimen and with the move to outside linebacker, I could see the rangy and speedy Washington as a terror off the edge for the DAWGS. However, the move seemed to put Washington’s feet in the quick sand and he often looked to be thinking too much rather than just turning it loose and reacting to what he saw in his keys. I’m hoping that in Washington’s second season playing out in space, the game will slow down a bit and he can become the pass rushing terror off the edge that the DAWGS desperately need him to be.

T.J. Stripling – Stripling suffered a season-ending injury to his right leg in 2010 while playing on special teams. Much like Washington, Stripling possesses the physical attributes that could make him an impact player off the edge for Georgia in the passing game sooner rather than later. Of course, all of this is dependent on how Stripling’s rehab goes as we get closer to the 2011 season. The last I heard, Stripling was on course to make a full recovery and would be ready to go full speed in time for fall camp. Also of interest is whether Stripling will ultimately play defensive end or outside linebacker for Georgia, but I’m sure that will be further determined once fall camp begins. The bottom line is that the DAWGS have to find some heat on the edge that can wreak a little havoc in opponent’s backfields and I believe that Coach Grantham will be looking at every option he has to get that job done. If Stripling is healthy, he’s a natural at getting after the quarterback and he could have a major impact for the DAWGS right away.

4- What makes you most excited about seeing Georgia play this year?

This one is easy for me. Aaron Murray. Without a doubt, Georgia’s sophomore signal caller is poised to make a major move in 2011 both within the conference as well as on the national scene. Now he’ll have to get some help from his teammates, but Murray gives every indication that he is capable and willing to shoulder the load for the DAWGS. Much like David Greene, you could see right away that Georgia had something special in Murray. I’m not going to list all of the stats here to back up my claim. I don’t really have the space here and you can look them up easily enough. There is something more to Murray. He’s a winner, a student of the game and a natural leader. He has “it”, whatever “it” is, and that’s what makes me want to watch him. Georgia will win behind the leadership of Murray. He cannot do it alone, but with a little help from his friends I believe Murray will lead the DAWGS back to the top of the SEC East and the pinnacle of the nation’s toughest conference sooner rather than later.

5- What makes you the most nervous about seeing Georgia play this year?

I see this answer as a couple of things that are one-in-the-same. I have serious concerns about whether the DAWGS defense has shed the habitual and agonizingly poor tackling practices that have plagued them in recent years. Defense is attitude and tackling. Tackling is technique and hustle. Nothing will dishearten me quicker and sink my hopes for the 2011 season than to see Georgia’s defense duck their heads or throw a shoulder while attempting to make a tackle, or fail to run hats to the ball showing a lack of effort to play solid team defense. For me, there will be no clearer harbinger of things to come in 2011 than whether the DAWGS defense is getting after Boise State from the first whistle and playing for each other with a passion and a desire to get the job done, no matter the challenge. I have not consistently seen this from the DAWGS in recent years and until they show me something different on the field, I will continue to be nervous.

6- Athlon Sports has rated the Dawgs at #14 and Phil Steele has them at #9 in their pre-season polls. Both have Georgia winning the SEC East and playing in the Capital One Bowl. What needs to happen for Georgia to live up to these lofty expectations.

In case you can’t already tell, everything begins and ends with Coach Grantham’s defensive eleven for me. If we see a big jump in the level of play by the DAWGS defense from year one to year two, then I can see everything else fall into place for a run to the top of the SEC East for Georgia.

For a second straight year in the East there is a former DAWG in orange, this time in Gainesville with the Gators, and Florida will inevitably experience a few growing pains. Derek Dooley and Tennessee are coming, but still have some things to prove. Vanderbilt is settling back to the bottom of the group and Kentucky will have to find some new weapons on offense. Defending champion South Carolina still has Lattimore but has to travel to Athens with a re-tooled defense, and who knows where the odyssey of Stephen Garcia will lead the Gamecocks.

The opportunity certainly appears to be there for Georgia to reclaim the top spot in the East and the DAWGS should have every confidence that they can compete for the division title. If Georgia can find its soul on the defensive side of the ball, the DAWGS should be in every game and I can absolutely see the Georgia Dome splashed in Bulldogs red to both begin and end the 2011 campaign.

WE HAVE THE ANSWER

2011-05-30T13:52:00.000-07:00

At first, I wasn’t sure if I would have anything to say about Jim Tressel’s decision to resign as the head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes. I mean, what could I add to the story? We can all get the news from any number of locations in any number of varied forms. Then I remembered an exchange I had with a Buckeye fan back in December after the news came out that Georgia and Ohio State had agreed to play a home-and-home series beginning in the year 2020.

In my line of work, virtually everyone has an opinion on virtually every sports related topic. I mean, it’s what we do. However, some people are better at taking off the “team-colored glasses” than others are when debating a topic that involves the squads with which they are allied.

In the wake of the home-and-home announcement back in late December, and at a time Ohio State was in the midst of its (still) ongoing investigation into wrongdoing involving the football program, I had a Buckeye fan say the following to me during a discussion about the two storied programs finally meeting in a regular season game:

Has anybody checked Georgia's record lately? At this rate they will be in the Mountain West conference or Division II by 2020. What happened, did The Little Sisters of the Poor book up early with "grudge matches" with USC and Notre Dame? Here's an interesting bet....who is still coaching OSU/GA in 2020....Tressel or Richt? Mark who??

Can you believe it? I was stunned at the time, and frankly I still am, that a fan of any team mired in the type of an institutional NCAA investigation that Ohio State was (and is) could so blatantly disparage Mark Richt and the University of Georgia.

Rest assured DAWG Nation, I proceeded to quickly and without prejudice inform this Buckeye that Tressel had a history of being shady before arriving at Ohio State, that there have been questions about Tressel and his program during his time (and championship) in Columbus and, OH BY THE WAY, the Buckeyes were right in the middle of a scandal that has now proven to be the undoing of The Sweater Vest’s tenure as the head coach at Ohio State and possibly their entire 2011 season.

Well, I guess we have the answer to that Buckeye’s question today don’t we? Granted, none of us are happy with how the last couple of seasons have played out ‘between the hedges’ in Athens and we will not be satisfied until the DAWGS are once again on top of the SEC East and playing for a conference title in Atlanta, but there is none among us that is working any harder to make that a reality than the head coach and leader of our program, Mark Richt.

It has recently come to light based on statements from the people that actually make the decisions at the University of Georgia, that for all of the belly aching and sometimes misplaced and delusional complaints from the rabid Georgia fan base, Coach Richt actually is NOT on the ridiculously speculated hot seat. That is how it should be. I would absolutely rather lose a game or two, and do not misunderstand…losing stinks, than win by taking shortcuts only to suffer the shame of those “successes” later.

I’m as excited today as I was in December when the 2020-21 games with the Buckeyes were announced. In the AJC article by Tim Tucker announcing the home-and-home series between Georgia and Ohio State, Coach Mark Richt stated that he will be looking forward to the game, too.

“Yeah, man,” Richt said. “I hope I’m here to go to Columbus.”

I agree with you on that one, Coach. I hope you’re still leading the DAWGS too. Either way, one thing is for sure…Jim Tressel won’t be there to take it all in.
I wonder what that Buckeye fan would have to say about the state of things today.

Glory, Glory.

POWERFUL BEYOND MEASURE

2011-05-28T15:45:00.000-07:00

We bring this video to you courtesy of Russ Doogin (@russdoogin). One Damn Good DAWG.

Yes.

We are JYD. We are Junkyard DAWGS!

THERE’S NOTHING SOFT ABOUT THESE LADIES OR THEIR GAME

2011-05-15T21:19:00.000-07:00

The NCAA announced on Sunday night that the University of Georgia is one of 16 regional host sites for the 2011 NCAA Division I Softball Championships. The DAWGS are the number one seed in the Athens Regional and the sixth-overall national seed.

Georgia head coach Lu Harris-Champer has built A DAMN BEAST!!! of a softball program in Athens. For the tenth consecutive year, and for the tenth time in school history, Georgia will be making a NCAA postseason appearance. That is quite a feat. From the head coach’s bio at www.georgiadogs.com:

Prior to Harris-Champer's arrival in Athens, the Georgia softball program produced just a 115-123 record with no Southeastern Conference championships or NCAA appearances. Under the direction of Harris-Champer, the Bulldog softball team has compiled a 502-181 overall record with nine-straight NCAA tournament appearances and two SEC championships, establishing Georgia as one of the elite programs in the country.

If that’s not impressive enough, check out Coach Harris-Champer’s full BIO when you get a chance.

Under Harris-Champer, the Bulldogs are 36-18 overall in NCAA postseason play, and advanced to the Women's College World Series final four in 2009 and 2010. Those are pretty strong numbers regardless of how many outfielders you play with.

You can read more about the NCAA Division I Softball Championships HERE.

Best of luck in the postseason ladies and GATA!!!

Glory, Glory.

DAWGS NEED TO FIND SOME NASTY ON THE ROSTER

2011-05-08T23:32:00.000-07:00

Whether any of you have noticed or not, things have not been just rolling off the presses here at the BEAST this spring. There are a myriad of reasons for that (and all of them are justified), but that doesn’t mean we haven’t been paying attention.

There are several reasons that I believe the 2011 football season will be a bright one for the DAWGS, but we can save those for a later date. First things first.

One reality of my time away is that I have been forced to watch and listen as Auburn and its fans have reveled in their MNC glory. And they should. The Tigers earned it on the field with outstanding performances from many, not the least of which those turned in by Nick Fairley.

Fairley was quite possibly the most disruptive single player the Southeastern Conference has seen since David Pollack was unleashed “between the hedges” back in 2002. And that is where the rubber hits the road in this discussion.

Georgia fans probably won’t like any comparison between Fairley and Pollack regardless of the argument, but they should be a little more willing to listen. Both were All-Americans and both changed the game for their opponents every time they stepped on the field. The glaring difference here, especially when viewed through DAWG-red colored glasses, is the association of Fairley with a “less than fair” style of play and the “poster boy” image that has followed Pollack both during and since his time in Athens. Some would go so far as to call the Auburn defensive lineman a dirty player, while most any recollected memory of Pollack sparkles like a shiny penny in the Sanford sun on a brilliant DAWG day afternoon. But those perceptions have absolutely no impact on what made each player a dominant force in the SEC and in college football.

I would argue that along with being very good football players and all of the other attributes that made each player a championship-caliber difference maker on their respective teams, there was one underlying factor that set each player apart from the rest. Nasty. A nasty that falls in the blind spot of adoring fans, draws the ire of the opposition colors and wins games in the fourth quarter. A nasty that defeats an opponent before they step on the field. A nasty that demands a “chew your kneecaps off’ performance from the player and his teammates at the biggest moments in the biggest games. THIS….this is what Fairley and Pollack share.

Now, I’m not saying Fairley has not earned his reputation (at least in the eyes of Georgia fans) on the field. I offer you exhibit A:

The video speaks for itself. However, in the months since the season has ended, while scouring game film and breaking down season stats in my top secret CFB bunker that is dimly lit only by the flickering light of the projector, I have been forced to admit a sobering fact to myself…I want that player on my team. NOT that player that crosses the line and intentionally attempts to injure an opponent, BUT that player that slams right up against that line and then dances back from it wreaking havoc all along the way. Admittedly, this is a dangerous zone in which to live. As for Fairley’s play against Georgia last season, I will just say that if the DAWGS didn’t like the way he was treating our players and namely our franchise quarterback, they should have…wait for it…BLOCKED him. And yes, I feel the Georgia players were absolutely justified when they finally stood up for their teammate late in the game, but I would much rather they had handled business between the whistles. I expect this piece will bring responses from all across the DAWG Nation and they are welcomed.

There have been others that have played with this type of nasty for Coach Richt….Thomas Davis, Kevin Breedlove, Daniel Inman, Sean Jones and Max Jean-Gilles to name a few. What is it that all of these players had in common? They were champions and they would just as soon whip your ass as look at you between the lines.

If Georgia is going to get back to the pinnacle of the SEC under Coach Richt, then the lead DAWG and his staff are going to have to cultivate a few more of these balls-to-the-wall type players that will push the program over the top when the going gets tough in the crucible that is college football in the Southeastern Conference.

Glory, Glory.

THIS! Absolutely.

2011-04-21T20:31:00.000-07:00

The AJC's Chip Towers hit the nail on the head with his recent piece concerning CMR and his stance on social media. As a journalist myself, I applaud his position on the matter and absolutely understand where he is coming from. Also, kudos to CMR on this one. Towers summed it up best with the following statement:

As a follower, I often see and read things of which I’m certain Richt and his staff might not approve (foul language mostly). But it’s not my job to police these kids and, as a journalist, you’ll find no bigger believer in freedom of speech than me. So rarely, if ever, have I reported anything I’ve seen there.

ICYMI, you can see the entire article HERE.

RETWEET!!!

DAWGS and BRONCOS: WHO YA GOT?

2011-03-13T22:05:00.000-07:00

GEORGIA’S FOOTBALL FUTURE FOUND AT A STARBUCKS COUNTER

2011-02-02T22:00:00.000-08:00

Recently the following exchange occurred at a Starbucks counter in Athens. This conversation has been paraphrased.

Florida fan (and SBUX employee): Looks like Georgia’s gonna end up with a strong recruiting class this year.

UGA fan: Yeah, we’re closing strong…and there’s still a couple of big fish out there so…I think we’re gonna be in pretty good shape.

Florida fan: Yeah.

UGA fan: But you know, I was talking to my wife about this stuff the other day…and she doesn’t know anything about Georgia football…and she said, “That’s great, but once they (UGA coaches) get all those players they aren’t going to know what to do with them.” She’s probably right, but I hope not.

Florida fan: Hmph. (shaking his head in agreement)

So there it is. Deep down, everyone in the DAWG Nation that thinks they know anything about Georgia football has wrestled with this notion. We all believe that there is (and has been) talent in Athens in recent years and we have all wondered why that talent has not been more productive/successful/fruitful. But did we know all along?

While the DAWG Nation is basking in the warm and blinding glow of what is being roundly heralded as a top five recruiting class, even Coach Richt is calling this the best class he has corralled in his 11 years in Athens. It’s gonna be hard to run away from that kind of praise down the line.

Let’s not be too simplistic as we look over what wins and loses football games in the Southeastern Conference with our pre/post-season magnifying lenses, but when you’ve got talent assembled like this, the leash on the choke collar of the Lead Dawg will certainly seem to get a lot tighter a lot quicker.

I stand behind CMR as firmly today as I ever have. This is in no way a “hot seat” argument. However, not to realize what the accomplishment of national signing day 2011 means would be naïve and CMR and the coaching staff know it too.

We will soon see whether the future of Georgia Bulldog football was found in line at a Starbucks on the West side of town. We will soon see if someone that “knows nothing” about the program has put their finger on the very thing that those who “know everything” were just too afraid to admit to themselves in the first place.

Glory, Glory.

CROWELL’S GOALS IN ATHENS

2011-02-02T21:28:00.000-08:00

Courtesy AJC

I wanted to update this piece on Crowell. I did not want to not be fair to how the kid says he really feels. Here is the quote I found today about how he feels about Georgia.

"I figured a long time ago I would be playing football at Georgia. I knew for sure it was Georgia a couple days ago, but it has always been in my heart and I have always wanted to. It was a close decision, but when it came down to it, my heart was at Georgia."

You can read the original post below.

===================================================================

Welcome Mr. Crowell. We in the DAWG Nation are thrilled to have you on board. During his interview for Rivals on National Signing Day, Georgia’s 5-star, must have, crown jewel of the 2011 class Isaiah Crowell, laid out some rather lofty intentions. I know the kid was living in the moment and reveling in the attention that all of the hard work during his high school career had garnered him, but I was struck by a few of the things Crowell had to say and one series of statements in particular.

Crowell said that he wants to be...

“a Freshman All-American. If I can win the Heisman, I want to. Really, I just wanna get three years and I wanna be in the League.”

All of those things are great for Crowell individually and all of those things would bring great recognition to the University of Georgia and I wish him nothing but the absolutely greatest of successes. If Crowell achieves any one of these things then much brighter days are surely ahead for the DAWGS. With that said, I’m not beating up on the kid in any way when I say, I just hope that IC learns a little something about what it means to be a Georgia Bulldog along the way.

BANG! THAT'S US.

2010-10-25T18:15:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-25T16:36:00.000-07:00

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

DAWGBEASTS and the WILDCATS

2010-10-24T21:25:00.000-07:00

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.

DAWGBEASTS and the DORES

2010-10-17T21:45:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-17T09:56:00.000-07:00

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.

The VOLS, VIII and the DORES

2010-10-15T15:42:00.001-07:00

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.

DAWGBEASTS and the VOLS

2010-10-10T20:42:00.000-07:00

**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.

DOES AJ OWE YOU ANYTHING?

2010-10-05T19:53:00.000-07:00

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!

WINNING MATTERS

2010-10-04T18:48:00.000-07:00

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.

JACK TATUM WOULD BE PROUD

2010-09-20T00:03:00.000-07:00

Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press
Raiders rookie Rolando McClain drives Rams receiver Danny Amendola into the ground following a reception.

I came out of my seat when I watched RAIDERS rookie Rolando McClain violently hurl Danny Amendola over his head and slam him to the turf Sunday. It was fantastic. It is what the RAIDERS teams I became a fan of growing up were all about. Plays like this one by McClain are outlawed in today's soft, pretty-boy NFL, but McClain channeled his inner Jack Tatum and unleashed the BEAST on Amendola. Of course, McClain was flagged on the play, but he and his teammates did not seem to mind. My opinion, TAKE THE FLAG and SEND A MESSAGE that nothing easy is going to be allowed any longer. McClain soaked in the cheers as RAIDER Nation roared and I am thrilled to be counted among those in silver and black that welcome this type of attitude back to our team.

DAWGBEASTS and the RAZORBACKS

2010-09-19T23:51:00.000-07:00

WEEK THREE
Arkansas vs. Georgia

THE WIDE RECEIVER CORPS and specifically KRIS DURHAM and TAVARRES KING – After recovering from being thunderstruck by the ending of the game on Saturday, this unit…and these two players…stood out to us as deserving the honor of DAWGBEAST.

**The WR unit as a whole performed very well (whenever given the chance), pulling down nearly every one of Aaron Murray’s 253 passing yards. What’s more, the members of the wide receiver unit were also “football players” away from the ball on Saturday, doing the other things that are required of them in the game like aggressively blocking down field in the running game. Will anyone soon forget seeing Durham ear-hole an Arkansas defender on Murray’s run along the Georgia sideline? Head on a swivel, Nation.

**KRIS DURHAM – Durham stepped up yet again for the DAWGS coming through with huge catches at key moments in the game. Durham had a career day versus the Hogs, setting career-highs in catches (5) and yards (101). Durham has shown in every way that he should remain an integral part of the game plan when AJ Green finally gets back on the field. Durham deserves to continue to see the ball come his way.

**TAVARRES KING – King seemed to finally find his legs for the season, hauling in 4 catches for 91 yards and a TD. King has two career touchdown catches and both have come against the Razorbacks. King’s numbers are solid, but the real reason he makes the list is that his catches all seemingly came at crucial points in the game or to move the chains for a first down. On the first play of the 4th quarter, King lost his footing at the top of his route but still managed to scramble back to his feet to make a great catch along the Georgia sideline for a first down. That’s the type of play that builds confidence and trust in a young quarterback that will absolutely pay off down the road. EFFORT people, EFFORT.

Courtesy UGASports.com

HOGS and DAWGS: VINEGAR BASED SAUCE PLEASE

2010-09-17T12:01:00.000-07:00

While watching the game tape of last year’s version of the Georgia and Arkansas tussle, I was left with a few thoughts. Oddly enough, there are several repeats when it comes to match-ups in this game.

To start, as I type this there is still no word on the availability of AJ Green, but we do know that Dennis Johnson will miss the game due to injury for Arkansas. This is not a small loss for the Hogs. Arkansas’ other runners are serviceable, but to make Coach Petrino’s high-flying offense really go balance is still beneficial.

The other component for the Hogs O is, of course, Ryan Mallett, his big arm and his talented group of receivers. In last year’s match-up, all three of Arkansas’ main targets at wide out caught touchdown passes from Mallett and the DAWGS will certainly have to get a handle on them this year if Georgia is to have any chance to keep pace.

Based on last year’s game tape, there are a few things that I noticed about Mallett that the DAWGS should duplicate Saturday if they hope to get the win.

1. Like every quarterback, Mallett does not like pressure up the middle. If the DAWGS can get a good push and gets some pressure in Mallet’s face, it will go a long way to disrupting the Hogs offense. Georgia had success with this last season resulting in a lull in the Arkansas scoring, thus giving the DAWGS offense a chance to get a leg up.

2. Take away the easy throws for Mallett. Short crossing routes, swing passes to the backs tight-end throw backs are all key elements in the Arkansas passing game. Completing these routes draws the defensive safeties and corners forward which sets up the deeper routes from the Hogs later in the game. Coach Petrino’s offense thrives off of creating favorable match-ups. If the DAWGS can take away or at least limit the easy throws from this offense, it will make it easier to defend the shots Mallett will invariably take down the field.

3. Good safety play will be critical for the DAWGS this weekend. Giving credit where credit is due, like I mentioned above, Coach Petrino has made a living off of creating match-ups that puts his players in position to succeed. Time after time in last season’s game, our safeties appeared to be out of position when matched up in coverage. If the DAWGS are going to win on Saturday, Georgia’s safeties will need to play well.

4. Finally, once the DAWGS took the lead and forced Mallett and the Hogs to play from behind, it looked as though Mallett got a little frustrated. Mallett’s technique appeared to get a little sloppy and his body language was noticeably changed. Every quarterback looks good when things are going well and they are playing with a clean pocket. If the DAWGS can get after Mallett a little and rattle his cage, the reward and the return could be great.

***BONUS NOTE***

Coming off a skin-of-their-teeth win over South Carolina last year, in which the DAWGS did not tackle particularly well (at all), Georgia rebounded and tackled really well in last year’s Arkansas game. Low and behold, we find ourselves once again barking about tackling issues after the SC game, only this time the stakes are much higher after last week’s loss in Columbia. It is imperative that the DAWGS answer the bell and show improved tackling this week if they have any hopes of slowing down the Hogs aerial attack and getting back on the good side of the Win/Loss column.

Glory, Glory.

REGGIE DOES THE RIGHT THING

2010-09-14T14:07:00.000-07:00

Statement from Reggie Bush Regarding Heisman Trophy

By NewOrleansSaints.com

For Immediate Release: September 14, 2010

One of the greatest honors of my life was winning the Heisman Trophy in 2005. For me, it was a dream come true.

But I know that the Heisman is not mine alone. Far from it. I know that my victory was made possible by the discipline and hard work of my teammates, the steady guidance of my coaches, the inspiration of the fans, and the unconditional love of my family and friends. And I know that any young man fortunate enough to win the Heisman enters into a family of sorts. Each individual carries the legacy of the award and each one is entrusted with its good name.

It is for these reasons that I have made the difficult decision to forfeit my title as Heisman winner of 2005. The persistent media speculation regarding allegations dating back to my years at USC has been both painful and distracting. In no way should the storm around these allegations reflect in any way on the dignity of this award, nor on any other institutions or individuals. Nor should it distract from outstanding performances and hard-earned achievements either in the past, present or future.

For the rest of my days, I will continue to strive to demonstrate through my actions and words that I was deserving of the confidence placed in me by the Heisman Trophy Trust. I would like to begin in this effort by turning a negative situation into a positive one by working with the Trustees to establish an educational program which will assist student-athletes and their families avoid some of the mistakes that I made. I am determined to view this event as an opportunity to help others and to advance the values and mission of the Heisman Trophy Trust.

I will forever appreciate the honor bestowed upon me as a winner of the Heisman. While this decision is heart-breaking, I find solace in knowing that the award was made possible by the support and love of so many. Those are gifts that can never be taken away.

REALLY? A LACK OF EFFORT? WE SHALL SEE.

2010-09-13T22:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Marc Weiszer posted a blog at Onlineathens.com detailing the players’ reasoning behind the outcome in Columbia last Saturday and I was stunned to see the responses. Team leaders on both sides of the ball readily cited effort as one of the main problems.

LB Darryl Gamble:

“I’d say it was maybe a little effort and a little shell-shocked at being there. First SEC game, and a lot of guys, I guess, weren’t ready for it.”

and…

OL Clint Boling:

“We’ve just got to regroup, go back and just be more physical. We’ve got to play harder. ... We've just got to have that mindset that we want to just dominate our guy every play, and I don't know if we have that right now."

Really? How can this possibly be? How can you not give maximum effort in only the second game of a season that only allows you to tee it up 12 times, not to mention the fact that it is the SEC opener? To me that response is stunning if true, but more likely it was just easier to lay the blame on effort than to readily admit that players were intimidated or that they just flat out failed to do as they were coached.

From the outside, it looks as though Coach Grantham and Coach Richt are not going to allow this type of on-field performance to continue. Word has it, Coach Grantham told “all the younger guys in the two-deep that there’s still spots open (to replace) guys who are messing up.” Richt said there indeed will be competition for positions this week and there will likely be more physical practices with the scout team, adding “There’s going to be no diving on the ground at a guy, no going low on a guy. When I mean low, I’m talking about just diving at the knees and ankles and that kind of thing.”

I certainly hope the coaching staff will address the mess that we saw on the field in Columbia on Saturday. If that means previous starters or fan favorites have to take a seat and let another young player have a shot, then so be it. Production is what matters…no one player’s feelings are more important than the success of the unit and the team.

Georgia has not defeated a top 12 ranked opponent in Athens since beating Clemson in 1991. With Ryan Mallett leading the #12 Arkansas Razorbacks in on Saturday, the DAWGS can derail a Heisman campaign and snap that streak all in one fell swoop, not to mention re-focusing the nation’s attention on Georgia as a team that can contend in the SEC East in 2010.

Glory, Glory.

VOL on VOL VIOLENCE

2010-09-12T23:26:00.000-07:00

There is no other way to describe what happened in Houston Sunday when the Texans finally stood up and smacked their long-time big brother in the AFC South, the Indianapolis Colts, right in the nose and left them bloodied.

The Texans were a bit of a trendy pick coming into the season to challenge for the division title, but they still had to prove to everyone that they could actually do it. The Texans had some nice pieces already in place with Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson just to name a couple, but on Sunday it was an undrafted free agent that spent most of last season on the Texans practice squad...Arian Foster.

That name should sound familiar to SEC football fans. It wasn't long ago he was romping up in Knoxville for the Tennessee Volunteers.

In week one of the NFL season, Foster announced his presence with authority as he rambled for a team-record 231 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Colts and fellow Volunteer alum Peyton Manning.

Now Manning didn't go down without a fight, spinning the magic bean as only he can, hitting on 40 of a career-high 57 pass attempts for 433 yards and 3 touchdowns.

In the end, it would not be enough as Foster and the Texans walked away with the win and the early season division lead.

DAWGBEASTS and the GAMECOCKS

2010-09-12T23:07:00.000-07:00

WEEK TWO
GEORGIA vs. SOUTH CAROLINA

JUSTIN HOUSTON – On a day when there wasn’t much that resembled the DAWGS season opening performance on the defensive side of the ball, Houston stood out. Playing the way we members of the DAWG Nation expect our defense to play, Houston finished with 10 tackles, including the three sacks and two more tackles for losses of 10 yards. Displaying the form that says everything about what makes Houston worthy of praise here at A DAMN BEAST!!! and worthy of DAWGBEAST status, the Georgia star summed up his performance like this after the game:

"I don't look at individual stats," Houston said. "The team lost. No matter how good I did, it doesn't matter because the team lost. If the team lost, I lost. That's the way I look at it. That just means I've got to do better for us to win."

AARON MURRAY – (14 of 21, 192 yds) Murray showed us what could be in store on Saturday as time after time he surveyed the field, stepped into the pocket and fired strike after strike down field (avg. 9.1 yds/att). The only thing holding Murray back on Saturday seemed to be that when it mattered most late in the game, our receivers did not have the ability to get open. Each time we see him facing live bullets, Georgia’s RFr. quarterback looks more and more like another studious RFr. that believed all the little things mattered and played with poise beyond his years, David Greene. With that said, like Greene, Murray will need the help of his teammates if he is going to have the same level of success that Greene enjoyed.

AJ GREEN’S GONE FOR A WHILE: HOW WILL IT PLAY?

2010-09-08T21:42:00.000-07:00

So Wednesday we found out. AJ did the deed and he feels bad and the DAWGS are staring down the barrel of their SEC opener, against a historically troublesome opponent and all of this will play out on the road. Yeah…that one stings a bit. What’s more, for this member of the DAWG Nation anyway, is the fact that once again the University that I love so deeply has taken yet another black eye when it comes to public perception.

Still, life…and the season…go on. So the real question is what impact does this have on the team. Coach Richt is saying all the right things including this insightful message from CMR shared by @bulldogsblog on Twitter:

TE Aron White says coach Mark Richt told team that "we're still Georgia. One player doesn't make Georgia."

and Green has offered up his apologies earlier tonight from his Twitter account @ajgreen_uga8:

I want to take the time 2 apologize 2 my team&fans as I go through this learning experience.

What’s really important now is how the DAWGS react to this adversity. We all have hopes that this team is championship caliber and now we get to find out. Championship teams rise to the challenges that inevitably come up during a season and this is clearly this Georgia team’s first chance to prove they have what it takes.

Now, just taking a quick moment for perspective, we learned earlier this week that the University of Wyoming suffered real tragedy when a Wyoming player was killed and three others were injured in a car wreck. Green’s issues are bad for himself and for the University of Georgia on the football field, but they are no real tragedy. A sobering fact that we all should keep in mind.

Back to the game, the best case scenario I see for our DAWGS is one where the team leaders take control of that locker room, pull this team together and fully embrace that “us against the world” mentality and show up in Columbia, SC at high noon on Saturday in a bad mood, with a chip on their collective shoulder and with something to prove. If they do that, the DAWGS will walk tall out of South Carolina having made a national statement that they are for real. As for AJ, the kid did the crime…now he must do the time. Your teammates and the DAWG Nation will welcome you back whenever you are allowed to return.

In case you missed it, I wrote a piece earlier this summer about NCAA inquiries and wondered what it would mean to you if one of our DAWGS were involved. To see more about my personal feelings on the topic please check it out HERE and be sure to read all of the comments as well to get a full understanding.

Hopefully I will be done with this ugliness after this post, but nothing has changed for me going forward. Make no mistake, I love the University of Georgia, I love CMR’s DAWGS and I hope we beat the extra crispy off those chickens this Saturday and serve notice to the rest of the league and college football that the spirit that makes Georgia the best damn school in the land is alive and well.

Glory, Glory.

REGGIE BUSH STIFF-ARMED!

2010-09-07T09:39:00.000-07:00

Reggie Bush Stiff-armed! The 2005 Heisman winner reportedly to be stripped of the award. Our only question is "What took so long?"

As soon as the smoke began to rise around Bush and possible dealings with agents during his time at Southern California, didn't we all know there was a fire...and a big one?

Turns out we were right and it has since consumed the USC football program, resulting in major sanctions.

Bush cheated and got busted. Now he claims "I am USC and I represent USC." Really? If that were so, and everything wasn't just about you and what can benefit you, you would've never cheated in the first place...or kept that tainted Heisman all this time. USC returned their copy of Bush's Heisman Trophy and Bush should do the same. He should have already done it. He should have done it first. As for Pete Carroll, he's dirty too. Carroll continually created and embraced an atmosphere around USC that welcomed agent-types and glamour boys and showed not a care in the world...as long as the Trojans were winning. But Carroll ain't no fool, the minute the winning stopped and Carroll could see the writing on the wall, he bolted for Seattle leaving USC to burn. I have nothing more than my opinion but from where I sit Carroll was not only aware of, but actively complicit in the wrong doings that occurred at USC.

This begs the question, "How did all of this happen at the most successful college football program in the country without anyone knowing what was going on?" That's easy, no one wanted to know what was going on. ESPN, the self-proclaimed worldwide leader in sports, could have very easily uncovered the biggest college football story of the past decade if they had wanted to, but they did not because they didn't want to ruin their relationship with Carroll and the program. With dedicated reporters around the USC football program for years, it seems implausible to think that they had absolutely no idea about what was happening around the athletic department. I see ESPN as being either just as complicit as Carroll in what happened at USC because they did not do their duties as journalists (I know...doesn't even look right when typed) to uncover the story or they are utterly incompetent in their efforts to do so. On face value, I can believe either option.

I got a little fired up on my soap box right there, but let me get back to my original question concerning the statue, "What took so long?" As for the answer, I have no idea. All I know is Bush should absolutely be stripped of his Heisman Trophy and the school did the right thing by giving their copy back. Furthermore, USC should be forced to vacate every victory gained by USC that Bush participated in. It's simple. If Bush is guilty of accepting extra benefits he should be deemed ineligible, and if he played while ineligible, then USC should be forced to vacate any and all wins gained in games in which Bush played...national championship games and all.

This whole situation is awful and I feel dirty. I just hope everyone involved gets what they deserve in the end.

SEE THE GAME: INSIDE LINEBACKERS

2010-09-06T23:09:00.000-07:00

Back in August we published a couple of pieces about the positions that would be keys to the success for Coach Grantham’s 34 defense and we purposefully did not include the linebacker position in that series. We omitted this unit because it is the most obvious choice due to the fact that outside linebacker is the glamour position in the 3-4 scheme. In doing this, we inadvertently did an injustice to the “other” linebacker position, the inside linebacker.

After watching the game against the University of Louisiana Lafayette, we wanted to use the glow given off from the success of the defense to illuminate the position that is and will remain critical to the DAWGS defensive success in 2010.

Akeem Dent, Christian Robinson, Akeem Hebron and Marcus Dowtin all played very well at ILB for the DAWGS on Saturday. Dent finished tied for the team-high with six total tackles including a sack and Hebron also added a sack for Georgia. Robinson made his first career start in the game and responded with three total tackles, while Dowtin finished with four total tackles (3 solo) including a tackle for loss.

Courtesy Onlineathens.com

Looking deeper than the headlines and highlights, we find what really makes this group so vital to the DAWGS success this season. Coach Richt spoke out after the game about how extremely pleased they were that Dent was able to answer the bell for the season opener and play well because he is one of the players that has emerged as a real team leader and is someone that the coaching staff hopes the defensive unit can rally around. Dent’s performance on Saturday and his ability to provide senior leadership will surely strengthen his ability to fill that role for the defensive unit and the team as a whole. Digging further we find that there seems to be more to the reports of Hebron flashing during summer camp. The Georgia senior consistently drew praise from CMR and the defensive staff in the final scrimmages leading up to the season and it is fantastic to see him carry that onto the field on game day for the DAWGS.

When we look at Robinson and Dowtin we see two players that bring different strengths to the field with them, but find that both are very capable of getting the job done. In his first career start, Robinson proved to be in control when asked to play the role of “quarterback of the defense” and showed a willingness to stick his nose in the hole and take the attack to the ball-carrier without reservation. Dowtin showed once again that he is a physical specimen and reminded us that he has all of the tools to become a dominant player at the position. The only questions about Dowtin in the past have crept in due to a (self-admitted) lack of focus at times and a less-than-adequate attention to fundamentals. His play on Saturday serves as a very promising sign that those days are behind the talented Georgia junior. Both Robinson and Dowtin exhibited great technique and form-tackling at the point of attack whenever in the game and the importance of that cannot be overstated. These young players may benefit the most from the addition of their position coach Warren Belin to the coaching staff as well as the tutelage of Coach Grantham.

The initial results from the ILB unit are outstanding and if they can maintain or hopefully improve on this level of play as the season progresses, the Georgia defense will certainly be a force in the Southeastern Conference in 2010.

Glory, Glory.

DAWGBEASTS and the RAGIN’ CAJUNS

2010-09-05T22:38:00.000-07:00

WEEK ONE
UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA vs. GEORGIA

THE DEFENSE and COACH GRANTHAM – The DAWGS new look 34 defense definitely passed the eye test Saturday. If that wasn’t enough, they backed it up with some impressive numbers too. Georgia held UL to a paltry 14 net rushing yards (0.5 ypc) and 128 total yards, nearly half of which came on one play. The DAWGS also racked up three sacks (Akeem Dent, Justin Houston and Akeem Hebron) and three interceptions (Brandon Boykin, Jakar Hamilton and Sanders Commings). But what may be more important, Georgia’s defense seems to have fully embraced Coach Grantham’s philosophy and personality and I don’t believe it’s a stretch to say that the effort we saw on Saturday is a direct result of the DAWGS new Defensive Coordinator’s influence.

AARON MURRAY – The numbers were very solid, but the practice was sparkling. Murray played “very well” according to Coach Richt and led the DAWGS to an opening game best in the Richt Era, 55 points. Murray accounted for four touchdowns in his debut and that was without several of his top weapons. But it’s not just what Murray accomplished on Saturday, but it was how he did it. The RFr. looked very poised and in control throughout the game and made one good decision after another. Even when he was flushed out of the pocket by pressure, it was clearly evident that Murray kept his eyes down field and continued to look to make a play up the field before just taking off on the run. When he did decide to pull the ball down and go, Murray was decisive and got the very most he could get on every carry. With that said, maybe we can teach him to slide every now and again from here on out.

KRIS DURHAM – Playing at home for the first time in 707 days, Durham went right out and carried the receiving load on a day the DAWGS were shorthanded in the WR corps and responded with new career-highs in receptions (5) and yards (83).

BRANDEN SMITH – Is Branden Smith 2010’s Champ Bailey? Maybe not yet, but he’s a special talent to be sure. Smith became the first Georgia player since Bailey to start on three sides of the ball in a game when he lined up with the first unit on offense (WR), defense (CB) and special teams (PR). Smith didn’t just take up a spot on the field on Saturday, finishing with one carry and one reception on offense and one tackle on defense in addition to three punt returns for 51 yards.

LOGAN GRAY – I guess it’s safe to say Gray’s transition to WR is complete. Well, at least it is well on its way to getting there. Gray finished with two catches for 32 yards and a touchdown on Saturday and nearly had a second TD that surely would have made all the highlight reels if he had made the play. Gray acquitted himself well in the run game too, showing great effort when blocking down field. We were happy to see Gray have some success in his new role and believe that he is sure to see increased time on the field at wide receiver as the season progresses.

GRANTHAM IMMORTALIZED

2010-09-05T21:35:00.000-07:00

"I think there's one way to play and that's with effort and intensity and relentless approach to the ball. I think it's a mindset, I think it's an attitude and I think it's a habitual trait….Every series matters, every play matters.”

Georgia Defensive Coordinator Todd Grantham

Damn right. That is the philosophy I share with Georgia’s Defensive Coordinator. That is where great defense starts.

I haven’t poured these words into a molded plaque of bronze and I don’t own a building to hang them on, but if I did these words would be cemented into the cornerstone for everyone to see so that every current and future DAWG that passed by could commit them to memory and know that when it comes to defense…THAT IS THE GEORGIA WAY. Let us be the first to declare it so.

Coach Grantham is new to Athens and has spent only one Saturday “between the hedges”, but still he has managed to remind us all of something we should have never let fade from our collective mind. The number of championships Georgia earns during Grantham’s time with the DAWGS will ultimately determine whether this mindset and these words are worthy of such high praise, but let us be the first to declare it so. For this DAWG, they are instantly worthy of a spot on the A DAMN BEAST!!! Wall of Fame.

Glory, Glory.

ONE FOR THE LADIES

2010-08-29T21:18:00.000-07:00

Finally, college football season is back. The long, cold winter, the teasing spring and the seemingly never-ending summer months have passed and this weekend we will once again be treated to football “between the hedges.” That means tailgating…every true fan’s past time. And you can’t very well be seen tailgating NOT fully displaying your colors on every piece of game day gear you own as well as on your person. Which brings me to my favorite part of the game day scene…seeing all the Georgia ladies sporting their game day best.

For my money, there is no finer sight in the land than seeing every female Georgia fan from ages one to one hundred all decked out in their very best red and black. It doesn’t matter if it’s a “more experienced” member of the DAWG Nation in the “G” sweater that she’s proudly worn every Saturday during football season for the last 40 years or if it’s the youngest of Bulldog pups careening around in pint sized jerseys with ribbons in her hair. Whether our Georgia ladies are rocking their favorite T-shirt and jeans, a comfy sweatshirt that’s all broken in or a sun dress and flats, there is just no sight on the college football landscape that is more beautiful than the Georgia women. As long as there is a temporary “G” tattoo on their cheek, a red pom pom in their hand and a hearty “WOOF!” in their voice, they cannot be beat.

I am a red-blooded, Georgia man. What can be finer than seeing my beautiful Georgia wife, Mrs. Genxdawg, radiantly sparkling in her Bulldog best? It’s simple, nothing.

On the whole, you will be extremely hard-pressed to find any female fan of any school across the nation that wears her colors as well or is as knowledgeable as the women that are members of the DAWG Nation.

So Georgia ladies, welcome back. Here’s to you. College football in the South, and most definitely at the University of Georgia, just would not be the same without you.

Glory, Glory!

**Dedicated to all the Georgia women I know, especially my wife, Ali**

KEYS TO SUCCESS FOR GRANTHAM’S D: DEFENSIVE LINE

2010-08-26T22:41:00.000-07:00

The Southeastern Conference is a Big Boy Football League. Proof positive of BBFL status is four consecutive BCS National Championships.

Why does the SEC rule the roost when it comes to NCAA football? Simple. Defense…with a capital D. In 2009, six of the top 26 defenses in the country prowled the gridirons of the SEC, five of which finished in the top 25 in scoring defense.

What allows the SEC to play defense at such a high level? The difference is the athletes that play defensive line in country’s finest conference. The hunters that toil in the trenches in our league chase down running backs, rush the passer and generally create havoc up the field and between the numbers for opposing offenses unlike any other group in the country.

It is no secret that outside linebackers are the stars in the 34 defense and they have to be. OLBs must generate pressure off the edge in the passing game and set a hard edge in the run game for the rest of the defense to “fit up” right and be fundamentally sound as a unit. But make no mistake, the play of the interior defensive line is crucial if any team running the 34 defense is to be ultimately successful. Edge pressure in the passing game is vital. However, as Coach Richt recently pointed out when talking about Justin Anderson’s development at the Nose position, things really get rolling for a defense when you get “a good push” up the middle from the defensive line that pushes the pocket into the quarterback’s face and forces him to get deeper in the pocket or to move outside the tackle box where the outside pressure is waiting.

The DAWGS are youthful and relatively inexperienced on the interior heading into the 2010, but there is no shortage of capable characters waiting to emerge. With a good mix of veterans and newcomers and with no behemoth anchor on the Georgia roster at the Nose position, versatility and athleticism should be the calling cards for these pups and many of them will play all three down lineman positions. You may not know all of their names as the season starts, but if Georgia is going to reach the heights that we all hope for in 2010, I can guarantee that the play of the DAWGS D-Line will be an integral part of the success.

Glory, Glory.

RICHT MOVES THE BALL FORWARD

2010-08-21T14:43:00.000-07:00

Seeing this quote from Coach Richt following Saturday's practice could be good news with respect to one of our KEYS TO SUCCESS FOR GRANTHAM'S D: CORNERBACKS....

With thanks to Bulldogs Blog...

Richt described it as some secondary guys with a linebacker’s mentality.

“I like the secondary. I like what I’m seeing,” Richt said. “I think we have some quality depth. I think we have some quality starters. And we’re still not sure who’s gonna start there.”

We like it.

Glory, Glory.

HOT READS: SCRIMMAGE #2

2010-08-14T14:35:00.000-07:00

So what’s new and what did we learn from the DAWGS second scrimmage of fall camp? Reports are that the defense dominated again and the offense continues to be plagued by inconsistency and injuries to the O-line.

Okay, but what does it mean?

It means it’s the second scrimmage of fall camp. Everyone’s still learning and the team is working out the wrinkles on both sides of the ball.

Now, with that said, here comes the cold water. As nice as it is to hear that the defense seems to be picking up the new 34 scheme, it is almost as disheartening to hear that the offense is struggling. But, I don’t think this should come as any surprise to the DAWG Nation. As easy as it is for all of us to get swept up in the excitement and promise of all the weapons on an offense that returns 10 of 11 starters, that one new starter is a pretty big one. As talented as he may be, Aaron Murray is still just a RFr. and he WILL struggle from time to time as he finds his way. Of course, Murray does not solely bear responsibility for the offense not hitting on all cylinders so far. Once again the offensive line is dealing with injuries, most notably the one to the quarterback of the offensive line, Ben Jones, which will require minor surgery. Now Jones is expected to be back in time for the season opener, but on a line that has been heralded as being as deep, as experienced and as talented as the 2010 version of the DAWGS O-line has been, it has to give us a moment of pause when we hear that injuries are being cited as a cause of the struggles on offense. Injuries are always a problem for any team and there effects are very real, but I would hope that all of that depth would pay off for the DAWGS at some point. Next man up, boys!

How about some good news? It is great to hear that Logan Gray seems to be making great strides in his efforts to transition to the wide receiver position and there are a few names that consistently seem to draw praise on the defensive side of the ball, Darryl Gamble, Akeem Hebron and Justin Houston just to name a few.

So, that’s it, our Hot Reads on the DAWGS second scrimmage of fall camp. We all need to remember to just take a deep breath and remember that the players and coaching staff are working tirelessly to get the kinks worked out before we kick this thing off for real on September 4th “between the hedges” and we should keep this key point in mind at all times...the DAWGS escaped without major injury. If Georgia can remain free from serious injury for the next three weeks, I believe everything else will work itself out and the DAWGS will be just fine.

Glory, Glory.

KEYS TO SUCCESS FOR GRANTHAM’S D: CORNERBACK

2010-08-12T23:04:00.000-07:00

Georgia’s had one, everybody wants one and anyone that tells you they don’t is a liar. I’m talking about that unique and rare species known as…the lock down corner.

They are game changers, swagger-oozing dominators and impact players that can shut a player down, blow up game plans and take away one half of the football field.

I’m a life long RAIDERS fan, so I guess it’s no surprise I am so enamored with the in-your-face and aggressive style that a shut down corner brings. Mike Haynes, Willie Brown and Lester Hayes…game changers all. There are a few in the NFL today…NNamdi Asomugha, our very own former DAWG Champ Bailey and the man currently dominating the New York media, Darrelle Rivas and there have been some others in the NFL’s recent past like the poster boy for the term Deion Sanders and Darrell Green. But moreover, I am a fan of what having a dominant cornerback as part of your defensive 11 allows you to do as a defense. Knowing that a player of that caliber is patrolling the secondary gives you the freedom to bring that extra pressure and speed up the clock in the opposing quarterback’s head on every play. You can take more chances, disrupt the offense and that commonly leads to more big plays on defense and more turnovers.

Coach Grantham has brought his version of the 34 defense to the University of Georgia for the 2010 season and we in the DAWG Nation can’t wait to see the results. Grantham has been teasingly verbose about how aggressive we can expect to see his defense play this fall, promising an attacking style that he hopes opposing offenses won’t soon forget. In my view, the only way this vision of the DAWGS defense can become reality is if the players lining up at cornerback are up to the task.

I am not suggesting that there is a lock down corner on the roster, but I’m not saying there is not either. I don’t believe that the players currently at UGA at that position were asked to lock up in man coverage that often in the previous defensive scheme, so I don’t think it’s fair to say who will and who will not be up to the challenge.

Brandon Boykin appears to be a lock to start at one corner and now that Branden Smith is back in the fold, along with Vance Cuff, the DAWGS possess the athletes to have the fastest pair of starting cornerbacks in the nation and speed is the first ingredient when building a lock down cornerback, so there is the possibility that Georgia could develop at least one player to that lofty status. However, there is so much more that is required for a player to be considered a shut down type cornerback….instincts, aggression, hands, technique and conditioning. Whatever raw talent there is to work with on that unit, it falls to Coach Scott Lakatos, the rest of the defensive staff as well as the strength and conditioning coaches to help a player reach his full potential. With Jordan Love, Sanders Commings and true freshman Derek Owens also drawing praise during fall camp, the DAWGS edges appear to be in good shape heading into the season.

The bottom line is that if the DAWGS are going to have the level of success on defense that we all hope they will have, the cornerbacks will have to sparkle in the harsh glare of the bright lights of the Southeastern Conference.

Do the young men lining up at cornerback for Georgia have to be lock down corners? No, they do not, but they will have to be able to square off one-on-one out there on that island and rise to the challenge several times during the course of a game if that “junkyard dawgs” defense that we all want so badly to see is to return to Athens.

Glory, Glory.

KEYS TO SUCCESS FOR GRANTHAM’S D

2010-08-12T21:45:00.000-07:00

Aggressive. Attacking. Tenacious. Physical. These are just a few of the buzz words coming out of Athens since new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham arrived in the Classic City. What does this and the installation of Grantham’s 34 defense REALLY mean for the DAWGS defense and the DAWG Nation? It means pressure on the offense…coming from virtually anywhere on the field…without the offense being able to easily detect it.

That sounds great. So why doesn’t everyone choose to employ this style of defense. Simply…they don’t run it because they can’t run it. Either you don’t have the athletes to pull it off or you don’t like taking that many chances and opt for another strategy that is a bit less risky. In a scheme based on pressure, you generally have to give something to get something. If you bring an extra man on a blitz, you are gambling that the pressure generated will equal a big play or disrupt the offense enough that they cannot execute well enough to hurt you before they can take advantage of the opportunity you have presented them in coverage or schematic vulnerability. Regardless of where the pressure is coming from on any given play, the rest of the defense is placed under a lot of stress. For this scheme to be successful, you must be able to overpower and out-man your opponent with superior athletes and “get them before they get you” or you have be strong at every level of the defense to rise to the challenge time after time…every series…every game.

That’s the way I understand the 34 defense to work. Without a doubt, this approach focuses the bright spotlight on certain positions more than others, so I want to point out the positions that I believe will be key in the success of Grantham’s highly anticipated defensive strategy in our series:

KEYS TO SUCCESS FOR GRANTHAM’S D

Glory, Glory.

GEORGIA WILL WIN THE SEC EAST IN 2010. WHY NOT?

2010-07-29T22:12:00.000-07:00

When you take a quick, superficial look at the upcoming football season for the DAWGS, you will either see a team riddled with holes and questions or you will see a team that should once again be considered a contender in the SEC Eastern division and therefore a contender for the SEC and national championships. We here at the BEAST can see both, depending on the day…the humidity in Dublin…the lake levels at Hartwell…and which way the wind is blowing in Toccoa. Point is no one knows how the season is going to play out…and that’s part of the fun of it…but today we encourage you to get in touch with your inner head coach, stare down the pre-season media horde and, in your best coach-speak, acknowledge all of the keys to greatness that will be unveiled to the masses as our DAWGS get unleashed in 2010.

Aaron Murray

I know Murray is only a redshirt freshman that has never taking a live snap on game day for Georgia, but we don’t know the whole deal. Late last season, quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said that although you can never say for certain, there was certainly a chance that the arm injury that limited Murray’s development last season played more than a small role in the team’s decision to not pull his redshirt. This season, head coach Mark Richt has said that if given the opportunity he (and any other coach in his mind) would take an “Aaron Murray” every year in recruiting. During SEC Media Days, CMR expressed his confidence that Murray has shown all the signs of knowing what he will be asked to do on the field and that he understands the level of commitment necessary to be successful and lead this team and reported that Murray’s teammates see this as well and have rallied around him during the off-season. These men know better than any of us ever will how prepared Murray is to take the reigns of this team. If they feel confident in his abilities and readiness…both physical and mental…then I say tee it up and get it on. Steve Spurrier, who knows a few things about quarterbacks, said this during SEC Media Days: “You put a quarterback with a real good team, he should play pretty well. (pause) If he’s a good quarterback.” I think that sums it up pretty well.

Todd Grantham

There is no denying that there needed to be some new blood injected into the Georgia program after the DAWGS stumbled to an 8-5 record in 2009 and Grantham and his new defensive coaches certainly seem to have filled that need. Undeniably, there is a new energy around the program these days. Although we have not seen the DAWGS new defensive product on the field yet, but we all will soon enough and the frenzied, attacking style of play we will see from Georgia will turn the DAWGS opponents and the league on its collective ear. CMR recently said that the goal heading into fall practice on the defensive side of the ball is to get the guys ready to “Play fast, play physical and play with confidence.” Grantham and his staff will get it done and the DAWGS D will be feared once again.

The Schedule

With no Alabama or LSU on the conference schedule, three of the four out-of-conference games against Louisiana-Lafayette, Colorado and Idaho State and the toughest true road games looking like South Carolina and Auburn, the DAWGS look like they are in position to really make some headway. I’m of the opinion that there are no free skates in the SEC, but when the cards fall your way you had better take advantage.

Kickers Rock

When it comes to kicking the football, you would be hard pressed to find any team in the country that is as set as Georgia. DAWG Legacy Drew Butler led the nation with a 48.1 yards per attempt average last season and won the Ray Guy Award, which recognizes the nation’s top punter. Blair Walsh did his best to continue Georgia’s recent history of big-legged and accurate kickers going 20-22 on field-goal attempts. Walsh was one of three finalists for the Lou Groza Award which goes to the nation’s top kicker.

Courtesy Georgiadogs.com

Courtesy Onlineathens.com

We Run This State

The offense should be in good hands with Caleb King and Washaun Ealey returning in the Bulldogs backfield. Both are coming off productive seasons in 2009 and with the fires of competition being stoked throughout the year, there is no reason to be surprised if the two talented backs combine to rush for more than 2000 yards in 2010.

Courtesy Georgiadogs.com

Courtesy Onlineathens.com

The DAWG Mollies

Georgia’s offensive line has the potential to be the top unit in the Southeastern Conference and one of the best in the nation. All five starters return and there are a total of eight letterman across the offensive front. That has to make Murray and the running backs sleep better at night. The O-Line is anchored by first-team All-SEC honoree Clint Boling and should only continue to grow together. This is a unit that the DAWGS should be able to hang their hat on, especially early in the season, and they should make the offensive unit look better than it may actually be early in the campaign.

Courtesy Onlineathens.com

Lethal Weapon 8

A.J. Green. Without question, the DAWGS superlative talent at wide receiver ranks among the best in the nation at his position. Green’s stellar body control, great hands and deceptive speed make him the premier weapon in Georgia’s offensive attack. Green is almost a “no joy” assignment for any defensive back on the DAWGS schedule and one fantastic security blanket for a redshirt freshman quarterback. Although the casual Georgia fan may think Green will be the only weapon in the aerial arsenal, they would be mistaken. The DAWGS return an extremely talented group of tight ends in Aron White, Orson Charles, Bruce Figgins and Arthur Lynch as well as the return of veteran Kris Durham and several yet-to-break-out wide receivers in Israel Troupe, Rontavious Wooten and Marlon Brown. With so many options on an offensive unit that returns 10 of 11 starters, there should be many happy Saturdays for the DAWG Nation in 2010.

Courtesy Onlineathens.com

So, why shouldn’t we members of the DAWG Nation be excited about the 2010 edition of the Georgia Bulldogs? With key new faces in key places that are dripping with expectation and potential, a schedule that is just about as sweet as they come in the Southeastern Conference, one of the premier kicking units in the nation, talent and production returning in the running game, a deep and veteran offensive line and a Heisman Trophy candidate at wide receiver…the DAWGS future looks bright for the 2010 season.

If the O-Line brings a lunch pale at South Carolina and the DAWGS continue the road dominance we have come to expect during Coach Richt’s time at Georgia, there is no reason to believe that this bunch of DAWGS cannot get to Jacksonville in late October (there will be more to come on the HATED Gators at a later date) with a record of 7-1 or 8-0 and the table will be set for Georgia to once again reach double digits in wins and reclaim it’s rightful place at the top of the SEC Eastern Division and get back to Atlanta. CMR is 2-1 in SEC Championship game appearances and if the DAWGS could get that one, well let’s just say bigger things usually follow.

These are not predictions, but rather a glimpse of what to look forward to and what could be in 2010. Regardless, there is no reason to doubt that this will be an exciting season “between the hedges” and the DAWGS will have a chance to win every time they step on the field. Not every program in the country can say that, and you can rest assured that every last coach in the country would take those odds, so break out your red and black and get ready for the ride. GO DAWGS!

Glory, Glory.

NCAA INQUIRIES AND OUR DAWGS: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU?

2010-07-23T12:53:00.000-07:00

News broke during the annual gathering of the SEC teams and the media that follow them that the NCAA will launch an inquiry into the goings-on at the athletic department at the University of Georgia. Exactly what all will be investigated is unknown, but it is almost a certainty that potential dealings between UGA football players and the sports agents that are vying for their business will get a good, hard look.

Georgia is but one of several schools that have been linked to NCAA inquiries involving sports agents in recent days. As these various inquiries have come to light, seemingly everyone has had something to say about what it all means and several have offered solutions on how to end this problem in college football (primarily) and college athletics in general, up to and including paying collegiate athletes.

This got me to thinking about what it would mean to me if it came to light that a Georgia player, or former player, had taken money or other benefits from some random sports agent.

I think this is where I should point out that any amateur athlete that takes anything (money, special benefits, property, etc.) from a sports agent is doing something wrong. It is against the rules and everyone knows it. Ignorance is absolutely no excuse when it comes to this violation. The player will have knowingly violated the rules, regardless of the motivation.

To me this means that any player that is found to have accepted special benefits from a sports agent made a conscious choice to give in to greed and was thinking only about self, without any consideration for what penalties, impacts or embarrassment those greedy actions could/would have on the school they represent and that had given them so much. I see this as a totally selfish move and I feel certain that these actions would forever change my opinion of that player.

Now that’s me. Regardless of how great that player may have been during their playing days at UGA, their reputation will have forever been tarnished in my eyes.

I would like to know what you, my fellow members of the DAWG Nation, think about this situation. To be clear, NO CURRENT UGA ATHLETE is guilty of anything at this point and I am not implying as much. I am just posing a question. If one of our Saturday heroes, or any other UGA athlete for that matter, were found to have taken special benefits from a sports agent and broken the rules bringing embarrassment to the University of Georgia and our beloved DAWGS, would it change the way you view that player going forward? Please let us know how you feel.

Glory, Glory.

WHAT’S THE WORST THAT COULD HAPPEN?

2010-07-18T23:59:00.000-07:00

ALL-AMERICA ON PAUSE

2010-06-26T19:23:00.000-07:00

Trinton Sturdivant is like a shooting star that is lost in the haze of a cloudy night. The big offensive tackle has twice had his ultra-promising career derailed by severe knee injuries and both he and his team have suffered as a result.

Even before he proved it on the field by earning Freshman All-America honors in 2007, Sturdivant had been touted as a can’t miss prospect. After backing up the talk (done by others, not by Sturdivant himself) as a key contributor on the field for a Georgia team that won the Sugar Bowl and finished ranked #2 in the country, Sturdivant readied for the 2008 campaign as the rock solid returning starter at left tackle. That was one spot on the team no one expected to have to worry about. Then tragedy struck. During a pre-season scrimmage, the big offensive tackle went down in a heap and those watching knew immediately (even if they could not say so immediately) that they would be without #77 for the 2008 season. The DAWGS shuffled and re-shuffled the O-line throughout the season and still managed to make and win a New Year’s Day bowl game, but nothing looked too solid along the offensive front all season.

Flash forward one year. Sturdivant had put in his work…all of the grueling hours of physical rehab, all of the lonely times when there was no one else to help him carry the weight of recovery…Sturdivant had gone through it all and had come out healthy and ready to reclaim his starting spot for the DAWGS. Then, on the opening Saturday of the 2009 season for Georgia, Sturdivant landed awkwardly in Stillwater, Oklahoma and in a flash his season was over again.

Courtesy AJC.com

Everyone felt for the young man. Every DAWG felt their heart sink. Not because of the impact that Sturdivant’s latest injury would have on that day in Stillwater or on the 2009 season, but because we all knew how hard the big man had worked to get back on the field. How could something like this happen to a young person who, by all accounts, does everything the right way…the Georgia way? Once again, the DAWGS would shuffle and re-shuffle the O-line and everyone was left to ponder what might have been.

Flash forward another year. Once again, Sturdivant has put in his work. Once again, he has put in all of the grueling hours of physical rehab, all of the lonely times when there was no one else to help him carry the weight of recovery. Once again, Sturdivant has gone through it all and had come out healthy and ready to reclaim his starting spot for the DAWGS. But this time, things are a little different. Not for #77. He is still the same wildly talented young man that walked off that field in New Orleans after a Sugar Bowl blowout victory over Hawaii. What IS different is the team Sturdivant will be walking back to. Sturdivant is walking back to a unit that gelled together well down the stretch last fall, coming off a strong final seven games of the 2009 season that saw the DAWGS rush for a total of 1,510 yards. Only time will tell how all this works out in the end. Will the return of a former All-America with a proven mettle bolster an already strong Georgia offensive line, or will Sturdivant’s presence prove unsettling for a unit that appears to be a strength heading into the 2010 season. The responsibility of putting it all back together rests at the feet of Coach Searels and Coach Bobo. Frankly, even when dealing with great players like Sturdivant and Clint Boling and Ben Jones, this is no easy task.

Now we find ourselves impatiently counting down the days until the start of the 2010 college football season. Everyone that is asked is saying that Trinton looks good and strong and on pace to be ready to reclaim his starting spot for the DAWGS. This is fantastic news for Sturdivant and for everyone else in the DAWG Nation. But what’s more, it says more than a little about what kind of young man Sturdivant is both on and off the field. It is a testament to the character of a student athlete that is willing to persevere through the toughest of challenges, far away from the bright lights and the roaring crowds. That, my fellow DAWGS, is worthy of a WOOF!

Courtesy Georgiadogs.com

On September 4th, the DAWGS will go “between the hedges” and the 2010 season will get underway. Count those of us here at the BEAST among those that will be cheering a just a little bit louder when we see #77 jog onto the field in Athens for the first time since the DAWGS whipped Kentucky 24-13 on November 17th, 2007.

Glory, Glory.

CAN AARON MURRAY STAND THE HEAT OF THIS GEORGIA SUMMER?

2010-05-24T21:23:00.000-07:00

Spring practice 2010 ended and everyone anxiously awaited news as Coach Richt prepared to release his post-spring depth chart that would include a ranking of each of the three quarterbacks vying to land the starting spot for the DAWGS this season. Well, a lot changed before that could happen. Zach Mettenberger was dismissed from the team and…then there were two. Coach Richt dropped his list on us and red-shirt freshman Aaron Murray sat on top with Logan Gray coming in at number two. Soon thereafter we learned that Gray was considering a transfer to another school in search of playing time and what had been a three-man race was suddenly perilously close to becoming a one-man option. I created more than a little nervousness for this member of the DAWG Nation flooded with ideas of security coming only with my visions of Murray being tied to a wheelchair, wrapped in bubble wrap and rolled into a man-sized safe until the season opener. Eventually we found out that Gray had decided to stay and that he had done so for all the right reasons. For a moment I was easing back towards some level of comfort worried only that this now rekindled quarterback derby could possibly drag into the season, thus mucking up my preferred option of a clear-cut starter being solidified prior to the season’s opening kick-off. Then I heard that Gray and Richt were seeing eye-to-eye on a position switch to WR and I quickly reverted back to my paranoid ways, looking for all the bubble wrap I could find to ship to Athens.

An unforeseen byproduct of this melodrama playing out was that I found myself concerned that by moving to WR, Gray may have once again derailed himself in his attempts to see the field. Gray sacrificed valuable practice time at quarterback during his early years in the Classic City working on special teams units in an effort to help the team win and get in the game sooner. It is my opinion that this hurt his development in the long run when it came to competing for the starting quarterback position. His employing the “TEAM me” philosophy came back to bite him in the end. Now Gray hopes to make an impact at WR this fall, while still remaining an “emergency” option at quarterback (as I see it now). His actual practice time at each/either position is still to be determined.

Now there is a chance that this will work out well for everyone involved. Georgia needs every player that will to step up and be a reliable option at WR this fall. Gray has the athletic ability necessary to be a viable option, but will his knowledge of the passing game translate to him running good routes or catching a ball in traffic? I guess we will all find out together. There are recent success stories to turn to for hope in this scenario. At Kansas, Kerry Meier moved to WR after Todd Reesing was tabbed as the starter at quarterback and Meier was just drafted in the fifth round (165th overall pick) of the NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons…one round and 26 picks ahead of college teammate and full-time WR Dezmon Briscoe (6th rd, 191st overall pick). I just hope that Gray, by making this move at this point in his career, can still salvage some meaningful game action and help the DAWGS win and that he won’t just end up spending another year languishing…torn and straddling that line between two positions and not giving himself a good opportunity to succeed at one.

As for Murray, it’s his show. If he thought summers were hot in Tampa, just wait until he experiences this one. I know that young trigger man Hutson Mason is on his way to campus in a few weeks, but assuming Gray will be given every chance to make a successful move to WR, we all know that Murray will be the DAWGS starting quarterback in the fall. I’m a little torn with this situation. I’m glad it looks like there will be a definitive starter at QB headed into the fall and that Murray will have every opportunity to grow into his role as a leader of the team, but the DAWGS are now seriously lacking in not only experience at the position but sheer numbers as well.

Courtesy Dawgpost.com

It is a simplistic view to be sure, but if “should” and “ought to” write the story of the 2010 Georgia campaign Murray should benefit from being the only new starter on the offensive eleven and he ought to benefit greatly from a deep and veteran offensive line, a talented set of skill players and an aggressive defense that promises to provide several more offensive possessions as a result of the takeaway than last year’s offensive squad had. Murray’s job…make good decisions with the football, let your play-makers make plays for you and don’t turn the ball over. Sounds simple enough, but I have feeling that as good as we all believe Murray to be (because we’ve been told so by the coaches and seemingly everyone else) there still will not be much that qualifies as simple for the DAWGS new signal caller.

I’ve tried to express my feelings about Georgia’s current quarterback situation, but I really believe this is just the beginning. I am only one person. Just one DAWGS fan with one a lonely opinion. I deeply appreciate each of you that choose to read my thoughts in this forum, but it is a small voice and it is only May. Very soon there will be writers with a much greater audience than mine and well known voices that perceivably carry a much greater weight than that which I employ here that will have their say on this topic. They will opine at a dizzying rate and their perspectives will cloud the DAWGosphere, rising high and growing dark like the storm clouds driven by the scorching temperatures of a Georgia summer’s day, blotting out most every ray of positivity from the bright and shining sun rising on the day that is Georgia’s upcoming football season with a storm of questioning doubt. Voices like mine that are reasonable but hopeful will be much like the whisper of a child…not discernible in the fury of the storm.

Whatever pressure Aaron Murray is feeling right now he should dismiss as a happy day in the park. His slate is clean and he stands at a fresh and new beginning. We in the DAWG Nation are hopeful and positive. Coaches Richt and Bobo have every faith that he will continue to grow and develop into the leader the DAWGS need him to be and Murray knows he has done it before. It is everyone not bleeding red and black, everyone not lucky enough to call the University of Georgia home and everyone in the national media ready to fall at the alter of Saban or cuddle up to the new batch of reptiles in Florida that will rain on Murray’s parade. I will be putting my faith in Murray’s self-confidence and Richt’s tutelage and experience to weather the storm, but make no mistake….there is a storm a comin’.

Glory, Glory.

OLD SCHOOL, HEART WARMING PERFECTION: OAKLAND’S DALLAS BRADEN IS A DAMN BEAST!!!

2010-05-09T22:26:00.000-07:00

If you’re a sports fan you have probably heard the story. If you’re a baseball fan you definitely have. The story of Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Dallas Braden and his outrage that New York Yankees superstar slugger Alex Rodriguez would have the audacity to jog over-top the pitcher’s mound on his way back to the dugout back on April 22nd. Braden decried the move as breaking one of baseball’s “unwritten rules” and took the act as a personal slap in the face. Rodriguez didn’t ease the tensions much when he sniped at Braden through the press saying he did not want to “extend his 15 minutes of fame” by discussing the matter further. If none of this is ringing a bell, just hit up the old Google with a quick search and you can fill yourself in on all the sordid details.

I am about as old school as it gets and I agree with the Oakland pitcher in this situation. But…full disclosure…I have never been a fan of A-Rod’s. I see him as a player that is driven only by money and personal glory that has major league talent, but bush league character between the lines (not to mention the character he has displayed when NOT between the lines). From his efforts to swat the ball out of the fielder’s glove on his way to first base or shouting at an infielder as he runs past on a pop-up to his steroid use, when it comes to playing the game the right way Rodriguez leaves much to be desired. So, you can see how I could come to my conclusion.

Today, Mother’s Day 2010, Braden pitched the 19th perfect game in the history of Major League Baseball against the Tampa Bay Rays. He did this against a team swinging pink bats and wearing pink wristbands in honor of Mother’s Day, but also to raise awareness in the fight against breast cancer. Braden, a man that lost his mother to cancer when he was in high school, did this with his grandmother looking on from the stands. With old school street cred on his side and a heart warming story behind him, Braden was perfect.

You can read the details of Braden’s efforts HERE in the game recap, an SI opinion HERE or another opinion HERE in a piece submitted by my former co-worker Steve Berthiaume.

There is nothing more that I can say here that hasn’t already been written or that won’t be penned in the coming news cycle, but I can make the one proclamation that this forum has to offer and that is that Dallas Braden is A DAMN BEAST and I am thrilled to be able to say it is so.

Cary Edmondson/US Presswire

GEORGIA AND MARK RICHT STEPPING OUT WITH A NEW EDGE

2010-05-01T21:54:00.000-07:00

A lot was made recently about Georgia’s coaching staff being all over the top in-state football prospects last week like mud on a jockey’s goggles at this weekend’s Kentucky Derby. Georgia’s coaching staff is canvassing the state this spring in an effort to lock down all of the top football talent as they build a “Dream Team” that they believe will help them compete for SEC and national titles. My first thoughts were “Why is this even a story?” This is what I expect. Isn’t this what we all should expect? This is what I had hoped was happening all year, every year during every football recruiting cycle. The coaches always say how important it is that they recruit the top players in Georgia and I just assumed they were doing that anyway. Doing what they said they were doing. And I’m sure they did recruit those players. Yet, each year there were players that decided somewhere other than Georgia was the place they needed to be. Now I’m not naïve enough to think that the DAWGS will get every top in-state player every year, but I do believe it is the obligation of the coaching staff to try…to make every effort to bring those players on board. Not because they need to do this to make me happy, but because it would seemingly be in their best interest to do so in a never ending effort to win championships. Apparently, I was expecting too much or at least had the wrong idea about what was going on in the recruiting processes at the University of Georgia before this spring.

Well seemingly things are different this year and I am not complaining. Articles like THIS ONE and THIS ONE go into great detail about the extents to which the Georgia coaching staff are going to bring the state’s top players to Athens.

This could just be a new method of recruiting at Georgia and that will be that, but I don’t think that’s the case. Maybe the bigger point here is that this is a sign that something is different about Georgia this year. Maybe it means that there is something different about Mark Richt. Maybe this is just another sign that CMR has decided that being good is not good enough.

Let’s look at the signs. During the last few months we’ve seen a reinvigorated Mark Richt. The “new” fire first flashed publicly during the Georgia Tech game when a premature cold water bath drew the ire of the head DAWG. Soon thereafter, we saw the head coach fire virtually his entire defensive staff that was led by a long time friend, stare down the odds and lead his team to a bowl win with graduate assistants coaching his defense that had a noticeably different attitude. We watched as he stood firm against the doubts and criticisms that swirled during the coaching search that would produce his new defensive coordinator and we have supported the coach and the program each time some harsh discipline has been doled out this spring, trusting that the head DAWG knows what is best for the program.

The reports out of Athens during spring practice offer us further proof that things are different around the practice fields these days. The new defensive staff seems to be long on teaching the fundamentals of the game and an aggressive style of play with a healthy dose of nasty and short on tolerance for not offering up either. As a result, it seems that the offensive squads have noticed and have realized that they too must raise their level of play if they are going to survive in this brave new world of the DAWG. If this conclusion is right, the results we see on the field in the fall should be impressive.

I don’t see CMR every day and I don’t know if I’m just making stuff up or there is actually a difference in the way the man is demanding that Georgia football handle its business. I hate to write this next part, but I must. You see a Nick Saban or an Urban Meyer go about their work, you look at the results they achieve and you must acknowledge that there is a difference between them and everyone else. You just get a sense that they demand a certain level of commitment from everyone involved with their programs and that they set the example and lead the way. The bottom line is they have gotten the results that every coach, every player and every fan wants for their team and there has to be a reason. That reason is an attention to detail and a commitment to perfection that others have not matched in recent seasons.

I could be totally out on a limb here, but I see the last few months in Athens as a series of signs that tells us CMR has decided there is more that can be done in pursuit of a national championship and that he intends to lead the way and set the example. I believe this new commitment to slamming the door to our great state and it’s players in the face of our opponents in recruiting is just another sign that CMR realizes the bar has been raised and that something more must be done if he is going to take Georgia from a really good program and consistent winner to a level that will bring him and the DAWGS that elusive national championship.

Glory, Glory.

DAWGS QB? YOU CAN FORGET METT

2010-04-18T22:02:00.000-07:00

Courtesy UGASports.com

We may never know who was leading in the race to become the University of Georgia's starting quarterback in 2010, but one thing is for certain...the herd has definitely been thinned. This is the reality after the Mark Richt issued a statement Sunday saying that Redshirt Freshman Zach Mettenberger had been dismissed from the team.

Up until today, it had been a three man battle between Mettenberger, Logan Gray and Aaron Murray. As I type this, details are few as to exactly why Mettenberger is no longer with the team.

As we go forward, I have just a couple of thoughts in the immediate wake of the news.

1. Fewer players in the quarterback battle should mean more quality reps for the two main competitors for the job. This may have been the case anyway since Coach Richt had promised to issue a post-spring depth chart that would have set a pecking order for the quarterbacks, but now it is pretty much guaranteed. Hutson Mason will be on campus soon and he will compete, but barring disaster has virtually no chance of seeing the field for Georgia in 2010. From where I sit, I see this as a good thing. More clean reps split between two players that have been in the system for a while gives the DAWGS a better chance at settling on a clear starter prior to the beginning of the season. You always hate to lose a talented player, but this has happened before and will most likely (and unfortunately) happen again. If history has taught us anything, it is that the program is greater than any one player, that Coach Richt has a plan and that Georgia will be just fine.

2. Hutson Mason signing on to join the DAWGS back in February looks like a big pick-up, but Georgia should still look to sign at least one top-tier quarterback in the class of 2011. Like I stated above, the record-breaking Lassiter standout and Marietta native Mason will come in and compete, but unless Georgia suffers a freakish series of injuries at the position he doesn't figure to see the field in the fall. Mason was a late offer from Georgia in the last recruiting cycle. The DAWGS now do not have the luxury of waiting to get in on the nation's top signal callers in the class of 2011. So, it's a good thing the DAWGS are seemingly in good shape at this stage of the recruiting process with at least two of the top prep quarterbacks in the country. Given that Coach Richt has said repeatedly that he likes to have at least three or four quarterbacks ready to go at any point in a season to be comfortable, it would seem imperative at this point that Georgia sign at least one quarterback to avoid a numbers and talent crunch at the position in the future. The reality is that the DAWGS went from having three former Elite 11 quarterbacks on the roster to having two. So, given the track record of how the DAWGS recruit the position, there is no reason to believe that Georgia would pursue anything other than the top talent at the position to fill this need.

Finally, this dismissal of Mettenberger says something else about the Georgia program under Mark Richt. This is the second player dismissed from the team in the past month and in each case, the player in question was not just some guy on the team but a player that was in position to be a key contributor on the field in 2010. I see this as further proof that if Coach Richt feels it is best for the team, he will remove any player or person that is acting in a manner contrary to the standards established for the program regardless of name, position or affiliation. I believe this is as it should be.

Glory, Glory.

IT'S GREAT...TO BE...A GEORGIA BULLDAWG!!!

2010-04-18T21:39:00.000-07:00

I wanted to take a quick minute to recognize the efforts of the Georgia Equestrian and Georgia Men's Golf team, both of which won championships over the weekend.

Georgia Equestrian won the 2010 Varsity Equestrian National Championships for it's third consecutive national crown and claimed the top spot for the fifth time in eight years. Georgia edged out Texas A&M by taking two different tie-breakers to claim the overall title. You can read the official release HERE.

The Georgia men's golf team won the Southeastern Conference Championship for the second straight season and boasted the league medalist in Russell Henley. Henley, a junior from Macon, became the 15th SEC medalist in school history. The SEC title was the 28th in school history. You can read the official release HERE.

A MAN NAMED SUH

2010-04-18T21:13:00.000-07:00

I was a little buried in it this weekend with the NHL and NBA playoffs getting under way and MLB hitting it's stride and I missed something that I would like to share with you now. On Saturday, Bulldog in Exile posted a link to a wonderful story about former Nebraska Cornhusker standout and soon to be NFL first round draft pick Ndamukong Suh. Suh plans to donate $2 million dollars to the University of Nebraska Athletic Department and and an additional $600,000 to the UNL College of Engineering to endow a scholarship. Suh simply wanted to give back to the school and University family that has given him so much saying...

"I had a fantastic football career at Nebraska and thanks to my coaches and support staff, I have learned the value of hard work, teamwork and life skills. These skills will help me tremendously as I prepare for my career in the NFL." Suh also added "This incredible facility helped me earn all the honors I was so privileged to receive this past season, and I believe this gift can help make this facility the very best in the country. This is my way to honor my teammates, coaches and fans by giving back to a program and a university that has given so much to me."

You can read the official release HERE.

I declared Suh a BEAST after his performance in the Big 12 Championship game against Texas, but he was dominant throughout the season singing his praises HERE and HERE. This young man is pure class, not to mention being one hell of a football player. If I had a first round pick in this week's NFL draft, I can guarantee that I would take Ndamukong Suh.

Best of luck young man.

FOUR TIMES IN A ROW

2010-04-11T23:47:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday was not only G-day in Athens, but it was also the day that many of the other college football programs around the country played their spring football games as a conclusion to spring practice. I was not in Athens on Saturday due to work and life pulling rank and forcing me to be elsewhere, but that did afford me the opportunity to check out College Football Live on ESPN as they spun us around the college campuses that were hosting spring football games. During the show, the analysts recognized the fact that the SEC has been A DAMN BEAST over the last four years, terrorizing the college football landscape as the league laid claim to four consecutive BCS national championships. Desmond Howard and Trevor Matich went on to declare that the two schools that they felt could challenge the gridiron dominance of the SEC in the 2010 season were Ohio State (Howard) and Texas (Matich). Now on the surface, those are defense-able choices, but the particular schools chosen caught my attention as a fan of a Southeastern Conference school and a proud defender of the overall gridiron strength of the conference. In the immediate wake of the comments I posted this on Twitter:

#CFBLive crew just tabbed Ohio State as possibility to challenge SEC cfb dominance. History lesson FAIL. #SEC #DAWGS

My intended message was pretty clear. Haven’t we seen this movie before? Don’t we already know the answer this question? The results have been played out on the field again and again and again. With a very broad and very over-generalizing stroke of my college football brush, allow me to recap as I step proudly onto my soapbox….Ohio State (and therefore the Big 10 conference) just does not have the speed across the roster (especially the lines of scrimmage) to keep up with the SEC and Texas (and therefore the Big 12 conference…see also Oklahoma) does not play the brand of defense that rises to the level of the elite teams of the SEC. What’s more, it’s not THAT the schools from the SEC won those championship games…it is the WAY they won them. In each instance, the SEC squad demoralized the team across the field with a physical and dominating style of play. It’s a beautiful song, no matter how many times I hear it.

Now, before you jump out of your chair to challenge my clearly too general and broad striding assertions let me say this. I know that every team is absolutely different every season. I know that a championship game played in 2003, 2006, seven, eight or nine has absolutely no bearing on what might happen should a SEC champion play a champion from the Big 10 or the Big 12 in 2010. However, I have seen nothing from the any of the schools or conferences mentioned here that would lead me to believe that the result would be any different.

Many people seem to think that this is the year that, should the Alabama Crimson Tide stumble and not win the league championship, the SEC may not be strong enough to even get it’s champion into the BCS title game. I have heard others say that Ohio State could come into the season ranked as high as number two behind the defending national champion Crimson Tide and that one of the usual suspects from the Big 12 should be hanging around in the preseason top 10 with it’s sights set on another championship run. That’s all fine and good because preseason rankings really are worth about as much as the score of any one of the final scores of a spring football game, but I feel that the coaching as well as the overall strength and talent level of the players in a conference are the determining factors in the end and year after year the SEC brings in and turns out the best football players in the country.

With no clear cut favorite in the SEC East going into the season and LSU surely gearing up to challenge Alabama in the West, this may be the year that the members of the SEC beat themselves up to the point where no one team will clearly qualify to play in the BCS title game. If that turns out to be the case and the SEC has no representative in the game, there will be those that argue even a two-loss SEC Champion should be given the benefit of the doubt and be granted a spot in the game and have a chance to compete for the title. For my part, I will leave that particular argument for another day. However, just as in each of the past few years, I would argue that any undefeated or one-loss SEC champion should be in the mix for the BCS title.

On Sunday, my fellow Georgia blogger Bulldog in Exile posted an entry titled “Four times in a row". That headline got my attention because I thought maybe he had been thinking along the same lines as @genxdawg, but my guess as to the topic of the post was totally off base. Regardless, I was inspired to write this entry. So, with a very enthusiastic wag of my tail for Bulldog in Exile, I will finish up with this….

Four times in a row, and five out of the last seven years, the SEC football champion has lined up against a representative from the Big 12 (Oklahoma-2003 and Texas-2009) or the Big 10 (Ohio State-2006, 2007) and each time the SEC has come away with the crystal. Each season is different with the coming of a new fall just as each team is different every time it takes the field. With that said, recent history shows us that when elite, championship level teams from the SEC line up against a champion from the Big 10 or the Big 12, the SEC is dominant. Simply put, our best is better than yours. The analysts can say and write all they want about the teams they believe may finally be strong enough to unseat the SEC as the champion of college football. In fact, I believe that the member institutions of the conference would welcome all challengers to the throne. However, until one of those schools from another supposed power conference can prove it to me between the lines, I will continue to proudly and vehemently defend the Southeastern Conference as the class of college football.

GO DAWGS!

Glory, Glory.

RETROBEAST: DAVID GREENE, #14 QUARTERBACK (2001-2004)

2010-04-08T00:19:00.000-07:00

When I first had the idea to do a special series of posts focusing on my favorite University of Georgia football players from the past, there were a handful of names that immediately came to mind. This blast from the past will focus on one those players. I just hope this entry can reach the level of excellence that this favored DAWG is known for…..

RETROBEAST: DAVID GREENE, #14 QUARTERBACK (2001-2004)

David Greene is easily one of my all-time favorite DAWGS. I loved everything about Greene…his number, that he’s a lefty, his calm demeanor, his fiery competitiveness, his leadership, his toughness…everything. As important as all of those things were, I particularly enjoyed that although Greene may not have been the best overall athlete on the field (and would admit as much), he fully understood the nuances of the game and mastered their execution. Watching Greene play quarterback at Georgia was like watching a maestro conduct his orchestra. At times, it was truly a thing of beauty.

Greene, the magician

More than anything else, Greene’s legacy at Georgia is that he was a winner. During his time in Athens, Greene led his teams to 42 wins making him the winningest quarterback in NCAA Division I history. In 2009, Texas quarterback Colt McCoy passed Greene's win total to set the new NCAA mark for the most wins by a starting quarterback with 45.

Among those 42 wins were four consecutive victories over bitter, in-state rival Georgia Tech. One of my favorite memories of Greene comes from his final meeting with the Jackets in Athens in 2004. During what was a sloppy game in a rain soaked Sanford Stadium, Greene displayed the toughness and a will to win that defined his time as the DAWGS signal caller. Greene injured his thumb after hitting it on a helmet on a pass attempt and would leave the game for an extended period of time. DJ Shockley would play in Greene’s absence. Shockley would struggle to move to the team and ball security was an issue on seemingly every play. While Greene was out of the game, Georgia Tech would even manage to take the lead. You could clearly see it on the sidelines (and television replays would confirm) that Greene could see the game slipping away and was anxious to get back in the game. Moments later, with the thumb on his throwing hand heavily bandaged and with what we would find out later was a broken thumb (cracked tip), Greene returned to the field. Greene would play through the pain and the elements and lead the DAWGS to a fantastic victory over the Jackets with a force of will that has earned him a special place of honor in the mind of this member of the DAWG Nation.

As fantastic as that win was for Greene and the DAWGS, the game that sent shockwaves throughout the SEC and announced with authority that he, Mark Richt and the DAWGS were for real was the victory at Tennessee in 2001. On that October afternoon in Knoxville…where a redshirt freshman quarterback and an unproven head coach proved their mettle in the crucible of Neyland Stadium…Greene and Larry Munson became forever linked by a series of events in game that has come to be known by just two words…Hobnail Boot.

P-44 Haynes

After what the DAWG Nation witnessed in Knoxville in 2001, there was a strong belief that anything was possible for Richt’s DAWGS with Greene running the show. In 2002, with Georgia trailing the Tigers, those hopes were realized on the plains of Auburn when Greene found Micheal Johnson in the back of the end zone on 4th and 15 for the touchdown that would give the DAWGS a comeback win, their first SEC East Championship and a spot in the SEC Championship game where Georgia would defeat Arkansas and claim its first SEC Championship in twenty years.

70-X-Takeoff

You can check out the recap from the game HERE.

To the victor go the spoils.

When you’re as successful as Greene was during his time at Georgia, others tend to take notice. Greene was honored as SEC Freshman of the Year in 2001, SEC Championship Game MVP in 2002, Second-Team All-SEC honors in 2003 and 2004 and was a Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award finalist in 2004.

For more information on Greene you can check him out on Wikipedia.

David Greene was a favorite of this DAWG fan, a winner on the field and a total class act. He set the standard for all that it means to be a football player at Georgia under head coach Mark Richt. During his time in Athens, Greene forged a legacy that will forever be remembered as a turning point in the program’s history and a golden era by those of us in the DAWG Nation.

Glory, Glory.

CHAINBREAKERS

2010-04-04T17:53:00.000-07:00

Just a programming note Reader.....

We've decided to add a new Twitter driven feature here at the BEAST by issuing daily announcements of CHAINBREAKERS, which will be people/places/things that are acting particularly BEASTLY that day. As always, any and everything is fair game in our world, so keep your head on a swivel and your eyes and ears open.

To get the full experience, be sure to give us a follow @ADAMNBEASTBLOG and @genxdawg. You can also keep up with all things BEAST on Facebook.

We hope you enjoy the ride.

Glory, Glory.

WE HEAR YOU AND WE'LL BE WATCHING

2010-03-26T00:33:00.000-07:00

Kwame Geathers has done some great work since arriving in Athens last summer to get himself in position to challenge for playing time. We all knew that, but it appears that Geathers has some game to go along with his 6 foot 6 inch, 308 pound frame. So much so that he has managed to impress his fellow defensive linemen with his play so far this spring. Brandon Wood and Demarcus Dobbs were quoted recently in the Red and Black as saying...

"...he’s moving fast and throwing people out of the way, and he’s going to be a beast.”

We certainly hope they're right.

Glory, Glory.

CHERISHED MEMORIES

2010-03-26T00:17:00.001-07:00

We have been noticeably quiet over the past few days. My Dad passed away last Wednesday in the very early morning hours of St. Patrick’s Day. In the days that have followed, we have dealt with everything that one must when a loss such as this occurs. We have celebrated the life (and will continue to do so) of a loving husband, a devoted father and grandfather and a wonderful man. I am SO proud to say that I got to be a part of such a full life, that was lived so well and that touched so many.

My Dad was extremely proud of the fact that I am a graduate of the University of Georgia and he was also a Bulldogs fan and a full-fledged member of the DAWG Nation. His relationship with the DAWGS had been sustained from afar for years and he had never gotten closer to Georgia football than hearing Larry Munson plead “Run, Lindsay, Run!” against the Gators in 1980. Regardless, he loved the DAWGS. He was Georgia because I was Georgia.

As I thought back on all of the great memories I shared with my Dad, I was amazed at all of the things that came flooding back into my mind, but one memory reappeared quickly and clearly.

During the 1996 season, I was a junior at UGA and soaking in all it meant to be a college student in Athens. However, the first memory that comes to mind from that time in my life was a special Saturday in the fall spent “between the hedges” with my Dad.

My memories of exactly what happened in the game that day are cloudy to say the least, but my time with my Dad stands out clearly. It was an early season game, the weather was great and the DAWGS were clearly the better team on the field that day and they easily carried the day. Due to various physical ailments, doing a lot of walking was never a good idea for Dad and the scope of everything that was going on around him on this game day in Athens must have been overwhelming, but he hung right in there with me every step of the way and wanted to be a part of everything we could squeeze in. I remember being impressed, even in the moment. We barked together. We cheered together. We talked about life, football…pretty much any and everything else all afternoon. We were just a father and a son sharing a game and making a memory. The moment was surreal for both of us. I was proud to be able to bring him to a game because I knew it was his first and he was so proud to be able to be there because he knew how many other people wanted to be in his seat. I knew how much he appreciated the invitation, but he was the only person I wanted to be at the game with me that day.

I love my Dad and my family loves the DAWGS and the University of Georgia. UGA has shaped my life in many ways and has helped me to build the life I enjoy today. However, even with all that the University of Georgia has given me, I have received no greater gift than one sun-splashed, fall day spent in Sanford Stadium watching the DAWGS play with my Dad.

Glory, Glory.

RED, BLACK AND GREEN

2010-03-15T19:10:00.000-07:00

As you all know, St. Patrick's Day is tomorrow. In honor of this all-around fun holiday, we here at the BEAST want to know...When it comes to the red and black, what color of green is your favorite?

Be safe out there DAWGS. Celebrate responsibly and have a green beer on us while you're at it. Cheers!

SPRING PROVING GROUNDS IV

2010-03-15T01:14:00.000-07:00

Coming into spring practice 2010, the widely held opinion was that Georgia’s most intriguing storyline would be how the DAWGS adjust to their new defensive coordinator, coaching staff and scheme OR how the competition at quarterback would play out. ‘Round these parts we believe in bone-rattling, will-breaking slap-yo-mamma and make you like it DEFENSE. Up to this point we have spent much more time talking about defensive line stunts and blitzing linebackers than who will be looking to take advantage of the opportunity to throw the ball to AJ Green or hand it off to Washaun Ealey and Caleb King. However, there is no denying the importance of the QB competition and we are just as interested in who ends up taking snaps in Athens the next few years as any other DAWG fan out there. The right to lead a team must be earned and between the lines…on the proving grounds…is the one and only place to stake a claim to the starting spot as the DAWGS top signal caller.

SPRING PROVING GROUNDS IV: QUARTERBACK

The coaching staff has thrown the competition to be Georgia’s starting quarterback open and it is a three-man race between Logan Gray (Jr), Zach Mettenberger (RFr) and Aaron Murray (RFr). Well, it was.

Mettenberger was arrested recently for underage consumption/possession of alcohol, disorderly conduct, obstruction and two counts of possessing fake identification. Although there were times since the end of the 2009 season that I thought I was the only one in the DAWGosphere that gave Mettenberger any chance at all to compete with a real chance of earning playing time in the fall, it seems he has ended that talk all on his own. Given his physical skill set, I believe Mett may be the best pro prospect of the bunch down the line. However, given Coach Richt’s history of dealing with incidents like this one, a suspension is almost definitely in Mett’s future and the only question is how many games it will be. While I still expect Mett to become a fine football player possibly win the starting job outright in years to come, I believe any impending suspension will effectively eliminate Mett from consideration for the starting nod for the DAWGS to open the 2010 season.

That leaves Gray and Murray to battle it out.

I’ll admit that when Gray originally signed with Georgia I was excited at the prospect of the DAWGS having another QB with some mobility that would have a couple of seasons to learn the system before taking over as the starter, possibly much like DJ Shockley had done for the DAWGS a few years ago. Although he is a fine athlete, I don’t think I would put Gray in the same category as Shockley. To this point, we haven’t seen anything from Gray that would make those of us in the DAWG Nation clamor for him to be anointed the starter. Then again, Gray has not really had a chance to show what he can do when given a full opportunity to run the show. It is very possible that given the chance, Gray will step up and earn the right to lead the DAWGS this fall.

Courtesy Kelly Lambert

Murray seems to have it all…fantastic prep record (including returning from a broken leg to lead his team to a state championship as a senior), mobility, a better-than-average arm and reports are that he is a tireless student of the game. His toughness and work ethic alone are enough to garner my respect. Murray seems to have that unquantifiable quality known as “it” that makes a player special and it appears he is the odds-on favorite to earn the starting job in the season opener, even without having played a down at the collegiate level.

Courtesy Kelly Lambert

Much like the offensive line situation, quarterback play could prove to be the primary hindrance to an otherwise efficient Georgia offensive attack. If the DAWGS can determine at least a solid front-runner for the starting job during the spring, the more likely a starter can be installed in fall camp and the quicker the offense can find its rhythm once the season starts. In my opinion, this situation calls for decisive action from Coach Mike Bobo and Coach Mark Richt. Although there aren’t as many moving parts as the offensive line scenario, it is hard to argue that there is a more important position on an offense than quarterback. Everyone can say the right things about “doing what’s best for the team” and talk about how “each guy brings something special and different to the huddle” but an offense needs that leader…that one leader…to look to when the game is on the line. The sooner that leader steps to the front of the line and is identified by the coaching staff the better.

I have long held that if you have two quarterbacks, you don’t have one and I am always uneasy when I hear a coach say that he is open to any kind of quarterback rotation. Coach Richt is on record as saying that he is open to a rotation if necessary, but that he will name a starter if someone steps forward and earns the job outright. I really don’t think that will happen. This competition will head into fall camp. Best case scenario, the coaching staff will see enough in the spring to get a good idea about where the competition stands heading into the fall. From there, we will have to hope that the oppressive heat of a Georgia August will temper the mettle of the competitors and that the DAWGS coaching staff can then shape a leader of men that will be charged with leading the Silver Britches to victory “between the hedges” as well as bearing the weight of the crown of a nation longing to embrace him…the DAWG Nation.

Glory, Glory.

A LIVING LEGEND AND A DAMN BEAST

2010-03-10T10:58:00.000-08:00

Last night Alice and I were fortunate enough to see Eric Clapton live and in person, for the second time I might add, at The Arena at Gwinnett Center. We are thoroughbred music lovers and hardcore Blues fans and let’s face it…no one’s got a tone like Clapton’s and to see him live is truly a treat.

Last night’s set list went a little something like this:

GOIN’ DOWN SLOW
KEY TO THE HIGHWAY
TELL THE TRUTH
OLD LOVE
I SHOT THE SHERIFF
DRIFTIN’
NOBODY KNOWS YOU WHEN YOU’RE DOWN AND OUT
RUNNIN’ ON FAITH
ROCK ‘N ROLL HEART
BADGE
WONDERFUL TONIGHT
BEFORE YOU ACCUSE ME
QUEEN OF SPADES
COCAINE
CROSSROADS (ENCORE)

For you viewing pleasure, Clapton breaks out his AMAZING signature model Martin and performs DRIFTIN’ as part of his acoustic set

Music? On the BEAST? Really??? Well, if you have visited this page before then you know this forum is THE prime terrain to tackle any and every topic or subject that we feel has earned BEAST status. Clapton certainly qualifies. Slowhand is an icon. A living legend. A DAMN BEAST!!!

SPRING PROVING GROUNDS III

2010-03-04T00:04:00.000-08:00

DOMINANT. That was the word often used heading into last season when describing just how good Georgia’s interior defensive line could be. Thanks to the emergence of Justin Houston last spring, there was also a buzz surrounding the defensive ends heading into the 2009 season. At times these units played the way most Georgia fans expected them to…very well. Other times they did not. Maybe the most obvious sore spot for fans and the DAWGS defense was a lack of a pass rush and an inconsistent ability to stop the run. On the other hand, Georgia’s senior defensive linemen played very well down the stretch of the season and with the emergence of Houston and Cornelius Washington at defensive end, the DAWGS defensive line led a resurgence of a determined Georgia defense that managed to shut down Georgia Tech’s vaunted running game to end the season. As spring practice 2010 gets cranked up, there is a big hole in the DAWGS defensive line. Georgia lost five players that earned starts along the D-Line in 2009 to graduation, including three future NFL players in Geno Atkins, Jeff Owens and Kade Weston. Now, there is talent on hand to step into the gaping holes along Rodney Garner’s defensive front to be sure. The question is will the DAWGS young pups with new homes step to the front of the line and get the job done?

SPRING PROVING GROUNDS III: DEFENSIVE LINE

A couple of things are clear about the new 34 defense that the DAWGS will be playing…Georgia’s defensive line athletes will be asked to take on more of a role as a play-maker due to the one-gap style of defense Coach Grantham prefers, and we also know that despite where they are listed on the roster, all of the defensive linemen will be cross-training at all of the three positions that will play with their hand in the dirt. To better understand why this information is telling, let’s look at a one-gap defensive mentality as compared to the two-gap style.

Two things are vital to good defensive line play…playing with great technique and maintaining gap responsibilities. Depending on the play called and the philosophy of the defensive coordinator, a defensive lineman could be responsible for either one or two gaps.

One-gap responsibility is relatively simple: the defender attacks a hole and must take care of whatever business happens there. He is expected to tackle any running back who goes through that hole, or to force the running back to move laterally into the arms of another tackler. If the offense is passing, the defender's gap is his route to the quarterback.

Two-gap responsibility requires more discipline on the part of the defender. A defensive tackle may be responsible for both the A and B gaps on his side of the field. His job is not so much to crash through a gap as to read the play, occupy blockers, anticipate which gap a running back might choose, and clog it. The two-gap defender must quickly diagnose the blocking scheme (whether he is battling a base block, a reach block to seal an edge or a down/back block to get a ball carrier to the outside) and determine which of his gaps is more vulnerable.

Three of the DAWGS defensive line hosses from 2009, Justin Houston, Montez Robinson and Cornelius Washington, have been moved to outside linebacker this spring to take advantage of their pass rushing abilities. In recent days, the coaching staff has indicated that DeAngelo Tyson, Kwame Geathers, Derrick Lott and incoming freshman Mike Thornton will man the Nose position. The defensive end spots will be held down by Abry Jones, Demarcus Dobbs, Brandon Wood, Kiante Tripp and 2010 signees Garrison Smith, Dexter Morant and Brandon Burrows. Dobbs and Wood are the only two seniors among this group. This youth, coupled with the position changes, leaves a lot of things to be sorted out.

Every coach’s goal is to put his players in position to make plays. All indications are that Coach Grantham’s 34 style defense will be player friendly and will allow the DAWGS young and athletic defensive players to attack offenses, run to the football and have success early and often as they find their way in the new scheme. Of course, this is all conjecture at this point, but not for much longer. This is what spring ball is for. Soon enough we will know if the boys are out there mixing it up and getting excited about the opportunities to get after the football that most certainly await them. Youth will be served along the DAWGS D-Line this year and it all starts this spring. If there is really going to be a new identity of aggressiveness and intensity on Georgia’s defense, the evidence will be in the play of the DAWGS defensive line…regardless of their youth or relative inexperience at a new position.

Glory, Glory.

Courtesy Onlineathens.com