YOU DON'T SAY?

I guess it’s just the journalist in me, but I just love a good quote. During Mark Richt’s tenure in Athens there hasn’t been a steady stream of bulletin board material coming out of Athens…and I’m sure that’s at least partly by design…but it certainly seems like it says a lot about the personalities that have been around Butts-Mehre during that time. Well, if the statements like those of new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, new DAWGS like Jakar Hamilton and new team leaders like Bacarri Rambo are any indication, it certainly sounds like media days in Athens are going to be very interesting over the next few years.



Everyone remembers the “man enough” quote from former Auburn head coach Pat Dye before Georgia’s road tilt with Alabama in 2002, but that one didn’t come out of Athens. In 2008, in the week leading up to the Alabama blackout game, when asked about Georgia’s special teams’ coverage, Javier Arenas asked a reporter “Have you seen my highlights?” Later that week in Athens, when asked about the Alabama defensive back’s skills as a punt and kick returner Coach Richt quickly responded with “Have you seen his highlights?” Without a doubt, my favorite Richt sound bite to date. Outside of that, I really can’t remember many shots that have been fired across the bow of DAWGS opponents. (If you can think of any please share.)



It seems the tide of mundane generalities flowing out of the football offices may be turning. Since arriving in Athens, Coach Grantham has consistently delivered what the DAWG Nation has long been clamoring for with promises of a best-player-will-play, attacking, tempo-setting style of defense that will take no prisoners and leave opponents thankful that the clock has finally reached all zeros and that they will not have to play Georgia again for a calendar year. What’s more, when new DAWG safety Jakar Hamilton signed on to play for Georgia, he made it clear that he intends to lay it on the line every time he takes the field for Georgia:

“I’m one of those players who just don’t care. I’ll throw my whole body even if I have to break something to do it. . . . If I have to catch a concussion, I’ll do it.”

You can read some of his other thoughts HERE.

As well received as those messages to the DAWG Nation were, it may be safe to say that they pale in comparison to the statements that have come out of Athens on Signing Day 2010. After of couple of high-profile defections at the very end of the 2010 recruiting process, we got a glimpse into what impact those decisions may have on the field in the years to come from a player that appears to be finding his voice as one of the new leaders on this Georgia team, safety Bacarri Rambo. DAWGS news warrior David Hale brought us the news on his live Signing Day blog on Wednesday:

10:09 AM -- Well, I guess we know how Bacarri Rambo feels about Da'Rick Rogers' departure, courtesy of Facebook: "Bacarri Rambo thinks is messed up how all of UGA high school commitments back out on us but I'm telling you now when I catch you on the field I'm going to knock fire from you."

Later in the day, Hale added these pearls from Hamilton’s press conference:

First, on his thoughts on Da'Rick Rogers and others de-committing late: "It's disappointing to have a high school player be committed for so long and come up at the last minute because it hurts. It hurts the football team tremendously and the recruiting class. In that case, another player could have had that spot or had a chance to come here and play. I'm not going to call it selfish because they're high school players. Most of them do it for the hype or to have their name out there. But it just shows you what kind of player that person is. Me, Coach Martinez left before I even got here. I could have easily said I don't want to go here anymore, I'll go to Alabama. But I gave Coach Mark Richt my word, and I told him I was committed here. That's what kind of person I am, and that's what I want people to see. I kept my word."

Second, on Bacarri Rambo's promise of a big hit in Rogers' future: "It's going to happen. Especially if he's going to play right off the bat. I just hope he's ready for it, because there's going to be a lot of people on the hit for him on this team."

And when reminded that Georgia swiped a late commit from Kentucky: "It happens a lot. But your in the SEC. You're going to get hit regardless."

Of course, right now this is merely talk. Anybody can talk before winter has turned to spring and what we’ve heard so far could be so much jibber-jabber. Coach Grantham has yet to put his schemes into place on the field, Hamilton has yet to put on those silver britches and Rambo…well, from what we’ve seen so far Rambo seems to have all the makings of a legitimate bad-ass and should be trusted until he gives us reason not to, but it would still be nice to see him back up all the promise flashed in his RFr season with a solid 2010 campaign.

The 2010 season promises to be an exciting one in Athens for a host of reasons and, for the first time since Coach Richt has been directing the charges, the preview sound rolling out of Athens may prove to be as entertaining as the other elements that make up your Saturday’s in the fall.

DAWGBEASTS **BOWL EDITION**

INDEPENDENCE BOWL
TEXAS A&M vs. GEORGIA

WooHoo, Reader! The final game of the DAWGS 2009 campaign was a case study in my kind of football. I think it’s safe to say that all of us would have rather seen the Georgia offense find their groove a bit earlier, but that was worked out with a few halftime adjustments to our blocking schemes. Beyond that though, this was the way I like to see the game played….stiff defense that forces the offense to beat you and takes advantage of their mistakes (and the DAWGS didn’t cash in on every opportunity to say the least), game-changing special teams play and an offense that imposes it’s will and dictates the flow of the game. This game, this victory, leaves me with a great feeling heading into the off-season and I am looking forward to seeing what happens between now and September 4th against the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns.

DAWGBEASTS

SPECIAL TEAMS UNITS – Nothing seems to turn a game the way a big play on special teams can. Georgia’s special teams units all deserve a gold star for their performances versus Texas A&M. Blair Walsh and Drew Butler did their parts and the coverage was solid, but that in no way completely tells the tale.

GENO ATKINS – Early on, Atkins blocked an Aggies field goal attempt that kept the game scoreless. This turned out to be huge as it gave the DAWGS some fire on the defensive side of the ball and seemingly steeled their resolve to continue to play hard, even with all of the questions surrounding that side of the ball coming into the game. Their teammates would pick them up eventually.

BRANDON BOYKIN – the Georgia sophomore, a repeat offender here at the BEAST, had a 81 yard punt return for touchdown. Boykin set a school record and tied the SEC record with three kickoff returns for a TD in a season in the process. Number two now shares the SEC record with Willie Gault (Tennessee, 1980).


Courtesy Patricia Spaulding/Onlineathens.com

BACARRI RAMBO – Rambo blocked a punt late in the 2nd quarter that led to Georgia’s go-ahead touchdown. I thought Vance Cuff was going to score on the play, but the DAWGS eventually cashed the big play in for seven.

GENO ATKINS – I know the DAWGS senior defensive tackle is mentioned above, but in addition to the blocked field goal, Atkins also finished with three tackles and one sack and earned the game’s MVP (defense). What’s more, every time I looked up it seemed #56 was channeling Nebraska Heisman Trophy finalist Ndamukong Suh as he man-handled any Aggies interior linemen that dared challenge him, driving them into the backfield, stuffing the run and pressuring the quarterback with apparent ease. Atkins’ game clearly passed the eyeball test and his performance in the Independence Bowl epitomized what it means to be a BEAST…totally dominating the game whether his final numbers reflect his impact or not.

CLINT BOLING – Texas A&M’s Von Miller came into the game leading the nation in sacks (17), but Boling absolutely shut down the Aggies playmaker holing him to just four tackles in the game.


Courtesy UGASports.com

RUSS (interim mascot) – Two starts, two wins…and swagger wins at that. A thumping of the in-state Techies and a bowl victory…that’s pretty good stuff.

THE PROGRAM – No, there has not been a national championship for the DAWGS since 1980, but there very easily might have been with a just a bit of luck along the way during a near-miss seasons and there have been division and conference championships. In case you missed it, there has also been a staggering run of consistency in Athens that is unmatched in the rest of the college football world. With the win, Georgia (8-5, 4-4 SEC) leads the country with 13 consecutive seasons with eight or more wins. Not Southern Cal, not Ohio State, not the HATED Gators. Texas and Virginia Tech rank second with 12 each.

MARK RICHT – Even in a season where expectations of the team and the fans fell short, Georgia still managed the aforementioned eight wins and a bowl victory. Under Richt, the DAWGS own a 38-4 record against teams from outside the Southeastern Conference. In bowl games under Richt, Georgia is 7-2. Overall, Richt is 90-27 in his nine seasons. Successfully carrying the banner for the conference and owning consistent bragging rights over our neighbors and friends, heading into the off-season with a full head of steam and averaging 10 wins a year as a head coach…not to mention running a program boasting high graduation rates and consistently turning out fine young men. That, my fellow DAWGS, is about as much of a BEAST as a head coach can be.


Courtesy UGASports.com

Finally…

the SENIORS – You are a bunch of Damn Good Dawgs and we here at the BEAST would like to thank you for all that you have given to the University of Georgia and to each of us as fans over the last few years.

GO DAWGS!

DAWGBEASTS and the edict of my DEFENSIVE WORLD ORDER (DWO)

I purposely have been quiet this week. I wanted to give myself a chance to sort out all the feelings and thoughts I've had since the debacle in Knoxville last Saturday. What happened up there was important. It meant a lot. However, football is a game that is about a body of work over the course of any given season. As much as each game can mean in and of itself, the season is not and can not be lost on any one Saturday throughout the fall. To be sure, there has been an alarming series of events that have taken place in Athens this season, but as followers of our team and devout members of the Bulldog Nation I believe we owe it to ourselves and to Head Coach Mark Richt to focus only on the game that is in front of us and see where this season takes us. We will have plenty of time once the year is over to re-visit any missteps or failures that may befall our DAWGS along the way. I'm not saying don't voice your opinions as we go, but just keep in mind that our boys are gonna tee it up again really soon and we should try to enjoy the sport and all of it's pageantry that we wait the rest of the year to be a part of.

With that said, there are some things I want to mention here and now. I will try not to ramble too much.

BE RESOLUTE

Georgia AD Damon Evans and Coach Richt will get this thing straightened out. I believe it. Recent quotes from the two top men in the world of Georgia football reaffirm my belief:

Coach Richt -

"They want somebody to be let go or fired or that kind of thing, and maybe that's what needs to be done, but at this point right now, we're going to do what we know is the best thing to do and that's to focus on this game this week."

Damon Evans -

“I do have some concerns about where we are at this point of the season. I know Coach [Mark] Richt, the assistant coaches, the players and our fans have the same concerns with our current record and the way we’ve been playing...Coach Richt and I have talked just as we do periodically throughout the season. I think his focus right now is on the immediate future, which is the Vanderbilt game and doing everything possible to prepare our team. That’s where it needs to be...Beyond that, I have total confidence that Coach Richt will properly evaluate our team, address concerns and prepare the right path that will direct us back into the position we all want to be in — competing for championships.”

Coach Richt is attempting to get the DAWGS focus right where it should be…on what’s six inches in front of your face. That is where you will find your reality. The DAWGS reality is that improvement is needed and the only thing you can do about that is get back to work. At this point, I don't know if any player or any fan has the energy to do much more than that.

DEJA VU IS OVER-RATED

Moving along, you all really should know my wife Alice. Wifey loves football with a fierce passion and is more knowledgeable and reasonable about the game than most men I know. I truly am a lucky man. I tell you that to tell you this. Wifey and I share a belief that perception is reality. After Saturday's loss to Tennessee, I've read a lot about what it all means from a Georgia perspective and about what Lane Kiffin wants it to mean. Well, I know this. Losing to the Vols the way we did will have an impact whether we like it or not and I fear it will be much more than just bruised feelings and one L on this year's final tally. It was not that long ago that a head coach that was also a good recruiter and a string of wins over Georgia led to Tennessee raiding the Peach state for top-notch recruits every year...several of which eventually turned out to be KEY players on the Vols 1998 MNC. This is a dangerous situation for Georgia in terms of the possibility of history repeating itself. A loss like this for the DAWGS (or a shaky season of losses) could lead to a change in the regional and national perception of the Georgia program. If that happens there is a real possibility that there will be a change in our "big picture" reality. I do not believe this is happening right now, 10 wins or more in six of the last seven seasons puts a quick end to that train of thought, but coupled with Georgia's recent history against Florida this whole thing could get out of control in a hurry.

***Side note: I loved to refer to Phillip Fulmer as The Great Pumpkin. After seeing Lane Kiffin on the sidelines Saturday in his selection of an over-sized, orange disaster of a jacket, I have to wonder out loud if it's okay to refer to Kiffin as The Rotten Pumpkin? That thing looked as if it were a rotten, sagging pumpkin that was collapsing in on itself. Ugh. Just saying.


I THINK THIS HURTS THE MOST

I saw this on David Hale's blog earlier this week and I felt like we were sitting in the same recliner.

--I watched all of the LSU-Florida game. I think the announcers made fun of Georgia about 9,463 times.

**SIGH**

I WILL LEAVE YOU WITH THIS

There was also a ton of discussion this week about naked bootlegs, switching from playing the run to playing the pass and the defense's work in 3rd and long situations. So, a take on 3rd and long.....

GET OFF THE DAMN FIELD!

I put it on the players. I will not call any one individual out here, but this is how I see it. It has been my observation through six games this season that when it comes to the defense in general there has been too much poor tackling, too many uncontested passes, too much chicken fighting from the D-line on the pass rush, poor defensive line technique against the run and seemingly no ball skills from our DBs and LBs while the ball is in the air and when CWM does call for the blitz, our linebackers and defensive linemen display AWFUL attacking techniques as they execute the play. All of these things are important, but none is more glaring to me than the final point.

YOU HAVE TO IMPOSE YOUR WILL ON THE OTHER TEAM! FOOTBALL IS NOT JUST A COLLISION SPORT. FOOTBALL IS A VIOLENT SPORT AND IF YOU DON’T PLAY WITH THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF VIOLENCE, YOU ARE GOING TO LOSE. VIOLENCE MAKES UP FOR A LOT OF MISTAKES AND IT CAN FORCE YOUR OPPONENT TO SIMPLIFY THEIR ATTACK. BIG BOY SWAGGER CANNOT BE TALKED INTO EXISTENCE. IT MUST BE EARNED AND PROVEN, AND YOU EARN IT ON DEFENSE! YOU TAKE IT! GREAT DEFENSE STARTS WITH GREAT EFFORT AND GREAT DISCIPLINE. A DISCIPLINE TO WORK IN THE OFF-SEASON, TO PREPARE DURING GAME WEEK ON AND OFF THE FIELD AND TO PLAY HARDER IN THE 4TH QTR THAN YOU DID IN THE 1ST QTR BECAUSE YOU ARE MENTALLY TOUGHER THAN YOUR OPPONENT AND THAT IS WHAT THE GAME DEMANDS. IN THE SCHEME OF DEFENSE THE DAWGS EMPLOY, YOU MUST PLAY RESPONSIBILITY DOWN AFTER DOWN AFTER DOWN. WHEN A BLITZ IS CALLED, IT IS A REWARD AND YOU MUST TURN IT LOOSE AND ATTACK WITH A FROTH AND A FRENZY THAT WILL NOT BE DENIED. I HAVE BEEN SADDENED THIS SEASON AND HARD PRESSED TO FIND A GEORGIA DEFENDER THAT APPEARS TO BE BLITZING WITH A CRAZED ATTITUDE AND A SOUR DISPOSITION WHEN HE HAS BEEN GIVEN THE GREEN LIGHT TO LET IT GO! ONCE THE DAWGS RECLAIM THIS ASPECT OF THE GAME, THINGS WILL CHANGE FOR THE BETTER IN ATHENS. THE OFFENSE WILL FEED OFF OF THE DEFENSE AND THE ENTIRE TEAM WILL GET BACK TO A QUIET CONFIDENCE AND BELIEF THAT THEY ARE THE BETTER TEAM IN EVERY WAY. THE DAWGS WILL KNOW THAT THEY HAVE DONE AND WILL DO ALL THAT IS NECESSARY TO ATTAIN VICTORY AND THAT IS WHY GEORGIA WILL WIN. THEY WILL DEMAND IT TO BE SO WITH A PERSISTENT AND IN EVITABLE DICTATING FORCE OF WILL.


DAWGBEAST of the week

Georgia Special Teams, with a special nod to Brandon Boykin. Sophomore cornerback Brandon Boykin had his second 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown this season. Boykin and former Bulldog Gene Washington share the mark now with two kickoff returns for touchdowns in a season. Boykin is the first SEC player to have two 100-yard kickoff returns in one season in SEC history. He finished the day with 128 returns yards (32.0 avg) on four kicks to give him 529 kickoff return yards this season. Boykin's return versus the Vols also ties the longest scoring play on the road in school history. Since 1941, the NCAA put a maximum length on all plays at 100 yards.

Courtesy: UGASports.com

**NCAA Leader Drew Butler had to punt six times for a 49.8 average with four covering 50+ yards and one inside the 20. The Sophomore punter's first punt was his longest at 61 yards. He went into the game against Tennessee leading the nation with a 49.8 average.

**Redshirt sophomore split end Zach Renner blocked a punt with :23 seconds left in the opening half to give the Bulldogs two points on a safety as it went through the endzone. This was the third blocked punt of his career after he tallied one against Alabama and Arizona State in 2008. Renner tied the school record for blocked punts in a career along with Corrie Collier, Kendrell Bell and David Pollack. Renner's latest punt block was the 17th for the Bulldogs in the Mark Richt era.

**Sophomore PK Blair Walsh drilled a 52-yard field goal late in the second quarter. He is 5-for-8 from 50 yards or more in his career and 3-for-3 from that distance in 2009.

****An honorable mention for the DAWGBEAST goes to Redshirt Freshman safety Baccari Rambo. Rambo caught a tipped passed for an interception and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. This was Rambo's second career INT and the first defensive TD for the Bulldogs this year. Georgia has had four INTs this year with Boykin also having two. This was the first INT return for a TD since Darryl Gamble returned a pair of picks for scores at LSU in 2008.


FALCON CREST (CFB, but non-DAWG)

In case you missed it, Tyler Sheehan and WR Freddie Barnes combined for 22 passes for 278 yards and three touchdowns with scoring grabs from two, eight, and 45 yards and Sheehan scored the game-winning touchdown late to give Bowling Green a 36-35 win on the road at Kent State last Saturday. Sheehan final numbers were crazy, finishing 44-63, throwing for 505 yds, 4 TD and an INT. However, the Player of the Game has to be Bowling Green WR Freddie Barnes. His numbers look like some player's totals for an entire season, 22 receptions, 278 yards and three touchdowns, and if that performance doesn't make you A DAMN BEAST then I don't know what does. Congrats Freddie!