DAWGBEASTS and the WARTIGLESMEN

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.

FEAR IS NOT AN OPTION

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.

DAWGBEASTS and the DORES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Glory, Glory.

HOT READS: SCRIMMAGE #2

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.

ALL-AMERICA ON PAUSE

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.

SPRING PROVING GROUNDS II

If this is not your first visit to A DAMN BEAST!!!, then you are no doubt aware that our football world view is one that believes defense wins championships and that special teams can be a game-changer and should be made a priority. With that said, even the brilliant minds that gave us “Football for dummies” must admit that football begins and ends along the lines of scrimmage. That is why the publicity ducking, hog-mollies up front take center stage in the latest installment of things we want to see by the time the DAWGS are turned loose at G-Day on April 10th.

SPRING PROVING GROUNDS II: OFFENSIVE LINE STABILITY

Over the last couple of years, injuries have been a harsh reality of life along the DAWGS offensive line. In 2008, the DAWGS deficiencies along the O-line were masked in part by the talent on hand at the skill positions in Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno Mohammed Massoquoi and AJ Green. In 2009, with no proven play-makers other than Green to cover up their offensive warts and a rotating door along the offensive line, the Georgia offense struggled to find their way in the run game and failed to develop any consistency.

By the time the DAWGS arrived at their annual grudge match in Jacksonville against the HATED Gators, Georgia was trotting out their fifth different starting group on the offensive line with junior Clint Boling (LT), sophomore Cordy Glenn (LG), sophomore Ben Jones (C), junior Chris Davis (RG), junior Josh Davis (RT) getting the starting nod.

Though many chose to discount the successes the DAWGS had seen in the running game during the 4th quarter the week before against Vanderbilt, there were signs of life in the Georgia backfield and there had definitely been a shift in the Georgia game plan. This renewed commitment to pounding the rock would begin to become evident against the Gators.

Starting in Jacksonville, the DAWGS strung together some impressive rushing numbers over the final six games of the season as Washaun Ealey and a healthy Caleb King began to find their way. Here’s a breakdown of Georgia’s net rushing yards down the stretch…

FLORIDA – 121 yds (33 carries, 3.7 ypc)
TN Tech – 304 yds (39 carries, 7.8 ypc)
AUBURN – 169 yds (38 carries, 4.4 ypc)
KENTUCKY – 196 yds (44 carries, 4.5 ypc)
GEORGIA TECH – 339 yds (44 carries, 7.7 ypc)
TEXAS A&M – 208 yds (40 carries, 5.2 ypc)

Of course, the DAWGS statement game during this stretch was the ground game exhibition put on against the Techies as Ealey and King declared “WE RUN THIS STATE” and then went out and proved it. King ran for 166 yards and two scores while Ealey punched holes in the Tech defense on his way to 183 yards. Over the final six games of the season, King got loose for 459 yards and six scores and Ealey chipped in with 595 yards and three TDs.

More than just the production in numbers, the DAWGS appeared to play with a different attitude over the last half of the season. An attitude that can only come from the confidence gained when you dictate the game and impose your will on your opponent. That type of football can only be played when you are getting production in the run game and that starts with the play of the offensive line. After their early season struggles, the DAWGS eventually found the winning formula along the O-line and the results showed. The obvious problem is that it took so long to figure out what the right combination would be.

Now we find ourselves heading into spring practice and the DAWGS would appear to have a good handle on the how the pieces along the offensive line should fit together. That is until you factor in the possible return of the DAWGS would-be starting left tackle from the last two seasons, Trinton Sturdivant. After missing the last two years (except for about 40 minutes) with severe knee injuries, the catalyst for all of Georgia’s offensive line shuffling, Sturdivant is said to be ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation and well on his way to making a return to the lineup at some point later this year. For now, the coaching staff is remaining cautiously optimistic that Sturdivant can come all the way back. At this point, Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and the rest of the staff are viewing having Sturdivant ready to rock and roll come the fall as a “luxury”, but they appear to have learned their lesson and know that they cannot afford to count on it. Earlier this week, Bobo had this to say:

“When we’re talking about our objectives as an offense and what we want to accomplish this spring, we want to establish depth at the offensive line with out counting on Trinton Sturdivant. He’s a luxury. We think he’s going to be back, he’s ahead of schedule, he’s doing great, but we have to establish depth besides him.”

You can read more on this and other DAWGS notes HERE.

This thought process is music to my ears. If the DAWGS big left tackle can return to form and reclaim his starting spot, it will be great news for Georgia and it would be fantastic for Sturdivant. However, the DAWGS cannot just assume #77 will be ready to go. This is why when news starts rolling out of Athens in the coming days, one headline I will be looking for will be the one in bold face detailing the progress along the offensive line. A good place to start would be to just keep rolling with the starting five from the back half of the 2009 season, but you can be sure that everyone will get a hard look and that the coaching staff will make every effort to get the best five players on the field. I just hope whatever changes prove necessary due to coach’s decision or that are forced by player effort, they sort themselves out so that Georgia can hit the ground running when fall camp rolls around. It’s no secret that the longer an offensive line can play together as a unit, the more productive they will be. Given that the DAWGS backfield appears to be ready to run in 2010, I am hopeful that a constant re-shuffling of the offensive line will not prove to be the stumbling block for the Georgia offense.

Glory, Glory.


Courtesy AP Photos

WTF?!?!? You CANNOT let this slide!

Look, I'm not sayin'....I'm just sayin'. If someone punches your brother in the face, are you just gonna stand there and watch???? I fully understand that these photos might be misleading. We don't know where he is looking. We don't know if his eyes are even open. HOWEVER, the following photos seem to clearly show that DAWGS center Ben Jones has a front row, unobstructed view of LSU defensive lineman Rahim Alem as he LAUNCHES himself at Caleb King, clearly leading with the crown of his helmet with a seemingly fully realized intent to use his headgear as a weapon! I do not remember a single DAWGS player coming to King's aid after the play (full disclosure: I will have to check the tape on my DVR later). Simply stated....WTF!!!! That just cannot be acceptable. We all know that if an opposing player is a bit too rough with a teammate of yours, it is absolutely acceptable behavior for you to come to his aid. Hell, it's almost mandatory! ESPECIALLY when it comes to offensive linemen and a running back or quarterback! A football team truly is like a family. A band of brothers. At least, the ones worth a flip are. There is absolutely no way that Alem should have been allowed to get away with this action without some sort of retaliation. I'm not saying there should have been a fight or that Alem should have been targeted, but someone should have been immediately in his face to let him know that, uh, stuff just won't fly.

Alem's hit certainly had the desired effect. It was made public after the game that King suffered a broken jaw (almost definitely on the play in question) and a concussion. And by the way, HUGE KUDOS to the kid for playing the majority of the rest of the game. This hit is ABSOLUTELY, to the letter of the rule, what the helmet-to-helmet penalty is supposed to punish. THERE WAS NO FLAG. If the game doesn't provide justice, shouldn't someone.

Again, I cannot say definitively whether Jones actually saw this frame-by-frame the way we can see it now, but regardless...I say it's a safe bet that someone saw it...and they should have been Category 4 PISSED! This reaction, in my opinion, is absolutely justified by the laws of brotherhood, team and pride in defense of all that the Georgia "G" on the side of that helmet stands for.

This type of action CANNOT be allowed to go unchallenged and I certainly hope it was just a situation of circumstance that prevented the DAWGS from taking care of their own. For Caleb's sake, I certainly hope so. I would love to know what y'all think.

GO DAWGS!!!