THE PACKING LIST: TENNESSEE

After a brutal opening month of games that saw the DAWGS go 2-1 against three top ten opponents and rattle off three consecutive victories at home, Georgia is back on the road at 3-1 (2-0) this week on Rocky Top.  Butch Jones is trying to clean up after Derek Dooley managed to extinguish the dumpster fire that was left blazing when Lane Kiffin bolted for Southern California.  Well, you won’t find me crying for the Hillbillies.  I’m looking for the DAWGS to squish the urnge into something that resembles so many bug guts on the bottom of your shoe.  We know traveling can get a hectic and it can be tough to always remember everything, so we humbly offer up this week’s packing list.

*Murray’s mirror*

Old number 11 has been great for Georgia this season and is finally being mentioned, as he absolutely should be, in the completely haphazard Heisman talk swirling around the world of college football.  Environments like Tennessee’s 100k + will offer on Saturday are the very reason a fifth-year senior starting quarterback like Aaron Murray are such prized commodities.  All Murray needs to do is show up and be the same quarterback he has been every time he’s looked in the mirror this season and Georgia will be well on there way.

*Running man*

The man-child that is Todd Gurley may or may not be ready to answer the bell on Saturday, but thankfully there are more horses in the stable for the DAWGS.  Included among them is the man that had his breakout game of 2012 against the Vols, Keith Marshall.  The two freshmen that have seen the field for Georgia this year have shown to be very capable so far as well.  Marshall can absolutely carry the load for the DAWGS if he needs to, but regardless of who’s totin’ the rock Georgia must run the football.  The ground game is central to the DAWGS offense, it keeps the defense fresh and it wears down an opponent.  In the end, it doesn’t really matter who carries the ball for Georgia on Saturday, as long as they get down hill with an attitude.

*Boys to Men*

It’s no coincidence that as Chris Mayes has made his presence felt on the DAWGS defensive line, we have seen more and more big plays out of that unit.  That needs to continue for Georgia against the Vols this week.  Although they are a young group, Georgia’s D-line needs to continue to show up against a Tennessee unit that Coach Mark Richt has called the best in the league and maybe the country. 

*Track Shoes*

Much has been said about the Vols lack of play-makers and depth on both sides of the ball and frankly, I agree with that assessment.  With that said, you have to acknowledge that Georgia does not have the same kind of problem.  I am pleased to be able to say the DAWGS have speed all over the field and play makers have emerged on both sides of the ball.  Saturday against Tennessee, Georgia must play like it.  The DAWGS advantage is real and they need to put it on display on Rocky Top.  Let’s play “catch me if you can” for four quarters and those “smokey” uniforms will look a lot more like ash after the Vols have been burned a few times.

*Show and Tell*

Whether it was youth, inexperience, noise or whatever else you want to blame.  The problems that plagued the Georgia defensive back seven in the pass game against LSU will be present against Tennessee on Saturday.  Coaches and veterans say not knowing the hand signals is bunk and the freshmen say noise was a problem.  I don’t need them to tell me that they’ve got it under control.  It will most likely be so loud I couldn’t hear them anyway.  It doesn’t matter.  The DAWGS need to figure it out show us on the field that they have worked out the issues. 

*Wrecking ball*

Like I said earlier, Jones is trying to rebuild Tennessee’s program and return them to relevance in the conference.  Well, me and the DAWG Nation could care less about all that. There’s a wrecking ball on the truck and even though it’s gonna play hell with our gas mileage, Georgia needs to break it out and destroy that new house that Jones and the Vols are trying to build. 

So, there you have it.  Now it’s time to turn this thing north and get in the wind.  The college football world is paying attention and the DAWG Nation is ready.  Our blood runs red and black.  Just make sure you don’t dilute it too much with that hillbilly shine while you’re up on Rocky Top this weekend.  Safe travels, Nation.

Glory, Glory.

When is a Horned Frog a Duck….or a DAWG?

As I have stated clearly before, I really like a touch of black when it comes to the DAWGS uniforms. However, I like most Georgia people I know, have grown a bit weary of Georgia breaking out a new twist on the black every time we have a big game. On a related note, I will have more on Georgia’s big game trend coming soon. I guess I get Coach Richt’s position on this topic…(paraphrasing) being open to anything that helps keep the game fun for the players and maybe adds a little juice…but when the game doesn’t go your way it certainly leaves a bitter and hollow feeling in your gut for everyone involved.

I have seen other teams take a similar tact in recent years. The Oregon Ducks, backed by Nike’s Phil Knight, have an avalanche of uniform choices to choose from. So many, in fact there is a rule that no uniform combination can be repeated in a season. A few examples can be seen HERE.

Last year, Army donned a new look in the very tradition laden Army vs. Navy game. At first blush, I liked the Cadets look. However, the new look did nothing to change the foreseeable outcome of the game as Navy went on to win 34-0.





This week, the #4 TCU Horned Frogs are taking on the #16 Utah Utes in Fort Worth. A sellout crowd will be on hand for what looks to be the last major hurdle on the way to an undefeated season and all of the possibilities that come along with it for the Frogs. Enter the seemingly unavoidable costume switcharoo. This week, instead of the traditional purple helmets, black or purple tops and black or white pants, TCU will be breaking out these new Nike Pro Combat Uniform beauties:



You can read the full article and check out a slide show HERE.

I’m not saying that it’s not a good look. Frankly, I haven’t come to a decision on that one just yet, but I’m just shocked that it seems yet another team is trying to take advantage of a move that Coach Richt was so successful with just two seasons ago. (DISCLAIMER: I know that other teams have manipulated uniforms before CMR’s move, but I am a Georgia fan and therefore my perspective starts with the DAWGS and moves out from there.) Who knows if this is more a TCU “amp the guys” move or if it is just another Nike “Oregon Duck style” marketing ploy tied to a high-profile college football game. Will this move impact the game in any tangible or measurable fashion that spurs on the Frogs? At the end of the day, I don’t think it really matters. If TCU wants to add a little flair to the greatest game in the world that we know as college football, it has every right to do so. I just think that all of this alternate uniform business across the landscape of college football is getting a little out of hand. Changing a jersey color or a pant design seems within reason, but an outright overhaul for the sake of an event seems a bit much. I just hope we don’t see snarling bulldog teeth plastered on the Georgia helmets anytime soon.

GO DAWGS!!!

Don't take my word for it, the DAWGS said it.

So what is the marquise match-up on tap at the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail party? Well it may be the flash and lightning that could be on display on the edges.

Joe Haden/Janoris Jenkins vs. AJ Green

5’11” 190 lbs vs. 6’5” 205 lbs

You don’t tug on Superman’s cape, Gators.



A lot of the time, all the talk leading up to a game like the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party can be shrugged off as coach speak or cliché. Most of the noise coming out of the camps involved is no more exhilarating or meaningful than yesterday’s newspaper. However, given the jabs exchanged between Mark “Evil” Richt and Urban “T is for timeout” Meyer over the last couple of years, one might expect a little rancor rattled bulletin board material making it’s way out of Gainesville and Athens this week. Usually the really passionate outbursts are more likely to be found on fan blogs or message boards, but the sounds swirling around the gauntlet that is the WLOCP this week are rather tasty indeed.


Make no mistake, the Gators are feeling themselves a bit leading into the game, even with their perceived struggles of late. Meyer said Florida "had the best Sunday practice we've ever had." He added: "Everyone knows exactly what this game is." That’s all fine and good, but the DAWGS are hardly cowering in the days leading up to the game.

Don’t take my word for it, the DAWGS said it.

Joe Cox

“We know this game could change our season. This is our first step toward the rest of our season.”

I often refer to A.J. Green as Lethal Weapon 8 because he is silent but deadly from any distance. Green wasn't a part of the end zone celebration in the 2007 game, but the mild-mannered and soft spoken wide receiver is raging about the 2008 timeouts.

"That's motivation for me," he said. "That's a sign of disrespect. So I'm going to go out there and play my heart out."

LW8 remains bothered more by the outcome.

"The way they physically beat us, I feel like we have a statement to make."

Defensive end Justin Houston made a statement Tuesday when asked about Saint Timothy Tebow:

"He's like every other quarterback. I don't see anything special about him. He's a quarterback and he's a good quarterback, but nothing special."

Yep, that one’s got a little bite to it.

As for the DAWGS defensive heartbeat Rennie Curran, well he seems to be taking a very man-to-man attitude:

“That’s our main thing…..We all know how much he’s respected, the reputation he’s built for himself and Florida. If you want to stop Florida’s offense, you’ve got to stop it from the head, with their leader, and that’s Tebow. That’s our main thing. We’ve got to get that guy to flinch.”

I think Coach Richt is saying a lot in that he isn’t say too much. In the recap from his radio show on Monday night, the head DAWG is reported as saying

“This game is different in that it’s 50/50, and Richt wants the fan base to get excited and jacked up for this game, because excitement is coming.”

Last year, senior defensive tackle Jeff Owens could only watch as things unraveled on the DAWGS. That’s not the case this year and as for Tebow, well he had this to say:

“If I can get a nose-to-nose shot, it will be nasty. He’s a quarterback. He’ll try and run over the (defensive backs) and probably linebackers, but linemen? He ain’t going to do that to any defensive linemen.”

On a less heated but hopefully just as telling note, defensive coordinator Willie Martinez had some interesting things to say this week. I totally agree with his statements about attitude being the difference.

"I don't want to speak schematically, but people who have had success like when we beat them in 2007, it's really the style that you play, the mentality that you play, the attitude that you bring on every play that's going to be the difference. You've got to be physical. They are a very talented football team but we try not to make it about them. It's more about us and what we do."

Like I’ve said here before, football is not just a contact sport, it is a violent sport. The team that plays with a higher level of acute violence will most often be victorious. I hope Willie's statements are a harbinger of things to come.


In case you haven’t heard, I HATE Florida. Knowing that we GATA so often in the 70s and 80s only makes the losses of the 90s sting that much more, but it also makes the victories that much more glorious. That is why these DAWGS are dangerous. They have nothing to lose. They have no pressure on them. They have nothing to do but show up, play fast and free and GATA just like the DAWGS before them did on a regular basis back in the day. Don’t take my word for it, The Dawg-gone blog said it. But, I sure as Gainesville (HELL) agree with them.

And finally, didn’t I ask THIS question just a few days ago?

I am fully aware that there isn't much in the pregame notes or the stats that should lead me to believe that I should expect an upset this weekend, but it doesn't matter. I just have a really good feeling about how things are going based on the vibrations coming out of Athens and Gainesville this week. As irrational as it may seem, I believe. The DAWGS may win or they may lose, but I know that they are going to fight. The best part is, you don't have to take my word for it, the DAWGS said it.

GO DAWGS!!!

Screw you, Timmy!

QUICK HITTERS

The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party is more than just a game, it’s an event. It’s an event so bit that has events planned around it. It even has it’s own Hall of Fame. This year’s inductees include two Damn Good Dawgs to be sure.

Screw you, Timmy!

I hate Florida. I hate it when the DAWGS lose to Florida. If anything could make a bad situation worse it would be if the Urban and the Gators could be condescending and mocking way to refer to it. Oh wait, they have. Honesty? Really? Screw you, Timmy!

What’s that coming down the track….

Excitement! At least that’s what Coach Richt is saying. In the recap from his radio show on Monday night, the head DAWG is reported as saying “This game is different in that it’s 50/50, and Richt wants the fan base to get excited and jacked up for this game, because excitement is coming.” Read the recap HERE. Why shouldn't we be excited? What do the DAWGS have in store for the Gators this weekend? Damned if I know, but I sure can’t wait to find out.

Gators SUCK!

The best team does not always win this game. Need proof? Just think back to 2002 when the DAWGS rolled in dominating virtually every opponent on their way to an 8-0 record, while the Gators wandered into Jacksonville at 4-3 and waltzed out having ended any shot the DAWGS had at playing for national championship thanks to Miami and Ohio State’s undefeated seasons. That is the sort of maddening thing that just makes you want to slam your hand in the nearest car door. Bubba ‘n’ Earl seem to see things the same way.

GO DAWGS!!!