Bulldawg Illustrated : Dawg Blog

Ode to Knowshon

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500

2008 – 250 carries, 1400 yards, 5.6 per carry, 16 tds, 107.7 yards per game

2007 – 248 carries, 1396 yards, 5.4 per carry, 14 tds, 102.6 yards per game

Fantastic rushing numbers with a striking symmetry

UNDERUTILIZED

You will be missed

Moreno and Stafford Gone

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500

With a defense and offensive line that should be vastly improved, an electric receiver and the logic and hope that the injury bug that ravaged Georgia in 2008 will not bite nearly so bad in ’09, the biggest question for the Bulldogs is who is going to run and catch the football. It’s amazing how outlooks on a teams’ strengths and weaknesses can change from one year to the next. With the announcement that Knowshon Moreno and Matthew Stafford will leave Georgia early to enter the NFL Draft, the Bulldogs have lost enormous production. Moreno is one of the greatest tailbacks to ever play for Georgia, walking in the shoes of Rodney Hampton, Garrison Hearst and Tim Worley. He joins the greatest, Herschel Walker, as the lone Georgia tailbacks with multiple 1,000-yard plus rushing seasons. Unfortunately, he also goes down as one of the worst redshirt decisions in college football history. Georgia’s magnificent Mark Richt admittedly made a major mistake not playing the phenom as a true freshman, and the Bulldogs got only two years out of this unique talent. Stafford has a cannon arm and since leaving Highland Park High School in Dallas, he’s been projected as a high first round pick. In fact, draft guru Mel Kiper proclaimed in 2006 that Stafford would be the top pick of the 2010 event. He could go No. 1 overall, but it will be in the draft of ’09. Moreno could well be the first running back chosen – projected as a mid first round pick. Joe Cox enters the spring as the Bulldogs top quarterback. The competition should be fierce between the fifth year senior, sophomore Logan Gray and incoming true freshmen Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger – both of whom have graduated early and enrolled at Georgia. Replacing Moreno is a much bigger question mark. Richard Samuel and Caleb King are back, but neither proved to be a frontline compliment to Moreno as freshmen. Samuel is just 17 and may project as a standout linebacker. Redshirt freshman Dontavious Jackson will be limited in the spring. Little Carlton Thomas is elusive with vision and quicks. Georgia has a verbal commitment from highly touted Twin City, Ga. native Washaun Ealey, who has loads of potential. Moreno leaves the bigger shoes to fill. Great tailbacks are extremely hard to find. It took ten years after Robert Edwards for the Bulldogs to suit up another elite runner. Since 1998, four Southeastern Conference quarterbacks have been the top overall pick in the draft. Peyton Manning, Tim Couch, Eli Manning and JaMarcus Russell were their programs’ starting quarterbacks for a total of 11 years, winning one SEC title. Over that same stretch, four conference teams won national championships. Tee Martin, Matt Mauck, Chris Leak and Matt Flynn led their programs to national titles. Martin was the highest draft pick out of these four. He went in the fifth round. No matter what the win total is in ’09, expect for the Bulldogs to make big steps forward – ones that may not show up in the victory column until 2010 or 2011. Fight, tenacity, tackling, toughness, blocking, sound special teams and a dramatic cut-down of penalties will be the focus in the spring. Nearly every job will be up for grabs and feature fierce competition. It’s nice to have concerns and discuss problems coming off a 10-3 season. Just ask Michigan, Auburn and Tennessee if they would like to be in this spot. But due primarily to the loss to Tech, the manner in which Georgia fell to Alabama and Florida, and victories over inferior foes that made things much tougher than they should have been, this is the first season since Richt’s arrival that the program didn’t move forward. The insane rash of injuries and the sky high expectations that accompanied the nation’s preseason top ranking proved a caustic combination. Georgia has a special coach who has won big in Athens. But over the last four seasons, Florida, Tech and Bama have all had major upgrades with their coaches. The road to greatness is much tougher than it was for Richt’s sensational teams of 2002 and 2007 that finished No. 3 and No. 2, respectively. Not having Moreno and Stafford and a brutal schedule make the odds of winning big in ’09 long. But don’t be surprised if the Bulldog nation is actually feeling better after next season than this – even though the win total may not be as great. The sun will soon shine brightly on Georgia again.

5 New Year's Resolutions to be a Better Bulldog!

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500

5 New Year’s Resolutions to be a Better Bulldog! These are my goals, why not join me? What are your resolutions for 2009?

1. Trim the Fat: Tighten up your belt and your wallet! I am working to lose my “football fifteen” that I gained tailgating during football season. I am also avoiding my credit cards and going cash only as well as budgeting my perks. Let’s hope the economy turns faster than we think!

2. Be Prepared: Go to as many games as possible to support the Bulldogs! Check the schedule…pick home and away games…save money for it…book hotels and flights now. Get fired up for 2009 season!

3. Be Savvy: Read all 18 issues of Bulldawg Illustrated (available in print and online). Online has extra features like a Recipe Community and videos and podcasts. We must keep up with the latest Bulldog news and with fellow fans. Ohhhh how I love the photos!

4. Be Stylish: Go to the UGA bookstore website www.ugabookstore.com or your local store like Maggies Boutique or Gentlemen’s Outfitters on St. Simons Island or George Gibsons in Athens and stock up on your lucky 2009 gear. I know you need a fresh start if we are to win the Title…get your new winning shirt or boxers!

5. Don’t Be Idle While Waiting for the Season: While anxiously awaiting the first football game, follow the other sports in the hunt for National Titles…Hoop Dawgs, Gym Dawgs, Diamond Dawgs, the golf teams and many more.

What are your 2009 resolutions? Good luck and go dawgs!

Coach Richt: 2008 Season Wrapup

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Coach Richt fielded a variety of questions from the media in today’s teleconference. Topics ranged from the current status of Rodney Garner, to his evaluation of the 2008 season and even touched on 2009 recruiting.

Initially, all the talk centered around Garner and his decision to stay with the Dawgs despite Tennessee’s best efforts. While Richt wouldn’t state the specifics of Searels/Garner’s new salary or title, he did offer a more generic response: “all these coaches are worth fighting for…I’m thankful all our guys are staying”. Apparently, it wasn’t money or a new position that threatened Garner’s status as a Dawg. The potential of working with Monte Kiffin, the former Tampa Bay Bucs defensive coordinator and highly regarded football genius, outweighed the cash and status, but it still wasn’t enough to lure Garner away from Athens. Richt in reference to Garner’s decision: “I was humbled by his decision. It motivates me to be a better head coach and a better leader…I think it’s great for Georgia when guys get those kind of opportunities and guys still think ‘this is the place for me’.”

The conversation soon shifted to Branden Smith’s commitment to the Dawgs last night on ESPN. During the Under Armour High School All-American Game, Branden Smith, a blue-chip corner out of Atlanta, committed to the Bulldogs over Florida State, Bama, and Florida. On the same night, speedy wide receiver Andre Debose committed to the Gators. At least we’ve Smith to cover him. The most impressive player in the game was Greg Reid, a shutdown corner from Valdosta. Reid recently de-committed from Florida and opened up his recruiting. Hopefully, the Dawgs won’t this one get away again.

Conference Pride

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500

poll by twiigs.com

Currently, the SEC bowl record stands at 5-2 with one to go. The Dawgs did their part on New Year’s Day in dispatching Michigan State, while South Carolina and Bama fell to Iowa and Utah, respectively. A 6-2 record and subsequent national championship would certainly bode well for conference prestige, but who can honestly root for the Gators? With a victory against the Sooner’s, Florida would snag its second title in two years. I have SEC pride to an unreasonable extent, but that just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

ESPN and national pundits alike are already praising the PAC-10’s impressive 5-0 bowl record and will likely lobby for USC’s annual spot in the title game regardless of strength of schedule. I’ll give credit to the PAC-10 and their undefeated post-season, but it’s worth noting that the SEC’s bowl schedule began as the PAC-10’s was ending. In other words, the PAC-10 racked up wins around Christmas and only played one game in 2009 while the SEC will ultimately play six games in 2009. Granted, this isn’t an absolute measure of quality wins, but it’s safe to say that a win on New Year’s Day is generally more impressive than, for example, Arizona’s win on December 20th.

A Florida victory in the BCS Championship on January 8th will no doubt cement the SEC as the clear-cut favorite, especially after a dominating performance from 8-4 Ole Miss against the Red Raiders, but I just don’t know if I can root for the hated Gators. Recently, Richt was asked, “Will you pull for Florida?”. Avoiding the question, Coach responded with a smile, “I always root for the SEC”.

A win to build on ...

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Yesterday my wife, Cheri, and I pulled out of St. Simons a little after 7 a.m. to Orlando for the Capital One Bowl. Despite my blog yesterday that guaranteed the Dawgs showing up, I have to admit to being a little concerned that my words would become the kiss of death and our team would lay an egg. Nonetheless we pressed south on I-95 passing Clemson and Nebraska fans heading to Jacksonville for the Gator Bowl.

While there weren’t a ton of Dawgs fans on the road, there sure were once we arrived at the stadium two hours before the game.

I happen to run into someone who works for the athletic department who asked me what the vibe was of the Georgia fans I knew. I was honest when I told him that there were lots of bitter Dawg fans who were frustrated by the season, particularly the stunning loss against Tech where a sizable lead was overcome by a Yellow Jacket team that wanted the victory more. And I told him LSU’s thrashing of Georgia Tech on New Year’s eve in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl made Georgia fans even madder, particularly with the red and black defense.

I’m happy to report that Willie Martinez, his assistants and players shined against Michigan State. Georgia’s offense struggled mightily in the first half against the Spartans, but like what a good team is suppose to do the Dawgs’ defense continued to make stops in the first half which kept the score close going to the locker room at halftime.

For the first time in long while, the Georgia D put some pressure on the opposing team’s quarterback and positive results happened. And the Georgia secondary that had been the weakest link in 2008 showed real discipline when covering both the pass and the run.

Then in the second half, Mike Bobo must get some kudos for adjusting to the blitzing that obviously had the Georgia O-line very confused during the first two quarters. The Dawgs super-stars, Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno took over from there and our beloved Bulldogs finished with another 10 win season (the sixth 10 win season in Mark Richt’s eight years).

On the way back to St. Simons after the game, Cheri put it best about the 2009 Capital One Bowl when she remarked that Georgia had done an exceptional job of making adjustments and plays in the final quarters of the 2008 season.

Georgia needed this win in a huge way in my opinion. The fact that Michigan State gave us a great fight is even better when looking to 2009. Yes there were some low points during the game, but in the end our Dawgs took care of business and won the game.

With that being said, the 2008 season is a thing of the past. I greatly look forward to 2009. Whatever Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno do regarding going to the NFL, I feel extremely confident that Mark Richt and company will win the SEC East next season! And that means beating the Gators.

Love to hear your thoughts on the bowl game, the 2008 season and looking to 09 …...

Dawgs will show up!

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Happy New Year’s Dawg fans!

Will be in Orlando for the game and I’m confident that our Dawgs are anxious to make a statement that will close out the 2008 campaign in style.

Knowshon goes off and MoMass and A.J end up with 1,000 yards on the season by the final whistle!

Will report after the game. Until then, GO DAWGS!

Lackluster Bowl Games

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

UGA football is great from August-November. Occasionally, we will play for the SEC Championship and December becomes relevant. In recent history, by the time January gets here, our final game of the year is completely lackluster. To prove my point, I’ve looked at all of the bowl games we’ve played in since Jim Donnan took the helm in 1996. Why is it so rare that we play a team ranked higher than us? The following list is a compilation of the rankings of each team prior to the bowl game. Only 3 times in those 12 years has UGA played a bowl game with an opponent ranked higher than the Dawgs, and none of those games were bowls to hang your hat on.

1997 Outback Bowl: UGA # 12 vs. Unranked Wisconsin, 1998 Peach Bowl: UGA # 19 vs. # 13 Virginia, 1999 Outback Bowl: UGA # 21 vs. # 19 Purdue, 2000 Oahu Bowl: UGA # 24 vs. Unranked Virginia, 2001 Music City Bowl: UGA # 19 vs. Unranked Boston College, 2002 Sugar Bowl: UGA # 4 vs. # 16 Florida St., 2003 Capital One Bowl: UGA # 11 vs. # 12 Purdue, 2004 Outback Bowl: UGA # 7 vs. # 16 Wisconsin, 2005 Sugar Bowl: UGA # 8 vs. # 11 West Virginia, 2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl: UGA Unranked vs. # 14 Virginia Tech, 2007 Sugar Bowl: UGA # 4 vs. # 10 Hawai’i, 2008 Capital One Bowl: UGA # 17 vs. # 18 Michigan State

It just seems that every year, after exciting SEC conference action, all we get is a downer in the bowl season. Even in those years when we win the SEC crown, we end up with a complete dud of a game because of silly conference bowl tie-ins. The SEC season is great, and thanks to Damon Evans we are now scheduling excellent out of conference regular season games, but I’m ready for some panache during the bowl season for our Dawgs. Under the current system, the only way to guarantee an epic bowl matchup is to play for the National Championship. 2009 is time to man up and get it done so we can all go to the Rose Bowl and play a game that actually matters.

Happy New Year to all and Go Dawgs! ...............to Pasadena, CA in January ‘10!

Bulldogs loved and lost in 2008...

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

It would be remiss to ring in the new year without looking back and paying respect to those we lost in 2008. Many of us were blessed to have known and loved some “Damn Good Dawgs” that passed away in 2008.

Lamar “Racehorse” Davis was a football great in the 1940s alongside Sinkwich and Trippi. He lived in my hometown of St. Simons and I was fortunate enough to know him and be the recipient of many a devilish grin and funny tale.

Jack Turner was a former Georgia baseball (1951) and basketball (1951-52) player who generously gave back to UGA athletics with his time and resources. The Turner Soccer Complex bears his name as well as the endowments for 10 scholarships for football, men’s and women’s basketball, gymnastics and baseball.

Former UGA assistant football Coach Frank Inman who served from 1962-79 was the consummate coach. He even coached his board of directors of the Sea Island Company Golden Isles Bowl Classic—a junior college bowl game that he organized to benefit middle school sports in Glynn County.

Was there a jollier bulldog than Leroy Dukes? He was a UGA letterman from Vince Dooley’s first football team in 1964. He was a tremendous supporter of Bulldog athletics.

Athenian and super dawg fan Andy Gibson passed away. Many know him from his family business George Gibson’s Menswear. Sistee Williams passed away during this football season. She was a proud UGA graduate with two sons and all of her grandchildren attending UGA as well. Her husband Jimmy Williams played for Georgia.

And last but not least, let’s not forget our beloved mascot, Uga VI. He was the winningest dog yet reigning over 8 seasons with two SEC Championships in 2002 and 2005. He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He led a good life.

Let’s take a moment to pause and give thanks for these fine friends. Please feel free to add thoughts on these and other fellow bulldogs we lost in 2008.

Unfortunate addition to this blog, Jimmy Matthews of Albany passed away January 3, 2009. He and his wife Dee dedicated a great deal of time and love to the Bulldogs! We pray for Dee and her son Mike and all their friends and family.

Goodell Clears Confusion: No Rookie Salary Cap

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Rumors have been circulating recently about a wage scale for rookies beginning in the 2010 draft. NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, told ESPN recently: “There will be no change in our current [rookie pool] system, at least until 2011. I’ve explained that to some college head coaches, athletic directors and league commissioners. Any underclassman who is hearing differently is probably hearing it from an agent or from another source who is misinformed.” This could weigh heavily on the decisions of Moreno and Stafford. A rookie salary cap would prevent many players from scoring the ridiculous amounts of guaranteed money afforded to first-year players out of college. Both Stafford and Moreno are projected high in the draft and stand to gain megacontracts. At least they know the same opportunity will be afforded to them following next season should they decide to stay.

This and That

I’ve been looking at Michigan State’s regular season, and it seems eerily similar to our results.

Sat, Aug 30     at California            L 31-38     
  Sat, Sep 6     Eastern Michigan        W 42-10     
  Sat, Sep 13     Florida Atlantic       W 17-0     
  Sat, Sep 20     Notre Dame             W 23-7     
  Sat, Sep 27     at Indiana             W 42-29     
  Sat, Oct 4     Iowa                    W 16-13     
  Sat, Oct 11     at Northwestern        W 37-20     
  Sat, Oct 18     (12) Ohio State        L 7-45     
  Sat, Oct 25     at Michigan            W 35-21     
  Sat, Nov 1     Wisconsin               W 25-24
  Sat, Nov 8     Purdue                  W 21-7     
  Sat, Nov 22     at (7) Penn State      L 18-49

Like the Dawgs, Michigan State lost [badly] to the two quality teams on their schedule. In addition to getting annihilated by two BCS Bowl opponents, MSU lost a close one to a solid non-conference foe. UGA got blown out by Bama and Florida [two BCS Bowl teams] and lost a close one to non-conference Tech. I still think that top to bottom, the SEC presents a much more difficult and physical challenge, but the similarities are worth noting.