1. Be Sharp – With the Yellow Jackets on deck, and the all important Governor’s Cup and State Championship on the line, with Tennessee and the brutal stretch of eight consecutive bloody Southeastern Conference games in the rearview mirror, it would seem easy for Georgia to put things in cruise control and just coast against UMass. But that is not the case. With the challenges facing Georgia’s offense this season, these Bulldogs know to take nothing for granted. Priority No. 1 in winning the game: being sharp and crisp and carrying a whole bunch of positive flow into the biggest game of them all —on a short week for Georgia, which the Jackets play Thursday— is critical.

2. Young Guns – There is a great deal of young talent shining for Georgia. Numerous true freshmen and underclassmen have played critical roles for the Bulldogs this season. Saturday’s game should afford several other true freshmen a big opportunity to play significant snaps. Justin Williams, Ellis Robinson, DeMello Jones, Daniel Calhoun and Michael Uini are just a handful of rookies with bright futures who could get some snaps Saturday. That also goes for the quarterback position. Gunner Stockton played a great second half in Georgia’s 63-3 Orange Bowl victory over Florida State to cap last season. Jaden Rashada, a transfer, and Ryan Puglisi, a true freshman, round out the depth chart. What will next season look like for the Bulldogs behind center? Saturday should give us a good glimpse ahead.

3. Tickets in Right Hands – I get it. The schedule was funny this year. The Tennessee game capped the stretch of eight straight Southeastern Conference games. Of the first seven of those eight, five were played away from home. The Clemson season opener was played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. This one falls between Titanic clashes with Tennessee and the Jackets. A lot of Georgia fans may not use all of their tickets. In fact, the RSM is being played at the Sea Island Club on beautiful St. Simons Island. Of my many lifelong Bulldog friends, I know Larry Legend, Chardonnay Sharon, Gary “Babaroo” Baldwin and one of my soccer TV sidekicks Weldon Kolker will be down on the island for the golf. Taking a break from being in Athens, they will still watch the Bulldogs Saturday and enjoy lots of fried shrimp. It was great when several years ago, this event was on the open date before Georgia-Florida. Talk about an epic two weeks. If the Dogs were at home the week before, the omnipresent Woody Fields would leave the Sunday after Sanford and not come back to Athens until the Monday after Georgia-Florida. His buddy B.A., who sleeps from the Clarke/Oconee county line til the causeway, thinks the drive is 15 minutes. Anyway, do what all great Dawg fans do, if you aren’t coming, get those tickets to Georgia fans who want to be Between the Hedges. Those of us who get to go routinely take it for granted. A lot of passionate Georgia fans rarely get the chance to see that most glorious of sights in the natural valley nestled between North and South campus. Renowned (now former) Golden Bachelor John Parker kindly gave his tickets for a game earlier this season to a new friend from the magnificent Milledgeville Bulldog Club. Point being, let’s pack Sanford Stadium. There are certainly over 90,000 Georgia fans who would love to be there.

4. Basketball Vibes – In the second round of the 1988 NBA playoffs, Dominique Wilkins and Larry Bird engaged in a Game 7 showdown for the ages at Boston Garden. The Celtics would prevail 118-116, but the incredible performances from these all-time greats, plus fellow Hall of Famer Kevin McHale, will never be forgotten. Bird scored 34, and delivered, after promising a victory following the Celtics Game 6 comeback win at The Omni. That was the Hawks best chance. But Dominique was truly “Magnifique,” connecting on 19-of-23 shots and scoring 47 in an unforgettable showcase of excellence.

5. The Last Time – You remember him. Andy Isabella. His recruiting story is the stuff of legend. Georgia clearly overmatched UMass, and the Bulldogs blew away the Minutemen 66-27 Between the Hedges. But Isabella, who was a high school track state champion, dazzled the Sanford Stadium crowd with a pair of touchdowns and 219 receiving yards on 15 catches. That guy is a dude, we all said. He went on to be drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round and is currently on the roster of the Pittsburgh Steelers.