If you love Georgia football, then I think you will agree with me that the first loss of the football season is always a bitter pill. And unfortunately for our Dawgs, the drubbing they took in Oxford this past Saturday was particularly hard to withstand. The game was basically over as soon as it began. It was as disappointing a performance that I have witnessed in a very long time. However in my opinion, how our team and fanbase responds on Saturday versus Tennessee is what will determine just how bad it really was.

While I know the Bulldog Nation is both unhappy and mad at our team, we must now rally behind them in helping them defend our turf against Rocky Top who arrives to Athens riding high after finally getting the Florida monkey off their back last week.

The question now is what is it going to take to help our young team shake off the Ole Miss schalacking?

Obviously that will involve some soul searching by the entire team, but the team leaders are the key. They have experienced the highs and lows that a college football season produces. They know that you can go from being the greatest thing on campus to not wanting to go to class in just a matter of days. It is vital that players like Jeb Blazevich, Dominick Sanders and Lorenzo Carter make it their mission this week in practice to keep the moral up.

It really shouldn’t be that hard because as bad as the road trip to Oxford was, it can be eliminated with a victory over Tennessee. Get the W and the team is right back in the race to win the SEC East. Obviously that is easier said than done when you are realistic about the state of this team. There are definitely plenty of deficiencies, which is why our team must minimize mistakes on all fronts. That’s where the team leadership must kick in.

I’m very optimistic about Saturday’s game. Often, it’s much easier to get over a blowout loss than a heartbreaker. I say wipe the slate clean and arrive to Sanford Stadium with your hobnailed boots good and sharpened.

For our fanbase, I would expect nothing but the same from you. For the thousands of fans that made the trip to Oxford, get your rest from one amazingly good time and be ready on Saturday. Our guys need our support and we must deliver.

I hope you will enjoy this issue of BI that is full of great fan photos from the Ole Miss game. I can’t describe how awesome it was to see red and black take over both the Square and The Grove. But the best part of the weekend was how much all the Ole Miss fans and Oxford residents appreciated our amazing fanbase.

We are a proud university with stellar alumni and fan support, which is another reason I know you’re going to love this issue. Throughout our social section, some of UGA’s best are featured. And definitely don’t miss our photos from the UGA Alumni’s 40 Under 40 event held a few weeks ago. Wow, what an accomplished group of Georgia graduates!

Like I’ve said a few times already, it’s up to all of us to show our support of the team on Saturday. As our cover says, it’s time to defend our turf and take down Tennessee. See you in Sanford!