[su_spacer size=”20″]

[su_spacer size=”20″] Where shall I begin? That’s about all I can muster right now in trying to put my arms around this past Saturday’s road trip to Knoxville.
[su_spacer size=”20″]
First and foremost, like everyone in the Bulldog Nation, my heart goes out to Nick Chubb for the season ending knee injury he sustained on the first play against Tennessee. As a quiet leader, the respect Chubb has amongst his teammates and fanbase are unmatched. There’s not a harder working player on the team than he, which makes his injury all the more hard to swallow. But as we all know, football is a sport where injuries occur regularly, so while we won’t be graced with the opportunity to see #27 for a year, we must take solace in the fact that a full recovery is expected for this Damn Good Dawg. Everyone at Bulldawg Illustrated certainly wishes him the best in his rehab.
[su_spacer size=”40″] And for Chubb’s teammates, the road ahead also certainly appears to be full of challenges as they fell to Tennessee in a barnburner 38-31. Given the circumstances, you have to give our young men a ton of credit for never giving up all the way to the final play of the game. As Bl’s Greg Poole writes on page 4, these guys are fighters. And that’s an excellent attribute to possess if this team is going to stop the bleeding of the last two games.
[su_spacer size=”40″] At this point, any focus past this Saturday night’s game in Sanford Stadium against Missouri is misguided for our fan- base and our team. The ultimate question is whether everyone in the Bulldog Nation can put their bruised egos aside and focus one play at a time? I know I’m struggling with it and I’m merely a fan that turned my favorite past time into a job.
[su_spacer size=”40″] For this reason, the special photo I took of some of my friends’ children on North Campus before the Alabama game was perfect for this issue’s cover. Despite the awful weather conditions of that day, these boys were having a blast tossing around the football, no doubt pretending to be like their favorite Bulldog. Now, I’m sure their mothers weren’t too happy with the dads the next day when they were trying to figure out how to get the mud out of their clothes.
[su_spacer size=”40″] I paint this amusing picture because right now I think its symbolism is of the upmost importance for all of us that profess our love of UGA football. Without question, the boys on our cover have been heartbroken the last two weeks watching our team endure multiple losses. However, I guarantee you their love of their favorite team has not changed one bit. For this reason, it’s vital that the adults in the room also put their best foot forward and make plans to come to Athens on Saturday to celebrate homecoming.
[su_spacer size=”40″] It’s a special weekend that begins with the parade in downtown on Friday and tons of alumni gatherings throughout Saturday leading up to the game. However this year’s opponent, the Missouri Tigers, are certainly not a cupcake team where a victory is assured even before toe meets leather. Like our Dawgs, the Tigers are in bad need of an SEC victory, so to think this contest won’t be another nail-biter is a pipe dream.
[su_spacer size=”40″] So what will it take for our team to get back in the winning column? Without a doubt, our coaches and team must get back to the basics of how to play fundamental football. And right now that certainly appears easier said than done. I wish I had the magic ingredient, but I will say it’s time for our head coach to rise to the occasion.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Coach Richt’s tenure at Georgia has been beyond successful, but for whatever reason he has never been one to openly express his displeasure with certain short-comings of his teams. And for the most part, the Georgia fanbase has been ok with that style because of the overall consistency of his program. However, now that backing is dwindling at a rapid pace as hopes for championships diminish. He probably won’t do it, but it’s time for Coach Richt to own up to the fact that the play of his specialty teams is unacceptable. How much longer are our fans expected to digest a unit that continues to struggle so mightily?
[su_spacer size=”40″] Richt has refused to hire a special teams coach, which in my opinion is and continues to be a bad decision. I truly think UGA Athletic Director Greg McGarity should have made that happen as part of the negotiations, this past December when Richt and his assistants were not only extended, but also paid more. McGarity had the leverage then to get that done, but instead chose to allow his coach to direct his team as he saw fit. Who knows what results a special teams coach would make, but at least it would have shown an effort to correct a glaring ongoing problem.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Now, of course there are other issues right now with this team, but I’m willing to go along with our coaches that youth has a ton to do with it. However, I do wonder what the players think when they hear their coaches saying that.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Despite all of this, I still have faith that Coach Richt is going to right the ship and get his team to hunker down for homecoming. Let’s do our part and be there to support him, his assistants and most importantly, his team. We need a win Bulldog Nation, now let’s all unite and go get it.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Go Dawgs!
[su_spacer size=”40″]

---

[su_spacer size=”40″] Make sure to check out Bulldawg Illustrated’s latest print edition: Don’t Jump Ship, digital issue available for free online click HERE.
[su_spacer size=”80″]