It was ugly in Oxford, shake it off Dawgs … ‘In Tate, We Trust’ to beat the Vols!

Wow, sports’ fans that was quite the beating our Dawgs took in Oxford on Saturday. In the off-season, I feared the Rebels might win this game, but certainly didn’t expect them to dismantle Kirby and Company.

I won’t spend too much time dissecting the beat down, but boy there is plenty to be concerned about with the equally talented and tough Tennessee Volunteers team arriving to Athens this Saturday. The Georgia offense continues to struggle mightily and you can bet Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel will be calling similar pass plays across the middle (that the Ole Miss offense scorched the Georgia defense all game).

This 2024 Georgia team now finds itself in a must win situation versus Tennessee, which is why this issue’s cover is all about putting our trust in veteran offensive lineman, Tate Ratledge. The Bulldog airwaves right now are riddled with “lack of leadership” talk with this team. While there may be some truthfulness in these assertions, that is certainly not the case when talking about Ratledge. He came back for his fifth year and that was because he wanted to help his team make the College Football Playoff.

Everyone in Bulldog Nation is rooting and counting on you Tate. Your leadership is a must for a team that is definitely struggling at this moment. It was a pleasant surprise to read in this issue’s From the Interns (page 20) that Tate was already displaying excellent leadership in the waning minutes of the Ole Miss defeat.

Of course, it will take more than Tate to get a W over Tennessee.

The Georgia faithful must be in their seats early on Saturday night. Then it is pretty simple, make as much noise that is humanly possible. As Jeff Dantzler states in his column (page 10), our Bulldogs team is currently riding a 28 straight home winning streak in Sanford Stadium, which is the best in college football. When our men in Red and Black hit Dooley Field, they must feel the support of their fans. The stakes can’t get any bigger. A loss to the Vols more than likely would dash any hopes of making the Playoff.

‘In Tate, We Trust’ … now let’s put the tater on Tennessee. It won’t be easy, but our team has it in them to play harder and better. That starts on Saturday night!

Enjoy this issue of Bulldawg Illustrated. It’s hard to believe that the 2024 season is now in the fourth quarter (only three remaining games).

On the sports front, be sure to read Hamilton Culpepper’s What’s the Word featuring Athenian Jarryd Wallace. Jarryd definitely comes from incredible stock as his parents, Sabina and Jeff, were both UGA student-athletes in their early days. And Jeff recently retired after leading the UGA women’s tennis team to greatness for decades. Jarryd’s story is so powerful with him persevering from having one of his legs amputated (below the knee) to becoming a multiple Paralympic medalist. We certainly appreciate him taking to time to do the interview with Hammy.

Greg Poole’s From the Field (page 66) is a must read as he notes how Lane Kiffin’s transfer portal mastery has translated to even more success on the field. Basically, every Rebel that made plays this past Saturday came via the portal. Duly noted! And don’t miss Kevin Butler’s (page 68) wish list for immediate improvement for the 2024 Dawgs.

In our Social section, you will find over 100 fans photos (pages 26-57) from Oxford. The Grove has certainly changed (mounds of people stacked on one another), but the town of Oxford remains such a quaint place. The Velvet Ditch (a term coined in the 1950s to describe Oxford , implying that it is easy to fall into its comforts, but hard to leave) is real. The charm of Oxford sucks you in, for sure. Next time though, our Dawgs need to get out of there with a victory.

This issue’s Georgia Girls (pages 24, 25) and Proust Q&A (page 62) are special to Team Bulldawg Illustrated because both Hannah Groseclose and Houston Gaines are former contributors to BI. Hannah is who helped take our newsprint product to magazine format when Georgia hired Kirby back in 2016. Beyond her incredible graphic design and marketing skills, Hannah is a peach of a gal, so I know you will enjoy reading about her. And Houston Gaines was a BI writer/intern with us before he was even a teenager. It’s been such a pleasure to watch Houston grow into such a fine young adult. As one of the youngest members of the Georgia House of Representatives, Houston continues to shine under the Dome in Atlanta. The late UGA legend Dan Magill would certainly be proud like Cheri, Jeff Dantzler and I are of Houston’s commitment to making the state of Georgia a better place for all its citizens.

Finally, enjoy Columbus native (Louisville resident) Ed James MixTape on page 61. His compilation of tracks reflects his colorful personality. And Ed is pretty darn good picking at a guitar and his Elvis impersonations are spot-on. Enjoy!

Alright Dawg fans, it’s time to rally behind our team … ‘In Tate, We Trust’ … see you in Sanford, Go Dawgs!!