For the record, I think Georgia wins. But in possibly an indictment of how uneasy things are amongst the fan base, I could also see Georgia losing as well.
Living in Middle Georgia, you live among a good mix of fans, and with its proximity, that includes Georgia Southern fans. To me, GSU has always been a rural version of the Georgia Tech fan base. Georgia should not lose to them on the gridiron – and when it happens, it is MAJOR deal.
And don’t discount the dislike for the Bulldog Nation either. Asking people on campus not to wear red all week because they are playing UGA? That’s North Avenue Trade School inferiority complex stuff. Heck, you can almost argue that a Georgia loss would devastate UGA’s fan base more than any other group.
We’ve talked in this space before about Georgia enabling programs to get a signature win. You think winning at the The Swamp was big a few years back? That’s absolutely nothing compared to what it’ll be if the Eagles pull off the win. It’d be more revered than any of Georgia Southern’s 1-AA titles. A state of Willie Fritz would be commissioned within three days.
Georgia has talked big in recent years about ‘running the state.’
A loss to Georgia Southern means taking a back seat going forward to GSU. Georgia, and Mark Richt cannot allow that to happen.
Bottom line – if Georgia has multiple three and outs and relies on defense and special teams on Saturday, it’s a recipe for disaster and one of the most infamous home games in Sanford Stadium history.
For a long time, especially as a result of calling the Peach State home, the Auburn game was usually circles on the calendar. When you live in and around Auburn fans and other supporters, it’s hard not to get your blood going for The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.
Georgia and Auburn is like two siblings going against one another. The thing about siblings is, you don’t always have to like them. That’s the case with the Bulldogs and the Wartiglesmen.
But for me, the Auburn game means a lot more, and something different.
It all started back two years ago, really in the final minutes of the game.
On the late-game pass thrown by an Auburn quarterback that Georgia had the audacity to dismiss for stealing from his own teammates (I refuse to refer to the fluke play by name), when the ball was deflected in the air, I just knew…maybe from the perpetual heartache of being a Georgia fan, that it would not end well. And course, it didn’t.
Now, like everyone else, I was devastated. Our dog, a 45-pound pit mix, was probably also nervous from all the yelling at the TV from the late-game turning of events.
So, of course, a few minutes go by. And then, Mrs. Lugnut Dawg decides that something is needed to make me feel better. At that moment, she tells me that we’re expecting our first child. All I know is that if Georgia would have won and our daughter would have been born a boy, his name would have most likely been Aaron!
Flash forward to 2014.
On the Friday morning before the game, I was primed and ready to go, already making plans for what time to head to Athens on Saturday for not only the Auburn game, but Todd Gurley’s return. That all changed around 2 p.m.
While at work, I got the call that few want to receive. It was one informing me that our daughter’s trip to see her pediatrician was much more serious, and that the next stop was a trip straight to the ER of the local Children’s Hospital.
21 or so days later, she was out of the hospital and has improved in multiple areas since then.
The funny thing is, when telling Georgia fans about the initial trip to the hospital, usually say, ‘well, it was the weekend of the Auburn game…”
In a way, our daughter has been defined by the Auburn game.
Either way, she’ll be decked out this Saturday from our home in red and black cheering on the Dawgs with us!
Few head coaches at The University of Georgia have been as maligned as Ray Goff, who had the unfortunate circumstance of taking over as head coach of a handstrung program that at the same time became a glutton for punishment at the hands of the Ol’ Ball Coach, especially when he hung half a hundred on the Dawgs in 1995 in Athens.
I wasn’t in Sanford that day – but know plenty who were. If you had to endure that day, Saturday night was especially sweet.
1966 was a lifelong torture. 1997 was sweet revenge. Last night? That was an undressing. Georgia has a good team, and showed it. USCe is down, and Georgia exposed it in a big way.
Detractors – you know they are out there. They’ll pull out the fact that, “but…USC is a bad team. That win isn’t that big.”
Not hardly.
How many times has Georgia played an inferior team and slopped its way to an ugly win. I’ll eat crow – I expected it on Saturday. But what we saw on Saturday is what championship teams do – take care of business and make a statement – do what you are there to do to start with.
Will this team play on that level the rest of the year? Probably not. You cannot expect that over the course of a season. In a perfect world, you could bottle up the emotion of Saturday and sprinkle it around each week. We remember all too begrudgingly the 2004 LSU win followed up by a flat loss to Tennessee…even the 1997 Florida win followed by laying an egg against Auburn.
But if this team plays at a fraction of what we saw Saturday – executing on both sides of the ball and a lack of special teams gaffes…for the most part…bigger things could be in store later down the line.
Well, after a rather long hiatus, we’re back. Due to some real-job goings on and Little Lugnut Dawg having to go into the hospital the weekend of the Auburn game and having some after-effects, it’s been awhile (update on Little Lugnut coming at some point down the road).
At any rate, this is the least favorite time of the year. There’s too much time, as Munson would say, until the season gets here. All that’s left to do is think ahead to preseason camp and pray to all things holy that no UGA players do anything knuckleheaded off the field. It doesn’t help that the offseason will drag by at a snail’s pace with the looming trainwreck that is the Braves (thanks for the screw job, Frank Wren).
Speaking of that schedule, there’s a lot of time to mull over how it may shake it out. Here’s how it could turn out, week to week.
Sept. 5, Louisiana-Monroe
Should be a steady diet of getting things in sync and hopefully, time for Ram-Bau-Park to get a good feel for the offense
Sept. 12, at Vanderbilt
Nice scheduling break here, getting a first SEC road game for a new QB against a lower-rung team of the conference.
Sept. 19, South Carolina
This’ll be a war, as always. No beating around the bush. USCe’s offensive holes do make you feel a tad better until you realize the HBC is on the other sideline.
Sept. 26, Southern
Are they bringing their band?
Oct 3, Alabama
Possibly the most anticipated home game in Athens since many of us 30ish Dawgs were in diapers. The shot at Bama for the first time since five yards short? The first trip to Athens since a darker shade of jersey out? The atmosphere itself will be worth being in Athens for.
Oct. 10, at Tennessee
This has trap game all over it, being on the road and a week after what will be a charged game against Bama.
Oct. 17, Mizzou
Who’d of thought four years ago that Missouri would be a game with heavy SEC East implications riding on it?
Oct. 31, Florida
Given the rebuilding in Jortsville, Georgia should win. We said that last year, too
Nov. 7, Kentucky
Scrappy Kentucky team could prove to be a speed bump in between a pair of rivalry games.
Nov. 14, at Auburn
I’m more worried now that Bobo is not around to counter Muschamp. Take away the UF game last year, and Georgia had an apparent advantage. Not so sure now, although that could change.
Nov. 21, Georgia Southern
With GSU no longer running a true option, this game is less of an advantage preceding Tech. Georgia Southern now has a bunch knowing they can hang with big-time teams and be in the game. That could be scary for Georgia, especially if it is banged up or deshoveled after a loss to Auburn, if it happens.
Nov. 28, at Georgia Tech
Only thing worse than losing to the NATS? Losing to them twice in a row.
– Georgia may have lost this game on a squib kick, but it was the game itself was lost well before that. Fact is, the better team won on Saturday, Georgia just came close to digging itself out of a big hole just in the nick of time. For the most part, this same team that overpowered Auburn and Clemson got manhandled by Tech. Basically, it was the Florida game all over again. If I’m playing Georgia, I run it, run it and run it. because as good as this defense is against the spread, its as lacking against power running games.
– Really a shame for Hutson Mason. He probably got more out of his ability than most players in the CMR era – but he’ll be remembered for a massively boneheaded play in the worst time to make it.
– I turned and made sure to exit Saturday and not see GT players taking pieces of our hedges. It sucks that it happens, but when you protect your house, it doesn’t happen. Then again, fair is fair – Ben Jones gave us one of the better post-game shots a few years ago with a chunk of yellow turf in his mouth, so it works both ways.
– You cannot, CANNOT get inside the five three times and score a combined three points. I said to myself at the half that Georgia would lose after the two first-half fumbles.
– Speaking of fumbles, Georgia got a gift on Swann’s return….but based on the screw jobs by refs on Georgia this year, we were due for once.
– Look, I like accountability as much as the next guy, but this after the fact business of, ‘yeah I messed up,’ is getting old and getting old fast. It doesn’t matter if you admit it was a bad decision, it was STILL a bad decision. The squib kick ranks up there with the 2001 goal line debacle against Auburn and opting to redshirt Knowshon Moreno. One of the biggest mistakes in TV series history was when Coy and Vance were in the Dukes of Hazzard. Every knows it was a bad mistake, but it does not change the fact that it took place.
– That said, I’m not on the “fire Richt” bandwagon. Bonehead things happen. Remember Saban in the Iron Bowl last year? That said, everyone on the staff should have their feed held to the fire after losing to Georgia’s two biggest rivals. That should not be unacceptable. The problem is that being ‘pretty good’ seems to be ok with the UGA administration.
– Please, for the love of Christmas, don’t make us play Nebraska again in a bowl.
The winning team with more than 400 rushing yards.
The losing team’s fans taking to social media to rip the losing coach to shreds, some calling for his firing.
On paper, and if you asked anyone outside the Georgia fan base the past week, they’ve have surmised that it would have been Georgia with the 38 points and gaudy rushing yards, and Florida with the loss and possibly placing the red tag in Will Muschamp’s locker.
Then again, none of those fans know that us Georgia fans know all too well. There’s a little thing called Jacksonville, and for whatever reason, Georgia’s more underwhelming performances happen at Everbank Field. It may not be a true neutral site, but that can’t be an excuse to let down after let down. Go back in Mark Richt’s tenure and better Georgia teams have either struggled to beat, or lose to inferior Florida teams.
But Saturday? It took it to another level. In terms of losses under Mark Richt, it, to me is among the top three most shameful, in the same breath as the 2006 Sugar Bowl and 2008 against Georgia Tech.
It’s unconscionable that a team that rolls over Mizzou and Arkansas, on the road, to be blunt, just seemed uninterested in being there on Saturday. More baffling? This team’s worst performances this year have come off open dates. I mean, if this coaching staff has problems keeping players sharp, why the heck not scrimmage someone like Buford High on open weekends?
The officials Saturday? They were bad, as usual. Was Gurley missed? Yes, but it wouldn’t have meant much with the way Georgia was beaten up front.
But it’s funny, in a way. Saturday may have been the final laugh for Georgia toward the Muschamp era at Florida. Instead, it is one that Florida fans will always remember, and remind Georgia fans with infamy – very similar to Georgia’s 1985 win over top-ranked Florida. And, depending on what happens the rest of the year, could be the turning point for Richt’s turnaround during the past three seasons. Sure, it’s post-game gut reactions, but all I know is a lot of Richt apologists last night appeared to be tired of defending Richt, and may be finally resolving that maybe their loyalty needs to be reevaluated.
At the end of the day, the problem is this. Georgia fans are asking themselves why this team has put together another underwhelming showing in a game it had no business losing going in. And it happens season after season.
Saturday was a chance to continue moving this program forward. Instead, it took multiple steps back, and it may need a win over Auburn in two weeks to get back on track.
30 years ago today exactly, Kevin Butler’s mammoth field goal kick upset Clemson.
We’re guilty of re-posting this column of Lewis Grizzard’s but it’s very, very fitting on a day like today.
Great moments in a would be father’s life
To my Son, if I ever have one:
Kid, I am writing this on September 3, 1984. I have just returned from Athens, where I spent Saturday watching the University of Georgia, your old dad’s alma matter, play football against Clemson.
While the events of the day were still fresh on my mind, I wanted to recount them so if you are ever born, you can read this and perhaps be able to share one of the great moments in your father’s life.
Saturday was a wonderful day on the Georgia campus.
We are talking blue, cloudless sky, a gentle breeze and a temperature suggesting summer’s end and autumn’s approach.
I said the blessing before we had lunch. I thanked the Lord for three things: fried chicken, potato salad and for the fact he had allowed me the privilege of being a Bulldog.
“And , Dear Lord,” I prayed, “bless all those not as fortunate as I.”
Imagine my son, 82,000 people, most whom were garbed in red, gathered together gazing down on a lush valley of hedge and grass where soon historic sporting combat would be launched.
Clemson was ranked number 2 in the nation, and Georgia, feared too young to compete with the veterans from beyond the river, could only dream, the smart money said, of emerging three hours hence victorious.
They had us 20-6 at the half, son. A man sitting in front of me said, “I just hope we don’t get embarrassed.”
My boy, I had never seen such a thing as came to pass in the second half. Todd Williams threw one long and high, and Herman Archie caught it in the end zone, and it was now 20-13.
Georgia got the ball again and scored again, and it was now 20-20, and my mouth was dry, and my hands were shaking, and this Clemson fan who had been running his mouth the whole ballgame suddenly shut his fat face.
Son, we got ahead 23-20, and the ground trembled and shook, and many were taken by fainting spells.
Clemson’s kicker, Donald Igwebuike, tied it 23-23 and this sacred place became the center of the universe.
Only seconds were left when Georgia’s kicker, Kevin Butler, stood poised in concentration. The ball rushed toward him, and it was placed upon the tee a heartbeat before his right foot launched it heavenward.
A lifetime later, the officials threw their arms aloft. From 60 yards away, Kevin Butler had been true, and Georgia led and would win 26-23.
I hugged perfect strangers and kissed a fat lady on the mouth. Grown men wept. Lightening flashed. Thunder rolled. Stars fell, and joy swept through, fetched by a hurricane of unleashed emotions.
When Georgia beat Alabama 18-17 in 1965, it was a staggering victory. When we came back against Georgia Tech and won 29-28 in1978, the Chapel bell rang all night. When we beat Florida 26-21 in the last seconds in 1980, we called it a miracle. And when we beat Notre Dame 17-10 in the Sugar Bowl that same year for the national championship, a woman pulled up her skirt and showed the world the Bulldog she had sewn on her underbritches.
But Saturday may have been even better than any of those.
Saturday in Athens was a religious experience.
I give this to you, son. Read it and re-read it, and keep it next to your heart. And when people want to know how you wound up with the name “Kevin” let them read it, and then they will know.
If anything else, the Gator Bowl loss to Nebraska means one thing more than anything else – closure.
You want frustration, this season has been full of it with injuries, unbelievably bad luck, defensive misadventures and haphazard efforts on special teams.
Unless you are playing in a BCS Bowl, a bowl game is pretty much, as Corbin Dawg alluded to earlier, an exhibition. Oh sure, they are fun to go to for fans (me and Lugnut’s dad enjoyed ourselves in Jacksonville) and players get to do some cool things. But for the most part, bowls do not define your season.
Regardless of Georgia’s result in Jacksonville, it does not change the fact that three damning issues exist within the program going into the offseason that would be the same if Georgia would have rallied to win:
– An atrocious defensive secondary
– Bad News Bears special teams play
– Hutson Mason getting a firm enough grasp of the offense
If there is a silver lining, it’s that this team heads into the offseason pissed off. If this team needed a wakeup call, Nebraska may have done Georgia a big favor.
Be Sure to drink your Ovaltine. Ovaltine? A crummy commercial? Son of a bitch!
-Ralphie
I have a few thoughts about the Gator Bowl yesterday, but before I jumped in the specifics, I wanted to touch on some big picture thoughts.
I hate when the Dawgs lose. I hate it so bad. I want, and most years expect, Georgia to win every game. I have as unrealistically high expectations on where I want the football program to be as anyone. I was devastated after the Auburn loss, and in the past, I have been devastated by losses in bowl games.
But not anymore. I saw a lot of venom and angst yesterday on Twitter, but I simply don’t care that Georgia lost yesterday. If Georgia had won, I would have felt good, but not have the same feeling of happiness I have when we beat South Carolina, LSU, came back against Tennessee and Tech, and beat Florida for the 3rd year in a row.
Don’t be confused; I am not one to hate on the Bowls. I love watching these games. I stayed up to 12:30 in the morning last night watching UCF beat Baylor. I was glued to Texas A&M and Duke. These are fun games. But in the end, they are just glorified commercials for the sponsors, ways for local towns to fill up hotel rooms, and ESPN to have content and sell advertising space. That is all. The bowls have no merit other than that. Except the National Championship. And I’ll even say the bigger bowls have luster. Living in the South and having the tradition, you want to say you won the Sugar Bowl. The Rose Bowl is important to the Big 10 and Pac 10/12.
But these mediocre bowls are just exhibition games and fun games to watch. How many times yesterday did they talk about the bad playing conditions on the field, yet they let Junior drive his car out on the field and hand over the coin? It was done for pomp and circumstance, and to let Tax Slayer have their spokesmen get TV coverage. I’m sure if this was game in Sanford Stadium, there would be no way in hell a car would be driven on the field, espeically in those conditions.
I saw stats yesterday that UGA is 1-3 in Bowls the last 4 years, or they’ve lost X number of games the last five years and this and that. I hate these stats, because they are intellectually dishonest. If we had won yesterday, UGA would be 2-2 in their last four bowls. Just like with the beating ranked team argument, those stats are only thrown up after a loss. If we had won, no one would say “Hey, Mark Richt is 47-21 his last five years.” But since they lost, it was “Mark Richt is 46-22 his last five years.”
Previously, a bowl win might help you in the polls for next season. But now with the playoff selection committee, the polls are completely irrelevant. And Auburn and Baylor showed that if you start the season unranked, you can still climb up in the hearts and minds of America if you just win the games.
I am not just saying this as a defense mechanism because the Dawgs lost or having sour grapes. It was nice to get a win last year, but did it matter? I mean, it was nice to close out on a win, but last year I was still hung over from the Alabama game. Losing to UCF didn’t keep the Dawgs from signing the Dream Team or winning the SEC East in 2011. Losing to Michigan State didn’t keep Georgia from signing the “Ring Team” or winning the East in 2012. Beating Nebraska last year didn’t do anything to help us for 2012 against Clemson or keep anyone from getting injured this season.
I opened with a quote from one of my favorite movies. I’ll throw in another 80s movie franchise example. In the Rocky movies, what bout was more important-Rocky beating Apollo Creed for the title in Rocky II or beating Ivan Drago in Rocky IV? Clearly, beating Creed was more important. It was for the belt. Did Rocky’s fight against Thunderlips in Rocky III matter? No, it was a charity exhibition.
Like with Ralphie and his Little Orphan Annie Decoder that was thought to be something more than it was, these bowls are just a crummy commercial. Any more or less emotional investment in them is just a waste of time.
The actions in the game certainly frustrated me. Same old, same old.
-I want to get into special teams more in detail later, but how we can’t be competent in the punt return game is maddening. As I was watching UCF last night, every time they received a punt there was no drama. Remember when we had Damien Gary, Thomas Flowers, Mikey Henderson, and Brandon Boykin would could actually make plays? We can’t even field the punts anymore. Man, I long for the days of Logan Gray.
-I think the defense quietly played its best game of the year yesterday, with one glaring mistake. Of course, the glaring mistake was a big one. For all intents and purposes, a 100 yard touchdown pass is not something you see often, especially from Nebraska. And what sucked so bad is as soon as he let it rip, you just knew it was going to the house.
-Gurley was hobbled, it was clear he wasn’t 100% still. But he still had a very good game. I think that if he was 100%, he would have scored on the 3rd and 10 draw play in the closing minutes.
-It seems like Lynch has had some big drops and other miscues this season, but Lynch is still a good player and will be sorely missed. I wish him nothing but the best in his NFL or other future endeavors.
-Not having Matthews or JHC at safety was evident. I hope JHC can get his act together, because I am not sure his leash is going to be incredibly long going forward. He is reminding me an awful lot like Ealey and King.
-Mason did well statistically, but 182 out of his 320 yards (57%) came on little dump offs to Gurley and Douglas, and the one long pass to Bennett. I get the weather didn’t help any, and the O-line protection was shaky, but it seemed he was a little off, hesitant, and held on the ball for way too long. Like I said last week, hopefully he was able to learn something.
I don’t know if I have ever said this, but I am glad this season is over. I love watching the Dawgs play. I pine for it all year. I talk about it all year with friends. Hell, I take the time to blog about it. Football season is fun, even if the team is not doing well. It is even more fun when they are. But this year was an up and down roller coaster of emotions and I’m glad it is came to an end. I’ll be jacked up for the 2014 campaign soon, but right now, I am just glad this year is over and behind us.
The Grit Tree 