Bernie's Dawg Blawg

Recruiting Roundup: 4 days til NSD

2012-01-28T06:22:00.000-05:00

Some developments this week has insured that this year's NSD liveblog will exceed the previous three, as is tradition. Each year we get a little bigger in the coverage we're able to bring from the floor of Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall. I'll have more details later. But rest assured...if you're not able to come to Athens, you can get up to the second updates, pictures and videos (plus maybe more...) right here.

Speaking of developments, a new name surfaced late Thursday as a potential "sign and place" for the class of 2012. Davonte Lambert is a defensive end out of Burke County (state AAA champion) that is likely heading to Georgia Military or Hutchison Community College (where current prospect Cordarrelle Patterson is finishing up), but Georgia, Troy and LSU are interested in his future services. Richt and staff were able to get Lambert on campus last night.

Josh Dawson's in home visit is tonight. He's the Vandy commit that has recently been mesmerized by Grantham's awesomeness. Here's Radi Nabulsi's recent interview with the Tucker HS star. Which program does he feel needs him the most ($$)?

Happy Birthday UGA!

2012-01-28T05:08:00.000-05:00

h/t Dawgtoons

I loved watching this video of UGA and Athens, circa 1947. Sure you will as well.

Happy Birthday OC7!

2012-01-27T11:53:00.001-05:00

Damn Good Dawg! Beware NFL safeties. Beware.

photo by Dean Legge, DawgPost

SEC Today - 1/27/12

2012-01-27T11:49:00.001-05:00

Host Hannah Chalker preps us for tomorrow's Senior Bowl in Mobile AL.

Recruiting Roundup: 5 days til NSD

2012-01-27T07:02:00.000-05:00

Some nuggets to stir into your coffee.

Kenderious Whitehead

Will Adams says he received a UGA offer yesterday when Georgia coaches visited Sandy Creek HS. Most experts agree that what is being reported didn't actually happen. Sounds like there was some miscommunication. Adams is a Tech commit.
Speaking of Sandy Creek, the Jaquay Williams visit went really well yesterday. Still going to be a tough one to pull from Auburn. They've been in it a while. But Georgia coaches gave the play making wide receiver a lot to think about.
Brandon Greene also had a visit from UGA yesterday. He evidently knows where he's going, but we won't until Wednesday around 9am.
It's also not over with Kenderious Whitehead. Georgia coaches made a strong pitch Tuesday and the NC State commit just has to decide whether he'd like to put his hand in SEC dirt and make plays in Grantham's 3-4, or make them in Raleigh in relative obscurity.
Sean Price (as of last night) will NOT be visiting Athens. South Florida coaches evidently convinced him not to come. Oh well.

Let's play rank the prospects. Here's how I would rank them.

Avery Young - (OL) Based simply on the fact that we have to have linemen. Have to.
Josh Harvey-Clemons - (OLB) Georgia's top uncommitted prospect.
Cordarrelle Patterson - (WR) Difference maker, plain and simple.
Sheldon Dawson - (DB) Top defensive back on Lakatos' board.
Brandon Greene (OL) - This one won't be over until the ink is dry.
Jaquay Williams - (WR) Auburn commit is lending an ear Richt's way.
Josh Dawson - (OLB) Vandy commit is liking what Grantham is doing.
Kenderious Whitehead - (DE) Really likes UGA, but enough to dump NC State?

What order would you put them in? If I had to guess at this point I think we get both Dawsons, JHC and probably Avery Young. But the only one I feel comfortable about right now is S. Dawson. And maybe Harvey-Clemons. Regardless, the last few days are going to be a fun ride.

Recruiting Roundup: 6 days til NSD

2012-01-26T07:13:00.002-05:00

Today's news and notes.

Coach Richt helped Josh Harvey-Clemons bond some jailbirds out last night while in Valdosta. JHC is said to be a good lean towards Athens. He'll visit Miami this weekend.
The flirtation with Georgia from Graham Shuler was short-lived. By the time most of you read yesterday's post he had already woken up and decided to stick with Stanford. Coupled with the loss of Chester Brown earlier this week the decision of Avery Young looms even larger. Even with Mark Beard on campus already CMR must sign some quality depth and starters on the offensive line next week.
One of the reasons Georgia is still in the running for Jaquay Williams is that the Dawgs are "wide-receiver friendly". Richt and Co. will visit the Sandy Creek star today.

Some things to watch for the next few days:

Cedar Grove's
Brandon Greene

Can Richt get an in home visit with Brandon Greene? The Cedar Grove offensive lineman pissed Saban off by visiting Athens a few weeks ago. If Georgia can get into the home as well then they might just have enough momentum to flip him from Bama to all Dawg.
Richt will be able to sit ($$) on Josh Dawson's sofa on Saturday. It's about 50/50 between Vandy and Georgia. Commodore coaches visited Dawson yesterday, but Coach Franklin didn't make the trip. As long as this in home doesn't fall through, I like our chances.
As far as the other target named Dawson, it appears as if Sheldon would pick UGA today if today were next Wednesday. He looks like he'll announce on Monday.
Sean Price is scheduled to come to town this weekend for an official visit. He's the tight end from Citra FL. He's supposedly wanting to stay close to home and will be hard to sway from his USF commitment. But he'll bring his grandparents (also his legal guardians) with him to Athens. So he's giving Georgia a real shot here.

Letters to McGarity

2012-01-26T05:09:00.000-05:00

Ok, full disclosure. I'm bitter. I watched the Kentucky minor league basketball team dismantle the Hoop Dawgs the other night and was thankful that Raylan needed my help in Harlan County for much of the second half as a distraction. I hate Kentucky. And as I've mentioned before my Dawg Fandom truly began one night my first sophomore year in Stegeman Coliseum. I desperately want our hoops team to succeed, yet despite their fight and their vigor they just couldn't match up against the behemoth that is Craplari's suit.

Anyway, to make matters worse I couldn't help but notice that the PA system in the Steg is using the same "song" that bastardized the experience in Sanford this Fall. Something called "Kernkraft 400" by a group called "Zombie Nation". It's dumb. It's juvenile. And the use of it at sporting events is born from the loins of ACC country. To hear it on the flats makes me laugh. To hear it in Athens makes me queasy.

....not worth living in.

So as promised, here's my stock letter re: the nerd song that now plays 'tween the hedges AND over the hardwood. You can adopt it, alter it, or simply join the engiNerds and jump around til your zombie nation heart is content. But in the end, how comfortable you are living underneath a flag that is HALF red and black is your own business. Indeed...what you choose to do at this point is up to you.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Mr. McGarity,

I would like to start off by saying how pleased my family and I are that you are the director of UGA athletics. As alumni and fans that frequent many UGA events you have our full support. We've noticed your presence at many events and competitions and admire your hands on style.

All season long I noticed a particular song that, although not offensive in most ways, isn't suitable for a Sanford Stadium experience. I realize that these decisions are likely contracted out, but the Kernkraft 400 song (by a band called Zombie Nation I believe) is actually a part of the Georgia Tech and the ACC culture. Tech and other ACC stadiums I've visited play the song over the loud speakers and the students jump up and down. It's a unique sight and experience...for them. I actually had a chance to go to the Tech game against Virginia Tech back in November. As I watched the jumping and listened to the "noise" I was saddened that this is a level that Sanford Stadium has sunk to. At the same time I acknowledge and support the fact that most if not all Dawg fans refuse to "participate" in the song.

Please understand, I'm very glad that we're not one of those programs that plays the offensive rap lyrics for all fans especially those with young ears. And to be fair, when I was in Oxford earlier this season they played the song too (presumably because they are contracting with the same organization). I would just ask that we pull it for next season in the very least.

After all, we're Dawgs. Not nerds. Thanks for your time.

Bernie

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

ADDENDUM - sorry, I assumed everyone had AD McGarity's email. If not, click here and it will direct you to the UGA Athletic directory. Happy typing!

Recruiting Roundup: 7 days til NSD

2012-01-25T06:50:00.000-05:00

One week from today! Don't blink, there's too much to get to.

Scout's "Commitment Tracker" is out. You can see where their experts predict the top prospects will sign next Wednesday.
A day after Chester Brown decommits it looks like Georgia is making a strong push for Graham Shuler. According to DawgPost's Simmons ($), the Stanford commit is listening and might just flip at the last minute to play next to Theus in Athens. He's a 4-star guy from Tennessee's Brentwood Academy and has the size (6'5" around 280) to play guard or grow into a tackle spot. If you're hungry for pancakes, check this out.

A herd of Dawg coaches spent almost all of Tuesday trying to steer Kenderious Whitehead away from his NC State commit. Today they'll work on Jaquay Williams. That one seems 50/50 between Auburn and Georgia.
But Richt will also find time to go to church tonight with the state's top uncommitted prospect, Josh Harvey-Clemons. Boom-MotherEffer got a similar opportunity last month with JHC. And Jimbo wanted Wednesday's seat, but Richt had the pew reserved. If that doesn't help seal the deal there I don't know what will.
Lastly, a great daily feature going on over at DawgNation as they talk to a former Georgia player about his recruitment each day. Yesterday was Kelin Johnson. ($)

Humpday Hilarity - Fixit Flowchart

2012-01-25T05:09:00.000-05:00

Can always count on Mac to send some good stuff. And I thought this flowchart was quite timely considering so many of us are trying to catch up with our "honey-do-it!!" lists now that football season is over.

It has certainly helped save me a lot of time so far...

Recruiting Roundup: 8 days til NSD

2012-01-24T05:24:00.000-05:00

Some updates for your Tuesday morning. (All BOLD links are to pay sites)

Cape Coral's Tyreece Jiles

Chester Brown has decommitted. He's a large Samoan OL out of Hinesville GA. He committed after Dawg Night back in July and was especially proud to get the an offer from Richt. Brown mentioned the change of heart had to do with family issues, nothing bad between him and the Georgia coaches. The implication is that had to do with his citizenship status.
Josh Harvey Clemons' recruitment is going down to the finish line. Two quick updates on him. He evidently loved his FSU visit enough to make it a three team race with Florida and Georgia. Also, he'll announce on ESPN February 1st at 9am.
Dalvin Tomlinson will not visit UGA and doesn't feel like that will be a factor in his decision. Sounds like he's about made up his mind. He'll wait and announce at his school on NSD, sometime around mid-morning.
The Memphis DB Duo (Dawson and Redmond) are giving UGA serious consideration. Last week we talked about Kenneth Crawley. Well also keep an ear out for Tyreece Jiles. Georgia is trying to get the UNC commit on campus this weekend.
What about Jaquay Williams' visit? Well Chizik didn't give the athletic wideout much time to process as he met with Williams at Sandy Creek HS on Monday. And Williams was decked out in Auburn colors. Do with that what you will.
Cordarrelle Patterson is down to three schools, but isn't saying which two schools of the five he has cut (Ole Miss, Georgia, LSU, Auburn and Tennessee). Patterson will announce on signing day. LSU recruiting writer Sonny Shipp believes it'll make Les Miles happy.

Lace em up tight. We don't need anyone stumbling here near the end.

Dawgs vs Wildcats, preview

2012-01-24T05:18:00.000-05:00

Tonight, 8pm at the Steg. Get your tickets here. Student tickets are only $2, available online or at the Bookstore until 3pm.

On the Air with Coach Fox

On the Air with Coach Calipari

Monday's Meatloaf - the enigmatic awkwardness of medical intimacy

2012-01-23T08:57:00.000-05:00

Apparently I missed a family memo sometime last year as heart surgery became as commonplace as fried catfish in my family. Dad flew through with flying colors, nephew aced his like a champ and my uncle completed the family trifecta last week. But the writing was in the chili and I can read, despite reports to the contrary. I figured I better go visit the doc.

Breathe easy Bernie.

After checking with my local politicians and congressional "representatives" to see if I qualified for healthcare I asked the wife to remind me where our doctor set up shop. Once there they put me through the usual routine: sat me in a waiting room 30 minutes past my appointment time. Weighed me. Made me piss in a little cup. Made me wait another 15 minutes. Took my blood. Hooked me up to a machine. Tried to confuse me with four and a half pages of forms that ask you your name every 10 questions. Weighed me again. Sent me to x-ray. Scheduled a stress test. And then...

Well, after "skipping" about 4 years worth of physicals I had somehow forgotten about the whole "turn your head and cough" portion of the exam. What's worse is then the test goes all Fletch on you and you're asking Doc if he's ever served time in between verses of Moon River.

In the end, acing the stress test brought my overall physical exam to a C-. Which is to say Mrs. Bernie will raise my cholesterol 10 points by hassling me about each bourbon I pour while lowering it 15 points by serving fish on steak night. One step back, two steps forward. Or did I get that backwards.

Drop your shorts and bend over Mr. Babar.....You using the whole fist Doc? Ugh. Pass the gravy and let's all get to the lunch table.

Today's Ingredients

Coming soon to a running
lane near you?

Not a good weekend for Fox's Dawgs on the hardwood.
Along that line, Hoopdawg breaks down the loss to Ole Miss.
Luckily the women were able to avoid Admiral Ackbar's trap. Easily.
Weiszer brings us the Dooley and Richt reactions to Joe Paterno's passing.
In case you missed it, Streit has begun a series looking back at the careers of some Damn Good Dawgs. Here's his take on Brandon Boykin.
Remember leading up to the SECCG when Richt couldn't stop talking about LSU fullback JC Copeland's size and ability to clear the running lane? Well, sUGAr falling is hearing Mike Thornton may move to fullback.
the Senator observes the Phil Steele's returning starter numbers for the SEC. Should Lil Dools find enough coaches for his tackle football team, they should have the most experienced group to work with...you know, assuming no one else leaves the program.
Over at Leather Helmet there's another podcast up where Socrates and the guys set things up for the stretch run on Recruiting Rd.
Kipp Adams has a complete rundown ($$) of who the top remaining targets are for the Dawgs.
Meanwhile Chad Simmons tell us that Memphis hotshot Sheldon Dawson could announce sometime soon ($$).
Gene Chizik pries Addazio's right hand man from Temple.
Over on the flats, the engiNerds are sick of losing recruits to other schools so now they're just dropping them. Even ones that have been truly committed.
Lastly, last week I told you about a new children's book centered on Hairy Dawg, written by Josh and Wendy Torres. Now they are making This Little Dawg available to you at 20% off until the end of January. Click here to order and use this code when checking out - JWJAN12.

Now that college football season has drawn to a close, I've sent Darren the Intern on a new assignment. Over the next few months he will update us on Atlanta suburbanites' use of the infamous Peach Pass lane. This morning I have him straddling the concrete lane divider just north of Pleasant Hill Rd. I think he's set up, let's check in:

HERO unit express lane!

Bernie: Darren...are you there? How's the pay lane looking this dreary Monday morning?

Darren: Well sir, so far the HERO units outnumber the rush timers 4 to 1. Also saw one bicycle rider as well. So I guess it's 4-1-1. Ha ha.

Bernie: Terrific. And what do the "free" lanes look like?

Darren: Pretty congested. Another 15-20 minutes and they'll be at a standstill. Can someone at headquarters bring me some coffee?

Bernie: I just poured the last cup Darren. Sorry about that. See ya at lunch. And don't forget to set up the webcam for next week's update.

Darren: But I could really - [transmission drops]

What a great kid. Has a real future in hard hitting journalism, assuming he eventually gives up pursuing his degree in Enigmatology like yesterday's word jumble.

Or he might pursue accounting as he's also been keeping close tabs on the donations during this month's pledge drive. Thanks to those of you who've taken the opportunity to pass along some cash. Still a couple weeks left, and I truly appreciate your support. We might even buy Darren an umbrella for next week's Peach Pass Update. Or some worcestershire sauce for the meatloaf. Until then, here's a napkin Reader. Your stress test awaits.

Beer of the Week: Midnight Train to Duluth

2012-01-23T05:16:00.000-05:00

Actually, this is Beer of Last Week. Just couldn't get the post finished Friday night.

Allow me another chance to plug Duluth's Best of Brews. It's Thomas Creek month at the Gwinnett growler stop. And if you're not familiar with this brewery they do a lot of "freelance" work brewing recipes for others. For instance, I believe Decatur's Wild Heaven brews it's beers through Thomas Creek among others. In addition, Thomas Creek has their own selection of great craft beer including Up the Creek and Dockside Pilsner.

All that to say, Greg at Best of Brews had Thomas Creek brew this special beer for his patrons. Midnight Train to Duluth is obviously a tribute to the train tracks that run right through the city's stylish downtown. And the beer chugs along well too.

Listed as a cream ale, I had some preconceived notions of a sweet beer with a lot of flavors. And I pick up some caramel on the aroma after the pour. Overall this does have plenty of flavor, lots of vanilla and malty caramel give each taste a creaminess. But the taste doesn't linger long, as the vanilla dissipates leaving a sticky goodness on your lips and tongue.

In the interest of full disclosure, I love vanilla. I like to think I'm one of the major reasons Vanilla Coke lasted a full three years instead of one. Plus Breckinridge's Vanilla Porter is one of my favorite beers overall. The vanilla taste in that one is deep and smooth. I get that with Midnight but it takes a little more work. And although I drank both of those this weekend I should refrain from comparing them because they are vastly different.

The Midnight has more alcohol and there are times when you can taste that a little too much. Once it warmed up some it was a little easier to pick up the roastiness and the malt flavor. I like the way the vanilla doesn't overwhelm the ale, simply gives it an anchor on your taste buds.

Final thoughts: this one is very drinkable, smooth and packs a nice punch at 6% ABV. My guess is that Midnight Train to Duluth is a heartier version of the Thomas Creek "Vanilla Cream Ale", but I've never had the latter. The Midnight is a little pricier than I expected, but a good brew nonetheless.

**Since Son of a Peach is the official brew of BDB, I feel it necessary to pass along that Best of Brews will have it starting sometime this week. Get there before I do or it might be gone.

Just kidding. Not really.

On Commings' faceplant

2012-01-22T09:56:00.001-05:00

I don't know what Sanders Commings' future holds. It shouldn't be easy going through something like this. I hope he's squirming around more than a little as to his status on the roster in the very least. An arrest of any nature puts a lot of pressure on Coach Richt and the UGA administration. And despite what some papers and blogs would prefer you to believe, I'm glad we have someone like Richt who will go through the process with everyone's best interest at heart. Not just his depth chart in hand.

Commings entertained the idea of going pro, but he stands a chance to gain more than any of the others by returning another season. Especially with Rambo coming back which all but assures he'll get plenty of time where he truly wants to play - cornerback.

But now his status is an uncertainty. Any type of violence is a serious matter, regardless of who is involved or where it happens. But when a man hits a woman, it's time for some serious self-reflection as well.

Now I'm sure the young lady is not totally innocent, and I'm not attempting to try and convict Sanders Commings without due process. However, several witnesses were around a busy pedestrian intersection in downtown Athens. Nothing good comes from being there at 1am on a Saturday morning.

Plus...dumbass, you just don't hit a woman. A lot of his teammates are rallying around Commings, providing support at a time when he needs it. If I were them I would probably do the same thing. And it would start with handing him a mirror.

Georgia-Ole Miss highlights

2012-01-22T09:25:00.000-05:00

Ugh.

Recruiting Roundup: 11 days til NSD

2012-01-21T05:11:00.000-05:00

So late Thursday night Ricardo Louis decided not to visit Athens, clearly an attempt to derail BDBs Recruiting Roundup: 12 days til NSD. Yet....we move on...teetering on the whims of teenagers.

Louis is a tremendous athlete and word was he was close to committing to FSU anyway. Now that he's not visiting Athens I think we can expect a commitment to Jimbo sometime soon. Like as soon as I click Publish probably. Anyways...

Sheldon Dawson

Defensive back update: this continues to be the most intriguing storyline of the class of 2012 here down the stretch. Smart money says Richt and staff are sticking with the Tennessee duo in Sheldon Dawson and Will Redmond, but if either of those were to fall through it appears they are ready to offer Kenneth Crawley of DC. And Crawley may visit next weekend.

Speaking of visits, Dawson decided he would visit Memphis instead of Ole Miss. To me this appears to be a last chance for Memphis to turn him from signing with Georgia. The Dawgs have the advantage in that the Memphis coaches are new hires and Richt's staff has done an exceptional job recruiting Sheldon. Unless something drastic happens I think you can certainly expect his signature in 11 days.

Josh Dawson is about 50/50 for Georgia/Vanderbilt. He's been committed to the Commodores, but Grantham has really gotten in the Tucker LB's ear. Consider this Grantham vs. Franklin, round II.

There is a lot of buzz that the Georgia coaches expect a big surprise come NSD. Take that to mean someone who is committed elsewhere will sign with Richt and staff instead. If this happens, the donut table at Butts-Mehre will likely fold under the pressure and excitement.

I can't wait.

Recruiting Update: 12 days til NSD - UPDATED

2012-01-20T07:48:00.001-05:00

Doesn't look like Dalvin Tomlinson will make an official visit to Athens. He's encouraging people not to read anything ($$) into that since he's still listing UGA in his top three and has been to Athens on many other occasions. It's just with his wrestling schedule (he's preparing to defend his state title and wants to win it for a third consecutive year) he can't fit in another visit.

Regardless, going against Bama and Tech here it's going to take some special attention from Richt and staff to land this big one. Hard to have much confidence we'll get his LOI.

Former UGA defensive back prospect Yuri Wright has been expelled from his high school for explicit tweets dating back to July. Evidently one had an anti-semitic remark and that left the school no choice. Him visiting Athens was always up in the air and the relationship between Wright and the Georgia staff has cooled considerably recently. Perhaps AD McGarity follows the 4 star's twitter feed.

(UPDATE - Louis will NOT be visiting. Sounding like a commitment to FSU could be coming soon) In town this weekend will be commits John Theus and Leonard Floyd, as well as two Auburn "commits" - Jaquay Williams and Ricardo Louis. The other day we looked at JUCO target Cordarrelle Patterson. Losing 2010 non-qualifier Lonnie Outlaw as well as former commit CJ Curry puts wide receiver as a position of need. I'm sure Richt would like to sign a couple good ones at least, in addition to current commit Blake Tibbs.

From watching that I like Williams' size and quickness. He has great hands that rarely fail him, even when the pass is closely contested. He could develop into a big target and good possession receiver for whoever he signs with.

Louis played a lot of quarterback in high school. But projects as a safety or wide receiver in college. Maybe both. By Sunday night or Monday morning we should have a feel for just how solid these Auburn commits are and whether we can turn them into Dawgs.

"I don't care about pretty"

2012-01-20T05:12:00.000-05:00

I would laugh at this, but this is almost exactly how it played out for me following the 2008 Bama blackout.

Nama told me to do the sparkles.

Georgia-Tenn highlights

2012-01-19T06:59:00.000-05:00

Fox's Dawgs notch their first SEC win in dramatic overtime fashion.

Recruiting Roundup: 13 days til NSD

2012-01-19T05:17:00.000-05:00

We're inside of two weeks now, so let's regroup.

Kenderious Whitehead (OLB). Word spread yesterday that UGA was out and he was down to Clemson and NC State. That may or may not be the case. But it does seem that he is having serious thoughts as to whether he would be better in Grantham's system or somewhere else with his hand in the dirt. So it looks like we're on the outside looking in here. Looks like whatever Whitehead decides the commitment will come later this week, so we'll know one way or the other soon. And then he committed to NC State last night. Done.
Georgia's not out of the running for Dalvin Tomlinson (DT) just yet. It looks like his official visit wasn't canceled earlier this week, it was simply postponed due to family reasons. This is a quiet kid that recently lost his mother pretty suddenly. Sounds like he is a little overwhelmed by all the pressure here down the stretch. I've made my position clear, this kid is going to be a real playmaker on the defensive line. Unfortunately it feels like we're playing catch up to Tech. Hopefully he gets on campus and falls in love with Athens...where we have actual girls.
Dalton Santos (ILB) also appears to be a longshot. BUT, there is a chance. The Santos family have not set up Dalton's final visit yet for the last weekend before signing day. If we can get him on campus perhaps we can make up for getting in too late and steal him.
Jaquay Williams and Ricardo Louis are both Auburn commits that aren't feeling so all in anymore. Looks like they'll both be in town this weekend to compare things. Williams is a large receiver from Sandy Creek HS and Louis is an athlete (likely a safety or wide receiver in college) from Miami Beach.
At defensive back we're still pressing hard for the boys from Tennessee, Will Redmond and Sheldon Dawson. But it appears the back up plan is Kenneth Crawley out of DC. Here's his junior highlight reel.

Recruiting Roundup - 14 days til NSD

2012-01-18T07:47:00.000-05:00

If my math is correct, that gives us two weeks until the faxes start rolling. And speaking of math, try adding up the yards Cordarrelle Patterson gains in this video.

You can see why he's considered the top JUCO wide receiver prospect in the nation. Patterson is super fast as well as a big physical target for quarterbacks. He'd be a great compliment to Ball's receiving corps.

Georgia leads in Patterson's recruitment. He's originally from Rock Hill SC and after a lengthy road to qualification he's anxious to play close to home. The Vols probably had him until things really started to fall apart up there. And he liked his Ole Miss visit but they haven't had the time to establish the relationship that Georgia's coaches have. But...LSU needs some receivers and they get his last visit. He won't announce until signing day, so there will be some nervous coaches around Butts-Mehre the next couple weeks and some fans on pins and needles until he announces.

Final thought - maybe you aren't too concerned about the idea of losing a guy like Cordarrelle Patterson to another school. Maybe you think we've got enough targets for Murray to throw to. And you're right, we're pretty deep at WR. But take a look at his mid-season highlight film and tell me he wouldn't look special back there returning kicks. Like I said a few weeks ago, he might be the answer back there. Because even when they kick away from him or squib it he has the patience, the moves and the speed to take it the distance.

The bottom line is that we can ALWAYS use someone with Cordarrelle Patterson's level of talent.

Looking back - Strength and Conditioning

2012-01-18T06:15:00.000-05:00

**As I finished this post yesterday, it was announced that John Kasay would re-retire from his position in the S&C program. This saves an August decision on staffing when the NCAA limit of five S&C staff goes into effect.**

I'm taking a cue from Big Muddy. Its a good time to reflect back on where we were 12 months ago as we evaluate exactly where we are today. My hope is this leads us into a discussion on where things need to head this off season to make 2012 even better than the season we just kissed goodbye.

There were some key decisions made by coach Richt last Winter that set the table for 2011.One year ago the Georgia program was as low as it has been in some time. We'd completed a 6-7 season capped off by a dismal bowl performance in the lower tier. But even before that low point Richt had begun to address the team's needs.

Let's look at some key decisions and the impact on the 2011 season. Today's focus:

Strength and Conditioning. The Strength and Conditioning coach can be the most important person on staff. As this The Post Game feature points out, this person wears many different hats and each one is vital to success. By the time a player leaves campus the amount of time he spends with the strength coach will be considerably more than any other person on staff. So the importance of the role is one that should no longer be glossed over.

Moving Coach Van away from the weight room was probably one of the most difficult decisions Richt has had to make while at the helm of the Georgia football program. It was also one of the most necessary in terms of getting the "energy vampires" away from their food source: the culture of the program. He moved Coach T into Van Halanger's place prior to bowl practices last December and immediately took a big step forward towards regaining control of the team.

And its for that reason that I think this change needs to be evaluated from two perspectives: team unity and overall strength/conditioning of the players. The weight room and off season program is a big catalyst towards establishing a cohesive unit amongst the team's players.

We're likely about 10 or more months away from truly knowing if Tereshinski is the man for the job when it comes to evaluating the second aspect of this move. A revamped S&C program will take more than one off season to reap true rewards.

However, just from the small sample of 4th quarter statistics pictured you can already see some positive trends. In 2011 Georgia converted 3rd down nearly 7% more often than their opponents (up from -7.7%) and held the ball over a minute longer. This tells me that individually, each player was better prepared physically for the task of competing in the SEC, rather than losing to a directional school from Florida.

That being said, the final analysis in football is always points on the board. And 2011's Georgia team gave up just as many 4th quarter points as 2010's. So there's great room for improvement overall. In looking at the four losses specifically, we were beat in the 4th quarter in time of possession in all but the SEC Championship game (which by all manner of speaking was over before the end of the 3rd quarter anyway). In the last two games of the season especially, we came out moving the chains and keeping the Tiger and Spartan offense on the bench. But so often it's the final stanza that determines who wins and who loses, and too often our offense spent more time on the sidelines in the 4th quarter than on the field.

In the end I think the team was better prepared mentally for the challenges of the 4th quarter this past season, but perhaps not as much physically when the opponent was top tier. And you can also argue that the team was better prepared mentally for the challenges of the 2011 season. This shouldn't be solely attributed to Coach T as the team had a group of existing leadership eager to grab the wheel as well. But when you couple the off season dietary and workout complaints with the actual results on the field, I think it's fair to say that the move from Coach Van to Coach T has been a successful one.

What do we need to look for in the upcoming months to continue the evaluation? Continued focus on TEAM me mentality and even stronger more flexible players.

Humpday Hilarity - Harry & Charlie

2012-01-18T05:15:00.001-05:00

Ok, so I've given you two of our family's top three videos that we just enjoy playing over and over. All in all I guess Clark Griswold the dog and An Apologetic Declaration are just as funny as #1 here. But this one gets requested by the kids most frequently. So without any further adieu...

Harry...place your finger in Charlie's mouth one more time.

Here's HDCYT's YouTube channel where you can keep tabs on how Harry, Charlie and their younger brother Jasper are doing. They also have a Twitter, a blog and a Facebook of course.

Recruiting Update: 15 days til NSD

2012-01-17T08:22:00.001-05:00

The big news yesterday was that Dalvin Tomlinson did not make it to Athens for his official visit. This all but assures he will sign with Tech. He was once considered a Bama lock, but then they cooled off. So it was believed to be down to the two in-state schools. This is a big, smart, athletic kid. Not looking forward to seeing him on the other side of the line.

Dalton Santos of Van TX

In better news, Georgia really put the hard press to Josh Harvey-Clemons this weekend. As we talked about before, JHC is a very athletic young man and is the state's top uncommitted prospect. Richt and staff spent the weekend entertaining the family and talking to Josh about how he would fit Grantham's defense, as well as some possible time on the other side of the ball ($$). The last two visits go to Louisville and FSU, but it still appears that this is a two horse SEC East race between us and Florida.

One of the more intriguing storylines developing is which defensive backs Georgia is able to close with down the stretch. Currently Richt has no DB commits but is hot on the trail for a couple of big ones. Sounds like Will Redmond will stick with Miss State, but there's still a chance we land Sheldon Dawson out of Memphis and we're still talking to more. Some fans are frustrated not seeing certain names get offers or being mentioned more frequently. But keep in mind that since Lakatos came to town we've become much more "picky" in who we try to "snag" as future defensive backs. Not just anyone can play his style of pass defense. You have to have certain skills and traits to make it. It doesn't appear the coaches are just willing to settle for a hot name. So stay tuned.

Lastly, the other position that is currently lacking for commits and where it would be nice to get a signature is inside linebacker. Grantham's visit with Dalton Santos went well. Given Tennessee's shaken up coaching staff this is a kid that might be ripe for the picking. And given the loss of Kent Turene we could use some future talent here.

You can feel the tension starting to build as Georgia has several slots to fill with this class. Hang on tight!

Addendum - Socrates says the coaches are confident they can pull a "shocker" at DB on NSD. Check his list of who it isn't and start trying to read those tea leaves. Plus, he has actual film of Santos tackling the (crap) outta people.

You'll never leave Harlan alive

2012-01-17T05:40:00.000-05:00

Just because I'll miss Mags Bennett this season...

...doesn't mean I won't enjoy sitting a spell with Boyd and Raylan again this evening.

Season three, tonight 10pm.

On the air with Coach Fox

2012-01-17T05:13:00.000-05:00

Coach talks about the losses and the progress of the team leading up to the game tomorrow with Tennessee.

Monday's Meatloaf - Sympathy for the lil Dawgs

2012-01-16T10:46:00.000-05:00

My youngest loves her some Georgia Bulldogs football. She may very well be the first girl to lay the wood 'tween the hedges. At the age of 2 she made a perfect form tackle on her older sister. Since then she's graduated to blindsiding me a few times a day. If she's our little Mitch Davis, I guess that makes me Herbie in the '93 Citrus. Sigh.

The other day though she blindsided me with a question. I was watching something on recruiting and it seems she was paying close attention as usual. "How do we make room on the team for these players Daddy?" I responded with the simplest explanation of eligibility that I could possibly construct. Which eventually brought this follow up" "So which players are leaving?" I provided a quick list that included Ben Jones and Brandon Boykin, among others.

At this point I thought I had satisfied her and done a pretty good job of explaining some points that are difficult for most message boreders to comprehend, much less a 2nd grader. But then I looked at her. The look of sheer and utter disappointment was clearly evident. Her face was the pictured definition of dejection and her lips seemed to tremble.

Eventually she managed to say what I suddenly feared she would: "Brandon Boykin isn't on the team anymore?" Well...my heart broke. Barely a week earlier she had watched #2 nearly single-handedly beat the Spartans in the Outback. She has jumped for joy each time Boykin has intercepted an opposing quarterback (or in her cute lil vernacular "quarterbacker") on her iTouch's NCAA Football game. She laughed hysterically at each picture I showed her of Jones' eating nerd turf or pre-gaming barefoot. And now I had just absentmindedly burst her little Dawg bubble.

Seven year olds couldn't care less about recruiting rankings and whether this new 17 year old that just committed is a 4 or 5 star. She just wants the Damn Good Dawgs she's come to know and love.

And I can't say I blame her.

Today's Ingredients

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." - Martin Luther King Jr
Speaking of Boykin, Kimberley gives us his heir apparent.
Great new Dawg site, sUGAr falling. Check it out.
ecdawg reminds us that the new Tigers are not necessarily a paper Tiger.
Avery Young was on campus. Still looking like Signing Day for his announcement, but he sounds like he's nearer a decision ($$).
Also, Josh Dawson had his questions answered ($$) this weekend.
the Senator looks at our plays for lost yardage while exploring some possible reasons.
Wasn't a good Saturday for the Hoop Dawgs. In related news, Vandy sucks and their arena bites ass.
Tyler is falling short of calling the loss a moral victory, but points out that Fox's Dawgs are making some real progress.
Travis reminds us of a UGA prof that said to "Unplug and read." RIP Conrad Fink.
I find it hard to truly hate Tebow. I do despise the media's coverage of him, which is actually worse now that he's in the pros than when he was on Uncle Verne's lap. So yes, I am glad he was eliminated from the playoffs. That said, this is a good read. (h/t TC)
The chickens grab the first points of 2012's Fulmer Cup.
"This Little Dawg" is a recently released children's book based on Hairy Dawg. In it, the authors adapt the story of "This Little Piggy" to show how Hairy Dawg competitvely takes on his rivals in the world of the SEC. The book is intended for younger children, approxiamately from newborns to eight year olds. However, Georgia fans of all ages, young and seasoned, have been caught enjoying it.

There can be such comfort in the minds of our little ones. The world is a much simpler place, one without taxes, high fiber diets or joint pain. As a bonus Aron White gets to play as a Dawg until he is ready to run for President of the United States. As a double bonus Herschel gets to return and play until he turns 85 and can no longer run a sub 4.5 forty.

But no, the real world has rules. And as the world's most awesomest dad it is my job to explain them as best I can. And I'll try and go about it with some courtesy, some empathy and some taste. You know, unlike the way Darth Saban goes about trimming the excess fat.

Of course, as I type that I realize I haven't told the kids that Orson Charles is leaving early yet. That'll go over like a ton of bricks.

And thus begins out winter of discontent Reader. Goodbyes are hard. Somehow even the lil Dawgs will carry on. Here's your fork. Have a great Monday.

Bernie

Recruiting Roundup: 16 days til NSD

2012-01-16T08:55:00.000-05:00

Today's notes.

Cordarrelle Patterson took his official visit to Ole Miss and liked what he saw from Hugh Freeze's new staff. The JUCO wide receiver's last visit is to LSU. Georgia likely leads. Can LSU steal him at the last minute?
For those wondering if Jordan Moore or Ronald Darby might gets offers for the 2012 class, we may know more today. Richt is in Tennessee visiting the top defensive backs on their board, Sheldon Dawson and Will Redmond. We have a great shot at both. However, if we suddenly hear rumblings that Moore or Darby got an offer then I think we'll know where things stand in Tenn.
Both LSU and Georgia continue to talk to another defensive back, Geno Smith. The Bama commit is at least listening so stay tuned.
One need we haven't addressed yet with this class is inside linebacker. Dalton Santos of Van HS in Texas is expecting a visit from UGA coaches this week. He's currently committed to Tennessee.
Although his visit sounds like it went really well this weekend, I'm not sure it was enough to steal OLB Josh Dawson from Vanderbilt. The prospect from Tucker now goes to Nashville and will then compare things.

LSU and BCStrife

2012-01-15T12:46:00.000-05:00

h/t Nama

An LSU blogger has a keyboard and a source as to why the Tigers looked so out-classed in the title game.

Apparently about 3 hours before the game T-Bob Hebert and Russell Shepard and 2 other receivers and a hand full of linemen got into a heated argument with Les Miles and the Offensive Coordinator about Lee getting more playing time and possibly starting the BCS Championship game. It got so heated that Miles benched T-Bob and RS and 3 other players. He called Lee into his office and told Lee that he would not be playing in the game. The Offensive CO told Miles that he thought that Lee gave the team the best chance to win the game. Miles told the OC to start looking for a new job after the game and Miles will be calling the plays for the championship game. Apparently the O Line sided with T-Bob and Lee and did not give their all in the game to prove to Miles that the players are more important than the coach. Now I know that this is hard to believe but when you look at some things it kind of explains a few things.

The post goes on from there to outline a few observations and also says Jordan Jefferson had a good time at Harrah's in the days leading up to the game. Interesting read regardless of its merit. However, I doubt LSU could've done anything differently Monday night to beat Bama from what I saw.

Going forward, Mett has said that getting to be the quarterback at LSU is like getting the keys to a Maserati. If this whiff of smoke turns out to be the result of a fire in Baton Rouge he may want to check under the hood thoroughly.

One play, two Dawgs

2012-01-15T05:43:00.000-05:00

Ernie reminded me of a terrific play a few years ago in the playoffs that involved the same two teams that played last night. And two Damn Good Dawgs.

I'm sure you remember.

Recruiting Roundup: 18 days til NSD

2012-01-14T08:03:00.000-05:00

Welcome Todd Gurley! Like I said yesterday, this kid officially makes for a crowded backfield and we'll be better for it as early as August. Don't worry about the fact that Mike Davis committed to Carolina last night, officially. Gurley works hard. He doesn't know the word quit because he's never entered it into his vocabulary. He wins. And he'll push everyone to get better.

To put it in laymans' terms, we're not even to January's midpoint and already we're two pulled hammies and at least two sprained ankles from seeing Carlton Thomas run up the middle.

This is progress folks. The collegiate tackle football programs of the southeast are getting Richt-rolled like a buncha bitches. Dabo was seen last night watering his own lawn in his underoos, in 29 degree temps. Saban's using a calculator for once. Spurrier just soiled his pants and his visor.

However...we now turn our focus to big men. Avery Young is in the same category today as he was yesterday - must have! Like the Senator said, the line looks vulnerable...in need of depth...and size.

In short, we're two and a half weeks away from signing day and we're on a hot streak. But the work left to do is only getting heavier.

GATA!

Statement made, message received

2012-01-14T06:33:00.000-05:00

Within a couple hours yesterday afternoon the Dawg Nation spent an eternity on Mount Ecstasy. Gurley committed and then all remaining draft eligible players that were even mildly interested in the NFL decided to stay in Athens.

I harkened back to that day in early 2004 when David Pollack had a press conference to commit to his fourth season as a Dawg. Except that if that day was euphoric, yesterday was like a weeklong hot streak at the track. The good news just kept coming. It was impossible to keep up with, but I sure enjoyed trying.

Once I had settled into my weekend with a glass of bourbon on the deck, it began to sink in. Our juniors made a statement yesterday. There were a LOT of fans that received the message. For now, I will assume the underclassmen did as well.

The energy bus has achieved nuclear fusion y'all. Hang on tight.

"Roll Vols Roll"

2012-01-14T05:26:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I met the Sunseri hire on Rocky Flop with a minimal amount of interest. Then I read Clay Travis' post in response. Wow.

Look, I don't blame Tennessee for being in love with Nick Saban -- I'm in love with Nick Saban too. But I'm not in love with Nick Saban's flunkies. Pay Nick Saban $10 million a year, or whatever it costs, and he'd win a national championship at Tennessee within four years. I have zero doubt about this. Neither do LSU or Alabama fans. Neither do any SEC fans.
That's why I've consistently argued that Nick Saban is underpaid.
Nick Saban's worth $20 million a year, he's the best at what he does.
But Tennessee's strategy isn't to mortgage the entire state and hire Nick Saban, it's to hire people who are great because of their affiliation with Saban. And you don't beat the champ by hiring the champ's training staff. You don't write "The Sound and the Fury," by stealing away Fauilkner's typist.

Nice analogy. And it's hard not to agree to some extent since the UT football program consistently looks to T-Town for coaching and admin hires that are at best a reach. That being said (and I admit that I didn't follow the hiring process to replace Wilcox), I don't think Sunseri was the first choice.

I mean, surely ~~Barbara~~ lil Dools would've gone after Saban himself.

Bonus thought - it's a fairly large assumption, but I'm guessing Sunseri will run a 3-4. Dooley supposedly needs 8+ wins to survive the hoe down. Is that even possible with their personnel with merely weeks to implement a new defensive scheme?

Recruiting Roundup: Todd Gurley edition

2012-01-13T07:29:00.000-05:00

Todd Gurley. Today. 2pm. Clemson. Or Georgia!!!!! Questions...answered.

Pardon the rant here, but...I'm sick of reading where people get all self-righteous about how they'd prefer this player over that player. They grab a keyboard and hammer out an absurd opinion based solely on a snippet they read of some recruiting coverage. Or worse, the infamous uncle's girlfriend's brother in law went to high school with the kid's 8th grade basketball coach and heard this and can confirm this.

If you think for some reason that Todd Gurley won't crack the starting lineup and you would prefer Mike Davis, that's fine. But spare the rest of us your ignorance. Kids make the choice that's best for them on a myriad of levels. Just because you can't fathom that is no reason to dog a 17 year old that has been working hard towards this moment for years, all while you dust the cheese puff dust from your worn out Nickelback t-shirt.

Now, that's all behind us...this kid is the real deal. He's a legitimate threat at running back and a superb athlete. I watched a lot of video and he's not the jaw dropping type of back that some others are but he makes the defense earn each tackle and is a nice blend of size and speed which I really like. What's more, from reading about him you can't help but be convinced that he can compete at this level.

Does that mean he starts over any other back we have on scholarship? I don't know. I do know that he will make the running back depth chart more competitive because he's a workhorse, he's a winner...and I think he's a Dawg.

Clemson is where he's wanted to play for a long time. The other two schools in the mix are both close to Tarboro. But McClendon has been there the whole way talking up the idea of having Gurley complement his depth chart. In the end I think the fabric that Georgia has woven with Gurley holds up today.

And we'll be better for it starting this August.

Recruiting Roundup: 19 days til NSD

2012-01-13T05:49:00.000-05:00

(Special Todd Gurley post coming shortly.)

Coach Richt's staff is gaining momentum on the recruiting roads. And regardless of Gurley's decision today many believe the Dawgs will finish very strong.

Check out what Jamie Newberg has to say about Georgia's remainging targets.

A lot of experts feel the same way. Richt has done a great job of selling the program. Grantham recruits like he coaches, with intensity. Lilly closes with the best of them. And Bobo and McClendon continue to make it hard to say no. Kids like Quayvon Hicks and John Theus take it from there.

Stay tuned. This could be another exciting finish at Butts-Mehre.

Beer of the Week - Eye Patch Ale

2012-01-13T05:15:00.000-05:00

Really been looking forward to telling y'all about Monday Night Brewing. Hopefully you're already aware of them. If not, they're new. They're in Atlanta. And they grew their small brewery the way every brewery should start. No, not just a wort boil. They're just some guys that get together to brew beer, drink beer and talk beer. Best of all, they didn't rush to shove some bottles on shelves. They spent years perfecting their two beers and now we get to enjoy each delicious gulp.

I had the Drafty Kilt Scotch Ale a few weeks ago and quite simply, it's one of the best beers I've subjected my mouth to. Before trying it I wasn't a big scotch ale kind of guy. That's probably not fair. I'm just too big of a hophead sometimes. But their Drafty Kilt is absolutely delicious, it's a gamechanger. I drained the growler in a day and a half...*fist bump*!!

But this post is about their Eye Patch Ale, which I was able to get yesterday at Best of Brews. Monday Night brews are only available on draft I believe. But since the guys work so hard on their beer you won't mind getting enough to fill a growler.

Eye Patch had a lot of malty caramel on the nose for me. Some citrus, a little bitterness aroma from the hops. But mostly a soft sweetness. I didn't read anything prior to tasting it and was expecting a lot of hops, but smelling it told me this was going to be different. And although there's plenty of American hops in this one it's pretty balanced. Very smooth tasting, bitter enough but not the hoppiness you get from a lot of breweries' IPAs.

Not surprisingly, this one checks out at just 46 IBUs. It's billed as a "crisp drinkable IPA". If you love IPAs you'll probably taste this one as a "light" india pale ale. You may even not be fond of it at first if you're expecting something different. However, my bet is that eventually the flavors and the richness will win you over. It's a great beer. If I had my choice I'd still take the Drafty Kilt. But this is America. There's no reason I can't have both.

So find some Monday Night brews asap. Weekends are overrated.

Recruiting Roundup: 20 days til NSD

2012-01-12T07:47:00.000-05:00

I'll have some Todd Gurley thoughts tomorrow as we get ready for his Friday the 13th announcement. For today, some more nuggets.

Sean Price (TE out of North Mario HS in Florida) was offered yesterday. He's considered a "soft" commit to South Florida. He'll visit Athens the weekend before signing day. Kimberley has a nice writeup on him with a video. Arkansas and Oklahoma are interested as well, but Price wants a helmet close to home. So the main competition would appear to be USF. With Artie Lynch taking over for Orson and Aron, he'll have ultra talented Jay Rome behind him. Richt also has a long standing commit from Moultrie's Ty Smith.

Again, Todd Gurley makes his announcement tomorrow. It seems to be down to Clemson and Georgia. Smart money's on the Dawgs, but Dabo prints his own cash. Should be interesting.

Henry Co's Dalvin Tomlinson

Another big target is Josh Harvey-Clemons. Unlike I thought the last time we talked about him, now it doesn't sound like he'll wait until February 1st to announce. We're in a tight battle with Florida, but looks like we hold a slight edge here as he comes to Athens this weekend.

Also making a late official visit next Monday (due to his wrestling schedule) will be Henry County defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson. Alabama and Georgia Tech seemed to be the frontrunners but given Saban's "wealth" of commits it may just be down to the two in state rivals. So Tomlinson will give Richt and his staff full consideration. He's very athletic, two time state wrestling champion and gifted in the classroom as well with a 3.9 GPA. Tech REALLY wants him. Can McClendon pull the upset?

Two more quick notes. At wide receiver we're hot on the trail for JUCO prospect Cordarrelle Patterson, but also keep an eye on Auburn commit Ja'Quay Williams. If we can get him to come in for an official we might just be able to steal him late in the game. And at defensive back, Lakatos really has his sights set on Tennessee's top prospect Sheldon Dawson out of Memphis. He's physical and has great ball skills. He's a long time Memphis commit, even through their coaching change, because he would like to play running back as well. He's not as big as some of the DB's we've been after since Lakatos came to town, but he has that aggressiveness that Grantham's defense requires. Should be an interesting one to watch.

Grantham blitzes rumors

2012-01-12T05:15:00.000-05:00

During a game earlier this season my youngest daughter caught our defensive coordinator in what she misinterpreted to be a smile after a Jarvis Jones sack. I quickly corrected her, "That's Coach Grantham honey. He's not smiling. He's actually pissed off they didn't lose more yards." Later we got an interception and returned it for a good piece and she saw him high-fiving and jumping around. She said, "Now he's happy!" Once again I had to correct her. "No, he's still pissed because we didn't return it for a touchdown."

Well, turns out the guy is happy about one thing: being in Athens. My assumption yesterday when "some website" started the rumor that the Atlanta Falcons were interested in Todd Damn Grantham was that his agent was making a play during contract negotiations. If that was the case, the Georgia defensive coordinator would have nothing of it.

Here’s Grantham’s statement:
This time of year there are a lot of rumors involving coaching openings. Because of the terrific recruiting class we are assembling and the juniors that have communicated to me their desire to come back to Georgia I felt it important to address some of these current and any future rumors. I’ve had discussions with Coach Richt and (AD) Greg McGarity and we are on track to finalizing details on a contract extension. My family enjoys Athens very much. I love the passion and excitement of our fans. We have the program headed in the right direction and I want to be a part of bringing Georgia a championship. My desire is to be at UGA for a very long time. Go Dawgs!”

We love your passion and excitement too CTG!

At a time when he certainly could've been selfish and waited for the contract pot to get heavier, instead he put his players (both current and future) first. Now they don't have to worry about adjusting to a different coordinator or opening up their recruitment a little more.

Well done Coach. Well done.

Thanks OC7!

2012-01-12T05:13:00.000-05:00

From destroying floriDuh's national championship trophy to being the next difference maker at the tight end position at the University of Georgia.

You're a Damn Good Dawg and helped us go out as SEC East champs! Plus...we'll always have this to look back on.

via monkeycutter

Orson's all but gone...

2012-01-11T12:51:00.001-05:00

I would feel just a little more confident about this teleconference's outcome if we hadn't offered a TE prospect this morning.

UPDATE: NFL called a number that Bobo never seemed to memorize. Thanks OC7!

Recruiting Roundup: 21 days til NSD

2012-01-11T06:09:00.000-05:00

Feels good to get Jordan Jenkins on board. Now let's go back to the offensive side of the ball and take a look at the offensive line.

We lose Trinton Sturdivant, Ben Jones*, Cordy Glenn and Justin Anderson. Returning we have three guys that started (Burnette, Gates, and Lee) as well as a few guys that played (Dantzler, Andrews and the Long brothers). Add in some redshirts (DeBell and Ward) and we still have several spots to fill here.

Avery Young of Palm Spring FL

John Theus is one of the top prospects in the country, at any position. He'll definitely play early, it's just a matter of how soon he starts. I'd be a little surprised if he's not protecting Murray's blind side in September.

Mark Beard is on campus now after transferring via the JUCO route. With his size he'll at least provide some depth for Coach Friend to use as well as challenge some of the less experienced guys. We've also landed commitments from Greg Pyke (Baltimore MD) and Chester Brown (Hinesville GA).

So what's left? I think Friend wants two more and we especially have our eyes on Avery Young out of Palm Springs FL. Young has the size to grow into a true SEC tackle and is good at both run and pass blocking. With some more growth and some toughness at the line of scrimmage he could develop quickly and nicely. Young made his official visit to Athens on the weekend of the Gala. He's considering Georgia, Auburn, Florida and evidently Miami after a surprise announcement last week that he would make an official visit to Coral Gables.

I was in hopes that once Jenkins committed Monday night that we might hear that Brandon Greene was reconsidering his commitment to Bama. Greene's another large OT prospect out of Cedar Grove. He made a surprise visit to Athens last month, but confirmed at last week's UA game that he is true to his word.

I don't know, I'm not taking my eye off that guy yet. And I doubt Coach Richt's staff will either.

**Don't think I mentioned this earlier, but it's recently come out that Ben Jones played practically the entire Outback Bowl with an injured big toe after breaking it on the 2nd play from scrimmage. That's one tough sonofabitch.

Humpday Hilarity - of wigs, quills and satire

2012-01-11T05:15:00.000-05:00

Last week I gave you our family's #3 favorite YouTuber. This week we get educational with #2. It's a fairly new one for us, but the fact that it mixes satire and some historical lessons helps us click the play button frequently.

Even if you don't like the original song, make sure you pay attention to the lyrics and stay long enough to see the Founding Fathers rock out!

They are TJ and the Revo and the video was put together by Soomo Publishing which develops web resources for the classroom. To enhance your satirical smirk even more, check out Timbaland's video of the song then harken back to 1776 once again, quill in hand.

Come back next week for #1!

Congrats Bama, but...

2012-01-10T06:45:00.000-05:00

I can't help but wonder how the 2007 Georgia team feels this morning. Don't get me wrong. I watched every play of last night's game and there's no doubt that Alabama and LSU are the nation's two best teams. And there's also no question that Bama deserves the title after the beating they gave to the SEC champion.

But really the only difference between what happened this season and the way things played out in 2007 is that Bama was afforded the opportunity at a rematch in the national championship game while Georgia went to New Orleans to play in the Sugar Bowl...against Hawaii. Sometimes it pays to have the national media on your side.

Then again, the thought of Coach Richt cuddling with the likes of Mark May and Herbie turns my stomach a bit.

As for college football... (sniff, sniff)

Recruiting Roundup: 22 days til NSD

2012-01-10T06:33:00.000-05:00

I didn't think it would happen. Top prospects don't just shun Nick Saban. But as yesterday wore on more and more the feeling and the rumors pointed towards a HUGE steal for Todd Grantham.

Jordan Jenkins' commitment is big for all the right reasons. From the plain and simple he can play right away to the we stole him from the clutches of mother Bama. Plus it all happened on television.

Now Coach Richt and staff have a little momentum on the roads as they close out this year's class. Hopefully we can sway some more of the top talent to come to Athens.

Chizik hires Van Gorder's stache

2012-01-10T05:11:00.000-05:00

Former Broyles Award winner Brian Van Gorder is on the move again. From somewhere up north...to Athens...to Jacksonville...to Statesboro...to Atlanta...to Opelika.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for me and my family at this point in my career, both professionally and personally, to become the defensive coordinator at Auburn," he said. "I'm looking forward to working at a school with the success and tradition of Auburn, and for a coach like Gene Chizik, who has led the program to a national championship. I'm very appreciative to the Atlanta Falcons and coach Mike Smith for the experience of the last four years. It's a great organization and will have continued success in the future."

The question is: can he correct the wrongdoings of Ted Roof before the moving van refuels?

Jenkins, all Dawg!

2012-01-09T20:17:00.001-05:00

I'll try and have video in the morning. For now, here's Jenkins explaining his choice.

And here's a pic of mom...

Mama Jenkins not a scripted helmet kind of lady. She dumped that ish A.S.A.P!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Monday's Meatloaf - resolving around the pigskin

2012-01-09T08:39:00.000-05:00

It's the 9th day of 2012. Do you know where your resolutions are?

I've got a few I have yet to break, completely. Of course, I haven't lost 15 pounds yet and I'm still trying to decide which book to read first. Once that's done I might get around to starting my campaign for president. As long as it doesn't conflict with eating more leafy greens.

Honestly, I'm not sure how well those resolutions will go. But I always have my old stand by. Year in and year out, the easiest resolution for me is to give up half of my tv time. I've found that I watch less and less of the tube each year. Mostly due to the fact that there's less and less worth watching. Justified starts it's third season next week. And once Raylan is done bringing justice to the hollers of eastern Kentucky it should almost be time for Walter White to cook up his fifth season in Breaking Bad.

Beyond that it' really about waiting for football to come back into my loving arms.

Today's Ingredients

Speaking of college football, the last game of the 2011 season is tonight. I think the rematch between LSU and Bama will see a lot more scoring. So I'm predicting LSU 8 Bama 6.
If you're keeping score at home, that's 7 total safeties.
Mr. Sanchez has your guaranteed* winner for tonight. Place your bets accordingly.
Before gym class, 6th grader Bentley Long found time to give Bulldog Illustrated his assessment of the Dawgs' 2011 season and what 2012 looks like.
Tyler breaks down the conference opener. Meanwhile TheRealDray starts some conversation for the best Hoop Dawgs of all time.
Travis remembers a name that never has surfaced, depite ALL of those pushups and situps.
the Senator would be more impressed with the GOP field if they did less to try and impress us.
Remember Chickumbia's The Whitney hotel? Well, ecdawg finds that Clempson is trying to not be outdone.
In case you missed it, Stephen Hill has bigger fish to fry than to stay in PJs triple floption another year.
Good news for UGA hoops and gymnastics supporters this Winter. Stegeman concessions are half price for Bypass Lane users. Plus the service charge has been waived.
Housekeeping item: sometime between yesterday and this morning my list of Dawg blogs in the margin disappeared. I'm investigating and will have them back up asap.
Lastly, it's the first annual January Pledge Drive here at BDB. Button is located in the top right margin there and no donation is too small. But in the event that any ClemPson "recruiters" stop by, please give generously.

Despite all the rhetoric about its imperfections and continued overall failure of its administrative body, college football is still the best sports product on the market. After another terrific season with some wild games and finishes it would be hard for anyone to argue against that.

In the end the same thing that gets people riled up about CFB's flaws also keeps fans coming back for more: emotion. People get emotional about which teams should be in the title game and whether or not players should be receiving monetary rewards for the on-field product that bears their names, numbers. Just as we all get emotional over a 4th quarter sack or an overtime touchdown pass. It's like an especially juicy onion with endless layers; the more you peel the deeper you fall into your own tears.

Yep, college football is one thing that will never get altered by my January 1st resolutions. Pass me a fork and enjoy the game tonight Reader.

Bernie

Recruiting Roundup: 23 days til NSD

2012-01-09T05:19:00.000-05:00

Some nuggets from the recruiting road.

Jordan Jenkins
announces tonight.

OLB/DE Jordan Jenkins is set to announce his decision tonight at 7pm on Fox Sport South's The Next Class. Alabama's been the leader for Georgia's top recruit. But Georgia has closed strong and the Harris Co. defensive could choose the Dawgs tonight. If he does, thank Todd Grantham.
Then, on Friday Todd Gurley makes his announcement. The running back from Tarboro NC is as difficult to figure out as he is to tackle. He's making a decision between UGA, Clemson, NC State and UNC. Wolfpack fans seem to believe he's Georgia bound. Georgia fans feel we've got a better shot at Mike Davis.
We'll take a closer look at offensive line later this week. With Mark Beard already in the fold, one big guy to keep an eye on is Avery Young. He says Auburn, Florida and Georgia are his top three, but he recently announced a surprise official visit to Miami on the 20th. At 6'5" and 290+ he's got everything he needs to be a huge SEC tackle. Coach Friend visited him late last week. Let's hope he emphasized the opportunity to play...soon!
Yesterday Yuri Wright decided he was going to sunny California for his last official instead of Athens. But Lakatos could get some depth from Sheldon Dawson and/or Will Redmond. Both are committed elsewhere (Memphis and Miss State respectively) but have been entertaining plenty of coaches recently, including Gratham and Lakatos last week.

Love moving on

2012-01-08T06:22:00.000-05:00

Jordan Love is transferring. After he tweeted his end in Athens, Weiszer was able to confirm it with Claude Felton at last night's basketball game.

The school confirmed Saturday night that cornerback Jordan Love has been granted a release to transfer.
“It’s been real Athens,” Love tweeted Saturday night. “…all good things come to an end….”
Love started one game and had 12 tackles in eight games this past season, with one pass breakup and one forced fumble. He had nine tackles in 2010.
The redshirt sophomore from Glen Allen, Va. could land at Towson (Md.), an FCS program.

Even losing Boykin, cornerback is a deep position next year. And with Damian Swann and Nick Marshall emerging as future corners the writing was on the wall if Love wanted to play more than special teams.

Georgia-Bama highlights

2012-01-08T05:15:00.000-05:00

Great game by Caldwell-Pope. Team showed a lot of fight. But Bama was the bigger and better shooting team last night.

Recruiting Roundup: 25 days til NSD

2012-01-07T06:03:00.000-05:00

Georgia is pretty deep at ILB. But we could definitely use some quality depth at OLB, especially if Cornelius Washington decides to declare for the draft. So I would put Josh Harvey-Clemons' recruitment at the top of my watch list.

Harvey-Clemons can play almost anywhere on the field. Add his natural athleticism to the fact that he's still growing into his frame and it becomes difficult to project exactly which position(s) he will play at the next level. However most write-ups I've read easily project him as an outside linebacker. And a few more pounds onto a 6'4"/210 lb frame would make him a beast there.

Regardless of whether Mike Davis let the cat out of the bag or not ($$), Harvey-Clemons' recruitment is going down to the wire. He likely won't announce until National Signing Day. It looks like a two team race between Florida and Georgia, with Florida State and Louisville trailing. He visits Athens officially next weekend. His family likes UGA and Grantham.

I bet the feeling is mutual.

Bonus links:

- DawgNation scouting report

- DawgPost profile

- Socrates predicts

Recruiting, conditioning and other off season crap

2012-01-06T06:39:00.000-05:00

It's times like these you learn to live again...

The weight of Old Man Winter can be worse than bothersome. Once the bowl is over the tendency is to disperse, cave in to what the wife has been nagging you to do...or worse...pick up exercising. But if there's one thing the loss to MSU did for me it was to assure me that there is much work to be done. So here's my immediate agenda.

Really Bernie, I get it. You're not a Kernkraft fan.

Speaking of the Athletic Director, sometime soon we will all engage in an activity called "Letters to McGarity". I'll provide a sample letter I've used almost once a week this season, you provide your own fingers for the typing. My topic of interest is the use of a certain "song" (for lack of a better word) at Sanford that drives me effin' batty. You can join me in that endeavor or choose another one. Either way, the innerwebs are our medium. Let's not keep our voices muted.

RECRUITING!!! We have less than a month until national signing day. I'll have updates on prospects and some analysis of how we're doing and how we project to close. NSD 2012 may not have the sexiness of NSD 2011 yet, but there are some definite needs to address as the last two games showed us in ugly 3D detail.

PLUS, I'll be there at Butts-Mehre as usual to bring you information, pictures, videos and doughnuts. If you're stuck at work, just keep the http here at BDB and your finger on the F5 button.

Speaking of which, on Monday I'll be launching a special month of supporting your local Dawg. The Dawg Nation is lucky to have plenty of podcasters, great media guys and tons....TONS of bloggers. Why not give back, even a little, to show some support for their efforts.

BotW - I'm determined to make these posts once a week. Slowly the offerings around my neck of the woods are much more diverse. Plus I now listen to 2.78 beer podcasts a week and have my own Oxford Companion. So, I has some knowledge y'all. Still, if there's something more you'd like from these just let me know.

And if you'd like to guest post a review of the brew in your glass, PLEASE let me know. Your efforts will be paid handsomely with a beer at a 2012 tailgate.

DOT COM!!!! Some of you may have noticed, but if you haven't I adopted my own domain this week. A few months ago I didn't know what the hell that meant either. But for you there shouldn't be much different around here other than the fact that you can now reach my little corner of cybersphere using the blogspot address OR....(....awkwardly long drumroll....)...berniesdawgblawg DOT COM!!

Seriously though, a little exercise isn't going to kill you. Maybe dust off the treadmill this weekend. And lay off the pork rinds too Junior.

Logan Stewart, chopped off the block

2012-01-06T06:16:00.000-05:00

Dawg fans will remember Logan Stewart as a Commie d-bag. Kwame Geathers' knees will remember the commie d-bag as the weapon James Franklin used against them back in October.

This week "Coach" Franklin dismissed Stewart because he ~~kicked Santa in the nuts Christmas Eve and assaulted Rudolph with his Nerf gun~~ violated team rules. May he rot in the ACC and get manhandled by ~~future~~ ~~current~~ former team in Miami.

Help in the trenches from Beard

2012-01-06T05:20:00.000-05:00

Monday we had no answer for William Gholston and the rest of the Michigan State's defensive front. Even though we used our tight ends as an extra lineman we couldn't stop the Spartans off the edge or up the middle.

Well, Mark Beard is here to help this Spring and going forward.

Making onto the Coffeyville Community College squad was no easy task. The Red Ravens have a 55-man roster, and only 12 of those spots can go to an out-of-state player. Beard made the team and was voted this season’s MVP by his teammates.

“He is one of those guys that you are never going to outwork,” Cook said. “He is not going to bring any, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart, any bad media on any program that he is associated with. He is just a high-character guy.”

Georgia can definitely use leaders off the field, but with losing three starters on the offensive line, the Bulldogs need someone who can step in and play this spring.

“Mark is a good one,” Cook said. “I think he has an opportunity to play. He has been up at the school with me working out. He hasn’t missed a day except the 21^st when he signed with Georgia. He could probably handle another 10 pounds, and I think they will put that on him rather quick.

“He has great feet. And the good thing about him is once he gets on you -- look out. His arms are as long as his legs. He is pretty agile for a big man, excellent footwork. That is something he works on. He doesn’t just get after it in the weight room. He works on everything. He is trying to be the total package.”

$100,000 field goal for UGA student

2012-01-05T13:33:00.001-05:00

Don't you just love the "Mayhem" commercials by All State? I bet UGA student Johnathon Pahlas does. He'll get a chance at kicking a 40 yard field goal during halftime of the BCS game Monday night for six figures worth of prizes.

Just hope he doesn't eat a pregame meal of all you can eat calimari.

Beer of the Week - Fresh Sticky Nugs

2012-01-05T06:12:00.000-05:00

Ever have your anticipation for a brew alter your experience drinking it, even a little? Maybe a friend explained a beer in a certain way that lead to some expectations that weren't there when you tried it. Or something on the label led you a certain direction before the beer redirected the route.

To some degree that was my experience with Sweetwater's November release of Fresh Sticky Nugs from their Dank Tank series. I had read some about it for about a month and figured I better grab a bomber before it was gone. When I came across it I read the label and immediately fell into the sensation of thick hoppy goodness that puts your tongue into a position of submission. I was eager to try it, but I had to wait for the beer fridge to work a little magic first.

Once it was ready it poured out a brownish red with a thick head. The smell was deliciously malty and had a hint of citrus. I dove in and it was really hoppy. A brewer can't use super cascade without giving the finished product some bittery goodness. That being said, the malt overpowered the taste eventually. A lot at first, before it became really balanced, both sweet and piney. I REALLY liked this. So much it might be my favorite libation to stir into existence from the tank that is dank. The label alone was practically worth the price of admission.

Sorry for posting this BotW so late. I hope you can find one of these near you. But if you can't, perhaps the guys at Sweetwater might make it again one day. You can't really go wrong with a Sweetwater in your glass. They know their stuff. So try something else...here's their 2012 lineup that came out yesterday.

And to cross reference (that's blogging 2.0 if you're keeping track at home) my earlier post on the podcasts I thought I'd also throw in this video I found of the HopCast guys visiting Sweetwater a couple years ago where they talk to marketing director Steve Farace and head brewer Nick Nock. Good stuff.

Hop Cast - Episode 86 from Hop Cast on Vimeo.

On the air with Coach Fox

2012-01-05T05:13:00.000-05:00

As league play opens this weekend, Coach Fox talks to the media about the HoopDawgs, the new conference structure and the development of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Humpday Hilarity - The Top Three

2012-01-04T05:23:00.000-05:00

Let's start the New Year off right. These "humpday" posts are almost always non-Dawg related. But I love to laugh nearly as much as I do cheering on my Dawgs. So to start 2012 I'd like to give you my top 3 YouTube videos that the kids and I absolutely love. And by that I mean, if one of these videos has "2,388,987 views" we've accounted for the 987.

So first one is the Ultimate Dog Tease. This is just pure comedic genius. Written and scripted perfectly. And the acting by the german shepherd mix....Oscar worthy if I've ever seen it.

The dog's name is Clark Griswold too, which only makes him more endearing if you ask me. If you'd like to see the original video of Clark without the voiceover check out his own YouTube channel. The comedian that drops the voices is Andrew Grantham.

Tune in next week when we go all ham.

Tuesday's Outback Thoughts

2012-01-03T06:38:00.000-05:00

We just ran all the way around a win to get to a loss. Let's separate this out.

Offensively. Tavarres King just uncovered another Spartan jock strap on the Ray Jay turf. I didn't mind the patience in the first half. It looked like we were stretching the defense laterally while taking shots downfield. Murray threw some spectacular deep balls while we tried a variety of tailbacks and tried to contain the relentless pass rush of the Spartans. The two best play calls were the waggle to move Murray's pocket away from the rush where he hit King for 80 and the underneath to Boykin out of the backfield. Just terrific.

But in the end, Bobo couldn't make up for the lack of protection or the failure of the tailbacks. At one point I simply pleaded with him to leave Samuel in to pass protect and simply give up on the run. Yep, it was that frustrating.

What I don't understand is not attacking the edges with quick passes or toss sweeps. Bobo continually called runs into the heart of the Spartan rush. We were never able to establish the play action and for some reason left the screens at home.

Despite evidence to the contrary, the stats show that Orson Charles was indeed in Tampa yesterday. Like Murray, Bobo never saw him.

Defensively. John Gruden's crush on Alec Ogletree is second only to this blogger's. We were able to get Cousins flustered as I expected, however we never kept our cleats on his confidence's throat. Eventually they neutralized Jarvis by cutting him at the line. There was an adjustment to that by bringing him up the middle some, but all in all we just never threatened Cousins consistently. He had time to work through his checks and did a decent job of managing the game.

The stats show they struggled as much as we did establishing the run. However, LeVeon Bell found enough room to open up the field for Linthicum and BJ Cunningham. Boykin, Smith and Commings all pitched in and did a good job against Cunningham but overall our route coverage wasn't up to the challenge. That was unexpected. Throughout most of the season our pass rush has benefited the secondary and the d-backs have been there when the pass rush was managed. Not so much yesterday though.

If that was Washington's last game, he went out with a wimper.

Individually. As for Walsh, crappy way for his career to end after becoming the points leader. And I admire him for taking responsibility for the misses. But this loss isn't his alone by any measure. Murray frequently looked to be on a different page than his targets. Richt has to be second guessing himself after going all in early with the 4th down call (that backfired) and then playing as conservatively as possible in the first OT (which also backfired). Saw a lot of questions last night about Jenkins' injury. I saw him in OT with his jersey off and his left arm in a sling. I think he landed on it funny after the tackle on his interception.

On the plus side, Malcome played hard while injured and Boykin had a career game, as did King for that matter. Mitchell made some clutch grabs in traffic and special teams looked solid.

All in all, more questions than answers. A lot like the middle of September.

Post game interviews: players

2012-01-03T05:49:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of abhsports

Post game interviews: coordinators

2012-01-03T05:41:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of abhsports

Underclassmen, to stay or go

2012-01-03T05:34:00.000-05:00

I had some early prognostications on what some underclassmen would do in terms of the NFL draft prior to them getting some feedback. Then I put a poll up and now they've all received their analysis. So let's update things with what I think some will do (in bold). And for that matter, you should be able to go back and change your responses if you feel the need to.

Rambo - stays goes
Jarvis - stays definitely stays
Washington - goes goes
Orson -stays....goes...stays, I hope goes, I think
Commings - stays stays

I'm pretty sure Rambo's the only one on the fence as of right now. By that I mean he's truly 50-50. Jarvis has only moved north of 100% in Athens and he's also keeping Jenkins in town as well. Orson...if I had to put a percentage on it I'd say there's a 30% chance he stays. I'm guessing he's pretty frustrated after yesterday. On the surface that doesn't seem to help us retain his services. Maybe his mom can talk him into finishing up. Commings I put up there a few weeks ago because I heard he was requesting info on his NFL stock. I think he along with a number of others (such as Murray) are just curious.

Washington, no I don't think he's ready. Yes, I do think he could benefit from another year. But I still think he leaves.

Dawgs lose. I blame this guy....

2012-01-02T17:56:00.001-05:00

YGBFKM. Draw sign...THEN bourbon. Don't be just another dipshit with a Sharpie.More tomorrow.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Gameday: Outback edition

2012-01-02T06:38:00.003-05:00

The 2011 season comes to an end in a New Year for the Dawgs, and that's about what we had hoped for back in the heat of August. No travelling to Shreveport or Memphis to meet our bowl opponent this season. It's the Spartans. In Tampa.

Here's some last minute thoughts:

The fact that Ken Malcome will start at tailback says everything you need to know about that position this season. It's the perfect ending to what has been a turbulent season there when a guy who's left the team, come back and then was suspended a game can make the start in the bowl game.
Actually, the perfect ending will be Malcome (and/or Samuel...and/or Crowell) going for a large number today to help slow down this defense that is heavy on the blitz.
A big game for some DGDs that will be wearing the G for the last time. Would love to see a big day from the likes of Cordy Glenn, Aron White, Bruce Figgins and Brandon Boykin.
Boykin will be especially important in shutting down the MSU offense's key threat in BJ Cunningham.
Have the special teams gotten specialer in the bowl preparation? Richt has already made this a key focus for the off season. We have the depth and talent to beat Michigan State. But an error in special teams or a key turnover could start 2012 on a sour note.

It's been a great season. Would love to go out on a positive note and set the momentum in the right direction heading into off season conditioning and recruiting.

Enjoy the game. Go Dawgs!

Feliz YdosKdoce Muchachos!!

2012-01-01T06:19:00.000-05:00

Wakey Wakey...eggs and rapies!

Again...BDB wishes you and yours a very

Happy New Year!!

Hope you didn't see your life flush before

your eyes this morning...

Don't let your NYE be an epic fail

2011-12-31T08:24:00.000-05:00

Stay safe tonight Reader. You have my permission to do something I wouldn't do. But if you get this crazy, you deserve more than a bad headache tomorrow morning.

DawgCast Outback preview

2011-12-31T06:58:00.000-05:00

Derek and I talk about ol' Sparty and how we think the Outback plays out. If you missed it yesterday, check it out. Or download the Stitcher app to your phone for free and enter "Dawg".

SkyCam gate 2011

2011-12-31T06:33:00.000-05:00

Wasn't it Iowa that put a beat down on Tech a couple years ago? And don't the engiNerds mass produce technical equipment for ESPN when they should be learning how to cut block?

Well...

h/t @RTDEW

Dawg questions, Spartan answers

2011-12-31T05:33:00.000-05:00

You asked the questions and Mike provided the answers.

BourbonDawg - Who's the biggest deep threat for Michigan State?

-- B.J. Cunningham. He isn’t a burner, but he is great at going up and getting the ball. He has shown tremendous body control and athleticism throughout the year and is the leading receiver in MSU history. He also is Kirk Cousins’ go-to receiver. Keshawn Martin would be a close second because he is a burner, and has emerged as a downfield threat this season.

SugarHillDawg - Do you see the Spartan rush offense as a real threat to Georgia's defense?

-- I do, but not as a threat to post 200 yards or some crazy number like that. Le’Veon Bell has been playing really, really well lately and is hard to bring down. I do think they run the ball away from Jarvis Jones, especially early. Honestly, the run game for MSU will be the number one key to the game, because if they don’t get it going it will leave Georgia with the freedom to blitz and blitz and blitz Cousins.

CLT Dawg - How do you think the MSU offensive front matches up with Georgia's defensive front 7?

-- With the Georgia defensive line, pretty well. The front seven … the matchup isn’t as good. Jones obviously is scary, and Alec Ogletree is a great linebacker as well. Right tackle Dan France has his work cut out for him in blocking Jones. The tight ends (Brian Linthicum, Garrett Celek and Dion Sims) will be used in blocking plenty, as well as fullback Todd Anderson. The running backs, Bell and Larry Caper in particular, do a good job blocking, too.

The MSU offensive line was a real concern early in the season, but they have jelled very well of late and haven’t allowed a sack in five games. That will change against Georgia, but I do think they will do a good enough job for the offense to do some good things. The size and speed of the Georgia front seven, thought, would give Georgia an advantage against the offensive line of MSU.

RTDEW - How will the loss of your long snapper affect the Spartans' special teams?

-- Let me put it this way, had anyone heard about Matt Giampapa this season? No. Which means he does his job and doesn’t make mistakes. But, based on the fact that the freshman long snapper Matt Giampapa beat out Steve Moore in a competition late in the fall, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem. The coaches certainly feel that way and are very strong in backing Moore – who has played in games this season.

MortonUGA - I haven't seen Mich St play. Is the QB very mobile? Are the defensive linemen quick off the block?

-- Cousins isn’t very mobile. He can run if he has to for a few yards, but won’t break off a 20-yard run or anything. They will run some play-action bootleg plays once in a while, but he will throw out of those sets. Backup Andrew Maxwell, who will be playing in the game is much more mobile. He is more of a threat to run and out of the bootlegs, he can definitely pull it down to run.

Jerel Worthy is the fastest defensive lineman off the block you will ever see. Too quick, in fact. In the past two years, I can think of at least five penalties for jumping offsides – including one in the Big Ten Championship Game. Ends Will Gholston and Marcus Rush also do a great job off the block, more so with Gholston, but none compare to Worthy.

5thYearSoph - Is the MSU offensive scheme centered on establishing the run and setting up the play-action pass? Also, does Cousins have the arm to really hurt teams deep?

-- It is run-based, and definitely uses plenty of play-action off the run. Mark Dantonio and offensive coordinator Dan Roushar will seek to establish Bell early, and then start trying to open it up. When I looked back at the Big Ten title game, the first quarter had eight runs play in two total plays, and the second quarter had 15-of-25 plays in Cousins’ hands.

Is he going to air it out 60 yards routinely? Not so much. But he can hurt teams downfield, but it will usually be done in a more finesse sense of a hitting a wide receiver down the sideline.

Outback Bowl Preview

2011-12-30T05:42:00.000-05:00

Well, the time is almost here. Georgia takes on Michigan State in the 2011 season finale on Monday. After answering each other's questions earlier in the month, Mike of The Little Brother Blog and I decided to collaborate on a preview. We break down the Outback Bowl matchup from both sides of the ball and give our keys to the game as well as which players to watch. Here are our thoughts.

When Georgia has the ball

Bernie -- I wish I could say the Dawgs will come out and run the ball early, often and effectively. But we don't know how strong tailback Richard Samuel will be coming back from injury or how many carries Crowell can manage. So the key for Georgia will be how well quarterback Aaron Murray works through his progressions and finds his targets. To do that we'll have to slow down the MSU pass rush. I think our interior line can match up well with All-American Jerel Worthy, but we've suffered with protection on the edge. So neutralizing William Gholston and Denicos Allen will be key.

Fortunately for Georgia, there isn't anyone in the nation that can effectively cover Orson Charles. So if we can provide Murray adequate time, I think our #7 and our other playmakers can get the separation needed to move the chains and make big gains.

Mike -- The Michigan State front seven is going to try and put a lot of pressure on a team that allows a considerable number of sacks and an offensive line that is massive, but not quick. The blitz packages defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi employs will try to exploit the lack of quickness of the offensive line and the shaky blocking of Orson Charles with the use of his linebackers from all angles, and bringing Johnny Adams on corner blitzes. Adams and the other defensive backs do a good job in man coverage, and should be spending most of the game working to lock down the Georgia receivers and give the front seven time to get into the backfield. Will Gholston will be huge off the edge and should have an advantage in putting pressure on Murray.

Georgia has a well-balanced attack, and Murray effectively moves the offense down the field. But apart from LSU, he has not seen a secondary as physical and with as many playmakers as Michigan State has. If there is ample pressure on Murray, there should be enough three-and-outs to give the ball back to Kirk Cousins and the offense.

When MSU has the ball

Mike -- The run game will be a focus early, and also keeping Cousins on his feet. In an attempt to use the speed and aggressiveness of the Georgia defense against itself and neutralize the blitz, the passing game will go laterally to Keshawn Martin, B.J. Cunningham and Keith Nichol in the flat and let them try to make some plays. Offensive coordinator Dan Roushar will seek to spread out the Bulldogs defensively and get the ball to his playmakers and let them try to make something of it.

The most important thing the MSU offense can do is convert third downs -- something Georgia does a great job of stopping. They did not allow a first down to LSU in the first half of the SEC title game, and held the Tigers to 1-of-9 in the game. Michigan State will have to do a much better job of that if the Spartans are going to come out on top in this one.

Bernie -- I like what MSU has going in Bell and Baker. Together they give opposing defenses a lot to think about. But they're going to have a hard time getting yards Monday in Tampa. In the games in which the Spartans struggled to rush the football (Notre Dame, Ohio State and Nebraska) defenses were able to contain #24 and #4 and make the Spartans one dimensional. Christian Robinson and Alec Ogletree have really benefited from having true nose tackles in Athens with Kwame Geathers and John Jenkins. Together they'll work to clog up the middle while Jarvis Jones creates his usual havoc on the outside.

If the Dawgs can pin their ears back it could be a long day for Kirk Cousins. On the other side of the coin, if Bell and Baker can break loose and put up 100+ it would give the veteran QB enough time hurt Georgia downfield.

Three keys for Georgia

Creating a pass rush. I haven't seen anyone that can block Jarvis Jones yet. The smart teams just go ahead and start holding him early to try and contain his relentless pursuit. I think Georgia has a secondary that can match up with MSU's downfield targets, but if Cousins has time to use his eyes to scan the field it wouldn't be good for the Dawgs.
Establish the ground game. When Richard Samuel went down in late October with an ankle injury he was at his highest moment as a Bulldog. I think he's the guy to watch in Georgia's backfield. He's an effective runner with good speed to go along with his size. Plus he's really good in pass protection. So if he gets 15-20 touches that bodes well for Aaron Murray and the passing game that relies heavily on the play action.
Avoid the turnovers. Safety Bacarri Rambo has reaped the rewards of a defensive front that consistently puts pressure on the quarterback. As a result Georgia enters the Outback Bowl at a +7 in turnover margin, same as MSU. Who protects the ball better? Like with so many games, whichever team answers that question best is usually the one on top at the end.

Bulldog to watch

Brandon Boykin. He came back for his senior season when he nearly left early. In his last game for Georgia he'll likely be charged with shutting down B.J. Cunningham. It should be fun to watch these two go after it and Boykin has the skills to neutralize Kirk Cousins favorite target. Boykin hasn't seen many balls thrown his way this season, but the Spartans will look for ways to get Cunningham involved early and often. Boykin should have plenty of chances to make some plays Monday. Plus, he's overdue for a kickoff return touchdown. Could he get one in his last game in the silver britches?

Three keys for Michigan State

Running the ball. The Spartans have been running the ball very well in their past five games, but now face their toughest test. The Bulldogs are ranked ninth-nationally against the run and have size in a defensive line and speed in linebackers to really challenge the Michigan State offensive line. The battle in the trenches will be key on both sides for MSU, but especially on offense. The Spartans must run the ball well and establish the ground game early and often. If they don't, Georgia will have all the freedom to blitz Cousins constantly and force the Spartans to pass more than they want to.
Cover Charles. The All-American tight end is easily the biggest threat the Bulldogs have in the passing game. Aaron Murray looks to him down the middle between the safeties, and on intermediate routes between the linebackers and safeties. Players like Chris Norman, Trenton Robinson and Isaiah Lewis will need to have eyes on him at all times. If there is one area this defense has been prone to lapse in this season, it has been allowing a big play. There cannot be mistakes like that against a very good Georgia team.
The decision making of Cousins and Andrew Maxwell. Cousins has only thrown three picks in his past eight games and he must continue to take good care of the football. Georgia will bring pressure and lots of it, which is why the Bulldogs have 17 interceptions. Cousins will have to be careful not to force throws, and be willing to take a sack or throw it away. Maxwell will be even more challenged against a high-caliber team. He will need to show poise beyond his years in decision making and not turn the ball over. How well the Spartan quarterbacks protect the ball and keep their defense resting on the sideline will have a lot to do with the success MSU has in the Outback Bowl.

Spartan to watch

Max Bullough. The Spartans middle linebacker is the key to the run defense and the pass defense. He leads the team in tackles and makes plays from sideline to sideline throughout the game. In the pass blitz game, he is central -- along with linebacker Denicos Allen -- to apply pressure on the quarterback. He will come through the A-gap either as the ball is snapped, or on a delayed blitz. The Georgia rushing attack will give him plenty of chances to make plays and the passing game should give him opportunities to get to Murray.

Overall Thoughts

Bernie -- These two teams share a lot in common: runners-up in their conference, rely heavily on defense and are well coached by experienced men who have their teams prepared. An intangible to keep an eye on is which team wants to win more. Georgia has made a significant turnaround from last season in which they rarely finished games strongly. This season they've played well in the 4th quarter. My feeling is that the Spartans are more upset about missing the Rose Bowl than the Dawgs are about losing out on the Sugar. Plus Georgia has a number of players from the state of Florida and Tampa area specifically.

So which team is more eager to win the Outback Bowl and willing to fight for it for 60 minutes? I think this is a close game for 3 quarters. I think the teams are about as evenly matched as any other bowl game's two teams. However, in the end I think Georgia has the playmakers on the offensive side that can eventually neutralize the opposing defense more effectively. I think Orson Charles, Brandon Boykin and Aaron Murray have big plays that make the difference.

Mike -- The winningest senior class in Michigan State history was "denied" a Rose Bowl for the second consecutive year. Getting the opportunity to play a BCS-caliber team in a bowl game is the next best thing, and they know it. The Spartans should come out firing like they did against Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game. If they come out flat, they will be in trouble.

These teams are mirror images of each other, and I am torn between thinking it will be a shootout or a defensive showdown. But, the Spartans defense has struggled in the first quarter and gives up plenty of yards. I don't expect that to be much different this time around. The second quarter, though, has been the best for the Spartans (in two games with Wisconsin, Michigan State outscored the Badgers 45-0). I expect them to turnaround after a rough first quarter and take the lead. Only difference, they must keep the foot on the gas in the second half and not let up. Kirk Cousins and his trio of senior wide receivers will have to be making plays and executing throughout the game. If they do that, they should win.

Prediction

Bernie -- Georgia 27 Michigan State 13

Mike -- Michigan State 28 Georgia 27

Crowell's sick days

2011-12-29T06:08:00.000-05:00

Crowell asks for a sick day...playing the part of Crowell, is Bernie. Playing the part of Coach Richt, Mr. Burns.

Bernie: Excuse me, Mr. Burns....I don't feel well.
Mr. Burns: Too many "donuts" Bernie?
Bernie: Well, no. I just don't think I can practice today. Do you have a thermometer?
Mr. Burns: ARE YOU ASKING FOR ANOTHER SICK DAY? I MIGHT REMIND YOU THAT YOU'VE EXCEEDED YOUR QUOTA, TENFOLD!!!!
Bernie: Dock me Coach. Throw me in the dungeon. I just can't keep up with DickSam4.
Mr. Burns: This is NOT an oligarchy #1, this is a monarchy and I'M THE SUPREME DICTATOR AFTER TAKING US BACK TO THE A-T-L beeotch!
Bernie: Don't you have one green jersey left? I heard Gilliard out ran a bull. He don't need it no more.
Mr. Burns: Green jerseys were left at Butts-Mehre in my new Ford F-150. Here's a dollar. Try getting a cab. Team Bloomin' Onion Dinner is at 7 though. Be back before I order the Choc Thunder from Down Under!
Bernie: [shrugs shoulders...takes place on sideline, willing to accept consequences]

Whatever they may be.

Countdown to Kickoff - Outback Bowl

2011-12-29T05:18:00.000-05:00

Al Keck gets us ready for the Outback Bowl.

TEH SEC SKED 2012!!!!!1

2011-12-28T10:04:00.003-05:00

The anticipation was almost too much.

BUT IT IS HERE

Sept 8 at Mizzou

Sept 22 Vandy

Sept 29 Tennessee

Oct 6 at S. Carolina

Oct 20 at Kentucky

Oct 27 WLOCP

Nov 3 Ole Miss

Nov 19 at Auburn

So no bye week before Florida...BUT the gators have South Carolina on October 20th.

Other than that, about as expected. What are your thoughts?

Spartan Focus: BJ Cunningham

2011-12-28T05:49:00.000-05:00

The quality on this video is low, but it shows how Michigan State playmaker BJ Cunningham is used to help with run blocking (they frequently run to his side for a reason) and to make big gains down field.

I think I'd like to see how Cunningham goes against Commings. More later, but that may be a key battle to watch on Monday.

LeMay to stay

2011-12-27T05:48:00.000-05:00

While Hutson waits until January to make his decision, Christian LeMay will stay in Athens next season. Not that he had to make a decision. He just decided to put some pesky rumors to rest.

“That is something that is definitely out of the question,” LeMay said. "I am just trying to get better and learn things. Yeah, I am staying.”

The freshman was surprised that the rumors were taken seriously by anyone.

“I don’t know where these things start,” LeMay said. “There are always things out there in social media. I am going to be here.”

Special Teams question. Cordarrelle Patterson an answer.

2011-12-27T05:28:00.000-05:00

Coach Richt is already beginning to address 2011's special teams' questions. Perhaps this year's #1 JUCO prospect is one of the answers.

Cordarrelle Patterson from Rock Hill SC averaged 51.8 yards a return on kickoffs this season for Hutchinson CC in Kansas. With Boykin leaving we have a void at kickoff returner. I know the competition in the SEC is a little different than in the Jayhawk Conference. It'd be hard to put up those kind of numbers against the speed and size in the SEC.

But jeez...52 yards a return! If nothing else maybe Richt can consult with the Hutchinson staff. Whoa!

Back to Patterson, he's down to Tennessee and Georgia it looks like and the Dawgs are on solid footing to land this big time receiver.

The Gang's all there!

2011-12-27T05:12:00.000-05:00

Wahoo!

The Spartans - waddya wanna know?

2011-12-26T08:51:00.000-05:00

You remember Mike right? He's the MSU blogger that I did a Q&A with a week or so ago. Well, we're also working on an Outback Bowl preview post that we'll "co-post" on later this week.

Which got me thinking...what do you want to know about the Spartans? Do you have a question you think Mike could answer and help you prepare better for the bowl game? Want to know more about their top ranked defense or their experienced signal caller? Perhaps you'd like to know more about a specific player or just how this team is different from the Spartan team we played a couple years ago in the CapOne.

Fire away! Post the question in the comments, hit me on the twitter or shoot me an email. Only serious questions that provide an opportunity for good feedback will get posted. So word them carefully and consult your nearest dictionary if needed.

On Charles, Rome, Lynch...and Figgins

2011-12-26T05:21:00.000-05:00

89 = DamnGoodDawg

No meatloaf today. After all that Christmas Day turkey and fixins I just didn't have the energy to make a meatloaf. If all goes well I should have some leftover turkey for your Tuesday. However, I did want to share a couple really good reads.

First, Ching evaluates ($$) the tight end position with White graduating and Charles possibly leaving for the NFL. Jay Rome ended up redshirting this season and is now on the bench for Coach Fox. Lynch is the often forgotten man at the position. White and Bobo talk like he will more than fill any cleats left behind. There's also a nice interview with Rome by Nabulsi.

Georgia has proven they have the system to support multiple tight ends. And even should Charles turn pro (which many think he will according to the poll) we should still have some quality depth, just inexperienced. Lynch has seen few legitimate snaps and Rome will be just a redshirt freshman. We have a commit in Ty Smith of Colquitt Co as well.

Also, really good read by Clarkson on Bruce Figgins' career as a Dawg and what his graduation meant to his family, especially his mom who is fighting breast cancer. Figgins' road in Athens has been a little bumpy, but he's proven to be a team player and a damn good Dawg. I'm really sad to see him go. I think I get pretty soft and mushy when it comes to players who change positions to help the team. I've heard Richt say on a couple occasions that he's hesitant to hand the ball off to someone who's never had a carry in his career. I get that. But I hope we work 89 into the plan some more in the Outback. Would bark extra loud if he found the endzone.

And I really hope NFL scouts see what he did this year as a fullback and see him as a valuable commodity in a tightend/H-back role. I think he'd do well. And it couldn't happen to a better man. Stay strong Ms. Figgins and GATA Bruce!

From all of us at BDB...

2011-12-25T06:23:00.000-05:00

Christmas Eve Traditions

2011-12-24T14:23:00.001-05:00

For as long as I can remember Christmas Eve has been my favorite day of the year. Even as a kid I enjoyed the traditions and warmth of family time on December 24th as much or more than Christmas Day itself.I hope you are having a terrific Christmas weekend. There's a lot to be proud of in the Dawg Nation. But it doesn't come close to the joy of this time of year. I'm taking a moment here to lounge and take I some football while smelling the smells coming from the kitchen. Later we'll go to church and then I'll make the traditional Christmas Eve meal, shrimp and grits. Then some readings, singing, cookies laid out. Maybe a movie. And bedtime.You just can't beat it. Hope your traditions bring a smile to your face that rivals the one on mine. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Schedule and a lump of coal

2011-12-23T06:52:00.000-05:00

So we won't have a 2012 schedule until after Christmas which feels like a big lump of coal in the stocking. Okay. Whatevs.

PWD laid out what he's hearing, which is a good mix of what has been leaked and what is known fact (ie. the OOC games are locked and loaded). Here's what he has:

Week 1: Buffalo (home)
Week 2: Missouri (away)
Week 3: Florida Atlantic (home)
Week 4: Vanderbilt (home)
Week 5: Tennessee (home)
Week 6: South Carolina (away)
Week 7: Kentucky (away)
Week 8: BYE Week
Week 9: Florida (Jax)
Week 10: Alabama (home)
Week 11: Auburn (away)
Week 12: Georgia Southern (home)
Week 13: Georgia Tech (home)

What do you think? I definitely would like to get South Carolina later in the season and I really enjoy the off week before Jax. Other than the awkwardness of having the name Missouri up there, I think it's about what we could hope for.

About that College Station trip

2011-12-23T05:45:00.000-05:00

Not that Georgia fans would say we told you so Aggies...but...we told you so.

Phone records obtained by Dawg Post through a Freedom of Information Act request indicate that Richt only left the state of Georgia twice the week after the SEC Championship Game: a recruiting trip to Raleigh, NC the night of December 4th; and to participate in an Outback Bowl press conference on December 8th.
Richt’s phone records, which indicate where he is when making a call and what location he is calling, show that the Georgia head coach was never in New York City or visiting Texas A&M as had been rumored on Internet websites and printed in major Texas newspapers.
According to those outlets Richt was supposedly visiting with Texas A&M AD Bill Byrne in New York City about the opening at A&M on Tuesday and was touring the facilities in College Station later that week. Richt’s phone records say otherwise.

Step up your game A&M. You're in the SEC now. Flight records are your best friend, in December and January especially.

Belue to sign 1980 Dawgs DVDs TODAY!

2011-12-23T05:12:00.000-05:00

Because Nat Hudson gave the block of the season, Buck will be at The Varsity in Alpharetta tomorrow to sign copies of the 1980 Dawgs DVD.

For Immediate Release:

Buck Belue will be signing copies of "1980 Dawgs" tomorrow (Fri. the 23rd) at The VARSITY ALPHARETTA from 1:00 - 2:00 pm. Copies of "1980 Dawgs" will be on sale twenty minutes early. Address: 11556 Rainwater Drive, Alpharetta. Just off Haynes Bridge Rd., West of 400, approx. 1 mile from North Point Mall.

Great time to pick up a special gift for a Dawgs fan and have it signed by a legend.

Buck is a UGA Football Legend and was quarterback of the 1980 National Champion Bulldogs. Today, he is co-host of the Buck and Kincade show on 680 The Fan, and a syndicated newspaper columnist.

Coach Richt - wins, loses

2011-12-22T05:51:00.000-05:00

I'm back in the GA, ready to give my two pennies.

Coach Richt has always been the near perfect example of how you can't please everybody. He's too religious. Too nice. Doesn't show enough emotion on the sidelines. Gives sloppy, tongue happy kisses to his favorite coed.

He doesn't win enough to satisfy the fanbase; even after a 10-3 season some would jump at the chance to grab another Corch lolz. And now even when he does something out of the kindness of his heart he gets his hand slapped. While Ohio State ran out of shovels to cover up their improprieties and Penn State ran out of moral compasses, Richt's "handouts" bring the NCAA to the Butts-Mehre door.

Even when the guy wins, he gets punished.

BotW: the growlers

2011-12-22T05:37:00.000-05:00

I have a message for craft beer drinkers and sellers of craft beer, and the message is the same for both.

Join in the growler movement or watch it leave you behind.

Regardless of whether you just haven't purchased a growler or are a retailer/tap manager and don't want to sell them, they are the way things are moving. To turn one's back on fresh beer straight from the tap is unAmerican.

Unfortunately, this growler's empty now.

If you're unfamiliar, growlers are glass jugs that allow for "take-out" beer. You simply take your growler to a place that fills them and choose from one of their taps. The beer is generally cheaper than buying it pre-packaged since you are cutting the cost and expense of bottling. It will stay fresh for about a week, plenty of time to enjoy the labors of your favorite brewmasters.

Growlers are typically half gallons, but they come in varying sizes if you need one that's bigger or smaller. What's more important is to find a place that accepts growlers purchased from other locations. When you get your first growler you'll pay about $6 and it'll have the store's logo on it I'm sure. Most places will refill whatever growler comes into their store. Others I've heard of (ahem!....Whole Foods...) do not. That's a big beer foul if you ask me.

Unfortunately, the economy and/or other factors have slowed the impact of growlers in many areas of the United States. In Gwinnett we've only recently gotten a local tap place for refills. Best of Brews in Duluth is new on the scene with 30+ taps. There's several places in Atlanta and a couple in Athens. I haven't been to The Beer Growler yet, but the best place I've been to by far is 5 Points West Side. Great selection with nearly 50 taps and great prices on everything I've seen in there. If you're in the Athens area check them out on the side of the store. And I've heard a rumor they have a growler station set up at the original location in Five Points.

Ok, you want an idea of what you can save and what the experience will be like. As you hopefully know, RJ Rockers' Son of a Peach is the official brew of BDB BotW. I typically pay about $12 for a sixer of it and only paid about $9 for the growler at 5 Points Bottle Shop this summer. And it was so fresh. Right off the tap you don't have to worry about the taste changing while on the shelf. It's there in all it's glory.

So grab a growler and by all means, start complaining to your local store that you need another place to get a refill.

Two quick updates:
*Speaking of Son of a Peach. Nama got a growler of it for a tailgate before the Kentucky game. Fred was cautious, just as I was because neither of us are wheat beer fans. But we talked him into it. And his reaction was the exact same as mine. You go from "There's no friggin' way I'm gonna like this." to "Holy crap this is like drinking a peach!"
* Follow up on our reading post last week, here's some other good books about beer and brewing in addition to the ones we discussed.

1980 Dawgs on WXIA

2011-12-22T05:30:00.000-05:00

Lenny Daniel and Scott Woerner promote 1980 Dawgs.

Charles to return, and break White's future record

2011-12-21T06:12:00.000-05:00

I like Aron White's plan to get Orson to return for his senior season: score a touchdown and make him jealous enough to come back to break White's future record.

The big question is whether starter Orson Charles will go pro. White, who has been sharing snaps with Charles for most of the past few years, has an angle on how Georgia can get Charles to return: Get White into the end zone in the Outback Bowl. White and Charles are tied for the all-time touchdown record for a tight end at Georgia. So White, a senior, hopes that he gets one in the bowl game to take the lead, and then Charles decides he wants the record and returns for his senior year. “So everybody root for me to score a touchdown in the bowl if you want Orson to come back,” White said. “I’m doing this for you all, not for me.” White also joked - at least he was probably joking - that he didn't want Charles to go pro now and "kill my draft stock."

Everybody wins.

Humpday Hilarity: Puns for intelligent people

2011-12-21T05:27:00.000-05:00

The fattest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.

I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.

She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.

A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class, because it was a weapon of math disruption.

No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.

A dog gave birth to puppies near the road, and was cited for littering.

A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.

Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.

A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other: 'You stay here; I'll go on a head."

I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.

The midget fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

The soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

A backward poet writes inverse.

In a democracy it's your vote that counts. In feudalism it's your count that votes.

When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.

If you jumped off the bridge in Paris, you'd be in Seine.

Two fish swim into a concrete wall. One turns to the other and says 'Dam!'

Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it too.

Two hydrogen atoms meet. One says, 'I've lost my electron." The other says 'Are you sure?' The first replies, 'Yes, I'm positive."

Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused Novocain during a root canal? His goal: transcend dental medication.

There was the person who sent ten puns to friends, with the hope that at least one of the puns would make them laugh. No pun in ten did.

h/t Mac

SEC Today - Outback Preview

2011-12-20T13:22:00.001-05:00

Hannah Chalker, with the help of Scott Howard gets us ready for the Outback Bowl with a preview.

File this under...

2011-12-20T09:09:00.001-05:00

....would not upset me.

Veteran defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson will be the next football coach at Southern Miss, two people with direct knowledge of the negotiations said late Monday night.
A press conference to announce the hiring of Johnson, 59, could be held as soon as today in Hattiesburg.
Johnson, Steve Spurrier's assistant head coach for defense at South Carolina, was in Hattiesburg on Monday. Johnson could not be reached for comment, but he told co-workers at South Carolina he would miss the Gamecocks' Monday night practice to interview for the USM job.

Not so special teams

2011-12-20T08:13:00.001-05:00

Special Teams have been a big let down this season. Richt ponders why.

"We know we have got to get better," Richt said. "It's two things in my opinion that it could be -- either it's what we are doing schematically or it's who do we have on those teams. I guess it could be a third thing: Are they actually doing what we are asking them to do? In all those areas we must improve."
The Bulldogs will enter next year having to replace Boykin, Butler and Walsh, but it's the guts of each unit that Richt is ready to address.
"We'll probably do more special-teams work in the spring than we've done in the past," Richt said. "We knew we had a great punter, great kicker, holder, snapper and that kind of thing, but we also knew we had some youth on some of those teams. We lost [Akeem] Dent, [Darryl] Gamble, [Demarcus] Dobbs -- they were guys that could protect, escape and run and tackle a guy in the open field. We lost a batch of those guys, and we were a little shy on linebacker depth, so we just have to keep recruiting those kinds of guys.
"If we've got to put a bunch of starters on defense on some specials or starters at wide receiver or whatever you've got to do -- tailback -- I don't care what position. We've got to get the best guys out there and understand how crucial it is."

It might also be worth looking at how duties are handed out as well. I'd like Richt to think about taking things over himself.

Crowell speaks. Will feet follow?

2011-12-19T07:42:00.000-05:00

Good read by Weiszer as Isaiah Crowell reflects on his freshman season. It's pretty obvious he's turning into a polished interviewee. Personally, if his feet can follow his mouth then I think he can break 1000 sooner rather than later. The Dawg Nation has grown tired of his attitude. But if #1 can back up the talk with some walk, then he'll hear the cheers loud an clear.

No meatloaf today. Out of town and the phone doesn't cook too well. Y'all probably need to get to shopping for the wives' Christmas gift anyway.

Oddly confident in the Outback

2011-12-19T02:09:00.000-05:00

How confident do you feel about the bowl game?

As I was making my selections for the bowl pool and assigning confidence points, I came to the 2012 Outback Bowl. I guess I wasn't surprised to see many internet casinos had the Dawgs as a favorite, as many 3.5 points. But I'm not sure how confident I am that the team we last saw can hold up to that.

True, Michigan State isn't nearly the behemoths we saw in the Georgia Dome on December 3rd. However they are a solid team by all means. Their defense is stout. They have a stable of running backs and an experienced arm in the pocket. If you beat them you've certainly worked your tail off for 60 minutes.

Still, I think with some solid Christmas time competition at running back we can be the team that eventually pulls away from the opposing defense. The Spartans are faster than the usual Big Ten team, but I doubt they can keep up with Malcolm Mitchell very long should we establish a running game.

With the legalization of sports betting many college football fans are looking at bowl season to line their pockets with some easy money. I just hope those that take the Georgia Bulldogs end up on the right side of the ledger.

Jarvis not just talking the talk

2011-12-17T09:37:00.000-05:00

Months ago he said he wasn't interested in entering the NFL early. It was music to Dawg fans ears, but we still waited with bated breath to see if a mid season quote was still in his heart at season's end.

Well, no real surprise that Jarvis wasn't just pumping sunshine.

Outside linebacker Jarvis Jones, a third-year sophomore and consensus All-American, said “there’s no reason” for him to send in paperwork since he had long decided to return.
“I love being here,” Jones said. “I love the guys I play with. I love my coaches. I don’t think I’m ready to let that go yet.”

Meanwhile, SEC linemen could use a tissue to dry their tears. On the upside they have several more months to practice their holding, cuz even that didn't always work to contain #29.

LAST CHANCE TO ENTER BOWL POOL!!

2011-12-17T07:17:00.000-05:00

Only a few more hours until the 2011 Bowl Season officially kicks off. Here's the original post with link and password. "It's not over til you pin ya father!"

Bowl Pool, to benefit the Human Fund

It's the Second Annual Festivus4theDawgNus Bowl Pool. Frank's gotten the pole out of the crawl space and George is crying over his cassette tapes. The only thing you need is the following info:

Link to group's page

password - "thestrike"

Entry is free, but donations are generously accepted. All benefits to be given to The Human Fund. For Twitter updates on the pool, follow me here and/or Darren the Intern there. Winner gets a year's worth of free fake donuts from H&H Bagels.

If you have no clue what all this means, perhaps this clip can catch you up.

For my Spanish speaking readers, here it is translated. Usted tiene un sistema de creencias fascinante.