Recruiting for the Trenches

An Anonymous commenter made the point in Wednesday's post that the offensive line continues to be a concern, yet rarely gets the publicity in the recruiting talk. I agreed, but may have mis-Glory'd when I said the Dawgs may only obtain one more commit on the O-line for this year's class. By my count we only lose one scholarship lineman in Vance.

So with approximately 19 returning biguns, we may be satisfied with what we have: Kholton Houston out of Buford and Brent Benedict of Jacksonville. JuWaun James (OT) of North Gwinnett is another target; it appears to be down to Coach Richt and Kiffybaby for James' signature. All three are listed as 4 star prospects.

Benedict (out of The Bolles School) is clearly a huge commit for this class. Back in June when he gave his word to CMR is when the Dawgs' '10 class really started to take shape. Initially there may have been concerns about Benedict's pass blocking, but with a senior QB in Chandler Carr under center this year it seems The Bolles School is passing more. In fact as of last week's game, Carr had 900 yards passing, 18 TDs and only 1 interception.

And as we know, if a true freshman is going to crack into Searels' rotation he's gonna have to be proficient at both pass and run blocking.

Next season we should again have good experience on the offensive line for the new QB. The question remains however, just how good these guys can be. Of course we'll once again add Sturdivant to the mix, plus redshirt freshmen Dallas Lee, Austin Long and Chris Burnette to the '10 signees. Tanner Strickland will be back from his shoulder surgery and other younger players like AJ Harmon will have more experience and tutelage to bring to the depth chart.

Hopefully the end result is something that makes the fans...and Searels smile.

Who's That Comin'... (yawn..) Bye Week

Last minute costume ideas: an excessive celebration, an emerging scooter, a piece of toast, Logan Gray (although people may not recognize you and your arm may get tired from all the waving), and for those of you who are tall enough to pull it off, a turnover margin.

Do with those what you will.

Trivial Update

Q - Given the upcoming apparent move of Richard Samuel to LB...how many tackles did the Cass HS star have his last two seasons as a prep?

A - 116 according to Scout, 158 according to GeorgiaDogs bio

When a Georgia tailback misses a block, that player is designated to an assignment in northern Siberia and is lucky to see the field again (points of reference - Caleb last season, Carlton this season).ThursdaysRTrivial has been sending any and all correspondence for @BPMackie to another remote location, East Bumble. However quite suddenly yesterday, he came outta nowhere and proved again to be a contender.

Whenever Mackie wins one of these, I'm tempted to make a pair of pants the prize. But the kid and his wife celebrated their 4th anniversary yesterday. So this calls for something special. And given that Samuel was a star in Cartersville....for Mack - a miniature Cass HS Pygmy Goat Bobblehead doll. It's commemorative and should go nicely on your desk next to that picture of you backstage with Menudo.

As for the wife...a year's subscription to Match.com....you know, just in case.

Tailgate Predictions

• Saban might need a footstool to reach Ol' Man Monte's nose, but his defense will give it a good twist while welcoming the Kiffin Family to Tusckyloosie. (Free shout-out to anyone able to get a pic of Layla with the Bama Twins)
• My trusty intern pointed out to me this week that I have yet to pick the nerds to win...so with that being said....oh, who'm I kidding....I just can't do it. Wahoos surprise the Halo Heroes and Miranda shows up at Supper Club drunk...and pissed. Hellz Yeh!
• Steve Martin gives the Visor a scare, but in the end the 'Dores drop their third in a row in Chickumbia.
• Slurban shows some respect for his former OC and only uses one timeout to reach 50...but grimaces when his favorite nephew Timmy is flagged for an unsportsmanlike haircut.
• Slive waits 'til Monday to point out that the FU gators are flagged for transgressions as well...then calls Corch to apologize.
• Hogs focus their anger at being held at bay by the dreaded Curles' yellow flag on Oxford and trounce Coach Nutty.
• And Ohio St. beats Minnesota by two and a half TDs and the sports world barely even notices. BWAHAHAHA!!

Studio Analysis

If you haven't yet signed up for a duty shift in downtown Athens this weekend, please do so before you leave this afternoon. We need a full plane load of players for the Party on the St. Johns next weekend. Can't afford to have any players left stranded in an alley desperate to emerge.

I did a little research and discovered that the Dawgs have yet to drop one to the bye week, and given the momentum established in Nashville last week...it's doubtful we let this one get away. But we'll have to wait until All Hallows Eve to find out if this year's bye week can help produce the miracle that was '97 or the celebration that was '07 at the WLOCP.

However, I do know this: I've got ideas about floriDuh. I've called, but CMR won't listen to them. Still, I'm hoping you will Reader so I'm gonna share them over the next week. Looking forward to your feedback.

But until then, enjoy the Saturday off. Do something to lower the blood pressure for a change. Breathe. Sit down a spell. Maybe go to your favorite BBQ joint and order a Lewis Grizzard Special. (Free jar of sweet tea if you can tell me what that is in the GloryGlorys....and a slice of pecan pie if you can do it without Google.)

Then go have yourself an off weekend Reader. God knows we've earned it.

Bernie

Thursday Thoughts & Musings of Randomness

As the Dawgs gear it down a little during the bye week, the SEC is awash in accountability. Or at least rinsing their hands. And while we can rest assured that Mark Curles will not be trick or treating in Jacksonville, the jury's still out on whether or not Richard Samuel will lead the team in yards rushing one season and tackles the next.

• Samuel's moving...in January. I had forgotten Samuel had played LB until I read this post by Streit last month about the Cass HS Pygmy Goat. My thoughts boil down to this - the kid is fast, he likes contact...so I give it two thumbs up. Like PWD, I also look forward to seeing how the transition pans out.
• Slive sits Curles in the corner. The SEC's (quote/unquote) officiating crew will not eff up any more games until November 14th. Before you click over to the WWL...there is no official apology to AJ. But Mike adds his thoughts on Curles' Kleenex session. I have a little knowledge for Mr. Curles I'd like to throw his way: In the immortal words of Joe Waterloo, Boo (effin') hoo. I'm sorry your suckiness at officiating a tackle football game has led lunatics to call your home and office. Maybe as a new second job you could take up greeting...at Wal-Mart. Just don't flag the patrons for celebrating the the low low prices.
• KiffyBaby desperate to talk about receivers (h/t Senator). The dimwitted wonder takes a pot shot at AJ Green, essentially labeling him soft for not taking on more hits. CMR fires right back, "Maybe it's wisdom rather than fear." Hmm...wisdom...Kiffikins...does not compute. I feel ya Coach. Nice one! I'll only add that the Dawg receiver also tends to stay outta trouble. At least the boy genius didn't go after AJs grandmother.
• Bergwood appreciates safety. Darren the Intern checked the BDB inbox yesterday and found this news release sent in from an actual live BDB reader. Pete may have been showing off how connected he is ("You're married?!?"), but he evidently has spoken directly with the All-State Streaker to get his take on the most exciting way to score on the gridiron. Hot Bobby Hot Bobby!

Commercial Star Looks to Change College Football Rule
When Georgia scored a safety in its 45-19 loss to Tennessee on Oct. 10, the play rewarded the Bulldogs with two points. If a popular college football commercial character gets his wish, the sport might see a significant increase in the safety’s point value.
"Bergwood", the whacky, bearded tailgater from the Allstate college football commercials, feels that a safety – one of the sport’s rarest scoring plays – should be worth more than two points in college football. He recently launched "Proposition Safety," a national campaign aimed at increasing the value of the defensive statistic to eight points.
To rally support for his cause, he’s campaigning at major college football games this season and is also collecting signatures on his rivalry-themed web site, www.Bergwood.net.

“Touchdowns and field goals are super awesome, but we see those scores happen all the time,” said Bergwood. “I believe that defenses across the country should be fairly rewarded for scoring a safety and I’m looking for fans who feel the same.”

Hold the Tartar sauce Reader. See ya tomorrow!

On the Recruiting Trail

With the Bye Week, thought we'd forgo the Locker Notes this week and look at some recruiting nuggets. Afterall, if it's good enough for the coaches this week...good enough for me. (All links are Scout premium)

• First and foremost, Jeff Luc. The Port St. Lucie 5 star MLB has visited KiffyBaby and is heading out to sunny California this weekend. Slurban and LSwho will also get visits. Athens is on a fairly short list to get his fifth visit. However, there may not be much time to gain ground on the front runners, as Luc is still trying to graduate early. If that falls into place, a decision will be coming soon.
• Another longshot is Crimson Tide commit Blake Sims. Turns out CMR wants back in and plans to handle the Gainseville, GA athlete's recruitment personally. Sims' dad says his son is happy with his decision. I guess we'll find out how happy.
• TJ Stripling committed to CMR back in August, but still chats with coaches from Florida, Tennessee and Ohio State. The SW Dekalb star is 6'6" and 215 pounds and is the #12 rated d-end in the nation. Coach Garner is keeping close tabs on TJ, who says "I still see myself playing for Georgia right now."
• Meanwhile 5 star safety Alec Ogletree also remains committed to Georgia and is showing everyone watching that he's ready to play at the college level now. If you follow the link and watch Simmons' video of Ogletree, about a minute in is a hit so pure and violent it is eerily reminiscent of one Thomas Davis. At 6'3" and 215 pounds...#39 is dangerous lethal at the high school level.

I'll try and get some more up this weekend while I'm watching other teams fight to move up in the Mumme Poll.

Some Grits in Remembrance

Ally, via Bulldawg Illustrated, reminded me through Twitter this morning that today is a Southern holiday. It is the day the South's greatest son was born 63 years ago. A son so in-grained in all things southern, when the cold north stole him from us for a couple of years life itself slowed down until he returned.

Happy Birthday Lewis Grizzard! Across the Dawgosphere, Grizzard is getting his props. Scates at Bulldawg Illustrated, BulldogJosh at Bubba N Earl, and of course the guys over at The Grit Tree.

BulldogJosh shares BnEs favorite Grizzard column Whiskey Nazis, which also happens to be my favorite. I'm also partial to a nostalgic one how UGA Glory Began with Coach Eaves, which can be found with other Grizzard treasures at The Official Lewis Grizzard Website. You should go over today of all days and browse through the archives.

I had the opportunity to meet Grizzard once. My dad had instilled in me an appreciation for his work when I was a kid. I remember hearing him chuckle behind a newspaper or with his nose in one of Grizzard's books.

So when the man came to speak at a gathering of red and black socialites at the Holiday Inn in Athens while I was in school...I conveniently made it so that I worked that banquet in the poolside room instead of the Rotary Club in Ballroom A. (yawn...)

I remember Munson using a column to help him defy the laws of gravity, some northern heathens who carried on side, albeit mostly muted conversations while the guest speaker waxed poetic...and I remember how truly southern the man looked. The neatly pressed slacks, the horn-rimmed glasses, the yellow button-down dress shirt, the neat blue blazer. All of that polished off by the leather loafers, no socks.

I had heard the word dapper before, but not until that moment did I truly understand it's meaning entirely.

Later that school year a kid on my hall had gotten in a fight with our starting middle LB at a fraternity party. I shouldn't say kid, because O'Keefe as we called him had served some time in the Persian Gulf War and was back to earn his degree. But he also stood about 5 feet tall with only two more inches to add on. He probably weighed a buck thirty.

And you notice I didn't name our starting LB at the time...that's cuz O'Keefe beat his ass. Sure, these were the Goff years, but this was not a slouch of a gridiron defender. He would've started on most SEC teams. But evidently, the wrong words had been said. Or maybe the wrong girl had been flirted with. Either way, it was a story that gathered great momentum across campus. Our hallmate became a legend overnight.

And how does this relate to our dear old Grizzard?

The southern philosopher was a columnist at the AJC then of course. He had a weekly Sunday column that was my first order of business in the quiet of Russell Hall those mornings. On this one Sunday morning I sprang from my chair and ran down to O'Keefe's door, newsprint in hand. He wasn't there, but as I remember when we finally got the chance to share with him the honor that had been bestowed upon him...his response: Hmmmph...who's Lewis Grizzard?

Wherever he may be today, God Bless O'Keefe. God Bless Grizzard.

And God Bless Catfish too.

This Week's Mumme Poll

Click HERE to get this week's Mumme Poll. Just remember that the results may not be released as of the time of this post.

Polling was much harder work this week, at least for me. And thanks mostly to two games: VA Tech losing to the nerds and Florida needing official help to dispatch Arkansas.

Top Five

Alabama

Texas

Florida

Cincinnati

Iowa

The Next Seven

LSU

Miami

Southern Cal

Boise St

TCU

Georgia Tech

Oregon

I really wanted to move VA Tech up this week after a solid road win in Atlanta. Best laid plans and all that... The Hokies may still be one of the best 12 teams, but their offense struggled mightily. On the other hand, I was impressed with Cincinnati on Thursday night. The injury to their QB may have impacted others' decision to move them up, but even if Pike is out for the an extended period - they played solid football on the road against a solid South Florida team....and the backup held his own.

Southern Cal moved down this week despite the win in South Bend. I'm still not sold on the Irish, so a lackluster win sells me less on the Trojans as a result. I think we'll know more in two weeks when USC and Oregon play for the Pac Ten championship... ; )

Despite the fact that two teams fell out of my top five, I never really considered moving TCU or Boise St into that grouping. I'll admit right off that I've seen very little of Boise St and next to nothing of TCU, but things will have to shake out more before I would reward either with a coveted top five spot.

As for the top spot, Bama continues to impress. I could've held Florida at the #2 spot given Texas' struggles...but come on. Winning by three against Oklahoma is much more impressive than stealing a win at home against Arkansas. If you're reading this Slurban, you're lucky I didn't drop your team altogether.

Guess I'm saving that for the post WLOCP poll.

SCAN Foundation Benefit - Bernie & Dooley's Endorsement

What'd you just tweet?

That's a question I get a lot of from the lady when the iPhone or the laptop is within reach. So there are many times I'll have to admit to her that I just shared a thought with my tweeps pertaining to my Dawgs' fading chances at the SECCG...or that my wife is smokin' hot....or that I still think Def Leppard's Pyromania is the greatest album evah!!

But over the weekend I had another reason to tweet. For every tweet that also contained the tag #beatcancer Miller Coors, eBay and PayPal would donate a penny to breast cancer research. Proud to say I tweeted my thumbs off.

My readers can probably be divided into two categories: the ones who for some unknown reason want to read my thoughts on the Georgia Bulldogs and the one who is my mom. For those in the first category, you probably deserve an explanation for why you've clicked over here for a post that doesn't even mention Rennie or AJs latest acts of awesomeness.

Well, in a phrase - cancer sucks and I want to help end it. It took my father-in-law just as my little girls were getting to know him. That sucks worse than anything Chan Gailey ever did on North Avenue. It has taken other lives dear to me, just as it has yours Reader. No reason it should affect our kids the way that it has us.

My father-in-law died from squamous cell cancer, a type of skin cancer that started in his throat. So anything that the Skin Cancer Awareness Network Foundation does has my full endorsement. Most skin cancers are not only treatable, but also preventable. SCAN Foundation works tirelessly to spread some knowledge. Knowledge that may help save your life. Maybe your kids'. Maybe your neighbor's.

Tuesday night October 20th SCAN Foundation is putting on a benefit at the Buckhead Bar and Grill. They'll have great raffle prizes, complimentary appetizers and a professional fashion show. If you come out, there's a chance you could go home with Georgia Football tix, a signed football or another great prize.

If you can't make it out, you can purchase raffle tickets online as well.

Purchase tickets now and help in the fight against skin cancer! Your charitable contribution to SCAN Foundation is tax deductible. Join us on Tuesday for SPF, SCAN Partners in Fashion at Buckhead Bar & Grill!

Enter to win below: click here for 2 Tickets click here for 3 Tickets click here for 4 Tickets

And to give this post more of a red and black flair, I'll leave you with some of Coach Dooley's own words in support of the SCAN Foundation. Thanks for your time, your click and most of all your support.

SCAN Foundation accomplishes its mission of skin cancer awareness through special awareness events as SCAN's Save Our Skin 5K where I was the Honorary Chairman for the Inaugural 5K in 2007. Dermatologists offered free skin spot checks during the event and valuable skin cancer information to all participants. - Vince Dooley

Monday's Meatloaf - A Dandy in Vandy

The stats don't lie:

• 173 yards rushing
• Cox - 16/31 226 yds 2/1
• 7 of 15 on 3rd down
• TOP 32:45

Vast improvement compared to the last trip to Tennessee. But those Dawg fans who watched, understand that the most telling fact isn't one listed in any box score.

The Dawgs regained a little swagger.

Sure...it was Vandy. Yes...the rushing statistics are greatly padded by yards gained late in the fourth when some 'dores had shut it down. But these players needed to feel the balance of this game sway in their favor long before the final gun. That 10 play 68 yard exercise in smash mouth, line em up and knock em off the blocks was vital to these Dawgs psyche. With a week off before Michael Adams' Beerfest in Jacksonville, Coach Richt's boys needed to come back into practice with a little confidence.

Thank you Music City. Even our president gets a kick outta you.

Today's Ingredients

• It's so nice to have a W over Vandy that didn't require me to lose my religion.
• I still have it as a toss up as to which was more frustrating, the early inconsistencies on offense or the slow ass punter catching our punt return team with their pants down...again.
• AJ...my wife hearts you too. It's a family affair.
• The stats weren't eye-grabbing, but it was nice to see Caleb King have a breakout game. Even nicer to see how much progress the kid has made in blocking.
• Weiszer looks at just how the Dawgs entered the bye week on a high note.
• Hale outlines CMRs Sunday teleconference notes, and pens a piece on how the D came up with a complete game.
• Mike also believes the win over the 'Dores was good for morale, players and fans alike.
• The Senator had a nice trip to the Music City...and offers his cogent thoughts as usual.
• Bill King is torn between his heart and his head.
• And ucheedawg thinks the confidence of the o-line could get a boost from Saturday.

Should the SEC offices and officials allow us to compete with floriDuh in Jax, it'll come down to offensive line play. If Searels can instill some fire, a little junkyard attitude in his pups I really, really believe we can beat the overrated reptiles. Arkansas defended the Teblow dive well with their defensive tackles. That one facet of the game affected the entire heralded gator offense.

However, in the end, the same crew that hates AJ so much for being so flamboyantly awesome decided that it was in their best interests to move the ball on the Arkansas defense. You know, since the gayturds couldn't.

We've proven that we can't overcome bad officiating. And God help us if Mark Curles is trick or treating in Jacksonville this year. But given the momentum we gathered in Nashville and the little swagger we take into the off week, maybe we can smack em in the mouth a little bit.

If so, set your DVRs for the post game news conference. And pass Timmy the tissues. Here's your napkin Reader. Hope this week's entree tasted better than last week's.

Bernie

Monday's Meatloaf is still cooking....if you planned on a serving for lunch, better make it a late lunch.

Sorry for any inconvenience.

Darren the Intern

Sunday Thoughts

Good win leaves more work to do.

• First things first...I like Bobo on the sideline. Hard to tell if it affected his playcalling. But he brings an energy to the sideline that I like and the players enjoy/benefit from.
• I thought Bobo being close to Cox and other players was key to us getting through some early inconsistency. Namely the drops and some bad timing issues.
• Like you Reader, I entered this game against Vandy thinking we needed a convincing win to build some momentum going into the off week.
• As the game ended, I thought we had done just that. Hale helped confirm it thru Twitter:

I know it was just Vandy & UGA didn't play great in the 1st half, but the attitude among the team seemed vastly improved. Good 1st step.

• Yeh, good first step. Now two weeks to prepare for Jax.
• I'm with Derek, floriDuh is beatable. I also think we match up well with Timmy and his disciples.
• BUT...we'll need a game that is beyond stellar to beat the gayturds....and the SEC officials.
• Stellar meaning cleaning up penalties, positive turnover margin, knocking guys off the blocks.
• The defensive tackle rotation will need to gear up to stop that frickin' dive play Slurban is married to. If they can do that, then Rennie and Co. can have a big day.
• And we know what happens when Rennie has a big day in Jax...
• Back to Nashville, we were more committed to the running game...and mixing up our defensive looks, rushes.
• Rambo did get more playing time. I think the next step would be to give him all the playing time.
• According to my straw poll, the Vandy black out was a lot like Switzerland...small and for the most part, insignificant.
• Munzenmaier creates TDs as easily as I create gas.
• Although it's pretty apparent that none of our RBs have breakaway SEC type speed....I believe King is seeing the field best. Nothing fancy yesterday, but looked good doing it.
• Wooten's gonna continue to be clutch...with or without a lame unsportsmanlike flag.
• Good to see Quintin Banks. He looks fast and big...
• Rennie leading the team in tackles is kinda like me leading a tailgate in pulls of bourbon. Ho hum...
• Lastly, the Dawgs have been pretty good in the red zone this season. The trick is getting there in the first place.

Go grab yourself a nap Reader. You've earned it.