Important Boulder Tailgating Info

A week from today I'll be hunkering down in Boulder Colorado. As Exile likes to say, I'll be the loud one wearing red. If you're going too, Cheri has posted some important tailgating information whichever of the three categories you fall under: have tailgating tickets, are on the waiting list for tailgating tickets, or looking for option C.

The bottomline is, if you purchased tickets to the tailgate you're set. And if you're on the waiting list it sounds like there's a chance you may get in. Lastly, if you're like me there's a third option: The Millenium Harvest House Boulder. 

Cheri also asks that you not call to see if they plan on expanding the number of people allowed into the tailgate area. Evidently, Colorado officials don't like the idea of more than 3000 Georgia fans in one area together.

Wait 'til kickoff Buffs. Wait til kickoff.

For Whom the (cow)Bell Tolls...

Given all the bells we'll be hearing later tonight, this seems an appropriate mood setter. (h/t Mark D.)

courtesy of mud97

God I miss Greg Blue.

Go Dawgs!

Trivial Update - Dandelions, Cowbells and Curfew

#ThursdaysRTrivial episode 61 coming up right after this PSA: It takes exactly an IQ of 2 to ring a cowbell. #justsayin'

#ThursdaysRTrivial episode 61 "Starkvegas Got Curfew" It's time for the Twitter Twivia show that picks flowers and winners anytime of the day it wants. Dawgs bite the Bizarro Bulldogs in Starkvegas this weekend. But before they do REPLY back your answer for a chance at a fabulous prize. A Bernie favorite has always been Johnny Cash. He famously spent a night in the Stakville City Jail once. In the song he wrote relating the experience, after they released him the next morning he said "Gimme them things of mine!" What three things did the Man in Black get in return?

First off, a special shout-out to Alan, Shan and Adam. They were last week's trivial participants who went unrecognized for their knowledge due to my feverish forgetfulness. I've taken the liberty of using the BDB petty cash to FedEx a box of Twinkies to each of you. You're welcome!

And now for some musical interluding...

Luckily, our boys only get sent to the pokey for things like alley emergence and false and inappropriate vehicular registrations. We haven't had a flower picker on roster since Goof left the sideline.

Anyhoo....it's been five years since DJ led us to victory in Stark'dville. But as usual, Shan is up for the challenge each and every week. He tweeted in 60 seconds before Ally with the correct answer of a sneer, a guitar pick and a dandelion. Shan gets a handful of pills covered in pocket lint and a half empty fifth of Evan Williams. Ally gets a nice FTD bouquet of dandelions.

Oh! And Jennifer tweeted in as well with wallet, keys and booze. Which I thought was a pretty good shot at it all things considered. So she gets a t-shirt (finally!) that reads I Broke Curfew in Starkville and All I Got Was This %$!* T-shirt. Wear it with pride...anywhere and anytime!

Missy State Preview

If you're heading to Starkvegas, take some advice that may save you an uncomfortable moment along Highway 82 with a raging, full bladder with no end to the dark, somewhat paved road ahead of you.

Use Davis Wade's indoor plumbing. God blessed them for a reason.

Like so many games, this one comes down to what happens in the trenches. Both programs admit to less than stellar offensive line play leading up to tomorrow night's contest. For a pretty good assessment of MSUs troubles in that area, check this post out from cowbell beat writer Brandon Marcello. Here's the rub:

Protection has broken down, blitzes have not been picked up and, most importantly, there’s been a communication breakdown. The result has been seven interceptions and zero touchdowns during the last two games by State’s quarterbacks.

It's difficult to feel completely confident about our line's play heading into such a pivotal game (sidenote - can we dispense with the must-win descriptions? No one's losing their job Monday and bowl invitations aren't going out on Tuesday. Like Streit says, must-win is over-played.). But I like the fact that we're getting Chris Davis back for Searels' rotation. And I like our QB over their rotation.


Juggling quarterbacks is a delicate business. And Coach Mullen's not exactly tossing fifty dollar bills into the huddle. It's been more like flipping a quarter and calling for a kid's head.


So to sum up, I expect to see some sacks on both sides. The defenses will be the equalizers on the field tomorrow night. However, the balance will shift to the purebreds (h/t Dawgcast) on the arm of Aaron Murray and the dreams of Missy State's first SEC win are flushed by Kris Durham.

Dawgs   20

mutts  10

Gotta Have that Funk

All this time we've been worried about tackling, bump and run coverage, one gap technique...and the real issue is how funky our defense is. But really, MSU center J.C. Brignone puts it best as he and his linemates prepare for their first taste of the 3-4 scheme.

Our defense runs a lot more funky stuff than they do, but they play more of a base three front. Like I said, it's us coming out and executing and knowing what's going on. If they get in a three front, we know what to do. If they four front, we know what to do. But we need to go out and execute it.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball MSU's defense is led by Manny Diaz. Diaz is in his first year in Starkville and likes to bring his own funk. However, the results have been sub-par so far this season, at least in his eyes.

Manny Diaz dials up pressure from all three levels of his defense, hoping to create confusion and force opposing quarterbacks into mistakes. So far, the Bulldogs have created five turnovers, which is below expectations for Diaz and his players.

Through three games, the maroon Bulldogs have yet to allow a passer to go for more than 200 yards, which is right at what Georgia's Murray is averaging.

Aaron Murray*

G	Att	Comp	Pct.	Yards	Yards/Att	Int	TD	Rating	Att/G	Yards/G
3	74	46	62.2	605	8.2	2	4	143.27	24.7	201.7

But it seems Diaz has more respect for Murray than Auburn's Newton and LSUs Jefferson.

"This is different -- the ball's going to be in the air. Murray can put it anywhere and throw the ball confidently. If I'm not mistaken, on the final drive before the game-winning drive this past weekend, (Georgia) had more total yards than Arkansas did with (Quarterback Ryan) Mallett and all those weapons they have on offense. That's with a redshirt freshman quarterback. Even without their star wide receiver on offense, they're making hay on offense."

I don't know if we're making hay yet. But I get where Diaz is coming from on Murray. Meanwhile, Grantham is preparing for two quarterbacks in an option attack.

"They’re a little bit different style in the sense that systematically they’re a little bit different. This team is running more option stuff and doing things where you have to account for the quarterback in the run game. Whereas Arkansas was a little different there. They were doing runs but you didn’t really account for the quarterback, and then passing-wise they were different. There is a little more play-action pass with these guys than with Arkansas. A little bit different style offense."

So which o-line can handle the funk best? If we can manage it I like our chances with Murray, especially with King coming back. 

* from cfbstats.com

Injury Updates

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Some good, some bad...

• Bean Anderson will undergo surgery on his turf toe. That will end his season, unfortunately. According to Weiszer, he will not be able to apply for a medical redshirt. Next year will be Anderson's last year of eligibility.
• Branden Smith was symptom free and cleared by Courson to play.
• Chapas still appears questionable with a sprained ankle.
• Chris Davis is likely and may even start.
• Caleb seems 100%.

It's hard to tell exactly how much Anderson's injury hurts. We haven't played much in the base 3-4 where he seemed a good fit. Kwame has been a little better each game and should push Tyson pretty well. Let's hope Abry Jones grows up quick.

One sidenote...in a class move, Ben Jones gave his captain status to Josh Davis for his return trip to his home state. The other captains are Durham, Dent and Dobbs.

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Single Game Colorado Tickets Now Available

A month or so ago they were selling them as part of their National Championship Package. But Cheri updates us that CU is selling single game tickets for next weekend.

There's a limited number available and they appear to be along the visitor's sideline. The band and bulk of the visiting Dawgs will be in endzone area adjacent to the athletic center. 

Here's a direct link to the Buffs' website. I used an image of a seating chart that showed the sideline assignments but isn't too clear when it comes to section numbers. So here's a link to some other seating charts. Good luck!

Colorado Travel Info

The Colorado UGA Alumni Chapter is really going out of their way to make the travelling Dawgs next week feel at home. If you're going, I can't think of a better way to prepare than to read Vice-President Seth Wilcher's all inclusive guide.

From travel tidbits, sight-seeing suggestions, packing in layers, food and brew recommendations (complete with addresses)...Seth's hit it all with more than a week to spare. This guy may not have to buy a beer all weekend.

Thanks Seth. Go Dawgs! 

Locker Notes - Missy State

It's ok to pick the flowers in Starkville these days. Let's just hope we come outta there smelling like a rose.

• Coach Richt - True fans are behind you, whether they're disappointed or not.
• Kris Durham - It's still a long season, and we just need to stay focused and confident in our abilities. The Dawg Nation is confident in yours, Captain.
• Nick Williams - Been eagerly awaiting your break out game. I hope this is it.
• Caleb King - Gonna be good to have you back. We need our 3-4 offense as in tune as our 3-4 defense.
• Kwame Geathers - You seem to get a little hungrier and hungrier each week. Just sayin'.
• Tavarres King - You can be the spark to help the offense find some road rhythm.
• Josh Davis - Looking forward to seeing you jacked up for this homecoming. Go ahead and jack some cowbells while your there.

Here's a sharpie. You know the drill, now finish it.

Bulldogs of a Different Cloth, Both Looking Into Mirrors

When the Dawgs hear the cowbells Saturday night, they'll meet a team with a lot of similarities to themselves. More so than just the nickname. And more than just the records, 1-2, 0-2. Both teams have offenses that are struggling to find themselves. And both teams have defenses who prefer an aggressive style.

And nationally, neither team stands out when it comes to ranking them against the other 118 FBS teams:

	Pts For	Pass Yds	Rush Yds	Pts Agst	Pass def	Rush def	Turnovers
Georgia	64th/28.3	63rd/212.7	85th/128	39th18.3	73rd/659	20th/256	51st/.33
Miss St	86th/23.3	72nd/205.7	63rd/155.33	33rd/17.7	22nd/451	50th/398	89th/-1.0

Other than turnovers, it's hard to see much advantage for Georgia. But Dawg fans can take some comfort in that we have decided who our QB is and that he's taking pretty good care of the football through three games. Mullen's two QB system on the other hand has accounted for 7 interceptions (although most of those were in their one road game at LSU).

The turnovers aren't all attributed to the quarterbacks, as both were under heavy pressure Saturday. Linemen and running backs have been at fault in protection breakdowns, though left tackle Derek Sherrod acknowledged the line hasn't played to its potential.

The theme this week in Starkville is one of becoming more consistent and trying to neutralize mistakes. In head coach Dan Mullen's second year many MSU fans are ready for tangible results after their fair share of moral victories in 2009, a season that left them just shy of bowl eligibility. Despite the familiarity of missing out on a bowl, maroon Bulldog fans can sense a change in the air.


Meanwhile in Athens, Coach Richt is also in unchartered water. His team is 0-2 in SEC play for the first time in his tenure. And although fans are clamoring uncomfortably, he is sticking to his off-season adjustments and doesn't foresee any tweaks.

Richt accentuated the positive Sunday for a team with a redshirt freshman quarterback and a new defensive scheme instead of dwelling on the negative.

“I had a sense after the game that this team really was improving and making strides and after watching the film we’re really moving in the right direction, which is a good thing,” he said.

Georgia’s margin for error now is all but gone.

The inconsistency of both teams so far this season could have us on the brink of a hard fought close game, or a one-sided affair that tilts to the team with greater confidence. Although we've seen Aaron Murray play on the road already, this will be his first night game. I'm wondering how much of that will be a factor. Then again, he played practically his entire high school career at night. Not to mention in venues not much smaller than Davis Wade Stadium.


There's little doubt in my mind that the team that wins is the one doing the best job of putting what they're seeing in the mirror in its appropriate perspective.

Colorado REDout

Yesterday Exile told us about the Buffs' decision to black out their game against us. Well, now there's an official response from the Colorado UGA Alumni. They're urging travelling Dawg fans to go RED in Boulder.

In response to CU calling for a blackout during our game  we need to do a Red Out! Just picture it, their whole stadium will be Red and Black!

Also, they hate red because they hate Nebraska with a passion.

Fixable Issues

I'm still not digesting either loss very well. And 1-2, 0-2 should never have a good taste to it. But the truth is that we're really not that far off from where we expected to be. When I type that I have our overall progress in mind. A couple plays here or there the last two weeks and we're singing a different tune. Six of one, hindsight and all that.

Still, there's some serious issues. But nothing glaringly tragic.

1. Rushing offense, part one.We're 85th in the nation running the football. We average 3.69 yards an attempt. Somehow this much ballyhooed offensive line has to get dirty. Clean jerseys get you 3.69 yards. Dirty ones get you 6+.
2. Rushing offense, part two. King and Chap have been sorely missed. King especially since he adds depth and much needed versatility to the backfield. As good as Ealey is, we need King to complete the tandem.
3. Kickoff coverage. Fabris is long gone and I seem to be holding my breath even harder and longer now whenever Walsh tees it up. From what I can tell, speed is not the issue. It's the assignments that are breaking down. This must improve if we are to start winning field position, which is crucial when your QBs a freshman and AJ Green is back in Athens.
4. Defensive progress. I'm not surprised (no one truly should be) at some of the struggles we've had defensively. The good news is that we took a step forward from Carolina. The best news might be that we've got two of the best offenses on our schedule in the rearview mirror. All in all, 39th in the nation in scoring defense at this point of the transition to the 3-4 is pretty darn good.
5. Team identity. 0-2 is bad for team morale, certainly. Lose in Starkvegas and we're at the point where everyone's already looking at next year before the leaves even think about turning. The leaders of this team need to grab the reins and let the others follow suit.

Come to think of it, the rushing offense is as close to tragic as you can get. I'm running out of adjectives for befuddlement. But at any rate, those are the big issues I see. Fix 1-3, continue with 4...and 5 will fall in place. Then we can get on a pretty good run the next month before the WLOCP.

What'd I miss?

Some Monday Links

Sorry. After spending a few days hunkered down fighting off infection, then all day Saturday in Athens...I just couldn't find the strength to make you a full meatloaf today. But I did manage some reading on Sunday. So here's some links.

Noops was brave enough to re-watch the game and analyze the offense. I knew we had over played the play action, but had no idea just how much. How in the world did Arkansas only manage 6 sacks?

My disappoint in Bobo's post-game words was deep. So needless to say I found Coach Richt's assessment of the protection issues to be much more fair. 

The Senator has his observations from the 35. Glad to see I'm not the only one befuddled by Jones' inability to snap the ball when defenders have crossed the neutral zone.

Exile probably summarizes the reasons for the loss best in his Sunday morning analysis. Meanwhile, Scott found comfort in some words from the Dawgvent. Yeh...really!

And for some non-football stuff, Clarkson says Perno is going back to basics in revamping the pitching for the Diamond Dawgs. I'm not sold on the off season moves, but I sure hope it works

Sunday's Thoughts on the Pig's Pickin

Yet another reason to hate Bobby $%&! Petrino...

• Getting the ball back with just over two minutes left, there's only one person in the stadium that thought Arkansas was gonna win. And he was wearing their headset. We had everything going our way. Only needed about 20 yards to get in Walsh's range. The crowd was juiced.
• But instead we got back to our very, very poor blocking that has plagued us since Lafayette left town. In fact, it's clear to me that the only thing holding Aaron Murray back from being All-SEC this season is his own protection. 
• And that starts with Ealey. He's a great ball carrier, but we desperately miss King's protection in the backfield. Ealey missed come crucial blocks yesterday. The last one cost us the game, and nearly his QBs head.
• Before I leave Ealey, can he pass the ball? If not, I hope Bobo scraps that Wild Dawg.
• Speaking of Bobo, I'm sure there's plenty of people questioning his play calling. And in my opinion some of it is deserved. But in fairness, he should direct most of those questions to Coach Searels.
• One thing I do fault Bobo for however, is the inability to get our tight ends involved in the game. On a day when we were seeing a few difference makers on our sideline in street clothes, Orson Charles and Aron White could've made a difference.
• That and a screen pass or two may have slowed down that rush a little bit.
• Why can't Ben Jones snap the ball when they jump offsides?
• Defensively Grantham has his work cut out for him. With the exception of a couple series, we couldn't pressure one of the nation's best QBs. We came to pull the pork, but Mallet picked us clean.
• With Mallett hitting a few wide open receivers for TDs, the secondary certainly didn't have a great day. But the cornerstone of this defense is pressure. And except for one series in the fourth quarter, that wasn't there at all.
• The national media can talk all they want about AJ Green's absence, but one definite bright spot was the play of our receivers. They continually made plays on balls that needed just that. And Marlon Brown nearly pulled a miracle out of his silver britches there on the last play of the game.

And another bright spot is that we've faced the best passing attack we'll see all season. Unfortunately we weren't able to pressure it into a win.