Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl: keys to a victory formation

Short version: Dawgs win. Unless Todd Gurley gets abducted by Manti Te'o's girlfriend. (Again, within the statute of limitations on that one.)

This is Hutson Mason's game to shine. I'll get back to Gurley in a minute, because he's definitely a key to Georgia's victory. But when I reflect on where this program is, truly in transition between one legendary quarterback and his backup who is soon to be a fifth year senior, this is the game after Mason got the jitters out. This is the game after Mason lead his team back from a 20-0 hole. This is the game after the team, the offense and the huddle became his.

Nebraska gives up 7.1 yards per pass. Georgia averages 9.0. In the season opener the Cornhuskers gave up nearly 400 yards to Wyoming. Yes, WYOMING. They buckled down after that, but it was all to teams that don't have guys like Bennett and Conley (who practiced yesterday) and Wooten (playing in his last game not far from his home town) and two other seniors who contributed a lot in the passing game - Lynch and McGowan. Add in a couple eager, younger playmakers like Reggie Davis and Jonathon Rumph, and I think Mason will keep the Husker secondary busy. Very busy.

As for Gurley, in last season's Capital One Bowl he had 23 carries for 125 yards. He's fully rested and as healthy as he's been since mid-September. He's gonna get his.

On defense things are a little trickier. Grantham won't have Josh Harvey-Clemons or Sheldon Dawson. But the key will be stopping Ameer Abdullah on the ground. He has 59% of the rushing yards for Pelini. They weren't that good through the air with Taylor Martinez. At least not enough to really scare you. And they're a shadow of what they were once he went down with a foot injury in September. So yeh, it's all about stopping them on the ground. It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to figure out that this plays into Georgia's strength on that side of the ball.

Lastly, don't act the fool on special teams.

So, the keys: run the ball, catch the catchable passes, tackle them like you mean it, and don't go batshit crazy when kicking the football. Easy. Peasy. Lemon squeezy.

Bowl spotlight - $$CFA$$

It's always the best bowl game. Not sure if tonight's edition holds true to form. But one thing's for sure, the ATL strip clubs ain't ready for a "newly" "professional" Johnny FFootball Manziel after kicking a bunch of rich, smart kids' ass.

Dolla dolla bills y'all!

Bobo gonna get paid!

I think Dean about sums it up.

The Eagles’ most recent coach, Jeff Monken, just left the Statesboro school to take over as the head coach at Army. Kleinlein told the Macon Telegraph Monken made $260,000 as the coach at Georgia Southern last year.

Bobo, on the other hand, made $585,000 in 2013. Bobo made less than at least two coaches who were fired last year – Manny Diaz (Texas defensive coordinator; $650,000) and Brent Pease (Florida; $600,000).

Bobo blistered several coordinators who make more than he does including scoring at least 35 points on: LSU’s John Chavis (44 points; $1.1 million), Georgia Tech’s Ted Roof (41 points; $600,000), South Carolina’s Lorenzo Ward (41 points; $650,000), Auburn’s Ellis Johnson (38 points; $800,000) and Clemson’s Brent Venables (35 points, $800,000).

Yeh. McGarity about to cash in some savings bonds y'all.

On a happier note...

Saw two things that brought forth smiles in the car this morning. First, from AHD:

Those cute bUTtchuggers always make me laugh.

And then from @BassinDawg, this pic:

lolz engiNerds. Hotty Toddy and Go Dawgs!

So, about Nebraska.

Gonna man up and admit I've contracted an unhealthy dose if apathy for the 2014 Gator Bowl. That's at least part of the reason for the lack of posts recently. Mostly it's due to travel and time with the family though.

As fans we deserved more than this. And while I'm over it mostly, the fact that we have an athletic office that won't stand up and fight for a better post-season option than a repeat against Bo Pelini is an after taste that will linger unfortunately.

The true victims here are the players of course. And they've been working hard, first in Athens and now in Jacksonville. We've had some attrition in the secondary and at receiver with Conley's ankle injury. But it's still a matchup that favors Richt's squad. I've been working on a more detailed post looking at specific keys for the game. I'll have that up tomorrow.

For now, as I travel through southern Virginia and ready myself for the 234 mile hell of North Carolina I-85, I just wanted to say "Hey y'all!" and that I haven't forgotten where my blogging machine is. I'll dust it off tonight and plug it back in tonight.

Until then...Go Dawgs!

Bowl spotlight - Te'o'ing the Belk Bowl

Because fake girlfriends have a shelf life much greater than a year...

Te'o's girlfriend says, "Screw the Pinstripe, I'm going to
the Belk Bowl!"

I've got Rutgers, Tuberville's third lifers, Teddy's NFL combine and Kansas State (even though I HATE Bill Snyder's crybaby ass for pitching a hissy and landing us in the Gator against Nebraska...)

Bowl spotlight - fear the turtle!

From my tree to yours.

Merry Christmas y'all, and a very hearty Go Dawgs!!

Texas coaching search, a brainstorm

As long as the search will take, we might as well have some (more) fun with it. Last night the beer glass got the better of me and I contributed some names. Feel free to add any I might have missed.

Bowl spotlight - Jim Donnan, a Bronco and a Beaver walk into a luau

Jim Donnan's career closed out the same moment the old Oahu Bowl did, on Christmas Eve in 2000. It was just the third game for the bowl, but it was the last in Hawaii before it became the now defunct Seattle Bowl.

Georgia meanwhile, brought a coach that was on his way out for another rematch with a popular post-season opponent in Virginia. The Bulldogs provided Jim Donnan with a big win over the Cavaliers, 37-14.

For Donnan, "Aloha" also meant goodbye.

But today we have the Aloha Bowl, featuring another team in transition in Boise State going up against Oregon State. I've got the Beavers covering. Just don't think the Broncos will be up enough for the feast.

Dawson and Harvey-Clemons suspended

Rules violations. Of course.

Lemay following Fluker

They're heading to Jacksonville State together.

Quarterback Christian LeMay and safety Shaquille Fluker both intend to transfer from Georgia and enroll at Jacksonville State for the 2014 season.
A source told ESPN.com on Monday that Georgia granted releases to both players and that Jacksonville State has agreed to sign the two Bulldogs. 

Bowl spotlight - Rufus plays ruff

Today we have the Beef O'Brady's Bowl between ECU and Ohio. I'm taking the Pirates to win, but I don't think they cover the two touchdowns. Mainly because of this memory...

Rufus the Bobcat took down Brutus the Buckeye in a 2010 pre-game attack that got the dude underneath the oversized head a lifetime ban from all Ohio University athletic events. Here's a video of the tackle and the tussle. Pirates, be forewarned, don't turn your back on these guys. Brazen bloodlust like this is probably rampant throughout the entire campus.

Committed to Joseph's Wish

Just go ahead, get the Kleenex and watch it again.

Joseph's Wish from Georgia Football on Vimeo.

Bowl spotlight - Idahoans' creepy spud

Each day of bowl season I'll try and feature a game with the most fantastic pic/gif I can find. Today I'm taking SDSU by at least a touchdown and a field goal over Buffalo in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. If I'm wrong, I hope this mascot (??) doesn't hunt me down and kill me with the steak knife he probably has hiding behind that bowtie, or maybe underneath his boxing glove ear warmers (??).

In the other games I'm taking Wash State, Fresno State and LaLaf. Have a spudtacular day of bowl watching!

(Also - absolute last chance to get in on the bowl pool. Kickoff in Albuquerque is at 2pm!)

Projecting next year's offensive line

Really, the last thing I wanted to do was start getting into the 2014 season before 2013 is even over. But Weiszer started it here with his story on how the offensive line shakes out following the departure of three senior starters - Burnette, Lee and Gates. So once the wheels started turning I just couldn't stop.

The short of it in terms of projections is this:

At first glance you have - one consistent starter in Andrews, a former five-star tackle in Theus who's looking for a breakout junior season, his chief competition (Houston), a few guys with some spot duty under their belts (Kublanow, Long, Dantzler) and a group of younger guys we hope can press those already mentioned.

But the fact that Theus started the last six games should help solidify him as one of the tackles. It was also hard not to like what we saw in Kublanow. With another spring under his belt he should be cemented in at left guard by summer I would hope. That leaves four guards to push rising senior Watts Dantzler for the right guard spot and either the left or right tackle spot for Houston, Beard, Ward and DeBell.

This is already the most interesting storyline heading into GDay. Unfortunately it's also the most interesting storyline for several years running.

The greatest story Sexton ever told

I don't believe a word of this, and yet I believe all of it.

Texas Regents decide that Mack cannot coach the team in 2014, but cannot agree on a timeline for his removal.

Respected Longhorns writer/insider Chip Brown breaks a story that Mack Brown is stepping down. Brown’s article is based on a conversation with someone involved in the process of Mack’s removal and Saban’s hiring. Saban leaves town to recruit and avoid the inevitable media circus surrounding the announcement.

Texas reaches out to Saban, tells him the decision is made. Saban’s handlers are adamant that there can’t be a media circus. Mack has to step down quickly so Saban can make the move immediately. Sexton desperately wants to avoid Saban having to publicly deny interest in the Texas job.

Mack denies everything written in the article by Chip Brown, and won’t return calls to the Texas administration. The situation turns into a media circus – exactly what Saban hoped to avoid.

Well, I do believe the part about Terry Saban visiting Austin in October, touring $5 million homes and returning to Tuscaloosa to give Nick her blessing. The rest of it is either beautifully written prose or the masterful Jimmy Sexton's latest epic saga.

Probably somewhere in between.

The tradition of Festivus4theDawgNus begins in Albuquerque!

Tomorrow! At 2:00 PM! Time has all but run out for anyone looking to jump into the bowl pool.

Click HERE! 

It's free to enter and you might even win something if your picks are good enough to pin Frank Costanza in the Feats of Strength.

A total of four bowl games tomorrow. So get your picks in!

Feats of Strength - Coach Richt's perfection

Ok, so I had a moment. Then I gathered a thought together. And now I've read all of your feedback. It's time to summarize - Coach Richt is the perfect fit for Georgia, and is a victim of said perfection.

I've evolved from a believer that the head coach is the sole determinant in a tackle football program's success or failure. It may not be the case everywhere (btw, are there any more programs that still have a head coach that is also the AD, as in UGA circa the 1980s?), but in Athens GA the cream rises to the top. And I believe UGA's success is a result of Richt's hard work, while its shortcomings are a burden lying mostly at the feet of the administration. This begs for some elaboration of course. But for now, it's UGA's policy to suspend student-athletes beyond the national norm and it's the higher ups that keep the tight grasp on the checkbook.

Remember, Richt's on record as far as paying his assistants more money. And do you really think he wanted Josh Harvey-Clemons and Marshall Morgan on the sidelines instead of on the field whilst in Clempson?

All the while Mark Richt has raised the program to new standards. Had his teams not come so close to the national stage in 2002, 2007 and 2012, we would appreciate what he's done even more - 74.1% winning percentage, 2 SEC Championships, 13 consecutive bowls, two time SEC Coach of the Year. And through that success he provides the opportunity for the program, athletic office and university to enjoy riches previously unimagined.

Which has made us all fat and lazy to some degree. To the haters, Richt's the guy that "knocked the lid off the program" and "finished the drill", but has been unable to finish the next drill and match the successes and the luck of his colleagues. To the staunch supporters, he's been the face of the program to the point that they've forgotten what it's like to cheer for a team not coached by the state's most popular dude. And to the only people Richt truly answers to, he's a perfect face for the program - nice guy, never embarrasses the university, wins plenty of games, and a cash cow to be milked at every home game and more.

Perhaps I haven't evolved so much as gained a clearer understanding. Regardless, it's your turn. Explain to me how Mark Richt isn't perfect for Georgia. And if he's not, why that's his fault.

Pierce Wallace, Damn Good Dawg Fan!

A belated congrats to @The GeorgiaJoker on being named to the ESPN Fan Hall of Fame! I have no idea how time he (and all those others on the UGA Paint Line) devotes to getting ready for gameday, but I know the fans and the team appreciates it.

Thanks for your spirit, your enthusiasm and your GATAttitude!

courtesy of The Gov

Ol' Ball Coach on Cialis

Soooo...then this happened...

Hey folks, at least he's wearing shorts! Whew!

From Murray to Mason, passing of the "reign"

The lengthy Aaron Murray era passes into the much shorter yet highly anticipated one of Hutson Mason. The similarities between the two signal callers are there...

"I would say Murray has a little stronger arm, but Hutson is very accurate and puts a little more touch on the ball," redshirt junior receiver Michael Bennett said. "He thought his first start was going to be against Clemson [next August], so this is huge for him to get some extra time this year.

"It's the same offense, and like you saw against Tech, we can still be very effective."

...hopefully the results will be similar as well.

Humpday Hilarity - obligatory viral Christmas video

Not sure why Nama doesn't send us one of these each year instead of a card for the fridge.

KiffyBaby "for rent"

Thought this one by @GovernorofDixie was fantastic.

Tramel Terry - potential two-way threat?

Let's be honest, there's not much to read into the freshman working out at safety during bowl practices other than the coaches want to look at his skills in the secondary. On the other hand, there's not much else to talk about this time of year either.

Head coach Mark Richt and other coaches were not available for follow-up comments, on the move, first reported by Dawgs247.com. But Terry last week told Chuck Reedy, his former head coach at Goose Creek (S.C.) High School, that the Georgia coaches wanted to look at him at safety during bowl practice.

"I guess this is a good time during bowl practice just to experiment," Reedy said. "He was fine (with the move). He just wants to play. I don't think he really cares where he plays."

Georgia figures to be deep at receiver next year, with Malcolm Mitchell and Justin Scott-Wesley returning from injury, and only one senior (Rantavious Wooten) set to leave. The secondary also figures to be deep, but that unit struggled immensely this season. So even though Terry is believed to have dynamic potential at receiver, the coaches are curious whether he could help more in the secondary.

"He weighs 205 (pounds). He's very strong, and is obviously very fast. He can certainly play there," Reedy said. "We worked him some in the secondary when he was in high school. Didn't play him much. But certainly he's good enough athlete to do that.

Depth at receiver could be one factor. Not satisfied with the potential at safety could be another. The third (and admittedly wildly speculative at this point) is that there could be some unexpected attrition in the secondary. The defensive backs' use and rotation (or lack thereof) was a curious subplot to the season.

Regardless, it seems certain Terry will play receiver. I bet the coaches want to see just how wide and varied his skillset is for future reference. Like Coach Reedy said, now's the time during bowl practice.

Read more here: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2013/12/16/2859251/georgia-giving-terry-a-look-at.html#storylink=cpy

One Dream

A lot of emotion tied into this one. You've probably seen it by now. But it's worth my time just to catalog it here. Plus, I could watch it all morning and it still wouldn't be enough.

Cornhuskers talking the talk

I've only seen Nebraska play about 15 minutes of football this season. I think it was their game with UCLA too, so it was quite a while ago. Regardless, I don't know a whole lot beyond what I saw in the last Capital One Bowl. But they sound like they are taking the right approach to this bowl season's rematch with Georgia.

“We felt like we had a good chance of beating these guys last year,” Sirles said. “We kind of let it slip through our fingers a little bit. It’s almost a good chance to get back and get a little redemption.” 

“It might be frustration if we just blew them out last year,” Enunwa said, “but we lost.” 

As far as initial impressions go I'd have to give Nebraska an edge in terms of motivation, having saved their coach's job (at least according to locker room talk) and having lost the previous match up. We'll get into the actual on field, physical comparisons soon enough. But for now, is this enough to worry about? Just a little?

Monday's Meatloaf - when bean bags backfire

Any of you older siblings ever look back fondly on some of the pranks you pulled on your brothers and/or sisters? You know, to help prepare them for Life's pitfalls. It's noble work, if you are born into it.

Courage can be fleeting.

Anyway, one of my favorites was to take these decorative bean bags Mom had lying around the house and carefully place several on the blades of the ceiling fan. Then I made up some excuse for my younger sister to stand in the middle of the room. In a pinch this one usually worked like a charm - Just stand there and look at the fireplace. I think Santa is coming...do you hear the sleigh bells?  

Nevermind that it was June. But once the kid was placed appropriately I flipped the switch (note: for maximum effect, important that you toggle the fan speed to it's highest setting prior to setting the scene). The blades carry the weight for a few seconds before dumping their payload. Then you have a toddler who's eyes go from extreme wonderment to OMG What is happening?!?!! The ceiling!! It hates me!!

Then you wait an hour or so and set the scene again. Great fun. Until three decades later when your own kids trap you in your own scheme. I guess I had bragged about the prank once too often. My 11yo can be quite mischievous when she wants to be. And the 9yo can be an eager lemming to her older sister's misdeeds. To make a long story short, the master was done in my his own brilliant blueprint of deviousness. He cowered under a blanket to shield himself from the torpedoes of doom. He cried PLEASE!! Make it stop! THE HUMANITY!!! Their laughter tortured his ears from a safe distance, and he knew, should he survive the destruction, they would spend years reminding him of this pitiful moment when he was reduced to such an awkward display of distress.

On a positive note, at least I didn't need a diaper change after the entire affair. In another couple decades this story may have an entirely different ending.

Today's Ingredients
- Don't forget to register for the bowl pool. You don't want to miss out on the feats of strength!
- Groo is helping us get reacquainted with the Cornhuskers.
- Over seven minutes of Running Back U highlights? Thanks Greg!
- Tyler takes a moment to look forward to the playoffs, takes a left turn and finds a case study for what not to do.
- Of course, the Mack Brown saga has taken a turn since this was posted, but MaconDawg had some grand ideas for the soon to be former Longhorn coach in his next chapter.
- After what's been an anti-climatic yet still very intriguing year for him, Kimberley looks at what's next for Jadeveon Clowney.
- Feeling a bit reminiscent today, so the last few ingredients for today are some of the things I've earmarked and saved throughout the season. Outside of the arena, these are the things I will remember most about the season. I'm sure I missed a thing or two. So feel free to add in the comments.
- One of the brightest spots on the periphery of the actual action were the week to week videos produced. This one tugged a little harder at the heartstrings.
- Another masterful video, but fraught with ignominy.
- Maybe Muschamp should have Jeremy Foley schedule more chalkboards.
- If you're not into the whole brevity thing...In one single post just before the season began, Dawgden combined two of my favorite things to watch - the greatest movie to ever hate the Eagles and SEC football. It was a transcendental experience in Dudeism man.
- Lastly, I think we can all agree that Blutarsky hit the nail on the head when he shared his words and specifically this video as an encapsulation of why we're here. (addendum - he's at it again today)

The last person I'd like to recognize here is a commenter - tbone226. Way back when we were preparing to play at Auburn with a lake, I mentioned and provided a loose description of the picture below. I had been unable to locate it with Google. tbone made up for my lack in internetting investigation. Thank you again sir! That was one of the highlights to my blogging season and I look forward to using that picture again next August.

And the 2013 winner of Best Picture is....

That's a wrap for today Reader. Beware of flying objects. And giggling children.

Bernie

Aaron Murray - Bulldog Legend

I've seen a few of these tribute videos pop up in the last couple weeks. I like this one because in addition to some of his best throws, it features two of the grittiest, toughest runs you'll ever see a quarterback make.

Airing of Grievances - on Coach Richt's polarity

Any and all posts in regards to the state of the Georgia football program (in this space at least) start with one eternal stipulation - program first, always. During off seasons such as the one we're seeping into here, the two poles are almost always Mark Richt fans and Mark Richt haters/detractors. Everyone else (aka, the vast majority) kind of gathers around and chirps in. I'm going to be quite honest with you: those of you that support one guy blindly because he runs the program "the right way" are just as dangerous as those who say the man can't win because he spends Sunday mornings in church.

Frankly, both arguments are lazy and out of focus. With that out of the way, I had a few paragraphs laid out for this, and I may still post that. But I feel a need to be direct and concise at this point rather than overly wordy and assuming. So here are the essential questions I have for both camps.

If you want Richt gone:

• Why do you trust the guys in Butts-Mehre to make a significant improvement with a hire? What gives you faith in their abilities? What leads you to believe that their commitment to success on the field matches that at the Bookstore registers?
• Would you be more happy with a national title next season followed by a short/medium/long era of insignificance?

If you're perfectly content:

• Why? Seriously, why?
• By your estimation, what does Richt need to do to get his team to the next level of the national picture? Answers can range from just lucky bounces of the ball to larger scale changes in some way.

Feel free to add questions that I may have overlooked. And before I turn it over to you completely, I'll just say that I'm one of the ones that still believes Richt can get us to where everyone wants to be - winning on the national stage. Laugh at me all you want for continuing to live in the past, but he was depressingly close to making everyone content and supremely satisfied last season. But I fall well short of just saying I'm going to support the guy because he's given us 13 years of consecutive bowl games.

Airing of Grievances - Grantham survives

Believe me, I was all for the guy leaving town. Once you dive into the statistics for this season alone it's enough to make your head spin. And I guess there's still a chance that someone flirts enough with him to lure him back to the NFL as an assistant...

...anyway...

The decision to retain Grantham will end up being the best decision for Georgia. I like the guy's intensity and I believe he can turn things around with the talent on the roster. Quite frankly, the idea of another coaching search where we're met with the reality of who we truly need to turn things around versus what we're likely willing to actually spend was enough to change my mind. And then when you get right down to it, Grantham's guys played hard for him down the stretch. That's not something to overlook.

That all being said, one thing that has to improve (and is primarily the reason for my uptick in terms of the direction of the defense) is turnovers. Looking back at Martinez's last season as defensive coordinator, going through all of the epic failures, yards surrendered and points allowed, it was the complete lack of fumbles and interceptions gained that lead to that defensive staff packing boxes before Christmas. In 2008 we had only 16 turnovers in the black. In the final season of the Martinez era we only had 12.

Likewise, much of the reason for Grantham's popularity in his first season was the enormous increase in fumbles covered up and passes intercepted - 26. His defenses followed that up with totals of 32 and 30 the next two seasons. Now we're back down to Willie Martinez levels (much of which can be attributed to the youth this season, especially in the secondary) with only 14 fumbles and picks.

But it's important to note that of those 14 turnovers (six interceptions and eight fumbles), five came in the final two games and nine came in the last half of the season. That small breakdown as well as the fact that the defense will only mature exponentially heading into next season (both in terms of their understanding as well as their familiarity with the speed at this level) lead me to believe that this season we're about to close the book on has tremendous potential to be a weird outlier for Grantham.

Ultimately, the defense played too many snaps and couldn't get off the field at key moments. Getting back into the top ten nationally instead of with the cellar dwellers can go a long ways towards turning that around.

Airing of Grievances - UGA Athletics Apathy

On Saturday Jameis Winston will win the Heisman. Up until a week ago he remained under at least some shroud of controversy. Other programs used the opportunity to tout their own offensive star as an alternative Heisman pick. A program we consider a neighbor even parlayed their halfback's shining championship moment into (at worst) a glamorous trip to New York City this weekend. Meanwhile, we have a guy that dedicated four years to playing in Sanford, collected nearly every SEC quarterback record, and had to literally be dragged off the field in his final home game.

And yet it was some South Carolina sports writer from Charleston that had to beat the drum for Aaron Murray. Embarrassing.

Would Murray have won the award? No. But you know what? Tre Mason is getting a trip to the Downtown Athletic Club and will put Auburn's football program on grand display in primetime. Aaron was in NYC earlier this week collecting yet another National Football Foundation award for UGA. His "vacation" could've been extended a few days. I mean, couldn't we define Murray's career as "outstanding" in its "pursuit of excellence with integrity"? Wouldn't the last couple of weeks have been a great time to blast the media from coast to coast with nuggets and factoids of Aaron's good works in the community as well as stats? Stats such as - against four of the BCS' top teams this season Murray amassed 14 total touchdowns and over 1300 yards passing. Is there anyone else that can boast those kind of numbers?

No. But I'm sure Butts-Mehre was way too busy getting ready for the next tackle football game...in January.

Our complete and total lack of carpe diem when it comes to things like Heisman campaigns (because in all honesty we should have been promoting two candidates starting in June in the very least) and sticking up for the players on the field when officiating and NCAA rules fail them is astounding. We have an eternal take it easy as it comes attitude. Forever willing to accept our lot in life. Hoping for the future while getting kicked in the crotch by any and all comers.

Additionally, go ahead and explain away the rematch with Nebraska in the upcoming Gator Bowl as old Bill Snyder throwing himself a hissy. But also ask why we don't have anyone that can dictate the selection procedure with authority? Who is representing Georgia's best interest? You think Chris Burnette and Artie Lynch came to the University of Georgia wanting their last game, their last trip on the bus with their teammates, to be against a team they played 12 months earlier? Who is going to bat to make sure these players get what's best for them?

I'm only asking because UGA continually promotes our athletic programs as above certain standards and doing things "the Georgia way". Yet it is a mere casual observance to fancy from a SkyBox. A simple play toy to enjoy several times a year instead of a business to run, market and promote.

Embarrassing. Dawg fans deserve better. And the University of Georgia's athletes certainly deserve better.

The "McDantzler"

This just about makes me wanna drive thru and yell an order at that teenager that's feeling a little emo cuz his girlfriend of nearly two months dumped him even though he took her to Longhorn's before Homecoming but yeh he'll make you a sandwich anyway and despite it all.

I've been known to eat some inventive yet suspect foods. If I get my doctor to approve this culinary experience I'll review it.

In the mean time, enjoy yet another exquisite, humorous creation by our own Watts Dantzler.

Two double cheeseburgers, one McChicken,
fries, ranch dressing and buffalo sauce.

Humpday Hilarity - SURVEY SAYS!

I miss Richard Dawson.

Richard Manuel is dead.

Music has always had calming influence on the scattered, covered and smothered thoughts that bounce around my head like three olds that just discovered hot chocolate.

No less than ten times during the last week I've written a post aimed at bridging the gap between the 2013 season of ACL tears and the upcoming winter of waiting. Each time I've deleted it just to start over the next evening. Like many relationships and algorithms and small batch bourbons, it's complicated.

Yet, I'm intent on simplifying it. Despite the fact that doing so likely means not getting my point across completely.

Now, where was I again? Oh yeh, The Band. We can argue about their lasting impact given their series of stops and starts. But there's little doubt in regards to their influence on the music industry. And that is essentially what leads to this post - influence.

When I last deleted said post, I slammed the laptop closed, jammed the earbuds in and hit shuffle. What follows is the best video version there is of the song, one goddamned beautiful song about The Band's influence on one man. Sure, you can find shorter versions. But they don't have this guitar solo or brass section. So press play, and let the night air cool you off.

My only point today is that sometimes finding one true meaning is a pointless act of desperation. As a blogger I got lost in the forest without a single tree in sight. Got to sinking in the place where I once stood. I've let it simmer. Gonna also let it resonate too. Probably tomorrow. Maybe. Most likely.

For now I think I'll crank up The Weight. Take it away Levon!

Fourth Annual Bowl Pool - Festivus4theDawgNus

Hey! You're here! Another Festivus Miracle!    Join Bowl Pool

Welcome, newcomers. The tradition of Festivus begins with the airing of grievances. I got a lot of problems with you people! Pick your bowl winners and maybe you'll win this year's Festivus t-shirt. Choose one winner per bowl, no confidence points and the spread is for informational purposes only. Deadline to enter is the start of the first bowl - Dec 21, 2pm.

So join in the fun again this year as we spend nearly three weeks and 35 bowl games to determine who picked them best. Once again, you'll walk away with a stylish t-shirt if you win.

"It has a certain understated stupidity."

What is Festivus? Glad you asked.

Clowney clocked at 110mph

Ticket. No jail. Of course.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol says they saw Jadeveon Clowney coming -- perhaps a bit too quickly -- and promptly cited the Gamecocks star defensive end with going 110 MPH in a 70 MPH zone.

Troopers say Clowney was pulled over in a Chrysler 300 around 7:30 p.m. Saturday night on Interstate 77 near mile marker 39.

Officials say he was immediately ticketed, but not arrested in the stop. No word on what kind of fine was issued.

The Highway Patrol says no other citations were issued in the incident.

Given the time of the citation, he was moving almost as fast as Auburn's offense was at the same time.   Wow.

McGarity's spin on the Husker déjà vu

Am I appreciative on any bowl invite? Yes. I'm more than old enough to remember what it feels like to be a Florida fan or a Tennessee fan this time of year.

But if you don't see that getting the same opponent in a bowl two years in a row as an insult at best and a slap in the face at worst, then you need to take the blinders off bud. Our players may be putting on a good face now, but just imagine your disappointment at playing Nebraska again and then multiply it times 20 or so and you'll be approaching what they're truly feeling on the inside.

Personally, I went on my rant had myself a little hissy fit on the twitters last night. But I had almost come to grips with the repeat matchup this morning until I read this:

“It’s in a different venue, it’s a different site,” McGarity said. “I would be more concerned it if were the same city, same site. For our players and staff, they’ve never really spent more than one night, actually never in Jacksonville. It’s always been St. Augustine. Heck, we play teams every year regardless. We play Auburn every year, we play (Georgia) Tech every year. In that case, people have always turned out in great numbers.”

That's grade A spin right there. Just as fast as he can shovel it onto your plate. Maybe you're a person that will eat it up regardless. But to me, all I see is a guy that's trying to sell some tickets after getting backdoored by Slive and the bowls. Again.

New bowl, same huskers

Nebraska? Again? Screw you Outback! Screw you Buffalo Wild Wings!

Someone really dropped the ball here. To make matters worse, I just discovered that Taylor Martinez suffered a season ending injury last month. The only silver lining is that I'm re-following this fake account.

Urban haz a sad...slice.

Nothing like the comfort of being surrounding by friends, family and Papa Johns when life gets you down.

Coming soon - 4th annual bowl pool

Should have the Fourth Annual Festivus4theDawgNus up and ready for your entry by Tuesday. Stay tuned for more info here at the blog as well as on the twitter for how and where to enter, passwords and yada, yada, yada. First we have to see how all the bowls shake out today.

Although I've already heard Florida has accepted their bid to the Inaugural George Costanza Urinal Cake Bowl. Congrats to Coach Boom!

Screw SEC pride

If you're shouting from your couch about SEC pride and "Hell yeh! We got 7 in a row!!"... Sit down and shut up.

How do you live with yourselves pulling for auburn?

Totally unbiased and unsolicited thoughts on the SECCG

Go Tigers!...the non-schizo ones from way out west or wherever.

Once my jaw closed after seeing the way Auburn earned their berth in Atlanta for this weekend, I had no doubts that it would be the other Tigers to win the SEC Championship tonight. Perhaps I'm giving the Missouri defense more credit than they deserve, especially considering when we played them we were re-re-adjusting to a diminished roster.

But even in these times of ultra über offenses, I still believe defense wins the championship rings. And tonight Missouri will have more playmakers on that side of the ball.

True, Auburn's offense is very hard to stop once it is hitting on all cylinders. Plus, they (at least as a program) have been in this position before. But in actuality, it's Pinkel's staff (one of the most stable in the nation, btw) with more post-season experience. Just a new locale this year.

The SEC East's newest member may have caught Georgia in an injury-riddled year and South Carolina doing their usual casual flirtations with Atlanta, but they've earned the right to be in the Dome tonight. And I think they'll make the most of it.

Sturdivant's life after football

Totally whiffed on this a couple days ago. In case you did as well, here's a great article catching up with Trinton Sturdivant who's back in Athens making a life after football. I particularly enjoyed this quip:

“Right now, life is a game, and I’m playing chess. Hopefully one day I’ll be on the monopoly board.” - Trinton Sturdivant

Should also add that this is a well timed piece by the Red and Black's Alec Shirkey in that Sturdivant has a unique perspective as a former blue-chip athlete that wasn't one of the 1.7% of college football players to make it to the NFL, and is now working hard to find his place in a challenging job market. Words many students could do well to heed, athlete or otherwise.

Some much louder Gurley compared to Herschel talk

I mean, you and I can bat the idea around casually just as easily as when we compare and contrast Aaron Murray and David Greene for instance.

But when Tim Worley says he believes Todd Gurley is on a standard set by Georgia's greatest running back player ever...well, it certainly carries a lot more cache.

“I haven’t seen one like him in awhile,” Worley said of Gurley. “He’s on another level. Every single time he touches the ball he is a threat. And he’s powerful, he’s big, he will hurt you, and he understands the game. And he plays like he’s been in the league forever. He’s up there. I put him right there with Herschel. Not quite as fast, but I put him right there with Herschel Walker.”

Better than you, Worley was asked?

“He’s right there with me,” he said, laughing. “As far as just the strength and the pounding and the physicality, he’s right there. That’s the traditional Georgia back.”

High praise from an SEC legend. And by our own estimation, praise well deserved.

Read more here: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2013/12/05/2838833/worley-believes-gurley-is-right.html#storylink=cpy

No early NFL departures expected

It's been a recurring theme for Richt's staff the last several years - underclassmen declaring themselves for the NFL. This year however, the focus seems to be on making next season better.

With a team that could return a lot on both sides of the ball, do you know of any underclassmen that are threatening to leave?

At this point, honestly I’d be surprised if anyone left early. Malcolm Mitchell and Damian Swann were serious candidates before the season, but Mitchell’s injury and Swann’s struggles have pretty much ended those chances. A few other draft-eligible players – Amarlo Herrera, Ramik Wilson – have talked excitedly about next year.

After Mitchell's freak ACL tear in Clemson, and even despite his hamstring injury his freshman year and the role-switching experiment last season, my gut was telling me he'd leave. Early indications are the opposite and that he's only been pointing to a return in Athens next season. And that would be a decision that would pay off handsomely for him should he make a full return and have the kind of season we were expecting this year.

Read more here: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2013/12/04/2836705/mailbag-grantham-mason-acls-offseason.html#storylink=cpy

Hey Urban, I'm gonna need help with this one.

He could always just claim to have sampled too much of his players Mary Jane I guess. Or maybe he just wasn't feeling very well when he said it.

Conley accepts his inner "nerdiness"

This dude just gets it. If I wasn't afraid I'd tear a lot more than an ACL, I'd offer my skills with the lightsaber.

Other than his No. 31 jersey he wears for the Georgia football team, the junior receiver has a Star Wars Jedi costume he will break out on special occasions. Like when he wore it to the Gym Dogs’ meet against Alabama on Feb. 2.

“It was pretty epic,” Conley said. “I was dressed as a Jedi and we had two Storm Troopers.”
But he is hoping it’ll come in handy again sometime soon.

Conley is trying to organize lightsaber duels on UGA’s campus with other fellow Star Wars fanatics. His campaign to get production of the fan film going began on Twitter.

The response?

“I’ve actually had a lot of response,” Conley said. “A lot of people really want to do this. It’s something I’m kind of spearheading. It’s been a goal of mine before I graduate. This is just for me, just for fun. All of the people who are involved like that sort of thing and we accept our nerdiness.” 

Humpday Hilarity - Iron Bowl final call parody

h/t Steve

When Luck trumps "The Process"

Given the way the Iron Bowl ended, it's natural to shed the spotlight too brightly on the one play that eventually decided the game. And it's easy to nitpick too. If you'd like to do some of both, this piece in the New York Times is a really good read. (h/t Mac)

Alabama quarterback A J McCarron is typically the holder on field-goal attempts when the first-team kicker, Cade Foster, is on the field, but Saban put Griffith on to try the longer attempt. Punter Cody Mandell was the holder, not McCarron. 

Perhaps if the more athletic, 6-foot-4 McCarron was on the field, he could have pushed Davis out of bounds. 

The process had accounted for the details of that move — Griffith for Foster, Mandell for McCarron — but what it could not do was stop Davis. It is doubtful, though, that the result is enough to stop Saban and others from turning to the process next week, and the weeks after that.

So basically, somewhere close to 99.9% of the time Alabama wins. But eventually luck is going to squeeze its way in there. The question now becomes, just how much Pixie Dust is street legal in Auburn AL anyway?

Nevermind. Dumb question.

So you're telling me we're not alone?

So the Monday after the wild weekend of college football (aka Auburn's latest miracle) it made for an interesting work day. I'm sure your day was similar.

√ You have the Auburn guy running around smiling like he's the only guy that got a Christmas bonus...well, because he's the only guy that got a Christmas bonus.
√ You have the Georgia Tech guy blabbering on and on about how well they dominated Georgia...Just look at the boxscore!!!
√ You have the South Carolina chick looking for anyone that went to Clempson...failing...sees you and then goes promptly back into her office to pick up a phone that wasn't ringing.
√ Florida chick thinks we should go another direction with the Holiday Christmas party.
√ LSU guy is still drunk somewhere outside of Baton Rouge.
√ You have the guy who has a neighbor who's mechanic is cousins with a girl who once dated a Missouri grad back in the mid-90s. He mentions that dude is probably pumped to come to Atlanta for something other than a layover.
√ At lunch you sit with a bunch of Georgia folks that all look both pleased with yet another win over the North Avenue Trade School and very thankful the season is over.
√ FSU guy should be on top of the world, yet he seems overly antsy and eerily cautious as if that rug next to the coffee table could suddenly slip out from under him.
√ Tennessee guy is out making cold calls and will probably be in the next morning.
√ Then there's the Alabama guy. I didn't see him until the very end of the day, partly because I purposefully didn't seek him out. But there he is, proudly wearing that Bama polo and distinctly contemplative. The "sick" day was there for the taking and instead he came in to take his lumps, all the people that want to help him relive the moment and the others that don't know what to say so they give him an all too condescending pat on the back.

Knowing some measure of the pain he's endured, the inescapable despair at witnessing the hurtful ways in which a game can end, I simply nod. I feel for him. I empathize like none of those others can. I eagerly give him his space having just endured a similar fate a couple weeks ago.

And yet...after we pass each other and exchange knowing glances...I can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of relief that it can happen to someone else's team too.

On Grantham and his "up arrow"

A month ago my gut feeling was that Grantham was in his last weeks as Georgia's defensive coordinator. My questions at the time had as much to do with strife between Richt and Grantham as anything on the field. To me it seemed as if Richt was suggesting more rotation among the players, particularly at inside linebacker. I won't go into a long discourse over our continued problems with positional depth. It's something that was painfully obvious on defense in the Georgia Dome last year, and is something PWD covers thoroughly here.

And to his credit, Grantham stuck with his plan (at least I never saw an alternative to playing just the starters and anyone who was forced to come in due to an injury). And there was improvement in the final stretch of games in terms of tackling and covering intermediary routes. If you recall, it was Ramik Wilson that had more than one key pass break up on Saturday, one in particular that sealed the win. That's something he struggled with earlier in the season.

One has his eye on the play clock, the other
has his eye on....?? (via Dawgs247)

All that aside, signs definitely point to a rift between head coach and defensive coordinator. Sure, part of that has to do with the frustrations of losing key players as well as just plain losing. But there have been directed comments from Richt regarding the need for simplicity in the playbook as well as the length of time it takes to get the plays in. For a guy that has been pretty guarded with the media in his 13 years in Athens I believe that speaks volumes.

Regardless, a vote of confidence was given yesterday. No one is getting fired. Continuity is Richt's bet and that means one of three things: 1) I'm off base in regards to whether there are differences in philosophy (however minute or grandiose) between the head guy and his defensive coordinator, 2) they've patched things up enough to where they can at least function on the same page, or 3) firing anyone at this point is a money issue.

Before you laugh at that third point, we'll get more into that side of things in a post for tomorrow. For right now we have a defense that grossly under-achieved (again) and a staff that has to fix that. Of course, there's still a chance Foley and Muschamp could come in the next couple weeks and offer Grantham as their offensive coordinator. Who knows. Stranger things have happened. Kidding aside, in the very least Richt believes he has the staff to fix what has ailed the defense this season.

His "body of work" (which may not have been the best phrase to use considering the decline since he arrived) notwithstanding, Grantham is right about one thing. And you can certainly argue to the contrary, but the defense is in better shape now that it was when he got here. The stats may not support it and the numbers may beg the contrary. But we have much better athletes entering the program on that side of the ball. And truly that's half the battle. When you're getting defensive backs who have offers from your actual conference competitors instead of mid-majors, that's improvement. When your linebackers are coming in as freshman physically ready to play SEC football, that's improvement. When you have players getting paid at NFL locales instead of Saskatchewan, that's improvement.

What we need to look at as how much they are improving before they exit Athens. What needs to go up are turnovers gained and not opponents' red zone conversions. What needs to improve are on field adjustments during the course of the game and not just on the practice field Monday.

People ask me whether we should keep Todd Grantham. Even though the point now appears to be moot, it's still worth saying - I truly don't know. I like the guy's intensity. I like the recruits we're getting under his watch. Overall, he's done a good at least an adequate job against our biggest rivals. I'm not sure what his "up arrow" is measuring against. But I think the greatest question we need to look at is how to take the talent he's helping to sign in February and turn that into on field results in the fall.

Whether he's the guy to get that done is a distinct maybe. Not exactly where you want to be heading into year five. But it's where we are nonetheless.

Gurley, the nerds' kryptonite

Love this picture, which I believe is right after his cape came out again.

via WardStudio

The Knowshon crawl

Thought this was funny.

Pease out!

Gator OC Brent Pease has been let go, along with OL coach Tim Davis. So let the snarkiness commence.

Sunday's thoughts on a great day for America!

Before we dive in, I'd like to have everyone who thought the last pass, that hung tantalizingly in the air for so damn long, would most certainly find its way into a Tech receiver's hands for a touchdown please stand up...

Thank you. If you're not standing, you're either a liar or this was your first Georgia game of the 2013 season.

Some other random thoughts:

It's his team now. For realz.

- so this is now Hutson Mason's team. Not sure how much we learned except that he showed a lot of grit in his first complete game. Wasn't always easy and I thought it took him a good two quarters to settle into a rhythm. For awhile it seemed as though he was nervous, even when he had good protection. But 299 yards and a 61.1% completion percentage was a good look at what we have next season. And quite frankly I'm excited. Good game.
- [insert comment about Todd Damn Gurley doing Todd Damn Gurley things]
- Defensively I thought it was painfully ironic that we got ourselves in a 20-0 hole mostly from doing a good job against the run but failing to defend the pass against a team that really isn't comfortable doing it. Vad Lee's numbers were not eye popping (11-23 for 232) but they were much better than his season average. That hurts.
- while much of that may be blamed at not having Matthews and Wiggins, it's still one of the themes from this season I will look forward to leaving behind in the coming weeks.
- back to the rushing defense, we contained their workhorse Sims (100 yards on 21 carries) fairly well. But Lee not only hurt us in the air but also on the ground. And that's not something he's done against any other opponent when you look at his stats.
- Our front seven is really getting after it. As a whole they've gotten better each game and had six tackles for a loss yesterday. With a month to prepare and practice, this secondary can hopefully match this production. I truly think they're close (and was really glad to see Harvey-Clemons get that pick).
- I'm going to reserve any comments about the officiating until I have a chance to watch the televised version. My seat was a good one, but we couldn't really see the jumbotron to view any replays. But I can say that some of those flags came from awful spots on the field and very, very late after the play. And when I stop and consider that, it's about consistent for what we've seen this season.

Overall takeaway is this: this would've been an easy game to pack it up early. Coming in at 7-4 and having seen some really weird shit all season, this team had every reason and opportunity to say "Whatever. I'm done." Still, they hung in there and clawed their way back into it. I think that says a lot about the leadership, including Mason. And regardless of what we might say about the coaches, individually or collectively, it says a lot about them as well.

Lastly, Go Dawgs!! Have fun obsessing over our domination for yet another year nerds!

Today's keys to victory

The only offensive key I can dig up is for the offensive line to man up and play lights out. That Attachou kid has nearly a sack a game. The last thing Hutson Mason needs is to feel a lot of pressure when he's asked to pass. Make some holes for Gurley, Douglas and Green and create a nice pocket for the experienced backup turned starter.

Now to the other side of the ball.

We have to play disciplined defense. That means we have to tackle to the ground. None of that arm tackle crap that did us in back in '08. More like point of attack, wrap em up and take em down hard.

And that especially has to happen early. Grantham can't let his guys come out too keyed up where they make simple mistakes, ones we've been prone to during the season. If we hold them down early, they'll get frustrated. And quite honestly, our offense could have the game in hand by then and ready to squeeze it tight.

But play good, disciplined defense first and foremost. Stop the dive play and force this black russian Vlad kid to make mistakes. Because he will make them when put into a position to do that. For as many times as he runs the ball, he only averages a couple yards a carry. And he has almost as many picks as touchdowns thrown. Hassle him and he's just Reggie Ball with an ill-suited name.

Next, when they get their yards and get to the redzone, they're one of the best in the nation at getting seven points when they get there - over 85%. Even in their losses they score touchdowns when they get to the redzone 75% of the time. Our defense in the red zone has been much better since that murderous October run. That's got to be another key right there. Give up the yards, man up and force a turnover or a field goal attempt at best.

Lastly, protecting the ball is always a key. And Georgia Tech has been more horrible at it than we have this month, at least until they played Alabama A&M last week. Going into that cupcake they were -4 at Virginia, -1 Pittsburgh and -1 at Clemson. Georgia's been better, not significantly better. But better. If we can create some fumbles like we did last week against Kentucky it would be great.

Now, I gotta go make sure the bourbon is packed so that when these guys heckle me about SAT scores I can say, "Hey! Richt is to yellow jackets as winning is to reggie ball."

Bernie's here. Set phasers to stun. (or whatever the hell...)

What the hell is going on here?

One of the most interesting pictures of the college football season. Can you tell me what the hell is happening? Miles hunkering, Bielema towering, trooper itching to pull the sidearm....wow.

Friday's "Tryptophanatical Nap"....and "When Flag Boys Get Old"

It's a getaway day. As in getaway from the northlands of the hokies and the wahoos. Gotta get back to lend my voice to Historic Mark Richt Field on Saturday. That's the good news.

The bad is that I didn't finish the post that was supposed to go here. Family, turkey and then even more turkey got in the way, which isn't such bad news after all. Still, I feel as though I need to give you something to get you charged up for tomorrow. So here's a couple links to the last two nerdy miseries.

2012 - Birthday at Little Bighorn

We watched as senior kicker Kanon Parkman set up to kick a winning field goal, just as he’d done four years earlier as a freshman, My God!. The snap was good and the hold was true. But the kick was about the ugliest thing you could imagine. I swear it never lifted higher than Coach Goff’s signature ball cap, maybe even lower than his horn rimmed glasses. It wobbled a lot more than it spun. Its magnificence was only confined by its aim, which was true. Kanon’s leg was dead on. It knuckled its way to Glory! I jumped victoriously and sent a heartfelt thanks towards the Heavens...

2011 - nerdtroopers and linebacking warlocks

They hate Munson even though their own play by play guy admired him. They pissed on Uga's grave. They're completely obsessed with the bigger, better and more balanced institution in Athens. They breed terrorists and have a flag boy. They smugly chastise Georgia for parking violations and scooter tickets while they cover up a $400 NCAA violation and use players who peddle drugs across the country. Their sororities are actually robotics clubs. Their stadium is the envy of nearly half of the arena league franchises. They scream that UGA is the "cesspool of the South", against the backdrop of Techwood crime rates and broken crack pipes. They brag about their wrambled wreck running over our mascot. They hire band members and cheerleaders to assemble with them. They dance...like this...

It's a Mambogook, mind your gaps kind of game. Let's get ready to take care of business. See y'all on the flats. And tell Gov. Deal to bring his cup.

Go Dawgs!