This is Bulldog City!

Aimed for Athens! If you're not able to join us, here's a little something to pass the time. 

Spurrier...shaking that head...lolz.

Go Dawgs!

Lester meets the Georgia Joker

This is fantastic. Mainly because I'd like to think this is the stuff I'd be a part of if there were things like mobile recording devices (and whatever that thing is sitting beside the Georgia flag) back in my day.

via

Friday Misery - Lestocracy: like an autocracy that smokes grass AND chews it

Franch /adj/ 1. to describe someone or something as being from the eternally puny country of France. 2. to have smelly armpits 3. thinking highly of oneself without one damn good reason [ex. Dem some franchy good tiger you got right der Co' Miles, I gayRUHNtee!]

Quick thought on Gameday
Most of you know I'm not a fan. I rarely get the opportunity to tune in. And when I do I'd rather thrust sharp knives deep into my ear canal than listen to Herbie perpetuate his hidden agendas and Corso ramble on about being at the Alamo with Davy Crockett and how that factors into the problems with Indiana's defense.

But tomorrow, if you're able, please watch it. Very closely. Because sometime early next week our own version of gameday will air right here. That's right, at the tailgate we're filming BDB Gameday Live, complete with expert analysis, signs and celebrity guest pickers (not named Les). Gonna be fun. And you'll be able to contrast and compare.

One thing's for sure. We'll do a lot less damage to Myers Quad.

Gurley and his Minutemen
Gonna make this short and bitter, with the bureaucratic option to veto that and make it long...and bitter.

Give me your disheartened, your disbelievers, and your disenchanted. Lend me your ear! Cast aside your minute criticisms, your worries and your apprehensions. The only thing we have to fear is...the end of college football season. So stand up straight! Have faith in Aaron Murray! Keep calm and Quayvon! Hunker down deep with Garrison, entrenched in your own Dawgged constitution. We don't need fidgety fingers, nervous nellies or the bitching and the moaning.

For tomorrow, our enemies invade our rich and storied history. They threaten our congressional assembly 'tween the hedges. They bring with them an evil form of government, one built on the falsehoods of building character among young men and rampant inbreeding. In short, they are formidable and we will need your voice, your clear conscience and your intestinal fortitude.

Lester has voted everyone back on the island with his sexual deviants, his jambalaya stuffed ballots and his honeyless badgers. He hides behind the illusion of kindness and second chances. But just like the Berlin Wall, he'll eventually lay in rubble at our feet.

#LesMilesTeamVote...eat it or flick it?

The destruction starts tomorrow ladies and gentlemen. While the national media turns a blind eye towards his practices, we will begin the process of hammering through his party platform built on failed drug tests and "team" votes. We may not be able to shut down his campaign funds, but we can make damn sure there will be no successful stumping in Athens GA, USA.

No sir Lester! You insufferable, idiotic bastard. Your ways and means around the system carry no silent majority here. We don't use cheap ballots and voter fraud as way to govern. While Jeremy Hill was practicing pick up lines on underage girls and pummeling bar patrons in Red Stick, Todd Damn Gurley was saving innocent lives with just his presence. He was carrying a bookbag of awesome to undergraduate classes. He spent his off season balancing the power of justice.

Poor job. Shitty effort Lester. Your étouffée smells as rotten as the swamp rat cooked into it. 

Go Dawgs! #commitottheG #ballforPaul  #beatLSU

Who has the bigger game, Murray or Mett?

The case for Murray. He's faced one of the conference's best defenses in South Carolina and comes into this game as the conference's top rated passer. Actually, the Gamecocks are only the seventh best passing defense in the SEC, but Murray and his offensive mates handled the pass rush and the secondary expertly. Plus, Murray's at home and should give LSU a real test through the air.

The case for Mettenberger. He's a hot quarterback right now, mostly do to the early returns from the arrival of offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. Last year Mett's rating was a pedestrian 125. Through four games this season he's up to 193 and ranked third in the conference. Cameron's run first system sets up well for his quarterback's skills to take shots when he can get them and rely on the skill players around him. He's already nearly surpassed last season's touchdown total with 10 scores and he's only tossed one pick in 91 attempts. Plus, playing in familiar surroundings in Athens as his first real road test of the season should help him to settle in and make good, accurate decisions with the ball.

Advantage: Murray. While it's a nice storyline for Zach that he's doing so well under Cameron, Murray meanwhile is in his fifth season under one system. He'll manage the game a lot easier with the home crowd as a backdrop and he'll find holes in a youthful LSU defense as long as 1.) his line gives him time, and 2.) Gurley has success running the football. And I think both of those things happen tomorrow.

Who has the bigger game, Herrera or Barrow?

The case for Herrera. Dude has been a magnet for tackles this season, and a bright spot on a defense that has struggled with its youth. He will need a big game tomorrow if Grantham's defense is going to stop the LSU ground attack. Much of the time he'll be going toe to toe with the Tiger's enormous fullback - JC Copeland. Herrera gives up some size there, but I like Georgia's defensive front (even against a very athletic and talented LSU offensive line) to free up enough space to allow Herrera to get to the ball carrier early and often.

The case for Barrow. Like his UGA counterpart, Lamin Barrow is the experienced leader for his position group. When LSU makes a tackle, Barrow is usually in the middle of it one way or another. He also has a knack for breaking up passes and interrupting pass routes from his will position. He's a team leader and will be a key component for the Tigers in this tough road test.

Advantage: Barrow. I think a convincing case can be made for either. And truthfully, this post has a lot to do with the opposing fullbacks - Quayvon Hicks and JC Copeland. Copeland is going to be running at Herrera and the heart of the young UGA defense all night, clearing holes for his tailbacks to follow. Bobo will run at Barrow's weak side plenty, but I see the LSU senior having more freedom to make more plays over the course of the game.

Who has the bigger game, Gurley or Hill?

The case for Jeremy Hill. The guy is averaging over eight yards a carry. Against Auburn last week he toted the rock 25 times for 184 yards. He's the workhorse in a stable of good backs. And that may be the biggest benefit for Hill - that he's one of four running backs on a team that likes to run downhill 40+ times a game. Eventually the defense gets worn down and when that happens anyone of the four can take it the distance. And that's usually Hill.

The case for Gurley. The conference's top running back is getting nearly six yards a carry and is faster and bigger than last season. He's also a threat in the passing game, something that Hill is not. And that's just an extra dimension that will keep defenses guessing. The secret is out, Gurley is a downhill runner that can gash you, but he can also find the edge as well as cut back to an open hole. He's the full package and he tends to rise to the occasion in big games.

Advantage: Gurley. I see Gurley having a similar performance to the one he had for the gamecocks. Very workmanlike and helping control the clock at the end. Around thirty carries for #3 would spell disaster for LSU. They won't gear up to stop the run for fear of Murray carving them up. So Gurley will grind it out behind another impressive performance from the offensive line.

"The old and the young, the player and the fan."

Best one yet.


Awaken The Nation from Georgia Football on Vimeo.

#LesMilesTeamVote - Can we hunker down?

Oops. Looks like there's one abstention.

Pollack, the company man

Pray for my family if my job ever consisted of me doing anything resembling this...

RIP Paul Oliver

Prayers and thoughts for his family.

Damn Good Dawg

#LesMilesTeamVote - the piss test

Thanks to SmokeWagon for reminding me...

Did [insert name of key starter] fail another drug test?

h/t CuppyCup

NO! Honey Badger starts!

Stakes even higher for this "Mett vs Murray" battle

If you've been living under a rock I bet by now you can still hear the echoing theme for this week's game: Zach Mettenberger is returning to play against the team that kicked him off in 2010. It brings to our ears and eyes all sorts of subplots as well: his mom is still under gainful employment in Coach Richt's office; he has all sorts of old friends still playing for Georgia; he's a local boy from Watkinsville done good, then bad, then good again.

But the most interesting on and off the field happens to be that he renews his individual rivalry with Aaron Murray. Signed together to compete for playing time once Matt Stafford left early Joe Cox finished matriculating, they competed against one another on campus through workouts, practices, scrimmages and GDay games for over a year while redshirting.

Back in the day...

Looking back, it’s entirely possible Mettenberger may not have stayed at UGA anyway if Murray had been the guy, or vice versa.

“I doubt both of us would have stayed,” Murray said. “I’m sure one of us probably would have left. You could be talking to him right now and I’m at LSU or another school.”

With the situation as it is, Mettenberger’s return to Athens has increased the hype for an already massive game set for 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

But for Mettenberger, there is the obvious attention accompanying that, even with Richt saying he gave Tammy the week off to avoid an “awkward” atmosphere at work.

“It is just another game,” Mettenberger told reporters in Baton Rouge. “It is unfair, the situation that my teammates and family are being put in and all of the crazy questions that people have to answer. I should be the one that has to answer the questions. I don’t want any outside media or spotlight on myself or my relationship with Georgia to take away from this game and the experience for all the other guys.”

The extra buildup could mean pressure when Mettenberger returns home, but Lynch is expecting the best from a close quarterbacking friend.

Well, he expects that from two friends, really.

“If I know Zach, he loves big games. He loves to play under pressure,” Lynch said. “That’s just kind of how he is, whether it was anything, pick-up basketball, video games. He just likes competition and likes to be a part of it and likes to play in big games -- as does Aaron. I think you’ll see the best of both worlds for those two guys on Saturday.

“I don’t think either are going to hold anything back.”

So not too much has changed other than the colors on one's uniform. And the fact that the winner gains ground on making an appearance in Atlanta later this season. While the loser has a tougher road ahead.

Humpday Hilarity - Louis CK on cell phones

As usual, he nails it. And is hilarious while doing so. And calls you out while doing that. Just brilliant.

(Although most of the bad words are dubbed out, there's a few that pass for late night tv. So still not entirely safe for work.)

h/t Brad

LSU ticket playing hard to get, even at the top

via Bulldawg Illustrated

We feel ya bro.

#LesMilesTeamVote - Funky Cold Medina?

With 100% of the precincts reporting, an overwhelming yes!

(If you'd like to see the video this gif was extracted from, click here. He's actually making a bowling reference to an Odell Beckham punt return...after dropping an f-bomb and nearly melting down. In other words, your average, run of the mill, typical Lester presser.)

Bobo, Chavis and turnovers

Ever since he was Georgia's starting quarterback Mike Bobo has been going up against legendary SEC defensive coordinator John Chavis. As a player, the Georgia offensive coordinator never beat Chavis' squad. As a matchup of opposing coordinators, he's had more luck with a 2-2 record.

This Saturday they renew their "rivalry" for the third time since Chavis joined Les Miles in Baton Rouge. Paschall picks up the story quite nicely here.

"I know they lost a lot of guys on defense, but they've always fielded athletes over there who can run and hit," Bobo said. "They always have big safeties and big corners, and Coach Chavis is going to do what he has done. His guys always play hard and fast, and we've got to get ready for a street fight, really, because that's what it is going to be."

The Bulldogs have struggled offensively in their last two matchups with LSU, managing 274 yards in a 20-13 loss at Athens in 2009 and 296 yards in the 42-10 humbling at the 2011 SEC championship game.

Chavis is 10-6 as a defensive coordinator against Georgia, having held that role at Tennessee from 1995 to 2008 before moving to Baton Rouge. He soon will be 57 years old and has been coaching in the SEC since 1989, giving him an "old school" label and an abundance of respect.

"When you think about it, what do most coaches say if they had a bad game or if things don't go well?" Richt said. "What are they going to go back to? They're going back to the basics and going back to fundamentals and learning how to tackle better and play with low pad level. All those things that meant something 20 or 30 years ago on defense mean something today.

"All those things that people think is old school is mandatory to having a good defense, and he's a great teacher of it."

Yes, Chavis emerged from the Fulmer firing up on Rocky Top better than anyone associated with it. LSU has always been known for a tough defense built on basic principles and the longtime assistant coach has been a great fit in Baton Rouge. In fact, LSU recently became the first school to put six defensive players in the first three rounds of the NFL draft. So SEC offensive coordinators aren't the only ones noticing what's going on down there.

But much like Georgia, Chavis is in a rebuilding project replacing many starters that are now drawing professional paychecks. One specific similarity to pay some attention to this week in getting ready is turnover margin. Both defenses are used to getting takeaways - LSU had a whopping 33 last season, Georgia had 30 of their own. But this season has seen a slow start in creating fumbles and interceptions. Georgia's been especially sluggish in this department and is on pace for just 13 on the season, while LSU has six total after forcing three against Auburn Saturday night.

Turnover margin has undoubtedly played a key role in LSU's two game winning streak over Georgia (2009's last minute Tiger touchdown in Athens and 2011's SECCG debacle). In the last meeting in Atlanta, the Bulldogs ended up -3 after a fumble that opened up the second half and then two interceptions. It was a messy performance that seemed impossible to mop up on the way to a 42-10 loss.

As usual protecting the ball will be key come Saturday 'tween the hedges. And as usual, Bobo will be looking to get the better of a longtime nemesis in that department.

LSU's offense - downhill and vertical

This is a good look at how new LSU offensive coordinator Cam Cameron has molded the new offense in Baton Rouge. From his impact on Mettenberger's development, how he runs things like an NFL team and the differences in the running attack (albeit slight).

Because the Tigers are still going to run it right at you. Again and again.

While the differences may be most obvious in the passing game, Blue said there have been changes for the running backs, too - more motion, more empty sets. When it comes to running the ball, however, LSU's offense will look more familiar, Blue said - with himself, Jeremy Hill, Terrence Magee and Kenny Hilliard sharing carries and running downhill.

"The hot hand gets the ball," said Blue, whose 153 yards are third on the team behind Magee's 210 and Hill's 167. "That's real motivation. With all four of us in the backfield, there's a lot of competition back there. We're all great backs. Once you get in, you try to stay in.

And again.

Kickoffs - Coach Richt's mantle of insanity

Georgia ranks 95th nationally in touchback percentage this season. When you consider that Oregon is 103rd, Florida State 105th and Alabama is 119th, well...kicking the ball through the endzone obviously doesn't directly correlate to wins-losses. But, there's never been a team, in the history of tackle football, that has given up a touchdown when they were awarded a touchback. Ever. (h/t Old Dawg)

And were it not for our famed hedges, North Texas' Brelan Chancellor (a kid I tried to warn Richt et al. about a good week before the game) would still be running.

Look, issues with kickoffs is something I've been addressing here since this blog was a baby. To quote Rex Robinson, who was gracious enough to help us understand just what the hell a directional kick was back in '09:

It's like trying to hit a 7 iron with the height of a 9 iron. It's possible, but it's tough to do consistently well.

Which is why we had a great kicker in Blair Walsh, that by the time he was a senior in Athens ended up struggling to manage his duties consistently. You can also throw Brandon Coutu in there as well; another great kicker that struggled the longer he matriculated.

But there's a distinct, historical difference between those two kickers. Coutu was around to see the rule changes that have had a profound impact on kickoffs. In 2007 the NCAA moved the kickoff back to the 30 yard line and they also lowered the tee an inch. Back when kickers were teeing it up high and letting em fly from the thirty-five, directional kicking wasn't the eye sore that it is today.

What's more, many Georgia fans thought former defensive ends and kickoff coverage coach Jon Fabris was the one holding onto the idea of directional kicking. When he was let go after the 2010 season, we figured the art of the perfect kickoff - in the corner of the playing field, just between the one and the one-half yard line, right against the sideline, just outside the goalline's orange marker, after having travelled in the air a minimum of 5.2867 seconds - would leave with him.

But no, clearly this is Coach Richt's baby. He's steadfastly pounded his head against this wall of ignorance for years. Legend has it he went to Poland California to get a kicker who could kick it through the endzone. And yet a quick look at Brandon Bogatay's stats shows that he had a whopping total of 28 kickoffs in three seasons for Georgia, only eight of which were touchbacks. But hey, I hear he really appreciated the scholarship.

So Richt has helped ruin the distances of kickers from around the globe. Quite an accomplishment. No wonder we shifted nervously in our seats when Richt mentioned (albeit casually) he might just take over the duties of special teams coaching himself.

So where are we now? Well, for one, effective last season, the NCAA has moved kickoffs back to the 35. What's more is the touchback on kickoffs moves the ball out to the 25 instead of the 20. And this was done to encourage the receiving team to take a knee whenever they get the chance. Still, we're not going to play right into their hand when we can run the risk and live life on the edge!

Secondly, we have a sophomore kicker that Richt loves in Marshall Morgan (who had one of the strongest legs in the country while being recruited out of Fort Lauderdale) and yet his average kickoff has dropped three yards from last year and his touchback percentage has gone down as well. Sure, those are based on just one game this season compared to last. But do you remember Morgan's first game as a freshman? In the season opener last year against Buffalo he had seven kickoffs that averaged 65 yards! Five of them went for touchbacks!! That's putting the ball - at worst!! - right at the goalline.

But the rest of the season he had just nine more touchbacks while sharing duties with Jamie Lindley. Still, there was reason to believe we were transitioning to a team that booms it as deep as possible and aiming for a touchback each time instead of that perfect, directional kick that is placed on the half-yard line by God's own hand. Lindley had five touchbacks as late as the Tech game. In between is a mixture of brief moments of brilliance and assorted failures while living in a sea of unenlightenment.

Where are we now? Light years behind the development of our own opponents.

Instead of seeing a kicker trot out onto the field with the understanding that he's been asked to do something that comes completely natural (Kick it as hard and as deep as you can!), we're seeing our kickoff coverage arrange the chairs on the deck of the boat. AGAINST NORTH TEXAS!!

Saturday LSU will come into town determined to drive the ball as deep as possible and spare the coverage team the hassle of a return two out of three times they kick it off. At the same time they'll be thwarting any risk to injury each time a Georgia player kneels in the endzone. Amazing are the advances in tackle football strategy! Meanwhile we'll tell Morgan "Hey, kick it here and then next time we'll kick it there. After that we might kick it deep depending on how things are going." And then the postgame at least stands a chance of sounding like this past Saturday.

“We kicked it left and the guy bounced out right,” Morgan said. “I saw him, but the No. 1 returner in the nation with open space vs. a kicker. I mean, he’s going to take it I guess.”

I guess. I mean it makes no sense to me whatsoever. It hasn't in years. I have a headache, and Richt must have stock in Excedrin.

#LesMilesTeamVote - Nacho Libre edition

via BassinDawg

Stretchy pants or no stretchy pants?

Chancho. When you are a man, sometimes you wear stretchy pants in your room. It's for fun.

#LesMilesTeamVote week officially underway

Pay no attention to those blowhards on Myers Quad. We have more pressing matters.

The everyday use:

- paper or plastic?

- walk to school or carry my lunch?

- Golden Corral or Golden Palace III?

- loafers or have wife tie shoes again?

Roster management:

- sexy happy hands or Matt Mauck's niece?

- Hostess cupcakes or Orange Pride hostesses?

Game management:

- heads or tails? 

- fake kick or even faker kick?

- Bermuda or Fescue?

Please, add more in the comments. The possibilities are endless.

Sunday Thoughts on a soggy day with 72,846 of my closest friends

Offense - good.

Defense - much improved.

Special teams, woeful. And people clamoring for a special teams coach...look, we ain't getting one. But surely...SURELY by the grace of God we can find someone that can boot the ball out of the endzone. Every game I watch on tv has at least two. But when I get to Sanford there's only one. And he ain't wearing the right jersey.

The fans, great. At least the ones that were there. My kids are the sweetest things on God's green Earth, and they didn't melt. Not sure why a little rain scared so many others away. That was weak sauce.