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!

When a nerd falls on Thanksgiving

Y'all have a very Happy Thanksgiving! I truly appreciate all your visits here and hope you and yours have a great day!

And if nothing else, be especially thankful that we're Dawgs and not bugs.

You gonna finish that turkey and dressing or I'll
squash you again. Got it?

"WHATS THE GOOD WORD?"...Obsession

Yesterday I offered some pretty raw initial thoughts on the annual renewal of Clean Ol' Fashioned Hate. I then spent nearly twelve hours in a car...in the rain and the cold...with three female bladders.

Are we there yet?

So all I'm saying is I had some time to think, and pray for Murray and Scott-Wesley's knees. And avoid dipshits who drink pepsi. I practically wrote friday's misery in my head in the 236 miles it takes to traverse NC in a vehicle on I85...in the rain...and the cold...okay, we've done that already.

Today I just want to ask you not to sink to the bees' hive mind. I get the hate and the ill will and the bad feelings. I wanna beat them like a drum. I was there when Kanon Parkman's knuckler found the air between the goalposts and it was the biggest win I had experienced (at the time). But just listening to people in our neighborhoods and across fence posts and reading the social media trash talk, you come to understand that the nerds are far more obsessed with this game than we are. 

I believe as Dawg fans we are invested in Clean Ol' Fashioned Hate. And I know our team is. Even us old folks that grew up with this game meaning so much. We only have to hate them for a week or so. But they are pathologically obsessed with UGA. They spend an entire year...no!, Check that!...a lifetime hating us. It's both sad and comical really. They're cute the way they get worked up into a lather over ignoring Reuben Houston and exaggerating scooter transgressions and insisting they are the more academic lot. Cute!

I just say, thank God we have a coach that knows how to prepare his team for a little brother with a napoleon complex. Thankful that when a nerd buzzes in my ear I can just point to the absurdly lop-sided series record and realize a life outside of stingtalk and my parents' basement.

Now I'm off to celebrate another year of being awesome and to give thanks for friends and family. Perhaps I'll make a wish that Reuben earns that extra time in the yard, or that they all can learn to ride actual bikes instead of tricycles, or learn to block like a man instead of diving at opponents' knees, or that their school will change its color from piss yellow to something more fitting of a program that once had Heisman himself on payroll...

Nah. I'll just wish for the same thing I always do - another win at Historic Mark Richt Field. Go Dawgs!

Hate week - sexy nerdy time!

Tradition.

Presented without comment....except that this is probably the same guy that's spouting off about fictitious higher academic standards and pretending the North Ave Trade School has never, never ever, never ever ever had a football player arrested and complaining that his mother's tater tots are too cold dammit!! and his character on World of Warcraft could "sooooo rush for a trillion billion yards against Alabama's defense AND Georgia's AT THE SAME TIME!!" and wearing a depends diaper because that increases his "productivity" on Stingtalk and then "OMGHERD!!! PAUL JOHNSON ACCEPTED MY FRIEND REQUEST!!! #theMigration" and "we're going to beat thUGA like it's 2010...oops!, I mean 2008 cuz that's when we beat them so bad by three points OMG I'm gonna write that on Coach Johnson's wall!!" and then it's 10 am and it's time to get ready to clock in at Kinko's....

...before coming home drunk on Mountain Dew and 5hr Energys and doing shit like this...

Early thoughts on the flats

Limited posting here the next couple days, so I'll make this quick and to the point. After all, this is a pretty straight forward matchup.

Offensively we're fine. It'll be awkward not seeing #11 out there, but Mason will get plenty of work with the 1s this week. And of course we always have Gurley. In fact, he's such an important presence I went back and looked at his first game against the Yellow Jackets. He averaged eight yards a carry and 10 yards a catch with two touchdowns. So #3 is Mason's greatest asset, just as he was for Murray.

Defensively is a different story. What concerns me is that we're preparing for this offense on one week of practice. Last year we had GA Southern as a primer and the benefits were obvious as we actually defended the triple option better against Tech than the Eagles. Still, we can learn a thing or two from 2011 when we had the Nerds one week after Kentucky. It'll just take some discipline and decisive tackling. Like this

Finishing in the positive for turnover margin would also help tremendously.

And special teams...I'm thinking a return to the house would be spectacular. That's what I got. How about y'all?

Hate week - klassy engiNerdette

Make no mistake, she graduated from Georgia State and was hired at Tech to sell their merchandise in the school bookstore. She's a divorced mother of two who has George O'Leary's resumé tattooed on her left bicep. And she really enjoys her boxed chardonnay on game days.

Auburn self tackle > gator on gator

Excuse my interruption. On one hand I understand the fascination with those two gators blocking each other. Florida is losing a lot and everyone wants to beat that reptile senseless. And trust me, I'm all for it.

But, unless I'm mistaken, they scored on that play. It's kind of ho-hum and doesn't have nearly the panache as this five seconds of epic fail.

What Longevity looks like when it ends.

After 52 consecutive starts, nearly as sad to see it in print as it was to see it in person. Prayers and good thoughts to Aaron as he heads into surgery tomorrow and then stages his comeback on a game he's already conquered in so many ways.

Hate week - You can do that!

Want to win one game in twelve years and still type from your mother's basement with an air of superiority??!!?? YOU CAN DO THAT!!

Not your average quarterback

I've read some unappreciative (at best) and ridiculously malicious comments on social media by supposed Georgia "fans" after Aaron Murray's injury. Some people will never get over the fact that Georgia's greatest quarterback never had a defense to compliment him. Why they take that as an opportunity to attack someone who gave all he had and then some is well beyond me.

Anyway, one remark was especially ill-conceived and contemptible, attacking Murray's character of all things. I've only met Aaron once and don't pretend to know him personally. But some things just speak for themselves. (h/t Hester)

But what sets #11 apart from the other men across the nation is the whole definition, “a person who leads or directs a group” # 11 is more than an arm, more than a quick mind, more than a handsome face or a leader on the field. # 11 has written a story, here in Athens, far greater than points on a scoreboard. He is a man who gives time & attention to those who are often stared at & forgotten. A man who has helped his team to change their perspective & use their position to engage. He is a soul that chose to use what he had to give to something greater than himself.

I had intended to add that I would now focus my attention on the "new" Georgia quarterback. But you know, Murray is and always will be worthy of any and all necessary space here. He's earned it tenfold.

Hate week - engiNerd bird

Hey dumbass. You don't have to use your phone. Hairy's standing right in front of you.

Murray thanks a grateful DawgNation.

So long Muschamp!

Any doubt that he was going to survive the season is no longer in play. Guess he wasn't so much a "florida guy" after all. Congrats to all my GA Southern friends. Thanks for going down there to put the final nail in this dumbass' coffin. GATA!

- - - - - - - -

And just to prove I was with y'all all along, here's a pic of my picks that proves I had the Eagles winning and was very confident in that prediction.

Sunday's thoughts on mourning a win

Because seriously, College Football won't give us anything this season without taking a knee ligament as a sacrifice. It's absurd the ways in which she torments us, even as we celebrate as complete a win, and compete a football game as we've seen in quite some time.

Damn you College Football. Damn. You.

- Just sick to my stomach all over again for Murray this morning. You mean to tell me his last pass in Sanford, and probably as a Georgia Bulldog altogether was a tipped pass interception? That sucks. Makes me violently depressed.

- I just keep seeing him go down, force himself back into the huddle, angrily unsnap his helmet on the sideline, force himself back onto the field and then being carried off. He was supposed to enjoy a second half celebration as Mason guided things the rest of the way. He was supposed to direct the band again and make his victory round post game. Damn. Just damn.

- Moving on, this was a complete effort. It was a beat down. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Todd Gurley is a grown ass man. Able to fly when needed. And Lord help the poor defensive back that stands between him and his goal when he gets a full head of steam, unabated through the line of scrimmage.

- Mason looked really good in relief. Plays with the confidence you'd expect (and want) from an experienced back up. Couple of throws looked like he waited a bit too long for them to develop. But the line gave him plenty of time to work through his progressions.
- Defensively, I think you start with turnover margin. For just the third time this season we won the turnover battle, gaining three fumbles helped that effort significantly. The defense played with speed and intensity. Causing fumbles (even when Kentucky seemed content to help matters) is a sign that there was no let down after Auburn.
- Kentucky only managed 10 total first downs, was three of 12 on third down efficiency and gained just 211 yards. You take away Dyshawn Mobley 69 yard jaunt and this was a total dominating effort.
- That said, the missed assignment on the Wildcats' touchdown run is a glaring example of what makes preparing for Georgia Tech on one week such a daunting task. They live off plays like that where they wear you down and get one missed tackle or a safety out of position, boom.
- Sorry for getting off track there. This post is designed for celebrating this win. And we should. The seniors had a great game: Lynch with two touchdown catches and even Murray was on his way to another record setting performance before he had to leave.
- And Garrison Smith...wow. Two sacks, two forced fumbles, seven total tackles. This from a guy who usually saves his best game for the season finale against Tech, this is a very good sign.

And now we move on to Tech! It was a great Senior Night overall. Crowd was good. Students lead the way again too. It was a good way to close down Sanford until next April's GDay. GO Dawgs!