[Corrected link below. Sorry about that. Now that I'm not on my phone here's the embedded video as well.]
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Two keys to a Williams-Brice win
It's simple really.
- Run the ball because they know they can't stop it.
- And protect the ball so that we can keep running the ball.
Do those two things and Atlanta inches even a little closer to Athens than it already is.
Friday, September 12, 2014
Gurley is the one who knocks.
Hitting the road. Well, after taking a final dig at that one Sakerlina fan I work with. I'll be back here tomorrow with two keys to the victory and maybe some pics/vids from around the beautiful USCe campus warehouses. Until then, remember....
HE...is the danger.
Go Dawgs!
Friday Misery - chicken soup for the cocks' soul
"Man did he turn it on when he had to!" - Larry Munson on Herschel trucking past some chickens
Inspiration is for those who need it
I've never read one, but those chicken soup books were all the rage a couple few years ago, weren't they? They had one for every subset of human existence - chicken soup for the teachers' soul, Jesse Palmer's teleprompter, golfers, dads and moms, B1G coaches, dog lovers, cat lovers, teenagers, pre-teenagers, dads and moms of pre-teenagers, Beyoncé (no...just Beyonce), elementary school crossing guards, college students, Waffle House short order cooks,bloggers, Urban Meyer pan pizza deliverers, grandmas, rent-a-Santas, Knoxville periodontists, the Internal Revenue Service, Chicago Cubs fans, encyclopedia salesmen, encyclopedia saleswomen, Wikipedia editors, drivers ed teachers, Mrs. Bernie (no...just Mrs. Bernie), blog readers, all the single ladies, teenage mutant ninja turtles, engiNerds, sisters, the brothers, Michael Adams' tailgate, Canadians, that person in Montana, runners, walkers, emerging scooter and alley enthusiasts, Indian Armed Forces (no, really), NBA majority owners, gardeners, Craig James' dead hookers, House Baratheon, iPhone 1 users, Walter White's chemistry students, my college advisor(s), and even your local legislators of all people. Bless their hearts.
I missed a few probably. But you get the point. Whoever it is that needs their soul soothed, their confidence lifted, their spirit heightened to new altitudes, there's a book for that poor bastard.
Us..you, me, and most of the other dumbasses reading this right now...we don't need that shit. Soup is for the sick and the downtrodden. How do you make soup? You throw a chicken carcass in a pot of boiling water and then go find a spoon. I don't want chicken soup. I want what comes first. I want what makes that chicken carcass a chicken carcass. I want the blood that Richt was referring to the other day. I want the meat and not the slimy discarded byproducts.
I want to roast that sucker to perfection, carve it up like Gurley, grab a hunk like Leonard Floyd grabs Dylan by the scruff of his neck, dip that sucker in a vat of sauce and the feast on the mother.
Then I want to turn to Spurrier and say, "The spoons are in the Light/Inspirational reading section."
A badass is not born from a greasy wishbone
Two years ago we were there outside of Williams-Brice pretty early. Three older Damn Good Dawgs had arrived even earlier than us and waved us in. I had met them only once before but they had graciously offered to let us join them after Robert vouched for us.
Now, if you've never been to a Georgia-Sakerlina game, you probably listen to the rest of us talk about the stadium being set against a barren landscape and think those guys love them some hyperbole. But truly, it's a shithole. Perhaps Tyler put it best - "...you know that Columbia is a utopia of good breeding, manners, and well designed urban planning. Or the exact opposite of all those things." I've even met some Gamecock fans that will admit to the unattractiveness of the stadium's environs. That is if they themselves have ever ventured to other stadiums. You know, ones that are actually a part of the campus. So yeh, it's a dicey tailgate scene.
And as we hunkered down in a dilapidated warehouse district we watched both Georgia and Carolina fans trickle in. Just across the way a very large tailgate was set up and the music started. I say music, but it wasn't. It was sound being blared at a decibel level taller than Jadeveon Clowney with his dreads on end. The noise bounced off the brick facades until all you heard were "lyrics" about "bitches" and "ho's" and "mother f---ing haters".
It wasn't even 9am and we were already miserable. I turned to Ben and Brian and said something. If the words escaped my mouth it was a miracle. I tried again before giving up. And it was then that I noticed Larry walking over there to "greet" these dudes.
Now, I'm an older fella. And this guy could be my uncle and was wearing a knee brace. He towers over most people much like Paul Bunyun did I would imagine, Except Larry wears red and black better than Bunyun ever could. The twenty to forty gamecock fans (actually, I'm pretty sure they were former players that get that spot every home game for a reunion of sorts) on the other side never saw Big Larry coming.
I guess Dean saw the tension in my eyes. After all, he couldn't hear it in my voice since some mother f---er was about to bitchslap some ho across a dance floor. But I did manage to hear his words as he leaned in close. "Now watch this. They're gonna turn that shit down."
"Should we..."
"Naw," Dean interrupted, understanding where I was going. "Ol' Larry has a way with words."
His emphasis on those last three words didn't ease the tension and I readied for whatever the hell comes when a group of 30 some odd gamecocks turn on one solitary giant Dawg fan. In my head it was fight or flight, but what it should of told me was to just sit my ass down and light a cigar cuz Badass Larry is on the mother.
What seemed like an hour but was actually just a few seconds passed and finally Larry limped back in our direction. The music dropped so low you could almost hear him grunt as he settled back into his chair. He casually re-engaged with the television that he could now hear as well as see, and sipped his bloody mary.
Or perhaps it was White Lightning, or jet fuel. Hell, it may have just been a Diet Coke. Didn't matter. Badass Larry had set the tone for the day. There have been many times since then that I wished he had been the one to give the pregame speech for Georgia. To this day I still don't know what it is that he said to that head henpecker in the garnet and black jersey. Don't really care. Like Dean said, Larry has a way of making people see what's in everyone's best interest.
In other words, show some respect and don't be a goddamn cock.
Let's close with a prayer shall we?...Dear Lord, please feed Gurley the ball. Forever and ever, Amen.
Inspiration is for those who need it
I've never read one, but those chicken soup books were all the rage a couple few years ago, weren't they? They had one for every subset of human existence - chicken soup for the teachers' soul, Jesse Palmer's teleprompter, golfers, dads and moms, B1G coaches, dog lovers, cat lovers, teenagers, pre-teenagers, dads and moms of pre-teenagers, Beyoncé (no...just Beyonce), elementary school crossing guards, college students, Waffle House short order cooks,
I missed a few probably. But you get the point. Whoever it is that needs their soul soothed, their confidence lifted, their spirit heightened to new altitudes, there's a book for that poor bastard.
Us..you, me, and most of the other dumbasses reading this right now...we don't need that shit. Soup is for the sick and the downtrodden. How do you make soup? You throw a chicken carcass in a pot of boiling water and then go find a spoon. I don't want chicken soup. I want what comes first. I want what makes that chicken carcass a chicken carcass. I want the blood that Richt was referring to the other day. I want the meat and not the slimy discarded byproducts.
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| Got chicken? (via) |
I want to roast that sucker to perfection, carve it up like Gurley, grab a hunk like Leonard Floyd grabs Dylan by the scruff of his neck, dip that sucker in a vat of sauce and the feast on the mother.
Then I want to turn to Spurrier and say, "The spoons are in the Light/Inspirational reading section."
A badass is not born from a greasy wishbone
Two years ago we were there outside of Williams-Brice pretty early. Three older Damn Good Dawgs had arrived even earlier than us and waved us in. I had met them only once before but they had graciously offered to let us join them after Robert vouched for us.
Now, if you've never been to a Georgia-Sakerlina game, you probably listen to the rest of us talk about the stadium being set against a barren landscape and think those guys love them some hyperbole. But truly, it's a shithole. Perhaps Tyler put it best - "...you know that Columbia is a utopia of good breeding, manners, and well designed urban planning. Or the exact opposite of all those things." I've even met some Gamecock fans that will admit to the unattractiveness of the stadium's environs. That is if they themselves have ever ventured to other stadiums. You know, ones that are actually a part of the campus. So yeh, it's a dicey tailgate scene.
And as we hunkered down in a dilapidated warehouse district we watched both Georgia and Carolina fans trickle in. Just across the way a very large tailgate was set up and the music started. I say music, but it wasn't. It was sound being blared at a decibel level taller than Jadeveon Clowney with his dreads on end. The noise bounced off the brick facades until all you heard were "lyrics" about "bitches" and "ho's" and "mother f---ing haters".
It wasn't even 9am and we were already miserable. I turned to Ben and Brian and said something. If the words escaped my mouth it was a miracle. I tried again before giving up. And it was then that I noticed Larry walking over there to "greet" these dudes.
Now, I'm an older fella. And this guy could be my uncle and was wearing a knee brace. He towers over most people much like Paul Bunyun did I would imagine, Except Larry wears red and black better than Bunyun ever could. The twenty to forty gamecock fans (actually, I'm pretty sure they were former players that get that spot every home game for a reunion of sorts) on the other side never saw Big Larry coming.
I guess Dean saw the tension in my eyes. After all, he couldn't hear it in my voice since some mother f---er was about to bitchslap some ho across a dance floor. But I did manage to hear his words as he leaned in close. "Now watch this. They're gonna turn that shit down."
"Should we..."
"Naw," Dean interrupted, understanding where I was going. "Ol' Larry has a way with words."
His emphasis on those last three words didn't ease the tension and I readied for whatever the hell comes when a group of 30 some odd gamecocks turn on one solitary giant Dawg fan. In my head it was fight or flight, but what it should of told me was to just sit my ass down and light a cigar cuz Badass Larry is on the mother.
What seemed like an hour but was actually just a few seconds passed and finally Larry limped back in our direction. The music dropped so low you could almost hear him grunt as he settled back into his chair. He casually re-engaged with the television that he could now hear as well as see, and sipped his bloody mary.
Or perhaps it was White Lightning, or jet fuel. Hell, it may have just been a Diet Coke. Didn't matter. Badass Larry had set the tone for the day. There have been many times since then that I wished he had been the one to give the pregame speech for Georgia. To this day I still don't know what it is that he said to that head henpecker in the garnet and black jersey. Don't really care. Like Dean said, Larry has a way of making people see what's in everyone's best interest.
In other words, show some respect and don't be a goddamn cock.
Let's close with a prayer shall we?...Dear Lord, please feed Gurley the ball. Forever and ever, Amen.
Dawgs @ Cocks - when Spurrier is calling the plays
I don't think this is going to be very complicated. Spurrier will want to run the ball as much as possible to both wear of Pruitt's defensive front as well as keep Gurley on the sideline.
Through two games, South Carolina is about 43/57 in favor of the passing game. I look for Saturday night to be closer to 55/45 in the first half favoring the running game and then maybe evening out closer to 50/50 by the end of the game. The last thing Spurrier wants is third and long situations where Leonard Floyd and Jordan Jenkins can pin their ears back and go.
Looking at the Clemson film surely gave the Gamecock offensive coaches enough to go on as the Tigers were running very well up the middle for the entire first half. That also happens to be something South Carolina does well:
Through two games, South Carolina is about 43/57 in favor of the passing game. I look for Saturday night to be closer to 55/45 in the first half favoring the running game and then maybe evening out closer to 50/50 by the end of the game. The last thing Spurrier wants is third and long situations where Leonard Floyd and Jordan Jenkins can pin their ears back and go.
Looking at the Clemson film surely gave the Gamecock offensive coaches enough to go on as the Tigers were running very well up the middle for the entire first half. That also happens to be something South Carolina does well:
If you saw SEC Now last night on the Network then you will recall Greg McElroy pointing out that the offensive line, in particular the center who goes off the wrong foot, blocked poorly on that play. And yet Davis makes the read as he approaches the line of scrimmage and cuts back off tackle. They'll have this corrected for Saturday knowing they're going up against Georgia's front seven.
The Gamecocks don't want to rely on Dylan Thompson to move the chains. Their gameplan will be to run it right at the Dawgs' front and then take their shots when ready.
So what will Pruitt do to stop them? Probably a lot of what we saw him do in the second half of the Clemson game - pressure up the middle to force runs outside the tackle box. He'll want a lot of hats on the ball whenever Davis carries it.
Although #28 is one of the better tailbacks we'll see all season, it's as yet unclear if he can carry the offense on his legs.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
"Why would you want to tackle a guy as big as me?"
Not a real big fan of Aschoff. And he gets awkwardly, albeit understandably, gushy over Gurley in this piece leading up to Saturday's SEC East tilt. But he hits on the the crux of South Carolina defensive coordinator's problem this week:
#FeedGurley
According to ESPN Stats & Information, Gurley registered a career-high 102 yards after contact and seven rushes that gained at least 10 yards against Clemson. In Gurley's career, he has averaged 46 YAC per conference game (2.8 YAC per carry) and has 89 rushes of at least 10 yards (which is tops in the SEC over the past three seasons).Nothing new (at least to us Dawg fans) that Todd Gurley has the unique ability to make you defend the field from sideline to sideline as well as endzone to endzone. Just hope Coach Ward is just as perplexed Sunday morning as he is right now.
That means you have to put a lot of hands on Gurley at the same time in order to bring him down and stop those tree trunks he calls legs from churning.
Do you push him outside or keep him running through the middle? Well, that's a tough one to answer when you consider this: According to ESPN Stats & Information, over the past two seasons, Gurley has averaged the fourth-most yards nationally per rush (6.0) inside the tackles (minimum 100 attempts) and fifth most outside the tackles (7.6).
"We have to have 11 hats on the ball," said Ward, who wants to stack the box more when Gurley is in. "We can't be tackling one-on-one, we have to have gang-tackling all day."
#FeedGurley
From opening kick 'til the end of the first quarter
As this morning's earlier post alludes to, this game in Columbia tends to be won in the fourth quarter, 2012 notwithstanding. But a lot of attention is being paid to Georgia's confidence, its mindset at Williams-Brice in particular.
Take it away Mr. Emerson:
I agree that it turns out this bye week may be a blessing in disguise. I expect Georgia will travel to Columbia focused on playing good, fundamental football. And I expect that the coaches have already broken them down from the high of that opening win. The quotes from the players and coaches suggest that this game is being put in the right frame.Is there a chance Georgia comes into Williams-Brice overconfident after how poorly South Carolina looked in the opening game?
It’s always a possibility, but I think the bye week may have helped. It gave the coaches two weeks to show game film from the Clemson game and isolate on the mistakes that were made. Hutson Mason has had two weeks to hear that he’s not a good quarterback, and it obviously bothers him. It also makes the Clemson game seem further away, which may help stem the overconfidence factor.Then again, it could certainly work the other way: Two weeks to hear how great you are, with ESPN putting Georgia in the playoff, Todd Gurley getting the Heisman hype, etc. This is one of those things you can’t say for sure until after the game.
“I’ve got a feeling this game could get a little bloody,” coach Mark Richt said.
“We’re both going to come out swinging,” Bailey said. “We’re not going to back down and they’re not going to back down.”
Quarterback Hutson Mason said he expects a “big, physical, downhill game. May the toughest man win so to speak.”
Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo expects the Gamecocks, already 0-1 in the SEC, to play hard.
“We’ve got to match their intensity,” he said.But I don't think we'll need wait until the end of the game to find out if that was all just talk. We'll know at some point in the first quarter if Georgia came in overconfident.
Dawgs @ Cocks - finishing the 60 minute drill
Giving credit where it is due, Bobo and Pruitt with their in game adjustments deserve more than their fair share for the win against Clemson. Especially Pruitt, who shut down what the Tigers were doing best - running up the middle - while also applying pressure from any and all directions on their quarterback.
But we've also given some credit to the fact that the offensive and defensive line leaned heavily on Clemson's counterparts as the game wore on. Georgia was a dominant force in the trenches, clearly in better shape and able to exert its will on them.
Enter South Carolina whose points by quarter break down as such: 14 in the first, 20 in the second, 24 in the third, and 3 in the fourth. Now, in both the game against the Aggies as well as last week against the Pirates, the fourth quarters saw clock draining drives. Texas A&M had a 10+ minute drive to end the game and South Carolina had one as well against ECU that culminated in that field goal.
Meanwhile, Georgia entered the fourth quarter in the opener behind in time of possession. Thanks to a team that was peaking instead of waning, we saw Clemson enjoy three and outs, while Georgia scored on three straight plays. That coupled with the ability to eviscerate the Tigers hope and desire for tackle football put Georgia ahead in TOP as well as ahead by three scores.
That fourth quarter display of physical fitness and prime conditioning against Clemson nearly made me swoon. It wasn't a one hit wonder was it? It was as much Georgia as it was Clemson, correct? We can do that again Saturday. We need to do that again Saturday.
Similar to yesterday, I'm not sure they could stop us; they're not sure they can stop us.
#FeedGurley
But we've also given some credit to the fact that the offensive and defensive line leaned heavily on Clemson's counterparts as the game wore on. Georgia was a dominant force in the trenches, clearly in better shape and able to exert its will on them.
Enter South Carolina whose points by quarter break down as such: 14 in the first, 20 in the second, 24 in the third, and 3 in the fourth. Now, in both the game against the Aggies as well as last week against the Pirates, the fourth quarters saw clock draining drives. Texas A&M had a 10+ minute drive to end the game and South Carolina had one as well against ECU that culminated in that field goal.
Meanwhile, Georgia entered the fourth quarter in the opener behind in time of possession. Thanks to a team that was peaking instead of waning, we saw Clemson enjoy three and outs, while Georgia scored on three straight plays. That coupled with the ability to eviscerate the Tigers hope and desire for tackle football put Georgia ahead in TOP as well as ahead by three scores.
That fourth quarter display of physical fitness and prime conditioning against Clemson nearly made me swoon. It wasn't a one hit wonder was it? It was as much Georgia as it was Clemson, correct? We can do that again Saturday. We need to do that again Saturday.
Similar to yesterday, I'm not sure they could stop us; they're not sure they can stop us.
#FeedGurley
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Rare photo of Spurrier found
Here he is outside the Whitney Hotel a few years back trying to get Weslye Saunders up and outta the jacuzzi tub in time for his tea leaf massage.
Sure Kentucky. Why not?
When you haven't beaten a team since Reagan's second term, why not pull a Joe Willie Namath?
“A couple of my (high school) teammates actually went to Florida, so I’m familiar with a lot of those guys,” Kemp told the Louisville Courier-Journal. “It’s going to be fun walking out with a victory and rubbing it in their faces.”I guess Jojo doesn't read those rejuvenated syndicated columnists down and around Gainesville.
Dawgs @ Cocks - when Georgia has the ball, part II
Tight ends.
This could be their game to shine. In the previous post I mentioned that it's almost a foregone conclusion that Lorenzo Ward will be geared towards stopping Georgia's running game. Which sets up perfectly to leak a tight end out (or a running back for that matter) and set up just behind the linebackers who are by then attempting to fill up running lanes.
Against Clemson, Jay Rome quietly had three catches for 18 yards. Freshman Jeb Blazevich had a nine yard catch for a first down. Quayvon Hicks was used almost solely in protection and to carve out running lanes, but this could be an opportunity to see how much his hands have improved.
My point with these two posts is that as much as being made about the supposed lack of a deep threat to stretch the field, Bobo could just as easily use the run to set up something big for a group of receivers whose time to step up is now.
This could be their game to shine. In the previous post I mentioned that it's almost a foregone conclusion that Lorenzo Ward will be geared towards stopping Georgia's running game. Which sets up perfectly to leak a tight end out (or a running back for that matter) and set up just behind the linebackers who are by then attempting to fill up running lanes.
Against Clemson, Jay Rome quietly had three catches for 18 yards. Freshman Jeb Blazevich had a nine yard catch for a first down. Quayvon Hicks was used almost solely in protection and to carve out running lanes, but this could be an opportunity to see how much his hands have improved.
My point with these two posts is that as much as being made about the supposed lack of a deep threat to stretch the field, Bobo could just as easily use the run to set up something big for a group of receivers whose time to step up is now.
Dawgs @ Cocks - when Georgia has the ball
Listening to the beat writers discuss the game with the South Carolina guys (here and also here) it's easy to be convinced that the Gamecocks will sell out to stop the run. In other words, they are going to put eight in the box, have their defensive backs on an island and just force Todd Gurley to beat them.
Ok. I get that. But does that dictate that Bobo unleash Mason to try and pick apart the beleaguered Gamecock secondary? Texas A&M picked the Gamecocks to death. But they also ran the ball over 30 times and averaged over 5.0ypc. ECU had even less balance but even more success running the ball than the Aggies did at 6.3ypc.
One more thing to throw at you this morning. Four of the top five leaders in tackles for the Gamecocks are defensive backs. Sure, most of that is because of how much their first two opponents (successfully) threw the ball. But their starting linebackers have a total of 29 tackles between them. Comparatively speaking, Georgia's have 26 total...in one game! In those podcast interviews, both David Cloninger and Josh Kendall mentioned that the number one concern for the South Carolina defense was tackling, even above shaky play in the secondary.
If I'm Bobo I'm certainly tempted to throw early and often. Even with question marks with the depth/experience at receiver, it makes sense to do what has worked for the Aggies and the Pirates. A lot of those 76 completions against the South Carolina secondary so far this season have been on intermediate routes and check downs. That's right in Mason's wheel house.
But you're eventually either going to win or lose this game on the ground. So give Gurley the ball and let the offense climb on his back. I'm not sure they can stop him. More importantly, they're not sure they can either.
Ok. I get that. But does that dictate that Bobo unleash Mason to try and pick apart the beleaguered Gamecock secondary? Texas A&M picked the Gamecocks to death. But they also ran the ball over 30 times and averaged over 5.0ypc. ECU had even less balance but even more success running the ball than the Aggies did at 6.3ypc.
One more thing to throw at you this morning. Four of the top five leaders in tackles for the Gamecocks are defensive backs. Sure, most of that is because of how much their first two opponents (successfully) threw the ball. But their starting linebackers have a total of 29 tackles between them. Comparatively speaking, Georgia's have 26 total...in one game! In those podcast interviews, both David Cloninger and Josh Kendall mentioned that the number one concern for the South Carolina defense was tackling, even above shaky play in the secondary.
If I'm Bobo I'm certainly tempted to throw early and often. Even with question marks with the depth/experience at receiver, it makes sense to do what has worked for the Aggies and the Pirates. A lot of those 76 completions against the South Carolina secondary so far this season have been on intermediate routes and check downs. That's right in Mason's wheel house.
But you're eventually either going to win or lose this game on the ground. So give Gurley the ball and let the offense climb on his back. I'm not sure they can stop him. More importantly, they're not sure they can either.
Ticket prices favoring Dawg buyers
Ever so slightly, but for a game of this magnitude that's a good thing. I checked Ticket Monster twice yesterday and both times tickets in the upper levels had dropped.
The best value is section 501 for just over $100. But there's also plenty of seats available under $100, all on the Georgia side (where you'll see a mix of fans depending on the section). I was in 503 two years ago and it was 90% Georgia, at least until the fair weathers departed.
If you're looking for a last minute trip, or just want to avoid the scalpers check the prices again this morning. This should be a great game. And Columbia with a 3:30 kickoff is easily a day trip from near and around Athens if it needs to be. Or just make a weekend of it.
Come on, you don't wanna sit at home where you have to cut the grass before the game. And you don't wanna listen to Uncle Verne mispronounce Hudson Matson's name a million times. Join us! And when you see a guy in red yelling "GO DAWGS!!" that's probably me. Stop and tell me how sweet it is to be a Dawg.
The best value is section 501 for just over $100. But there's also plenty of seats available under $100, all on the Georgia side (where you'll see a mix of fans depending on the section). I was in 503 two years ago and it was 90% Georgia, at least until the fair weathers departed.
If you're looking for a last minute trip, or just want to avoid the scalpers check the prices again this morning. This should be a great game. And Columbia with a 3:30 kickoff is easily a day trip from near and around Athens if it needs to be. Or just make a weekend of it.
Come on, you don't wanna sit at home where you have to cut the grass before the game. And you don't wanna listen to Uncle Verne mispronounce Hudson Matson's name a million times. Join us! And when you see a guy in red yelling "GO DAWGS!!" that's probably me. Stop and tell me how sweet it is to be a Dawg.
Humpday Hilarity - Onions and Christmas trees
A family is at the dinner table. The son asks his father, "Dad, how many kinds of boobs are there?"
The father, surprised, answers, "Well, son, there are three kinds of boobs. In her 20s, a woman's are like melons, round and firm. In her 30s, 40s and 50's they are like pears, still nice but hanging a bit. After 60, they are like onions."
"Onions?"
"Yes, you see them and they make you cry."
This infuriated his wife and daughter so the daughter said, "Mum, how many kinds of "willies" are there?"
The mother, surprised, smiles and answers, "Well, dear, a man goes through three phases. In his 20's, his willy is like an oak tree, mighty and hard. In his 30s, 40s and 50's it is like a birch, flexible but reliable. After his 60s, it is like a Christmas tree."
"A Christmas tree?"
"Yes. The tree is dead, and the balls are just for decoration." (h/t Mac)
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
South Carolina needs a perfect game?
This post from enemy territory has a flair for the dramatic, but it hits on the big point for Gamecock fans I think. And that is Mike Davis is undoubtedly the horse that drives the buggy.
A healthy Mike Davis is an absolute game-changer, as we witnessed against the Pirates. The personnel changes on the offensive line helped net 175 rushing yards as a team, and the 10-minute fourth-quarter drive that put the game away. Now the challenge is to try and do that against a Georgia defense that held Clemson to 88 yards on the ground in a 45-21 victory on Aug. 30.And how do they meet that challenge? Perfectly.
South Carolina may to have to play very close to a perfect football game to beat Georgia - but as anyone who saw the upset of Alabama in 2010 knows, underdog Gamecock squads coached by Spurrier have managed such feats before.And that, gives me pause. We touched on the recent history yesterday, And I will share more directed thoughts as to this Saturday's matchup in the coming days. However, I will say that the more talented team is Georgia. Clearly. Does Richt's team have their feet under them enough to survive a true road test? Or is 2012 still ringing in their ears?
Georgia senior NT Mike Thornton when asked what he remembers from the game at South Carolina two years ago: "Sandstorm."
— Seth Emerson (@SethEmerson) September 8, 2014
If Georgia goes in and just plays against another team, then things could get ugly for Spurrier's least talented squad in years. But if they put themselves up against more than that, then recent history could easily repeat itself.
South Carolina might need the perfect game to win. Georgia just needs the perfect mindset.
The Palmetto State Dawgs
Friend of the blog Dr. Loonam sent this in as a reminder of the players from South Carolina that would really like to see a road win Saturday night. Glad these guys crossed over the Savannah River and made a home in Athens to bleed the red and black.
Go Dawgs!
Go Dawgs!
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| (L-R) Jonathon Rumph, Jack Loonam, Tramel Terry and Jacob Park. |
A Homer's thoughts on Sakerlina
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| Daryl Gamble, eating some chicken. (via John Curry) |
2008. It was a bad omen for me when Uga VI went down that summer. Wee Willie was in the last stages of the Van Gorder Effect and after the 2009 season he was joining the wagon train out west. Two years after the Ole Ball Coach left the NFL and brought his National Championship ring back to the SEC to be a Cock(No pun intended). Saban followed and brought his to the Bammer nation. This was soon to become the "Perfect Storm" for CMR and our beloved Dawgs. After a 7-6 start Saban took Alabama to an SECC in 2008 and later faced a 1 loss CUM coached team (again thanks for the rule change. Karma for Bama) for a shot at the title. Florida won. Saban and Alabama were to win it all in 2009.
Now fast forward to 2014. The world of college football has changed. Urban is at The oSU.(LMAO!) The team that Satan built to beat the power pro style teams is old school now. The house that SOS built at uSC has taken a step back and Spur ain't the same coach today. Time spares no one. Agent Muschamp is in play at Florida.
Georgia is the new style game. We can ground and pound And spread it around (I am a poet when not blogging). We have a new DC that brought a new focus and some National Championship smack of his own to our party.
The betting line started at 3.5 on the Dawgs and within hours moved to 6. It will hit 10 before you know it. Will it go to 13? Get 'em in when you can sports fans. GO DAWGS!
AthensHomerDawg
Monday, September 8, 2014
Williams-Brice, trending
When looking at trends in this series it's hard to see past this one:
It's rare for South Carolina to enter into this game with a loss - at least it is while in the Spurrier era. Their season openers tend to be against either a conference opponent on Thursday night or a team such as NC State or ECU before renewing the rivalry with Georgia in week two or three. The exception of course was two years ago when the teams met in early October instead, but overall, since 2005, the Gamecocks are a combined 13-1 entering this game; Georgia is 11-3.
So the only time South Carolina has come into this game without an undefeated record in recent years was 2008. Similar to this season, the loss was to a conference foe. Vanderbilt edged Spurrier's Gamecocks out in Nashville 24-17 the week after USC had obliterated NC State 34-0. Meanwhile, #2 Georgia came into Columbia that season undefeated at 2-0 having dispensed of Georgia Southern and Central Michigan by wide margins. Georgia won 14-7 when Reshad Jones intercepted Chris Smelley with seconds remaining and the Gamecocks threatening inside the Bulldogs' ten yard line.
In some ways, this year feels like the 2008 version of this series between these two teams. Georgia is highly ranked while South Carolina is caught somewhere between feeling sorry for itself and feeling cautiously optimistic. That game six years ago was one that either team could've easily won. It was a game where the Dawgs may not have lived up to their national billing, but found a way to make the plays that mattered. It was a game where the home field played its part in giving the Gamecocks a clear advantage.
If recent history tells us anything, Saturday afternoon at Williams-Brice could prove to be yet another difficult afternoon for Georgia to move the ball and score points. Who will make the plays to tilt the contest in his team's favor? And what jersey color will he be wearing?
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Bonus: Corbindawg looks at the series in Columbia dating back to 2000 and how the offense did, or did not, score.
Scoring in Columbia has not been easy for Georgia, something Richt already has brought up to his team.That's an understatement. Since Spurrier took over for South Carolina in 2005, Georgia has not scored more than 14 points in a game at Williams-Brice. During that four game stretch the Dawgs are 2-2 and averaging just 11.25 points in Columbia. Compare that to the 30.6 points scored in Athens and it speaks volumes to the home field advantage the Gamecocks enjoy. Not to mention the fact that before they lost to Texas A&M in the opener they had won their last 18 home games.
It's rare for South Carolina to enter into this game with a loss - at least it is while in the Spurrier era. Their season openers tend to be against either a conference opponent on Thursday night or a team such as NC State or ECU before renewing the rivalry with Georgia in week two or three. The exception of course was two years ago when the teams met in early October instead, but overall, since 2005, the Gamecocks are a combined 13-1 entering this game; Georgia is 11-3.
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| Reshad Jones saves the day in 2008. (via John Curry, ABH) |
So the only time South Carolina has come into this game without an undefeated record in recent years was 2008. Similar to this season, the loss was to a conference foe. Vanderbilt edged Spurrier's Gamecocks out in Nashville 24-17 the week after USC had obliterated NC State 34-0. Meanwhile, #2 Georgia came into Columbia that season undefeated at 2-0 having dispensed of Georgia Southern and Central Michigan by wide margins. Georgia won 14-7 when Reshad Jones intercepted Chris Smelley with seconds remaining and the Gamecocks threatening inside the Bulldogs' ten yard line.
In some ways, this year feels like the 2008 version of this series between these two teams. Georgia is highly ranked while South Carolina is caught somewhere between feeling sorry for itself and feeling cautiously optimistic. That game six years ago was one that either team could've easily won. It was a game where the Dawgs may not have lived up to their national billing, but found a way to make the plays that mattered. It was a game where the home field played its part in giving the Gamecocks a clear advantage.
If recent history tells us anything, Saturday afternoon at Williams-Brice could prove to be yet another difficult afternoon for Georgia to move the ball and score points. Who will make the plays to tilt the contest in his team's favor? And what jersey color will he be wearing?
-------
Bonus: Corbindawg looks at the series in Columbia dating back to 2000 and how the offense did, or did not, score.
Gamecocks: women prison guards eating toxic clams with horsey sauce
Dear Coach Richt,
Please feel free to use any/all of this to get this week off on the right foot.
You're welcome.
Bernie
Please feel free to use any/all of this to get this week off on the right foot.
You're welcome.
Bernie
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| KISSMYGODDAMNASSSTEVEOSPURRIER! |
- Steve Piece of Shit Spurrier once played tackle football for Florida.
- Oh, you need more? Ok.
- He once elbowed a handicapped kid out of the lunch line on tater tots day.
- That was in 1st grade. And on the second day of school.
- Sandstorm is the official pump up the jam song of ISIS.
- Gamecock fans are a lot like bad clams: soft and full of toxicity.
- Gamecock fans don't know where their campus is because that's not where the stadium is and most of them couldn't even spell C-O-L-L-E-G-E A-P-P-L-I-C-A-T-I-O-N.
- Their struggle is actually, and literally, real. Very.
- Back to Spurrier, I wouldn't throw water on him if he were waist deep in eternal flames (which I imagine happens often when you live at the gates of Hell, aka Columbia SC).
- I don't eat at Arby's, but if I knew I had a chance to meet him there I would go just to punch him in the ol' ball sack and squirt horsey sauce in his goddamn eyeball.
- Mike Davis texted me last week that he thinks Marlo Herrera tackles like Ms. Armentrout, his third grade teacher.
- Also, Coach Lorenzo Ward emailed me yesterday to say that Todd Gurley "aspires to be a punk ass bitch, as punk ass bitches are the only ones who can't break 300 all purpose on clemssun."
- Two years ago there was a gathering of Georgia fans that stayed until the end. The feeling was - You kick our team's teeth in, we're gonna stay to take our lumps too. Because one day, the victory will be that much sweeter having sat through the most excruciating 60 minutes of football ever in this lopsided series. Ever.
- Yes, one of those fans was me.
- (And "lopsided" is actually an understatement.)
- We didn't have tires on our cars when we got back to the tailgate. Because Williams-Brice was evidently the name for some progressive chick that loved chain link fences, dilapidated warehouses and putting her husband's name last.
- In 2000, Georgia went to Columbia thinking they were all that and a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos. The coach had previously "GuaranDamnTeed" a conference banner. The Gamecocks ate our lunch, our dinner and then henpecked our ass all the way to Augusta just for good measure.
- Oh, perhaps I should mention, that was the first time in nearly two seasons the Gamecocks had won an SEC game.
- "SC fans are like humorless prison guards at a minimum security women's prison. They act tough but really aren't that scary." - via PWD
- "Sakerlina fans are a lot like wet farts. Kinda funny at first but then DEAR GOD WHAT IS THAT STANK." via BulldogBry
- Gamecock fans are a lot like Halley's Comet. Bright and shiny ever so often. But flame out before things really get interesting.
- Then forgotten for another seventy or so years.
- Also, Gamecock fans can't spell Halley's. And they think "Comet" is some kind of chain of gas stations, probably in and around New York City.
- They think NYC is somewhere in Canadia.
- Spurrier has 200 wins. Vince Dooley retired with 201. Lose Saturday and you're just another failed Quincy Carter Heisman Campaign. Just another undigested corn kernel at the bottom of a steaming pile of chicken shit.
- And of course, Penithball. Because...well, because they're all pretty much just a bag of cocks.
Sunday, September 7, 2014
201.
He's hung half a hundred on Georgia tween the hedges. He taunted Dawg fans for years while dominating Ray Goff. He jokes about Richt's discipline policies.
Now, he'll spend all week talking about how hard it's going to be to stop Gurley and how the defense looked great against Clemson. He'll also remind everyone (again) that Sakerlina isn't nearly as talented as they have been. But make no mistake, Spurrier always has his eyes on the prize.
Yes, Steve Spurrier has been a thorn in Georgia's side for decades now. You think he wouldn't like to tie Vince Dooley's career win record while hosting the Dawgs Saturday evening?
It'll be up to Richt to find a way to keep that chicken shit confetti contained for at least another week.
Now, he'll spend all week talking about how hard it's going to be to stop Gurley and how the defense looked great against Clemson. He'll also remind everyone (again) that Sakerlina isn't nearly as talented as they have been. But make no mistake, Spurrier always has his eyes on the prize.
Should the Gamecocks knock off the Bulldogs next weekend in Columbia, it would be Spurrier's 201st as an SEC coach, which would tie former Georgia coach Vince Dooley on the all-time list.Of course he'd love nothing more. He'd probably even thank Goff for helping him achieve the milestone a little faster than expected. He'll then find some way to give Vince Dooley a backhanded compliment. And then he'll give us that conceited, evil smirk. And we'll be forced to hang our heads in shame.
It'll be up to Richt to find a way to keep that chicken shit confetti contained for at least another week.
A special kind of revival
I've been watching college football long enough to know that special teams play a key role in most wins or losses and that Georgia has a storied history when it comes to this phase of the game. Whether it's a replay of Scott Woerner returning a punt into the throat of a coverage team, Rex Robinson kicking the whatchamacallit out of it, Damian Gary breaking into the second level again, or Kanon Parkman breaking those engiNerds hearts, Georgia fans know good special teams play starts with the right players and the right attitude.
Which is why this comes as such welcome news to all of us.
So it becomes less likely that they'll lose a game for us this season.
Which is why this comes as such welcome news to all of us.
Good head coaches place special emphasis on special teams. Great ones find a way to get a competitive advantage using them. I don't know yet if Georgia's special teams will win a game for us this season. But I did feel the energy lift after Gurley's kick return last week.“This year, if you don’t play special teams you’re not going to play,” said Wilson, who is on kickoffs, kickoff return and the punt team after being on just kickoffs last year. “If you’re a starter, you’ve got to start on a special teams. They’re serious about that.”
So it becomes less likely that they'll lose a game for us this season.
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