Tennessee...whew!

What a game on Saturday huh? Aguilar is a couple steps up from that other kid whose name I can't pronounce. Or type.

So what did we learn? I'll take a stab at a list. 

• We're a good team. We're built different than previous versions of a Smart led team. But we can compete against this 2025 schedule and beyond I think.
• We're a young team. I believe we are deep, but when you go on the road in the SEC and that roster gets trimmed down, it exposes your youth. Proud of the way Kirby and Co. rallied them into a team that could fight back.
• We're a lucky team. That's a pretty good kicker (went 3/3 the week prior with a long of 53). I don't think the false start penalty mattered. Good snap, good hold. Bad swing.
• The OL especially struggled. I thought the play calling got too conservative after that amazing drive to open the second half. But on the other hand we seemed to click in 13 personnel. I hope to see that a lot going forward.
• In fact, I would bet if we looked at Reddell's participation, most of his snaps would land in the 4th quarter. Barbour we know is done for the year, and Elyiss Williams made the trip but I don't recall seeing him. I'll re-watch tonight.
• Regardless, with three tight ends and one back in, we really found success both on the ground and off play action especially. I'd love to see more of this going forward. Even with Barbour out, I think we are deep enough at tight end and I think the backs we have would thrive in it.
• If there is one thing thing that surprised me more than anything else, it was our defensive backs, especially Ellis Robinson IV. We know they're going to end up in one on one a lot to start games against Heupul offenses. Even as Schu and Kirby began to put the "roof" back on with our safeties we continued to struggle in 50/50 matchups.
• Also worth noting, Tenn's receivers are better this year. That fact plus Aguilar's arm and composure caught us just as off guard as our secondary.

All things considered, we got to the season's first bye week at 3-0. Just as we hoped. So there is that. Most importantly, the coaches have some good film on their young guys and we should be healthier at OL before the tilt against the Tide. 

Looks like we're recording this week's episode on Wednesday. I'll try and have more then. Go Dawgs!

Around the Tailgate - Who's your breakout player for 2016?

Originally posted at BullDawg Illustrated

Michael Barnett

So we've discussed the issue at quarterback, and then yesterday we talked about the game we'd most like to win. Today we're going to see who the guys think will be 2016's breakout player.

Give me one player you think we need to watch for that could be this year's very pleasant surprise. And his last name can't have two consecutive B's in it.

Namaman: I am hoping the player(s) to watch this year will be the entire TE corps.  Still the most under-utilized position in offenses - especially UGA offenses - in recent history. Let's get back to where we have proven, NFL caliber TE's like McMichael and Watson that can help Lambert, Eason and Chubb open up things for the WR's as well.  That is one of my fondest wishes... GO DAWGS!

Robert: I want to go with Jackson Harris, but you have to assume that a lot of the tight ends are going to see playing time.  How about Michael Chigbu? Then again, Kirby said the receivers would most likely be by committee.  I still like the Chigbu pick.  He should get significantly more targets, and I expect him to have a breakout year and be the pleasant surprise.

The Wrangler: I am going on the defensive side of the ball and picking #7 Lorenzo Carter.  The defensive intensity Coach Smart has brought to UGA will motivate Carter to be the best he can be.  After a great 2014 season, he was very quiet last year.  You know he has been waiting all summer to prove that he can be the man.  Since we are breaking in a new offense, the defense will have to be solid to take some pressure off the offense.  I predict 10 sacks for Carter this year.

Smokewagon: Wow….another tough question!  Mecole Hardman is a name that I haven’t heard much in pre-season coverage.  I hope I didn’t miss a story on him being injured or otherwise not available. I admit that I have not been clicking on the blogs all summer!  Perhaps the new stealthy coaching staff is holding his explosiveness under wraps and away from the media.  If not Mecole, I would go with Charlie Woerner.  I think Nauta and Holyfield will have serious impact, but I don’t think that will be a surprise.

I agree with the Wrangler and that it will be a defensive player, and we're going to need a big man to step up on the defensive front early. So I going with a guy that I think started to come on strong there last season in Michael Barnett. I have it on very good authority that 94, although he's a nice young man, has a real mean streak on the football field. Plus he's coachable. And we have one of the best d-line coaches around in Rocker.

Thanks for joining us for this preseason primer around the tailgate. Hope you've enjoyed it, and Go Dawgs y'all!

Tailgate Roundtable - the receivers

Day three. Here's Monday's discussion on the quarterbacks and yesterday's on the center.

After losing some dependable hands in Chris Conley and Michael Bennett, who do you see leading the team in receiving this year?

AHD - Wesley was scoped yesterday. IS Mitchell ready for prime time? I hope so.  McKenzie is a year older. And maybe Godwin can live up to some  of that hype. Our new OC likes to throw to the TE and we have two good ones.

Robert - Malcolm Mitchell, if he stays healthy.  I just feel like he has so much potential, but he has really struggled with the injuries.  We are blessed with a lot of playmakers at this position.  Mitchell, Davis, Scott-Wesley, and McKenzie have all had big moments.

BDB - I should point out that Robert emailed his responses before the JSW news. Hopefully it's true that he'll be ready by August. I'm big on the tight ends too. The more we run our backs the more versatile the tight end position can be.

Roundtable wrapup

Really appreciate Kevin at College Football Zealots setting this up. It was a fun way to pass some time in the off season.

Here are some parting thoughts after yesterday's conclusion.

If the season started today, which of our quarterbacks would you want under center (and why)?

I think Greg hit the nail on the head with his last sentence - "Leadership will go a long way toward making up for any for any athletic deficiencies that Bauta might have relative to the other candidates." He and I seem to be on the same Bauta Bandwagon. Ramsey adds a dimension we need in the offense; a vertical passing game is the perfect compliment to Chubb's chunks of yardage on the ground. 

We knew the coaches weren't going to name a starter this spring. The last thing we need is a quarterback or two transferring because they feel the competition is over. It's pretty evident, just from how the first team reps were shaking out the last couple scrimmages, that Park is the longshot. I think Bauta has the commitment off the field that the coaches like to see. The next few months gives Ramsey a chance to show some of that leadership Poole referred to. I'm sure Coach Shotty is watching carefully. 

via

Georgia must replace both of their leading receivers, Chris Conley (36 rec in 2014) and Michael Bennett (37 rec), this season. Barring injury, Malcolm Mitchell and Justin Scott-Wesley should be able to contribute greatly in 2015 but depth is a big concern. Who needs to step up in this area and who do you see as the other top contributors?

Expectedly, the tight ends get a lot of mention in the responses. And both Greg and Tyler make mention of some of the talent coming in August that could add depth. But Kevin reminds us of the threats in the backfield, specifically Sony Michel. "One guy that didn’t show up in any of the other responses is Sony Michel. Yeah, he’s a running back but in his freshman season we saw that Georgia had the ability to line him up anywhere in the offense including quarterback and wide receiver. In the first four games last year before he started to get banged up, he had six receptions with one for a touchdown. With Michel and McKenzie, Georgia has two wildcards that can be play-makers from anywhere on the field and from any situation. When it comes to making a difference in 2015, keep an eye on both of those guys."

Then BassinDawg picks it up in the comments and on Twitter (make sure and click the link for video evidence):

#Dawgs How nice would that be? Chubb & Marshall in the backfield, Sony in the slot! #ThereGoesMichel #GoDawgs https://t.co/kE9kgOUOW8
— GATA Dawgs (@BassinDawg) April 21, 2015

Yeh. That'll do quite nicely.

What is your biggest concern on defense (and why)?

Perhaps I just wanted to keep the memory of the 2014 WLOCP in the dark recesses of my mind, but Blutarsky is dead on with this point - "Interior run defense. Georgia has to replace a lot of experience on the defensive line and at inside linebacker. And it’s not like last season’s run defense was all that stout at times. You wonder if Pruitt can find that happy balance between having lots of defensive speed, which generally means not having as much defensive mass, and being able to stop power running games." 

I really think the front seven will be much improved this coming season. But until we see that with our own eyes against the likes of the Gamecocks, Tide, Tigers, and Gators, this has to be the primary concern.

This could change but right now what is your gut feeling on what makes this season a successful one for Mark Richt and the Georgia Bulldogs?

This question was taken in a different direction by yours truly. And I agree with my colleagues on their responses. Winning the East should always be the standard by which seasons are judged. You can't win the SEC without taking out the garbage in your own division. And if you win the SEC then you stand a good chance of being in the national discussion.

But after all these years of watching the program come close here and there, the fact that the coaches have no excuses is what intrigues me most. As I said, "I’ve never disagreed with those fans that expect more from the program, just in where the blame lies ultimately. Now all that is just noise from years past. It’s time to put up or shut up. No excuses."

Whether you like Coach Richt or not...and whether you blame him or support him...he's the head football coach at the University of Georgia and deserves the full support, both vocal and financial, of the administration. I'm interested to see what he can do now that the bar has been raised.

Thanks again to Kevin and the other guys. That was fun.

Coach Lilly, then Legacy

Nice feature by Starrs on Jeb Blazevich. Turns out it wasn't the long line of successful tight ends that Georgia has produced that lured him down from North Carolina.

“He’s a conscientious kid,” offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. “He takes everything serious (and) works extremely hard. Just (look at) that long pass that Todd threw to him; if you go back and look at it, the ball is coming down and he actually catches it and looks that ball in the whole way. (It’s) very little things Coach Lilly teaches — how to play the position, how to block, how to step (and) how to catch. He tries to do it exactly as coach says. He’s got talent, too, and he’s a good player, but the little things have set him apart and made him able to make plays early as a freshman.”

Richt invites Dabo and Steve-O into practice

Wait, what? With scant days left before a brutal opening to the 2014 campaign the head coach draws the curtain back for all to see?

Students and reporters received an unusual treat as the Georgia Bulldogs returned to practice after a couple days off. Mark Richt, who most days only allows the media to watch 10-15 minutes of practice, decided to let students and the beat media observe the second half of Tuesday's practice that was held in Sanford Stadium. Close to two thousand students sat in the baking sun to take in a lively mid-week practice. At its conclusion, Richt thanked the students and called for them to create an opening game atmosphere similar in intensity to what the Bulldogs experienced when they traveled to Clemson last year.

Photos and video were prohibited as part of the conditions to watch practice. We do have quite a number of observations though.

I have an observation too Radi - my invite was lost in the mail, so can I get a raincheck? Richt never does this kind of stuff. Not to make too big of a deal of it. After all, it was just an hour. But first you have pick axes taking the place of stationary bikes on the side, then you have open access to media and students and other spies. Next thing you know the team will have iPads instead of actual playbooks. Oh, wait.

Anyway, lots to glean from the media's extra 45 minutes of observation. They got plenty of looks from Quayvon at different positions, including tight end. Right now it wouldn't surprise me to see any name as the starting tight end a week from Saturday. Any name. Just pick one.

The defense sounds much more aggressive. They're reacting on their feet quicker and with confidence.

All of the cross training defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt has done is paying off as Green and Dawson also played the star. In other words, the secondary players were lining up in multiple different positions and it was tough to keep track of who was where in what coverage. Good luck to opposing quarterbacks in figuring that out. Oh, and the corners blitzed a lot so some guys lining up in the star may have just been there for that blitz. 

A lot of inside linebackers getting reps. Sounds to me like Pruitt plans to rotate them in and out, probably as part of specific packages. As important a position as inside linebacker is in the SEC, I like the sound of Kimborough and Carter getting plenty of action.

via Nabulsi

Most of all, I liked this nugget from Emerson:

It’s only practice, but Hutson Mason’s footwork looks improved. He had a bit of happy feet during his two starts last year, but during Tuesday’s practice he did a good job of being firm in the pocket, keeping his feet to the ground as the pocket came at him, then firing off a good pass.

I've slacked off on viewing the Gator Bowl as part of my Hutson Mason evaluation as I had promised. We looked at his performance in the Tech game here. Since then I've changed my thought pattern in terms of what I'd like to glean from Mason's two starts, especially given the fact that there was more than a month between them. When I rewatch the bowl game (hopefully in the next couple of days) I think I'm going to look as much for things like shotgun vs under center and tempo/pace of play more than actual stats.

The bowl game stats we can really throw out of the window considering the weather and Conley's injury. And I've consistently heard a lot of people say that Mason will be fine, but he won't be Murray. I guess I get that line of thinking. But the fact is that much of Murray's success was because he was truly an extension of Bobo on the field. They were in sync after five years of practice, preparation and live games. Right now, in 2014, of particular interest to me is how much Bobo adjusts to Mason. Even more so than how much Mason adjusts to live action.

Monday's Meatloaf - No, it wasn't Quincy Carter's Lexus.

(What follows is a true story. One with various levels of embellishment.)

It seemed like any normal non-college football Saturday. It started with some lazy iPad surfing and a cup of coffee, then promptly transitioned into work around the house. The wife has really ratcheted up the "Can do!" spirit and itemized the honey-better-do-it-now list. There are many benefits to marrying a woman that knows how to watch college football. Not having to explain illegal shifts is one of the bigger ones of course. Another is a profound understanding of the importance of rotational depth. But the other side of that coin is that she also knows how many weekends are left before the hubby's DIY network is cut off until some time in January.

"Crikey! I do say, Bernie's to do list is massive!"

We started with some basic carpentry work. The kids sanded and prepped feverishly while I made the necessary measurements and cuts. The blade was spinning powerfully. Much like an eager Quayvon Hicks running downhill looking for more contact. I patted myself on the back for remembering to recharge the drill's battery the night before and I should also add that safety goggles were used when necessary. Well, sometimes.

But late in the afternoon there arose a need to return to the Home Depot and I quickly volunteered. You see, I find it's important to lead by example. Sometimes that means measuring twice so that you're sure. Other times it means admitting you're tired and are just looking for a chance to soak up some A/C in the car. So I grabbed the keys and said I would be happy to run the errand, but with the stipulation that I would also be stopping by Kroger for some ginger ale to mix into my bourbon a little later on. After all, if there are just a couple more weekends to get these projects done, there's also just a couple more to prime the liver keep the liver primed.

So I struck out to reinforce the wood screw supply, with no idea I would soon be saving some stranger's life.

Today's Ingredients
- Emerson found a better, stronger and more confident John Theus.
- Blutarsky recaps the Saturday scrimmage.
- Speaking of the scrimmage, Andrew takes the stats and reworks the running back depth chart then awards Jordan Jenkins the Heisman.
- Is anyone else both excited and concerned with all the Isaiah McKenzie special teams awesome talk?
- He may find himself depressive at times, but Tyler sounds pretty pumped about the new H-back role in Bobo's offense.
- Weiszer remembers Bob Taylor who passed away last week.
- MaconDawg wonders if the UGA recruiting momentum can continue this week.
- Champ is apparently sidelined with an injury and in danger of getting cut by the Saints.
- This may be a bit of a shock, but Corbindawg found a former Urban Meyer player that is still acting the fool.
- In more recent gator news, Krisi found their most current record on grand display.
- Tickets have been mailed. If you need any more, check out the new page at the top featuring ticket deals from Ticket Monster. Guaranteed and no fees!
- Lastly....Aight yu lil shitheads. Get out yurrr bookss (HICCUP!) an read untul tha bell ringsssszzthss (passes out).

The call for help broke through the summer air in the Kroger parking lot like yet another Gamecock defender catching an errant Quincy Carter throw. And just as Donnan's offense was relieved yet again of the burden of possessing the ball, I was relieved of the burden of minding my own business.

"Please, PLEASE someone help me! The car won't start!"

When you're used to fighting crime, sinking screws, blogging blogs, and solving mysteries, the first Please is all that's needed to grab your attention. But the second one's emphasis is what drives great men to swift action. And what I found on this warm August afternoon was an elderly woman screaming at the driver side door of a luxuriously equipped Lexus. I quickly surmised that her car wouldn't start.

Although I would prove her to be a liar exclamation to be erroneous and that the sedan, complete with leather seating plus dual temperature settings, would in fact start, I must first commend her for her bravery. Although I approached her with a calming smile, my deodorant had long given out hope of surviving the day's chore list and my vintage Georgia t-shirt circa 1998 was the first victim. As my grandmother would say, I smelled to High Heaven.

"Whoa! Did you see what he did?!?"

As my odoriferous threads did battle with the pine scented air freshener dangling from the rear view mirror, readily equipped with OnStar and backup camera display , I quickly noticed the car was "parked" in "Drive". Such a conundrum would send mere mortals' heads into a disastrous tailspin. But when you're a hotshot blogger such riddles are commonplace, so I eased my right foot onto the brake, slid the gear shift thingamabob into "Park", and turned the key.

The car started. Her milk would not spoil y'all.

Proud of my quick diagnosis and workable solution (plus eager to relieve the dangly air freshener of the beating it was taking), I exited the vehicle with finger guns blazing to the boisterous applause of nearly ten other grocery shoppers. The elderly woman pinched her nose with one hand and lifted me up onto the mob's shoulders with the other. The sun burst through the clouds. I'm pretty sure I saw a dude allow a lady in front of him in the gas pump queue. The Redbox machine worked flawlessly for the rest of the day. Bruised produce regained their ripeness. The manager gave out double fuel points. The embedded Starbucks lowered the price of a cup of coffee to just $7.99 for the next hour.

Most importantly, after the celebration ended and I had a chance to hug the lady before she drove away, as I checked out with my Kroger Plus card, the Seagram's Ginger Ale was just one dollar. Now, where'd I leave my wallet?

Do something heroic today Reader. But first, here's a napkin. Don't want to stain that cape!

Bernie

Rome is roaming again

Dude, it's been awhile.

Now a junior and clearly the first-string tight end on Georgia's team, Rome wasn't able to practice at all this spring and finally was able to start running routes during the summer.

"All the ligament, muscle things are healed and prepared," Rome said. "I'm just trying to get back to putting pressure on it, being able to run around and working out the soreness."

Put a spring in my step

I know I'm behind on the news of the last scrimmage. But I've got to tell you that reading this this morning brought a smile to my face.

Hicks with a touchdown catch and Rumph leading all receivers! If only it were August y'all.

How does Quayvon fit into the "H-back" role?

“I don’t know if he’ll even take any fullback reps,” Bobo said of Hicks. “… I think he plays with a good base. His issue sometimes blocking has been out in space, which causes him not to fit up properly. So we think getting up there close to the line will give him a chance to be successful in the running game. Now the passing game is going to be foreign. He’s used to running in the flat and that’s about it. So he’ll have to run some different routes and that will be an adjustment for him.”

Having had a week to process this, the move is mostly because of the lack of depth at tight end. With Jay Rome missing spring practice while recovering from foot surgery, Bobo will only have the services of Jordan Davis, plus walk ons Jack Loonam and Jared Chapple this spring. And since Quayvon Hicks played some tight end in high school at Pierce County the transition there should be a smooth one during spring practices, which begin in earnest next week.

But it also appears as if Hicks is being shifted into a different role as he heads into his junior season - the H-back. This is generally a hybrid tight end position that utilizes a lot of motion pre-snap. Motion makes the defense think before reacting. The offense can set the H-back up right where they want him just before the ball is snapped. This gives the defense little time to adjust and suddenly the play is beginning and the linebackers are still thinking about what they're seeing pre-snap. And as we all know, a defense that is thinking is not reacting nearly as quickly as it would prefer.

Although the H-back has been utilized in many ways since its inception, the fundamentals for the H-back remain the same - block, run and catch, Similar to a fullback, the H-back must run downhill to help create running lanes for the ball carrier. Meanwhile, running with the football out of this position typically comes after catching a pass rather than after a handoff. A good H-back will be able to do all of these things equally.

So if this transition is a successful one, what can we expect from Quayvon this fall? Looking over his 2013 stats paints a picture of inconsistency. On one hand he averaged 9.3 yards per touch. On the other that only includes ten rushes and five receptions. The reality is that Hicks struggled to find snaps at fullback behind Merritt Hall and also dropped some passes that would have possibly helped him fit better into the offense. Hall is almost exclusively a blocker and has clearly established himself as the #1 fullback for the next two seasons. Hicks adds some other dimensions for Bobo to utilize, especially if he can prove to be a dependable target in the passing game.

The good news is that the motivation should be high for Quayvon this spring. I would imagine he's eager to prove his versatility as a player in this offense, both for Georgia as well as his future stock in an NFL draft.

Early thoughts on Auburn

This is awkward isn't it? We should be getting ready for another home weekend and a visit from Auburn instead of packing up for yet another trip over there. Anyway, that's not the case. But I've got a short list of things we need to keep a close eye on this week.

• Gurley's practice progress. This will be tricky. If he practices a lot that should be a good sign. I mean, he's definitely not 100%. But he makes the offense click and is a huge bonus to Murray getting a full field to work with in pass progressions. So if he's out there in full contact (which I expect he will be), that's a plus. But...if he skips a day(s) that may not be anything bad. Of course Richt and staff know what they have in Gurley. So the goal is really keeping him both fresh and as close to 100% as possible.
• Auburn's mindset. All that stands in Alabama's way of another trip to Atlanta is Missy State and Auburn. All that's left for Auburn is us and Bama. Do they even glance ahead? Remember, this is certainly a well-coached and good team. But they're young. Even a glance ahead or a small distraction could be huge in the first half Saturday night.
• Artie Lynch. Similar to Gurley above, how much action does he get? I think I can speak for all of us that if this past game were an SEC game he would've played. With Rome hobbled we need Lynch back for help in both blocking and receiving.

This is a winnable game. But it will take a team clicking on all cylinders. We'll get more deeply into the X's and O's here shortly. I just like the confidence our defense is playing with and the fact that our offense is getting healthier.

In short, we're not where we were when we played the last night of August at "Auburn with a lake". But we're closer than we've been in awhile.

Monday's Meatloaf - by a show of hands

Ok, I admit. I was morally and ethically outraged over Lester's roster management technique last week with Jeremy Hill's creative reinstatement. Almost as morally and ethically outraged as I was over the judge's decision to slap his wrist. But given some time to digest everything...I think Miles is once again proving to be one step ahead of the rest of us.

To illustrate, here's some ways in which I utilized this technique this past weekend

• "By a show of hands kids, who thinks Mommy needs to make strawberry shortcake every night?"
• "Hey y'all, by a show of hands, who thinks the youngest should pull my finger?"
• "Ok, ok. Let's vote on it. By a show of hands..." (looks around and realizes everyone else is upstairs, eats rest of the bag of Lay's Chicken n Waffles)

"I call em like I wanna see em Coach."

Anyway, so...those results were a mixed bag of opportunity, poor wordage, and absentee ballots. But this revolutionary idea could have serious wide-ranging benefits. Should When Pwnn Wagers calls an unsportsmanlike penalty after a Malcolm Mitchell go ahead touchdown over the Tigers September 28th, while Uncle Verne sells some Miller Lite to the television viewers Coach Richt can stroll to midfield, grab that sonofabitch's microphone and ask, "By a show of hands...was Malcolm being unsportsmanlike when he blew his momma a kiss?"

In Jacksonville, when that lonely gator fan wanders into the Georgia section and starts spouting off at the mouth with his football knowledge (post 1990) and refuses to use a napkin to wipe the nacho cheez wiz off his chin, you can just stand up straight and ask, "By a show of hands y'all, should we help this lonely reptile find a better seat?" Go gatuh! Bye!

And when a one loss SEC Champion trails Oregon and Ohio State in the final BCS standings despite the fact that everyone in the nation knows the Buckeyes are no better than the sixth best team in the nation, I'll just stroll onto the set of the selection show, grab the mic from Fowler, look into the camera and ask, "Show of hands out there America, who'd rather see an actual tackle football team rather than these tattooed Urbanites?"

/drops mic, glares at Mark May and heads to Pasadena

Today's Ingredients
- First off, congrats to friend of the blog David Hale...catching the lead story on the mothership's college football page.
- Kimberley has a nice look at freshman tight end Jordan Davis and his adjustment to Georgia's playbook.
- Tyler finds some comfort in some Auburn press notes. Yes, you read that right. Check it out.
- Speaking of GSB, Tyler let PWD out long enough to kill amateurism. Dead. Thanks guys.
- Meanwhile, in Athens, Weiszer reports that the defensive line is taking to Coach Wilson's way of things.
- Blutarsky asks, "Wherefore art thou Xzavier Ward?"
- In his continuing breakdown of the Capital One Bowl, Ching picks up on what was one of my favorite plays of the 2012 season.
- Ed Thomas looks at a few questions for the defense.
- Elsewhere, Run Home Jack finds Jadeveon Clowney sitting out of scrimmages.
- Remember Mizzou is an actual SEC opponent. And DavetheDawg treats them as such with this preview.
- And over at DudeYouCrazy, Brad attempts to justify an argument for a college football preseason.

Giggity!!

It's mid-August. And everyone you meet is happy. Everybody is undefeated and the sun is even shining on Charlie Weis' schematic advantage. Houston Nutt impressions are a dime a dozen.

Sure, there's a little tension. Most teams have a few games circled on the calendar that are causing some stress, even weeks ahead of time. But overall, the general consensus is that the pot of gold is still at the end of everybody's rainbows.

I even got a wave back from our neighborhood Tech fan this weekend. His gaze is usually fixed upon his shoelaces, but he met my greeting and gave me a smile. They're so cute in the summer sometimes aren't they?

Anyway, that's all about to change. I ran some numbers this weekend and it turns out that since 1996 when overtime was introduced, the first weekend that college football is available to fans inside of stadiums and on television sets, roughly half of the teams that play actually lose. Yes, 50% of teams will have a loss even before the second week of the season!

Here's hoping the Tiger tears are big. Have a great Monday Reader. Here's your fork.

Bernie

Monday's Meatloaf - "Off and On" day is HERE!!

"Get OFF the sofa and On the field! Run Run RUN!!" - Erk Russell

Coach Richt,

Congratulations on the advent of another new season in Athens. Glory awaits us again this fall as you and your team stand at the precipice of summer camp. We're eager to cheer you as you run onto the field...or casually stroll. Whichever. Easy on that new hip man.

I wanted to let you know that I will unfortunately not be able to attend tonight's function at the Gwinnett Center. Doggoneit! Life is happening and I just won't have a chance to swing by and hobnob with you and the others.

I know, I know. I was so excited back in March and even offered up my own backyard (an offer that still stands actually) as an option for UGA Day. But you know how things are when you're kinda a big deal. When you walk down Prince Ave. in mid-afternoon, that's kinda the way it is for me around these parts. Pulled every which way and the other. You know.

So my apologies. Please tell Greg and Jere to go easy on the scotch and give Coach Stricklin my sincerest welcome. I'll see you in Clempson in a few weeks. But if you need any help during practices you can hit me up on the twitter. I'll come running.

And of course, if it runs late tonight you are welcome to stay here at "Bernie's House of Estrogen". Do you prefer Italian linen or Egyptian cotton?

(AP Photo)

Later dude.

Today's Ingredients
- Congrats to Big John! And to all who were able to survive another ho-hum three sets/three tiebreakers kind of win.
- As we draw closer to the 2013 tackle football campaign, I hear more and more chatter about Jay Rome having a break out season. Kimberley shares her thoughts on that very subject.
- Steele ranks the positions and Blutarsky breaks it all down in terms of the opener.
- Some reason for optimism regarding the 2013 defense from Garbin.
- Corbindawg would like Richt to "pop" Kolton Houston into the starting lineup September 7th.
- Tyler spinning the hits with this "oldie goldie".
- If you missed it (like I did), Macondawg looks at the biggest disasters in UGA Athletics the last 20 years. Luckily me spilling two stadiums cups of bourbon and Coke at the 2010 USCe game didn't make the ballot.
- In need of some Dawg porn today? Try Andrew's post on Aaron Murray that includes some wicked highlights.
- Remember when I told you about T Kyle King's new book "Fighting Like Cats and Dogs"? Well, I got mine in the mail. Have you ordered yours yet?
- Lastly, you'll recall last year when we used Erk's motivational calendar to prepare us for the 2012 season. Thanks to Scott, we'll have another one begin to make an appearance later this week. GATA. Always.

Build a BIG neck!

So yeh, camp opens tomorrow. Football is finally upon us! Sure there's still 33 days to wait for the toe to meet the leather, but for hotshot bloggers this is like Christmas Eve, or walking out of the classroom after your last exam before spring break, or your 21st birthday, or your first visit to a strip club, or your 21st birthday at a strip club, or shopping...for a new tv!!

It was a long, arduous and, to be quite honest, awkward off season. There was a lot of hurt and pain and "what might have been" to swallow and digest. We all ran out of Tums before the calendar hit February and we just wallowed in our own self-pity and loathing. Some of you haven't even showered since Christmas. C'mon now.

But tomorrow the sun rises on new opportunities. The horizon will fill with aspirations and goals aimed at building on last year's success. You trudge along, stumble, learn and keep moving. From Woodruff Practice Fields we'll get updates about which defensive player is making strides towards the top of Grantham's empty depth chart. Some freshman will spark message boreds to fire off unbridled enthusiasm. Perhaps if we're lucky, a scuffle or two will break out between some linemen.

Buckle your chin strap Reader and stop hanging your head. Time to get after it. Here's your fork!

Bernie

It's slow, but it's news

Not a whole lot going on of course. But the best May days are the quiet May days. The more time the headlines spend on gardening tips and reality TV gossip, the more it means the guys of autumn Glory are handling themselves according to their coaches' wishes.

But there's still this and that to tend to. There is still tidbits of actual news and then some that is just invented for our own flights of fancy. Unless you're going to checkout available NFL odds and betting lines while fighting off mosquitoes, these nuggets might pass the time pretty well. Even Mark Emmert, up there on his NCAA throne, might give them a casual glance before sending more sample cups to Ron Courson.

In related news, the #FREEKOLTONHOUSTON petition needs a few hundred more signatures. CLICK HERE to add yours. Then pick up your tardy slip from the front office.

So Ty Flournoy-Smith is leaving before I even learn whether he prefers the hyphenated version of his name or not. I keep seeing it presented both ways, so I'll just type one of each version to keep this paragraph balanced. Although that development is not shocking, it is intriguing in terms of the roster and future recruiting. For the 2013 season we'll have a senior (Artie), a sophomore (Rome) and a true freshman (Jordan Davis). For the class of 2014 we've already secured a commitment from one of the nation's top tight ends in Jeb Blazevich. Another target, Herschel Walker's nephew has since committed to Clemson. Also, Richt gave a casual mention that Ty Smith might even end up back in Athens after a stint at what is looking like Georgia Military College. So it'll be interesting if Richt and his staff decide to pursue another signee for the next class. Undoubtedly, they'll wait and see a little more of what they have in Davis and what Rome does with his second season.

As the Athletic Board meets in St. Simons, the dead horse was arisen from his grave topic of an indoor practice facility came up again. Then short of it: Richt wants one, but doesn't think we really need one; meanwhile McGarity would rather invest in building a car dealership outside of an Amish community than an indoor practice facility. Those are my words, not his exactly. Some advice for Richt, if anyone asks about an IPF, just start reeling off statistics from the 2012 WLOCP. You'll always fare better in that direction, promise.

It took three sets in each match, but Georgia's own Lauren Herring and Maho Kowase both advanced to the next round of the NCAA singles tournament. Herring will meet Southern California's Zoe Scandalis tomorrow and Kowase (who fought off a math point from UC-Irvine's Kristina Smith and forced a tiebreaker) will take on TAMU's Christina Sanchez-Quintanar.

Back to football, CBS announced some initial time slots for a few games in this fall's action. Naturally, the Georgia-Florida game will be in Uncle Verne's lap. The two dates for the double-headers are October 19th (noon and 3:30) and November 9th (3:30 and 8:00).

Lastly, if you're setting off any fireworks for your Memorial Day celebration this weekend, confine your dog. He's gonna wanna do his job.

via meme-meme

A picture's worth a buncha yards!

Lost in all of Gurshall's yards and Bennett's clutchness, was a pretty damned good performance by Georgia's tight ends. Lynch himself lead the team in receiving with 75 yards on three catches. Rome had a beautiful catch on a seam route. 

And Bobo ran what is my favorite play in his playbook. With the way we're gashing teams on the run, that play action rollout is absolute gold. There wasn't a defender within 15 yards of Lynch. He took the pass, shed a tackle and ran for a 38 yard gain well into Tennessee territory. And even if Lynch had been covered, Murray could've tucked it and run for plenty. Every single Vol player went for the fake handoff.

And who could really blame them.

via  Schmelter, R&B

Is it possible?...Better yet...

This should be fun. Is it possible...

1. ...Malcolm Mitchell was held out Saturday just as a precaution? Better yet, were the coaches just concealing him from tape the week leading up to Mizzou?
2. ...Rambo and/or Tree will play this Saturday? Better yet, will they then be suspended for FAU?
3. ...we could see better blocking Saturday? Better yet, could we see Arthur Lynch run an actual route?

My thoughts:

1. The truth is probably somewhere in between. I don't he could've played against Buffalo. But it's going to be interesting to watch how Richt plays the injury report this week with the team's best player.
2. I think there's a decent chance we see both Rambo and Tree. I might go as high as 60%. Something different is going on with Coach Richt. He has a gleam in his eye and a pep in his step. He says he's at peace like never before in Athens. He could also have a little something or two up his sleeve.
3. I have no idea. And I'd love to see a seam route or two from 88.

The anti-Orson

One of the two most intriguing sub-plots to this season's offense for me is the tight end position. That's why I was thrilled BullDawg Illustrated let us listen in as Lynch talked about his role this season and why he's excited too.

Don't Underestimate Arthur Lynch

Knives vs Guns in the trenches

If Tyler will allow me to pile on for a moment.

I agree, the offensive line should be improved in 2012. As much as I'll miss the guys we lost, Coach Friend's unit will be better equipped to succeed this season. As TD pointed out, the protection was slim and the running lanes were next to nil last season. And not all of that is the offensive line's fault. We had a fullback position that was under-utilized and a tight end position that wasn't able to contribute much blocking wise.

Bruce Figgins is one of my favorites to wear the red and black. I was thrilled to learn last year that he would be moving to fullback because it would allow him to be on the field with Orson, Aron or both and would put a good set of hands out of the backfield. However the result, was Figgins only caught 7 passes for 96 yards and 1 touchdown. What's more is he never carried the ball. Never. His counterpart Zander only carried it twice.

I listened to Richt's reasoning on this (previously unforeseen) development numerous times via the call-in show. Historically, Figgins had never taken a handoff. They weren't planning to (ever) allow him to carry the football. This narrows your offensive weapons and minimizes your choices. Even if it's only somewhat minimized, it still allows the defense to eliminate an option out of the backfield with zero risk of getting burned.

The tight end position did the same thing, albeit from a different direction. Aron White and Orson Charles were terrific targets for Murray. They combined for 54 catches, 675 yards and 9 touchdowns. Of course, Orson did most of the heavy lifting with those stats, but White was a frequent target in the red zone with nearly half of those touchdowns.

The problem is blocking. With all the speed and elusiveness we had at the TE position last season, we didn't have a competent blocker at the position. This, combined with the stripped down version of the fullback position, severely handicapped our protection and blocking schemes.

Enter Artie Lynch and Quayvon Hicks. Lynch has the size of a bonus offensive tackle (6-5, 270+). Hicks dwarfs our current options at fullback (let's face it, Samuel is not a fullback) and has experience taking handoffs. If he can catch up quick this summer he should be starting sooner rather than later. And Lynch, if he can sit in a zone and catch seam route in addition to his blocking duties, we're two steps ahead of where we were last season. Both in terms of protection and options within the playbook.

Of course there are things to iron out along the offensive line, much that only experience and starts can bring along. But I'll be watching Hicks' development closely this August. And come September 1st, I'll be watching the number of times Bobo and Murray call Lynch's number on passing downs as closely as anything else. If those two offensive components can come together, we'll no longer be bringing switchblades to gunfights.

statistics taken from cfbstats.com

Spring drills: what I'm hearing

Some notes from the Woodruff Practice Field.

• Full pads go on this morning y'all!! Clack! Whack!
• On the injury front, Wooten and Sterling Bailey are spending some time with Coach T.  Wooten seems to have pulled a leg muscle. Bailey's shoulder is healed from last year's surgery but has something going on with his foot. On the OL both Zach DeBell and Xzavier Ward are missing drills.
• Ramik Wilson's father passed away as I'm sure most of you heard. He missed the first two days but was back in Athens Thursday working out.
• The battle for top TE to replace Charles and White is officially underway and may be one of the more interesting off season subplots. Lynch is not going to just stand by and allow the talented Jay Rome to assume the role. Watch this one closely folks.
• Kolton Houston might be out of NCAA purgatory. Maybe. It appears so. Which is to say we don't truly know for sure but look forward to seeing him in the rotation this Fall. Hopefully.
• You may remember Ching mentioning to us in the Spring Q&A that he expected Hutson Mason to still be the go to guy if a true backup were needed to Aaron Murray (read: if #11 were injured and someone was needed beyond mop-up duty). Well you'll be glad to hear that Mason is not in any frame of mind for slacking off.
• Safety Bacarri Rambo isn't worried about DB depth at all. He has complete confidence in Grantham and the coaches to handle it with brilliance.
• Last year's star at G-Day was arguably safety Connor Norman. He's still turning heads this spring as well.
• Aaron Murray is impressed with the defense and upset that Malcolm Mitchell isn't a target for him this spring. Some will groan at that sentence. I get giddy.
• What's more...apparently the QBs are afraid to throw to his side. Quick learners.

Spring Practice Preview - with David Ching

Spring practice starts today. The once quiet and stillness of Woodruff Field will crackle with excitement as CRob and Tree strap on the pads and meet DICK Sam IV at the line of scrimmage. To prepare us, David Ching of ESPNs DawgNation sits down a minute to answer some questions about positions to look at and developing stories to watch.


1. First of all, what's the schedule for the spring? How many practices do the coaches get to help knock off the rust as well as prepare for the next season? There are 14 practices plus the G-Day game on the schedule, starting with a practice on Tuesday.

2. I think the thing that is at the forefront of everyone's mind is the competition at running back. What do you expect we'll see from that position during Spring drills and G-Day? I think Isaiah Crowell is the most well-rounded tailback on Georgia's roster and he will remain as the No. 1 option by the conclusion of spring practices. I'll be interested to see how quickly Keith Marshall rises on the depth chart. I think he will win some playing time this spring and will contribute in the fall. What will be interesting to see is how Richard Samuel, Carlton Thomas and Ken Malcome figure into the mix. Mark Richt complimented Malcome for his improved attitude last week and I think he might continue his progress from late last season this spring.

3. In your mind, what becomes of Richard Samuel? The fan favorite seems focused on the tailback position, but there's been discussion of a possible move (again) to fullback? Honestly, I don't view Richard as a fullback. He's got a fullback's frame, but he doesn't often run like a fullback and he has been fairly brittle throughout his career. I don't know if sending him charging into the hole to blast a linebacker 30 times a game is the best way to keep him healthy. Fullback might be where he ends up, but I think Richard would be a better fit at tailback or in some sort of hybrid role between the two positions.

4. I read your preview on the OL and Richt seems encouraged by the potential there despite the losses of Jones, Glenn and Anderson. No doubt Coach Friend has a difficult task. What's a reasonable goal you think for him coming out of spring practice? Since they certainly want to wait for John Theus to arrive on campus before settling on a lineup, I think the goal this spring will be to determine where everyone fits best and to start developing a general plan. They can begin deciding whether David Andrews or Chris Burnette is the center, which will affect the guard rotation. They can decide whether they want Mark Beard, Watts Dantzler and Kenarious Gates to spend most of their time at guard or tackle. Friend doesn't have to decide on his starting lineup for the Buffalo game five months ahead of time. He just needs to start narrowing down the possibilities. I think they will wind up being fine, but it's obviously the most uncertain personnel group on the roster entering the spring.

5. Orson Charles ended up being the only underclassman to go pro. Coupled with Aron White graduating, we're looking at some new faces in the transition from 2011 to 2012. What do you see in Arthur Lynch and Jay Rome and what differences can we expect at this position during the transition? Obviously we haven't seen too much of either player, but I think both Lynch and Rome will be very good college players. Rome had the higher profile as a recruit -- he was ESPN's top-rated tight end in 2011 -- but I think Lynch might surprise some folks. First of all, he's huge. Plus, he's tight with Aaron Murray and the quarterback is going to want to get his buddy the ball. Both of those guys are going to factor into the passing game and I think they'll be effective. The bigger concern at tight end is the depth. I expect freshman Ty Smith to play some in the fall, too, simply because of numbers. Lynch and Rome are the only scholarship tight ends on campus this spring.

6. There's a lot of troubled waters at the defensive back position. Even before the recent arrests and subsequent early season suspensions I've been eager to see Malcolm Mitchell on the defensive side of the ball some. How much do you think he'll be able to contribute and do you think this is a short term fix or will it end up as a long term split between reps? No, I think he will be a factor on both sides beyond the first couple of games. Brandon Boykin told us at Georgia's pro day that he thinks it might actually be easier for Mitchell to moonlight on defense than it is for a predominantly defensive player to contribute significantly on offense. Obviously he needs time to pick up his responsibilities in the scheme, but he has such ridiculous athleticism and competitiveness, I don't think he will have much difficulty becoming a valuable cover man.

7. Subsequently, how will the wide receiver position handle not having its most explosive playmaker this spring? If there is any position on the roster that could absorb that hit, it's the wideouts. Not having Mitchell in the spring isn't that big of a deal. He'll still be available in the fall. Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see how Tony Ball establishes his pecking order. You have to figure Tavarres King is at the top, but then he'll have to determine what to do with Michael Bennett, Chris Conley (who will be limited in the spring by injury), Marlon Brown, Rantavious Wooten and Justin Scott-Wesley. Then you'll add Mitchell and Blake Tibbs to the mix in preseason practice. They'll be fine in the spring, but I still believe Mitchell will be one of their go-to options in the fall, particularly once Sanders Commings and Branden Smith are back on defense.

8. Sounds like Richt is going to emphasize special teams this spring. Is using more starters on special teams something you think the entire team will embrace? In other words, can we look forward to more spirited competition for coverage and protection teams? Yes. They didn't hire a special teams coach like some folks wanted, but I really don't think that was necessary. They spent a lot of time this offseason rethinking their schemes and personnel on special teams and I expect the results to be much more positive in the fall.

9. With Hutson Mason deciding to stay in Athens and redshirt that leaves Christian LeMay as the most likely backup to Aaron Murray. We saw a glimpse of him last spring. Does it sound like he's ready to step in? I'm not sure about that. He reportedly got off to a slow start last fall, but picked things up better late in the year. I think he'll be the frontrunner for the 2012 backup job, but if anything were to happen to Murray, I'd still expect Mason to be the guy the coaches turn to.

10. Lastly, we went back to using mat drills some this winter. As the revamping of the post-Van Halanger S&C program continues, is it reasonable to expect even greater strides this season towards a stronger, better fit team? I think bringing back some of those endurance workouts will be helpful. They might have gone too far the other direction in building bulk last season. I'm not an expert in that area at all, but it's possible that showed up late in the losses against LSU and Michigan State. Personally, I'll be interested to see how adding versatile skill sets like those of John Thomas and Sherman Armstrong will affect their conditioning and results. 


Thanks again to David for stopping by. Hopefully the Dawgs have a very productive and injury free spring.

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