In this week's episode......

.......Tony Romo asks Terry Bowden for a pink band-aid. And limps away with a headache.

Did I miss a memo? I wasn't aware that ESPN was switching their programming and becoming the Dallas Cowboys channel. Just when they started to back off their 24/7 coverage of Tony Romo missing 4-6 weeks, he decides he is going to play anyway. Joy! Then they start more non-stop coverage of whether this is a wise decision or not. Did Favre provide some vicodin along with his sage advice to Romo?

Oh!....did I mention Romo has a BROKEN PINKIE FINGER? With all the attention he's getting you would think he was something more than an average QB who happens to date some chick who tries to entertain people with her.....voice. If there's a plus side, the DCNN (Dallas Cowboys News Network) had to break up their coverage of another overrated athlete fighting with his babysitter (not his children's babysitter, and not his bodyguard...his own babysitter) in a drunken stupor and his punishment therein.

And all of this the week before the first BCS rankings come out in college football. It was enough to make me watch a minute and a half of that Dancing show.

There was a lot of news this week in college football, some of which ESPN mentioned on the little ticker at the bottom of the screen. Most newsworthy, Clemson canned their coach. I know the eventual headlines read he resigned, but only Momma Bowden believes that. And there was no shortage of people lining up to kick Tommy while he was down either. His former All-ACC QB threw him under the bus and then the kid's dad threw the bus in reverse. What an example for Jeff Harper to provide for his son Cullen. "When you get benched because you suck, blame someone!" Meanwhile the Thunder to the Tiger tailback tandem stood in front of a camera and wept......didn't really say much.....just wept. Captivating!

And if things weren't spicy enough, Bowden's own brother let things die down just a little before cranking up the bus again. I guess Terry (never one to enjoy not talking for more than the amount of time it takes for him to suck in some more hot air) couldn't stand to see his brother grab five consecutive days' worth of headlines so he had to throw his nickel's worth in.

Reached at his home where he was busy taking a bubble bath with his Auburn National Championship Trophy - PROBATION STYLE!!, Terry didn't mince words. "Diddy once benched me from our family Thanksgiving Day backyard game and put Tommy in at quarterback. I guess Tommy got what he deserved then. Yeh, I always say you gotta coach em real good, just like my Diddy." BDB then pointed out that his name is not on Clemson's short list of candidates. "Well they never really gave my brother much of a chance." He had ten years. "My Diddy said he shoulda gotten at least another game." He just lost to Wake Forest....again. "So'd my Diddy." Can you have a complete thought without mentioning your father? "One time back at Samford, we trailed Our Lady Sister of Mercy by 10. We had 4th and 1 from our own 13 yard line. I didn't even call Diddy. I kicked the field goal." Well, there you go.

Someone who has been mentioned as a Tommy successor is Bobby Johnson. He touched that rock at Clemson as a D-back and recruited the area well as Furman's head coach. He has lead the SEC's academic school to a torrid start this season. It says something to me when a school who has a history of just reacting to their own coaching changes comes out early Tuesday (before the ink was really dry on the headlines of Bowden's dismissal) and proactively says they will do whatever it takes to keep Coach Johnson. He helps sell the program, but more importantly to the school, he sells Vanderbilt University. Stay tuned!

Vanderbilt .........they're kind of like the kid brother. You push them around, beat them up pretty good on occasion, and consistently remind them that they are the kid brother and that they'll never be as big or as strong as you. Then puberty hits and it's a whole new ball game. For Vandy, puberty was the beginning of the Coach Johnson era. During his six years at the helm, they have always played tough. So tough that the Dawgs barely escaped Nashville with a win last year. In fact, we really snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. If a team runs away with a game against Coach Johnson's team, they likely have caught them when their depth was a serious issue. Vandy's first string, for the most part, can line up against anyone. Where they suffer is the depth behind those starters. After all, there's only so many southern football players with a qualifying SAT score for Vanderbilt.

BYU fell last night. It's a week the Dawgs could move up a notch or two in the rankings as we head for the "back nine" of the college football season. Many Dawg fans feel their beloved team is poised for a knockout, either on the receiving end or the giving end. You know - on the one hand you can see us falling flat and heading into Death Valley next week with two losses. On the other you can see us finally putting a complete SEC game together and blowing the 'Dores out. It is Homecoming week after all.

I guess I'll shoot the gap - this as a game that is close for three quarters. We'll enter the 4th with our fingers raised to the sky, staring at a 3 point lead. Somewhere in the final ten minutes we pull away with a Walsh kick or a Green TD catch. You know, a lot like last year.

Dawgs 27

'dores 17

This week's trivia: Aaron Murray of Plant Senior HS in Florida is the nation's top recruit at the QB position and is committed to UGA. I would say he is arguably the best 17 year old QB in the nation, but we all know that scouting high school recruits is an entirely objective process. Last night Murray broke his leg and dislocated his ankle after passing for over 200 yards in a little less than a half. He is one of two QB commits CMR has received for the '09 class. For this week's prize, name the other commit. Bonus if you can also explain this young man's ties to UGA.

Happy Homecoming! And remember to tune into ESPN next week for an in depth look at how botox has literally changed the face of the Cowboys.

Bernie

Rocky Top Domination....?????

After all of the interest in my little soccer team it is only fair that I bring ALL of my readers up to date on their success before we turn our attention to our favorite ample bodied Appalachian. The Big Green Machine was as successful on the field as they were remembering that we were the visitors this week and needed to wear the white jerseys for the first time this season. Still tired I guess from running laps all week after giving up so many goals against the Dolphins, the little sweeties gave up a number of goals to a big, physical group of girls that quite possibly may have Chinese versions of "tricked up" birth certificates. Soon our speed, superior skill and consistent coaching took over however. Final score - Capri Suns and pringles for everyone!

Emergency bulletin from Sanford: yellow flags are making the turf die due to lack of sunlight exposure!!

So we go from leading the nation in egregious offenses and total penalties to.......less of an egregiously penalized team. Eleven penalties for 76 yards. Still too many flags, even though two of them were self imposed. As a consolation, Tennessee was penalized 10 times for 96 yards. I went back and checked the video of the MoMass penalty. My first reaction was surprise that he was able to jump back up. Beurlein (CBS color commentator) disagreed with the call of helmet to helmet. In slow motion he may have a point. The bottom line is it was a vicious hit that evidently only knocked the breath out of our senior wideout.

But the most flagrant penalty came at the tailgate. Jenn is assessed the season's first roughing the Bernie penalty. But judging from the reaction, she will gladly take the penalty and the yards. OUCH! To be fair, I had just whipped her at cornhole. However, I did not foresee the consequences............

Back to the game. Well it certainly wasn't the blow out that was predicted here, but it was a win. The Dawgs had a chance to bring a smile to Johnny Majors' face by blowing the coonskin cap off of Phil "Et tu Brute" Fulmer, but red zone woes hurt the Dawgs, as well as those who bet on them to cover the spread.

As I checked the box score Sunday morning I promised I would not bash Bobo or Martinez since both the offense and the defense performed so well. Just a sampling of the stats: over 42 minutes of offensive possession, Tennessee possessed the ball LESS than 7 minutes the second half, 1 (uno) yard rushing for UT, 458 yards of total offense, 29 Dawg first downs to their 10. But can someone explain to me the fascination with screen plays so close to the goal line? You know, that fake screen to the right and then a quick screen to the left is nice and flashy.....when it works. Stafford has arguably his best game as a Dawg, but it was marred by two bad calls by Bobo - if you ask me. #7 couldn't have been expecting their defensive end to drop into coverage and has to throw that ball quickly as the play is designed. And the Eric Berry interception was just as bad of a call. Green was outplayed when he had about a 50/50 shot of scoring from the play's outset. For my money, I'd be less upset if we get into the red zone and settle for a field goal after handing it to #24 three times. Much better than a screen pass or a fade route.

And one more (mild) critique of the defense. They did remarkably well against the run, but how much of that was due to Tennessee's apparent disinterest in running the ball? We committed 8 or more to the run and forced Nick Stephens to beat us, we expected that. But Foster touched the ball 6 times, and half of those were receptions. He and Hardesty combined for 24 yards on 9 carries. I'm as proud of Martinez's defense as the next fan, they definitely showed an intensity that was lacking ....I don't know .......say, two weeks ago. But I'm not jumping up and down for joy at our success. Better, MUCH better offensive teams await.

In fact, if you look at the schedule ahead and the one behind, we definitely ate our dessert first so to speak. Nothing but well built, indigestible, Tempe cheeseburgers ahead of this team of Dawgs. And the injuries continue to mount. Saturday against the 'dores we'll start our fourth left tackle. Vance had done really well, and his season-ending injury will force Searels to ask the most commonly asked question in Butts-Mehre this season, "Tripp! What number do you want to wear this week?"

Shout outs!

• Blair Walsh for nearly outscoring the entire hillbilly offense by himself. Walsh uses yoga as part of his workout regimen and the results have been very exciting as he is 10 of 12 this season. Both misses I believe were beyond 50 yards.

• The entire O-line for punishing an exhausted defensive Tennessee front in the fourth quarter. 17 plays, 76 yards and 11 minutes. Impressive! Tennessee knew what we were gonna do and we did it anyway (until we got too close to the goal line).



• Knowshon. The man gets a lot of props and national attention. He certainly doesn't need a BDB shout out from the BDB Blawg. But you get what you deserve 'tween these hedges of cyberspace. And he absolutely leveled ... I mean LEVELED a UT defensive end at least twice. I thoroughly enjoy seeing a running back pull his weight in the pass protection department. I think NFL scouts enjoy seeing it even more....... Oops! Did I open up that can of worms again?



• And Adam Wynn for getting last week's trivia question right. Just when I thought Ainsley had dug up a stumper from her Daddy's library, Adam correctly identifies the Nancy Hanks as the train that transported Uga I and Sonny Seiler to Atlanta to watch Theron Sapp become The Man Who Broke the Drought. Contacted through Facebook in between study sessions on campus, Adam couldn't refrain from smiling as he commented. "Truly it was you're strong influence Mr. Burnette during my high school years that allowed me the opportunity to gain such knowledge into University of Georgia lore. I am always indebted to you." Of course I've taken some creative liberties, but you get the point. He is a fine student at a stellar academic and athletic institution and the benefits are inevitable.

Your prize is a special one Mr. Wynn. Lost in Mr. Hannon's adaptation of the events leading up to that game against the North Avenue Trade School, is the fact that there were three turkey sandwiches made by Mrs. Seiler back in November of '57. One for Sonny, one for Uga.......and one for you! (Allow 4-6 weeks for delivery, then enjoy!)

Have a great week loyal blawggers. Rest up. The road ahead is filled with adventure, ups, aches, pains, joys, monday evening quarterbacking, downs, fried dill pickles at Gnat's, cornhole, zone coverages, lots of travel, MRIs, yellow flags, sunday evening coaching, PBR and of course, leg tackles!

Bernie

No Shortage of Orange Overalls These Days

Yes.....times is tough in the land of ole rocky top. Pass the jug and the pork rinds.

I guess word of the BDB suspensions last week eventually reached Knoxville, by telegraph. By holding our offensive and defensive coordinators accountable for their part in the loss to Bama, I had no idea it would be such an inspiration to Fill-it-up Fulmer that he would start holding his players accountable for academics of all things. Two reserve linemen couldn't pull their Hillbilly Literature grade up to passing before travel arrangements had been made for Athens, so Fulmer left them behind. Let's hope the extra effort paid to this one class doesn't affect their grade in Appalachian Anthropology - a Study in the Dynamics of Shallow Gene Pools.

CMR was also evidently inspired by the BDB suspensions as he dropped two schollies this week for conduct unbecoming of a bulldog. Baldwin had already been suspended indefinitely and really wasn't much of a surprise. Hill had yet to catch a ball (that this blawgger is aware of) mostly due to injuries, after redshirting last year. It's never good to see a young man lose his scholarship, but on the bright side we're slowing making room for a full class for next year.

Dawg fans will once again descend on Sanford tomorrow afternoon in hopes of cheering for more than just their team's attendance. BDB's inside source says those black jerseys have been locked up like a prisoner in Johnny Cash's own Folsom Prison; who knows if they'll ever be seen again. One Dawg who we'll see more of is Brannan Southerland who returns after a second foot surgery. Chapas has certainly filled in admirably, but Southerland will be the offensive captain Saturday without having played a single offensive down this season. Tells me something about how much he is respected by the players and the coaches.

Another Dawg worthy of respect is Bruce Figgins. Saturday will possibly be his last game of the season, before (likely) electing for season ending shoulder surgery. With Chandler out this week, Tripp still learning to adjust his size to the position and White still on the smaller side of a tight end frame, Figgins will suit it up and play through the pain. Maybe a cortisone shot will help too.

Before we get to this week's prediction (to tell the truth I'm stalling until inspiration hits me...) I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of support for my little soccer team. The ideas for teaching them to leg tackle were as numerous as they were humorous. Devoted reader Paulie Walnuts even suggested he and Christafuh coach them up this week on how to make the other team sleep with the fishes........unfortunately this week's practice was rained out.

I know!! I was as stunned as you are. Soccer can't get rained out! Rain makes sports like soccer, football, curling, bossaball more interesting. Not to mention it would be easier to leg tackle on the slick surface. But evidently girls don't like their hair wet. Not to mention their Hannah Montana soccer shoes. All I can say is the first "cutie pie" to give up an uncontested breakaway, doesn't get a Capri Sun after the game.

OK....back to the gridiron. I'm relentless in my optimism for the Dawgs. I was the guy that predicted we'd surprise Spurrier's gators 'tween the hedges back in 1995. You know...when the visor hung 50 on us. Dumb, huh? Well not as dumb as putting a trampoline on a volleyball court.

But even without my half full glass, there are just some games that smell like a victory to me; this is one of those games. But everytime I begin to convince myself that we're about to serve a heaping helping of whoopass to the great big pumpkin, I remember last year in Knoxville; 2006 in Athens; and two weeks ago against Nick Satan's Tide. In 2006 we rolled into the locker room at halftime riding high. The second half was like getting a root canal without the goofy gas (Tennessee fans use Wikipedia .......ooops...sorry!..............use an e n c y c l o p e d i a to research this reference to dental care as I am aware that such a thing has become obsolete in your.....uhm.....neck of the woods). And last year the bus driver was the only one on top of his game. He drove us to the stadium. Not much else positive happened after that.

But there's that smell again. Do you smell it? It's not an upset. It's not the potpourri Jenn put in the half bath. It could be the bratwurst.......

But I believe the week off cures what ails us. I'm eager to hear the trumpeter in the southwest corner of the stadium. I wanna see UGA VII show a little spunk and piss on Fulmer's sneaker. I can't wait to feel the stadium erupt when Southerland bellies up from two and half yards for a TD. Oh yeh! It's more than a smell of victory now. I can taste it. Dawgs send the vol fans to their local flea market to sell their orange overalls, broken 8 track player and likely their coach's playbook.

Dawgs 41

descendants of their uncle and first cousin 14

This week's trivia is brought to you by Ainsley. I've challenged her to dig deep into Daddy's Dawg library for a doosie. She tells me we won't be disappointed. Take it away sweetheart.

"We love Uga! And we really don't like the yellow jackets. But in the 1950s they dominated the Dawgs and entered the 1957 contest looking to extend an 8 game losing streak for the Bulldogs. Theron Sapp scored the winning touchdown and has since been called The Man Who Broke the Drought. (you're doin' great honey!) Mr. Seiler brought Uga I to the game at Grant Field, but couldn't make it by car. He and Uga rode on a train and each had a turkey sandwich for lunch. What was the name of the train they rode on to witness one of the greatest games in Georgia football history?"

Nice work Ainsley. Now go tackle your sister. Big game Saturday morning.

See the rest of you 'tween the hedges!!

Bernie

How to teach a 4 year old to leg tackle......

Rookie blawgger mistake using my best Fulmer jokes during a bye week. But fear not Faithful Reader, I'm sure something spontaneous will fill the void that is.........that is.......ahhhmm......what was I saying?

Sorry if my mind is a bit more cluttered than usual. I was able to devote all of my mental energy this weekend to the 4 year old girls soccer team I'm coaching. Their progress since the beginning of the season astounded me! Sure, I proudly tell the parents and other more casual observers that it must be the superior coaching, but deep down I realize that is about as true as saying Coach Fulmer's fanny is just hot because of the extra spicy hot wings he ingested for breakfast. Tennessee - 2-3, 0-2...OUCH!! Word outta Knoxville is Fulmer hasn't had a Cracker Barrel tab comp'd in weeks.

Back to soccer.....practice is tomorrow and I'm wondering what to have the little Pele's in pigtails do. They scored like 20 goals Saturday. To make things more challenging, Ainsley's Anma and PawPaw will be in attendance this Saturday morning to see their little grandgirl take the pitch, or FIELD for all of you soccer novices (HEY! I'm no warm body type of peewee coach.......I study futbol history. And my wife/team manager also helps by keeping up to date with everything David Beckham....so dreamy!) Offensive drills seem too mundane for this crew of GOal getters. So I think we'll focus on the art of taking the opponent down with a combination of momentum, timing and four year old legs. You know! Let those other little girls in ribbons taste some turf. We may have scored 20 against the dolphins, but we gave up nearly 10. That's gotta stop before the 2016 World Cup.

And......back to (American) football. Some interesting articles seen 'round the net and in my driveway since we last talked. Probably my favorite was this one on Knowshon Moreno. Prior to the season I recall debating with Mr. Boston himself, Joe Luskus, on the likelihood that 24 would return for his redshirt junior season. His main point was that with all the talk this season of national championships and #1 rankings, really next season should be the season things really line up for the Dawgs. Two wild cards though...... Stafford and Moreno are both eligible to depart if they so desire. When the debate turned to Moreno, I was on the side on the fence that said he would not return in 09-10, assuming he had the kind of RS Soph season he had as a freshman. It's a lot easier for a running back to jump to the pros early and make a difference. And with another stellar season, it would seem a surety that Knowshon would be a top 10 pick, easy! Joe called me a dumbass - which is his soft-hearted way of saying Knowshon wants his degree and is on track for finishing after next year. Mr. Hummer's story seems to support that side of the fence.


In a separate conversation with Mr. Boston, he seemed cautioned that although the vOwels are lower than low, they always play TOUGH in the trenches. And......that's an area that didn't go so well with the last team we played. Fulmer may have trouble finding his whistle underneath all of the chicken bones (they really just write themselves folks....), but his linemen play a physical brand of football on both sides of the line. I've been able to see them play some and it seems like the reason for the record has more to do with their lack of difference makers. But the big guy is not worried about his quarterback, at least he's not mentioning it to the media.


And for all of you Erk fans, here's a piece on another Georgia legend now leading the Longhorn defense. Although Will Muschamp never played under Coach Russell, it seems the former D captain and four year letterman may have developed a knack for bleeding on the sidelines, just without the pounding headache from cracking his skull against a defensive lineman's helmet.


Trivia sponsored by Conner was, as it turned out, incredibly easy. I tried to discipline her for not putting her full effort into the task. She responded by saying, "Daddy!...you wrote that." Touche' my favorite first grader. TOUCHE'!! Things won't be so simple this week though, just a word of caution.........stay tuned.


Chris Nama elected not to take his lovely wife Christine to Krystal for their 10th Anniversary. It turned out to be the second best decision he made last week. He correctly determined that all four of the UGA retired jerseys belonged to running backs. Conner is tricky, just not tricky enough for our camel loving friend from Marist. Nama will receive a bonus this week for also listing the Legends' numbers, position and year retired. And then without missing a beat listed the jerseys Kiante Tripp has worn in his time at UGA. Incredible! Don't eat all of those cheese doodles in one sitting my friend.

Coming events: Friday's Blawg will contain an in depth analysis of the match up 'tween the hedges this weekend as the tick infested hounds stumble south for what has become an annual butt-kicking of our beloved Dawgs. Indeed...the last two years have been atrocious, but will this year's meeting end with a different result? You'll find the answer to that question and MORE, right here at Bernie's Dawg Blawg!!

To the bright side of the road......

Has anyone noticed that the Dawgs have not been penalized ONCE since Bama left town?

 YIPPEE!

We've trudged through a week after leaving Sanford with what amounted to very little dignity between ourselves and the other 90+ thousand fans. It has been difficult, but life has moved. I tried calling in indiferrent on Monday morning and my boss said I was as pitiful as one of Mimbs' punts on Saturday night. I was at my desk fifteen minutes later. 

The Dawgs still have all of their preseason goals at hand.....just a little out of reach at the moment. As we move from the darkened streets outside of the stadium last Saturday night to the well lit landscape that is college football in early October, we are reminded that it is wise to focus on the teams that stand in the way of a division title. We're 4-1 overall, 1-1 in the SEC, but we're 1-0 in the East. And.........exhale! Ahhhhhh! I told you that glass was half full.

But before we leave the national picture on the wall until later in the semester, I mean season.............ESPN.com published a Mock BCS Standings this week. If you're like me, you find these things interesting to look at and maybe even analyze if it "catches your fancy" that much. But I always come back to the issue of preseason polls. They're a joke! Why do we even have polls before the middle of October anyway? Around the time of summer two-a-days some coaches and media nerds (sorry Mr. Poindexter....) decide who are the best 25 teams in D1 football. Their decisions are based subjectively on who the teams have returning, which key players have been arrested over the summer and thus suspended for any crucial games, what the team's recruiting class looked like and how many times the coaches' faces have been on the ESPN family of networks since early January. It's like trying to decide which lane to sit in on the connector at 5:15pm in downtown Atlanta. Logic says the lane closest to HOV, cuz it's fast and sexy! But there are fewer (get ready!....subtle analogy to a difficult SEC schedule coming...) tractor trailers in that middle lane. And maybe you don't have a passenger beside you who can allow you to take the Pac-10 lane.......(ahem!).........HOV lane outright. Whatever the choice(s), you just sit there........

......waiting for the picture to clear up.

Anyway we're 7th in case you're interested enough, but not so much that you wanna follow the link. And while we're offering the loyal BDB readers links into cyber space here's one spirited blog from the junkyard. It takes a harsh look at some of the coaching decisions and inaction both leading up to and during the game against the Tide.

At press time, the team is heading their separate ways for a couple of days in search of some R&R. Below you'll find a sign up sheet for volunteers willing to work the downtown Athens area between the hours of 11:00pm and 4am this weekend. Don't want to lose any starters for the Tennessee game to those vindictive Athens-Clarke popo officers! The break does come at a good time as we are still licking our wounds from that.......nevermind.......we've put that memory to bed.....We're hurt! So bad that Kiante has just fashioned his 6th (you read right!)....SIXTH number as a UGA football player. He is off the O line and now is a tight end. In other roster 

moves, Hairy will take a turn on the leash next Saturday and UGA VII leading the band in hopes of stirring up some good JuJu.

I'm really anxious to see our intensity level against the Volunteers. Given the results the last two years and especially the showing against Bama, we should be ready to knock them in the teeth (the players mind you. If I had been referring to the UT fans collectively, I would have used the noun tooth, sing.) The previous two meetings for the Tennessee offense have been like Fulmer's visits to Golden Corral - a smorgasbord of gluttony that leaves nothing but cracked, slightly chewed bones and indigestion in its wake.

After that things really get tough. Vandy, Baton Rouge, Border War that is now an alcohol free event, the WarTigers, Wildkittens and back home for Georgia Yech! Yup, there are no easy wins left shoppers! Please check back next September when we go to Fayetteville to see Coach Petrino's successor, who should be introduced in the coming weeks once Petrino leaves the Razorback Nation for the Oakland Raiders.

Back on task..........the national (and some local) media is trying to "determine" the odds of UGA running the table the rest of the way. I refuse to lead my loyal reader (sing.) down that confusing path. Keep it simple Dumbass, or something like that. The East is the prize that we still have some control over, so let's take a look: 

• Florida looks vulnerable at this point but has a few weeks to step out of the soiled jean shorts and find another pair before they play us. 
  
• Tennessee really rallied for their great big pumpkin last year. However, they've started off much worse this year. Yes, things are interesting up in Knoxville. 
  
• Kentucky I have yet to see. From what I've read they sound improved on defense and surprisingly capable on offense. Maybe I'll catch their game against the Sabanites this weekend since I'm "off". 
  
• And Vanderbilt.....never an easy out and this year they look much better than last year. And what happened last year??? Oh! That's right, they had their cleats on our throats when Gamble forced that fumble. Coutu kicks it through and then hurries home to find his home burglarized. Rough night. This year could be worse....

According to the BDB Legal Department, the bylaws state that there are to be no shout-outs after a loss, only suspensions. I lobbied for one collective shout-out for the team for just coming back onto the field after halftime and the fans for staying beyond the opening drive, but to no avail. Evidently BDB budget could not withstand any potential legal action.

First suspension - the bama fan who knocked over Papa Nama's coke for not owning up to it. Now I've spilt my share of drinks in section 327 and I certainly know the punishment for such a transgression can be severe. But be a man!

Second - Defensive coordinator Willie Martinez, cuz Jennifer said so! Be a man! BLITZ!!

And lastly - while we're dishing on coordinators, Mike Bobo. Get the play in so Stafford can have some time to read the defense and work his magic!!!

......Ok, one more. I'm on a roll. Channel 2, Chuck Dowdle, Mark Richt....whoever changed the format of the Mark Richt Show.....it sucks! I like the new set, but I wanna see some plays as you talk about the game. Watching Dowdle ask questions and CMR answer them is like watching Tech play Duke; only entertaining if there's nothing else on.

Trivia this week brought to you by -Conner

Conner wants to know: Daddy mentioned Kiante changed jersey numbers. UGA has 4 retired jerseys in football. How many were NOT running backs?   First correct COMMENT wins.

Have fun twiddling your thumbs this weekend. Stay outta trouble and show up next week ready for a visit from the great big pumpkin!

Bernie

From the dark end of the street......

September 12th, 2008, and I quote:

So....we go to Columbia, then Tempe before coming back home for Bama. Based on what I've seen so far, we'll have a loss before we get to our bye week. Profetic, albeit innocuous, words from your favorite blawgger. Forgetting my prognosis just 15 days prior, at approximately 1:30pm Saturday I turned to my wife and asked her, "What is the best thing to come out of Alabama?" She grinned and prompted me to finish the old joke. "I-20." (Bah-Dum-Bum!)

Turns out I was wrong. Woefully wrong.

We woke up Sunday morning with reality staring us back in the mirror. We had gone to bed the night before hoping she would disappear into the late night shadows, proving that what we had just witnessed was a nightmare. But there she was with that subtle smirk, as if to say, "I told you so."

I drove my girls to church hoping the sermon would bring a better outlook than the eulogy given 'tween the hedges Saturday night. To set the tone for an uplifting beautiful fall day, I popped in some Van Morrison and turned up the volume a little. We sang. Especially Ainsley once we got to the 6th track, "Brown Eyed Girl". It's her favorite. Wonder why?

It used to be a loss like Saturday's would ruin my weekend. The scowl would last well into the next work week. But you can learn a lot from your kids. Whether you see it as they haven't yet learned the importance of college football in the south or that they just live in the now without the burden of being strapped to the misery of things that happen on the gridiron, you can learn a lot from them. So, like a street rat following the Pied Piper I fell in line behind Conner and Ainsley and began a routine that I was sure would bring not only solace, but answers. 

There are sooooo many questions though.....

On the plus side my Tivo got the afternoon off and quickly breathed a deep sigh of relief. It has been crazy tired from all of the Sunday afternoon rewinding (blip, blip!) and pausing and fast-forwarding (blip, blip!!). Digital video evidence of the whoopin' was deleted prior to going to bed Saturday night. I feared that keeping it on my "List" would only haunt me through the night.

Let's start with the good news.......(chirp!....chirp!) ........uhhh.........(chirp!).......umm....... the fans looked great!

Now let's plow through the bad. Strap up your boots! Penalties, poor tackling, poor play-calling, defense playing on their heels, penalties, poor game planning, some Bama fan spilled Papa Nama's coke, penalties, outclassed and out coached. Ugh! That was painfully cathartic! I'm not gonna dwell on each of these issues cuz I would be up all night and it would just be pouring salt into our wounds. 

But the penalties finally factored heavily into the equation that tipped the balance in the opponents favor. On the way home Jenn and I discussed the penalties, among other things. She challenged me that we had been this bad in the yellow flag area last year. I didn't remember it that way. So Sunday afternoon I decided to pay a little overtime to the BDB research staff and have them run the numbers. Senior BDB Data Consultant, Louis Poindexter, tells me the rankings are based on the number of penalties, not the yards.

2008 53 penalties for 437yds W-O-R-S-T ???????

2007 91 penalties for 760yds tied for 26th worst 11-2, 6-2

2006 78 penalties for 611yds tied for 41st 9-4, 4-4

2005 77 penalties for 697yds tied for 55th 10-3, 6-2

2004 94 penalties for 795yds 17th 10-2, 6-2

2003 119 penalties for 1032yds 5th 11-3, 6-3

2002 101 penalties for 879yds tied for 25th 13-1, 8-1

Miscellaneous: 

On a lighter note, Advisor Poindexter also tells me that the Dawgs are 101-3 against the Bye week in the school's history. There's something strange about the way he chuckled though as he clocked out this afternoon.....

On an even lighter note, Jenn and I faired pretty well as cornhole partners at the tailgate. Maybe now she'll join me as a tennis partner and put our undefeated (1-0) record to the test.....

Many apologies to frequent BDB reader, Chris "Jovi Rules" Nama. He won last week's trivia contest outright (sorry honey!.....) and BDB's editorial staff failed to catch that it was not mentioned in Friday's weekly prediction blog. Mr. Nama correctly recalled that Munson's famous "Hobnail Boot" call was the result of the play "P-44 Haynes". Well done Nama. Please follow the link below to claim your year's supply of Fat Tire brew!! And enjoy your VIP subscribership!

www.wemakecrappywarmbeerforyoutoleaveonthetable.com

Chins up Dawg fans. The sun has risen and College Gameday has left town. The memories will continue to frustrate us, but there are worse things that can happen to a team than losing to a quality opponent in September. And if you're like me you are looking forward to the weekend off. We can all breathe a deep breath. Friday's prediction blog will be replaced by a look at what's ahead for our Dawgs as we approach the halfway point in the season.

"Little baby take my hand, you can help me share this load......." 

Have a great week everyone.

Bernie

Funerals, Blackouts and Beaver Traps....OH SNAP!!

The best news I had all week was that my wife was able to fill up the Tank today, and it was right around the corner from our house. By the time she finished filling up, the line was all the way to Cumming. Having to rely on a gas 'n sip along 316 Saturday for enough gas to get us to the tailgate is as frightening as taking a team of super talented, over-hyped, ego maniacal football players into Corvallis for an ORANGE OUT!!

Every crimson pachyderm fan south of the Mason Dixon line is mocking the decision to blackoutSanford stadium Saturday night against the back drop of Gameday, ESPN and any other AP newswriter that lives within a 9 hour plane ride. If you haven't had the privilege of watching the Tide strength and conditioning coach, Scott Cochran blowing a gasket - knock yourself out! (If you're not into watching football players stretch, the "comment" is a little over a minute into the video) As for me, I didn't realize high falootin' technology like video cameras............YouTube.......... cleated shoes………had spread to Tuscaloosa.

I think the blackouts are getting way too much attention. If you really think about it, the true purpose is two fold: 1) to give the seniors a chance to have an impact on one of their final games 'tween the hedges, and 2) to energize the fan base. The color of the uniform really should have no impact on the game itself, at least after toe meets leather. But if Saban and Co. need to use it as a way of saying we're disrespecting them....more power to them.

Speaking of power, let's take a few lines to discuss the size of their big heftys. Terrence Cody drops a US gymnast in weight and still tips the scale at nearly 4 bills. We'll throw our true freshman Ben Jones, who played so well in the desert, against this behemoth and give him some support for sure. But the more bodies you commit to this monster, the more their linebackers run free. Then there is their O-line, led by Andre Smith. They like to come right atcha! Nothing really fancy, just "here's what we're gonna do, try and stop us." And no one has been able to stop them yet.

In contrast to the big uglies, skill positions and depth clearly go to theDawgs. Moreno, Stafford and Green have good depth behind them that Coffee, Wilson and Jones don’t. So I give us the edge in those areas....but will it be enough to overcome the possibility of getting beat in the trenches? Hopefully Searels, Fabris and Gardner have our big boys ready to play.......otherwise we could miss out on a chance to jump back up to #1 because.......... Oregon State set a Beaver Trap for the trojans of southern cali!!!

Turns out the Pac 10 is still the Pac ONE, we just had the wrong team in that ONE slot. Jacquizz Rodgers was moving faster than the cold beer at The Library last Saturday. Meanwhile the SoCal D-linemen were able to get off of the turf just in time to see the trail of dust. I won't pretend to have stayed up and watched the whole thing last night; I did make it into the 3rd quarter. But I did check the score first thing this morning at 5:13am. I quickly put a call into the one OSU contact BDB has this side of the Mississippi. A former bruiser for the Beavers, all he could mumble was, "Welcome......(burp!!)... to.....(inaudible) Corvallis........(series of expletives)!" The only thing longer than the plane ride back to LA will be the weekend of self-indulgence in Oregon. We can debate whether this eliminates the mighty second best team in the Pac 10 for many hours. But it seems a little premature......

You came here for one reason and that is to get my prediction. For some reason you now trust my humble opinion to supplement your gambling addiction....or maybe you just revel in my somewhat random ramblings. Whatever the reason for your visit..........I like the Dawgs to win, but don't expect to exit Sanford early, cuz this one goes down to the wire. I think the Tide exposes the youth of our Offensive Line Pups, but they band together to help Stafford and Co. take the win. By Monday the Coaches and Media around the country will be so impressed the Dawgs will be ranked as high as 5th...........

Dawgs 28
Sabanites 24

Be safe!

Bernie

Arizona State reheated

.........ponderings from Mill Avenue.

I have consulted with TiVo to fill in the ......ahem!.......gaps of my recollections from the desert. 

First things first: for those Dawg fans who were stuck east of the grand canyon, you would be very proud of your fellow Dawg lovers who made the trip.  By 2pm on gameday, the local bars and eating establishments were readily admitting that they were not expecting 20,000 college football fans clad in red and black. I personally would never frequent an establishment like Hooters.........., but rumor has it they had brought in a total of 3 staff members to handle the Saturday afternoon pregame business. We chose a local establishment called "the Library" as we were looking for somewhere we could read up on the history and lore of Camelback mountain. Instead we found thirsty customers drinking beer that was warm because the cold supply had been consumed by the big machine in red and black that had come down the tracks.

Can you imagine the restaurants and waterin' holes in and around Broad St surviving with such a casual attitude towards the religion that is College Football?

Certainly there is a different attitude towards Saturday pigskin once you get...well...outside of the SEC. The businesses in Phoenix/Tempe and specifically in and around Mill Avenue close to Sun Devil Stadium are likely still counting their profits. What's more is there are thousands, yes ....... thousands of Dawg fans looking for a place to sell the remaining ASU season tickets they own. So if you are planning a trip out west around Thanksgiving..... the mighty UCLA Bruins invade the House of Heat!! 

The atmosphere for the game was special. I try to get to at least one away game a year and seeing one this far from Sanford was truly unique. National television, the view and the weather made it even more unique (not to mention being in the same stadium as Kirk Herbstreit's hair, I've never seen a UGA quarterback who gets highlights, must be a Big Ten thing). ASU fans were almost wholly clad in gold....I guess you call that a gold out! I told several of them how exceptional the Pac 10 was and they smiled back. So they have a sense of humor. 

Back to business, the game on the actual field was not as close as I predicted of course. Although the game was never really in doubt, the Dawgs never stepped on the Sun Devils throat. I think we can all agree that we were the superior team from the start. We had greater size, speed and athleticism. You can't really hear it on the broadcast, but there was a collective gasp when Knowshon "soared" into the endzone. The O line adjustments seemed to help against a good (not great, but good) defensive front. And the defensive line clearly has missed the talent of Kade Weston. It was good to get him back on a regular basis. 

That being said, there was still a lot of carelessness. Untimely timeouts, a couple dropped passes and PENALTIES!!! When I think of teams who are heavily penalized I think of teams I grew up really not liking. Miami comes to mind. I don't know about you, but I'm really uncomfortable with us being ranked so low nationally in penalties. What's more is we will NOT survive against the Bamas, the LSUs and the Gators giving up that many (free) yards. I know a lot of the calls have been questionable....but still...?? What do you think?

Before the taste of this most recent victory gets too stale, let's give some shout outs. The first goes to the Redcoat Band. They do a great job in Sanford of course. But there's something special about hearing our tunemakers on the road. Glory Glory! And to get to sit so close to the redcoats on Saturday reminded me of the days sitting in the student section. The second goes to AJ Green. I imagine nights like Saturday were why he chose UGA so early, but it's also why Dawg fans were so glad he chose us over the team we beat in Columbia, among others. 

A BIG Fat Tire Hater shout out to Ann McElroy. A woman not just brave enough to go on a guys weekend in the desert, but to survive it so gracefully.....remarkable! ......and thanks for Tylenol Saturday morning.....   ;  )

And I would be remiss if I did not give a special thanks to the voice of the Bulldogs, Larry Munson. I guess we knew this day was coming. Your voice and "get the picture" will be missed. 

Special Honorary Trivia Question: What was the name of the play that made Munson's Hobnail Boot call so famous? First correct comment wins.....

Bernie

It's a dry heat......

....but it's still 105!!

Time to give some props:

Congrats to Allen Randall of Lawrenceville as this week's winner. He had the quickest fingers, dialed up some Dawg history and found that the last time we travelled this far for a regular season football game it was a loss to USC 10-3 in southern California. I guess it's possible he knew that off the top of his head...... Allen, check in with the Head Chicken's athletic office to claim your prize.

Joe Luskus, formerly of Waterloo, digs up this tidbit from College Football News. There’s the classic line that the only person to ever stop Michael Jordan was Dean Smith. I’m starting to get that feeling with Matthew Stafford and Mark Richt. Against South Carolina, Stafford threw a ball to A.J. Green up the right sideline that maybe ten current NFL quarterbacks could’ve made. Stafford also showed off surprising straight-line speed on a key run. However, with this Bulldogs team, bombing away takes a back seat to the running game. I guess we'll soon find out if the "coaching reins" continue to restrain our NFL bound phenom.....

And while we're handing out kudos.......Cord Trammell of HamDog U is BDB's first VIP subscriber. Cord is also the copyright holder for BDB and has managed to keep up to date on "all things Dawg" while not getting fired....

The Sun Devils peeked ahead a week and got caught by UNLV last week. The Dawgs left Columbia still hungry, or maybe that was just the fans.... ASU Head Coach Dennis Erickson likes Stafford's arm and says it is as strong as any he has ever seen. Hearing of this critique, Stafford fired back with compliments to the job Erickson has done turning around the ASU program. SIMMER DOWN gentlemen!

Meanwhile Coach Richt decides to treat this like any other trip to the southeast and leave on Friday and return after the game. Leaving a couple days early in order to acclimate to the local weather was ruled out when Richt's staff was able to acquire enough hairdryers and underclassmen to stand aside the practice field to simulate the "dry" heat of the 'zona desert. Me...I'm just packing two anti-perspirants.

What’s my take?.......glad you asked. The Sun Devils are surely mad and have been waiting for this game for some time. I expect them to come out focused and CMR and staff better have the Dawgs ready to match that level if they are to stay in this game. Carpenter is no Smelley and has been waiting to go up against a team of this caliber (aside from USC of course). And from what we saw last week he could have plenty of time to evaluate our zone and make a decision on which receiver to hit.

But I think Coach Martinez will show some variability in his defensive schemes and bring some pressure. Between that and Rudy’s eagerness to shine I think he will make some mistakes. The temperature in the desert will not be a factor. It’ll be in the upper 80s/low 90s by the time the bands finish playing at halftime. The scoreboard will heat up late though as Blair Walsh steps in to make a late field goal that stretches the UGA lead to 24-20. ASU gets the ball back with a little over a minute left, moves into Dawg territory but is not able to produce a TD.

Game over! Cactus juice flows freely! Last one to leave Tempe, please make sure Knowshon is on the plane……..

Bernie