Cheer up Dawg fans.....

....we scored twice as many points against Florida than KenYucky did. Wahoo!

Moreno and Richt voted absentee in my poll this week. They both did their best to reassure me and other concerned fans that there is no cause behind my concern. I stand (er....sit) here today, unconvinced. #24 is our best threat on the ground and is one of our best assests in the passing game, receiving for one but mostly as a blocker. When he gains a sizable chunk of yards to get us within a breath of the end zone Saturday and then goes to the sideline to give the "rotation" a rep, that's unacceptable. King has proven he's a good backup. Samuel has proven he can avoid the allusive redshirt. Neither of those two options are going to put a defense into a matchup problem. Moreno draws attention....unless he's on the sideline. He needs to regain his breath in the huddle or a coach needs to get in his facemask and tell him he didn't do those mat drills for nuttin'.

So it's hogwash to me that he needs a breather. Using my previous example, Moreno should bounce back up after that long run and get back in the huddle so Bobo can call his number again. Then we are able to stuff it down the lizards throats and score a TD instead of settling for a missed FG. CLANK!!

One last point on this issue: last year Knowshon knew touches! He got over thirty-something in Jacksonville. This year....uhh...not so much. As usual, Chip Towers was one step ahead of me; he explores this issue and provides a more popular poll on ajc.com, here.

Too lazy to click today? Here's my favorite snippet:

On the game’s second series, Moreno had just gained 25 yards to get the Bulldogs down to the Florida 9 when he decided to leave the game. Freshman Caleb King came in and whiffed on a pass block, allowing Matthew Stafford to be sacked for a six-yard loss. Stafford lost five more yards on the next play and Georgia was forced to settle for a field goal try. It missed.

Whew! I'm sweatin' already. Time to simmer down.

Scrap that! One more topic to rant about this Friday. I'll start by comin' clean. I've gone from a Martinez Hatemonger to one of his supporters at the beginning of this season. I was turned around by the stats that had his Ds among the tops in the land every year. "Well, move over Dawgs Discouraged with their Defense! I'm climbin' back on board." I'm tired of bending, breaking and downright gettin' gashed! We got to get back to manning up, bringing the heat and flat out knocking guys outta their boots.

I listen to a lot of 680thefan. And someone made the point on air this week of comparing BVG to Sweet Willie. VanGorder's intensity could make 17 year olds die to play for him. Now kids come to UGA cuz they wanna play for CMR. That's great.

But on D we need some intensity. And I just don't see it. Sure we have our moments when we go up against a Hawaii or Okie State of last year. But consistently it's just not there. I wanna see our D knock someone in the teeth, dictate the tempo and overall wreck havoc on the opposing linemen. Instead, we see a defense that reacts to what is going on and tries to contain the action within the first down markers and the end zones. Boo - Hiss!

Stay tuned with that one BDB readers. I'll agree that our preseason expectations were a bit lofty for our team's caliber. But with another loss (say to GA Tech for instance) things could get ugly with a capital UGH! CMR will always stand by ol' Willie, but it'll be interesting when he begins to feel some pressure into doing something in the off-season. By pressure I mean a big $$ booster, by public opinion or both. And by something I mean anything from firing/hiring to having Willie change his philosophy somewhat north of a tweak.

Speaking of GA Tech, BDB has at least two new ramblin' wreck readers. To make sure they have stayed on board after that North Avenue Trade School comment last week, I need to run a system test. Please stand by: Stop me if you've heard this one. A guy calls the Tech ticket office and someone picks up right away. "I need 4 together for this Saturday's game." the gentleman says. Ticket Office employee: "No problem sir, we have 4 together." Tech fan: "Great! When does the game start?" Employee: "Well....when would you like it to start?"

BA dump BUMP! If I know this reader like I think I do, he'll be redder than the visitors' section at Grant Field two days after Turkey Day every odd year.

But this week it's the Wildkitties. You know, Rich Brooks has done a great job at this school renowned for its basketball tradition. It took him a while to convince everyone that you could put 11 players on the field at one time, instead of the five they had been using. But once he did, they've not just beaten some teams, they've put some butts in seats.

Two more stops on this tour of manic-depression for the Dawgs. Jury's still out on whether we can survive this LONG trip with just one loss. KenYucky's a solid team and they know that the Dawgs can be beat. Many of these cats were around the last time we ventured into Lexington. In 2006 we thought the hardest part of the trip would be convincing the home team to use the oblong ball instead of the round one. Turns out the hardest part was putting more points on the board than the home team. OUCH!

Call me crazy (You CRAZY Bernie!!), but I'd be more worried about this game had we not just had our jock straps handed to us. We've heard this week about there still being things to play for this season. I think the people who still believe our SEC hopes are alive are not paying attention to the machine in the corner of the room that has the flat line............BEEEEEEEEP!

But there are still New Year's Day festivities on the table. Not a bad set of scraps either once those big boys (you know...Bama and Florida) finish eating. Capital, Cotton, Outback are all there for the taking if we can take care of the kittens, war tigers and the bees. Granted that if is a little bigger this week than last. But we're the better team, we have more talent, we're angry and we should be focused. I think we fight through the bluegrass and bring back a win.

Dawgs 34

felines 17

News and Notes:

• About the only person who hasn't announced publicly that they are NOT interested in the Tennessee job is Fulmer
• Raise your hand if you voted for Pedro!
• Bud Foster can really coach a defense
• The LSU/Bama game has been postponed while they search for a location that can hold Saban's ego. It seems his head done swoll'd up since he last coached in Death Valley
• And this week's rumor mill produces this: Fulmer wants a brighter shade of orange and puts feelers out for the Clemson job

This week's trivia brought to you by PlayStation. Without that and NCAA Football, I don't know that I ever would've worked through my frustrations after last week's loss in Jacksonville. TAKE THAT URBAN! HOW DO YA LIKE THAT TIMEOUT? Some final stats from my own version of a Jacksonville beat down: Tebow 9-23 for 108 and 3 INTs; Knowshon 25 carries for 117yds plus 3 receptions for 92 yards, 3 total TDs.

Who had a dream about Matthew Stafford this summer that ended with #7 punching him in the nose and telling him, "You don't hit women."?

Have a great weekend everyone. Don't forget to stop by the online store and purchase your BDB slippers and robes to get ready for the holiday season and those frigid winter nights.

Bernie

"You won....but at least my wife has teeth."

A rich (and largely edited) sampling of a conversation overheard as we tucked our tails and ran for the exits. You want another? Ok.

"I don't know if I'll ever come back to Jacksonville again. EVER!"

Yeh, it was that bad, maybe worse. I think I was right about two things: 1) red pants would've been a bad decision and 2) Blair Walsh was a big factor. Of course, those missed field goals seemed to loom large as I visited the mens room at halftime. But turns out we were just on the first step of a spiraling, disastrous descent into a nightmare that still lingers today.

I feel a deepening need to get real honest. Might as well start with this: it's not a great feeling watching your team get outmanned and outplayed. It makes it much worse when you realize you're also getting outcoached. Then it gets really stark when you remember this is the second time this season this has happened. The only redeeming factor is that against the reptiles you can never get outclassed. I wasn't in the stadium at the time, but later heard that Urban called a couple timeouts to prolong the misery of the fans who had stayed to watch the 5th quarter. That's clASSy!

For those of you who came here for the rosy disposition, with wins over Kentucky and Auburn we can establish ourselves as the clear cut 3rd best team in the SEC. The rest of you probably already realize that we're at least a step closer to the 8th best team as we are the first. In the first half of the Bama game and the second half of the game Saturday we gave up 9 TDs. NINE!! Who in the world ever said Martinez coaches pretty well against this offense? Probably the same guy who said we'd win by a field goal. IDIOT!

In other news, Fulmer and UT have "mutually agreed" that it is not in the University's best interest for him to come back next year as head coach. In a completely unrelated story, Cracker Barrel announced more than 60 restaurant closings in the Knoxville area. 

Other thoughts, some of which may actually be coherent:

Knowshon was a Knon-factor; his fault or Bobo's? Good question. I'll vote for both

• a breakfast stromboli makes interesting cuisine from an airport food court


• the Redcoats came to play; not many others in red and black did


• on a jumbotron in Alltel, Tebow's knee is so huge you can actually tell what yard line it landed on


• Traffic cops outside the stadium do ............. a remarkable job of keeping the order


• Jean short wearing cousin Bill makes a good bloody mary


• it's time for Gary Stokan, the Atlanta Sports Council and the GA Dome to factor into the mix for the GA/fla game every other year


• brush back tosses in cornhole are not really effective


• now that Philyup Fulmer has stepped down, did anyone feel the Earth shake?

Another thing that concerns me is seeing Knowshon take himself out of the game. The first couple of times I dismissed it for the most part. But it seems to happen more and more. CMR commented on it a couple of weeks ago and said that it was #24's decision. I don't mind King getting some carries, but there's times you really want Moreno in the game and it seems like those times are the ones where he jogs to the sideline. What do you think? Have you noticed? Do you think it is a cause for concern or is this blawgger just overreacting?

For the second time this season it is time to dish out some suspensions. After the last loss BDB's suspensions helped propel the Dawgs to a 4 game win streak, including a solid victory over the bye week. This Saturday is stop 3 on a magical mystery tour. And the last time we were in Lexington we left limping. Let's hope these suspensions send a clear signal that here at BDB, we expect competitive games, if not just wins.

1. CMR
2. Stafford. Three picks was 3 too many
3. SEC - your officiating is a joke
4. roughly 70,000 florida fans for annoying me
5. myself for attempting to help direct traffic

And lastly, congratulations to Cord Trammell and Chris Nama for answering the trivia question correctly. They somehow knew that Baccari Rambo simulated the play of Tebow during practice last week. They also knew that the team was touting him for Heisman by the end of the week. Turns out all of that was just to renew the junior gator's repeat bid as the trophy's candidate. But it was enough to earn these BDB readers a sack full of Krystals. Enjoy!

Bernie

Silence speaks volumes

While neighborhoods across the land are filled with the sounds of fall (crunching leaves) and All Hallow's Eve (BOO!), the sounds around the Georgia and Florida athletic offices have been muted. The memories of the end zone celebration are still vivid. But the words that may translate that recollection have been locked away, tight. The bad news is that the media has not been able to provide any fodder for the Bulldog Bulletin board. The good news is that the media has largely had to focus on the game itself.

While seeing Trinton Sturdivant shake, rattle and roll with 50+ teammates may be my most lasting memory of last year's GA/fla game, it was Knowshon's 188 yards and 3 TDs that contributed the most to the win. And another performance like that may be necessary Saturday.

This year's game is HUGE. We've heard/read the experts this week trying to decide if this is the biggest GA/fla game of all. I say it is, undoubtedly. Sure there have been others with similar implications and national rankings, but this just seems bigger. Maybe it's the anxiousness of seeing how each team will play after last year's drama. Maybe it's the fact that the game that has been circled on the schedule for both teams is finally here. At the beginning of the season there were hopes on both sides that this might be a #1 vs #2 match up. Both teams lost at the end of September within hours of each other, but have taken care of business since then. Florida in grand style, the Dawgs in more workmanlike fashion.

Some things that scare me a little:

• Meyer's special teams are always special; James returns kicks like it is a matter of life and death for him to reach the end zone; and if you hadn't heard, they blocked some kicks last week against UK
• Georgia's lack of pass rush is already exposed, but could be devastating tomorrow; the front four have certainly suffered through some injuries, but there's a time is a season when the excuses must take a backseat; that time was about a month ago
• these gators don't crawl, they SPRINT! Meyer recruits speed and this is his fastest.
• Meyer and the gators have something up their sleeve; if it's a gimmick, sobeit; but if they do I think it is likely something they are counting on to impact the game .....something to make you go - "hmmmmmm."
• Is there really, TRULY a chance we come out in red pants? The black jerseys - VERY cool against Auburn in '07, a side story against Hawaii and a disaster against Bama; if CMR uses the color of pants to geek us up against floriDUH ........isn't he stretching a bit too much?
• The Over/Under is well into the fifties, and most are betting that it goes over; I don't like our chances as much in a shoot out; the less we see of #15 the better

As I get a little closer to boarding Delta flight 1667 for Jacksonville, I realize there were a couple more things to clear out of the BDB closet. So real quick -

1. Lemme thank Mac via Dad for this photo gallery of everything that is ......unique? .......about SEC football fandom. Editor's Note - the red-haired, bare-chested gentleman is NOT a Dawg, he's a Hog.
   
   
   


2. John Daly, drunk at a Hooter's? Yep! Here's the proof. I guess he's really working that endorsement.
   



3. Another thank you to my mother-in-law for an early birthday present that was delivered yesterday. She consulted my wife who consulted Nama and, long story short ....Bernie now has Cornhole! For my few readers unfamiliar with this game of skill, strategy and teamwork here is a preview for the movie that is coming to a screen near you! For some pics of Conner and Ainsley throwin' down, click here.
   
4. For the first time in a LONG time, the DAWGS flew in and out of Ben Epps for the LSU game. It saves the team and the coaches a few hours as opposed to flying into Hartsfield. Hopefully that helps in the preparation for this SEC East elimination game.



5. Leave it to CBS to find the ONE sober LSU fan in Death Valley towards the end of the game last Saturday and put him on air long enough for Nama to get out his iPhone - - - - - >




6. And lastly, Knowshon needs 13 yards to pass the legendary Sinkwich on UGA's all-time leading rushers list. He needs 75 to pass 1,000 for the season.

SO! Deep breath. Here we go ....... I think it is fairly obvious that our offense matches up better against their defense than our D against their O. Martinez has fared pretty well against Meyer's spread attack, but this year's gator is much faster and their emotionally sensitive QB is healthier this year and has a more diverse supporting cast. Mainly, the gators aren't relying on Tebow's legs (and heavy shoulder) as much to get those yards on the ground. Moore and Moody are the more traditional size RBs, but have been nicked up a bit. So Demps and Rainey have filled in admirably, despite their size. Meyer and OC Mullen clearly attempt to get these speedsters in space and let them go to town. It would be nice to see a red-jerseyed LB dart through and lower the BOO-YAH on these guys.

If it turns into a shoot-out, I still give us a shot at winning. But I think to ensure a win we have to be the more physical team, control the chains and the clock. Let Tebow rest up for their match up against against Vandy next week and give Knowshon the ball early and often. Meyer says that #24 makes our O-line look better than they are, well let's smack 'em in the mouth and open up some holes that even the gator coach's ego could fit through. Stafford should fare well through the air, especially if the running game sets the table.

PREDICTION TIME- Walsh has made some big kicks, it's time for the biggest of his career. Dawgs handle the gators with a workmanlike effort that makes Meyer write another book in the off-season complaining that Jacksonville is not a neutral site for him anymore and outlines his reasons for moving it to Utah. We keep our aspirations for a trip to the SEC Championship game (and our dreams of anything bigger) alive. Make sure to tip your bartender!

Dawgs 24

Swamptrash 21

This week's trivia brought to you by: The Corn Hole Outlet(.com), where non-athletes go to make their dreams bigger! Last year's Heisman winner is a one of a kind QB. And I'm sure replicating his tendencies and talents in practice to help your defense prepare is a daunting task. Who "filled Tebow's shoes" on the scout team for the Dawgs this week in practice? An extra bean bag if you can add what the Dawg players were chanting after this player's skills were displayed.

If you're in St. Simons, save a booth at Gnat's and some fried dill pickles for me. And as always, be safe.

Bernie

I'll Gamble on the Dawgs!

Turns out the "Tiger Bait" bit back. Hard! In my prediction piece Friday I underestimated the offense and overestimated the defense, I guess. Didn't like seeing all of the long plays go against us, especially the long run for a TD at the end. But it's hard to fault a D that puts 14 points (the difference in the game BTW) on the board. Gamble started the game off in grand style by showing he could read the eyes of Jarrett Lee easier than a recipe for crawfish etoufee. Pick 6, Touchdown Georgia! Up in the booth, Gary and Verne hadn't even taken their suit coats off yet .......... Gamble shows his sportsmanship as well by waiting another 3 hours before returning another pass for a TD. Two interceptions returned for touchdowns by a linebacker was good enough to tie Gamble for an NCAA record AND good enough to send the ragin' cajuns out of Death Valley to drown their sorrows in swamp juice a little earlier than planned. Oh! And Gamble also had 13 tackles. Not bad for an Ellerbe fill-in.

BDB beat reporter Scoop McGee caught up with Les "was more" Miles after the game. Scoop: "Coach Miles, your thoughts?" the Hat: "I WILL be the head coach at LSU, I have no interest in talking with anyone else." Scoop: "So I can consider this a Scoop McGee exclusive?" Miles: "I've got championships to play, and I'm excited about the opportunity of my DAMN strong football team." Scoop: "Even your secondary that just got torched? Any truth that your D backs are not talented enough to handle being placed on an island, blitz after blitz?" Mad Hatter: "It was unfortunate that I had to address my team. I really have nothing more to say." Scoop: "Will Lee or Hatch start next week against Tulane?" the Hat: "I represent me in this issue. Please ask me after...I'm busy" Scoop: "Coach you seem distracted, aloof, or possibly just dazed. Haven't you used this speech before." Miles: "Thanks. Have a great Day."

Scoop then reports that the conference ended with Miles growling about giving up 2 TDs and nearly a hundred yards rushing to a linebacker. I suspect a difficult week ahead in Baton Rouge.

So, attentions turn to a game ....let's see.....let me find my notes......what game is next?.......OH! That's right. Florida! The annual cocktail party has been renamed by BDB as The Annual Convention for Successful UGA Students and Alums and another 50,000 or so Jean Short Wearin' Tebow Lovers. Catchy, but kinda long ....... Let's put that to our readers. Tell us what you would rename Dr. Adams Politically Correct, PoliteFest Social Event with a Football Game Teaser.


So many of you have asked, it's only fair that I share: yes, I will be able to participate in Halloween festivities with the kids AND take in the game. Thanks in part to Delta. However, the catch was to be able to do it without even one carry on bag. Thanks to Ann and Da Crew for taking my bag down to St. Simons on Thursday. Feel free to use my toothpaste. So that I can pull this off though - it's time to clean out the BDB closet of all extra "luggage". So hang on, this could get ugly!

1. Trivia winners. Yes plural. No more sudden deaths. BDB has more sponsors now than we know what to do with. So why not spread the love around. I always have thought of Nama as a pure-bred Dawg, but I'm beginning to think he may be part bloodhound. He's hard to shake off the scent when it comes to trivia. He, like Mr. Trammell was a little conflicted about whether College Football's heaviest trophy was the Fremont Cannon or the Golden Boot. Certainly the cannon is heavier, but the winner of the Battle of Nevada gets the cannon for the next year until the next game. The Golden Boot is a trophy that goes with the team to its athletic offices for eternity. Plus, we didn't even know there was football in the state of Nevada. Ann McElroy correctly answered with the Golden Boot, as did Allen Randall. Adam - sorry, the Old Oak Bucket ......Indiana/Purdue winner .....? Nope. Better keep the Ipod Touch in the backpack during class. BUT - you are the BDB's first "Follower". What an honor! It all adds up to bonus links for everyone!! Enjoy this classic from last year's celebration laden win for the Dawgs. jorts = jeans + shorts
   
2. I was invited last week to have lunch with my youngest daughter. Her Pre-k happens to be through our church and they called the big event "Pizza with Pops". I arrived at the door and Ainsley jumped into my arms. I hugged her tight and then extended my hand towards her teachers. And then it happened. "I read your blawg." Uhm....huh? Turns out I have readers I wasn't aware of. Some of BDB's subscribers forward their bi-weekly editions to other Bulldawg faithful. Jenn evidently sends it to Ainsley's teacher. Cool! So a special shout-out to Mrs. Wendy at McKendree UMC. You and Mrs. Kim do a great job. And thanks for not sending home artwork covered in glitter each and every day. Glitter gives me the creeps.
   
3. I also had the chance to visit Conner at lunch a week or two ago. It was a Friday and she was (of course) dressed in RedandBlack. At her school you get to invite a friend to the visitors table if your parent comes for lunch. Conner had Kennedy join us for chicken tenders and chocolate milk. I couldn't get Kennedy to talk about college football, but that may have been because she couldn't really hear me since she talked pretty much the entire time. She did at one point place her foot up on the table. "I like your pink boots, " I said quickly as she was swallowing a bite of broccoli and drawing a deep breath. She then explained that they were pink COWGIRL boots and that her dad's favorite team was the Dallas Cowboys and they had a dog they named Dallas and Dallas sometimes eats table food and when you feed her hotdogs she poops them out....... there was a lot more that followed, but my nearly middle aged brain could only process so much of Kennedy's diatribe at a time. Oh! And did I mention she was the cutest little girl in pink COWGIRL boots I have ever seen? See for yourself......
4. Some great links you may or may not have been aware of that can help the reddest of Dawg fans stay current with little more than a click: The Anti-Orange Page includes Jim from Duluth's weekly transcription of the CMR call in show, not to mention a Lewis Grizzard archive. CMR's Page shows recruits (and fans) all of the ins/outs of University of Georgia Football, as well as his personal side. TotalUga is a new site published by Brett Jensen. A lot of the info is free, subscribers get the full access.
5. Jim Halpert finally proposed to Pam. And he did it at a rest stop ……in the rain ...............AWESOME!!

Shout outs!

• Knowshon is as adept at getting shout outs as some BDB readers are with trivia questions. SEC Offensive POtW!
• Darryl Gamble as the SEC Defensive POtW, he had to be an easy selection.
• The four customers we had Saturday for our garage sale. Without you, all that work would have been for nothing. Yawn!!
• The Willis' for a great party that included Hurricanes, Jenn for closing out another Burnette win at cornhole, Nama for the Apple Pies, and Cord ......... it was good seeing ya!
• All my Wahoo in-laws for spoiling the Homecoming at the North Avenue Trade School.
  
• And last but never least....my Florida "friends" from last year's game to be named later. (see picture insert) I hope we get to sit next to each other this year ......... maybe you'll enjoy the game a little more.

Penalties!

• Urban Meyer .......just because.
• My Clemson-following family that didn't bother to read my post-bowden firing blog. For shame!
• The SEC for scheduling next year's annual game who's name is yet to be determined the day of Halloween. Even Delta may not be able to help with that one.

Enjoy your Florida week Dawg fans. Make sure you save those Snicker bars Friday night for those cute UGA cheerleaders and decked out linebackers that come to your door. And go ahead and practice slamming the door on those little yellow jackets and gators. "This is the Department of Family and Children Services, intake." ......"Yes I'd like to report a case of child endangerment."

Bernie

Blitzkrieg in the Bayou

Portions of a letter from the Editor earlier this week:


Mr. Nama,

The hardworking, albeit distractable staff here at BDB would like to express our apologies to you as the runner up in last week's trivia. We understand you correctly answered the bonus question and then followed up with a terrific sudden death answer. However, the other contestant pulled the "Married to the Creator" Trump card, and the Burnette sofa is a lonely place. After 11 years of marriage, Bernie knows when to fold 'em and we hope that as a married veteran yourself, you will understand. Please accept this bonus link as a consolation and we look forward to your continued support of all things Blawg.


So ...........BDB readers, the winner is obviously Jenn from Lawrenceville. As luck would have it, last week's trivia was sponsored by Podere Le Caselle. Pick a week honey, I'll call Delta.


Last week's trivia results just prove that, with an imperfect system, controversy can happen. You know, just like with the BCS. The first BCS rankings were released Sunday afternoon and since then every college football fanatic, writer and coach has spent tireless hours poring over every detail. The humans love the Trojans, but the computers hate 'em. Is Ohio State making a move for a third consecutive BCS Title Smackdown? Could this be a dream season for JoePa? One where he could get a new hip and a BCS pat on the back?


None of that drivel here at Bernie's Dawg Blawg. It's LSU week ......which happens to precede the annual Border War in Jacksonville.......which happens to precede a trip to Lexington, which is of course followed by a trip to JurdanHair. (Deep Breath! .......exhale.) Then there's a bye week before Johnson's Jackets make their first visit to Athens.


You get the idea. There's much work ahead. Let's get busy!


I've been having this feeling in my gut the past week or so. Meals came and went and it was still there. We won Homecoming against Vandy and it only intensified, so I surmised that it had something to do with the Dawgs. I fretted and worried ....until finally it dawned on me. It was like the elephant sitting in the corner of the room that my psyche refused to address. Only when my mind came out of the fog, I realized there were TWO elephants. One was the fact that I am running out of reasons to predict Dawg victories. We've dominated two teams the last couple of weeks and yet the game wasn't over until the end. Perplexing. The other was the fact that this is BDB's 13th edition. I don't consider myself really, REALLY superstitious. My wife for instance will spend an entire quarter of a game adjacent to a concession line if she feels it is helping Coach Bobo focus. I don't go quite that far. But I do wear certain items of clothing to games if we are successful. I may adjust somewhat due to weather, but the basic outfit stays the same. Probably like you, my "black-out" attire has been retired.


But #13 coming just before LSU, that's hard to dismiss. From what I saw of their game against South Carolina the other night, LSU may not have all of the play makers they are used to having, but they are every bit of the physical team we have grown accustomed to seeing from our creole cousins. And "the HAT" is always innovative. Their big D-tackle Ricky Francois Jean Louis Jumbalaya (or whatever his name is) was out for the Carolina game and they found themselves thin, so they used four defensive ends on the front line. The result - 6 sacks, 7 tackles for loss against the chickens. I can't remember how many we had against the Visor, but I know it wasn't that many.


Nearly a year ago we all had penciled in Miles for the Michigan job; he stayed but Defensive Coordinator Pelini left for Lincoln. The LSYou defense is still very aggressive under co-coordinators Peveto and Mallory. And you can bet they wanna pressure our youthful big heftys. I expect they'll have their backers and safeties dialed up early and often to test Boling and company. I also expect Bobo to counter with some quick throws and a lot of I-formation to allow Chapas/Southerland and Moreno to help pass protect on second and longs.


On the other side, our D must prepare for one fairly inexperienced QB (Lee) who seems to have a talented arm. And they'll prepare for another (Hatch) who used his brain to get into Harvard, but used his SkyMiles to fly south as a transfer. Crowton likes to use Brainiac to create space with his legs, but he will pass on occasion. Both Lee and Hatch are still young in terms of SEC coursework, so I believe Martinez will throw multiple looks at the duo and try to pressure them into some mistakes. Crowton will counter by keeping our front honest with a steady diet of Charles Scott and Keiland Williams. But perhaps their most lethal offensive threat is one that barely towers over Mary Lou Retton. Trindon Holliday can run the length of the field faster than it takes us to sit down on a sofa. But at a meager 170 pounds, I think one shot from Rennie may just sideline Junior for somewhere between a few plays and an eternity.


My faithful readers, let's huddle up a minute ..........We're at a crossroads in the season, ladies and gents. In nine days we'll be heading home from Jacksonville. If we cross that state line with two more losses than we have today, we've gone from dreaming of going to Atlanta for the SEC Title game to the reality of possibly going to Atlanta for the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. If we split the games and go 1-1, we better hope that one win is against Florida if we're to have any chance at an SEC crown. With either of those scenarios unlucky #13 will have bit us good and the rumblings will have turned into grumblings in terms of what is ailing this talented team.


But I'm staring straight at the end of this 13th blawg and I'm smiling. I'm smiling cuz I have faith in another number ...... 7!! Stafford has yet to have a moment as a Dawg. We've heard the pundits point that out on occasion, despite his talent and NFL upside. He hasn't had that moment that other Dawgs have had to transcend their status as another scholarship player into a BullDawg of Lore. Greene had his moment early in his career. Before Munson made his Hobnail Boot call, Richt and staff called for P-44 Haynes. Now we see the replay every home game on the BigBoard. Greene had another at Auburn the next season when he hit Michael Johnson on 70XTakeoff to secure a shot at the SEC Title. Pollack - INT @ South Carolina. Herschel - placing his cleat marks on Bill Bates chest in Knoxville. Buck Belue - Lindsay Scott. 'Nuf said there.


And how about this one....Quincy Carter - he had a performance of a lifetime as a freshman in '98. He was on the road to Freshman of the Year honors in the SEC and he was on the road in ........Baton Rouge. He was near perfect in leading the Dawgs to an upset of then #6 LSU 28-27.


We've seen highlights of Stafford ripping his helmet off and running to celebrate with his team after throwing the game winning TD in OT to Mikey last year at Alabama. But this blawgger doesn't believe that was his moment. He has more talent than David Greene, he has a bigger arm than Buck Belue and he has a better head on his shoulders than Carter. But those and others have moved their name into places of Butts-Mehre where they will stay long after we're gone. #7 has made plenty of big plays, but Stafford's moment (I will argue) is still out there. And I think it shows itself sooner rather than later. Why not this weekend?



Dawgs 31


Crazy Creoles 13




Trivia brought to you this week by humble pie and boiled crow. They don't taste good, but it beats sleeping downstairs. Standing 4 feet tall, weighing nearly 200 pounds and valued at $10,000, this rivalry trophy is believed to be the heaviest of all rivalry trophies. What is its name and what two teams battle for the chance to (....ugh.....UGH!!....) lift it?



To those travelling to Cajun Country, beware of voodoo dolls and undercooked Boudin. And if given the choice of spending 10 seconds in Mike's cage or Rastlin' with Ti-Paul Jean Phillipe ......play it safe .......................choose the tiger.








Bernie

Vanderbilt victories are always weird.....

....but never very scientific.

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Pardon the bleary eyes. Between the game and an emergency meeting Sunday of the BDB staff, your humble blawgger has not gotten much rest. For the first time since its inception (well over a month ago), the BDB has a tie in its Trivia qustion for the week. Jenn from Lawrenceville evidently has her own research team at the ready and quite swiftly determined that Zach Mettenberger is UGA's other Elite 11 QB commit. She let her research staff have the rest of the day off and Chris Nama swooped in with the answer to the bonus question. Nama's success at BDB trivia has been well documented. So it came as no surprise that he knew Mr. Mettenberger's mom Tammy, is an admin asst for CMR.

Over an hour into the emergency meeting yesterday, Senior Chief Executive Financial Advisor Lisa suggested the prize be split. This set off a brouhaha as Chief Executive Lead Editor/Publishing Consultant Wyatt Donnelly was quick to point out that Jenn was first to respond and should therefore claim to prize. Lead Publicity Communications and Relations Advisor Gary Wallace sided with Wyatt's suggestion, pointing out that Mr. Nama only answered the bonus question. Janitor Chet Donnelly then threw his mop at Wyatt and yelled, "Those science experiments have fried your brain, ButtWad! The Bonus was the harder part of the (inaudible) question....(grunts)......(inaudible)......"

Afraid of the aggresive tone the meeting was devolving into, Lead Research Advisor Poindexter called on the head honcho himself. Bernie chastised the staff, especially Gary for wearing a bra on his head to the emergency meeting and decided to resolve the issue using a sudden death playoff question. So here's your cue Jenn and Nama, dig deep. The answer's out there somewhere: what is the name of Zach's father?

And now it is time to play another round of.............Good News, Bad News!

Good news - the Dawgs beat Vandy. Bad news - it couldashoulda been over by halftime.

Good news - the Dawgs only had 5 penalties this week.  Bad news - two pass interference calls (one VERY questionable, the other not so much) led to a Vandy score.

Good news - Stafford started really hot. Bad news - after starting 4/5, he seemed to lose a rhythm.

Good news - the D had two interceptions. Bad news - they left another handful on the field.

Good news - the O line created a lot of space for Knowshon to do his "thang". Bad news - another "big hefty" now getting coached by Ron Courson instead of Stacy Searels.

Good news - although my predicted final score was a couple field goals off, my overall assessment of what was to come was pretty accurate. Bad news - I take no special comfort in that.

Bonus Round - Double Bad News. Two arrests made early Sunday morning. Brandon Wood will not be joining his teammates in the Bayou. Vince Vance reminds me to renew my license next month.

Some thoughts from the Vandy game: I really thought the O line played well, but perhaps their greatest test lies in Saturday's showdown in Baton Rouge, cuz they like to "bring it", as my cousin Brooks likes to say. You continue to see some missed blocks, but it was nice to see them on a 2nd consecutive week, with the game in the balance late, grit their teeth, hunker down and shove some weight around. As for AJ Green, let's just take a moment to gaze into Bernie's crystal ball. AJ showed up on campus this summer. In a few months, he'll begin his first Van Halanger off season workout regimen. The kid is scary talented now, but with some muscle added to that frame - my oh my! He may be this year's most productive freshman receiver. This time next season he may very well be the country's best. The benefits are already suiting MoMass as Green draws more and more attention. Wonder who'll reap the benefits next year? (Marlon Brown - go ahead and commit!) And lastly, we saw Bryan Evans get pulled and Vance Cuff take his place. Evans was continually getting "picked on", especially close to the goal line on fade routes. He's given up 3 TDs the last two weeks. We heard the coaches last year (his freshman season) talk about how impressed they were with Cuff. Now's his chance to shine.

And one more "lastly", we seemed to blitz more against Vandy. And when we pressured Adams it either resulted in an INT, a shoulda been INT or a negative in down and/or distance. I sure hope it is a sign that Coach Willie is beginning to trust his secondary in more man coverage. Cuz we also saw that rushing three or four just isn't making the opposing QB sweat, at all.

Shout outs:

• Bailey Simpson and Beau Gilmore for being named UGA Homecoming Queen and King, respectively.
• Reshad Jones for a stellar performance, one Dawg fans had been waiting on from a kid who was once the nation's top recruit at safety. 
• The kid on River Road before the game who overthrew his buddy and subsequently landed his football into the solo cup of some Vandy fan. Classic! Even if it was an "accident". You'll get more than a shout out if you can duplicate that "accident" against a Tech fan next month.
• Terry Bowden for bringing national respectability to Yahoo! Sports with his insight and coverage of college football. 'Fess up! Raise your hand if you knew he wrote for Yahoo! before he gave Brother Tommy a forearm shiver - "yahoo style" last week? ..........no one???? Surprising.
• Knowshon. Again. The 172 yards he gained were impressive. But the 5 or 6 he gained after the "facial" he gave Ryan Hamilton of the Commodore defense were the most fun!
• DJ Shockley. Thanks for spending just a small part of your bye week with us as it is always a pleasure seeing you on the UGA sideline.
• And an early shout out to CBS for making the rowdy cajuns cut their revelry a little short this coming Saturday. A 2:30 kickoff should be much more pleasant for the Dawgs, and the fans that follow them down there. You know, as opposed to a 6:30pm start.
  

Hope to see you back here on Friday for the LSU preview. I stayed up past my bedtime Saturday night to get a look at the Tigers. Some parts of their win in Columbia were encouraging. Others......very, VERY disturbing.

Yours in red and black,

Bernie

Bernie's Dawg Blawg now accepting subscriptions. Unlimited access and bi-weekly delivery to your inbox. Act now while supplies last. Offer expires when Spurrier wins his next National Championship! Email clbernie@yahoo.com to start the madness.

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