Georgia-Tennessee, what to look for

Once again, here's a collection of my pre-game thoughts. 

• I think Rambo plays. I think he's screwing with people. My reasoning is this: he was expected back this week, if he had tested positive for anything stronger than a Red Bull he'd be long gone by now, and surely he's not dumb enough to skip a class this week or something. Surely. I think he plays.
• Moving on...Intensity needs to match what we had for Vanderbilt and then the knob needs to be turned up. This goes for fans and players alike. I don't anticipate any problems here. At all.
• Abry Jones' ankle. He rested much of the week in practice. If he's even 80-90% it will go a long way towards completing the first objective of the game...
• ...Pass rush. Everyone agrees that this is the key to the game for Georgia. A harried and hurried Bray is no more dangerous than his own Sea Doo on an empty tank of gas.
• Offensive consistency. I just keep getting the feeling that the more comfortable Bobo gets with his offensive line and his freshman RBs in protection, the more comfortable he will feel opening things up. Let's pistol whip them into submission and then strap on the hobnail boots for old times sake.
• Defensive substitutions. This will be interesting to watch since we're getting Tree and Rambo (see first bullet) back as former starters. I would anticipate Rambo starting this afternoon. Probably Tree as well. But if Tennessee is able to score enough points to keep a lead and/or stay in the game late, having a deep, fresh front seven should turn the game in our favor.
• Snap. Hold. Kick!
• If....IF the Volunteers are as over-matched as the oddsmakers and pundits believe, how far does Richt go on the scoreboard before tugging back on the leash? 

Truly I don't know about Rambo. It's just a semi-educated guess. If he doesn't play I become a lot more like Munson and a lot less like I was yesterday when I was miserable. Regardless, let's just go out there and win the tailgate as usual. Chances are these HillBillys will be confused (as usual) by the plethora of choices at the coin toss.

GATA. Go Dawgs!

Flashback - 1981 Tennessee

From Dawg19 again, here a classic from 'tween the hedges to get you ready for what we hope is a beatdown similar to the 1981 matchup between these two teams. Can "Gurshall" repeat what Herschel did on this day?

SEC Kickoff with Coach Dooley

Friday Misery - historically and anthropologically speaking

I've been listening to some of y'all. Talking about rankings and "Who needs to lose so Georgia can move up?". Pretending like any of that matters way back here in September. Shut your damn piehole! Worrying about rankings and who's in front of you is for baseball fans, and B1G administrators. The only thing that matters is Atlanta in early December. And you don't get there by bitching about FSU and Oregon winning football games.

Child please. Act like you've been here before. You're embarrassing yourself, and more importantly...me.

The day Bernie, Daisy Duke and Derek met
So there I was, in all my magnificent pre-pubescence, in a gymnasium with a large group of twelve year old, awkward, wanna be hoop stars. Yet everyone was focused on just two kids. I saw guys whispering to each other and smiling. They'd dribble all the way around the foul line just to pass the ball to this dynamic duo. It was annoying at first, then it was downright obnoxious. To the point that I was robbed of at least three easy lay-ups.

WTF guys. I was open. Who're those kids anyway?
Dude, that's Coach Durham's son over there, and that's Derek freakin' Dooley with the hair and dribblin' the ball between his legs!! Awesome!
Oh. Ok. Nice crossover I guess.

And such was my introduction into unearned prestige and pre-established hierarchy. Someone can immediately, and without merit, be given a higher status based on something completely irrelevant to the setting in the first place. I could see having a pre-conceived notion that Hugh Durham's son (who's name now escapes me) would be pretty good at basketball. But this Derek kid was being treated like Dr. J and Magic all rolled into one. The coaches' whistles were useless because they couldn't unpucker their lips long enough from the kids' gym shorts.

Very good guys. Now let's roll over.

Fast forward through a good three decades and suddenly lil Dools is being given more undeserved credit. Was he a good coach at La Tech? Sure, I guess. Those Bulldogs always seemed to remember their helmets and shit for the games that I caught on Friday nights. But worthy of an SEC perch, even one as loaded with baggage and a worthless athletic director as the one in Knoxville? Whatever. Derek's gotten more use from his last name than he has that can of Suave aerosol.

Oh wait, I think I hear all you fence sitters starting to chime up..

But Bernie...he's the son of our beloved Coach Dooley. We should support him and that family. I mean let's try and win the football game and everything, but just by a couple points maybe. Don't embarrass him, especially with his mother there. She's so nice the way she talks so incessantly and protects her young like a momma bear should. We can get along for awhile. Besides, we can root against them in other sports.

F(orget) that! Hey dumbass, lest you forget: "I never knew how good she looked in orange. All these years she's been wearing the wrong color." That's Derek, talking about his family's matriarch while in Atlanta. Look, this isn't your parents' Woodstock love-in. where they'd gather in a field, pass the J around and sing Peter, Paul and Mary tunes until their underwear disintegrated and the moon beams told them to go back to school. If Coach Dooley and Barbara wanna pull for their son, fine. I get that I guess, on some level. But I've never called Vince my daddy and Barbara ain't ever wiped my ass. If you aren't pulling for my team, you're rooting against them. The line is thin, but it's clear as day.

If one day Derek wants to repent his evil ways, I only need two things: first, take off those orange pants son. I can't tell if you're a hippie or just have a queer eye for the sideline, but that shit don't fly here. And second, the next time you see me break for the basket in my two stripe gym socks and my Dukes of Hazzard tank top, ready to go all good ol' boy on the backboard...PASS. THE. GODDAMNED. BALL!!

Of teeth, livestock and IQs
If you're thinking this is going to be one of those pieces where I make fun of Volunteer fans for wearing overalls ill-equipped to handle their body mass index and how they select their valedictorians in grade school by whoever shows up the first day of 4th grade...well yes, that's exactly what this is. 

To the untrained eye, a HillBilly may appear as if they are just a gator fan with less of a tan and more Wal-Mart clothing. That and they can't seem to agree as to which shade of orange is their own. More on that in a moment. But first, exhibit A...back by popular demand...the couple that first chewed the fatback...the pair that can't ride elevators together...the husband and wife of biblical AND cylindrical proportions...

HillBilly Adam and HillBilly Eve

These people are best referred to as the Anti-Darwins. They don't evolve, they devolve. A study of their culture and development produces more questions than answers. Like, humans can be lawfully married to a goat? And, possum meat is higher in cholesterol than a pork shoulder?

But slowly you give up on trying to understand their mountain folk ways. The hatred burns to the surface like a fresh back tat. They're not only ignorant and stupid, they feed off their own asshatery. You can't love and adore the same coaches that you have run out of town. You can't blame a coach for wanting to leave your three ring hillbilly circus in the middle of the night through the smoke of a thousand mattresses. Hey Nathan Ray Junior Bob, you can't re-marry your sister after your brother grabbed her up off the lawn chair in the den while watching a rerun of In the Heat of the Night and took her down to City Hall in his brand new 1971 Ford pick-up.

Oh, and the Vol Navy? I mean, bless your hearts. The closest thing to an aquatic fighting force in Knoxville is your own quarterback. And there can't be that many bottles in the city. After all, Britton Colquitt was once on scholarship there. He couldn't have left but so much beer behind. So settle down Ricky Earl and Delilah Jean. Stop shaking that half eaten smoked guinea pig at me Cletus Frank and Raylene DixieAnn.

Take heart in the fact that your boys ain't quite as shitty as they were last season. Be glad there's as many Jarvis Jones on the Georgia roster as there are teeth in your sister's "pretty mouth", and that you can count that high! Don't worry about bowl games. Not when you've got all of the Saban rejects on coaching retainer! #winning!!! Please, no more fretting over the lack of dental insurance when there's still a chance DaRick Rogers could be back before the Bama game!!

And don't hate us for the beat down we'll be giving you tomorrow. Hate Mike Hamilton for having a raging case of Dooley envy. Just like those 30 UT t-shirts in your closet, none of which are the same shade of orange, you brought this on yourselves. You descended from those that ate the forbidden fatback. And in the hidden hollers and raccoon trails of Appalachia, Hell hath no greater fury.

And now, we pray. Dear Lord, please have mercy on Derek's hair and keep it combed to the correct side, even as Marlon Brown blows by him, running down the sideline towards paydirt. And help teach these mountain mongrels to respect all animals, as well as to respect each other. Even when Deliverance is playing on GranPappy's tv set.

The Voice in my ears

He made the highlights a lot higher. And he commiserated right along with us during any difficult year. If I was frustrated, he was was exasperated. If I was full of joy, it was his voice that pushed me that final step to the top of that mountain.

courtesy of 1980Dawgs

To commemorate what would have been his 90th birthday, and to recognize his 42 years as a University of Georgia broadcaster, UGA will rename its Sanford Stadium booth after Larry Munson before tomorrow's game.

Hunker it down Mr. Munson! You are forever missed.

The Jarvis Jones poster

via Brandon Boykin's Instagram

Countdown to Kickoff - Georgia and Tennessee

Hannah Chalker previews the Georgia-Tennessee matchup 'tween the hedges.

BDB takes on "The Grove"

Like a fine wine, or maybe just a fat hunk of cheese...this has been aged. Aged all the way to something just short of perfection. Plus, Nama has to use the dump button in excess.

I think my favorite part was Nama saying, "He's in! He's IN THE ENDZONE! ON TOP OF PEOPLE!!"

Four games in: the highlights

After yesterday, here are some of the bright spots and surprises that I have rattling around in my head:

• Marlon Brown. On a squad that has been spreading the ball around a lot, he's second on the team in receptions with 16 and 3rd in yardage with 264. He has three touchdowns already and has been been really good at creating extra yardage after the catch. He nearly broke a long one for another touchdown Saturday against Vandy. He also had one that nearly broke against Mizzou. And you just know he's ready to go off on the Vols.
• Gurley. Not so much of a surprise as we expected him to be good. But in all honesty, he's been better than that. With his size and speed, he's a great complement to Marshall. But he's also the type of back that can carry the bulk of the load if necessary. Especially now that his protection skills have developed so quickly.
• Defensive depth. The suspensions concerned us. But the defense has not only held up admirably, they've shown us that it's not just the starters that are coming to the games ready to play. Amarlo Herrera especially has been magnificent. Personally, I would be surprised if Tree starts Saturday with the way Herrera has been playing.
• Defensive line. Like Gurley, not a surprise. They are one of the more experienced and largest in the nation. And they walk the walk as well. Twenty-nine tackles for loss in four games. They're both eating space and penetrating into the backfield regularly.
• Aaron Murray has been a huge bright spot. He's complemented his early tenure with great field awareness, better decision making (as amazing as his 12/12 start was against Vandy, his best pass was the one he threw out of the back of the endzone when everything was covered), improved footwork and a hard-nosed edge in leadership.

I really wanted to throw the offensive line a bone as well, but I'll wait until later in the season once everything is clicking. But they have made great strides thus far. Other than that, what did I miss? What has caught your eye?

Tennessee prep - 1973 in Knoxville

As legendary as Larry Munson was, it took a while for the connection to form between him and the program and him and the fan base. Many point to the 1973 upset of the Volunteers in Knoxville as that turning point. This video takes us through that game with comments from Munson and the game's hero Andy Johnson.

Nothing sucks like a big orange.

h/t Dawg19

Of course, I'll have more on Munson tomorrow as we celebrate his birthday. I don't know about you, but I really miss that gravelly voice in my ear.