SB Nation - Brannan Southerland

The Georgia Bulldogs "All-Name" Football Team (1964-2008)

T Kyle King — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:40:59 -0000

You can tell it’s the offseason, because we all have too much time on our hands where intercollegiate athletics are concerned. How much time do we have on our hands? I have gone to the trouble of compiling the Georgia Bulldogs "all-name" football team; that’s how much time we all have on our hands.

First, a few ground rules. I used only players from 1964 to the present. Since 1964 was Vince Dooley’s first year as the Bulldogs’ head coach and the first year for which the media guide lists offensive and defensive starters separately, that seemed like a good starting point.

I also used only starters, and I listed players who lined up at multiple positions by the year they started at the position to which they have been assigned. My middle linebacker is listed in the media guide only at "linebacker," but his was the one name that had to appear on such a list. Likewise, due to changes of scheme and terminology over the years, I decided to lump in strong safeties with rovers. Otherwise, I don’t think I took any liberties, and, where possible, I listed backups.

We start with the offense:

LT – Winford Hood (1983)
LG – Mayo Tucker (1969)
C – Wayne Radloff (1982)
RG – LeMonte Tellis (1988)
RT – Wilbur Strozier (1985-‘86)
TE – Ulysses Norris (1977-‘78)
SE – Cassius Osborn (1984, 1986)
FL – Amp Arnold (1979-’80)
QB – Preston Ridlehuber (1964-‘65)
FB – Alphonso Ellis (1987-‘88)
RB – Knowshon Moreno (2007-’08)

Backups: Resty Beadles (G ’94-‘96), Selma Calloway (RB ’95, ‘97), Carmon Prince (FL ‘78), Rex Putnal (SE ‘70), Ray Rissmiller (LT ‘64), Troy Sadowski (TE ’85-‘88), D.J. Shockley (QB ’05), Brannan Southerland (FB ’05-‘07)

Honorable mention went to Lenny Ellspermann, the Bulldogs’ starting split end in 1972, who just couldn’t crack the lineup against the other fellows at that position. This brings us to the Georgia all-name defense:

LE – Calvin Ruff (1983, 1985)
LT – Jiggy Smaha (1967)
RT – Hiawatha Berry (1989)
RE – Carlyle Hewatt (1984)
WLB – Knox Culpepper (1983)
MLB – Happy Dicks (1967-‘68)
SLB – Chip Wisdom (1971)
SS/ROV – Terreal Bierria (2000)
FS/SAF – Buck Swindle (1969-‘70)
RCB – Buzy Rosenberg (1970-‘72)
LCB – Carlos Yancy (1994)

Backups: Sylvester Boler (SLB ‘74), Jerone Jackson (FS ‘73), Mo Lewis (LB ’88-‘90), Armin Love (SS ’95), Wycliffe Lovelace (DT ’86, ‘88), Alandus Sims (RCB ‘95), Ronnie Swoopes (RT ’75), Ben Zambiasi (WLB ’75-‘77)

I felt badly for Abb Ansley, the Bulldogs’ starting rover in 1974, who had the same problem as Lenny Ellspermann. Next up was my biggest challenge, choosing from among the specialists:

P – Spike Jones (1967-‘69)
PK – Dax Langley (1994-‘96)

Backups: Bucky Dilts (P ’74-‘76), Hap Hines (PK ’96-‘99)

I have to say, it was hard opting against Brandon Coutu, Gordon Ely-Kelso, Hap Hines, Kanon Parkman, and Rex Robinson.

Naturally, some tough calls had to be made, and you may have made them differently. Which ones did I get wrong? Which ones did I get right? What glaring omissions are in need of correction? As always, your answers are welcome in the comments.

Go ‘Dawgs!

Rumblings Authors Mock, V2.0 - Ron's Take

Ron From NM — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:30:09 -0000

More photos » by Sue Ogrocki - AP

8 months ago: FILE - In this Oct. 20, 2007 file photo, Oklahoma State tight end Brandon Pettigrew, right, dives for a touchdown as Kansas State defender Justin McKinney, left, defends during the fourth quarter of a college football game in Stillwater, Okla. Pettigrew is a top prospect in the 2009 NFL Draft. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)

Browse more photos »

As I sit down to write this latest installment of the Rumblings Authors Mock series (gotta love having a Monday off), I have the distinct feeling that my seven round tradeless draft is going to be ugly. Way back on Valentine’s Day I put up a mock draft in which I predicted the Top 10 shaking out like this: OT Eugene Monroe, OT Andre Smith, DE Everette Brown, WR Michael Crabtree, LB Aaron Curry, CB Malcolm Jenkins, DE Brian Orakpo, DT B.J. Raji, LB Aaron Maybin, QB Matt Stafford.

That was back before the Jason Peters contract debacle, his subsequent trade to Philly, and even before the Combine. Naturally, things have changed a bit and I see the Top 10 going a little differently now.

1 - DET - QB Matthew Stafford
2 - STL - OT Jason Smith
3 - KC - LB Aaron Curry
4 - SEA - OT Eugene Monroe
5 - CLE - WR Michael Crabtree
6 - CIN - OT Andre Smith
7 - OAK - DE Everette Brown
8 - JAX - DT B.J. Raji
9 - GB - DE Brian Orakpo
10 - SF - QB Mark Sanchez

The Bills think Andre Smith is the best OT in the draft irrespective of his weird behavior and flabby gut. Aaron Maybin apparently won’t be the pick. OBD thinks highly of both LB Clay Matthews and TE Brandon Pettigrew. Given that Dick Jauron needs to save his job this season, here's my "no trades" mock draft...

1-11: Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State. Matthews has ‘upside’. That won’t help Jauron, since it will take Matthews time to develop. Pettigrew, by all accounts, is a fairly well-polished all around TE and will be able to step in and play effectively immediately. Besides, the Bills lost games due to offensive ineptitude, not shoddy linebacker play. Yes, Pettigrew is off the board much earlier than his ‘value’ dictates, but Buffalo has been happy to buck conventional wisdom in the past.

1-28: Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee. There is a better chance than some think that Ayers will be available late in the first round. Oher, Freeman, Maualuga, Jenkins, Maclin, Heyward-Bey, Jackson, Maybin, and Jerry figure to round out the Top 20 in some order. Houston is the wild card, as they play a 4-3 and could take Ayers even though they have other needs. After that Philly, Detroit, Atlanta and Indy are the only 4-3 teams standing between Ayers and #28. All of them have bigger needs than DE that they could choose to address instead. If he's gone then Max Unger could be the pick instead.

2-42: William Beatty, OT, Connecticut. The Bills will be drafting 2-3 offensive linemen. If Ayers is gone at #28 and Unger is the pick there then Barwin could be the choice here. It's simply inconceiveable that Buffalo would completely ignore a huge area of need early in the draft. Whatever the order, Buffalo should come away from the first two rounds with a DE and OL.

3-75: Kraig Urbik, OG, Wisconsin. Naturally, if Unger was the pick at No. 28, then Urbik won’t be the pick here. He’s enormous, something Buffalo seems to like in offensive linemen, and should be on the board here. If no DE was taken earlier, then DE Lawrence Sidbury from Richmond would be the guy at No. 75.

4-110: Michael Hamlin, SS, Clemson. Considering both the quality of the guys manning Buffalo’s FS and SS positions and the fact that they will all be free agents within the next two years makes it important to begin to develop a SS now. Plus, Hamlin should be a demon on special teams.

4-121: Trevor Canfield, OG, Cincinnati. Buffalo needs interior line depth. Butler has missed games each year he has been in the league and Chambers could be recalled to his swing tackle duties if Walker, Bell and/or Beatty go down. Barring injury, Canfield - like Urbik - would have time to develop.

5-147: Nic Harris, LB, Oklahoma. Yes, this pretty much means that Keith Ellison will be starting for yet another season.

6-183: Kevin Ellison, SS, USC. Yes, the Ellison brothers are hitting the town together. Lock up your women and preferably any ball carriers. For a late round flyer the younger Ellison should, if he makes the team, at least help on special teams. Let’s just hope that tackling isn’t a genetic thing…

7-220: Brannan Southerland, FB, Georgia. The Bills, according to Turk Schonert, aren’t going to be using much in the way of a true fullback. Of course, with the Lynch suspension, someone is going to have to carry the ball. Also, having a mammoth offensive line just screams fullback in third and short situations.

Well, it’s not quite as ugly as I thought: TE Pettigrew, DE Ayers, OT Beatty, OG Urbik, SS Hamlin, OG Canfield, LB Harris, SS Ellison and FB Southerland. Of those guys, I see Pettigrew making an immediate impact. Ayers should at least push for significant playing time, though he's not going to solve the pass rush woes. Urbik and Beatty would likely be training camp battles just to see if they could see the field, and everyone else but Southerland would be dedicated special teamers. Better than I thought but not enough.

Relax, though - there's hope. Head on in past the jump to read "Ron’s Wheelin’ & Dealin 7 round draft", where things get... a bit more interesting. And lengthy.

Okay, we’ve seen how a draft without trades, so now let’s see what kind of draft the Bills could have with a couple of do-able trades. The Bills have already swung a trade with Philly, sending perpetually petulant Peters packing (alliteration!) for 28 and 121 (plus a 2010 sixth rounder).

The Bills are, as of this writing, set to begin draft day with 11, 28, 42, 75, 110, 121, 147, 183 and 220. However, there are rumors of a Parrish to Pittsburgh deal in the works. Since Buffalo seems willing to move Parrish (and Kelsay, as if anyone would give up anything of value for him) and Pittsburgh is in need of both a WR and return man I'll factor in a pre-draft deal. Most folks seem to think that Parrish should bring a 4th or 5th. I'm going to err on the conservative side of things and send Parrish and 121 to Pittsburgh for 96. On the trade charts that works out to about a mid 4th round selection in terms of cost to Pittsburgh, not an unreasonable asking price. It also doesn't deplete the Steelers' stock of picks. So, after two pre-draft trades (one completed, one just a possibility at this point) the Bills enter the draft with 11, 28, 42, 75, 96, 110, 147, 183 and 220.

The teams at the top of the board have been trying to trade down but have apparently not found many takers--mainly due to the cost of those top 5 picks. I don't see Cincy trading out of #6 given their dire need at OT nor do I see Al Davis passing on DE Brown.

1 - DET - QB Matthew Stafford
2 - STL - OT Jason Smith
3 - KC - LB Aaron Curry
4 - SEA - OT Eugene Monroe
5 - CLE - WR Michael Crabtree
6 - CIN - OT Andre Smith
7 - OAK - DE Everette Brown

The Jags, on the other hand, are in terrific position to drop back (particularly if Henderson is still on the roster) and are reportedly eager to do a deal. With Sanchez and Freeman on the board QB starved teams will make efforts to move up and Jacksonville is going to benefit. With picks to burn and a dire need at QB, Denver outbids everyone and makes Jacksonville an offer Del Rio would be brain dead to refuse: #12 and #48 for #8.

8 - DEN - QB Mark Sanchez
9 - GB - DT BJ Raji
10 - DE - Brian Orakpo

Buffalo’s phone starts ringing mainly because QB Josh Freeman and OT Michael Oher are on the board. Teams like San Diego and Washington want to move up but can only offer their 1st plus a 2010 pick. Jauron tells them he won't be around in 2010 to use the pick if he doesn't get guys to help him win in 2009. The Jets, interested in Freeman but not completely in a panic over the thought of waiting, offer the Bills #17 and #76 for #11 and #110. Tampa Bay, not entirely confident in Griese or Leftwich, offer #19 and #81 for #11. Detroit, wanting Oher to protect Stafford, has the juice to beat those other offers. Needing to also retain a goodly number of early round picks (to offset their lack of 4th and 5th rounders) the Lions offer #20 and #33 for #11 and #75. With Oher not ranked much higher than the OTs left on Buffalo's board and with Pettigrew, Matthews or Ayers certain to be on the board at #20 it's just a question of which deal to take. The Jets offer is quickly dismissed. The Bucs offer gives the Bills an extra third while simultaneously screwing the Jets. The Lions deal, however, is too tempting to pass up.

11 - DET - OT Michael Oher

The Bills now have the No. 20 (Lions deal), No. 28 (Philly - Peters deal), No. 33 (Lions deal), No. 42, No. 96 (Steelers) No. 110, No. 147, No. 183, and No. 220. Freeman is still on the board and Jacksonville, needing WR help and knowing they'll have options later in the round, fields calls from the Jets and Bucs. The Jags take the Jets' offer (17 and 76 for 12 and 107), mainly because the Jets are likely to take a WR if they don't get a QB.

12 - NYJ - QB Josh Freeman
13 - WAS - LB Rey Maualuga
14 - NO - CB Malcolm Jenkins

Philly is right behind Buffalo and knows that the Bills may well take Pettigrew. With their LT position solidified, the Eagles use their 3rd rounder (which Buffalo oddly turned down) and #21 to try to trade up with Houston. The Texans, without gaping holes to fill, are more than happy to add a 3rd rounder for dropping back.

15 - PHI - TE Brandon Pettigrew
16 - SD - DE Tyson Jackson
17 - JAX - WR Jeremy Maclin
18 - DEN - DE Aaron Maybin
19 - TB - DT Peria Jerry

OBD has to be thrilled to see both Ayers and Matthews on the board at #20. Taking a look at the 4-3 teams standing between picks #20 and #28 (Houston, Minny, Atlanta, Indy), the Bills realize that Atlanta (LB), Indy (DT, LB), Houston (G, C) and Minny (OT, C) have more needs to address than DE...and that most of the 3-4 teams need LBs. The Bills pass on Ayers, gambling he'll be on the board at #28 and begin the run on LBs:

20 - BUF - LB Clay Matthews

21 - HOU - LB Brian Cushing

22 - MIN - WR Darrius Heyward-Bey

23 - NE - DE/LB Michael Johnson

Baltimore hops in front of the Dolphins and gets one of the better 3-4 OLB prospects left. With the pick values closing rapidly it only costs the Ravens their 4th rounder.

24 - BAL - DE/LB Larry English

25 - MIA - LB James Laurinaitis

26 - ATL - CB Darius Butler

27 - IND - DT Evander Hood

The Bills are ecstatic to see that Ayers has slid through the 4-3 teams to make it to 28. Houston was the real wild card. Ayers is their kind of DE but Cushing's slide saved the day. If Ayers is taken then Mack or Unger would be a good pick.

28 - BUF - DE Robert Ayers

29 - NYG - WR Percy Harvin
30 - TEN - CB Vontae Davis
31 - ARI - OT Eben Britton

32 - PIT - C/G Max Unger

The second round begins... Buffalo needs offensive line help but has yet to address the TE position. Loadholt has the size the Bills like in linemen but not necessarily the speed and agility. With that in mind:

33 - BUF - OT William Beatty

34 - NE - DT Ron Brace
35 - STL - WR Hakeem Nicks
36 - CLE - LB Clint Sintim
37 - SEA - RB Kwonshon Moreno

38 - CIN - C Eric Wood
39 - JAX - RB Chris Wells
40 - OAK - S Sean Smith

41 - GB - Phil Loadholt

For the fourth time in the day, the Bills are on the clock. Alex Mack is on the board and Buffalo still needs an interior lineman. With Hang penciled in at center and the semi-fragile Butler locked in at one guard spot, the thought of having Mack on the roster is certainly appealing. Giving up 75 in the Detroit trade makes this a painful decision as Buffalo won't be able to get a TE before the end of the third. Nevertheless:

42 - BUF - Alex Mack

At the end of an eventful first day, the Bills have LB Clay Matthews, DE Robert Ayers, OT William Beatty, C/G Alex Mack, 96, 110, 147, 183 and 220.

The next day begins with a couple of minor trades between teams but not anywhere near enough action to keep a guy like Dan Snyder engaged. A joke is made about taking Derrick Dockery's younger brother Cedric, but an icy stare from Jauron kills that conversation. Christmas cards will not be exchanged. The Bills cool their heels until the last non-compensatory pick in the 3rd.

3-96: Cornelius Ingram, TE, Florida. OBD reaches back to the Willis McGahee days and plucks a player off the board with a significant injury history. At least we won’t have to see how his knee can swing in both directions during slow motion college highlights every Sunday. The Bills possibly have quite the steal with this pick.

4-110: Jason Watkins, OT, Florida. Buffalo goes Butler-hunting and takes Ingram's less gimpy teammate. He's no threat to Beatty, Chambers or Bell so if none of them prove to be capable of manning the LT position Trent Edwards is in for a Hobbes type year: brutal, nasty and short.

5-147: Courtney Greene, SS, Rutgers. Watching Kiper and McShay rip each other new orifices helps the time pass quickly. The Bills would have preferred not to have put this position off for quite so long. However, the combination of holes on the roster and players available when Buffalo was making selections conspired against taking a safety earlier.

6-183: Brannan Southerland, FB, Georgia. I think we’d all be happier with Quinn Johnson and if he’s on the board he should be the pick. However, I think there’s a pretty good chance that he’ll be taken with one of those compensatory picks at the end of the 5th round. There’s a good chance Southerland would be available in the seventh, but if he’s a guy Buffalo wants, why chance it? The re-signing of the ineffective McIntyre suggests Buffalo isn't done with FB after all.

7-220: Lendy Holmes, S, Oklahoma. Brian’s story about the entire safety corps becoming free agents inside of two years convinced me. Well, that and the fact that Buffalo hasn’t gotten terrific play from the guys on the roster.

So there it is, sports fans and people with nothing better to do than read this. I tried to err on the conservative side of things in terms of types of trades and trade value that Buffalo might receive. I also selected players who should be on the board when Buffalo picks.

LB Clay Matthews, DE Robert Ayers, OT William Beatty, C/G Alex Mack, TE Cornelius Ingram, OT Jason Watkins, SS Courtney Green, FB Brannan Southerland and FS Lendy Holmes… that sounds quite a bit better than the no trades version. At the very least, Ellison is riding the pine and six of the nine picks figure to see playing time beyond special teams. Rip away!

Fullbacks: Not much of a long look back, brief look forward

Fooch — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 16:00:08 -0000

This was not much of a year for the fullback position in the 49ers offense. In the Martz offense, the fullback is really not much of a factor, so it was not all that surprising to see Frank Gore's compatriot Moran Norris get the axe before the season. Given the relative lack of a traditional fullback in 2008, most of this discussion is going to center on options for 2009. If the move to a more meat and potatoes running-heavy game is what will happen, a strong fullback is in order.

Zak Keasey started out as the fullback, but suffered a season ending injury in October that came pretty lose to eliminating the fullback position from the lineup. Keasey doesn't fit the traditional mold of the smashing fullback as he's been more of a special teams guy throughout his career. He seemed to make some strides, but a torn bicep ended his season in mid-October. Keasey is an exclusive rights free agent, which means that if the 49ers tender him a contract, he has to sign it. If he chooses not to he has to sit out the season. I'd say that of all the potential certainties this offseason, Keasey being resigned is probably highest.

Michael Robinson filled the role off and on in 2008 but he is clearly not the answer at fullback. In 2009 I think the second biggest certainty is that he won't be the fullback. He will be used in some two-back formations, but not as the traditional lead-blocking fullback.

Sean Ryan was signed as a tight end, but fit into a bit of an H-back role that included some work as a fullback. At most he might get brought back for training camp, but barring injuries, his chances of making the squad (if he's even re-signed) are pretty slim.

As this list shows, it was a pretty quiet year for fullbacks. Since the offseason began, folks have definitely clamored for the need for a fullback.

Free Agency
A quick look at free agent targets over at WalterFootball.com indicates some very attractive options, if the 49ers decide to look in that direction. In a fitting irony, Moran Norris is back on the market and I'd imagine the 49ers might make a play for him. Frank Gore had his best year in 2006 running behind Norris and I'd imagine the cost would not be all that much. Of course, fullbacks in general aren't a high paid group, so that's not as much of an issue.

The hiring of Jimmy Raye makes Tony Richardson an intriguing option, even at the age of 37. Richardson was the fullback for Raye in Kansas City, although those rushing attacks were pretty much crap. More importantly (and more cherry picking on my part), Richardson was the fullback in New Jersey this year and Thomas Jones had the biggest year of his career. It might be a coincidence, but in my head I'll just say it's because of Richardson...ok maybe not. Over at Rotoworld yesterday, they posted some interesting commentary about Richardson. They mentioned that he intended to play two more years and the Jets have not contacted him about a new deal. In their commentary on it, Rotoworld said:

New 49ers OC Jimmy Raye and Richardson's history dates back to their days in Kansas City, so it's only natural that he'd consider following Raye to San Fran. Richardson, 37 has a lot of game left and could help Frank Gore.

Lorenzo Neal is also an intriguing option, given the help he provided Ladanian Tomlinson in past years. Leonard Weaver is great up in Seattle, but I'd expect the Seahawks to lock him up.

Draft
Although I personally would prefer a veteran option at fullback, there are some solid options in the draft. I would suspect the 49ers go with a veteran and continue developing Keasey, but maybe they go the youth route. Although not quite a consensus, the top five fullbacks in no particular order include:

1. Brannan Sutherland, Georgia
2. Tony Fiammetta, Syracuse
3. Quinn Johnson, LSU
4. Eric Kettani, Navy
5. Conredge Collins, Pittsburgh

It's still early, but some extended mock drafts have fullbacks around in the 5th round and later, so it's not something that has to be addressed early on. And of course shouldn't be addressed early on.

Poll

Who will be the starting fullback next season?

Zak Keasey

55 votes

Moran Norris

93 votes

Tony Richardson

78 votes

Other free agent (please specify)

40 votes

2009 draft pick

27 votes

Other

8 votes

301 votes | Poll has closed

Georgia Bulldogs 24, Michigan State Spartans 12

T Kyle King — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 05:30:05 -0000

Shortly before my family and I sat down to supper on New Year’s Eve, my wife, Susan, asked me what I wanted to drink with my evening meal. Reflexively, I told her I wanted a Coke.

When we had members of our extended family over for Christmas, however, my in-laws brought some soft drinks with them, including a twelve-pack of Fresca. My son, Thomas, who is five years old and whose status as a mojo savant has been confirmed repeatedly through several successive football seasons, asked me whether I wanted a Fresca instead. Without thinking much about it, I took him up on his suggestion.

After we had finished eating, I sat there at the kitchen table for a few more minutes when my eye spied the empty Fresca can, along the side of which were emblazoned these words: "Original Citrus."

Then it hit me: Thomas intuitively had done it again. Just before kickoff of the Chick-fil-A Bowl---an Atlanta-based postseason game featuring an Atlanta-based rival team---I had chosen the definitive Atlanta-based soft drink until my son talked me out of it, convincing me instead to drink a beverage billed as the original citrus on the night before the Bulldogs were to take the field in the Capital One Bowl . . . or, as it previously was known, the Citrus Bowl.

Coincidence? I think not.

From that moment forward, I had no doubt that Georgia Tech would lose, Georgia would win, and order would be restored to the universe . . . or, at least, to the Peach State, which is near enough to being the whole cosmos to suit me.

If you buy the idea that Thursday’s game was a referendum on Willie Martinez, you are free to come to one of two conclusions. If you prefer to see the glass as half-full, it is clear that the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator put together as effective a game plan against Michigan State as he had against Hawaii a year ago. If you prefer to see the glass as half-empty, it is equally clear that, if the ‘Dawgs are given four weeks to prepare for every opponent and Georgia joins the Big Ten or the W.A.C., Willie Martinez is our man. Against S.E.C. opposition with a game every Saturday, not so much . . . although my confidence would be bolstered by a public announcement that Coach Martinez TiVo’d the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

Nevertheless, credit must be given for a stout defensive effort. The Spartans spent much of the first half in Georgia territory but managed only six points before the break. A first-quarter interception thrown by Matthew Stafford set up M.S.U. with first and 10 at the Bulldog 12 and a personal foul penalty halved that distance. Sparty picked up three yards on the next three plays and settled for a field goal.

Later in the opening period, a forced fumble was recovered by Michigan State on the Red and Black’s side of the field. The ‘Dawgs held, turning first and 15 into third and 24, when a borderline roughing the passer call give the Big Ten team a fresh set of downs at the Georgia 36 yard line.

By the way, as many times as Brian Hoyer was put on the ground on New Year’s Day, how could the announcers not use the phrase, "Down goes Hoyer!"? (Associated Press photograph by Michael Conroy.)

It was the sort of situation in which the Georgia D has folded this season; it was, in fact, the sort of situation in which the Georgia D has given up a play that covered whatever number of yards separated the line of scrimmage from the end zone. Instead, Asher Allen threw Keshawn Martin for a six-yard loss back to the 42. Javon Ringer’s second-down carry yielded a four-yard setback to the 46. An incomplete pass made it fourth and 20.

Overall, the Spartans held the ball for exactly 30 minutes of clock time, won the turnover battle, and picked up nearly as many first downs (16) as Georgia (19). Even so, though, M.S.U. was limited to a 25 per cent conversion rate on third down (4 for 16), managed only 236 yards of total offense, and averaged less than one yard per carry (34 rushes for 31 yards). Ringer picked up 47 yards on 20 attempts and never carded a scamper of longer than 21 feet.

There were, as there too often are, foolish penalties (7 for 53 yards) and long stretches in which Stafford simply appeared off his game. (From his vantage point on my living room couch, my brother-in-law opined that the Georgia quarterback was simply trying to get out of being drafted by Detroit.) Knowshon Rockwell Moreno had more receiving yards (63) and touchdowns (1) than rushing yards (62) and touchdowns (0).

Smart second-half adjustments saw the Georgia offense improving significantly, as the ‘Dawgs got away from attacking the middle and began using screens and going after the perimeter. Kris Durham had a moment or two at which he looked like he could be in the passing game what Brannan Southerland was in the running game. With six catches for 97 yards and a touchdown, Michael Moore took up the slack when A.J. Green and Mohamed Massaquoi were held in check.

Our Michael Moore totally outclasses theirs.

Bad breaks and dumb luck (particularly in the kicking game) appeared for a while to be conspiring against the Classic City Canines, whose no-huddle attack worked like gangbusters for the first four plays of an eight-play opening drive that looked at the outset like the prettiest initial series ending in three points ever . . . or, at least, since the 2005 Outback Bowl. After that, though, it looked like a typical 2008 Georgia effort, in which the ‘Dawgs looked great in one phase of the game but only intermittently good (at best) in the others.

There is no denying that the Red and Black were lucky to be trailing only by a field goal at halftime. The opening possession of the third quarter gave little cause for confidence, as a 24-yard kickoff return and a 16-yard drive were squandered on a penalty and a punt. It wasn’t that I ever doubted that the ‘Dawgs would win---again, the Fresca on New Year’s Eve and the resulting Chick-fil-A Bowl win for the good guys left me certain of a Bulldog victory---but I had my doubts whether the Red and Black would win any way other than ugly.

Then an Aaron Bates punt went 53 yards and took a favorable bounce for the Great Lake State Gladiators inside the five. Moreno went 10 yards on first down and caught a five-yard pass two plays later. Stafford’s next five passes went to Moore for 16 yards and a first down, to Green for 12 yards, to Durham for 13 yards and a first down, to Caleb King for 11 yards and a first down, and to Moore for 35 yards and a touchdown. After that, the outcome never really was in question.

The 2009 Capital One Bowl resembled the 2005 Outback Bowl in ways more profound than the similarity of the Bulldogs’ opening drives in the two Sunshine State season-enders. We knew that beloved players, including an established starter under center, were or probably were playing their final game in silver britches, and we felt a profound sense of disappointment at the thought of what that season might have been.

That feeling has pervaded most of this autumn. It will rear its ugly head anew as I sit down to watch the national championship game in which my alma mater’s football team does not appear. That depressing sense of opportunity lost will weigh me down throughout most of the coming offseason. Even with Thursday’s victory, this will be a cold hard winter in Bulldog Nation. For now, though, I am going to enjoy a game which, however imperfect, ended in a Georgia win. That’s enough, at least---if only---for the moment.

Go ‘Dawgs!

The Great Debate: Florida vs. Georgia

cocknfire — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 07:26:53 -0000

Early November will bring resolution to the year's most important contest: Who will win the SEC East -- Georgia or Florida?

As part of our ongoing coverage of this battle over the future of our conference, Team Speed Kills organized a debate between the Mayor of the blogosphere, Dawg Sports' Kyle King, and our resident Florida-cheering contributor, Year 2. All pictures and snarky captions are mine. (The Team Speed Kills preview of all this week's action is here.)

This is almost certainly the battle between the top two quarterbacks in the SEC. Why is Tim Tebow a better signal-caller than Matt Stafford?

Year 2: Let me first say that my respect for Matt Stafford has grown a lot based on what he's done this year, and it's probably higher than what most Gator fans have. I expect to see him in the NFL for many years. I mean, if Doug Johnson could hang around for a while, Stafford certainly can.

That said, he's no Tim Tebow when it comes to the college game. You can pretty much throw out the records as a starter because Stafford has always had a good defense and a credible running game to support him. As a starter, Tebow has had the former only this year and the latter for about three games now.

Stafford is a good quarterback, but Tebow is a force of nature. He carried the Gators last year to a 9-3 regular season record that should have been worse given the state of the defense. If the Gator D was as good last season as it is this season, Florida goes 11-1 and meets a hungry LSU team looking for revenge for a midseason loss in Atlanta. Those records he set were legit, and he definitely earned his bronze stiff arm trophy.

This season he's been more of a ringleader than the guy taming the lions. The more he's gotten used to this year's flavor of the Gator offense, the better things have gone. He's making throws he never would have made last year, and his decision making, when given time, has improved.

No one in America energizes his fans, teammates, and coaches more than Tebow does. No one else shoulders the burden of being both the quarterback of a complex offense and the critical short-yardage back. He's a special player, and it's not likely we'll see another one quite like him again.

Dawg Sports: There's no question that Tim Tebow is an outstanding player and, by all accounts, a fine person. He had a great year in 2007; arguably, the greatest year any college quarterback has ever had. As a Georgia fan, I'm annoyed that an underclassman won the Heisman Trophy -- if underclassmen are eligible, the 1980 award needs to be put in a box in Columbia, S.C., and shipped to Athens, Ga., where it belongs -- but I agree with Year 2 that he earned it.

Georgia math: 1,616 yards > 1,894 yards (Forget who you were dealing with, Mayor?)

The reason Year 2 is wrong, though, is the verb tense of the question. Brandon's not asking who was the better quarterback, but who is the better quarterback, and, right now, the answer is the Lone Star State gunslinger lining up under center for the Red and Black.

As recently noted at Team Speed Kills, Matthew Stafford has taken his game to a new level, starting with last year's performance in Jacksonville. Prior to the 2007 Cocktail Party, Stafford's career touchdowns-to-interceptions ratio was dead even at 17 apiece, his completion percentage was below 55 percent, and he was averaging under seven yards per attempt.

In his last 14 games -- 13 of which the Bulldogs have won, by the way -- Stafford has thrown 21 touchdown passes to just 11 interceptions, is completing nearly 60 percent of his passes, and is averaging almost eight and a half yards per attempt. During that stretch, his efficiency rating has ballooned from 115.00 to 143.12.

Meanwhile, Tebow's numbers are down across the board from 2007 to 2008, in some cases precipitously. From last year to this, the Gator quarterback has seen declines in his passing yards per game (from 252.8 to 202.1), rushing yards per game (from 68.9 to 32.4), touchdown passes (from 32 to 12), and rushing touchdowns (from 23 to 5).

Granted, some of that decline is due to the fact that the Saurians now have more weapons in their arsenal, so the offense is no longer solely on Tebow's sometimes sore shoulders, but the addition of extra standout performers to lighten the load does not explain why Tebow has seen drops in both his rushing yards per carry (from 4.3 to 2.8) and his passing yards per attempt (from 9.4 to 8.6). If it's true that Tebow is "making throws he never would have made last year," then it must also be true that he's missing throws he did make last year, because his completion percentage has fallen from 66.9 percent to 63.4 percent.

Tim Tebow is still an outstanding player, obviously, but one quarterback's star is falling while the other's is rising. A year ago, a neutral observer who was given the choice of putting the ball in Tebow's hands or lining up Stafford under center for a critical fourth-quarter drive would have chosen the Gator signal-caller. That isn't the choice that impartial evaluator would make today ... particularly if that individual happened to be an NFL scout.

Which of Georgia's injuries most concerns you going in this game, and how will that missing player change how Georgia approaches Florida?

Dawg Sports: There's no question in my mind that it's defensive tackle Jeff Owens. The ability to contain and get pressure on the quarterback is never more necessary than it is when facing an athlete with the ability of Tim Tebow. After Tebow was used only as a situational quarterback in 2006, many of us derided him as "the best fullback in the Southeastern Conference." Obviously, he proved in 2007 that he's the real deal. If the Bulldogs can't get in Tebow's face, he can make the Red and Black pay on the ground and through the air like no other player in the college game. (I'm not altogether sure the word "college" really needed to be in that last sentence.)

That said, I don't know that Georgia's approach will change that much. One of the reasons this rivalry is evolving into the 21st-century equivalent of what the Florida State-Miami game was in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s is the fact that both Mark Richt and Urban Meyer have recruited boatloads of talent to their respective schools. The Bulldogs' injuries have caused the Red and Black to field less experienced players, not less talented ones.

Willie Martinez will still do what Willie Martinez does. He'll blitz less than the fans would like but more often (and more creatively) than we realize, he'll substitute frequently to keep the players fresh, and he'll try to pressure the quarterback and stuff the run. The scheme won't change; it's just a question of execution.

Year 2: If I could pick one injury from the whole season that UGA has had that would make the most impact, I'd pick FB Brannan Southerland. People give offensive line coach Stacy Searels a ton of credit for shoring up the banged up O-line, but almost no one gives credit to Southerland. CBS made a graphic last weekend showing that UGA's offensive production was down without him as compared to with him, and while I don't remember the numbers off hand, the difference was striking.

The reason I bring that up is because I'm actually going to agree with the Mayor on this question. Searels and Southerland have made up for the highly-publicized offensive line injuries well enough, but the defensive line play of Georgia will be crucial on Saturday.

The teams that had the most success defensively against Florida this season -- Miami and Ole Miss -- both had very disruptive defensive lines that were in the backfield most of the game. Florida's offensive line has gotten much better as the year has gone on, so the loss of Jeff Owens is even more important heading into this weekend.

The most impressive game for either of these teams has been the 50-point offensive performance against LSU. The only other common opponent has been Tennessee, which both more or less handled pretty easily. Why does Florida have the advantage going into this weekend?

Year 2: If you look at last year's game, Georgia won it in large part due to Knowshon Moreno running wild all over the field. His rushing opened up the passing game for big plays, and he prevented the Gators from getting critical stops. The 42 points the Bulldogs scored were the most anyone put up on UF the whole season, and yet it was still just 35-30 for most of the fourth quarter.

Moreno is still Moreno, Stafford is a bit better, and A.J. Green is an upgrade for sure. The Georgia defense was good then and is good now, though the nearly 500 yards they gave up to LSU is troubling. Georgia missed a few tackles in that game, and if you miss a tackle on guys like Harvin, Rainey, or Demps, they're off to the endzone.

Or the next ZIP code.

Flip to the other side. Florida has a real running game now. They have a real defense now. The special teams are a terror to all who face them. Nearly every facet of the guys in orange and blue is clearly better than it was last year and those that aren't, well, how exactly do you improve on Tebow and the Gator receiving corps?

The 2001 Gators were the last Florida team to win three SEC games by 30 points or more. This year's squad has already done that with three conference games to go. Not only do they have the humiliating win over LSU, but they have the complete and utter demolition of Kentucky. Georgia has yet to win any game by such a magnitude.

Not only do you have the fact that Florida wasn't that far off from winning last year and has improved greatly, but you also have the incredible roll that the Gators are on right now. Toss in the motivation of revenge for last year's events, and UF has a lot on its side right now.

Dawg Sports: Year 2's description of last year's Cocktail Party is a bit of an exaggeration. Yes, Knowshon Rockwell Moreno carried the ball eight times in the Bulldogs' nine-play opening drive, but Georgia's first possession started at the Florida 39 and Moreno had only one run longer than eight yards on that drive. That's hardly "running wild all over the field." After the Orange and Blue tied the game on their next possession, Moreno began the ensuing Georgia drive with a two-yard loss on his first carry. That, we are led to believe, is what enabled Matthew Stafford to complete an 84-yard touchdown pass to Mohamed Massaquoi on the very next play?

Beyond that, I'm not convinced that winning blowouts prepares you for the tougher teams on your schedule more so than winning nailbiters. The 1983 Nebraska Cornhuskers won a lot of blowouts. So did the 2003 Oklahoma Sooners. So did the 1995 Florida Gators. Does anyone remember how those teams fared against Miami, LSU, and Nebraska with national titles on the line?

Learning how to win close games is part of becoming a champion, as any partisan of either of these teams ought to know. Georgia's 1980 national championship team claimed six of its 12 wins by a touchdown or less. Florida's 2006 national championship team captured four of its seven regular season conference victories by seven or fewer points.

Winning laughers simply doesn't prepare a team to cope with adversity in the fourth quarter and the Gators don't get extra credit for the fact that Urban Meyer inexplicably runs the risk of letting key players be injured by leaving his starters in long after the outcome has ceased to be in doubt. Bad judgment and poor sportsmanship do not earn checks in the "pro" column.

In any case, it isn't as though Georgia's victories have been less impressive than Florida's. In the question, it was mentioned that both teams had faced Tennessee. Let's compare those two games. The Volunteers outgained the Gators (258-243), matched the Saurians in first downs (16-16), and held a slight edge in time of possession. The ‘Dawgs, by contrast, dominated the Big Orange, holding huge advantages in yards (458-209), first downs (29-10), and time of possession (42:04-17:56).

The difference in the score was turnovers: Tennessee lost a pair of fumbles and threw an interception against the Gators, who did not give the ball away in Knoxville. The Orange and Blue turned those Volunteer miscues into six points. Matthew Stafford threw two interceptions against the Vols, who did not surrender the pigskin in Athens. Those picks produced both UT scoring drives.

Let's assume that those turnovers didn't prevent points from being scored by the team that coughed up the ball. (That's not a safe assumption, by the way. Two of Tennessee's three giveaways against Florida were inside the Gators' five yard line and both of Stafford's interceptions were inside the UT 20.) Take the points produced by turnovers off the board and what do you get? Florida beats Tennessee 24-6 and Georgia beats Tennessee 26-0. When you set that alongside the yardage, first down, and time of possession totals, it's clear which team claimed the better victory over the Vols, and it ain't the guys from Gainesville.

The question, though, asked why Florida had the advantage heading into Jacksonville, and, certainly, there is a good argument to make for the Saurians. After struggling in the early going of most of their first few games, the Gators unquestionably have hit their stride, playing their most complete game of the campaign against injury-riddled Kentucky in The Swamp following Florida's open date.

Consider this, though: Florida has shown us its best game, which is very, very good, indeed ... but, while Georgia has shown flashes of what might have been had a few key players not been lost to injury along the way, the Bulldogs have not yet had the breakout game that the Gators have had. Might that breakout game come by the St. John's River?

Certainly, it wouldn't be the way to bet, but, then again, that was the case last year, too, after the ‘Dawgs were beaten down by Tennessee and needed an eleventh-hour comeback to beat Vanderbilt. Nevertheless, it happened, as it always does under Mark Richt (think Georgia Tech '02, Tennessee '03, LSU '04 and '05, Auburn '06, and Florida '07). The Gators have played their best game. The Red and Black haven't ... yet.

Urban Meyer has told us that Urban Meyer is going to "handle" the post-touchdown celebration from last year's game and that it's going to be "a big deal." Are you worried about whatever Meyer might have up his sleeve, either on the field or as a motivational tool?

Dawg Sports: Worried about it? I'm hoping he has something planned! Let me ask you this: should Vanderbilt be worried that Georgia is planning an end zone celebration when the Bulldogs score their first touchdown in Nashville next year? I don't think the Commodores should be worried about that possibility, and, if the Red and Black do such a thing, I believe the Commies should take it as a compliment. It will mean that, after upsetting Georgia in 2006, playing the ‘Dawgs close in 2007, and hanging around with the Red and Black this year, the ‘Dores have arrived as a legitimate rival. You don't pull that sort of thing against a team you own, right?

Well, guess what? In the last 18 series meetings, Georgia is 15-3 against Vanderbilt. In the last 18 series meetings, Florida is 15-3 against Georgia. If Urban Meyer retaliates, it's an admission that the Steve Spurrier era is over, the domination is done, and the relevant record isn't 15-3 in the last 18 years, it's 2-2 in the last four years. It's a rivalry again.

Beyond that, motivation only lasts so long. The Bulldogs' blackout game against Auburn last year was a motivational masterstroke which led to a fun night in Athens and a big victory over a hated rival. This year's blackout in Athens was a distraction. While we in Bulldog Nation were trusting in the magic of the black jerseys, Alabama's coaches and players were getting ready for a football game. Every second Urban Meyer and Urban Meyer's team spend thinking about last year's celebration is a second they aren't spending thinking about this year's game. I believe squandering those seconds in such a manner would be a major mistake.

Year 2: Both the UF players and coaches have said not to expect any stunts or displays, so everyone can put that out of their minds right now. One of Urban Meyer's talking points this season is about how much this year's team is more mature that last year's and how the guys take a professional approach to the game.

Unless you focus on "professionals" like Terrell Owens or Chad Johnson, making some sort of scene would go completely against that line of thought. As anyone who has followed Meyer for any period of time knows, he sticks to his talking points tighter than most seasoned politicians. I would be shocked if he undermined himself in that way.

I find it very appropriate though that Kyle brought up the success of Spurrier in his response to this question. Steve loved to run up the score on Georgia because he hated Georgia going back to his playing days. It was the biggest game of every year to him, and his 11-1 record versus the Bulldogs speaks to that fact.

When Urban Meyer came to UF, he did everything possible to embrace the school. He instituted the Gator Walk, started having the players sing the alma mater and fight song with the band after games, and even began referring to FSU solely as "The School out West." He tried his best to talk the talk and walk the walk.

However, he hadn't fully lived the Gator experience in the way that Spurrier did or any of the fans do. How could he? He spent all of his life in the upper Midwest except for brief coaching stints at Colorado State and Utah. He heard that Tennessee, Georgia, and FSU were the big rivals so he talked about them and prepared for them as such. But did they have extra meaning? Probably some as time went on, but likely not to a significant degree.

The celebration last season changed that. Meyer now has a reason to hate Georgia like Spurrier did. Whether he can parlay that into an amazing streak of success is anyone's guess, but anecdotal reports from people who say they know players indicate that he's not just been his normal intense self at practice this week. He's angry, and that could make all the difference.

Obviously, this game is back to being the de facto SEC East Championship Game, and the winner will (barring a major upset) face Alabama in Atlanta the first weekend of December. Why would Florida have a better chance of beating the Tide than Georgia?

Year 2: Well, we've already seen Georgia give the Tide a try this year (at home with a blackout no less) and we all know how that went. It was 41-17 until UGA got two vanity touchdowns in the final three minutes of the game.

Florida has enough skill position weapons to put continuous pressure on the Alabama defense. Though UF has shown the ability to get off to hot starts just like Alabama has, unlike the Tide the Gators have been scary good in the fourth quarter of every game they needed to be except against Ole Miss. Even then though they got two touchdowns in the final frame; it was a disastrous third quarter that doomed UF on that day.

The much-improved Florida secondary would probably be able to pick off a pass or two from John Parker Wilson. The run defense shut down LSU's Charles Scott, a similar player to Alabama's great backs. 'Bama has a better offensive line, but the task is not that different.

The Tide wins games by winning the trenches, but Florida has gotten a lot better about that as the season has gone on. The Gators match up well in most places, have distinct advantages in others, and would not under any realistic circumstances get blown out. From what I've heard, Vegas would probably even favor Florida to win right now (for whatever that is worth).

Dawg Sports: I'm confused ... or maybe Year 2 is. Didn't he just say "the motivation of revenge for last year's events" (which occurred at the beginning of the game and provoked Urban Meyer to start gesticulating wildly on the sidelines to get his team fired up; one wonders why revenge wasn't motivation enough for the Gators in the final three quarters a year ago) would be a factor in this Saturday's game? Does he think retribution and redemption wouldn't factor into the Bulldogs' performance in a rematch with Alabama?

Did those factors have an impact when Florida got a second shot at Florida State at the end of the 1996 season? I seem to recall seeing a lot of "52-20: Sweet Revenge" T-shirts in Jacksonville in 1997. "Alabama has already beaten Georgia" is a reason why the ‘Dawgs would be the tougher out for the Tide in Atlanta. Yeah, Alabama has already beaten Georgia. They managed to beat Ole Miss at home, too.

Even leaving aside the influence of the obvious emotional factors, there is the fact that Georgia has improved considerably since that loss between the hedges. Since that time, the patchwork offensive line has stabilized and solidified, allowing Stafford and the rest of the offense to find their feet. The ‘Bama loss has been followed by two statistically dominant performances over Tennessee and Vanderbilt, followed by a victory over LSU that wasn't as close as the score indicated. (I believe the term Year 2 used was "vanity touchdowns." That's as good a description as any for the scoring the Bayou Bengals did after Moreno's 68-yard touchdown run put Georgia up 38-17 in Death Valley.)

If the Bulldogs manage to claim back-to-back victories over LSU and Florida in venues other than Sanford Stadium -- a tall order, I know, but the Red and Black are halfway there already -- then this Georgia team will have rebounded from the Alabama loss the way last year's Georgia team rebounded from the Tennessee loss. Should the game in Jacksonville go the Bulldogs' way, it will be a reinvigorated Georgia team that rolls into Atlanta and the team the Tide faces in December will be as different from the team Alabama faced in September as the 2003 LSU team the ‘Dawgs met in the SEC championship game was from the Fighting Tiger squad with which the Red and Black tangled in Baton Rouge earlier that year.

Also, they probably won't wear the black jerseys this time.

Let's say Georgia wins this game and beats Alabama in the SEC Championship Game to get back into the national title picture, but still has to jump over undefeated Penn State for the right to play undefeated Texas. Why should Georgia play for the BCS Championship ahead of the Nittany Lions, and why would the Dawgs' argument be stronger than the Gators' case?

Dawg Sports: If being Ohio State doesn't make you deserving of a national title game berth, why should beating Ohio State get you there? What, you need more than that? Oh, all right.

In your scenario, Georgia will have beaten an improved South Carolina squad, defending national champion Louisiana State, a Florida team that increasingly looks like a genuine national title contender, and a previously unbeaten Alabama club, all in games played in venues other than Sanford Stadium. Throw in home victories over what was then a ranked and division-leading Vanderbilt team and an improved Georgia Tech squad, and, even with Arizona State, Tennessee, and Auburn going into tailspins, you still have a much more difficult schedule than the one Penn State has faced. A 12-1 SEC champion that had to run a gauntlet like that has accomplished more than a 12-0 Big Ten champion that didn't have to go through a conference championship game or play all of the teams in its own league.

If this Saturday's game goes the other way and the Gators emerge victorious from Jacksonville, I believe the Orange and Blue would have much the same argument Georgia would have -- Florida's scalps would be more impressive than the Nittany Lions' would, even with the loss -- but the Bulldogs' ledger stacks up better overall because the Gators will not have a marquee win in a true road game and, most notably, their loss (to mediocre Ole Miss in The Swamp) will be much more damning than the Red and Black's setback versus ‘Bama, particularly if Georgia redeems that loss with a win over the Crimson Tide in Atlanta in much the same way that the Gators redeemed their regular season loss to Florida State with a win over the Seminoles in the Sugar Bowl to cap off their 1996 national title run.

Obviously, my argument would be helped by a Yellow Jacket win over Florida State and a Sun Devil triumph over Oregon State this weekend, although I'm not holding my breath while waiting for either of those outcomes.

Year 2: Kyle nailed the argument for having a one-loss SEC team over an unbeaten Penn State, so I don't feel the need to expand on it.

In defense of the Gators' chances though, let's look at it a little closer. We all thought Georgia would clearly have the tougher schedule, but is the gap really that big still? If you look at non-conference games, FSU and GT probably cancel each other out, as do the I-AA opponents. Winning at Arizona State was good, but is that 2-5 team's best win (Stanford) really better than 5-3 WAC team Hawaii's best win (Fresno State)? Central Michigan has been cleaning up in the MAC, but would they be favored over Miami? Probably not.

Georgia's SEC West slate (minus LSU, a common opponent with Florida) of Alabama and Auburn is better than Florida's is with Ole Miss and Arkansas, but you can make the argument that both the Rebels and Razorbacks are better than Auburn right now. Florida losing to Ole Miss by one at home was not good, but neither was Georgia being headed for a 41-17 loss to Alabama before they tacked on a couple vanity touchdowns in the final three minutes.

I'm admittedly reaching a little here, but Florida does have an impressive resume. Georgia has yet to destroy anyone, I-AA competition included, as thoroughly as Florida destroyed Kentucky (and UK is not 63-5 bad this year). That indicates UF's ceiling is probably higher than UGA's this year.

Pepper in some irrational tidbits for the irrational voters (i.e. Florida has two national titles in the last 11 seasons, Georgia hasn't won one since 1980, therefore Florida is the better program and probably team too), let simmer over a month of games, and you've got your recipe for Florida having a good case for playing the national title game.

Thanks to Year 2 and the Mayor for taking part in our debate, and be sure to visit both sites today and tomorrow for last-minute insights leading up to the game.

Georgia Bulldogs 26, Tennessee Volunteers 14

T Kyle King — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 01:30:37 -0000

I enjoy an emotional game as much as the next fellow, but games that are about who is more fired up than whom wind up at one extreme or the other, as evidenced by the last two occasions on which the Bulldogs wore black jerseys when facing Yellowhammer State-based squads between the hedges. Because it is impossible to be emotionally inflamed for every challenging game---and the ‘Dawgs are at the point in the season at which every game is a challenging game---a team has to win some of them in strictly a businesslike manner.

So it was against Arizona State on September 20, and so it was against Tennessee yesterday afternoon. (Let us leave aside for now the fact that both the Sun Devils and the Volunteers now stand at 2-4; the Bulldogs have twice as many victories over Division I-A teams with winning records as our division rivals from Gainesville can claim.) Everywhere except on the scoreboard, Saturday’s Sanford Stadium showdown was a thumping.

How else do you describe a game in which Georgia holds the ball for over 42 minutes and gains 29 first downs to the Big Orange’s ten? How else could you characterize a contest in which the Red and Black converted more than half of their third downs (9 of 17) while holding the visitors to a one-third conversion percentage (4 of 12)?

Matthew Stafford connected on 25 of his 36 attempts for his first 300-yard passing day in a Bulldog uniform. Knowshon Rockwell Moreno became the first running back to rush for over 100 yards against the Volunteer defense this season. Meanwhile, Tennessee tallied a lone rushing yard---one; count it: one---and, even discounting Nick Stephens’s 15 lost yards on sacks, the tailback tandem of Lennon Creer, Arian Foster, and Montario Hardesty combined for 25 yards on 11 carries.

Tennessee twice threatened to climb back into the game, both times due to Georgia miscues (about which more forthwith), but the Bulldogs built up leads of 13-0 early in the second quarter and 20-7 at halftime in the course of amassing 458 yards against a fairly stout Volunteer D while holding the Big Orange to a measly 209 yards of total offense.

The day was far from perfect, of course, as evidenced by the Bulldogs’ 12-point margin of victory. After the indignities of the past two seasons, in which U.T. drubbed the ‘Dawgs once in Athens and again in Knoxville, this game could and should have been, at a minimum, 35-0.

A.J. Green just flat dropped a touchdown pass at the goal line for no good reason whatsoever. The defense missed a couple of shots at contest-clinching interceptions and failed to force a turnover all game. The penalties, which appeared throughout much of the first half finally to be under control, once again got out of hand in the second half, to the tune of 76 yards surrendered on eleven flags.

Stafford threw more interceptions (2) than touchdown passes (1), and both of the Georgia quarterback’s picks ended what would have been Bulldog scoring drives and led to what became the only Volunteer scoring drives; absent those two bad passes, the final score would have been, at worst, 32-0.

While I appreciate, respect, and even agree with the argument that it is better to be beaten deep than dinked and dunked to death, it isn’t any fun watching it happen to your team. My hope for Prince Miller is that he will turn out to be a latter-day Bruce Thornton---picked on unmercifully while experiencing growing pains before turning into a first-class defensive back---but, for now, it is painful watching him struggle in pass coverage.

Not all of the adversity the ‘Dawgs encountered was their own doing, of course. The unfortunate loss of Vince Vance was no one’s fault, naturally, nor was the fact that the S.E.C. officiating crew that sets new standards for incompetence set up the Bulldogs with third and goal on the three after a penalty that is supposed to produce an automatic first down.

In the end, though, there was much more to like than to dislike in Saturday’s performance. Mohamed Massaquoi had a great day and Demiko Goodman had a good one. The forward wall of the Georgia offense kept Stafford upright and able to throw, which was very impressive, considering the attrition in the Georgia ranks and the quality of the Tennessee defense.

In a not unrelated item, Brannan Southerland’s overdue return proved well worth the wait, and, not to be outdone, Shaun Chapas stepped up his game. Asher Allen remains Asher Allen and C.J. Byrd made some nice plays, as well.

While it’s unfortunate that Blair Walsh had to attempt four field goals, he split the uprights on all four of them, even though one of them was a bit harrowing and I’m not altogether convinced that the wind rendered it wise to let the third quarter expire before letting the true freshman try a 41-yarder at the other end of the field. Brian Mimbs returned to the form he displayed against South Carolina and we appear finally to be getting away from this nonsense of placing kickoffs anywhere other than the end zone.

I could have done with a few more touchdowns and I carry some sense of dread that another such effort of dominance on the stat sheet but not on the scoreboard will not suffice against L.S.U. or Florida or, heck, Vanderbilt. Nevertheless, the ‘Dawgs did what they had to do, converting critical third downs and closing the deal when the chips were down.

Clinging to a 13-7 lead and facing third and eight at their own five yard line, the Classic City Canines moved the chains to spark a drive that went 97 yards in nine plays, culminating in a touchdown with nine seconds remaining until halftime. After the Georgia defense later forced the Vols to go three and out, the Red and Black ran the ball 14 times in their next 16 plays, covering 76 yards and tacking on the game-icing field goal after taking eleven minutes off of the clock.

The Bulldogs played good football and moved the ball well on what is still a stout S.E.C. defense. I will admit that I am not unbiased upon this point, since my wife teaches with this particular walk-on’s father, but, for me, the emblematic play of the game is one you probably didn’t notice. On what I believe was Georgia’s last kickoff, Chad Gloer nearly made---arguably, should have made---the tackle that would have left the Volunteers with particularly poor field position, but, having missed his chance the first time, he got back up, gave chase, and made the tackle the second time. It wasn’t perfect, but it showed a refusal to let up and it got the job done.

The final score, while disappointing, was not surprising, particularly if you happened to read this weblog before the game. (Heck, I even picked the honorary game day captain correctly!) If you want to win a football game, you have to out-think, out-tough, and out-play your opponent. Georgia did that, and, anytime you can walk away from an S.E.C. football game with a win in your hip pocket, you’ve had a good day. I, for one, am not going to fret (for now) that the good was merely good and not great. When good is good enough, I’ll take it.

Go ‘Dawgs!

Too Much Information: Georgia Bulldogs v. Tennessee Volunteers

T Kyle King — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:30:04 -0000

With the Tennessee game fast approaching, it is time for my weekly rundown of statistics, minutiae, and assorted odds and ends. Because you’re already being provided with actual (and excellent) analysis by the likes of, say, Doug Gillett, I’m not going to waste your time by duplicating what you’re already getting elsewhere; instead, I’m going to run through a few of the fine points in the course of giving you not a dash of detail or a dollop of data, but instead . . . Too Much Information.

Defensively, the ‘Dawgs play equally well before and after intermission. Over the course of the season so far, the Red and Black have surrendered 48 points in the first half and 48 points in the second half. The Volunteer offense has scored more points in each quarter than in the quarter before, but the Big Orange still rank tenth in the league in scoring offense. The team ranked ninth just fired its offensive coordinator.

Georgia has lost back-to-back home games only once in the Mark Richt era.

The Bulldog offense averages an S.E.C.-best 6.8 yards per snap. The Volunteer defense allows a league-low 3.9 yards per play.

How well is Tennessee’s defense playing? Gains by the opposing team are measured using one of these.

2008 is the fourth season in Bulldog football history in which the Red and Black have played both Georgia Southern and Tennessee. In the three previous campaigns in which the Classic City Canines crossed paths with both the Eagles and the Vols, the ‘Dawgs were 0-2 against the Big Orange in those seasons in which Georgia came into the Tennessee game undefeated but the Bulldogs were 1-0 against the Volunteers in the lone autumn in which Georgia came into the Tennessee game with one loss.

The Vols have yet to allow an opponent to convert a fourth-down attempt against them, but they allow the other team to pick up the requisite yardage on third down 39.7 per cent of the time, marking the worst conversion percentage permitted by any S.E.C. defense outside of Fayetteville, Ark.

This will be the seventh season in which Georgia plays a Tennessee team that had a losing record five games into the fall. On the previous six such occasions (1906, 1909, 1910, 1988, 1994, and 2000), the Bulldogs were 4-1-1 against the Volunteers.

The foregoing bullet points mark the only times I have ever made favorable references to the 2000 season. No, seriously. I’m not kidding.

The Feel Good Stat of the Week: Last year, Hamp Tanner asked me to investigate Phil Fulmer’s won-lost record following a U.T. open date and the results were as ugly as the game. Now, the shoe is on the other foot. Following a regular season bye week, the Bulldogs are 10-2 under Mark Richt, and, in those dozen contests, Georgia scored 30 or more points six times.

The Bottom Line: This year’s game represents a complete role reversal from last year’s game. In 2007, the Vols were playing at home after an idle Saturday and needed the win to put themselves back on track to finish first in the Eastern Division. Now, all of those cards (home field advantage, open date, sense of urgency) are in the Bulldogs’ hands.

This is not to say that there are not concerns. There is no underestimating the importance of the injuries to the Red and Black’s season so far or the impact of personnel issues upon our pass rush. There appear to be issues concerning leadership, as well.

However, the other side has problems, too. The Volunteers will be playing without a pair of suspended linemen. Tennessee’s season is teetering on the brink. The Big Orange’s star tailback insists upon speaking in pterodactyl.

A pterodactyl? That makes no sense. Everyone knows a triceratops would make a much better running back!

You want the bottom line on the bottom line? Tennessee’s biggest returnee is the latest in the long line of Fabulous Punting Colquitts. Georgia’s biggest returnee is fullback Brannan Southerland. It wouldn’t surprise me to see both of those players named the M.V.P. for their respective teams on Saturday.

By the way . . . I’ve been exchanging frantic e-mails all week with DAve Akins---yes, that DAve Akins---and I have good news: DAve finagled a ticket to tomorrow’s game. The Bulldogs are between the hedges and all’s right with the world.

My Prediction: Georgia 26, Tennessee 17.

Go ’Dawgs!

Talking points: what's up with the Georgia Bulldogs edition

Joel — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 11:34:43 -0000

Huh. Funny how I found this in the Georgia 'sphere, but Georgia Sports Blog says that there's a rumor that coach Fulmer yanked the reigns out of Dave Clawson's hands and called the plays for the Vols at about the 12:00 minute mark of the 4th quarter of the Northern Illinois game, that point where we ran eight consecutive rushing plays for 45 yards before getting sacked and missing a field goal. Paul Westerdawg thinks this is bad news for Georgia: "A greater, Fulmer-driven emphasis on pounding the rock could be troublesome for the Dawgs without a healthy Ellerbe to clog the middle."
That would be Dannell Ellerbe, the Dawgs' preseason All-SEC linebacker who suffered a knee injury against Alabama. He's 50-50 for Saturday's game, and he's only one of five injured linebackers (there are only nine LBs on the roster) for Georgia.
Linebacker's not the only position at which the Bulldogs are less than healthy. The practical equivalent of an entire recruiting class will miss significant playing time this season, mostly due to injuries. It is looking like senior fullback Brannan Southerland will return this week after a six-month rehab of a broken foot, so there's that for them.
The Dawgs also appear to still be struggling along the offensive line. The starting lineup will mostly remain the same as it has for the past two games with the exception of left guard, which is "up for grabs." Most telling is coach Richt's quote suggesting that not too long ago they were having "four out of five [offensive lineman] blowing it" apparently at the same time. Troubling, though, is his outlook that "any game now, we might really put a strong performance together."
Georgia is the most-frequently penalized team in the nation, averaging 10.6 penalties for 87.4 yards per game this season. Only Florida State has been penalized more yards per game (90.0). The race is on! Can our offense gain more yards than they're given this week?
All of that plus the Alabama loss two weeks ago has somewhat tempered Georgia fans' expectations for the season. Doug from Hey Jenny Slater:
Again, with Georgia's weaknesses on both lines having been demonstrated to be rather more serious than we thought, it's a lot harder for me to see the Dawgs as a serious national-title contender now than I did in the preseason. A BCS bowl isn't out of the question, but there might be one or even two more losses waiting down the road for the Dawgs if the offensive-line situation doesn't improve. With that in mind, I think a bid to the Capital One or even the Cotton Bowl would be a decent reward at the end of the season, but anything lower than that would be kind of a bummer.
The MSM is in fact projecting a Cotton Bowl invite for Georgia at this time. The expectations have fallen quite a bit from the preseason No. 1 ranking.
None of that, of course, is to suggest that Georgia's at all concerned about Tennessee this weekend. Dawg Sports appears, and rightly so, to be more concerned about Vanderbilt coming to Athens than this Saturday's visit from the Vols. But you wouldn't know that from listening to Mark Richt, who has nothing but good things to say about Tennessee. Richt says that the Vols "very easily could be 4-1 and could be a top 15, top 10-team right now." He says that if Lennon Creer is Tennessee's third-teamer, then that necessarily means that "they got two great backs I can promise you because Creer has tremendous talent." (Um, not necessarily, coach.) He says that the Tennessee defense has done an exceptional job of handling "sudden change situations, where the defense had to jump back on the field immediately," giving up only 19 points in those situations.
Yeah, okay. Uh-huh. But . . . keep in mind that championship teams are often among the most-penalized teams of that season. Keep in mind that although Georgia's been fiddling with their punt returners all season, Prince Miller ran one back 92 yards against Alabama two weeks ago. Even with all of the revolving-door stuff, the Bulldogs lead the SEC and are third nationally with a 21.7-yard average. Oh, and don't forget this: Georgia has a walk-on who has blocked punts against Arizona State and Alabama this season. That sure doesn't sound good, does it?