LIVE from Liberty Bowl: A.J. and Russ are in, Uga is out
Russ is in the house! (Literally.) He's got his bowl game face on.
MEMPHIS — Welcome to the end of Georgia’s season. I know. The Liberty Bowl is not what you were expecting, and neither is the modest goal of trying to finish with a winning record. But Memphis is a nice place, particularly if you’re into barbecue, and I can recommend the ribs at the “Germantown Commissary” (albeit not a BBQ-sounding place).
I would’ve saved the bones for Uga VIII but, alas, he has a tummy ache and didn’t make the trip from his palace in Savannah. At least, that’s the word that the Seiler family is putting out. I’m more inclined to think Uga just didn’t want to make his bowl debut at a game so beneath his standards, particularly since he came in as such a highly touted recruit.
Or maybe Uga’’s just academically ineligible like Caleb King. Like everybody else, he lost interest after the Florida game. Like King, he missed five “academic-related appointments” (obedience school).
So, we have this significant change the depth chart: Russ, The Temporary Mascot, is back!
Don’t, worry. Russ has more bowl experience than Aaron Murray: He won the Independence Bowl last year. Come to think of it, maybe Georgia Tech should’ve borrowed Russ last week for its game in Shreveport. Does Russ get holiday pay for this? The poor mutt was probably happy in retirement, playing shuffleboard at the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm.
But this could be good news for the Dogs. Russ is only 4-4. But he’s 1-0 in bowls and won his last game over Tennessee. Also, Georgia is 3-1 when both Russ and A.J. Green are in the lineup. (Kudos to newshound Tim Tucker for supplying me with that statistic.)
Meanwhile, back here on earth . . .
A loss would give Georgia (6-6) its first losing season since 1996, when the Dogs went 5-6 in Jim Donnan’s first year. Ironically, the last time the Dogs lost in the Independence Bowl was to North Carolina State, which had Donnan at quarterback, in 1967.
Here’s the good news: Donnan is not in Memphis.
But do I think Georgia will lose this game? No. Central Florida will be able to put some points up but in the end I don’t think George O’Leary’s defense will have an answer for Murray-to-Green.
Take one last look at Green because this likely will be his final collegiate game. He most likely will be a top-five NFL pick and I don’t believe the threat of an NFL lockout has any significance. Remember, any college junior who comes out can always take a nice little $1 million loan from an agent to hold him over, just in case the league doesn’t play next season. The potential of a lockout affects mostly mid-to-low-round picks, not first-rounders.
As for the significance of this game, it’s obviously a much bigger deal if the Dogs lose (panic!) than if they win (expected). But going 6-2 after a 1-4 start would be a slight boost going into the offseason.
Not sure what kind of crowd this game will draw but I’m guessing not great. The last report was that the Dogs had sold only 5,000 tickets for this game and gave about 1,000 tickets away for staff and families. That would still leave about 4,000 from its 10,000-ticket allotment.
If you missed them, here are links to a couple of stories from the week worth looking at:
– Tucker’s story on Murray, who’s about to break every significant, single-season Georgia passing record as a freshman.
– Tucker’s piece on the homecoming and disappointing season by Marlon Brown, a highly touted receiver out of Memphis.
That’s it for now. I’ll be here to report on the game and all of Russ’s movements.
♦
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2,311 comments Add your comment
Snake Doc
December 31st, 2010
8:36 pm
USMC Dawg – You speak the truth, only part is…. the boneheads don’t care or don’t want to hear the truth! UGA will never again be relevant until they hire a new coach to bring in new blood and a renewed enthuisiasm!
Nick Fairley scares dawg fans
December 31st, 2010
8:36 pm
UGAKev
I’ll wave to you from Glendale.
WatchEmEveryNight_Fans
December 31st, 2010
8:36 pm
Charlie Weis needs to change planes in Atlanta before getting to Gainesville. Can we meet the plane with a contract and commitment?
USMC dawg
December 31st, 2010
8:36 pm
“Again who would you hire? Easier said then done”
That’s a cop out. There are plenty of great coaches that come out of the woodwork when a SEC program fires a coach.
And you should ask McGarrity that question, he is in the know.
We have the money, we are in the SEC, we have a great tradition, etc….
So, i guess Mississippi state was a great job before they went and got Dan Mullin?
Think about it.
GTFANFROM1951
December 31st, 2010
8:36 pm
dandydawg
So did UGA 10-6 HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
Denver Dog
December 31st, 2010
8:36 pm
Pathetic is just one word that comes to mind to describe this game, team, coaching staff etc etc!
Dawg Doo
December 31st, 2010
8:36 pm
This is what Georgia football is. No reason to get upset. We’re just not a big time program.
JB
December 31st, 2010
8:37 pm
POAD…..Fair enough……BUT i wish i could show the blogs on Chan’s last year on the flats…..Only time Tech woman have seen their men with passion…LOL
UGAKev
December 31st, 2010
8:37 pm
THOUGHT*
Nick Fairley scares dawg fans
December 31st, 2010
8:37 pm
“You have a Florida trained AD. You will get better.”
Florida has never ever ever ever gone undefeated in a season. Ever.
Snake Doc
December 31st, 2010
8:37 pm
for all the boneheads out there – UGA rules nothing!!!!!! NOTHING!!!!!
Fire MR!
Wheres that bedwetter belue to make excuses? this stinks!
Nick Fairley scares dawg fans
December 31st, 2010
8:37 pm
“Pathetic is just one word that comes to mind to describe this game, team, coaching staff etc etc!”
No argument here. WAR EAGLE!
Made famous by Herschel
December 31st, 2010
8:39 pm
Go (insert redneck accent here) Daaaaaawwwwwwgggggs!
gss303
December 31st, 2010
8:39 pm
I am just thankful this suxing season is over.
JB
December 31st, 2010
8:40 pm
Mullen just re-signed for big bucks…He’s off the table….Michigan will be hiring a coach in the next week, Harbough gone…..Peterson ain’t going nowhere…..Feasting on cupcakes 10 games a year.
I doubt we go the NFL route………..But as Obama loves to say….Change is coming. The sea’s will rise,. the earth will tremble………..whoops, sorry…..
Nick Fairley scares dawg fans
December 31st, 2010
8:40 pm
“I am just thankful this suxing season is over.”
Oh, it’s here for a long time, ma’am.
larry
December 31st, 2010
8:40 pm
just a total joke and an embarrasment to UGA and the SEC CLEAN HOUSE NOW it can’t get any worse than this, if mark richt is a real man he will step down, it is like i told my wife if she really loved me she would have married someone else so richt go coach someone else PLEASE and take all the assisstant,s with you (except maybe Grantham
Snake Doc
December 31st, 2010
8:40 pm
Boneheads – Quit obsessing over Yech – thats a nothing game, it means nothing and counts for nothing! There are gargantuan problmes in Athens that need your attention. Not some piddly little game that is played against the pee wee school located off of North Ave..
There are only a handful of folks who have a clue. USMC Dawg, me, Denver Dog and a few others. The rest of you morons ain’t got a clue!
Damon Evans
December 31st, 2010
8:41 pm
If I were still the AD I would wipe the juice off my finger and pull the trigger on Mark Richt!!!!
Duck a Fawg
December 31st, 2010
8:41 pm
hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe….all i heard is how UCF was merely a C-USA school….UGAG would just overwhelm them with superior athletes…..i guess Richt should have let some of those “safe drivers” (suspended licenses, hit and run…etc) drive to the game maybe they could have forced the UCF buses off of the road…..JOKE!!!!!…the Bumpkin by Lumpkin….oh…and let’s hear more about those off-season mat drills!!!….like UGAG is the onlt school to work out in Feb….again….A JOOOOOOKKKKKEEEEE!!!!!
Letterman85
December 31st, 2010
8:41 pm
Since no one had an option let’s get back to reality. MR has multiples years left on contract not to mention our new DC. Too much money on the table to make a move and our AD knows it.
What does MR do to improve all aspects os a team that is in serious trouble. We will all have to wait another year, win or lose.
Go Dawgs
USMC dawg
December 31st, 2010
8:41 pm
Listen,
Noone is saying that UGA is #1 and is a great program. We aren’t.
But we are paying a coach top ten $$$$$$$ and we aren’t even in the top 30.
CMR was great for our program, now we need to move on.
Kin'kade
December 31st, 2010
8:41 pm
Laughable puppies, laughable!
Apostle
December 31st, 2010
8:42 pm
I heard all the radio jocks proclaim the Dawgs would win because they had more talent.What good is talent if the coaching stall can’t get it out of the players.
Plus,I wonder how may players will get arrested by the start of next season?? Time is running out for CMR.
Bulldykes
December 31st, 2010
8:42 pm
It’s funny how we bulldykes rag on tech even though we work for tech alums. We rag on their 6-7 season and we have the record.
We bulldykes rock!!
red&black 4 ever
December 31st, 2010
8:42 pm
Maybe we could hire our favorite fella, visor boy, away from the roosters. He’s always saying how much talent we have at GA!
Loyal Dawg Fan Forever
December 31st, 2010
8:42 pm
Craig (Sky) Hertwig for UGA head coach!
Former UGA All-American waiting right there in A-Town for his coaching chance!
bag over head dawg fan
December 31st, 2010
8:43 pm
If the movie, ‘Titanic’ wasn’t real enough,, now I surely know what it is like to be on a sinking ship.
john
December 31st, 2010
8:43 pm
who won ha ha ha ha great game
6 and 7!!!!!!!!!
December 31st, 2010
8:43 pm
UGA is the joke of D1 football
John
December 31st, 2010
8:44 pm
Just another crappy season for the dawgs and their crappy fans.
Damon Evans
December 31st, 2010
8:44 pm
I would like to slap the hell out of that fat jawed jeff Dantzler. I hate that sorry fllucker
Snake Doc
December 31st, 2010
8:44 pm
lest I forget – Shcultz – You stink as bad as UGA football!
USMC dawg
December 31st, 2010
8:44 pm
“Since no one had an option let’s get back to reality”
What a dumb statement. We aren’t paid to be Athletic Directors, knucklehead.
But we can sure spot a bad coaching job. get over it. CMR is done, whether they pull the trigger this year or next.
“oh, there are no more coaches in the country that will take a job for $3 plus million”- dumb ass
Steak
December 31st, 2010
8:45 pm
Shocking, even I didn’t thunk the Dawgs sucked that badlybthat they couldn’t be ucf, gawd, horrible, just horrible.
JB
December 31st, 2010
8:45 pm
Richt has 3 years left on Contract……We’re all mad, but he’s coming back…..I just don’t see anything to make me believe or think he can improve on the record next year. This team is what it is. Mediocre.
kkong
December 31st, 2010
8:45 pm
L_O_S_E_R_S!
5 stars equals 7 losses and 11 arrest
December 31st, 2010
8:45 pm
SOME OF YOU JUST COULDN’T HELP YOURSELVES, YOU HAVE TO BEAT YOUR CHEST, HOLD A PARADE, LIVE 30 YEARS IN THE PAST and JUST COULDN’T KEEP YOUR MOUTHS SHUT UNTIL THE BOWL GAME WAS OVER…so once again, you have become the biggest BUFFOONS of all time in this nation. So much to be proud of this year yet you keep on beating your chest, eating and drinking yourselves into oblivion, I know that other fans have called all of you inbreds, but if you saw the the cameras zoom in on your fans, it looks like Ma and Pa Kettle. Does anyone believe in a treadmill or know what one is? Bet you know where the nearest Krispy Kreme is. CENTRAL FLORIDA, I MEAN REALLY? WT@?
so even though, GT, TN and Clemson all had bad years, you people win the biggest BUFFOONS award, so much to offer but nothing to show for it.. I would day maybe this will teach you to keep your mouths shut before your season is done but it won’t, when the recruiting signing day approaches, once again you all will be holding a parade about all your 5 star signees…GOOD LUCK WITH THAT $HIT
Damon Evans
December 31st, 2010
8:46 pm
UGA sports is loaded with $$$$ but they wont spend. Look at what FL just done. They talk the talk and walk the walk.
Bulldykes
December 31st, 2010
8:46 pm
Damon, how were you paying that ugly ho? You still dating a bulldyke?
Letterman85
December 31st, 2010
8:46 pm
And since there will not be a change I hope the Dawgs of old return next season and prove all of us wrong
gss303
December 31st, 2010
8:46 pm
UGA is horrible
GT is even worse
both sux
Georgia Tech Fan
December 31st, 2010
8:47 pm
Dawgs Stink.
He Hate Gator
December 31st, 2010
8:47 pm
Georgia (6-7) snapped a four-game bowl winning streak with its first loss since the 2006 Sugar Bowl. Worse for the Bulldogs is notching their first losing season since going 5-6 in 1996. Georgia coach Mark Richt didn’t accept the runner’s up trophy, instead telling an official to get it to him later.
“We’re all disappointed,” Richt said. “We didn’t want to finish with a loss. We didn’t want to finish with a losing record. … There are reasons why we ended up the way we did. We’ve got to make change. We’ve got to make sure it doesn’t happen again in the future.”
Yep….starting with the head coach…
Damon Evans
December 31st, 2010
8:47 pm
my middle fanger is still wet
JB
December 31st, 2010
8:47 pm
let’s hope McGarity takes a page from Bama’s play book. Target someone. Open the check book. Close the deal…………If it takes 5 mil per…….Someone bigtime will perk up.
Jason T
December 31st, 2010
8:48 pm
Won’t be long before the sad no life puppy fans will be talking about pre season rankings and getting wet looking forward to 2011, pathetic.
Tech fan
December 31st, 2010
8:48 pm
I’m actually thinking about asking out a girl on a date…how do you do that? And do girls like Dungeons & Dragons?
Georgia Tech Fan
December 31st, 2010
8:48 pm
gss303
GT is in better shape than UGA.
bag over head dawg fan
December 31st, 2010
8:49 pm
Hertwig?? I was at UGA when he was there, he couldn’t tie his f’ ing shoes…..compared to him Ray Goff was Vince Lombardi