What does September hold for the Dogs?
We know one thing about the 2009 Dogs: By the end of a challenging four-game stretch in September, we’ll have a much better idea of just how much of a “rebuilding” year this will be. I’m trying to decide which game worries me the most.
Loading ...Then comes the conference opener in Athens against the Bulldog Nation’s favorite villain and his Gamecocks. Steve Spurrier says he thinks his team, which returns only 12 starters, is “on the verge,” but we’ve heard that before. Does the Visor finally have a QB in Stephen Garcia? That’s the big question. Defensively, Spurrier’s team will be relatively inexperienced. And yet … it’s South Carolina and Georgia. It’s Spurrier. And the Gamecocks will have 10 days to get ready for Georgia after opening on a Thursday. No doubt it’ll be closer than it should be, but unless the Dogs pull one of their “Oh, do we have a game this week?” first halves, they should be able to prevail.
Then it’s back on the road to face Bobby Petrino’s Arkansas Razorbacks, who’ll have a week off to prepare. The Hogs are a veteran team, returning the most starters in the SEC, and Petrino knows how to score points. Many expect Michigan transfer Ryan Mallet, who has a powerful arm, to start, but redshirt freshman Tyler Wilson had the better spring so that’s not a sure thing. They have a fine running back in Michael Smith, but he is coming back from a hamstring injury. On defense, Arkansas returns all its starters up front, but they were terrible last year so that’s not necessarily a selling point. Three of the four starters in the secondary also will be new. So Joe Cox, A.J. Green and company should be able to score. It all depends on Georgia’s defense.
The month finishes with Arizona State traveling to Athens to see if they can do any better than last year, when the Dogs visited Tempe and had one of their best outings of the year. The advance word on the Sun Devils is that they have a good defense, led by the pass rush of Dexter Davis, but a questionable offense with QB Rudy Carpenter gone. ASU plans on installing at least some spread offense — how much depending on who ends up as their starting quarterback. Any way you look at it, this matchup appears to favor the Dogs.
I’ve heard more than one Georgia fan say that a 3-1 record coming out of September would be a job well done. If the Dogs can keep from falling apart offensively without Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno and can play defense more like they did in the bowl game against Michigan State than the way they closed out last season, they could even sweep the month. But that’s a big “if.”
So that’s our Question of the Day: Which September game worries you the most? Feel free to comment, vote in the poll, or go wild and do both.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Guides
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2011 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
237 comments Add your comment
Burger King Dawg
June 18th, 2009
7:45 am
We gonna kick th sheyatt outta all of ‘em. Gooo dawgS whuFff whufff. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!! NoW SQeallll wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
JB
June 18th, 2009
8:01 am
WE will win all four of them….We could be undefeated going into the Florida game. I’m sober and serious.
Don't Tase Me Bro
June 18th, 2009
8:14 am
South Carolina will beat the Dawgs after a double-digit victory @ OSU. They will score 50+ in the first half, Dawgs lose 63-31.
Robert
June 18th, 2009
8:16 am
We should win all four of those.
The only questions, for me, arise on the defensive side of the ball with Willie Martinez’s charges. If it’s the same defense as last year we will certainly lose to OK State, and maybe one other out of the three games left. Everyone knows we are the better team in each of those situations, and with OK State’s weak D, if our defense holds its own, 4-0.
Is it September yet?
tim
June 18th, 2009
8:17 am
oaklahoma state will defllate the puppies season with a 15 point win….and you’ll have at least 3 more beat downs before it’s over
MrDawg
June 18th, 2009
8:23 am
2-2. Ok State is possible, but that Arkansas game is almost unwinnable. No way a tired UGA travels to Arkansasa and beats a rested and hungry Arkansas. Could be an ugly loss.
Henry
June 18th, 2009
8:23 am
Dawg fans will need to have their Pepto Bismol ready when the ole ball coach puts that sick feeling deep inside their stinking guts!
The Grinch
June 18th, 2009
8:26 am
To Don’t Tase Me Bro
Oops, too late. Your post indicates you’ve already been tased!! BWAHAHAHAHA!!
RAMBLE ON!!!
June 18th, 2009
8:28 am
What does September hold for the Dogs? Umm, football?
Fools Gold
June 18th, 2009
8:29 am
Mark it down when the dawgies will have the Stillwater blues! Then next will be too close for comfort when the mutts face Gamechikins. Mutts seem to struggle with the roosters and thats one reason they get no respect from the college football world. This includes Vandy too. Great football programs dont struggle with lesser opponents year in and year out.
Tracey
June 18th, 2009
8:33 am
The Dawgs will shock some folks this year….they will cruise thru september. They have a very brutal schedule but, they have somthing
to prove this year. I think our Dawgs will be more balanced on both
sides of the ball. The game in Jacksonville will be the clincher. If
they get thru that with a win then “look out”! GOOOO DAWGSS!!!
Hey Grinch
June 18th, 2009
8:34 am
Did you have fun on your vacation? Didn’t you go over to Vietnam and have sweet sex wit some little boys ans girls? What a man you are!!!!!!!!BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
jimmy
June 18th, 2009
8:45 am
do we have the character to get the job done?we will know in october
RAMBLE ON!!!
June 18th, 2009
8:45 am
1-3, get lucky and beat a not very good ASU.
That was my imposter previously.
bigdogggg
June 18th, 2009
8:51 am
Trying to hype games that will be easy Ws for the Dawgs. We way lose 1 game this year, but when all the dust is settle dthe Dawgs will have their 6th National Championship.
call me crazy but Joe C is a steady hand and the D will be much improved. These are the Dawgs and we’re always in the running for the NC and this year it will be ours again!!!!
The Grinch
June 18th, 2009
8:53 am
To Hey Grinch
You seem to possess intimate knowledge about being a pedophile. Creeeepppppyyyyy!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
theTruth
June 18th, 2009
8:53 am
Bill, OSU played well last year against lesser opponents. Against the big teams, they folded like a tent. Yes they have a good offense but just as bad defense including giving up 37 to HOUSTON, 56 to TT, and 61 to OU. They will score 30 on UGA, but can their defense keep UGA under 30?
USCe-throw out everything…another nailbiter…expect anything else?
Arkansas-scares the dawg poo out of me. They have a huge advantage in this game and it’s at their place. Uh Oh. Rally the troops.
ASU-It’s a win but ASU has not had back to back losing seasons since the 50’s or 60’s. We should have scheduled Ga State.
RAMBLE ON!!!
June 18th, 2009
8:54 am
Actually, 4-0.
That was my imposter previously.
RAMBLE ON!!!
June 18th, 2009
8:55 am
No, 3-1.
That was my imposter previously.
RAMBLE ON!!!
June 18th, 2009
8:56 am
I disagree with myself. 2-2.
That was my imposter previously.
DawginLex
June 18th, 2009
8:56 am
Gold fool,
I have told you time and time again to:
1.) stay off the blogs of winners
2.) stop embarrassing yourself with your idiotic, jealous hater comments
UGA will win all 4:
UGA 24 OSU 20
UGA 21 SC 3
UGA 31 ARK 27
UGA 31 ASU 14
spurrier will be on his way to getting fired after the beatdown in Athens He will have already been humbled by NC state the prior week AT HOME.
RAMBLE ON!!!
June 18th, 2009
8:58 am
oaklahoma state will defllate the puppies season with a 15 point win….and you’ll have at least 3 more beat downs before it’s over
That was my imposter previously.
RAMBLE ON!!!
June 18th, 2009
8:59 am
WE will win all four of them….We could be undefeated going into the Florida game. I’m sober and serious.
That was my imposter previously.
RAMBLE ON!!!
June 18th, 2009
9:00 am
Gold fool,
I have told you time and time again to:
1.) stay off the blogs of winners
2.) stop embarrassing yourself with your idiotic, jealous hater comments
UGA will win all 4:
UGA 24 OSU 20
UGA 21 SC 3
UGA 31 ARK 27
UGA 31 ASU 14
spurrier will be on his way to getting fired after the beatdown in Athens He will have already been humbled by NC state the prior week AT HOME.
That was my imposter previously.
Mike Bobo 17 INT
June 18th, 2009
9:00 am
Just another standard mediocre year for the Dogs….8-4 at best:
1. Dogs could trip up at Stillwater, if not, then they will get throttled by LSU.
2. Spurrier just knows how to beat the Dogs and can outcoach CMR anyday.
3. Florida, will that is an automatic beatdown for the Dogs, even ESPN and Athlon calls this an automatic loss for the Dogs.
4. The nerds on North Ave. along with Johnson will extend their streak to 2 in a row.
If the Dogs trip up with OSU, then they could be looking at 7-5.
If the nerds on North Ave., and the Gators keep pounding on the Dogs, CMR will remain on track to lose in his job in 3 years or less. Shannon will be fired at Miami and CMR will return and win a title at Miami within 3 years after returning to Miami, because Miami is a much better program than the Athens Rec League team.
RAMBLE ON!!!
June 18th, 2009
9:00 am
The Dawgs will shock some folks this year….they will cruise thru september. They have a very brutal schedule but, they have somthing
to prove this year. I think our Dawgs will be more balanced on both
sides of the ball. The game in Jacksonville will be the clincher. If
they get thru that with a win then “look out”! GOOOO DAWGSS!!!
That was my imposter previously.
m
June 18th, 2009
9:01 am
Not really sure and don’t really care what happens to the dawgs in September.
But I can assure you that Paul Johnson has another arse-kicking lined up for you hushpuppies in November. And I bet you don’t like it any better than the arse-kicking you got last November.
Thank God and Greyhound that chan gomer gailey is gone forever. You dawgs are really going to miss him.
RAMBLE ON!!!
June 18th, 2009
9:02 am
To Mike Bobo 17 Int
So tech will “extend their streak to 2 in a row”? One win equals a streak? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
theTruth
June 18th, 2009
9:03 am
Bobo, during the last 8 years, the STANDARD
The Grinch
June 18th, 2009
9:03 am
I agree with Ramble On. One win does not equal a streak. BWAHAHAHAHA!!
The Grinch
June 18th, 2009
9:04 am
I don’t agree with Ramble On.
That was my imposter previously.
theTruth
June 18th, 2009
9:05 am
Bobo, during the last 8 years, the STANDARD under Richt is 10-3, don’t expect anything less. GT is 8-5 but another 9-4 year is probable. Disregard the previous comment, apparently it was by my imposter.
Tommy Bow WOWden
June 18th, 2009
9:06 am
I see the dawgs playing my ole team in the chicken filet bowl in Atlanta. Both will have identical records coming in at 7 – 5 . Clemson will win handily!
Maddog
June 18th, 2009
9:09 am
RAMBLE ON, The Grinch, theTruth, let’s please stop with the “imposter” bit.
Maddog
June 18th, 2009
9:10 am
m, do you own stock in Greyhound or something??
Red Elephant
June 18th, 2009
9:10 am
Too late Don’t Tase Me Bro. They Tased your brain.
I don’t know what to make of Georgia this season. We all know it depends on your defense and someone stepping up big in the running and receiving game.
This thing could go from 7-5 to 11-1. The opening at OSU is very scary. But something tells me this group of bulldogs have something to prove this year.
I predict you go 4-0 in September and finish 9-3 losing to LSU, Florida (of course) & GT (I know that is painful to hear).
Mike Bobo 17 INT
June 18th, 2009
9:12 am
Here is the deal, if you want brag about some statistics during CMR’s tenure, then go ahead. Nobody in this country really gives a rats ass about a couple SEC titles and winning percentages, only national titles.
Everyone in Athens wants to view seasons in terms of “relativity” and not “reality.” All you can hear from Athens is “if” and “buts”, but the bottom line no one gives this program any respect, because they have not done anything since 1980.
The nerds on North Ave will not dominate your program, but they sure pissed on your parade last year with a season ending ass kicking in Sanford Stadium last year. Here is a new coach, an average or below average squad that beat a pre-season #1 pick.
Athens should be ashamed to have so much talent and money, and has not even come close to playing for a title.
Fools Gold
June 18th, 2009
9:13 am
DawginLex…. Im sorry for your delusional condition but hey there is hope that you may come around and see the absolute trends of your inept defensive coach. The trends of struggle has always plagued CMR with lesser opponents in the SEC too. Just the facts and not a pie in the sky thought!
Bradley G
June 18th, 2009
9:15 am
Bill King, every time you made a statement similar to “it depends on UGA’s defense”, I saw a checkmark in the loss column. Not to beat a dead horse (dawg?), but if we are depending on Willie Martinez to save us during some games–ESPECIALLY early in the year–we are in for a long season.
The definition of insanity is doing something over and over again expecting a different result. I think WM is the most insane coach in college football.
FalconUGAFan
June 18th, 2009
9:19 am
You people are crazed…Just sayin….
Anyway, I think OSU scares me the most. First game of the year, new QB and a very good OSU squad. The roosters are my next concern. Just because they are the roosters and Spurrier. Always play us tough. I think we will come out 3-1 in September. Go DAWGS!
m
June 18th, 2009
9:20 am
I will give you ugag idiots some advice…you were stupid as helle to keep Martinez when Chavis was available. Ugag probably could have had him but you STUPIDLY allowed lswho to grab him.
I predict that you idiotic dawgies will regret keeping Martinez…and especially letting Chavis get picked up by another sec team.
Ringleader
June 18th, 2009
9:23 am
No comment yet concerning the Dogs only receiving 5,000 tickets at $100 for the trip to Okey State.
What a disaster. How could the AD be tricked into this trap. There will be quite a refund for tickets ordered that we will not have.
mobetta
June 18th, 2009
9:24 am
Screw September, i worry about everybody else on the schedule; Spurrier is the only one that makes me itch, F Petrino he aint gonna make it.
Sanford Drive
June 18th, 2009
9:31 am
M,
You speak as though we, the bloggers, are the ones doing the hiring and firing.
Gator Growl
June 18th, 2009
9:31 am
Like Chuck Woolery used to say on “Love Connection”…2 and 2!
JB
June 18th, 2009
9:36 am
We will not lose to TECH this year. Mark it down. Count on it. They will tear that old, smelly, ghetto looking joke of a stadium to the ground and leave a trail of tears of rat hats littered all over the field. we will absolutely wear out that over puffed up team this year. It’ll be over at the half.
Jim Warren from Marietta
June 18th, 2009
9:39 am
Why is this blog always filled with non-sports fans and the uninformed? Maybe three posts that actually respond to the article and question at hand in the entire list. The rest is spamming by less fortunates. Why does the AJC not monitor/delete/block these IP’s? Oh yeah…it is the AJC afterall.
Hey Grinch
June 18th, 2009
9:45 am
lets play Troy, Tenn Tech,new mexico st, georgia st all tthe time
Mike Bobo 17 INT
June 18th, 2009
9:48 am
Jim Warren from Marietta
Because, it is just so easy to attack UGA fans, which are well known as the most obnoxious and uninformed fans in D-1 college football.
The entire program is a joke, and quite frankly, it is in the tank. The AJC is already on the ropes financially, and if not for the medicore UGAY program, there would be no AJC. Bulldog fans just thrive on Bill King and the “what ifs.”
I would not have expected less than for Bulldog Nation (Cordele and Macon) to try and circle their wagons by calling for the AJC to block criticism.
“If you can’t stand the heat, then get out of the kitchen”
BAMA STAN
June 18th, 2009
9:51 am
12 NATIONAL TITLES – 21 SEEC TITLES!!!
UGA could win 4 – could win 2:
– more parity out there with ARK improving and SC always plays UGA tough.
– OK STATE is a great opener and they will be favored. UGA could win this game as I am thinking OK ST. is overhyped.
– AZ STATE is a game UGA should win – easier of the 4.
- I’m not sure that UGA is as talented this year over last – although the injuiries did hurt last year.
Do know this:
1. OL should be very good
2. DT should be very good
3. QB will not win games for you this year – but is there to run the offense (much like a typical BAMA QB)
4. Not sold on Caleb King – RB is a question mark. He might surprise and be more confident – last year looked lost and tentative.
5. WR – Green is a stud – but need to take pressure off him and will be depending on some true freshmen coming in. SO Question mark here at the beggining of the season – should end up a good unit as the year goes on.
6. DEFENSE is the Key.
– Will Martinez stop the turn around the defense after three (3) years in a row of getting worse?
– Will they be consistent this year?
– Will UGA get some turn overs and get improved DE play?
At any rate – UGA fans should be excited that each week (save Tn Tech) is a game that is not gimme – and each victory will be earned.
BEST CASE SCENERIO: UGA wins 10 games (including bowl) – the ball to bounce some your way and win some tough close games.
WORST CASE SCENERIO: UGA wins 7 games – 8 including bowl – the ball does not bounce your way – lose some of the very close games that UGA pulled out last year (see SC/AUBURN/KY)
Would not be surprised if UGA wins anywhere from 7 to 9 games.
DEFINATE UNDERDOG: Gators, LSU
UNDERDOG: OK ST
PARITY GAMES – UGA slight favored or 50/50 or potential for upset: SC, ARK, TN, Vandy, AUB, KY, GT
WIN – NO Question: TN Tech, AZ STATE
Look forward to the season!!!