Looking for the silver lining as UGA spreads the red
A look at Georgia uniforms of the past. (Heritage Sports Art)
So I return from vacation to find Mark Richt’s Dogs now a Top 20 team with opening-game uniforms that look like something out of a Japanese kiddie show.
Actually, I don’t mind the red on red aspect of Georgia’s Nike Pro Combat uniforms so much but I just don’t like that jersey, especially the black on the sleeves. However, the helmet actually comes close to being pretty cool; I just wish the red stripe wasn’t so wide. I could see those helmets — or a variation — brought back out for a future bowl game or something with our traditional uniforms.
Discussing the Pro Combats over the weekend with several fans, both young and old, I found a recurring theme that most would have preferred something a bit closer to a retro look (silver helmets, red jerseys, silver britches), but throwbacks is not really what the whole Pro Combat thing is about. Still, as my old schoolmate Rusty said on Facebook, “Well, they’re hideous, true. But I can live with them for one game.”
(For a closer look at the poster of the evolution of Georgia’s uniforms, go here. Artwork courtesy of Scott Sillcox. Each of the 15 actual pieces of original watercolor artwork used in the UGA uniforms poster are available for sale here.)
Meanwhile, I have to say I was a little surprised to see Georgia ranked No. 19 in the Associated Press preseason poll — the only team on the list coming off a losing record — but Boise State at No. 5 (making the Broncos the highest-ranked season-opening opponent for the Dogs since 1965) and South Carolina at No. 12 is about what I expected.
As Neil “Hondo” Williamson of the Georgia broadcast team points out, dating back to the first AP poll in 1936, Georgia has never opened the season against two top 20 teams (or top 25 for that matter). So in terms of how highly ranked the opponents are, 2011 will mark the most difficult opening two games in Bulldogs history (though I’ve heard several fans make a good case for the opening tandem in 1982 when Georgia faced defending national champion Clemson and a Steve Young-led BYU team).
Estimations of how the Dogs will weather those first two games and the 10 regular season matches to follow are all over the place, ranging from Phil Steele’s prediction of Georgia winning the SEC East to Sports Illustrated predicting a 6-6 record.
Of course, such predictions are, like the preseason polls, nothing but guesswork, but if there’s anything even sillier, it’s preseason bowl projections. That doesn’t stop various sports media outlets from trotting them out, though, and College Football News has Georgia playing Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl in its “way too early” projection, while both of ESPN’s bowl projections have the Dogs in the Capital One Bowl, with Mark Schlabach pitting Georgia against Ohio State and Brad Edwards pegging Nebraska as the opponent.
That’s getting way ahead of all the games, of course, in a season where even die-hard UGA loyalist Loran Smith isn’t sure what sort of team Richt is going to field but is cautiously optimistic, noting, “this team could play really well the first two weeks and begin the season 0-2. The good news is that, in the Butts-Mehre building, you won’t find anybody who believes that will happen.”
Neither do I. How about you?
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217 comments Add your comment
Top Dawg
August 23rd, 2011
4:13 pm
Dawgin Lex, That makes sense, but Mark implied he asked players if they wanted as if that would have canceled all production contracts had they said no, they didn’t like.
I wish players showed some class and said they didn’t like or want to wear them!
Top Dawg
August 23rd, 2011
4:20 pm
Time for adults today to TELL children what they will and will not have….not other way around.
Who raised these wimpy parents today? Sure as heck wasn’t my parents.
its a crazy world
August 23rd, 2011
4:23 pm
feeling like its an upside down sponge cake
RedandBlackDAWG
August 23rd, 2011
4:26 pm
There are a lot of historians on here daily bashing UGA. If there is a sport at the amateur level that changes more than college football does in one year for a school, I don’t know what it is. Kids graduate, leave, quit or are dismissed on every team in the NCAA, and teams improve and fall down each and every year. Each year is a relatively new beginning for each team that plays the sport. Statistics from the previous year and years gone by, mean very little for the following year. Right now, every college team in the NCAA is 0-0. Some might want to wait a few weeks before bashing UGA or crowning their team, the new NC at least.
Dawg Walk?
August 23rd, 2011
4:45 pm
Anyone still complaining abt any part of the Nike combat uniform, Please, Please go look at Maryland’s new unis and then be very very thankful for the one UGA got.
Pat Summit's
August 23rd, 2011
4:58 pm
Still Nuts
Top Dawg
August 23rd, 2011
5:00 pm
Dawg Walk?,….I don’t care about Maryland’s or any others uniforms….I CARE about UGA…two wrongs don’t make a right.
DawginLex
August 23rd, 2011
5:11 pm
Yeah and we were ranked #1 preseason in 2008
how’d that turn out?
There should be no rankings until October 1st. CFB turns over every year with a different group of players.
Beast from the East
August 23rd, 2011
5:53 pm
Dawgs go 8-4 and battle it out for second place in the East with UF.
Win the bowl game and end the season 9-4 with a top 20 ranking. Lose the bowl game and end the season 8-5 and unranked.
That’s been my prediction all year. Only a few weeks until we sort it out!
Columbus
August 23rd, 2011
5:53 pm
Realistically, both games could go either way. UGA is at home for both, even though one is at the dome. The dome will have to be DEAFENING for a HUGE NEEDED ADVANTAGE AND I KNOW IT WILL BE!
UGA had USC beat last year IN Columbia and without Green and others but we fumbled the go-ahead touchdown. This year UGA defense shoud be as good as theirs or better, if we had them beat last year at HOME and with UGA at home this year, I say UGA is the FAVORITE BABY!
2 HARD games could lose both, could win both. I am not sure about Boise, but I think UGA wins a hardfought game with SC by taking over in the 4th quarter. If we do not make mistakes against Boise, I say we MANHANDLE THEM IN THE 2nd half and score late to win the game on a long run after the catch by Crowell. Matter of fact, I say Crowell dominates the game, we keep their offense off the field and our D rested and dominate the 2nd half. If we use that same pattern against SC, we go 2-0 without turnovers and if Crowell can handle the load. We need Samuel in there too so we dont work Crowell too hard.
We are gonna need him to run on LSU, ARKANSAS OR BAMA in the SEC CHAMPIONSHIP BABY!
Run Bobo Run and that also MEANS runs by the backs after the catch! Short passes to the backs after the receivers have spread the D thin and they are isolated with a linbacker to beat then off to the races! You compute that Bobo? Think Herschel…..Crowell can catch that rock too!
Pete
August 23rd, 2011
5:56 pm
Funny, the only articles I read or even blogs I read that have anyone thinking the pups will dominate the lines are here at AJC………
Does everyone on earth telling you pup fans you’re gonna get dominated on the lines and everywhere else scare any of you?
Or do you really believe the crap that comes out of all your mouths? Only here does anyone in the world think the pups have a chance. Only here do you delusional fans say stuff like, faster better players haha LOL!
Only here are people so delusional and misinformed. You are all in for a rude awakening.
UGA FRIEND
August 23rd, 2011
5:59 pm
The Bulldog fans get up tight over so many little things.
You people should be thankful for everything about football that you have. You bash your coaches, the uniforms, and anything else you can find to be negative about. Chill out UGA fans and get a life. Its only football.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
August 23rd, 2011
6:06 pm
Pete
Stop daydreaming and finish peeling those potatoes
Boise isnt beating UGA. You barely beat VT. VT is nothing to brag about
Pete
August 23rd, 2011
6:10 pm
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville————————–
Great example of what I mean…….. You can’t even beat crap UCF or Colorado.. and have the ignorance to say beating a ranked VT conf champ isn’t much? VT was ok but holy crap….. if VT ain’t much, then what does that make a 6-7 unranked crap uga team mean?
Frigin retards.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
August 23rd, 2011
6:37 pm
Pete
VT couldnt even beat James Madison High school the next week
Im the retard, take a look in the mirror
RedandBlackDAWG
August 23rd, 2011
6:44 pm
Pete,
You are going to feel pretty stupid, when Boise get’s it’s butt handed to them in the Dome. No worries though, since the WAC conference is given a berth in the BCS bowl series I think, so you might still be able to get in. Until then, it would be wise of you to stay off of blogs, if you can only insult UGA and act childish. The old saying goes, “It is better to be thought a fool, than open ones mouth, and erase any doubt”. You my friend have erased any doubt.
War Dang Dawg
August 23rd, 2011
6:45 pm
Bad news: 0-2 to start, 7-6 overall. Losses will come against Boise, S. Carolina, Tennessee (let’s face it, we’ve stunk up Neyland the last two times we’ve gone there), Miss. State, Florida (a given), and either Auburn, Tech, or the bowl opponent.
Good news: Richt will be gone, and Georgia will finally land a marquee, proven head coach to lead us in 2012 and beyond!
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
August 23rd, 2011
6:53 pm
War Dang Dawg
If that happens I we get someone thats not a start up
Gary Paterson
Chris Peterson
Would be my first two picks
War Dang Dawg
August 23rd, 2011
6:58 pm
Spike 80DF , entertaining video. But it offends me when “Gator” and “Redneck” are used together in the same sentence. I hate redundancy.
LakeDawg
August 23rd, 2011
7:03 pm
Top Row Dawg
August 23rd, 2011
11:42 am
I think the 5 times we started with South Carolina and Tennessee under Ray Goff were the toughest.
————————————————————————————————————————————————
LOL Any 2 games under Goff would be tough.
Beast from the East
August 23rd, 2011
7:03 pm
“Spike 80DF , entertaining video. But it offends me when “Gator” and “Redneck” are used together in the same sentence. I hate redundancy.”
War Dang Dawg,
Newsflash! If you took all of the rednecks out of the state of Georgia, you’d be left with no one outside of metro Atlanta other than people of color. Does Florida have their share? Yes, they do, but Georgia is WAY out in front…..and most of the UGA faithful are proud of it.
however
August 23rd, 2011
7:09 pm
I still don’t see how Boise St can be ranked so high – they lost all of their D-Backs and most of their top receiving corp from last year. UGA (along with any top 25 team with a decent QB) should be able to light them up with the pass. And any top 30 Defense should be able to stop their really good QB – with the receiving corp BS has this year. So – UGA wins this one handedly.
War Dang Dawg
August 23rd, 2011
7:13 pm
Flat Tire, either one of those guys would suit me just fine. In my memory, Georgia has never landed a proven head coach from another major program. Other schools do it routinely. Look at Alabama -hiring away Bear Bryant, Gene Stallings, and Nick Saban is as good as it gets.
If schools with lesser tradition like South Carolina and Florida can hire the likes of Lou Holtz, Urban Meyer, and Steve Spurrier, there’s no reason Georgia can’t do the same. It’s time for this program to shed its small time mentality. The rest of the SEC is passing us by.
Runnin
August 23rd, 2011
7:14 pm
What difference does it make what the uniforms look like? Dawgs are Dawgs no matter what they wear. I see a 9–4 season coming including the bowl game if we don’t have too many injuries and our guys can stay out of jail. Ga.- 42 Boise – 28. “GO DAWGS”!
icedawg
August 23rd, 2011
7:19 pm
If we have any semblance of a running game we will score points against anyone. But the season will hinge on how well the defense can keep the opponents from scoring. We had difficulty stopping people when we had to late in the game. If the defense can turn it around then we can have a very good season.
whatsgoingon
August 23rd, 2011
7:31 pm
To Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville –
You made the statement “VT couldnt (sic) even beat James Madison High school the next week”. Many people have mentioned this as if VT was some weakling – remember your glories doggies got beat by UCF. But also – does that mean that Michigan is a weakling team because the lost to Appalachian St a couple of years ago? Or (using your logic) was FSU much better than Florida last year because the beat the gators 31-7? Or that Clemson nearly beat (should have – Clemson kicker missed a 32 yarder that would have sealed the game) the national champs Auburn? Does that mean that Clemson (who went 6-7 last year) was just as good or better than Auburn? Once again – using your logic with VT – I would have to say “yes”. So be careful when giving comparisons based on a lose here and there.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
August 23rd, 2011
7:40 pm
whatsgoingon
VT 1-19 vs top 10 teams just a side note
Now this time using that book you just wrote me; use that same statement to respond to Pete at 6:10
Now after re-reading Pete’s repeat after me “So be careful when giving comparisons based on a lose here and there”
Delbert D.
August 23rd, 2011
7:42 pm
however – They didn’t quite lose *all* of the DBs. One returning really good safety and 1 CB with some experience. The other safety listed has been in the program for awhile. It’s not like last year, when they returned 20 of 22 starters.
*S George Iloka 3L 6-3 216 (63 T, 3 TFL, 2 INT)
CB Jamar Taylor 2L 5-11 194 (35 T 3.5 TFL 2 INT)
S Travis Stanaway 2L 5-11 203 (9 T)
* Iloka is preseason 2nd team AA (Athlon)
Runnin With The Dawgs
August 23rd, 2011
7:48 pm
Boise has a high powered offense and I’ll give them credit for that, but their defense will fold under UGA’s offense. I think Ga. will score everytime they get the ball.
Delbert D.
August 23rd, 2011
7:52 pm
VT had one defensive lineman returning in 2010, and he had made only 8 starts. No safeties (their Rover had 4 starts), and 1 of the returning CBs had only 2 starts. They had to learn on the job. It doesn’t explain their offensive problems, though.
I’m not a VT fan, by the way; just throwing out some info, as usual.
RNB
August 23rd, 2011
7:55 pm
Everyone needs to quit worrying about the uniforms and worry about winning some games. In case you missed the last two years the Georgia football program is a joke. I don’t care about the uniforms all I want is some wins against top SEC competition.
Delbert D.
August 23rd, 2011
7:56 pm
Other than Moore, RB Doug Martin, and OT Nate Potter (preseason AA), the defensive line is the real strength of the returning players. DT Shea McClellin and Billy Winn are preseason AAs.
Delbert D.
August 23rd, 2011
7:58 pm
Oops! McClellin is a DE; Winn is a DT. Winn is preseason AA-1st Team – SN and Athlon; 2nd Team Phil Steele and Lindy’s
Hairy Perry
August 23rd, 2011
8:02 pm
These loud mouths come on here and talk like Georgia’s had a loosing record for the last 50 years.
Three down years and UGA football is irrevelant, terrible and meaningless. People don’t get on the blogs of meaningless teams and hang out for hours. Your own actions contradict your comments.
Hairy Perry
August 23rd, 2011
8:06 pm
i believe Georgia wins this game by the 3rd quater. I don’t believe Boise State is as good as every one wants them to be. As usual.
Hairy Perry
August 23rd, 2011
8:06 pm
Adios Amigos!
Michael Clayton
August 23rd, 2011
8:07 pm
Blah, blah, blah, blah let’s suit it up in whatever and see who’s the “Big Dawg”! It’s okay to discuss but a “True Dawg Fan” will be supportive and positive about our team and their efforts. Golly geez I am ready to see this team play…
bad brad
August 23rd, 2011
8:30 pm
Bill,
You are a Bulldawg columnist and you went on vacation with the season upon us; you should be fired. No excuse for that.
ugaclassof2004
August 23rd, 2011
8:50 pm
I’ll tell you one thing right now, if Richt goes below 8-4 with THIS easy schedule, he should be fired immediately!! Shoot, if he gets less than 10 wins than he should be fired. No Bama, No LSU, NO Arkansas. Tennessee, Florida, and Auburn will ALL be down. Tech and Vandy will be horrible. The only teams that are even remotely menacing are South Carolina, Boise, and MSU: all of which are still winnable. If Richt can’t rebound from last season with THIS schedule, then he clearly can’t motivate this generation of player in which case he must go. Shoot you give David Greene & Co. this schedule and they’d go 12-0. Get it done Dawgs! Enough of the excuses.
Terminezza
August 23rd, 2011
9:44 pm
The uniforms look like Bozo the Clown’s costume. But then, UGA is full of clowns, isn’t it.
Boise State >>>>>> Georgia
The Broncos in a major beatdown over the doggies.
Erk Russell's Dog
August 23rd, 2011
10:00 pm
@PETE
Go back to the bugz blog .Enjoy your free hot dog and coke.Western Carolina will have more fans at the flats than tech does.
Pago Pago DAWG
August 23rd, 2011
10:36 pm
Actually we agree with Abnerish…Nike using the word “combat”..we all should offended by this term!
You’ll never see ‘Bama, ND, Penn. State being told by Nike to wear silly looking uniforms..
Erk Russell's Dog
August 23rd, 2011
11:36 pm
@Pete
Your comments about some of Georgia’s opponents last year ,specifically Colorado and Central Florida,after TCU moves to the Big Least ,both Colorado and Central Florida would be the toughest teams on your schedule. Join a real conference where you have to play tough games back to back. this year after the Georgia game Boise does not play another ranked team until November 12 TCU. Your schedule is a joke ,you basically have to play two tough teams and then you want to claim a spot in the BCS . So you better show up in the dome vs. UGA because if you lose you can kiss the BCS goodbye.you cn host Ga.Tech in the Humanitarian Bowl,if Ga.Tech can win 6 games this year.
Erk Russell's Dog
August 23rd, 2011
11:48 pm
@Pete
One more thing actually, after Georgia plays Boise State they have South Carolina the next week.Who does Boise play next the mighty Toledo . I think Georgia plays a tougher opponent in week 2.
PowerDawg
August 24th, 2011
3:05 am
UGA 44-24.
ATLER (Ramblin Wreck)
August 24th, 2011
3:20 am
Yuk!!!! Smells like a wet dawg in here!!!!
Old School
August 24th, 2011
5:39 am
Those 1894 Uni’s are money! Bring em’ back!
Thomas Brown
August 24th, 2011
7:23 am
11-3 which better not include a loss to Boise State, given Mark Richt’s # 11 avg Scout.com recruiting rank the last five years compared to Boise State’s # 69 avg Scout.com recruiting rank the last five years. We do have the Dream Team, right
chazzo
August 24th, 2011
7:29 am
1) Richt is playing it pretty close to his chest. Even the most rabid of us aren’t talking national titles. Everyone seems to be fairly sober (in attitude at least) about the team.
2) The players seem overwhelmingly positive and express a pride about playing for UGA.
3) I haven’t heard Richt call a practice early one time, and they are tackling to the ground.
4) This is a team with a lot to prove.
Don’t know and don’t care about the record or the bowl or the polls!! This will be a greatly improved team. I am excited to see these young players achieve there dreams.
Black pants would have been cooler with the combat outfit, but the designers at Nike are way cheesy. I fall 100% in the don’t really care category. Glad the players are excited.
WDE
August 24th, 2011
7:30 am
@ATLER (Ramblin Wreck) sorry pal that not a wet dog you smell that is PROBATION !!! Enjoy you will for 4 more years !