Most meaningful Georgia-Kentucky game ever?
Jarvis Jones might have a big day against Kentucky. (Associated Press)
Back in the day, when Georgia’s conference schedule always ended with Auburn, that meant when the Dogs won the SEC or the division they usually clinched it in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, which always seemed so fitting.
That’s not the way it works any more, though, and with South Carolina winning last week even Georgia’s superlative performance against the Tigers wasn’t enough to make it official. They have to do that this week in the somewhat less celebrated series (you can’t even really call it a rivalry) against the Kentucky Wildcats.
At least the high stakes nature of the game — beat Kentucky, win the SEC East — should keep Mark Richt’s Dogs from letting the whopping 30.5 point spread assigned to the game by the oddsmakers go to their heads in a post-Auburn letdown.
Back in the Top 15 no matter what poll you use, Georgia faces a team that ranks at or near the bottom of the conference in most offensive and defensive categories. In fact, the Cats are 118th out of 120 major college teams in total offense.
But playing the Wildcats usually isn’t as easy as it ought to be and they’ve won twice in the past five games, including the last time they visited Sanford Stadium, when Georgia suffered a complete second-half meltdown and went from leading 20-6 at halftime to a 34-27 loss thanks to four turnovers.
That’s actually about the only way I can see this year’s Dogs, who are a much better team than the 2009 version, losing to Kentucky: turning the ball over. Fortunately, since giving away the South Carolina game in that fashion earlier this season Georgia has improved remarkably in that aspect of the game.
And Kentucky (4-6, 1-5 SEC), which will be battling just to stay in contention to become bowl eligible, no longer has playmakers Randall Cobb, Derrick Locke and Mark Hartline. Their low-yielding offense is led by a freshman who replaced the original injured starter three games ago and they aren’t that good at protecting the quarterback, so Jarvis Jones may have a big day for the Dogs. And while the Cats’ defense has the SEC’s two leading tacklers, it’s pretty banged up and will be missing a couple of starters against Georgia.
Still, the memories of the last time the Cats were Between the Hedges remain painful.
I watched that awful 2009 game in one of the skyboxes with veteran Blawg commenter Cuz and his two daughters as part of their prize for winning an AJC ultimate fan photo contest. It was an interesting experience, but one neither of us is looking to relive.
Thankfully, as Cuz outlined to me this week, there are a lot of differences between then and now. Like Joe Cox vs. Aaron Murray. Willie Martinez vs. Todd Grantham. The Dogs being 6-4 and no chance of going to Atlanta vs. 8-2 and with the division title on the line. No mascot on the sidelines at that game vs. good ole Russ this time.
And, as Cuz said, other differences include “fan confidence, confidence in Richt, heck I even heard one or two nice comments about Bobo.”
One of the unfortunate comparisons is that Cuz’s daughter Baylie, who won the contest that put us in the skybox that night, won’t be at this year’s game. She’s heading to Minnesota for major surgery and I hope you all will join me in sending our prayers and thoughts along with her.
To try and get a fix on what folks in Kentucky are thinking about this game, I first asked Mark Provano, a big Dogs fan who lives in Louisville. His response: “I think most of the [Kentucky] fans have moved on to hoops. … The party line from the football staff is that they have to win their last two games to become bowl-eligible. I think they surely realize that’s a tall order, but on the other hand they can’t very well say they’re throwing in the towel. In addition to not being very good, they’re a little banged up right now. At least a couple of defensive starters are questionable for Saturday, and of course they’re playing a backup true freshman QB (who may actually be better than the regular starter; hard to tell). Still, they’ve played us fairly tough in recent years (including their last trip to Athens, painful to recall) so I think there’s some genuine hope they could pull an upset. And Joker Phillips surely knows he needs an upset or two to keep his job beyond next year, or even until next year. But, from my perspective, most UK fans are concerned about whether [basketball star] Terrence Jones has recovered from his auto accident.”
Then I put it to my favorite Atlanta Kentucky fan, Herb Steely, who could give Vince Dooley lessons in poor-mouthing. Herb’s take: “The game on Saturday will be an absolute disaster for the guys wearing Blue. I think my Cats will be lucky to stay within six touchdowns of your Dogs. We’re pathetic and that’s putting it mildly. I think Georgia is really becoming a powerhouse. I’m predicting they will beat LSU in the title game.”
But in true Wildcat fashion Herb adds, “Now basketball is a different story. We’re a very young team that should be playing well by tournament time. I look for Florida, Alabama and Mississippi State to be tough. And you guys will be much improved and in the hunt.”
Thanks, Herb. I don’t know about the “much improved” part with Trey Thompkins and Travis Leslie gone on to the mothballed NBA, but I hope you’re right about everything. Especially about Saturday’s game.
BULLDOG BITES:
Herschel Walker is profiled in Playboy magazine. (Playboy)
Herschel Walker is profiled in the December issue of Playboy, on newsstands now, and the article is available in full online (and is safe for viewing at work). Written by my old UGA classmate, fellow Red & Black staffer and former AJC colleague Steve Oney, it’s a fascinating look at No. 34, from his current career in MMA to his years in pro football, his emotional battles and his career as a businessman. I like this passage, which shows Herschel’s sense of humor: “’Somebody told me we’re the largest minority-owned chicken company in the United States,’ he says, adding after a deadpan pause, ‘I don’t know if that means anything, as we may be the only minority-owned chicken company in the United States.’” Check it out. … If it’s Saturday, Scott Woerner must be somewhere in Athens signing copies of the “1980 Dawgs” DVD set. Sure enough, for the third straight week the Georgia defensive great will be meeting fans, this time back at the Red Zone store in downtown Athens, 155 E. Clayton St., from 9:30 to 11:45 a.m. before the Kentucky game and for two hours starting right after the game.
Go Dogs!
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249 comments Add your comment
Dap01
November 18th, 2011
12:49 pm
Gator man: At least we don’t have Florider’s offensive coordinator. You really can’t be feeling too good right now can you. What a miserable existance you have to have to try to fill your day by trolling.
TampaDawg
November 18th, 2011
12:50 pm
@nobody, I agree .. Joe Cox was a temporary filler to get to the next guy but that’s not his fault and he loyally stayed on so at least we had someone come in who knew the system still. he played well bringing up an 8-5 record which seemed like national title compared to 6-7 last year.
I just woke up « Year of the Dawg
November 18th, 2011
12:50 pm
[...] If we beat Kentucky this weekend and make it back to the Dome for the SEC Championship Game, can we get Scott Woerner to sign DVDs for every home game? [...]
Buzz Off
November 18th, 2011
12:51 pm
Why is KoolAid the Dill Doe fan not on the nerd blog?
RedandBlackDawg
November 18th, 2011
12:51 pm
I think all of the seniors will see action tomorrow in the second half, so not sure how many second stringers get in the game unless they are seniors. Either way it goes, the starters will not leave the game until there is a substantial lead and the DAWGS have been called off. I just don’t see the 118th ranked offense scoring against the 4th ranked defense, Enjoy your day seniors as you will all go out as winners. You have all helped the DAWGS recover and have helped establish a pattern for future success.
GO DAWGS and GATA
WDE
November 18th, 2011
12:52 pm
Anyone find it as amusing as I do that gator fans who for the last few years have pointed to the crystal footballs and lectured us to death on “winning championships” are now reduced to bringing up how weak our schedule was this year…when we have to play the mighty gators and 2 of the many teams that beat the gators…so we played 3 teams right there that have to be tough right..the mighty gators and 2 teams that beat the mighty gators…oh yeah and we did play another top 10 school.
mike
November 18th, 2011
12:54 pm
UGA still hasn’t beaten anybody. Florida? Suck. Auburn? Over-rated. Miss? Ms St? Vandy? NM St? Tenn? And the other high school team they played. They lost to the only 2 good teams they played. They will get slaughtered by LSU.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
November 18th, 2011
12:56 pm
Did I hear there was a surprise urine test today? Wanted to make sure the results will be back just before the Tech game. If somebody doesn’t pass they can sit against the high school offense, but be ready for LSU.
dawggirl
November 18th, 2011
1:00 pm
Cuz, thoughts and prayers for Baylie to you and your family.
Congrats to all of the seniors (Brandon Boykin, I think I’ll miss you most of all!) Thanks for the hard work and dedication.
Go Dawgs!
Buzz Off
November 18th, 2011
1:00 pm
Mike your team of nerds will be slaughtered on 11/26. Have a good day.
PrimeTime#8
November 18th, 2011
1:02 pm
Mike
You’re an idiot. Who do you pull for??
You obviously haven’t been on this blog long. Think of something new.
Scraping Teeth
November 18th, 2011
1:02 pm
The gators are so lousy the fans have to post comments on DAWG blogs! sinkingship!
Alphare: you really need to take a shower and brush those stinky teeth and change your sheets for once. How do you expect to get an hourly position at the Waffle with this kind behavior?
Koolaidcreep: you have no idea what you are talking about. Do you run your personal life in the dark like you do on these blogs. Man what a waste of a trashy human being you are!
Dbalcer
November 18th, 2011
1:02 pm
Cuz praying for Baylie and for your entire family. God Bless you. Go DAWGS!! I hope the fans show up early and stay late tomorrow. It is a big game for the Seniors. I will be in my seat as soon as the gates open.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
November 18th, 2011
1:02 pm
Wow 2 games back to back with mostly Sober UGA fans! Will the players know how to act? Man those noon kickoffs really slow down Leebern’s profits. How will he afford his wife and S. Yoculan?
Buzz Off
November 18th, 2011
1:03 pm
Ever notice how the nerd fans never talk about how good their team is or what they are going to do. They just like to go on other blogs and belittle others team. I suppose this should all end after 11/26.
Scraping Teeth
November 18th, 2011
1:04 pm
Miketheloser: Do you realize that teams do not get to pick there matchup each week.
You WIN: THE DBAG OF THE DAY AWARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
what of it?
November 18th, 2011
1:04 pm
Most meaningful ever? please qualify that statement. Given how wretchedly awful the SEC East is this year, its title has never been more meaningless. Win this one and we’ll be the skinniest kid in fat camp, YAY!
ole yeller
November 18th, 2011
1:05 pm
Must win, Don’t let up, No suprises. “TCB”.
Buzz Off
November 18th, 2011
1:05 pm
Wow. A UGA blog with KoolAid the nerd on it!! What will life hold for it when UGA wins its next 3 games? Might have to get help for it.
Buzz Off
November 18th, 2011
1:07 pm
Kind of like winning the A She She and then going and getting your teeth kicked in by Sisters of the Poor in BCS game. This is the history of the A She She champion is it not? But hey if you like being the tallest midget then more power to ya.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
November 18th, 2011
1:08 pm
Buzz………….I love you man. Keep pulling for your team.
I notice nobody said anything nice to me for my comments to Cuz & Baylie.
Well, I didn’t expect t anyway. That was For CUZ not the other dawg fans.
Cuz
November 18th, 2011
1:09 pm
Baylie and I leaver for the Mayo Clinic on Sunday. She will have surgery this coming Tuesday. This is our 11th trip to the Mayo Clinic. But the first in November. Bill is correct, it is major surgery. I guess we will have Turkey subs on Thanksgiving. We return on December 2nd. We will watch the Georgia-Georgia Tech game there at 11:00 Central time. Thank the Lord and Mark Richt that it is a national game.
Baylie and I would like to thank Bill and all the people who post on this Blawg. It was a great feeling for her to win the “Ultimate Bulldawg Fan” contest in 2009. The support and kind wishes were incredible. And Bill was a gracious host for us that night. Losing the game could not ruin her day. She made sure to congratulate all Kentucky fans she saw after the game was over that night. A teenager in a wheelchair congratulating them was something most Kentucky fans were not expecting after winning the game in Sanford.
This year Baylie is bedridden and in a lot of pain but she keeps her spirits up. She makes me a better person and a father. My hero is not a coach or a football player. My hero is a fifteen year old girl.
Buzz Off
November 18th, 2011
1:11 pm
All:
Please take a moment at some point to go on nerd blog and bash them for their ineptitude against their big brother in the state whom they love to bash. Just a little payback never hurts……..
Whaw!
November 18th, 2011
1:14 pm
Funny, most of the haters on this board complaining about our schedule are GT fans. When we beat them next weekend, they’ll have to include their team in that “weak” schedule. GT fans are so envious of UGA it’s pathetic. 9 out of 10, soon to be 10 out of 11, hell I would be too.
Before the season, NOBODY was saying how this schedule was easy…they were just stating that we’d once again lose 6 games like that’s the “norm” for UGA. No it’s not. They said we’d lose to MSU, Tennessee, Florida, Auburn, etc…we’ve beaten all those teams. Some people even said we’d lose to Ole Miss, what happened? We’ve been winning and the haters need more excuses.
Get over it GT, Florida, and Auburn fans! Your teams stink! Your hot as an igloo!
Whaw!
November 18th, 2011
1:16 pm
Before we played Auburn, all I heard was that UGA finally plays a ranked team, and they’ll get blown out. I heard after we beat Florida, that we still had to get past Auburn…wow! And now they’re saying that Auburn isn’t any good….! Why is there double standard!!!
DawgInaTruck
November 18th, 2011
1:18 pm
Cuz, I just stopped to say a prayer for Baylie and all of you. You picked a great hero dude.
Whaw!
November 18th, 2011
1:18 pm
I guarantee you that if we beat either LSU, Alabama, or Arkansas we still won’t get any credit. They’ll be here saying something like “Well had you played Alabama, you would have gotten slaughtered!”…or if we play Alabama and not LSU it’ll be “Well had you played LSU, you would have gotten beaten good!” See the double standard? We won’t win for losing…that’s why they call them HATERS.
Grantham's Mother
November 18th, 2011
1:18 pm
I sure hope they’re not planning any drug tests today!
Les Miles
November 18th, 2011
1:20 pm
Looking forward to an easy SEC CG….I’ll rest my 1st and 2nd string for the National Championship Game, and play my 3rd and 4th string against GA.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
November 18th, 2011
1:21 pm
I love Buzz Off
By the way...
November 18th, 2011
1:22 pm
Exactly WHO has GA beaten?
Burma Shave
November 18th, 2011
1:23 pm
The trolls deserve birds
But there is nothing you can do
So why do you nerds
Let it get to you
Burma Shave
Buzz Off
November 18th, 2011
1:24 pm
8 different teams, by the way……try some research. It’s a good thing. In two more weeks it will have been 10 different teams.
Buzz Off
November 18th, 2011
1:24 pm
Glad to make your day, Koolaid.
DawgInaTruck
November 18th, 2011
1:24 pm
“Exactly WHO has GA beaten?”
The last eight teams on the schedule that was comnpleted 5-7 years ago. To me that seems fairly obvious. I hope this helps but I’m also aware that you can’t fix stupid.
By the way...
November 18th, 2011
1:25 pm
the 8 teams…real powerhouses, huh?
Buzz Off
November 18th, 2011
1:25 pm
Hey Les, when did you become a tech nerd on a UGA blog?
Spaceman Spiff
November 18th, 2011
1:26 pm
Interesting the question of the Dawgs record/played/who beaten keeps coming up.
Let’s take a look at UGA’s, LSU’s, and ‘Bama’s SEC opponents/records:
UGA – 16-32; LSU – 15-25; Bama – 17-31…
Les Miles
November 18th, 2011
1:26 pm
Dayum you guys are obsessed with Tech nerds…geez
Burma Shave
November 18th, 2011
1:27 pm
I’m a stingerless bee
Who can’t understand
Why everone’s picking on me
Burma Shave
Big Dawg
November 18th, 2011
1:28 pm
Whaw— you are an idiot because we may be second but it is inspite of Mike Bobo. He has NOT been calling the plays you idiot, Coach Richt took that back over, also with the improvement in consistency on the offensive line. Which has contributed greatly to giving Murray more time and the running backs bigger and better lanes to run in.
Forgive me Fellow Dawgs as I don’t normally go off on people this way, but the facts are Bobo should either be demoted back to QB coach or fired. He is not OC material just like Willie Martinez was not DC material. Has no feel for the flow of a game and to be successful at calling plays you just have got to know the other teams tendencies and have that feel.
Go Dawgs
Burma Shave
November 18th, 2011
1:29 pm
I almost live on TEch blogs…ssshhhhhh.
Say What???
November 18th, 2011
1:32 pm
Ya know, I have been following these blogs all year and I am amazed at the number of posters whose sole purpose in life is to log onto a site for a team they don’t like and take shots at that team and their fans. I know some of the UGA fans do the same thing on the Tech blogs, but I feel the same way about them.
Having said that, I have enjoyed watching these posters comment change over the past few months:
Late August: “Georgia stinks because all of their coach are awful!”
After Boise: “See? I told you that UGA was awful! They will lose every game this year!”
After So. Car.: “Ha! The dawgs are the worst team in college football! Arron Murray is the worst quarterback that ever existed!! Your defense sucks! So much for this Todd Grantem… Fire Richt now and avoid the rush!”
After Coastal Carolina: “A win? Whatever! You should have shut them out. However, don’t get used to winning because Ol Miss is gonna kill you!”
After Ol Miss: “Well, you may have won another game, but that’s it. I meant Mississippi State is gonna kill you!”
After Mississippi: “Well, none of the schools in Mississippi have ever been very good. But next is Tenneesse and they are gonna lay the wood to you in Knoxville!”
After Tennessee: “Well, that win doesn’t count either. Ecause they have a new coach. Plus, the SEC East is alway awful! Next is Vandy and they hung in there against Alabama, an SEC West team. I am gonna laugh when you get beat by Vandy!!!”
After Vandy: “So you beat Vandy, who care? They are never any good. But this week you play Florida and they own you! Even with a new head coach, they are gonna beat you 47 to 0. It’s the way it has always been. Plus, Murray is gonna choke big-time!”
After Florida: “Florida is awful this year. The reason you won is because the Gators let a former Bulldog coach them. You shouldn’t even count this game in your record they are so bad. Next up is New Mexico State… You might win this but that’s because your schedule is so weak.”
After NMS: “of course you won! You should have put 100 up on them. But this week, you face the reigning National Champs. They are a real SEC West team and they are gonna kill you! You can’t compete!!!!”
After Auburn: “They didn’t have Cam Newton… And your schedule is week… And the SEC East is awful…”
Anyone else get a good chuckle out of this?
Whaw!
November 18th, 2011
1:33 pm
Big Dawg, I know more than you…therefore your an 2X idiot…hahahaha
Go Dawgs…I support Richt & Bobo…screw the haters like Big Dawg and the GT fans!
Big Dawg
November 18th, 2011
1:34 pm
Spaceman Spiff,
That is rather interesting and when looking at all 3 teams and comparing their records of their opponents shows that the dawgs compare favorably with LSU and Bama. I wonder about Arkansas just in case they knock off LSU and somehow Alabama loses to Auburn. Then we would be playing them in the SEC Title game, that is of course if the Dawgs beat Kentucky tomorrow as expected.
Go Dawgs
BobbyDawg
November 18th, 2011
1:34 pm
It’s good that we have Kentucky and Ga. Tech to play before we play for the SE championship. That’ll give the Dawgs two more games to build up a head of steam before we go to the Dome and steamroll whichever team shows up for the SEC championship, which brings up the question. If Arkansas beats LSU in their final regular season game who represents the West?
DawgInaTruck
November 18th, 2011
1:34 pm
By the way…who is your team? What institution of higher learning did you graduate from?
Whaw!
November 18th, 2011
1:35 pm
@ Say what? That’s exactly how they do it lol…they make excuses after every win you have after saying the week before that we had no shot. lol. Too funny.
But as the old saying goes…”If you don’t have haters your not doing something right.”
Spaceman Spiff
November 18th, 2011
1:35 pm
@ Whaw
Because the technerds don’t have a real team to root for, so they come on here as posers and try to bring us down alot…seems like Big Dawg may be one of those…
Most meaningful Georgia-Kentucky game ever? | UGA: The Junkyard Blawg : Gamedayr.com – The Game Outside the Game
November 18th, 2011
1:35 pm
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