Report from a Dawg behind enemy lines: LSU fans ‘feeling cocky’
LSU fans are feeling good about their team and the Mad Hatter. (Associated Press)
For a view from Tiger land on how our opposing fandom is approaching Saturday’s SEC Championship game against Georgia, I checked in with my old friend Owen Scott, who grew up with me in Athens (where his mom still lives), graduated from UGA and has been a clinical psychologist in Baton Rouge for many years.
Owen’s wife is an LSU prof, his oldest daughter in a huge Tiger fan and his youngest daughter graduated from UGA last December but is “a Tiger first, Dawg second,” he admitted.
However, Owen, who’s been following the Dawgs all his life, has remained true to the red and black and posts comments on the Blawg under the name Dr. Morpheus.
“I’ve attended most of the LSU-UGA games in Baton Rouge and seen some great wins (2008) and tough losses (2003) here,” he said. He just lucked into two tickets to the Georgia Dome game at face value and will be in attendance Saturday.
The buzz in Baton Rouge, Owen said, has the locals “feeling cocky.”
Typical of the attitude, Owen said, was the discussion Tuesday on a Baton Rouge sports radio show where the host, former LSU basketball player turned football sideline reporter Jordy Hultberg, thought the Tigers being favored by 13 points was right on the mark.
Said Hultberg: “You gotta be loving what’s going on!”
LSU has seldom trailed, Hultberg said, and even when they were down by 14 points to Arkansas the Tigers had no problem quickly scoring 21 points. “They feed off of big plays, whether it be a big return, a turnover, a breakthrough run. … It was over at halftime.”
Owen Scott lives in Baton Rouge but has stayed true to UGA.
The host asked an on-air guest (a local insurance exec) for a prediction on the game with the Dogs and the response was, “I don’t want to be overconfident, but this team has taken care of everyone. It will be worse for Georgia than Arkansas,” which lost to the Tigers 41-17.
In an exchange with a caller, Hultberg said the LSU defense “is smothering. It just makes life miserable for the opposing quarterbacks. And I don’t see any difference with this coming Saturday. We’re coming to win. There’s no back door, we’re coming through the front door.”
Summing up the mood in Baton Rouge, Owen said: “The LSU base is not taking Georgia seriously. They expect to come into the Dome and blow the Dawgs out with their overwhelming defense and pounding rushing attack. It’s up to our guys now to show LSU and the sports world we belong on the same field with the best of the SEC West and consensus No. 1 team in the nation.”
But Owen, at least, is optimistic. “If the LSU players are drinking the fans’ Kool-Aid,” he said, “they will be in for a surprise when they see that, unlike Arkansas, Georgia can stuff the run and pressure the QB. Go Dawgs! GATA!”
Trust him, he’s a doctor.
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397 comments Add your comment
G-Dawg
November 30th, 2011
9:59 am
Arkansas was overrated all year. Dawgs win this game with a last minute field goal by Walsh, to erase his struggles all season!! Goes out a winner in the Dawg books!!
Idiot Dawg
November 30th, 2011
10:01 am
@ Tampa, don’t mean to be harsh. I just would like to see a different team lose to the SEC this go around. Spread the wealth, so to speak. I don’t like the ‘do over’ thing too much!
G-Dawg
November 30th, 2011
10:03 am
reality Gator….who did ya’ll play this year? y’all still could have gone 10-2 like UGA did…but obviously didnt!! Maybe LSU and Bama got lucky by not playing the Dawgs this year!!
Thank God for Reggie Ball
November 30th, 2011
10:03 am
don’t you love fanbases who ARENT in the SECCG try to take parting shots at UGA
to all UT fans—20-12
to all UF fans—24-10
to all UA fans—45-7
I can go on and on…
LSU fans only please
TampaDawg
November 30th, 2011
10:04 am
Heck yeah Pago Pago, help the kids understand that you need to take it all in then go fly to the ball on D, and move it downfield on the O
Clay
November 30th, 2011
10:04 am
It seems to me that LSU has had to get up for 3 big games this year and they have to be thinking about how this game is a given and they need to start thinking about the BCS Championship game. It’s hard to get up for so many big games–even more so when the other side is not expected to be much of a challenge. We’re talking about 19-21 year old kids, not grown professionals. Also, Miles is famous for his clock and play calling blunders and I don’t know if we’ve really seen any this year–he has to be due. UGA has a stout run defense and the best QB they’ve seen all year. This one may not be the foregone conclusion they expect it to be.
robodawg
November 30th, 2011
10:05 am
Ripe for the picking!
My biggest worry is how our OL will hold up. LSU wins b/c their D makes other teams look bad. Their front 7 will try to harass Murray enough to force bad throws that their DBs can pick off. Murray needs to play smart — a sack and a punt are better than an interception or a fumble. We also need Crowell at his best b/c a decent running game will open up the passing game, but there won’t be a lot of space to run thru.
It will be up to our defense to keep the game close b/c our offense won’t get a lot of opportunities. And it will be up to our special teams just to not blow it for us.
TampaDawg
November 30th, 2011
10:07 am
Idiot Dawg
November 30th, 2011
10:01 am
@ Tampa, don’t mean to be harsh. I just would like to see a different team lose to the SEC this go around. Spread the wealth, so to speak. I don’t like the ‘do over’ thing too much!
——————
I am good with it. I was actually laughing when I read it. Personally, I like the fact that the SEC is so dominant that no other conference can sniff a national title unless they keep the SEC out of the game altogether. Even if I was an Ole Miss fan, I would take some pride in that.
Doodaddy
November 30th, 2011
10:07 am
Dawgs have little to lose. Tigers have EVERYTHING to lose. I like it.
Idiot Dawg
November 30th, 2011
10:11 am
Agreed robodawg, our O line is the key to the game for us. I have a hard time visualizing Crowell getting much out of the running game. Just a few decent runs for a passing game would help. I think Murray and co will be able to pass.
Cuz
November 30th, 2011
10:11 am
Looking forward to a great game. Dawgs win no matter what because no one expects us to win. If we win, we get the Sugar. If we stay close and lose, a Florida bowl. If we get thumped, no less than the Chicken Bowl and we can wear the Transformer uniforms.
ARdawg
November 30th, 2011
10:15 am
LSU fan
You are mimicking Bama fans and that my friend is Arrogance with a capital A
ARdawg
November 30th, 2011
10:16 am
Howdy Cuz! Good to see you on and about there guy
Dogs Smell
November 30th, 2011
10:16 am
How many of you Uga fans have ever been to Athens on a weekday? Ignorant and wearing rose colored glasses. I look forward to the excuses come Sunday when the wake up call is a clubbing !
TampaDawg
November 30th, 2011
10:17 am
Cuz, a Florida bowl would be pretty awesome, but I will take Sugar all day over convenience of the game being down here. How are things going for ya Cuz?
TampaDawg
November 30th, 2011
10:20 am
And dogs(Gators)smell with another useless post. Don’t you have something like “The Lizard Gazette” or “I will soon be some rich chick’s hand bag and shoes blogspot” to go post on?
OldFan
November 30th, 2011
10:23 am
UGA has the athletes to hang with LSU. Challenge will be LSU’s ability to wear down an opponent until they hit the big play. Seems once that starts, it comes as a flood. But if the Dawgs ratchet up the special team play, avoid costly mistakes, and stand toe-to-toe physically, there’s no reason why they can’t whip LSU.
ARdawg
November 30th, 2011
10:24 am
Dog Smell
No matter the outcome, come Sunday morning we know we’ll be in a Grand ole Bowl. Good luck to you in the Meineke Car Care/Belk Bowl
Dogs Smell
November 30th, 2011
10:26 am
Grand Ole Bowl for another tail kicking ! Who is going to a car Bowl ? Im not a Techie. I guess had you been in Athens on a weekday you would have enough education to figure that out.
Old Dawg.
November 30th, 2011
10:27 am
Jejf Isu. Throwing all them different scores out there shows just how stupid you are & how much you know about Football. Just remember the New England & NY Giants Superbowl a few years ago.
georgiagirl
November 30th, 2011
10:29 am
Jefflus the only dumb ass on here is you, now that’s better since you think it’s ok to call other people dumb ass back at you. Jarvis Jones as great character, so he believes in his team wow, good for him. I sure the LSU players believe in their team. Grow-up, Never under estimate the underdog, remember 2005, UGA was the underdog and they beat LSU.
ARdawg
November 30th, 2011
10:29 am
Dog Smell
If you’re not a Techie, you should be. Maybe you were switched at birth? Or perhaps you are the afterbirth?
kevin
November 30th, 2011
10:31 am
Dogs Smell,
Your posts are virtually incoherent and certainly intellectually vapid. As such, you might want to lay off claims about other peoples education.
DawginLex
November 30th, 2011
10:33 am
LSU has every right to be confident. They have won all of their games including beating some very good teams.
But, in a one shot deal, there is always a chance.
I’m glad we get to play them
To be the best you have to beat the best
TampaDawg
November 30th, 2011
10:34 am
Dogs Smell
November 30th, 2011
10:26 am
Grand Ole Bowl for another tail kicking
———————————
Really? The Dawgs have a pretty lofty bowl record the last 14 years. Heck, UGA has more than half of UF’s total bowl victories all time just in their last 14 years.
kybodawg
November 30th, 2011
10:34 am
we have kept under the radar because in games against miss. and miss. st. we didnt try to score after half. lsu will be the facing the biggest o-line they have seen and if we can handle the blitz we should be able to get at least modest run to keep them honest. ark. only had two receivers and they shut them down. michael bennte is a wide out with a lb mentaly, we have good size to combat aggressive and fast cb.s our d is right there wit lsu and ala were just as big and just as fast.all i can say is lets get ready to rumble
DawginLex
November 30th, 2011
10:36 am
dogs smell
Matt Roark just got another 1st down
The time is 10:35 but in Tennerseee it will always be
10 to 7
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dogs Smell
November 30th, 2011
10:38 am
Kevin – You’re funny.
ky- I dont think LSU will use any of that when they lay it to you. Neither will anyone else who plays you. I think you will wish ky came with the Bowl gifts.
TampaDawg- you’re just typical living in the past.
ARdawg- I dont think your parents produced any children that lived.
TampaDawg
November 30th, 2011
10:39 am
All-time bowl wins
Rank Team Games
1 Alabama 33
2 USC 32
3 Penn State 27
4 Georgia 26
5 Tennessee 25
6 Oklahoma 25
7 Texas 25
bubba4dawgs
November 30th, 2011
10:40 am
The DAWGS are not afraid and that’s a good sign! Sure, LSU is a great team but they put there britches on the same way the DAWGS do! Coaches Richt and Grantham know how to run a football game, they’re no dummies! The DAWGS will be ready!! Sure, they may lose but LSU will know they’ve been in a football game. They will NOT run all over the DAWGS like so many of the LSU fans think. The stats don’t mean a thing! The biggest one that concerns me are the take aways or strips as you may say. This is why their turnover ratio is +19 to GA’s +10. This seems to be the biggest concern of Coach Richt’s. They MUST protect the football!!!! Isaiah, if you play, PULEEZE don’t fumble!!!! C’mon DAWGS, you CAN do it!! Play your hardest, what a wonderful to show the world who you are!! You can achieve national prominence as you’ve ever had!! GO DAWGS!!!!
Idiot Dawg
November 30th, 2011
10:41 am
I just hope LSWho is Over confident. Sure would help. I would enjoy seeing them a little disoriented for a few quarters.
Cuz
November 30th, 2011
10:44 am
Tampa and AR, back home with Baylie in Augusta. There was three inches of snow in Minnesota when we landed. Fortunately, I have spent a few winter “weekdays” in Athens so I was able to drive through it. The main roads were clear, the secondarys still had snow and ice.
I am with you on the Sugar Tampa. Great bowl and great atmosphere. It we perchance pull out a victory over LeSU, go to the Sugar and maul some secondary opponent. Then we will have a good pre-season ranking going into next year. Much easier to move up if you start higher up to begin with.
TampaDawg
November 30th, 2011
10:45 am
@Smell “TampaDawg- you’re just typical living in the past.” So I guess that means you are trying to live in the future? Or the words you used were “another tail kicking” which means you were trying to live in OUR past too. We’re still laughing at you ..!!!!! hahahahahaha
McDawg
November 30th, 2011
10:46 am
a clinical pyschologist in Baton Rouge???? man would love to be a fly on that wall
What's the point?
November 30th, 2011
10:46 am
Man if everyone is saying that LSU has already won this game and the Dawgs has no chance…what’s the point of playing the game? Why don’t they just hand the conference trophy over to the tigers and wait for their bowl bid. I am sick of the media which plagues people minds with this crap. The dawgs have not got any respect from anyone other programs, the polls, and some of the fans. This is my first time posting here but I must say if I was a player on UGA’s team I would definitely be offended by all this and use this to motivate me for this game. If I were the players I would be saying to myself I am not going to lose this game. I really believe the dawgs can win if they stop the run and the offense is playing its most complete game. No turnovers, no hiccups on special teams, and the defense stop that run game all 4 quarters. Lets go dawgs I hope you are as pumped up about proving the world wrong as I am. Lets show the tigers we deserve some respect. Lets take the respect from them and the rest of the world and bring home the trophy back to Athens. GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TampaDawg
November 30th, 2011
10:48 am
yeah Cuz, I think that big stage will help with recruiting also. And with UGA having some big ones on the line just getting there should help the cause.
TampaDawg
November 30th, 2011
10:49 am
Good to hear about Baylie too Cuz. Again, in ways that I choose not to go into on here, I can relate all too well and it’s a tough spot for a parent to be in. Praying for your family still buddy.
Phillip
November 30th, 2011
10:50 am
Orson Charles will have a HUGE game.
TampaDawg
November 30th, 2011
10:51 am
@What’s the point? … If that’s your first post, you made it a good one. Welcome to the boards buddy.
McDawg
November 30th, 2011
10:51 am
the good thing about crowell and he is alot like Moreno in this respect is he doesn’t need alot of room to get past the line of scrimmage
also i do recall a game in Athens where LSU played one on one and Green and Reggie Brown burned them all day long
ARdawg
November 30th, 2011
10:53 am
Whats the point
Is it justified? No but, it’s understandable. The Dawgs over the last few years have been horrid. At the same time LSU, Bama and others have been dominating. While I did a lot of cussing and gnashing of teeth over the last few years, I am quite happy with our current position. Winning as the underdog is so much sweeter. Let them clowns believe Georgia has no chance, it makes the celebration all the much better.
UGA Alumnus
November 30th, 2011
10:56 am
I like it. I hope the the swamp tigers are just as over-confident as their fans. And I hope our Dawgs take it to heart that the world thinks we are over-matched.
This is the perfect scenario to come into Atlanta and shock the nation.
Evansdawg
November 30th, 2011
10:57 am
Tech fans posing as LSU fans = Losers posing as winners.
UGA Alumnus
November 30th, 2011
10:58 am
And, kudos to the first two comments on this article!
We gotta start a real UGA tradition on these Georgia blogs by posting “Go Dawgs” instead of “first”.
“first” is lame.
Go Dawgs!
UGA Alumnus
November 30th, 2011
11:04 am
@ARdawg
November 30th, 2011
10:53 am
I understand your frustration, but let’s be realistic. The Dawgs have not been “horrid” over the last few years. We had a loosing season last year, and we still weren’t horrid. We had a good team last year that was young and learning. We won 10 games in 2008. Is that horrid?
schmeckdawg
November 30th, 2011
11:12 am
Bill, is your friend really a Dr. or did he stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night?
Go DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cuz
November 30th, 2011
11:12 am
Last year was so horrid it dragged into previous years.
ARdawg
November 30th, 2011
11:14 am
UGA Alumnus
Yes we were IMHO. We can agree to disagree here. Were we talented? Absolutely, as much or more than Bama, AU, LSU, FL. It had nothing to do with talent. We were likely the most talented team in 08 and still couldn’t get it done. Horrid to me UGA Alumnus, is having the ability and wasting it. Records don’t matter. Preparation and play on the field for me, is the determining factor. We lost to UCF in the Liberty Bowl. This is very reminiscent of the Goff years and they were horrid
ARdawg
November 30th, 2011
11:16 am
I’ve seen Dr Morpheus post here before
schmeckdawg
November 30th, 2011
11:17 am
To quote the Great Ric Flair:
“To be the man, you gotta beat the man woooooooooooooooooo!”
Go DAWGS. GATA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!