With health and spirit, ‘we’ll be much improved on defense’
A year ago, Georgia’s football team was preseason No. 1. A year later, that seems like a long time ago.
So, minus Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno, what is the general feeling about where the Bulldog program is today?
Coach Mark Richt tackled that question this week (and you’re welcome to do so below).
“I think in our building [the feeling] is very good,” Richt said. “We know we have a lot of guys who have been in our program for a while, you know, preparing for their opportunity.
“I think fans really know your starters pretty good and know your signing class pretty good, and they tend to forget about everybody in between that’s working their tail off for their opportunity. I think we as coaches know we’ve got a lot of guys in that category.”
Ask about any of the question-mark positions, and Richt mentions someone he sees as eminently capable of providing the answer.
Defensive end? Richt thinks Rod Battle is capable of a big senior season, ”and I think [Demarcus] Dobbs was really having a fantastic spring before he got hurt. I think Dobbs has matured a lot. He’s become a good leader for us and got to the point he has really bought into the Georgia way.” (Dobbs broke a bone in his foot during spring practice but is expected to be 100 percent come August.) Richt also reiterated the plan to use linebacker Darryl Gamble as a pass rusher in nickel situations. “We’re excited about him helping us in that department.”
Tailback? Richt doesn’t know who’ll be the starter, but he spoke highly this week of Caleb King’s progress as a pass protector and in understanding the system. Plus, “he’s an outstanding runner.” Still, the coaches are looking forward to seeing Richard Samuel, Dontavius Jackson and incoming freshman Washaun Ealey compete in preseason practice, too. “We’re just all going to observe and try to decide who deserves to start and who deserves the most amount of carries,” Richt said. “The big thing for all of them — Washaun especially — is to really get serious about pass protection.” Richt added: “I do think our running backs and quarterbacks will benefit from a strong, more veteran offensive line than Stafford and Moreno had the last couple of years. So I think that will help whoever plays that running back spot.” Richt has said it doesn’t matter to him whether one back gets the bulk of the carries or whether it’s tailback-by-committee.
The defense in general? “Jeffrey Owens, I know, is going to be huge for us to get back,” Richt said. “He’s an outstanding player, but he’s also a very spirited player — a guy who can rally people around him. And I think Rennie [Curran] has grown into his position now where he has the ultimate respect of his teammates. And you get that strong leadership right up the gut, it helps very much. And Reshad Jones and Bryan Evans. Right up the heart of our defense, there are a lot of veterans everybody respects and who are outstanding leaders for us. If we stay healthy and play with the type of spirit I know we can, we’ll be much improved on defense.”
Now, changing the subject to a couple of non-football topics:
– The baseball draft: The 11 UGA players picked in the MLB draft were the most from any school this year. Florida and Ole Miss had 10 each. And Georgia’s 11 were by far its most ever. Previously, the most Bulldogs chosen in one draft was six, most recently last year. Of this year’s 11 drafted Dogs, eight are juniors, meaning they could opt to return for one more season in Athens. Slugging 1B Rich Poythress has made it clear in a couple of recent conversations that he intends to sign with Seattle and get his pro career started. He points out he’ll be 22 by the end of the summer and figures this is his time. It’s also expected that closer Dean Weaver (seventh-round pick) and OF Matt Cerione (13th round) will sign pro contracts. But it’ll be interesting to see what the other five juniors, drafted in the 17th through 47th rounds, do –- stay or go? (I’d guess stay, in most cases.) Georgia also had six signees drafted. Here are the lists of drafted Dogs (with overall selection number):
UGA PLAYERS
51. Rich Poythress (Seattle Mariners, 2nd round)
81. Trevor Holder (Washington Nationals, 3rd round)
202. Dean Weaver (Washington Nationals, 7th round)
383. Matt Cerione (Seattle Mariners, 13th round)
506. Jeff Walters (Baltimore Orioles, 17th round)
771. Michael Demperio (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 25th round)
787. Alex McRee (Los Angeles Dodgers, 26th round)
901. Bryce Massanari (Colorado Rockies, 30th round)
966. Will Harvil (Arizona Diamondbacks, 32nd round)
1232. Joey Lewis (Kansas City Royals, 41st round)
1405. Justin Earls (Pittsburgh Pirates, 47th round)
UGA SIGNEES
404. Zach Dotson (New York Mets, 13th round)
798. Miles Head (Boston Red Sox, 26th round)
838. Eric Swegman (Atlanta Braves, 28th round)
925. Zach Taylor (Pittsburgh Pirates, 31st round)
958. Jake Montgomery (Atlanta Braves, 32nd round)
1016. Malcolm Clappsaddle (Baltimore Orioles, 34th round)
– NCAA track and field: The only person in the history of the UGA men’s track and field program to win the NCAA championship in the javelin, Chris Hill, will try to do it again tonight. (Here’s a story on Georgia’s unknown national champ.) Hill, who won the event last year, needed just one throw to qualify for this year’s finals at the NCAA Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. His opening throw of 234 feet, 4 inches was the second longest of the qualifying round Wednesday night. USC’s Corey White had the longest qualifying throw (254-10). Hill’s longest throw this season is 265-10. Six UGA athletes have won NCAA individual championships during the 2008-09 school year, led by gymnast Courtney Kupets, who won four. Four swimmers and one equestrian rider won NCAA titles in their events. A swimming relay team also won a title. Hill tries to add to the impressive list tonight.
(And with that, I’m off to vacation. Back on June 22.)
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171 comments Add your comment
Hunk Erdown
June 12th, 2009
2:48 pm
Seems like every year the Dawgs are supposed to be scared to death of some western ooc game; Ok St, Boise St, Ariz St, Hawaii, etc. But every year we face them, win the game and you never hear from the doomsday crowd again… until we have to play another western team, then it all starts again. Okie St will not be able to stand up to sec caliber football. I’d rather play them or even Ohio St than any of our sec rivals. Its just two different brands of football. So, all you haters jump on the Okie St bandwagon, luckily we will play them 1st and you will go away for a while.
The best slam you can come up with against CMR is that he’s just a 10-2 coach and always will be? lol okay
BruffDawg
June 12th, 2009
2:52 pm
Look at Richt’s record against teams outside the sec. Loss to bc, wv, and wisconsin. Is that it? No fear against OSU dawgs. Over by the third quarter.
BruffDawg
June 12th, 2009
2:55 pm
Martinez just needs to be more aggresive. I am sick and tired of the bend but don’t break defense. Other than that let’s get behind him DAWGS and hope he proves us all wrong.
UGA Fan
June 12th, 2009
2:57 pm
I agree with Roaddawg80. After we beat Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl, all Dawg fans were excited and couldn’t wait for the 08 season to get started. Sure, the defense looked horrible at times last year but it looked pretty darn good the year before. I would love to see all the so-called experts on here do better. If you’re a true Dawg, then stop degrading the program and it’s coaches and back them up and wish them the best. You’re all starting to sound like Tech fans and lets please don’t do that.
Dawgrulz
June 12th, 2009
2:58 pm
UGA had an awlful defense last year, the stats don’t lie. However, it is not an excuse to cite contributing factors that caused this. Poor tackling, dumb penalties, horrible kicking game, injuries and stupid turnovers all come to mind throughout the year. UGA defense was equal opportunity we made heisman trophy winners and first or second start in career qbs look good. With all that said, I expect a better showing this year on Defense and believe CMR has earned the benefit of the doubt when he stated that injuries forced the live action practices to be cut back. We also have the talent to quit acting like scarred puppies and this starts at the top. Heres hoping the coaching staff gets it this year and turns the team loose when or lose.
BruffDawg
June 12th, 2009
2:58 pm
True story UGA fan.
dUmB dAWg
June 12th, 2009
2:59 pm
BrUFfdAWg… cMR dIdNT lOse tO wIsConSin, hE lOSt tO gEoRgIA tECh.
dUmB dAWg
June 12th, 2009
3:01 pm
bRuFfdAWg… yOu aRE dUMb!
Helluva engineer
June 12th, 2009
3:07 pm
as a Tech fan i have to honestly say that i think UGA will be a lot better off with out Stafford and knowshon, and all the pressure from the media! I think pressure is a big factor between winning and losing! UGA is coming this year from up under the table! I cant say the same about Tech!
I just hope yall Beat Arkansas , cause i hate bobby petrino
and also i dont think lane kiffen knows what hes gettin hiself into runnig his mouth! I hope every one beats Tennessee!
GO GEORGIA TECH!
JB
June 12th, 2009
3:13 pm
Tech fans can piss and moan on this blog all they want, but what they know and will not admit:
ACC vs SEC. No contest. Brand vs brand there is no comparison.
Game day: Grant field/Ghetto vs Athens…. Do I need to explain.
Girls: Ditto as above.
UGA Football vs. Tech: How about Walmart vs Dollar tree. Nuff said
Academics: Tech holding on to that like a life line. Plenty of Rhodes Scholars and very successful Ga. Grads( that’s all they got, so you hear it often).
Terrorist arrested this year…..Well, they have us there…………..GO DAWGS
Matt
June 12th, 2009
3:20 pm
I say let Saint Simons type that sh&% all he wants because he won’t get to do it again for another decade at least. Enjoy while it lasts nerds because it’s over come November.
GT=CPJ
June 12th, 2009
3:32 pm
Hey JB, Tell me why in the past 25 years the ACC has had a winning record 19 out of 25 years!
Also i would rather shop at dollar tree any day of the week than Wal-Mart!!! Wouldnt You
GT=CPJ
June 12th, 2009
3:33 pm
19 out of 25 against the ALMIGHTY SEC….INCLUDING LAST YEAR when wake forest beat OLE MISS! HAHAHAHA
JB
June 12th, 2009
3:37 pm
Tech did look pretty good during warm ups before the LSU game. ACC is a yawner ……..booger eater conference…….
pi$$onadawg
June 12th, 2009
3:43 pm
Who’s coming to the ticckle pile party tonight at Piedmont?
BruffDawg
June 12th, 2009
3:47 pm
Dumb dawg your name says it all as far as your intelligence. Im not here to fight with anybody. Sorry that we win so much I don’t remember the few defeats here and there. Grow up with that text. Whart are you 4 years old?
BruffDawg
June 12th, 2009
3:50 pm
Acc can win a bcs game then say its legit. Till then….booger eaters.
Dave In Tampa
June 12th, 2009
4:09 pm
Okie State will set the tone for the season. I hate to put so much emphasis on one game, but if we can pull a “W” out in Stillwater it could really set the tone for the year. Bring it on! Go Dawgs!
WildBill
June 12th, 2009
4:28 pm
Most of us really like CMR as a good person. But, all fans have to face facts, we have to see CMR for what he does, and not what he says. Any coach can talk up a good season before it starts, and then, reality sets in, and even rabid fans can read the proverbial writing on the wall. I hope we have a great season, but with WM still in there, I predict many long passes and runs against the dawgs. We will just have to wait and see.
Bassndawg
June 12th, 2009
4:35 pm
I typically don’t post on these forums, but after reading the post from Bug Killer and others criticizing Willie Martinez, I HAVE to chime in.
Usually when fans become critical of a coach or a coordinator, they do so out of frustration morew than anything, but is hardly ever grounded in reality and facts. Bug Killer’s post was a case in point.
The reality about our defense under CWM is this:
1. The average Defensive statistics under CWM, overall, are BETTER than than those under BVG. That is a fact. The caveat is that 2008 was the worst year, statistically, under Richt.
2. In 2002, when we won the SEC with a dominating D, we did so by shutting down opponent’s passing game with the #6 ranked pass defense in the country. The secondary coach? – Martinez!
The caveat is that we had a veteran and talented D, especially on the line led by Sullivan, that was mostly injury-free.
3. The defenses under Martinez, as well as BVG are designed to be effective when we can apply penetration and QB pressure from the front 4. After we lost Ownes, combined with the injuries to the DE’s, we were simply not talented nor deep enough on the DL to consistently apply pressure and penetration from the front. No one player had to be double teamed, something which hasn’t happened since 2001, and no one player stepped up to make big plays behind the LOS like Marcus Howard did the year before. That is NOT a coaching problem. That is a personnel problem caused by unfortunate injuries. Martinez attempted to compensate by using the LB’s and safeties differently, and by using more zone blitz packages, but the FACT was we didn’t have the players at either DL or LB or safety to be consistently good on defense. I don’t care who the coach was. We were especially vulnerable to an option attack because we COULD NOT penetrate and disrupt anything. Our secondary was good enough to keep most teams from killing us with long bombs from the pocket, but we had to play deep zone most of the time beacsue we simply COULD NOT pressure the QB on a consistent basis. Option plays, even when stopped by the safeties or corners (Asher made a LOT of tackles), were stopped downfield, not at the LOS. Agains, NOT a coaching problem. It is ALL we could do against talented teams.
Look, no matter what your scheme is, or who your coach is, or what your past success has been, it all goes out the window when the personnel you had practiced and shcemed with all year are suddenly gone. You can’t re-engineer your defense effectively in the middle of a season. No team in history has been able to do that. The same coach who coached our guys into stopping Florida’s great offense in 2007, and who coached our guys into complete and total destruction of the best passing offense in college football, and who coached our guys into embarrassing the potent Oklahoma State offense, is the SAME coach who coached the guys in 2008.
People calling for the firing Martinez are as ignorant as the Tennessee fans who somehow think Tiffin can do better than Fullmer, given their problems in national recruiting is recent years. You people are as ignorant as Auburn fans who think a new guy can do better than Tubberville at Auburn, given that Sabin OWNS the state over there. You wouldn’t recognize a good coach if your life deopended on it.
If a team loses or one part of the team breaks down, you immediately blame the coach. The buck DOES stop with the coach, but in the case of Martinez, ONE bad year does not mean he is sufddenlt a lousy coach. Similar fans as you, Bug Killer, demanded that Bear Braynt resign from Alabama after the 1969-1970 seasons claiming that the Bear was “too old”, and “out of touch” and that the “Game had passed him by”. You people callling for Martinez’ head sound EXACTLY like those ignorant Alabama fans of the late 60’s.
jaglaw
June 12th, 2009
4:36 pm
BUG KILLER,
You are correct. Defense is bad. Martinez is the reason. But dont forget the other UGA record…..injuries. 25 needed surgery. I know, our offense is why we had 10 wins. The injuries really added up down the stretch and did not help. We will be much better on Defense this year but not because of Martinez….fire him now. I look at it like this: I doubt that a replacement DC would be any worse, even an assistant coach could have put up the numbers Martinez has the last few years.
jaglaw
June 12th, 2009
4:42 pm
Bassndawg,
the only reason Martinez’s secondary was good was because the pressure up front…even i could coach with those front seven from 02-05. however your points are well taken. I would love nothing more than to see Martinez have a great year. But less face it, his track record, regardless of the reasons (exuses), is his track record. And its not a good one. I hope your right about Martinez….but i havent seen it yet.
Dawgtime
June 12th, 2009
4:56 pm
Okay AJC, you need to require that all bloggers must be “adults” in age at least. I know that you cannot verify the maturity levels of some of these peons. When you have people posting scores with hahahaha, you are left wondering if a 3rd grader posted. That has to be one of the most puerlistic comments you will see on here. I bet GT would give a great deal to go 9-3 every year. The fact is that GT was revealed by LSU. Everyone will watch the scheme that dominated GT and employ it. Your one hit wonder season is over. Any honest person would recognize that UGA was the better team. We just happened to have a defense that lacked leadership or direction. Spilt milk. I don’t remember making a big deal out of UGA’s decade of domination. I don’t consider GT to be a viable team to worry about. That is the typical win at the end of the season. Yes, GT gets lucky from time to time. In terms of UGA, I don’t see a need for any recruits to start as freshmen. Freshmen starters typically represent a program that is struggling with the exception of great talents like Herschel Walker. I believe in letting the kids transition to college with a year of getting stronger and faster.
Hunk Erdown
June 12th, 2009
5:01 pm
I think that Stacey Searles has been an absolute miracle worker coaching our offensive line the last few years. I am anxious to see how a Searles’ coached line performs now that they are healthy, mature, and experienced. I have a feeling that our o-line will be very special this year and even negate any short comings in the backfield. I don’t know how well many of you know Coach Searles, but he is a very special human being. I met him a few years ago at a dinner given to recognize heroes in our region. He is a very humble, dedicated individual.
Munson
June 12th, 2009
5:17 pm
I find it hilarious to see this clown pi$$onadawg calling UGA fans rednecks. I just read the following comment from this racist pos on the falcons blog:
Pi$$onaDAWG
June 12th, 2009
12:55 pm
FTN, FTN, who the F..k cares abouth Dat N.,,er. FTN.
Yeah, and UGA fans are the rednecks. You are a typical Tech piece of Sh1t!
Coach D
June 12th, 2009
6:03 pm
The thing that hurt last year’s team was a lack of leadership and accountability, whether it be offense, defense, special teams, or coaching. Last year’s team was a very immature team, and when things didn’t go their way, they packed it in because there weren’t tough enough mentally. After losing to Florida, the team was shell shocked and didn’t have a goal to play for. When a team is essentially knocked out of National Title Contention(or the SEC Championship for that matter), it’s hard to get motivated to blow out Kentucky, Auburn, and Tech. “Playing for Pride” is a tough sell for kids who were told during the preseason that they had the makings of a champion when in actuality those expectations were too lofty.
I’m not making excuses for the poor coaching. I’m not making excuse for the poor playing. But look at last year’s loss to Tech. I counted 3 missed tackles that led to TD’s. That has nothing to do with coaching and everything to do with imposing your will on another person. If beating Tech meant something to those players they would have rose to the occasion and stopped them. But since they chose to feel sorry for themselves, they lost to a team they had no business losing to.
braveshater
June 12th, 2009
6:17 pm
Fire Willie Martinez!
FL Dawg
June 12th, 2009
7:00 pm
I’m in the camp for Richt being more involved with Defense this year. Both his and CWM need a great year from the D after last year. There were two problems in week to week preparation for the Dawgs D last year: 1) Injuries continually forced changes to the D an no one becoming settled in their position. 2) UGA did not hit and tackle enough due to the high injury rate. That is why at the end of the year we missed tackles late in games and did not have the mental strength needed.
As stated Richt will need to be more involved with the D this year to ensure 1) a consistent high level of preparation and 2) that CWM has the coaching support needed. This will be Richts toughest season as a coach with WM on the hot seat and Bobo breaking in a new QB.
Saint Simons
June 12th, 2009
9:17 pm
Somebody please help me. I went to Georgia Tech and I have my head stuck up my arse.
It smells like chili dogs up here.
What was the final Peach Bowl score with LSU?
Dizkey
June 12th, 2009
9:37 pm
Can we please lose the fire WM campaign? Yes, his defense struggled quite often in 08. But, as a Dawg fan, I see no positives in blasting any members of the coaching staff in JUNE. I don’t care about last year. It’s over. Get over it! Nothing we say or complain about can change the outcome of previous games. Maybe I’m subject to seeing things through red and black colored glasses, but I see great days ahead of this UGA program. Not just in gymnastics and tennis, but also on the football field. If potential recruits spend their time reading this blog, I hope they understand that not all Georgia fans are eager to place blame on coordinators and disrespect the staff. If CMR was to fire WM, who would he bring in? Muschamp ain’t returning to Athens. Neither is BVG. True fans support their team through thick and thin. Some of these “Georgia fans” need to MAN UP! It’s JUNE, so quit cryin!!
GO DAWGS!!
david
June 13th, 2009
12:06 am
richt has not lost to wisconsin
SamoanDawg
June 13th, 2009
12:08 am
Bassndawg, amen brah! You’re absolutely correct. Willie Martinez is a good coach. He’s also down to earth man. I met the man in person last year. If you had the chance to talk to each of the coaches, they’re great family men. They all do great jobs of mentoring young men. I think Willie will have a ball toying with a much healthier personnels.
No worries DawgNation, our D will stand tall!
BugKiller
June 13th, 2009
12:13 am
To all of you people claiming the defensive numbers are better under Martinez…
… you’re all full of $hit.
And liars.
But hey, I guess if you’d rather be an apologist instead of a realist, that’s a YOU problem, not a ME problem.
G’night everybody!
BugKiller
June 13th, 2009
12:17 am
And what I mean by that is that RANKINGS really don’t mean all that much.
The actual NUMBERS, people… the NUMBERS are much worse, and have gotten worse every year under Martinez.
Yards Allowed. Points Allowed. Penalties Accrued.
All have gotten worse, every year under Martinez, with NO uptick. That’s called a trend, morons.
That’s truth.
Not the twisted facts and lies y’all bring to the table.
turkey
June 13th, 2009
12:17 am
As always Bugkiller is dead on it. Stats don’t lie and what will the kool-aid drinkers think when the dogs get blown out by 30 or more and lose to Tech again, more excuses for CWM.
Turkeys can't fly
June 13th, 2009
1:03 am
Bill, sorry for going off topic, but here we go:
turkey/bug killer- can’t you come up with something better to do than posting a statement, then creating an alter ego that praises your previous personality? It’s kind of strange how you can agree with bug killer’s comment at 12:17 with your own 12:17 post. You must type fast! LMAO!!
Now, back to business. If the lines are healthy, UGA will destroy Oklahoma State in Stillwater. Caleb King will rise to the occasion. A sound running game will make life easy on Joe Cox. King will have a Musa Smith-like career in Athens. Caleb is smaller and more compact than Musa was during his Bulldog days, but they are similar in their lower the shoulder and attack style of rushing the football. Caleb King won’t make anyone forget the name Knowshon, but he will play well enough to keep Washaun on the bench.
m
June 13th, 2009
9:25 am
The real question is how could you be any worse on defense?
And if you don’t learn how to defend the option, then you are doomed against Paul Johnson.
Thanks to God and Greyhound, you don’t have chan gomer gailey to kick around anymore…..as you hushpuppies found out last November.
Red Elephant
June 13th, 2009
9:45 am
As an Alabama fan I BEG GT to come back to the SEC. PLEASE! I’m so sick of your mouth.
Year in and year out you MIGHT contend with Kentucky. GT is a joke. As an outsider, it is painful to see you constantly acting out your inferiority complex with Georgia on these blogs.
You win one or two games a decade with them and suddenly you have a reason to live. Auburn has more self respect than you guys. Truly pathetic.
dUmB dAWg
June 13th, 2009
11:59 am
ThERe wAs nO eXCuSe In lOSInG tO GeOrGIa tECh lAst yEaR. Two WeekS tO pRePare aNd Blew a 28 – 12 HalFtIme LEad. CMr BeTtEr gET HIs aCT tOGetHEr.
Henry
June 13th, 2009
12:07 pm
It will be when the lights went out in UGA land. Ole ball coach does it again. Pepto Bismol sales will skyrocket in Athens as that ole sick feeling sinks deep inside of dawgie fans by Stevo. It just a gut feeling huh!
Cuz
June 13th, 2009
1:47 pm
Red Elephant, after reading your comment I would like to offer you a laurel and hearty handshake. In your honour sir, Roll Tide.
Now GATA Dawgs!
BugKiller
June 13th, 2009
1:54 pm
Turkey’s can’t Fly:
If you had an ounce of intelligence, you would have inferred that turkey probably posted in response to my 0013 post.
But I’m guessing you don’t even have an ounce.
But it’s just a guess.
Oledawg
June 13th, 2009
2:26 pm
SamoanDawg & Bassndawg-Keep the good stuff flowing. If we want Richt and Staff to hear the fan’s voices then I suggest your blogs be hot, heavy and often. BugKiller is not a Dawg. He puts out a good foot to suck you in, then gives inaccurate info to drag you in to agree with him. Too many of you without good info and questionable reasoning power go along with him and thereby show your ignorance and ability for someone to lead you by your shorthairs. Wake up! This idiot is doing noone any favors by attacking the Coach and members of our Staff. HE IS NOT A UGA BULLDAWG FAN. Look up the definition of a fan. The anti Martinez rant is based on false info and reasoning. When challenged in the past, he cannot name a better Defensive Coach available on the market. He will throw out some name from time to time that he leads you into believing a coach no one has heard of is better, but fails to tell you how you can compare. Don’t kid yourself. This BugKiller is a Richt hater and undermines our team with every opportunity. If you are a fan his standard reply includes “rose-colored glasses” and not so subtle negative inferences about men who are many times over his abilities in life. This guy will go cursing to his grave someday not having accomplished anything positive in his life. He just tries to tear down others. He will never concede the truth about our team because it will depose every statement he has made on blogs for the last year. He will never concede that injury forced us to limit practice, play personnel in positions that were not their primary positions and play new recruits on the line against very experienced SEC players.
Name any team that could lose the players we lost at the positions we lost them and not only be viable, but win 10 games as well. This team and their coaches need high accolades for the job that they did in filling in for fallen companions. I would love for BugKiller to be thrown into that millieu and take a couple of hits those guys took while possibly ruining their careers playing hurt and covering plays they weren’t familiar with. He would fold like an accordion. He has little and no respect for those players and what they accomplished because HE IS NOT A FAN!!
I’m with those who say “What about OK St. We beat them last year and will again this year.” They bring the same team back with a year’s experience tacked on. So does GEORGIA. If the players that were responsible for 2007 whoopin’ of FU played last year , they would have done it again. Well guess what! They are back this year(the players that beat FU in 2007). FU has another year under their belt and SO DOES UGA! Except this time perhaps the players that beat them in 2007,barring injury, will be available to do it again! Who has LSU added that makes their team so different than last year? New players? So have we. GT, our injured Defense gave you the points needed to make the difference last year. A pitiful difference at that. Let’s see. You will have the same D won’t you . We won’t. The older gang will be here this year to kick your pitiful butts. The teams we have to look over our shoulders for are still SC, Vandy, Auburn and Kentucky. Don’t let your memories get weak concerning these teams that beat us a couple of years ago. They can still play the game in the SEC. Nothing’s easy this year and we wouldn’t want it any other way. Wins against big opponents is what Champions are made of and we will be there. GO DAWGS!!
gatorman770
June 13th, 2009
3:32 pm
How many more days till kickoff…..I’m tired of hearing about last year. It’s water under the bridge and I thank God for the rain so there is water under the bridge again!
I’ve been a Tech fan since Bobby Dodd was coach, long before I became a Gator fan, but I sure hope the next person that post the score of the 2008 UGA/GT get stung by a hornet! Enough!
shane#1
June 13th, 2009
4:05 pm
gatorman, AMEN! Your Spencer Hall, aka Orson Swindle, got off a good one at his beloved Gators expense. “At this rate we won’t be selling textbooks illegally, just taking them at gunpoint. Along with the cash register!”. I am also tired of hearing about Lane Kiffin, whether or not the Dawgs will be better off without Stafford and Moreno{please}, and firing Coach Willie. David Hale has done some very good stories on some UGA players, both newbies and veterans. Is the AJC incapable of doing even a human intrest story? I would like to know if Ricardo Crawford is at Oxford now or if he has returned to Athens. A 300 lb DT, and Shakespearian scholar. Now there is a human intrest story!
Oledawg
June 13th, 2009
4:46 pm
And “Amen!” to you as well, shane#1. Requests for who is working out and who isn’t have gone unheeded as well. These writers get the same info we do in the media, twist them up and “viola!” they feed pablum to us in some way they hope we don’t recognize. Whenever a good human interest story about a player comes along the writer gets rewarded with over 500 blogs in a few hours, but they don’t seem to get it or they don’t think much of our interest depth. The general pablum gets passed out that the typical blogger could write better and with more info. The formula seems to reverberate around how many idiots from other blogs the writers can get on here to jab at the Dawgs and their fans. Human interest stories are beyond those slugs.
A nice article about the WRs last week was followed 3-4 days later on the same subject, except the last one was just generalized pablum by Bill King. Then he twisted Richt’s words to write his “whiney” article. He followed that with 3 articles on the same day about old general info on the team to cover up the criticisms he got on the Richt article from fans and national press. That made the Richt article disappear fast from the front page bloggers list so that you can’t click on to follow the blogs. Now you have to search the archives for an article written less than a week ago. Nice going.
dawgbone
June 13th, 2009
5:19 pm
all the dog fans that are so against willie m need to take in account the sec gets all the great athletes, the acc gets the rest, willies job is to challenge them to bring their “a” game every game for the duration, its tough to keep 18-21 yr olds to play like their hair is on fire every game
Cuz
June 13th, 2009
5:59 pm
Oledawg, don’t you just love this new and improved AJC. At least Chip gave us info on who was in town for the Summer doing workouts. I expect a blog next week on what type of mousse Mark Richt prefers followed by an article on what songs are on his Ipod.
I got the Willies
June 13th, 2009
6:05 pm
I wonder what the excuses will be this year? Year before last it was youth, last year was injuries. I know…. we dont have a Stafford or Moreno this year. Our supposedly great recruiting classes are just not panning out. Our defense suxs. Our offense is vanilla. Bwah Bwah Bwah! This is just a bunch of irresponsible kids that are 18 to 21 year olds who like to get in trouble with the ACC police Dept. They make dumb mistakes. Yeah thats ok let the Floridas , Alabamas, and LSUs continue to dominate while UGA struggles with the South Carolinas,Kentuckys and Vandys of the college fooball world!
SamoanDawg
June 13th, 2009
7:49 pm
Willie’s D will dominate, there’s no doubt in my mind. Jeff Owen/Geno Atkins will set the tone between the trenches. They’ll free up Roderick Battle, Demarcus Dobbs and look out for Cornelius Washington. Zac Robinson will be running for his life in Stillwater.. Darryl Gamble will be breathing down his neck. No where to run for Kendall Hunter and Keith Toston. Dez Bryant will have a quiet day.
All you Willie doubters, go suck on an egg!