UGA’s Gilliard, Walsh receive player-of-week honors from SEC

Two Georgia players received honors from the SEC today for their performances in Saturday’s victory at Tennessee.

Inside linebacker Mike Gilliard was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Week after a huge game in which he had a career-high 12 tackles, as well as a sack (for minus 14 yards), 2.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, two quarterback hurries and a pass breakup.

It was the latest in a series of strong performances by Gilliard, who stepped up in the wake of injuries to inside linebackers Alec Ogletree and Christian Robinson. Gilliard, a junior, has led the Bulldogs in tackles for the past four games.

Placekicker Blair Walsh was named the SEC’s Special Teams Player of the Week after making both of his field-goal attempts at Tennessee. His 35- and 23-yard field goals accounted for all of Georgia’s scoring in the first half, which ended in a 6-6 tie.

The game was a bounce-back performance for Walsh, who missed six of 12 field-goal attempts in this season’s first five games after missing just five of 45 over the two previous seasons. He is the SEC’s active career leader with 63 field goals, the eighth most in league history.

In addition to the SEC honor, Gilliard also was named the College Football Performance Awards’ National Linebacker of the Week.

237 comments Add your comment

Desert Fox

October 10th, 2011
2:27 pm

Gilliard is a Jr so need to figure a way to keep him playing same for Herrera. Both have done as good as the starters in their absence. They have done more than expected and proven they can start. Big tests for the dawgs offense and defense against a very fast FL team. AL and LSU eliminated that threat which made FL one dimensional on offense and dawgs must do the same otherwise Dent, Rainey and Dubose will own the field. Am sure the DC and CMR will review those games and adjust the D to shut down the sweeps FL has been so successful with over the years. Make them pass or run up the middle and I think GA has good chance to finally win in Jax.

TampaDawg

October 10th, 2011
2:29 pm

You know, I was hoping to see Dogs Smell on here. He promised me that Poole would rush for 100+ against the UGA D. Poole came up a little short.

Mr. Dawg

October 10th, 2011
2:29 pm

Everyone is so caught up in the scrutiny of this bulldog team that the fact they are young seems to be forgotten. After Richt survives this season – and he will – the future is very very bright.

ATL Fan

October 10th, 2011
2:30 pm

Third and 52?!? Really.

TampaDawg

October 10th, 2011
2:33 pm

ATL Fan, yes, Really. And….????? One series through the entire game is all you come up with to talk about? One series that made no difference in the game?

DawginLex

October 10th, 2011
2:33 pm

Disappearing TROLL List

Colonel Reb
MS Bully
Rock E topp
Dogs Smell

Who is next, Vandy Sandy?

Alphadawg

October 10th, 2011
2:35 pm

slydog, I agree with you completely on keeping the young guys in there at LB. Robinson is out of position more than any LB in the SEC, doesn’t take on blocks well and only makes a play when he is sent on a blitz and doesn’t have to think. He is the king of the tackle 8 yds downfield. We have seen it for 1.5 years now. He is physically talented, but that D is much tougher without him. Herrera and Gilliard have done a great job and are getting better and should stay in there.

TampaDawg

October 10th, 2011
2:41 pm

Dawgs run the table and that list gets a lot longer Lex

Indian Dawg

October 10th, 2011
2:48 pm

Where’s that one “Buckeye” character that had so much to say to us during the summer months? Have you started rooting for another team yet, bud?
:)

Hmm

October 10th, 2011
2:48 pm

Let me use a little UGA fan logic here….

UT missed a field goal and had an extra point blocked…that’s 4 points. UT “gave” UGA a touchdown when it snapped the ball over Bray’s head and the punter shanked a punt giving UGA the ball inside field goal range. Now we’re up to 7 points (I’ll give UGA the field goal). Two phantom pass interference calls gave UGA at least 6 more points when UT has UGA stopped on third down. One of those calls led to a UGA touchdown, but I’ll go ahead and give them the field goals. So…that’s 13 gift points.

So…in my opinion, UT should have won the game 16 to 11. Now before you attack my post, UGA fans did the same thing when recounting the SC game…you simply subtracted 28 points and claimed a 42-17 victory.

Top Recruit

October 10th, 2011
2:48 pm

Congratulations to two former Valdosta High School football players for their outstanding play against the Vols. Another sits in the wings for next year.
Congratulations to Valdosta High School football team and coaching staff for their outstanding game against cross town rival Lowndes High School in the annual Winnersville Classic [televised on ESPN]in Class 1-5A this pas Friday night. High school football does not get any better than that. Great performances by both teams!

Where's The Talk???

October 10th, 2011
2:50 pm

Hey…how come I don’t hear UGA fans enraged over Brandon “Un”Boykin’s cheap shot on Da’Rick Rogers? I figured that since UGA fans hate dirty play, they would be all over him for that.

GADawg59

October 10th, 2011
2:53 pm

shankit

October 10th, 2011
2:59 pm

Valdosta High vs. Lowndes – Greatest high school football game I have witnessed.
Talk about passion, intensity, hitting, and not quitting, that was what football is all
about. And by the way, there are at least a dozen players on these two teams that
are not rated by Scout that I would put up against any 5 star players in the country.

TampaDawg

October 10th, 2011
3:00 pm

Hmm, so reading isn’t your strong point? No one and I mean NO ONE on here claimed a “victory” after USCe. All anyone did was show how the team played better than they did at BSU and aside from a few costly mistakes, the outcome of the game could be different. The team that usually has the fewest mistakes typically wins. Get over it.

BurytheBone

October 10th, 2011
3:02 pm

I for one am excited about the future of the Bulldawg Nation. I predict we will finish in the top ten in recruiting again. And with all the young guys that are stepping up. The next few years will be something to look forward too. Our team is improving every week. And one thing I’ve have noticed over the years about CMR. Has knows how to get his team to peak at the right time. Some teams come out of the gate hot, but fall off later in the season. Yes we’ve been in the valley, so the only way to go is up. That ain’t no hill for a climber!! Maybe shuffle CB back to QB’S coach like Lex suggested and look for a Cutcliff type OC and the riddle will be solved. CMR has the type of faith needed when your in the lions den. And the type of dignity that makes him an honorable person. He will suceed with what he set out to do at UGA. And our players and our program will be better because of his character.

Where's The Talk???

October 10th, 2011
3:03 pm

TampaDawg….saying that “no one and I mean no one” claimed a victory, and doing so adamantly, doesn’t change the facts. I talk to UGA fans all the time who claim that UGA really won that game. I seen it numerous times on the blogs as well.

Of course it went down as a loss, but your post is absurd.

However, I am talking to UGA fans…I guess it would be less painful to light my hair on fire and run around the room then to try and give back a little of what UGA fans dish out. I guess you guys own the “go back in time and take away our teams mistakes and change the score” rule?

iknowathing ortwo

October 10th, 2011
3:04 pm

grantham has done a great job…hes installing a kirby smart defense….the players are in better condition and even have better balance this year…can make plays on there feet more(a real fan of the game knows what i mean there)…our only problem is the lines..o and d…were inconsistant on both….even with the biggest o line there is in college or the pros….and we got more pressure upfront last year than this year even with big jj and geathers….if we win out and put a descent season together, our recruit class next year (dream team 2.0) to go with the original dream team with experience ..WOW that will b fun to watch…theres alot of guys from the dream team that can play this year but depth holds em down…jay rome hasnt seen the field i dont thinnk.. .FUCl>>FASTEST TO 100 WINS IN SCHOOL HISTORY…U THINK ANOTHER NO NAME JOE BLOW COACH CAN DO BETTER??….(idiots out there)..get of the message boards!

Hmm

October 10th, 2011
3:05 pm

@Where’s The Talk???…thanks for the backup. UGA fans are great at going back and talking to how they should have won the game. They just don’t like it when somebody else does it.

TampaDawg

October 10th, 2011
3:05 pm

gotcha GADawg, I saw this link and it wasn’t as complementary but still better than most would lead you to believe.

http://stanford.scout.com/2/952555.html

shankit

October 10th, 2011
3:05 pm

Georgia second in SEC behind Vanderbilt with 68% grad rate.
I guess if you factor in all the players left
early for the NFL or transferred, the rate
would be much higher.

TampaDawg

October 10th, 2011
3:19 pm

We heard the words “moral victory” often. But really, go find a post that says “well, we really did win the game” There were posts blaming Bobo, Murray, Crowell, but no “well, we won the game anyway”. And you guys can back each other up all you want but unless you posted under a different name, I never saw either of you on here. You guys just look for stuff to talk crap about and now you are absolutely grabbing at straws. Boykin? Claiming victories after losses? Senseless.

Hmm

October 10th, 2011
3:22 pm

TampaDawg…so you don’t think “un”boykin took a cheap shot at Rogers?

phil

October 10th, 2011
3:22 pm

Where's The Talk???

October 10th, 2011
3:23 pm

TampaDawg…you and I both know that not only did UGA fans say it then, they are still saying it to this day. You couldn’t be more wrong. Saying it isn’t so changes nothing.

JAWJeRDAWG

October 10th, 2011
3:24 pm

TampaDawg

They’re just plumb wrong. You said it right.

Dawg Gone

October 10th, 2011
3:24 pm

@Hmm but you see there is the rub, we never said we won the game just that if we had not committed turnovers we could have won..you don’t have that to stand on, we shut your running game down and knocked your QB out of the game, face it you didn’t beat yourself like we did vs USC WE beat you…cry me a river.

Top Dawg

October 10th, 2011
3:25 pm

It’s great to see these guys step up when others are hurt. Pipp to Gehrig anyone?
Love to see all our Dawgs succeed.
Welcome back Blair!

Where's The Talk???

October 10th, 2011
3:26 pm

JawJerDawg…I forgot, you guys are punch drunk on Kool-Aid.

No wonder that UGA fans are considered the worst in the SEC. After every loss, you want to talk about why you should have won the game. When somebody else does it, you just say they’re crazy.

Stay classy UGA fans.

YungDawg87

October 10th, 2011
3:26 pm

@Retro….. YOUR A HATER! LAME!!!!
GREAT GAME MIKE GILLIARD! ITS GONNE BE ALOT OF COMPITION THIS SPRING AND SUMMER WITH BRANDON BURROWS AND KENT TURENE BACK IN ACTION!

Where's The Talk???

October 10th, 2011
3:28 pm

@Dawg Gone….UT “should” have won the game 16-11. I’m using the exact same logic that UGA fans use after they lose (and lost to SC). You are not the only fans that can go back, take away your teams mistakes, and change the score.

Crap

October 10th, 2011
3:29 pm

Doesn’t matter if Boykin took a shot or not. If it gets called, it gets called. Thankful you guys have Rogers. He’ll either bail, or have to make bail (again) before it’s all over. Didn’t see you mention the fumble that apparently wasn’t.

JAWJeRDAWG

October 10th, 2011
3:30 pm

@ Where’s The Talk???

To answer your assertions:

Nope
Nope
Nope
Nope
Yep, we are!

Where's The Talk???

October 10th, 2011
3:30 pm

@crap…all I heard last year was how dirty Fairley was…and he wasn’t flagged either. You just can’t bring yourself to admit that UGA fans are hypocritcal can you?

Crap

October 10th, 2011
3:30 pm

Talk and Hmm: Big babies.

Crap

October 10th, 2011
3:31 pm

I can admit that ALL fans are hypocritical. But you’re simply a liar.

Where's The Talk???

October 10th, 2011
3:31 pm

@JAWJeDAWG….that sounds about like something my kid would say. Are you like 11?

Where's The Talk???

October 10th, 2011
3:32 pm

Crap…how am I a liar? Please explain…this should be fun.

JAWJeRDAWG

October 10th, 2011
3:32 pm

Where's The Talk???

October 10th, 2011
3:34 pm

1. UT should have won the game 16-11 (using the same logic that UGA fans use after they lose).
2. UGA fans don’t want to admit that “un”Boykin took a cheap shot at Rogers…and are hypocritical in the process.

JAWJeRDAWG

October 10th, 2011
3:34 pm

@ Where’s The Talk???

Just don’t spend much time arguing with the sick and infirm.

Where's The Talk???

October 10th, 2011
3:35 pm

JAWJeDawg…ahh younger I see.

Where's The Talk???

October 10th, 2011
3:36 pm

JAWJeDAWG….well then that rules out most UGA fans.

Where's The Talk???

October 10th, 2011
3:38 pm

Crap…I’m waiting.

Where's The Talk???

October 10th, 2011
3:42 pm

Crap…You called me a liar…still waiting on you to explain how.

Where's The Talk???

October 10th, 2011
3:44 pm

Didn’t think so. You UGA fans are sooooo predictable.

JAWJeRDAWG

October 10th, 2011
3:45 pm

Where’s The Talk???

How about just ‘uniformed’, rather than the medical term ’sick and infirm’ implication. That’s more adult perhaps.

Where's The Talk???

October 10th, 2011
3:46 pm

JAWJeRDawg….Ok. So how am I uninformed?

Dawg Gone

October 10th, 2011
3:48 pm

@Where’s The Talk??? nope not the same at all you see USC didn’t stop us we stopped ourselves. UT didn’t stop us and this week we didn’t stop ourselves we just beat that Orange butt, you know it, I know it , the whole world knows it. Now quit crying, you got beat just like we did by Boise.

DawginLex

October 10th, 2011
3:50 pm

I loved Fairley’s hit.

I wish Ben Jones had been better at retaliation

If Erk was still around, Fairley would have left that game with a permanent limp.

Boykin’s hit was hard but clean, no penalty was called.

It’s football you panty waist.