Georgia Sports Blog FanShop

November 30, 2005

Bowden's Post-Richt Offense Getting Hit from All Angles

Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel gives us this interesting two page look at the FSU offense.

Some highlights:
This is not the way Bobby Bowden, a man I consider to be the greatest major-college coach of all time, should end his career -- as a bitter Little League father who cannot accept that his son just might not be good enough to be an all-star.
- - - - -
Peter Tom Willis, the former Florida State quarterback who is now a color commentator on Seminole radio broadcasts, said on the air during the loss to Clemson that the Seminoles needed to scrap "this high-school offense."
- - - - -
Bowden's son, Terry, a former head football coach who now does a daily radio show in town (4-7 p.m., WHOO, 1080 AM), has questioned Florida State's offensive philosophy on the air and has called this year's scheme "a jump-ball offense."
- - - - -
For four years, we were led to believe that the old quarterback -- Chris Rix -- was the problem. Now the problem is that the new quarterback -- Drew Weatherford -- is too young and the offensive line too banged up. What's the excuse going to be next year -- not enough depth at tight end?

Rix became a punching bag and a punch line for many of us in the media. He became the convenient fall guy when the program began falling. Did we have it all wrong? Was he the victim and not the villain?

"My son was made a scapegoat for the offensive ineptitude," said Chris Rix Sr., the father of Florida State's much-maligned former quarterback. "Funny, but the many problems Chris was blamed for are still there now that he's gone.

"My son was never developed like he should have been. He was stuck in second gear his whole time there. Chris was recruited by Mark Richt to play quarterback at Florida State, but when Coach Richt left [to become the head coach at Georgia], we weren't playing for Florida State anymore. We were playing for the Bobby Bowden Friends and Family Network."

Interesting.


[Photo: This statue honors Bowden's attempt to point the blame for FSU's offensive problems at the media, fans and players instead of his son.]

Around the Horn

Josh Kendall has a great article on Lumpkin's return to form.

Mayor Kyle of Kyle on Football has his weekend predictions up early.

I'm A Realist looks at Conference Strengths in terms of which conference has the most BCS wins and which conference has more relevant BCS wins.

Lastly, The Drizzle has a post-game analysis for the Dawgs from last week.

Photos from the Tech game

I'm trying to work it out/get approval to add some spectacular pics from the UGA vs. Tech game. If I get them, they will be up tonight. If not, I'll probably delete this post and pretend it never happened.

Most Gratifying Dump EVER

This. Is. Nuts. EDSBS shows the best sideline interview question of all time aimed at Nebraska's Bill Callahan.

When you click over to EDSBS, you'll see the link to the movie file.

November 29, 2005

John Tenuta to Texas A&M?

Coach Fran is in the market for a new Defensive Coordinator. (ht - EDSBS) Tenuta would be a huge upgrade over Torbush. I could be Tenuta's agent. I'd recommend him for tons of jobs in other parts of the country. ;-)

In other "You're Fired" news, Georgia Southern terminated head coach Mike Sewak. His failures included:
- Not making it past round 1 in the playoffs the past two years
- Not making it to the playoffs at all three years ago
- Pissing off the greatest thing to ever happen to GSU

pwd

Dawg Walk Info for SEC Championship Game

Per Georgiadogs.com

ATHENS - The University of Georgia Dawg Walk prior to the SEC Championship Game Saturday at the Georgia Dome will begin at 3:55 p.m.

The team will arrive and depart the buses at the West Plaza near the Gold Parking Deck off Northside Dr. They will proceed to Stairtower Four at which point they will go down stairs to the players' entrance.

In other words....Gate B.


Photo from AJC.com.

Final Installment in the Turducken News

I mentioned near the beginning of this series of articles, that FoxNews was putting together a Turducken Blog.

The writer is up to episode 3 of her quest to build her first Turducken. In this installment she references our own "Iron Chef Turducken." Iron Chef Turducken provided assistance, advice and tips to the FoxNews reporter, and in return she linked over to ICT's blog.

Also interesting to note, the FoxNews article introduced me to "Quaducant" -- a quail stuffed inside a duck stuffed inside a pheasant.

Anyway, this has nothing to do with nothing. Just giving props to Tiffany Iron Chef Turducken.

Good News. Dewberry Qualifies

Darius Dewberry scored a 19 ACT and an 820 on his SAT -- Source: Scout.com

Dewberry is a 5 star linebacker with the speed, size combo that we desperately need. He doesn't project to enroll early.

In the DawgPost.com article, Hargrave's coach *gushes* over Dewberry's abilities.

On the downside, Josh Johnson isn't coming back. Josh was suspended for some games down at GMC. Apparently, he didn't fulfill his commitment to Richt to get his act together so he's not re-enrolling. Glad Richt stuck to his guns.

November 28, 2005

For the folks who watched UGA vs. GT on TV

Click to enlarge. Hard to fully appreciate the humor in this one if you missed it on TV.

Pic hosted by ToonDawg.

Breaking Scheduling News: UGA to Play Cincy

Mike Floyd just gave me a heads up on this one.

"Sounds like we've signed a two-for-one deal with the University of Cincinnati, with the Bearcats coming to Athens in 2008 and 2014 and our Bulldogs playing @ Cincy in 2011. It's an interesting choice that falls in line with Damon's stated intention of scheduling non-conference BCS programs, although I'd be shocked if the Big East is still a BCS league in a few years.

Read more here from today's Cincinnati Post.

Also, it's interesting to note that they would be playing us in Paul Brown Stadium. This is not the Bearcats home stadium. It's where the Bengals play.

2008 non-conference schedule looks like GT (home), Arizona State (road), Cincy (Home) and 1 more open date non-conference. Not bad considering that we will also have UT (home) and Bama at home that year.

Rumors of a 2011 and 2012 matchup with UCLA are still out there, and we have two more open slots for non-conference teams in 2007. Damon is doing a good job of upgrading the schedule. (NOTE; the UCLA series looks dead per AJC.com)



[Photo: University of Cincinnati Booster Club]

81Dog's Towering Home Run Shot

It doesn't get any better than this.

Recap: GT vs.UGA

Random musings. Fast break style.

-- Demario Minter just made himself very rich. Calvin Johnson had 2 catches on the night, and one of them was nabbed off Paul Oliver.

-- Best line of the day came from an architect sitting with a friend of mine. On the topic of Bobby Dodd Stadium: "This place looks like something Frank Lloyd Wright shat."

-- The entire game plan looked to me a battle of wills. It was as if Gailey said "I'm going to be patient and I'm going to work my way down the field without turing the ball over and beat UGA."

Whereas Richt/Martinez must have said, "Tech is not going to beat us with Calvin Johnson and big plays. We're going to avoid the big plays, play Calvin tough as nails, keep GT in front of us, and force them to drive 65-80 yards and convert 6 to 8 third downs per drive to beat us. We don't think that they can do that without screwing up so we will win." We blitzed just enough to make it work.

Richt/Martinez were right. The penalties and turnovers KILLED Tech's offense.

-- Shocked GT didn't try to hit Calvin more. Somewhat shocked that we continue to catch the ball so poorly in Game 11. Bummed that Inman was injured so early and that Shackleford is still so clueless. Glad that we won.

-- It was lucky for the Dawgs that it was cold. A hot night like that with GT's time of possession in the second half, and we would've been in much more trouble.

-- Our RBs picked up the blitz pretty well. Given how much Tech blitzed, I didn't feel like it affected our passing game that much. What killed us were dropped passes. Sure, GT altered the timing of some of DJ's passes and tipped some balls, but if we catch the ball, we win by 14-17 points.

-- Tech had a good showing in the stands. It was the biggest percentage of GT fans to UGA fans since I've been attending the games in BDS 95-2005. That said, with GT fans not wearing anything resembling gold, the only way that I knew they were GT fans was them standing pre-game for the fight song. Just under 20k Georgia fans?

-- I have no idea where our QB draw went. I have no idea why we can't run the swing pass to the RB to slow down the blitz. I have no idea why we can't execute a screen pass to save our lives. I have no idea why we didn't roll the pocket, or why we decided to turn DJ into a pocket passer for this game. But it's annoying.

-- More Lumpkin next week.

-- Overall, our coaches put together a plan that was a winner. As Richt said at halftime, "We have to do a better job of throwing and catching." If we can EVER get that hitched up, we'll be fine. When we weren't dropping balls, we looked good.

November 27, 2005

What time is it?

6:46...or if you prefer...14 to 7.



(Thanks to JeromeFromDecatur for finding this pic)

Blog Poll Ballot -- Week 14

Week 14
1. Texas - I know they didn't look like world beaters vs. Texas A&M, but you know what? When has USC's defense looked impressive this year? The Trojans gave up 42 points to a team that just lost to Nevada.

2. Southern Cal - How do you let Fresno State put up 42 points on you. The more I reflect on that game, the more I can't help but wonder WTH? I watched all but the final 5-10 minutes of that game, and I think the giddy glow of watching Reggie Bush put on a staggering show takes about 2 weeks to wear off. When it does you realize that USC can't play a lick of defense.

3. Penn State - I really like this team.

4. Louisiana State - Arkansas is horrible. If Georgia's Dan Inman (starting OT) is healthy for the LSU game, Georgia wins.

5. Virginia Tech - I'm tempted to put them ahead of LSU.

6. Auburn - Best team nobody wants to play.

7. Ohio State - After the Irish struggled with a 5-5 Stanford team, I dropped them a notch.

8. Notre Dame - Great offense. Bad defense. A game with Penn State would be very interesting.

9. Oregon - The Rodney Dangerfield of 10-1 teams.

10. UCLA - I'm pulling for USC next week vs. the Bruins only because I want to see Reggie Bush vs. the Longhorn defense.

11. Georgia - If we catch the ball vs. LSU and if Inman is healthy we win. I moved us over Miami b/c we beat the team that beat Miami, and we have the same record.

12. Miami (Florida) - A befuddling team.

13. West Virginia - Extremely impressive showing vs. Pitt. Sideline interview quote of the decade comes from Wannstead during the Pitt/WVU game "We're going to tell our kids that they've got to run faster."

14. Alabama - Alabama vs. Michigan in the Outback would be a very good football game.

15. Texas Tech - Cotton Bowl bound for only their third time in history (1995 and 1939). No wonder they are so in love with Leach down there.

16. Florida - The Gators destroyed FSU. It was the worst defeat of an indian people on US soil since the Battle of Wounded Knee.

17. TCU - Stuck in non-BCS purgatory. Bummer for them that OU was so bad the one year that they beat 'em.

18. Louisville - For all their offensive hype, who has Petrino really beaten up there? Did you know the only team that he's beaten in three years that has finished the season ranked in the Top 25 is Boise State? No. He didn't beat FSU in the rain. That was John L. Smith.

19. Boston College - The best team that no bowl wants. They can thank their fans for that one.

20. Michigan - This holiday season, Lloyd Carr gave thanks for Phil Fulmer because Tennessee was the only team in America that did less with more.

[Photo: Autographed picture that Fulmer sent Carr.]

21. South Carolina - If Georgia wins the SEC Championship game, the Gamecocks might head to the Outback Bowl. If not, it's probably off to Shreveport. The SEC won't let a bowl select a team with 2 fewer wins over another team. In other words, South Carolina can't get picked for a bowl until Georgia has been selected. Florida however is under no such protection at 8-3.

22. Wisconsin - This season was starting to give me flashbacks to Kareem Abdul Jabbar's last season in the NBA. Everywhere you turned it was another "Last time that Alvarez will do _______" or another "Alvarez tribute." Personally, I think it's a disease called "Vince Dooley Syndrome." It's best recognized for the inability to quietly walk away.

[Photo: After Alvarez retires, will he do Zucker films like Kareem?]

23. Iowa - I expected more out of this team pre-season.

24. Oklahoma - I am not a Stoops hater so I was glad to see them give Ok State the beat down.

25. Fresno State - I have a policy that says if you lose to a total joke of a program, I can't rank you. Luckily for Fresno State, I have already violated that rule with TCU. So they are safe.

Dropped Out
Georgia Tech - well duh

New
Iowa

UGA vs. Clemson in the Peach Bowl?

There are four main bowl scenarios right now for the Dawgs. Technically, there are more, but the most likely based on this weekend's games are discussed below.

Sugar - Georgia Bulldogs vs. West Virginia
-- WVU locked up the Sugar yesterday when Uconn beat USF. The Mountaineers looked like a legit Top 10 vs. an overmatched Pitt team so this isn't the debacle many of us feared a few weeks ago. Still not ideal, but as long as WVU beats USF next week it will have some national appeal. If Georgia beats LSU, we get this matchup.

Peach -- Georgia vs. Clemson
-- When FSU loses to Virginia Tech this coming weekend in the ACC Championship game, the Noles will be on a four game losing streak. I can't see the Peach selecting a team with so little enthusiasm or respect. That leaves the Peach to choose between Boston College (8-3), Clemson (7-4) and Georgia Tech (7-4). BC's fans don't travel, and Tech is local. The Peach would have to choose between a 9-3 Georgia Team and an 8-3 Florida Team. If Georgia loses to LSU, this is a real possibility. The chance to beat the Tigers a sixth time in a row would be fine by me.

[Photo: Bruce Thornton celebrates our win over Clemson in 2003.]

Peach -- Georgia vs. Boston College
-- If the Peach takes BC, they are going to need someone to sell tickets to the game. The two SEC fan bases who would sell the most tickets to this game are Georgia and South Carolina. SC will sell more tickets to any non-BCS bowl than any other SEC team this year. However, proximity would mean a ton of Georgia ticket sales here.

Independence -- Georgia vs. Nebraska/Missouri/Oklahoma/Colorado
-- The Shreveport Bowl reps told the Jacksonville paper that they are expecting to select Florida. If the Dawgs slip past the Peach, this is where we will wind up. (*******NOTE: Since I first wrote this, I realized that the SEC may not allow a bowl to select a team with 2 fewer wins than another SEC team. In other words, South Carolina at 7-4 can't get selected until Georgia at 9-3 gets picked. So I don't think that we can fall to this bowl, but I'm not totally positive.)

The Capital One bowl isn't an option. They don't want the loser of the SECC game if they can avoid it. Auburn is almost a mortal lock on that game. The Outback Bowl isn't an option because we've been there three times in the past 8 years. A fourth visit isn't going to happen.

The Cotton Bowl can select Auburn, Alabama or LSU and get a better geographic fit than they would with Georgia.

That really only leaves the Sugar, Peach or Independence.

Here's how I think it shakes out (most likely)

If UGA beats LSU:
Sugar - Georgia vs. West Virginia
Capital One - Auburn vs. Wisconsin
Cotton - LSU vs. Texas Tech
Outback - Alabama vs. Michigan
Peach - South Carolina vs. Boston College
Independence - Florida vs. Nebraska

If LSU beats Georgia:
Sugar - LSU vs. West Virginia
Capital One - Auburn vs. Wisconsin
Cotton - Alabama vs. Texas Tech
Outback - South Carolina vs. Michigan
Peach - Georgia vs. Clemson
Independence - Florida vs. Nebraska

As always, the wildcard is the Outback Bowl. If they select Florida (again), then the Peach will take South Carolina. And we're off to Louisiana for the holidays.


Image from Georgiadogs.com

Thanks to the Georgia Tech Seniors

On behalf of all Georgia fans, I just want to say to the outgoing Georgia Tech senior football players...."Thanks. I wish you could stay longer."

November 25, 2005

SEC Championship Tickets Needed

I'll pay $125.00 each for tickets to the SEC Title Game.

Email me at decaturdawg [at} hotmail . com (obviously without the spaces).

In terms of quantity, I need several. Let me know how many you have, and we'll go from there.

If you are a UGA fan, I'll throw in a 2 CD-Double Album of Munson Mixes including U2, James Brown, Willie Nelson, AC/DC, Stevie Ray Vaughn and many others all mixed in with famous Munson clips from the early 70s thru 2004.

November 24, 2005

All-Time Best Comment this site has ever gotten

From a Tech fan calling himself "YellowJacket4Eternity":

This crap just prooves what an ignorant bunch of inbred, sess pool bathing, homophobic, no brains everyone associated with your "school" really are. Gotta love the power of stupid people in this state.


I swear to you that is as funny as it gets. Dude didn't even spell "proves" correctly. Much less "cess pool." If you are going to post on a person's blog that he's dumber than you are, the least you should do is spell your insults correctly.

What a dumbass.

Pre-Season Flashback Article "Tech Announces 2005 Team Slogans"

This was a heap of fun. Tech Announces 2005 Team Slogans. (Originally published Aug. 26, 2005)

pwd

November 23, 2005

UGA vs. GT Factoid of the Week

From Underdog, one of our readers, comes this nugget.

GT has not won a game in this series in 20 years without Ralph Friedgen on the sidelines.


Photo: Nobody puts Ralph in the corner.

Open Letter to the Techies circa 2002

A dawg fan/reader sent me this note:


"The note that follows was written by my friend and UGA classmate, [Name withheld], a few years ago BEFORE the GA-GA Tech game. He has several nerds in his office, so he wrote this little tome for them. It remains one of the best examples of smack/bragging/whatever that I've seen."


---------------------------------
Gentlemen,

I consider it a mark of cowardice to gloat about a victory after it has already been won. It takes cajones to bluster before the battle and take the risk of making a fool of oneself in the event of a loss. So, I'm going to go out on a limb and start telling y'all, in advance, how much Tech sucks.

When Keith, Chuck, and I enter the building Monday morning we will be strutting. You Tech nerds can stand to the side and glare in sarcastic wonder at your betters. UGA's imminent triumph will confirm UGA's superiority over Tech. It will mean that UGA football players are better than Tech football players, but it doesn't end there. By extension, it is axiomatic that UGA students and alumni are superior to Tech students and alumni.

Indeed, UGA, in general, is superior to Tech, in general. In short, this contest will be demonstrate the ultimate conquest of good over evil. It will be reminiscent of other epoch battles that stand out in the collective memory of mankind...of the Mongol horde being driven from the banks of the Danube back into Asia...of Julius Caesar crossing the Rubicon...of Luke Skywalker's victory over Darth Vader and the evil Empire.

Life teaches us that the outcome of our lives is the sum result of the string of decisions, big and small, that each of us make as we swim through the continuum of time. We are not mere lumps of protoplasm, but intelligent beings who have been endowed by our Creator with a free will...the freedom to shape our own destiny.

It may be instructive for you to take a little time to ponder where you went wrong so that you might be able to recognize similar future turning points and be able to salvage some meaning out of the remainder of your life.

Of course, one obvious wrong turn was made when you signed your name to that application and dropped it in the mailbox, but you have to dig deeper. What events lead up to that? Was it that one problem you missed on that math test in the 3rd grade that caused you to make a B? Was it the time when your best friend picked you last to be on his team? Search your soul for that black event that caused you to begin to give up any hope of attending UGA.

On Monday when you go down on bended knee in our awful presence, you Tech nerds will finally understand Nietzsche's concept of the "uber man" and can begin to reconcile your lowly place in the order of things.

Be content in the knowledge that you will have been vanquished by your physical, intellectual, moral, and spiritual superiors and that there really was nothing that you could have done to prevent it.

Sincerely,

JS

Georgia Sports Blog talks football with the GoldenTornado Blog

When time permits, many of the college football bloggers do roundtable style articles where we ask interview our rivals, and they in turn interview us. I'm a gigantic slacker and bailed on my roundtable with Orson pre-UF. So this is my first one of the season. Next season, I'm hoping for more of these.

This one was coordinated by Nathan from GoldenTornado. He went back and forth with me, Kyle "The Mayor" King and Hey, Jenny Slater. Only HJS has the recaps up as of 10:00 am this morning.

My questions for Nathan are in bold. Nathan's answers are below.


1. For as long as I can remember, Georgia Tech has said that it "stood for something more." That the "Total Person Concept" was taught at Tech as part of Bobby Dodd's legacy. Tech fans constantly belittled UGA's player discipline as "They only sit players for homecoming." Given that long history of rhetoric, how do Tech fans justify Gailey's decision to play Reuben Houston vs. Miami given Reuben Houston is awaiting trial on a 100 lb federal felony drug charge and that the courts did not force Gailey to play him? Do you agree with Lou Holtz's comments on ESPN News today that Gailey made the decision that a pro coach would make. Holtz basically said that no college coach would have played Houston b/c it reflects so poorly on the school. How many times do you think that Bobby Dodd rolled over in his grave when Houston took the field?
Nathan - First off, at this point it seems pretty much a forgone conclusion that Houston won’t be convicted of anything, and that some of the more sensational of the accusations aren’t true (100lbs of MJ in his diaper bag, etc). However, he was involved in a drug deal no matter how minor the role and as such should have never seen the field again in a GT uniform. Once the judge ordered that he hadn’t violated the code of conduct and threatened to hold the institute in contempt of court for failing to follow earlier rulings – Braine basically told Gailey to use him as a normal player. Personally, it was a terrible move and something that 90% of Tech fans strongly disliked, we do feel that we “stand for something more”.

That being said, I don’t ever want to hear Lou Holtz and his sorry cheating weasel of a self talking crap on anyone’s program. I’m waiting for his fellow ESPN staff to call him on the carpet for the crap that he’s left USC-E with, and the fact that he hasn’t yet left a program without NCAA sanctions. Him calling out ANY coach for ANY reason is hypocrisy of the highest order.

Also, I’m not sure Bobby Dodd is rolling over. While he wasn’t quite as ruthless as some old SEC coaches, he basically followed the Vince Dooley school of recruiting – if you get them on campus, it was worth it. I’m not saying he cheated per se, but some of his tactics would end you up on probation today, as would Dooley’s or Bear Bryant’s. That’s just the way it was back then, we pay much more attention to off the field behavior now than in the 50’s.

I don’t like the judge’s ruling. I don’t like Houston on the field. I don’t like being on probation, even if the NCAA found the school had no “intent”, just incompetence. I don’t like even being remotely in the same conversation as UGA in this matter, it’s not what GT stands for and the people responsible for it need to hit the pavement, pronto.


PWD Note: I agree on the Holtz "pot calling the kettle black comment."

2. You asked me "Am I shocked that Braine hasn't been fired?" I would ask you the same question.
Nathan - I cannot believe he’s not hitting up AtlantaHelpWanted.com as we speak. He’s done some wonderful things for the GT athletic department, especially in women’s sports. He’s also presided over the two biggest black marks in GT history (Flunkgate and now this probation). You can’t do that to Ma Tech and keep your job. We can’t fire him fast enough, imo.


3. Does it worry you that 2 of Tech's 3 losses have come to mobile QBs much in the same mold as Shockley. Why is it that Tech has struggled so much this year with mobile QBs like those of VT and UVA? (BTW --- ignore the 3 of 4 losses comment in the responses I just sent you. I was using Reggie Ball's abacus to count to 4)
Nathan - Marcus Vick didn’t beat us running the football, heck – VT’s offense didn’t do much that game – their special teams and defense just obliterated us. Marques Hagans on the other hand owns us completely, and has for his career.

The problem with mobile QB’s is that they negate GT’s biggest advantage on defense, our speed on the d-line and linebackers and uses that against us. Tenuta would blitz the tuba player from the band if he could, and that leaves openings if you are quick enough to exploit them. Will Shockley recognize them quickly enough is the question. I think he’ll do alright, though he hasn’t seemed to run as much this year as I thought he would. This isn’t going to be Cox or Wright sitting back there like tackling dummies.

On the other hand, UGA’s offensive line isn’t nearly as good D’Brickashaw and company up at UVa. They are more of a slow plodding type of line, and our d-line has given those types of lines fits. It doesn’t matter how much your QB can run if it’s a jailbreak every play. (FWIW, my brother actually knew Dan Inman growing up – he’s from the same part of NC as I’m from, doesn’t mean I don’t hope he gets abused by Oliver/Robertson over there).


4. What is your biggest worry about the UGA offense? What is your biggest worry about the UGA defense?
Nathan - Lining up behind that big slow o-line and running it right at us. Our d-line is undersized and can get pushed around by a power running game. Again, watch UVa or NCSU tape for this (NCSU has a couple of tremendous young backs by the way, they are like Arkansas in that regard). Wrotto is our only really large DT, and he’s a better o-lineman than d-lineman.

Leonard Pope scares the poop out of me. Philip Wheeler and KaMichael Hall will both play in the NFL, but it’s going to be a tall task to keep him under control. That guy is inhuman.

Try anything fancy though and our D will shove it right back up where the sun don’t shine. It’s not a mistake we looked faster than Miami last weekend, because we are. Gailey’s recruiting model has been to get kids with speed and big frames that might take a year or two to fill in. Everyone on Tech’s defense can really run.

Biggest worry about the UGA defense? Well, you don’t rush the passer tremendously well, and that’s what killed us in Blacksburg. Other than that game, our offense is basically good for 300-350 yards and about 20 points every game. It’s going to be on our defense to keep UGA below that number, we’re just not built to win shootouts – and I’m not sure UGA’s defense really matters into that one way or the other.


5. I haven't followed Tech's special teams this year. However, I watched the Miami game and saw a special teams display of total ineptitude. Are you special teams "Special" in the "short bus" sense of the word? Or are they normally "Special" in the "Key contributors most weeks but not vs. Miami"
sense of the word? (Note: If Luke Manget sneaks onto the field, I'm going to frigging lose it).

Nathan - Helmet Stickers for GT’s special teams...


Lets just say that as both the Special Teams Coach and GT’s Recruiting Coordinator, David Wilson shouldn’t be feeling too good about his job security – on either front.


Thanks to Nathan for putting this roundtable discussion together.

pwd

November 22, 2005

Georgia Tech Parade Honors 15th Year Anniversary of National Relevance

Written by Paul Westerdawg
Farks by NoleDawg

On Sunday, November 20, 2005, Georgia Tech hosted a special parade through downtown Atlanta. The parade honored the 15th Anniversary of Tech's 1990 co-National Championship.

The parade route started on Peachtree Street before eventually making its way to North Avenue. The parade consisted of the "Yellow" Jacket marching band, the famous Ramblin Wreck hooptie, players from the 1990 team, clowns, storm troopers, gnomes, ewoks, hobbits, and "men" dressed as super heroes and other oddities.


[Photo: Techies in full parade mode. Click to Enlarge]

"Georgia Tech is a school that can host a good parade every 40 or so years, but it can't do that consistently," said Dave Braine, Georgia Tech Athletic Director and Ticket Salesman. "This parade marks a celebration of unexpected relevance, a fond look back at what was, what could've been and the attempt to get to that level via cheating and malfeasance."

The loudest ovation of the day was reserved for the parade grand marshal, a Tech student in Klingon costume standing in for Tom Osborne. Osborne is widely credited as the "man who made the 1990 Mythical National Championship possible" by leaving Colorado entirely off his coaches' poll ballot in protest of Colorado's 5th down, enabling the middling Georgia Tech team to split with Colorado.

In doing so, Osborne made the impossible possible--vaulting a team playing in the humble Citrus Bowl into a national title.


[Photo: Klingon's for Osborne]

"This day honors the achievements of Coach Osborne," said Braine. "He's never been properly thanked for what he did for our floundering program. He postponed our move to Division I-AA by at least 20 years."

Bobby Ross, former head coach of the "Yellow" Jackets was on hand at the Parade. He said, "The 1990 team was special. Back then we didn't have progress towards graduation rules and the NCAA wasn't breathing down our backs all the time so we could 'make things work' academically."

[Photo: Bobby Ross pre-quitting/retiring/coming back]

A surprisingly large crowd of over 100 turned out for the Parade. "We really caught a break on the weather," said Braine. "It was going to rain, but we had sunny skies all day. I guess you could say 'The Force was with us.' Now if we could just bribe these folks into the stadium."


UGA_Law_Dawg contributed to this article.

NCAA Publishes Revised Scoreboard Pics for UGA vs.GT

The Georgia Sports Blog's investigative team has learned that the NCAA's penalties regarding Georgia Tech are still unfolding. Most recently, it has announced that Tech fans must replace all photos of vacated GT post-game scoreboards with more accurate photos that reflect the true history of their program.

Georgia vs. GT
1998 scoreboard picture as revised by the NCAA


UGA vs. GT
2000 scoreboard pic as revised by NCAA

George "Three Fingers" Godsey never actually played for GT according to NCAA records. Therefore, his 3 fingered salute was also removed from the scoreboard.

Photos by NoleDawg.

November 21, 2005

Gailey Should Win National Coach of the Year

I don't know why they are even bothering to vote this year. Forget Weis at Notre Dame. Forget Mack Brown. Forget Mike Shula. Chan Gailey should win Coach of the Year in a landslide.

Why you ask. Because took a program that hadn't won a game since 1997, and now they are 7-3. Hell, that makes him one of the best coaches in history.

Bryant at Texas A&M and Alabama. Yeah, turning them around was impressive.
Synder at Kansas State. Not shabby.
Barnett at Northwestern. Impressive, but not Chantastic.

No my friends. After 7 long years without a single win on the books, Georgia Tech has entered victory lane 7 times this year. The ChanWagon is now full.

UGA vs. UK Recap

The Athens Banner Herald had the best headline for this game -- "Finally."

Realistically, Kentucky would've needed Tubby Smith and Bear Bryant to coach that collection of also rans into a victory over a Top 25 team, and Georgia only wasted about 10 minutes of game time showing that.


Photo from Georgiadogs.com.

Thoughts from the Game:
--Shockley - DJ Shockley continues to impress. At first glance, his stat line from the game doesn't blow you away. 17-31 for 159 yards. Then you look a bit closer and see 4 TDs, 0 INTs and only three quarters of play.

When you factor in the half dozen or so dropped passes for the game, his stat line begins to look ridiculously good. On the year, he is 132-231 (57%) for 2001 yards, 20 TDs and only 4 INTs in nine games. He has also rushed for 329 yards and 3 TDs. In other words, he has played nothing like the QB that looked like hell vs. Tech last year.

-- TEs - Leonard Pope once ate a cigarette machine. He's half man, half legend, half parenthetical thought. GT has no answer for UGA's biggest big man. We should rename the Fade Pattern to #81..."The Papal Authority."

-- WRs - Outside of Bryan McClendon and Mo Mass, this group continues to struggle. Some folks question, "Why aren't we running the ball better with all of these running backs?" Other than the obvious answer that our OL doesn't play very consistently, there is the broader issue of our WR play.

Richt warned us back in the summer that if our WRs didn't make some plays down the field, that people would crowd the box and make running tough for us. You better believe that Georgia Tech will play us that way. They are going to dare us to throw it. Our guys have to step up and make some plays. Interestingly, 17 players have caught a pass this year and nine have scored TDs.

-- RBs -- Two things stuck out from this game. First, was Danny Ware's 52 yard run. I can't help but think that part of his run was fueled by an overwhelming desire to not listen to Gordon Ely-Kelso talk smack about having the longest run of the season. The punter should not lead the team in yards per carry. The second thought was..."Damn, Kregg Lumpkin looked like the Lump of 2003. Sweet."

-- Gordon Ely-Kelso - Up til now, he's been best known as a solid punter and Dean Wormer's worst nightmare. But that 32 yard scammer down the sidelines really woke up the team. Helmet stickers all around. lol.

-- OL - Continue to be up and down. In the first quarter we couldn't get a yard when we needed it running the ball. The rest of the game, Shockley had all day to pass. We still can't execute a screen to save our lives. So it's up and down. Good and bad. Your basic freakshow.

-- Coutu -- This kid is turning into the JJ Reddick of kickers. Only without the annoying personality. He starts kicking when he gets off the bus. He nailed the 56 yarder this week. Nice work.

-- DL - Gant and Owens continue to improve. Realistically, I wonder what was gained by having Golston play vs. UK. He needs to get healthy. Moses and Johnson continue to shine, and I continue to wonder why Marcus Howard...who is honestly smaller than Demario Minter, plays defensive end and not linebacker.

-- LBs - The LBs played their best game since Tennessee. Some of that was Taylor being out. Playing him vs. Auburn wasn't fair to him or the rest of the defense. Brandon Miller looked as good or better than he's looked since the ULM game. Nice to finally have most of this group clicking again.

-- DBs - Minter will basically have to mug Calvin Johnson in this game just like last year. CJ will get 6-7 catches for 70-90 yards and a TD. If we can hold him to that, we should win the game. If we let him go nutty on us, we're in trouble. He is without a doubt the best WR in college.

-- Coaching - I love the no huddle. I'm glad that we finally found a way to use it without the SEC calling insane delay of game type penalties for moving to quickly on offense. Or whatever that penalty was called. I continue to pine for the days when we blitzed more frequently, and I long for the days when we get consistent OL play. Otherwise, I'm pleased. We're in the SEC Title game for the 3rd time in 4 years. How can you not be pleased.

[Photo: Richt describes a cheerleader whose tits were "out to here."]

Nothing else really stood out. Keep Tyson Browning in your thoughts and prayers. The leg break looked really nasty on JP Sports.

Go Dawgs. Stay tuned all week for some GT game analysis and insults.

PWD

Neither here nor there....Did You Know

Did you know that Middle Tennessee is the State Champion of Tennessee? They beat Vandy. Vandy beat Tennessee. Oh wait, on second thought, Georgia is still Tennessee State Champs. Never mind.

Speaking of Tennessee being a low-class outfit without dignity. Check out this recap of the post-game in Knoxville after their loss to Vanderbilt.
"As senior offensive tackle Albert Toeaina left the field following Rick Clausen's interception to end the game, he angrily hurled his helmet and then cursed and spat on one of UT's JumbroTron cameramen, Scott Liston.

Toeaina's helmet was one of nearly 10 that Tennessee players threw down in disgust and left on the field for managers to take into the locker room."
Very nice. UT not going to a bowl is about the best news of the weekend.

In a non-funny news item. Georgia Tech elected to play Reuben Houston this weekend. I really felt for their program in an honest and non-obnoxious way when they were forced by the legal system to let Reuben back on the team. It's another to let him play.

As a refresher (from published wire reports):
Houston was arrested June 21 in Atlanta in connection with a marijuana distribution operation based in California. According to a criminal complaint filed in Fresno, Calif., Houston conspired to possess and distribute about 100 pounds of marijuana, which has a street value of about $60,000.
I can't decide what's more amazing. That they let him play AT ALL. Or that they let him play with only 4 days of practice. Or that some of their fans are justifying it.

I'm sincerely embarrassed for the state or Georgia. When one of our best linebackers showed his ass in 1990 or so and was arrested for drug distribution Dooley kicked him off campus and off the team. Even if we had to re-instate him, there is no way in hell that we would've played him.

If I EVER hear another smart ass techie shoot off about how Richt only suspends players for small games, I'm going to laugh in their face. Houston was brought back just in time to play the #3 team in the nation with a 100 lb felony drug charge hanging over him.

It isn't a question of quantity of off field issues. It's a question of how you handle each individual one. You can't tell the world that you stand for "something more" and then let a guy with a felony drug charge play. Not like this.

I actually hoped that Karma was going to step in and make this thing right when Houston gave up the long Miami TD reception. But Coker's stupidity and the Tech defense overcame Houston's bad mojo.

November 20, 2005

I was wrong

Tashard Choice is quite good.

Impressive performance overall by the Jackets tonight. Well, with the gross and unbeelievable exception of playing an alleged felon who is waiting on a trial involving 100 lbs of dope, who had only practiced for 4 days, great performance by the Jackets.

Saturday will be fun.

Great article on the Seniors from Lough

Dawgs Finish the Drill Also a solid article on the Dawgs finally clinching from the Athens Paper.

November 18, 2005

Tech Trades in High Horse for Shetland Pony



Thanks to Nathan for serving me up a slow pitch.

An Open Letter to Al Ford (SEC Official)

From: Dawgnoxious
To: Al Ford
CC: Bobby Gaston
RE: GT vs. UGA 1999


Dear Al,

I bet you think I've forgotten. I haven't. You keep a low profile these days, but so does Joey Buttfuaco, and we don't think any more highly of him for it. No Al, the reason I'm writing is to warn you as a matter of courtesy. The worm has turned. Karma is not to be taunted and mocked. You know what you did.

Most days I'm OK with it. I try not to think about it. But, if I were sitting on the front pew at a funeral and you tapped me on the shoulder and whispered, "Jasper fumbled," I would fight you with the ferocity of Genghis Khan. Why? Because what you did was WRONG.

You KNOW Jasper was down, but you LIED. It offended all that is good and decent in the world. If you crossed the street in front of my momma, I'd make her turn her head because decent folk ought not be made to contemplate you. And, simply put, karma will not let your perpetration stand. How long until karma finds you, I do not know. But find you it will.

It was a delayed and bittersweet victory to know that Georgia Tech had to vacate the 1999 win against Georgia. The media guide in my brain had long since marked the victory with an asterisk. It was tainted as surely as Colorado's 5-down victory over Nebraska in 1990 (which coincidentally is tied to Tech's mythical national championship). Karma has finally delivered the victory to the Dawgs that you tried to steal, but I suspect that karma is just getting started with you.

Which brings us full circle to this letter. I don't know what karma has in store for you, but if karma is taking suggestions from me, it would involve syphilitic blindness and a chance to offend the Pope (Leonard, not Benedict). One can only hope that the sleazy, malevolent little troll Bobby Gaston, who was complicit in your crime against honor and decency, will suffer a similar fate.

Again, karma works well on its own, but my unsolicited suggestion would be a flesh-eating virus. Karma knows Bobby Gaston is a Techster. And karma knows you are a Gator. And karma knows you used your positions to thwart goodness for the sake of evil. Karma knows. And so do I.

It may be too late to sell your worldly possessions and walk the earth like Kane from Kung Fu trying to right wrongs in an attempt to stay one step ahead of karma, but it couldn't hurt to try.

GATA,

Dawgnoxious

November 17, 2005

Your Cheating Heart will Make You Weep

Your cheating heart
Will make you weep
You'll cry and cry
And try to sleep.

But sleep won't come
The whole night through,
Your cheating heart
Will tell on you.



[Photo from Goldtimer's GT Blog. Click to enlarge]

Looking around for good anti-GT internets when I stumbled upon this glorious gem written by the Georgia Sports Blog's good friend 81Dog.
The chickens, it would appear, have come home to roost. The NCAA press release concerning GTU's conviction for cheating its fool head off is fairly breathtaking reading. For an "Institute" that brays about its commitment to academics, its integrity, its overall superior standing to other mere colleges in matters of ethics and honesty, this week certainly has been a revelation.

GTU is looking less like MIT on the Connector, and more like the love child of Jerry Tarkanian's UNLV and anyplace ever coached by Jackie Sherill. Read more.

That was good times and good reading. My heart is warmer just having glanced at that.

So I said to myself....What's Next? Sure, I enjoyed reading the official NCAA press release, but I was looking for a deeper analysis. Where would a good Dawg turn to learn the true story behind the story? Why...The Hive where else?
I find it hard to argue that we didn't get what we deserve. The "unintentional" excuse? That veil is getting a bit thin, honey. Just because we didn't mean to do it, doesn't mean we didn't gain an advantage, doesn't mean we didn't screw up in a MAJOR way. And I only listed the subset of problems that jumped out at me!

I love GT, the academics, my former profs, the athletics, the players, the coaches, and on down the line. I am deeply hurt by this. I wish I could jump on the bandwagon, demonizing the NCAA and calling for an appeal, but the agreed upon facts of the case make that impossible for me. Read More

[Can't view to the Hive? Simply log out of Scout.com and view it. You have to be registered to post. Not lurk.]

All ball busting aside, this guy really nailed it. GT got the proverbial book thrown at them in my opinion because of 5 main things:
1. Braine's 2003 edict to NOT look backwards to see if prior violations had been made. Only look forward. This is a clear case of "I don't want to know." Which always draws the extreme ill will of the NCAA.

2. Playing with an ineligible kid again in 2004 after the NCAA had come in and said "You're busted."

3. The competitive advantage gained b/c of WHO the players were and the sheer numbers. Player #6 appears to be Joe Hamilton. As the Hiver linked above said, "How could anyone argue that this wasn't a competitive advantage." (Paraphrase)

4. The raw stupidity of trying to retroactively serve an NCAA sanction for lost scholarships that were never available to give in the first place. This bullet point falls under the heading "I told you so" to the guys like Ylojk8 who sent me nasty-grams touting that GT would never get a 79 limit penalty or future year sanctions.

5. Having a staff trained by a guy that didn't know the rules, and hadn't known the rules since 1968.

Looking around the blogosphere there are other great takes on this available from Goldtimer and Nathan .

The reality is that I *am* enjoying this. And I'm enjoying first, foremost and almost entirely because GT fans have been relentless in their pursuit of the moral high ground when the athletic fields were all taken.

The score is now:
All-Time Major NCAA Infractions: UGA 6 vs. GT 4
All-Time Lost Scholarships to NCAA Infractions: UGA 17 vs. GT 24

I would just like to thank the NCAA for reeling in this otherwise lawless and unruly bunch. Thank you Myles Brand.

Tech Lies and Cheats (T-Shirts Now Available)

Click to Jump to ToonDawg's CafePress store.



Tech Lies and Cheats -- NCAA Approved!

From the Anti-Orange Page.

ToonDawg has t-Shirts available w/ a very similar logo. Go nuts.

Apparently....JASPER WAS DOWN BITCH!

Well GT, take that and shove it right up your ivory towered rectum. The NCAA just slapped the ever living piss out of Georgia Tech.

They have to forfeit EVERY game from 1998-2004 that the 11 ineligible players participated. In addition, the NCAA threw out the self imposed bullcrap retroactive sanctions that GT proposed. They are losing 6 scholarships this year, and next year.

What a wonderful blessed DAY. That makes FOURTEEN IN A ROW BAYBEE.

As theDawgFather said on DawgRun. Tech was cheating and STILL only beat us 3 of 6. lol.

OFFICIAL NCAA ANNOUNCEMENT....

INDIANAPOLIS --- The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions has placed the Georgia Institute of Technology on two years probation and vacated records in several sports after the school improperly certified academically ineligible student-athletes to compete.

The violations and penalties involve the sports of football, men's and women's track and field and women's swimming between the 1998-99 and 2004-05 academic years. The committee also adopted a number of scholarship reductions self-imposed by the institution.
In one case, 17 of a student-athlete's 24 hours did not count toward a degree. Another used 12 non-degree-applicable courses in two consecutive years. There were also several examples of nine or 10 non-degree courses being used in a single year.

In addition, six student-athletes were allowed to count courses for which they received grades of D, even though their majors required a C to count toward graduation.

"Many of these student-athletes were prominent members of the team, including multiple-year starters who had received conference and national recognition for their athletic performances,” Marsh said.

To read more....

DEVELOPING.



JASPER WAS DOWN BITCH!

So THIS is why Georgia Tech kept Chan Gailey

All makes sense now I guess.

Tech Lies and Cheats

2006 Season -- Early Thoughts

An email thread with Mike Floyd and today's AJC article got me thinking about the 2006 Georgia Bulldogs. Here are my thoughts on things since it's senior week and that seems to be something to have thoughts about.

I'm hearing Milner will be back, but Moses is likely gone and Josh Johnson likely isn't coming back from GMC. My top concerns for 2006 are:

1. OT - Dan Inman is what Dan Inman is. A guy that can block standing still, but not moving around much. For instance, he hasn't blocked well on a screen pass since LSU 2003 when he sprang Browning. Shackleford is a guy that can't beat out Inman or Roland. He's a JR, if he were going to be a big time player wouldn't it have happened by now? Behind them will be Michael Turner, my mom and her sister, Nellie. Both have a good first step, but they tire by their 2nd step, and mom is a major disruption in the clubhouse.

2. DE - Charles Johnson returns, and he's a stud in the making. However, Marcus Howard is smaller than ALL of our starting linebackers, and for no explicable reason whatsoever, the coaches have him at DE. Seeing him line up against Marcus McNeil last week was so ridiculous that I thought it might be some funny inside joke that only Fabris and Martinez are privy to. Brandon Miller seems much better suited to DE based on his play this year in space. Granted he's been hurt, but he doesn't play linebacker at a speed that UGA outside linebackers have been playing at since 2000. Behind them will be freshman DEs and varsity cheerleaders.

3. QB - If it's JT3, I'm concerned. He's a good kid, but he appears very limited physically. I can't help but think that it's Stafford or Cox. Stafford enrolls early so that essentially gives him the opportunities that a Redshirt freshmen has. I don't see Barnes factoring into the race.

4. DB - Martinez doesn't seem to play backup DBs very often. Kelin Johnson hasn't seen meaningful game minutes since UK last year when we were up by 40 or so. We've got INCREDIBLE athletes in Sims, Oliver, Evans and to some degree Kelin, but they are barely going to know which direction is up. Battle will have to lead them. I think Martinez is a very good position coach so this worries me less that it probably should.

5. DT - I worry less about this now than 2 months ago. Gant is playing his nuts off this year, and Owens is getting better at a geometric rate. Kade Weston will play, and he gets a year in the weight room. We're also bringing in the Crawford kid out of NC. Crawford will enroll early, and he's VERY strong. Described by some as a bit stiff and slow, but he's further along strength wise than any DT that we've signed in ages. Plus, we don't sign DTs to run races. He and Dale "I Sprained Something Brushing my Teeth" Dixson will give us some decent minutes. We still need to sign a stud DT still in this class. This class needs another Owens.

I feel pretty good about LB, RB, TE (if Martez comes back) and even WR to some degree. Mo Mass might be the second best freshman WR in the SEC this year behind the ridiculously good Sidney Rice at SC. Kenneth Harris has shown flashes, and both will be older and bigger next year. We need more coaching and production here, but this group should be improved over 2005.

Overall, I see 8-4 or 9-3 next year. We benefit from UT losing everything and a favorable SEC West schedule rotation of Auburn (away), Ole Miss (away), and Miss State (home). We also get Tennessee at home. South Carolina and Auburn on the road look tough, and Florida should be improved over 2005.

It will be an interesting year in the SEC to be sure, and our progress will be decided by how fast a QB emerges, how fast our OL gels and how injury free we get on the DL.

Til then. Beat Kentucky!

November 16, 2005

Classic FSU Photoshop

Found by EDSBS's Stranko. He found it on GatorSports.

Much funnier if you know about FSU's Circus School. No wonder we lost Kenny O'Neal and Ernie Sims.

Gailey's Contract Extension

I'm on record as saying that Dave Braine, Georgia Tech Athletic Director and Ticket Salesman, is a boob. Basically, he's the worst thing that's happend to Tech football in years. So obviously, I'm a big fan of his.

Between FlunkGate and ProbationGate, he has helped Georgia Tech lose 34 scholarship athletes over the past 4 years. Of which I think 24 of them were in football. How can I not like the guy?

However, for all my ball busting, extending Gailey's contract was a brilliant strategic move by Braine. He couldn't fire Gailey. Tech can't fire a guy with a winning record, who will take them to 4 bowls and has beaten Auburn twice. That was never an option.

And frankly, he wouldn't have wanted to give Gailey a contract extension after the Miami and Georgia games. The risk of two losses -- or worse blowout losses -- would make the politics of an extension very difficult. He had a 1 week window to get the deal done. And he did.

BUT just when I thought Braine was going to go an entire press conference without giving me something to bust balls about on the blog, he drops this all-time classic gem.
“Georgia Tech can win nine or 10 games [in a season],” Braine said, “but they will never do it consistently. That’s my belief.”

Interestingly, that's my belief as well. lol.

Mark Bradley has a great take on the article in the link above. He basically compares Braine's comments to throwing in the towel when it comes to the pursuit of excellence. It's the single dumbest quote that I've seen from an Athletic Director not working at the University of Colorado. Even if it is true.

I also loved this response from a fake Dave Braine poster on the AJC.com blog.
All of you need to bee reasonable and listen to what I actually said. I never said that GT should quit playing football. I never said that GT should stop trying to be successful. I just said that we should set our goals lower so that we’re not disappointed as often.

With a more clear view of success as 6-5 or better, we will be happier and more comfortable with the work our coaches are doing in maintaining our tier two status.

It’s not like we’re Temple. - Sincerely, Dave Braine

Gailey is a good guy and he doesn't "suck" as a coach. He's just the zenith of mediocrity. He's consistently average. He also owns Tuberville's ass. So how bad a guy can he be?

So raise a glass Dawg fans. Here's to 5 more years like Gailey's last four.



[Photo: Braine explains why Tech blows and will always blow.]

November 15, 2005

Iron Chef Turducken: "This was My Everest"

As you know, this weekend the tailgate crew prepared Turducken. I've gotten several emails asking three main questions:

1. How was it assembled?
2. If I were going to make a Turducken for Thanksgiving, would you recommend building it or buying a prepared one?
3. Do you have an pics of the preparations?

First, let me quote the person who built the Turducken last week for our crew. "This was my Everest."

She will forever be known on this blog as "Iron Chef Turducken."

[Photo: She would kick Morimoto's ass in the Turducken event.]

In an attempt to answer questions 1-3 above, you can check out her blog for pics. However, I would caution you that this one of those things you probably don't want to see how it's made...sort of like gravy, corporate annual reports or nursing home sex. In all those cases, you're better off not seeing how it actually happens.

To supplement the pics, here are some background stats that she told me about which aren't on her blog.

-- She began building it on Monday. Cooking is an understatement. More of a "build" than "cook".

[Photo: John Madden is the Billy Graham of Turduckens. On Saturday, I accepted Madden's altar call.]

-- She refused to take the easy way out and purchase the "pre-built" Turducken. She built the entire thing by hand. After learning of this process and seeing the pics, I would strongly recommend a phone call to someone like the Cajun Meat Company.

-- The instructions were 14 pages long. Total man-hours to build it before it went into the smoker were in the 11-13 hour range.

-- She went through 50 pairs of latex gloves prepping the chicken (4 lbs), duck (7 lbs) and turkey (26 lbs).

-- She actually purchased 2 chickens. The first chicken was a practice bird so that she could learn how to de-bone the bird while leaving the bird more or less whole. After this project she's probably a 2nd year veterinary student equivalent.

-- She and another friend, then smoked this thing for over 15 hours using wireless thermometers that would beep then when the bird needed attention. Most folks who cook this type of thing just bake it for 9 or so hours.

It's hard to fully get a sense of scale for how enormous the finished Turducken was. Even with the attached pics. The best I can tell you was that the chest was about 16 inches in diameter and it fed everyone. And then some.

And it was glorious.

Georgia vs. Auburn Rewind

I just sat through the game on DVR. Brutal. Some things jumped out at me.

Linebacker Play:
I honestly try really hard not to "bash" players. I don't use this site to tell the world that a Georgia player "sucks." I've tried to keep a civil tone when I criticize players. And I'll try and maintain that here.

[Photos of Pope make me feel better. So I'm posting those instead of pics of guys who played poorly.]

What I will say is that some of my criticism aimed at Willie Martinez, could better be aimed at player execution at the linebacker position. Execution which is severely inhibited by injuries.

For instance, is Danny Verdun Wheeler injured? Because if he's not, he needs to take dramatically more minutes from Brandon Miller at the SLB position until Miller heals.

Miller was a complete non-factor in there. He has little lateral movement and he is just too slow in space. In fairness to him, what's a dude going to do? He's got a bad wheel. But it just begs the question..."Were our best 3 out there for enough minutes?"

[Photo: If I had my own cable access show, it would be called "Pope is Dope." We would just run highlights of him.]

But the more pressing is the issue at MLB. I like Tony Taylor. I respect him trying to play with a busted elbow. I want him to do well, but there is no way that he should've been playing that many snaps vs. Auburn. I didn't see a play where he wasn't in there.

Despite the constant gushing praise from Bob Davie, Taylor was out of position to make tackles, couldn't shed blockers and had to tackle with one arm which resulted in a parade of broken tackles. He simply couldn't wrap up well enough, and he was a step slow most of the night.

Do you remember the 1997 UGA vs. UT game in which Kirby Smart was trying to tackle Jamal Lewis with a bad shoulder? The result -- Lewis had 230+ yards rushing and Smart looked ridiculous. The first half was like that with Irons vs. Taylor. He is too banged up right now to be a factor. We've got to find a way to get some more speed at that position, and we've got to find a guy healthy enough to wrap up the tackle. At least until Taylor gets healthy. If that means moving Jackson back to MLB and playing Ellerbe at WLB, then so be it.

[Photo: Some guys show pics of kittens to sooth their nerves after a loss. Not me. I'm all about The Pope]

And BTW -- Josh Johnson runs a 4.8+ 40. So even if he comes back -- and he was suspended for a game at GMC recently so he's likely not coming back -- he's not going to upgrade the speed there. Just the physicality.

If the defense had tackled better and had taken better angles, we might be talking about a different game.


The Pass Interference Call on Pope:
The worst call in a long time. If you were at the game and wondering "was it that blatant a penalty?" Or "How did it look on TV?" The answer is "OH. MY. GOSH. WHAT A TERRIBLE CALL." Bob Davie and Ron Franklin were in shock over what an absurd flag.

[Photo: You don't tackle Jesus. And you don't call offensive pass interference on the Pope]

The 2 Point Conversion Play:
That ultimately falls on Richt, but based on watching the game again, and reading some comments in the paper. I'd say that the coach of the kicking team (is that Callaway?) bears the brunt of the blame. Even so, DJ should've called a Timeout to avoid the first delay. He just wasn't watching the clock.

Our WRs:
We have to find WRs that catch the ball without falling down. Mo Mass and Pope are the only guys who consistently catch the ball and keep moving after the catch. Very frustrating.


All of that said....we came inches away from winning this game. If the bomb to Nix that he fumbled forward on the 6 yard line in the first half had bounced 1 more foot forward, we get a touchback there. That was a huge break for them.

If the ball bounces another 2 feet further on the long run on 4th and 10, we win. We were so close in this game. Everything that's wrong with the team can be improved quickly. Everything except being banged up at LB.

pwd

Blog Poll Ballot -- Week 12

First, here's a link to my Blog Poll Ballot for Week 11.

My Week Week 12 Ballot:
1. Southern Cal - If Fresno State gave them a game, I'd be shocked.

2. Texas - I'm torn. I dislike Texas, but I like Vince Young. I like Texas A&M, but I loathe Coach Fran. No idea who I'll pull for in that one.

3. Miami (Florida) - Look out South Beach. The Jackets are coming to town.

4. Louisiana State - Nice win for Miles. This will likely silence some critics. Hopefully, he will take care of the business in these next two games. I'd really rather not play Auburn again.

5. Penn State - This is an exceptional football team that is going to mop the floor with Michigan State next week.

6. Virginia Tech - I'm still a believer in these guys.

7. Alabama - I'm expecting an Auburn win. However, the pundits are saying that a Bama win would land them a Fiesta Bowl.

8. Auburn - If Auburn wins the Iron Bowl, they likely will get the Capital One Bowl. Yeah, I know it's last year's logo. Who cares.

9. Notre Dame - "New Pope, New Coach, New Era. Same old Jesus." That's has to be one of the best T-shirts ever.

10. Ohio State - If they made a BCS Bowl, I'd puke. Auburn vs. Ohio State in the Citrus would make a helluva a game.

11. Oregon - It wouldn't shock me to see Oregon State upset these guys.

12. UCLA - USC is going to bend UCLA over their knee and give them a good spanking.

13. Georgia - Ouch. 4th and 10 and we give up a 62 yarder. Ugh. After the game, someone at our tailgate said, "This must be what Tennessee fans felt like after the hobnail boot in 2001." Touche.

14. West Virginia - Attrition will eventually get WVU into the Top 10. If they don't wet the bed first.

15. Fresno State - They should've beaten Boise worse.

16. Michigan - They are one of the 4 fastest improving teams in the country behind Auburn, SC and Oklahoma. We find out how good they are this weekend.

17. Oklahoma - When most of the bottom half of the Top 25 loses, you're going to see a jump like this. I'm looking forward to seeing Stoops beat Leach until he cries, but I really don't know why.

18. Louisville - So they killed Rutgers. So what.

19. Texas Tech - Oklahoma State? Are you kidding me.

20. South Carolina - If they beat Clemson, I'll bump them considerably higher.

21. TCU - I'm still at a loss for what to do with these guys. I can't see ranking a team that lost to SMU in the Top 20.

22. Florida - A commenter on EDSBS compared letting Spurrier go to South Carolina to the Red Sox selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees. Meyer is like Spurrier. Only without the wins, successful offense, ability to coach up QBs, snappy comebacks, or .... ok, he's really different.

23. Wisconsin - I have a soft spot for Alvarez. I don't know why.

24. Florida State - I wouldn't rank them if I thought someone was better. UTEP? Be serious.

25. Boston College - I really only wanted to rank my Top 23. These last two don't deserve it.

Dropped Out:
Georgia Tech
 
Copyright 2009 Georgia Sports Blog. Powered by Blogger Blogger Templates create by Deluxe Templates. WP by Masterplan