A year of the Dawg

On the evening of December 31, 2010, as I walked out of the Liberty Bowl, it began to rain. I sought shelter under a tent to wait out the sudden downpour and thought about the game I had just seen the Dawgs lose to the University of Central Florida Knights. And I wondered how in the world we ever got to where we were.

“There’s reasons why we ended up the way we did,” Richt said. “We’ve got to make changes. We’ve got to make sure that doesn’t happen again in the future. When you start saying ‘change,’ that doesn’t necessarily mean personnel… It’s more of how we go about our business. We’re going to improve. We’re going to get Georgia where it belongs.”

I was worried. I knew what was coming and I dreaded it. And it was as if the weather was playing along, crying for me and them Dawgs. No, actually, after the way we played that game in the Liberty Bowl, we didn’t deserve any sympathy. And Coach Richt was right. Things had to change.

From this point on we start the journey… 2011 Either your in or your out. You can't be half hearted to be on the team of 2011. NEVER AGAIN—
Christian Robinson (@crob45) January 01, 2011

The #journey begins now! Either you're in or out…..and I'm all IN playa!—
Israel Troupe (@troupestar28) January 01, 2011

If everyone buys in… The sky is the limit in 2011. I believe. Go Dawgs, & Dawg nation 12 loves you!!—
Tavarres King (@TKUnoDos) January 01, 2011

Happy New Year and keep your faith in us.—
Blair Walsh (@BlairWalsh57) January 01, 2011

VERY tough loss. Sad to see the seniors go out that way. We are not entitled to a victory, we must earn it! 2011 WILL be a better year!—
Blair Walsh (@BlairWalsh57) January 01, 2011

“I don’t know if you’d call that the straw that broke the camel’s back or that last spark that lit the fire that got things moving around here,” tight end Aron White said. “It was definitely time for a change. … It definitely got us going. It definitely lit a fire under us and got us to working and pushing.”

And now look at us. A year later and a completely different team from the one that limped out of Memphis and back home to Athens. As I think back on that night a year ago and I remember that hard rain that fell after the game, I’ve come to realize that it was a cleansing rain. And I’m glad Memphis and the Liberty Bowl happened. Because it precipitated a change within the program that we all love. A change that we can now be proud of.

Happy New Year, folks. Let’s keep this thing rolling and start off 2012 undefeated.

Go Dawgs!

We’ve got to be nasty

A quote from Coach Rodney Garner:

“But to be the dominating player that you want at this level, when Big John goes between these lines” – Garner pointed to the field – “you want Big John. You can be Huggy Bear outside, you can be whover you want outside, but when you walk between there, you’ve gotta be that (nasty) guy, every day.”

That’s what I’m talking about. I mentioned before the season started how I’d like for our defensive players to approach their opponents. And I’m glad to read that this is the exact approach dictated to our players by our coaches.

It’s kind of like, yeah, sure, I’d love to have a beer with you after the game. But during the game, I’m going to beat the Hell out of you until they tell me to stop.

 

GATA

Comings and goings

I liked this write up by Seth Emerson regarding Bacarri Rambo’s future, whether with the Dawgs or in the League:

Rambo said he received a third-round grade from the NFL board, which advises underclassmen before they make their decision on whether to leave or stay. The grade clearly disappointed Rambo, who was named a first-team All-American by the AP.

Rambo mentions how this will motivate him to work even harder to attain a higher draft grade. But he doesn’t mention if this work will be in the Red and Black or in various training sessions preparing for the combine or individual team workouts. What a decision he’s facing and I’m both excited and terrified for him. But in the end, I wish Bacarri the best of luck with whatever he decides.

Orson Charles, on the other hand, really means it when he says he’s put this decision out of his mind until after the bowl game:

“I think the reason I haven’t heard from them is I told them, ‘Call me after the bowl’. I’m really focused on this bowl right now. Then I’ll talk to my family as far as what we should do and then after that.”

And then there’s this:

Jarvis Jones says John Jenkins is coming back for senior year—
Anthony Dasher (@AnthonyDasher1) December 29, 2011

If Jarvis says it, then I believe it. Because no one would actually lie to Jarvis Jones, would they? I mean, to his face?

Finalized

After all the speculating, the SEC has finally released the conference schedule for all teams. So that gives us this as our 2012 schedule:

Sept. 1: Buffalo
Sept. 8: at Missouri
Sept. 15: Florida Atlantic
Sept. 22: Vanderbilt
Sept. 29: Tennessee
Oct. 6: at South Carolina
Oct. 13: Open
Oct. 20: at Kentucky
Oct. 27: vs. Florida in Jacksonville
Nov. 3: Ole Miss
Nov. 10: at Auburn
Nov. 17: Georgia Southern
Nov. 24: Georgia Tech

Gonna miss that bye week before the Cocktail Party but glad to see that game against the ‘Cocks later in our season.

More on that 2012 schedule

Wow, guys. I really like the looks of this 2012 Dawgs football schedule, according to Seth Emerson:

Sept. 1: Buffalo
Sept. 8: at Missouri
Sept. 15: Florida Atlantic
Sept. 22: Vanderbilt
Sept. 29: Tennessee
Oct. 6: at South Carolina
Oct. 13: at Kentucky
Oct. 20: Open
Oct. 27: vs. Florida in Jacksonville
Nov. 3: Ole Miss
Nov. 10: at Auburn
Nov. 17: Georgia Southern
Nov. 24: Georgia Tech

Switching up our visits to the two Columbias could end up being a big move. I like the idea of playing South Carolina later in the year and I predict lots of tears out of the Columbia to our east should this schedule change actually occur.

Also, it’s always nice to have that open date before the Cocktail Party. And whoever came up with scheduling Georgia Southern before Clean, Old-fashioned Hate is to be commended. I like the idea of warming up against an option offense before the annual Tech beatdown.

Where is Orson Charles?

Anyone know how the @IndyBowl trophy git broken? #Mizzou #UNC lockerz.com/s/168690205”—
Eric Blumberg (@BlumbergOTB) December 26, 2011

I think he’s in Tampa preparing for the Outback Bowl with the rest of our boys. But after seeing that picture of the broken Independence Bowl trophy, I’m not so sure.

The future is bright

I was taking a look at ESPN’s All-SEC Senior team and noticed something.

OFFENSE

QB: Jarrett Lee, LSU
RB: Chris Rainey, Florida
RB: Vick Ballard, Mississippi State
WR: Jarius Wright, Arkansas
WR: Joe Adams, Arkansas
TE: Aron White, Georgia
OL: Cordy Glenn, Georgia
OL: Will Blackwell, LSU
OL: Rokevious Watkins, South Carolina
OL: Kyle Fischer, Vanderbilt
C: William Vlachos, Alabama

DEFENSE

DL: Melvin Ingram, South Carolina
DL: Josh Chapman, Alabama
DL: Jake Bequette, Arkansas
LB: Chris Marve, Vanderbilt
LB: Danny Trevathan, Kentucky
LB: Courtney Upshaw, Alabama
LB: Jerry Franklin, Arkansas
CB: DeQuan Menzie, Alabama
CB: Casey Hayward, Vanderbilt
S: Antonio Allen, South Carolina
S: Mark Barron, Alabama

SPECIAL TEAMS

PK: Blair Walsh, Georgia
P: Ryan Tydlacka, Kentucky
RS: Marquis Maze, Alabama

First off, congratulations to Aron White, Cordy Glenn and Blair Walsh. Secondly, man, we’ve got a young team, especially on defense. That makes me very happy.