Pre-Season #1!

OK, yesterday I was getting pretty rough on the Dawgs. I said some things I didn't really mean. The fact is, we dominated Tennessee, holding them on ONE rushing yard, gaining 29 first downs, and holding the ball for 42 minutes. The final score however was only 26-14. How is it possible that you gain more first downs than points?

The fact of the matter is, we haven't been as dominant on the field as the statistics may seem. We kicked FOUR field goals yesterday! How can we not get into the end zone, especially when playing at home? The announcers repeatedly pointed out that Tennessee has a very good defense, 2nd in the SEC or something, and Knowshon was the first running back to gain 100+ yards on that defense this season. But this situation is reminiscent of the game against Arizona State, in which we dominated them similarily (held ASU to 4 yards on the ground), but could only muster 27 points. We ran the ball SEVEN times from less than 5 yards out in that ASU game, and settled for a field goal and a turnover on downs. Miserable!

Pair that red zone performance with Stafford's two interceptions - both inside the opponent's 20 - and you have a team that is not as dominant as once thought. To be fair, I think all of this stems from our lack of an offensive line. Too many injuries have reduced our O-line to freshmen and sophomores, and our coaches lack of confidence is evidenced by the fact that 80% of Knowshon's touches came on swings to the outside. The only time we ran up the middle was with our fullback!

But overall, it is important to remember that we are getting the job done, even if it is not as pretty as expected. It is frustrating to see Knowshon unable to get into the secondary, where he makes all those ankle-shattering plays. It is frustrating to see our team falter in the end zone, when strong line play is key to scoring points. But as long as we're getting the W, I guess I can't complain. Go Dawgs!

Fond Reminiscences of the UGA - ASU game

The halfway-drunk older guy who spoke to us after the game while chomping a cigar, asking us why we Georgia fans were not running around screaming and looting. My first response was that "We're not jerks", like ASU fans are. He agreed. Then I said, "We should have won bigger. We weren't too impressive." To this he spouted off about being a scholar of college football, and that he wasn't religious but college football was as close to a religion as he would get, and concluded by saying that such a wise statement made his evening, before meandering off again with his cigar. What was that all about?

"Fork 'em Sparky!" while giving people the shocker.

Getting called faggots, assholes, and being told Georgia sucks before the game.

Getting called faggots, assholes, and being told Georgia sucks after the game.

Being told the night before the game that ASU was a famous party school, that they were always in the top 5 party schools in the nation, and that they wore t-shirts that read "We pre-game harder than you party!". By a Waffle House waitress.

Oh god the Waffle House!! Double order hashbrowns, smothered, covered, chunked. Bacon egg and cheese sandwich. They have them in Phoenix, but not L.A.

Walking into a Ruby Tuesday's about four blocks from the stadium around 11:30am on game day and being pleasently surprised that the place was packed with red-and-black-clad Georgia fans.

Asking the first ASU fans that walked in at 2:30pm what the hell their problem, was getting here so late.

Finding our amazing seats one section away from the UGA band, corner end zone, lower level, 20 rows from the sideline. And finding it half-full of Georgia fans.

Screaming "First Down, Georgia!!!" 14 times right into the faces of the middle-aged ASU semifans in the row in front of us during the 2nd quarter, when we scored 21 points.

Igonring the old people behind us telling us to sit down.

Watching the ASU fans empty the stadium... AT HALFTIME. So incredibly lame. Lame! Who does that? Who leaves the fucking HOME GAME STADIUM at halftime?!? Why even bother showing up? That is some weak-ass Pac-10 sauce.

Running along the chain-link fence around the field during half-time to see Uga VII up close and snap a few pictures.

Listening to some 5'2" ASU fan talk trash to us after the game.

Meeting a Georgia fan and his wife at a bar, and talking to them for half an hour about everything from football to how much California and Arizona suck balls. Then ten minutes after they leave, meeting two more Georgia fans, same conversation, and then we realize that they've been looking for their friend all night and Tiffany and I were just talking to him.

The racist, ever-drinking, possibly meth-using, possibly-homosexual redneck poser that was staying a few doors down from us at the America's Best Inn.

Getting drunk-ass phone calls and texts from Alex at 7 am.

Doing the "What's that coming down the tracks?!?" cheer with a bunch of drunk Georgia fans from a second-story balconey above the downtown Tempe bar scene.

Lots more... we took a ton of pictures of just about anything. The desert heat is fucking brutal! We drank 55 ounces of water during the game - never had to use the restroom. You could barely get drunk, the alcohol would evaporate out of your stomach! God it felt great just to talk to some real people. And whoop on the pathetic Pac-0, as they are now known. Too jealous of those going to the black out tomorrow. Go Dawgs!