SEC Bound

Conquering Kentucky in a 19-10 victory puts Georgia representing the SEC East on December 3^rd. This day marked a milestone for several seniors as they played Between the Hedges for one final game. The Dawgs will take on the No.1 ranked LSU Tigers in the 2011 SEC Championship! While that seat in the championship game may be clinched, Georgia will first have to face in-state rival Georgia Tech. Playing in Atlanta this year, Georgia will have to come focused and prepared to beat this year’s Yellow Jackets.

As for beating Kentucky, to say Georgia entered the game with a fairly sluggish offense would be an understatement. Aaron Murray operates so well for a young quarterback, but I saw what seemed to be a lot of miscommunication of plays on Saturday. I wasn’t quite sure I was watching the same team that beat Auburn just last week. Aaron Murray finished the game with 162 yards and 16-of-29 completions. Brandon Harton rushed for 101 yards on 23 carries while Orson Charles finished with 40 receiving yards. Thanks to four Blair Walsh field goals, the Dawgs were able to take a 12-10 lead into halftime.

Luckily, the defense answered the call. They were able to hold Kentucky enough to keep them from scoring in the 2^nd half. Jarvis Jones had one of his best games--recording seven tackles. This Butkus Award semifinalist is brining the heat to David Pollack’s 2004 record of 14 sacks. Jones is currently at 12.5 for the season. Late in the fourth quarter, Jones forced a fumble that Christian Robinson would recover. The Bulldogs were able to successfully convert on a third-and-seven that would set up Marlon Brown to put six points on the board. This would bring the Dawgs to 19-10 and solidify their seat in the SEC Championship game!

Head Coach Mark Richt said, “Today was definitely a team victory,” and I could agree with him more. The mistakes were countless but a win is and win and the Dawgs are SEC Bound! Many critics would have never seen this situation playing out after such a rocky start to the season, but the Dawgs believed otherwise. This team has fought and earned their right to compete against the No.1 team in the nation! My hope is that we make it past Tech with a W and then focus on turning the SEC Championship into a ballgame.

As always, GOOOO Dawgs!!!!

Domination of the Wartigers

It’s the South’s oldest rivalry and Bulldog fans will be bragging about this win for many days to come. The Georgia Bulldog’s defeated the Auburn “Wartigers” in a 45-7 massacre. For those of you who don’t know the meaning of a Wartiger, it’s very simple. It is a word that is derived from a mass of confused fans. A group whose indecisive nature in determining whether they have one mascot or two has earned them the new and improved mascot….the Wartigers!

Aaron Murray was on FIRE! He completed 14-of-18 passes for 224 yards and four touchdowns. Murray even became the all-time leader in touchdown passes in a season. Not only did we see his accuracy and attack, but he seemed more confident than ever. Bottom line…he came to play! Georgia presented a double threat in Carlton Thomas and Isaiah Crowell. Both tailbacks ran for over 100 yards and showcased agility and determination. Thomas ran for 127 yards while Crowell finished with 132 yards on 24 carries.

The offense got off to a quick start and ran with it. The defense helped hold that lead by shutting down Auburn’s attempt to move the ball. There was no star on defense, but rather a combined force. I felt as if I were watching a solid unit. As always, there were missed opportunities that they let slip by, but overall I saw a lot of improvements that have been made.

Georgia played a smart ballgame. They moved the ball effectively, sometimes in a conveniently slow manner, and they even made necessary adjustments to pull away with the lead. This is the Georgia powerhouse that I have been missing!

With a mediocre Kentucky team left to beat, the Dawgs have earned their right to be playing in Atlanta come December. Not many people would have imagined that after such a rocky beginning the Dawgs would come back to be leading the East. I am glad to know that the Dawgs put up the most lopsided victory in this age old rivalry since 1946. After all, If you’re going to win….WIN BIG!

As always, GOOO DAWGS!!!!