Issue 15, 2012 - Auburn

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Georgia-Auburn

Beware of the eagle eye! War W ar Eagle? Eagle? Tigers? Tig i ers? Plainsmen? Plainsmen? Your next h hotell stay d doesn’t have to b be confusing. Y ’ h f i

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From the editor : vance leavy Back in late July, I made the decision to run a photo of the 2011 SEC East Champions ring as the main component for the cover of our SEC Media Days/Preview issue. And thankfully, a little over three months later, as I sit here busting out my editor’s note for this Auburn issue the first caption on that cover is just one game away from occurring. REPEAT … Surely by now anyone who knows and loves the Southeastern Conference realizes that any championship aspirations require earning a trip to the Georgia Dome to play in our league’s championship. Now the only thing that separates this goal from reality is the Auburn Tigers. SEC Preview And as hard as it is to believe, the blue and orange is experiencing one of its worst seasons ever, despite winning a national title only two season ago. For most, a struggling Auburn team is just what the doctor ordered in our SEC East title hopes, but not for me. Saturday night’s game sets up beautifully for the Tigers as they have very little to lose. For this reason, rather than showering this cover with photos of our players and fans, I decided to remind everyone of what lies ahead … Beware of the eagle eye! You gotta admit the photo that Ryan Scates captured of Auburn’s eagle two years ago is extremely eerie. Those piercing eyes ready to strike at any time are daunting. Call me crazy if you want, but there’s no doubt in my mind that every Auburn player and fan in Jordan-Hare Stadium will have similar looks when toe meets leather Saturday night. Beware of the eagle eye! Now the question on my mind is whether or not our football team will

Win in Atlanta ...

be ready for everything Auburn will bring? I must say I do have a decent feeling because of the way Richt and company battled through the Ole Miss Rebels’ best shot this past Saturday in Athens. Despite a slow start, our defense and offense held together to eventually wear down an inspired team that thankfully didn’t have the horses that ours did. I see Saturday’s game playing out much the same. Except for this one, our guys won’t be in the friendly confines of Sanford Stadium. Instead when something doesn’t go their way, one of the loudest stadiums in the nation will crank up with nothing but fury. That place flat out rocks when things are going the Tigers way on the field. How will we respond? Like a team that truly is worthy of a champion moniker? Or one that’s pretty good, but never can get over the biggest hurdles? Is up to you Dawgs. I assure you myself and all the others in the Bulldog Nation that make the trip over to the Plains will be ready. In fact, please spare us of the theatrics that have sometimes followed you this season. Kick some fanny on the field for 60 minutes and then we can all have a date in the stands for one heckuva celebration. Beware of the eagle eye. Consider yourselves warned. It won’t be easy, but there is no doubt in my mind that you are up for the challenge. Enjoy this issue of BI. Homecoming is always special, full of so many great memories, while always making new ones. Our camera captured many awesome shots of the Bulldog Nation that I’m sure you will enjoy. And like always, our sports guys will get you amped up for the task at hand this Saturday. It’s time to REPEAT as SEC East Champions. See you on the Plains. Go Dawgs!

Repeat ...

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Saturday night in the loveliest village on the plains, history meets the future. Everyone in the college football world understands what is at stake, as fifth-ranked Georgia, 8-1 on the year and 6-1 in Southeastern Conference play, tangles with struggling Auburn, winners of just two games this year, none in the toughest league in the land. If the Bulldogs come out on top, the East division title and a berth in the SEC Championship Game are clinched. The chance for a special season, as games against in-state foes Georgia Southern and Tech are on tap after Auburn, is still very much in play. This is also a big milestone opportunity for Georgia in the deep south’s oldest rivalry. Against the school that has taken more from the Bulldogs than any school. Ever. Auburn has dealt Georgia some of the most painful losses in school history. Three of those, in the years 1942, 1971 and 1983, sit alongside the ’82 and ’83 Sugar Bowls and ’02 Florida games, are amongst the six most significant and painful ever dealt the Dogs. In 1942, led by eventual Heisman Trophy winner “Fireball� Frank Sinkwich and fellow college football Hall of Fame legend Charley Trippi, “The Scintillating Sicilian,� Georgia steamrolled Florida 75-0 to improve to 9-0 and ascend to No. 1 in the land. The Gators had beaten Auburn earlier in the year. But the Tigers pulled off the upset, downing the Dogs 27-13 in Columbus. The loss was devastating. Georgia fell to No. 5 in the polls. The Dogs rebounded to steamroll undefeated, second-ranked Tech 34-0 in Sanford Stadium to win the first SEC championship in school history and earn the Rose Bowl berth. The Bulldogs downed UCLA 9-0 and were consensus national champions, crowned No. 1 in six different polls. But because of that loss to the Tigers, Georgia wasn’t perfect and the undisputed national champions. It was the most highly anticipated game in Sanford Stadium history. November the 13th, 1971, 9-0 Georgia hosted 8-0 Auburn. Longtime Georgia fans still contend that it was the toughest ticket ever – keep in mind, the stadium sat 59,000 then. One Bulldog loyalist told me about buying a ticket for $150. In 1971. Not only were the Bulldogs and Tigers undefeated, so was Alabama. Pat Sullivan and Terry Beasley made a couple of dynamic plays and Auburn out-dueled the Dogs 35-20. One of Georgia’s greatest ever teams did not taste the Southeastern Conference title. On Thanksgiving Day, the Bulldogs had an all-time bounce back win, with Andy Johnson and Jimmy Poulos leading the heroics of a thrilling 28-24 last second victory at Tech – the second half of a college football double header that began with Nebraska’s famed 3531 victory over Oklahoma. Georgia would go on to beat North Carolina 7-3 in the Gator Bowl to finish at 11-1. Alabama beat Auburn, then got crushed by Nebraska in the Orange Bowl for the national championship. It was one of the great seasons in college football history. Georgia was in the midst of its golden era in mid-November 1983. The Bulldogs were the three-time defending SEC champions, 8-0-1 and ranked third. Auburn was 8-1, No. 4. The conference crown and a shot at the national title were the on the line in one of the biggest games in Sanford Stadium annals. Georgia rallied with an onsides kick, but fell 13-7. The Bulldogs edged Tech 27-24 and then beat second-ranked, undefeated Texas 10-9 in the Cotton Bowl on the greatest day in college football history, January 2, 1984. No. 4 Miami beat mighty topranked Nebraska 31-30 in the Orange Bowl – the greatest college football game ever. No. 3 Auburn edged Michigan 9-7. Four games that

determined the national title were determined by a total of four points. In the final polls, it went: Miami, Nebraska, Auburn, Georgia, Texas, Florida. The top six teams lost a total of seven games, all to one another. A tie with Auburn cost the Dogs the 1978 SEC title. A loss to Auburn cost the Dogs the 1979 SEC title. Same in ’87. And ’88. A loss to the Tigers cost Georgia a top five national finish in 1997. And 2005. To break it down, had Georgia beaten Auburn in 1971, 1978, 1979, 1983, 1987 and 1988, there would be six more SEC championship banners flying above the hedges. This Georgia team must try to get, as it has done against Missouri and Florida, on the right side of history, and avoid joining this painful list. The Bulldogs have turned the series against the Tigers, winning five of the last six meetings. A victory this year would make it six out of seven, something Georgia hasn’t done since the 1940s and early ‘50s. A win over Auburn would even the alltime series at 54-54-8. That would be a great tribute to the Georgia people and every coach and player in the annals of this grand rivalry. Georgia has so much on the line. The Bulldogs are an aforementioned 8-1 and ranked fifth. The last time that was the case was 2004. That Georgia team was ranked fifth. That Georgia team ran into a buzz-saw and went down 24-6 on the plains to Auburn. That Auburn team went undefeated, won the Southeastern Conference championship and finished No. 2 nationally. This Auburn team has struggled mightily. The Tigers lone two wins are an overtime decision against a good Louisiana-Monroe squad and a 42-7 rout of New Mexico State this past Saturday. They could certainly salvage something, as their two arch rivals, Georgia and Alabama, are on the upcoming slate. And nothing would make the Tigers happier at this point than ruining the dreams of the Bulldogs and/or the Crimson Tide. Granted it was against New Mexico State, but Auburn got the offense going, so they are heading into the Georgia game with a lot of confidence. And this Tiger squad fought LSU tooth and nail, before falling 12-10 at Jordan Hare Stadium. That is the type of game, that is the type of foe, that is the type of battle Georgia should be expecting Saturday night. And there is an intangible the Tigers have working. The last time Georgia was 8-1 and ranked fifth was, as mentioned above, 2004. The Bulldogs defensive coordinator that year was Brian Van Gorder. The secondary coach for Georgia was Willie Martinez. Those two are now in the same positions at Auburn. So there will be some serious familiarity between the two, especially when Georgia has the ball. As tough as it could be, the Bulldogs do have the better team. Georgia did an excellent job of making adjustments defensively and on the offensive front to turn a scary 10-0 first half deficit to Ole Miss into an impressive 37-10 victory. If the Bulldogs play hard and smart for 60 minutes, and keep the foot on the accelerator, this team will accomplish much in victory. This is another prime example of Georgia’s players’ motto for 2012: “Our time. Our team. No Regrets.� A title and catching Auburn in the series can be savored by Bulldogs past and present by taking care of business and capitalizing on this team’s time.

Bulldawg Illustrated

poole shots By Murray Poole

Luke Naeher: From Ivy League to the SEC

What is your occupation?

I’m an associate professor in the Department of Environmental Health Science. I teach the core masters in public health environmental health science class so that’s a class all our graduate students take and I teach that in the fall over on the new health science campus, which has been pretty exciting this year. That’s got 58 students this year, last year 74 so that’s a pretty good sized class. I also teach a freshman Odyssey seminar and that’s one of these classes that every freshman at the university has to take and the size of mine is 13 and, as fate would have it, this year I have two student-athletes in it which has been fun, one a young man from the basketball team and the other a young lady on the equestrian. I teach that one hour a week and then in the spring I teach an undergraduate and graduate-level air quality class. How many years have you served on the UGA athletic board?

This is my first year so I’m new on the university council and that’s a three-year term, and I’m new on the athletic board for a three-year term also. I’m on there as an elected faculty representative. Where did you grow up and what made it special?

I grew up in Babylon, New York which is about halfway out on Long Island on the South Shore. It’s real close to the ocean which is one of the things I prob-

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L Luke Naeher with his wife, Juli ably remember most about it. What makes it special is it’s got some of the best beaches in the world. When I go home now regardless of the time of the year, one of the things I’ll do is take a drive out and spend a fair amount of time out on the beach and on the shore. And then I spent my college years more in upstate New York, a couple of years in Ithaca at Cornell which is beautiful in a different way. It’s very rural, it’s got beautiful mountains and lakes and, in fact, the feel of our campus here in Athens is very similar to the feel of Cornell. They both are old land grant colleges and there’s a real similar flavor across both campuses actually. What has been the most exciting part for you serving on UGA’s athletic board?

Two things come to mind. One, I’ve had a chance to travel with the athletic department the last few weeks and I’ve had a chance to get to know (athletic director) Greg McGarity and the team under him and I tell you it’s an amazing group. I think Greg’s approach to running the athletic department and the way that the men and women are working with him is just an impressive operation. And one thing that’s been really fun for me is just to get to know them, learn what they do and just see what an amazing job they’re doing. And the other piece, I’ve worked with the athletic department for years as one of their instructors for their freshman seminars for the student-athletes. I’ve probably taught five or six of those over the years and have had a real good chance to know Carla Williams, Ted White and Rhonda Kilpatrick and the team that’s over in the Rankin Smith Academic Center and that group is just amazing. They’ve very good at what they do and are very committed to the student-athlete. What has been the most exciting aspect of your career?

For me, one of the things I enjoyed as a graduate student was the work I did in the developing world. In environmental health we look at exposures in the environment and how they impact human health and the developing world offers an opportunity to look at those exposures where they’re usually orders of magnitude higher and more dangerous than anything we see here in the United States. And so I’ve traveled for many years – I’ve been blessed, I’ve had opportunities to travel to Guatemala, the Philippines, Ukraine, Peru and Chili, other corners of the world. And the most exciting thing for me right now in my job is continuing to do research in those areas and taking my students from the University of Georgia here with me. What do you think are the biggest challenges for Georgia athletics in the near future?

I’ll say this from the perspective of it being my first year on the board, so it’s mostly through the lens of a faculty member who’s worked with student-athletes in the capacity of a professor for the last decade or so. But right now, I see the biggest challenge, and it’s a good challenge, the athletic department is a well-oiled machine and it’s under great leadership right now. I think if you look at how things are going for the student-athletes, you couldn’t ask for a better setup to try and help the student-athletes succeed as students and on the field. I think they’re doing the right things and they’re doing it the right way so I think the challenge is, how do you stay innovative, how do you continue to try and do things better and how do you to continue to be as strong as they are right now, and my sense is under Greg’s leadership I think they are on a really good track. How has the knowledge from your occupation helped in the betterment of UGA athletics?

I’ve had several of the student-athletes in my classroom over the years and I’ve had several of the student-athletes from a range of sports work with me one-on-one through independent study or research over the years, and I had one of the young men on the basketball team travel with me for research down to Peru several years ago. I think teaching them in the classroom, teaching them in their research environment and teaching them through study abroad, I think that’s one of the ways my field, my work has helped the students specifically.

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Although Luke Naeher attended those pillars of academia – Cornell, Harvard and Yale – he was anything but a bookworm as Naeher’s days growing up on Long Island were spent on numerous athletic fields. And Naeher’s rich love of sports and of course his stellar academic background, too, is a big reason why this University of Georgia professor today serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Georgia Athletic Association. Naeher, who is an associate professor in the Department of Environmental Health Science which is in the UGA College of Public Health, earned a B.S. in Biology at Cornell in 1989, received his M.S. in Environmental Health Sciences at Harvard in1994 and then earned his Ph.D in Epidemiology and Public Health at Yale in 1998. “I was really blessed,” said Naeher. “I enjoyed school and had a vision of being a professor and teaching for a career. Our College of Public Health at UGA is now in its seventh year of existence. It opened its doors on January 1 of 2005. I was here five years before that in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences as I started at UGA in July 2001.” Now, back to those athletic pursuits Naeher enjoyed as a high school and college student. “I played football, basketball, and lacrosse from 10th through 12th grade at Babylon High School, which was a pretty small school in New York,” he related. “Playing three sports was the norm for most of the boys in my grade. I loved basketball, played football to try to get in shape for basketball, and fell in love with lacrosse as we went from a club my 10th grade year to a varsity program my senior year. In college, I was blessed to have the opportunity to play basketball and run track at The King's College, a small Christian college in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. We competed at the NAIA Division III level. “As an average athlete who was trying to be a serious student, the level and balance of sports and academics available to me at King's was perfect for me at that stage in my life,” Naeher continued. “I loved every minute of my time in the gym and on the track, but also loved every minute of my time in the classroom. I transferred from King's to Cornell University my junior year and played one year of varsity 'B' team. I loved playing lacrosse at Cornell but after one season, decided to shift gears my senior year and focus more on my studies, while enjoying countless evening bike rides along Cayuga Lake – if the roads were not too buried in snow and ice – and the near daily noontime pickup basketball on campus. Today, I try to run and swim to stay healthy, and I play with and coach my children every chance I get.” In addition to his classes on the Georgia campus, Naeher teaches an Environmental Health course at the Pacific Rim Campus during Summer Session II. “It’s a blessing I’ve had for a lot of years now, first to teach an environmental science class out in the Black Hills of South Dakota for eight years and more recently for the last six years to teach an environmental health class out on Whidby Island, which is one of the most beautiful places in the world,” Naeher said. “It’s about 90 minutes northwest of Seattle. The natural beauty is stunning but beyond that it’s also a setting where you’re with sharp undergraduate students from across the country and Canada for five weeks where you’re in a setting where you live with them basically and you get a chance to have them study with you. One day we may be climbing a mountain and another day we may be out in a boat in the Puget Sound and another just on a long hike through an old-growth forest and all the while just teaching them about the different aspects of environmental science and environmental health, and at the same time with my family out there sort of creeping around the rocks and trees and being a part of the mix.” Luke and his wife Juli have six children: Madison, 15; Luke Joseph, 13; Sam, 9; Raegan, 7; Jack, 4, and Jed (Jedidiah), 2. In the following question-and-answer session, Luke Naeher talks more about his background and his role on the Georgia athletic board.

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THE 2012

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Your favorite UGA sports moment?

There’s really too many to recall, but the common theme is that I enjoy cheering for the Dawgs – with my wife and children – in South Carolina for men’s basketball or football, at Sanford for countless exciting GA football games, men’s and women’s basketball and gymnastics at Stegeman, baseball at Foley, soccer and softball at their amazing facilities, volleyball, swimming, track practice, and equestrian. But all that said, I believe my personal highlight was watching the Dawgs beat Florida weekend before last. We watched this as a family from our home in Athens and it was just an awesome day, capped off by an incredible game and win!

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5

Dogs vs. Tigers ‘One more game’ is what Georgia needs for a return trip to the SEC Championship By Travis Ragsdale

G

eorgia has had a number of different themes in this 2012 season. It started off with “Our team, our time, no regrets.” Then it shifted to “Grown man football.” Most recently, it’s been “Who’s soft now?” But now there is new theme for this week; “One more game.” The Dawgs came out and took it to Ole Miss and avoided the let down game in an impressive way. The table is set for a showdown with a struggling Auburn team to represent the SEC east in Atlanta once again. From an outsider’s perspective, it would be easy to say that this week is an easy Georgia win given how mightily the Tigers have struggled in 2012 but fans know better. And in a rivalry game in the SEC, on the road, at night, anything can happen. Which Murray will we see?

Aaron Murray is such a hard case to solve. Against Florida he had what is arguably the worst game of his career throwing three interceptions in the first half alone. Then against Ole Miss, he has one of the best games of his career by completing 21 of 28 passes for 384 yards and four TDs. It’s up and down with Murray and always has been. He already lost one of his favorite targets earlier in the year in Michael Bennett and now it looks like he lost another this past weekend with Marlon Brown suffering a knee injury. Luckily for Murray and the Dawgs, they have a large and deep staple of wide receivers to fill the void. Also helping out this week is that statistically, Auburn has one of the worst pass defenses in the SEC giving up an average of almost 230 yards per game. Dawg fans will remember the name Brian Van Gorder. He was the defensive coordinator for Georgia back in the mid-2000s. Fans will also remember how stingy those Van Gorder defenses were. Now, he’s the one leading this Auburn defense which is shocking given his past successes in the college ranks. Another aspect of the Georgia offense that is helping Murray is such a strong run game and a set of reliable backs to hand the ball off to. He really hasn’t had that in his time in Athens and now he’s got two really great ones to share the load. More Marshall

Keith Marshall has to get more carries against Auburn. This isn’t to discount what Todd Gurley has done to this point in the season. In fact, it’s the opposite. Fans need to remember that Gurley is just a freshman. He’s been running into the teeth of SEC defenses the whole season. He won’t say it but it’s safe to say that he is mentally and physically exhausted. If Georgia has a chance of beating Alabama in Atlanta, they’ll need Gurley in peak physical condition. If there is any way for Georgia to cut down on Gurley’s carries over the next few weeks, then they need to implement that plan. What’s amazing is that Georgia has another great freshman in Keith Marshall to help out with that. They are two different backs, no doubt. Gurley is the guy that can find a hole and grind. Marshall needs a seam to open up for him to bust through. Against a team like Auburn, Marshall shouldn’t have much problem be productive in an expanded role. People often forget about Ken Malcome as well. He’s really gotten over shadowed because of how good Gurley and Marshall have been but he’s a good back as well. In the ideal world, Gurley gets between 8 and 10 carries just to keep the rust off. Marshall gets about 15 and then Malcome gets between 5 and 10. This would help everyone and keep fresh legs for later on in the season.

6

photo by Rob Saye

How about a shutout?

Finally, the Georgia defense is living up to expectations and making successful offenses look sluggish. Look at Ole Miss; a team that has a highly touted offense comes into Sanford Stadium and fails to put even 300 yards together on offense. Auburn’s offense has been abysmal. After having been a spread team for so many years, they have reverted back to a pro set. Without the right personnel in place, they have struggled to get anything going on that side of the ball. Leading that cause has been the quarterback play, which, without question, has been the worst in the SEC all year. Saying that Auburn’s running game has been a bright spot may be a bit of a stretch but at the very least, it’s been the most successful aspect of their team. Tre Mason and Onterio McCalebb have led the way thus far. McCalebb is a particularly dynamic player in running the ball, receiving and taking reverses out of the backfield. But if the running game is all the Tigers have then they won’t have near enough to penetrate the Georgia D. If there was ever a time for a shut out and to continue momentum, this weekend was it. Intangibles

Rumor on The Plains is that the Tigers have quit on Gene Chizik. These are the last words any coach wants to hear but when your only wins towards the end of the season are against Louisiana-Monroe and New Mexico State, it’s a pretty safe assumption. Now, the players aren’t playing for their coach but in a rivalry game that really shouldn’t matter. If the players don’t want to show out for the coaching staff, then they will for a national TV audience. You also have to wonder if Gene Chizik is coaching for his job this weekend. In order to salvage it, he needs a big time win on a big stage and that means either against Georgia or Alabama. Even still, many are calling this the worst Auburn team ever. It’s hard to overcome sentiments like that. With that, the Dawgs should go into Jordan-Hare on Saturday night and lay the lumber to Auburn. One more game, then it’s back to Atlanta.

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Legacy carried forward ...........................................

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12

The Georgia-Auburn game has been played since 1892, with Auburn winning the first game at Brisbine Park in Atlanta. Since that time the rivalry has been virtually even in its history although Auburn enjoyed as much as a five game lead a few years ago. Georgia has a chance to even the series with a victory on Saturday. The Bulldogs are enjoying a more prosperous season than the Tigers, but that only means the Dawgs can’t take this struggling Auburn team for granted. That has always been the case with this rivalry, the Deep South’s oldest. Auburn leads in the ancient series 54-53-8, but Georgia has won five of the last six games. For years there has appeared to be no home field advantage. Georgia’s record at home since defeating Auburn in 1959, 14-13 is 11-17. In Athens all time, Auburn leads, 12-18. At games played at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Georgia leads 14-10-2. The Bulldogs also lead in games played in Columbus 2216-2. Many of those games played in Columbus in old Memorial Stadium were classics. For sure the activities Georgia-Auburn week in Columbus were memorable. “The week of the game in those days, there was a fistfight everyday at recess,� remembered the late Bill Hartman several years ago. The cocktail parties began on Monday and reached a crescendo on Friday night. After the game, there was an unparalleled soiree at the Columbus Country Club where the partying lasted into the wee hours. Partisans of each institution partied as hard as the teams played on the field in the afternoon. The two teams began playing in Columbus in 1916, a neutral site arrangement that had one break—when Georgia won 24-0 in Athens in 1929, the year Sanford Stadium was originated. The last game in Columbus took place in 1958 when Auburn won 21-6. Memorial Stadium seated about 20,000. The game was a ticket scalper’s dream. Hundreds of spectators seemed to find a way to crash the gate, which made it seem that there were two people fighting it out over the same seat. “It was so bad,� said Shug Jordan, the long time Auburn coach, “that if you got up to go to the bathroom, you lost your seat.� The aging stadium was showing its age with the passing of time, and there was the realization that the two teams were foregoing considerable revenue by allowing the game remain in Columbus. Politically, it was difficult for Georgia with all the staunch Bulldogs residing in Columbus. Judge Frank Foley, the founder of the Georgia Student Educational Fund, hated to see the game go as did the family of George “Kid� Woodruff, the one time Bulldog football coach who helped Foley with the startup of GSEF. Whenever I think of the many wonderful and colorful Bulldogs in Columbus, I always remember one of my favorite characters, Frank Lumpkin Jr. Lumpkin played football for the Bulldogs, a member of the Red Devil team which evolved into the B-team which evolved into the Scout team of today. This meant that he spent considerable time scrimmaging on the practice field, but did not see any game action. Under the rules and traditions of today, he likely would have lettered. With that in mind, Hartman recommended to Vince Dooley when Dooley was athletic director that Lumpkin be given a letter after the fact which Dooley approved. Look in the football media guide and you will find the name of Frank G. Lumpkin as a football letterman, 1929-30. Lumpkin was sitting on the bench when the Bulldogs defeated Yale in the Sanford Stadium dedicatory game in October 1929. He saw Catfish Smith score all points in the memorable 15-0 victory. When the 50th anniversary of the Bulldog victory over Yale took place in 1979, Lumpkin was one of the eager participants. Waldo Greene, the Yale captain flew into Atlanta from Texas and attended the reunion party. It was a stimulating affair involving the Bulldog ole timers. Nobody enjoyed themselves more than Frank Lumpkin. A long time member of the GSEF executive committee, Lumpkin was a generous contributor to Bulldog athletics. He was an advocate of the work of Dan Magill and was outspoken in his support of the Bulldog coach, historian and personality. “Nobody,� Lumpkin would say, “has done more for the University of Georgia than Dan Magill.� There were legions in enthusiastic agreement. A colorful character if there ever was one, one story about the bombastic Lumpkin had to do with his antipathy for Auburn. When his son Frank III was born, the story goes that the senior Lumpkin took baby Frank downtown in a bassinet to proudly show off his infant son. It developed that Frank got into an argument with an Auburn man in the street. Soon blows were being passed, Frank holding Baby Frank in the bassinet in his left arm and punching away at his adversary with his right. Lumpkin, always one to play favorites, was often given to second guessing coaching and personnel decisions. However, it was like the old brothers-fighting-in-the-backyard story. Don’t you interfere or they both will gang up on you. That was the way it was with Frank Lumpkin. He might fuss about what was going on with the Bulldogs, but if you were an outsider and castigated his favorite team, you better be ready to put your dukes up, because Frank Lumpkin would be coming after you.

Bulldawg Illustrated

A view from Auburn

Scouting the Tigers By Murray Poole

By Jeff Dantzler

Location: Auburn, Ala. Conference: SEC West

Andy Burcham, longtime Auburn broadcaster, has covered numerous games in this great series between the Bulldogs and Tigers. He’s an excellent broadcaster and one of the great guys in the league. Where has Auburn struggled the most offensively this year? The biggest struggle for Auburn offensively has been at quarterback. By the time Auburn plays host to Georgia, the Tigers will have started three different players at QB. Most recently, Auburn is going with a true freshman, who was an 11th hour signee, Jonathon Wallace. In addition, the 4th quarter has been a wasteland offensively. In games that Auburn was competitive heading into the 4th quarter, the Tigers hadn’t scored a touchdown in the final frame. McCalebb and Mason are excellent backs, do you feel they give Auburn a chance to win every time out? McCalebb and Mason are different style backs. Onterio is best when he uses his speed, but he has been nullified on the speed sweep. Mason has been Auburn’s best threat from the backfield. He’s surprisingly good between the tackles. I hated to see Lutzy out for the year, talk about what a popular player he is for the Auburn people. Lutzenkirchen is as popular off the field and he was on the field. He has done great work in the community, for example, working with East Alabama Youth for Christ during the summer. His touchdown in the comeback against Alabama in 2010 gas become a legendary play. It’s a shame that he suffered this injury in his final year at Auburn. What is your take on Georgia? Georgia produced one of the most impressive SEC victories this season, in my opinion. Shouldn’t come as a surprise, though. The Bulldogs shutdown Florida and put itself back in the driver’s seat for the SEC Championship Game.

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What does Auburn have to do to win? Auburn must have a good start to the game. The offense hasn’t shown the ability to make a big comeback. If the Tigers can’t establish a good running game, which will be tough against Georgia, Auburn will be in trouble. What are some of your most memorable games in the series? Take your pick. The game at 2004 in Auburn is one of the best atmospheres I’ve seen at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The first overtime game in Auburn history-1996, the 4th down pass for Auburn at Sanford Stadium2005, and the Georgia comeback in Auburn in 2002. Auburn just won the national and SEC titles two years ago. The fact that Alabama won the last one, does that make it tougher to enjoy the afterglow? What Alabama is doing is always a factor at Auburn. I don’t think, however that Alabama’s championship last year or this year, if that occurs, diminishes Auburn’s title in 2010. What do you think of this rampant and rapid conference expansion? I don’t think the SEC could stand back and watch other leagues continue to grow. The addition of Texas A&M and Missouri adds quality teams in every sport, not just football. You and I will see great teams in women’s basketball and baseball. Whether it’s tennis, equestrian and golf, the Aggies & Mizzou Tigers are terrific. One of the big immediate changes for all schools is an added travel budget. I do believe, at some point, the league will have address the divisions and make changes.

Auburn University stars By Jeff Dantzler #55 Corey Lemonier, DE 6-4, 246 Jr. Hialeah, Fla. (Hialeah H.S.)

#43 Philip Lutzenkirchen, TE 6-5, 255 Sr. Marietta, Ga. (Lassiter H.S.)

#23 Onterio McCalebb, TB/KR 5-11, 173 Sr. Fort Meade, Fla. (Fort Meade H.S.)

One of the top pass-rushers in the Southeastern Conference, Lemonier is a standout for the Auburn defense. For the Tigers to pull the upset, he’ll have to get a big push, play strong against the run and pressure Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray. A 2011 first team All-SEC selection, Lemonier had a standout season. He ranked amongst the league leaders in sacks with nine and a half, and tackles for loss, tallying 13 and a half. In Georgia’s win over the Tigers between the hedges last season, Lemonier chalked up two sacks and six tackles. Against Florida last year, Lemonier had a memorable performance with two sacks, three tackles for loss, four quarterback hurries and six stops, earning SEC Defensive Player-of-theWeek honors. Two years ago, he was a key back-up on the defensive front, as the Tigers won it all, and earned Freshman All-SEC honors.

We rarely include injured players in this segment of the B.I. But this kid has been such a positive for college football, he has to be mentioned. One of Auburn’s most beloved players of the 2000’s, this nails tough tight end was a major part of the Tigers 2010 dream season – highlighted by his go-ahead touchdown catch in the incredible 28-27 comeback victory at Alabama – and one of the best players in the rugged Southeastern Conference. Pro scouts love Lutzenkirchen. He has talent, size and great versatility. He has played fullback, H-back and tight end, excelling everywhere. He has a big time physical blocker on the edge and is an excellent receiving target. Though Auburn is just two years removed from that national and Southeastern Conference crown campaign, Lutzenkirchen and Onterio McCalebb are the only two major contributors still in the program. For a team that has had a tough season, this was another big blow, losing this standout favorite for the rest of the campaign.

The strength of the Tigers is their standout tailback duo of McCalebb and Tre Mason. These are two of the elite backs in the Southeastern Conference and pose huge problems for defenses. McCalebb is the classic scat-back. He has blazing speed and tremendous maneuverability. He has been a mainstay for the Tigers since emerging as one of the league’s top freshman in 2009. McCalebb is doubly dangerous, not just as a runner and receiver out of the backfield, he is a dynamite kickoff returner. His highlight play of the year was a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at Mississippi State. McCalebb was a prime weapon for Auburn’s 2010 national championship squad and was the Most Valuable Player of last season’s Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl win over Virginia. Mason, too, (a 5-10, 200 pound sophomore from Lake Worth, Fla.) is a stellar back with tremendous power and good speed. This has been an obviously disappointing campaign for the Tigers, but these two give the Tigers a puncher’s chance any time out.

Tigers in a thumbnail: Coming off last season’s 8-5 record (4-4 SEC) and with nine returning defensive starters and seven returning offensive regulars, Auburn was looking to be a factor in the SEC West Division race this season. Unfortunately, for the Tigers, those hopes have long since vanished as they have inexplicably gone through one of the worst campaigns in AU football history. The Tigers enter Saturday night’s battle with ancient rival Georgia with just two victories, that being a 31-28 overtime decision over Louisiana-Monroe in the third game of the season and a 42-7 win over a now 1-8 New Mexico State team this past Saturday on the Plains. At 2-7 overall and 0-6 in the SEC, Auburn has fallen to Clemson (26-19), Mississippi State (28-10), LSU (12-10), Arkansas (24-7), Ole Miss (41-20), Vanderbilt (17-13) and Texas A&M (63-21). As one can see, the Tigers have played well against only one good football team, that being the close, lowscoring loss to LSU. A look at the Auburn offense: After losing offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn to Arkansas State, the Tigers offense has floundered greatly under new coordinator Scott Loeffler. And Auburn has especially struggled at the quarterback position as neither sophomore Kiehl Frazier nor junior Clint Moseley has been productive for an offense that averages just 16.4 points per game. Frazier has passed for 753 yards and just two touchdowns this fall while Moseley has thrown for 373 yards and only one score. That’s why, in the New Mexico State game this past Saturday, Gene Chizik elected to give freshman Jonathan Wallace his first start at quarterback and Wallace responded by completing 9-of-16 passes for 164 yards and a touchdown in leading the Tigers to the 42-7 win. Sophomore Tre Mason is Auburn’s rushing leader with 706 yards and a 5.6 average per carry while senior Onterio McCalebb has run for 453 yards and a 6.1 average. Against the Aggies, Mason carried 22 times for a career-high 152 yards while McCalebb, who also excels on kick returns, ran for 113 yards on just eight carries. Senior Emory Blake has been a fine receiver for the Tigers, with 39 catches for 609 yards and three touchdowns while preseason All-America candidate, senior tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen, follows with 15 catches for 139 yards. A look at the Auburn defense: Also under a new coordinator in former Georgia assistant Brian VanGorder, the Tiger defense has likewise been porous this season, giving up an average of 27.3 points per game. With also former Bulldog assistant Willie Martinez heading the Auburn secondary, the Tigers have been led defensively by senior linebacker Daren Bates (86 tackles), junior strong safety Demetruce McNeal (84 tackles) and sophomore defensive back Jermaine Whitehead (73 stops). What Tigers head coach Gene Chizik says: “I am very proud of our team because again I feel like they have worked every week. I feel like again today, they deserved it. They deserved to win, and they deserved for several guys to get to play who haven't gotten to play a whole lot this year. We have a great SEC game coming up next weekend against Georgia, and it is going to be extremely tough, but we will take some things that we did a little better this week than last week, and we will try to build on those, and we will continue to work every day in practice and try to improve. We know what we have cut out for us next week, but we are going to enjoy tonight and enjoy this victory." Game Prediction: Who could have seen this disastrous season coming for the Auburn Tigers? What it means for the future of Gene Chizik and his staff will only likely be known after the Tigers’ Nov. 24 finale against archrival and top-ranked Alabama but even with this coming just two years after Auburn won the national championship under Chizik, you’re hearing that heads might roll on the Loveliest Village on the Plains. Prior to the start of the 2012 campaign, I said the Bulldogs would go into Auburn this Saturday and escape with a tough 21-17 win but now, if Georgia lets this bad Tiger team hang that close, it would invite questions whether the Bulldogs would have any success at all in the SEC title game against likely No. 1 Alabama. But, who knows in the Deep South’s oldest rivalry? Auburn just may rise up and stage its finest effort of the season in attempting to pull off a monumental upset and thereby prevent the Dogs from going back to Atlanta for a second consecutive season. No way that should happen. Georgia clinches the East crown by 38-14 over the Tigers.

Five keys for a Bulldog victory By Jeff Dantzler

1. Rugged Run Defense – Auburn has a dynamite tailback duo in Onterio McCalebb and Tre Mason. This has been a terrible season for the Tigers, but make no mistake, these two are an elite combo. Georgia’s defense is going to have to turn up that fierce run defense that was on display in the 17-9 victory over Florida in Jacksonville. Georgia’s ends must stay at home and the linebackers must practice gap integrity. Mason runs with power and one potential tackler rarely brings him down. McCalebb is extremely elusive and can cut as quickly as any back in the league. Sound-tackling, hard-hitting classic defense against these two is a must if the Bulldogs are to avoid the upset.

2. Pressure the Quarterback – Not only did Georgia play great run defense in Jacksonville, the Bulldogs did an excellent job pressuring Gator quarterback Jeff Driskel. The defense is going to have to get after it again Saturday night. Auburn has had all kinds of problems at quarterback this season. So no matter who is behind center for Tigers – Clint Moseley, Kiehl Frazier or Jonathan Wallace – the Bulldogs will have the opportunity to create turnovers and put the Auburn in negative yardage situations. Georgia’s defense can deliver knockout blows. If Auburn has time to throw, Emory Blake is a dangerous threat at receiver who can hurt any defense.

3.

High Octane Offense – Auburn has had its troubles on defense this season, most notably in a 6321 loss to Texas A&M at Jordan-Hare Stadium two weeks ago. Georgia’s offense has had some high points – like a 48-3 victory over Vanderbilt and 51-44 win over Tennessee – but also some struggles. Georgia scored just seven at South Carolina. Seventeen was enough in Jacksonville. I think of John McKay in his first season with the Bucs and the classic NFL Films clip – “we can’t stop the run, we can’t stop the pass. Outside of that, we’re okay.” Auburn fans were feeling that against the Aggies. It’s up to the offense to set the tone and put the Tigers behind the eight ball. Remember, this same Auburn defense played valiantly in a 12-10 loss at home to LSU.

4.

Steady Special Teams – Nobody is expecting for Georgia to come out with a dominating special teams performance, but the Bulldogs must at least be competitive in the kicking game. Georgia has a better offense than Auburn. Georgia has a better defense than Auburn. Expect for the Tigers to try and make some kind of mark in the kicking game. Georgia must be prepared. Auburn has had some moments this season. McCalebb had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in a 28-10 loss to Mississippi State in Starkville.

5.

Provide No Light – As high as the Tigers were during their impressive 14-0 national and SEC championship run, they are that low now. Auburn is winless in the league. In their last conference game, they were embarrassed by Texas A&M. But they still have their two old rivals – Auburn’s “big two” – Georgia and Alabama. An upset would be a sorely needed bright spot in a dreary campaign. Georgia must come out flying and focused, expecting the Auburn squad that nearly upset LSU. If it’s close in the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs will be in trouble. The longer the underdog hangs around, the more the underdog believes it can win. Jumping out to a lead and keeping the pressure on – a la the Dogs romp over Vanderbilt – would be tough for the Tigers and their struggling passing game to overcome. And it could send some of the boisterous Auburn faithful to the exits early. photo by Rob Saye

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Jeff Dantzler’s Top 25 It was an incredible day and night of college football, highlighted by Alabama’s thrilling 21-17 victory over LSU at a raucous Tiger Stadium. Oregon outshot Southern Cal to stay undefeated. Kansas State got a bit of a scare from Oklahoma State and Collin Klein’s wrist. But it was Notre Dame that was five and a half feet under a couple of times, but somehow found a way to edge Pitt. K-State and the Irish both go on the road this week. Bama hosts Texas A&M. 1. Alabama – It was a game for the ages, as Alabama rallied back to top LSU in a 21-17 Baton Rouge instant classic. LSU missed too many opportunities and Bama held tough. Then A.J. McCarron hit T.J. Yeldon for a touchdown on a screen pass that will long be remembered on the capstone. Texas A&M visits Tuscaloosa Saturday for what should be a dandy. 2. Oregon – Every time the Ducks take the field, they look more and more impressive. Oregon passed its toughest test of the season, outgunning Southern Cal in Los Angeles. Chip Kelly has done an excellent job keeping his team focused. Kenjon Barner had a spectacular performance and is in the midst of the Heisman race. 3. Kansas State – It was a little scary for a while with Oklahoma State, but the Wildcats pulled away for a huge win. Collin Klein has had a brilliant season and is the Heisman front-runner. K-State has the best defense in the Big XII. They’ll be tested at TCU Saturday. 4. Notre Dame – The luck of the Irish is in full tact. Pitt missed a winning field goal by about three inches. But Notre Dame found a way and survived. It will be easy for Brian Kelly to push across the message of not looking ahead and what it means to be the hunted, not the hunter. Now comes a trip to down Boston College. 5. Ohio State – After a couple of scares – especially that unbelievable escape in overtime against Purdue – the Buckeyes seem to be hitting their stride. It won’t take long for Urban Meyer to have Ohio State, ineligible for the postseason this year, fighting for a Big Ten title and in the picture for the big prize. 6. Georgia – The Bulldogs were impressive in the second half of a 37-10 win over talented Ole Miss. The Rebels jumped ahead 10-0, but the Dogs came flying back. The SEC East championship is on the line Saturday night on the plains. Todd Gurley and Jarvis Jones are special players. 7. Florida - The Gators, downtrodden after a 17-9 loss to Georgia in Jacksonville survived against Missouri. Florida did just enough offensively and the defense was superb in a 14-7 win over Missouri. There are a couple of easy ones on the slate and then the monster showdown with Florida State. 8. LSU – This 21-17 loss to Alabama will sting the Fightin’ Tiger faithful for a long time. There were just too many missed opportunities for LSU. Zach Mettenberger played very well, but two missed field goals and getting stuffed on fourth down will really linger. 9. Florida State – The Seminoles had this past Saturday off, and now are poised for a stretch run at an ACC Division title and then a potential 10-1 vs. 101 showdown vs. arch-rival Florida. The ‘Noles have the best defense in the ACC. 10. Texas A&M – The Aggies only two losses this season are by three at home to Florida and by 5 in College Station to LSU. They now head to Tuscaloosa to take on the Tide. Texas A&M is really clicking offensively. On the heels of a 6321 win over Auburn on the plains, the Aggies took down Mississippi State 38-13. 11. South Carolina – After playing one of the most treacherous four-game stretches of any team in America this season (Georgia, @LSU, @Florida, Tennessee), and with the devastating injury to Marcus Lattimore, the Gamecocks needed a week off. Arkansas has won three of four and visit Columbia Saturday. 12. Clemson – The Tigers came out cooking on offense and never looked back in a big Atlantic Coast Conference win over Duke. Clemson can do it all offensively, and the Tigers have one of the country’s best big play passing attacks.

Kevin Butler’s Players of the Game

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Kevin Butler, former University of Georgia legendary kicker and a member of the Georgia radio broadcast team, will each week during the 2012 football season select his offensive, defensive and special teams players of the week for Bulldawg Illustrated. Here are Butler’s selections and reasons why for the Bulldogs’ 37-10 win over Ole Miss Saturday.

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Crazy Good.

OFFENSE – Sophomore center David Andrews, who helped regroup and spark the Georgia offensive line to an outstanding performance after the Bulldogs’ front allowed five sacks of quarterback Aaron Murray in the first half. “Being the center, David is the leader of the offensive line and it all starts with him and Aaron Murray on the communication,” said Butler. “His ability to be a leader for the offense and get them in the right frame of mind and adjusted at halftime is a tremendous step forward in his development as a great offensive lineman. He is the second most important communicator on offense next to the quarterback and his development this year has been a great addition to the offense.” photo by Rob Saye

DEFENSE – Sophomore cornerback Damian Swann, who was one of the ringleaders for a Bulldogs’ defense that shut the Rebels out from early in the second quarter on while limiting Ole Miss to just 46 yards net rushing and 188 passing. Swann contributed three tackles, one sack, one tacklefor-loss, one pass breakup and two fumble recoveries, which he returned for a total of 49 yards. “We’ve had tremendous play up front all year long but Damian seems to have a nose for the ball,” said Butler. “He’s a young player with great ability and gives Georgia a very good cover man to deal with potentially very strong receivers. One of Damian’s best qualities is when he does have the ball in his hands, he can really make things happen. And he’s a strong tackler which certainly makes him have the foundation to be a great DB.”

13. Mississippi State – It’s been a tough two weeks for Mississippi State. The Maroon Bulldogs were riding high at 7-0, and then got blistered at Alabama. Well things didn’t go well at home this past week, as Texas A&M cruised 38-13. There’s still some heavy lifting to do in November. 14. Louisville – Coming off a thrilling victory over Cincinnati the week prior, there was some letdown concern. Sure enough, the Cardinals found themselves in a 7-0 hole to Temple. Then Teddy Bridgewater and co. got it rolling. They go to Syracuse Saturday. Charley Strong is a hot commodity. 15. Oregon State – Coming off their first loss of the season, a 20-17 heartbreaker at Washington, the Beavers improved to 7-1 with a 36-26 bounce-back win over Arizona State. Oregon State goes to Stanford in a major PAC-12 North showdown. A win keeps Oregon State in the conference race. 16. Boise State – With everything that Boise State lost – record-setting QB Kellen Morre, first round TB Doug Martin and virtually the whole defense – the Broncos have been very impressive while pushing their record to 8-1. Boise State goes to Hawaii Saturday. 17. Oklahoma – Coming off a tough loss to Notre Dame – a game in which the Fightin’ Irish dominated the fourth quarter – Bob Stoops had his team ready and they handled tough Iowa State. The bottom line – in their two losses, the Sooners scored 19 and 13. 18. Stanford – David Shaw has done a nice job keeping the Cardinal in the upper echelon of the PAC-12. Stanford flat out hammered awful Colorado 480. It is impressive how they’ve played on the heels of that heart-breaking, controversial loss at Notre Dame. They’ve got a big one against Oregon State this week. 19. Texas – David Ash had a good day throwing it and Mike Davis had 165 yards receiving and a couple of touchdowns. Texas had lost nine consecutive games against ranked foes prior to the big win in Lubbock. 20. UCLA – Brett Hundley is a terrific two way threat at quarterback for the Bruuins. UCLA just clubbed Arizona, as the Wildcats clearly had a letdown following its upset win over Southern Cal. The Bruins have the PAC-12 Championship Game in their sights. 21. Louisiana Tech – The Bulldogs ran past the Roadrunners of Texas-San Antonio 51-27 to move to 8-1 on the year. The only loss is that heart-breaking 59-57 shootout to Texas A&M in Shreveport. Lousiana Tech will have a tougher go with non-fictional (Necessary Roughness) Texas State on the road. 22. Nebraska – Big Red is happy with a 23-9 domination of Michigan. TheWolverines Dennard Robinson sustained an injured hand and that was all she wrote for Michigan. The Cornhuskers had to do it without Rex Burkhead. 23. Texas Tech - In the midst of a brutal schedule stretch, the Red Raiders lost for a second straight week. You know Tommy Tuberville and the Red Raiders wanted this one badly against Texas, but the Longhorns got a nice win in Lubbock. 24. Southern Cal – This Trojan defense has been flat out awful over the last two weeks. Monte Kiffen has to be going nuts. They get gashed in a comeback by Arizona. Then this past week, Oregon hung 62 on the Trojans. 25. TCU – The Horned Frogs have been involved in some wild shootouts this year, like a 56-53 loss to Texas Tech in Fort Worth. But TCU got on the good side with a 39-38 victory over West Virginia.

SPECIAL TEAMS – Freshman punter Collin Barber, who kicked five times for a 48.2 average which included a career-long 60-yard punt and also a 48-yard kick that backed the Rebels up at their own 3-yard line and enabled Bulldog linebacker Alec Ogletree to tackle Ole Miss’ Jeff Scott for a safety. “This is a guy who’s really starting to come on,” said Butler. “He averaged 48 yards and anytime in these games coming up that we can flip the field, it’s just been something that hasn’t been consistent all year and Collin is becoming more comfortable and more consistent with his drops, which enables him to be a more effective punter. We’ll need his ability to accomplish our goals and make Georgia’s net punting much more effective for our defense.”

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