BI Issue 7, 2012

Georgia-Missouri

It’s time for an ‘old man’, Dawg whippin’!

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From the editor : vance leavy Well Bulldog fans the 2012 season finally kicked off this past Saturday in Sanford Stadium and I would have to say the outcome was pretty much what I expected. It wasn’t great, nor was it terrible. The biggest goal was attained with Georgia’s 45-23 win over the Buffalo Bulls. You can’t win them all without winning the first one.

On the positive side of things, it’s always great when our offense takes care of the football. And with zero turnovers, mission accomplished there.

While Aaron Murray had several over anxious throws early, he did settle in nicely giving his receivers plenty of catchable balls. And in case you didn’t know it, this Georgia team has a ton of talent at wide receiver. Tavarres King, Michael Bennett, Chris Conley and Rantavious Wooten all had solid games, which is very comforting not knowing how serious the injuries are to Malcolm Mitchell and Marlon Brown.

And my, oh my, didn’t our true freshman running backs have a stellar start to their Bulldog careers?

Todd Gurley looked like a veteran using speed, power and stiff arms to create big plays throughout the game. And Keith Marshall’s quickness was definitely a nice compliment to both Gurley and Ken Malcome’s power game. How exciting to see some quality production from Bryan McClendon’s tailback unit that has struggled over the last few years. And what I like best is that it appears all these youngsters are committed to the program in all the right ways, both on and off the field. However, it will certainly take more than one game to determine whether our tailbacks are truly on the up.

You also have to give props to our young offensive line. Yes they gave up a few sacks, but Aaron Murray had adequate time to the throw the ball most of the day. And many of our tailbacks productive runs began with a nice seam or hole provided by the big uglies on the Oline. Keep it up young fellas and this season could certainly be dreamy.

Now across the ball, things weren’t all that great for our Bulldog defense. But that was fine by me because I fully expect Todd Grantham to use that this week to have his players foaming at the mouth when toe meets leather Saturday night in

Columbia, Mo. Players like Jarvis Jones, John Jenkins, Abry Jones and Branden Smith better be ready because all indications are that Mizzou can flat out move the football.

Unfortunately by now, we all know that our defense is missing more than a third of their starters due to suspensions. Perhaps, Mark Richt’s poker game with the media will have a happy ending this week and Alec Ogletree and Bacarri Rambo will get to see some action on Faurot Field?

With or without those guys, Grantham’s defense must patch things up quickly. The focus wasn’t there for every play and that will certainly equate to some SEC losses if not rectified. My bet is things get better for Georgia’s D this week.

Beyond our offense and defense, things were about the same for special teams and overall coaching in my opinion. Not great, not bad. I was glad to see our kicker, Marshall Morgan, drill his second kick after missing the first one. And Coach Richt seemed to have a good grasp of the overall ebb and flow of the game. However, I’m not sure I would’ve shown the double pass against Buffalo. That play was definitely a headscratcher. Although it should have gone for a touchdown, the drive quickly ended, which was folllowed by Buffalo marching down the field to tighten the score, 24-13.

That’s enough Monday morning quarterbacking for me. It’s now time to devote all our energy to getting ready for the slugfest that’s sure to take place on Saturday night.

It’s Missouri’s debut in the Southeastern Conference and they are so off their rocker with enthusiasm that one of their players opened his mouth when he should not of.

Defensive tackle, Shelton Richardson said he turned off the Georgia-Buffalo game saying “ … It’s like watching Big Ten football, It’s oldphoto by Rob Saye man football.”

Well, I guess Mr. Richardson and all the Mizzou faithful are about to figure out how much Georgia loves their football. And how much they don’t appreciate when someone disrespects them.

Still, we here at Bulldawg Illustrated always do our best to stay above the fray. So while we realize that our beloved Russ will be enshrined as UGA IX before the Florida Atlantic game in two weeks, we decided our “old man” mascot needed to grace our cover this issue. May his wisdom and ferocity lead our Georgia team and it’s incredible fans into Memorial Stadium for what we hope is an “old man”, Dawg whippin’. See you there Saturday night. Let’s blow the doors off that sucker!

Missouri Cha Cha Cha Publishing Inc. Editor Vance Leavy Editorial & Ad Director Cheri Leavy Sports Guru Jeff Dantzler Sales Caroline Kinney, Holly Stanfill Sports Murray Poole Travis Ragsdale Layout/Design Cheri Leavy, Vance Leavy Cover photo Rob Saye Photography Rob Saye Columnists Carlton DeVooght Al Hickson Rob Sherrell Loran Smith Chad White Student Editor Travis Ragsdale Interns Katherine Parke Pierce Persons Annie Trice Delivery Hatton Abernathy, Martin Cameron Jake Davis, Will Hayes, Frank Sinkwich IV, Champ Vance

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Missouri alumni, fans and officials are calling Saturday’s showdown with Georgia the biggest in school history.

This is the Tigers first ever league game as a member of the mighty Southeastern Conference, and they are “foaming at the mouth� to make a smashing entrance.

Georgia, with one of the great traditions in college football annals, is aiming to shake off an annoying recent trend – being the victim of another program’s signature wins. The Bulldogs don’t want to add Missouri to this list.

Oklahoma State christened its new stadium with a 24-10 win over Georgia in the 2009 season-opener, a game in which the Bulldogs missed numerous opportunities. This gave the Cowboys a big lift and helped propel them to the top of the Big XII. Over the next couple of years, Oklahoma State added Oklahoma and Texas to the hit list and peaked with a No. 3 national finish in 2011. It was that win over Georgia, though, that put the Cowboys on their way.

Later in that 8-5 season of 2009, Georgia blew a pair of 14-point leads and lost to Kentucky in Athens for the first time since 1977. It was the Wildcats second win over Georgia in a four year period, and former coach Rich Brooks points to those triumphs as highlight Saturdays of his tenure.

Georgia had a schedule that set up for a run at the SEC East title in 2010.

Instead the Bulldogs got off to a disastrous start and were the victims of four school’s marquee triumphs. South Carolina would go to the Georgia Dome, and the Gamecocks brilliant freshman running back Marcus Lattimore had his national coming out in a 17-6 Gamecocks victory in Columbia. The following week, with any shot at a great season seemingly hanging in the balance, Georgia couldn’t finish a late comeback and fell in the closing seconds to Arkansas – giving the Razorbacks that breakthrough victory. The Razorbacks went on to their first of two straight double digit win seasons and berths in the Sugar and Cotton Bowls. Then came a 24-12 Mississippi State over Georgia in Starkville. It marked the first time that the Maroons had beaten the Bulldogs since 1974.

Georgia’s maddening four game losing streak hit its low point with a two-point loss to lowly Colorado in Boulder. It would be the last victory for Dan Hawkins as the Buffaloes head coach.

The Bulldogs did beat Tennessee and Tech in 2010 and were 6-6 at the end of the regular season. The campaign ended with arguably the biggest win in Central Florida history, as the Knights from Conference USA upended Georgia in the Liberty Bowl 10-6. The Bulldogs suffered a losing record for the first time since 1996, and five of those losses (the other two were to Urban Meyer’s Florida Gators and national champion Auburn)

were to schools who marked the triumphs over Georgia as high points.

Last season, in the Georgia Dome, Boise State beat a Southeastern Conference school for the first time ever, dominating the Dogs 35-21 in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic. The season ended with a painful overtime loss to Michigan State. The Spartans were hungry for a bowl win and a signature victory over an SEC team. They got it. It was one that the Bulldogs let get away, and 10-4 didn’t look nearly as nice as 113 would’ve been. While Michigan State’s players were talking about how big that Outback Bowl was to their program, several Georgia players spoke of the game as a launching point for a national championship run in 2012.

To achieve that goal of being in the mix, the Dogs must be focused on every Saturday’s next challenge. There’s a pot of gold at the end of the journey, but it’s a path laden with landmines.

To avoid those pratfalls, the Bulldogs first must eliminate those catastrophic breakdowns that made last season good, not great. In the losses to South Carolina, LSU and Michigan State, the Bulldogs allowed SIX non-offensive touchdowns.

Missouri, which is hoping to join the likes of Boise State, Kentucky and Michigan State, and put Georgia on their hit list, scored four non-offensive touchdowns in a 62-10 season-opening pasting of Southeast Louisiana this past Saturday.

What an SEC debut that would be for the Tigers.

Georgia’s aim is to be on the good side of history and alter this annoying trend of falling to programs with inferior history and recruiting bases.

Bulldog players came up with a motto for 2012: “Our team. Our time.

No regrets.�

Saturday is the first opportunity against a high caliber opponent to walk the walk. Georgia has a lot of talent back and as manageable a schedule as can possibly be in the SEC. Tennessee, Florida and Auburn won’t all be down forever.

Getting derailed by Missouri wouldn’t necessarily sink the ship for 2012.

Due to injury and suspension, the Bulldogs don’t figure to be at full strength for Saturday’s game in Columbia, so a bounce-back would certainly be possible. Plus Missouri has won 48 games over the last five years, with four winning records and one .500 mark in conference play over that stretch. But after the performances that Alabama and Southern Cal put on this past Saturday, a loss to Missouri wouldn’t exactly put the Bulldogs alongside the Tide, Trojans and LSU as national title front-runners.

And that’s where the Bulldogs want to be.

Bulldawg Illustrated

poole shots

By Murray Poole

Professor Robinson has stellar athletic background When Gregory Robinson takes his seat at Sanford Stadium to see the Georgia Bulldogs in action, you can be assured that he has a pretty good sense of what’s transpiring down between the hedges.

For although Dr. Robinson is a Franklin Professor and Distinguished Research Professor of chemistry at the University of Georgia, he also has a solid football background that enables him to understand why a certain play is being run and what the defensive team is doing to counter that play.

And, without question, Robinson’s rich athletic heritage from his days of growing up in the state of Alabama and then playing collegiately at Jacksonville State University has boded well in his other current role at the university, that of being a two-year member of the Board of Directors of the Georgia Athletic Association.

Robinson, who joined the UGA faculty in 1995, hails from Calhoun County in Alabama.

“Anniston is the county seat,” he said. “I attended Alexandria High School, a small high school there.

I was a pretty good athlete as well as a pretty respectable student so I was able to get a football scholarship upon graduation to Jacksonville State University. I played quarterback in high school, then in college I played linebacker. I was basically a four-year starter at linebacker and my senior year I was all-conference (in Gulf South) and conference defensive player of the year also. We were a bit smaller then and I think I played at about 215 pounds,” Robinson recalled.

“And what I would like to say,” Robinson added, “I was recruited by the University of Georgia out of high school. I found a couple of recruiting letters from the recruiting coordinator … for some reason I kept those things and they are some of my prized possessions now, from 1975.

But I went on to Jacksonville State and 1976 was my freshman year.”

Upon graduation from Jacksonville State, Robinson attended graduate school at the University of Alabama. “That’s where I studied and earned my PhD in 1984,” he said. “Growing up, I was busy being a Gamecock (Jacksonville State).

But whether you want to or not, you’re kind of influenced by Alabama and Auburn and so I suppose Alabama was certainly my favorite and that’s why I went to graduate school there,” he said, laughing.

In 1985 Robinson would embark on his college teaching career at Clemson University. “I started off as an assistant professor of chemistry, then associate and, ultimately, became full professor there. And then, in 1995, I moved from Clemson to the University of Georgia.”

At Georgia, Robinson would evolve into a chemistry professor extraordinaire and, just recently, became one of a select group of international academics awarded a 2012 Humboldt Research Award from Germany's Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. The award is valued at 60,000 euro (approximately $80,000), and Robinson is the second UGA chemist to receive the award in as many years.

“I have known for many years that UGA is home to some of the best faculty in the world,” said UGA President Michael Adams. “The fact that Dr. Henry Schaefer won the Humboldt Award last year and now Professor Robinson is this year’s recipient demonstrates that fact to the world. I am very proud of both of them and wish Dr. Robinson well in his research with colleagues in Germany.”

Robinson has been invited to undertake prolonged periods of collaboration with other chemists in Germany, and he plans to work with colleagues at the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg and the Technical University of Berlin.

The award, which is presented to up to 100 scientists worldwide annually, is granted in recognition of a researcher’s entire achievements and is presented to academics whose fundamental discoveries, new theories or insights have had a significant impact on their own discipline and who are expected to continue producing cutting-edge achievements in the future.

Robinson is internationally known for his work synthesizing chemical compounds that other scientists had dismissed as impossible. In a landmark 1995 paper, he demonstrated that metals can display electronic behavior that was previously only thought possible with carbon-based ring systems such as benzene. These chemical compounds, known as aromatics, are particularly stable, and Robinson's innovations have the potential to improve the performance of semiconductors and electronics.

“I’m taking the family over to Germany next summer, the summer of 2013, and we’ll spend the summer there and I’ll come back to the university in the fall,” said Robinson. “Then the plan is to return to Germany in January of 2014 and stay for six or seven months and then come back

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to the University of Georgia in the fall.”

In the following question-and-answer session with Bulldawg Illustrated, Greg Robinson talks more about his background and his role on the Georgia athletic board.

What is your occupation?

I’m a professor of chemistry at the University of Georgia. The current fall semester is a really busy semester for me. I’m teaching two classes, both in general chemistry. One of the classes is a class restricted to honor students and chemistry majors and that class has about a hundred students in it. But, also, I’m teaching a second general chemistry class that’s open to any student and that has about 375 students in it. And every other semester, I’ll teach a graduate course in organic chemistry.

How many years have you served on the UGA athletic board?

I’m beginning my second year on the athletic board. I was a presidential appointee on the board by President Adams. So in addition to being a normal board member, I’m on the finance committee of the athletic board. That’s a very important committee and I certainly enjoy serving on it.

Where did you grow up and what made it special?

The community was Alexandria, Ala. It was just a small town and there wasn’t a whole lot going on there, as it turned out, but you had a chance to kind of grow up slowly there. And like most people’s hometown, it just holds a special place in your heart. I think probably that’s it. I go back occasionally now and it doesn’t seem nearly as big now as it did when I was growing up back there, I tell you that.

What has been the most exciting part for you serving on UGA’s athletic board?

The most exciting thing is becoming familiar with the internal workings of Georgia athletics.

It’s just the great people that are charged with the caretaking of Georgia athletics and they are absolutely fantastic. And just the magnitude of the issues that the board has to deal with has been very humbling and impressive, actually.

What has been the most exciting aspect of your career?

Well, I would have to say the most exciting thing would be the discoveries that we make in our laboratory from time to time. You know, if you’re a scientist that’s kind of why you get into it, to have those rare moments where you know at that particular moment you discover something that has never been seen nor often even theorized before. And we’ve been lucky enough to do that a few times and so that’s a very special feeling.

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What do you think are the biggest challenges for Georgia athletics in the near future?

I would say just reaching our full potential.

I think that’s the biggest challenge of any athletic department, just reach your full potential, and I think we’re right on the cusp of doing that.

How has the knowledge from your occupation helped in the betterment of UGA athletics?

I could say as a scientist, I’ve kind of learned how to become a good member of a team. And I try to use that in my experiences on the athletic board as well. I try to be a good team member, I suppose, and that’s the best way I can state it.

Your favorite UGA sports moment?

I would have to say shortly after Coach Richt came to Georgia when we won our first SEC championship (in 2002) under Coach Richt. I think that was very special because it had been so many years, 20 years I believe. That whole season was so exciting and just to see the great job Coach Richt had done that year was one of my favorite moments.

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Dogs vs. Tigers Let SEC play begin ... it won’t get any bigger as Mizzou tries to open with a bang

By Travis Ragsdale

A

ny kind of win, even against a team like Buffalo, will instill confidence into the minds of players. That’s exactly what coaches and fans are hoping this past week did for the Dawgs. While it wasn’t the prettiest of wins, it still showed that Georgia has plenty of talent on both sides of the ball. But that talent is headed to unfamiliar territory this week. The experience of Columbia, Mo. will be brand new to everyone on Saturday. You just hope that doesn’t spell disaster for the Dawgs.

Contain, Contain, Contain

Nothing is more frustrating for fans than to see Jarvis Jones bearing down on a quarterback, ready to drop the other team’s signal caller to the ground than to see that QB tuck it and run up field for a nice gain before JJ can get to him. That’s exactly what happened on several occasions this past Saturday. And this coming Saturday will be worse if adjustments aren’t made. The Tiger’s QB, James Franklin, is one of the best in the country at escaping pressure and making plays with his feet.

With 1,145 rushing yards last year, Franklin poses a unique threat to Georgia. Of course everyone knows Missouri as a run-and-gun type of team but if a pass play breaks down, Franklin will be off to the races and will shred opposing defensive schemes given the opportunity. Coach Grantham surely has a plan in mind that will likely involve one of the linebackers “spying” Franklin. The only problem here is that when a defense spies a quarterback, that defender is essentially lost for that play.

This probably explains why Missouri’s offense has been so potent with Franklin at the helm.

More unfortunate for the Dawgs is that Buffalo may have exposed to Missouri a weakness in Georgia’s ability to contain the QB scramble and run. For Georgia, Franklin poses a much greater threat on the ground than he does in the air. This has to be stopped or it’s going to be a long, long night.

The Walking Wounded

Perhaps more infuriating than not beating Buffalo 56-3 as the Dawgs should have, is the fact that several players were hurt in the process. Freshman right tackle, John Theus, sprained his ankle. Ken Malcome hurt his hand. And right guard Chris Burnette also had a lower leg injury. Plus, Marlon Brown and Malcolm Mitchell didn’t even play against the Bulls because of ankle injuries. In any football game there will be a number of different injuries to players. Fans just hope that they don’t happen to the entire right side of the starting offensive line as well as your starting running back. The offensive line was already thin before but without Theus and Burnette, the Dawgs had to start dipping into a pool of players that may not be ready to compete in the SEC. This is a scary proposition with Aaron Murray’s health in the balance. But, if there is any position on the field that can tough out an ankle injury and still play, it’s the offensive linemen. Now for Ken Malcome, his injury may be a blessing in disguise. Malcome is a great back but Georgia has a couple freshmen waiting in the wings that are chomping at the bit to knock some heads in the SEC. Unfortunately, neither of those guys are as accomplished as pass blockers as Malcome is. Either way, this week hopefully allows Malcome and the rest of the walking wounded to heal, otherwise this just provides another hurdle that the Dawgs will have to overcome against the Tigers.

6

photo by Rob Saye

Gurley not “girly”

In fact, he’s a man. A big, strong man, but how about those wheels? Everyone knew coming into the 2012 season that Keith Marshall was incredibly fast. What caught everyone by surprise was how fast Todd Gurley is. And not just that but some of those stiff-arms he laid out on Saturday were plain mean. But hold on for a second, let’s not anoint him as the next Herschel just yet. Yes, he had a phenomenal debut but remember who it was against. Buffalo isn’t exactly known for their overwhelming defense. Let’s see if Mr. Gurley has that kind of performance a few weeks in a row and then we’ll be able to judge a little bit better. He certainly has the intangibles to be an every down kind of back, something that Dawg fans haven’t seen in Athens since Knowshon Moreno. Don’t forget about Keith Marshall either. While he didn’t have the explosive plays that Gurley had, Marshall still looked very impressive. Missouri has their hands full trying to create a game plan around these two very different style runners that are very capable.

Intangibles

This will be Missouri’s first ever SEC conference game. It’s in Columbia. It’s at night. And Georgia has a target on their back with its highly national ranking. The Tigers they’re also coming off a 62-10 win in the first game of the season. The intangibles are pretty much all in the favor of Missouri here.

It’s a scary, scary game that many fans are underestimating. Missouri is a good, disciplined football team. They have a high-powered offense that can lay 50 on the board before you know what happened.

And with a few players out for Georgia on the defense due to suspensions, you better believe that the Tigers are preparing extra hard this week to debut in the SEC with a splash. Still though, the Dawgs are more talented right now than the Tigers. If they can contain the Mizzou quarterback, get some guys healed up from injuries and let the freshmen dynamic duo do their thing out of the backfield, the Dawgs should win. If they do, watch out. This game could be the springboard to something special.

Bulldawg Illustrated

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10

Bulldawg Illustrated

Georgia 45 Buffalo 23 Hamilton Harbin, Jack Yancy, Sims Holmes, Chilton McKnight and Ford Neel

Bradley Lastinger, Gigi Lastinger, Davis Jones, Tracy Jones and Jack Ginley

Craig and Harrison Nolen with Russ

Laurene Guthas and Aaron Murray

Patrick Kuhn and Jigar Patel

Kathleen Matthews and Annie Lewis

Sam Karlin and Allison Major

Cindy Loveless, Elizabeth Truley, Bill Anderson; (front row) Addy Ragle and Gracie Truley

Stephanie, Trey, Elle and Raynor Manley

Sidney and Griffin Wells with Erin Sinclair and Tommie Patrick

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11

Georgia-Missouri Match-ups

Scouting Mizzou

By Murray Poole

By Jeff Dantzler

Location: Columbia, Mo.

1. Georgia Punting Game vs. Mizzou’s Marcus Murphy – Freshman Colin Barber showed off a strong leg in the Bulldogs win over Buffalo, averaging 50 yards per punt. Adam Erickson did an excellent job, three times pinning the Bulls inside their own 20-yard line. These two must continue to “hang ‘em high,” and Georgia’s punt coverage unit must be on point, because a new star is shining in Columbia, MO. Marcus Murphy scored a pair of touchdowns on punt returns of 72 and 70 yards against Southeast Louisiana, marking the first time in program history that a Tiger twice struck paydirt on kicks in the same game.

Conference: SEC Enrollment: 34.255 Tigers in a thumbnail: Missouri enters its first year in the Southeastern Conference coming off an 8-5 overall record last season, going 5-4 in its final year in the Big 12. The Tigers of coach Gary Pinkel, who tuned up for Saturday’s conference debut against Georgia with a 62-10 rout of Southeastern Louisiana this past weekend, return 11 total starters from the 2011 team that defeated North Carolina 4124 in the Independence Bowl

2. Georgia Run Defense vs. Mizzou run Game – The Tigers have an explosive passing attack and quick strike offense. To go along with a dual threat signal caller, Missouri may have found a standout running back as well. Kendial Lawrence carried 10 times for 121 yards, highlighted by a 76-yard run for a score. Georgia’s highly touted defense gave up 111 yards rushing to Buffalo’s Branden Oliver this past Saturday, and will need to perform better for the Bulldogs to win in Columbia.

3. Big Play Making – In their openers, both Georgia and Missouri showed the ability to score on explosive plays. Georgia freshman tailback had a 55-yard touchdown run and 100-yard kickoff return for a score. The Dogs also hit a couple of long scoring tosses to Tavarres King and Rantavious Wooten. Missouri, along with the aforementioned long punt returns from Murphy, also returned a pair of interceptions for scores against Southeast Louisiana. Georgia threw four pick-sixes last year, three in losses.

4. Handling the Hype – This is Missouri’s first ever intra-league Southeastern Conference game, and the entire Tigers fan-base and all their players are jacked up to have Georgia coming to town. Can the Bulldogs match the intensity? Mizzou figures to come out flying. Georgia must stay patient and make it a 60-minute game of typical tough Southeastern Conference football.

5. Georgia O-Line, FB’s and TE’s vs. Mizzou Front Seven – It is vital to win the battle on the ground. Todd Gurley headlined an outstanding rushing performance against Buffalo with eight carries for 100 yards. Georgia is now 47-5 in the Mark Richt era when a tailback goes for 100-plus yards. The Dogs thin and beat up offensive line and tight ends will have to be at its best against the Tigers stop unit.

Fullback Merritt Hall impressed the coaching staff in preseason and spring workouts and had an excellent game in the opener, cleaning out the hole – and protecting the passer. photo by Rob Saye

Tiger Stars

By Jeff Dantzler #15 Dorial Green-Beckham, WR 6-6, 220 Fr. Springfield, Missouri (Hillcrest)

#1 James Franklin, QB 6-2, 228 Jr. Corinth, Texas (Lake Dallas H.S.)

Arguably the most high profile recruit in Missouri history, this freakish freshman chose the Tigers over all of college football’s royal programs. Without question, moving into the mighty SEC had to be a huge selling point for a prospect considered by some scouting and recruiting services as the country’s No. 1 overall prep player from 2011.

Kellen Winslow is widely considered the greatest Tiger ever. The faithful of Mizzou are hopeful that Green-Beckham can be that kind of talent. All-star quarterback James Franklin is back for his second season, and now Green-Beckham is in the fold. Missouri’s offense was outstanding a year ago, and with a dynamic game changer on board with an ace quarterback, it’s easy to see why the Tiger faithful are dreaming big in their first year in the SEC.

One of the best quarterbacks in the Big XII a year ago, now Franklin leads Missouri into Southeastern Conference play as one of the league’s most accomplished signal callers. Missouri has had an excellent lineage of quarterbacks, from Chase Daniel to Blane Gabbert to Franklin. Offensive Most Valuable Player of Missouri’s 41-24 Independence Bowl victory over North Carolina, Franklin capped his first season as Mizzou’s starter with 132 yards through the air and a touchdown passing and 143 yards and two scores on the ground. He accounted for 36 touchdowns a year ago (21 passing and 15 on the ground) and posted 2,865 yards through the air and 981 rushing. He is a dual threat dynamo who will be one of the sternest tests Georgia’s defense faces this season.

#48 Andrew Wilson, LB 6-3, 235 Jr. Peculiar, Missouri (Raymore-Peculiar H.S.)

Missouri’s leading tackler from last season and the Defensive Most Valuable Player of the Tigers Independence Bowl victory over North Carolina, Wilson is the Tigers stop-unit standout. In Shreveport against the Tar Heels, he had nine solo tackles, including two for loss and forced a fumble. Wilson was a second team All-Big XII selection in 2011. His 98 tackles led the team. Amongst his standout games in 2012 were a 13-tackle showing at Kansas State and 12-stop performance against Texas A&M. As a redshirt freshman, Wilson had 42 tackles and considered one of the Tigers top special teams players. The Tigers coaching staff is hoping he can make the jump from good to great in 2012.

Five keys for a Bulldog victory

By Jeff Dantzler 1. Cover that Freshman – I can hear the Mighty Munson now talking about that young monster at wide receiver. At 6-6, 220, with hands and speed, super freshman Dorial Green-Beckham is a match-up nightmare for every defense.

Especially with Georgia’s secondary not at full strength. He’s going to make plays, but the Dogs must not allow the back-breakers – the catch and broken tackle 65-yarder. When he does catch it over the middle, Georgia must make him pay. Where Green-Beckham could be very scary is on broken plays with the supremely athletic dual-threat quarterback James Franklin. I can hear Todd Grantham now “maintain your assignment! Stay in your lanes! Don’t break coverage!”

A look at the Missouri offense: The Tigers, in their no-huddle, spread offense which features four and fivewideout sets, are expected to test the Bulldogs’ highly-touted defense from the get-go Saturday night in Columbia. And pacing the Missouri attack once again is junior quarterback James Franklin. Franklin (6-2, 225), who has bounced back from off-season shoulder surgery, ran for 981 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, while passing for 2,865 yards and 21 touchdowns. Franklin’s top returning targets are senior record-breaker T.J. Moe and junior Marcus Lucas but all eyes will be on the nation’s top recruit from a year ago, 6-6, 220-pound Dorial Green-Beckham. The Tigers’ running game was dealt a severe blow when last year’s leading rusher, Henry Josey (1,168 yards), was pronounced out for this season with the knee injury he suffered last fall but the team still has a dangerous weapon in senior Kendial Lawrence, who ran for 121 yards and two touchdowns in the Tigers’ opening win last Saturday.

A look at the Missouri defense: Depth is a concern along the defensive front, where the Tigers are especially short on experienced tackles.

But Missouri is stocked well at defensive end with former All-Big 12 passrusher Brad Madison back on one side, and the Tigers’ secondary is experienced enough to challenge Bulldog QB Aaron Murray and the Georgia receivers, what with the likes of firstteam All-Big 12 cornerback E.J. Gaines leading the way after setting a singleseason school record with 18 passes defended last year. The Tiger linebacking corps also looks potent with seniors Will Ebner and Zaviar Gooden and junior Andrew Wilson returning.

And the Bulldogs had best be on their toes with their punt coverage this Saturday as Missouri redshirt sophomore Marcus Murphy had a school-record 180 yards in punt returns against Southeastern Louisiana including two touchdowns, one return being for 70 yards.

What Tigers head coach Gary Pinkel says: “We know who we’re playing this week and I think the excitement level is about to go up another notch. I think the Georgia game, it’s big. We understand historically for the University of Missouri it’s going to be a big game, the first SEC game, the first SEC home game for our university. It’s going to be a big game for us.”

2. Force Tiger Turnovers – Missouri has an explosive offense. Franklin is tremendous, and the type of player with a big game and win over a team like Georgia, who could jump into the Heisman Trophy race. The Tigers are going to move the football, but the Bulldogs physical and fast defense should be able to make them put it on the ground and snare an interception or two. In just about any game, turnovers is the most important statistic. In this one, where emotions are running high with offenses that make big plays and fight to avoid the disastrous ones – a pick six or scoop fumble could make all the difference.

3. Pound Away – Georgia can welcome Missouri to the SEC with hard-nosed football and that should deliver a win. That requires offensive patience. Run that ball hard and strong, wear the Tigers down and win in the fourth quarter.

And on defense, hit hard, wrap up and make the Tigers pay for every yard they get. Championship teams turn games into 60-minute games. In Georgia’s losses last year, that was not the case – the Dogs had second half leads in three of the setbacks. Now Georgia can set the tone for 2012 and hopefully return to a mantra that Mark Richt imported from Florida State in the first part of the championship-days of the first part of the 2000s.

Game Prediction: My comments from our annual preseason predictions continue to hold forth here: The Missouri Tigers will be pumped, fired-up – whatever adjectives you want to use – in their attempts to show the rest of the country they belong in the nation’s strongest football conference. But with Jarvis Jones, John Jenkins and the rest of the Bulldogs’ rugged defense welcoming the Tigers to the SEC with a slap upside the head, and with Aaron Murray’s passing and the Georgia running game keeping Missouri’s suspect defense reeling, the Dogs ring up a crucial victory in Columbia. But whereas I called this by 31-17 in my preseason forecast, as we draw closer to kickoff it looks to be a much tougher one for the Dogs to pull out.

At the moment, I see Georgia prevailing by 28-21 in Columbia.

4. Avoid the Big Offensive Miscues – To go from good to great, the Bulldogs must eliminate the catastrophic mistakes and self-inflicted wounds. The non-offensive touchdowns that Georgia’s foes scored in the losses a year ago were excruciating. South Carolina scored three and set up another. LSU had two and Michigan State had one. If the Bulldogs can limit that total to two or less this season, the red and black will be dancin’ in the Georgia Dome.

5. Kicking in that Funny Midwest Wind – Over the past couple of decades, Georgia has had a hard time kicking in Jacksonville. Those winds off the St. Johns have just painfully plagued the Bulldogs. Well that wind figures to really be whipping around Columbia. The Bulldogs have two freshman kickers who will have to be ready, as will the coverage and return units. Expect a funny bounce or two. photo by Rob Saye

12

Bulldawg Illustrated

Georgia 45 Buffalo 23

Chase Walker and Ford Neel

Stewart Eberhardt and Robert Persons

www.bulldawgillustrated.com

Qanteel Ahmed and Nisha Katti

Young, Brian and Gabriella Morris

John White and Samantha Tillery

Katie Prather and Alex Prather

Brooks Land, Emily Henderson, and Cody Mathis

Jason Smith, Jase Smith, Connie Smith and Cope Smith

Chappell Loudermilk and Grace Kimble

13

Jeff Dantzler’s Top 25 College football delivered an exciting first weekend, with a fantastic opener in Nashville through a big ACC showdown in Blacksburg.

Alabama flexed its muscles in Dallas and deserves to be Number One for this week at least. These neutral site heavyweight openers are a great way for college football to start the campaign. And kudos to teams who play intra-conference games in this first week. It’s tough being 0-1 in your league on Labor Day. 1. Alabama – Nick Saban had his team on edge for Michigan, and the Crimson Tide responded with a rousing victory. Alabama led the then 8th-ranked Wolverines 31-0 in the first half. Bama has been dominant in these neutral site high profile showdowns. Freshman tailback T.J. Yeldon looks like a dynamo to go along with tough and strong Eddie Lacy.

2. LSU – Odell Beckham is the Tigers next big play star. LSU has an outstanding stable of backs and Kenny Hilliard may be the best. Les Miles has another top notch defense, despite the loss of some serious All-American talent.

3. Southern Cal – What a start to the season for the Trojans, striking for a 75yard touchdown on the first play of the season from scrimmage. Southern Cal and Oregon are the teams to beat in the PAC-12, and wouldn’t it be a story if the Trojans played an SEC team for the big prize 4. South Carolina – The Gamecocks posted a hard-fought 17-13 victory at Vanderbilt to open the season – and to open conference play. South Carolina could have a tough time with East Carolina at Williams-Brice. Marcus Lattimore is back and the Gamecocks defensive line is one of college football’s best.

5. Oregon – Chip Kelly has what looks like another fine football team. The Ducks jumped to a 29-0 lead over Arkansas State and cruised in 57-34. Oregon has been able to reload at tailback and quarterback, where it’s had a bunch of standouts over the last few years.

6. Oklahoma – Give the Sooners credit for going to a tough to get to place to open the season in a potential landmine game. Oklahoma got off to a slow start, but came back to take control and top UTEP 24-7 in the Sun Bowl. Bob Stoops has done a tremendous job as the Sooners’ head coach.

7. West Virginia – The Mountaineers opened the 2012 season with a 69-34 victory over cross-state foe Marshall. West Virginia has one of college football’s most explosive offenses and they are a bona fide contender in their first year in the Big XII. 8. Clemson – The Tigers offense is the ACC’s best. Taj Boyd is a terrific twoway quarterback threat. Andre Ellington had a fantastic game against Auburn in the Georgia Dome and is one of the league’s best running backs. When Sammy Watkins, one of the nation’s elite players, returns from suspension, Clemson will really be electric on offense.

9. Florida State – It was an impressive opening for the Seminoles as they just pummeled Murray State 69-3. The expectations in Tallahassee are for a return to the glory days of the 1990s. The defense should be the ACC’s best.

10. Ohio State – The Buckeyes are on probation and ineligible for a bow berth or spot in the Big Ten Championship Game, but they may well be the best team in the league. Urban Meyer’s debut was highly successful, as the Scarlet and Gray crushed Miami (Ohio) 56-10.

11. Arkansas – The Hogs didn’t get off to a flying start, but Arkansas got it together in a 49-24 win over Jaksonville State to open the John L. Smith era. Alabama is looming in a couple of weeks, and Fayetteville is already jacked about the Tide coming to town.

12. Michigan State – A Friday night 17-13 win over Boise State in East Lansing gives the Spartans a big jumpstart to the season. Mark Dantonio is an outstanding coach. Le’veon Bell had a performance for the ages, with 44 carries for 210 yards. He put the Spartans on his back and delivered.

13. Georgia – The Bulldogs didn’t look as good as will be required to have a championship campaign in a 45-23 win over Buffalo. The short-handed Dogs will have their hands full with Missouri Saturday in Columbia. Freshman Todd Gurley could be a special tailback.

14. Texas – Mack Brown is aiming to take that next step back towards the elite this season. The Longhorns took care of Wyoming 37-17 to open the campaign.

Texas has its most juice at running back since Cedric Benson.

15. Virginia Tech – The Hokies lost a lot of talent off of last year’s team that played for the ACC title and fell to Michigan in the Sugar Bowl – most notably tailback David Wilson. Frank Beamer has led Virginia Tech to six of the eight ACC Championship Games.

16. Nebraska – After trading scores with Southern Mississippi in the first half of the season opener, the Cornhuskers pulled away for an impressive win. Big Red figures to be in the fight to play for the Big Ten title.

17. Tech – The Yellow Jackets are eyeing a return to the ACC Championship Game. To get there, Tech has to get better on defense. They should. The Jackets return a lot of talent on that side of the ball.

18. Tennessee – Tyler Bray and Cordial Patterson had standout efforts in the Volunteers season-opening victory over N.C. State in the Georgia Dome. The Vols will roll Bill Curry and Georgia State and then Florida comes to Knoxville. Losing a headache player may be a lift for Tennessee.

19. Kansas State – What a job Bill Snyder has done in the Little Apple. Again.

Kansas State pulled away in the second half to rout Missouri State 51-9. It’s a big one this Saturday, as Miami comes to Manhattan. The Hurricanes got a hard fought win at Boston College.

20. Oklahoma State – You talk about putting up a big number….Oklahoma State dropped the hammer on Savannah State 84-0. The Cowboys lost a lot of firepower off last year’s team, but still figure to be right in the mix in the Big XII. 21. Missouri – It was an impressive debut for Mizzou, as they scored four nonoffensive touchdowns in a 62-10 rout of Bobby Bouche and the SE Louisiana Muddogs – aiming for that Bourbon Bowl. Now the Tigers have their SEC opener.

Georgia comes to town in what the Tiger faithful are calling the biggest game in school history.

22. Wisconsin – Just about everyone’s favorite to win the Big Ten, the Badgers struggled with Northern Iowa. Wisconsin won just 26-21 and had a hard time getting the offense untracked. No doubt the Badgers miss Russell Wilson.

23. Michigan – Ending the 2011 campaign with wins over Ohio State and Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl, the Wolverines sagging spirits were lifted. Still a long way to go to get to the elite. Alabama absolutely spanked Michigan in Dallas. Maybe the Wolverines will be good enough to make it to the Big Ten Championship Game, but they’ve got a lot of work to do and a lot of bumps and bruises to heal up.

24. Florida – It was tight and tough with Bowling Green most of the way, but the Gators pulled away to win 27-14. Now comes two major road tests. Florida welcomes Texas A&M to the SEC in College Station and then goes to Knoxville. The Gators have some issues on offense.

25. Auburn – In the Tigers loss to Clemson in the Georgia dome, they just missed too many opportunities. Unless you have an exceptional defense, settling for field goals against good teams is usually a recipe for a loss.

Game rewind: Dawgs 45, Bulls 23

Kevin Butler’s Players of the Game

By Murray Poole

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’ season-opening 45-23 win over Buffalo.

he Georgia Bulldogs hardly resembled a polished, No. 6-ranked team in their 2012 season debut against little Buffalo this past Saturday but, thanks in part to a freshman tailback named Todd Gurley, they did plenty to tune up for the Missouri Tigers by corralling the Bulls 45-23 at humid Sanford Stadium.

“That was a good first game for me to have, to make my debut,” said Gurley, the 6-1, 218-pound product of Tarboro, N.C. who scored on a record-tying 100-yard kickoff return and also galloped for touchdowns of 10 and 55 yards while making his entrance into college football with 100 yards rushing on just eight carries from scrimmage. “But I’m still learning, I still made a lot of mistakes out there so I still have to come back next week and improve. The kickoff return wasn’t easy but just talking to my teammates and Malcolm Mitchell (who sat out the opener with a turned ankle), he was telling me how to hit that kickoff return and as soon as I caught it, I did exactly what he said and it worked. No, I never had a 100-yard kickoff return in high school. Nobody could kick it that far,” added Gurley, laughing.

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photo by Rob Saye

OFFENSE – Freshman tailback Todd Gurley, who made a sensational Sanford Stadium debut by tying a school, SEC and NCAA record with a 100-yard kickoff return and also tallied two other touchdowns on runs of 10 and 55 yards while rushing for 100 yards on just eight carries.

“Obviously, there were high expectations coming into the season for Todd and he was nothing less than spectacular in this first game,” said Butler. “He’s a freshman running back who gained 100 yards and averaged 12.5 yards per carry. You know this kid is special because of how he works to put himself into position to contribute to the team. Certainly, his kickoff return highlighted his Georgia debut, and I think his speed and ability to dictate what the defender tries to do to stop him could be one of his greatest talents.

I look for Todd to be a multiple winner of offensive player of the game this year.”

yards on six carries before sustaining a hand injury. Murray was 15-of-26 through the air for 258 yards and the three touchdowns and King snared six of those balls for 117 yards and his 63-yard score. Michael Bennett showed five receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, All-America linebacker Jarvis Jones started the season with a bang by totaling eight tackles including 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss. Sophomore corner Damian Swann also notched eight tackles, senior linebacker Michael Gilliard had seven stops and then came Garrison Smith and big John Jenkins with six tackles each.

DEFENSE – Junior outside linebacker Jarvis Jones who started the 2012 season where he left off last year by recording eight total tackles including 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles-for-loss.

“Obviously, Georgia is lucky to have Jarvis back as captain of the defense,” said Butler. “Jarvis plays with great intensity and is the quarterback of the defense. Not only did he have eight tackles and 1.5 sacks but the most important thing he brings to the Georgia defense is his leadership, which will need to be brought to the forefront in this week’s preparation for Missouri.”

What Worked

The Bulldogs obviously balanced things out well in the run and pass game, totaling 485 yards on the day. And when they were challenged by the heavy underdog Bulls over the first two quarters, they came out of the dressing room in the second half and dominated Buffalo by scoring 21 unanswered points before allowing the visitors a meaningless score near game’s end.

What Didn’t Work

As mentioned in the opening of this story, the Bulldogs were plagued by inconsistencies on both offense and defense. The offensive line allowed the lighter Buffalo defensive front to pour in on Murray at times and defensively, Todd Grantham’s stop-em gang hardly lived up to its lofty preseason billing when they allowed the Bulls to go on touchdown drives of 75, 94 and 75 yards. Clearly, things will have to get much better in the course of seven days before the Georgia defense encounters a highly-explosive and pumped Missouri Tiger offense this coming Saturday in Columbia, Mo. Top Performers

In addition to Gurley’s smashing debut in red and blank, also freshman tailback Keith Marshall ran for 46 yards on 10 carries and sophomore starter Ken Malcome bulled for 32

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Big SEC opener in Columbia

To get where they want to be this year, the Bulldogs simply have to come out of Columbia, Mo. with a victory this coming Saturday evening. And with the Tigers of Gary Pinkel making their SEC debut before a rabid, sellout crowd, it’s not going to be easy for Georgia to do that. “We’ll be playing against a team next week which will be playing with a lot of excitement and emotion and it’s going to be a war,” said Richt. “Missouri has a really fine team and they will create some major issues for us. They will spread us out and we’ll have to play in space a lot, plus they have a quarterback (James Franklin) who can run.”

SPECIAL TEAMS – Freshman place-kicker Marshall Morgan, who after missing a first-quarter field goal, came back to boot a 35-yard field goal and six PAT kicks while continually kicking off into the Buffalo end zone.

“For a place-kicker who stepped in to fill the shoes of Blair Walsh, I think Marshall did a great job,” said Butler. “After missing his first field goal try, he stepped up and made his second attempt and making that one really helped his confidence and gave him the sense he belongs on the field and can contribute to the success of the Georgia offense this year.”

- Compiled by Murray Poole

Bulldawg Illustrated