Bowl Preview

Enjoy the holidays to your heart’s content.

Bells ringing, children singing, lights twinkling.

The holidays are a special time for enjoying the truly important things in life – family, friends, love and peace. But your health is just as important, and maybe more so.

Because without it, you wouldn’t be able to enjoy all this wonderful season has to give.

So this year, add some wholesome, hearthealthy foods to your shopping list. Work in some time to exercise and de-stress. Your heart – and your entire body – will thank you. Happy holidays from our heart to yours.

© 2010 SGHS

12/2010

From the editor : vance leavy Well it’s hard to believe that the 2010 football season is almost over, but that reality always sets in for me when I’m sitting on my sofa watching the Army-Navy game.

Since the game is normally not that exciting, I often use the time to reflect on our beloved Dawgs’ season. 2010 will certainly be one that many in the Bulldog Nation would just as soon forget. However, the optimistic fan should look at the tough year as a necessary evil towards our program getting back into contention over the next few seasons.

By now, it should be clear to everyone that Mark Richt will remain Georgia’s coach.

And I must say his success over the last decade has certainly earned him the right to have the opportunity to bring the Dawgs back to the promised land once again.

Thankfully, Richt has already shown he realizes some changes needed to occur by announcing that Joe Tereshinski will assume the role of Strength and Conditioning coach in 2011. Obviously the decision wasn’t an easy one because of the tremendous respect Richt has for Dave Van Halanger. The two of them have done amazing things while at Georgia and hopefully Coach Van will be an even bigger asset in his new role.

I can’t say that I really know Coach T, but I certainly know a few folks that have worked with and under him. He always comes with descriptions like no nonsense and hard-nosed, which is exactly what I think our football team needs at this point.

And I love that he will bring his video experience into the weight-room, where all player workouts will be captured and then viewed by him and his staff. I’m not accusing anyone of loafing, but from here on out the camera won’t lie, which can only mean great things for the program.

Now as you would expect, I’m hearing the players aren’t sure what to think about the changes, but that’s fine by me. I’m a firm believer that the Strength and Conditioning coach should change every five years. It’s very hard to keep the attention of 18 to 22 year-olds, but a new sheriff every so often forces the youngsters to get in line for the new guy. Let’s hope that is the case for Coach T because surely by now everyone in the Bulldog Nation realizes that it takes total dedication to compete for a title in the greatest conference in college football.

But before I get too carried away and start talking about next year, there’s still a little housekeeping in order for 2010.

While the Dawgs victory over the Bees was a few weeks back, I never get tired of celebrating another devastating loss for the North Avenue Trade School. And when you speak of Coach Richt’s resume at Georgia, it’s impossible to deny the dominance he has achieved over Tech with his stellar 9-1 record. He always has his team up for the season-ending finale. The whole “we run this state” motto resonates with our players year after year. I get it and love that focus, but am ready to also add the motto of “we run the sunshine state” which would of course mean a string of victories against the Gators.

Speaking of Florida, Urban Meyer cashed in his chips and has set aside the whistle for the time being. The always, thorough Gator AD, Jeremy Foley only needed a few days to land the person he wanted, former Bulldog player, Will Muschamp.

I guess you always want former Dawgs to have success in their careers, which has been the case for Muschamp, but stomaching him in orange and blue certainly makes me nauseous. There’s no denying his abilities to coach and recruit, which is why the Dawgs’ upcoming signing class must come up big.

Speaking of Signing Day, don’t miss Carlton DeVooght’s update (page 15) on what must happen for Georgia to land one of the best classes in the country.

Several of the recruits were in Athens

recently for the Football Gala and I hope they were impressed by the team’s annual tribute to the exiting seniors. Yes, 2010 wasn’t the greatest of years, but players like Shaun Chapas, Kris Durham, Clint Boling, Akeem Dent and many others certainly leave Georgia having given their time and efforts to the program. And who’s to say, that the tenacity they showed by never packing it in this season, won’t lead to an amazing ride in 2011.

And unfortunately, Georgia may very well lose some juniors to the NFL. If players like Brandon Boykin, Cordy Glenn, Justin Houston and the amazing one, A.J. Green have played their last game in Sanford Stadium, I certainly couldn’t blame them and hope the very best for their futures.

Either way, there is one more game for the 2010 Georgia Bulldogs and that will be December 31st in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis against Central Florida. Don’t miss our coverage in anticipation of the game throughout this issue. Also, Jeff Dantzler breaks down 12 of the best bowls coming up over the next month.

For now, it’s time for this editor to bid farewell to our last issue of this season. I hope our readers were satisfied with our coverage.

Like most of you, we too were disappointed with the 6-6 record, but our love for the Dawgs never wavered. And never will.

We will see you in 2011 with our Signing Day issue in mid February. And look for our Bowl coverage on our website at www.bulldawgillustrated.com.

Oops, one more thing before I go. For the Georgia fans out there who want to keep up with all the spring UGA semester sports, I encourage you to keep up with them with our Bulldawg Illustrated Athens publication that returns in mid January for its second year. We will also have a ton of fun Athens entertainment offerings. BI Athens is available every other week (Jan-May) in print in the Athens area and always available in digital format on our website.

Merry Christmas … Happy New Year … Cheers …. Go Dawgs!

BOWL PREVIEW Cha Cha Cha Publishing Editor Vance Leavy Editorial & Ad Director Cheri Leavy Sports Guru Jeff Dantzler Public Relations Director Andrew Miller Sales Kelley Blanton, Andrew Miller Holly Stanfill, Peter Williams Sports Murray Poole Layout/Design Vance Leavy Photographers Ryan Scates, Rob Saye Ad Design Cheri Leavy Andrew Miller Cover Design Vance Leavy Cover Photos Vance Leavy and Ryan Scates Columnists Carlton DeVooght Al Hickson Reg Murphy Rob Sherrell Loran Smith Chad White

Bowl Preview, December 14, 2010 FOR ADVERTISING OR TO SUBSCRIBE: andrew@bulldawgillustrated.com

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Everything is in place for Georgia to be one of the premier football programs in the country. Georgia has the support system: tradition, history, enormous fan and alumni base, financial resources and an incredibly fertile home state to recruit from. From 2002-2005, the Bulldogs won two SEC championships and were in the consensus top ten four consecutive seasons. In 2007, the Bulldogs finished No. 2 nationally. But four of the last five seasons have been disappointing, most notably the last two, as Georgia has gone 8-5 and 6-6 with the Liberty Bowl date against Central Florida looming. In fact, this season’s record breaks a nation’s best stretch of winning at least eight games every year since 1997, a stretch of 13 consecutive campaigns.

Playing in the mighty Southeastern Conference - which, if Auburn tops Oregon in the BCS Championship Game, will have won an unprecedented fifth consecutive national title by an astounding four different schools – leaves absolutely zero margin for error. In other major conferences, power programs can drop off, yet still contend and win their leagues. There just isn’t the depth and strength of the SEC to contend with.

Prime examples are Ohio State and Oklahoma.

Jim Tressel and Bob Stoops have done phenomenal jobs, restoring the greatness at these proud schools. Tressel has led the Buckeyes to at least a share of six consecutive Big Ten titles. Stoops has guided the Sooners to seven of the last 11 Big XII crowns. That includes this season, as Oklahoma, despite losing three of the top four overall picks to the NFL Draft, still prevailed in what will be (at least for now) the final Big XII Championship Game.

Florida by comparison, which had gone 13-1 in each of the previous two seasons, had seven players picked in the first three rounds. The Gators went 7-5. Defending national champion Alabama lost a majority of its defensive starters, including a quartet drafted in the first three rounds. Bama fell to top ten, 10-2 LSU and the two combatants in the SEC Championship Game, South Carolina and top-ranked Auburn.

No margin for error.

Ohio State posted a perfect regular season in 2006 and was then blasted by Florida 41-14 for the national title. The Buckeyes lost a majority of their starters, including Heisman winner Troy Smith. The next season, they were able to cobble together an 11-1 mark in the down Big Ten and earn another berth in the BCS Championship Game. The Buckeyes of ’07 fell to LSU 38-24 for the national title. That LSU team lost a majority of its starters. The following season in the mighty SEC, a still talented Fightin’ Tigers squad went 7-5. Amongst the losses: eventual national champ Florida, ’09 national champ Alabama, and Georgia, which finished No. 2 the year prior. Think the record in the Big Ten might have been a little better?

No matter how good you are, the simple fact is, in the SEC there are just too many powerful programs for anyone to sustain and put together championship runs on par with what Oklahoma, Ohio State and Pete Carroll-led USC (which won six straight PAC-10 championships from 2002-2007) have done in the 2000s.

Think about the numbers again, if Auburn beats Oregon, that would give the league four different schools winning five consecutive national titles. When Bama won it last season, on the heels of Florida ’06, LSU ’07 and Florida ’08, it marked the first time ever that three different schools had won the title and also the first time ever that the same conference had won four consecutive national championships.

Going back to Georgia’s 2005 SEC title, the last six league championships have been won by five different schools. When Florida and Alabama met in back-to-back title tilts in ’08 and ’09, it marked the first time that an SEC East school had gone to consecutive SEC Championship Games since Georgia did it in 2002-2003. It was the first time an SEC West team had gone to two in a row since Alabama went to the first three from 1992-94.

But it is certainly possible to be in the hunt most of the time.

Georgia should be one of those schools.

With everything in place, the Georgia job is one of the the very best in the country – a top five job. What puts Georgia in the elite of elite posts in collegiate football is the enormous talent in the state. Texas, LSU, Florida, Georgia and Ohio State can thrive almost exclusively on in-state talent. When it comes to getting the Bulldogs back on track, that’s where it starts, recruiting.

Including the kicker, punter and both quarterbacks who played extensively, 20 of Georgia’s top 25 from the powerhouse 13-1 2002 SEC Championship squad were Peach State natives. Amongst the out-of-state talent: Michael Johnson, Musa Smith, Decory Bryant, Max Jean-Gilles, Kevin Breedlove and Alex Jackson. Control the state, supplement from outside the borders. When going outside of Georgia’s borders and deciding to pass on an in-state talent, it’s exceptionally important to hit big. Think if Cartersville’s Ronnie Brown, star tailback at Auburn and the No. 2 overall pick in the 2005 NFL draft, had been in Georgia’s backfield? That’s a national title or two.

The biggest reason Georgia has now gone five consecutive years without a berth in the SEC Championship Game is that the Bulldogs haven’t been able to pull in enough of the best players in the state.

Over the last three years, think about this talent – almost all of whom signed with Georgia rivals. Cameron Newton (the recruiting saga withstanding), Jared Cook, Jonathan Dwyer are just a few offensively. Defense is where it has been extremely noticeable.

Cameron Heyward, Allen Bailey, Jermaine Cunningham, Eric Norwood, Eric Berry, Trevard Lindley, Greg Reid and Morgan Burnett have all had/are having all-star careers.

Obviously, there’s no way to get them all, but as former star quarterback and coach Mike Cavan – the man who signed Herschel Walker – says, “you’ve got to get your fair share, or more than your fair share.�

This is not a new problem at Georgia.

Newton is the third Peach State native since 1980 to win the Heisman who didn’t go to Georgia, joining George Rogers (1980, South Carolina) and Charley Ward (1993, Florida State).

Coach Cavan points out that securing Walker was not only huge because of his enormous abilities, but the Bulldogs had been coming up short with signing big time in-state runners. Eddie Lee Ivory, William Andrews, James Brooks, Rogers, and Lionel “Little Train�

James were all from Georgia and all went elsewhere. And elsewhere was Tech, Auburn and South Carolina, meaning that the Dogs missed them and then had to face them.

Getting the talent to Athens is the first step, then comes development: physically, academically, socially and overall gridiron IQ. Georgia flat out has to get better – most notably stopping the run defensively.

Look at any set of stats for any level, if you can’t stop the run, you can’t beat good teams.

And that was Georgia’s biggest struggle this year – see South Carolina, Florida and Auburn. In the NFL, by the way, the Buffalo Bills are last against the run, the Pittsburgh Steelers first. In the SEC, the two lowest ranked teams at stopping the run were Ole Miss and Vanderbilt, the only two conference teams that didn’t make a bowl.

The caliber of this season’s in-state recruiting class has been well documented.

There is an elite tailback that Georgia desperately needs. The Bulldogs are 42-4 in the Mark Richt era with a 100-yard rusher. A great runner and Aaron Murray at quarterback would give Georgia an elite backfield. The bulldogs need to get better and stronger in the trenches, most notably on the defensive front seven.

For the Bulldogs to make it to the SEC Championship Game in 2011, the freshman class will have to help. If Georgia is going to be in the mix for a national title under coach Richt’s watch in the near future, this class is absolutely essential.

Keep this in mind. No matter how down things may seem in Athens, it’s always a relatively quick turnaround at Georgia because of the talent in the state.

Make no mistake, Georgia will be back amongst the best of the best.

This season’s recruiting class will give a good ETA.

Bulldawg Illustrated

poole shots

By Murray Poole

Defense downfall of these 6-6 Dogs As the Georgia Bulldogs begin to practice in earnest this week for their New Year’s Eve day engagement with the Central Florida Knights in the 52nd annual Liberty Bowl in the land of the blues and Elvis, it is indeed time to put the microscope on this 2010 UGA edition and take a hard look-see into what went right and what went wrong for Mark Richt’s football team this season.

And, also, to take a glance or two into what the 2011 season might hold for the Bulldogs.

Back in August, I ventured out on my bold limb once again and declared that this Georgia team would surge to a 10-2 regular-season mark in ’10 and I was hardly alone in that way of thinking. After all, the Bulldogs returned 10 of 11 offensive starters from last year’s 8-5 outfit with the only apparent question mark being the new starter at quarterback, redshirt freshman Aaron Murray. And, defensively, though Georgia had lost three mainstays in the defensive front in Geno Atkins, Jeff Owens and Kade Weston, the Bulldogs returned a good nucleus of experienced performers at defensive end, linebacker and in the secondary who were excited to be playing in the new 3-4 defensive alignment of first-year coordinator Todd Grantham. And, too, Georgia’s 2010 lineup would include two of the nation’s very best kickers in Ray Guy Awardwinning punter Drew Butler and place-kicker Blair Walsh. Likewise, the Bulldogs boasted a record-breaking kickoff return man in Brandon Boykin.

Well, fast forward through the 12-game regular season to the point we are today … staring back at a 6-6 Georgia season that goes into the books – regardless of how the Bulldogs finish in the bowl game – as the worst won-loss mark in Richt’s 10 years in Athens. Richt’s previous worst Georgia season, of course, had come only last year, when the 2009 Bulldogs posted that 8-5 overall finish.

So, big question is, why did Georgia ride the proverbial see-saw all this autumn? Why did it fall considerably short of all the preseason expectations and fail to become a bona fide player in the SEC East race?

You noticed I pointed out I picked the Bulldogs to win 10 games this season and they of course fell four victories short of that prediction. Hey, wait a minute … didn’t A.J. Green miss the first four games of Georgia’s season? You can talk all about football teams not being a oneman team and so forth but this guy, who’s as good or better than any pass receiver in America, is that much of a difference maker and with the Bulldog junior sitting out those first four games due to the jersey-selling incident back in the summer, the Georgia offensive attack hardly resembled the unit it would become in the second half of the season, once A.J. was back in the lineup and drawing double coverage from opposing secondaries.

So, clearly, with the devastating blow that Green’s suspension dealt the Bulldogs, this season didn’t get off to a good start – at all.

Georgia stumbled out of the gate with a 13 record, losing to South Carolina, Arkansas and Mississippi State in succession to all but be knocked out of title contention from the get-go.

Then came an inexplicable loss to what turned out to be a weak Colorado team, leaving the Bulldogs at 1-4 before they rebounded (with Green back in the lineup) with romps over Tennessee and Vanderbilt. At least in the early going, that ballyhooed offensive line that had been so highly touted coming into the season couldn’t open any holes for tailbacks Washaun Ealey and Caleb King – that is, when those two weren’t suspended and on the field – and well, just like last year in Willie Martinez’s final season, Grantham’s new-look defense couldn’t make the key stops when it needed to and thus get off the field.

In addition to Green’s playmaking ability after he rejoined the lineup at Colorado, Georgia’s offensive highlight this season clearly had to be the play of Aaron Murray. Game-in and game-out, the Tampa native sparkled with his passing and running ability while becoming arguably as good a first-year quarterback as there’s ever been at the University of Georgia. Murray will enter the Liberty Bowl with the third most passing yards in the SEC, 2,851, and with his 24 touchdown passes, needs just two scoring strikes to top Matthew Stafford’s school record of 25 in a single season. Murray, staking his claim for freshman All-America honors, owns a passing efficiency ranking of 162.7, fourth best among the SEC’s talented group of field generals.

Murray and Green and the rest of the Georgia receiving corps (in particular, Kris

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Durham), that’s the pluses in the Bulldogs’ offense this season. And here’s the negative – a running game that could produce only 147.7 yards a game, which puts Georgia 10th in the SEC in that category. With the Bulldogs’ entire starting offensive line returning from ’09, is there anyone around who thought Georgia wouldn’t easily average more than 200 yards rushing per game this year? Admittedly, Stacy Searels’ group couldn’t develop continuity in preseason camp due to one injury after another but then, even as the season moved down the stretch, this Georgia football team couldn’t go out and control the contest with its running game. The Bulldogs’ leading rusher this season? … It was Ealey with just 68.3 yards per game and again, that was good for only a 10th-place spot among conference ground-gainers.

But despite the lack of a potent rushing attack, the Bulldogs of offensive coordinator Mike Bobo got major production from Murray, Green, Durham and the passing game and certainly scored enough points to win a lot more than six football games. In fact, Georgia established a new school record by scoring 30 or more points in seven consecutive games to cap the regular season.

And what all of this tells us is that it was defense, not the Georgia offense, that was most responsible for these Bulldogs of 2010 limping to this 6-6 thing this fall. If you don’t believe as much, take this into consideration: Georgia tallied 24, 27, 31, and 31 points in four games this year and, lost every one of them. Bottom line, against those particular foes … Arkansas, Colorado, Florida and Auburn … as well as in a 2412 setback to Mississippi State, this new 3-4 defense couldn’t come up with key third-down stops nor could it stymie those guys’ running games.

This is not to say Grantham’s defense didn’t render improvement this season. While climbing from 38th in the nation in total defense in 2009 to 30th in 2010, the Bulldogs also jumped to fourth in the SEC in total defense when they surrendered 335.8 yards per game.

In scoring D, though, the Bulldogs could do no better than seventh place in the league with their 23.1 points-allowed average.

So, it goes without question as Georgia enters the Liberty Bowl tilt and then embarks on spring practice in March, there must be a huge upgrade on the defensive side of the ball, that is, if Georgia is to shake off the disappointments of the past two seasons and move back among the Southeastern Conference’s upper echelon. We’ve already seen that Aaron Murray is a dynamite quarterback and you’ve got to think that even minus Green and Durham in 2011, the Bulldogs could be potent offensively with a re-dedicated O-line under Searels and bigger run production out of the Georgia tailbacks, who could be bolstered greatly by a certain prep AllAmerica out of Columbus-Carver.

In order to make this 3-4 alignment work, Grantham and the rest of the defensive staff have to recruit the guys to fit their system; indeed, acquiring a huge, run-stopping nose guard is essential to the Bulldogs being a capable defensive force next year.

Richt, for one, thinks the Bulldog Nation will be seeing considerable improvement in this area.

“We will be better, we’ll definitely be better a year from now defensively,” Georgia’s head coach said. “The obvious is it won’t be brand new. Our players will understand our coaches better and our coaches will understand our players better, and I’m sure Coach Grantham has had some learning experience too, playing through the league one time. His getting out of the pro game to the college game, all those things will come together for our improvement.”

Alluding to the Georgia staff recruiting the right kind of players to comprise the 3-4 defense, Richt said, “We need to quite frankly get a few more players that can be dynamic for us, that can make a difference. Certainly, we have lacked a ‘big beast’ in there at nose guard to demand and command that double-team.”

The way things have transpired the past two seasons at Georgia, it goes without saying that the 2011 football campaign is going to be a most critical one for Richt and his staff as they attempt to steer the Bulldogs’ ship back toward the kind of success Richt experienced in his early years at UGA and in the 2007 season. And if the Bulldogs can indeed find those dynamic players the coach referred to above, then this time next December we’ll all be looking ahead to a Jan. 1 bowl date, or something on an even bigger scale, rather than a bowl game featuring a team that is 6-6.

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Dogs vs. Knights Georgia must be ready for a hungry Central Florida team that will be looking for a SEC cherry on top to cap season

By Jeff Dantzler

C

apturing a heart-pounding victory over arch-rival Ga. Tech, Georgia finally had reason to smile in this most disappointing of seasons. The win over the Yellow Jackets – the Bulldogs ninth in the last 10 years – pushed Georgia to 6-6 and bowl eligibility. Though the impressive, nation’s best streak of registering at eight wins in 13 consecutive years has come to an end, Georgia is in a bowl game for a 14th straight season.

Central Florida awaits the Bulldogs in the Liberty Bowl.

The Knights are enjoying one of their greatest seasons ever, beating SMU in the Conference USA Championship Game at home in Orlando, boosting their record to 10-3.

A win over one of the storied programs in collegiate football annals in one of the country’s oldest bowl games would be a storybook ending to UCF’s storybook season.

Georgia needs a win to avoid the programs’ first losing season since 1996. It would also be a double-dose of positivity after the win over the Jackets heading into the off-season and full time onto the recruiting trail.

This will be the second ever meeting between the schools.

In 1999, the Bulldogs held off upstart Central Florida in a 24-23 Sanford Stadium thriller.

Georgia has a history in Memphis as well. The Bulldogs have been to more different bowl games than any other school and have made the sixth most postseason appearances in college football history.

John Kasay, still going strong as the Carolina Panthers alltime leading scorer, kicked the game-winning field 39-yard field goal with no time remaining (following a critical Carver Russaw interception) to defeat Arkansas 20-17 in the 1987 Liberty Bowl.

Two decades prior, the Dogs fell to North Carolina State 14-7 in the 1967 Liberty Bowl. The Bulldogs were coached

by Vince Dooley, who was also at the helm in 1987. The Wolfpack were quarterbacked by the game’s Most Valuable Player, Jim Donnan, college football hall-of-famer and the man who rebuilt the Bulldogs program as head coach from 1996-2000, posting 35 wins over his final four years, including that onepoint win over Central Florida in 1999.

No stranger to playing teams from major conferences, the Golden Knights have gone 8-1 in their last nine games since losing close contests to foes from the ACC and Big XII. In the second game of the season, the Knights fell at home 28-21 to N.C. State. The Wolfpack were a win away from playing for the ACC title. Two weeks later in Manhattan, UCF

dropped a 17-13 decision to Kansas State.

Starting with a 42-7 rout of UAB in the first week of October, the Knights rolled through the opposition, falling only to Southern Miss 31-21 on November 13.

Leading the way is true freshman quarterback Jeff Godfrey, the dual threat weapon who has thrived through UCF’s run to the C-USA championship.

Central Florida would be the Bulldogs most accomplished victim of 2010.

Georgia has beaten three teams that are 6-6 – Tennessee, Kentucky and Tech. The Dogs hung tough, but came up short against the good teams on the schedule (and in a disappointing loss to lowly Colorado). South Carolina, Arkansas, Mississippi State, the Buffaloes, Florida and Auburn all topped the Bulldogs in games that were close in the fourth quarter.

Stalking the Central Florida sideline is a familiar face to the Bulldog faithful, former Tech coach George O’Leary. His final season at the Yellow Jackets helm was Mark Richt’s first in Athens. The Bulldogs won 31-17 in Atlanta on the strength of Verron Haynes running, Billy Bennett’s six field goals and a Tim Wansley interception return for a touchdown that was the big play of the game. That was the beginning of Georgia’s outstanding success against the Jackets.

Along with the success against Tech, the Bulldogs have also been outstanding in bowl games. Georgia is 11-2 in the postseason during the Bulldogs aforementioned bowl streak that dates back to 1997.

So will the Bulldogs make it 12-2 and avoid a losing record, as the Georgia faithful enjoy Beale Street, dry ribs from Rendezvous and maybe a short trip south just across the Mississippi-Tennessee state line?

Here are a few key match-ups that will tell the story: Georgia Run-D vs. Godfrey and Weaver

Georgia’s struggle against the run this season has been well documented. Marcus Lattimore, Mississippi State in the fourth quarter, Colorado’s Rodney Stewart, Florida and Auburn all ripped through the Bulldogs. Godfrey is a big threat passing and running. He chalked up 10 rushing touchdowns. He and Ronnie Weaver, who has nearly 900 yards rushing and 11 TD’s on the ground, will test the Georgia front.

Anytime a quarterback and tailback both have running suc-

Photograph by Ryan Scates

cess (see Auburn throughout the year), it’s nearly impossible to come up with stops. Can Georgia do it in Memphis and help set the tone for the spring and a big improvement in 2011?

Sturdivant vs. Miller

As Trinton Sturdivant, 2007 Freshman All-American who missed two full seasons due to a pair of knee injuries, has progressed and logged extensive playing time, Georgia’s offensive line has made major progress. He and the Bulldog front will have a test from a talented UCF defense, specifically play-making end Bruce Miller. So much of football comes down to winning head-to-head battles. If Sturdivant can handle Miller man-for-man, this gives Georgia all kinds of offensive options, particularly if the tight end and fullback don’t have to be utilized to help against the Knights defensive star.

Miller specializes in disruption. This trench match-up should be a dandy.

Richt vs. O’Leary

In bowl games, with so much time to prepare, coaching and preparation can make the difference. Richt of course grew to prominence as the offensive coordinator at Florida State, a position he held for the majority of their incredible run of 14consecutive 10-win seasons and top five national finishes.

O’Leary was a defensive guru for Bobby Ross with Tech and the San Diego Chargers before getting his head coaching opportunities. A wrinkle, trend, tendency or trick play that the coaching staffs discover, detect or install go a long way towards bowl success.

KNIGHTS

DOGS TEAM STATISTICS SCORING Points Per Game FIRST DOWNS Rushing Passing Penalty RUSHING YARDAGE Yards gained rushing Yards lost rushing Rushing Attempts Average Per Rush Average Per Game TDs Rushing PASSING YARDAGE Comp-Att-Int Average Per Pass Average Per Catch Average Per Game TDs Passing TOTAL OFFENSE Total Plays Average Per Play Average Per Game KICK RETURNS: #-Yards PUNT RETURNS: #-Yards INT RETURNS: #-Yards KICK RETURN AVERAGE PUNT RETURN AVERAGE INT RETURN AVERAGE FUMBLES-LOST PENALTIES-Yards Average Per Game PUNTS-Yards Average Per Punt Net punt average TIME OF POSSESSION/Game 3RD-DOWN Conversions 3rd-Down Pct 4TH-DOWN Conversions 4th-Down Pct SACKS BY-Yards MISC YARDS TOUCHDOWNS SCORED FIELD GOALS-ATTEMPTS ON-SIDE KICKS RED-ZONE SCORES RED-ZONE TOUCHDOWNS PAT-ATTEMPTS Score by quarters Georgia Opponents

1st 104 38

UG 411 34.2 226 98 119 9 1772 2048 276 423 4.2 147.7 21 2953 197-321-6 9.2 15.0 246.1 25 4725 744 6.4 393.8 42-892 20-205 14-160 21.2 10.2 11.4 19-8 63-510 42.5 45-2012 44.7 40.6 30:17 63/149 42% 6/12 50% 24-155 0 51 18-22 0-1 (48-54) 89% (34-54) 63% (47-48) 98%

2nd 127 94

3rd 112 57

4th 68 85

OPP 277 23.1 215 102 95 18 1790 2134 344 481 3.7 149.2 22 2240 158-287-14 7.8 14.2 186.7 15 4030 768 5.2 335.8 65-1274 12-67 6-102 19.6 5.6 17.0 22-10 59-438 36.5 60-2539 42.3 36.9 29:43 69/162 43% 6/14 43% 22-175 0 37 6-9 2-2 (29-35) 83% (26-35) 74% (33-34) 97% OT 0 3

Total 411 277

TEAM STATISTICS SCORING Points Per Game FIRST DOWNS Rushing Passing Penalty RUSHING YARDAGE Yards gained rushing Yards lost rushing Rushing Attempts Average Per Rush Average Per Game TDs Rushing PASSING YARDAGE Comp-Att-Int Average Per Pass Average Per Catch Average Per Game TDs Passing TOTAL OFFENSE Total Plays Average Per Play Average Per Game KICK RETURNS: #-Yards PUNT RETURNS: #-Yards INT RETURNS: #-Yards KICK RETURN AVERAGE PUNT RETURN AVERAGE INT RETURN AVERAGE FUMBLES-LOST PENALTIES-Yards Average Per Game PUNTS-Yards Average Per Punt Net punt average TIME OF POSSESSION/Game 3RD-DOWN Conversions 3rd-Down Pct 4TH-DOWN Conversions 4th-Down Pct SACKS BY-Yards MISC YARDS TOUCHDOWNS SCORED FIELD GOALS-ATTEMPTS ON-SIDE KICKS RED-ZONE SCORES RED-ZONE TOUCHDOWNS PAT-ATTEMPTS

UCF 439 33.8 274 142 118 14 2502 2792 290 572 4.4 192.5 35 2493 175-266-9 9.4 14.2 191.8 16 4995 838 6.0 384.2 43-1215 27-384 15-316 28.3 14.2 21.1 21-8 68-536 41.2 41-1682 41.0 36.1 33:10 87/167 52% 10/15 67% 29-179 0 59 10-20 0-1 (48-57) 84% (40-57) 70% (55-58) 95%

OPP 234 18.0 224 88 122 14 1435 1759 324 419 3.4 110.4 9 2700 237-437-15 6.2 11.4 207.7 21 4135 856 4.8 318.1 74-1308 9-62 9-88 17.7 6.9 9.8 18-6 56-488 37.5 71-2859 40.3 33.7 26:50 87/193 45% 9/19 47% 20-123 0 31 6-10 1-3 (24-27) 89% (18-27) 67% (30-31) 97%

Score by quarters UCF Opponents

2nd 108 73

4th 130 65

1st 131 27

3rd 70 69

Total 439 234

Photograph by Rob Saye

6

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7

Central Florida scouting report

By Murray Poole Location: Orlando, Fla. Conference: Conference USA Enrollment: 56,235 Record: The Conference USA champion Knights are 10-3 on the season and finished 8-1 in the conference, downing SMU 17-7 on Dec. 4 in the league championship game.

Central Florida’s other wins this season came over South Dakota (38-7), Buffalo (2410), UAB (42-7), Marshall (35-14), Rice (41-14), East Carolina (49-35), Houston (4033), Tulane (61-14) and Memphis (37-17). The three losses were to North Carolina State (21-28), Kansas State (13-17) and Southern Miss (21-31).

Mascot: Knightro Why Central Florida could win: The Knights could defeat the Bulldogs because they own the No. 25 rushing offense in the country, averaging 192.5 yards per game.

And everyone is aware that Georgia’s rush defense surrendered 315 yards to Auburn this season and 411 yards to Georgia Tech. Like the Bulldogs, the Knights own an outstanding freshman quarterback in Jeffrey Godfrey (2,042 passing, 546 rushing). And defensively, Central Florida ranks 11th in the nation against the run, allowing just 110.4 yards per contest, and led its conference in total defense, scoring defense and pass efficiency defense. Thus, more potential problems for a Bulldog offense that has been Photograph by Ryan Scates inconsistent with its running attack this season.

Why Central Florida could lose: Yes, the Knights have put up some impressive numbers this football season and have a conference title under their belts but then, going against the likes of South Dakota, Buffalo, UAB, Marshall, Rice and Tulane is on the other end of the spectrum from what Georgia faced almost weekly in the rugged Southeastern Conference. Central Florida hasn’t encountered a team with the overall power and speed of the Bulldogs (with the possible exception of N.C. State) and certainly hasn’t faced a passing combo more lethal than Aaron Murray-to-A.J. Green. It’s difficult to see the Knights being able to match touchdowns with Georgia.

What Central Florida’s coach is saying: “I’m looking forward to the game and I’ve always enjoyed Georgia football and the way it’s played,� said UCF coach George O’Leary, who coached at rival Georgia Tech from 1994-2001. “We know what we’re in for, especially I do from all of my years facing (the Bulldogs). I’ve always respected the program at Georgia. They get terrific athletes, they’re well-coached and they play a full 60 minutes. It’s an SEC team that’s traditionally a powerhouse in that league and we’ll have our work cut out for us, no question.�

What Central Florida’s players are saying: “Being a Georgia native and wanting to be a Georgia Bulldog was something huge for me and I’m really excited about getting the opportunity to play these guys,� said UCF senior defensive end Bruce Miller, a native of Canton, Ga. who grew up a Bulldogs fan. “I’m as excited as any other Florida guy would be to play Miami or South Florida or Florida. Hopefully, we can go up there to the Liberty Bowl and play well like we’re supposed to.�

What Central Florida’s fans are saying: “Look for Georgia to be favored by four to seven points,� remarked one long-time Central Florida fan. “They played their first four games without A.J. Green. They battled Auburn tough late in the season. Don’t let UGA’s 6-6 record fool you. They are loaded with talent.� “Well said,� replied another Knight supporter. “But I remember a lot of similar talk about Rutgers last year, and we all saw how that turned out.

If our secondary can keep up with UGA’s receivers and especially Green, we can beat them. But this will be, by far, the toughest game of the season.�And from still another UCF fan: “The average football fan knows Georgia, not us. It’s easier to sell this game talking about Georgia and making them the favorite than it is making UCF a favorite. Let them talk. Come Dec. 31st, our guys will do the talking on the field.�

Noteworthy:The Bulldogs and Knights have met only one time previously, in 1999 when Georgia nipped Central Florida 24-23 in a regular season game in Athens ‌. The Bulldogs have made two previous trips to the Liberty Bowl, falling to N.C. State and a quarterback named Jim Donnan by 14-7 in the 1967 game and defeating Arkansas 20-17 on John Kasay’s 39-yard field goal on the final play of the 1987 Liberty Bowl ‌. UCF coach George O’Leary won three consecutive games against Georgia as coach at Georgia Tech from 1998-2000 but lost to the Bulldogs by 31-17 in Mark Richt’s first season at UGA in 2001 ‌. The Bulldogs need a victory over Central Florida – which has never won a bowl game – to notch their 14th straight winning season, to avoid their first losing season since 1996 and to extend their streak of bowl wins to five ‌. This will be Georgia’s 46th bowl game, sixth most of any team in the country. The Bulldogs’ bowl record is 26-16-3.

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Valient Knights #2 Jeff Godfrey, QB 5-11, 182 Fr. Miami, Fla. (Miami Central HS) One of the most explosive freshmen in the country, this product of powerhouse Miami Central High School took the Knights to a different level this season. He’s a duel threat, with outstanding passing and running skills. Godfrey has thrown for 2,042 yards and 13 touchdowns with six interceptions, while running for 546 with ten scores.

Amongst his top single game performances were a 99yard rushing performance against Kansas State and a 9of-11 passing day in the Knights win over UAB. His biggest showing came in a win over Houston, as Godfrey accounted for three touchdowns, throwing for 294 yards and rushing for 105. He has weapons around him in the backfield and at receiver. Six different Central Florida receivers have caught either two or three touchdowns.

Jamar Newsome leads the team with 597 receiving yards and an average of 17.6 yards per reception, while Brian Watters has hauled in a team-high 41 receptions. #49 Bruce Miller, DE 6-2, 248 Sr. Canton, Ga. (Woodstock H.S.) Central Florida’s top defensive player is a Peach State native, so the match-up with Georgia certainly goes down as a perfect foe for his final game. Miller is tops on the team in sacks with seven and in tackles for loss with 11.5.

This play-making defensive end has two interceptions on the season, returning both for touchdowns that were a combined 45 yards! He’s fifth on the team in tackles with 55 total stops. Against Kansas State, Miller had three tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and pass break up. Central Florida has solid talent behind him, including safety Reggie Weams, who has a team best four interceptions, and linebacker Derek Hallman, who has 81 tackles, including 7.5 for loss. Miller is the motor of the defense, Central Florida’s version of former Georgia great David Pollack. #35 Ronnie Weaver, RB 6-0, 209 Jr. Wabasso, Fla. (Vero Beach HS) One of the top running backs in Conference-USA, Weaver teams with Godfrey – the team’s second leading rusher – to give Central Florida an explosive backfield. Weaver’s 890 yards and 11 touchdowns are tops on the team. He put up four 100-yard rushing performances this season, including a 22-carry, 123-yard showing against the Big XII’s Kansas State. Weaver had a career-high 180 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries in Central Florida’s win over East Carolina. The fourth-year junior, who’s averaging 4.8 yards per carry, has made the most of his opportunity as the Knights feature back. As a sophomore, he had just 19 carries for 86 yards on the entire season.

Weaver is arguably the most improved player in Conference USA. - Jeff Dantzler

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Champagne awaits you and your guest in deluxe accommodations at The Foundry Park Inn & Spa. Champagne toast and deluxe continental breakfast for two at midnight.

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Receive New Year’s Eve party favors.

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Now Offering New Year’s Eve Dinner with Reserved Seating in our Hoyt House Restaurant Call to make your reservations today to enjoy your New Year's Eve dinner in our historic Hoyt House, combined with the deluxe package. This is offered as a a combined package for only $235.00 per couple. Hoyt House seating times are available at 6:30pm, 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm and 8:30pm. Afterwards, head to the Melting Point, just steps away, for your balcony seating confirmed with the deluxe package.

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10

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Georgia 42 Georgia Tech 34

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Georgia 42 Georgia Tech 34

(front) Biff Tant; (middle) Jennifer Craft, Sherry Tant, Cecelia Mewborn; (back) (Front) Pierce Mewborn, Peyton Mewborn, Ellie Craft; Jason Craft, Van Roe, Janet Roe, Jeff Mewborn, Jimmy Stephens, Heather Mewborn, (Back) Preston Mewborn, Larson Craft, and Tanner Ayers and Brooks Mewborn

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Preston Pannell and Matt Bardwell

Doug Clark, June Walker, Dixie Clark and Emily Newberry

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(Back Row) Katrina Smith, Dr. Kevin Smith, Casey Smith and Lonnie Smith (Front Row) Dr. Jason Smith, Cope Smith and Jase Smith

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13

JD’s Bowl Preview The SEC continues to show its dominance with 10 bowl invites including Auburn’s for all the marbles

By Jeff Dantzler Music City Bowl (Nashville) North Carolina vs. Tennessee Thursday, December 30, 6:40 pm Not surprisingly, it was a tough start to the season for outmanned Tennessee, who had an absolutely brutal first half of the slate, including dates with Florida, Oregon, LSU, Georgia and Alabama. The Vols hung tough through the first half in all of them – nearly beating the Fightin’ Tigers – with the exception of the loss in Athens. But the Vols, as the scheduled softened, looked good down the stretch, winning their last four by double digits. Derek Dooley has some impressive young skill players to build around and the Volunteers could be in the mix for the SEC East next year. This shaped up as a potential ACC championship season for North Carolina, but the Tar Heels were torpedoed by the agent scandal that absolutely ravaged their front line talent. It’s interesting as well that the ‘Heels and Vols were scheduled to play in the regular season over the next couple of years, but Tennessee got out of the series.

This one will mean a lot to the fans of both schools, which aren’t that far apart. And Tennessee has had good luck recruiting out of North Carolina, pulling in stars like Carl Pickens and Heath Shuler.

Chick-fil-A Bowl (Atlanta) No. 20 South Carolina vs.

No. 23 Florida State Friday December 31, 7:30pm As usual the Georgia Dome will have one of the premier games of the bowl season. Atlanta has a great tie-in with the Southeastern and Atlantic Coast Conferences. There is great regional interest, easy travel, the beauty of being the lone game being played on New Year’s Eve, and no weather concerns with the Dome. It’s Steve Spurrier against Florida State. The Gamecocks broke through and made it to the SEC Championship Game for the first time, where they were blown out by top-ranked Auburn. This is a chance for South Carolina to get register its second ever 10win season (of course this would be in a 14 game season, the ‘Cocks went 10-2 in 1984). Florida State had 14 straight 10win seasons from 1987-2000. The ‘Noles then fell a couple of rungs on the ladder. Jimbo Fisher is in his first season at the helm, and he led Florida State to the ACC Championship Game.

Marcus Lattimore is some kind of dynamic tailback, a future Heisman Trophy winner.

Outback Bowl (Tampa) Florida vs. Penn State Saturday January 1, 1 pm The coaches are the stars of this one. Joe Paterno is 84 and says he’s coming back. Urban Meyer is 46 and is stepping down at Florida to spend more time with his family. Paterno has been the head coach at Penn State since 1966. Meyer has been the head coach at Florida since 2005. Both have won two national championships. Penn State beat LSU in the slop of Orlando a year ago, and would love to take the Gators down. When he arrived in Gainesville, Meyer pointed to dominating the Gators big three rivals Florida State, Georgia and Tennessee – as the key to excellence at Florida. He was 16-2 against the Seminoles, Bulldogs and Volunteers, plus 4-1 in Southeastern Conference and BCS Championship Games.

Obviously Florida wants to send its incredibly successful coach out on a winning note. Penn State’s offense could have some problems moving the ball against the Gators. Flroida’s offense has struggled for most of the season, most notably in losses to Alabama, Mississippi State and Florida State.

Capital One Bowl (Orlando) No. 16 Alabama vs.

No. 9 Michigan State Saturday, January 1, 1 pm

Gator Bowl (Jacksonville) No. 21 Mississippi State vs.

Michigan Saturday January 1, 1:30 pm

Heartbreaking losses to LSU and Auburn kept Alabama out of a rematch game with South Carolina for the Southeastern Conference Championship. Michigan State beat Wisconsin and didn’t play Ohio State – falling only to Iowa – yet was the odd team out of the trio of Big Ten once-beatens. It’s hard to explain how Wisconsin is ranked higher than the boys in green from East Lansing. The Spartans have had one of those magic years, pulling off a slew of last minute wins. To go 11-1 and share the Big Ten title puts the Spartans of ’10 as one of the best teams in school history, and the most successful since their great 1966 squad. This is a game that Bama should win. The Crimson Tide offense, with Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson and Julio Jones should have its way and Michigan State hasn’t seen a defense as fast as Bama’s. There is some nice coaching intrigue since Nick Saban coached at Michigan State in the 1990s, prior to going to LSU.

This is one of the best seasons in Mississippi State history. To beat Georgia and Florida in the same year is a monumental accomplishment. That’s not the kind of thing that happens routinely in Starkville.

Mississippi State went 3-0 against the SEC East, beating Kentucky, the Bulldogs and Gators. The four losses came to Auburn, LSU, Alabama and Arkansas. That’s an impressive hit list. The strengths of the two teams will square off. Mississippi State’s defense is good (coordinator Manny Diaz is a rising star) and Michigan’s offense is excellent, led by sensational sophomore signal caller Denard Robinson. The Wolverine defense absolutely stinks. They are embarrassingly bad. State will try and pound away at the Michigan defense and keep Robinson off the field. In 1990, Michigan wore out Ole Miss in the Gator Bowl 35-3 and the Wolverines offensive line was voted MVP. It will be tough for the Wolverines to win in Jacksonville 20 years later. Their defense just hasn’t shown up in big games.

This is arguably the biggest game in TCU history. You’d have to go back to the championship days of Davey O’Brien and Slingin’ Sammy Baugh in the 1930s. For Texas Christian to play in the Rose Bowl with a perfect record was something no one could have seen coming during decades and decades of misery. The great Dan Jenkins must be on cloud nine enjoying country fried steak and brown gravy. Joe T. Garcia’s, the greatest Tex-Mex joint in the world, is rockin’ and Fort Worth is upside down. Wisconsin has had a banner year, losing only to Michigan State. The Badgers share the Big Ten championship with the Spartans and Ohio State, who they absolutely crushed in Madison. Wisconsin has a big, strong, powerful offense.

The Badgers scored at least 31 points in each of their seven straight wins after losing in East Lansing. In their last three games, they scored 83, 48 and 70. This could be one of the best bowls of the year.

Andy Dalton and the Horned Frogs offense struggled in the Fiesta Bowl last year. They’ll have to score a bunch to keep up with Wiscy.

Gary Patterson has done an excellent job with the Horned Frogs, and Bret Bielema has the Badgers back in their Barry Alvarez glory days.

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, AZ) Connecticut vs. No. 7 Oklahoma Saturday January 1, 8:30 pm

Orange Bowl No. 4 Stanford vs.

No. 13 Virginia Tech Monday, January 3, 8:30 pm

Sugar Bowl No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 8 Arkansas Tuesday, January 4, 8:30 pm

Jim Harbaugh is one of the most coveted coaches in the country.

Every major school and the NFL is beating down his door. He’s really tied to Stanford though. The Cardinal fell only to Oregon, putting up a very impressive 11-1 season. And how about two straight years with Heisman finalists? Andrew Luck, assuming he leaves, will most likely be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Virginia Tech has to be asking “what if” at least a little bit. The Hokies lost on Labor Day night (if they lose to Stanford, it will be 0-2 on Monday’s) in a heart-breaker to Boise State. Then flat Virginia Tech, five days later, lost to Mickey Matthews’ Division I-AA power James Madison. Ouch. Next thing you know, the Hokies rip off 11 straight wins, bludgeon the ACC. Only Ga. Tech challenged them seriously in the league. Virginia Tech dominated Florida State to win the ACC Championship Game. There have been six ACC title games, and Virginia Tech has played in four of them, winning three.

This could be one of the really good bowl games. Arkansas has been to three SEC Championship Games, but this is their most impressive year since joining the league in 1992.

The SEC West is absolutely loaded this year, and the lone losses were to Alabama and Auburn. Ohio State had another outstanding year. Jim Tressel has been incredible in Columbus. The Buckeyes have now won at least of share of six consecutive Big Ten championships. Last season, Ohio State beat Oregon in the Rose Bowl, which was sweet redemption from the program’s recent bowl failures. If Ohio State can knock off an SEC team in the Sugar, that would be another big accomplishment for this powerful program. Ryan Mallett is just sensational at quarterback for the Razorbacks. And they’ve got a running game too. Bobby Petrino has done great work in short time with the Arkansas program. He got Louisville to No. 3 in the country and Arkansas to the Sugar Bowl.

AT&T Cotton Bowl (Arlington) No. 11 LSU vs.

No. 17 Texas A&M Friday, January 7, 8 pm

BBVA Compass Bowl (Birmingham) Pitt vs. Kentucky Saturday, January 8, 12 noon

BCS National Championship Game (Glendale, AZ) No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 1 Auburn Monday, January 10, 8:30 pm

Oklahoma won the Big XII Championship, but Texas A&M gets my vote for team of the year in the league. The Aggies beat Oklahoma, Texas and Nebraska in the same season. Hello!

That’s some serious historic stuff. LSU fell only to Auburn and Arkansas. The Tigers have some serious star power, led by corner and return ace Patrick Peterson, who is one of the five best players in all of college football. That beast up front Drake Nevis is awesome.

He and Nick Fairley of Auburn are the two premier defensive tackles in the land. You never know with LSU’s offense, but the Tigers have explosive players capable of scoring long touchdowns, highlighted by Russell Shepherd. The Aggies losses came to Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Arkansas. Mike Sherman has some explosion with his offense too. This proud program has been down for a long time and it’s great for the Aggies to be back in Dallas. This is an old rivalry. The Fightin’ Tigers and Aggies have played several regular season and bowl games through the years.

Why in the world are two mediocre teams playing on January 8? Pitt is looking for a new coach. Kentucky is looking for another bowl win. The Wildcats wound up at 6-6, but really struggled in the Southeastern Conference. Kentucky has one of the most electric players in the country, the magnificent Randall Cobb. Dion Lewis of Pitt is a stellar running back. The Panther program has put out a bunch of good ones, highlighted of course by the great 1976 Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett. Curtis Martin and LeSean McCoy were stellar at Pitt and Lewis is in that class. The big question for Kentucky is whether Cobb will turn pro? Mike Hartline had a good season as the Wildcats signal caller. Kentucky just doesn’t have the juice defensively. That’s where the ‘Cats got exposed in a major way in SEC play, giving up a ton of points to Georgia and Florida and missing out on upset opportunities.

New Year’s night isn’t quite what it used to be, huh? Connecticut, 8-4, champs of the Big East, enjoying that undeserving automatic bid to the BCS. That’s the only game on New Year’s night, and Connecticut is it. Remember when the Orange and Sugar were played at the same time and you had four superpower teams squaring off in two great games? Now the only one has an 8-4 18-point underdog. Bob Stoops has done amazing work at Oklahoma, leading the Sooners to seven Big XII championships over the last 11 years and four berths in BCS Championship Games. Think about this. Since 2000, Oklahoma has been to eight Big XII Championship Games, while Texas has been to three. The Sooners have struggled in bowls, losing three of those national title games, and dropping those Fiesta shootouts to Boise State and West Virginia. Surely Stoops won’t let his team overlook Connecticut. The Sooners should win big.

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Rose Bowl (Pasadena) No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 3 TCU Saturday, January 1, 5 pm

This is the game that everyone has been eyeing as a distinct possibility since the middle of October. Both Auburn and Oregon were able to stave off upsets and post perfect seasons in the SEC and PAC-10.

These two amazing offenses are the story. Auburn’s incredible quarterback Cam Newton has had arguably the greatest single season in the grand history of the SEC. These two teams wear down the opposition and dominate the fourth quarter.

The difference in the game, and what could put Auburn over the top is the dominating Fairley. Because of this beast of a nose tackle, the Tigers might be able to get a couple more stops than the Ducks. Both teams will have to fight off some nerves of course. This is Oregon’s first shot at a national title. Auburn won it in 1957 and was in contention in 1983, 1993 and 2004, but things didn’t break the Tigers way – most notably in ’04 when Tommy Tuberville’s great undefeated SEC champs were left out of the title game. Auburn’s a little bigger and stronger. Newton is just too good. Auburn will deliver the SEC a fifth consecutive national championship and be the fourth school from the league in as many years to do so.

Bulldawg Illustrated

recruiting news

By Carlton DeVooght

This is crunch time With less than two months to go until National Signing Day, this is crunch time for the Bulldog coaches on the recruiting trail. The “no contact” period for coaches begins just before the holiday and lasts until January 3. The Bulldog coaches have been flying all over the country for in-home visits with recruits and their families. It is likely that the Dawgs will sign 22 to 24 players on signing day, and will have three early enrollees that will not be included in this total.

With the commitments that Georgia already has, this leaves about ten to twelve slots remaining.

With so many high profile names still available, the big question is who will fill these slots.

Without taking anyone for granted, and sticking by my earlier predictions I think five of these slots will be filled by in-state “Dream Teamers,” Isaiah Crowell (Running Back, Carver Columbus High School), Jay Rome (Tight End, Valdosta High School), Ray Drew (Outside Linebacker, Thomas County High School), Xzavier Dickson (Outside Linebacker, Griffin High School) and Damian Swann (Athlete, Grady High School). The Dawgs also appear to be a favorite for Tampa Jefferson High School inside linebacker Ramik Wilson. He has become very close with Coach Todd Grantham and appears to like what the Bulldogs have to offer. Assuming these six uncommitted blue-chip prospects all commit to the Bulldogs, this leaves approximately four to six spots in the class.

The Bulldogs clearly would like to take one more Defensive Lineman, preferably a big body to play Nose. The Bulldog staff is putting the full court press on Jonathan Jenkins, who just finished up his season at the Gulf Coast Community College in Mississippi. Jenkins, who is originally from Connecticut, is currently committed to Oklahoma State. He has the size (6’4”, 340 pounds) that Coach Grantham would love to have in the middle of his three man defensive front. Jenkins is also very quick for a man of his size. Mom may be the key to his decision. The Bulldogs have an uphill battle with Jenkins, but the coaching staff is doing all they can to convince Jenkins and his Mom to switch his commitment and play between the hedges.

Coach Grantham is also working hard on current Alabama commit Shannon Brown from Cook County High School in Adel, Georgia.

Coach Grantham remained in contact with Brown, but I think it is a long shot at this point.

Brown seems firm in his commitment to Alabama, but Coach Grantham is not giving up yet.

The Bulldogs would also like to sign a player that could take the outside linebacker spot filled by Justin Houston this past year. Right now, two players are pretty high on the Bulldogs’ list at this position. They are Cornellius Carradine from Butler County Community College and Jeoffrey Pagan from Ashville High School in Ashville, North Carolina. Carradine is ranked as one of the top two overall players in Junior College this year, while Pagan is ranked as the number three defensive end in the country. Pagan was previously committed to Florida, but has since re-opened his commitment. Many Florida State fans believe that Carradine is a lock with the Noles but that is not as clear-cut as many of them think at this time. He visited Athens during the week of December 6.

There are two wild cards in the recruiting process, both of whom are high profile recruits bulldog fans will recognize. Kent Turene is an inside linebacker from Boyd Anderson High School in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida. Turene is currently committed to USC (the “Real One” in California) but is looking around. He will be taking an official visit to Athens on January 21. This is the same weekend that Isaiah Crowell will also be making his official visit to the Classic City.

Turene is a big run stopper who likes to meet a ball carrier at the point of attack. It is has long been rumored that Turene was interested in the Bulldogs, so it will be interesting to see how the initial visit goes. The other wild card is defensive end Gabriel Wright. Wright is Crowell’s teammate at Carver-Columbus and has the prototypical frame for a defensive end in Coach Grantham’s three-four defense. While many feel that Wright is an Auburn lean, he has recently indicated he will take an official visit to Athens.

There is no doubt that Wright has been enjoying the recruiting process, but he now recognizes that the available slots at those schools recruiting him are quickly filling.

The Bulldogs are also seeking some wide receivers and playmakers. I still believe that Quan Bray from Troup County High School in LaGrange winds up committing to the Bulldogs.

One of the most electrifying playmakers in the State is Malcolm Mitchell from Valdosta High School. This four star prospect is thought to be

www.bulldawgillustrated.com

leaning towards Alabama, but took his official visit to Athens for the Senior Gala on December 11. Additionally, current Florida commit, Ja’Juan Story from Nature Coast High School in Brooksville, Florida will have an in-home visit with the Bulldog coaching staff. It should be noted that this in-home visit was scheduled prior to Urban Meyer’s resignation as the Head Coach of the Florida Gators. Many close to this situation believe that Story will switch his commitment prior to signing day and will sign with the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs have also offered two electric Junior College wide receivers. Anthony Denham (6’6, 215 pounds) from East Los Angeles College of Monterey Park, California has drawn comparisons to Alabama standout Julio Jones. Rahshaan Vaughn from the College of San Mateo in San Mateo, California is ranked as the number two wide receiver in the JuCo ranks behind only - you guessed it – Denham. Another dark horse at wide receiver is Lee County standout Sanford Seay. The Bulldogs would like to sign at least two of the young men in this category.

The Bulldogs may also try to bring one more offensive lineman into this year’s class. The two most likely candidates in clued Xzavier Ward from Colquitt County High School in Moultrie, Georgia or Taylor Gadbois from East Paulding High School, in Dallas, Georgia.

Convenient.

Experienced.

Locally-owned.

Banking the way it should be.

So who do I think we close with? Here are the twelve individuals I think the Bulldogs will add to the recruiting class of 2012.

1. Isaiah Crowell (Running back, Carver-Columbus High School) 2. Ray Drew (Outside Linebacker, Thomas County High School) 3. Jay Rome (Tight End, Valdosta High School) 4. Xzavier Dickson (Outside Linebacker, Griffin High School) 5. Damian Swann (Athlete, Grady High School) 6. Jonathan Jenkins (Defensive Tackle, Gulf Coast Community College) 7. Ramik Wilson (Inside Linebacker, Tampa Jefferson High School) 8. Cornellius Carradine (Outside Linebacker, Butler County Community College) 9. Quan Bray (Athlete, Troup County High School) 10. Ja’Juan Story (Wide Receiver, Nature Coast High School) 11. Xzavier Ward (Offensive Lineman, Colquitt County High School) 12. Gabe Wright (Defensive End, Carver-Columbus High School) There is also a strong possibility that Lee County Wide Receiver, Sanford Seay could sign with the Bulldogs or be a sign and place individual. Hopefully this electrifying Wide Receiver gets the test score he is looking for and will be a part of the Bulldog’s class of 2011.

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Athens • Gainesville • tnbg.net

Founders Day Lecture

What about A.J.?

Common sense would seem to dictate that Bulldogs’ standout A.J. Green is headed to the pros. After all, draft day expert Mel Kiter has Green slated as the number three overall pick in the draft. Not so fast my friend. It appears that A.J. and his mother are intent on A.J. being the first in his family earn a college degree. He may even be looking at a Lloyd’s of London insurance policy should he decide to return for his Senior season with the Bulldogs. Fellow Junior Justin Houston will undoubtedly announce his eligibility for the draft after the Bulldogs Bowl Game.

While everyone seems to think that A.J. will be entering the draft, Coach Richt and Quarterback Aaron Murray need to pull out all the stops to recruit A.J. Green for one more season.

Nathan Theus gets his Scholarship Bolles Bulldog standout Offensive Lineman Nathan Theus was originally offered as a gray shirt member of the class of 2011. Recently the Bulldog coaching staff met with Theus and his family and extended a full scholarship offer to Theus to be a part of the 2011 class. Theus jumped at the chance and will be signing with the Georgia Bulldogs on National Signing Day in February. He will get work at both Long Snapper and at Center. Theus is a fine young man that comes from a great family and has the experience of playing in one of the winningest programs in Florida high school football history.

January 27, 2011 2:00 p.m.

UGA Chapel Join alumni, faculty, and students as we celebrate UGA’s 226th Anniversary as the nation’s first state chartered university.

University Emeritus Professor Dr. Jeanne Barsanti will present “Animals, History, and Humans.” For more information, please contact Wanda Darden at wdarden@uga.edu.

(706) 542-2251 www.uga.edu/alumni 15

Senior Gala Tina Ladson, Miranda Carroll, A.J. Green, Jesse Goodwine and Dora and Woodrow Green

Brandon Bogotay, Christian Robinson, Aaron Murray, Ty Frix and Chris Burnett

ATHENS -- Junior wide receiver A.J. Green of Summerville, S.C.; redshirt freshman quarterback Aaron Murray of Tampa, Fla.; junior linebacker Justin Houston of Statesboro; junior placekicker Blair Walsh of Boca Raton, Fla.; and junior punter Drew Butler of Duluth took home the top awards at the University of Georgia football annual team Gala Saturday night at the Classic Center in Athens.

Green was named the recipient of the Vince Dooley Most Valuable Player of the Year Award, Murray was named the team's Most Valuable Offensive Player, and Houston received the Most Valuable Defensive Player honors. Walsh and Butler were named Most Valuable Special Teams players.

Senior fullback Shaun Chapas of St. Augustine, Fla., was named winner of the David Jacobs Award as the player who by example portrays courage, spirit, character, and determination.

Chapas was also named the team's overall permanent captain for 2010. Senior offensive lineman Clint Boling of Alpharetta was elected as the team's offensive captain, senior linebacker Akeem Dent of Atlanta was chosen the defensive captain, and Butler was named the special teams captain.

The Leon Farmer Award for dedication to the strength and conditioning program was presented to Chapas and Boling. Outstanding Scout Team Awards went to redshirt sophomore defensive end Jeremy Longo of Ft. Lauderdale (offense), freshman offensive lineman Hugh Williams of Atlanta and freshman receiver Michael Erdman of Merritt Island, Fla. (defense), and junior tailback Wes Van Dyke of Highland Park, Tex., and freshman safety Lucas Redd of Jefferson (special teams).

Most Improved Player Awards were presented to sophomore receiver Marlon Brown of Memphis, Tenn. (offense); senior linebacker Darryl Gamble of Bainbridge and redshirt sophomore safety Bacarri Rambo of Donalsonville (defense); and sophomore safety Shawn Williams of Damascus and redshirt sophomore cornerback Sanders Com-

Amy and Rob Sherrell and Cordy Glenn

Shaun Chapas, Lexi Wurtz and Greg Chapas

Will Sorrells and Mark Richt

16

mings of Augusta (special teams).

Newcomer of the Year Award winners were redshirt freshman quarterback Aaron Murray of Tampa (offense), safety Alec Ogletree of Newnan (defense), and redshirt freshman Blake Sailors of Athens (special teams).

Coaches Leadership Awards went to junior center Ben Jones of Centreville, Ala. (offense), Dent and senior defensive end DeMarcus Dobbs of Savannah (defense), and Chapas (special teams).

The Governor's Cup trophy for the victory over Georgia Tech was also officially presented by Shelton Stevens from Healthcare of Atlanta.

A special feature of the Gala was announcement of the Team of the Decade (2001-2010) determined through online voting by more than 37,000 ballots cast online through the georgiadogs.com official website. The team includes: DEFENSE DE: Charles Grant and David Pollack DT: Jeff Owens and Geno Atkins OLB: Rennie Curran and Boss Bailey ILB: Dannell Ellerbe and Odell Thurman CB: Tim Jennings and Asher Allen FS: Thomas Davis SS: Greg Blue P: Drew Butler

Aaron Murray and Katherine Stroer

Jessica Wood and Kris Durham

Caleb King and Erica Lamar

Clint Boling and Chris White

Luke Williams and Ed Williams

Erin Anderson and Orson Charles

Katharyn Richt and Rennie Curran

Ed Benedict and Brent Benedict

Ben Jones and Alex Hilton

Donnettee Memfis and Akeem Dent

OFFENSE C: Ben Jones OG: Fermando Velasco and Max Jean-Gilles OT: Jon Stinchcomb and Clint Boling TE: Ben Watson WR: Mohamed Massaquoi and A.J. Green FB: Brannan Southerland TB: Knowshon Moreno QB: David Greene PK: Blair Walsh - georgiadogs.com

Weston Bell, Washaun Ealey and Jeff Bell

Sheryl McGarity, TLeatha and Arthur Johnson

Sanders Hickey and Terry Stephens

Kiel Zanone, A.J. Green and Ryan Scates

Bulldawg Illustrated

Game rewind: Georgia 42 Georgia Tech 34

By Murray Poole

One team might be a 13 to 15-point favorite, as the Bulldogs were this year but when it’s Georgia vs. Georgia Tech, odds like that mean absolutely nothing as these two ancient rivals proved once again Saturday night at frigid Sanford Stadium.

Despite the Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets going up and down the field the game long and combining for 937 yards of offense, it came down to several key stops at the end by the Georgia defense – a defense that had been bullied by Tech’s vaunted tripleoption attack for nearly the entire game – to preserve a 42-34 victory for the Bulldogs.

Boosting their final season record to 6-6 while running Mark Richt’s coaching record against Georgia Tech to 9-1, the Bulldogs now await their bowl destiny.

Georgia twice had two-touchdown leads in the game, once at 14-0 in the opening quarter and again at 35-21 near the end of the third, but each time the Yellow Jackets went on long scoring drives to keep the sellout and shivering partisan Georgia crowd of 92,746 clinging to the edge of their seats. But when Tech’s Anthony Allen scored on an 8-yard run with just 4:57 to play, to pull the Jackets back within 35-34, reliable Tech kicker Scott Blair shanked his extra-point kick to prevent the Yellow Jackets from tying the contest once more.

But the Bulldogs still couldn’t salt the game away, quarterback Aaron Murray bobbling the snap on a fourth-and-one situation at the Tech 23-yard line with under two minutes remaining. But then, here came that clutch defensive effort by the Bulldogs as they stuffed the Jackets’ hopes for victory by twice tossing quarterback Tevin Washington for losses and then forcing Washington to misfire on consecutive pass attempts.

The Yellow Jackets, with Murray then taking a knee and with no way for Tech to get the ball back, then allowed Georgia’s Washaun Ealey to run for a 20-yard touchdown with 1:29 to go.

Blair Walsh’s kick boosted the Bulldogs’ lead to 42-34 and junior outside linebacker Justin Houston then put the final stamp on the Georgia victory by intercepting a Washington pass at the Bulldogs’ 33.

It was the second huge defensive play of the game for the Statesboro junior as he hit paydirt on an 18-yard fumble recovery run with just 16 seconds left in the third period to stake the Bulldogs to the 35-21 lead at the time.

“I knew it was crunch time,” said Houston. “The coaches said all week that the end of the game is when the players make the plays and that’s what we are going to do. I’m really proud of our defense.”

Houston said his game-clinching interception was the first of his career – at any level. “I saw the quarterback and I didn’t think

he was going to throw it,” Houston said. “When he did, I knew I had to make a play. That being my first interception in high school or college, it feels good.”

“It was a great game,” said Richt.

“It was especially great because we won the doggone thing. We never quit; we kept battling. You’ve got to give Georgia Tech credit because they did a great job, but our guys did too.

We never gave up and made the plays we needed to. We haven’t done that in the games we lost, but this time we did.”

Again, this turned into a game in which the Georgia offense had to have a big night and score a lot of points in order to win it.

And with Murray razor-sharp throwing the ball again – he passed for 220 yards and three touchdowns in the first half on 11-of-14 completions before finishing the game with 271 yards – the Bulldogs compiled 425 yards and actually 35 points by the offense with Houston’s fumble recovery run accounting for the other score.

With the Bulldog defense being smacked for 411 rushing yards by the Jackets – well above Tech’s nation-leading 319-yard average – Georgia had the ball for only 2l:46 minutes while the Jackets hogged the pigskin for 38:14, thus making it imperative for the Georgia offense to cash points when it did have possession.

Still, Richt thought Todd Grantham’s unit stepped up when it needed to.

“The defense did a good job,” said Richt. “I am proud of them. We didn’t do a lot of subbing in this game. A lot of guys had to suck it up and play until the end. We didn’t stop the dive as well as I hoped we could,” Richt added, in somewhat of an understatement. “If you don’t stop them up the gut, it’s hard to stop them period. But we rose to the occasion. We turned some turnovers into points. In the end, it worked out.”

What Worked Georgia’s passing game ripped the Jacket secondary to shreds in the first half and could have put up similar big numbers in the second half as A.J. Green, who had eight catches for 97 yards in likely his final game at Sanford Stadium, said the Tech defense didn’t change a thing after intermission. But with Tech keeping the ball and going on one long drive after another, the Bulldogs simply couldn’t dial up their offensive success of the first two quarters.

Photograph by Ryan Scates

What Didn’t Work Despite having an open week to work on limiting the Jackets’ potent rushing game, the Bulldogs looked helpless at times in trying to stop Tech B-back Anthony Allen, who gashed the Georgia defense for 166 yards on 29 carries. Three other Jackets ran for more than 50 yards each en route to the staggering 411 rushing total. Georgia fumbled four times in the game and lost two of them, one of the miscues being by Caleb King after he had rumbled to the Tech 9-yard line on the Bulldogs’ opening possession of the third quarter. And the Bulldogs couldn’t run the ball at all in the first half when they managed a meager 56 yards on the ground … before ending the night with only 154 against a Tech defense that had been shaky against the run this season.

Top Performers Murray, whose three TD strikes gave him 24 in his redshirt freshman season, just one short of tying Matthew Stafford’s singleseason school record, finished the evening a red-hot 15-of-19 for the 271 yards. In addition to another big night by Green, senior Kris Durham had three catches for 90 yards including a 66-yard scoring catch and run for the Bulldogs’ first touchdown when Durham outran nearly the entire Tech team. Tight end Orson Charles recorded two receptions for 67 yards including Georgia’s second touchdown on a 32-yard pass from Murray. Ealey, with his walk-in, late touchdown, capped the game with 118 yards on 13 carries and two scores. Defensively, due to Tech’s big advantage in time of possession, the Bulldogs had plenty of opportunities to make tackles and three Georgia defenders did just that with senior linebacker Akeem Dent, junior nose DeAngelo Tyson and sophomore end Abry Jones each in on a whopping 16 stops. And, of course, Houston (final home game at UGA also?) came up big with his touchdown on the fumble recovery and last-minute interception.

Kevin Butler’s players of the game Kevin Butler, former University of Georgia legendary kicker and a member of the Georgia radio broadcast team, each week during the 2010 football season selects his offensive, defensive and special teams players of the week for Bulldawg Illustrated. Here are Butler’s selections and reasons why for the Bulldogs’ 42-34 win over Georgia Tech on Nov. 27.

OFFENSE – Senior wide receiver Kris Durham, who caught three passes for 90 yards including a 66-yard catch and run for the Bulldogs’ first touchdown.

“I think Kris has been a senior leader and an offensive weapon for us throughout his career,” said Butler. “He’s fought back from a good many injuries, stayed in touch with the team and been around the players and that has helped him develop into a team leader. Kris’ ability to make the big catch on third down is going to be sorely missed after this year. His 66-yard catch for a touchdown in the Tech game was a big, big play and not only with his pass catching but Kris showed some speed people have not gotten to see over his career. Those two talents will give Kris an opportunity to play on Sundays.”

Photograph by Ryan Scates

DEFENSE – Junior outside linebacker Justin Houston, who had an 18yard fumble recovery run for a touchdown and intercepted a lastminute Georgia Tech pass to lock up the win for the Bulldogs. He also was in on seven total tackles.

“Week-in and week-out, Justin has been the leader of our defense,” said Butler. “And as a junior, he certainly will have the opportunity to make a decision on whether to come back to Georgia or go pro. He showed his ability to again get to the ball and that big interception late in the game helped Georgia seal the victory. His leadership if he chooses to go to the NFL will be sorely missed and if he does come back to Georgia for his senior season, he will certainly be on every awards watch list and will be the reason Georgia will improve defensively from this year to next year.”

SPECIAL TEAMS – Georgia junior punter Drew Butler who punted twice for right at a 40-yard average while booming the ball high enough to enable the Bulldog coverage team to prevent any punt returns by the Yellow Jackets.

“Nothing much happened with the special teams this game so I go with Drew,” said Butler. “Just his overall performance this year has been very consistent and his ability to flip the field has provided our defense an added advantage as we have struggled to find our identity all year on defense. A Ray Guy finalist again and an Academic All-American, Drew has exemplified what all Bulldog players aspire to be.”

- Murray Poole

www.bulldawgillustrated.com

Photograph by Rob Saye

17

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GO DAWGS! Are you . . .

A CEO, owner, or executive who wants to improve the leadership performance of your organization?

A professional who wants to be more successful in your field?

An individual who wants to live a more productive, balanced, and fulfilled life?

Cheer the Bulldogs onto a Liberty Bowl victory in style!

Winter break hours: Mon – Fri 8a – 5p · Sat 10a – 5p · Sun 11a – 5p For holiday hours, visit us online at ugabookstore.com.

Find us on Facebook: facebook.com/ugabookstore

18

www.TenPointFive.com Bulldawg Illustrated

under the rim

By Ryan Scates

Get out and support Hoop teams The holiday season is refreshing in that it reminds us that some things never get old. Egg nog and cider, garland and lights, sweet potatoes and beating Georgia Tech come to mind for this Dawg. And just when a Thanksgiving full of good food, Christmas preparation and another football win over the Trade School had me set through finals, the Hoop Dawgs’ 73-72 win over Tech in Atlanta was like an extra dollop of whipped cream on the last slice of pumpkin pie.

My first game covering the Hoop Dawgs was last year’s contest against Tech in Athens. After months of living in relative anonymity, Georgia Head Basketball Coach endeared himself to all Dawgs with a 73-66 win over the #20 Yellow Jackets. In that game’s post-game press conference Fox famously remarked, “there are 50 stars on the United States Flag. One is for Georgia, but none are for Georgia Tech.” And one year later, Fox’s statement rang true in Atlanta, giving Georgia their first win at Tech in 10 years (aside from the 2008 SEC Championship Tournament) and snapping a 13 game non-conference home winning streak for the Jackets. Trey Thompkins, who is still on the mend from an offseason ankle injury, scored 21 points in the winning effort, sharing top scorer honors with Dustin Ware.

Meanwhile in Athens, Women’s Head Basketball Coach Andy Landers and the Lady Dawgs cruised to a 92-45 win over the Mercer Bears. In what has become a trademark of Landers’ coached teams, freshmen played a large part in the win. Freshman Khaalidah Miller led the Dawgs in scoring with a career high 16 points. Freshman Ronika Ransford also had a career night, notching 11 rebounds, 6 assists and 7 steals. Ransford became the 66th freshman to start under Andy Landers in his 32 seasons at Georgia. The win marked the fifteenth time in the last sixteen meetings the Lady Dawgs have beaten Mercer.

And while we are talking about in-state rivalries, Maconarea Dawg fans will get a chance to see the Hoop Dawgs in action on Dec. 23rd when Mark Fox and company play at Mercer. That game is set at 7pm and will be televised on CSS. Be sure to check out the schedules below for both UGA basketball teams and make a new holiday tradition out of cheering on the Dawgs on the hardwood.

Men’s Schedule 12/18/10 12/21/10 12/23/10 12/28/10 12/31/10 01/08/11 01/12/11 01/15/11 01/18/11 01/22/11 01/25/11 01/29/11 02/02/11 02/05/11 02/08/11 02/12/11 02/16/11 02/19/11 02/24/11 02/26/11 03/02/11 03/05/11

vs. Arkansas State Athens, Ga. vs. High Point Athens, Ga. at Mercer Macon, Ga. vs. Charleston So. Athens, Ga. vs. E. Kentucky Athens, Ga. vs. Kentucky * Athens, Ga. at Vanderbilt * Nashville, Tenn. at Ole Miss * Oxford, Miss. vs. Tennessee * Athens, Ga. vs. Miss State * Athens, Ga. vs. Florida * Athens, Ga. at Kentucky * Lexington, Ky. at Arkansas * Fayetteville, Ark. vs. Auburn * Athens, Ga. vs. Xavier Athens, Ga. at S. Carolina * Columbia, S.C. vs. Vanderbilt * Athens, Ga. at Tennessee * Knoxville, Tenn. at Florida Gainesville, Fla. vs. S. Carolina * Athens, Ga. vs. LSU * Athens, Ga. at Alabama * Tuscaloosa, Ala.

www.bulldawgillustrated.com

Lady’s Schedule vs. High Point Athens, Ga. 12/22/10 at TCU Fort Worth, Tx FIU Fun & Sun Classic 12/29/10 vs. La. Tech Miami, Fla. 12/30/10 FIU/Marquette Miami, Fla. 01/02/11 vs. S. Carolina * Athens, Ga. 01/09/11 at Kentucky * Lexington, Ky. 01/13/11 at Arkansas * Fayetteville, Ark. 01/16/11 vs. Florida * Athens, Ga. 01/20/11 at Alabama * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 01/23/11 vs. Miss State * Athens, Ga. 01/27/11 at S. Carolina * Columbia, S.C. 01/30/11 at LSU * Baton Rouge, La. 02/03/11 vs. Arkansas * Athens, Ga. 02/06/11 vs. Alabama * Athens, Ga. 02/10/11 vs. Vanderbilt Athens, Ga. 02/13/11 at Ole Miss * Oxford, Miss.

02/17/11 vs. Kentucky * Athens, Ga. 02/21/11 at Tennessee * Knoxville, Tenn.

02/24/11 vs. Auburn * Athens, Ga. 02/27/11 at Florida Gainesville, Fla. SEC Tournament 03/03/11 Nashville, Tenn.

Earlier this year several players from the UGA Baseball team served lunch donated by Gameday Sammich to the kids at the Boys and Girls Club of Athens Summer Camp.

Finding ways to support the youth in Athens is a priority of Gameday Sammich’s owners.

www.

gamedaysammich.com

12/19/10

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Gym Dogs gearing up for 2011 Jay Clark enters his second season with high hopes for his team that is hungry to get back to the top

By Ryan Scates

N

ow two years removed from an unprecedented run of success that included five (yes, you read that right, five) straight national championships, the Georgia Gym Dogs are gearing up for year two of the Jay Clark era in newly renovated Stegeman Coliseum.

After winning those five national titles, in 2010 Georgia placed third in the SEC tournament before losing a tiebreaker to Oregon State in NCAA Regionals to end the season. From the sidelines to the record book, 2010 was certainly a year of change for the gymnastics program.

Georgia enters the 2011 preseason poll ranked as the #7 gymnastics program in the country. The squad returns nine members of the 2010 team this year, including SEC champions Hilary Mauro and Kat Ding.

Recently I had a chance to catch up with Head Coach Jay Clark to talk about what is in store for his second year as head coach of the Gym Dogs. To his credit, Coach Clark was not shy in sharing his learning experiences from 2010.

“Change is always difficult, and certainly we went through a lot of adjustments, both as a group and for myself personally (in 2010)…” Coach Clark explained, “The biggest part for me was learning how my speech and my actions can affect every part of this program…And learning how each situation demands a certain decorum from me that maybe I hadn’t paid attention to as an assistant coach.”

Clark’s attention to the subtleties of a college gymnastics coach is crucial. Perhaps in gymnastics more than any other sport, the trust between Coach and Athlete

makes a difference both in team chemistry and on the scoreboard. That’s where Coach Clark’s “x-factor” comes into play. Enter one Julie Ballard Clark, assistant coach to the Gym Dogs, who in her spare time doubles as Coach Clark’s wife and mother to their two children.

“I think a husband and wife team lends itself very well to this sport. It’s been very prevalent in our sport. A couple of years ago when I was arguing that I should be able to hire my wife, six or seven of the top ten teams in the country had husband and wife teams on the coaching staff.” Clark explained, “A husband and wife team allows for what would otherwise be sensitive issues and moments (with the athletes) to become routine and dealt with on a much easier basis.”

In looking forward to the 2011 season, Clark remains upbeat. In addition to the nine returning members from last year’s team, Clark believes that this year’s newcomers add to the team a chemistry for a competitive dynamic that Clark says “you just can’t coach.”

“I like being the hunter instead of the hunted.” Clark explains, “It’s nice to be in a different role, and hopefully we can compete a little more freely…We are excited about this group…what we landed were some very talented and very hungry athletes. I think we have a good nucleus here that we can work with.”

The Gym Dogs’ home opener is Jan. 15 in the spectacular Stegeman Coliseum against gymnastics rival and perennial powerhouse Utah.

For the full interview with Coach Clark, be sure to check out the “Videos” section of Bulldawgillustrated.com.

2011 schedule 01/08/11 at Denver, BYU, Air Force (Quad-meet) Denver, Colo. 8:00 p.m. ET 01/15/11 vs. Utah Athens, Ga. 4:00 p.m. ET 01/17/11 vs. West Virginia Athens, Ga. 2:00 p.m. ET 01/21/11 vs. Auburn * Athens, Ga. 7:30 p.m. ET 01/28/11 at Kentucky * Lexington, Ky. 7:00 p.m. ET 02/04/11 at Arkansas * Fayetteville, Ark. 8:00 p.m. ET 02/12/11 vs. Florida * Athens, Ga. 4:00 p.m. ET 02/18/11 at LSU * Baton Rouge, La. 8:00 p.m. ET 02/25/11 vs. Alabama * Athens, Ga. 7:30 p.m. ET 03/06/11 at UCLA, Arizona (Tri-meet) Los Angeles, Calif., 5:00 p.m. ET 03/12/11 vs. Michigan Athens, Ga. 4:00 p.m. ET 03/19/11 SEC Championship Birmingham, Ala. 5:00 p.m. ET 04/02/11

NCAA Regional Athens, Ga. TBA

04/15/11 NCAA Championships (Prelims) Cleveland, Ohio

TBA

04/16/11 NCAA Championships Cleveland, Ohio TBA 04/17/11 NCAA Championships (Individuals)Cleveland, Ohio TBA

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20

Bulldawg Illustrated

Jeff Dantzler’s Top 25 Auburn and Oregon were the teams that separated themselves from the middle of October on. The SEC is still the no doubt best conference in the land, and the PAC-10 is very strong this year. The Tigers and Ducks have the two most explosive offenses in the country and the title game could potentially be a thrilling shootout. There are some other good match-ups, and BCS-buster TCU has an amazing opportunity to play in the Rose Bowl.

1. Auburn – What an incredible end to Auburn’s season. First came one of the great comebacks in college football annals to topple arch-rival defending national champion Alabama 28-27 in Tuscaloosa. Then came the Hail Mary and second half runaway in the 56-17 blowout of South Carolina to win the SEC title.

Cam Newton is simply amazing.

2. Oregon – The Ducks were slow starting against Arizona and Oregon State, but as always, Oregon closed fast and strong. Chip Kelly’s offense is tremendous. The upset threat came from Cal, but the Ducks of course survived.

In the ‘70’s and ‘80’s, the Ducks program was irrelevant and always in the bottom of the PAC-10. Now they’re playing for the national title.

3. Texas Christian – It’s the dream season in Fort Worth, as the Horned Frogs post a perfect undefeated record and get a berth in the Rose Bowl. TCU in Pasadena? Who would have ever imagined? Andy Dalton will have to be on his “A-game.� Wisconsin is rolling.

4. Stanford – Jim Harbaugh is a sensational coach. The Cardinal fell only to Oregon this season. In four years, he’s taken Stanford from the cellar of the PAC-10 to the Orange Bowl and nation’s top five. In those four years, Stanford has a winning record against both Southern Cal and Notre Dame.

5. Michigan State – Yes, Wisconsin is blowing teams out. But Michigan State beat the Badgers head-to-head and they have the same record. So how is Wisconsin ranked higher? Michigan State has won so many close games. Beating Bama in Orlando will be mighty tough.

6. Wisconsin – The Badgers are back in the Rose Bowl, where Barry Alvarez led them three times. Wisconsin’s offense has been smoking hot. Without question, the big point totals run up on outmatched foes pushed the Badgers to the highest ranking of the Big Ten tri-champs, which is how they get the nod for Pasadena.

7. Ohio State – Jim Tressel delivers an 11-1 record, share of the Big Ten title and berth in a BCS game. This has become commonplace in Columbus. His ten seasons of success put him with Woody Hayes and Paul Brown as the Buckeyes greatest coaches.

8. Arkansas – Bobby Petrino is proving to be a great hire in Fayetteville. In just his third season, Petrino has led the Razorbacks to a 10-2 season and berth in the Sugar Bowl. Ryan Mallett is a great quarterback, but the dangerous Hogs offense will have its hands full with the Buckeyes.

9. LSU – There is so much talent for the Tigers, especially on defense. Single digit losses to Auburn and Arkansas are the lone blemishes this year. LSU better be ready in Dallas. The Aggies have been giant killers in 2010.

10. Oklahoma – Bob Stoops and the Sooners captured their seventh Big XII Championship in the last 11 years. Oklahoma should blow out Connecticut in the Fiesta Bowl, which has been the location of Sooner misery in losses to Boise State and West Virginia.

11. Oklahoma State – The Cowboys just couldn’t get past the arch-rival Sooners to make it to the Big XII Championship Game. Oklahoma State has a lights out offense, but the defense got toasted by Oklahoma. Mike Gundy is eyeing an 11-2 record, and that’s not the type of record Oklahoma State has been accustomed to chalking up.

12. South Carolina – Making it to the SEC Championship Game for the first time ever was a great accomplishment for the Gamecocks. They were right there until the Hail Mary. Marcus Lattimore is a very special tailback. Florida State in Atlanta makes a very attractive bowl match-up.

13. Alabama – It’s a season of “what-if’s� for the defending national champions, who fell just short to LSU and Auburn. That incredible defense from a year ago just left a few too many holes to fill. Bama should handle Michigan State in Orlando.

14. Nevada – The Wolfpack beat Boise State and they have the same record. Nevada should be ahead of the Broncos and they are in this poll.

The lone loss for Nevada came to Hawaii. The ‘Pack has an outstanding rushing attack.

15. Boise State – The loss to Nevada in Reno, where the Broncos let the fourth quarter lead get away, goes down as the worst in program history.

Kellen Moore is a very accurate passer and he has weapons. But the loss to Nevada will forever haunt the Boise State program.

16. Virginia Tech – It was not an impressive season for the ACC. The champion Hokies dominated the league, but they did lose to James Madison. Virginia Tech was impressive against Florida State. Frank Beamer’s boys will have to play that good in Miami to have a shot against talented Stanford.

17. Nebraska –Kicker Alex Henry has some kind of incredible leg. The Cornhuskers hung around against Oklahoma because of his leg and red zone defense. But to lead 17-0 in the last Big XII Championship Game is a mighty painful setback for the proud Big Red program.

18. Missouri – The Tigers flirted with something really special in 2007, but came up short against Oklahoma. They’ve been steady since, and this year got back into high cotton with a 10-2 regular season. The Tigers have an outstanding offense.

19. Texas A&M – The Aggies beat Oklahoma, Texas and Nebraska this year. That doesn’t happen. Ever. The Texas A&M defense has played well this season and the Aggies have firepower at tailback, quarterback and receiver.

20. Mississippi State – This is the strongest 8-4 team in the country. The State losses are to Auburn, LSU, Alabama and Arkansas, who’s combined record is 42-7, with six of the losses against one another. MSU is tough and physical. They can had Michigan to Georgia and Florida on their 2010 royal hit list.

21. Florida State – A cold night in Charlotte didn’t go Florida State’s way. Even though the Seminoles were dominated by Virginia Tech, that win over the Gators has the FSU faithful feeling fine.

22. Utah – The Runnin’ Utes really got knocked off balance with that blowout loss at home to TCU when College Gameday and the eyes of the nation were focused on Salt Lake City. Kyle Whittingham has done an excellent job since succeeding Urban Meyer.

23. West Virginia – It has not been a good year in the Big East. Connecticut won the league’s automatic BCS berth, but the Mountaineers at 9-3 appear to be the best of this mediocre lot. Don’t forget, West Virginia hung around with LSU. 24. Hawaii – After that incredible 2007 season and the departure of June Jones, the Rainbow Warriors fell into obscurity for a couple of years. But Hawaii is back on the radar with a 10-3 record and win over Nevada.

25. Central Florida - The champs of Conference-USA get a shot at Georgia at the Liberty Bowl. The Knights losses this year are to Kansas State, North Carolina State and Southern Miss. Central Florida has an excellent duel-threat freshman quarterback in Jeff Godfrey.

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21

Where Dawgs take their Dogs

JD’s

5

keys

to a victory operated by

Dr. C.E. Walton 1976 Graduate of UGA College of Veterinary Medicine

LaVista Animal Hospital • 404.325.9924 2804 LaVista Road • Decatur, GA www.LavistaAnimalHospital.com

DEAR SANTA, Please send me a subscription for Christmas so I can get every issue delivered to my home!

S U B S C R I B E

Photograph by Rob Saye

1.

Get to Godfrey – Central Florida’s freshman signal caller Jeff Godfrey has been outstanding this season, putting together one of college football’s outstanding rookie performances. His ten touchdowns rushing are second on the team and Godfrey is an excellent passer. The Bulldog defense will have to put the pressure on him, forcing Godfrey into plays, not allowing to have time to pick and choose. Georgia’s defensive ends could be the key to this one. They’ve got to contain, but also bring pressure.

2.

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22

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Every year we sponsor children in need from the Hancock Community. This year we have 14. Tags are on our tree in the Atrium. Help us by selecting a tag (name and wish list are on it). Then purchase the item and return it wraped by the 19th with the tag on it.

White Buffalo Christmas for Children Tuesday, Dec 21st at 6 pm.

Public invited and every child receives a gift from Santa.

706-354-6655

Elvis is performing a christmas album on Thursday, Dec 23, 7:30. Only $8 advance tickets.

www.buffaloscafe.com

corner of Broad & Alps

Stop the Run – If you can’t stop the run, you can’t win. It’s painful to do, but in Georgia’s losses, the run defense has been absolutely gashed.

Marcus Lattimore and Cam Newton did it. So did Florida and Colorado. Georgia couldn’t get a big fourth quarter stop against Mississippi State either. Playing strong run defense is at the top of the Bulldogs “to-do” improvement list.

Because, unless Georgia can do this, there’s no chance of any championships.

The Liberty Bowl would be a good starting point.

3.

Play Crisp Offensively – You never know with extended time off how teams are going to look. Often times, the long layoff leads to offensive struggles. On other occasions, the extensive practice and time to get healthy has an offense clicking on all cylinders. Central Florida has some talent on defense, but Georgia should be able to move the ball with success. The offensive front should be able to impose its will. Aaron Murray should have ample shots downfield with A.J. Green and Orson Charles. The big question will be the running game. If the Dogs lean on Ealey or King, there could be the chance for a 100-yard day, and that almost always spells victory.

4.

Avoid Turnovers – This is a no-brainer for any game, any day at any level. If you win the turnover battle – especially if it’s plus-two or more – you’re batting between .900 and 1.000. Central Florida’s best shot to pull off a win over a royal collegiate football power, which is vulnerable at 6-6 this year, is to get some short fields and an easy score or two. Georgia improved in the turnover department from ’09 to ’10, but the Bulldogs were negative-five in the six losses, including a minus-three in the heart-breaking loss to Florida.

5..

Want it – Georgia is a royal collegiate football program from the grand and mighty Southeastern Conference. Central Florida is the upstart from Conference USA. This game means a whole lot to the Knights – especially since coach George O’Leary used to be at Ga. Tech. To win the conference and beat a program like Georgia in the Liberty Bowl would represent one of the great accomplishments in Central Florida history. Georgia has better material though, and if the Bulldogs really want, the Dogs should get it. in a game like this when the Bulldogs could sleep-walk to an easy victory, Georgia doesn’t want to lose a front-liner for Auburn and Tech.

Bulldawg Illustrated