Georgia-Ole Miss

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Fan photos from Coastal Carolina • Fan profile - Mike Woods• Bulldawg leader - Bruce Figgins • A view from Oxford

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From the editor : vance leavy Hooray for the home team! Yes Bulldog fans it was a great day in Sanford Stadium this past Saturday as our boys in red and black not only got their first victory of the 2011 season, but they did it in grand fashion with a 59-0 shut out of Coastal Carolina.

For the second straight week, Isaiah Crowell showed off his talents toting the rock. Please, please Coach Richt and Coach Bobo continue to give this young man the ball. And Aaron Murray had a much needed solid performance which will surely be beneficial as weeks of SEC games beckon.

And could the goose egg that Coach Grantham’s crew secured be a sign that our defense is about to be nasty week in and week out? I sure hope so because it’s a long time coming for the group of young men who have put in countless hours towards improvement.

I chose this photo of Aron White and Christian Robinson as a reminder to everyone that having fun is really what the game of football is all about.

And that goes for us fans as well. Yes, the 0-2 start was brutal that had many folks flat out mad and down on our program, me included. Now it’s time for the Bulldog Nation to unite behind our players and coaches as they hopefully have begun a very long winning streak.

And what better place to continue the positive momen-

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tum than going on the road into a hostile environment to prove it? Without question, Ole Miss will certainly be a much tougher challenge than Coastal Carolina. And even though they are struggling after getting thrashed by Vandy, you can bet Georgia is going to get everything they can muster this coming Saturday. Playing a team with something to prove is always challenging, but, the way I look at, our Bulldogs have just as much to prove. It’s time to let the rest of the SEC East know that Georgia is that team that many of the experts thought could earn a spot in the championship game in December.

So here we go on the road to Oxford, one of college football’s greatest settings.

Our fan base only gets to hang out in The Grove every five years, so I encourage anyone that’s sitting on the fence to get your work Photograph by Ryan Scates done this week so you can head over to support the team. There’s sure to be plenty of fun before and after the game. And I fully expect the same to be said for during the game.

Enjoy this issue of BI. JD, Murray and Travis have our usual sports coverage to get you informed on the upcoming game.

And there are a ton of photos from the Coastal Carolina win. It’s always a blast to take photos at a game where the Dawgs are rolling as the smiles are always bigger.

Hotty Toddy, here we come ... hope to see you in The Grove on Saturday.

Go Dawgs!

Ole Miss 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 Alan Lanier Sports Murray Poole, Travis Ragsdale Layout/Design Vance Leavy Sports Photographers Rob Saye Ryan Scates Ad Design Cheri Leavy Andrew Miller Cover Art & Photoa Jack Davis, Rob Saye, Vance Leavy Columnists Carlton DeVooght. Al Hickson Reg Murphy, Rob Sherrell Loran Smith. Chad White Online Student Editor Travis Ragsdale

Ole Miss, September 20, 2011 FOR ADVERTISING OR TO SUBSCRIBE: andrew@bulldawgillustrated.com

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jeff dantzler Remembering the 1971 juggernaut This past Friday night, prior to Georgia’s win over Coastal Carolina, there was a grand gathering at the Athens Country Club celebrating the 40th anniversary of one of the Bulldogs finest football teams ever – the 1971 juggernaut that finished the year 11-1, with a No. 7 national ranking and Gator Bowl championship.

On the heels of two straight mediocre seasons (5-5-1 in 1969 and 5-5 in 1970), Georgia returned to the form of 1966 and ’68, when the Bulldogs roared to Southeastern Conference championships and into the top 10. Not only was it one of the best seasons in program history, it was one of the most important. It put Georgia back on top of the college football landscape and provided a bridge through some up and down years until another championship campaign in Athens. The Bulldogs followed the phenomenal ’71 season with records of 7-4 in 1972, 7-4-1 in ’73 and 6-6 in ’74 before the highly successful seasons of 1975 and ’76, which produced marks of 9-3 and 10-2 – the latter of which delivered the SEC title.

Head coach Vince Dooley, legendary defensive coordinator Erk Russell – a pair of college hall of famers – and a stellar staff oversaw a truly complete team, filled with standouts who performed their best when the chips were down.

Andy Johnson, one of the greatest quarterbacks in Georgia history, was the National Sophomore of the Year, and triggerman of a stellar offense.

Georgia scored 28 or more points seven times, and Johnson famously led the Bulldogs to the game – winning drive in a thrilling 28-24 victory over Tech on the flats, capped by star running back Jimmy Poulos’s dive to glory.

The Bulldogs defense was one of the most dominant in school history.

Russell’s gritty, rough and tough Dawgs gave up seven or fewer points in a remarkable nine of 12 games.

Georgia shut out four foes, including three in a row against Vanderbilt, Kentucky and South Carolina prior to a 49-7 pummeling of Florida. The Dogs gave up seven points four times and beat North Carolina, coached by Dooley’s brother Bill, 7-3 in the Gator Bowl.

As for the kicking game, Bobby Poss is one of Georgia’s best ever snappers, Kim Braswell was a surefooted kicker, and defensive back/return ace Buzy “The Superfrog” Rosenberg was a threat to score any time he touched the pigskin. In the season-opening 56-25 chomping of the Beavers of Oregon State, coached by big Dee Andros, a colorful 300pounder who loved to wear bright Orange shirts, Rosenberg set NCAA, SEC and school records with five punt returns for 202 yards and two touchdowns.

It was such an unforgettable campaign that even the loss brings back fond memories – up until the game.

Georgia, Auburn and Alabama were all undefeated in mid-November.

The Tigers prevailed over the Bulldogs in Sanford Stadium. It was one of the toughest losses in school history, but the atmosphere and hysteria leading up to that game will never be forgotten by those who were there.

There are numerous stories of tickets going for well over $100 dollars. Remember, this is 1971.

“I remember being offered $125 dollars for my ticket,” recalls Allen Miller, Georgia national championship tennis legend and lifelong die-hard Bulldog lover, who was nine years old at the time. “My dad said,

‘son, do what you want,’ and I said, I want to go to the game!”

Another Georgia alum said he sold two for $450 dollars, but got to the famed railroad tracks on Thursday armed with a sofa and his newfound wealth.

To this day, only the unforgettable 1976 victory over Alabama brings up these kind of memories and stories of a football week in Athens.

Following the loss to the Tigers, Georgia bounced back with the aforementioned 28-24 comeback win over Tech on the flats.

Johnson hit Mike Greene for a big first down on fourth and long.

With the clock winding down, Poulos scored and the Dogs prevailed.

That victory came on one of college football’s most significant days ever – Thanksgiving Day, 1971.

Georgia’s triumph over the Yellow Jackets was the second half of an ABC Holiday College Football doubleheader. Earlier that afternoon in Norman, top-ranked Nebraska beat No. 2 Oklahoma 35-31 in what is widely considered the greatest regular season college football game ever.

It was one of the most dynamic seasons in college football annals.

Alabama beat Auburn to stay undefeated and drew Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. Big Red steamrolled Bear Bryant’s Crimson Tide 38-6 and continues to draw consideration as one of the best teams in history.

For Georgia, it was 10-1 and on to Jacksonville, where the Bulldogs won again.

Amongst the powerful pieces of this fantastic Georgia juggernaut was a powerful defensive line led by Mixon Robinson, Jim Cagle and Chuck Heard.

It’s no secret that being dominant up front is a great recipe for success.

When the run can be stuffed and the passer pressured without help, the rest of a stop unit is free to flourish.

For Georgia’s aforementioned success of 1966-68, there were AllAmericans George Patton, Bill Stanfill and Steve Greer, plus other standouts like Billy Payne and Larry Kohn.

In the Golden Era of the early 1980s, the Georgia defensive front featured all-stars Eddie “Meat Cleaver” Weaver, Jimmy Payne and Freddie Gilbert at the head of the class.

Georgia’s great SEC Champions of 2002 had the country’s best interior defensive lineman Johnathan Sullivan and premier end, league Most Valuable Player David Pollack.

During the SEC’s unprecedented run of five straight national titles by four different schools, it’s been defensive linemen that have dominated and provided the signature moments in BCS Championship Games.

Jarvis Moss ran down and sacked Heisman winner Troy Smith in Florida’s 41-14 rout of Ohio State.

Ricky Jean Francois dominated the middle of the line and blocked a kick in LSU’s 38-24 victory over the Buckeyes.

Carlos Dunlap had two and a half sacks and was the dominating defender in the Gators 24-14 win over Oklahoma.

Marcel Dareus knocked out Colt McCoy and ran back that deflected interception at the end of the first half in Alabama’s 37-21 triumph over Texas.

Last season in Auburn’s 22-19 win over Oregon, it was Nick Fairley who earned MVP honors.

SEC national championship and Georgia history show that it takes great defensive linemen to win at the highest level.

Bulldawg Illustrated

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By Murray Poole

“Big Dawg” Woods has become an icon When Mike Woods was walking the aisles of Sanford Stadium selling peanuts and Cokes as a young lad, he had absolutely no idea that one day he would become one of the most recognizable figures in Bulldog Nation.

You’ve seen Mike Woods today. He’s now known as “Big Dawg” and he’s the guy with the bald head, with a bulldog face painted on top of his noggin.

He’s the guy wearing black overalls and a red shirt who shows up not only at the football games at Sanford Stadium but at Stegeman Coliseum for basketball and gymnastics, at Foley Field for Georgia baseball games and at all the other fields where the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs perform.

And not only do the Georgia fans in attendance get a glimpse of Big Dawg encouraging and cheering on his favorite team, all those folks back home watching the Dogs play via television usually see his bulldogpainted bald dome pop up on the screen. Yes, the TV cameras love Big Dawg Woods.

How did this all come about? How did an ordinary Georgia fan like Mike Woods from Colbert (east of Athens) evolve into what he is now, nearly an icon with everything that involves Red and Black?

Let’s allow Big Dawg to tell his own story: “I’ve been going to Georgia games since I was six years old,” he said. “My daddy worked for the university and drove the defensive team bus to the stadium for Coach Erk Russell. Well, my brother Lonnie and me would ride on the bus with them, get off at the stadium and go to work. Lonnie was bigger than me so he would sell the Cokes and I sold the peanuts. The peanut manager told us that when we sold out of peanuts, we would get to watch the rest of the game for free. Well, we always sold out by halftime and so we would get to walk around the stadium and watch the second half of the game.

“As I got older,” said Mike, “I started parking cars for the university and after we got done parking, they would give us a ticket to get into the game. Then when I was 19 years old, Diane and I got married. Diane worked for the university and is now retired with 35 years’ service. But I became a season ticket holder and I’ve been buying Georgia tickets for 41 years now. And the South Carolina game this year was our 41st wedding anniversary. I’ve just missed one GeorgiaFlorida game in those 41 years,” Woods proudly said, “and that was when I had back surgery and the doctor wouldn’t let me out.

That was in 1988, Vince Dooley’s last year, and if the doctor had let me out, I wouldn’t have missed that one.”

Woods explained that the ritual of the bald head/bulldog face was simply passed on to him by his dad.

“Like I said, my dad drove the defensive team bus for the university and the Georgia players on the bus then kept on asking me, ‘when is your dad gonna shave his head like Coach Russell?’ They wanted him to be like Erk but also wanted him to put a bulldog on his head. Well,” said Woods, “when Georgia went to the national championship game in 1980, daddy shaved his head for the first time. I went with him to New Orleans and it was just unreal. People just fell in love with daddy and what he had done to his head.

Daddy really dressed up, wearing a red coat, red shirt and a black tie and as, a matter of fact, one of the TV stations there did an interview with him at the game.”

Woods said his dad carried on the bulldog face-on-the-bald head tradition from 1980 until he passed away in 1987. “Then, in 1990, I’m sitting where my daddy usually sat in Sanford Stadium and the lady who sat in front of us, who was 80-something years old, turned around and said, ‘Mike, you’ve got to keep your daddy’s head going.’ I then told her, ‘yes, I’ll do it but I’ve got to do it my way.’

“But I did want to keep my daddy’s tradition going and that’s when I came up with the black overalls, red shirt and all the different Georgia patches,” he said. “Everybody gave me patches to go on my overalls … the Redcoat Band, ROTC, the alumni and a lot of

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Photograph by Ryan Scates

other folks.”

But, for Woods, then came the most tedious task of all, namely getting a true likeness of a bulldog’s face meticulously painted on his completely shaved head.

“We went to the Georgia-Florida game in 1990 and I was going to take an art student with me to the game to paint my head for the first time,” he said. “But she then backed out, couldn’t go to the game. So when we got to Jacksonville, we were sitting on the back of my truck in the Gator Bowl parking lot and Diane said, ‘let me paint that bulldog on your head.’ I told her, ‘honey, you ain’t never painted nothing in your life.’ A lot of women have done a little painting here and there but my wife hadn’t done any.

“But Diane looked at me and said, ‘Mike, I can paint that bulldog.’ So I told her, ‘if you can paint it, paint it!’ And then she said, ‘I’ll do it if you will just keep your mouth shut.’ Well, about two-and-a-half hours later, she was done. In painting the bulldog face on my head, she was going by one of the Georgia magnets on the side of the truck. Well, when Diane was done, I went around and looked in the side mirror and almost passed out. I really couldn’t believe what she had done and how good it looked. And she has been doing it ever since, by free hand.”

Woods said Diane has now got the painting of his head down to 45 minutes. “Before a football game, she normally paints it on Friday night and I wear it all night.” Woods said when the head painting first began, he found out he would sweat the red and black paint off during the course of a game. “But now, Diane mixes her own paint, puts some waterproof in it and it holds up 10 days. I wore it for 10 days straight at the College World Series until my hair started growing and it began pushing the paint up off my head. So I just reached up and peeled off the whole thing,” he said. “I’ve now got it sealed and up on my wall in my Bulldog room along with the baseball I had signed at the College World Series.”

Big Dawg is most proud of the fundraiser for Northeast Georgia Food Bank he was involved in at the recent South Carolina game. “The Food Network filmed our tailgate at Boggs Hall and I don’t know how many barrels of canned food we raised and we also raised 1,000 dollars in 20 minutes for Food Bank. Andrew Zimmer, the bald-headed guy who travels all over the world eating weird food, grilled hot dogs for the fans and they’re going to show it on the Food Network in November,” said Woods. “I really appreciate the fact that many people thought enough of me to bring that many canned goods.”

Woods said he’ll continue being Big Dawg at Georgia games “for as long as my health holds up. My youngest son says he will keep the tradition going but said he ain’t in any hurry right now to shave his head. But he said, ‘Daddy, I’ll keep it going for you. It’s become a family tradition.’”

Although his beloved Bulldogs got off to that 0-2 start this fall Woods, who will be taking his first trip to Ole Miss this weekend and is really anxious to see “The Grove,” has faith Georgia is going to start winning big and finish the year on a high note. “Against South Carolina, they didn’t quit, didn’t give up and kept playing to the very end and that’s what we’ve got to have,” Big Dawg said. “We’re moving forward now and have just got to play one game at a time. We’ve got to have the crowd stay with us – I can’t stress that enough!”

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Dogs vs. Rebels Both teams are facing must win situations to avoid mutiny among their rabid fan bases

By Travis Ragsdale

I

t seems the Bulldogs certainly hit their stride this past weekend with the shellacking of Coastal Carolina. It was the largest margin of victory for Georgia since 1994. On Saturday, Georgia sets their sights on their first true road game of the year against Ole Miss. The Dawgs and the Rebels come into the game with the same record 1-2 (0-1). However, Georgia has played a significantly harder schedule. Ole Miss is coming off an embarrassing 30-7 loss to the Vanderbilt Commodores this past weekend. It was a dominating performance for Vanderbilt as they picked off five Ole Miss passes. However, the Rebels should not be overlooked by Georgia as playing on the road in the SEC is never an easy task.

Ole Miss Quarterback Carousel

This past week, it was the junior college transfer and starter Zack Strout that threw the five interceptions to the stingy Commodore defense. As a result, another junior college quarterback Randall Mackey also played for the Rebels. It should be interesting to watch who is named starter prior to the game Saturday and who gets the majority of the snaps. At SEC media days in July, Ole Miss Head Coach Houston Nutt said even then that he had no idea who the starting quarterback for his team was going to be. It seems that he still doesn’t know. Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and defensive backs coach Scott Lakatos have to be chomping at the bit to scheme for these two quarterbacks. The Dawgs have an overwhelming amount more talent than Vanderbilt so the sky is the limit for what the Georgia secondary can accomplish on Saturday. Expect Georgia to be very aggressive from the start of this game applying pressure to the Rebel quarterback in hopes of forcing a few early turnovers. It would not be far fetched to expect three or four interceptions on Saturday for Georgia.

Georgia’s Mike and Moe

When Todd Grantham first arrived as defensive coordinator in Athens he installed some new terminology to the Dawg defense. One of these changes is the position names of the inside linebackers. Those are now known as the Mike and Moe positions. To start the season, Alec Ogletree was slated as the starter at Mike and Christian Robinson was set to play Moe. Now, with Ogletree out for four to six weeks with a broken foot and Christian Robinson out several weeks with a similar foot injury, the responsibility of these positions has fallen onto very inexperienced players. Amarlo Herrera has seen action at these positions, including a start against South Carolina. Also in the mix is Michael Gilliard, who started against Coastal Carolina. After these two players, Georgia has to start dipping into the walk-on pool. No fault to Jeremy Sulek because he has left his heart and soul out on the field when he’s been out there for the Dawgs; but with the SEC gauntlet in full throttle, the Dawgs need help at the Mike and Moe positions. Apparently, due to a little coaching creativity, they have found that needed help. Shawn Williams had previously only played safety for Georgia since he has been on campus. However in a surprise move, Williams practiced at the Moe position all of last week and started there opposite of Michael Gilliard this past weekend against Coastal Carolina.

Williams weighs in at 220 lbs. so he has the size to play the position. Now let’s see if he has the wherewithal to excel at it.

6

Photos by Rob Saye

Houston Nutt

Ah, Houston Nutt, the fan favorite. The only problem is that he is sometimes a favorite of Ole Miss’ opponents’ fans. Nutt’s known for doing some pretty crazy things in running his football team. From recruiting to play calling, Nutt has always made a point to be different.

The one thing about him that should concern Georgia is that every year, without fail, he beats somebody that he isn’t supposed to and ends up ruining the season for that particular team.

Georgia will certainly be favored to win in Oxford but this probably is not a high enough profile game for Nutt to pull out a magic trick and come out victorious. The reason Nutt is able to win big ball games from time to time is his ability to motivate his players at particular times. It would be safe to say that following a loss to Vanderbilt, Nutt will certainly have his Rebels fired up to play the Dawgs.

Intangibles

While the Dawgs are facing a road game, Oxford, Mississippi is not exactly known as a difficult place to play a football game as far as crowd noise goes. Ole Miss fans are generally a pretty calm bunch as compared to other SEC fan bases. Add that to the small confines of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium there is nothing to be intimidated about traveling to Ole Miss.

It will be an early game for both teams. With the TV schedule, the game will begin at 12:20 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. With Oxford being in the central time zone, this means an 11:20 a.m. kickoff time. It may not be that big of a deal but generally college students don’t function very well before noon. This should give the Dawgs a slight advantage. Coach Richt better preach to his players about not looking ahead to Mississippi State the following week because if the Dawgs were to lose, then the Mississippi State game would be far less important to Georgia. The Bulldogs will be in white jerseys for the first time this season.

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Bulldawg Illustrated

Bulldawg leader: Bruce Figgins

By Murray Poole

hen Bruce Figgins made his college debut with the Georgia Bulldogs in 2007 against Oklahoma State, he became the first true freshman since at least 1964 to start a season opener at tight end for UGA. Figgins then made the most of the opportunity by having an 11-yard touchdown catch against the Cowboys.

Following his sophomore year in 2008 when Figgins appeared in 11 games and had two starts, he underwent a redshirt year in ’09 after having shoulder surgery that January. Figgins came back last year and totaled four catches for 27 yards and two scores while continuing his outstanding blocking at the position. Then, prior to spring drills this year, the 64, 272-pound senior from Columbus’ Shaw High made the move from tight end to fullback to provide solid protection for the Georgia tailbacks. Here in this question-and-answer session with Bulldawg Illustrated Figgins – who had three receptions from his new position in the 45-42 loss to South Carolina Sept. 10 – and his mom, Kim, provide a good personal insight into the player who wears No. 89 for the Bulldogs.

Parents names: Bruce, Sr. and Kim Figgins

W

What do you view as the most important quality in being a leader for the team?

A good leader definitely has to play. He has to be on the field and show the players he can make a difference in the ball game. That’s the first thing and then there’s every phase of it. The younger guys watch you in the weight room so you have to set the right example for them in the weight room, the classroom and off campus in social situations.

When I was a freshman I watched people like Thomas Brown and how they conducted themselves off the field. You don’t have to be a loud guy to be a leader but you have to walk the walk.

Who do you consider to be the most important mentor in your life so far, and why?

I’ve had a lot of people play a big role in my life but, first of all, it would be my parents. They’re two great parents and have always supported me as has my twin sister, Patience, who’s there at every game for me. I get support full circle. Coach (John) Eason is no longer part of the coaching staff but has always supported me. And then there’s Thomas Settles, our team chaplain. He not only gives me good spiritual support but also sits down and talks about life with me.

What fellow player on the team motivates you to be the best you can be and why is that the case?

I can’t really pinpoint one guy. Since I’ve been here my freshman year, we’ve always had great lead-

His Foundation: Mother, Kim Figgins

The Figgins family Bruce Jr., Patience, Bruce Sr. and Kim

ers on the team. I see how they do things and then pass it on to the next team. Right now, it’s time for me to be that kind of guy and take the lead.

What is the best play or game you’ve had while at Georgia and why?

We didn’t come away with the win but probably my best overall game, I think, was the South Carolina game (week before last when he caught three passes for 36 yards). Then I remember my first game in ’07 against Oklahoma State. I was able to start that game and I caught a touchdown pass. I’ve always seen myself as a physical guy, doing my duties as a blocker and being able to make the catch and get up field when my number is called. At fullback now and with more reps, I’m feeling comfortable in my role. Coach (Bryan) McClendon has been great getting me ready every week and telling me the things I need to work on.

When you leave Georgia, what do you hope folks say about your contribution to the program?

I hope the players I played with and the guys that have been under me can say, “Bruce was a great guy, a good teammate and a person you could talk to off the field.” That I could relate to everyone and that I always brought a certain energy to the locker room and always had a smile on my face and was uplifting to everybody around What regular Georgia opponent do you enjoy playing the most and why?

Definitely, it’s Florida. It’s always an exciting game that’s played at a neutral spot. I know it means a lot to my family, our alumni and coaches and players alike. We got one over them in 2007 and there’s only five of us on the team now who were there then and have beaten Florida. So we all want to do that this year.

THE 2011

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Siblings names: Patience, 22 (Bruce’s twin sister) Main attribute that makes Bruce a leader: Bruce has always been a leader. He has a big heart, just loves everybody and wants them to do well. He’s so unselfish and like I say, it’s his huge heart and love for everyone that makes him a great leader and a great person.

Best childhood story: Bruce’s dad worked shift work back then – he’s a teacher now – but Bruce being my only son, we made it into a big deal when he was little to help me take the trash out.

I would tell him how important that trash people were, picking up our trash and all, and that we should love them and be thankful for them. But I never told him they were actually prisoners who were working. So B.J. –that’s what we called Bruce – would tell people how much he loved the trash people because I loved them. Well, when they had Career Day when Bruce was in kindergarten, the kids were to go up on the stage and tell everyone what they wanted to be when they grew up. When Bruce got up there, he said, “I want to be the most important person in Columbus because that’s the person my momma and I love the most. When I grow up, I want to be the person who comes to your house and picks up the trash.” Well, when he said that, you could have knocked me over; everybody’s mouth just flew open. And after being devastated, I got Bruce home and told him that our trash collectors were really prisoners and why everybody was shocked when he said that. But it was then that Bruce started feeling sorry for the prisoners and so every Monday when they got the trash, we started giving popsicles to them. He told me, “Momma, I can’t do that job but we just need to love them more now.” And that’s the kind of heart Bruce has.

Best thing about his time at Georgia: The first year Bruce went to Georgia was a good year but then Bruce got into some trouble – everybody knows that. I told Bruce I wish I could take the pain from him but he told me he needed to go through that to get to where he wanted to go. So, at Georgia, I’ve seen Bruce grow from that and not stay in that hole. He’s become a wonderful young man. Georgia has made Bruce a better person and I thank God for that.”

Nicest thing he’s ever done for you: I was sick on my birthday this year but Bruce and his twin, Patience, still wanted to do something special for me. Patience plans everything and makes sure everybody has a job on my birthday. And Bruce’s job was to, first, make sure he came home that weekend. My birthday is in April and it’s just before the spring game. Well, Bruce came home and his job was to bring me cheese cake from the cheese cake factory and, he got it there. Even though I was in bed sick all day, they all got in bed with me and we all ate cheesecake. That was very special to me. Of course, when Bruce is at Georgia, we text back and forth about five times a day … we send Bible quotes to each other.

A few things about Bruce outside of football: Bruce doesn’t play video, doesn’t play golf. He’s just a big family person. My family loves cookouts and my husband’s mom also has dinner every Sunday after church and, after dinner, we all sit around and watch movies. We also sit around the kitchen a lot and just love on each other. We’re a small family but just a very close family.”

Most entertaining story about UGA fans: Georgia fans are just a very exciting bunch. They love the Bulldogs and of course always want to win. It’s a tough time right now but the fans who love Georgia are always going to love Georgia, no matter what. The Georgia fans have been really good to Bruce.

What has Coach Richt meant to Bruce?

Going to Georgia, my son already knew how to be a man because his father is a great man. But Coach Richt has really been good for B.J. He stood beside B.J. and was there for him even in the tough times. Coach Richt was disappointed in Bruce at that time but he didn’t give up on him and I thank God for that.

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12

Bulldawg Illustrated

Jeff Dantzler’s Top 25 It was a great Saturday for College Football – a weekend that actually began with an SEC Thursday night slobber-knocker – chock full of big time match-ups and outstanding finishes. A lot of the big boys have fattened up on lesser competition, but we’re really seeing some teams that have now won multiple challenging games separate themselves a bit. LSU and Alabama look like the two best teams in the country right now. But the hard truth of the matter is that at least one of these powers won’t play for the SEC Championship.

1. LSU – It’s a strong 3-0 for the Fightin’ Tigers, who have beaten Oregon in Arlington, Texas and Mississippi State in Starkville. LSU lost a ton of defensive talent and are without two big offensive threats who are suspended, but the loaded Bayou Bengals haven’t skipped a beat. The Tiger defensive line is the nation’s best, highlighted by freshman phenom Anthony Johnson.

2. Alabama – It was another easy win for the Crimson Tide, who have cruised to a 3-0 start. Now comes an always tough battle with Arkansas before a highly anticipated road trip to Florida. Bama and LSU have the two best defenses in the nation. Trent Richardson is a stellar tailback. Quarterback is the big question mark, but Nick Saban seems to always manage.

3. Oklahoma – What a big win for “Boomer Sooner” down in Tallahassee. Oklahoma jumped in front 13-3, then after the Seminoles tied things up, the Sooners dominated the fourth quarter to win by 10.

4. Wisconsin – Russell Wilson and the Badgers are rolling. The big showdown with Nebraska on October 1 looms as one of the biggest games of the year in the country. The Badgers just blast inferior competition.

5. Boise State – The Broncos picked up a nice win over Toledo, which nearly beat Ohio State the previous Saturday. Kellen Moore is just incredibly accurate and the defensive line is excellent. Chris Petersen is now a sterling 63-5 at the Broncos helm.

6. South Carolina – It was shades of 1984, when the 9-0 2nd-ranked Gamecocks lost to Navy. Ouch. Coming off that emotional win at Georgia, Steve Spurrier turned to “Magnificent” Marcus Lattimore, who churned out 246 yards and three touchdowns on 37 carries in a thrilling 24-21 win over the Middies.

7. Oregon – The Ducks have the offense cranked back up after that season-opening loss to LSU in Arlington. Stanford is very strong and again the Cardinal and Oregon look like the class of the PAC-12.

8. Florida State – Tallahassee was rocking, it was a game that had a 1990s feel to it. The Seminoles battled back to tie the game 13-13, but Oklahoma pulled away. Florida State’s offense just couldn’t consistently move it. Too many mistakes against the Sooners.

9. Nebraska – Big Red fell behind Washington early, but the Cornhuskers controlled the second half and pulled away to win a 51-38 shootout.

Taylor Martinez is an excellent quarterback. The anticipation is building for the big showdown in Madison.

10. Oklahoma State – There was another weather delay – the most at this point college football has seen in a long time. Oklahoma State’s offense showed no signs of rust in a rout of Tulsa. Justin Blackmon is a big time talent.

11. Stanford – The Cardinal are cooking. Don’t bet against them. Quarterback Andrew Luck is an all-timer. He has all the tools – arm strength, accuracy, touch, mobility and great intelligence. That’s why bad pro teams have already started their “Suck for Luck” campaign to get the No. 1 overall pick.

12. Virginia Tech – Arkansas State, which was coming off of a 47-3 lambasting of Memphis, hung tough with Virginia Tech. The Hokies defense is very good and the offense made enough plays to win 26-7. A Hokie – Seminole ACC Championship Game could be in the works.

13. Texas A&M - It’s a great statistical race in the Big XII between Texas A&M and Oklahoma State. Both continue to put up big points and have hopes. Expectations in College Station are at their highest level since the Jackie Sherrill days.

14. Arkansas – The Razorbacks have pasted the Little Sisters of the Poor the last three weeks and now it’s time for Alabama. Tyler Wilson is one of the SEC’s best quarterbacks and their receivers are amongst the nation’s elite.

15. Florida – Will Muschamp picked up the first signature victory of his career, as the Gators held off Tennessee 33-23. Florida jumped to a big lead and the Vols battled back, but the Gators held on. The schedule is brutal for Florida, but the Gators are clearly a player in the SEC East.

16. West Virginia – One of the biggest games in Morgantown history is coming up, as LSU visits the Mountaineers. The Tigers have a couple of extra days to get ready after that Thursday win over Mississippi State. The Mountaineers took a thriller in an old rival victory over Maryland.

17. Baylor – Robert Griffin III just keeps rolling and the Bears offense is one of the best in a conference loaded with scoring machines. The method is different, but they’re smiling like the days of Grant Teaff in Waco after a 48-0 blasting of Stephen F. Austin kept the record perfect.

18. TCU –After suffering one of the most heart-breaking losses the program has suffered during his tenure, the Horned Frogs rolled past always tough Air Force and then clipped Louisiana-Monroe 38-17. Gary Patterson has done incredible things in Fort Worth.

19. South Florida – The Bulls are rolling, cashing in on a victory under the Golden Dome, South Florida has posted back-to-back blowouts. Skip Holtz’s crew took down Florida A&M 70-17, though the Rattlers – as always – won the battle of the bands.

20. Texas – Through the years, the Longhorns have had a devil of a time with UCLA, including an embarrassing loss during last year’s 5-7 campaign.

Texas got the offense cranking in a big 49-20 win. Don’t forget about the Longhorns in the Big XII race.

21. Clemson – The Tigers picked up one of the biggest wins for the program in a long time, rallying back from an early 14-0 deficit to down defending national champion Auburn 38-24. Death Valley was rocking and the Orange and White faithful stormed the field. It was shades of the Danny Ford days in Tiger Town.

22. Illinois – Flying under the radar with Ron Zook at the helm since that 2007 Rose Bowl berth, the Fightin’ Illini are back the Big Ten (12) mix.

Illinois scored an impressive 17-14 win over Arizona State, which has a great shot at winning the PAC-12 South.

23. Georgia Tech – The Yellow Jackets lost at Kansas last year, but absolutely took the Jayhawks to the woodshed at Grant Field, rolling up 66 points. Tech tallied over 700 total yards and posted over 600 on the ground.

24. Houston – The Cougars held off Louisiana Tech 35-34 to run their record to a perfect 3-0. Case Keenum, back for a sixth year, is shattering all kinds of records. Hopefully in all of this conference realignment, a lot of these “second tier” Texas schools can wind up in the same league.

25. Vanderbilt – The Commodores got Ole Miss again, pasting the Rebels 30-7 in the Music City. Houston Nutt’s seat is super-nova hot. James Franklin is in his first year at the Vandy helm, and they’re a very rare 3-0.

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13

A view from Oxford Rebel announcer looking forward to hosting the Bulldog Nation to The Grove on Saturday

By Jeff Dantzler

R

ichard Cross is an old friend and an excellent young announcer. Richard is a part of the Ole Miss Radio Network and a regional football and basketball announcer. He gives us his thoughts on Saturday’s match-up between the two greatest tailgating schools in all the land!

Are the Ole Miss people looking forward to Georgia coming to town?

In a word, yes. For whatever reason, there has always seemed to be a bit of a kinship between the Ole Miss and Georgia fan bases; it is too bad Rebels and the Dawgs don’t play on annual basis. Ole Miss has a strong home schedule this year with Alabama, LSU and Arkansas all coming to Oxford. The most talked about game of the offseason, though, has without question been UGA. The season-opener with BYU was a heart-breaker, but are most fans still “up” on the season?

Ole Miss fans are living in a state of frustration right now. After back to back Cotton Bowl wins in Houston Nutt’s first two seasons, nobody was prepared for last year’s 4-8 debacle. Ole Miss fans are dying for something to be excited about, but they are also in a constant state of waiting for the next shoe to drop. A solid start to SEC play would go a long way with Ole Miss fans.

What are some things Ole Miss needs to do to beat Georgia?

Run the ball. The Ole Miss offensive line, ballyhooed coming into the year, has struggled. If Ole Miss can run the ball to set up the play action, they can be successful on offense. A one dimensional scheme in this league is a recipe for disaster.

Also, the secondary has to continue to play well. Aaron Murray will be, by a long shot, the most talented QB the Rebels have seen this year. Not allowing him to throw for 400 yards with 5 TDs would be a positive.

What is your take on Georgia?

Clearly there is talent on the Georgia roster. I love the way Aaron Murray plays the game. Any team in America would take Orson Charles. My concern going into the season with Georgia was whether or not they could stop anyone, and that appears to have been a valid concern. Seems also as if the injury bug has bitten hard, and certainly that is the last thing Mark Richt needed.

Do you feel like there is a lot of pressure on Houston Nutt to have a winning season to stay on as the Rebels coach?

Winning season – No. Vast improvement – Yes. I said before the season began on my radio show that 4-8 with a third consecutive loss to Mississippi State would get Nutt a one-way bus ticket out of Oxford. That said I believe Ole Miss is improved, especially on defense.

photograph by oxfordcatering.com

Who do you see playing in the SEC Championship Game?

I picked LSU to win the national championship, so LSU from the West.

In the East, I think South Carolina is the most complete team. The pieces the Gamecocks have in place make them scary…if Steve will leave Stephen Garcia alone.

What are your thoughts on conference expansion?

I have mixed emotions. The college football landscape is shifting, and make no mistake, this all about college football. I believe Mike Slive is a really smart guy and is underestimated by a lot of fans. He will take care of the SEC. And the SEC will emerge from expansion/realignment as the best conference in America, just like it is now.

From the standpoint of the Mississippi schools, who have historically struggled to consistently compete at the highest level, adding multiple upper-echelon teams to an already rugged league is a little disconcerting.

What are some Ole Miss-Georgia games that stand out to you?

Three come to mind, and keep in mind I’m not the historian you are.

The 1995 and 1996 games were a big deal. Those were the first two years of the Tommy Tubberville era and were both wins for Ole Miss. As good as the home win was in ’95, winning on the road in ’96 was huge. The play from game that stands out to me is Walker Jones and Brock Kreitz chasing down Hines Ward to save a TD. Hines didn’t get caught very often.

2006 in Athens was frustrating for Ole Miss. Georgia won the game 149, but the story was the way the Dawgs finished it out. It got awfully close, but Georgia was able to pull it out.

What will the scene be like in the grove?

Come on, JD…you already know the answer to this one. Tailgating polls all just have an asterisk now to denote Ole Miss as the de facto national champ. Everybody else is playing for second.

Ole Miss scouting report

By Murray Poole Location: Oxford, Miss.

Conference: SEC West Enrollment: 19,546 (all Ole Miss campuses) Record: 1-2 overall and 0-1 SEC after an opening 1413 loss to Brigham Young, a 42-24 win over Southern Illinois and then a 30-7 loss to Vanderbilt this past Saturday.

Mascot: Rebel Black Bear Why Ole Miss could win: After going a very disappointing 4-8 last season, Houston Nutt’s Rebels should be motivated to achieve a winning record here in 2011.

And with a good nucleus – 9 offensive starters, 5 defensive – returning from the 2010 squad, Ole Miss does indeed have the experience to be a much improved football team this go-round … even though the Rebels have yet to show it, prompting Ole Miss athletic director Pete Boone to call the state of the football program “unacceptable” after the loss in Nashville. But Saturphotograph by secsportsmedia.com day will mark the Rebels’ SEC home debut at VaughtHemingway Stadium and, after the disappointing loss to Vandy, they will be pumped to deal the Bulldogs their second conference loss of this young season. Certainly, if Georgia goes to Oxford and starts turning the ball over – the way the Bulldogs did in the tough loss to South Carolina – then the Rebels are fully capable of upsetting Georgia and thus turning up the heat on Mark Richt and his UGA staff.

Why Ole Miss could lose: The Rebels should lose this football game because they simply can’t stack up in talent with a Georgia team that gained some momentum in the 59-0 rout of Coastal Carolina and should be motivated to rebound from the 45-42 loss to South Carolina and even its SEC slate at 1-1. And too, with Ole Miss owning the SEC’s worst defense (surrendering 35 points a game) last season and question marks still looming everywhere in the early going this year, the Georgia offense featuring Aaron Murray’s passing and Isaiah Crowell’s running should be able to light up the scoreboard frequently Saturday afternoon.

What Ole Miss coach is saying: "Man, it's disappointing. I'm just very disappointed about today,” said Rebel coach Nutt following the pounding by the Commodores. “I know we’re better than that. I have to let them know that I still believe in them. I’ve just got to do a much better job of getting them ready to go.”

What Ole Miss players are saying: “Yeah we got answers,” said Ole Miss junior quarterback Zack Stoudt, who along with sophomore tailback Jeff Scott have provided most of the Rebels’ offense to date. “We just didn’t execute our answers. There were a lot of mistakes we have to work on next week, but we’re not giving up. We’re going to keep our heads up and see how we respond next week against Georgia.”

What Ole Miss fans are saying: “Georgia will come in here knowing they have the better team and will win by at least three TD's,” said one pessimistic Rebel fan after the loss to Vanderbilt. “But what if Nutt comes back and beats Georgia in a convincing game next week?” countered another. “He’s been known to pull a rabbit out of the hat from time to time. Will people get back on the bandwagon and say it's just a young team finding its way? I don’t know, but (Saturday’s) performance was just horrible. Yes, it is a young team, but no younger than LSU. I don’t mean that as a dig at Ole Miss, but youth doesn’t look like an excuse for what Nutt is putting on the field. I’m just unsure what the leadership at Ole Miss can do about it right now.”

Noteworthy: Georgia still commands a one-sided lead in this series, which began in 1940. The Bulldogs have beaten the Rebels 30 times while losing 12 times to Ole Miss and having one tie. Georgia, in fact, enters Saturday’s game with an eight-game win streak against the Rebels, the last Ole Miss victory over the Bulldogs coming in 1996 when the Rebels trimmed Georgia in Athens, 31-27. In the most recent meeting, 2007 in Athens, the Bulldogs hammered Ole Miss, 45-17.

14

Rousing Rebels

By Jeff Dantzler #97 Tyler Campbell, P 6-2, 227 Jr. Little Rock, Ark. There’s a good chance – as is the case with nearly every Southeastern Conference contest – that this one will be tight and come down to the wire. Field position could certainly make the difference, and if you love punters, this is a lights out match-up. Georgia’s Drew Butler won the Ray Guy Award, led the nation in punting, and was a unanimous first team All-American. Last season, Campbell led the nation in punting, averaging 46.4 yards.

He had 19 punts of 50 or more yard and five of 60 yards plus. Campbell’s off to a great start in 2011, averaging over 48 yards per punt. For his career, Campbell has averaged over 45 yards per boot. #79 Bobby Massie, RT 6-6, 325 Jr. Lynchburg, Va. The strength of the Rebels is an excellent offensive line, which returns all five starters from last year’s team. It’s a talented unit with a great deal of size and experience.

Massie, a junior who was heavily recruited by Georgia, anchors the right side along with enormous sophomore guard Jared Duke, who’s 6-7, 346. The other three starters are all seniors, and all huge. Left tackle Bradley Sowell (6-7, 315) and left guard Alex Washington (6-4, 356) are both seniors, while senior center A.J. Hawkins (6-3, 313) is one of the league’s best. Ole Miss has had awful luck with injuries at tailback, losing three ball-carriers in the heart-breaking 14-13 season-opening loss to Brigham Young. No matter who the ball carrier is, the Rebels love to run behind Massie on the right side. He’s Ole Miss’s most talented offensive linemen since the famed Michael Oher, starting Baltimore Ravens tackle, the subject of the superb book The Blind Side, and 2009 first round pick. #18 Zack Stoudt, QB 6-4, 222 Jr. Dublin, Ohio Injuries have riddled the Rebles at tailback and three quarterbacks – Stoudt, Randall Mackey and Barry Brunetti – have been in competition to start behind center. Stoudt began his career at Louisville, transferred to junior college and then signed with the Rebels. In the opener against Brigham Young, Stoudt came off the bench and was 13 of 25 with 140 yards. That was a devastating loss for the Rebels, but they were able to bounce back with Stoudt in the starting lineup and handle Southern Illinois 42-24 in Oxford. Stoudt did a nice job running the offense, hitting 11 of 18 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown. His father Cliff Stoudt was a Pittsburgh Steelers backup for Terry Bradshaw, and was on the roster for a pair of their Super Bowl championships.

Bulldawg Illustrated