The Mark Richt Victory Watch

Contrary to the belief of the ignorant ESPN announcers who considered the 2011 edition of Clean Old-Fashioned Hate to be the equivalent of a late-season NFL game in which one team already had clinched home field advantage for the playoffs, it is a very big deal when the Georgia Bulldogs play the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

The Engineers almost certainly are the best team the ‘Dawgs have played since falling to 0-2 against the South Carolina Gamecocks, so it matters a great deal that, despite the absence of Isaiah Crowell and the early loss of Kwame Geathers, Georgia led throughout to afford me the opportunity to update the Mark Richt Victory Watch.

The Mark Richt Victory Watch now stands at 106, just 95 wins shy of Vince Dooley’s all-time school record. With 142 games under his belt, Mark Richt has more wins (106), fewer losses (36), and a higher winning percentage (.747) than any of his predecessors. Wally Butts, by contrast, stood at 94-41-7 at the same point, while Vince Dooley was at 95-42-5. Both Coach Butts and Coach Dooley had .687 winning percentages after 142 games.

The convincing win on the road against a quality outfit like Paul Johnson’s Golden Tornado squad was a major feather in the cap of a young club riddled with injuries. Today’s victory was the Bulldogs’ tenth over the Ramblin’ Wreck in the last eleven years, and the Red and Black’s tenth in a row overall to give the Classic City Canines their seventh season of double-digit victories in the last decade.

Georgia has beaten the Tennessee Volunteers, the Florida Gators, the Auburn Tigers, and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the same season for the first time in 30 years. Maybe it’s just me, but I’d call that "playing somebody."

Go ‘Dawgs!