Warning: this is your last chance to accomplish actual, meaningful work before the weekend starts. But before you get down to business, let's stroll through some headlines. . .
Rico Johnson's career ends because of medical issue | Bulldogs Beat with Seth Emerson | Macon.com
A truly miserable bit of news, as promising freshman DB Rico Johnson's career is over due to a neurological issue which manifested itself in practice this week, and apparently puts him at risk for a spinal chord injury. Obviously Johnson is a big time talent, who's already used his world-class speed to make plays on special teams and looked ticketed to make a big difference in the secondary. But this news was also disappointing for me because I remember watching Rico as a high school player at Swainsboro and hoping that Georgia would give him a shot. There are really only so many guys with wheels like that. Johnson has also already earned a reputation around campus and with writers for being an all-around nice guy. Here's hoping that he's able to stay involved with the team, finish his degree, and excel in pursuits beyond football.
On the beat: Douglas is back, so is punt return, another walk-on story | Bulldogs Beat with Seth Emerson | Macon.com
Seth Emerson talks Brendan Douglas, the resurgent Georgia punt return game, and the latest walk-on to make an impact for the Bulldogs. Last year when players were going down all over the place we talked about the silver-lining being guys like Douglas and J.J. Green going into their sophomore seasons with tons of on-field experience. I'm not thrilled that our tailback rotation is once again held together with duct tape and bubble gum, but I am a lot more confident in Brendan Douglas knowing how he played as a freshman. It's an almost embarrassing luxury to be able to throw a guy like that out there as your fifth string tailback.
Derek Mason to Georgia: We can handle your blitz
Vanderbilt sure talks a lot of crap from top to bottom for a team that got its rear end handed to it by Temple and barely escaped against UMass. Fake it till you make it, right? From Derek Mason: "What's going to happen is this: We have answers for the zero (coverage) pressure. If they want to bring it, we will show them the answers and then they can decide if they still want to blitz us. If they want to keep bringing it, then we will keep going through those answers. It's not one answer. It's three or four answers that we have." Actually, the more I think about it, he may not be talking smack. This may be how Derek Mason flirts with female sports reporters.
Faith and football: Brandon Kublanow to play on religious holiday - The Red and Black : Sports
Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement on the Jewish calendar, and will begin at nightfall on Oct. 3 and end at nightfall on Oct. 4. Georgia offensive lineman Brandon Kublanow will be atoning in a different way from most Jewish students at Georgia when Vanderbilt comes to Athens this Saturday.
Arizona Shocks Oregon Once Again. - ESPN
One day poll voters will learn to stop having faith in Oregon. And one day Michigan fans will feel miserable when they wake up to find out that Rich Rodriguez's Arizona team is 5-0. That day is today, for what it's worth.
That should get you started. You've got a full day ahead of you, and we've got a full day of Bulldog news and analysis here. So stop back by when you get a chance. Until later . . .
Go 'Dawgs!!!