Dawg Sports: FanPosts

It's All About the Benjamins: Why the University of Georgia Can Succeed as a Lacrosse School

2013-05-25T02:54:56Z

Happy Memorial Day weekend! As you may know, Division I men’s lacrosse is about to crown a new NCAA champion, and our own Lax Dawgs finished in the top 20 in the MCLA following their SELC championship season. That would seem to make this an opportune time for me to renew my efforts to state the case for varsity lacrosse at the University of Georgia.

First, though, a brief recap of what has transpired since last I posted in this space would seem to be in order. The Red and Black men’s tennis team made the national semifinals, while the ladies made the quarterfinals. The women’s equestrian team finished second in the nation for the third straight season, and the Gym Dogs made it back to the Super Six. The men’s golf team is about to begin competition for an NCAA title, whereas the women’s swimming team has already won a national championship. In short, if it’s a sport about which citizens are serious in affluent Peach State suburbs, particularly in metropolitan Atlanta, the University of Georgia is good at it.

This brings us to lacrosse.

Of the 32 high schools whose boys’ lacrosse teams made this year’s Class 5A and Class 6A playoffs, 31 of them hailed from one of six Georgia counties: Cobb, Columbia, DeKalb, Fayette, Fulton, and Gwinnett. According to 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data, those six counties all are among the ten wealthiest counties in the Empire State of the South, with each having a per capita income above $27,300 annually. If, as chuckdawg often has observed, the University of Georgia excels at "country club sports," lacrosse ought to be an endeavor at which the Bulldogs may do well merely by drawing from the areas of the state in which "the Creator’s game" is on the upswing.

Incidentally, according to this report (.pdf) from the University System of Georgia, Cobb, Columbia, DeKalb, Fayette, Fulton, and Gwinnett Counties together accounted for 54.9 per cent of the in-state first-time freshmen who enrolled at the University of Georgia in the fall of 2011 (the most recent autumn for which I was able to find complete data).

That’s right. The year before last, nearly 55 out of every 100 incoming Peach State frosh entering the University of Georgia hailed from one of the six counties that together accounted for nearly 97 per cent of this year’s high school lacrosse playoff field. Since they’ve come, we can build it.

This, of course, is not news to the fine folks involved in the highly successful Bulldog club lacrosse program, who know where to look for future players, and who showed the good sense to schedule a regular-season conference game at Centennial High School, home of the 2013 GHSA Class 6A state champions. It should not be news to the powers that be in Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall, but, given how long it took for David Perno to be fired, I’m not going to assume anything is so obvious that it absolutely goes without saying, so here it is:

Georgia is good at sports that are played at a high level in the high-income areas from which the student body in Athens increasingly is drawn. Lacrosse is no exception to this rule. Therefore, the Bulldogs should field varsity lacrosse teams in the same manner, for the same reasons, and with the same expectations as our equestrian, golf, gymnastics, tennis, and swimming and diving teams.

Go ‘Dawgs!

This brings us to lacrosse.

Go ‘Dawgs!

Poll

Should the University of Georgia field men's and women's Division I varsity lacrosse teams?

Free Kolton Houston

2013-05-22T23:23:32Z

Sign the Petition to reinstate Kolton! The kid has gone out of his way to get on the field:

-CBS Sports -Bleacher Report -ESPN Outside the Lines -Atlanta Journal Constitution -The Post Game -The Red & Black -The Athens Banner Herald -Change.org
Here is a link to the petition with all of the media coverage linked:
https://www.change.org/petitions/mark-emmert-and-the-ncaa-allow-kolton-houston-to-pursue-his-collegiate-dream-to-compete-athletically

Sign the Petition to reinstate Kolton! The kid has gone out of his way to get on the field:

Poll

Should the NCAA let Kolton Houston play?

What's next for the Diamond Dawgs?

2013-05-20T19:25:16Z

Athletic Director Greg McGarity notified David Perno yesterday that he would not be retained as the head baseball coach at the University of Georgia. The firing comes on the heels of a 21-32 season and a conference-worst 7-20 SEC record. Perhaps the most telling statistic is Perno's 57-87 record in SEC games since his team finished national runner-up in 2008. So what is next for the Diamond Dogs?

via tigerrag.com

In selection of a new coach, McGarity must start by choosing someone who can control damage done over the last several years. Perno, despite his success, has earned a reputation of oversigning. In conversations I've had with several successful high school coaches just this season, sentiment had grown that sending a baseball player to UGA was a dicey proposal because of Perno's propensity to make lofty promises to recruits, only to redshirt them and cut them a year later. That reputation is toxic, and that word spreads quickly.

I discussed facilities in depth in a (way-too-long) comment when Kyle made the case for firing Perno last year. While improvements have been made at Foley and more are coming, any highly desirable coach will expect a solid investment and committed effort to improve Foley by McGarity. Additionally, Perno's annual compensation of $425,000 put him in the middle of the pack in the SEC (numbers as of 2010, most recent I could find). To hire the coach fans expect to return Georgia to Omaha, salary will have to be comparable to Perno's current pay rate, dependent upon the experience of whoever the new guy is.

Expect the new coach to have a working knowledge of prep baseball in the Peach State. Ranked as the third best state for high school baseball in the country by USA Today, Georgia is loaded with talent. Though recruiting classes at UGA have consistently been ranked highly, a successful coach will stop the bleeding of prospect to Georgia Tech, Clemson, and even smaller programs like Kennesaw State and Mercer.

Likely candidates for the job:

College of Charleston Head Coach Monte Lee: The former South Carolina assistant under Ray Tanner is 187-109 in 5 years for the Cougars, with a Southern Conference Championship in 2012 and two NCAA tournament berths.
Mississippi State Associate Head Coach Butch Thompson: Pitching coach under Perno from 2002-2005, including the CWS team of 2004, he is a highly-regarded recruiter and developer of pitchers, something the Dawgs have lacked for several years.
Longtime professional and college coach Doug Sisson: The Athens resident was associate head coach under Perno in 2006 and 07, and has been a minor-league manager and field coordinator, and was most recently 1st base coach of the Kansas City Royals under Ned Yost. A "player's coach" who was instrumental in the Dawgs' 2006 CWS season.
Mercer Head Coach Craig Gibson: Ten years at the helm in Macon, he will likely take the Bears to their second regional in 4 years this season. He knows the state well, and is regarded for his player development skills. He has also notched wins over Georgia Tech and Mississippi State in 2012, and led his team to a school-record 42 wins in 2013. (Incidentally, former UGA standout and assistant coach Justin Holmes is on his Mercer staff--check out Holmes taking out the Arizona catcher in the 2004 CWS).
Arkansas Associate Head Coach Todd Butler: Dave Van Horn's right-hand-man in Fayetteville, he is a former Alabama assistant and McNeese State head coach. With over 20 years as an assistant or head coach, his teams have made five CWS appearances with him as an assistant, and he advanced to a Regioinal in 2003 as head coach. Widely regarded as one of the best recruiters and hitting coaches in college baseball.

A couple other names you might hear (but probably won't happen):

Atlanta Braves first-base coach Terry Pendleton: He is rumored to have an interest in the collegiate ranks, but is unproven as a head coach and has no experience at the college level.
Vanderbilt Head Coach Tim Corbin: This is the biggest long-shot, but would be a huge get for UGA. Corbin is a former assistant under Jack Leggett at Clemson, The man is 459-224 in 11 seasons in Nashville, and he has built the formerly hapless Commodore program into a perennial top 5 program. It's highly doubtful he'd leave, but it would be worth the phone call.

Whoever is hired, the potential is there to return this team to its glory of the last decade. Arms are an immediate need, but a strong nucleus will return from this year's team with a highly regarded freshman class from this past season. Here's hoping Greg gets this hiring right.

via tigerrag.com

Likely candidates for the job:

College of Charleston Head Coach Monte Lee: The former South Carolina assistant under Ray Tanner is 187-109 in 5 years for the Cougars, with a Southern Conference Championship in 2012 and two NCAA tournament berths.
Mississippi State Associate Head Coach Butch Thompson: Pitching coach under Perno from 2002-2005, including the CWS team of 2004, he is a highly-regarded recruiter and developer of pitchers, something the Dawgs have lacked for several years.
Longtime professional and college coach Doug Sisson: The Athens resident was associate head coach under Perno in 2006 and 07, and has been a minor-league manager and field coordinator, and was most recently 1st base coach of the Kansas City Royals under Ned Yost. A "player's coach" who was instrumental in the Dawgs' 2006 CWS season.
Mercer Head Coach Craig Gibson: Ten years at the helm in Macon, he will likely take the Bears to their second regional in 4 years this season. He knows the state well, and is regarded for his player development skills. He has also notched wins over Georgia Tech and Mississippi State in 2012, and led his team to a school-record 42 wins in 2013. (Incidentally, former UGA standout and assistant coach Justin Holmes is on his Mercer staff--check out Holmes taking out the Arizona catcher in the 2004 CWS).
Arkansas Associate Head Coach Todd Butler: Dave Van Horn's right-hand-man in Fayetteville, he is a former Alabama assistant and McNeese State head coach. With over 20 years as an assistant or head coach, his teams have made five CWS appearances with him as an assistant, and he advanced to a Regioinal in 2003 as head coach. Widely regarded as one of the best recruiters and hitting coaches in college baseball.

A couple other names you might hear (but probably won't happen):

Atlanta Braves first-base coach Terry Pendleton: He is rumored to have an interest in the collegiate ranks, but is unproven as a head coach and has no experience at the college level.
Vanderbilt Head Coach Tim Corbin: This is the biggest long-shot, but would be a huge get for UGA. Corbin is a former assistant under Jack Leggett at Clemson, The man is 459-224 in 11 seasons in Nashville, and he has built the formerly hapless Commodore program into a perennial top 5 program. It's highly doubtful he'd leave, but it would be worth the phone call.

John Kasay to Retire as a Panther

2013-05-07T15:22:03Z

The Panthers announced earlier today that John has signed a One Day Contract that will allow him to retire as a Panther. John was originally drafted by the Seahawks in 1991, where he promptly led the team in scoring for 4 years and was grabbed by the Panthers in 1995, where he promptly inked his name in the brand new franchise's kicking records, became the Panthers leading all-time scorer. He was the last inaugural member of the Panthers when he was picked up by the Saints in 2011.
John Kasay is well represented in the NFL records. He broke the record for most Field Goals in a season (37) in 1996 (a record since broken by 3 others), second in 50+ yard Field Goals Made (42). He is the only player to convert 4 consecutive 46+ yard field goals in a game and is one of seven players to make 400 or more Field Goals.

Such a great NFL career could not have started without an excellent College career at the University of Georgia. The fact that the media guide only lists him so infrequently is a tribute to the the great tradition of place kickers that UGA has. Kasay is currently 7th in PAT% career, 8th PAT Attempted (Season), and led the Dawgs in scoring in 1989 and 1990. There was also the 53 yarder against Temple and the game winner against Arkansas in 87. To be honest, while Kasay was at UGA I was off on big gray taxis or visiting foreign exotic lands courtesy of the USMC and do not personally recall many of his games.

John will continue to be involved in football in his new role as the Athletic Director at Charlotte Christian. Best of luck on his new path.

Draft Recap and Thoughts

2013-05-01T02:04:31Z

Call me nerdy, but the NFL Draft is one of my favorite events involving the great sport of football. For three days each year, my eyes stay glued to the television, my computer screen, and my phone to make sure that I see each draft pick and analysis. To be honest, I don't know why. Perhaps I enjoy comparing my research and observations of the best college players in the country to those of the professional scouts. Maybe it's because I've witnessed first-hand the talent of several prospects from the time they were in high school through their final performances in bowl games, and I want to see where to continue watching their careers. A lot of Friday nights and Saturdays have been spent watching these athletes, and seeing them make it at the professional level is my return on investment I guess you could say. And better still, I'm a sucker for the story lines behind the draft picks (i.e. - the Michael Oher's who overcame harsh childhoods to become overnight millionaires or the Heisman trophy winners who were over-hyped in college yet become free agents). It's more than a professional gambling hall where you win some and lose some. It's the end of one journey and the beginning of another for these young men.

The following is a list of all the former Bulldogs drafted this past weekend along with where I had them pegged to go, where they actually went, and my prediction/analysis.

1ST ROUND

Jarvis Jones

- MY PICK: 6TH TO CLEVELAND

- ACTUAL PICK: 17TH TO PITTSBURGH

Granted, I made my draft predictions back in March. But still, I didn't think the medical history would scare that many teams into letting Mel Kiper's previous "Number 1 on the Big Board" prospect slip by. He was cleared to play by a top notch medical staff, and his chances of his spinal injury repeating itself are about as good as a running back tearing up their knee. It's football folks, there's always a chance. The Steelers boldly proclaimed before the Draft that they would not let him get by, and they stood by their word. Honestly, there isn't a whole lot that Jones needs to improve on in his game. He possesses great lateral movement and speed for an OLB, and he's deceptively strong. But in the pros, the offensive linemen are bigger and faster too, so he'll have to step it up a notch. He immediately is a contender to start in James Harrison's vacated outside linebacker spot, and if he adapts as quickly as he did when he transferred to Georgia, he'll be a star very soon.

Alec Ogletree

- MY PICK: 19TH TO NEW YORK (GIANTS)

- ACTUAL PICK: 30TH TO ST. LOUIS

I wasn't entirely disappointed with his sliding a little as he didn't help himself in the off-season (no DUIs over the summer please kids). The fact that he still went in the first round is a testament to his talent, and Lord only knows the Rams need it. Many analysts are projecting him to start right away, and teamed with James Laurinaitis, he'll be a force to be reckoned with. He'll need to become a more natural linebacker to succeed in the pros, but he has the physical tools to do it. Keeping his nose clean off the field will hopefully not be a tall order for him. I'd like to see Tree become another Thomas Davis in the pros instead of an Odell Thurman. St. Louis quietly had a solid draft, and could sneak up on their division if their young picks mature quickly.

3RD ROUND

John Jenkins

- MY PICK: 1ST ROUND, 24TH TO INDIANAPOLIS

- ACTUAL PICK: 82ND TO NEW ORLEANS

Okay, so I went out on a limb here with my prediction and didn't come through. I wasn't alone in thinking that Jenkins had some 1st Round talent, but realistically, he's a much safer pick in the 3rd round. Jenkins can provide the talent and impact of a 1st rounder without having to get as much guaranteed money. He didn't have quite the impact in 2012 that he did in 2011, but performed well at the combine and pro day. The biggest concern regarding him is which John Jenkins the Saints will get. On one hand, there's the strong and shifty rock who can clog up the line of scrimmage and also pressure the quarterback at times. On the other hand, there's the hefty and tired man-child who sometimes disappeared for several plays. He has shown that he can adapt to higher levels of competition, but how quickly can he do it?

Shaw Williams

- MY PICK: 3RD ROUND, 75TH TO NEW ORLEANS

- ACTUAL PICK: 84TH TO CINCINNATI

Boy I almost nailed this one. The Saints really wanted a safety in this draft, but they opted to grab one early with Kenny Vaccaro out of Texas. I had a Dawg going in Round 3 to New Orleans (see Jenkins above), and I had Williams going just 9 picks earlier. But hey, when in doubt over where a Georgia Bulldog will go in the Draft, it's always safe to bet on Cincinnati. Marvin Lewis and the Bengals love their Dawgs (7 on the current active roster!) and Williams fits their mold with his talent and leadership ability. The safety position is pretty much an open competition right now, and his work ethic should earn him some serious playing time. He needs to get a little looser and fly around more (he plays more like a fast linebacker), and his coverage skills could use some polishing. But still, there's something to be said for spending a lot of time in the film room and constantly challenging yourself like he does. I'm really looking forward to seeing how his future progresses.

5TH ROUND

Sanders Commings

- MY PICK: 5TH ROUND, 154TH TO CAROLINA

- ACTUAL PICK: 134TH TO KANSAS CITY

So close once again! Right round, wrong team. Corner wasn't really an area of need for K.C., but then again they really didn't hit on several positions where they need help. Commings will step into an environment where he can learn as a backup and make his bones on special teams before seeing extended playing time. Can he succeed? Yes. Physically he's the ideal size for a corner in the pros.: fairly tall, rangy, and tough. He could be faster, but his cover skills are solid. Will he succeed? Eh, it's hard to tell. His career was defined by several big plays followed by stretches where he'd be pretty quiet. Hopefully he's matured a little too. If he can keep his head on right and learn the schemes, Commings could surprise as a pro.

Tavarres King

- MY PICK: 4TH ROUND, 101ST TO CLEVELAND

- ACTUAL PICK: 161ST TO DENVER

I admit that I overshot this one just a little. However, I still think he'll make a decent pro, and was worthy of a 4th round pick. Was King the best receiver in the Draft? Nope. Was he the best receiver in school history? Definitely not. Was he consistent, did he improve throughout his career, and does he have the physical tools necessary to succeed? I vote yes. He'll need to polish up a little as a route runner, and could be a little more physical at the line of scrimmage. But overall, his speed and good hands could help him break into a receiver rotation in the Broncos' pass happy offense. When Peyton Manning's your QB, it's pretty easy to look good right?

6TH ROUND

Cornelius Washington

- MY PICK: 3RD ROUND, 64TH TO JACKSONVILLE

- ACTUAL PICK: 188 TO CHICAGO

So much for impressing the scouts pre-draft and climbing up the boards right? This guy turned heads as he flew through the combine and pro day workouts, and some analysts predicted he could climb as high as the 2nd Round. In fact, he was Number 1 on Mel Kiper's Big Board from about the middle of the 3rd round on. I'm still scratching my head that so many teams let him fall so hard. But then again, if he hadn't impressed so much after his career was over, he would've gone in the 6th round anyway I think. In a way, these teams might just have exemplified my long held belief that performance matters more than intangibles. I'm still disappointed that he fell so far, but perhaps it was for the best. Physically, Washington is a freak that could one day start for daaaaaaaa Bears. But as we saw throughout his 4 years, it didn't always translate to the field. He'll need to find whichever position suits him best (DE or OLB), and he'll have to work his butt off to keep that momentum he developed in postseason workouts going. However, I think he's up to the task.

Bacarri Rambo

- MY PICK: 4TH ROUND, 100TH ARIZONA

- ACTUAL PICK: 191ST TO WASHINGTON

If he had had the same caliber season in 2012 that he had in 2011, Rambo would have easily been a 2nd to 3rd round pick. However, failed drug tests and rather inconsistent play a top pick does not make. Talent wised, Washington might have gotten a steal here. His ball hawking skills are superb, even if he got a little cocky with them at times last year, and he's not afraid to get physical. Rambo still needs to get a little stronger, and he needs to study film more instead of relying purely on instinct. Still, t I think the Redskins got an athlete who has truly seen the error of his ways, and has dedicated himself to proving his worth. They need someone to step up at safety badly, and he steps into an ideal situation where he can show off his skills while absorbing more knowledge.

FREE AGENTS

Kwame Geathers - San Diego - I had him going in the 7th round to San Francisco, but that was mainly because of his size. He'll really have to work hard to make the roster, but it's not like the Chargers are oozing with talent on the line. There's a chance.

Marlon Brown - Houston - I had him signing with Baltimore, but there is actually a decent opportunity for him to make the Texans roster. Andre Johnson is the only Wide Receiver returning with any real talent after they let Kevin Walter go. They like to use their Tight Ends a lot, but a tall WR with good hands could be very useful.

Abry Jones - Jacksonville - Even if I had him going to Green Bay, my outlook for him remains the same. He's a good kid who was unfortunate to get hurt like he did, and his work ethic may help him out. He's an average defensive lineman at best, so he'll have to work hard not to get overlooked.

Branden Smith - Tampa Bay - I pegged him to be picked up by the hometown Falcons purely because of his speed. Instead, he wound up with division rival Tampa Bay. I don't see him make a roster unless he somehow learns how to be a corner or consistent returner, something he didn't do in Athens (sorry for the harshness but 5 Star recruits eventually get their act together).

Mike Gilliard - St. Louis - I didn't see him landing with a team since he doesn't really stand out physically and his 2012 season was atrocious. Maybe he'll get his head in the game for the Rams. Who knows? Short and sweet yes, but I'm still kind of angry about last season after he had and incredible 2011 campaign.

Christian Robinson - St. Louis - Wow, three Bulldog Linebackers going to the Rams. Impressive. I didn't have Robinson signing anywhere originally, but I'm glad to see it. He was always touted as one of the best leaders on the team, despite the fact that his play was average. Great kid, and I wish him all the best of luck.

Congratulations to all of these young men and good luck to them as they embark on this journey in the professional world. Hopefully, their time wearing the Red and Black has prepared them for the roles and challenges that lay ahead. After all, we breed the best in Georgia because we are the best. Go Dawgs!

The following is a list of all the former Bulldogs drafted this past weekend along with where I had them pegged to go, where they actually went, and my prediction/analysis.

1ST ROUND

Jarvis Jones

- MY PICK: 6TH TO CLEVELAND

- ACTUAL PICK: 17TH TO PITTSBURGH

Alec Ogletree

- MY PICK: 19TH TO NEW YORK (GIANTS)

- ACTUAL PICK: 30TH TO ST. LOUIS

3RD ROUND

John Jenkins

- MY PICK: 1ST ROUND, 24TH TO INDIANAPOLIS

- ACTUAL PICK: 82ND TO NEW ORLEANS

Shaw Williams

- MY PICK: 3RD ROUND, 75TH TO NEW ORLEANS

- ACTUAL PICK: 84TH TO CINCINNATI

5TH ROUND

Sanders Commings

- MY PICK: 5TH ROUND, 154TH TO CAROLINA

- ACTUAL PICK: 134TH TO KANSAS CITY

Tavarres King

- MY PICK: 4TH ROUND, 101ST TO CLEVELAND

- ACTUAL PICK: 161ST TO DENVER

6TH ROUND

Cornelius Washington

- MY PICK: 3RD ROUND, 64TH TO JACKSONVILLE

- ACTUAL PICK: 188 TO CHICAGO

Bacarri Rambo

- MY PICK: 4TH ROUND, 100TH ARIZONA

- ACTUAL PICK: 191ST TO WASHINGTON

FREE AGENTS

Looking Ahead While Looking Back: Georgia's Best Bowl Game, 1981

2013-04-20T17:27:55Z

Thanks to overwhelming support and intriguing suggestions from the Dawg Sports community, I have decided to continue my series with a special postseason edition.

Without further ado, I present you with Georgia's most monumental bowl victory, the 1981 Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame.

via www.allstatesugarbowl.org

Thursday, January 1, 1981

Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, LA

Georgia: 17, Notre Dame: 10

When I first decided to do a postseason edition in this series, I thought picking the greatest Georgia bowl game of all time would be a little more difficult. It wasn't. I came to this decision in about 10 seconds and I'm embarrassed it took me that long. The 1981 Sugar Bowl was the most monumental postseason contest in the proud history of our program, bringing the first consensus national football championship to UGA.

Were you able to get your hands on one of these? via www.sicemdawgs.com

Droves of Dawg fans began flooding the streets of New Orleans days before the game, representative of the euphoria felt, in the words of Loran Smith, "from Hahira to Blairsville to Tybee Light."

The pregame excitement soon dissipated. Early-game lowlights for Georgia included:

An early Notre Dame 3-0 lead on a 50-yard field goal from kicker Harry Oliver
A sack of Georgia quarterback Buck Belue, backing the Dawgs up to their own 6
The Fighting Irish quickly striking again, ending up on the Georgia 31 attempting another Oliver FG

The Bulldog faithful perked up when Oliver's kick was blocked by Georgia freshman safety Terry Hoage. Hoage is now a household name in the Bulldog Nation, but at that point, he had only logged five minutes of playing time in the magical 1980 season and was a total unknown. As a matter of fact, Hoage only made the trip to New Orleans because the coaches were impressed by his kick-blocking skills in practice and figured they'd give him a shot on special teams in the big game. Good call.

Hoage's heroics fueled the Bulldogs on a drive that resulted in a Rex Robinson 46-yard FG to tie the game at 3.

Robinson ties the game with this kick via www.footballspeakers.com

Immediately after Robinson tied the game, Georgia enjoyed another pleasant twist of fate as the ensuing kickoff was mishandled by Irish returners and recovered by brothers Bob and Steve Kelly, giving the Dawgs the ball at the Notre Dame 1. Just two plays later, Georgia phenom running back Herschel Walker vaulted over the defense for a 10-3 Bulldog lead.

Herschel scoring an "easy" six for the Dawgs via 25.media.tumblr.com

The luck of the Irish again smiled on Georgia as Notre Dame coughed up the ball at their own 22, giving the Dawgs excellent field position. Walker went back to work, eventually scoring a three-yard touchdown to cap off the drive.

Herschel scoring from three yards out via www.mmbolding.com

At intermission, Georgia, having capitalizing on a few Irish miscues in the first half, led 17-3. Herschel had already gained 95 yards against a defense known for not surrendering 100 total yards to any rusher all season. Buck Belue was 0-6 and struggled to even get a pass off on five other plays. At halftime, it looked as if the Dawgs would run away with this one, but the Irish decided to make a game of it in the second half.

With the Georgia passing game as a non-issue, Notre Dame coach Dan Devine focused all of his efforts on stopping Walker in the second half. #34 would not score for the rest of the game, but Notre Dame defenders still could not keep him from gaining solid yardage.

Notre Dame found the end zone in the third quarter and now trailed only 17-10. The Irish soon found themselves threatening at the Georgia 20, but were stopped dead in their tracks by Bulldog safety Scott Woerner on third down, forcing a missed FG attempt.

Notre Dame took one last shot at the end zone, but all hopes of tying the game ended in the outstretched hands of Scott Woerner, who made a game-saving interception in the final minute of the contest.

Woerner secures the 1980 national championship via img.fanbase.com

Just like that, the game was over. Georgia was the 17-10 victor and the only undefeated, untied team in the country. Coach Vince Dooley said it best, "I don't know how good we are, but I do know we're 12-0 and nobody else is."

Notre Dame actually had more rushing yards, passing yards and first downs than Georgia in the game, but the Dawgs finished in control of the only statistic that mattered: the final score. Walker finished with 150 yards against a defense that vowed before the opening kickoff to hold him under 100.

Most impressive about Herschel's night was not that he gained 50 more yards than Notre Dame had allowed an individual rusher all season, it was that he did so with a dislocated shoulder, suffered on the first offensive series of the game! Seeing as how the passing game was largely ineffective and how Belue was sacked four times, without Walker's 150, the Dawgs would have had minus 30 yards of offense on the night.

via www.clevelandskyline.com

Herschel Walker clearly earned the game ball for the 1981 Sugar Bowl, but since he's already received that honor in this series, I'll share the wealth and award the game ball to the defensive MVP of the game, Scott Woerner.

Born in Baytown, TX, Woerner arrived in Athens in 1977 via Jonesboro, GA, where he was a heck of a high school player. He didn't do too bad of a job at UGA, either. Although Woerner last donned the Red and Black in the 1981 Sugar Bowl, he still holds two UGA records: 190 kickoff return yards (vs. Kentucky in 1977) and 488 punt return yards in the 1980 season. The latter was (and still is) a UGA record; Woerner also led the nation in punt returns his in his senior season.

Woerner in his younger days at UGA via 3.bp.blogspot.com

Among his gems that 1980 season included a dazzling performance against Clemson in which Scott scored on a 67-yard punt return and set up a TD on a 98-yard interception play. Coach Dooley remembers it all here. Here is an excerpt from the 1980 Dawgs documentary in which Woerner, his coach and teammates talk about #19's performance that fine September afternoon in 1980.

Scott was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the 1981 NFL Draft. After being cut by the Falcons the next season, he followed former Georgia teammate Herschel Walker to the USFL in 1983. As a safety for the Philadelphia Stars, Woerner was named All-League by the Sporting News in two of his three seasons there and helped the Stars to two league championships. Woerner called it a career with the New Orleans Saints of the NFL in 1987, playing on the same Superdome turf upon which he helped the 1980 Dawgs clinch the national championship.

Woerner with the Stars of the USFL via www.angelfire.com

Scott Woerner dedicated his post-football life to education; he was a science teacher for six years before ultimately settling on coaching middle school football and teaching physical education in Rabun County. Scott remains a visible figure in and around the UGA football program and attends his fair share of games each season.

How many of these do you have? via img1.etsystatic.com

Please join me in raising a paw to Scott Woerner and the 1980 Georgia Bulldogs for delivering an epic performance in a crucial game on January 1, 1981, the best Georgia bowl game of all time.

The 1980 national championship team via www.sportswriters.net

What are some of your favorite bowl games from yesteryear? One could make an argument for the 1943 Rose Bowl, which brought home the 1942 national championship. The 1984 Cotton Bowl was a classic (what time is it in Texas?). How about the 2005 Outback Bowl, where David Greene concluded his UGA career with 42 wins, a record at the time for a starting quarterback.

With that, I officially conclude my series. It's been a pleasure working on these and I thank you wholeheartedly for your support, stories from bygone days and feedback.

GO DAWGS!

Thanks to overwhelming support and intriguing suggestions from the Dawg Sports community, I have decided to continue my series with a special postseason edition.

Without further ado, I present you with Georgia's most monumental bowl victory, the 1981 Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame.

via www.allstatesugarbowl.org

Thursday, January 1, 1981

Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, LA

Georgia: 17, Notre Dame: 10

Were you able to get your hands on one of these? via www.sicemdawgs.com

Droves of Dawg fans began flooding the streets of New Orleans days before the game, representative of the euphoria felt, in the words of Loran Smith, "from Hahira to Blairsville to Tybee Light."

The pregame excitement soon dissipated. Early-game lowlights for Georgia included:

An early Notre Dame 3-0 lead on a 50-yard field goal from kicker Harry Oliver
A sack of Georgia quarterback Buck Belue, backing the Dawgs up to their own 6
The Fighting Irish quickly striking again, ending up on the Georgia 31 attempting another Oliver FG

Hoage's heroics fueled the Bulldogs on a drive that resulted in a Rex Robinson 46-yard FG to tie the game at 3.

Robinson ties the game with this kick via www.footballspeakers.com

Herschel scoring an "easy" six for the Dawgs via 25.media.tumblr.com

Herschel scoring from three yards out via www.mmbolding.com

Woerner secures the 1980 national championship via img.fanbase.com

via www.clevelandskyline.com

Woerner in his younger days at UGA via 3.bp.blogspot.com

Woerner with the Stars of the USFL via www.angelfire.com

How many of these do you have? via img1.etsystatic.com

Please join me in raising a paw to Scott Woerner and the 1980 Georgia Bulldogs for delivering an epic performance in a crucial game on January 1, 1981, the best Georgia bowl game of all time.

The 1980 national championship team via www.sportswriters.net

With that, I officially conclude my series. It's been a pleasure working on these and I thank you wholeheartedly for your support, stories from bygone days and feedback.

GO DAWGS!

UGA in the SEC Tennis and Golf Tournaments

2013-04-20T15:35:17Z

Friday morning, SEC regular season co-champ and #1 seed UGA defeated Ole Miss 4-0 to advance to the SEC Women's Tournament semi-finals in Starkvegas, where they currently are playing against Bama, still in doubles. Live scoring is available here.

Late Friday night in a tough battle, SEC regular season champ and #1 seed UGA defeated Kentucky 4-3 to advance to the SEC Men's Tournament semi-finals in Oxford, where they will face conference newcomer Texas A&M at approximately 3:00 p.m. today. Live scoring will be available here.

The second round of the SEC men's golf championship is in progress at St. Simon's. Georgia finished yesterday's first round in third place with sophomore Nicholas Reach in a three-way tie for second in the individual standings. Live scoring here.

The SEC women's golf championship has its second round in Birmingham. Like the men, the women finished the first round in third place, and Rocio Sanchez Lobato leads the UGA field, tied for third place individually. A frost warning has delayed the start. Live scoring is available here.

GO DAWGS!

Looking Ahead While Looking Back: Georgia's SEC-Title Clincher, 1959

2013-04-17T23:49:34Z

I'm back! Thanks to overwhelming support and intriguing suggestions from the Dawg Sports community, I have decided to continue my series with a special postseason edition.

Without further ado, I present you with Georgia's most monumental SEC-championship clincher, the 1959 battle with Auburn.

via cdn.bleacherreport.net

Saturday, November 14, 1959

Sanford Stadium, Athens, GA

Georgia: 14, Auburn: 13

Picked to finish ninth in the Southeastern Conference, the 1959 Georgia Bulldogs were a resilient group whose athleticism, courage and, of course, luck, carried them to the top of the final conference standings. The conference crown was clinched with a nail-biting victory over Auburn Between the Hedges.

Going into the 1959 showdown, the Tigers enjoyed a six-game winning streak over the Bulldogs. Auburn entered this game bound and determined to keep their hated rivals from clinching the league title.

The game was a defensive battle from the onset, but Auburn was able to cash in on two field goals from fullback/kicker Ed Dyas for a 6-0 lead at the half. Things took a turn for the best when Georgia punter Bobby Walden booted a ball to the Auburn 2. The energized Georgia defense held the Tigers on the ensuing drive and it was the visitors' turn to punt.

The Auburn punt landed in the capable hands of Georgia safety Charley Britt, who scored a touchdown on a 39-yard return. The Bulldogs now led 7-6.

You may already be familiar with Charley Britt via cdn.fansided.com

Britt made a bit of a blunder on a later Bulldog punt. Shortly after he backed into Walden's kick, the opportunistic Tigers recovered the ball at the Georgia 1-yard line. Auburn scored and retook the lead at 13-7.

Things looked bleak, but the stubborn Dawgs weren't ready to call it a season just yet. With less than three minutes remaining in the contest, Georgia DE Bill Herron forced a fumble by Auburn QB Bryant Harvard, which was recovered by UGA lineman Pat Dye at the Auburn 35.

Pat Dye would later go on to coach Auburn, but we'll ignore that for now via cecilbuffington.com

With only 2:30 remaining, Georgia's star QB Fran Tarkenton went to work. He found Don Soberdash on passes of 16 and 9 yards, putting the Bulldogs inside the Auburn 10. But the stingy Tiger defense forced fourth down with 13 yards to go. Refusing to accept an Auburn 13-7 victory, Tarkenton called for a huddle and drew up one last play in the turf.

The ball was snapped, Tarkenton rolled out to his right and found Herron, headed in the opposite direction, for the game-winning touchdown pass on a diagonal toss across the field. Sanford Stadium went so ballistic that a spectator suffered a heart attack as Georgia lined up to attempt the game-winning extra point. Kicker Durward Pennington's kick gave Georgia a 14-13 victory and the 1959 SEC championship.

All you need is one via image1.frequency.com

The comeback brought with it an abundance of national recognition to UGA, a number eight ranking and priority status on the lists of five major bowl committees. As you likely already know, Georgia went to the 1960 Orange Bowl and defeated the Missouri Tigers.

Tarkenton scrambling against Auburn in the 1959 game via cdn.bleacherreport.net

I have to give the game ball to Fran Tarkenton, whose late-game heroics catapulted the Bulldogs to the victory. Tarkenton played at old Athens High and chose hometown UGA as his destination to play college ball. In his remarkable junior campaign in 1959, this son of a Pentecostal mininster led the SEC in passing completions and set a conference record for completion percentage. This was good enough to land Fran All-SEC quarterback honors for the season.

Tarkenton is still recognized as one of the all-time great Bulldog signal callers, but is nationally known as one of the best NFL QBs of all time, as well.

The Minnesota Vikings selected Fran in the third round of the 1961 NFL Draft. On September 17 of that year, Tarkenton, only 21 at the time, shocked the Chicago Bears with 250 yards and four touchdowns in the Vikings' debut game in the League, a 37-13 victory over the favored Bears. He is still the only player in NFL history to throw for four TDs in his first game in the League.

Tarkenton with the Vikings via 2.bp.blogspot.com

Fran's constant squabbling with Minnesota coach Norm Van Brocklin over the former's tendency to scramble (some of Fran's nicknames were "The Mad Scrambler," "Frantic Fran" and "Scramblin' Fran") resulted in a change of scenery for the signal caller. Tarkenton was traded to the New York Giants in 1967 and played there for five seasons. In 1969, he directed a 1959-style comeback against his former team. The Giants edged the Vikings 24-23 after trailing 23-10 early in the fourth quarter.

#10 under center for the New York Giants via readandreact.net

In 1972, Tarkenton was traded back to Minnesota, where he took the Vikings to three Super Bowls, but lost each time. For his efforts, #10 was named NFL MVP and an All-Pro QB in 1975. He was second-team All-Pro in 1973 and All-NFC in 1972 and 1976. He was second-team All-NFC in 1970 and 1974. In all, Tarkenton was selected to nine Pro Bowls.

In 18 NFL seasons, Tarkenton completed 3,686 passes for 47,003 yards. He threw for 342 touchdowns and 266 interceptions. His career passing yards rank sixth all time, while his career passing touchdowns rank fourth. Despite never winning a Super Bowl, Tarkenton won six playoff games and in 1999 was named number 59 on The Sporting News list of the 100 greatest football players to ever suit up.

Fran was never a stranger to magazine covers via i.cdn.turner.com

Tarkenton has been inducted into numerous Halls of Fame: the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame (1977), the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1986), the College Football Hall of Fame (1987), and the Athens Athletic Hall of Fame (2000).

After retiring from football, Fran appeared on the television show That's Incredible!, worked on Monday Night Football and even once hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live.

Calling a game for Monday Night Football via mit.zenfs.com

Tarkenton is quite the writer. To date, he has published two autobiographies, No Time for Losing and Tarkenton, as well as a chronicle of the 1969 New York Giants season entitled Broken Promises: The Education of a Quarterback. He tried his hand at fiction in 1986 with a novel entitled Murder at the Super Bowl, a mystery about a football coach killed prior to his team taking the field in the big game. Fran has also written a plethora of self-help books and is a pioneer in computer software. Tarkenton Software remains a successful program generator company to this day. His website GoSmallBiz.com is a leading small business consulting website. Fran has put most of his time lately into Tarkenton Financial, an annuity marketing firm.

Problems with leadership? See what Fran has to say via ecx.images-amazon.com

Fran Tarkenton, now 73, lives in Atlanta with his second wife Linda, a former Eastern Airlines flight attendant. He has four children and ten grandchildren. The Tarkentons like to spend time at their mountain home on Lake Burton and play golf at the nearby country club in Rabun County. They are also known to frequent Pebble Beach.

Tarkenton is still an active follower and observer of college and professional football and he has never been one to remain too far from the microphone. In 2009, he slammed Brett Favre's indecision on whether to come out of retirement to play for the Vikings. In early 2011, he shared his razor-sharp criticisms of the current state of the UGA football program and of Coach Richt. Though I didn't (and still don't) share these sentiments, he is Fran Tarkenton. He has earned the right to say whatever he wants about Georgia football, divisive as his comments might have been.

Fran sharing his thoughts on football from his trophy room via cdn.lastangryfan.com

For more from Tarkenton, tune into Sirius XM. He began hosting his own call-in radio show in February of last year. You may also keep up with him via his website.

Although Tarkenton is the MVP of this particular game, the 1959 Georgia Bulldogs were a special group of young men who would be loved just as much today as they were in the late '50s. As early as spring practice, this team was determined to prove its many doubters wrong. Coaches boldly challenged the players to meet their individual weight and running goals, the latter being told, "On the first day of September... any man who reports overweight, any man who reports and can't meet his time chart, will not be issued a uniform." Each and every member of the team earned a uniform in September.

Coach Wally Butts, blown away by his team's dedication to offseason drills and conditioning, proclaimed that there had "never been a better conditioned Georgia team" when the season began in September.

The 1959 Bulldogs believed in themselves and their coach from the beginning. When reporters asked how far the team would go that season, one player was quoted as saying, "All the way to the top." When asked for his line of reasoning, he simply answered, "We have the ability and the spirit to win. Furthermore, we want to make Coach Butts happy. We want to win the title and put him back on top."

Those from outside the Georgia lines took notice after the 1959 season. Pat Dye was named an All-American. Dye, Tarkenton, end Jimmy Vickers, guard Billy Roland, Walden and Britt were all selected to at least one all-SEC team.

Halfback Bobby Towns led the SEC in receiving that year, Pennington set a new conference record for accuracy with 16/18 on kick attempts and Tarkenton established a new conference accuracy record with a completion percentage of over 60%.

In Tarkenton's words, this squad was distinguished by its sense of unity, "Previously, we had a lot of individual players. This year we had a team. It was a simple case of 11 men on the field working together for the same purpose."

Let's hope that same attitude permeates the mindset of 2013 Dawgs as they seek to prove doubters wrong and bring home a bit of glory themselves.

Please join me in raising a paw to Fran Tarkenton and the 1959 Bulldogs for delivering the best conference clincher in Georgia history.

What are some of your favorite conference-clinching wins or championship games from years' past? Some of my personal favorites are Coach Butts's first SEC title in 1942, Coach Vince Dooley's first in 1966, when sugar fell out of the sky in 1982 and the 2005 SEC Championship Game.

I intend to conclude my series once and for all with Georgia's best bowl game. Stay tuned.