Cocktail Thursday: Sakerlina Edition.

As Steve Spurrier enters his coaching dodderage, he has come to embrace the offensive philosophy which in his salad days he dismissed out of hand: the power running game. It's a tribute to him that he's able to learn such new tricks at a time when his contemporaries are learning how to bargain shop for adult diapers.

This game will be no less than a test of manhood for the Georgia defense. Mark Richt wouldn't admit it during his Tuesday remarks, but the Bulldog D was gashed by the Tennessee running game on Saturday. The numbers simply do not lie. Oh sure, they were playing to prevent Tyler Bray from hitting the big one. But when you make Raijon Neal look like the second coming of Walter Peyton, nobody cares that you only had 6 men in the box. It was another disturbing sign for a Georgia defense that has looked surprisingly mortal this season.

I think it's this simple. If we tackle well on defense, get a lead, and can force South Carolina to go to the air I like our chances. The Bulldog defense is a legitimate threat to rebreak Connor Shaw's collarbone. I don't want that, I like Shaw and his family and don't want anyone to get hurt. But I know that we can bring pressure and make him hear footsteps, provided he's forced into obvious passing situations. But that's one big proviso. If the Gamecocks have the luxury of running Lattimore for 6 yards a pop and killing clock with a lead, we're in serious trouble friends. Our linebackers, especially the interior ones like Christian Robinson, are going to have to play lights out. They really may be the key to things this Saturday.

So here's to you, Mr. Robinson. If you can stand in there and stuff Lattimore and company, Bulldog Nation will love you more than you can know. And while we're at it, you should enjoy a Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood, made by combining 2 ounces of Seagram's 7, 1 ounce of apple schnapps, and 4 ounces of Sprite over crushed ice, It's a lot like the classic "7 and Seven", but with a twist. I think you'll find it refreshing, but with a punch.

For now feel free to use this as your open comment thread for Thursday night Sun Belt and PAC-whatever action. Until later . . .

Go 'Dawgs!!!