Wednesday Dawg Bites Starts Your Day With Some Fond Memories

Good Wednesday to you Dawg Nation. Since this is South Carolina week, let’s start it out right with a little trip down memory lane...

I’m posting this because well, it’s South Carolina week, and there’s never a bad time to watch David Pollack combine hustle and magic into a program changing moment. In my mind, this will always be one of the greatest plays in Georgia Football history. It’s easy to forget that Georgia had lost two straight to the Gamecocks, and the 2002 season had started with a close win against Clemson. 2002 was the year the program shifted from a perennial disappointment with lots of talent that was serially unorganized into an SEC power. That year was as chock full of drama and special plays as any other in UGA history, but the game at South Carolina, to me at least, was the spark that lit the fuse for that season.

I remember being in my parent’s house with my Dad, my best-friend and his Dad. They were the only other Dawgs we knew in town, and the Mom’s were away on a trip. It was a giant release of tension, and my friend and I ran outside and did a lap around the house screaming our heads off. It’s easy to forget we still almost lost that game. My friend and I got so nervous at the end that we went into the yard and threw the football around so we wouldn’t have to see the Gamecocks wining score. Pollack came up big again, and forced a pitch that Thomas Davis recovered to seal the win. The yelling from inside the house told us something good must have happened, and we stormed back in to see our Dad’s jumping up and down as Thomas Davis spiked the ball in the middle of the Gamecock’s logo at the center of Williams-Brice Stadium. Good times!

I’ve met a lot of Georgia fans over the years that remember exactly where they were when Pollack stole the ball. Where were y’all? Do you remember the anxiety of that day?

I sure hope we don’t feel anything near the tension that day featured when the Gamecocks come calling Saturday, but a win is a win, and I will take one anyway we can get it. Let’s look at some news and notes to get ready for Saturday...

The Dawgs continued preparation for USCjr at practice on Tuesday. Jake Fromm and Julian Rochester reportedly impressed during the media viewing portion of practice. There appears to be no update on Jordan Davis or Tyson Campbell’s status as both recover from injury. Here’s hoping we see them back on the field soon.

As has been the case since Smart came home to Athens and Muschamp arrived in Columbia, the two college teammates and good friends will face each other this week. Both coaches provided some insight into their relationship earlier in the week, and revealed that they compare notes when it won’t create a conflict of interest. Double Secret Agent Muschamp holds a career record of 1-7 against Georgia during his tenures in Columbia and Gainesville before that.

Speaking of the Head Dawg, Kirby Smart is asking that Georgia fans are in their seats early and ready to be loud for the noon kickoff on Saturday. I’m all for this, as we all know Georgia has a history of starting noon conference games a bit sluggishly. Maybe the crowd can provide a little extra jolt. It is a 10 a.m. kickoff for yours truly, but I will be up early and highly caffeinated so I can give my all for Georgia. Something tells me some of the UGA students might be in for a late afternoon nap if they attempt to fully lubricate before the game.

Finally, in non-Georgia news, Auburn RB JaTarvious “Boobee” Whitlow suffered an injury at the end of the Florida game and had knee surgery Tuesday. He looks to be out for 4-6 weeks, which means he could be back in time for the Dawgs’ trip to the Plains. Whitlow lead the SEC with 7 touchdowns and was second in the conference with 544 rushing yards. This could be a big blow to the Tigers, who have yet to be successful under Gus Malzahn when lacking a feature running back to anchor a strong rushing attack. More could fall on the shoulders of true freshman QB Bo Nix, who struggled against Florida last Saturday. If things turn bad quickly for the Tigers don’t be surprised if the locals start warming up Gus Malzahn’s seat again. It’ll be fascinating to see where Auburn is by the time the Georgia’s game with them comes around.