Count Mark Richt in as a student of George Santayana, at least when it comes to this week’s Tennessee game.
The Bulldogs 45-point win Saturday tied for the largest in SEC play under Richt, but big wins don’t always carry over.
In 2004, a 45-16 blowout of LSU was followed by a 19-14 loss to the Volunteers.
“We played just superb in that LSU game and then the next week … they beat us,” Richt said. “We’ve got to get our minds right and get this out of our system as quickly as we can and get ready for the next challenge.”
Damn straight.
Get The Picture 
And that game cost us a trip to Atlanta too … UT lost one confernce game that year and we lost two. This game would have been the time breaker.
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“We’ve got to get our minds right and get this out of our system as quickly as we can and get ready for the next challenge.”
Truer words have never been spoken.
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That Santayana dude, he’s pretty cool, where did he coach?
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Stanford?
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Actually Santanyana nicked Edmund Burke’s idea. Burke coached at Harvard in the 30’s I think.
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He was the club champion at Athens CC in golf during the ’60s.
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Naw, Mayor, wrong guy…that was Mike Santayana….I was in school with him.
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OUDA! (hint…orange and ask Scorp)
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Ok, I give up….I think I know, but….
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Really?! Orange up dey ass!
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Just want to make sure….I don’t want to post anything inappropriate.
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That game is the first thing I thought about while listening to DawgTalk on the way home Saturday night
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UGA still has to respect tenn, but tenn was still considered a powerhouse during the early 2000’s. At present tenn’s consistency is as good as the roll of a dice.
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I made this comment the other day. UT’s talent level was a good bit higher back in the early 2000s. I just don’t think they have the depth to keep up with us in the 2nd half this year.
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…but if they take advantage of the kind of Charmin-soft defense we exhibited in the first halves against Buffalo and FAU, and we’re the ones having to keep up with them, then…
Obviously Tennessee, given their lack of depth and the growing pains they’re having switching to the 3-4 alignment on defense, is going to have to do just about everything exactly right to beat us in Sanford this weekend. But it happened in 2004, and it happened (in Neyland) in 2007. So I can’t take anything for granted no matter how much UT has struggled over the last few years, and I hope our players don’t, either.
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We are talking about the game where the Tenn receiver got behind us after we went ahead in the last minute, aren’t we? His name sorta rhymed with “Mogadishu” or at least that’s the way I can remember it. Wait a minute-was that Auburn?
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Auburn….Aromashadu….dude, this is what happens when you don’t shake off the giddyness…get yer aiss in gear.
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Sorry. No more smokin’ before typing. All the past game nightmares seem to blend together. Ya think I’m not drinkin’ enough?
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I think a lot of you guys who are poo poo-ing this comparison are missing the point, those of us who are bringing up the 2004 UT game (who now include Coach Richt) are saying that our players do not need to be thinking they can just roll their helmets out there and beat Tennessee. We are not saying Tennessee is some great powerhouse, just that you NEVER EVER take beating them for granted. The 2004 UGA team took Tennessee for granted, with the benefit of hindsight we can now look back and say that Tennessee team won 10 games so the loss was not unexpected but at the time it damn sure was, going into the game we were ranked No. 3 and Tennessee was No. 17, Tennessee having just been beaten 34-10 by Auburn at home the week before. Hell for all we know this Tennessee team might win 10 games, I don’t personally believe that but the games haven’t been played. We are dealing with 18-22 year old kids, they are probably feeling good about themselves, anything that can be done to bring them back to the cold hard reality that they can lose any week in this league, especially to a rival, is a good thing. I hope our players are not thinking like you guys.
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ericdawg, by the way my comment is not necessarily directed at you, I see you qualified by saying we have to respect Tennessee which is really the point of the comparison.
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I get the point that we have to come ready to play to beat UT. I’m just saying that I don’t expect them to upset us either. In fact, I expect us to beat them by more than 2 TDs.
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Yeah. I expected us to beat UT in 2009, too.
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and Colorado in 2010….
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“The 2004 UGA team took Tennessee for granted, with the benefit of hindsight “…. let’s use hindsight. UT went 6-2 in 2003 losing only to the Barners and UGA. In 2004 they they improved on that by only losing to the Barners. Don’t know why anyone thinks Georgia took them lightly in 2004. The 2003 Vols finished 10-3 and was ranked number 6 before the Peach Bowl.
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Vols were breaking in a new, unproven QB in 2004, and got destroyed by an Auburn team most still thought was overrated or not that good (the memory at the time being of an Auburn team that was highly-ranked and fell on its face in 2003 and all).
Now, the 2007 UT team whipped us (because Cutcliffe had Willie 2-thumbs’ number big time) and then played out the regular season with a horseshoe lodged in its butt.
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I remember they beat us with a RS Fr or Fr quarterback, so they weren’t “eat up” with talent that year. We need to bring our A game and whip their butts.
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UGA 2012 schedule really seem to built towards allowing the team to grow towards that big JAX annuals. SEC East getting to be tougher than the illusion of the West with LSU and Arkansas.
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“the illusion of the West”; Good one. And totally true since it has been constructed by ESPN.
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Georgia, UT, and LSU, all beat Florida in 2004. All three lost to Auburn…UT did it twice. The second time was in the conference championship game. The Barners were undefeated in SEC play and UT’s only regular season loss. Point being UT was pretty good in 2004. This 2012 Vol team is not even close to that former glory. Last season was a big opportunity for the Hillbillies to upset the Dawgs in Neyland stadium. The Dawgs were somewhat dysfunctional and in the latter part of the game seemed as if they were about to self destruct. There was that self imposed 3rd and 75? that comes to mind. Didn’t happen. “History repeats itself…. opportunities don’t”. Dawgs roll Between the Hedges on Saturday afternoon….. bring popcorn!
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Are the Vols close to what they were in 2009 when they beat us in KnoxVegas? CMR is just saying “be ready and don’t be overconfident” is all.
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Coach speak. Being ready and overconfident…. mutually exclusive my friend? Bring on your UT dragon and I promise to watch with you while the Dawgs mount it on the wall.
Yeah… I said that.
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Dang, that Russ is some special dog. Gonna just take your word for that.
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And 2007 was even worse….much worse. Not only was it a blowout, but it cost us a shot at the NC Title game on top of a trip to Atlanta. To this day I am astounded about how lifeless our team was after taking the field in Knoxville 5 years ago. Stafford and Moreno did absolutely nothing, while the Willie Two Thumbs D bent over for Eric Ainge & Co. And this just a year after Phat Phil braying to his team in Athens , “How ’bout them Half a Hunnert Points!” Some people that year had serious problems with mental readiness. I just pray that it doesn’t happen again.
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The 06 game was pretty bad, too. Isn’t that the year they dropped 50 on us? We’ve had a chance to really take control of this rivalry and keep letting it slip away. That’s why I’m not getting too jacked up just yet.
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ugh. i had managed to erase these two games from my memory. i remember that walk of shame back to the car at the ’06 game. i was eating at chili’s for the ’07 game and almost threw my mug through the window.
a certain mr. arian foster had 6 TDs total in these two games.
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The ’06 loss to UT is Exhibit “A” in the case against CMR play calling. Those pining for CMR calling every single play need to watch the two possessions within our own 20 yard line where we turned the ball over for easy points by UT. They should also watch 2005 Auburn as he made some stupid calls in that game too.
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I recall that 06 loss as a game where STs and TOs gave the Vols about 24 points after we had built a nice lead….very similar to SC last year where we didn’t ever have the big lead but simply gave the game away. I know there is a strong tendency among UGA fans to place blame on coaches with any loss to a team you are superior to but the 07 loss is a better case of where we just had a bad plan going into Knoxville, the 06 game result was mostly on the players, imo.
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I remember ’06 as the year Erik Ainge discovered Willie Mart would not try press coverage, and give him short throws in the zone, and by the second half they used short passes to drive down the field on us again and again until my date and I had enough (after they broke 40) and left before it was over.
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And it is exactly that short passing game that still haunts us. Fortunately, I think Bray is too much of a home run hitter to settle for singles. The other thing that contributed to the UT success that day was allowing Ainge to roll outside contain and have time to find receivers. Pressure on Bray, that is all it will take to seal this one. I don’t believe their running game can make us change our scheme, and I know CTG has a plan….just hope he unveils it early. If we smack them early, they will lay down. I sense an undercurrent under this UT team, they are close to dysfunctional.
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While losing focus is an issue! We had a Willie Martinez defense on the field too in 2007, and his defenses always seemed to suffer from a few breakdowns (at least) each year.
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Look people, when your own coach says you better get yo heads on straight, you should listen… Get this picture….Brandon Smith covering Cordarelle Patterson…
OUDA!!!!!
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The key to this game is the fact that UGA will not need the safeties to stop UT’s run game allowing us to provide a lot of help over the top with Rambo and Williams on Hunter and Patterson. I think having Rambo back will be huge and likely prevent at least one TD that Norman would have allowed. On the flip side, I just don’t see UT’s defense being able to control our running game which will open things up for Murray.
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Agreed. I think our D will allow points. Anytime that happens, take a look at how Murray drives that team of hosses down the field to get the score back as soon as possible. Our O and their D control the outcome of this game moreso than the points allowed by our D.
The only way the D will prevail is to crash Tyler’s party early and make them pay. The faster they find him with the ball still in his hand, the faster the outcome can be predicted. The leakage in Tenn’s O line is the key to this game. Look for it to happen in the second half. SIC’EM DAWGS!
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Cojo….in answer to your question above….based on this, I would think about laying off the sauce.
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I know (lowers head, makes little circles in the sand with his toe), but sometimes I just can’t help it.
Back to worrying about this game. Sorry for the thread jack.
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I know (lowers head, makes little circles in the sand with his toe), but sometimes I just can’t help it.
lol.
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Agree Cojo, TN will definitely get some points but with pressure on Bray there will be mistakes to allow us to overcome them. Our O looks pretty superior to their defense so it could be higher scoring than anyone thinks but UGA should prevail, we are better on both sides of the ball. Turnovers will be the only way TN can stay close enough to us to win a close one.
All the talk about other UT flops is fair, we have certainly minimized our success against them losing a couple we should have won, and letting them hang close in ones where we could have coasted. The difference this week is the leadership we have from Murray on offense, and from Jarvis on defense. They are both students of the game and will have their charges ready. No doubt we are facing a dsperate program and will get their best shot. Our team needs to beaware of that and survive their opening shot. TN doesn’t have that cohesiveness and will quit if we get them down. UGA has the talent edge, we should win a hard fought game by double digits.
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The big difference is (had better be) leadership. With Jarvis Jones setting the tone, not only for each game but for the year,( by returning this year, )with Grantham’s take no prisoners approach, with Rambo and Co. busting at the seams to get back out there, and with CMR’s gained wisdom to this issue, these Dawgs should be ready to rock-and-roll. Also, Murray is more focused and demanding in his leadership position. Focused, controlled, emotional rage is the order of the day…Let the Big Dawg Eat!
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I also loved seeing Corn Washington get in Ramik Wilson’s face during the 2nd half of the Vandy game for forcing them to take a timeout because he didn’t get on the field quick enough. And also Murray calling out Lynch for dropping that pass. There is definitely more accountability on this team. I’ve seen Williams getting on the middle linebackers a lot over the past view games as well.
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+1 Ugly. Sorry, didn’t read your post before stating my opinion on the leadership issue.
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We need the positive pointed out as much as the negative. It is good to read two different people saying the same thing. I am glad this is a home game the stands were electric Saturday and I bet the stadium is even louder this Saturday.
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Mac, no apology necessary. I’m flattered that my thoughts mirror yours!
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which way to the showers
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Let’s leave it right there.
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Man, UGA’s resume this year sure is impressive so far. You know, after that USC/Mizzou game.
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Troll’s gotta troll I guess. Yeah, it looks good when you compare UGA-Vandy to USCe-Vandy. What else ya got?
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Come back next Monday ass-hat
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Is your player still Tebowing at the goal line?
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Scuse me, he’s right….all this giddy shit and we have played….who?
Misery is the best team we have played.
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Pretty sad life if the best way he has to spend time us to troll UGA blogs. I live in SC now and hope our team shuts them up for good but one week at a time and this week it is UT.
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But Missouri had all summer to prepare for that game…a game that was their opening statement as an SEC team, and was also a home game. You just can’t make reasonable comparisons based on these kind of games. You really believe LSU is only two points better than AU?
Tech trolls need to stick to their “statistics and probability” courses and quit concerning themselves with grown-man football. They can understand the first but will never understand the latter.
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41-20 = 31-10…except we won on the road.
How about that Vandy game if you’re looking to compare results?
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So this is a Tech fan? Why in God’s name would a fan of a 2-2 team with losses to mediocre Miami and Va. Tech teams be trolling a Georgia blog? Why would a Tech fan ever troll a Georgia blog given the series record the past decade or two or three? The internet is weird, man.
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We played Buffalo with Mizzou on our mind. We played FAU with Vandy on our mind and then we played with such laser focus on Vandy based on last year. UT has “enough” talent to hang and if they hang around, maybe they start to believe. And if we aren’t playing with focus, this can be the banana peel it has been over the last 8 years back to ’04. But if we put them away early and/or simply win convincingly, say its a 14 point game the whole way through, then I’ll say this – all the preseason happy talk and koolaid wasn’t a mirage. If we can get back up, focus and take care of business on Saturday, I think you are possibly watching a magical season unfold. I know at least for me, I will start going in to games expecting to win rather than hoping to win (back to that feeling I think we all had from 02-07 until the last few years where you wondered just what team was going to show up).
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good thoughts, BC
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I’m just hoping that getting Tree and Rambo back on defense gives the D that little spark it needs to keep rolling. I think their presence could have more significance from a physcological standpoint than a physical one. They should be fired up.
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Oh I think replacing Norman with Rambo and Robinson with Tree will have more than a psychological effect on our defense.
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Play Old Man Football.
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And do it one damn game at a time.
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Yep.
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Beating Vandy 48-3 should not be as big a deal as beating the defending national champs 45-13, and Tennessee is a completely average team. I just don’t see the two scenarios as very similar.
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I don’t disagree, however we are talking about 18-22 year old kids here and their focus can wane at any given moment.
The things we have going for us this week:
I think with Tree coming back and the depth we have developed at ILB we can stuff their run with the front 7 and leave the safeties deep to prevent the long ball.
The coaching staff is aware of the let down and will be on the players to keep their head in the game this week.
As a footnote in the 2004 game we had a Kickoff TD called back on a phantom holding call (Leonard Pope) and we had a chance to win the game on the last play but the receiver ran the wrong route in the end zone and Greene threw it to the spot he was supposed to be in.
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There was also a missed Andy Bailey FG attempt that meant Georgia had to score a TD on that last drive to win instead of being able to drive for a field goal.
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Can’t we redact his name from all Georgia football history?
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Often wondered if he wasn’t a TN “sleeper”. Hard to imagine a guy that kicked well enough in HS that couldn’t even come close to making it in college. I remember him warming up in Lexington and seeing him scatter fans in the side stands with his warm-up misses. We have had some guys have tough years, and a few that never justified the use of a scholly but this poor guy wouldn’t have made the grade on intramural teams.
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Another difference I forgot to mention is that the media won’t be kissing the team’s ass all week like they did in 2004. As far as I can tell, nobody nationally even noticed Georgia and Vanderbilt played a football game Saturday night.
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I thought it was interesting that the Sports Center that started immediately following the UGA-Vandy game on ESPN2 didn’t even mention the game before moving onto other games.
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They were anxious to bury the USC talk underneath the coronation of ND. They have spread so much Pome ‘d Rue on ND that I expect to see corn growing inside the Vatican.
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A couple of them were caught talking when they didn’t know the cameras were on. The conversation seemed to be about promoting ND.
They did show a chart of the last 5 conference games that Vandy had played. The premise was that Vandy’s defense had kept them close or even allowed them to win in recent games (going back to the middle of last year). Their final conclusion was “well, it doesn’t look like Vandy’s defense is as good as we thought it was”…not a word giving Georgia credit for the lopsided score. The plan is, when either UGA or LSU lose, move ND into the top 5. OF course they are trying to sell ND’s schedule as really, really difficult. If that happens, we can all pray that ND meets Alabama, LSU, GA, FL, or SC in a bowl.
Florida State’s remaining schedule was compared to UGA’ as “similarly easy”….Georgia still has to play SC and Fl and possibly Alabama. If that’s easy, I’ll kiss your ass.
I don’t know what order they would fall, but the top teams are Alabama, LSU, UGA, UF, USC and FLST. Pac ten teams need not apply. ND need not apply. VT need not apply. WVU need not apply, and so forth and so on. These Sports Center talking heads are jealous idiots.
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That wasn’t a phantom holding call…it was LP absolutely pancaking the guy and ruffing him up while OG, I think it was OG, was running down the field for the TD….happened right in front of me and wanted to run out there and ruff up LP! Killed us!
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Georgia is vulnerable against the pass, and its return game has proven to be high risk.
Both weaknesses line up with Tennessee’s strengths, giving them a very good opportunity to win this game.
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Yeah we have Sacman Jones and the Ball Hawking safety back. I have no idea how we can stop that aerial assault. Our return game is average.
But hey keep hating on the dawgs, yall’s voices are getting weaker and weaker each game starting last year.
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No hatin’ here. It’s the perfect week for po’ mouthin’ the Dooleys.
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Brother please! Georgia and Florida stack up pretty even on defense. If Bray has the time to set up and play pitch and catch he can rack up some stats. Against the Turds his qb rating was a mighty 104. He threw two TDS and matched that with two INT’s. You know why? Cause UF didn’t give him that time to play pitch and catch my man. Bray ain’t xactly a mobile qb. Now that plays right into OUR strengths. Bray had -10 rushing against the lizard kings. I really am not feeling the angst about the Hillbillies. That’s not pointed at anyone. 😉 Cojones you got them patches ready. Sounds like there could be a market for them. Bluto has some legal skills, perhaps for a percentage he could hook you up.
Coach Todd Damn Grantham has his D ready to do damage and the there is no shortage of player leadership,focus or talent and desire on this years Bulldogs. This is going to be over early sports fans. If the Bamboo Warrior Coach keeps his first team O in so will Sir Grantham. This will be a football clinic for young and wealthy SOD. It will be entertaining. Bring popcorn.
“Who’s that coming down the track…????? ” 😉
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“Coach Todd Damn Grantham”…now that has a good ring to it! Let him be coronated as such! “Coach Todd Damn Grantham”! Great!
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ESPN big mouths are sure drooling and getting ready to minimize the 4 wins of UGA. And as this article states and many fans agree, they will surely point to the history of games between the two teams. As in Vandy game, even if UGA wins, they will say ” I guess we (ESPN) overestimated how good the Vols are” LOL. THEY EVEN SAID THAT about THE COMMODES this past SAT. Then on with the CUCKAROO’S and on and on. THEY WILL LIKELY EVEN SAY THAT with Kentucky as a trap game. LOL. And IF Uga IX reached the SEC Champ game, they will put the Dawgs losing at 2 TD. And if UGA even win, ESPN will say it is because of unfair penalties by the officials, etc., etc.
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this is true
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Just glad to have ‘tree and Rambo back. Two huge games coming before we hit the off week in mid October. I believe CMR understands this is our big chance to challenge for the mnc. I’d hate to see a letdown, especially by the D – isn’t the shot at an mnc why all those D players came back for another year?
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Hopefully Tree and Rambo will be ready to bring the wood…..
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…..to that area right behind the woodshed.
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I have generated a healthy amount of hate for TN that I did not have in previous years, due to their bratty QB. I hope Motel 6 turns his lights out.
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You must have been more generous in previous years because most of the UT QBs over the last decade (the Clausen boys, Erik Ainge) seem just as bad to me. Pretty sure you can’t win the QB job at UT without being a petulant jerk.
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For all this talk about past UT games after a resounding victory (a la LSU in 2004), you don’t need to go back that far for a game where we came off a awesome win and played like ass the next week. Does anyone remember the kentucky game last year after the auburn beatdown?
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Wasn’t the 19-14 los to UT when Richt called a fake punt from our 40 that did not work. TN took the ball in and scored and took over the game?
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