DAWGBEASTS and the GATORS

Jarvis Jones - @SacManJones_29 is a full grown man.  The #KingBeast.  With Georgia’s season on the line in Jacksonville, JJ returned to the DAWGS starting line-up after sitting out the game against Kentucky and turned in an absolutely dominant performance….13 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries and 3 sacks.  Every time the DAWGS needed a play, number 29 or one of his buddies was there to make it.  Jones declared during his post game interview that he expects Georgia to play defense the rest of the season the way they played it on Saturday.  I believe him.  Besides, are you gonna be the one to tell him they’re not?

Shawn Williams – Georgia’s Senior safety backed up every word of his stinging rant in which he called out his defensive brothers for playing soft this season.  Williams finished with six total tackles, including a ferocious tackle for loss that stopped the Gators on a 4^th and 1 attempt and ended one unfortunate Gator’s day.  Williams set the tone for the week and proved he wasn’t messing around with that play.

Todd Gurley – @TG3II had a very strong day in his first trip to the Cocktail Party.  Gurley powered his way to 118 yards and a TD on 27 carries, including a 20+ yard run late in the game to seal the win for the DAWGS.

Georgia’s “Junkyard DAWG” Defense – Heart.  Grit.  Bad intentions.  Todd Grantham’s defense was flying around on Saturday, playing the smart and hard hitting brand of defense that everyone that saw this unit play last year has been waiting all season to see.  Everyone made plays on Saturday.  Freshman or Senior…we saw tenacious defensive line play, ball hawking secondary play, sure tackling, positive run fits and eye discipline, assignment football with a jagged edge.  It was beautiful.  

 Malcolm Mitchell - Competitor.  That is exactly what Mitchell showed himself to be Saturday night against the Gators.  After making a bone-headed play and drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that could have been a killer for the DAWGS and taking a well deserved *** chewing from Coach Richt, Mitchell didn't pout.  If anything, he got pissed off because he knew that he had made a mistake and only wanted a chance to make things right, to make a play.  After sitting out for a play Mitchell came back in and the ball came to him, first for a gain of five, then Aaron Murray beat the blitz and hit Mitchell again and @Money_Mitch26 broke free and raced 45 yards for a huge touchdown.  Big time players make plays.  They don't sulk or get their feelings hurt.  Competitors want the ball when it's tough and they answer the bell.  Mitchell did that on Saturday and that's a sure fire way to make my list every time.  Well played, kid.

Glory, Glory.

THE PACKING LIST REVIEW: SOUTH CAROLINA

A lot of flash and another Georgia fizzle.  A meeting with Marcus Lattimore's Gamecocks and another loss.  This isn't pretty, so lets get through it. 

 

**MICHAEL BENNETT’S TOUGHNESS**

The DAWGS got punched in the face right from the jump and never fully recovered.  Yes they played better on defense as the game went on, but they just had no answer for the SC defensive line and did not stop the Cocks run game when they really needed to.  On a day we saw Florida run when it wanted to against a pretty good LSU front seven, today's result has me wondering where the season will go from here.

**TODD GURLEY’S STIFF ARM**

Due to the facts I stated above, Gurley (or Keith Marshall for that matter) never had a chance to get going.  That SC d-line made our O-line look weak and slow.  For his part Gurley ran hard, but there was not much he could do.

**JYD DEFENSIVE PRIDE**

Well, I guess we know what this defense is now.  A defense that struggles to stop the run and shows a disturbing lack of pass rush.  To the second point there, SC didn't throw much and Georgia was off balance in that first quarter, but even when they read pass the push just wasn't there.  I want to think that the defense didn't give in and just go through the motions, but if I looked back at the game I fear I would see just that.  This is disappointing.

**OFFENSIVE LINE’S MAN CARD** 

This one clearly didn't make the trip, or more likely, SC's d-line is simply that much better that they made our offensive line look like the one that struggled so mightily in spring practice.  Regardless, Georgia didn't appear to move anyone back all night long and had no answers along the offensive line of scrimmage.

**AARON MURRAY’S ZEN**

Even if this box made it on the truck, Jadaveon Clowney and the SC defense beat it with baseball bats and squashed it under their boots all night long.  Murray was shaken and missed throws that were open all night.  Any quarterback will struggle if you're in his face enough and this was a classic example of that.

**UGA'S RAY-BANS**

Like I said to start this, a lot of flash and another Georgia fizzle.  It's disappointing.  There is no doubt after this one, this team is not ready for prime time.  Yes, they can work to get better and if fate is kind they do still have a chance to win the East.  However, based off of what I saw last night, I do not expect the Cocks to lose twice even if the DAWGS do win out. 

This review is a sour one and honestly I'm glad it's behind us.  It stinks to have to write it, but I'm not gonna ignore what we saw.  We give South Carolina credit, they are clearly the better team.  Here's hoping Georgia can find itself.  It's possible for the DAWGS to go on to have a good season, but this one surely stinks.  As for we, the DAWG Nation, at least we know where we stand. 

Glory, Glory!

THE PACKING LIST: SOUTH CAROLINA

After three weeks of home cooking, it’s time for the DAWGS to get back on the road in pursuit of an SEC East Championship.   This week we head east, but back to Columbia, to take on a Cocky bunch of chickens.  We’ve talked a lot about respect and national perception on the blog this year and it’s hard to see how any regular season game could do any more to impact each of those metrics than this match-up with South Carolina.  If you’re anything like me you’ve had butterflies in the pit of your stomach since last Saturday night, everyone in the national media is talking about this game and there’s certainly an excitement around the program this week.  Given all this, we know traveling can get a little hectic and it can be tough to always remember everything, so we humbly offer up this week’s packing list.   

**MICHAEL BENNETT’S TOUGHNESS**

I was stunned Wednesday when I heard that Michael Bennett had been lost for the year to a torn ACL.  We feel really bad for Bennett.  He’s a great player, a great teammate and a better young man.  But, as we all know, injuries are part of the game and it’s gotta be ‘next man up’.  Now, Bennett is no stranger to the DAWGBEAST list here on the blog, but how he made the list is why this is relevant.  Bennett plays the game the way it is supposed to be played…with maximum effort, selfless and hard nosed.  If the DAWGS are going to go into Columbia and beat a very good Gamecocks team that’s ranked in the top 10, they must attack the challenge with the type of toughness that @MBennett_82 brings to the field every time he suits up.  I don’t know if Bennett will be with the team on Saturday, but the spirit with which he plays the game had better be there is Georgia is going to ride home with the win.  Now box it up!

**TODD GURLEY’S STIFF ARM**

As for your boy Todd Gurley, he’s a full grown man and he’s proved it over and over this year, BEAST-facing one defender after another to the ground with a wicked stiff arm.  Bigger than he’s listed in the program, faster than he looks on tape and stronger than can be imagined until you see him plant another defender in the turf, @TG3II has to be a presence in the DAWGS offense Saturday and that stiff arm has got to be ready to be put to use.  I tell you what.  Make sure that bad boy makes it onto the first truck.  We’re not taking any chances.

**JYD DEFENSIVE PRIDE**

Last season was certainly a good one for the DAWGS defense as Jarvis and the boys snapped taut the chain that restrains the Junkyard Dawgs that are the Georgia defense.  This season however, the unit has not been quite as impressive and the pride associated with the Junkyard Dawgs has been a bit bruised.  Now, there are several reasons for why this has happened, but we don’t have time for any of that now.  It’s no secret that South Carolina’s Marcus Lattimore has had his way with the DAWGS the last two years and it’s about time to put an end to all that nonsense.  Game day is almost here and we’ve got to hit the road, so load that #JYDPride in the back and strap it down tight.  There’s a lot of it, and believe it or not that stuff is white hot, so make sure to use extra straps.  We’ve got to make sure the guys know exactly what and who they’re playing for against the Cocks Saturday.

**OFFENSIVE LINE’S MAN CARD**

Now this isn’t a very big item, but what it means is HUGE, and that’s exactly why it cannot get forgotten.  What was widely considered to be a weakness for the DAWGS offense coming into the season is now a position of strength for Georgia and the rushing stats bear it out.  That’s all fine and good, but this weekend is about something more than numbers.  In every way, this game is a challenge to your manhood if you’re a Georgia offensive lineman.  South Carolina’s defensive line is widely heralded as one of, if not the, best the DAWGS will face all season. If Georgia wants to prove they can get the job done, they’ve got to do it when everyone is watching and do it against a quality opponent.  Georgia/South Carolina is the battle of the two biggest bullies on the block that is the SEC East to this point in the season, and in my opinion, of the entire season.  This is a line of scrimmage league and if you want to be considered among the best in the conference, and therefore in the nation, it starts by winning the battle up front.  It’s time to look deep inside and decide just exactly who and what you are.  We’ll just put that card in the glove box for the trip over and keep it behind the bench during the game.  If the boys take care of business on Saturday like we believe they can and show once again what it means to play our brand of Grown Man Football, it will be right there for I.D. verification when it’s time to get back on the bus after the game.

**AARON MURRAY’S ZEN**

Zen – noun – emphasizing enlightenment for the student by the most direct possible means.  In other words, nothing beats the peace of mind and confidence that comes from having hands on experience.  Aaron Murray has played in plenty of loud stadiums during his time at Georgia.  Murray’s gone under center in more than one big game since he arrived in Athens.  What Murray has yet to do as a DAWG is beat a top 10 team and is only 2-7 against teams ranked in the top 25.  With that said, I don’t think it matters much.  Murray’s teammates and coaches certainly don’t see as a big deal.  Besides, given how much trouble I’m having with understanding how teams are being ranked this season, once you get beyond the top five I don’t think rankings matter that much anyway.  Murray does not need to be superhuman on Saturday.  He doesn’t have to do one thing differently than he has all season.  What @aaronmurray11 has done so far this season is plenty good enough to beat South Carolina if he gets a little help from his friends.  Murray simply needs to ‘Keep Calm and BEAST On’.  Nobody works harder in the film room than Georgia’s quarterback.  He’s already done the work.  As a three year starter, he’s already seen just about everything a defense can throw at him.  Murray needs to just keep his composure, make his reads, get the DAWGS into the right plays and be smart with the football.  If Murray just continues to do what he does, I’m bettin’ Georgia’s gonna be fine.  Now, I don’t know exactly what shape Zen is or exactly how much room it’s gonna take up, but figure it out.  We can’t leave Athens without it.

UGA’s Ray-Bans – Georgia’s 5-0 start has put the DAWGS back on the big stage for the first time since last year’s SEC Championship game and we all know the story there.  Georgia played really good football despite missing some opportunities early, but then turnovers and big plays turned the game in favor of the LSU Tigers in the second half.  If the DAWGS can stand the bright lights of one of the biggest stages a regular season game can offer, then the sky’s the limit for this team.  So, toss those shades in the cup holder alongside your 64 ounce Gulpinator just to make sure nobody sits on ‘em and crushes ‘em before we have a chance to come struttin’ out of South Cackalacka, stylin’ and profilin’ with a big time win on Saturday night.  We don’t want that now, do we?  Besides, what’s cooler than a bulldawg wearing shades?

Well, that’s it Nation.  We’ve posted the list and we trust that everything is gonna make it on the trucks.  Like our trip to the other Columbia earlier this season, we don’t expect this one to be any kind of walk in the park.  South Carolina is a very good football team and there is no reason to believe that this game will be anything other than a hard-hitting, hard fought affair that will be decided in the fourth quarter.  But then again, when you’re striving to be elite in the toughest conference in the nation, what else is new?  If you’re making the trip, be sure to wear your DAWG colors proudly and don’t be bashful about letting your intentions be known.  Georgia’s only showing up for one reason, and that’s to BEAT THE COCKS!

Glory, Glory!