Practice Notes: Battle Gets Taste of the Future

There’s no doubt, Rod Battle said, he’d much rather be playing in Monday’s Independence Bowl against Texas A&M. But the senior defensive tackle has still managed to be a crucial part of the action in the lead up to the game, despite an ACL injury that cost him most of his final season with the Bulldogs.

Battle has worked as the de facto defensive ends coach after Jon Fabris was dismissed from the position earlier this month. While Rodney Garner has been in charge of the full defensive line, Battle has stepped up to oversee practice drills and work with the players as they prepare for the Aggies.

“I feel more like a coach now,” Battle said. “But it’s nothing different than what we did in the summer time, so it hasn’t been a shock or anything like that.”

Battle said he had considered going into coaching in the future, but despite his experience this month with the Bulldogs, he’s not ready to completely give up his dreams on the football field just yet. In fact, coaching isn’t even a fall-back plan just yet.

“If I have a shot to play professionally, that would be my No. 1 goal,” said Battle, who is still rehabbing the knee injury and isn’t sure if he’ll participate in Georgia’s pro day workouts in the spring. “I would like to work with sports, but I don’t know if I want to coach right away, but I might want to try the business side of things first.”

Battle graduated in December with a degree in sports management, and he said working in sports administration would be his first choice for future careers away from the field. But the experience of coaching his former teammates this month has provided him with some better context for the work a coach does – and the frustrations that come with the job.

“I can see why coaches get so frustrated now,” Battle said. “When you see somebody mess up, you get upset. But when you go over something and they get it right, it’s a good feeling.”

HE CAN SYMPATHIZE

Texas A&M defensive coordinator Joe Kines’ last visit to the Independence Bowl was in 2006, when he served as Alabama’s interim head coach after Mike Shula was fired. The experience gave him a little sympathy for what his counterpart on the opposite sideline must be going through this season.

Kines and Garner worked together for a year on Jim Donnan’s staff at Georgia, but even without a personal relationship, Kines would feel for Garner, who has worked as the Bulldogs’ de facto defensive coordinator this month after Willie Martinez was fired.

But the biggest lesson Kines learned from his experience – a 34-31 loss to Oklahoma State – was that no one takes it easy on a coach just because he’s in a bad situation this time of year, and he doesn’t expect Garner to anticipate anything different.

“In this business, sometimes things happen this time of year,” Kines said. “Bowl games sometimes, those things happen and you just play yourself out of it.”

THE GAME PLAN ON D

With Garner and two graduate assistants handling the defense against A&M, things will be a bit different than normal on game day.

Garner and fill-in linebackers coach Mitch Doolittle will be on the field for the game and will be in charge of calling plays for the defense. Todd Hartley, who has handled the defensive backs since Martinez’s dismissal, will be in the press box for the game, Richt said.

Despite all the shake-ups this month, Richt said the defense has been sharp in practice, which he said is a tribute to the energy and focus of the players.

“If the players didn’t want to take on the challenge and buy into what we were trying to do I think it would have been very difficult,” Richt said. “Guys like Jeff (Owens) and a lot of our leaders really took the responsibility to make this thing work. Coach (Rodney) Garner, coach (Mitch) Doolittle and Todd Hartley took a lot of hours and spent a lot of time to put the plan together, but the plan is designed for the players. This game is not as much about the coaches as it is about the players. I think they’ve done a nice job of putting the players in the position to make the plays.”

BIG IN THE BOWLS

In his eight previous trips to a bowl game, Richt has enjoyed his fair share of success. He has won six bowl games in his career, including the past three.

So what’s the secret to his postseason success?

“We really spend all of our time practicing for our opponent. We want to focus on getting prepared for who we’re going to play, and I think that’s a big part of it,” Richt said. “But I think our players want to see the seniors leave on a high note.”

While some teams use the bowl as an early start to the following season and others may lack an emotional edge after a long season, Richt said he has always put a lot of focus on finishing with a win. That won’t be any different against Texas A&M, which Richt said provides a big challenge to his team.

“We’ve prepared for and we want to win this game for our seniors,” Richt said. “We want to win this game for the 2009 season. It’s the finish of this year. A lot of people talk about it catapulting you into the future. We don’t really spend time talking about that. We talk about this year. We talk about finishing strong for this season and this group of seniors. That’s what our main focus is. I think our guys will be very excited about playing because they have a lot of respect for Texas A&M.”

EIGHT IS ENOUGH

More than just getting one last win for the seniors, safety Bryan Evans said he wants Georgia to topple A&M to ensure the 2009 season isn’t remembered for being a remarkably disappointing one after a 7-5 regular season.

“We want to go out with an eight-win season,” Evans said. “Eight wins sounds way better than seven wins. I’ve never been on a losing team here, and not that a seven-win season is a losing season, but eight wins sounds way better.”

DOUBTING DAVIS

Senior Vince Vance is expected to get the start at right tackle for Georgia against A&M on Monday. Junior Josh Davis, who started the final six regular-season games, suffered an ankle injury during practice earlier this month, and despite Richt’s optimism that he could play, the odds are that Davis won’t see the field.

“Josh is available to play, but he’s not as far along as we hoped he was,” Richt said.
The only other significant injury this week belonged to defensive end Demarcus Dobbs, who was limited with an ankle injury, but Richt expects the junior to be ready to go against the Aggies.

“I think Dobbs will show up to play,” Richt said. “He’s always got a little something, but he’s the kind of kid who’ll play.”

Dawgs of the Decade: The Results

OK, I'm assuming by now you've had a chance to go pick up your copy of today's Macon Telegraph. If not, do me a favor and buy one to help me remain employed for a few more days.

That said, I know there are plenty of you who don't live close enough to buy a copy, so I don't want to keep you in suspense about our Dawgs of the Decade. So, without any further a do, here are the results...

Punter
Drew Butler 60%
Gordon Ely-Kelso 26%
Brian Mimbs 8%
Jonathan Kilgo 6%

Drew Butler, Punter
Career: The son of hall-of-fame kicker Kevin Butler, Drew followed in his family legacy, earning All-American honors in his first year as a starter in 2009, averaging nearly 49 yards per punt to help salvage several games for the Bulldogs.
Highlight: Butler set the tone for his season early, booming a 68-yard punt in his first attempt as a starter in Georgia’s opener against Oklahoma State this year.
They say: “He’s always been capable, but his work ethic is just unheard of. He comes in and works hard every day whether it’s in the weight room or out there dropping balls, just anything – anything he can do to get an edge, he’s doing it.” – Georgia kicker Blair Walsh.

Place-kicker
Billy Bennett 51%
Brandon Coutu 38%
Blair Walsh 11%

Billy Bennett, Kicker
Career: Upon graduation, Bennett was the SEC’s career leader and second in NCAA history in points with 409. Bennett booted 26 field goals in 2002 to help the Bulldogs to an SEC title and his 31 connections on field goals a year later set the SEC mark.
Highlight: Bennett’s best day ranks as one of the all-time best by any player at Georgia – a six-field goal effort in 2001 in a win over rival Georgia Tech, tying an SEC record. His 19 points in that game (including one PAT) is still the single-game record at Georgia.
They say: “I believe Billy Bennett kept Georgia in a lot of games they might have lost. He and Brian Van Gorder’s defense were the strengths of the early (Mark) Richt teams.” – national championship-winning Georgia kicker Rex Robinson.

Returner
Damien Gary 37%
Mikey Henderson 27%
Brandon Boykin 16%
Thomas Flowers 9%
Fred Gibson 8%
Asher Allen 4%

Damien Gary, Returner
Career: A four-year star in the return game for Georgia, Gary holds the school record for return yards in a career with 1,253 – nearly 200 more than the No. 2 player on the list – and returned two punts for touchdowns in his career.
Highlight: It wasn’t Georgia’s biggest opponent, but Gary got to showcase his skills in a 2002 win over New Mexico State in which he racked up 130 all-purpose yards and two TDs – one receiving and one on a punt return.
They say: “Damien Gary gets my vote. As a classic Munson disciple who was raised to see the negative in everything, Damien Gary gave me comfort. I never really held my breath when he was back there. Great hands, great decisions, and a few good moves on top of that.” – Bulldogs Blog reader B Man.

Tackle
Jon Stinchcomb 81%
Clint Boling 10%
Daniel Inman 4%
George Foster 3%
Chester Adams 2%

Center/Guard
Max Jean-Gilles 58%
Russ Tanner 23%
Ben Jones 5%
Nick Jones 5%
Fernando Velasco 4%
Kevin Breedlove 4%
Chris Davis 1%
Alex Jackson 0%

Runoff Vote:
Ben Jones 35%
Fernando Velasco 32%
Nick Jones 20%
Kevin Breedlove 14%

Jon Stinchcomb, Tackle
Career: Following in the footsteps of his older brother Matt, Jon Stinchcomb made his mark as one of the most dominant blockers in Bulldogs history as a four-year starter and three-time All-SEC selection. He helped Georgia to an SEC title that season and earned All-American honors in 2002.
Highlight: In 2002, he recovered a fumble in the end zone in a win over Auburn, becoming the first Bulldogs’ lineman to score a touchdown in 17 years.
They say: “He’s a winner. His teams won. I don’t think that’s a coincidence when it happens in high school, college and in the NFL. That speaks a lot to the intangible stuff Jon did. He’s not a physical freak. He just goes out and executes at a really high level.” –former Georgia lineman and Jon’s brother, Matt Stinchcomb.

Max Jean-Gilles, Guard
Career: One of the largest linemen ever to play at Georgia checking in at close to 350 pounds, Jean-Gilles was a three-year starter who paved the way for some of Georgia’s most successful offensive seasons. He earned All-SEC honors in each of his three seasons as a starter and was named a Walter Camp All-American as a senior in 2005 when he won his second SEC title. In 40 career games, he allowed just three sacks.
Highlight: Held the line together after starting QB D.J. Shockley went down against Arkansas in 2005, protecting Joe Tereshinski and helping the Bulldogs hold on for a 23-20 win that kept them alive for the SEC title. He earned conference lineman of the week honors for the effort.
They say: “He chose Georgia early on but never told anyone throughout the recruiting process. He surprised a lot of people, but he loved Georgia, and he had a great career here.” – Head coach Mark Richt.

Ben Jones, Center
Career: Aggressive, confident, and perhaps a little crazy, Jones won the starting center job just four games into his career, earning a freshman All-SEC nod in 2008. His blocking earned him offensive lineman of the week honors in the SEC after Georgia beat Kentucky that year. In 2009, he blossomed into a veteran leader on the line despite being just a sophomore and was named second-team All-SEC.
Highlight: Before Caleb King’s game-winning touchdown run against Auburn in 2009, Jones took him aside after the huddle and simply said, “Follow me into the end zone.”
They say: “Him before the game is hilarious. He’s a crazy guy and gets real excited. You just have to be around him.” – Georgia quarterback Joe Cox.

Russ Tanner, Guard
Career: Tanner started throughout his final three seasons in Athens, culminating with a second conference championship in 2005. He was named to the Remmington Trophy Watch List his final two seasons and a member of the Academic All-SEC team. He graduated as part of the winningest class in Georgia history.
Highlight: In his final SEC game, he helped pave the way for Georgia’s breakout offensive attack against LSU in the conference championship game, earning his second SEC title in his career.
They say: “Russ was one of those big boys from South Georgia who played hard on every single play. He came to work, gave his all, played hurt and was always reliable.” – former Georgia quarterback David Greene

Clint Boling, Tackle
Career: A freshman All-America in 2007 Boling has been one of the most versatile and effective linemen in Georgia history. In 2008, he started 12 games and played at three different positions, but it was his move from the right side of the line to left tackle that finally settled a chaotic season on Georgia’s line. In 2009, Boling again started the year on the right side of the line, but moved to left tackle midway through the year, earning All-SEC honors both times.
Highlight: His move to left tackle helped set the tone for Georgia’s revitalized running game in 2009, culminating with a huge performance against Georgia Tech in which the Bulldogs tallied 339 yards on the ground.
They say: “A lot of times in that situation you have to play guys early, but him coming in as a freshman and play well and play a number of positions just shows how valuable he's been. He's a smart guy that gives a lot of effort and is a team guy. He's been very productive at every position he's played. He's played four out of the five and to do that, do it consistently and held us together.” – offensive coordinator Mike Bobo.

Quarterback
David Greene 78%
D.J. Shockley 11%
Matthew Stafford 11%

David Greene, Quarterback
Career: Until Texas’ Colt McCoy broke the mark this season, Greene held the NCAA record for most victories by a starting quarterback with 42 in four seasons. His career began as a redshirt freshman the same season Mark Richt arrived in Athens, and he was as much a part of Georgia’s resurgence as anyone. He holds the SEC record with 214 pass attempts without an interception and won the 2002 SEC title, earning three straight All-SEC nods. He holds the school record for completions, attempts, passing yards and touchdowns and ranks third all-time in completion percentage.
Highlight: Call it what you want – the “Hobnail Boot” play, “P-44 Haynes” or simply, “the play,” Greene’s screen pass with 44 seconds left to beat Tennessee in 2001 was the signature play of the decade and perhaps the biggest score of the Mark Richt era.
They say: “You could just watch him make his reads with such precision early on, you just knew he was going to be a great one. He was everything you want in a quarterback.” – Head coach Mark Richt.

Wide receiver
A.J. Green 56%
Terrence Edwards 22%
Mohamed Massaquoi 14%
Fred Gibson 4%
Reggie Brown 3%
Sean Bailey 1%
Bryan McClendon 0%

A.J. Green, Wide Receiver
Career: As a freshman in 2008, Green earned All-SEC honors by catching 56 passes for 963 yards and was named the SEC’s freshman of the year. As a sophomore, he was a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award and made his second straight All-SEC team with 47 catches and 751 yards, both of which led the team, and he hauled in six touchdown catches.
Highlight: Making a rare special teams appearance, Green blocked a short field goal attempt by Arizona State that could have won the game, then hauled in a crucial catch on the sideline to set up the game-winning field goal for the Bulldogs.
They say: “He has everything you’d want in a receiver, but what makes him different is his ability to move his body and get in position to catch passes. He can move in ways that are unbelievable.” – Georgia receiver Mike Moore.

Terrence Edwards, Wide Receiver
Career: The owner of virtually every receiving record at Georgia, Edwards was a beast for four seasons at both split end and flanker. He led the Bulldogs in receiving in every year of his career, culminating with a 1,004-yard senior season – the only time a Georgia player has ever eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark. His 204 career receptions, 3,093 career yards, 30 TD receptions and 11 touchdown grabs in 2002 are all school records.
Highlight: Edwards had plenty of big games, but it was his 127-yard, three-touchdown performance against Kentucky in 2002 that marked the high-water point in terms of sheer production.
They say: “He’s the one who took me under his wing and showed me the ropes. There’s no telling where I would be or how I would have ended up if it weren’t for him doing that for me.” – Former UGA receiver and current running backs coach Bryan McClendon.

Tight end
Ben Watson 41%
Leonard Pope 31%
Randy McMichael 28%

Ben Watson, Tight End
Career: A transfer from Duke, Watson helped bring the position of Georgia tight end to the forefront of college football. He caught 31 passes in 2002 for 341 yards to help Georgia to an SEC title and was an All-SEC selection in 2003.
Highlight: Georgia had trouble finding much offense in the 2003 SEC title game, but Watson was the exception, hauling in a career-best 86 yards and the Bulldogs’ only touchdown.
They say: “He is an all pro tight end but he cares about his family and the well being of others and that is special. Not many in this sport at that level are like him, and I look up to him for sure, not only as an athlete but also because of the person he is.” – Georgia tight end Arthur Lynch.

Running back
Knowshon Moreno 90%
Thomas Brown 4%
Musa Smith 4%
Danny Ware 1%
Kregg Lumpkin 0%

Knowshon Moreno, Running Back
Career: Moreno burst onto the scene as a redshirt freshman in 2007, rushing for 1,334 yards and was a freshman All-American and an All-SEC selection. In 2008, he was a full-fledged starter and turned in an All-American performance, rushing for 1,400 yards (fifth-best in Georgia history) and 16 touchdowns (fourth-best in school history). His 5.49 yards per carry average was the seventh-best mark of any running back in a career at Georgia, and his 19.2 carries per game average was the second best. He is one of just two tailbacks in school history with consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.
Highlight: Getting the bulk of the load on offense, Moreno ran 33 times for 188 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Florida – just the second time during the Mark Richt era that the Bulldogs topped the Gators.
They say: “It didn’t matter what was going on, he was going to give it his all on every play. That’s what I tried to pick up from him. He played every play like it was his last.” – Georgia running back Caleb King.

Fullback
Brannen Southerland 70%
Verron Haynes 28%
Shaun Chapas 3%

Brannan Southerland, Fullback
Career: Earned his stripes as a freshman on Georgia’s 2005 SEC championship team, scoring three touchdowns. A year later, he was Georgia’s primary short-yardage runner and the first fullback to lead the Bulldogs in scoring in 49 years, tallying 10 touchdowns on the year. As a junior, his role as a runner decreased but he still scored six touchdowns and helped lead the way for Knowshon Moreno to total 1,334 yards – the most at Georgia in 15 years.
Highlight: Scored twice on the ground – the only points of the game – in a 14-9 win over Ole Miss in 2006 to help move the Bulldogs to 5-0.
They say: “He wasn’t just a fullback. He could do it all. He was a great blocker, but he could run routes, catch passes, score. He had it all.” – Georgia fullback Shaun Chapas.

Defensive end
David Pollack 88%
Charles Grant 5%
Charles Johnson 3%
Quentin Moses 2%
Will Thompson 1%
Marcus Howard 1%
Robert Geathers 0%

Defensive tackle
Richard Seymour 62%
Johnathan Sullivan 15%
Marcus Stroud 10%
Kedric Golston 4%
Jeff Owens 4%
Geno Atkins 3%
Gerald Anderson 2%

Charles Grant, Defensive End
Career: Grant finished his Georgia career with 136 tackles, 27 TFLs and 15 sacks, despite only playing two full seasons at defensive end. His 15 career sacks ranks ninth all-time at Georgia. His junior season in 2001 resulted in 63 tackles and six sacks and was named to the All-SEC team.
Highlight: Grant’s four-sack performance against Auburn in 2001 ranks as the second-best performance in school history.
They say: Entertaining Charles Grant story, courtesy of Bulldogs Blog reader, Chess…
Munson: "whattaya got on the field for us loran?"
Loran:" I got Charles Grant down on the field here Larry, so Charles, youre from South Georgia, arent you? So I suppose you probably like boiled peanuts?"
Grant: "yes sir"
Loran: "Alright, back up to you Larry"

Richard Seymour, Defensive Tackle
Career: Seymour only played one year during the decade – but it was a heck of a year. He was a first-team All-American and first-team All-SEC as a senior in 2000, playing along three other future NFL first-round draft picks. He started 10 games that season, making 78 tackles, including 10.5 for a loss.
Highlight: Had six tackles, two sacks and a pressure that resulted in an interception in a win over South Carolina in 1999.
They say: “Him and (Marcus) Stroud, they got drafted high and they left a legacy. Seymour led the team in tackles one year. That’s a legacy.” – defensive tackle Jeff Owens.

Johnathan Sullivan, Defensive Tackle
Career: It was never about the numbers for Sullivan, who was a constant disruptive force on the defensive line. He was an All-SEC selection in 2002, helping Georgia to a conference title by making 74 tackles and four sacks.
Highlight: Sullivan’s final SEC game earned him a conference championship as he and the Bulldogs’ line held Arkansas to just 1.9 yards per carry on the ground and just three total points.
They say: “He’s one of the most talented kids I ever coached. He had the athleticism of (Richard) Seymour and the power of (Marcus) Stroud. He could have done anything he wanted to do.” – Rodney Garner, Georgia defensive tackles coach.

Player of the Decade
David Pollack 67%
David Greene 24%
Knowshon Moreno 5%
Thomas Davis 3%
A.J. Green 1%

PLAYER OF THE DECADE: David Pollack, Defensive End
Career: One of the most decorated athletes in Georgia history, Pollack was a three-time All-American, who holds the school records for sacks with 36 and was named the SEC’s player of the year in 2004. In his career, he had 58 tackles for a loss, made 283 total tackles, holds the single-season record for sacks with 14 in 2002. His high-energy style made him a fan favorite and his impact on the football field was unparalleled by any Bulldogs player during the past decade.
Highlight: His interception of South Carolina quarterback Corey Jenkins in the end zone in a 13-7 win remains one of the signature plays of the decade and helped propel the Bulldogs to an SEC title.
They say: “I think he’s the most decorated defensive player to play here and he set the standard for us. Everybody tries to continue that on, but he set the bar real high.” – defensive end Rod Battle.
“Pollack was one of those rare guys that you find who is really a game-changer. He played with such energy and the things he would do would really change the whole outcome of a game. He could swing the whole momentum of games.” – Pollack’s former teammate David Greene.
“What made David different was his relentless pursuit. Something inside of him made him go hard on every practice, every rep in the game and every mat drill every single year. He could not help it. That’s just what made him great. Another thing about David was he didn’t care what you thought or what you said about him. He was going to do exactly what he wanted to do against you.” – Head coach Mark Richt.

Linebacker
Boss Bailey 40%
Rennie Curran 21%
Odell Thurman 21%
Will Witherspoon 7%
Tony Gilbert 6%
Tony Taylor 4%
Dannell Ellerbe 1%
Danny Verdun-Wheeler 1%
Chris Clemons 0%

Rennie Curran, Linebacker
Career: The heart and soul of Georgia’s defense for the past two years, Curran has been a tackling machine. He was led the SEC in tackles in 2009 and became the first Bulldogs player to top 100 tackles in consecutive years in more than a decade. He won All-SEC honors as both a sophomore and junior.
Highlight: Curran salvaged a win by forcing a fumble at the goal line against South Carolina in 2008, then defended a last-second pass at the goal line to preserve another win over the Gamecocks a year later.
They say: “Truthfully, every play, you think, oh man, I’ve got to be on my Ps and Qs, I have to be on top of my game because you have a guy like Rennie, and every play he’s going hard. When I’m out on the field, I’m just like, I’m going to match Rennie.” – Georgia linebacker Nick Williams.

Odell Thurman, Linebacker
Career: A Ju-Co transfer, Thurman made the most of his two years in Athens. He was an All-SEC selection both seasons and a Butkus Award semifinalist in 2004. He finished his career with 184 tackles and 9.5 sacks.
Highlight: Thurman’s 99-yard interception return for a touchdown against Auburn in 2004 was the second-longest in school history.
They say: “He was a straight playmaker. He was all over the field when you saw him on film. That’s one of the guys I watched when I wanted to get better and learn how to improve my technique, make plays and be around the ball.” – linebacker Rennie Curran.

Boss Bailey, Linebacker
Career: Following in the footsteps of his All-American brother Champ, Boss Bailey was one of Georgia’s most prolific linebackers, a four-year starter and two-time All-SEC performer. His senior season marked a high point, as Bailey earned All-American status, leading the team with 114 tackles and six sacks.
Highlight: Bailey had many big games, but perhaps none loomed as large as an eight-tackle performance in a 24-21 win over Auburn in 2002 when he chipped in with two sacks and a forced fumble that helped preserve Georgia’s shot at its first SEC championship in 20 years.
They say: “I was in Athens for the year-o-highlights when Boss was a virtual super man in blocking kicks. I think he had a 48" vertical...same as some guy named Jordan, by the way.” – Bulldogs Blog reader JFerg.

Safety
Thomas Davis 48%
Greg Blue 30%
Sean Jones 15%
Jermaine Phillips 3%
Kelin Johnson 1%
Tra Battle 1%
Reshad Jones 1%

Thomas Davis, Safety
Career: One of Georgia’s all-time hardest hitters, Davis finished his career with 272 tackles, 10.5 sacks and three interceptions and earned All-SEC honors in both 2003 and 2004. His 138 takedowns in 2003 were the most by a Bulldogs defender since 1996 and marked the 12th-best during any season in school history, and he earned All-American honors a year later.
Highlight: Did a little bit of everything in a 2003 win over Alabama, making seven tackles, two sacks, a fumble recovery and returning a blocked punt for a touchdown.
They say: “He’s like a magnet to the football, and every time I saw him, he went hard and he delivered a blow. That was what he was known for.” – Georgia safety Reshad Jones.

Greg Blue, Safety
Career: No one hit harder than Blue, who still owns one of the most frightening highlight films in Georgia history. In his senior year in 2005, Blue was dominant. He finished with a career-best 96 tackles – the most on the team – and intercepted two passes en route to All-SEC and All-America honors and yet another SEC title.
Highlight: It’s hard to pick just one highlight hit from Blue’s career since he had so many, but it was his knockout blow to Auburn’s Courtney Taylor in 2003 that probably tops the list for sheer violence.
They say: “I think the most physical guy on a consistent basis and was just a mean guy was Blue. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a guy that played the game as mean as he did, but could also be as kind and soft-spoken and a great kid.” – Former Georgia defensive coordinator Willie Martinez.

Cornerback
Tim Jennings 35%
Paul Oliver 22%
Tim Wansley 20%
Asher Allen 11%
Bruce Thornton 6%
Demario Minter 5%
Prince Miller 1%

Run-off vote:
Tim Wansley 55%
Paul Oliver 45%

Tim Wansley, Cornerback
Career: Wansley was an All-SEC performer in 2000 and 2001, and led the team with six interceptions in 2000 – two of which he returned for TDs. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2002 NFL draft.
Highlight: Wansley’s interception return for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter in 2001 gave Mark Richt his first career win over Georgia Tech and the Bulldogs’ first win in four years against their in-state rivals.

Tim Jennings, Cornerback
Career: As a senior in 2005, he helped the Bulldogs to an SEC title and was named to the All-SEC team, making 56 tackles and four interceptions. For his career, he finished with 170 tackles, 10 for a loss, and made 10 interceptions. His 194 career return yards off picks ranks fifth in school history.
Highlight: Although he won an SEC title as a reserve in 2002, it was his interception return for a TD against LSU in the conference title game in 2005 that served as a highlight to his career, both in terms of personal plays and big wins.
They say: “My vote goes to Time Jennings. Got to love the fight in the little guys.” – Bulldogs Blog reader Universal Remonster.

A few of my thoughts on the final voting...

-- The only positions I'd put up much argument with would be tight end, where I think Leonard Pope was probably the superior player, but Ben Watson is certainly a valid choice, and on the interior line, where I thought Kevin Breedlove was significantly undervalued.

-- Speaking of undervalued, doing this little exercise gave me a far better appreciation of both Mohamed Massaquoi and Thomas Brown, neither of whom were the most outspoken or widley acclaimed guys, but both of whom's numbers stack up with the great ones quite well.

-- The strongest position during the decade? I guess it has to be safety, but man, there have been some solid runs at tight end, at defensive tackle and even at quarterback during that stretch. Plus special teams have been spectacular in terms of individual performers.

-- Weakest position? The O line has had it's ups and downs, but I'd probably give the nod to cornerback. Outside of Tim Jennings, there really hasn't been a consistent stand-out performer during the decade. (Although, yes, I probably undervalued Decory Bryant in my rankings.)

So, what do you think of the results? Anything stand out as a particularly bad vote?

Curran Wrestles With Tough Decision

I have a story in today's Telegraph on the difficult decision process that Georgia juniors Rennie Curran and Reshad Jones are going through as they weigh whether or not to return to school for their final seasons or bolt for the NFL, where both could be relatively early draft picks. I spoke with Rennie at length about his decision, and I thought his responses were particularly interesting. Here's the full interview...

David Hale: Obviously most people will talk about your on-field efforts and your NFL review as to how prepared you are for the next level. But what are some of those things outside of football that are weighing heavily in your decision?

Rennie Curran: It’s not only about football or about money or anything like that. Certainly coming back and being a senior and having that legacy like a David Greene or a David Pollack, that’s huge for me as well. Being able to represent the school and having a chance to win those senior awards. Having a chance to be the career tackle leader, that’s huge to me and has a lot to do with my decision as well. There’s a lot of personal reasons for coming back that people might now see. There’s other things like just having fun. This is the best time of my life. Being in Athens in general, just being with my teammates, these are moments I’ll never be able to get back. People think about the league and everything, all they see is the money. They think when you make a decision to leave, it’s all about money. It’s really not. There’s so much more than that. It’s something that has about a million variables when you’re in a position like mine.

DH: I know you've talked often about the charitable work you do and the stuff you want to do in the future, doing work in Liberia and also in your own community. How does that factor into your thought process?

RC: It’s something that’s going to be a huge part of what I do. Football is not all there is to it. There are a lot of people you can effect by going to that next level – for instance going to Liberia and starting up my own charitable foundation and just giving back to the community as a whole. I’m a local kid. I grew up in Atlanta, 45 minutes away from Athens. There are countless things I can do in the community to just help and give back – not only to my own family, but to young kids who need mentorship and things like that. The possibilities are endless.

DH: How much have you talked with former players like Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno and Asher Allen, who all went through this just last year?

RC: I talk to Asher a whole lot. He’s given me the reality of it all, just letting me know that it is going to be a grind and it doesn’t get any easier, just filling me in. It’s been great to hear from those guys. Brannan Southerland, I talked to Matt, too. They’ve told me how their experience was and telling me if they had it to do over again, what they would do. It’s all been positive, and it’s really helped me out.

DH: Have you spent some time talking about this stuff with Reshad Jones, who is also weighing his options on the future?

(*Note: Be sure to check out the Telegraph story for some interesting comments from Reshad and Bryan Evans about Jones' future with the Dawgs.)

RC: When you have other teammates that are in a similar situation, it makes things a whole lot easier. You can relate to each other and you can ask each other how they feel about certain issues. It’s definitely been something he and I have talked about a lot – and talked about with our teammates. It’s something you can’t help but discuss when it’s getting toward the end of the season.

DH: So do you have a few teammates that are giving you the hard sell, trying to convince you to come back for another year?

RC: Everybody – but I’m making it hard on myself. I want to come back. I love it here. I’ve learned so much since I’ve been here. And really, when I think about it, I’ve only been here two-and-a-half years, so it really has flown by. There’s still so much I can do in Athens, so much I can accomplish. So it goes both ways, and I feel like it’s a win-win situation.

DH: Has it dawned on you that this could potentially be your final game for Georgia? Is that something you think about right now?

RC: I just put it out of my mind and get ready for it just like another game, just enjoy it and play for my seniors and my coaches who are gone now and represent the school as well as I can. Every time I go out, I give it my best. I hope people see that, and I hope if this is my last game, I hope that’s what people will remember about me – that every single play of every single game, I fought my heart out. I love the game and I love Georgia.

Corch Meyers Steps Down at Florida

Shocking news out of Gainesville... Florida coach Urban Meyer is stepping down as head coach of the Gators for health reasons.

This is breaking news and not much follow-up just yet, but here's the statement released by Florida from Meyer:

"I have given my heart and soul to coaching college football and mentoring young men for the last 24-plus years and I have dedicated most of my waking moments the last five years to the Gator football program. I have ignored my health for years, but recent developments have forced me to re-evaluate my priorities of faith and family.

"After consulting with my family, Dr. Machen, Jeremy Foley and my doctors, I believe it is in my best interest to step aside and focus on my health and family.

"I'm proud to be a part of the Gainesville community and the Gator Nation and I plan to remain in Gainesville and involved with the University of Florida.

"I'm very appreciative for the opportunity I've had to be a part of a tremendous institution - from Dr. Machen to Jeremy Foley and the entire administrative staff at UF. I'm also very thankful for the chance to work with some of the best assistants in college football and coach some of the best college football players and watch them grow both on and off the field as people. I will cherish the relationships with them the most."

Practice Notes: Mystery Surrounds Dawgs' D

Texas A&M head coach Mike Sherman admits, he’s a bit befuddled as to what to expect when his team takes on Georgia on Monday.

The Bulldogs have spent the past two weeks practicing for the Aggies, but they’ve been doing so without three of their four defensive coaches, making it tough to judge what Georgia’s defense might look like on game day.

“You debate back and forth as to how they’ll approach it,” Sherman said. “They have good players, so they may try something new or they may stay status quo. We really don’t know. We just have to take care of our business, do what we do, and make adjustments during the ballgame. Hopefully they’re the right ones to help us win.”

If Sherman is looking for a few clues from Georgia’s players, he might not have much more luck in determining the look of the defense either. The accounts of the preparation have been a bit varied.

“This plan is the same as Coach (Willie) Martinez or any of the other coaches, the same thing they would do,” linebacker Rennie Curran said. “For us, it’s not really about who’s coaching us. With Coach Martinez being gone, we’re just trying to hold up to his standard.”

Indeed, Georgia’s graduate assistants who have taken over the coaching duties this month have promised no vast departures from the scheme employed by the Bulldogs all season --- but that doesn’t necessarily mean there won’t be any new looks.

“We’ve been running the same thing for four years, so we’re not going to just completely leave the defense,” safety Bryan Evans said. “But there are a couple of wrinkles in there that we have, so it’s going to be fun to play.”

ONE LAST GO-ROUND

It’s hard to blame Georgia’s players if they feel like some of the bowl experience is over before it started. Just 24 hours after starting their first full bowl practice in Shreveport, the Bulldogs wrapped up their pregame workouts with their second and final practice before their game against Texas A&M on Monday. Georgia will still have a short walkthrough today, but unlike years past, that’s all there will be to the pregame preparations.

“Last year, we had a full week of practice and preparation. Now here, we have two days and a walk-through,” tailback Caleb King said. “It’s weird that we had so much of the practice in Georgia.”

Head coach Mark Richt said that, while the schedule has been different, he expects no ill effects. The Bulldogs practiced in Independence Stadium both Friday and Saturday, which is more field time than they would normally get before a bowl, and the focus on A&M has been intense all month.

“Everybody should have it memorized by now,” Richt said of the game plan. “Our goal was to have it so they were bored to death with the plan so they could play fast when we kicked it off.”

And while the run up to the bowl game is a departure from past seasons, King said it actually feels a bit more like a true road game – where Georgia has been successful throughout Richt’s career.

“It’s no difference because we practiced hard in Athens, and we just had to pretty much come out here and finish things,” King said. “We all should be ready for the game.”

CARRYING THE TORCH

In the past three seasons, the SEC has an impressive 19-7 record in bowl games, and that’s a trend Georgia takes seriously. So when the Bulldogs take the field Monday against Texas A&M – just the second bowl game of the season for SEC teams – they want to hold up their end of things.

“We want to represent our conference well, but we go into these games wanting to represent University of Georgia,” defensive end Demarcus Dobbs said. “We’re all competitive and we want everybody to do well, but we want people to be talking about Georgia after the ball game. We want the whole SEC to do well, but we’re playing for Georgia and the ‘G.’”

EATING IT UP

While it was Georgia Tech’s chewing of the hedges that proved the lasting images of last season’s Yellow Jackets win in Athens, Georgia center Ben Jones returned the favor last month by eating a piece of the field after the Bulldogs toppled Tech in Atlanta. But he promises, it wasn’t anything he had planned in advance.

“It was just a fun game, I was showing some emotion. We were just all excited about winning the game,” Jones said. “I just came out and played hard and it just happened. I don’t know why I did it or anything. It just happened.”

Planned or not, Jones said it isn’t likely to happen again. He hasn’t tested the turf in Shreveport or looked for any soft spots in the sod so far.

“We just come out here to practice and have a good day of work,” Jones said.

DAVIS LOOKS DOUBTFUL

Josh Davis was still in a green non-contact jersey on Saturday and Richt sounded less enthusiastic about his ability to play Monday against the Aggies.

“You can see he’s limping around a little bit, but we’re not giving up hope,” Richt said. “We’ll try to get him some work against the scouts and hope he’ll be OK.”

If Davis cannot play, Vince Vance will get the start at right tackle, Richt said.

Dobbs was still in green Saturday, too, but Richt said he expected Dobbs to be fine for the game.

Cox Closes in on Record Book

Strange-but-true fact of the day...

Did you know Joe Cox needs just three touchdown passes against Texas A&M to match the all-time record for TD throws in a season at Georgia?

Cox's 22 TD passes already ties David Greene for fifth on the single-season list, and it's certainly not out of the realm of possibility for him to set a new mark. The Aggies were dead last in pass defense in the Big 12 and ranked 111th nationally this year. Overall, they allowed 20 touchdown passes against them, including five to Oklahoma's Landry Jones and four apiece to Texas' Colt McCoy and Arkansas' Ryan Mallett.

In fact, while Cox's INTs have been a problem this year, he has had plenty of highlights, too. He needs just 14 passing yards to pass Mike Bobo's 1996 effort for 10th most in a season in Georgia history, and a 343-yard effort would move him all the way up to sixth on that list. He needs just five completions for the 10th-best season in that regard, and he's not out of reach of matching Matthew Stafford's 2007 effort of 194 completions for eighth all time. And Cox's 2,426 yards passing already ranks fifth in school history for a single season by a senior. Three-hundred-twenty-five more yards would move him up to second on that list.

"It'd be pretty cool, but really the only thing we were worried about was how our team finished up," Cox said. "We know we didn't have the season we wanted to. We still have a chance to play one more time and finish up strong, and that's really what I'm worried about. But it is crazy that I'm that close. It goes to show you that we had a lot of big plays this year, we had a lot of games where we did some really good things, we just had some games where we had too many mistakes that outweighed our good things we did."

Of course, the other thing it shows, in my humble opinion, is that a bit too much of the responsibility for the offense fell onto Cox's shoulders this season. His 303 passing attempts rank 12th already in Georgia history, and he's just seven behind the number D.J. Shockley had to throw in 2005. If Monday's game turns into the shootout many are expecting, Cox could theoretically pass Stafford's 348 attempts in 2007, too.

Say what you will about Cox's performance, but I don't think anyone was expecting to see him chuck the ball around the field quite that often this season, and it certainly wasn't the offensive formula that best highlighted his strengths.

Picking the Winners: Bowl Season (Part 2)

If you missed Part 1 of the bowl picks, you can find it here. But don't worry, you didn't miss much.

On to the next batch of "winners"...

DECEMBER 26

Little Caesars Bowl (Detroit, Mich.): Marshall (6-6) vs. Ohio (9-4)
Spread: Ohio (-2.5)

Dan: Turd bowl alert! Turd bowl alert! Ranking the worst teams to make the bowls this year Marshall slides in at No. 4 on the list behind Wyoming, Idaho and Bowling Green. Virginia Tech faced them this year and destroyed them. And this was when VT was still struggling to score offensively.

This game they face the Bobcats. We have a friend who works for the Charlotte Bobcats. This same friend also used to work for a WNBA team. Let me tell you, when you have a friend who works for a WNBA team the jokes are virtually limitless. And it never gets old. I’d go into them all now but they might be a little crude for this column. Do not worry though . . . it is fun. Unfortunately he no longer works for a WNBA team but we still make fun of him. Actually with the way the Bobcats play they could probably be considered a WNBA team.

As for this game I’ll take the points… Marshall 24, Ohio 20.

Dave: OK, I want some credit from all of you. I went winless in my early bowl predictions. Do you know how hard that is? People who have been fading my picks this season probably enjoyed a very joyous Christmas.

"Honey, where'd all this extra Christmas money come from?"
"Oh, I just bet the opposite of Hale all football season. Do you like your new Lexus?"

Adding insult to injury? My initial foray into the Shreveport casino scene resulted in me dropping $50 in six hands on a $10 blackjack table as the dealer simply mowed down the players like Terrence Cody at a all-night buffet. It was brutal and bloody. Good times.

I even just stopped to watch a few hands of blackjack at another table as I tried to regain some semblance of stability and the dealer hit 21 on four straight deals. The people at the table quickly started giving me dirty looks. I was the cooler, to be sure.

Of course, of all my absurd bets, by far the best was my pick of Nevada giving two touchdowns to SMU. I only lost that one by 49 points. In fact, even better than being 0-6 in my picks… I'm 0-6 outright. Forget the spreads. I'm too stupid to even pick winners.

So with that in mind, I'm warning you all… bet the opposite of my picks the rest of the way, then send me a check for 10 percent of your winnings, and we'll all have a very happy start to 2010.

Oh, and our first loser on the board… Ohio 20, Marshall 10.

And by the way, I really feel like the winner of the Little Caesars Bowl should have to play the winner of the PapaJohns.com Bowl for pizza supremacy.

(Watch this game! Or what? Or else Pizza is going to send out for you!)

Meineke Car Care Bowl (Charlotte, N.C.): North Carolina (8-4) vs. Pittsburgh (9-3)
Spread: Pittsburgh (-3)

Dan: So let me get this straight: Pittsburgh loses a heart breaking game to Cincy at home to end the season and now gets relegated to a bowl in North Carolina and is giving three points to a team that has a virtual home game? Yeah that makes sense. Last time Pittsburgh traveled to North Carolina they lost to a horrible NC State team. Pittsburgh played every single tough game this season at home. When they did go on the road they lost both (to NC State and West Virginia). I expect more of the same this game. Road wins at Rutgers and at Syracuse don’t exactly get me juiced… North Carolina 24, Pittsburgh 21.

Dave: OK, since we're obviously not taking this too seriously, I feel like this is as good a time as any to address "Jersey Shore."

First off, I've spent a few summers at the Jersey Shore. In fact, I've spent a few of them there with Dan. Ah, the stories I could tell. Like the time Dan woke up at a girl's house and yelled at her that she had to leave before he realized that he wasn't in his own bed. But I digress.

The point is, as absurd as "Jersey Shore" the show might seem, and as over the top as the central characters might be, it really isn't that far off from reality. In fact, it might be the most realistic reality show I've seen in a while. In my summers there, I can assure you that the guys -- some of whom were friends of mine and very reasonable people from September through May -- cared only about a.) getting drunk, b.) meeting girls and c.) getting pizza after last call. And the girls… well, let's just say it takes a lot to hurt New Jersey's reputation, but that's what happened.

Anyway, I watched back-to-back episodes of "Jersey Shore" Christmas night before heading out for dinner and a stroll around the casinos in Shreveport, and a strange issue suddenly dawned on me. It's a natural instinct that, when you're in an environment for a while, you become conditioned to it. I don't want it to seem like I spend much time in gentlemen's clubs (which, by the way, is an hilarious moniker for those establishments when you think about it) but I've attended my share of bachelor parties over the years. And after you spend a few hours in a place like that, then you go to a normal bar, there's part of you that keeps expecting everyone you talk to to take off their tops at some point. You just lose some perspective.

That's sort of how I felt after watching an hour straight of "Jersey Shore" then going out to a bar. I couldn't watch a group of people do shots without assuming a girl was about to get punched. And then I got to thinking… if there was ever a television show that was the intellectual and moral equivalent of going to a strip club, I think it's "Jersey Shore." That's what makes it both so intriguing and so utterly repugnant at the same time.

And yes, I wish I was famous enough that the previous sentence could be used in a commercial as an official review of the show… North Carolina 23, Pittsburgh 20.

Emerald Bowl (San Francisco, Calif.): Boston College (8-4) vs. Southern California (8-4)
Spread: USC (-9)

Dan: I look at Southern Cal’s performance this year, and I hope that this is what happens to all teams when they lose a ton of talent, specifically at the QB spot. This gives me hope that Florida and Texas will have down years next year. USC was just not the same team this year. Their offense was just not that good, and their defense was constantly exposed. I am hoping for more of the same next year when the Gators and Horns lose their top QBs.

In this game, I really do not know what to do. I think BC is a huge fraud at 8-4 this year. Looking at their record they really did not beat anyone and lost to all the good teams they faced (Clemson, VT, UNC and Notre Dame). The Central Michigan win I guess is good. Other than that, they beat FSU. As for USC they haven’t had a nice win in months. I will reluctantly take the points here… Southern Cal 24, Boston College 17.

Dave: Yes, Georgia Tech only played in this game once, but it will forever remind me of the Yellow Jackets during the Chan Gailey era. Team flies cross country, plays a mediocre lower-tier opponent and gets thumped because, quite frankly, they just don't care any more. If Reggie Ball's career could be summed up in a bowl game, I think this would be it.

Anyway, seems to me that USC is in a similar situation this year. Over-rated quarterback, unmet expectations, dismal finish to the year, disappointment about their bowl destination, opponent that has no business beating them… it just has all the makings of a Chan Gailey special.

Of course, unlike Tech, USC actually has a good coach and rather than flying cross country, they can all pile into Joe McKnight's Land Rover for the short trip up The 5 to San Fran. So while I think the Men of Troy can still pull out the victory, there's no chance they get the cover… USC 17, Boston College 13.

DECEMBER 27

Music City Bowl (Nashville, Tenn.): Kentucky (7-5) vs. Clemson (8-5)
Spread: Clemson (-7)

Dan: Job well done Dabo! You guided your team to the Music City Bowl this year and had five losses. That is a great, great job! This is why you gave him all that money, right Clemson fans? Well what happens next year when CJ Spiller is not around to bail you out in those games? I will tell you. You will lose to Miami and you will lose to FSU. You will be lucky to be a .500 team. Have fun with that. As for this game I do not see how Clemson gets up for it. They might win but they are not covering… Clemson 24, Kentucky 18.

Dave: This feels like it's a game I should care about, but I just don't. Sure, Clemson played in the ACC championship game, but that's like saying you hit on the drunkest girl in the bar. For one, you still didn't bring her home. And two, even if you did, is that really something you should be proud of? Anyway, way to lose five games in the JV conference, Clemson. With C.J. Spiller no less.

Then we have Kentucky, which in terms of wins and losses, probably played over its head by a wide margin. And when you factor in all the injuries, Rich Brooks did a nice job. But are they really a seven-win team? They beat Miami (Ohio) which finished 1-11 this year. They beat Louisville, which fired its head coach. They beat Auburn by seven points in a game in which neither team threw for 100 yards. They beat Louisiana-Monroe, a team that played just three BCS-conference opponents this year, losing all three games by a combined score of 133-47. They beat Eastern Kentucky, a school that once employed me as an instructor. They beat Vanderbilt, which went winless in the SEC and 2-10 on the year. And… well, you know the last one. And Georgia gift wrapped that game.

So you have an underachieving good team against an overachieving bad team. I'll go with the talent… Clemson 30, Kentucky 21.

DECEMBER 28

Independence Bowl (Shreveport, La.): Texas A&M (6-6) vs. Georgia (7-5)
Spread: Georgia (-7.5)

Dan: Have fun in Shreveport Dave! Lol! Did you know that the Hokies have been to a bowl every year since the 1993-’94 year? And that streak started with a trip to the Independence Bowl way back when? Funny thing about that is my brother attended that game, and they were actually excited to go to the Independence Bowl. Back in 1993 the No. 21-ranked Hokies beat up on the No. 22-ranked Indiana Hoosiers 45-20 in the Independence Bowl. I can’t believe Indiana was ever ranked. But that was exciting!

I can’t imagine too many Georgia or Texas A&M fans would be too excited about this bowl. What does Shreveport really have to offer? Well I did a quick check and I was shocked to see some really cool casinos on a riverfront. Any city that has a casino gets a good grade in my book. That seems to be about all they have to offer… but at least you can gamble. In the game, I don’t think Georgia should be giving more than a TD to anyone. They’ll win, but not by much… Georgia 31, Texas A&M 27.

Dave: My Christmas gift to Georgia fans… Texas A&M 31, Georgia 30.

DECEMBER 29

Eagle Bank Bowl (Washington D.C.): UCLA (6-6) vs. Temple (9-3)
Spread: UCLA (-4)

Dan: How many people will attend this game? Ten thousand? Five thousand? Five? Are there any Temple fans that care? Does anyone from UCLA care? Does anyone from UCLA even know that their team won six games this year? The only thing that UCLA is known for this year is their idiot coach calling a timeout against USC as the Trojans were trying to run out the clock and USC then throwing a 50-yard bomb for the cover at the end of the game. Thank, Coach. Us USC backers thank you. In any case, neither team is good, and when that happens, you take the points… Temple 17, UCLA 14.

Dave: I loved the fact that UCLA had to wait an extra week before knowing if they'd even be in this game, as Army would have gotten the bid had it beaten Navy. It was like college basketball's play-in game. I feel like UCLA is now the bowl season version of McNeese State. That's never a good sign.

On the other side, you have Temple, which gets my vote as the best story of the 2009 season. As a Philly connoisseur I can tell you -- winning nine games is nothing short of a miracle for this team. How they recruit anyone to come there is beyond me. They play in the Eagles' stadium in front of about eight fans per game. The campus is in a rough part of Philly. And the most memorable sporting event in the school's history involved John Chaney trying to punch Calipari after a basketball game.

Actually, that was pretty great...



Ah, that really ranks right up there with Iverson's "Talking About Practice" press conference and Bake McBride's afro as my all-time favorite things about Philly sports.

Anyway, more than any of the nine wins Temple got on the field this year, it got an even bigger one after the season in that coach Al Golden wasn't hired elsewhere, which puts the Owls in the unique position of being an up-and-coming team that isn't playing with an interim coach right now. Combine that with the mojo of their first bowl appearance since five years before "The Cosby Show" premiered and you've got a recipe for victory… Temple 24, UCLA 17.

Champs Sports Bowl (Orlando, Fla.): Miami (9-3) vs. Wisconsin (9-3)
Spread: Miami (-3)

Dan: This is one of the more intriguing matchups of the bowl season as we see Bucky the Badger traveling to Orlando to face the Canes. The Badgers impressed me this year with their offense as they were able to score a lot of points. Canes as well. Neither team, however, seemed to be able to stop other teams offenses in the second part of the year, and the Badgers struggled big time away from Camp Randall (lost to Ohio State, lost to Northwestern, barely beat Indiana). So now they are getting only three in a virtual home game for the Canes? Makes no sense to me.

As for Miami I must say that is a great city to travel to. The trouble one can get into… a few years back Dave, myself, a guy we refer to as Detective Donut and our little French friend took a trip down there and it definitely took a few years off our lives. Insanity. And trouble, of course. This is what happens when you leave cold weather in December and travel to warm weather. Well what is going to happen to Wisconsin? Insanity… and then they’ll lose… Miami 31, Wisconsin 24.

Dave: Technically, I am barred from even acknowledging the existence of this bowl. Allow me to explain…

Back in the day, I used to have a job in the mall. This led to numerous lifelong bits of animosity aimed at arbitrary foes, but tops among them is Champs Sports. On one fateful day, my buddy Mac and I were stuck working in the morning, but had plans for an afternoon bar-b-q and keg party. Of course, any good keg party also requires Wiffle ball to be played. So we went to the Champs Sports in the mall to purchase some new Wiffle ball equipment. After finding little available, we asked the clerk where they stocked their bats and balls. He proceeded to tell us that it was Champs' store philosophy that Wiffle ball was not a sport.

At that moment, Champs Sports was officially dead to me. I've never so much as set foot inside a Champs Sports since then, and I take the opportunity to badmouth the company at any chance. All I know is, Mike Scott didn't take the time to invent the perfect Wiffle curve ball so some schmuck in the mall could tell me it's not a sport.

So, given my strict moral code against the organization, I'll offer no analysis of this game (not that it matters)… Miami 24, Wisconsin 20.

DECEMBER 30

Humanitarian Bowl (Boise, Idaho): Idaho (7-5) vs. Bowling Green (7-5)
Spread: Pick 'em!

Dan: I take back what I said about Marshall. These teams REALLY stink. Who the heck wants to tune in to watch this game other than to see the blue field? Well actually, I take that back. The blue field is really cool. I wish that VT would install turf on their field and have it be bright orange. Now that would be very cool. Anyway this seems like a virtual home game for Idaho so I’ll take the Vandals here… Idaho 31, Bowling Green 17.

Dave: The fact that there is a bowl game played in Idaho ranks right up there with some of the all-time most sublimely absurd things in sports. My rough list of those things includes: A bowl game in Idaho, Andy Reid's clock management, Chuck Amato's boobs, Cleveland Browns fans, anything Tim McCarver has ever said on air, Baby Mangino, Ed Wade's continued employment, the fact that anyone is surprised that Brett Favre is a jerk, Skip Bayless, the NFL's commercial-kickoff-commercial TV coverage, the football scenes from "Friday Night Lights," any Mike Tyson press conference (NSFW!!!), Mike Patrick talking about Britney Spears, "The Magic Hour," Jonathan Crompton's mustache and Mark Madsen dancing . There's lots more to the list, I'm sure, but that's a rough account off the top of my head.

(Side note: Until last week, I would have included Chad Johnson changing his last name to "Ochocinco" in that list, but after hearing TV anchors use sentences like, "The news of Chris Henry's death hit Ochocinco particularly hard..." the whole name change thing just seemed kind of silly. It just can't be used in any serious context. Of course, I do look forward to one day hearing, "The floor recognizes Congressman Ochocinco from the great state of Ohio...")

Anyway, like you Dan, I'll be watching for the smurf turf alone. If you drink enough gin earlier in the day, you can actually start hallucinating from watching the turf after a while… Bowling Green 45, Idaho 44.

Holiday Bowl (San Diego, Calif.): Nebraska (9-4) vs. Arizona (8-4)
Spread: Arizona (-1.5)

Dan: Poor Nebraska. If they had ANY offense this year they would have won the Big 12 and most likely would have been 12-1 on the season (only loss to Texas Tech). Unfortunately for them they do not have offense. Watching the Big 12 title game was one of the most painful things I have ever had to do. If given the option of doing shots of 151 over and over again or watching the Big 12 title game I think I’d take the 151. As painful as the shots are at least I know what I am getting there… you know the drill, 151 shots = passed out in yard with no recollection of previous night's events. I will take blacking out over having to remember the black shirts offense any day. As for this one I think Arizona has too much offense… Arizona 24, Nebraska 19.

Dave: This is annually one of my favorite bowl games. First off, I love San Diego. I've downed many a warm beer in the parking lot of Qualcomm Stadium over the years, and if I were a player, this would easily rate as one of my top five desired bowl destinations. Secondly, in six of the nine games this decade, at least 60 total points have been scored -- including 159 total in the past two seasons. It's always a shootout.

Now we have Ndamukong Suh showcasing his skills for a Nebraska team that can't seem to score, which might indicate a low-scoring affair is in store. On the other hand, Arizona has a pesky offense and has allowed just 11 sacks all season. It'll be another intriguing matchup, even if it's not a barnburner… Arizona 24, Nebraska 20.

Alright, that gets you through to New Year's Eve. Stay tuned for Part III…

Early bowls: Dan 3-3, Dave 0-6.
Regular season: Dan 59-70-3, Dave 57-72-3.
Overall records: Dan 62-73-3 (.460), Dave 57-78-3 (.424)

Practice Notes: Aggies Assistant Knows Dawgs Well

Texas A&M may not be the most familiar opponent for Georgia, but at least one of the Aggies knows his competition pretty well.

Texas A&M defensive coordinator Joe Kines worked the same job for the Bulldogs from 1995 through 1999 under former head coach Jim Donnan, but he said he isn’t approaching Monday’s Independence Bowl matchup against his former employer with any different than he would any top opponent.

“You’re always going to play a quality opponent in a bowl game, so a program like Georgia, it’s an honor to play a group like that,” Kines said. “You don’t try to get into an emotional thing about it. On first-and-10, they’ve done this. On third-and-1, they’ve done this. It’s our job to line up and get that stop. If you get caught up in all that (emotion) you end up second-guessing yourself. You just try to be fundamentally sound.”

Of course, after spending much of his career in the SEC, including stints with Florida, Arkansas and Alabama, Kines won’t lack for experience in preparing for the type of action his defense can expect against the Bulldogs.

And while Kines is anticipating a challenge, he’s also figuring the game will be a bit of a departure from the style he usually sees in the wide-open Big 12.

“Having been through the SEC and now on this side, it’s two different animals. Once you cross that Mississippi, it’s a different animal,” Kines said. “But it’s just like a jigsaw puzzle every week. You’ve got to put it together and the shape of the pieces don’t matter.”

BAD START FOR SOME BULLDOGS

Several of Georgia’s players got off to a bad start in Shreveport, arriving late to a special teams meeting or sleeping through the departure time for a scheduled team hospital visit on Friday, and the punishment was worse than a lump of coal in their stockings.

Brandon Boykin, Marcus Dowtin, Nick Williams, Bacarri Rambo, Sanders Commings and Vance Cuff were among the Bulldogs who earned the punishment of running sprints up the stadium stands before Friday’s practice. By the time the actual workouts began, the players had been running for more than 20 minutes, and several appeared exhausted, which Richt said was ample punishment for the transgressions.

“To do this before a practice, I don’t think a few feel like they can do it. We’re going to find out,” Richt said. “It’s good to show up on time and be what you’re supposed to be when you need to be there.”

INJURY UPDATES

Georgia got a bit of good news at Friday’s practice as receiver A.J. Green and safety Reshad Jones both returned to work without limitations – a first during bowl preparations. Jones was nursing a few nagging injuries and Green had missed the final two regular-season games with a shoulder separation, but both participated fully Friday.

Defensive end Demarcus Dobbs was hobbled, however, limping noticeably and wearing a green non-contact jersey. Richt said Dobbs suffered a minor ankle injury and said he still expected the junior to be available for Monday’s game.

The biggest concern, however, remained right tackle Josh Davis, who suffered a sprained ankle last week. Davis was not in green Friday, but Richt said he expected the junior tackle to be limited in his contact work. Still, Richt said he was optimistic that Davis could be a full participant Saturday and still play against Texas A&M.

“He still could make it,” Richt said. “I think (Saturday) we can get him in there and get him ready.”

TOUGH MATCHUP

Texas A&M cornerback Jordan Pugh has gone against a number of top wide receivers throughout his career with the Aggies, but he’s expecting one of his toughest matchups in the Independence Bowl when he’s charged with slowing down Green, Georgia’s All-SEC receiver.

“He’s up there with the best of them,” Pugh said. “I’ve played against guys like (former Texas Tech receiver Michael) Crabtree and (Oklahoma State’s) Dez Bryant every year, and he’s no different than those caliber of players. He’s one of those guys you just have to contain. You have to play him because he’s an explosive weapon. It’s going to be a big matchup going against him.”

Festivus Links (12/25)

I had hoped to provide a thoughtful holiday batch of links for Christmas Day, but sadly, I just don't have the energy.

Now, I'm not complaining about not spending Christmas with my family. It happens. And hey, who would want to see family when they could be flying to Shreveport instead?

But to say today didn't go according to plan would be putting it mildly.

Thanks to snow in Dallas, I spent six hours in the airport in Atlanta -- nearly three of which was actually on the plane. My connecting flight from Dallas to Shreveport was canceled. They rebooked me for another one but that got canceled, too. I'm currently on standby for a flight at 9:30 a.m., which if I don't make, will probably result in me renting a car and driving. I don't have my bags. I'm wearing the same clothes as yesterday. I spent $60 for an 8-minute cab ride because the hotel shuttles weren't running. I got to said hotel at 1:30 in the morning. I'm posting this at 7:30.

Somewhere, I really hope there's a little girl in Dallas whose only Christmas wish was to see snow. I truly hope that little girl is extremely happy today. I also sorta hope her older brother wings a snowball at her while she's not paying attention.

But it's still a bit too early for the airing of grievances. Instead, let's get to some links...

-- I know I haven't published links in a while, so here's a quick recap of what I've done for the Telegraph in the past few days:

* Georgia's defense will have its work cut out for it trying to stop A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson, who players have described as Tim Tebow, but with more athleticism and a better arm.

* Saying the Bulldogs are thrilled to be in Shreveport might be stretching it a bit. But hey, at least they made it there.

* He hasn't necessarily gotten much credit, but Bryan McClendon has done a masterful job keeping the running game going this season.

* And with Logan Gray's potential move to wide receiver, Georgia will be counting on some young quarterbacks next season.

-- Paul Newberry has a must-read feature on Chance Veazey.

-- B.J. Butler is close to de-committing from Georgia but he is still waiting on an offer from Louisville before it happens.

-- Here's a good Christmas read about Georgia recruit Derek Owens' relationship with his high school coach.

-- Marc Weiszer looks back at the ups and downs of Georgia's season.

-- You've probably seen this already, but Georgia stacks up quite well in the SEC during the 2000s. In fact, aside from the two national titles at LSU, you could make a pretty good argument that the Dawgs have been the second-best SEC team this decade.

-- This video from a news station in Texas notes that A&M is worried about Georgia's running game. That makes it worth watching, but it's the sports anchor's mustache that really pulls the piece together.

-- Plus 10 bonus points to whoever makes the best joke about these people. An extra five bonus points if the joke involves A.J. Green.

-- Georgia Sports Blog was kind enough to offer suggestions on dining and nightlife in Shreveport... you know, if I ever make it to Shreveport.

-- About Them Dawgs looks back at Georgia's last trip to Shreveport.

-- Roger Clarkson writes about the emotional toll of a long season on Joe Cox.

-- Matthew Stafford's rookie season is officially over. I hope he wasn't trying to fly home to Dallas today.

-- What does it say about my life that T.I. is home for the holidays with his family and I'm stuck at the Dallas airport?

-- Good news for female "Glee" fans -- it's star took the Mike Piazza route and announced he isn't gay. And yet, the fact that he was in a boy band leads me to believe he has some issues.

-- Count me among the group lauding the 2000s as the real golden age of television.

-- And my favorite Hollywood relationship comes to an end. How sad and utterly predictable.

-- Here's a strange clue about potential plot twists in the final season of "Lost."

-- And finally, I leave you with some fond holiday memories. Remember kids, Festivus isn't over until you pin your father...

Notes: Consistency Eludes Dawgs' Receivers

One of the biggest questions on Georgia’s offense entering the season surrounded the group of wide receivers hoping to establish themselves as a consistent second option after A.J. Green. While several players have shown flashes of potential, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said none have truly emerged.

While Green has missed nearly all of the final four games of the season, his 47 receptions still more than double anyone else on the roster. The No. 2 receiver in terms of catches is senior Michael Moore, who will play his final game next week.

That leaves a group of younger players still searching for consistency, Bobo said. Tight end Orson Charles’ 21 catches were the high-water mark among returning players other than Green, while Tavarres King finished second on the team in receiving yards with 377 on 18 receptions. The rest of the returning wide receivers – Rantavious Wooten, Israel Troupe and Marlon Brown – combined for just 16 receptions and 302 yards this year.

“I think all guys showed flashes of ability to make plays, but we didn’t have a consistent guy at those spots,” Bobo said. “But they showed flashes and a lot to build on going into the offseason. We have talent there, but it’s just a matter of them doing it on a consistent basis.”

MAKING A PREDICTION

Texas A&M is far from a familiar opponent for Georgia – the two teams haven’t played since 1980, when the Bulldogs won 42-0 – but they do have a bit of common ground. The Aggies and Bulldogs played two common opponents this season, and neither met with much success.

Georgia dropped its season opener against Oklahoma State 24-10 on Sept. 5. The Cowboys provided a similar fate to Texas A&M, dropping the Aggiest 36-31 on Oct. 10.

Both team have also played against Arkansas, with A&M falling 47-19 on Oct. 3 and Georgia pulling out a victory on Sept. 19, but still allowing 41 points.

So, what can Mark Richt and the Bulldogs take from those early season matchups? Not much, according to Georgia’s head coach.

“People want to compare like opponents, but I think football is a game where some teams match up better against a team, and they might have matched up better against Okie State than we did,” Richt said. “I’m not sure if you can look at those common games and figure out what’s going to happen. All I can tell you is they’re very talented and well coached and they’ll take everything we’ve got.”

STAYING BUSY

December has been a hectic month for defensive line coach Rodney Garner – and not because of any last-minute Christmas shopping.

As the lone holdover from Georgia’s defensive staff after coordinator Willie Martinez and two other coaches were dismissed earlier this month, Garner has worked as the de facto defensive leader, taken on the responsibility of coaching the full defensive line as opposed to his previous role as tackles coach, worked on the film preparation and game-plan implementation as the Bulldogs prepare for Texas A&M and has spent much of the month out on the road recruiting.

“We spent a lot of time, and it was hard,” Garner said. “There were a lot of days I worked in the a.m. and then went out recruiting. Some days I didn’t go out recruiting at all, just so I could get a good feel for their offense. We’re just trying to get these kids the best game plan so they can go out and compete.”

While it has been a bit of a Herculean effort for Garner, he has had some help. Graduate assistants Mitch Doolittle and Todd Hartley are also helping to coach the defense, while injured senior Rod Battle has overseen much of the practice time for the defensive ends when Garner has been working on drills with the tackles.

It has been an adjustment, Garner said, but he doesn’t mind the challenge. And should Richt decide to keep him on as the coach of the full defensive line – something Richt speculated about when considering bringing on a full-time special teams coach – Garner said he’d be fine with the added responsibilities.

“I think Coach Richt has to decide what he feels is best for the staff,” Garner said. “Once he makes those decisions and fills out those assignments, you’re going to do what you’re asked to do. I don’t know which way he’s going to go, and he has not discussed anything with us other than that he’s looking.”

Behind Enemy Lines: Texas A&M Aggies

For the final time in 2009, Georgia will be lining up on the field -- this time in Shreveport, La. in the Independence Bowl against Texas A&M. The Aggies are a bit of a mystery to most of us SEC folks, so in what will be the last '09 installment of our regular feature, we go behind enemy lines with Texas A&M beat writer Robert Cessna of The Bryan/College Station Eagle to get the inside scoop on all things Aggies.

David Hale: Georgia has played a couple of hurry-up teams this year in Auburn and Oklahoma State, but A&M might take the tempo to an even faster pace than that. What can you tell us about the Aggies' approach offensively? Which teams have done the best job of adjusting to the tempo this year and how'd they do it?

Robert Cessna: A&M has worn down several defense in the second half, but its fast-paced approach also has led to defensive breakdowns, because teams can't substitute as much. Arkansas, Oklahama State, Kansas State and Colorado did not allow quarterback Jerrod Johnson to make a lot of big runs. Johnson has been sacked 20 times in A&M's losses and only seven times in the victories. Bottom line, you have to contain Johnson.

DH: Just how good is Jerrod Johnson? From what Georgia's players have said, he reminds them of Tim Tebow, only with shiftier moves and possibly a better arm. Sounds dangerous.

RC: He might be the best quarterback back most of the nation hasn't seen. He's a 6-foot-5, 243-pounder who can throw the ball 60 yards flat-footed, yet nimble enough to run away from most defensive linemen and over and through or around linebackers and safeties. He's made amazing progress in one year in Mike Sherman's pro-style attack. He also throws the deep ball well.

DH: We've heard plenty about Von Miller, who led the nation in sacks. But A&M's defense ranks 107th nationally for a reason. So where are the Aggies vulnerable? What's been the biggest issues on that side of the ball this year?

RC: Miller is the only player opposing coordinators probably scheme for. Power teams have been able to run right at A&M, and the Aggies have given up huge chunks of yardage through the air. Arkansas' Ryan Mallett and Texas' Colt McCoy each threw for four touchdowns and Oklahoma's Landry Jones threw for five. A&M just doesn't have playmakers on that side, though they had interceptions in five straight games until not getting one against UT.

DH: Special teams seem to be in Georgia's favor in this game. A&M's kicking game has been spotty and while UGA has an All-American punter, the Aggies are averaging only about 34 yards per punt. Has this been a focus for Mike Sherman & Co. during practice? Or might this just have to be an area A&M cedes to the Dawgs?

RC: Sherman said this would be a concern, and you can bet it will be addressed, but since they couldn't fix it in 12 games, you'd think Georgia
has an edge. Then again, how many punts can these defenses force? A&M has given up several long kickoff returns, which has to be the Aggies' main concern.

DH: It's been said this game might come down to motivation. A&M has a young team that has a chance to get a somewhat signature win against an SEC foe in a game relatively close to home. Georgia's traveling to a bowl that is far short of its preseason expectations after three defensive coaches were fired. Seems like A&M should have the edge when it comes to motivation. Is that the sense you get?

RC: Without a doubt. A&M players are pumped to be playing, which wasn't the case when the Aggies visited Shreveport in 2000. Players and coaches are going to give the party line, but you can tell the players are excited to be playing a big name SEC school. This is a chance for them to beat a name program and on TV. A&M is 0-6 on TV this year.

DH: OK, brass tacks... what's your prediction for the game? The over/under is around 66, so is it safe to say a shootout could be brewing?

RC: The first one to 40 will have the lead entering the final quarter. I just can't see either team stopping the other. It might get down to which offense has to settle for too many field goals. I'm picking Georgia, 49-42. UGA's defense will have a little more to play for and the Bulldogs have an edge in special teams.

Big thanks to Robert for his help in answering our questions. You can read all of his A&M coverage HERE.

And don't forget, the game kicks off at 5 p.m. Eastern time on Monday on ESPN2.

Fox's Dawgs Have Some Bite

I haven't been able to cover much basketball so far this season with football and the coaching search and various other distractions cropping up. I'm hoping that will change as we get into the new year, but in the meantime, we've kept up some excellent coverage of Mark Fox's crew thanks to Fletcher Page, who has been on the beat for the majority of the Dawgs' games for us.

Of course, I wanted some hoops talk on the blog, too, so Fletcher was kind enough to put together some thoughts on Georgia's huge victory over Illinois and what might still be to come for the Dawgs. Here goes...

I’m still trying to get my head around Georgia’s big win over Illinois, four days after the fact. And just to get a couple notes out of the way.

1. I didn’t give the Bulldogs a chance to win.

2. After watching warm-ups, keeping the game within reach, in my mind, was a stretch.

3. I don’t think I was alone in this line of thinking (judging from the amount of Georgia fans in the Gwinnett Arena. There may have been more Illini faithful filling the seats.

But I was proven wrong from the opening tip.

Following the game I joined four of my closest buddies for a quick trip to a Harrah’s Casino to partake in some post-graduation (University of Georgia, December class of 2009) gambling.

And as we surveyed the casino floor for the first hour or so, I gravitated toward the blackjack tables, despite never playing live before. I tell this story because my blackjack experience felt like the Illinois game. I’ve played, and won at the slots before (let’s say, teams like St. Louis, New Orleans or Jacksonville St). I’ve also wasted money sitting at said slots (in similar fashion, UAB and Wofford). No disrespect to the slots, but blackjack and poker is where it’s at in casinos, and Illinois was Georgia’s blackjack.

Anyway, back to my gambling. I finally worked up the nerve to sit at a $15 dollar minimum bet table (hey, at my budget, I felt like Michael Jordan laying down $100,000 a hand. (All I lacked was a cigar. And a real amount of money). I started with $40, and doing quick math, I realized I could be heading back to the ATM in less than five minutes. But I had a strategy, developed by my good friend Heath. Since I’d never played before, but kind of knew what was going on, I needed to keep things simple. If the dealer wasn’t showing a face card, and I had 12 or more, I was staying. I wasn’t concerned with splitting cards, doubling down and all that. If the dealer was showing 10, or a face card, I’d hit. That simple.

My first hand: a measly 14, with the dealer showing five. I stayed put, and the dealer busted. What a rush, and I was on my way from there. Second hand: I had a King and nine, dealer showing a King. He flopped a nine, and push. Wow, I almost lost $15, but I took a shot and kept playing.

I went on to win six of the next nine hands, and started to build confidence. After a few more hands I cashed out at $115, stood up and realized, I can play this game, and hold my own. Yet, I still wasn’t quite sure what I was doing.

And Georgia’s experience with Illinois was much the same. The game started, and like me, they won the first hand. The Bulldogs weren’t flashy, working methodically on offense to get shots and at times Illinois got some easy baskets, but Georgia wasn’t losing it’s money. Finishing tied, 32-32, at halftime Georgia players had to be thinking: We can play this game and hold our own.

Well, I couldn’t stop at just 20 minutes of blackjack. My buddy Heath and I, joined by another friend, sat back down at a $10 table. And I won my first four hands. At this point I’ve got the swagger, thinking how easy this was and wondering why I hadn’t played this enjoyable game in the past. And then I lost $170 dollars in about 15 minutes. Nervous, but still focused on my next hand, I was dealt two sixes. Not quite sure of what I was doing, I split the pair. My first card dealt was another six. “Hell, split it again,” Heath said. So I did. Ended with a 16 for my first hand. Then a five came, so I doubled down. That hand turned into a 17. And then another six game, so I split once more. I’m now working with four hands against the dealer, with my last two showing an 18 and a 15. These were not strong hands, but the dealer had a seven.

At this point I’ve got a crowd behind me, and the dealer, Bob, swears he’s never seen a hand like this. I didn’t believe the guy. Had to have the dealer bust, or I was flat broke. Adding to his seven, he flipped a ten. Yes, he’d have to hit again. And….BOOM! Bob flips a nine, for a 24. And I went from nothing to $220. Our party of five, joined by random players went wild, high fiving and screaming. Even the pit boss (who looked eerily similar to Avery Johnson) was smiling. That’s saying something.

Anyway, in a roundabout way, I started connecting my blackjack experience to the Illinois game. Georgia got up by as much as nine in the second half, and got somewhat ahead of itself. The Bulldogs started working the clock, and soon enough, the riches turned into a deficit. Blowing the lead, the Illini pulled ahead with 30 seconds to go. Georgia needed this win, to prove big games could be won. Sophomore forward Trey Thompkins gave the Bulldogs their “split sixes” moment, hitting four free throws, and securing a crucial rebound down the stretch.

Comparisons to blackjack aside, Georgia needed this win. Illinois rolled into Duluth with an 8-2 record, with wins over ranked Clemson and Vanderbilt. And just so you know, I did attend last year’s game in Chicago’s United Center when the Illini embarrassed the Bulldogs by 34 points. That game was a bust.

When I told my friends about the huge win, I got the “How in the world did that happen?” response, and questions about how Illinois played. But the Illini didn’t lose this game. They had only eight turnovers, shot 80 percent at the free-throw line and guard Demetri McCamey scored 21 points and looked like a cornerstone player.

But Georgia was the bigger team, wanted to play more physical, wanted to make more hustle plays and wanted to prove they could hang with a power program.

And that’s exactly what happened.

Georgia outrebounded Illinois 37 to 29, scoring 12 second-chance points.

“The boards really killed us and points in the paint did too,” said Illinois head coach Bruce Webber.

The Bulldogs scored 38 points in the paint.

And, despite 15 turnovers, the Bulldogs had 16 assists. Georgia shot 49 percent from the field, adding 13-of-18 from the charity strip.

Know this about Thompkins: He’s not quite an Ace and a King, in terms of blackjack hands. But he is a solid 18. He can win some games, but there is still improvement to go. He did have some forced shots and missed a few wide-open guys while being double-teamed. But when Georgia needed those two points at the end, there was no doubt who was getting the ball. And Trey came through in the clutch. When he hit those free-throws, there was no sigh of relief or weight off his shoulders feel. He looked like he had been there before, and that’s a needed attribute from a team’s go-to guy.

Also, Travis Leslie has his own blackjack likeness. Doubling down on the eleven is the only way to play. Sometimes you’re dealt a King for 21. Sometimes you get a four for 15. In the second half Saturday night, Leslie was a 21. He had 13 points, looking unstoppable off the dribble. He drew, by my count, four fouls in the second half alone while driving to the basket. Yes, he is an athletic freak, evidenced by the block he had with just over a minute to play that kept Georgia on top by two at the time. But don’t forget, we’ve seen Leslie come out mentally flat before, racking up turnovers and getting in early foul trouble. That’s what happened in the first half. But he is slowly putting his game together, and it’s been fun to watch his progression.

Georgia is building a decent team behind the two sophomores Thompkins and Leslie. And Ricky McPhee is becoming a solid third guy, a Steve Kerr-like shooter to join Georgia’s Jordan and Pippen (I know, I just compared Trey Thompkins to MJ. I’m sorry). But this team has some nagging deficiencies.

Georgia got only four points from the bench (not counting Thompkins’ 21, who came off the bench after having two wisdom teeth removed earlier in the week). At the end of the game, point guard Dustin Ware and Thompkins looked gased, with hands on the knees during stoppage in play and Leslie was cramping up. Chris Barnes and Jeremy Price combined for three points. Freshman Ebuka Anyaorah, Demario Mayfield and Vincent Williams logged only 16 minutes combined, totaling two points. And Drazen Zlovaric, or The Secret Weapon as I call him, struggled mightily Saturday. Georgia was minus-7 when he was on the floor in the second half.

As a team, the Bulldogs shot 3-of-13 from three. As Thompkins gets better, the double-teams will only increase. Somebody other than McPhee has to be able to shoot the ball with confidence to spread the floor to at least give Trey a chance to do work.

Ware is really the only player on the perimeter Georgia has that I trust with the basketball. This just isn’t a team adept at handling the ball.

Coach Mark Fox’ team is what it is. This is a team with size and talent in the frontcourt, and still working to find solid perimeter contributions.

But to finally sit at the blackjack table, so to speak, playing a formidable opponent, and to come out on top at the end of the night was huge for a young team in the first year of the Fox Era.

Sitting at the table was the first step, and taking home a profit with a win over Illinois proves Georgia can get the job done.

As for me, as the night wore on, I had my ups and downs gambling, but ended up tripling my money.

And you can bet, like Georgia, I’ll be sitting at the table again in the near future.