Georgia Bulldogs
Stetson For Heisman
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
2017 seems so long ago. The Georgia Bulldogs won the SEC Championship, Rose Bowl, and were a blown coverage away from winning the national championship.
At the time there was the walk-on QB that was giving Roquan Smith and company fits on the scout team all during that championship season. That QB was Stetson Bennett.
After a brief stint away from Athens, and a global pandemic the former walk-on led Georgia to a national title in 2021. He lit up an Alabama defense for fourteen points in the fourth quarter when the game was on the line.
Still during the lead up to the 2022 season there were doubters. The doubters said UGA won despite Bennett. They do not remember the 40-yard strike to AD Mitchell and the capping TD toss to Brock Bowers facing an Alabama blitz to end the 41-year championship drought.
Then something amazing happened and Stetson Bennett torched 11th ranked Oregon for a career high 368 yards and a 49-3 curb stomping.
Then he has backed it up with great performances against Samford and South Carolina. Now Georgia is the top ranked team in the country, and you are hearing the impossible being said and that is STETSON FOR HEISMAN!
Wait one second Kipp what are you saying? I am saying Stetson for Heisman. Why not?
As of now Bennett sits high on the list of favorites. He is playing better than the media darlings that he trails in the current odds.
If the award were given today Stetson Bennett would be your 2022 Heisman winner based on performance, and if you base it on team accomplishments who is better than Georgia right now?
Brock Bowers is in the mix as well. Who throws Brock the football?
Bennett is a dual threat for the UGA offense this season. His grasp of the Todd Monken system makes the offense look unstoppable at times.
UGA scored in their first seven possessions against Oregon. Georgia put on an offensive clinic against South Carolina. UGA rolled up almost 550 yards of total offense against an SEC defense.
If you look at the UGA schedule from now until the Cocktail Party in Jacksonville, you see the likes of Kent State, Missouri, a down Auburn team, and Vanderbilt.
Bennett should put up some substantial numbers in those contests. UGA should enter the Florida game at 7-0.
Then you have Florida, Tennessee, Mississippi State, Kentucky, and Georgia Tech. If Georgia can run the table and go 12-0, then how can Stetson not be invited to New York for the Heisman ceremony?
If UGA was to be a 13-0 SEC Champion and Bennett has played as well as he has during the first three games of the season, then he will have earned the Heisman Trophy.
Folks this thing could happen because Stetson is the leader of a complete football team in Athens, Georgia.
This story has the makings of a Hollywood movie script. The Stetson Bennett story would be an impressive movie. I know about ten million fellow Georgians who would agree.
The season still must play itself out, but Stetson Bennett is already a Georgia Legend.
The only real question that remains is, which actor would portray Stetson Bennett in a Hollywood adapted movie in the next 5 years?
Move over Rudy the Stetson Bennett story will be coming to the theaters soon.
Back to Back?
By: Jeff Doke
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
“Oh, woe are the Dawgs” seems to be the theme of the sports media glitterati. The poor, impoverished defending national champions lost so much from last year. Woe, I tell you. Gloom, despair and misery on ye, Dawg Nation.
Oh, just stop it. Everything is fine in Athens. More than fine, really.
Yes, the Dawgs saw 15 players go in the NFL draft. Yes, Jermaine Burton jumped ship & sold his soul to the Crimson Tide. Yes, UGA still have Stetson Bennett as QB1.
And that’s where I’m going stop you. Stetson has not only earned the right to be the starter, he’s going to have a potentially Heisman-worthy year.
Look at last year’s stats in the 11 regular and 3 post season games. 2,862 yards, 29 TDs vs. 7 INTs, 64.5% completion, plus 259 yds rushing. It’s been said before, I’ll say it again – if any other QB posted those stats with a year of eligibility left, we’d be begging him to come back.
Consider me #TeamSBIV, and proudly so.
And while there was a lot of talent lost to the NFL, keep in mind exactly how much production Kirby got from underclassmen. All told, 13 starters return to the Dawgs this year, mostly on an offense that looks to be somewhat improved; SBIV, Brock Bowers, Ladd McConkey, Adonai Mitchell, Sedrick Van Pran, Warren Ericson, and BHS alum Warren McClendon.
Add the RB stable of Kendall Milton, Kenny McIntosh, Daijun Edwards, and the beastly Branson Robinson, and it’s not a stretch to think that the 2022 offense is going to surprise some folks.
While the defense will not reach the historic standards of last year, Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith and Kelee Ringo will lead a squad that should still statistically lead the SEC.
And of course, Glynn Academy’s own Jack Podlesny will carry on the proud legacy of UGA kickers for one more year.
While there are a few pundits out there that seem to think UGA can’t go undefeated in the regular season again (including one SSE writer that has the Dawgs going 9-3), here’s how this humble correspondent sees the 2022 campaign playing out;
WEEK 1 – vs Oregon – My favorite Dawg podcaster says the Silver Britches are going to blank the Ducks. I’ll ride those coattails and call it a 31-0 win to start the season.
WEEK 2 – vs. Samford – The Athenian Bulldogs wallop the Alabamian mutts 49-6.
WEEK 3 – @ Carolina – Although I’m admittedly an appreciator of Beamer Ball, this ain’t the year quite yet. Dawgs on top 35-14.
WEEK 4 – vs. Kent State – My best friend’s dad graduated from Kent State and was present for the darkest day in their history. I’ll forgo the jokes out of respect and just predict a lopsided 55-12 final.
WEEK 5 – @ Mizzou – The first of back-to-back Tiger matchups. Dawgs dispatch the midwestern SEC pretenders handily, 42-10.
WEEK 6 – vs. Auburn – There are trendy upset picks, and then there’s delusions of grandeur. Absolutely no way War Eagle Nation walks out of Sanford Stadium with a “W.
Georgia stretches their record in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry to 63–56–8 to the tune of 35-17.
WEEK 7 – vs. Vanderbilt – Some things never change, and some things rarely change. The outcome of UGA versus Vandy falls somewhere in between the two. More of the same this year, red and black dispatches The Commodores 41-9.
WEEK 8 – vs. Florida – Dan Mullen may be gone, but the stench still remains…oh, who are we kidding. That stench has always been there. Dawgs thump the lousy stinkin’ Gators 49-7.
WEEK 9 – vs. Tennessee – This is another fashionable pick for a trap game. Much like your typical Volunteer fan, I’ve never been accused of being “fashionable.” Sanford security confiscates the mustard & Dawgs keep rolling 42-20.
WEEK 10 – MISSISSIPPI STATE – If there’s any potential stumbling block for 2022, this is it. Those cowbells are loud and annoying, but I have faith. Kirby & company ekes it out 27-24 in OT.
WEEK 11 – KENTUCKY – Another tough road game, another close score, another W for the Dawgs. Put ‘em down for a 31-28 final.
WEEK 12 – North Avenue Trade School – The only anticipation in this game will be seeing what my spirit animal Andrew Smart put on the dry erase board this year. Dawgs still run this state 52-0.
FINAL RECORD – 12-0, 1st place in the SEC East, CFB playoffs.
QB1 Room
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It’s about that time in Athens, Ga. You can smell it in the air. We’re weeks away from the Georgia Bulldogs padding up for preseason camp.
For the first time in 41 years, Kirby Smart and company will be starting the 2022 NCAAF season as the defending national champions.
There are certainly a lot of questions to answer, and competitions to be had.
Losing a record 15 players to the NFL Draft creates uncertainty at some key positions.
However, several starters on offense, as well as a couple of key leaders on the defensive side of the football, will help ease any concerns.
I’ll take the time to provide a preview of the quarterback group in red and black.
Stetson Bennett returns after leading Georgia to the National Championship in 2021.
Starting 12 of 15 games including each of the last 11, Bennett threw for 2,862 yards and 29 touchdowns on 185-of-287 passing.
There were times where he didn’t look great – turn on the tape from Florida (10-of-19, 161 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions) or the SEC Championship Game against Alabama (29-of-48, 340 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions).
However, there were also times that he was spectacular. Bennett tied the program record for touchdowns in a single game with five scores in the first half alone against UAB.
The Blackshear, Ga. native threw three touchdowns over Kentucky in a top-15 SEC Game of the Week. He didn’t throw a single interception in that game or their game against Auburn.
Two touchdowns against Missouri and four against Georgia Tech with 255 yards in both contests helped the Bulldogs finish the regular season undefeated.
Then, of course, there were the Playoffs when Bennett earned Offensive MVP of the Orange Bowl against Michigan and the CFP Championship Game against Alabama, combining for 537 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions.
So, like lots of quarterbacks, Bennett has lots of good that comes with the occasional bad. You just have to be able to help him out and put him in good situations.
Because Bennett isn’t perfect and because he wasn’t the highest-rated recruit, some question Kirby Smart’s decision to stick with him.
Carson Beck seems to have solidified himself as the backup. Beck, a four-star and the No. 16 quarterback in the Class of 2020, threw for 274 yards during Georgia’s G-Day spring scrimmage.
Beck was awarded Mr. Football in the state of Florida for 2018 after leading Mandarin High School to a Class 8A state championship.
Brock Vandagriff also offers a talented option off the bench. A former five-star and the No. 4-ranked quarterback in the Class of 2021 from right down the road in Bogart, Ga.,
Vandagriff has the ability to make plays with both his arms and his legs. Georgia fans have been calling for a player like that for quite some time.
Finally, Gunner Stockton is the fresh face in the quarterback room. He’s just a freshman, don’t expect to see him often.
He’ll be busy learning the playbook and running the scout team.
Bennett elected to return for another year with the Bulldogs, which is a large reason why I rank the Dawg’s quarterback room the very best in the SEC.
Draft Dogs
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2021 Georgia Bulldogs already had a special spot in history, bringing home the program’s first National Championship in over four decades. Well, if there were any doubts about their all-time standing, the 2022 NFL Draft made their spot in the record books.
With 15 Bulldogs being selected, Georgia breaks the seven-round NFL Draft record for players picked in a single draft from the same school. The 2003 Ohio State Buckeyes and 2019 LSU Tigers previously held the record with 14 in the 2004 and 2020 NFL Drafts.
Things got started in a big way during the first round for the Dawgs with defensive lineman Travon Walker coming off the board to the Jacksonville Jaguars with the first overall pick.
Walker becomes the fifth Georgia player to be picked No. 1 overall, tying the NFL Draft record with Notre Dame, Oklahoma and USC. Previous No. 1 picks for the Bulldogs are Matthew Stafford (2009), Harry Babcock (1953), Charley Trippi (1945) and Frank Sinkwich (1943).
Jordan Davis (Eagles), Quay Walker (Packers), Devonte Wyatt (Packers) and Lewis Cine (Vikings) continued the run on Bulldogs in the first round, giving Georgia five players picked, all on the defensive side of the football.
In doing so, they set a new program record for first round picks in a single draft as well as a record for the most defensive players picked from the same team in the first round.
On day two of the draft (second and third rounds), Georgia added four more selections. Wide receiver George Pickens was the first offensive player from UGA off the board, going to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round followed soon after by running James Cook to the Buffalo Bills.
Then, in the third, it was a pair of inside linebackers getting picked with Nakobe Dean going to Philadelphia, and Channing Tindall being picked by the Miami Dolphins. That also gave Georgia the record for most defenders taken in the first three rounds in addition to their first-round record.
Zamir White was selected in the fourth round to the Las Vegas Raiders, followed by Jake Camarda to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After a quiet fifth round, the sixth round welcomed two big Bulldog offensive linemen– Justin Shaffer to the Atlanta Falcons and Jamaree Salyer to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Finally, with back-to-back picks at No. 212 and No. 213 overall, Derion Kendrick (Los Angeles Chargers) and John FitzPatrick (Atlanta Falcons) got the Dawgs to break the record.
In The 2022 NFL Draft, Georgia broke all the records, or at least it felt that way.
The Bulldogs had 15 players picked – the most in a seven-round draft in history – with eight on the defensive side of the ball, including a first-round record five and a top-three-round record seven.
UGA also became the only team to ever have tight ends taken in four straight drafts with the selection of John FitzPatrick, Georgia’s 15th and final player. Needless to say, it was an eventful draft for Georgia.
G-Day
By: Jeff Doke
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Another G-Day game has come and gone. The annual spring game, which for decades stood as a reasonable excuse for alumni & recent graduates to make an offseason return to the classic city, has grown into something larger.
For the first time, the intrasquad matchup of the red & black was broadcast live on ESPN2, making it the highest billed CFB non-game event in cable broadcast history.
The event has had its share of celebrities in the past; either in the stands or as guest coaches for one of the squads. This year there was no need for such chicanery & tomfoolery.
No sir, the citizens of Dawgnation have rewatched the national championship game dozens of times since January (and probably will watch it a dozen more between now & September), but they are ready for some new information as to what they can realistically expect out of the Dawgs this fall.
What they saw on the field invited an old friend back into their red & black hearts – Hope.
For the first time in his career, Stetson Bennett IV will start the season as the undisputed starting quarterback. His performance at G-Day showed that his enshrinement as QB1 is justified, but he still has room to grow in his final season between the hedges.
The Mailman went 15-35 for 273 yards and 3 TDs. The 2 INTs were mildly troublesome, but not blatantly bad decisions like we saw in the SEC Championship Game.
On the other hand, Carson Beck showed that he will be more than capable to step into the starting role should situations require. The redshirt sophomore from Jacksonville went 14 of 26 for 274 yards with no scores or picks.
While the RBs at RBU were understandably quiet on the day, the tight ends were the real showcase even without freshman phenom Brock Bowers.
LSU transfer Arik Gilbert and early enrollee Oscar Delp showed that the receiving corps is just fine without a 1000-yard WR, thank you very much.
Delp led all receivers on the day with 7 catches for 91 yards, while Gilbert hauled in 3 catches for 49 yards and 2 TDs, including a beaut of a 16-yarder in double coverage.
When you take an arguably all-time great defense like UGA had last year, a drop in performance has to be expected. Of last year’s contributors, eight are expected to be drafted in the NFL draft this year, with an outside chance of a record-tying six Dawgs going in the first round.
When you have that severe of a talent bleed, you would be hard pressed to expect anything but a letdown. G-Day showed us that although the lofty heights of 2021 are more than likely out of reach, the drop off in defensive production might not be as severe as feared.
While Kelee Ringo will pick up right where he left off and Jalen Carter will undoubtedly take over from Jordan Davis as the heart & soul leader of the 2022 Bulldogs, there were several names on display at G-Day that Dawg Nation would do well to remember.
For example, take Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins. Get used to the initials TID. The redshirt freshman was in the backfield almost as much as the running backs all day long.
Warren Brinson was pushing the line as well, forcing pressure on the QB and making his presence felt.
All things considered, the first-string defense did better against the first-string offense than you would expect, considering 10 out of the 11 starters from last year’s opener against Clemson have changed.
In short, the 2022 G-Day Game was more than just a spring warm up as usual. The National Championship team received their rings, and those that bleed red & black got a chance to see what to expect in the fall.
And expectations, while understandably high, may not be unrealistic after all.
Head Of The Class
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia may set a new school-record for more players selected in one NFL Draft this year, surpassing the mark set last season (nine) and challenging the national record of 14 sets by LSU in the 2020 draft.
There could be 14 Bulldogs selected in the upcoming draft (April 28-30) in their most recent article.
Amazingly, the Bulldogs actually have 16 players with NFL draft grades, meaning the record could be broken.
Georgia sent a program-record 14 players to the NFL combine in Indianapolis, where just weeks earlier the Bulldogs beat Alabama 33-18 in the CFP Championship Game.
Smart said he isn’t certain if he’ll make an in-person appearance at the draft, which is in Las Vegas, as the Georgia player recruiting-and retaining schedule has been booked for UGA’s busy coaching staff.
I think people sometimes get lost in the stats and they overlook the fact that Georgia’s defense was so deep. There were so many guys, they had Nakobe Dean rotating in, who was, you know, the leader of the defense, and the winner of the Butkus Award.
Scouts know about Jordan Davis because he’s 340 pounds and ran in the 4.7’s.
People rave about Travon Walker‘s physical potential. He’s a long 270-275 pound guy, runs exceptionally well, and plays the run really well. I have Walker projected as the first Bulldog off the board.
Georgia’s leading tackler Lewis Cine, linebackers Quay Walker and Channing Tindall, as well as defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt are just a few of the top names that performed during Georgia’s pro day last month.
Other prospects like George Pickens, James Cook, and Zamir White raised their draft stocks. However, Pickens and Cine seem to be two names that I feel could be on the bubble of sneaking into the first round after their combine performances.
Almost a year removed from a torn ACL, Pickens ran a 4.47, while Lewis Cine’s 4.37 forty-yard dash is enough to make many wonder if the Georgia safety has a chance of being drafted on day one.
My projections suggest four Bulldogs will be selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft – which would be another school record.
Further, there could be 10 Georgia football players selected in the first three rounds, which would be yet another school mark.
Here’s a look at where UGA players are expected to be picked in my most recent mock draft:
2022 NFL Draft FIRST ROUND
No. 5 Travon Walker, NY Giants
No. 19 Jordan Davis, New Orleans
No. 21 Nakobe Dean, New England
No. 23 Devonte Wyatt, Arizona
SECOND ROUND
No. 36 Quay Walker, NY Giants
No. 49 Lewis Cine, New Orleans
No. 56 George Pickens, Dallas
No. 59 Jamaree Salyer, Green Bay
THIRD ROUND
No. 71 Channing Tindall, Chicago
No. 97 James Cook, Detroit
FIFTH ROUND
No. 162 Zamir White, Philadelphia
SIXTH ROUND
No. 203 Derion Kendrick, Buffalo
No. 216 Justin Shaffer, Indianapolis
SEVENTH ROUND
No. 253 Adam Anderson, LA Rams
The Legend of Stetson Bennett
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken told Stetson Bennett IV that he wasn’t going to be in the Bulldogs’ plans for the starting quarterback in 2020.
He’s never entered any season as the guy. Georgia was supposed to lean on USC five-star transfer JT Daniels this year. 2021 was supposed to be Daniels’ season with Bennett in the rear-view mirror.
But football has a way of throwing well-laid plans out the window. Daniels’ lat injury opened the door for Bennett to take over, and “The Mailman” didn’t look back.
Even through rocky moments, Bennett had his gems. Bennett threw for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to rally Georgia for a 33-18 victory over Alabama in the National Championship Game.
Bennett shook off a gut-wrenching turnover that allowed Alabama to temporarily take the lead.
“I just knew there was going to be no way to let a turnover like that stop us from winning a National Championship,” Bennett said in his postgame interview. “No way that I was going to let that happen. I was not going to be the reason we lost.”
Here’s what we witnessed of Bennett’s heroic effort.
Bennett’s remarkable fourth-quarter performance will go down in Georgia Football lore. Bennett dreamed of playing quarterback for Georgia. His dream came true and he led the Bulldogs to a performance no one will ever forget.
But it wasn’t pretty. The Georgia offense went three-and-out in each of their first two drives. On Georgia’s third play of the game, Bennett scrambled for a 14-yard gain, but he fumbled. Thankfully for the Bulldogs, he was able to recover and avoid what could’ve been a champion-breaking early turnover. But with more and more struggles, the calls for Daniels grew louder.
But Bennett’s fumble early in the fourth quarter nearly spelled doom for Georgia. Alabama’s Christian Harris was a menace all night long, and he sacked Bennett on 3rd and 8. Bennett tried to throw the ball away, but it was ruled a fumble. Alabama’s Brian Branch nonchalantly recovered the ball with his foot inbounds by mere millimeters.
With his back against the wall, Bennett responded with the drive of his life. He was determined not to be the reason that Georgia lost the national title. Is a not losing motivation stronger than a winning motivation?
Bennett marched Georgia down to the Alabama 40-yard line and then used a free play to take his shot. He delivered a gorgeous deep ball down the right sideline and Adonai Mitchell hauled it in for a majestic 40-yard touchdown to give Georgia a 19-18 lead with 8:09 left in the fourth quarter.
Bennett did what everyone told him he couldn’t do. He heard the noise. He heard the doubters. He heard the majority say that he wasn’t the best option to lead Georgia past Alabama. “Georgia can’t beat Alabama with Stetson Bennett at QB” was a widely-used narrative, and he conquered it head on.
Stetson Bennett was named the Offensive Player of the Game. He is a national champion and a Georgia Bulldog Football Legend!
Dawgs Eat
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Something I thought I’d never see in my lifetime happened.
Georgia won their first national championship since 1980. I’m not a UGA fan at all so I was shocked they finally beat Alabama.
Kirby Smart lost his previous four meetings to his old boss, Nick Saban. In his case the fifth time was a charm. It was a close game through three quarters, but Georgia won 33- 18.
“I told the guys in the locker room, just take a picture of this, because I think back to the ’80 championship picture and seeing all those players and the Frank Walkers and the Herschel Walkers and all these people that have reached out and said things,” Smart said. “Our guys have accomplished that, something special, and as they say, they’ve become legendary, and I want that for them.”
The teams traded field goals in the first half and Alabama took a 9 – 6 lead into the locker room at halftime. In the SEC Championship win, the Crimson Tide lost wide receiver John Metchie III with a torn ACL. He leads the team in receptions with 96 and he was second in receiving yards with 1,142.
The other star receiver, Jameson Williams suffered a knee injury in the first half after catching a 40-yard pass. Williams is the team leader in receiving yard with 1,507 yards.
The first touchdown came with 1:20 left in the third quarter. James Cook broke a 67-yard run to get the Bulldogs in the red zone. Three more running plays and a facemask penalty by Alabama got them into the end zone. Zamir White went in standing up from a yard out. It gave Georgia their first lead, 13 – 9.
Alabama added another field goal after that. They got the ball back on a play that was ruled a Stetson Bennett fumble. It looked like he was trying to throw the ball away and the ball rolled out of bounds. Bama’s Drew Sanders casually caught it jogging out of bounds.
They got the ball in the red zone and Bryce Young threw a 3-yard touchdown to give them an 18 – 13 lead.
Bennett was 13 for 22 for 141 yards as the next drive started. He completed all three of his passes for 68 yards, including a long strike to Mitchell for a touchdown with 8:09 left that gave the Bulldogs a one-point lead after a failed 2-point conversion.
The Georgia defense forced a three and out and got the ball back for the offense to seal the win. UGA scored 20 points in the fourth quarter.
With less than a minute remaining in the game, UGA corner, back Kelee Ringo intercepted Young and returned it 79 yards for a touchdown.
“I hadn’t cried in — I don’t know, years — but that just came over me,” said Bennett, who was named the offensive player of the game. “That’s what — when you put as much time as we do into this thing, blood, sweat, tears, it means something.”
In the SEC Championship Georgia didn’t sack Young. Last night he was sacked four times and threw two interceptions.
“We had a lot of opportunities, moved the ball relatively well. We did some stuff well. We didn’t execute, and at the end of the day, that’s on me,” said Young.
“We played a heck of a game against a heck of a team for the first three quarters of the game,” said Saban. “Nobody can take the SEC championship away from this team, the Cotton Bowl championship.”
Three Wise Men
By: Jeff Doke
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
During the most magical time of the year, we all love the traditions that have been handed down from generation to generation.
While we all feel a lift in our spirits by surrounding ourselves with our friends & family that also embrace the season, the memories of those who have passed on makes us reminisce about them and wonder how they would feel about this season if they were still with us.
For those of us who have been raised right, we specifically think about the three wise men. Of course, I’m talking about UGA football season, and the three wise men are Lewis, Larry, and Jack.
For them to have never taken the field, no other triumvirate makes me think of Georgia Football more than Lewis Grizzard, Larry Munson, and Jack Davis.
To me, they are just as important to Georgia lore as Vince & Herschel, and their skills in their chosen fields have inspired and influenced me tremendously in three of my favorite hobbies over the years.
Lewis Grizzard was one of the first newspaper columnists I ever followed. He talked about things that were relevant to me (growing up in rural Georgia, southern cooking, the pains of being a Dawg fan) and things that would one day become relevant (politics, divorce, the pains of being a Dawg fan).
His columns in the AJC and his best-selling novels added so much to the southern lexicon that many of his quips have become standards. While he ruffled more than a few feathers in his tragically brief career, his writing style was instantly recognizable and it was more often than not as comfortable as a pair of grey sweatpants & a threadbare 2002 SEC Championship t-shirt.
Passing away in 1994, Lewis thankfully only had to suffer through 13 seasons of the UGA Championship drought and completely avoided the Jim Donnan years. If we all could have been so lucky…
If you search for Grizzard quotes about Georgia football, one of the first you will find mentions another of my three wise men; “listening to Larry Munson was better than being there.”
For a lot of us South Georgia Dawgs, Larry was the only way we could be there. A Saturday trip to Athens wasn’t as relatively easy as it was for our North Georgia brethren, and believe it or not, back in those days it wasn’t guaranteed that the game would be on TV.
Even when it was, it didn’t feel right if you listened to the network commentator. They didn’t have the established relationship with the team the way that Larry did, so it became a longstanding tradition to turn down the TV and turn up the radio. Because of that, Larry Munson *was* Georgia football for generations. You could tell from his voice in those legendary calls that Larry loved Georgia football as much as we did. You could feel the anxiety, the tension, the elation in every game. He had ownership of the Dawgs. He had buy-in, just as much as every fan, be they students, graduates, or “tailgate alumni” like myself.
Then there’s Jack Davis. I was a MAD Magazine fan before I realized I was a Dawg fan, so I got a steady diet of Jack Davis art before I could barely say “What, Me Worry?” or “Hunker Down.”
Growing up in Glynn County, I didn’t get the Game Day Saturday editions of the Athens Banner-Herald with a Jack cartoon on the front page.
What I did get (as did most of the rest of the state) was the 1980 commemorative Coca-Cola bottle, and I’m lucky enough to have mine signed by the man himself. Much like Larry & Lewis, you could tell Jack loved UGA just as much as we did with every sepia-toned stroke of his brush that brought Hairy Dawg to life long before he roamed the sidelines between the hedges.
Another Shot
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Happy New Year!
Well, maybe it’s not so happy for some unlucky college football fans. They have seen this movie before, and they don’t like it.
Alabama (13-1 and ranked No. 1) defeated Cincinnati, 27-6, and Georgia (13-1) downed Michigan, 34-11, in the College Football Playoff semifinal games in the Cotton and Orange bowls, respectively.
Thus, the two teams that had held the number one spots in college football polls all season earned spots in the CFP national championship game in Indianapolis on Jan. 10.
While there can be no doubt that these are the two best teams in college football this year, it likely wears on fans of other schools to know that the Southeastern Conference will have the national championship for the third consecutive season; and for the 12th time in the last 16 years. Alabama alone will be seeking their seventh title in the past 13 seasons.
Will this rematch be different? After all, Bryce Young carved Georgia for 421 yards and 3 TDs in the SEC championship game, and the Crimson Tide were the underdogs the first time around.
Alabama remains that psychological hurdle for Georgia, one that comes with seven straight victories in the series. That includes three SEC championship games and the 26-23 overtime thriller in the CFP championship game in Atlanta on Jan. 8, 2018.
Alabama won’t have star receiver John Metchie III, who suffered a torn ACL in the last matchup. Indianapolis is the most unnatural setting possible for both fan-bases, and keep in mind the Bulldogs led 10-0 in the SEC championship game before things went south. Georgia is favored by 2.5 points in the CFP championship.
The Bulldogs will play under much more pressure than the Crimson Tide. The Bulldogs’ coaches and players will say over and over, the SEC Championship game does not matter.
It does matter because it was the seventh straight win for the Tide over the Dawgs. The Crimson Tide will be stronger in the 2022 season and Kirby Smart cannot afford to lose an eighth straight game.
The talent levels are too comparable to expect another one-sided game. Unless the Tide injury situation warrants it, and no one can knows yet if it does, there is no reason to believe the outcome will change.
The Bulldogs showed enough in the semifinal where 190 rushing yards was overlooked. Bennett is fine. So is the defense. Georgia played like a team that learned from that loss and might just be ready to break the national championship curse that extends back to Herschel Walker in 1980.
But even though Saban is 25-1 against his former assistant coaches — including 4-0 against Smart, who spent 11 years with him in Tuscaloosa — history says a rematch for the national title is a great sign for the Bulldogs.
In the 2011 season, LSU beat Alabama in the regular season. Alabama won the rematch for the Bowl Championship Series national title.
In 1996, Florida State topped Florida in the regular season. The Gators rolled past the Seminoles for the national title in what was then called the Bowl Alliance.
Now, it’s Georgia with a shot at turning the tide.
That’s what happens when you press the reset button.
Georgia 34 Alabama 20.
