Bulldawg 3iss, 2013

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BI From the Editor

Here we go Bulldog fans, it’s time to focus on the task at handwith the 2013 football season just a few hot summer months away.The goal for this season is arranging a trip to Pasadena, which will cul-minate on Jan. 6, 2014 with the playing of the national champi-onship game.

Like in last year’s Season Preview issue, this go round nobodyat BI is shying away from talking about winning the whole enchilada.In fact, our veteran sports man Murray Poole (page 18) has predictedthe Dawgs to play for the title for the second straight year.

As we all know, Murray was just a few yards short from his pre-diction coming to fruition in 2012. He nails it this year in my opin-ion, which is why we filled the bestlooking helmet in America with beauti-ful red roses for our cover.

You gotta admit, it really looksgood.

Kudos must go to our long timecover extraordinaire, Boyd Martin, forproducing another beauty. And bigthanks go to Edward Armstrong in Red-fern Village on St. Simons Island for notthinking I had lost my mind when Iwalked into his shop with a helmet ask-ing for the ultimate rose arrangement.

Our sincere hope is our cover getseveryone in the Bulldog Nation com-pletely fired up this summer and believ-ing that a trip to the west coast in Januaryis there for the taking.

Of course, we, as fans, must alwaysremember that while our desires are towin it all every year, it really doesn’t have much to do with us. Instead,it comes down to the student-athletes who have worked their entirelife to play for the red and black. And those young men can’t performat a championship level without outstanding instruction from theircoaches.

So does this 2013 University of Georgia football team have whatit takes to hoist the crystal football? The march towards achievingthat begins at Clemson on Aug. 31. And to win there it will requirea ton of leadership from the veterans on the team.

Like we do every year for this issue, Murray Poole trackeddown Coach Richt (page 8) to ask him his four top leaders (two onoffense and two on defense). To no surprise, quarterback Aaron Mur-ray was on the top of the list for the offense. Joining him, Richt namedlineman Chris Burnette.

Having spent time with Burnette at a banquet, all I can say is he’svery impressive in all phases of life, which Coach Richt touches onwhen talking about him. However, something new I learned wasthe “punch” Burnette possesses in his ability to move people in thetrenches. Yummy. Let’s feed those impressive running backs of ours

that JD talks about on page 4 throughout 2013 and wear out theopposing teams.

On the defensive side, Coach Richt threw a curve ball when hejust named Damian Swann as the lone leader. Before you panic, goand read the story and know that Georgia’s headman did name sev-eral others on D who have the potential to join Swann as an outrightleader..

Although there are no organized practices during the summer,it’s always fun to debate what player will be where when Fall Campand kickoff finally arrive in August. On page 6, Jeff Dantzler goesposition by position and, to no one’s surprise, the 2013 team looks

to be loaded on offense with tons of expe-rience. And the defense is also loaded, butin another manner … a slew of potential.

Once you have digested all the play-ers, it’s then time to turn to page 14, so JDcan take you game by game in the navi-gation of the 2013 schedule. Folks, all Ican say it that this one is front-loaded andbrutal. We all know and have talked aboutClemson, South Carolina and LSU all inone month, but someone reminded mejust last night to not forget the trip toRocky Top after hosting the Bayou Ben-gals.

My goodness, the scheduling godshave struck down with vengeance afterthe cupcake dockets the last two years.

But you know what, I say bring it onand so does Murray Poole with his gameby game prediction that I spoke of earlier

(page 18). Murray says we only go down to one team in 2013. Iwon’t ruin the surprise, so enjoy.

Of course, no issue of BI is complete without searching outfriends and family on our photo pages. Enjoy our shots from UGADays at Atlanta, Augusta and Macon. And Loran Smith and his or-ganizers put on another great event in Athens recently for the UGAChapter of the National Football Foundation & College Hall ofFame. It’s always great to see so many Bulldog legends in one place.

And don’t miss our Q&A with Paige Grantham on page 5. Heranswers are awesome.

Finally in our centerspread, make sure to check out our Bull-dawg Guide to the Golden Isles. And when you’re heading to thecoast, make sure you enjoy some of Chef Dave’s suggestions.

Well that does it for me. Here’s to a safe and enjoyable summerfor everyone in the Bulldog Nation. And to our team, keep it in theroad, as a wise man used to say. We will see you back in late Julywith our coverage from the SEC Media Days.

Until then, remember the goal is arranging a trip to Pasadena. Go Dawgs!

Cha Cha Cha Publishing Inc.

Editor Vance Leavy

Editorial & Ad DirectorCheri Leavy

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2013 Season Preview, June 4, 2013

Season Preview

Channeling my inner Pasadena mojo, I dug up this phototaken with Bulldog legend Charley Trippi in 2003. Trippiwas named the player of the game on Jan. 1, 1943, the lasttime the Bulldogs played in Pasadena.

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Can Georgia ... make 2013 historic?

Can Georgia overcome being “tooyoung, too early” on defense?

Can the Bulldogs offensive line takethat next step and be a dominating unit?

Can Georgia, for the first time since2010, consistently make field goals?

If the Bulldogs can pull out three yes’sto these questions, there’s a very goodchance that the 2013 edition of the Geor-gia football program can be in a very sim-ilar position to that of 2012 – playing inthe Southeastern Conference Champi-onship Game with a shot to compete forthe national title.

Let’s start with the Bulldogs strengths. Todd Gurley is the nation’s premier

tailback. He is the total package, touchedby the football gods with thunderbolt legsand every physical and instinctual trait anypigskin toter could dream of. Gurley mayvery well be the Bulldogs best since Her-schel Walker himself made red and blackdreams come true. Like “The Goal LineStalker,” Gurley had some of his best per-formances in the biggest games. He ran forover 100 yards and scored against Florida,Alabama, Auburn and Tennessee.

With Gurley as the engine, Georgia’soffensive machine has all sorts of weaponsto play off of. Aaron Murray is back for hisfourth season as the Bulldogs startingquarterback. Numerous records havefallen, and more are sure to follow. But forMurray, it comes down to eliminatingthose few major miscues and joining theelite cast of SEC champion Georgia quar-terbacks.

There are weapons, including thespeedy home-run threat Keith Marshall,who’s catch, spin and score in the CapitalOne Bowl was jaw-dropping, and MalcolmMitchell, an elite talent who should shineand put up monster numbers while focus-ing exclusively on offense. Tight endsArthur Lynch and Jay Rome could be oneof the top pair in the country this season,adding further capabilities to a unit oozingwith options.

Which takes us up front. John Theus, Kanarious Gates, David

Andrews, Dallas Lee, Chris Burnette andMark Beard are all back. Xzavier Ward hada strong spring and is in the rotation. Andhere’s hoping that Kolton Houston will beas well.

If this unit makes the jump from goodand becomes great, maintaining thoseblocks for a count longer, opening a fewmore holes for Gurley and Marshall, giv-ing Murray just a little more time, thiscould potentially be Georgia’s best offensesince Frank Sinkwich and Charley Trippiled the Bulldogs to the 1942 national andSEC championships. By the way, I realizelast year’s team broke some of thoserecords, but in a lot more games, plusthere was a dud in Columbia.

Most of the question marks for theBulldogs of 2013 clearly center around thedefense. Georgia must replace sevenstarters, all of whom are on NFL rosters,including two-time All-American JarvisJones, one of the greatest defenders inBulldog annals. Jones two performancesin Jacksonville, which triggered badlyneeded back-to-back wins over Florida

will live forever in Georgia lore. What makes it tough too, is that the

roughest part of the schedule is straightout of the gate. Arguably, Georgia’s threetoughest tests come in the first four games.The Bulldogs go to Clemson and then hostSouth Carolina. Following an open dateand North Texas, which fortunately does-n’t get to suit up its most famous alum“Mean” Joe Green, LSU visits Sanford Sta-dium. We’ll know when September isdone whether this is a championship cal-iber team or not. By the middle and end ofthe season, the Bulldogs figure to be out-standing. But can the offense dominateand carry the load while the defense findsitself?

There is a good core of talent and ex-perience defensively with Garrison Smith,Jordan Jenkins, Amarlo Herrera andDamian Swann. Jenkins is the heir appar-ent to Jones at outside linebacker. He hasthe talent and football savvy. The disci-pline he showed by simply staying at homewas a big part of the Bulldogs defensivesuccess from Florida through Tech, whenthe Bulldogs allowed less than 20 points infive straight wins. Swann has amazing ballskills. He is just savvy with the pigskin inthe air, on the ground or in his vicinity.

But clearly for the Bulldogs to win thewhole thing, it will take some immediatecontributions from a host of newcomers.True freshman early enrollee TrayMatthews has the makings of a star atsafety and Georgia has some muscle addedto the mix up front.

The expectations are not high on de-fense, but this unit has a chance to begood. For any championship dreams tocome true, it will have to get good early.Peeking ahead, the Bulldogs defense in2014 will have a chance to be exceptional.

Then there is the place-kicking situa-tion. In Georgia’s six losses the lost twoseasons, there was a missed field goal infive of them. Too many games in therugged SEC, especially with this brutalschedule, are decided by paper thin mar-gins. It takes touchdowns to win champi-onships, and Georgia was excellent in thered zone last year. But when drives do bogdown or the clock dictates it, the Bulldogsmust be able to convert easy kicks.

If Georgia can come out of September3-1 or 4-0, it could indeed be a special sea-son. The trip to Knoxville, home date withMissouri and venture to Vanderbilt thatfollow LSU and proceed the open dateprior to Jacksonville present potential trapupsets. But great teams avoid those. Itmight not be easy, but those three Octobergames should go Georgia’s way on thestrength of superior offensive firepower.

Then comes the home stretch. Georgia was painfully close to a re-

markable victory and a shot at the nationaltitle. The sting of the loss to Alabama wasmade even worse by the ease in which theCrimson Tide pummeled Notre Dame.

There must not be a hangover. There must be a fire to return to the

edge, cross over and cash in. It’s the final step for a program that

has been one of college football’s best forthe past 15 years.

photo by Rob Saye

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Paige Grantham loves the college atmosphere

Don't get Paige Grantham wrong, she lovedbeing the wife of a coach in the National FootballLeague. But what Mrs. Grantham likes even betteris being the wife of a college football coach ... es-pecially since her husband plies his trade inAthens, Ga.

Paige, of course, is married to ToddGrantham who, after coaching defense with theDallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, Houston Tex-ans and Indianapolis Colts − and also coachingcollegiately at his alma mater, Virginia Tech, andMichigan State − is entering his fourth season asthe Georgia Bulldogs' ultra-successful defensive co-ordinator.

And Coach Grantham's better half says thingscouldn't have turned out more enjoyable for herand her family since the move to the University ofGeorgia.

"I would say recruiting is the biggest differ-ence in the two (NFL and college) but both havea lot of same similarities," said Paige. "There arepros and cons to both. Time-wise, I think it is allabout the same other than the recruiting part of it.Like in the NFL there's not as many weekends forrecruiting and so forth but as the draft approaches,there are some weekends involved. But there's notthe traveling that recruiting takes on in college.

"But the most important thing that has reallystood out to us since coming to Georgia is just howfamily-oriented it is here because, in the NFL, it isstrictly a business," she said. "And our kids have re-ally enjoyed it here. Especially our 12-year-old son,Corbin, he has really enjoyed being a part of theGeorgia program because he gets to go hang outwith his dad a lot more than he ever did in theNFL. You know, Mark and Katharyn (Richt) aregreat about including the kids in a lot of events andCorbin gets to be the water boy on the sidelinesfor all the home games, and then they enjoy get-ting to go over and play in that new indoor prac-tice facility and just things like that that they neverhad the opportunity to do in the NFL. They nevereven really got to go to a lot of practices in the NFLand they get to do that here."

Indeed, for Paige Grantham, the family at-mosphere the coaches, their wives and childrenare involved in at Georgia supersedes almost any-thing else.

"Again, I would say the biggest difference isjust how family-oriented it is here," Paige empha-sized. "Not to take away from the NFL because wehave a lot of great friends there and we did a lot offun things but just as far as the kids getting to beinvolved a lot more here, that's made it good forthem."

And as far as what Paige Grantham thinks herhusband's influence has been on the Bulldogs de-fense these last three years, check out her responseto her favorite UGA football moment in the fol-lowing question-and-answer session with Bull-dawg Illustrated:

Years married, children?We have been married 16 years this past

March. Corbin is 12 and he was actually born onour anniversary, March 8. So I get kind of gyppeda little bit on our anniversary because we're alwayscelebrating Corbin's birthday but he never forgetseither, so I'll take that. And Olivia is 9.

The most gratifying part of being married to acollege football coach?

I love meeting all the different people here incollege football and even in the NFL it's great meet-ing so many different people from all differentwalks of life ... all the way from recruiting parentsand the people you're at different functions with,it's just fun meeting different people from every-where.

The most challenging part of being married to acollege football coach?

Coaches' wives, they're kind of jack-of-all-

trades. We run the household. Most people, I thinkthey think it's a glamorous life and at times it canbe. But it has its ups and downs. Coaches' wivestake on many roles. A lot of them are both momand dad a lot of times of the year. We're at all oftheir sporting events, we're working with home-work every night, we're their taxi drivers ... youname it, we're kind of doing it just because theguys are so busy trying to win ball games andworking long hours. Todd works some days 16 to18 hours and he very rarely during the season getsto see the kids and spend a lot of time with them.So the coaches' wives are there to help keep it allgoing and running smoothly.

Where did you grow up and what made it special?Todd and I grew up in the same hometown

in Pulaski, Va. and actually went to the same highschool. I graduated in 1988 and he graduated in'84. We never knew each other in high school be-cause he was four years older than me; obviously,we met later in life but we did go to the same highschool. It's a beautiful part of the country and it'snear Virginia Tech and of course that's where Toddwent to school. It was a small town so everybodyknew everybody. High school football was bigthere so it was a fun town to grow up in but defi-nitely I would say the beautiful mountains of Vir-ginia, the Appalachian Mountains, made it special.

Other than rooting on the Bulldogs, what aresome of your other passions?

I enjoy playing tennis and most of the time Ispend my time at our children's sporting events. Sowe do a lot of baseball, football, basketball, andgirls softball. So that's kind of my passions, at-tending our children's sporting events and playinga little tennis when I can get that in.

What do you like most about UGA and living inthe Athens area?

I love the pageantry of Athens on Game Day.That's one of the things when we first moved hereand went to my first game that stood out to me,just all the pageantry that's involved here in Athenson Game Day. It just gives you chills really, it takesyour breath away when you drive down Milledgeon Saturday morning and everyone's all deckedout in their red and black and all the girls in theirred dresses. So I would just say I love that every-thing's family-oriented and I love the pageantry ofcollege Game Day on Saturdays here.

If your husband wasn’t a college coach, what ca-reer do you envision him having?

Actually, two things. Todd loves to fish so Icould see him wanting to pursue becoming a pro-fessional fisherman on, what is it, the Bassmasterstour? But also, he's a numbers guy so I can reallysee Todd being a financial advisor or somethingwith finance because he's such a numbers guy, andhe's good at it.

Your favorite UGA football moment?I'm going to tell you it would have to be the

Vanderbilt game a couple of years ago, when Toddand (Vandy coach) James Franklin had words. Itwas from that moment, that night, that I really feelthat something changed with our defense. I thinkthat night really propelled us to go to Jacksonville(the next game) and beat Florida. And I feel like thekids, they had a different mentality from that pointand they believed in themselves, and I also feel thatthey really believed in Todd and what he wasteaching them and asking of them. And I thinkthey knew from that moment he was behind themand he was supporting them as if they were hissons. And I just think they've totally bought infrom that moment ... just something I can't explainit. I know everyone has mixed feelings about whathappened that night but our boys bought in thatnight.

www.bulldawgillustrated.com • 5

The GranthamFamily

Olivia, Todd,Paige and

Corbin

2013 season preview: position by position2013 season preview: position by positionQuarterback Aaron Murray has broken a slew of records as a three-year

starting quarterback, and many more are in his cross-hairs. Hisdecision to return for a fifth and final season in the program isa big reason that expectations are so high for 2013. Now thequestion, can Murray continue his excellent play, while elimi-nating the ghastly turnover? If so, there’s no reason Georgia’s of-fense shouldn’t be amongst the nation’s best. He has good touchon the deep ball, and because of excellent athleticism, is at hisbest when on the move. Georgia rolling him by design, espe-cially with the lethal threat of superstar tailback Todd Gurleyrunning the pigskin, gives the Bulldogs all kinds of options.

Behind Murray is the more than able Hutson Mason.Georgia has been very fortunate to have Mason in the fold. Per-haps if the Bulldogs get a healthy lead or two (or maybe hecould play for the entire North Texas game), Mason can get alot of action.

Christian Lemay and Parker Welch return and will vie forthe third string job presumably. True freshman early enrolleeBrice Ramsey will redshirt unless there was a myriad of injuries.

Running Back Not only is Todd Gurley in the class of Rodney Hampton,

Garrison Hearst, Tim Worley, Robert Edwards and KnowshonMoreno, he may very well be the best tailback since Number34 himself Herschel Walker “The Goal Line Stalker.” He is thetotal package, with the physical tools of speed, size, strengthand power. Gurley combines those rare physical blessed at-tributes with uncanny instinct. He has the footwork and vision– and finishes the run.

Todd Gurley is America’s premier tailback. Speedy Keith Marshall is an excellent counter-puncher.

Given a seam, he has shown – notably against Vandy and Ten-nessee – breakaway touchdown speed. There are questionmarks behind these two.

Kyle Karempelis and Brandon Harton are walk-ons whohave produced when given the opportunity, notably againstNew Mexico State in 2011. True freshman early enrollee J.J.Green has serious quicks, but is not very big. He could proj-ect as a slot receiver, return specialist or defensive back, butcould be pressed into tailback duty this season. Incoming fresh-man A.J. Turman wll be given a look as well.

Georgia certainly would like to get Gurley and Marshall onthe field simultaneously at times this year, meaning depth atthe position is vital. Recruiting for the tailback position is off toa rousing start for next year.

Fullback is also in good hands with Merritt Hall, whoknows which holes to clean and which way to spray enemywould-be tacklers. Quayvon Hicks could be a strong fullbackas well.

Wide Receiver and Tight EndGeorgia was hit hard by injury here last season, and the

Bulldogs have talent to replace in 2013. But Malcolm Mitchellis electric, one of the best players in the Southeastern Confer-ence. Allowed to focus solely on offense in 2013, he could havean exceptional year. Statistics can show you different things, butthe players that opposing defenders circle and account for whenthey are playing Georgia are Gurley and Mitchell. His catchand dash, splitting a pair of Gators at the goalline, is one of thesignature plays of Georgia’s win in Jacksonville.

Chris Conley has been sure-handed, and showed big playability with his long touchdown against Nebraska.

Michael Bennett was having an outstanding year beforegoing down with an injury prior to the South Carolina game.If he is back at top form, Georgia is really in good shape on theperimeter.

Two young receivers who could be future standouts areearly enrollee true freshman Tramel Terry, who could redshirtdue to a knee injury, and redshirt freshman Blake Tibbs.

With Arthur Lynch and Jay Rome, Georgia figures to beas good as anyone at tight end. Both have size, speed, strengthand can catch it in traffic.

Offensive Line For Georgia to go to that ultimate top level, a key this sea-

son will be for the offensive line to go from solid to outstand-ing. Young and thin a year ago, the line did a good job for anoffense that put up big numbers. But a lot of Gurley runs weregreat ones made off of stalemates up front. The question now,can this line move people?

Alabama had a great line and great backs. Georgia has a great back, and the thinking is that this line

will at least be very good. John Theus was one of the nation’s top freshmen a year

ago and an anchor at right tackle, or perhaps on the left side.Kenarious Gates was the left tackle last season and could re-main there, but when starting guard Dallas Lee’s knee flared up,Gates would move inside and Mark Beard would come in at lefttackle. But you would think that left tackle is a spot where theBulldogs would like to have the same standout for a vast ma-jority of the snaps. Lee and Chris Burnette, All-SEC secondteam a year ago, are good at guard, and David Andrews is oneof college football’s top centers. Xzavier Ward made big stridesin the spring and is certainly a factor at tackle. Georgia needsthat depth. Another big lift could come from the NCAA com-ing to its collective senses and declaring Kolton Houston, whowas projected as a starter a year ago, eligible to play.

For players like Zach Debell, Watts Dantzler, Hunter Longand Austin Long, now is the time.

Georgia brought in four true freshmen on the offensivefront. They will need to mature quickly, because Georgia willstart three seniors this year.

Defensive Line A lot of talent was lost on defense, but at all three levels,

newcomer impact – particularly from junior college and prepschool players, and early enrollees – combined with a nucleusof standouts could make this unit better than expected.

Up front, Garrison Smith is one of the SEC’s best defen-sive linemen. He’ll man one of the end/tackle spots. Along therest of the line, there is highly touted redshirt freshmanJohnathan Taylor, who shined in spring, big and strong trans-fers Chris Mayes and John Atkins give Georgia muscle. TheBulldogs need it. Alabama gashed the Bulldogs last season andthe run defense struggled the two weeks before as well as thegame after.

Will Ray Drew shine? The former five-star recruit hasn’tdone much in his Georgia career, but the door is wide open forhim to be a vital cog on the front. Is it Sterling Bailey’s time? Heis athletic and long, and had a strong spring. Mike Thorntonis another highly recruited player vying for snaps.

Out of Taylor, Mayes and Atkins – all 300-plus pounds –that is a lot of strength up front.

If the newcomers are ready, and a couple of other realizetheir potential, the defensive line should be just fine.

LinebackerJarvis Jones is one of the great defenders in school history.

The two-time All-American had three of the great perform-ances in Georgia annals – the Bulldogs don’t beat Missouri orFlorida twice without him. Alec Ogletree was an outstandingathlete who made splash plays, but was unreliable. The bigkey for this group this season is the continued development of

Jordan Jenkins, one of the nation’s top freshmen a year ago.As he emerged on the opposite side of Jones, Georgia had truestellar bookends. So who will play opposite Jenkins, a stand-out player with tremendous football instincts? It could be JamesDeloach, who, like Johnathan Taylor, is from tiny Millen, Geor-gia.

Amarlo Herrera is a run-stuffer supreme in the middle.He is one of the top middle linebackers in the league and couldflourish in 2013.

With Jenkins and Herrera, that’s a fantastic corps. So outof Deloach, Josh Dawson, T.J. Stripling, Chase Vasser andRamik Wilson, there is experience and talent from players whohave been in the program. And then there are the newcomers.No less than a half-dozen linebackers (depending on wheresome wind up lining up) were signed in February. Prepschooler Leonard Floyd, early enrollee true freshman ReggieCarter, and highly touted fellow frosh Johnny O’Neal, Tim Kim-brough, Shaun McGee and Ryne Rankin.

By the end of the season, this could be one of Georgia’s bestpositions.

Next year, prior to season, the pundits will be talkingabout how flat out stacked Georgia is at linebacker.

SecondaryThe Bulldogs could be outstanding at corner with one of

the league’s best ballhawks Damian Swann and Sheldon Daw-son, who shined on special teams as a freshman in 2012.

Swann makes interceptions, scoops and causes fumbles,and he has a nose for the end zone. Georgia hasn’t had a cor-ner with these ball skills since Tim Jennings.

Now at the nickel and back-up spots, freshmen will belooked to. Brendan Langley and Shaq Wiggins were highly re-cruited, and it’s a good bet that secondary coach Scott Lakatoswould love for at least one of them to be ready to go.

Safety is Georgia’s biggest concern. The spring did a lot toalleviate some of those. True freshman early enrollee TrayMatthews has dynamo written all over him. He could be an-other Sean Jones. Josh Harvey-Clemons was the spring de-fensive MVP, but is suspended for the opener. His name hasbeen mentioned more for off field issues than on. For the highlyrecruited sophomore, it is time for him to answer the bell.Corey Moore will likely be the other starter at safety, while jun-ior college transfer Kennar Johnson and freshman Paris Bostickcould fight for time as well.

Special Teams Let’s start with the good. Collin Barber was outstanding

at punter in the second half of last season and should be one ofthe SEC’s best. There is also plenty of talent and firepower, nomatter what direction Georgia looks, to man the return game.Speedy Justin Scott-Wesley may be a natural returning kickoffs.The influx of newcomers means more bodies and talent for thecoverage and protection units. Ty Frix was a great snapper andGeorgia doesn’t figure to skip a beat with Nathan Theus.

And then there is placekicker. Over the last two years, toomany Georgia losses have been marred by missed field goals.Last season, extra point attempts were far too shaky. MarshallMorgan is back for his sophomore campaign. Will he be thekicker that nailed long ones in wins over Missouri and Ten-nessee? If he struggles, there will are other candidates. AdamErickson, who did an excellent job on pooch punts (a la fellowClarke Central alum David Dukes), is one of a few options.Clearly, Georgia needs a steady toe. Too many games in therough and tough SEC are decided by a scant few points. Andif the offense, which was stellar in the red zone last season, doesbog down, there has to the confidence that at least the shortones will be made.

photos by Rob SayeBy Jeff Dantzler/BI


Mark Richt’s leaders: Murray, Burnette and SwannMark Richt’s leaders: Murray, Burnette and Swanneorgia's young and rebuilding defense drew ac-colades from both head coach Mark Richt anddefensive coordinator Todd Grantham thisspring, as the Bulldogs on that side of the ball im-

pressed the staff with their willingness to work, their athleti-cism and a combination of quickness and speed that maybeeven last year's veteran unit didn't possess.

But until this new-look defense takes to the field againstClemson's high-powered offense in the Aug. 31 seasonopener in the Tigers' Death Valley, no one − Richt, Grantham,the other UGA coaches or fans − can say exactly how the Bull-dogs will perform in 2013. After all, 10 or more of those 2012regulars could be playing in the NFL this coming fall.

That's why, when asked to name his primary four lead-ers of his upcoming 13th edition in Athens, Richt could tabonly one player on defense ... junior cornerback DamianSwann. Like everyone else, he's waiting to see who's going tostep up in the heat of battle, in their first season as a full-timestarter, and grab the leadership reins.

"On defense, Swann definitely," said Richt. "And really,besides him, I don't know right now.

"Swann has been there and played a bunch and is verytalented and very motivated to have a great year. It's going tobe interesting on the defensive side of the ball this season. ButDamian had a really good spring and it helps to be a pro-ductive player and a veteran player."

Swann is the unquestioned leader of the Georgia sec-ondary. The 5-11, 189-pound product of Atlanta's GradyHigh started all 14 games for the Bulldogs in his sophomoreseason while receiving the Most Improved Player award. Hetotaled 53 tackles and two sacks and came up with four in-terceptions, two coming in Georgia's win over Nebraska in theCapital One Bowl.

"You know," said Richt, still referring to potential defen-sive leaders, "a lot of our guys, you've got guys like even RayDrew, Sterling Bailey, even Garrison Smith. Garrison's a sen-

ior but Garrison was always under the wing of ... whether itwas Abry (Jones) or someone else. He was never really theveteran guy until now so he's got to learn how to be that guy.So it's going to be interesting to see what happens this sum-mer, to find out just who emerges because, right now, I could-n't tell you, to be honest with you.

"But Damian's got to be a leader there in the secondary,"said Richt. "There are some very young talented, really tal-ented players back there; safety in particular, those two guysare very talented. Tray Matthews has a lot of good leadershipqualities. I don't know if as a true freshman he'll lead the wayor not. But he plays, practices and approaches the game verymature so he's caught everybody's attention pretty quickly."

On the offensive side, however, where the Bulldogs bringback 10 starters from 2012's record-setting attack, Richt does-n't hesitate in singling out senior quarterback Aaron Murrayand senior guard Chris Burnette as his two team leaders.

"Obviously, Murray would be one, and I would sayChris Burnette is the other," Richt related. "Aaron obviouslyhas been doing it for a while. I've been saying it for the longestbut he's a 365-day-a-year leader. He loves ball, he works at itall the time. Like I talked to him (after spring practice), at leastMaymester you've got to get out of town but he's 'nah, I'mgoing to be here.' But I told him you don't need to throw, justrelax and do something besides throwing the ball. Give your-self a break," said Richt. "So he said, 'maybe I'll throw once aweek.' But he just can't take it, not doing something to try toget better on a daily basis and he spearheaded our off-seasonlast year. He's got a really good formula ... we had a great off-season last year, a great summer and he's going to organizethat again. Aaron's such a high achiever, so competitive andit really rubs off on everybody. It gives you a lot of confidence,when your triggerman knows what he's doing, it's a big deal,"said Richt of Georgia's four-year starter at quarterback whohas thrown for a career total of 10,091 yards and 95 touch-downs and surely rates as both an All-America and Heisman

Trophy candidate in his final season in Athens. The 6-2, 322-pound Burnette was a 12-game starter for

the Bulldogs in both the 2011 and '12 seasons and is as-suredly one of Coach Will Friend's ringleaders up front asGeorgia returns every single offensive line starter from lastseason's 12-2 team.

"Burnette has been very productive," said Richt. "He did-n't participate in the spring (after shoulder surgery) but thatdoesn't disqualify him from leading because he's already beena leader. He's one of the best examples of a student-athletethat you could have, you could hope for. I think the offensiveline in general, they are really, really close and I think who-ever's leading that group I don't know if he necessarily has atough job because all those guys work hard. They knowthey've got to work hard to have a chance to be good. They'renot like these prototypical monsters − they're good, very goodfootball players but they know they've got to work to really bespecial. Chris just has a lot more, we call it punch. If you canmove somebody when you strike them .... some guys justdon't have much punch. Some guys are bigger looking andbetter looking and they just don't move people like Chris can.And he's a good pass protector, too. But he's just smart.

"One thing about our O-line," Richt added, "they're re-ally a pretty smart bunch of guys. They know what to do andit gives us the ability to change a lot of plays at the line, theability to change who the Mike linebacker is at the last secondand everybody will know who to go to, because you can'thardly just call a run play and expect it to work. You'd beguessing for it to be right so sometimes you've got to come tothe line and make some changes and they're really good atthat."

And if another really good leader emerges on defense tocomplement Damian Swann and offensive cohorts Murrayand Burnette, these 2013 Dogs could find themselves back onthe road to the SEC Championship Game, for a third con-secutive year.

photos by Rob SayeBy Murray Poole/BI

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BULLDAWGS GUIDE TO THE GOLDEN ISLES

WeAreBulldawgs.com

Compiled by Cheri Leavy

Tips to Enjoy the CoastWith Dave Snyder, UGA Graduate and

Chef/Owner Halyards Restaurant Group, St. Simons Island

In The Kitchen: Tailgating Coastal StyleWith Elizabeth Brunson, UGA Graduate

St. Simons Island

1 8 oz. package cream cheese1 stick margarine1 small onion finely chopped1 rib celery finely chopped2 tablespoons mayo2 tablespoons lemon juiceDash Worcestershire sauceSalt & pepper to taste1 lb. shrimp peeled, cooked, chopped

Soften cheese and margarine and blend well. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Chill 2 hours.Serve with crackers!

Trey, Drew, Patrick Brunson

Drew, Patrick, Elizabeth Brunson

Shrimp Spread

The festival is a fun way to raise funds for Hospice of the Golden Isles. The local farmers, fishermen, chefs, craftsmen, and artists get to show off the bounty that is Southeast Georgia.

Breakfast on the deck at my house watching the sun reflect off the windows of the homes in Brunswick . It looks light tiny beads of fire across the marsh. Next, on to the water to either fish or ride to see wildlife and barrier islands until lunch. Pick up a sandwich at Tramici and visit village for a bit of shopping while making sure to leave time to visit beach. Dinner back at my place to eat while watch sunset.

Describe a day of you entertaining house guests in town. How do you show off our area? Take us from sun up to sun down.

Tell us a little bit about the Saint Simons Food and Spirits Festival on October 1-6, 2013.

Go out on the water.

What should every visitor to the Golden Isles make sure they do before they leave?

Sunset at Rah Bar ain’t bad. Neither is sunrise on beach.

Where is the best spot to have your photo taken?

Very complex here. Summertime is best to fish as there are many more species in our waters. Groupers, sea bass, and snappers (most guests’ favorites) are found offshore.

Since you originated the “boat to table” concept

Halyards: Shrimp Taco–It’s spicy and lightTramici: Margherita Pizza and cold beerSoooooo simple and soooooo gooooood.

Ribs, lots of ‘em.

I like Indigo Coastal Shanty in Brunswick because of the bold flavors and Caribbean theme.

What is your favorite dish at Halyards? At Tramici?

What do you order at Southern Soul Barbecue?

What is one of your favorite restaurants in the Golden Isles besides your own to take visitors and why?

GO DAWGS!

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FANS OF THE WEEK Alison & Carlos Medina from Alpharetta, GA

UGA BOOKSTORE

TUESDAY TRIVIA CONTESTQ - Who did Georgia defeat in the 1971 Gator Bowl?

Go to WeAreBulldawgs.com every Tuesday for a chance to win

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A – North CarolinaWinner: Phillip Rodes - Alpharetta, GA

Q: Other than Herschel, who is your favorite Bulldog and why?Alison: I have a framed picture in my office of Knowshon Moreno hurdling over #22 from the 2008 Central Michigan game. Definitely the only Bulldog framed in my office!Carlos: Champ Bailey. I’m pretty sure he could do anything on a college football field that he felt like at an elite level.

Q: Who is your favorite player on the current UGA roster and why?Alison: GURSHALL!!! It’s the tandem tag team! Best story from last year was when Aaron Murray wore a shirt his mom made that read “Keep calm, we’ve got Gurshall.” How can you not love this offense?!Carlos: Give me Damian Swann. He’s going to be huge for the secondary this year and needs to lead. I believe he’ll have a huge year in 2013.

Q: What makes you a true Bulldog?Alison: I’m a sports fan by nature. The difference is, I am a fan of the Washington Redskins and the Atlanta Braves, but I graduated from The University of Georgia. I AM a Georgia Bulldawg!!!Carlos: I married one, and I know EXACTLY what time tailgating can begin on campus.

Q: What is the most memorable play you have experienced in person?Alison: Easy. The entire Georgia team, coaches, fans (and CBS crew) dancing to “Soulja Boy” at the start of the fourth quarter during the 2007 blackout against Auburn. Perhaps more of a “mo-ment” than a play, but I will tell that story for decades. Most fun I’ve ever had at Sanford Stadium.Carlos: Besides the 2007 blackout game vs Auburn, give me the 2006 Chick-Fil-A Bowl comeback against Virginia Tech. After being down 21-3 at half, it was great to see the sad-faces of all of those mouthy Hokies.

Q: Which one of our rivals do you enjoy beating the most?Alison: We host an annual “Gator-Stomping Party” at our house every Georgia-Florida game, where we hang a toy alligator by a noose on our front door. Need I say more?Carlos: Florida. Seeing Florida win that game is like watching a movie where the bad people win.

Q: What makes your tailgating scene so special?Alison: Same friends since college having an excuse to come together from all over to celebrate the tradition and the campus we love. Plus, we cook eggs on a grill.Carlos: Good friends, good food, and celebrating each weekend of Bulldogs Football!

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2013 season preview: the schedule2013 season preview: the schedule

ClemsonAugust 31 – Death Valley

This is the biggest Georgia-Clemson match-up since the golden days of the rivalry in the1980s, highlighted by the Bulldogs 13-7 LaborDay Night 1982 victory in a meeting of collegefootball’s last two national champions. This usedto be an annual meeting between these schoolsthat are a mere 70 miles apart. But expanded con-ference slates have severely stricken the numberof duels between the two over the past 20 years.The Bulldogs last lost to Clemson in 1990 inDeath Valley. Since, Georgia won an epic 1991showdown, prevailed in 1994 and 1995, taken a31-28 2002 thriller and rolled 30-0 in Tiger Townthe following year. Both the Bulldogs and Clem-son were top ten teams a year ago and figure tobe preseason top ten picks in 2013. The offensesare loaded with headliners. Taj Boyd is the topquarterback in the Atlantic Coast Conference andfleet receiver Sammy Watkins figures to return tothe form of his freshman year, when he was one ofthe nation’s most electric players. The Tigersmust replace star tailback Andre Ellington and re-ceiver DeAndre Hopkins, a first round pick. Of-fensive coordinator Chad Morris aims to run asmany plays as possible. Against LSU, in athrilling 24-22 Chick-Fil-A Bowl triumph, Clem-son ran over 100 plays. For a Georgia defensethat must replace a slew of starters, this will be asupreme challenge. A Clemson win puts themsquarely in the national title picture. For theBulldogs, it is the first of two straight mega-show-downs, as South Carolina visits Athens the fol-lowing week. But a highly touted tangle of theTigers and Dogs sure does bring back a lot ofgreat memories.

South CarolinaSeptember 7 – Sanford Stadium

Before Steve Spurrier arrived at South Car-olina, the Gamecocks had never won more thantwo in a row in the series with Georgia. This sea-son, they aim for a fourth consecutive victory overthe Bulldogs. A year ago, the Gamecocks embar-rassed Georgia 35-7 at Williams-Brice Stadium.The Gamecocks have gone 11-2 for two straightyears, and they’ve had to finish the last two yearswithout Marcus Lattimore, sadly stricken withseason-ending knee injuries in late October ofboth 2011 and 2012. Lattimore is an all-timeBulldog killer. As a freshman, he ran for 184yards against the Bulldogs in a 17-6 Gamecocks

win. In 2011, he chalked up 176 yards, as SouthCarolina won 45-42 in Athens. He topped thecentury mark a year ago as well. Georgia is gladhe is in the NFL. But JaDaveon Clowney, thelikely No. 1 pick in next year’s draft, is back ascollege football’s most devastating defensive end.Over the last three years, South Carolina – yesSouth Carolina – is 14-1 vs. Georgia, Florida, Ten-nessee, Clemson, Alabama, Nebraska and Michi-gan. Tech is always the biggest game to win, andturning the Florida series keys Georgia’s champi-onship hopes. But a win over the Gamecocks thisseason is absolutely essential on many levels forGeorgia.

North TexasSeptember 21 – Sanford Stadium

If the Bulldogs are 0-2, the meeting with theMean Green, coming off two losses to rivals andan open date, will be one of the all-time deflatingweekends in Athens. If Georgia splits the firsttwo, title hopes are still alive. If Georgia is 2-0,the Georgia people will be on fire. This shouldgive Georgia plenty of time and preparation to getready for another mega-showdown the followingweek. North Texas’s greatest alum is one of themost dominating defensive linemen in NFL his-tory and star of maybe the most famous commer-cial ever, Mean Joe Green.

LSUSeptember 28 – Sanford Stadium

Georgia and LSU have had some monstershowdowns in the 2000s. The Bulldogs andTigers are 1-1 vs. one another at Tiger Stadiumand 1-1 vs. one another between the hedges in the21st century. LSU has won two of the three SECChampionship Game meetings. The Tigers were10-3 a year ago, with the trio of setbacks comingby a total of just 14 points. LSU lost a tremen-dous amount of talent to the NFL, but the Tigershave done a tremendous job recruiting in the2000s and have reloaded time after time. If Geor-gia can come out of this game 3-1 or 4-0, then theBulldogs can make all their dreams come true.For SEC Championship Game hopes, LSU reallyneeds it. The Tigers also play Florida out of theEast. Alabama gets Tennessee and Kentucky. Asif a Bulldogs-Tigers battle isn’t big enough, thereis the extra drama of Georgia transfer Zach Met-tenberger, the local product out of Oconee CountyHigh School who was dismissed from the team in2010, returning as the Tigers quarterback.

TennesseeOctober 5 – Neyland Stadium

From 1989-1999, Tennessee won nine straightin the series. In the 2000s, Georgia is 9-4 against theVols – and should be one better, as the 2004 loss toTennessee is one of the program’s most painful andcostly of the century. The Bulldogs have won threestraight, including last year’s 51-44 thriller betweenthe hedges. On the last trip to Knoxville, the Dogswon 20-6, which ended a two-game blowout losingstreak at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee will have astrong offensive line and A.J. Johnson is a stellar line-backer. But the Vols lost big time firepower at theskill positions, including high draft picks CorarellePatterson and Justin Hunter, and quarterback TylerBray. Plus the defense gave up a ton of points lastyear, and the Volunteers, like the Bulldogs, have is-sues at place-kicker. Butch Jones is the new coach atTennessee and has naturally delivered a lot of en-thusiasm. But they haven’t played a game yet andthe schedule is brutal. You can bet that Jones, likeevery Vols coach before him, will heavily target thePeach State for recruiting. It’s vital for any champi-onship dreams and staying on top in the rivalry forseries and recruiting pride and purpose to start Jonesoff with a loss and continue Georgia’s dominance vs.the Vols.

MissouriOctober 12 – Sanford Stadium

There will be no doubt if Georgia is a champi-onship caliber team or not. If the Dogs are rolling,this one and the next are undoubtedly trap, upsetalert specials. If Georgia has two or three losses,these next two could help get the season back ontrack. Missouri was beating Georgia late in thefourth quarter last season in Columbia, but the Bull-dogs scored the final 24 points of the game – thankslargely to Jarvis Jones – to pull it out 41-20. With-out a doubt, the strength and grind of the SEC tookthe Tigers by storm a year ago. But Missouri won atTennessee and nearly upset Florida, falling 14-7 inthe swamp. A healthy James Franklin gives theTigers some juice on offense. But the player whocould really take the Mizzou offense to the next levelis sophomore super recruit wide receiver DorialGreen-Beckham. He’s big, fast and has hands.Green-Beckham has been compared to a youngCalvin Johnson and will be one of the toughest testsfor Georgia’s secondary all season. Coming off suc-cessive games with LSU and Tennessee, the Bulldogshad better not let Mizzou sneak up on them. TheTigers could certainly be a party spoiler.

photo by Rob SayeBy Jeff Dantzler/BI


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VanderbiltOctober 19 – Vanderbilt Stadium

There was Terry Hoage saving thenight in 1983. There was the excruci-ating tie in 1985. There was a devas-tating loss in 1991. And more recently,the Dogs, thanks to a couple of fumblesand an incredible athletic play by All-American punter Drew Butler somehowhung on to win in 2007 and 2011.Plus, Vanderbilt derailed the Dogs in2006 in Athens. So there shouldn’t bemuch need for Mark Richt to deliver aspeech on just how dangerous theCommodores can be, especially inNashville. Plus, Vandy is very goodnow. The Commodores posted a 9-4mark a year ago, going 5-3 in SEC playand closing the campaign with sevenstraight wins, including a rout of Ten-nessee and Music City Bowl pasting ofN.C. State. The seven consecutive vic-tories is the longest active win streak inthe SEC. Didn’t think you’d ever hearthat about the Commodores did you?James Franklin is an outstanding coachand has spurned offers from other suit-ors. The Commodores defense shouldbe very good and receiver JordanMatthews is one of the conference’sbest, the likely owner of several leaguerecords when his career is done. ButVanderbilt must replace standout tail-back Zac Stacy and play-making quar-terback Jordan Rodgers. TheCommodores won’t be able to sneak upon anybody, but Georgia had better beready. An open date follows and thenthe Gators.

FloridaNovember 2 – EverBank Field

Georgia has won two in a row inthe series. Neither Steve Spurrier norUrban Meyer is the coach. Tim Tebowis gone. So is Danny Wuerrfell. Geor-gia’s embarrassing 3-18 record againstthe Gators from 1990-2010 is history.The Bulldogs, in large part due to thosethrilling victories over the Gators, havebeen to back-to-back SEC champi-onship Games and finished last seasonranked No. 4 nationally. The pride re-stored with those back-to-back Jack-sonville victories has meant even more.If Georgia could chalk up a thirdstraight win, that would put those twodark decades in Jacksonville even fur-ther in the rear view mirror and con-tinue to increase the Bulldogs nationalprestige. Florida had a great defense ayear ago, but lost a lot of talent to theNFL. The offense figures to be muchbetter with quarterback Jeff Driskellhaving a full year under center underhis belt. Matt Jones and star recruitKelvin Taylor should ably fill MikeGilleslee’s shoes at tailback. JordanReed is a big loss at tight end. Perhapsthe biggest loss is Caleb Sturgiss, ar-guably the SEC’s best place-kicker ofthe 2000’s. For Georgia to be elite, theBulldogs must control Jacksonville.Three in a row would be just that.

Appalachian StateNovember 9 – Sanford Stadium

Well this is an easy one for MarkRicht to make the Bulldogs don’t over-look. Can you say Michigan 2007?That’s when the Division I-AA nationalchampion Mountaineers went to the BigHouse and slayed Michigan. Sport-South had a film crew with AppalachianState for that trip and it turned out tobe a grand slam. Throughout the sum-mer, it figures to be replayed severaltimes. The psychotic offensive linecoach, by the way, is now the O-Linecoach for Steve Spurrier and the Game-cocks. Appalachian State again figuresto be one of the top contenders in theSouthern Conference (the Division I-AA/FCS version of the SEC) and a topten team. The Mountaineers and theirrival Georgia Southern, who was driv-ing to take the lead late in the first halfin Athens a year ago, are soon movingto Division I-A. No doubt this is a trapgame. But championship teams winthese, usually without too much secondhalf drama.

AuburnNovember 16 – Jordan Hare Stadium

As the Southeastern Conference triesto figure out the schedule, Georgia is beingsent to the plains for a second straight year.The Bulldogs rolled to a 38-0 victory lastyear – leading 28-0 at the half – to clinchthe SEC East. The year before, Georgiapummeled Auburn 45-7 between thehedges. That’s 83-7 over the last two sea-sons. These types of scores just don’t hap-pen in this series, which is filled withthrillers, upsets and road victories. Georgiahas won six of the last seven in the series.The Tigers won 49-31 en route to the 2010national championship. Never before hasanything happened like what has gone onat Auburn. It was “All In for 2010,” andthe Tigers got it. Two years later, Auburnwent 3-9, and 0-8 in SEC play, firing coachGene Chizik. There’s been a lot of allega-tions around the program that date back to2010. But Auburn has circled the wagons.They had 85,000 at the spring game to wel-come in new head coach Gus Malzone, of-fensive coordinator 2010. He hiredAuburn alum Rodney Garner, longtime as-sistant and recruiting coordinator at Geor-gia. For the past decade, the classes he wasin charge of, routinely finished somewherebetween third and sixth in the SEC. Geor-gia and junior college transfer Nick Mar-shall is the frontrunner to be Auburn’sstarting quarterback. Auburn figures to im-prove this season, thanks in large part to theup-tempo offense. But the Bulldogs stillhave more talent, and this is a golden op-portunity to take the series lead (53-53-8)in the south’s oldest rivalry and maintaincontrol of this classic grudge mach.

Kentucky November 23 – Sanford Stadium

A year ago, Kentucky had a terribleseason, going 0-8 in SEC play. Georgiawent 12-2 and was painfully close to play-ing for the national championship. But theseason hung in the balance in Lexington.Connor Norman had an enormous on-sides kick recovery and the Bulldogs heldon for a 29-24 “thank all that is good thatwe got out of here with a” win at Com-monwealth Stadium. A Kentucky offensethat was awful running the ball, thriceripped off first down rushes on third-and-11 or longer. Jarvis Jones sat out that night.Of course, Jarvis Jones plays for the Steelersnow. Georgia’s defense truly shined the fol-lowing game in Jacksonville. Mark Stoopswas an excellent hire as the Wildcats newcoach. They had over 50,000 fans at theirspring game. Kentucky’s overall talent levelis around the bottom in the league. Butthere is some excitement with Bob Stoops’brother, hired away as Florida State’s de-fensive coordinator, at the helm. Again, thisis a game, if Georgia is a championshipteam, that should be won without anyfourth quarter sweat.

TechNovember 30Bobby Dodd Stadium/Grant Field

This is a first, with the way the sched-ule has been compromised with the SEC,Georgia has to go to both Auburn and Tech.One of the great accomplishments of MarkRicht’s tenure, is the 11-1 record against theYellow Jackets. That one loss was brutal,45-42 in 2008. It would have been eightstraight and matched the infamous droughtof 1949-56. Since, the Bulldogs have wonfour in a row, including a 42-10 romp inAthens a year ago and 31-17 victory on theflats in 2011. As usual, the Yellow Jacketstriple option flexbone offense presents allkinds of problems. Before Bulldogs fans gettoo sure of a victory, remember, Tech wasgashing Georgia’s defense last season. Theywere driving for a tying touchdown, butBaccarri Rambo ripped away a fumble andbrought it back to midfield. Georgia thenmade it 14-0 and kept pulling away. Whathas been so impressive about the Bulldogslast two wins over the Yellow Jackets is howthe offense has kept the pressure on. Andthat is a must, because when that flexbonegets rolling, it is downright difficult to slowdown. Tech was certainly buoyed by animpressive Sun Bowl win over SouthernCal after coming up short in the ACCChampionship Game to Florida State. Thebig key figures to be an improved defense.There is a chance, that for a second straightyear, the Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets couldbe playing with a championship game ondeck.


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For more information contact,For more information contact, [email protected] call 706.227.9000706.227.9000

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For more information contact, [email protected] call 706.227.9000

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AUGUST 1, 2013

BI UGA Day - Atlanta

Kellie Wall, Kellee Watson, Rennie Curran and Rebekah Balkcom Mark Fox, Michael Adams and Todd GranthamMeredith Gurley Johnson, Deborah Dietzler and Ruth Bettandorff

Mark Fox, Morgan, Randy and Rhonda Stamey and Todd Grantham Mike McCoy and Margaret and Terry MathewsCrystal Jackson and Derek and Khalon Bay

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Poole predicts Dawgs to Pasadena for title gamePoole predicts Dawgs to Pasadena for title game

ecause of a senior-laden defensive unit, a third-yearstarting quarterback in Aaron Murray and the promiseof a much-improved running attack, I was one of manywho envisioned the 2012 Georgia Bulldogs running the

SEC table and making the trip to South Beach, Fla. for the BCSNational Championship game.

And, well, you know the end of that story last season asjust five yards of real estate the Bulldogs couldn't negotiateagainst Alabama in the conference title game prevented Geor-gia from playing a vastly overrated Notre Dame team for all thecollegiate marbles ... an Irish team that wound up being routedby the Crimson Tide in Miami. Of course, Mark Richt's teamfinished 12-2 behind an offensive unit that shattered a bunchof school records and a defense that played well overall but ad-mittedly didn't live up to its lofty preseason billing because ofan inability to slow down potent running attacks.

Now, as the 2013 Bulldogs enter their summer workoutroutine and zero in on preseason camp in early August, it seemslike early predictions for Georgia's chances this coming fall areall over the place. Although the Bulldogs return nearly every-one from that potent offensive attack of 2012, skeptics point toa Georgia defense that was riddled by graduation and early exitsto the National Football League. How, they ask, can ToddGrantham's young and inexperienced defense have a prayer ofslowing down the explosive offensive units the Bulldogs willencounter this coming season? And, also, they point to a morerugged 2013 slate − Clemson, South Carolina and LSU beforeSeptember is even over − that will surely swat away any UGAchampionship aspirations in a New York minute.

But to that kind of talk I say − and I truly hate to echo LeeCorso − not so fast, my friend!

When I surge out onto that proverbial limb once againand make the call that this Georgia football team will go wherelast season's highly-touted bunch couldn't, I do so assumingthat − unlike the 2012 defensive unit − Mike Bobo's talentedBulldog offense won't let a bit of complacency and preseasonballyhoo set in and will be a load for opposing defenses to han-dle, each and every Saturday. And I do so assuming thatGrantham's rebuilt defense that displayed so much athleticprowess in spring practice and had both players and the coach-ing staff saying it is both quicker and faster than the touted unitof '012, will be good enough to hold serve against every of-fense it faces this season.

And special teams, where the Bulldogs struggled mightilyat times last season, I'm expecting there to be vast improvementas Richt embarks on his 13th voyage in Athens.

No question, all of the above must mesh together if theseBulldogs are to have anywhere close to the season I'm about topredict for them here. Anything less, in any of those three areas,and can you say third or fourth in SEC East?

But here is how it should all unfold as Georgia, 2013, setsits battle sights on a third straight trip to Atlanta and, the bigprize that lies beyond in Pasadena, Calif.

Aug. 31 − at Clemson − Very, very tempted to go with theTigers in this mammoth season opener in Clemson's Death Val-ley. After all, that unknown (at the moment) Georgia defensewill be faced with the unenviable task of slowing down one ofthe nation's most explosive offenses led by Tajh Boyd, whothrew for 3,896 yards and 36 touchdowns while leading theTigers to an 11-2 record last season. Boyd, who has blue-chipreceivers in Sammy Watkins and DeAndre Hopkins, is a truedual threat as he also ran for 514 yards and another 10 scoresin 2012. And, too, the Bulldogs will be facing this formidableattack minus suspended strong safety Josh Harvey-Clemons.But on the other side of the ball is where Clemson could beshaky, despite the fact the Tigers return some seven starters fromthe team that beat LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Fact of the mat-ter is, I can't see Clemson slowing down the also explosive Geor-gia offense in this ABC-nationally televised battle. With therunning of Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall spelling the differ-ence, the Bulldogs win an early shootout, say by 42-34.

Sept. 7 − South Carolina − Surely, the Bulldogs won't dropa fourth straight game to Spurrier's roosters, will they? Idon't think they will in this UGA home debut, in a contestthat will provide the winner with possibly the inside tracktoward the East Division crown. But to finally whip Car-olina again, Georgia must find a way to neutralize JadeveonClowney − likely the nation's finest defensive player − forthe first time in three years and, also, a Bulldog defensewhich will still be catching its collective breath from a wildnight in Clemson, can't afford to let Gamecock quarter-backs Connor Shaw and Dylan Thompson take control ofthe football game. Avenging that disastrous evening in Co-lumbia last season, Georgia takes down South Carolina by24-17.

Sept. 21 − North Texas − Following two of the most gru-eling back-to-back opening games in years and a much-needed open date, Georgia rolls up huge numbers againsta Mean Green team that is coming off a 4-8 season in 2012and, well, isn't so mean. The Bulldogs, 51-10.

Sept. 28 − LSU − Zach Mettenberger returns to his hometown guiding a likely improved offense that features acejunior wideout Odell Beckham, Jr. and running backs Je-remy Hill, Alfred Blue and Kenny Hilliard. Only problemfor the Tigers, you have to play strong defense to be an SECcontender and the LSU defense that led the Tigers to a 10-3 mark last season has been decimated by the loss of 10starters to the NFL draft and graduation. Playing their thirdstraight game between the hedges, Murray's right arm pro-pels the Bulldogs to a 38-24 whipping of the Bayou Ben-gals.

Oct. 5 − at Tennessee − A very dangerous road trip up onthe hill in Knoxville as the Bulldogs come off another emo-tional outing against LSU and turn around and face whatcould well be a revived Tennessee bunch under new men-tor Butch Jones. With seven returning defensive regularsfrom Derek Dooley's final UT team that went 5-7 (1-7 SEC)last fall, the Volunteers will be primed to bounce the Dogsfrom the ranks of the undefeated on this first Saturday inOctober and thus brake a three-game losing skid againstGeorgia. By this date, however, that young Bulldogs "D"should be showing some fangs. Georgia climbs to 5-0 witha 31-17 jolting of the Vols.

Oct. 12 − Missouri − The Bulldogs return to Athens tomeet another team that floundered to a 5-7 record in 2012.But Gary Pinkel, with seven returning offensive starters andsix defensive regulars back, is looking for the Tigers' secondvoyage through the treacherous SEC waters to be a littlesmoother. Won't happen here, however, as the Bulldogsovercome a fine individual effort by Missouri QB JamesFranklin and tame the Tigers for a second consecutive sea-son, by about 42-24.

Oct. 19 − at Vanderbilt − The Commodores barely missedknocking off Georgia two years ago in Nashville(Grantham-Franklin get-together) and with Vandy bring-ing back seven offensive regulars and six defensive startersfrom last season's 9-4 squad (5-3 SEC), the Bulldogs willlikely be forced to escape the Music City with their livesonce again. If the Bulldogs don't allow Jordan Matthews,one of the SEC's very top wideouts, to go crazy they shouldavoid the Dores' upset trap .... but just barely again, by 28-24. Now, for a week off to get ready for those Gators.

Nov. 2 − Florida (Jacksonville) − For the past two seasons,the Bulldogs have gone to the banks of the St. Johns Riverand began kicking this storied series back to the way itshould be. And by that, I don't mean Georgia dominatingthe Gators the way the Bulldogs did all those years under

Vince Dooley but, simply, a game between two ancient foesthat is a true rivalry once again, where nobody can truly pre-dict for sure who's going to win prior to the kickoff. WillMuschamp's Gators are coming off last season's 11-2 record(7-1 SEC with the only loss to, guess who?) including a bit-ter loss to Louisville in the Sugar Bowl. And well, because Ido look for this great series to plateau onto a very even keelin the upcoming years, I'm picking the Gators (yes, they stillhave all that talent in Gainesville) to snap their two-gamelosing string to the Dogs, say by 31-27. But as you can see,this tough setback won't prevent Georgia from heading forthe Georgia Dome once again.

Nov. 9 − Appalachian State − Before the stretch run ofAuburn, Kentucky and the Jackets, the Bulldogs better nottake sleeping pills against a Mountaineer team that went 8-4 last season (6-2 SoCon) and, as you might remember,went to Ann Arbor six years ago and took down the Michi-gan Wolverines. After the Florida loss, though, the angryDogs won't pull a Van Winkle. Georgia, 45-21.

Nov. 16 − at Auburn − Back to the plains for a second con-secutive season the Bulldogs trot and they're bound to facea better Tiger team than Gene Chizik's final Auburn bunch,one that went a dismal 3-9 overall and winless (yes, 0-8) inthe SEC in '012. For one thing, with 1,000-yard rusher TreMason back, the Tigers should be able to field a much-im-proved running game in new head coach Gus Malzahn'sspread-option attack. Also, with nine defensive starters re-turning, you can also look for improvement from Auburnon that side of the ball. That said, these Tigers still don't haveenough to prevent a seventh defeat in the last eight years tothe Bulldogs. Georgia wins, 31-21.

Nov. 23 − Kentucky − Following a 2-10 season and 0-8conference record, which spelled the demise of JokerPhillips in Lexington, the Wildcats have turned to FSU de-fensive coordinator Mark Stoops, brother of Oklahoma'sBob Stoops, to get things going in the bluegrass. Kentuckyhad better hope a defensive unit that returns seven startersfrom last year holds up because, if it doesn't, the UK fanswill be looking ahead to basketball before October evenends. After that lackluster 29-24 win over the Cats last sea-son, Georgia finds things a bit easier this time ... with a 38-17 pasting of UK.

Nov. 30 − at Georgia Tech − The Yellow Jackets, losers tothe rival Dogs a stunning 11 times in Richt's 12 years atUGA, have to beat Georgia some time, don't they? Sure, theydo. But until Paul Johnson comes up with a semblance ofa passing game to complement his potent triple-option run-ning game and until Georgia Tech finds more consistency ondefense (and the return of Ted Roof may help in that area),who in the world can make a prediction of Tech beating theUniversity of Georgia? In Atlanta, don't look for that 42-10Bulldog blowout of last season but do look for Georgia swat-ting the hated bumble bees once again, by 42-28 this time.

So, there you have it, these 2013 Bulldogs surging to an11-1 regular season worksheet with the only setback beingto the Gators in Jax. Still, because of a couple more Floridalosses along the way, Georgia will be back in Atlanta on Dec.7 sporting a third consecutive Eastern Division crown.Again, the opponent will be two-time defending nationalchampion Alabama, which will barely edge out JohnnyFootball and the Aggies in SEC West and, this time, the Bull-dogs won't fall five yards short. This time, an offense thathas been frustrated only once during the season will com-bine with a defense that has more than held serve duringthe year to take down the mighty Tide and earn a trip to thewest coast to play in that same arena where two guys namedTrippi and Sinkwich cavorted back on Jan. 1, 1943.

photo by Rob SayeBy Murray Poole/BI

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