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We were sitting in the car a few days ago (we spend about 80% of our time sitting in the car) when Glenn made a comment that piqued my interest. It was just after the Florida-Georgia game, during which we saw Matthew Stafford of UGA and Tim Tebow of UF. Both are freshmen, and both will be making big impacts in the future.
Glenn said something to the effect of, "With those two guys and Mustain, the SEC is going to have some pretty darn good quarterbacks next year."
Very true, Glenn.
Those three freshmen will improve and should be fun to watch in 2007, but what about the rest of the conference? The SEC is set up remarkably well at that position next year. Let's take a team-by-team look.
Alabama: Current QB is John Parker Wilson, a sophomore. He's thrown for 201 yards per game (5th in the conference), 12 TDs, and 5 INTs.
Arkansas: Current QB is Mitch Mustain, a freshman. The numbers are not great for Mustain. Only 853 yards, 10 TDs, and 7 INTs, but the talent is there and the wins keep on coming.
Auburn: Current QB is Brandon Cox, a junior. It's been a bit of a disappointing season for Cox, who averages 184.9 yards per game. He has avoided turnovers, with 9 TDs to just 3 INTs. His numbers could be better, but Auburn is a running team.
Florida: Current QB is Chris Leak, a senior. They'll replace him with Tim Tebow, the freshman. The problem is, can Tebow throw the ball? Will UF become an option team? That seems unlikely. Maybe there is another QB who will platoon with Tebow, but at least the Gators will have one accomplished QB starting next year.
Georgia: Current QB is Matthew Stafford, a freshman. He's throwing interceptions at an alarming rate. He has only 3 TDs and 9 INTs, but the talent is obvious. He has a great arm. He's mobile. He'll be a good QB.
Kentucky: Current QB is Andre' Woodson, a junior. Woodson's numbers are as good as almost any SEC quarterback's. He has the second most yards per game, 240.1. Woodson has thrown 18 TDs and only 5 INTs.
LSU: Current QB is JaMarcus Russell, a junior. He's averaging 238.8 yards per game with 9 TDs and 4 INTs. If he leaves early for the NFL, Matt Flynn proved his capability during last year's Peach Bowl and Ryan Perrilloux was one of the best recruits in the nation two years ago.
Mississippi: Current QB is Brent Schaeffer, a junior. He's only thrown for 118.2 yards per game, but two of his last three outings have been solid. He nearly led his team to an upset of Auburn.
Mississippi State: Current QB is Michael Henig, a sophomore. He has started the last four games and threw for 384 yards and three TDs last week against Kentucky. He's getting better by the game.
South Carolina: Current QB is Syvelle Newton, a senior. He'll have to be replaced, and a candidate will be Blake Mitchell. Mitchell began the season as the starting QB, so Steve Spurrier may not have to worry about experience.
Tennessee: Current QB is Erik Ainge, a junior. Ainge is arguably the best QB in the conference. He leads the SEC in yards per game, and his junior year has been so good that many could see him leaving early for the NFL. If that happens, the backup right now is Jonathan Crompton. He is a freshman with very little experience.
Vanderbilt: Current QB is Chris Nickson, a sophomore. He does not throw for a great deal of yards, but he is a dual threat who averages 5.3 yards per carry. He's thrown 11 TD passes and 8 INTs.
Only two teams, UF and South Carolina, will have their starting quarterbacks graduate. It's possible to see Ainge and Russell depart after their junior years, but for the most part, the SEC will be loaded with quarterbacks next season.
As much as the Tennessee Volunteers (7-1, 3-1 SEC) would love to get excited about their recent success, there's no time for that in the SEC.
A team that has won five in a row, including road wins against Georgia and South Carolina, now faces back to back games vs. LSU and at Arkansas.
The media wants to make a big deal out of the eighth-ranked Vols. Coach Phillip Fulmer won't let it be a distraction.
"They remember what you do in November," Fulmer has told his team.
Everything else the Volunteers have accomplished doesn't mean much heading into this weekend's matchup against #13 LSU (6-2, 2-2). The Tigers have two losses this year, but they are perhaps the best two-loss team in the country.
"It starts with the quarterback," Fulmer said. "He's a special player."
Fulmer is referring to LSU's gigantic QB JaMarcus Russell. Russell has thrown for 238.8 yards per game. He has 15 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions. He's big, but also fast, and does well both in and out of the pocket.
"He's a big guy. He's a load," defensive end Xavier Mitchell said. "But he's a quarterback so it doesn't really matter to me... we're just gonna go back there and try to hit him as hard as we can."
While Russell moves the Tigers offense through the air, it's a healthy stable of running backs - such as Jacob Hester, Charles Scott, and Justin Vincent - that wear out opponents on the ground. The Volunteers we spoke to today indicated that stopping the run would be the most important task. After they do that, it's time to get after the quarterback and force turnovers.
None of that might matter at all if Erik Ainge can't play on Saturday. Ainge is banged up, and Fulmer indicated he wouldn't know much more about the status of his star quarterback until he saw him later in the day.
"He says he's going to be there, and I hope that he is," Fulmer said. Although he added that the team will prepare as if Ainge will be unavailable.
Wide receiver Jayson Swain seemed confident that the junior QB would be ready to roll come Saturday.
"I think Erik's gonna play," Swain said.
UT will need Ainge this weekend against the best defense in the country. Ainge has thrown 16 touchdowns this year and eight interceptions, while averaging 276.6 yards per game. His backup, Jonathan Crompton, has thrown only four passes this season, completing all of them. If Crompton does get the call, his mobility is better than Ainge's, so expect to see the Vols use that to their advantage as often as possible.
LSU's defense, anchored by a deep defensive line and two terrific, ball hawking safeties, allows only 211 yards per game and 8.25 points per game. The Tigers have given up just six TDs in eight games.
"It's gonna be fun to be challenged the way we will be Saturday," Swain said. "They're physical. They're the number one defense in the country for a reason. We've definitely got our work cut out for us."
In each of Tennessee's last three games, the Volunteers have trailed heading into the fourth quarter. Each time, they've erased the deficit and pulled out the victory. The players credit that to preparation in practice. Coach Fulmer credits, among other things, his players' conditioning.
"We really take the fourth quarter to heart," LB Jerod Mayo said.
But while Mayo enjoys the wins, he'd rather not have to rely on another late comeback this weekend.
"I'm getting too old for this. I'm 20 years old."
Tennessee is a great team, but no team is good enough to fall behind against LSU and rely on making up ground late in the game. That would be a perfect scenario for LSU Coach Les Miles and his #1 ranked defense. Obviously, Ainge needs to be healthy for the Volunteers to have a good chance to win. With Ainge in the game, the Vols have one of the best passing attacks in the country. Receivers Robert Meachem, Bret Smith, and Swain are as good as an any trio around. Regardless of whether or not Ainge is in the lineup, it's tough to see the Vols putting up a lot of points against LSU, so Tennessee's defense must rise to the occasion.
It should be a great battle between two future NFL quarterbacks on Saturday. Expect a hard-hitting defensive struggle in front of a loud and optimistic crowd. In Tennessee's dismal season a year ago, they defeated LSU 30-27 in overtime. You can assume the Tigers circled this game on their calendars. You can assume SEC football fans circled it too.
Driving through Macon, Georgia this afternoon, we cruised down Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and headed towards the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. Inside was a collection of this state's greatest sports moments.
Sid bream sliding into home plate.
Lindsay Scott's famous catch and run down the sidelines.
Moments from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
So much more, and of course, that Herschel Walker guy.
"Herschel Walker was a man among boys," Ed Grisamore said. Grisamore, now a columnist for the Macon Telegraph, was privileged enough to cover Walker for the Telegraph in 1979-80, Walker's final year of high school. He watched the bruising running back captivate the small town of Wrightsville, GA and eventually captivate the nation as a Bulldog and a Heisman Trophy winner.
We walked through the Hall of Fame with Grisamore to find out about the man who means so much to the state of Georgia, and more specifically, to the town of Wrightsville and Johnson County High School.
"It was phenomenal to watch," Grisamore said. "He was out there. He had this rare combination of size, strength, and speed."
Grisamore told stories about Walker the player and Walker the person, both remarkable in their own ways. As a person, Herschel made a special connection with Wrightsville and Johnson County High School. He makes guest appearances on occasion, though he lives a relatively private life, and his old high school football field has been named in his honor.
"Not only was he a great athlete, but he's done lots of good things," Grisamore said. "I mean, just a great ambassador for his hometown, for his family, for his school."
As a player, Herschel Walker was an unstoppable force of nature. He plowed over defenders in a Jim Brown-like manner and instilled fear in his opponents.
"I can remember a high school coach telling me he sure would be glad when Herschel Walker graduated because he said, 'I'm awful tired of him hurting all my players.' I had another high school coach tell me, 'fear is having Herschel Walker turn the corner and all you've got between him and the goal line is a 165-pound cornerback.' He dominated every game he played. If he didn't run past you, he'd run through you."
Grisamore wasn't out of stories.
"One man told me about his son (who) played on the team with Herschel, and he said his son came home from practice one day and lifted up his shirt and there was all these marks on his chest. He said, 'What's that?' It was cleat marks that Herschel had run through him, run over him, and left his cleat mark imprint on his chest."
Yeah...I think that would have been a good sign that it's time to quit the team, or at least not show up for practice.
Walker was a Renaissance man of sorts; he could do a little bit of everything. He was an accomplished track star, wrote poetry, danced ballet, dreamed of being an FBI agent, rescued a woman from a burning car, starred in an exercise video for children, earned a black belt in Tai Kwon Do, and even competed in the 1992 Olympics as a bobsledder.
His Olympic jacket and his martial arts gui were in the Hall of Fame as well.
But football is what he'll always be remembered for, beginning with his domination during his junior year at Johnson County High School. After our Hall of Fame visit, we took the one hour drive from Macon to Wrightsville and met up with the Defensive Backs Coach on Walker's high school team, Curtis Dixon.
Dixon is now the principal of the school, and he knows the Walker family very well, having gone to school with Herschel's older brother.
"I really wish we had more like him because he was never a troubled child," Dixon said. "He never had a problem. If you asked him to do something he always did it. He always tried to do his best."
I'm guessing Walker didn't have to try too hard on the football field. He was in a world of his own. Grisamore told some entertaining and astonishing stories, but Dixon might have actually outdone him with this story about the State Championship Game:
"There was a play just before halftime, a toss sweep, basically what Herschel ran. And it was Herschel and the one little defensive back, and Herschel actually scared him, the boy had to go to the bathroom."
Our mouths dropped after we heard that one.
Dixon was the Defensive Backs Coach, so what advice would he give his players if Walker was about to plow them over?
"Not to try to hit him high. Just grab a leg and hold on."
In college, Walker shined as a Bulldog. He won a Heisman Trophy, but there was some controversy. The controversy wasn't about him winning the award, it was about how many times he should have won the award.
"Everyone said he should have won it his freshman year," Grisamore said. "He truly should have won it his sophomore year. That was probably his best year. He did win it as a junior."
I asked Dixon how many Walker should have won.
"At least two. At least."
The story of Herschel Walker is a story about a polite young boy who always said "Yes Sir" and "Yes Ma'am" but terrorized opponents on the gridiron. He is a hometown hero for Wrightsville, Georgia, a place you probably never would hear about if not for Herschel Walker.
And if you mention number 34 (actually he wore 43 in high school), people around Wrightsville and Johnson County High School will know exactly who you are referring to.
"I think he's one of those individuals that you can just say his first name and everyone knows who you're talking about," Grisamore said.
Part of Walker's legacy is playing in the NFL. Part of it is winning the most prestigious sports award in the nation. Part of it is putting a small town on a map. But, as Principal Dixon explains, there's more to Herschel Walker than just cleats, pads, and a helmet.
"Other than just being a great football player, Herschel is a great human being. And if we had more people like Herschel, the world would be a better place today."
Here are the players who caught my eye in Florida's 21-14 win over Georgia:
Florida WR Andre Caldwell: Caldwell set the tone early during the game's opening, and maybe most important drive. He caught two third down passes to convert for first downs, and finished off the drive with a 12 yard touchdown run. Final stats: 8 catches, 88 yards receiving, 1 receiving TD. 5 carries, 28 yards rushing, 1 rushing TD.
Florida DE Derrick Harvey: A rising star. Late in the first quarter, Harvey blew past OL Michael Tuner for a sack, and he recovered a fumble later in the game. With Ray McDonald, Jarvis Moss, and Marcus Thomas, Harvey gives the Gators one of the deepest and most talented defensive lines in the country.
Florida LB Earl Everett: On Georgia's second play from scrimmage, Everett stepped into the backfield to bust up a running play, creating a two yard loss. That was an indication of the type of game Everett would have. He finished with 9 tackles. Two were for a loss. He also recorded a sack.
Georgia QB Matthew Stafford: While his numbers (13 of 33, 151 yards, 2 interceptions) were horrible, Stafford made me believe that he will be an outstanding quarterback one day. He had a typical game for a freshman quarterback against a talented defense. He made a few terrible decisions, including two interceptions, but he also was a victim of dropped passes and poor pass protection. Stafford showed his mobility, strong arm, and ability to make something out of nothing. He'll be a star for the Bulldogs eventually.
THESE GUYS GOTTA STEP IT UP...
Georgia DE Quentin Moses: Finally Moses had a big game last week against Mississippi State. He did absolutely nothing against the Gators. Moses was neutralized the entire game until late in the fourth quarter when he nearly made a terrific defensive play. With about 2:50 left in the game, the Bulldogs were down by seven, and it was third down and three for UF. UF ran a reverse (the same play they scored a TD on in the game's opening drive), and Moses played it perfectly. It looked like his tackle would force a punt, but Moses was flagged for a facemask, and the drive continued. UF ran out the clock.
George TE Martrez Milner: Milner dropped four passes yesterday. All four were drive-killers. All four were for substantial gains. Tough day for a guy who had no problems getting open, but couldn't hang on.
Florida K Chris Hetland: UF could easily lose a close game that they have no business losing this year unless Hetland (1 for 7 on FGs this season) improves or Urban Meyer picks someone else for the job. Hetland missed two field goals yesterday, one from 39 yards and one from 42 yards. Either one would have iced the game.
You just never know what will happen in a rivalry game. The Gators came in as heavy favorites and left with a 21-14 victory. UF will certainly move up in the polls, especially with USC's loss (and depending on what Tennessee and Texas do tonight). What an absolute joke it would be if the Gators don't jump the Trojans, considering the way USC has been playing lately and the difficulty of UF's schedule.
Now the Gators are set up to win the SEC East. Their remaining games are: at Vanderbilt, vs. South Carolina, vs. Western Carolina, and at Florida State. All four are winnable games, but the Gators must look back at today's win in Jacksonville as a warning sign. If the Gators play this poorly again against either SC or FSU, they will not run the table.
UF's defense was terrific, can't take away anything that unit did. Georgia gained just 215 total yards today. The Gators came into the game struggling defensively on third down, but Georgia converted just 3 out of 13. LBs Brandon Siler and Earl Everett were everywhere. Siler had an especially big sack on Matthew Stafford after Georgia took over first and 10 at their own 38 in the fourth quarter. DE Derrick Harvey continues to climb the SEC leader board in sacks, and he recovered a fumble today too. The defense limited the Georgia ground game to 2.5 yards per carry and forced two Stafford interceptions. Neither play was a very good decision by Stafford, but that's what UF does - they capitalize on quarterbacks' mistakes.
The other two areas of football - offense and special teams - are a huge concern. Why is the UF offense failing to score at least 30 points every game? We keep hearing about the receivers, but Urban Meyer seems afraid of having a downfield passing game. We saw countless WR screens and handoffs to just about everyone on the field. One of the few times UF did throw deep, Andre Caldwell hauled in a 40 yard touchdown pass. Speaking of Caldwell, what an amazing game he had. Huge third down catches, two scores, and 88 total yards receiving. Don't forget his 28 rushing yards either. UF has players that can dominate the game, so let them make plays. Open up the offense and let Leak air it out.
Leak threw a bad interception to Georgia linebacker Tony Taylor in the third quarter. It was Taylor's fourth INT of the year, and it set up Georgia's first touchdown. That interception completely changed the game and let the Bulldogs back into it. Then, when it seemed UF was in control in the fourth quarter, Tim Tebow coughed up the football. It was recovered at the UF 14, and it led to the second and final Georgia touchdown.
The Gators had a chance to ice the game on special teams twice. Chris Hetland hit the right upright from 39 yards away in the third quarter, and he missed a 42 yard kick early in the fourth. The punt coverage was spectacular, but a UF punt return for a touchdown was brought back because of an illegal block.
Speaking of penalties...
The Gators must clean up that area of the game. Drives stalled because of untimely penalties, like holding calls on wide receivers and false starts on linemen. In total, there were 10 UF penalties for 75 yards. Also, UF dropped four first half passes. Some were for significant gains. This was not a very clean offensive game by any means.
That being said, good teams find ways to win even when they don't play well. UF did that today. They did it behind a dominant defensive performance and some clutch running at the end of the game by DeShawn Wynn (8 carries, 36 yards). The Gators today proved that if they can cut down on the mistakes, they can compete with anyone in the nation. Had UF not dropped so many passes, missed two field goals, had so many penalties, and fumbled deep in their own territory, this would have been a blowout.
UF is capable of playing that type of game.
I don't know if Urban Meyer has enough confidence in Chris Leak. Example: UF ball, fourth quarter, leading 21-14. Second down and 20 at their own 11 yard line with about six minutes remaining. Handoff to Percy Harvin. In that situation, a senior quarterback should throw the ball instead of having a freshman WR run it, but Leak is turnover prone and I think Meyer was playing it safe, protecting the lead. You can't really think about the clock in that situation, considering Georgia had all three timeouts. I don't know if UF is going to be able to survive without Leak stepping up and providing the Gators with a downfield passing game.
It was difficult to take away many positives from this game, but think of it like this. Maybe the Gators got their bad, sloppy game out of their system. Maybe it's only going to get better the rest of the way. And UF proved that they can play a sloppy game and still win because the Gators defense is good enough to overcome the problems on offense and special teams.
UF might have the best defense in the country. It will keep them in every game, but the Gators still need to improve. Meanwhile, any win against your biggest rival is reason to celebrate.
I had heard so much hype about the Greatest Outdoor Party that is Georgia-Florida. When I pulled into downtown Jacksonville this morning, I was expecting shouting matches and extreme drunkenness. I guess I was expecting the worst, considering the Georgia and Florida fans staying in our hotel have been screaming at each other regularly at 2:00 AM the past two nights. (If I make any typos, you'll have to excuse me. I haven't been getting much sleep.)
But it wasn't like that at all. Not only are the fans well-behaved, they're actually friends with each other too. Sure, every now and then you find some trash talking and cursing, but most of it was just in good fun and good taste. Florida and Georgia fans are not really separated before the game. Everyone is right on top of each other, and they get along very well.
This doesn't compare to games we've seen on campus. It was a much milder atmosphere during pregame because I think the fans here were making an effort to be classy and respectful. On campuses, there seems to be a crazier mood, maybe because the students show up in larger numbers.
Don't get me wrong, it was very exciting this morning. The Georgia fans were definitely louder and crazier than the Florida fans, but that's because UF's contingent was more confident. It seems like the Bulldogs fans knew they had to be a factor today to pull out an upset, which fell just short.
Once the game started, it was just like any other SEC football game. I am a believer that the underdog's fans are usually louder, and I think that was the case today. But don't take away from the people in orange and blue. They made their voices heard when they had to.
Jacksonville does a great job hosting this event. Almost every fan we've spoken to loves being here in North Florida, at a neutral site.
Georgia (6-2, 3-2 SEC) and ninth-ranked Florida (6-1, 4-1) renew one of college football's best rivalries on Saturday in Jacksonville. It's the 84th meeting between the two schools in a match up that has been dominated by UF lately. The Gators have won 14 of the last 16. Coming off a bye, they are heavy favorites this weekend...Do the Bulldogs have a chance? Most people say no. I say yes.
GEORGIA OFFENSE VS. FLORIDA DEFENSE
The Bulldogs have finally settled on a quarterback, and it's the freshman Matt Stafford. Stafford is 3-0 as a starter, but this will be his toughest test, by far. In last week's 27-24 win against Mississippi State, Stafford completed 20 passes in 32 attempts for 267 yards and two touchdowns. That's the good news. The bad news is he threw three interceptions. That's what you can expect when you're starting a young quarterback, and statistically speaking, the turnovers are only likely to increase against the Gators and their ball hawking secondary. CB Ryan Smith and S Reggie Nelson have four interceptions each. The Gators are stingy against the run. They force you to pass, and then they take the ball away. Stafford's best option could be emerging WR Mohamed Massoquoi, but Stafford will suffer if injured TE Martrez Milner can't play. It doesn't appear that he will.
The battle at the line of scrimmage will be interesting. With DT Marcus Thomas in the lineup, UF is much, much stronger. As far as the passing game goes, Stafford will be protected by an offensive line that has allowed nine sacks in eight games, pretty good numbers. But UF's defensive ends, including a healthy DE Ray McDonald and the red hot Derrick Harvey (six sacks this year) will cause problems. The Bulldogs offensive line must keep Harvey out of the backfield and off of Stafford if Georgia is going to survive.
With an inexperienced quarterback, the onus often falls on the running backs to carry the load. RB Thomas Brown, maybe Georgia's fastest player, is out for the year, so Kregg Lumpkin and Danny Ware will be called upon. Lumpkin averaged 5.3 yards per attempt last week, and Ware is an inconsistent running back who usually saves his best games for the Gators. But the Gators are one of the best defenses in the nation against the run. They allow SEC opponents an average of 2.4 yards per carry thanks to the talented defensive line and the great play of their linebackers, especially Brandon Siler.
The key will be passing the ball. This game might be entirely about Stafford. It's hard to see Lumpkin and Ware doing much on the ground, so Georgia must be able to throw the ball. Stafford has proven he can throw it, but he hasn't proven he can avoid throwing it to the wrong team. As is often the case, the game might be decided by turnovers. One note: Running against UF is not impossible. Just ask Auburn. Kenny Irons and Brad Lester torched the Gators defense, but I don't see it happening this week.
The Gators defense definitely holds an advantage over the Georgia offense.
FLORIDA OFFENSE VS. GEORGIA DEFENSE
UF Coach Urban Meyer insists he will get Tim Tebow more involved. Tebow played only four snaps against Auburn in Florida's only loss this year. Tebow matches up well against Georgia because he is speedy and shifty, and the Bulldogs have had trouble tackling. Even though Meyer will play his talented freshman QB, the senior Chris Leak will still be the main man. Leak, who has never thrown an interception against the Bulldogs, has yet to silence his critics, who claim he makes too many mistakes with games on the line.
When Auburn beat Florida, the Tigers secondary did a solid job taking away the big plays that UF's receivers typically make. Georgia DB Tra Battle is the key for the Bulldogs. He is the most experienced player in the Bulldogs secondary, and he must have a big game. UF throws out maybe the deepest receivers unit in the country with Dallas Baker, Jemalle Cornelius, Percy Harvin, and Andre Caldwell. Florida has 41 plays this year of 20 yards or more after producing just 32 of those plays last season. The key for Georgia will be stopping the Gators receivers from getting behind them. Let UF pick up small chunks of yards at a time, force longer drives, and hope to get a turnover.
Coming off a bye is huge for UF. RB DeShawn Wynn claims to be 100 percent for the first time in a long time. He and Kestahn Moore will team up and run against the Bulldogs defense, which is reeling. The Dawgs have given up 51, 24, and 24 points in their last three games. UF should be able to run the ball well against the Bulldogs, considering Georgia's tackling problems and the fact that just about every player on offense is capable of taking a handoff. Expect to see the receivers get carries on several occasions.
While the Gators have a lot of talent, the offense has underachieved this season. In fact, UF was producing more points under Ron Zook than they are under Meyer. The good news for Georgia is the play of DE Quentin Moses and DE Charles Johnson. Both are coming off their best games of the year. Moses is considered one of the best ends in the country, but he has had a disappointing season (three sacks). Maybe last week's game can get him going. The Gators offensive line has given up 13 sacks through seven games, which is much better than what they allowed through seven games last year - 27 sacks.
Give the edge to the UF offense.
SPECIAL TEAMS
I think just about any team in the SEC has a special teams edge over Florida. That's because UF's place kicker, Chris Hetland, is 1-5 this year on field goals. Special teams killed UF against Auburn, but it was a punt block and a punt returned for a TD that hurt them. The Gators are actually a very good team in punt coverage, ranking 13th nationally.
Georgia is hurt by the loss of Brown, who is a blazing-fast kick returner. The Bulldogs return game is slowing a bit, but PR Mikey Henderson has scored two touchdowns this season. He remains a constant threat. Kicker Brandon Coutu, a standout, is out for the year. So Andy Bailey has taken his place, and he is 5-6 on FG attempts, but his longest make is only 34 yards. Punter Gordon Ely-Kelso is a weapon for the Bulldogs.
Georgia holds a slight advantage over UF, just because the Gators do not want to see it come down to a UF field goal attempt.
PREDICTION
There is no logical reason to pick the Bulldogs. The Gators are more talented, deeper, playing better, healthier, and well-rested. The Bulldogs are banged up, unranked, and struggling to beat Mississippi State (after a loss to Vanderbilt).
There is one intangible that plays into Georgia's favor: This is Georgia-Florida. Everything that happens in other SEC games means nothing this weekend. Georgia is out of national title contention, so this is their National Championship. A win against Florida would make the Dawgs' two losses irrelevant.
Call it a gut-feeling, but I like Georgia in this one. The key will be keeping it close by halftime. Florida's defense is terrific in the second half, so Georgia can't assume they can come back from a large deficit. Georgia's defense is better than it has been playing. It's going to take a season-defining performance from Quentin Moses for Georgia to get a season-defining win. UF's offensive line has overachieved all year. This might be the game it stops. Some fans are comparing this game to the 1997 contest. The Bulldogs were heavy underdogs. They blew UF away.
I predict Georgia wins this game as Florida makes critical mistakes, doesn't take advantage of opportunities, and the Gators end up beating themselves in a frustrating loss.
Georgia 16
Florida 14
In the 1973 edition of Georgia-Florida, the Gators had no business beating the Georgia Bulldogs. UF entered the game as underdogs, and they trailed by seven points late in the fourth quarter, 80 yards away from the end zone. The Gators needed a hero, so they called upon receiver Lee McGriff.
McGriff caught a touchdown pass on fourth down, and after a two-point conversion, the Gators had upset the Bulldogs, 11-10.
There ought to be a place in history for a guy like McGriff.
Luckily enough, he played in a rivalry so unique and intense that it has its own Hall of Fame, and today McGriff was honored as part of the 11th class of Florida-Georgia Hall of Famers.
He didn't come alone. Former Gator Ike Hilliard and former Bulldogs Rodney Hampton and Willie McClendon joined him in this Hall of Fame class.
Over 100 fans gathered under a tent just outside of Alltel Stadium to enjoy lunch and the ceremony. Just like we'll see on Saturday, half the place was filled with Georgia fans, and half the place was filled with Florida fans. Florida sat on the right side. Georgia, the left side.
Up on stage, a contingent of representatives from Georgia, Florida, and the city of Jacksonville joined the inductees. Ike Hilliard, a Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver, could not be there in person.
One by one, the players were introduced with a video tribute and an explanation of why they are part of this elite group.
McGriff told the story of when he initially got a phone call telling him he would be a Hall of Famer.
"My first reaction was, 'Who is this?' Because I've got friends that are capable of making a call like that," McGriff joked. "(UF Athletic Director) Jeremy Foley is capable of making a call like that."
Before McGriff entertained the audience members, Hampton warmed them up.
"It's a great honor for me going in with Willie McClendon because he was my Running Backs Coach my junior year," Hampton said. "He got me prepared for the National Football League."
Hampton, a star for the New York Giants, was honored for his play during the 1989 game. Georgia trailed at halftime 7-3, and turned to the elusive tailback in the second half, during which Hampton scored the next two touchdowns of the game en route to a Bulldogs victory. In his three games against UF, Hampton carried 62 times for 288 yards.
"Since I'm a Hall of Famer," Hampton said, "I think I should get two tickets every year. So I need to find out who I need to talk to."
McClendon dazzled as a Georgia running back a decade before Hampton did. The Gators didn't like seeing much of McClendon. In three games, he had 46 carries, 276 yards, and three touchdowns. Even in his only loss to UF, McClendon rushed 10 times for 162 yards.
Then there was Ike Hilliard, who is remembered for his performance in one of the most forgettable games for Georgia fans in this historic series. In 1995, the game was played in Athens due to the construction of a stadium in Jacksonville for the Jaguars. Hilliard and the rest of the Fun-N-Gunners lit up the Dawgs in a 52-17 romp. Hilliard caught two touchdown passes that game. He finished his UF career with 20 TD catches, second all-time for a Gator.
Hilliard played in three different stadiums against the Bulldogs.
"One was at our home. One was at their home, and one was at Jacksonville," he said through a recorded video message. "But it was three really hard-fought games. We were fortunate enough to win all of them, and not to discredit those guys, but we were just pretty good at that time."
Hilliard said something that all four new Hall of Famers agreed with.
"I can only say that there's not a rivalry in college football like it. Even though there's so many great rivalries, ours is definitely one of the best."
"I can tell you from a player's point of view and a coach's point of view, there's an aura about this game that just doesn't exist (elsewhere)," McGriff said to the crowd. "Georgia and Florida both play other great games... huge games, great atmospheres. But this is unlike any other. The bands never stop playing. People never stop cheering. It's intense. It's got 84 years behind it. Players know that."
Four busts, one for each player, sat just in front of the stage. A large and attentive crowd watched on and applauded each of the four former standouts. After the ceremony, several fans formed a line at the stage to get autographs from Hampton, McClendon, and McGriff.
The unique part was that, even though these teams will go back to hating each other on Saturday, the Georgia fans cheered just as loudly for Hilliard and McGriff as they did for Hampton and McClendon, and the Gators fans did the same. These fans came to show pride in the accomplishments of Georgia-Florida. They temporarily forgot which guy played for which team.
We caught up with the Hall of Famers after they left the stage to ask them about their favorite memories of playing in the rivalry and how they prepared for the games.
McGriff told us about getting ready for the contest when it was played at the Gator Bowl, and the stands were made of metal.
"You could literally feel the crowd while you got dressed," he said. "I mean, you could hear, you could feel the pounding of feet. You could feel that crowd out there getting ready."
"I just had to blindfold myself," McClendon said. "Get the room dark as you can and just concentrate."
Hampton admitted to being anxious before the games.
"Before the game you're extremely nervous, but being a ball player, once the game starts, all the butterflies go away after the first play."
It'll be 50/50 at Alltel tomorrow. Half black and red. Half blue and orange. Everyone will be waiting to see which player rises above and becomes the next legend in the epic rivalry of Georgia and Florida.
The Georgia-Florida rivalry is alive and kicking at Alltel Stadium. Outside Alltel, the fans are out-tailgating each other, displaying school pride, and exchanging verbal jabs.
But inside the stadium, in the locker room of the Jacksonville Jaguars, the intensity of Bulldogs-Gators exists amongst the players who shined in the annual event several years ago.
We sat down with four Jaguars - two representatives from UF and two from Georgia. Nine-year veteran RB Fred Taylor and third-year DE Bobby McCray spoke on behalf of the Gators.
The Bulldogs were represented by sixth-year DT Marcus Stroud and four-year veteran LB Tony Gilbert.
The trash talk started early in the week, and it's heating up as the days go by.
"I've been hearing it all week," Stroud said.
"They never beat us. Never do. Never will," McCray said. "Just a waste of time. I don't know why they always get up and amp it up. We just whoop 'em and send them home. It's just a proven fact."
Another fact is that Alltel Stadium will be rocking on Saturday for what these players consider the best rivalry in the SEC. Even better than UF-Tennessee or Auburn-Alabama.
"The best," Taylor said. "The creme de la creme."
"I think it's the top," Gilbert agreed.
"I was coming in Monday, the day after our (Jaguars) game," Taylor said. "And the RVs were setting up...this is Monday. The game isn't until Saturday!"
"We've got other rivals like Tennessee, but none of them as big as this one right here," McCray said.
McCray was the biggest talker of the bunch. He was booming with confidence and predicting a 28-14 UF victory. And why wouldn't he be? With Georgia coming off two shaky performances in a row, the Gators can feel good about this game.
But don't tell that to Stroud or Gilbert.
"Georgia defense is gonna wake up this week..." Stroud said. "And we're gonna win by a field goal, 24-21. You heard it here first."
Gilbert was even more optimistic, borderline unrealistic.
"I predict Georgia to win. Maybe 24-6," he said.
The game is unique because of its location at a neutral site. Well... is it a neutral site? Jacksonville is about four or five hours closer to Gainesville than it is to Athens. We couldn't help but laugh when we watched McCray and Stroud debate about playing the game in Jacksonville. Here is the abridged version:
Stroud: "That's why we have the game here in Jacksonville so you guys can continue to do all that cheating you do."
McCray: "How are we cheating? It's a neutral site!"
Stroud: "How are you gonna be neutral an hour away from Gainesville?"
McCray: "You don't want it in Gainesville. Let's just go to The Swamp."
Stroud: "Oh, y'all don't want to come between The Hedges."
McCray: "Hedges?"
Stroud: "Swamp?"
McCray: "Tennessee chopped them things down!"
Gilbert and Taylor weighed in on the discussion of neutrality as well.
"I think it is (neutral)," Gilbert said, "and when you get in the stadium you see half red and black, half blue and orange. I mean, it's just a - it gives you chills a little bit."
"We're closer to our friends," Taylor responded. "If anything goes down we can just walk around the corner and get backup. I'm biased so, yeah, I'll say it's a neutral site, but really I don't think it is."
Another reason why the Georgia-Florida rivalry is special is that it showcases the future of the NFL. Former rivals now share the same locker rooms all over the country. On the Jaguars, Stroud and Taylor once played against each other in this rivalry. So did McCray and Gilbert.
"The best memory I have of Stroud is he was a young recruit coming out of high school," Taylor said. "We brought him in to UF, and my best friend from high school was his host. Showed him a great time. Next thing you know, he's on the cover of Sports Illustrated ripping off a Gators T-shirt with a Georgia Bulldogs T-shirt underneath. But the time I did play against him he had a pretty - he had an okay game."
"Fred burned us one year, but I wasn't playing," Stroud said. "I was young. I was a redshirt freshman that year. But the next year we came back. He probably had 17 carries for 47 yards. Something like that. We busted his butt every time he touched the ball."
McCray heard Stroud brag about his win over the Gators.
"I've got a question you can ask him," McCray said to me. "What's his overall record against Florida?"
So I asked.
"One and three," Stroud said.
I asked McCray his overall record against Georgia.
"Let me see. I was in Gainesville for five years. Uh, I don't think we ever lost to Georgia," he said mockingly.
And don't get McCray and Stroud started on Uga, Georgia's mascot for 50 years. I was worried I would have to sit in between the two of them at one point.
"Oh that little mutt," McCray said.
"We have the best mascot in college football," Stroud responded adamantly.
"That little bulldog? He can't even chase nobody," McCray said.
Of course they were kidding, but watching them go back and forth at each other gives you a pretty good idea of how intense the football game will be on Saturday afternoon. Sure, these Jaguars have more important things to worry about, like Sunday's game against the Eagles in Philadelphia. But they'll be paying close attention to their alma maters.
"My prediction is just win the game," Taylor said. "We've got to win by more than six, of course, because I gave (Gilbert) six points."
"Tebow is gonna be a non-factor this week," Gilbert responded. "Chris Leak, he's already scared because he thinks Tebow is gonna take his job."
"There's no money in that bank..." Taylor said. "Don't take that guarantee."
The game is about the players. The game is about the hatred, yet respect, that the two schools have for each other. But the game is also about the fans. According to the guys who played in front of these fans, the rest of the country just doesn't quite compare to the SEC.
"They're just loyal to the game," McCray said. "They show up at every game."
"They're crazy," Stroud added. "They enjoy the game. They have a good time, and that's what distinguishes our fans between any other fans."
"Just the tradition," Gilbert said. "You think back to all of the old coaches. Vince Dooley, Bear Bryant, Coach Spurrier. You've got first, second, third generation Florida fans, Georgia fans, Alabama fans. I mean, it's just great."
"They're getting the opportunity to watch the future of the NFL," Taylor said. "The SEC produces so many athletes, and, first of all, it's the best conference in college football by far. I mean, I'm sure I can get a lot more people to agree with me on that. And then the games, they're just intense."
Georgia-Florida might be the most intense of them all.
Let the games begin.
It may only be Thursday afternoon, but that hasn't stopped Florida and Georgia fans from setting up shop in lot E, just outside of Alltel Stadium.
Six rows of parking spaces are lined with massive RVs. More RVs are parallel parked on the sides of the lot. Georgia and Florida flags are raised high on flagpoles. The grills, smokers, lawn chairs, and satellite dishes are all out there.
People have brought their babies, dogs, Halloween decorations, televisions, and enough food and beverages to feed us Road Trippers for weeks (hopefully they'll share some of that on Saturday).
And there's still 48 hours before kickoff.
Georgia fan Bob Samples was working the grill when we caught up with him, preparing chicken and beef. Pork and ribs will be on tomorrow's menu. He's been in Jacksonville since Tuesday, and he's been coming to the event for 25 years now. Samples doesn't exclude Gators fans from his tailgates.
"We've got as many Florida fans as we do Georgia fans," he said.
But, he also said Georgia fans tailgate better than Florida fans.
"No way. No way," UF fan Dan DaMato said.
DaMato arrived yesterday afternoon at 4:00. He's been tailgating in Jacksonville all his life. Outside his RV, he has a tombstone that says "RIP Bulldogs."
"It's a good rivalry every year between the tailgaters."
Thursday afternoon was quite fun. Saturday afternoon is going to be insane.
Excluding the Georgia-Florida game, which I will predict on Friday, here are my SEC picks for the week.
Tennessee at South Carolina:
"We are one game better than we were this time last year, but Tennessee (is stronger than) they were last year," - USC Head Coach Steve Spurrier.
This should be a great contest. The Gamecocks are coming off a dominating performance at Vanderbilt, and the Volunteers struggled mightily vs Alabama. It's a night game, which makes it much tougher for the visiting team. When it's all said and done, this could be the best SEC game of the week.
Key to the game for Tennessee: Run the ball, and do it well. Foster and Coker had poor games last week, and SC's secondary is too good to assume Erik Ainge will be able to throw all over them.
Key to the game for South Carolina: Force turnovers. Ainge threw three interceptions last week. That's why the score was so close.
Prediction: Tennessee will pull out a close win behind another great second half performance from Ainge.
Auburn at Ole Miss:
"We're probably as healthy as our football team has been since the first part of the season... Kenny Irons is healthy. Carl Stewart is another guy who is. Brad Lester is 100 percent. Our center Jason Bosley is back after getting hurt last week." - Auburn Head Coach Tommy Tuberville.
Key to the game for Auburn: Don't mess up. Only Auburn can beat Auburn in this game.
Key to the game for Ole Miss: BJ Green-Ellis. The running back has gained 706 yards this year, and he'll need a big game to knock off the Tigers.
Prediction: Though Ole Miss can keep things close at home, Auburn should win by two touchdowns.
Kentucky at Mississippi State:
"I don't think there is any doubt this is a pivotal game coming off a bye and coming off our worst game of the year at LSU. We have five games left and want to get into postseason play so we have to win three of the five." - Kentucky Head Coach Rich Brooks
"This is a big game both for us and for them. We're very concerned about Kentucky. They're much stronger than they were when we saw them last year." - Miss St Head Coach Sylvester Croom
It may not be a battle of top 10 teams, but it should be a close, hard-fought game.
Key to the game for Kentucky: Stop the run, please! Opponents average 209 yards per game against the Wildcats!
Key to the game for Mississippi State: Avoid 3rd and long. When the Bulldogs struggle, they are almost always struggling to convert on third downs.
Prediction: Tough one to call. I will take Mississippi State by a field goal.
Vanderbilt at Duke:
"They have an exciting young team. They are playing a lot of young guys and you can see them getting better with each game." - Vanderbilt Head Coach Bobby Johnson
Duke almost beat Miami last week, so maybe this won't be as easy as you might think.
Key to the game for Vanderbilt: Get WR Earl Bennett involved. Just look at his numbers in the win vs. Georgia. Then look at his numbers in the loss to South Carolina. He's very important to the team.
Key to the game for Duke: Stop Cassen Jackson-Garrison and make the quarterback, Chris Nickson beat you. He struggled mightily against SC.
Prediction: Vanderbilt by 14.
Florida International at Alabama:
"We want to get that winning feeling back. We have to prove to ourselves that we can play better." - Alabama Head Coach Mike Shula
Key to the game for Alabama: Forget about last week's game. Avoid the hangover effect.
Key to the game for FIU: Pray.
Prediction: This game doesn't need a prediction, but I'll take (drum roll please) Alabama.
Louisiana-Monroe at Arkansas:
"Louisiana-Monroe is a team, that if you watched them play Alabama, they play really hard. They were in the ball game for two or three quarters and then they were down because of depth. You've got to be ready to play on any given Saturday." - Arkansas Head Coach Houston Nutt
Key to the game for Louisiana-Monroe: Do what you do best: force turnovers. Coach Nutt pointed out that they are second in the nation in forcing turnovers. The best way to do that is to try and slow down Darren McFadden and force Mitch Mustain to throw.
Key to the game for Arkansas: Make this game about Mustain. This is a lay-up for the Razorbacks against a team with one win. It will benefit them down the road to let Mustain try and be the man this Saturday, even if it means only winning by three touchdowns instead of four.
Prediction: Arkansas keeps on rolling.
A decade ago, the Florida Gators ruled the college football world, winning the 1996 National Championship behind the arm of Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel and the hands of All-American receiver Reidel Anthony.
We've already caught up with Weurffel, who is now the Executive Director of the Desire Street Ministries. Today we met his favorite target, Anthony, a Receivers Coach at Division II powerhouse Valdosta State.
Anthony's Wildcats have a big game with 3rd-ranked North Alabama this weekend, so he'll be concentrating on that, but I'm sure the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party will be on his mind.
"I experienced it from a fan's standpoint about three years ago, and just to enjoy it," Anthony said. "I was staying downtown, so I just walked to the game, and, I mean, I walked about three, four miles, and there were just people lined up out there tailgating and just getting ready for the game, having a good time. It's an experience."
Florida faces Georgia on Saturday in Jacksonville, Fl to continue the tradition of playing the big game at a neutral site. Half the stadium will wear blue and orange. Half will wear black and red. There is no home team, but Jacksonville has been a home for this rivalry every year since 1933.
With two exceptions, 1994 and 1995. Those were Anthony's freshman and sophomore seasons. Interestingly enough, he is one of only a handful of players since 1933 to play in this game at three different stadiums. The Gators won in '94, '95, and in their '96 National Championship season as well.
Winning that title is Anthony's proudest memory.
"That was one of the better days of my life," Anthony said.
Not bad beating your archrival, Florida State, to win it all, is it?
"We hung 52 up on 'em," he said.
After five productive NFL seasons with the Buccaneers, he has ended up in a small Southern Georgia town working under one of the bright young coaches in football, Chris Hatcher.
"I actually was looking around for a place to start my coaching career, and I got in contact with Coach (Sean) Bostick, which is our O-line Coach, first, and talked to Coach Hatcher," Anthony said. "And my interview consisted of coming to their golf tournament. And then he asked me, would I like to come work, and I said, 'sure.'"
Not many people get to interview for jobs on a golf course. Then again, not many people are NFL wide receivers with a National Championship ring. So he's taken the knowledge he has gained over the years, and brought it to Valdosta Sate to teach young pass catchers the fundamentals of football.
"Same old stuff that their middle school coach taught them, and same thing that their high school coach taught them," he said. "But now it's a little bit more advanced."
You can't talk to a former Florida Gator without asking him about Steve Spurrier. Outsiders might see him as a coach with a bit of a temper. I know I'd be scared to screw up around Spurrier. But Anthony painted a different picture of the Ol' Ball Coach.
"He's a players' coach," Anthony said. "You love to play for him. He's gonna, especially on the offensive side of the ball, he's gonna get you the ball, and that's one of the reasons you will attend the University of Florida and now at South Carolina."
Anthony isn't worried about Spurrier's return to The Swamp.
"They'll welcome him," he said of the Gators fans. "Won't welcome the team, but they'll probably welcome him...They love Steve Spurrier. He's a Florida guy first and a Gamecock second."
Speaking of Florida fans, they'll be making half the noise at Alltel Stadium on Saturday, cheering for guys like Dallas Baker and Percy Harvin. Receivers who were in elementary school when Anthony, Ike Hilliard, and Jacques Green dominated The Swamp.
"One thing I'll say to Florida," Anthony said, "we live and die football."
Anthony lives football now in a much milder environment. Instead of playing in front of more than 80,000 fans in The Swamp, he now coaches in front of a little more than 10,000 at a high school stadium in Valdosta, albeit a beautiful high school stadium for one of the best high school teams in the country. Anthony hopes to maybe become a Head Coach, though he acknowledges he has a lot to learn, such as defensive fronts and coverages, before taking that step.
Watching him today on the practice field, joking around with his receivers, yelling, "Nice. Good job," to his guys, he seemed content to be where he is right now.
"This has always been a dream of mine. I always knew if I was successful at football and had a chance to play pro, that once I was finished, I know I can't see myself doing 9 to 5 with a suit and tie on every day. I'm an outdoors guy. So I knew I was going to get into coaching."
Picking the top player in the SEC is tough enough, so I'm going to limit this to the SEC's best offensive player. I am also going to call it the Most Valuable Player, rather than Most Outstanding Player. So my selection reflects which SEC offensive player I think is most valuable to his team.
That player is Arkansas running back Darren McFadden.
McFadden is on a 6-1 team that is 4-0 in the SEC. This is a team that knocked off previously unbeaten Auburn in Jordan-Hare Stadium. When McFadden lines up, everyone knows the Razorbacks are going to run the football. Quarterback Mitch Mustain is developing, but he isn't much of a threat just yet.
The fact that McFadden has been able to average 5.6 yards per carry is remarkable considering Mustain throws for only 111.7 yards per game. Let's take a look at Arkansas' double overtime win over Alabama. In that game, Mustain was 7-22 for 97 yards. He threw one touchdown and three interceptions. How do you win a game when your quarterback struggles like that? By having your running back gain 112 yards on 25 carries and score one TD.
A week later against Auburn, Mustain threw the ball only 10 times. He completed seven passes for 87 yards and a touchdown. But the Razorbacks defeated Auburn on the road because McFadden rushed 28 times for 145 yards. He scored once also.
McFadden has put up good numbers in every game this year except for the Razorbacks' win over Vanderbilt. He has been able to carry the ball over 20 times per game when needed. He can break off a big run when he has to. And he has taken a one-dimensional offense to a 6-1 record.
What hurts McFadden's cause is that Arkansas has a crowded backfield that features two other guys capable of carrying the ball effectively. But McFadden is the guy, and I get the sense that he could be a one-man show if he needed to be.
There are other candidates such as JaMarcus Russell, Erik Ainge, Dallas Baker, Kenny Irons, Chris Leak, and Robert Meachem (and I'm sure there are others I'm leaving off the list).
But I can't imagine where the Razorbacks would be without McFadden. He has been the MVP of the SEC so far.
On our road trip, we've been privileged enough to meet some popular players, coaches, Heisman winners, and fans. But today we met arguably the most popular sports icon in the Southeast.
He didn't say much, just grunted at us a lot. He didn't do too much either, just walked around for a while before sprinting onto his favorite golf cart.
Yes, today we hung out with Uga VI, the beloved bulldog mascot of the University of Georgia, and his owners, Sonny and Cecelia Seiler in their Savannah home. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Ugas serving as the Georgia mascot. In all 50 years there has been one constant, the Seilers.
"It's been very rewarding," Sonny Seiler said. "It's been a lot of work. They've sort of grown with us and on us, and so even though it's a lot of work, it's not all that much trouble anymore because we know how to do it."
What exactly do the Seilers do?
Each week, they prepare Uga VI, an eight year old pure white English bulldog who took over for Uga V in 1999, for the upcoming game, traveling with the team for road games.
"It starts with him getting a bath the afternoon before, and getting his bag packed which has two or three jerseys in it, and leashes and collars. And getting food ready to go just like you would for a child," Sonny said.
This is one famous child. Sports Illustrated named Uga the most popular mascot in the country. Last year, he received a trophy from Turner South honoring Uga as the best mascot in the South. He received a similar award from Sports South.
"He's collected his share of trophies," Sonny said.
I thought our crew got to see some great places on this trip, but we haven't seen anything compared to this bulldog.
"He's been to just about every major stadium in the South. He's been to a lot of major Bowl Games," Sonny said. "Uga IV went to New York with Herschel Walker for the Heisman Trophy Banquet. This dog went to the Congressional Room last year in Washington to meet a lot of Senators and Congressmen."
Uga VI was sitting quietly inside the house when we first arrived. Cecelia came over to him and put his customary spiked collar around his massive neck, then we walked around outside. Uga behaved very well until the golf cart came around.
"The back up sound (on the golf cart) is what gets him," Cecilia explained.
So Sonny pulled the cart around. Uga took off at full speed and then leaped triumphantly onto the golf cart. Not only is he bigger than the other Ugas, he's wilder than his predecessors too, according to his owners.
"This one is very, very anxious to go any place, any time," Sonny said. "To the point where he'll start barking on Friday mornings if he hears the ice machine open and us throwing the ice in the cooler. That's a clue to him that it's game time. "
Bulldogs tend to overheat, so Uga sits on a block of ice in his dog house at Sanford Stadium.
If you don't know where to find him during games, just listen for the music. Uga VI sits right next to the band, and although Sonny said Uga is not aware of the score of the games, "He knows that there's a game out there, and if you turned him loose, he'd probably run out there and try to get involved."
You might have to be a Bulldogs fan to truly understand how special Uga is to the Georgia community. The Seilers are constantly flooded with presents for Uga such as chew toys and treats. But Uga doesn't mess around with those types of things, so the Seilers always end up sending them to the Humane Society.
There has only been one gift that Uga VI has embraced. It's a green alligator doll given to Uga in Jacksonville, where he'll be this Saturday for UF-Georgia. Uga VI has no problem chewing on that toy, much to the delight of Gator Haters.
So over the last 50 years, Uga has become a symbol of Georgia athletics. Each Uga has been awarded a Varsity letter, just like the players get. The previous five Ugas are all buried in marble vaults near the South stands of Sanford Stadium. The fans love Uga, and so does the football team.
"Coach Richt started a policy when he got there," Sonny said. "Every September, he has (Uga's) picture made individually with each freshman player. And then Coach Richt sends a print of that picture to the player's parents, and one to his high school, which is a nice touch."
In the world of college football, players change every four years. Coaches change as soon as they stop winning. The student section changes constantly as well.
But you know if you go to a Georgia game, there will always be one constant - the big bulldog on the sideline.
"I don't know what I would be like going to a game without an Uga," Sonny Seiler said. "I would feel like I didn't have my pants on or something."
Southeastern Conference sports fans think they are passionate about their teams.
Turns out, they put their money where their mouths are.
"The SEC, in general, is the most rabid fan base you'll find out there."
That's according to Heath Price, the Director of University Services for the Collegiate Licensing Company.
"I think from a licensing standpoint, that holds true," Price said. "The SEC fans, as a whole, generate more royalties for our consortium of schools than any other conference."
The CLC represents more than 70 percent of all Division 1A football playing institutions. Other than Vanderbilt and Mississippi State, every SEC school goes through the CLC when selling products with their brand name.
"We work with our programs with the schools in the conference...putting together licensing programs on products, promotions, and other opportunities to generate revenues using the brands of the universities," Price said.
And there is plenty of revenue to be generated.
The folks at the CLC greeted us on Monday afternoon by decorating the lobby with SEC merchandise. There was the Georgia Wheaties Box, the University of Florida Crocs, a pair of orange Tennessee sandals, and most notably, an enormous inflatable Kentucky Wildcat mascot.
Then there was the for-the-ladies merchandise, like a pink Georgia jacket and a purse with the Auburn logo. No, Emily did not run out of the building with it, though it was a concern.
"Two categories that have seen a lot of growth have been the kids' collectibles category and now also the women's category," Price told us. "More products that are meant for the female consumer."
These days, a consumer can get just about anything he/she wants. Price took us on a tour of the offices, leading us to a wall of "Unique Products." Here we saw a University of Miami-themed coffin for those Canes fans that live and die UM football. There was a bag of Penn State Sourdough pretzels, a Texas hammer with a football grip, Washington Huskies Gourmet Cocoa Mix (they're "Dawg Gone Good" according to the label), and then a few SEC items.
If you want an Auburn napkin holder, believe it or not, that exists.
If you still eat Pez, you can get your University of Alabama Pez Dispenser.
Next to the "Unique Products" were the "One Hit Wonders." A BYU Barbie was interesting, but not as interesting as an LSU-themed coconut. Here's the story behind that:
A New Orleans native, who had access to a lot of coconuts, was watching the 2004 BCS National Championship game, LSU defeating Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl. He heard the broadcaster mention that LSU would be splitting the National Championship with USC, and that comment drew his ire.
"He felt very strongly that, obviously, LSU was in the championship game and the winner should be the champion," Price said. "And so he came up with this slogan, 'Not Half, but the Whole Nut.'"
He wrote that on the coconut, put the score on it, and noted LSU was the champion. He painted it purple and it became a licensed product.
"I don't think he sold many of these, but he was one of the most passionate licensees I think we've ever dealt with."
In the 2005-2006 fiscal year, nine SEC teams finished in the top 10 in royalties for the CLC. Those teams were:
#4 Georgia
#6 Florida
#8 Tennessee
#9 Alabama
#12 LSU
#13 Auburn
#14 Kentucky
#19 Arkansas
#20 South Carolina
Obviously, the SEC fans have no problem spending some cash to get shirts, hats, sweaters, purses, dolls, sandals...you get the point...with their team's logos. But why are the SEC folks spending more than anyone else?
"A big part of it is kind of the culture and heritage of where the SEC originates from," Price said. "Football is really in the blood of many SEC fans."
Football is in their blood, and so, quite obviously, is school spirit.
It's time for Georgia-Florida, but before we get to that classic rivalry, here's a look back at our weekend in Vanderbilt.
- Saturday's sloppy effort by Vanderbilt was disappointing. The team was coming off one of the biggest wins in program history, and it was Homecoming for VU. Yet the Commodores played maybe their worst game of the year. I know Vanderbilt is a better team than what we saw on Saturday. The turnovers hurt, and I think Coach Bobby Johnson expects more from his team.
- As each week goes by, it becomes more and more clear that special teams can decide games. South Carolina stole some momentum with a 55 yard field goal early in the game. Vanderbilt missed one field goal in Saturday's 31-13 loss, and poor punting hurt Vanderbilt in the field position battle. Looking back at Auburn-UF, a punt block was the difference in that game, and Tennessee blocked a punt and returned one for a touchdown three Saturdays ago in its win at Georgia.
- South Carolina RB Cory Boyd may not be a spectacular running back, but he is solid and dependable. He'll give you a good yards per carry, and he is becoming a work horse.
- To understand why Vanderbilt hasn't produced a successful football program, you have to understand the way that the Athletic Department is set up there.
"We're the only fully integrated Division 1A Athletic Department," Vanderbilt Chancellor Gordon Gee said. "By that I mean we do not have an Athletic Director, we do not have an Athletic Department. We have an Athletic Program, which is part of our student programming here, just the same way that theatre, or debate, or any other thing is.
"The reason for that is the fact that we do not want to have a separate or segregated relationship with our student athletes. We want to make sure that they succeed in life, in the classroom, and as athletes."
That's a very admirable approach to athletics, one that no other 1A school in the nation has taken. There is, however, an obvious negative to that. Football and sports in general, in my opinion, are not just about athletes going out and competing to win games. It's about pride, passion, and bringing different people together to share the same experience. Sports can define and unite communities. The Nashville community does not seem to unite around Vanderbilt football the same way that, for example, the Gainesville community unites around UF.
I am not, by any means, criticizing Vanderbilt. In fact, I applaud the school for realizing that academics are more important than athletics. I am, however, pointing out that the spirit and passion for SEC football is not nearly as tangible at Vanderbilt as it has been at other SEC universities. But Vandy seems perfectly content to focus on the classroom, rather than the football field. Unfortunately, no other schools seem to do that, and it puts Vanderbilt athletics at a major disadvantage.
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