Get the Ball, Dawgs, Get the Ball!

"Get the Ball, Dawgs, Get the Ball!" is a Georgia cheer for, I believe, the basketball team. I'm sure many of you have heard it before and, at least on an occasion or two, chanted it along with the Bulldog cheerleaders. It's one of those cheers you find yourself reciting hours after a game has ended only to fully realize it when someone else points out your cheering is annoying. Nevertheless, it should be the motto for the upcoming football season. For it was Georgia's lack of "getting the ball" in '08 that was the main factor, in my opinion, for a somewhat disappointing year.

After last season's 45-42 loss to Georgia Tech, it seemed so simple: our defense was atrocious at times and above average, at best. Sure, the defensive unit had suffered a bevy of injuries, however, the fact remained it could not keep the opposition out of the end zone. From the 2006 Sugar Bowl against West Virginia (the first season of Willie Martinez as defensive coordinator, many Dawg fans would add) through the '08 Tech loss, a total of 39 games, Georgia allowed its opponent to score 35 points or more in 8 contests, including five times in a span of only eight games in 2008. In comparison, prior to the loss to West Virginia, it had been 77 games and more than six years since the last time the Bulldogs allowed 35 points or more (1999 vs. Georgia Tech)!

Further inspection into 2008 reveals something interesting: Georgia's defense allowed only 312 yards per game (ranked 22nd out of 119 FBS teams)--that's actually pretty good. However, it ranked 59th in scoring defense, yielding 24.5 points per game--the Bulldogs' highest average since 1999 and the seventh most in the school's 115 seasons of playing football.

Surely, Georgia's opponents scored a good portion of its points via non-offensive touchdowns, you ask? Nope. Only once in '08 did the opposition cross our goal line in a manner besides the run or pass--Georgia Tech's Morgan Burnett's interception return of Stafford for a touchdown.

So, how did the Georgia defense in '08 allow a reasonable low amount of yardage but yet give up so many points? There were several contributing factors. The top two being Georgia's poor kickoff coverage and simply the Bulldogs did not force enough turnovers, only 16 total (11 interceptions, five fumbles) in 13 games (Photo--Dobbs game-winning INT vs. Kentucky--GeorgiaDogs.com).

Last season, it appears the Bulldogs could somewhat contain opposing offenses from moving up and down the field but had their issues jarring the ball loose or intercepting passes. Of the 119 FBS teams, only seven forced less than 16 turnovers. Complete team football statistics date back to 1947 in UGA's archives and no Bulldogs team from 1947-2007 forced equal to or less than the 16 turnovers tallied by the 2008 squad. Based on the fact that turnovers occurred much more often in the early days of football than the later, it is safe to say last season's Georgia defense gained less turnovers than any team in the school's football history.

Several questions loom as the Bulldogs get ready for the 2009 season: Can Joe Cox fill in adequately for the departed Matt Stafford? Can we establish a respectable ground game? Can we put pressure on and sack opposing quarterbacks with more regularity? Nonetheless, I truly feel if the Dawgs can improve their kickoff coverage and, most importantly, "get the ball" much more often than last season, we should be in for a better year than most expect.

In 2004, Georgia forced only 17 turnovers (12 fumbles, 5 interceptions) in a previous, somewhat disappointing season. I remember the first game of the next year, the Bulldogs surprisingly intercepted four Boise State passes in the season opener of 2005--nearly as many as the total from the entire 2004 season. Georgia would crush Boise State and eventually capture the SEC title when the so-called "experts" gave the Bulldogs no shot to even win the division. In 2009, forcing turnovers and plenty of them in the season-opening game would get the ball rolling (pun intended) and could spell success for the upcoming year ahead.

The Second Sign...

For me, the first sign college football is just around the corner is when the preseason magazines hit the newsstands. The second sign is when the early opening lines, or point spreads, for the major games of the year are released. A week or so ago, The Las Vegas Hilton came out with its early lines for noteworthy games of 2009. Games involving Georgia:

GEORGIA +3 Oklahoma State

GEORGIA -2' Arkansas

GEORGIA -14 Arizona State

GEORGIA -4 LSU

GEORGIA -3' Tennessee

GEORGIA +16 Florida

GEORGIA -10' Auburn

GEORGIA +1 Georgia Tech

A few things immediately caught my attention: Georgia is a 3.5-point favorite at Tennessee but only a 2.5-point favorite at Arkansas? Favored by 10.5 over Auburn seems awfully high. The Tigers always play us tough in Athens and even in 2007, a 45-20 Georgia win, the Dogs actually trailed 20-17 in the third quarter.

Being an early 1-point underdog at Tech is somewhat surprising. Much of the Bulldogs not being favored is considering the game is on The Flats, although the Jackets don't have much of a home-field advantage, and last season's second-half debacle against them. I just don't see Georgia Tech running with ease on our defense and us falling victim to our state rival for a second consecutive season. If LSU can contain the Jackets' running game like it did in this past Chick-fil-A Bowl in a 38-3 victory, Georgia can do the same.

Notice how big of an early favorite Florida is over the Dogs. Georgia has not been as big as a 16-point underdog since 2001 when the Gators were 19-point favorites over Coach Richt's first team.

I've always been intrigued with sports betting odds, especially for football. In fact, my second book, About Them Dawgs!, includes a three-page section on point spreads for Georgia football games since 1973. Interestingly and according to The Gold Sheet, point spreads for the 1973 season were the first in college football formulated with the help of computers. It is considered that college football point spreads prior to 1973 have little to no relation to the point spreads of the last 36 years.

As my book mentions, from 1973 through the 2007 season, Georgia was considered the underdog in just 24.5% of its 421 games. In comparison, during the same time period, Tennessee was an underdog in 27.1% of its games, Auburn 31.1%, Georgia Tech 45.8%, and Vanderbilt 71.9%. If you include the 2009 Capital One Bowl versus Michigan State, the Bulldogs have been the underdog in only 11 of its last 30 bowl games and on just three occasions in their last 20 bowls.

Vote!

CFB Live of ESPN is currently featuring its "50 states in 50 days." A reader of the blog wanted me to stress for all Dawg fans to VOTE HERE at the best of Georgia polls. Supposedly, the state of Georgia will be featured on July 27th. Anyway, click and vote! Currently, it's a tight race between Coach Dooley (photo--AJC) and Tech's Bobby Dodd as the best coach in state history.

Great but Obscure Game #5

OCTOBER 19, 1956:
GEORGIA 7, MIAMI (Fla) 7

After Georgia football's successful run during the 1940s, the Bulldogs did an about-face the following decade. Shockingly, from the start of the 1951 season until mid-November of 1959, Georgia recorded a lowly 0-20-1 mark against ranked opposition. The lone non-defeat, a tie in 1956, came against Coach Andy Gustafson (photo--University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame), halfback Don Bosseler, and the rest of the mighty Miami Hurricanes.

PREGAME: Georgia and Miami of Florida faced one another 12 times in a 30-year span from 1937 to 1966. All 12 games were played at Miami's Orange Bowl at night with every contest held on a Friday. Such was the case when the Bulldogs met the 11th-ranked and undefeated Hurricanes in 1956 in front of a crowd of 42,682. Entering the game, Georgia had a record of 2-2 and struggled offensively to average just nine points per contest. The Bulldogs of '56 would eventually finish the campaign averaging less than 200 yards per game (194.0)--still a school-record low since statistics began being kept nearly 70 years ago. Led by first team All-American Bosseler, Miami was a two-touchdown favorite over a Bulldog squad regarded by the press as the "pore lil Georgia boys."

DETAILS: In the opening quarter, Georgia halfback J.B. Davis fielded a Miami punt at his own 42-yard line. Faking and twisting his way through defenders, Davis sped 58 yards into the end zone and the game's first points. Ken Cooper kicked the PAT. Soon thereafter, Bulldog sophomore guard Cicero Lucas sidelined Bosseler with a bone-crushing tackle; Miami's All-American would be lost for most of the game due to the injury.

During the fourth quarter, just when it appeared the "pore lil Georgia boys" would pull a huge upset, the Hurricanes drove 84 yards to Georgia's 1-yard line. On first and second downs, fullback Bill Sandie was dropped for no gain by the Georgia defense. On third down, an incomplete pass was thrown. Finally, on fourth down, Sandie bulled his way into the end zone for a touchdown. Ed Oliver kicked the PAT and tied the game 7-7 with less than eight minutes remaining.

Georgia's offense, which, as predicted, struggled all day and would do so throughout the season, finally began to mount a drive with the score tied. The Bulldogs moved 39 yards to Miami's 30-yard line before calling on Cooper to attempt a game-winning field goal. Cooper's try was blocked by Bosseler. The injured halfback had returned from the bench and with his block, preserved a tie with the visiting Bulldogs.

PLAYER OF GAME: J.B. Davis was a small halfback from Alabama, weighing just around 150 pounds. However, what he lacked in size, he more than made up with his punt returning skills. In 1956, Davis would return two punts for scores in only six attempts while averaging nearly 30 yards per return. Two weeks following his scoring return against Miami, Davis returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown against his native Alabama and provided the winning margin in a 16-13 victory in Birmingham. Davis, who was named captain of the team the following season, indicated his return against 'Bama was the "greatest thrill of [his] life."

RUNDOWN: Miami would rebound from its upset tie with Georgia and easily win its next five games, including a 20-7 victory over rival Florida (pretty cool vintage video). Although the Hurricanes dropped their season finale against Pittsburgh, they would finish the '56 season with an 8-1-1 record. Miami's #6 final ranking in both major polls would be its highest ranking to end a season until winning its first of five national championships in 1983.

With the help from Davis, the win over Alabama gave Georgia a 3-3-1 record heading into its games against the final "big three." Nevertheless, the Bulldogs would be dismantled by Florida, Auburn, and Georgia Tech by a combined 83 to zero score. The Bulldogs finished last in the 12-member SEC with a 1-6 conference record--the only time in Coach Wally Butts' 22 years at UGA he would end the year at the very bottom of the SEC.

Part of the Great but Obscure games in Georgia football history... Previous games in series: #4 1940 vs. Georgia Tech, #3 1986 vs. Auburn, #2 1974 vs. Florida, #1 1936 vs. Fordham

Bulldogs in the "Big House" in 2010?

Quarterback Preston Ridlehuber (with ball against Texas Tech in the '64 Sun Bowl) led the Bulldogs to victory the last time Georgia met Michigan.

Yesterday rumors ran rampant that Georgia might face Michigan in Ann Arbor in 2010 and in Athens in 2011. Apparently, the rumor was started by the University of Michigan's campus newspaper--The Michigan Daily. However, by the end of the day, the report appeared to be merely gossip and highly unlikely. As several articles and blogs point out, Georgia has only five home games currently scheduled for 2010 and looking to add a sixth. Scheduling an away date with Michigan would force the Bulldogs to change a road game to one at home. This would likely mean cancelling Georgia's game against Colorado in Boulder or moving it to another season. These scenarios would probably force Georgia to buy Colorado out--an inconceivable possibility. Amidst the Georgia-Michigan rumors, I was reminded of one of the biggest and most surprising wins in the Vince Dooley era--the Bulldogs' 15-7 victory in Ann Arbor in 1965.

Eight years earlier in 1957, a young Bulldog squad coached by Wally Butts traveled to Michigan's "Big House" for the first time ever and were thumped by the tenth-ranked Wolverines, 26-0. Five lost fumbles, three interceptions thrown by Charley Britt, and 110 yards in penalties resulted in Georgia being shut out while not reaching beyond Michigan's 21-yard line.

Dooley's second Bulldog team of 1965, ranked 10th in the nation and just two weeks removed from their "flea-flicker" win over eventual national champion Alabama, played Michigan for Georgia's second and final time, to date. Whereas the matchup in 1957 attracted 85,002 spectators, less than 60,000 fans witnessed the '65 game in a stadium which held a whopping 103,219 even then. It was speculated Michigan fans wanted to skip watching their Wolverines play a much inferior and undersized Georgia team and rest up for the following Saturday--a home game against rival Michigan State.

The Bulldogs improved their record to 3-0 (first time in 12 years) and ranking to #4 (highest in AP Poll since final rankings of 1946) with their shocking, eight-point win over Michigan. They were led by Bob Etter's three field goals and Preston Ridlehuber, who split time at quarterback with Kirby Moore. Ridlehuber rushed for 61 yards, including a spectacular 23-yarder which directly led to Georgia's lone touchdown. The touchdown, Ridlehuber's first of only two career collegiate touchdown passes, was a 10-yard toss to Pat Hodgson in the final quarter. It was not only the last time the Bulldogs faced the Wolverines but also the last time they journeyed north of Lexington, Kentucky, to play a game.

In my opinion, a two-game series with Michigan in 2010 and 2011 would be desired by most Georgia fans. Many Bulldog backers have complained for years how the team does not schedule games against big-time, nationally-renowned opponents. Unfortunately, other than a bowl matchup, it appears a small miracle would have to occur for a Georgia-Michigan contest to take place in the near future. Of course, once in a while a miracle does come to pass...

Georgia's 14th Head Coach

Scan through Georgia's yearly football results and something peculiar may catch your eye--the fact UGA had two head coaches in 1909--co-coaches James Coulter and Frank Dobson (image--RichmondSpiders.com).

In the early days of collegiate football, it was quite common for a head coach to stay at a southern school, in particular, for only a short period of time. Among the reasons for the short coaching stints were lack of pay and prestige as the ultimate football coaching positions were located at universities of the northeast. Such was the case with the University of Georgia as the Red and Black had a remarkable 14 head coaches in just their first 18 seasons (1892-1909) of playing football.

The 1909 campaign in Athens began with James Coulter, a Brown University alumnus, as UGA's head football coach. However, following just one win in Georgia's first five games where the Red and Black were shut out on four occasions and scored only three total points, Frank Dobson was brought in to spark a stagnant offense.

Coach Dobson, a native of Roanoke, Virginia, was an assistant coach at Georgia Tech under the great John Heisman in 1908. Prior to the 1909 football season, he was selected as the athletic director of the "University school at Stone Mountain," where he would also coach the football squad. Between heading up Stone Mountain's athletic program and coaching football, Dobson apparently found time to also play on the gridiron. As mentioned in an earlier post, he was the star quarterback for the "Olympians," a club team in Atlanta, who faced Georgia on October 2 in Athens. Two weeks later, according to the Atlanta Constitution, Dobson refereed Georgia's 0-0 tie with Davidson and later a 14-0 loss to Alabama on October 30. Note: Back then, former collegiate players only years removed from playing would often officiate games, including contests involving their alma maters. Two days after officiating the Georgia-Alabama game, Dobson's Stone Mountain team appeared in the prep school championship of Georgia, losing to Gainesville's Riverside, 12-8.

At some point in early November, Dobson left Stone Mountain to help Coach Coulter coach the struggling Georgia squad. On November 20, the Red and Black lost to Georgia Tech for the fifth consecutive occasion, however, Dobson was given credit for "Georgia's wonderful showing" in a 12-6 defeat. It was quite a shock that Tech was held to only 12 points while Georgia scored its only touchdown in the first six games of the season on a one-yard plunge by left halfback Arthur Maddox. It was reported Dobson had formulated some trick plays the offense ran with success and "he taught [the team] more football in two weeks he was with them than they knew all the rest of the season. It is regrettable that they did not have him sooner."

Leading up to the season finale against Auburn, Georgia was thought to be much improved primarily because of the arrival of Coach Dobson. On Thanksgiving Day in Montgomery, AL, the Red and Black were defeated 16-5, only scoring on a 15-yard return of a blocked punt. The next day there was no mention of Dobson coaching the team in defeat, only Coach Coulter's name appeared. James Coulter would never coach again in college football, compiling just a 1-4-2 record in his lone season at Georgia.

Frank Dobson would also leave the University of Georgia following the 1909 season. After being rumored to become Tennessee's head football coach for the 1910 campaign, Dobson accepted the same position at Clemson College in late February. As Clemson's first paid football coach, Dobson would also eventually coach its baseball team and was the school's first basketball coach.

By 1910, led by the great Bob McWhorter and coached by Alex Cunningham, Georgia football had suddenly transformed into one of the better programs in the South. Late in the season, the heavily-favored Red and Black were "defeated" by a Dobson-coached Clemson team in a scoreless tie at Augusta's State Fairgrounds. Clemson's Dobson would face his previous team on two more occasions, 1911 and 1912, losing both games by a combined 50 to 5 score.

From 1913-1917 and 1919-1933, Dobson compiled a 79-78-18 record at Richmond (He curiously departed for South Carolina to coach the 1918 season but returned to Richmond the following year.) and remains, after 75 years since leaving the school, the Spiders' all-time leader in coaching victories. Following a two-season hiatus from coaching football, Dobson left for Maryland in 1936, guiding the Terrapins for four seasons through the 1939 season. In 28 seasons as a head coach at four institutions, he recorded a 110-112-20 overall record.

Frank Dobson is likely Georgia's least-heralded head football coach of the 25 in the school's history, merely co-coaching for just one, possibly two games during the 1909 season. However, he is one of the most intriguing stories in the annals of college football. For two different teams, he coached against Georgia in the seasons before (1908 Georgia Tech) and after (1910 Clemson) coaching for the Red and Black (1909). In addition and even more compelling, during the same season he coached at Georgia, he played against the Red and Black, officiated at least two games featuring Georgia, and, all the while coaching a prep school to the championship game of the state of Georgia.

100% Georgia Bulldog

Yesterday I met with Coach Dan Magill (photo--Red and Black) to discuss, among other things, Georgia football's "lost" victories of 1908 and 1909 and details regarding the Bulldogs' 7-6 victory over Tulane in 1937. These topics of conversation seem like exchanges that would leave most bored out of their skulls. However, fascinating and interesting, certainly not boring, are adjectives used to describe any discussion with the legendary UGA tennis coach and athletics historian.

I'm sure most of you know who Dan Magill is: World War II veteran, associated with UGA's athletic program for six decades, Georgia's head tennis coach from 1955-1988, retiring as the winningest coach in NCAA Division I history, and the foremost knowledgeable source on the history of University of Georgia athletics, to name only a few. The Dan Magill Tennis Complex is named in his honor while Magill, 88 years young, is the curator of its ITA Hall of Fame. In addition, he has authored several books and still writes a column for the Athens Banner-Herald.

I got to know Coach Magill as he was writing the foreword for my second book, About Them Dawgs! The man is as gracious and courteous as he is knowledgeable, personally giving tours of the Hall of Fame for anyone who enters its doors. You'll find Magill there most Monday through Friday mornings, however, if you give him a call (706-542-8064) in advance, a tour can be scheduled most any time. I'm not a huge tennis fan but have to say that the Hall of Fame, located directly behind Foley Field, is rather impressive. I highly recommend paying it a visit and, if you have yet to have the pleasure, meeting Coach Dan Magill. Have a historical question regarding Georgia football? Rest assure Magill will have your answer...

I'm Back

After a two-week hiatus, I'm back and ready to blog about the Bulldogs. I was on vacation for a full week, have a lot going on with the job, and my dad is experiencing some health issues. For those of you who check in on a regular basis, as I've mentioned before, I recommend signing up to receive an email every time the blog is updated. To do so, you can enter your email address in the box located below "Other UGA Sites" on the right panel. This feature is rather useful since I post only once or twice a week.

Within the next few days, I'll post on one of Georgia's co-coaches of the 1909 season--Frank Dobson. Remarkably, after coaching at Georgia Tech in 1908, he played against, officiated a game featuring, and coached for the Red and Black all during the same season. Huh?!? Talk to you soon...

One of the Finest Bulldogs Ever...

I saw a video (below) yesterday on the late Bill Hartman (photo--UGA Sports Communications) and it prompted me to write a post on one of the greatest Bulldogs of all time.

As a senior fullback in 1937, Hartman would be recognized as Georgia's lone first-team All-American during a five-season span from 1936 to 1940. Towards the end of the '37 campaign, he was moved to quarterback because of a rash of injuries sustained by the team. Nevertheless, it was Hartman's punting and kick returning, not his play at quarterback, that would turn an apparent season on the decline into one of a success.

Against Tulane in mid-November, Hartman's 17 punts, including several that pinned the Green Wave down towards their goal line, for more than a 40-yard average were the highlight of a 7-6 victory for Georgia. Following a 0-0 tie against Auburn a week later, the Bulldogs secured their second consecutive draw--a 6-6 decision versus Georgia Tech. Georgia's lone points and only time it would cross the 50-yard line into Yellow Jacket territory came on a 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Hartman. The All-American and his fellow Bulldogs went undefeated against this trio of powerful foes despite gaining only 167 COMBINED offensive yards in the three games.

For three separate stints (1939-1942, 1946-1956, 1974-1994) totalling 36 seasons, Hartman was an assistant on the Bulldog coaching staff. After a collegiate playing career during which he was identified as one of college football's most underrated players, Hartman seemingly became, besides Erk Russell, Georgia's most well-known assistant coach in its history.

The video from Damn Good Dog!:

This video of Hartman and Uga V occurred during the pregame of Georgia's victory over Ole Miss in 1992. Adding to the incident, Uga was scheduled to be the first live mascot ever to appear at Arkansas' Razorback Stadium the following Saturday after Hartman's fall. It would be the first ever SEC contest for Arkansas after playing in the now defunct Southwest Conference for years. The SWC had not allowed live mascots on playing fields.

As a new member of the SEC, Arkansas was set to welcome Uga V. That is, until Hartman nearly disabled the damn good dawg. Uga's close call triggered owner Sonny Seiler to think about the mascot's future lineage. So, instead of traveling to Fayetteville, Arkansas, Uga spent the weekend with a female companion carrying on his bloodline in Moultrie, Georgia.

I'll be on vacation for the next week, so I'll probably won't be posting anything for a little while. Go Dawgs!

Munson: "Massaquoi!"

I was playing around with my blog this morning and thought I'd try inserting a video for the first time--not nearly as difficult as anticipated. I like going to YouTube and viewing Georgia football-related video clips. My two-year-old son enjoys these videos also, often pointing to a blank, computer screen, requesting, "Bull-gods?!? Bull-gods?!?" We especially appreciate the ones with Larry Munson's calls in the background.

Like many of you, I grew up listening to Munson and still have a hard time believing that we'll never hear his gravely voice call another game. My first distinct memory of the legend was him begging our '82 defense to "hunker it down one more time" at Auburn. Moments later the defense "broke it up," and my family and I jumped around our house in delight as sugar apparently fell from the sky at Jordan-Hare Stadium. I think Scott Howard does an admirable job as Munson's replacement but as Ray Goff once said, "Boy, it's tough to follow a legend..."

I thought I'd post video of perhaps the last great call by Munson--Massaquoi's winning-touchdown catch and two-point reception against Georgia Tech in 2006. Two months after this call, I would speak to Mr. Munson for the first time when I asked him to write the foreword to my first book, Then Vince Said to Herschel... Without any hesitation, he graciously accepted. A couple of weeks later, his foreword arrived in the mail, looking like it had been typed on a typewriter. A note was attached declaring, "Pat, Clean It Up!" However, there was hardly any corrections or editing needed on my part; Munson's foreword was written as eloquently as his voice sounded on the radio. His foreword (January 2007):

To the REAL fans:

It always amazes me when somebody decides to go digging through the long-ago history of some team. They always come up with things I’d never envision. This book is going to reach you the same way it did me. All sorts of things that happened many years ago to let us all know that Georgia fans have always been the same: extremely passionate and out of their minds when it comes to beating the main part of their schedule each year.

As I write this the United States of America had just wrapped up the greatest bowl season in the history of American football. Never have so many favored teams gotten so far behind so quick game after game, and yet they managed to come back in the second half and win. And if you really do remember some of the offenses that the Dawgs were running back in the ’20s and ’30s then you must have been in a state of shock when you saw all those bowl games we just watched. There were things in those bowl games that smacked of long-ago days in football; funny looking formations and people trying to hide the ball. All those great bowl games we had this winter had to bring smiles to all the old-timers. This is the case even for those guys who have been in the ground now for close to 70 years! How can we possibly match what just happened?

Was Georgia’s rally against Virginia Tech one of the greatest games in the school’s history? Was the Oklahoma-Boise State bowl game just like something that we all played out in the streets many years ago when were so young and green?

Settle back and read these words now and see if some of it sticks to your memory block. Some of these games go way, way back and some of the plays described are just like those goofy plays we saw this past winter in the bowl games. Despite all of television’s efforts, the games actually are better than they’ve always been. And beyond a shadow of a doubt the girls are much better looking!!!

Sincerely yours,

Larry Munson
(a very old football announcer)