The Countdown 2009: 21 Days to Go

21

Jersey number of Georgia legend Frank Sinkwich., who was the first southern college football player to win the Heisman trophy. The picture below is from the Georgia's only victory in the Rose Bowl, a 9-0 victory over UCLA in 1942.

Knowshon Enjoying Life as a Rookie

I tuned into the 49ers-Broncos preseason game to get a glimpse of Knowshon Moreno's first NFL action. He looked good on his first couple of carries and still had his run back to the huddle after getting tackled. But after throwing a block on the 3rd Kyle Orton interception of the night (it was only the 2nd quarter), he left with a leg injury. I guess he has found out the tough part of life in the NFL pretty quick. Earl also made me aware that Knowshon is appearing in a series of Reebok ads about life as a rookie at training camp and after seeing them I must say they are both pretty fun. Check out the videos below.

A Douchebag Has A Birthday

Gator losers all around the nation rejoice as Tim Teblowme celebrates his 22nd birthday today.

Happy Birthday, Timmy. Try not to cry on the way to your birthday party.

The Countdown 2009: 22 Days to Go

22

Number of the Central Michigan player who Knowshon Moreno hurdled at the end of a 29 yard run during the 2008 game against the Cheppewas. Moreno had 168 yards and 3 touchdowns on the day.

Right Back At Ya, Stewart Mandel

Yesterday, Stewart Mandel had the following in his mailbag column. I thought it was absolutely hilarious.

My fellow UGA friends say they hate you and hate your writing (but still read your column). I like your writing and am constantly defending you and most of your viewpoints. Anything I can tell them so they can finally give you (and me) a break?
-- HAWK, Atlanta

Yes. Tell them: "We can no longer be friends."

Stewart, I think the reply of many Bulldawgs would be, "We were never friends to begin with."

That goes for both YOU and HAWK.

Go Dawgs.

The Countdown 2009: 23 Days to Go

23

Georgia record for consecutive SEC victories, occuring between 1980 and 1983.

What Team has a Comparable Out of Conference Schedule to Georgia's 2009 Slate?

Much has been written this offseason about the difficult out of conference facing the Dawgs in 2009. With three BCS conference opponents on the schedule, Georgia has been given a lot of credit for scheduling a tough schedule. I decided to look for another team who faced a similar out of conference schedule as Georgia and I found a team whose out of conference schedule appears eerily similar to Georgia's: East Carolina. Let's take a look at how these two schedules match up.

Similarity #1 - The Highly Ranked Preseason Opponent who they Defeated in 2007
As we all know, Georgia opens the year on the road at Oklahoma State. The Cowboys are ranked #11 in the Pre-Season coaches poll. Georgia played Oklahoma State in 2007, defeating them 35-14.

The Pirates will host pre-season #7 Virginia Tech on November 5. These two teams also met in 2007, with the Pirates upsetting the Hokies 17-7.

Similarity #2 - ACC Program on the Rise
Georgia will close the 2009 season with its annual match up against in-state rival Georgia Tech. Under new coach Paul Johnson, the Yellow Jackets defeated Georgia for the first time since 2000 and are among the pre-season favorites to win the ACC.

East Carolina will travel to Chapel Hill on September 19 to take on North Carolina. Coach Butch Davis is starting to build a strong Tar Heel program and looks to be among the stronger ACC schools.

Similarity #3 - BCS Conference Opponent Coming Off a Disappointing Season
Arizona State was a preseason top 15 team in 2008, but after losing to Georgia at home, the Sun Devils continued to struggle and failed to make a bowl. They come to Athens in late September.

West Virginia came off another BCS Bowl victory and was led by senior quarterback Pat White. But under first year coach Bill Stewart, the Mountaineers missed out on a Big East Championship. The Pirates host West Virgina during week 2.

Similarity #4 - D1-AA Opponent to finish out schedule
Both teams filled their final spot on the schedule with a 1-AA opponent. Georgia gets Tennessee Tech and East Carolina hosts Appalachian State.

As you can see, the out of conference schedules for both teams are very similar. As for the conference schedules, that is a much different story. While Georgia gets LSU, Florida, and Auburn, East Carolina faces the daunting task of beating Southern Miss, Marshall, and Rice. There is a reason that non-BCS schools do not get to play for a national championship.

The Countdown 2009: 24 Days to Go

24

Points scored by Georgia in the Capital One Bowl victory against Michigan state that gave the Bulldogs 10 wins for the 2008 season.

Carson Palmer: Georgia Fan

On SI.com, they currently have a story concerning "Sports Bucket Lists", in other words sporting events people would want to see before they die. They have a photo gallery of celebrity bucket lists, and Carson Palmer's caught my eye:

I want to go to a Georgia game. I've heard so much about it. I want to go to a Georgia-Alabama game Sanford Stadium in Athens. Everybody that I've talked to that has played in the SEC says that that's the best place -- "Between the Hedges." It would have been nice to play there one time while I was in college but I need to go there to watch a game someday.

That's an awesome endorsement from a guy who played at USC.

The Countdown 2009: 25 Days to Go

25

Head coaches in Georgia history. The leaders in wins include Vince Dooley (201 wins), Wally Butts (140 Wins), and Mark Richt (82 wins).

The Countdown 2009: 26 Days to Go

26

Carries by running back Richard Samuel in the 2008 season. Samuel should get more carries this season with Knowshon Moreno gone to the NFL.

The Countdown 2009: 27 Days to Go

27

Shutouts by the Georgia defense under defensive coordinator Erk Russell during his 17 years at Georgia.