Hate Week 2012: Payback

The year was 2002.  In its second season under Mark Richt, the Georgia Bulldogs were undefeated heading into the showdown with Florida in Jacksonville.  The Dawgs had a strong defense led by Sean Jones and Boss Bailey and a rising star named David Pollack.  The offense was playing well too, with a finally healthy Musa Smith and sophomore quarterback David Greene coming into his own.  Georgia was ready to not only win the SEC but compete for a National Championship. 

Jump to today.  Florida is in its second season under Will Muschamp and are undefeated.  They have a strong defense led by veterans Omar Hunter and Matt Elam.  This offense is playing well, with senior running back Mike Gillislee carrying the load and Jeff Driskel quickly improving.  They are ranked near the top of the BCS standings and looking to reassert themselves on the national stage.  Sound familiar?

In 2002, the Gators decided to ruin the party for the Dawgs.  Make no mistake, the Gators were not playing their best football entering the contest.  As a matter of fact, they were still ranked, but at 5-3 they had already suffered a loss to an Ole Miss team that would finish the year at 6-6.  They had also been embarrassed by LSU two weeks earlier, losing 36-7 in Baton Rouge (doesn't this also sound familiar to Georgia losing 35-7 at South Carolina).  Despite this, the Gators walked into the stadium in Jacksonville and ruined Georgia's perfect season.

I think it is time to repay the favor.

Is Georgia playing good?  Hell no.  The loss at South Carolina was embarrassing and the defense looked pathetic in the close win at Kentucky.  But does that mean that there is not talent on the team? No. 

Make no mistake Georgia fans, it may look bleak.  But if you can't look at the big picture and see that a win could mean that all those goals from the beginning of the season will be back on the table, then you are just blinded with hate for the coaching staff.  A win Saturday means we will most likely return to Atlanta.  Would we be able to hang with Alabama, I have no clue.  But you can't find out if you don't even make it in the first place.  It's time rally around the team and get a little revenge for 2002.

And by the way, as Georgia we hate Florida.  That should be motivation enough.

GO DAWGS!!!!

The Countdown 2011: 90 Days to Go

Underrated Performances: Michael Johnson vs. Auburn in 2002

The 2002 game against Auburn is on of the most memorable games in Georgia football history. Not only did the Dawgs earn their first trip to the SEC Championship game in Atlanta (at which they would win their first SEC Championship in 20 years), but they won the game in dramatic fashion. Sophomore quarterback David Greene found receiver Michael Johnson in the end zone on fourth and 15 from the Auburn 19. Everyone remembers Johnson's great catch and Larry Munson's legendary call:



But many people overlook Johnson's performance, which was one of the best single game performances in Georgia history. Michael Johnson was a junior receiver from Tulsa, Oklahoma who had not seen a lot of playing time until this point in his career. But with receivers Terrence Edwards and Damien Gary out and Fred Gibson playing with a hand injury that caused him to wear a cast for much of the season, the Dawgs needed someone to step up. Michael Johnson was the man to answer the call.

In the victory over Auburn, Johnson caught 13 passes for 141 yards and the game winning touchdown. Prior to the game, he had only caught 11 passes all season. His 24th catch of the 2002 season will forever remain the most important catch of his career. I was in the third row of the opposite end zone when Johnson made the catch and until the following Monday morning, I thought Fred Gibson had actually made the play (that was the first time I saw any highlights on TV).

The Countdown 2010: 50 Days to Go

50: Billy Bennett, Kicker #30 (2000-2003)

Billy Bennett, a Damn Good Dawg, is the all time leading scorer in UGA and SEC History. He didn't have to travel very far to start his college kicking career, walking on at Georgia from Athens Academy. As a young Georgia fan, I remember the Kicker position being a big question mark going into the 2000 season. This quickly proved to be the case as starting scholarship kicker Brett Kirouac hooked the ball all over the place and, in my mind, the backup was a midget in 17 states. However, what Billy lacked in height, he made up for in accuracy and grit, making 13-14 field goals as a Freshman. This quickly erased the memory of past Kicker Hap Hines, unfortunately it didn't replace the frustration and memory of Quincy Carter's junior season.

After making the All-SEC Freshman team, Billy struggled with blocked field goals and inconsistency in 2001. However, he set the stage for his last two seasons my making 6 of 6 (another UGA and SEC record) field goals against the North Avenue Trade School, ending three years for futility against the nerds. Bennett's last two seasons cemented his legacy in Athens as he made more field goals over this span (57) than any other Kicker over a two year span in NCAA history. For his career he made 87-110 field goals to amass 409 total points including PAT's, earning multiple All-SEC and All-American honors.

Billy was also one of the great characters, from a fan perspective, on the football team. He was well known to fans for his band and hair, both being mentioned frequently by Larry Munson during radio broadcasts:

A local kid himself, Billy knew his way around the local scene and I was lucky enough, on multiple occasions, to see him around downtown Athens (funny guy). After his playing career, Billy would try out for the Carolina Panthers and make a cameo appearance in the 2006 film "We Are Marshall" before becoming a sound technician with the band MGMT. While being the smallest player on this countdown list, he was "Man Enough" to be a great Georgia Bulldog.