Hate Week 2011: The Warm Up

Florida Hate Week doesn't officially begin until Sunday but with both teams on a bye this weekend, it is never too early to start hating the Gators. We all know Georgia's lack of success against Florida over the last 20 years, but for the first time in a long time, I can honestly say that the past should have little affect on this year's game. Here is why:

• This is not the typical match up of ranked teams. Yes, this game means a great deal to the SEC East race, and specifically to Georgia . But both teams are coming off disappointing seasons in 2010 and have seen South Carolina pass them as the top team in the east. There's no national championship implications, no Heisman trophies, just two historic rivals meeting on the field.
• Urban Meyer is gone. So if Tim Tebow. Florida may have been struggling last year coming into the game, but they still had Urban on the sideline. There is no more curse of Tim Tebow or Urban's crazy spread offense.
  
• Muschamp was a Dawg. Yes, he may be burning bridges fast, but he still played football at Georgia and that will not be forgotten. As much as he claims to be all in at Florida, I can't see Muschamp pulling any of the tricks Spurrier or Meyer would have against Georgia.
• We both have byes this week. No one has the advantage in the rest department. After all these years of Georgia coming in beat up while Florida is healthy, Georgia actually looks like the healthier team right now. Florida will get Brantley and rested Demps back, but the Dawgs get Alec Ogletree, Malcolm Mitchell, and (hopefully) a revived Isaiah Crowell back.
  
• Georgia has a lot more on the line than Florida. Muschamp's job is not in jeopardy, it is his first year with a new offensive scheme. But Mark Richt (despite 5 straight wins) still has to be a little uneasy about his position. Georgia has not been to the SEC Championship game since 2005. Florida has won two NCs in that time.

None of these factors mean Georgia is going to win or that the team will forget their shortcomings in Jacksonville. What it does mean is that I am going to try and remove the past from my analysis of the game. Just as I won't talk about Tim Tebow, neither will I talk about Knowshon Moreno. Florida's dominance over the last 20 years won't be discussed, nor will Georgia's dominance for the first 90 years or so of the 20th century. This game is the dawn of a new decade and hopefully this will all just become a thing of the past.

How the University of Georgia helped Coastal Carolina Create a Football Program

As many of you know, Coastal Carolina has only been playing football at the varsity level since 2003. In only 8 years, they have won 4 Big South Conference championships and currently have 4 former players in the NFL. But most Georgia fans may not know that Coastal Carolina may not have developed a varsity football team without the help of the University of Georgia.

In 1987, Coastal Carolina was a small school that was a member of the University of South Carolina system of school. The school colors at the time were red and black, similar to the garnet and black worn by their parent school. That fall, the school would field its first football team, all be it on a club level with Georgia native Andy Lanier as coach. With limited funding, Coach Lanier reached out to both South Carolina and Clemson about donating old equipment for the team to use that fall. Both schools were unable to help, but another school stepped into to help the new team out.

That school was The University of Georgia, who gave them used helmets and shoulder pads. And since they were wearing red black, just like UGA, there was little need to spend extra money redoing the colors on the helmets. As a thank you gesture, the club team would call themselves the Coastal Carolina Bulldogs, instead of the school's traditional mascot, the Chanticleers. The success of the club team, and some funding from alumni, helped Coastal Carolina build new facilities that would eventually allow them to create their varsity football program.

Georgia's Liberty Bowl History: 1967

Of the Georgia Bulldogs' 45 bowl game appearances, two times the Dawgs have visited the Liberty Bowl. Here's a quick look back at Georgia's first visit to Memphis:

1967 - Georgia vs. North Carolina State

Vince Dooley's fourth season in Athens was met with high expectations. The Dawgs opened the season at #5 in the polls and was one of four teams featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated in their college football preview issue. The team was lead by standouts Bill Stanfill and Jake Scott and rose to #3 in the ratings. But a loss to Ole Miss in October (29-20) followed by losses to Houston and Florida resulted in a disappointing 7-3 season.

The Dawgs accepted a bid to take on North Carolina State from the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Wolfpack had finished the season 8-2 and had climbed to number 1 in the ranking following an upset victory over Houston. But a loss to Clemson late in the season cost them an ACC Championship. They were lead by their defense, known as the "White Shoes Defense" and by ACC player of the year, quarterback Jim Donnan. The same Jim Donnan who would later become coach of the Georgia Bulldogs.

On December 16, 1967, the Dawgs took the field against the Wolfpack in front of 35,054 fans at the Liberty Bowl stadium in Memphis. Donnan gave NC State the first lead of the game, ending a long drive with a touchdown pass. Georgia was able to tie the score at 7 before the end of the first half, after marching 68 yards for a touchdown. Quarterback Corey Moore completed four passes to set up a one yard score by Ronnie Jenkins.

The second half continued to be a defensive battle. NC State took the lead early in the fourth quarter, but Georgia got the ball back near its own goal line with a chance to go the length of the field for the tie. After driving 96 yards, the Dawgs were faced with a fourth and goal at the NC state 3. Corey Moore pitched the ball to Lawrence, who was stopped at the 1 yard line. NC State held on for the 14-7 victory in a game in which Georgia outgained NC State 276 to 207. Georgia finished the year at 7-4.

FINAL SCORE: NC State 14, Georgia 7

Miss. State: A History

Although both are charter members of the conference, Georgia has only met the Western Bulldogs 21 times. The Good Dawgs hold a 16-5 advantage and have won 9 consecutive meetings, dating back to 1974 and a 38-14 MSU win in Jackson.

Georgia won the most recent meeting 27-24 in Athens in 2006, a game remembered for Mo Massaquoi hearing the boo birds after struggling with the droppsies midway through his sophomore season.

When they last met in Starkvegas in 2005, DJ Shockley led the way to a 23-10 victory, sending Georgia to a 4-0 start that culminated in an SEC Championship. Shockley finished the day with 312 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Leonard Pope caught 3 passes for 55 yards and a touchdown, while MSU's running back Jerious Norwood was held to 43 yards on 14 carries. Clearly, the '05 SEC Champions could still remember the habits of a hard-nosed Brian VanGorder defense from a year prior.

And clearly today, the '10 version of the Red & Black Dawgs still remember those bad habits of a third-and-Willied defense.

Miss. State's a well-coached football team that provides enough danger to send Georgia to 1-3 in the stinging midst of ringing cowbells. The Good Dawgs have never lost 3 consecutive games under Richt, and if that trend is to continue, Georgia will probably have to run more than two formations on offense.

The 3-4 defensive growing pains may continue to suffer against a very good offensive mind like Mullen's. But at least Miss. State quarterbacks Chris Relf and Tyler Russell have shown a propensity to throw interceptions. Yet in a 29-7 loss to LSU last week, Miss. State outgained the Bayou Bengals in total yardage.

Starkvegas: Beware of Dog, but remember the first Miss. State mascot, Bully I, got hit by a bus on campus.

1937

The last time UGA met Tennessee when both teams were unranked. Like this Saturday, the game was played in Knoxville.

Tennessee won 32-0. I pray for the mental health of the Bulldawg Nation that doesn't happen this Saturday.

The Dawgs and Vols have met 25 times since that 1937 meeting. An impressive streak of at least one program being ranked between the two. Something you might expect when discussing the program with second most SEC titles (Tennessee - 13) against the program with the third most SEC titles (Georgia - 12). These are the kind of historical streaks that Florida doesn't have. Both UT and UGA have actually played football for 100+ years at a quality level.

From 1972: UGA QB and Athens High School's very own Andy Johnson squares off against UT LB Art Reynolds at Sanford Stadium. #13 UT would win 14-0. Yet another UGA-UT matchup in which at least one team was ranked. Courtesy of UPI and govolsxtra.com.

The 1937 Georgia team finished 6-3-2 and was Coach Harry Mehre's last Georgia team. Mehre coached the Dawgs from 1928 to 1937, recorded an overall record of 59-34-6 (.626), and led Georgia as an initial member of the Southeastern Conference in 1933.

Coach Joel Hunt would lead the Dawgs for one season in 1938 before Coach Wally Butts took over in 1939 and would be the head man for 21 seasons.

Side note: The 1937 Tennessee team was led by the famous General Robert Neyland. They finished 6-3-1, shutting out 7 opponents. Yes, the tie was 0-0 with Duke. The 1938 Vols would go on to shut out 8 opponents, while the 1939 Vols would shut out 10 opponents and the 1940 Vols would shut out 8 opponents.

Neyland left after 1940 as he was recalled to military service during World War II. He returned to coach the Vols from 1946 to 1952.

The Countdown 2009: 11 Days to Go

11

Number of former Georgia players in the collegiate football Hall of Fame. These players include Bob McWhorter, Frank Sinkwich, Charley Trippi, Vernon Smith, Bill Hartman, Fran Tarkenton, Bill Stanfill, Herschel Walker, Terry Hoage, Kevin Butler, and John Rauch.

The Countdown 2009: 18 Days to Go

18

Seasons in which the Georgia Bulldogs have won at least 10 games. The Dawgs finished the 2008 season 10-3, its sixth 10 win season under Mark Richt in eight years.

The Countdown 2009: 23 Days to Go

23

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

The Countdown 2009: 29 Days to Go

29

As in 1929, the Bulldogs' inaugural season at Sanford Stadium. The Bulldogs opened their new stadium by defeating Yale, 15-0. Georgia was coached by Harry Mehre, who had taken over the coaching duties the previous year. Mehre would coach the Bulldogs until 1937, compiling a lifetime record of 59-34-6 (.626).

The Countdown 2009: 50 Days to Go

50

Points scored by Georgia in its first football game against Mercer in 1892. The final score of the game was Georgia 50, Mercer 0.

The Bulldogs were coached by then professor Charles Herty. The game was played on the area of North Campus that would later become known as Herty Field. The picture above shows Herty Field circa 1890 when it was primarily used for baseball games.

The Countdown 2009: 92 Days to Go

'92

In 1892, the first year in which the University of Georgia fielded a football squad.

Bringing Back Traditions: Dominating in Jacksonville

Georgia and Florida first met on the gridiron in Jacksonville, Florida in 1915. Georgia dominated that day, winning 37-0. Georgia would go on to 15 of the first 19 games played on the banks of the St. Johns River. In recent years, we have seen a reversal of this trend, as the Gators have taken 14 of the last 17. However, few people fail to realize that before the Gators' recent string began in 1990, the Dawgs had won 15 of the previous 19. What does this all mean?

It means it is time for the Dawgs to get back to the tradition of winning in Jacksonville. In recent days, there has been a lot of talk about moving the game to Atlanta once every few years. While it would be nice for Georgia fans to have the shorter drive every once in a while, I do not think moving the game to Atlanta would change the outcome of this series. It has always been a series of domination and in recent years it has swung the Gators' way.

When the Dawgs won in 2007 (in a game that was not as nearly as close as the 42-30 score indicated), I thought the series was finally going to turn around. While the result of the 2008 game was horrible, it does not mean that the Gators will continue their recent dominance. The WLOCP is a rivalry again, thanks in part to Evil Richt and Trinton Sturdivant's dancing With the 2008 game passed, the Gators have now had a 19 year period of dominance, the same length as two Dawg dominated periods in the series history.

It's over, Urban.

Here's to hoping 2009 marks the beginning of a new 19 year period of Georgia dominance in Jacksonville.

Sanford Stadium Turns 80

Our home field, Sanford Stadium, turns 80 this fall. Here is a look at the history of our home field, known simply to many as "Between the Hedges".

"Building a stadium bigger than Tech"

In 1927, Georgia's football team was enjoying an undefeated season heading into its final game of the season again Georgia Tech. At the time Georgia did not have a football field that was able to accommodate a large number of spectators. For this reason, the annual match up between the two teams was almost always played at Georgia Tech's Grant Field in Atlanta. Georgia would lose to Tech, 12-0, and lost its perfect season. Allegations were brought that Georgia Tech had watered the field the entire night before the game, rendering Georgia's faster running game inept. This proved to be the final straw for Steadman Sanford. Sanford began a campaign asking Georgia alumni and friends to support the "building a stadium bigger than Tech" and he successfully raised $150,000. Construction soon began on the new stadium on area of campus above Tanyard Creek with a target opening for the 1929 season.

"All the while the sun was bearing down, and the Yale players, in their dark blue woolen jerseys and long blue socks, began looking for the water boy." - John Stegeman and Robert Willingham, Touchdown

On October 12, 1929, The University of Georgia officially dedicated Sanford Field as it welcomed Yale to Athens. The new stadium, with a final cost of $360,000, was completely sold out for the game that day. Nearly 30,000 fans had bought tickets in advance and another 3,000 standing room tickets were sold that morning to see the heavily favored team from Yale take on Georgia. Yale came in on the heels of an 89-0 beating of Vermont but would not be greeted kindly by the Dawgs that day. "Catfish" Smith would provide all the scoring Georgia would need as it blanked Yale, 15-0.

Between the Hedges

The man responsible for planting infant hedges around the field prior to the first game against Yale was Athletic Department Business Manager Charlie Martin. Martin had visited the Rose Bowl and had liked the rose bushes that circled the field. Because of the weather in Athens, privet hedges were used instead and remain a fixture in Sanford Stadium to this day.

Lights, an Upper Deck, and a National Championship

In 1940, lights were added to Sanford Stadium to allow games to go into the night and provide better visibility and 6,000 additional seats were added to South stands. In 1967, the field level lights were removed and architecture firm Heery and Heery was hired to add a second deck. The expansion cost nearly $3 million and expanded the seating capacity to nearly 59,000.

1980 would see the first undefeated National Championship season as Georgia won it all. The next year, the east end zone was enclosed, ending the days when students would watch games from the railroad tracks. Ten years later, the west end zone would also be closed, increasing capacity to 85,434.

Moving the Hedges for Soccer

In the summer of 1996, Atlanta played host to the world as the Olympics came to Georgia. Sanford Stadium was used as the venue for Olympic soccer. Due to the size of the field, the hedges were removed during the games and replanted before the start of the 1996 football season.

2000's Expansions and the Future

In 2003, the stadium once again underwent expansion as a second upper deck (the 600 level) was added. The following year, 27 additional sky suites were added, bringing the capacity of Sandford Stadium to its current level of 92,746.

A view of the new upper deck during the "Blackout" in 2007.

There is talk of potentially expanding the second upper deck around the East end zone. Below is an artist's rendering. If this expansion is completed it will bring the capacity of Sanford Stadium to more than 100,000.

For all its expansions and updates, Sanford Stadium remains a classic stadium filled with history. Here's to many more years of memories between the hedges!

It All Started 117 Years Ago

Today marks the 117th Anniversary of the first football game for the University of Georgia. On January 30, 1892, Georgia played Mercer University at Herty Field on North Campus. Georgia would defeat Mercer 50-0 and would begin its winning tradition. Three weeks later, the team would head to Piedmont Park in Atlanta to take on Auburn and the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry was born.

The University of Georgia Football Team, circa 1892