Dawgs vs. the Vols

First, let's chat a little about the butt whipping we witnessed just a couple weeks ago. I will admit that it took me a while to get over it. I had to wait several days before I had the desire to read the daily updates. I couldn't formulate any thoughts that I felt were worth sharing with you -- so I made no comments during the bye week.



As recently as Wednesday, I considered watching this week's game from the comforts of my couch. I allowed those feelings to run their course and recognized them as momentary lapses in judgement. Then I focused on getting my spirit straight. On Wednesday night, I sat down to watch the Bama game on Tivo.

These were my thoughts:

It was a cathartic experience. I was surprised by my strong sense of dread as I flipped through my recording list. I watched the opening minutes of the first quarter with a sickening feeling of anxiety. But, slowly, something began to change.....

Now, I need to be clear: The team that played the best won. The referees were not to blame. Alabama deserves all of the credit for a dominating first half, in a hostile environment, to secure an SEC road win.

But it wasn't as bad as I had originally thought. Every break, in the first half, went Alabama's way and they were able to capitalize. Which most good teams are going to do. I thought these four were key:

- Ellerbe goes down on the third play.

- The 18 yard punt by Mimbs allowed a short scoring drive.

- The AJ Green fumble (which looked more like an INT to me) would have converted a crucial third down. Had he held onto the ball, there wasn't a single defender between him and the goal line. That led to another Tide score.

- Durham had two great catches on consecutive plays. On the second, he rolls his ankle and is out indefinitely.

There were too many penalties (again) that are the result of a lack of judgement (roughing the passer) or concentration (false starts and whatever it was that Chandler was called for to open the second half). They killed our drives, kept our D on the field, and contributed to great field position for the Tide.

Prince Miller, as a defender, did not have a good game. Justin Anderson, at offensive tackle, had a poor performance. I thought Stafford and the receivers had some great moments. He has an incredible arm and threw a lot of nice balls. Michael Moore had a few key drops but also made some difficult grabs in traffic. Ben Jones played great at center. But he wasn't getting very much help. When he was called for holding on the 4th and 18 that we converted, I was screaming at the TV. Bama was only rushing three or four guys. Both of our guards stood straight up and touched no one. With a little help from either side, that play doesn't get called back.

A few thoughts that I hope CMR/Bobo/etc would take into consideration:



1. There are 93,000 fans that have been tailgating all day, dressed in black, that have the stadium feeling like it is about to explode. The perceived strength of this team is an offense with many weapons, including a Heisman candidate. Why do you defer to the second half?


2. You have Moreno (and King) in the backfield with Chapas as FB (who has been playing well). Southerland returns this week. Why is it the second quarter before you line up in the I-formation to run the ball? Further, why is the second play from scrimmage a screen pass? I realize that Saban likes to blitz and we want to counter. I realize that you want to get this Heisman candidate the ball, in space, where he can make a play. But why not hand him the ball, as you would do later, and let him be productive. I think we tried to be a little too cute too early in the game.



3. We have many weapons in the backfield and at each pass-catching position. I NEVER want to see a QB sweep again. Ever. Stafford got his bell rung. I think, as a direct result, he made poor decisions to finish that series and the next. It's just not worth it. When he has been forced from the pocket, he has made a few plays with his legs. Which I like to see. But in my opinion, he should never get his number called on a running play. The risk does not justify the reward.

I was proud to see this team continue to fight for the rest of the game. At the beginning of the fourth quarter, we had a game to watch - the difference was only two scores. One more key stop by the defense and the results MIGHT have been different.

Which brings me to this week. After last year's Tennessee game, there was a lot of bewilderment. Little did we know, there was a lot of excitement to come. I expect nothing different this year. All of our goals are still in sight. How sweet would it be to have the opportunity for a rematch in December?

The Vols


I have said it more than once: There are only two teams that I truly hate. Sure, we like to refer to the Tech game as "Good Ol' Fashioned Hate." But my feelings for the Gnats are nowhere near the level of disgust I feel for the teams from Gainesville and Knoxville. (Truthfully, I would be happy if the North Avenue Trade School only lost one game per year -- as long as that loss continues to ruin their Thanksgiving dinner.)



As for the Volunteers? I'd be happy if Fulmer never won another game. I wish he would have to spend the rest of his life in bewilderment looking up at the career win mark for General Neyland that he is so desperately chasing. I want Vanderbilt to be considered the best football program in Tennessee. And I would like to see the folks in eastern Tennessee so fed up with their team that they refuse phone service for their precious 865 area code. (If you need to, spell it out on your phone).

12 months ago, we spent a wonderful weekend in the mountains of Asheville. The weather was ridiculous. We enjoyed a perfect hike. As usual, we enjoyed some tasty meals prepared by Wolfgang Malcom.....all to the sounds from another Sarah mix (think John Cusak in High Fidelity). And the hated Volunteers did their best to try to ruin it all.

For the past two years, we have entered this game with 1 loss and, either protecting or trying to climb into, a top ten ranking. Both games were disastrous losses. Last year, we faced a two-loss Vol team that had been beaten by two, top-ten teams and wasn't highly regarded by the rest of the country. This year, we face a three loss team that has looked ugly even when they have won - scraping by Northern Illinois last week in Neyland Stadium - that isn't highly regarded by the rest of the country.

Once again, Fulmer has his back against the wall. The decibel levels of the "Fire Phil" chants are rising. There is even a new website calling for the hire of current Texas defensive coordinator, (and former Dawg DB) Will Muschamp. Which I hope never happens.

But make no mistake: A desperate Fulmer will do everything he can for a win that will do a lot to turn down the heat. He knows how to beat Georgia and he knows how to do it in Athens. The Volunteers own a winning record against Georgia that includes an 8-5 advantage Between the Hedges. In 2006, the Vols scored 51 points, in Athens, against a Dawg D that entered the game ranked 5th in the nation for scoring defense. That was only the second time that a visting team had ever eclipsed the 50 point mark at Sanford Stadium.

All of this means that I don't really know what to expect on Saturday. I believe Georgia needs to have a strong showing. On paper, this is a game the Dawgs should control on both sides of the ball and produce a convincing win.

The Vols will be led by sophomore QB, Nick Stephens. This will be only his second start after replacing lackluster junior, Jonathan Crompton. He will be protected by a perenially strong offensive line -- all upperclassmen, all over 300 pounds (with the exeption of 280 at center - which is the only position under 300 on the two-deep chart).

Senior RB Arian Foster has punished the Georgia D for two straight years by scoring 6 times. He is chasing - and will likely eclipse - the career rushing mark for a Tennessee program that has put many great backs in the NFL.

Their most explosive player is likely Sophomore WR, Gerald Jones. There has been a lot of buzz about the "G-gun" formation they are expected to showcase with him in the backfield. Last year, Arkansas had a lot of success running this package with Darren McFadden. This year, the NFL caught a glimpse of this formation in Miami with Ronnie Brown scoring 4 TD's in a single game.

The Volunteer D is ranked fifth nationally in total defense, hasn't allowed a 100 yard rusher in any game, and hasn't surrendered a rushing TD since the first game. For the season, they have allowed only one rush over 20 yards. They have been forcing turnovers - 9 INT's thus far by six different defenders.

Word on the street is that CMR has implemented new rules regarding penalties. Apparently, no longer will the individual player pay the price - the entire team will feel the pain when someone draws a flag.

Injuries are taking a toll:

As I said earlier, Brannan Southerland returns for the first, full time action this season. This senior leader, both on the field and in the weight room, has been missed. He will provide a tremendous boost with his blocking abilities and has shown he knows how to find the end zone.

Ellerbe will be out, and will be missed, in his MLB position. Our two best LB's, counting Marcus Washington, will be watching in street clothes. Thankfully, we have a lot of talent at that position. I have confidence that Curran, Gamble, Dent, and Dewberry will fill the void.

Bruce Figgins will be fighting through the pain to play at least one more game at TE before making a decision to have season ending surgery to repair a torn labrum. Chandler is out.

WR Taveres King and DE Rod Battle might play. Both have missed significant time this year.

I don't need to mention the gaping holes caused by the season long absence of OT Studivant and DT Owens.

What can you do?

You can join us to feast on a northern tailgating tradition: the Spedie. Karinne (and Charles) will once again be bringing this tasty little meal for us to enjoy under the oaks on North Campus. The weather is expected to be beautiful and I am fired up about watching the latest edition of the Red River Rivalry at noon. #5 vs. #1. It should be a good one.

I look forward to seeing you there and watching the Dawgs GATA.

Go Dawgs,

a Dawg's Best Friend

Ok. So I have been really slack with my email commentaries this year. What started out a few years ago as a way of coordinating the weekend's tailgating logistics eventually evolved into more elaborate discussions. While it was always something I thoroughly enjoyed doing, I really didn't know that folks enjoyed reading my musings as much as (at least some of you) have expressed. I was flattered to learn the extent to which some of the messages had been broadcast throughout cyberspace.



As my distribution list grew to include all types of fans (the die-hards, the casuals, the wanna-look-good-in-my-tailgate-outfits, the couldn't-care-less-but-my-signficant-other-does, and the don't-know-much-about-SEC football-but-am-always-up-for-a-good-time, etc.), I thought I was doing it to get everyone fired up for the next game. Then I realized I was doing it because I was fired up for the next game.







Regardless, I really enjoy our weekly conversations in the fall. I hope you like the new format and location. The idea is to be less abusive on the email inboxes - both yours and mine. And I like that you can post your own comments -- which I hope you will do.





I will admit that after I was flattered, I started to feel a little pressure to make sure that reading them was worth your time. It should be noted that nothing on this space should ever be confused with any type of actual journalism. Perhaps it might qualify for the op-ed pages. But I hope I provide a perspective, an idea, or an interpretation that you aren't getting from another source.






Almost daily, I read articles from many different publications. The good folks over at http://www.dawgbone.net/ serve as a great clearinghouse for all things Dawg related. (Check 'em out and click on some ads to make sure they keep it going - I hated it when the Grapevine ended up retiring). I steal quotes from newpapers. I read the depth charts, facts, and figures provided by the athletic department each week. And I pull from my own experiences from 32 years of bleeding red and black. I spend a lot of the week thinking about it and eventually I put some thoughts on paper.






So I hope you will continue to enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy putting them together. Please share any videos or other stuff that would make for an interesting post. I need to figure out how to work some of the gadgets on here -- so if anyone knows how to do this stuff, speak up. I would also like to be able add some tunes. (Ms. Susan Tedeschi is helping me gather tonight's thoughts for you. Dear Lord, thank You for that angelic voice that speaks to the soul.)






So, remember that it isn't a conversation unless you speak. So don't forget to post your thoughts when you finish reading mine.



Let's Get Down to Business......shall we?




I regret that I didn't finish my pre-season commentary. Among other things, I also missed my opportunity to comment on the fall in the rankings. But the intent for this week is to discuss the matchup with Alabama. So I will briefly review some of the points I didn't get to discuss up to this point in the season:

One big portion, Jeff Owens, is now a glaring omission from our defensive front. The rest of the D has filled in nicely. We aren't getting the pressure from our front four that we have come to rely on in years past. But our tackles have been filling holes and the LB's are playing well - making plays all over the field. The secondary needs to tighten up the coverage, but would be helped tremendously if the opposing QB's had a little less time to run through their progressions.

Stafford is starting to find a rythm - especially after last week's walk-about in the desert. AJ Green, the recruit we have been hearing about since he committed during the fall of his junior year two years ago, is coming off of a breakout game. And Knowshon isn't disappointing. After leaping defenders in a single bound,

he made last week's 12 foot leap into the end zone look ridiculously easy.

12 feet, people. Measure it. Take a running leap. Remember that no one is trying to take your head off. And see if you think it is easily done.

The offensive line is, once again, an untested question mark as the loss of LT Sturdivant was a big one. But after some shuffling, we seem to be putting together a formula that will provide the needed protection throughout the season. More on that in editions to come. So let's get started on Bama......

For the first time since 1976, Alabama and Georgia will face off, between the hedges, with both teams ranked in the top ten. It will be only the sixth time the two teams have played while both are carrying a national ranking. The Dawgs have left each of the previous five such contests with a "W".

The only other time these teams have played with unblemished records and top-ten rankings was in 1942. THAT Dawg victory lead to an eventual national title.

Twelve months ago, we were looking for a win to help right the ship. We were still licking the wounds from an earlier loss to the Gamecocks and were hoping to take our young squad into Tuscaloosa for a tough, SEC road win. Alabama was coming off a hard fought win against the Razorbacks. The Auburn Tigers had been dealt a tough loss by the Bulls from South Florida. And I was getting an earful about all of it on Paul Finebaum's radio show.

Thankfully, this year we escaped Columbia with a win. The Tide had a much easier win in Arkansas. But the Aubbies are staring at another tough loss (this time at the hands of the Bayou Bengals). The constant? The Bammers are, once again, chirping about a national title run. I didn't spend any time in Alabama this week so I wasn't inundated with all of the Finebaum rhetoric. But I have heard plenty about the 2008 Tide Title Run. My Auburn friends are begging for a Dawg win. Otherwise, they won't be able to bear the frenzy of next week. (I have said it before: if you have not experienced the hate that is the Auburn/Alabama rivalry, I can't explain it).



(Programming note: The Thursday night ESPN game is 21-0 at half right now. Go Beavers.)

The Alabama Offense

Sr. John Parker Wilson is back for another year at QB. He is chasing several career Bama QB records (last week, his 42nd career TD pass made him #1 on their list). The Tide are only averaging 150 passing yards per game -- which is a different approach than we have seen in the last three games. But they are getting it done on the ground - more on that in a bit.

JPW is protected by a big line (every starter is at least 300 lbs.) filled with upperclassmen. They are lead by a monster LT, Andre Smith. Three years ago, every major program wanted this kid. In April, he has a very good chance of getting the same level of love from the teams that play on Sunday.

At this point last year, each team had a redshirt freshman RB that they couldn't wait to showcase. We all know the success that Knowshon saw in the 2007 campaign. The Tide's Terry Grant had a good game against the Dawgs and had a great year -- finishing with 981 yards. But there paths have diverged and Grant finds himself at third on the Bama depth chart. (If anyone can provide the backstory on Grant's demise, I'd like to hear it - was it an injury?.)

The rushing attack is lead by Jr. Glen Coffee. He is coming off of a career-high, 162 yard performance against the Razorbacks and appears firmly entrenched as the number one option out of the backfield. He leads the team in yards (404) and attempts (47) while scoring 2 TD's.

Coffee's backup is a solidly built freshman from Flint, Michigan by the name of Mark Ingram. He has rushed for 263 yards on 43 carries and found the end zone 4 times (which leads the team).


Through the first 4 games, Alabama leads the SEC in rushing while averaging almost 240 yards per game.

This year's parallel between the Dawgs and the Tide can be drawn at wide receiver. True freshman Julio Jones was widely regarded as the number one WR recruit in the 2008 class (with most giving the #2 nod to AJ Green). Listed at 6-4, 210 lbs. he is a physical specimen with good speed. Every Dawg CB on the two-deep chart will be giving up at least 5 inches. This could be especially dangerous in the red zone. For the year, he has 11 catches for 132 yards and 3 TD's.

The Tide Defense

Nick Saban's teams are known for their defense. He loves to bring pressure and blitz from many different places. Against Saban schemes we have been both perplexed (03 SEC Championship game) and indifferent (2004 thumping of LSU in Athens). Our success came at the hands of several big plays. With the best WR duo that Athens has seen in a long time and the strongest arm to ever wear the Red and Black, I am hoping we can once again exploit the pressure. But that will require an offensive line that is still trying to find it's identity to dominate a few monsters......

Last year, I called out a true freshman by the name of Rolando McClain. He must have somehow read my comments that he could be good, but not comparable to SC's Jasper Brinkley. I then traveled to Tuscaloosa to watch this 6-4, 250 pound beast make plays all over the field. This year, he leads their D with 29 tackles and is a force up the middle.

But the true force in the middle is JUCO transfer, NG Terrence Cody. At 6-5, 365 he takes up PLENTY of space. With Dawg freshman Ben Jones set to get another start at center, he will have his hands full every snap Cody isn't taking a breather.

What can you do?

You can meet me under the beautiful oaks of North Campus. As usual, we will be gathering to enjoy cold beverages and tasty food. This week's main course is THREE smoked pork butts fresh from the mountains in Asheville, NC. Wolfgang Malcom will be bringing the latest edition from his beloved smoker. AND he says that this version is one of his best. My stomach is already growling.

We will also have brunswick stew, potato salad, a chicken pasta salad and whatever you choose to bring. I am expecting a pretty large crowd throughout the day (probably somewhere between 30-40 people.) So, bring a chair, your beverage of choice, and a snack or side that you want to throw in the mix. Marc is supposed to be adding another TV to the new generator. This means we will likely be able to watch two games instead of one. We might actually start fooling people into thinking that we know what we are doing.

I can't wait.

Go Dawgs,

a Dawg's Best Friend

p.s. (programming note: USC is no longer undefeated. Sweet dreams)