Strong Finish to the season

Well, this has been a disappointing season for the University of Georgia Bulldogs, but they did finish the season strong with a win over Texas A&M in the bowl game and a big win over the ACC Champion Georgia Tech Yellow jackets. Winning the last two games gives the Dawgs good momentum into the off season, which should carry over to spring practice as well as help with recruiting. Also, with the win last night the Dawgs record moves to 8-5. Georgia now holds the record for the longest active streak of 8 wins in a season at 13 straight seasons. That is not too shabby!

Going into the game last night, I felt like it was going to be a high scoring battle since A&M’s defense has been worse then the Dawgs D, but that was not the case in the first quarter. That was a defensive battle and neither team could move the ball even with Georgia’s best defensive player, Rennie Curran, forced to sit out the first quarter for a team violation. It wasn’t until late in the half when Texas A&M scored the games first TD. But Georgia answered back on the kickoff with a great 81-yard run back by Brandon Boykin. Then after the Dawgs held the Aggies to another 3 and out, Bacarri Rambo blocks the punt and the Dawgs recover on the two-yard line. So Georgia went from being down by 7 with about two minutes left in the half to being up by 7 with about 90 seconds left in the half. That was a huge momentum shift and the Dawgs never let up. I think the reduced defensive staff (Rodney Garner and two grad assistants; Mitch Doolittle and Todd Hartley) did a great job preparing for the high-powered Aggie offense and rightly deserved their Powerade baths at the end of the game.

I think the players and coaches did a great job preparing and getting up for the game. This could have been a game where the team just laid down and rolled over. But they didn’t and they wanted to show the world that even with a depleted coaching staff, they could live up to the standards that are expected at Georgia. This has been a down year, but even in a year that most people view as a disappointment, they still won 8 games. There is something to be said about that! I think this is a great momentum builder for the Dawgs and hopefully it will carry over to next year. This team has a bright future with some proven stars in receiver AJ Green, tight ends Orson Charles and Aron White, running backs Caleb King and Washaun Ealey along with the veteran offensive line. Throw in the potentially great QB in Murray or Mettenberger and those are the building blocks for a powerful offense. There are still questions on the defensive side of the ball with the biggest being who is Richt going to hire as Defensive Coordinator? Also, the decisions of linebacker Rennie Curran and safety Rashad Jones will have a big effect on the defense. If they decide to leave early for the NFL, that will change defense dramatically. If both of those guys stay, I am confident our “D” will be one of the best in the SEC. But now we wait and see!
Of course I am happy the Dawgs won, but I am happier for the seniors for going out with a win, especially Joe Cox. He has taken a lot of flack this season and to see him end his playing career with a win is huge. I am glad the Dawgs finished strong and I am already looking forward to the start of the next season!

Go Dawgs!