Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Lady Dawgs Defeat Bulldogs

BASKETBALL

Jasmine James notched 17 points, five rebounds, two assists and four steals as the No. 15 Georgia Lady Dawgs (6-1) beat the South Caroline State Bulldogs (2-3), 85-48, Wednesday night.

“I’m proud of our team for the way it shot the ball," said coach Andy Landers. "We shot very well from the floor and the best we’ve shot from the free throw line this season. We did some things that were good and we did some things we’d like to have do-overs on. We left a couple of fast-break layups on the table tonight. We left a couple of chip shots underneath out there.”

Georgia started the game with a dominant 16-0 run in the first 6:38 of the game and never looked back.

The Lady Dawgs scored 18 of their first-half points by connecting on 60 percent from behind the three-point line. Khaalidah Miller paced the three-point effort with a pair of treys early in the period.

Georgia started the second period slow, after entering the locker room with a 40-29 lead. After scoring just six points in the first three minutes of the second stanza, the Lady Dawgs doubled their lead in just 4:24 minutes with a 15-2 run.

In the last two minutes of the game, Krista Donald hit a jumper and connected on four shots from the free throw line, accounting for six of her seven points of the night.
Georgia shot 78.9 percent from the line tonight, aided by Donald's 5-of-6 and Jasmine Hassell's 6-of-8 free throw efforts.

Erika Ford recorded her second consecutive double-digit scoring effort this season with 10 points; Ford also had three rebounds, two assists and four steals.

“We’ve said it before, but she’s got a sense and really smooth body control," continued Landers. "She’s got the power package to go along with it. She has elusiveness, she’ll go around you and make a play. She’s a really enjoyable player to coach.”

In all, four Lady Dawgs had double-digit scoring efforts and Georgia shot 50.8 percent from the floor. Hassell and Miller scored 12 and 11 points, respectively.

The Lady Dawgs return to action Sunday, December 4 at 2:00 p.m. when they host in-state rival Georgia Tech. The first 1,500 fans will receive replica Lady Dawg jerseys.

Post-Game Notes

• The Lady Dawgs improved to 6-1 overall.
• Georgia is now 8-1 against South Carolina State, including a 5-0 record versus S.C.S.U in Athens.
• With the Lady Dawgs 85-48 win, Georgia is now 428-7 when scoring 80 or more points during Coach Andy Landers’ 33 seasons at the helm.
• Georgia converted 30 S.C. State turnovers into 34 points.
• The Lady Dawgs’ bench came through, scoring 31 points, while the post players racked up 34 points in the paint.
• Georgia shot a season-high 78.9 percent from the free throw line.

Lady Bulldogs In Double Digits

Jasmine James tied her season best with 17 points, marking her fifth double-digit game of the season and the 44th of her career.
Jasmine Hassell’s 12 points, brought her double-digit performances to four on the season and the 24th of her career.
Khaalidah Miller tallied her seventh double-digit game of the season and the 21st of her career with 11 points, including nine from behind the arc.
Erika Ford recorded 10 points for her second double-digit game of the season and the second of her career.

Wednesday Practice Report

FOOTBALL

The 12th-ranked Dawgs continued preparations for the SEC Championship game with a two-hour practice Wednesday in clear conditions and the temperature hovering around 40 degrees.

“The colder it is, the faster they practice,” said coach Mark Richt. “It seems like there’s more incentive to get it done, even during our breaks, guys wanted to keep moving.”

Wednesday’s session was the last practice in pads this week. Thursday’s workout will be in jerseys, shorts and helmets, and the team will have another walk-through in the Georgia Dome Friday. After opening the season in the Georgia Dome, the Dawgs know what the conditions will be like for Saturday’s tilt with the top-ranked Tigers.

“It will be warm and humid in there, we know it was last time and some guys were cramping,” said Richt. “There will be a lot of fans again and plenty of noise to go around.”

Georgia (10-2, 7-1 SEC) is riding a 10-game winning streak while No. 1 LSU is undefeated at 12-0 (8-0 SEC). This will be the third time the programs meet in an SEC Championship game with LSU emerging with a victory in 2003 and the Dawgs claiming the 2005 conference crown. The all-time series favors LSU 15-12-1 with the last meeting coming in 2009, a 20-13 Tiger win in Athens.

One topic that Richt did not address Wednesday was Georgia’s tailbacks.

“I don’t want to talk about tailbacks; there are no good answers, so I’m not going to answer any today. We’ll talk about that after the game,” Richt added.

Richt did confirm Georgia would be wearing its regular red jerseys and silver britches Saturday. LSU is the home team, and the Tigers wear their white jerseys when they are at home. Consequently, the Dawgs can wear their home red jerseys too.

Saturday’s kickoff in Atlanta is set for 4 p.m., and the contest will be televised nationally on CBS.

Tuesday Press Conference–Part 2

FOOTBALL

Coach Mark Richt

On comparing UGA and LSU's defenses…

"They are both good defenses. They really have some great characteristics of great defenses. Both of them do with big physical lineman, linebackers who run and hit and safeties and corners who can play ball. They're all good. They are well coached. They've both had a lot of success. I'm sure they are both very confident in their ability to play the game and play defense. They are a lot alike in those characteristics."

On Georgia's defense going against LSU's offense…

"It's going to be interesting to see. That's maybe one of the most compelling match ups of the game is their run offense versus our run defense."

On Coach Todd Grantham moving Georgia's linebackers around and if that causes difficulties for an opposing team's offense…

"It's problematic. Even if you look at LSU's secondary. They have done a lot of moving guys around, and it is kind of hard to know where a guy is going to line up sometimes. Every player is different. They have different characteristics. There may be a certain match up you are trying to get, but if you don't know for sure where I guy is going to line up it is hard plan for that. Once the game gets going not many people are changing left and right, but from one game to the next if you are not exactly sure who is going to line up where it's hard to say 'I like this play in this situation versus this player,' if you don’t' know where he's going to line up."

On if Georgia's been able to move around more on defense this year compared to last year…

"Oh yeah. Some of it was because of injury. Some of it was because of the style of play of who we might have been going against. Even when Shawn Williams ended up playing linebacker one game it was just a game we thought we could get away with it. But the very next game we put Amarlo Herrera there because it was more of a downhill, physical running football team. The personality of the other team's offense will allow you to do that from time to time."

On Alec Ogletree's return to the defense…

"Alec is fast. He is physical. He loves football. He's very competitive. Without a doubt, we became better with him. I don't know if you could prove anything statistically, but we're a better defense with him than without him I can promise you."

On how much tackling there has been in practice last week and will be this week this late into the season…

"Last week, we were in pads Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. It was mainly to allow our scout team to go as hard and has fast as they could against our defense to try and at least give them a taste of what it might be like facing Georgia Tech's offense. We'll go back to our normal routine of Monday in shorts, today in pads, tomorrow shells and Thursday in shorts and helmets again. We will not tackle against each other today. It's too late in the season and by now you either know how to tackle or you don't. I think early in the year until you've established it and you're pretty good at it you got to keep doing it."

On tackling in practice throughout the season…

"I don't know exactly when we reduced it. We had probably 30 minutes worth when the season started and it reduced to 20 minutes, reduced to 10 minutes as the season went on."

On preparing the younger players for this weekend's game…

"Right now, my goal is just to continue to prepare like we've been preparing for the last 12 games. Just to get these guys to understand what they are doing schematically, what type of techniques they are going to have to deal with as far as the coverage techniques and maybe learn about as much as they can about each corner and they strengths and weaknesses of them. Then just go and attack. We really treat it like any other game."

On maintaining stamina against LSU…

“We sub a lot in some areas. Not all areas. We have a little bit of depth in certain spots. I think one thing that helps everybody is the amount of TV timeouts during a game. I think there will probably be four in each quarter, so you don’t play very long. If somebody gets in there and drives 12 plays, or there are 10-12-14 play drives, sometimes that can wear you down. There are just so many timeouts, so many change of possessions. I’m not too concerned about that. We’re in pretty good condition I think.”

On how Georgia can win with LSU being the favorite…

"You do what you do and you do it well. They're going to do what they do and they are going to try and do it well. I'm a broken record on the turnover ratio but that's huge. If we can come out of there and win that part of the game we got a lot better chance of winning it. You don't want to give up the big play on special teams. I just think that we have to look at our strengths and play to those and just get after it. That's really what it's going to come down to. It's going to be a good football game."

On the availability of DeAngelo Tyson and Richard Samuel IV…

"Both of them we really don't know for sure. Neither one of them will practice today. I guess I can say that. It's kind of day to day on those guys."

Defensive End Abry Jones

On playing in the SEC Championship…

“Most of the guys realize that this is a big game for us. Everyone wants to go out and win the SEC Championship. We are just going to go out and do what we have done all year. We are focusing on staying disciplined, executing plays when the time is right and try to make many mistakes.”

On starting 0-2…

“What we have done this kind of takes the bad taste from last year out of our mouth. We’re happy that we have won 10 in a row, but we aren’t focusing too much on that. We are really focused on this game because of what we did to get here.”

Linebacker Mike Gilliard

On playing LSU…

“This is such a big time game. I feel like as a defense, we have something to prove. They are the number one team in the country and we have to go out there and make plays. This game is about the best team from the West playing the best team from the East. It doesn’t get any better than that. LSU is a great team with a great quarterback and four really talented, young running backs who will pound you. I’m really excited about going out there and playing on Saturday.”

On playing for the SEC Championship…

“It feels great to be able to play for the championship. I feel like we focused on getting better as a team each week. I think we have done just that. To start 0-2 and to go and play for the SEC Championship, it feels great.”

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Tuesday Press Conference–Part 1

FOOTBALL

Coach Mark Richt

Opening Statement…

“I could have been out recruiting today, but we’re here instead. So that’s a good thing. LSU is a great football team. I think the one thing that stands out to me is their physicality. They’re not real tricky. Their goal is not to trick anybody. Their goal is to line up and play real sound football in all three phases and basically physically maul you; wear you down and wear you out, make you quit. They’ve been able to do it most every game they’ve played. They have a very impressive group of athletes. They are extremely well-coached by Coach Les Miles and his staff.

“Since I’ve been at Georgia, LSU has been the winningest team in the Southeastern Conference. It just so happens that three of the four times we’ve been in the SEC Championship Game, LSU has been our opponent. We’re looking forward to the opportunity and the challenge of it.”

On LSU trying to win a national championship and UGA trying to win an SEC Championship and if that puts added pressure on LSU and make it easier on UGA…

"There's plenty of motivation in my opinion for both teams to play their best. When you get used to winning it becomes a habit just like anything else can become a habit, so you are going to play in such a way that gives you the best chance of winning again. Only one team can win and we know that, but I think that both teams have plenty motivation to get up and play in this ball game. Just playing in the (Georgia) Dome is a special thing. You know if you are in there something good happened to you, especially this time of year. The fans will be excited. The players will be excited. Coaches will be jacked up. It's going to be a great atmosphere."

On whether Georgia has played a team comparable to LSU…

“There aren’t many defenses out there that are so obscure that you don’t know what’s going on. The thing about them, they have plenty of diversity in their defense, but they aren’t trying to trick you. They aren’t trying to trick you offensively in any way, shape or form. They’ll line up and see who the best team is. They make very few mistakes. They are plus-19 in the turnover ratio, which is number one in our league. We are number two at plus-10. Of course that stat is always a huge one. It’s been very big for us in the last 10 games. We’ve not lost the turnover battle. I don’t know if they’ve lost one all season long. To be plus-19, if they’ve lost any they might have lost one. But I imagine they won the battle every time, or tied it.“

On LSU playing this season with a bull's eye on them all year and getting everyone's best shot…

"A lot of people had them preseason number one, and I've been on teams that were preseason number one and you do get everyone's best shot. I think their style of play is just so solid that you have a lot less chance of messing it up on any one given day. It's real simple, it's real solid and it's real physical and you just get after people and they've been able to do it."

On being around football as long as he has if he trusted the team to handle their business in the locker room after starting 0-2…

"There was no business in the locker room to handle. You know what I'm saying? There was no dissention. There was no finger pointing. There was no loss or lack of confidence in each other coaches to players, players to coaches. I thought we had good leadership. I thought we had good work ethic. I thought we had a pretty good talent base and needed to grow up a little bit in some areas. I didn't know for sure what was going to happen, but I wasn't looking at the landscape and saying we don't have a chance – we don't have the personnel, I'm worried about the chemistry, I'm worried about guys jumping ship – none of that. It didn't even come close. We just went back to work, and thankfully, began to win."

On if any guys "took the bull by the horns" after the 0-2 start to get the team going…

"I can't sit here and say that, but the usual suspects of Ben Jones, Brandon Boykin, Aaron Murray, Orson Charles, DeAngelo Tyson, Abry Jones – all these guys – Jarvis Jones – it was more of a team thing really. I can't sit here and say one or two guys all of a sudden pulled everybody out of some kind of funk. We weren't in a funk. We didn't get to that point."

On the importance of a quarterback’s maturity level…

“You could probably say it in the NFL more than any league: If you don’t have good quarterback play it’s hard to win, period. Of course the Colts don’t have Peyton Manning anymore, and they’re struggling. If New England didn’t have Tom Brady, what would they be able to do? I don’t know unless someone else stepped in and played great.

It’s hard to win in our league without at least good, solid quarterback play. If your quarterback is playing well, I think the team feeds off that. If things are going rough and your quarterback spits the bit, I think you are in big trouble. If he can stand in the gap and stay strong and keep fighting and encouraging and start to make plays, I think a really good quarterback can pull you out of a bad situation. I think Aaron Murray has gotten to the point where I don’t think anyone every questions his toughness mentally or physically. No one ever questions his preparation. No one questions his loyalty to the team. I think everybody responds well to him if things got rough.”

On whether Aaron Murray’s demeanor has changed during the season…

“Not really. He is so well-prepared and he creates such good habits in practice that even if he does have an off day or an off quarter or a bad throw here and there, he can’t help but get back in pretty good shape.”

On whether LSU might pick the brain of quarterback Zach Mettenberger…

“I didn’t even think about that until just now. They might be. We haven’t changed an awful lot, and Zach certainly knew what we were doing. They might be picking his brain, I don’t know. There is so much that you can get on film now days, I don’t know how much more he could add to it. We have also gone to a no-huddle since Zach has gone, and we have code names and hand singles that he has no idea about. I don’t think it will be a factor, but it could be.”

On any concern with Georgia’s tailbacks going up against LSU…

"It's a concern. I'm concerned with how our guys will play at the tailback position, but we'll see. We've found a way so far having to mix and match a little bit. On paper, you certainly look at their backs and they are pretty stacked, they're physical and they are more of a known entity than what we've got right now."

On the notion of using two or three guys versus using the hot guy at tailback…

"I think you have to, but I think they can be one in the same. I think you can have two or three really good backs, but there may be a particular game that one guy is hot and you can let him ride. But through the course of a season you better have at least two and maybe three guys who can carry the ball for you, especially when you run the ball the way LSU wants to run it."

On team's being defined as "special" teams and how he sees this year's team…

"I think for coaches teams are special when the guys work hard and when the guys trust the staff in that they are coachable, teachable and you have sense that they will fight for you. You get sense that care about you and they care about each other. They care about Georgia and they care about doing things the Georgia way. All those things get coaches excited about teams. But I think these guys as a whole are that way. It's easy to say that when you are winning, but even when we were 0-2, I really felt that way about them and I think they did too.

Before the season I didn't know how the season would start because of the schedule we had and all, but I just felt like we had chance to be a really good team before it was over. I thought we were going to have a team that would really improve as the season went along and I think we have. The question is going to be how much have we improved and have we really got to the point we can play this game and get the job done."

Quarterback Aaron Murray

On playing in the SEC Championship…

“It’s going to be exciting. We’ve been working for this since January; it’s been our goal to get back and be able to compete for an SEC Championship. We just have to treat it like any other game and go out there and work hard in practice all week and we’ll be ready to go.”

On LSU…

“They’re a very talented team, there’s a reason why they’re number one in the nation. They’re sound everywhere. I haven’t watched a lot of offensive film on them, obviously I’ve been just focused on the defense. They’re very talented and very fast all over the place. It’s going to be a huge challenge for us.”

Receiver Chris Conley

On playing in the SEC Championship as a freshman…

“Everybody always talks about the SEC Championship and championships, period, as big games, but it’s still the same thing; we come in on Monday and do game reviews, we look over the scout report and you look at a team and you see there are 11 guys on the field. There is a certain magnitude and prestige that comes with a game like this, but really, when you think about it, it’s just another game and we’ve got to prepare the same way.”

On pre-game nerves this week in the dome…

“I don’t really get nervous because of who we play. I really like to focus on me and the things that I can do and the things that I can control. When it comes down to getting nervous, I don’t really get nervous because of teams. I might get butterflies before I step on the field, but not necessarily because of who we’re playing or what’s at stake because if you play like that I feel like you aren’t going to do your best.”

On LSU’s defense…

“LSU’s defense is a great defense, it’s going to be a challenge for our offense. It’s something that we embrace, it’s something that we look at as we’re going into this week and making the game plan for them. They’re very talented up front, very explosive in the secondary. They’re very talented. As a lot of people know, they have players who can make plays, stretch the field and cover a lot of grass. It’s definitely a challenge for us, going into this week and knowing what we have to prepare for.”

Munson Memorial Set

Larry MunsonA one-hour memorial service for legendary University of Georgia radio announcer Larry Munson will be held Saturday, Dec. 10, at 1 p.m. in Sanford Stadium.

Munson, who served as the voice of the Georgia Bulldogs for 42 years, died at his Athens home Sunday night, Nov. 20, with complications from pneumonia.

Seating will be on the south side of the stadium. Stadium gates open at 12 noon.

Free parking on a first come, first served basis will be available in all surface lots and the Tate Center parking deck. Parking will not be permitted on sidewalks.

In case of inclement weather, the memorial service will be moved to Stegeman Coliseum.

Dawgs Preparing For Dome

FOOTBALL

After completing the regular season with 10 straight wins, the 12th-ranked Georgia football team began preparations on Monday for Saturday’s Southeastern Conference Championship Game in Atlanta against LSU.

In a steady rain and with temperatures dipping into the 40s, the Dawgs worked out for just over an hour under the lights on the Woodruff Practice Fields.

“I think you have more energy when it’s cold,” coach Mark Richt said with a laugh. “When it’s cold and rainy, everybody wants to move around and get it done quickly. Everybody’s in good spirits. We’re excited. There’s only two teams in the league right now practicing and getting ready for the championship game, and we know we’re in a very privileged spot and hopefully we’ll take advantage of it.”

The Dawgs pushed their win streak to 10 straight with last week's regular-season-finale victory over Georgia Tech. After an 0-2 start, the Dawgs wound up at 10-2 overall. LSU is ranked No. 1 with a 12-0 mark.

"It's a great feeling, especially coming up from starting off 0‑2 to really turn the season around," quarterback Aaron Murray said. "This is a very young team, and I think we definitely have matured during the season. And just taking each week individually, we have gotten better week by week. We feel good with the progress we've made and the direction we're heading right now."

Saturday's game at the Georgia Dome will kick off at 4 p.m. and will be televised by CBS. Georgia is making its fourth appearance in the SEC Championship Game as the SEC Eastern Division representative, winning the league title in 2002 and 2005.

Richt said the captains for Saturday's game will be offensive tackle Cordy Glenn, tight end Orson Charles, cornerback Brandon Boykin and linebacker Jarvis Jones.

"It's been a great run," Jones said. "We started at the bottom of the polls. Everybody was counting us out early with the two losses to Boise State and South Carolina. But we kept our composure. We stayed together as a unit. We locked in, and we believed in each other. We've had some great things happen for us. We had a lot of players step up, coaches step up, and everybody kept the faith. Things have been going great.”

One of Georgia's losses — the season opener against Boise State — came in the Georgia Dome, the site of Saturday's game. But Boykin said much has changed since the first week.

"We're a totally different team from the first game in the Dome," Boykin said. "Everybody has a lot more experience, and they'll be able to play in that environment and know what it's like to play in a big game. We had a lot of freshmen, a lot of young guys, that had to play that first game against a very experienced Boise team. Now that the season's progressed, they aren't freshmen anymore. They know how to play in those types of games. We'll definitely be ready."

“We were trying to get back to the Dome for a second time, we accomplished that goal and now we want to take advantage of our situation,” Richt said. “We want to be prepared. Not only were we trying to get back to the Dome on a weekly basis, but we were trying to improve to the point where if we did get back to the Dome, we’d be ready. And hopefully we will be.”

Smith & Boykin Honored

FOOTBALL

Sophomore defensive end Garrison Smith has been named the Southeastern Conference Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week following his performance in the 31-17 road win over #25 Georgia Tech, according to a league announcement on Monday.

Smith is the second straight Dawg to earn the conference’s Defensive Lineman of the Week after junior Abry Jones garnered the honor following the win over Kentucky. This conference award gives Georgia 14 SEC weekly honors this year.

Smith, a 6-3, 294-pound native of Atlanta, came off the bench after senior defensive end DeAngelo Tyson went down with an ankle injury on the second play of the game. Smith finished with a career-high seven tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss, to help limit the Yellow Jackets to their second lowest point total all season.

Thanks in part to Smith’s contribution, the Dawgs held Georgia Tech scoreless for two quarters and to 243 yards on the ground. The Yellow Jackets came into the game ranked second nationally averaging 323.6 yards rushing per game with their spread option attack. For the year, Georgia is third in the SEC in both Scoring Defense (17.8, 10th nationally) and Rushing Defense (94.8, sixth nationally).

ALSO OF NOTE: Senior Brandon Boykin was named to the Paul Hornung Award Weekly Honor Roll for the eighth time this season following his outing at #25 Georgia Tech. Defensively, Boykin finished with two tackles, including 0.5 tackles for loss, while starting his 20 consecutive game.

The Fayetteville native also had one kickoff return for 60 yards that set up the Dawgs’ third touchdown. Boykin is the active SEC career leader in the kickoff return yardage category with 2,544 yards. He is second all-time in the conference with the best average return (24.69).

Boykin also recorded one catch for 28 yards against the Yellow Jackets. Currently, Boykin has 999 all-purpose yards this season, which is the most for a defensive player since Champ Bailey had 1,138 in 1998.

The 12th-ranked Dawgs (10-2, 7-1 SEC) travel to Atlanta for the third time this season to take on top-ranked LSU (12-0, 8-0 SEC) in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday at 4 p.m. CBS will televise the matchup.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Dribble Dawgs Buffaloed

BASKETBALL

The Georgia men’s basketball team fell to 4-3 Monday night, losing on the road to Colorado, 70-68.

Freshman guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led Georgia (4-3) with 15 points and five rebounds. He has scored in double-figures in all seven games for the Dawgs this season.

Senior guard Gerald Robinson and sophomore forward Donte Williams chipped in 14 and 11 points, respectively.

Colorado was led by freshman guard Spencer Dinwiddie with 16 points and seven rebounds. Dinwiddie and three other Buffalos had double-digit point performances.

“We made too many critical errors tonight that you can’t make and still find success on the road,” said coach Mark Fox. “We got off to a really poor start defensively in the second half and then we had to play form behind and that’s hard to do on the road.”

In the first half, Georgia led by as many as 12 points. After Colorado tied the game at 30 with 2:24 remaining, Georgia rallied around Gerald Robinson to take a 38-34 halftime lead.

In the second half, Colorado opened on an 11-1 run, aided by Georgia starting the half going 0-11 from the field. Midway through half, a pair of three-pointers by freshman forward Nemanja Djurisic and senior guard Dustin Ware brought the game to a 45-45 tie.

But that’s as close as the Dawgs would get. Colorado wouldn't trail again in the half, capturing its largest lead of 11 at the 2:54 mark.

A rush of Georgia scoring in the final three minutes fell just short, as Colorado’s Asika Booker drained a free throw with four seconds remaining to put the Colorado lead to four points, and all but seal the victory for the Buffalos.

With the loss, Georgia falls to 6-2 in its series with Colorado. The win is the Buffalo’s 26th straight non-conference win in Boulder.

Georgia returns to action Friday against Cincinnati at 7:00 p.m. in Athens as part of the SEC/Big East Invitational. Friday’s matchup is scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m. and will be televised on ESPNU.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Lady Dawgs Beat Northeastern

BASKETBALL

Freshman Erika Ford made the most of her first career start on Sunday, posting game- and career-high tallies of 18 points and seven rebounds to lead No. 10 Georgia (5-1) to an 81-61 win over Northeastern (0-6) in the consolation game of the UNLV Lady Rebel Round-up.

Classmate Krista Donald also started for the first time at UGA and chipped in seven points (on 3-of-4 shooting from the floor), five rebounds and a team-best four assists.

"I thought they both played well," coach Andy Landers said. "I thought Ford was great defensively and very good on the offensive end. I thought the same about Donald. We were really shuffling the lineup to try to find someone to embrace the role of being a starter."

The Lady Dawgs built a double-digit lead early and led comfortably throughout but didn't put the game out of reach until midway through the second half. Georgia led 50-40 from the 14:17 mark through 10:33 before a pair of Jasmine Hassell free throws, a Donald three and a layup from Jasmine James pushed the margin to 17 just 70 seconds later.

Hassell also scored 18 points and Khaalidah Miller chipped in 16, her sixth double-figure outing in as many contests this season.

Georgia improved to 427-7 all-time when scoring 80 or more points during Landers' 33 seasons in Athens.

Five different Lady Dawgs scored in a 12-0 run covering just 3:42 that put Georgia up 17-5 with 13:17 left in the half. Georgia expanded its lead to 17 points twice before the Huskies chipped away with a 10-0 run of their own to close within 36-29 with 51 second left in the period.

Donald and Ford became the 68th and 69th freshmen to start for Landers at Georgia. Ford responded with her first double-digit scoring performance of the year before the intermission with 10 first-half points.

The Lady Dawgs will return to action on Wednesday when they host South Carolina State at Stegeman Coliseum at 7 p.m. ET.

Reserved seat tickets for the game are $5 for adults and $3 for children and will be available at the Butts-Mehre ticket office from 8:30-4:30 on Wednesday and Thursday. In addition, tickets will go on sale at Stegeman Coliseum box office (closest to Sanford Drive) beginning 90 minutes before tip-off.

Championship Week Begins

FOOTBALL

With the regular season finished, the Georgia football team looks ahead to Saturday afternoon when it takes on LSU in the Georgia Dome for the Southeastern Conference title. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. and the game will be televised on CBS.

Georgia enters the contest riding a 10-game win streak that puts it at 10-2 on the year and 7-1 in SEC play. LSU is undefeated on the year and is ranked No. 1 in the latest BCS standings.

“It was a long, hard fight for us,” coach Mark Richt said on his weekly teleconference. “We lost out first game in league play against South Carolina and were stuck behind them for quite awhile. We knew if we kept battling, we had a chance to win the East. We improved week by week and finally got the help that we needed to get to the championship game. We were really excited to get the win over Georgia Tech last weekend, but our young men have turned their focus to this weekend.”

The Dawgs have been tested during the regular season, but their biggest test will come on Saturday against a team that has proved to be tough throughout the year.

“We are a team that improved as the season went on,” Richt continued. “We have done a lot of good things since game two that have helped us get the chance to play for the title. LSU is strong, quick and physical up front on both sides of the ball. Their front seven is tough and athletic, their defensive backs are fast and great cover guys who play with a lot of confidence. I have seen enough film of them on offense that I know that they tend to wear people out during the game. Their goal is to break the spirit of every time that they play. I don’t know how we stack up against them but we’ll find out this weekend.”

One thing that the team will be focusing on this week is not allowing LSU to go on big runs during the game.

“Everyone has to keep their composure and keep fighting,” added Richt. “From what I see, it’s not just the LSU offense that will make plays, the defense and special teams will make plays too. Before you know all three phases make a play that might result in 21 points in a short amount of time. If something bad happens, you have to shake it off, get back to work and regroup. If you let that get to you, then you’re in bad shape.”

Georgia came out of the game against Georgia Tech relatively healthy. Richt is hopeful that Richard Samuel will be back in the lineup this week after suffering an ankle injury earlier this season. Isaiah Crowell will also be back on the field after sitting out last weekend with an ankle injury. DeAngelo Tyson will not be available for practice on Monday, but his status for Saturday’s game is still unknown.

Saturday’s game mark the second time this season that the Dawgs have played in the Georgia Dome. Georgia dropped a 35-21 decision to Boise State in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic to start the season. Richt is hopeful that having played in the Dome this season will benefit the team but doesn’t think the experience will be play a huge role in the outcome.

“I think there might be some benefit in playing in the dome again,” Richt said. “The thing that you have to remember is that when the ball is snapped you have to get after it, especially when were playing such a good team. For us, I don’t think it’s a bad thing that we’ve played there and experienced the stadium.”

One thing is certain, Richt understands how instrumental the senior class has been in the success of this season.

“Those guys decided to stick around for their senior year and that decision to stay says a lot,” continued Richt. “They knew we could have a special season and chose to stay. In the offseason, they had to make a decision on whether or not to buy into what we were doing here. They decided to buy in so when we did go 0-2, we were still a strong bunch of guys. They kept working hard and kept the team focused. They are a big part of the reason that we were able to weather the storm and start winning.”

Top 25–Week 14

FOOTBALL

 

Team

Record

Opponent

1.

LSU

12 - 0

Georgia

2.

Houston

12 - 0

Southern Miss

3.

Alabama

11 - 1

Bowl

4.

Stanford

11 - 1

Bowl

5.

Virginia Tech

11 - 1

Clemson

6.

Oklahoma State

10 - 1

Oklahoma

7.

Boise State

10 - 1

New Mexico

8.

South Carolina

10 - 2

Bowl

9.

Georgia

10 - 2

LSU

10.

Michigan State

10 - 2

Wisconsin

11.

Wisconsin

10 - 2

Michigan State

12.

USC

10 - 2

 

13.

Oregon

10 - 2

UCLA

14.

Michigan

10 - 2

Bowl

15.

Arkansas

10 - 2

Bowl

16.

Clemson

10 - 2

Virginia Tech

17.

Southern Miss

10 - 2

Houston

18.

Oklahoma

9 - 2

Oklahoma State

19.

Kansas State

9 - 2

Iowa State

20.

TCU

9 - 2

UNLV

21.

Nebraska

9 - 3

Bowl

22.

Penn State

9 - 3

Bowl

23.

Baylor

8 - 3

Texas

24.

West Virginia

8 - 3

South Florida

25.

Cincinnati

8 - 3

Connecticut

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Lady Dawgs Suffer First Loss

BASKETBALL

Jasmine James and Khaalidah Miller scored 16 points apiece for Georgia, but Georgetown's Sugar Rodgers countered with a season-high 23 to lead the Hoyas to a 64-56 victory in the opening round of the UNLV Lady Rebel Round-up on Saturday.

The setback was the first of the year for No. 10 Georgia, which fell to 4-1, while No. 21 Georgetown improved to 4-2. Jasmine Hassell added a dozen points for the Lady Dawgs.

The Hoyas used a strong second-half rebounding effort to build a double-digit lead the Lady Dawgs couldn't overcome. Georgetown out rebounded Georgia 23-13 after the intermission and for the game had one less offensive rebound than the Lady Dawgs had defensively.

"We've been talking about it since the beginning of practice and tonight, above everything we could've done better, was rebounding," coach Andy Landers said. "It was at the top of the list. And then we just didn't defend one-on-one very well in the last five minutes. Give Georgetown credit, they did what they needed to do when we got close."

A 10-0 surge early in the second half put the Hoyas up 45-35 with 13:46 left in the contest. Georgia pulled within five with 9:09 remaining but failed to pull any closer.
After the Hoyas expanded their advantage back to 11, the Lady Dawgs closed the gap to 59-56 on a pair of James free throws at the 1:55 mark, but Rubylee Wright answered with a layup deep in the shot clock on the other end to end the rally.

James helped Georgia get off to a quick start. She scored the Lady Dawgs' first seven points and then dished to Hassell for a lay-up that put Georgia up 9-2 at the 16:29 mark. Georgetown quickly knotted the score at 11-11 and the rest of the first half was a back-and-forth affair.

Rodgers, who averaged 18.1 points per game in her first two seasons at Georgetown but entered Saturday's game chipping in just 8.3 ppg this season, found her range late in the first half. She canned a trio of three-pointers in a span of 2:19 to help the Hoyas secure a 31-29 lead at the intermission.

Georgia will now face Northeastern in Sunday's consolation game at 4:00 p.m. ET.

Dawgs Take Sting Out Of Tech 31-17

FOOTBALL

With today’s 31-17 win over Tech, the Dawgs (10-2) extended their winning streak to 10 straight this season. It’s the longest winning streak in a season since the 1982 team under Vince Dooley went a perfect 11-0. The Dawgs improved to 43-7 all-time in non-conference games under Mark Richt including 10-1 against Tech.

Georgia leads the all-time series over the Jackets 62-37-5.

Sophomore QB Aaron Murray finished 19-for-29 for 252 yards, 4 TDs and one INT. In the first half, he was 13-for-18 for 193 yards with 2 TDs and 1 INT. He owns the school record with 32 TD passes this year. Today, he completed passes to nine different Dawgs, and his top target was junior tight end Orson Charles (5 rec., 95 yards). His TD passes went to Michael Bennett (15-yarder), Chris Conley (14-yarder), Tavarres King (3-yarder) and Aron White (3-yarder).

Sophomore Alec Ogletree (LB) led the team with a career high 11 stops including 10 solo while sophomore Jarvis Jones had eight plus one sack. He has an SEC-best 13.5 sacks. The Dawg defense allowed just 17 points to Tech’s spread option attack as it ran 70 plays and gained 355 yards overall (243 rushing). Miami was the only team to hold Tech to fewer points this season in a 24-7 win.

Senior Blair Walsh now has made at least one field goal in 43 games in his career, tying the NCAA mark held by former Georgia kicker Billy Bennett (2000-03). Walsh made a 41-yarder to close out the first half. Walsh is 73-for-97 and has the most field goals, attempts and points of any active NCAA kicker. Today, Walsh scored seven points to give him 400 for his career which ranks second in Dawg and SEC history, trailing only Bennett (409).

Senior CB/KOR Brandon Boykin began the second half with a 60-yard kickoff return to move into 2nd in SEC history for career kickoff return yards. It was his only return to give him 2,544 yards on 103 for his career, both school records. The big return led to a 3-plays, 36-yard touchdown drive in 1:24 to put Georgia in front 24-10.

Georgia blanked Georgia Tech 7-0 in the first quarter. Georgia has outscored its opponents 95-27 in the first quarter this season. The scoring came on a 15-yard TD pass from Aaron Murray to Michael Bennett to cap a 5-play, 76-yard drive in 3:13.

Redshirt freshman Ken Malcome (TB) made his first career start. Senior Cordy Glenn (LT) made his team-high 48th overall start including his 45th consecutive start. On defense, senior Brandon Boykin (CB) made his 36th career start including 20th in a row.

In the second half, junior LB Mike Gilliard got his first career INT, getting it at the Tech 25. It led to a punt. Shawn Williams snagged his third INT of the season at the 6:31 mark in the third quarter. Following a penalty, Georgia got the ball on the Tech 39. It led to a TD (Murray-to-Aron White). The Dawg defense has 17 interceptions this year. Georgia is +10 now in turnover margin and scored 103 points off 29 turnovers. In the first half, Georgia Tech got one interception (Louis Young) at the Dawg 27 and was forced to punt. Opponents have only 42 points off 19 Dawg turnovers this year.

Senior DeAngelo Tyson (DE) injured his left ankle on Tech’s first series and did not return. Last year, Tyson had a career-high 16 tackles in the win over Tech. Sophomores Garrison Smith and Kwame Geathers saw more action with Tyson out and Smith had a career-high five tackles and Geathers had four.

In honor of legendary Dawg play-by-play broadcaster Larry Munson, who passed away last Sunday, Georgia’s players and coaches wore a special helmet decal today. The decal featured Munson with his headset along with “1922-2011” and “Hunker Down One More Time.” Also, the UGA Redcoat Band honored Munson at halftime including spelling his name out.

Georgia’s captains today: Drew Butler (P), Ben Jones (C), Jarvis Jones (OLB) and Abry Jones (DE).

Georgia will face top-ranked LSU (12-0, 8-0 SEC) in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta. It will be at the Georgia Dome Saturday at 4 p.m. on CBS. LSU and Georgia own the best records in the SEC in the Richt era. The Dawgs are 106-36 since 2001 while the Tigers are 114-28.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Xavier Trips Up Dribble Dawgs

BASKETBALL

Kenny Frease and Tu Holloway scored 12 points apiece as 12th-ranked Xavier broke out to an early lead and cruised to a 70-56 victory over Georgia in a non-conference basketball game here Friday night.

The Musketeers (4-0) scored the game's first 10 points and never trailed . Georgia, hampered by cold shooting and foul trouble, needed 7 1/2 minutes to score its first field goal and didn't reach double figures until the 8:06 mark.

''We got beat by a really good team,'' coach Mark Fox said. ''They just manhandled us early on. Their defense was so much better than our offense. I was concerned about our poor start. We had a poor shoot around this morning and obviously it carried over to the game tonight. We tried everything in the first half but just couldn't get the bleeding stopped.''

Despite the cold-shooting start, Georgia (4-2) managed to climb back within 14-11 on Dustin Ware's 3-pointer with 8:06 left in the first half. The Dawgs, however, were unable to get any closer. Still, as the first half neared its conclusion, Ware connected on two foul shots to bring the Dawgs within 26-19. After a Xavier miss, they failed to convert a final possession and Holloway closed first-half scoring with a pair of free throws.

Leading by nine at halftime, Xavier broke the game open by scoring the first 12 points of the final period. Holloway's jumper with 15:59 left finished the run and put the Musketeers ahead 40-19. The XU lead reach its largest at 63-27 on a Mark Lyons layup with 9:24 remaining.

Georgia closed the game on 12-2 run to make the final score deceptively close.

The Dawgs travel next to Colorado for a Monday night contest against the Buffaloes. Tipoff is at 8:30 p.m. (EST).

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Wednesday Practice Report

FOOTBALL

The 13th-ranked Dawgs held a two-hour practice in full pads Wednesday as they moved closer to wrapping up preparations for the annual clash with Georgia Tech.

“We practiced in full pads today, and we’ll get together in the morning for a few periods with the pads on and then take a break and finish up without them,” said coach Mark Richt.

The extra work in full pads is twofold, according to Richt. “Number one, it’s to prepare for their (Tech) scheme and secondly, it’s the physical part of defending against that offense with the cut blocks. You can’t practice that without pads on. You have to go full speed and hope the guys are getting better at it.”

Georgia (9-2) boasts one of the nation’s top defenses, and it will be challenged by Tech’s spread option offense. Last year, the Yellow Jackets held the football for 38:14, running 92 plays and tallying 512 yards of total offense (411 on the ground). Still, Georgia registered a 42-34 victory.

This season, Georgia ranks fourth nationally in total defense and second in rushing defense. The Dawgs are riding a nine-game winning streak. Tech (8-3) is coming off a 38-31 road win over Duke last Saturday where it posted 549 yards of total offense. Meanwhile, Georgia captured the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division crown after beating Kentucky.

When asked about the Dawg tailbacks, Richt said there’s “too much drama there, and it’s not as settled as I’d like it to be. There’s a tremendous opportunity at the University of Georgia for running backs in this class to make an impact. If I was a running back, if I was a great running back, I would want to come to Georgia, I would be so excited about my opportunity at Georgia.”

Richt indicated that as a whole this season, the running backs have been productive and that guys have stepped up when players have missed games due to injuries or suspensions.

Ken Malcome and Brandon Harton have been getting a lot of work this week,” said Richt. “Ken will be in there, I’m just not sure how much.”

Freshman Isaiah Crowell, who has started seven games, is battling an ankle injury that limited him to two carries last week against the Wildcats. Richt said he was not 100 percent sure what he was going to do with junior tailback Carlton Thomas who did not play last week. Junior tailback Richard Samuel, who has three starts, has been out with an injury since the win over Florida in late October when he got hurt on the final play of the game.

Saturday’s kickoff in Atlanta is set for 12:01 p.m. and the contest will be televised nationally on ESPN. The Dawgs under Richt are 9-1 all-time against Tech.

Dawgs To Visit CHOA & Shepherd Center

FOOTBALL

The University of Georgia football team will be taking time out of its busy schedule this weekend to stop by the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Shepherd Center on Friday to visit with patients at the facilities.

“It’s a great opportunity for our kids to take a few minutes and brighten some young boy or girl’s day,” Director of Sports Medicine Ron Courson said. “It’s great for our players too. It’s a good community service project for them.”

The visits have become tradition for the Dawgs when they play Georgia Tech in Atlanta. This year, the players will be divided in half with the defense traveling to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta while the offense goes to the Shepherd Center.

For about an hour and a half, the players will visit with the patients and nurses while signing autographs mainly in auditoriums before breaking off into locations at the sites. At Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta the linebackers will go to the Aflac Cancer Center while another group will head to the heart ward. While at Shepherd, a few of the players will take time to visit the ICU.

The University of Georgia has a long relationship with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the Shepherd Center. Many players and coaches have had family members or friends receive treatment at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Inside linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti’s daughter Kasyn and former women’s basketball student manager Catrina Rushing are currently at the hospital fighting their battles with leukemia. Georgia has also had athletes stay at Shepherd Center, as baseball players Chance Veazey and Johnathan Taylor were both at the center after suffering injuries.

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, a not-for-profit organization, is committed to enhancing the lives of children through excellence in patient care, research and education. Managing more than half a million patient visits annually at three hospitals and 17 neighborhood locations, Children’s is one of the largest clinical care providers for children in the country.

Shepherd Center, founded in 1975, is a private, not-for-profit rehabilitation hospital and one of the nation’s leading facilities specializing in medical treatment research and rehabilitation for people with spinal cord and brain injuries.

Tuesday Press Conference–Part 2

FOOTBALL

Coach Mark Richt

On the Georgia team drawing inspiration from Erk Russell’s death in 2006 and how it compares to Larry Munson’s death…

“We are going to honor his memory at the ballgame with a decal on our helmet. We have a pretty good look at what it’s going to look like. It wasn’t quite what we were working on, but it will be something that will be very recognizable and obvious that we are honoring him. The thing that’s a little bit different with our guys in their relationship to Erk Russell is that we invited him to come my first year. He spoke to the team, but he also spoke to the defense.”

“There was a time where not only that group got to hear him, but we kept the video of it. From time to time we would show it to the defense, more so than the offense, because he was really talking about what he did with the defense. Our guys knew who Erk Russell was. They might not have been sitting in the room when he was there in person, but just about every defensive player that has come through here has seen the video. I don’t remember the last time we have seen it, but it’s probably time to pull the thing out. I think they felt like they had some type of a relationship. Some of the guys knew a lot about Larry Munson, and some of the guys didn’t know a whole lot about Larry Munson just by virtue of the fact that they’re young and may not have been a Bulldog fan before they came to Georgia. Our players are very well aware of who he is now. We talked a little bit about him after practice yesterday just to make sure everybody knew who he was and what he meant to Georgia football.”

 On facing Georgia Tech’s offense for the second time under UGA defensive coordinator Todd Grantham…

“I think the second time through is very helpful for Coach Grantham, our players and this system itself. I think it should help, but you still have to slow it down.”

On Georgia’s defensive improvement from a year ago…

“One of the biggest statistics was third down defensive efficiency, getting people off the field on third down. If you remember a year ago we were not very good at all at that. I can’t tell you how many times we got people in third and long, then they made it. We’ve gotten those third down stops and that changes everything. You look at our time of possession, part of it is the offense being proficient and doing well, but part of it is the defense getting off the field, a lot more three and outs. If you get a first down and go again, maybe the second time you are out of there on third down where before people had some fairly long, sustained drives on us because we just couldn’t get off the field on third down. By far that’s the one stat that has made the biggest difference along with the turnover ratio, the amount of takeaways. Those are the two that hit me the most.”

“Todd spent a year in college again. In college you defend so many offenses compared to what you defend in the NFL. In the NFL everybody is a lot alike. There are a few differences here and there, but they are a lot more common than not, and in college it’s just vast the different types of offenses you have to defend and gain experience with your players and your system against it. I think a lot of guys got bigger, stronger, faster. I think a lot of guys grew up. We got a lot of people in the right spots. Even the coaches besides Coach Grantham understand what we are doing, because Todd was teaching everybody.”

On Georgia’s run defense facing Georgia Tech…

“I don’t think it matters what you are ranked against the rush when it comes to playing Georgia Tech’s offense. If you played Georgia Tech, Navy and Georgia Southern, you aren’t going to lead the nation in rush defense. That’s what they do and they do it so well. The teams that we’ve been playing are a little bit more common in what they are doing, you can call it conventional or whatever you want. The types of running game that we’ve seen we’ve stopped extremely well, but the type of running game we are about to see is not the same and the percentage of run-pass is very different. If you are going to average ‘X’ amount of yards per game, and historically 80 percent of your total is rushing, even on a bad day they are going to rush for 250. If you give up 250 rushing you think it’s horrible if you are trying to lead the world in rush defense. There is no correlation between that stat, in my opinion, to try to make some kind of prediction.”

On Georgia Tech’s Tevin Washington…

“He became the starter late in the season. I’m sure those games helped him go into this season and be more prepared. He kind of hit the ground running. If you remember those first two or three games were just phenomenal the amount of yards and the amount of points and the passing game that went along with the running game. It was very scary to see. He is a whole lot better now than he was a year ago just by virtue of the fact that he’s had that experience.”

On the advantage of preparing for the SEC Championship with the Georgia Tech game being at noon…

“If we have a noon game, I probably should relax and enjoy it, but I watch the coaches’ copy of the offense, defense and kicking. I actually get a chance to even look a tad bit of the next opponent. That’s usually what you do on the next day. So I get to knock out a lot of that stuff personally, which allows me on Sunday to really dig in to the opponent, instead of spending Sunday trying to clean up what happened on Saturday. I think all the coaches would take advantage of that time. We aren’t worried at all about it because we don’t even know who the heck we are playing. We are truly digging in on this one.”

On Jarvis Jones being named a finalist for the Butkus Award…

“I’m not surprised that he’s a finalist for any award. Of course with his performance, if you watch him, you would think he deserves to be in the mix. People around the country look at stats and compare. When you lead the SEC in sacks and tackles for loss, it draws attention to you, and also the fact that we’ve been winning lately I think helps, and what the defense has done as a whole. All those things help. I’m not surprised by that at all.”

On Branden Smith…

“Most of the snaps he’s had for us have been defensively. He’s done a nice job with that. He’s been the kick returner and the punt returner at different times. He’s had a few offensive plays here and there that have been outstanding for us. Certainly defense is where he’s had the most impact for us.”

On Quintavious Harrow…

“I’m really proud of him because he really has made a name for himself. When we looked at him we felt like at the very least he would be a great special teams player. He is what you’ve seen. He runs very fast and he’s fearless; he’s tough. He’s a football player, and that’s the greatest compliment you can give a guy. Right now, just like a lot of rookies in the NFL, they make the club because they are a special teamer. They make plays in the special teams which gives the position coaches confidence that they’re a tough football player, they’re reliable and we need to get this guy some reps. I’m sure in the spring he’ll be seen a little bit differently than just some redshirt freshmen who didn’t play a snap. He’s a guy who will be seen as a guy who has made big plays in big games and proved he’ll hit you and proved he’s a tough football player.

On Thanksgiving plans for Georgia’s players…

“A lot of them go to Rodney Garner’s, but there are a lot of teammates who take teammates home with them. Coach Garner’s family has been gracious to bring a bunch of the guys over there, whoever wants to come. All the coaches’ homes are open to the players. I think once that Garner meal got rolling, guys got excited about that, so a lot of them go there. I think it’s a tribute to Rodney and Kim Garner to open their home to those guys.”

Safety Bacarri Rambo

On defending the triple option…

“We have to play assignment football. If one person misses an assignment, then Georgia Tech will have the chance to make big plays. Everyone needs to do their job, stay focused, run to the ball and play full speed.”

On playing Georgia Tech…

“We always get excited when we play Georgia Tech. We have to go out and handle business. Everyone is really excited this week.”

On being from Georgia and playing in this rivalry…

“It means a lot to play an in-state rival being from Georgia. I got recruited by Georgia Tech so that adds something to do. I’m just glad to be around these guys. We’re going to go out there and take care of business on Saturday.”

On winning for the seniors…

“We want our seniors to have the chance to have the Governor’s Cup for their senior year. We’re going to go out and have fun with the seniors on the team and hopefully come back with a win.”

Linebacker Christian Robinson

On the rivalry…

“It’s a big in-state rivalry. It’s a good week to play football at Georgia. There is a lot riding on this game and the team is ready.”

On being from Georgia and playing in this rivalry…

“This rivalry means everything to me, being from Georgia. If we lose, then I know that I will be hearing about it from the Tech fans that I go to church with. That’s a big reason that we’re so motivated to win this game. I know for me personally, that’s adds to the excitement.”

On preparing for Georgia Tech’s offense…

“We’ve been focusing on the fundamentals of football, cut blocks and things like that. Georgia Tech’s offense is nothing like any other team we play this year. It’s going to be physical game and we have to be physical with them.”

On playing in the last regular-season game…

“This is the last chance for our seniors to play in the game and we want to send them out with the Governor’s Cup. That is a big thing for us. We want the seniors to remember that they were able to beat a lot of teams that people said we couldn’t beat.”

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Dribble Dawgs Beat Irish

BASKETBALL

The Georgia men's basketball team captured third place at the Progressive CBE Classic at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Tuesday night, topping Notre Dame 61-57.

Freshman guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led Georgia (4-1) with a career-high 16 points and five rebounds. Caldwell-Pope has had double-digit point performances in every game this season.

The Dawgs’ offensive effort was supported by freshman Nemanja Djurisic and sophomore Donte’ Williams who had 10 and nine points, respectively.

Sophomore forward Marcus Thornton led Georgia on the boards with eight rebounds.

“It was a hard fought win,” said coach Mark Fox. “This is another terrific game for us to learn from, as was last night, but it’s good to leave here with a quality win.”

The Dawgs’ offense was kick started by junior guard Vincent Williams who scored a career-high eight points in his first collegiate start.

“I felt like Vincent was going make an impact. He’s a tough little guy…He brought out a great competitive spirit to start the game for us tonight,” Fox said.

As a team, Georgia went 12-26 from behind the arc and was plus-14 in rebounding margin, both season bests.

Georgia jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead, but a stingy Notre Dame team brought the game to a 15-15 tie midway through the first half. Georgia trailed by as many as five in the half, but took the halftime lead, 31-29, off of a Sherrard Brantley 3-pointer with just three seconds remaining.

Early in the second half, Georgia extended its lead to 42-34 off of senior guard Dustin Ware’s third three-pointer of the night. However, Notre Dame went on a 10-2 run, capped off by a pair of free throws to tie the game at 53 with 5:11 remaining. Three Georgia possessions later, Caldwell-Pope hit his fourth triple of the night to put Georgia back on top for good, 56-53.

Tonight’s win marks Georgia’s first-ever victory against Notre Dame.

Georgia returns to action Friday against No. 12 Xavier in Cincinnati. Last season, the Musketeers topped Georgia 65-57 in Athens. Friday’s matchup is scheduled to start 8:00 p.m. and will be televised on Fox Sports South.

Tuesday Press Conference–Part 1

FOOTBALL

Coach Mark Richt

Opening statement…

“We have Georgia Tech coming up. Coach Paul Johnson and his staff have done a fantastic job during the time he’s been there. They are really an outstanding football team and one that we really have a lot of respect for and one that we know we have our work cut out for us. Anybody who has ever played Coach Johnson’s offense, they know it’s an awful lot of work to get done in a short amount of time. We're thankful that we don’t have school this week. It helps us to get in a few more walkthroughs and a few more meetings. The toughest part for us it to get the scout team to try to vaguely resemble it. It’s hard to simulate what we are going to experience during the game. That will be one of the greatest challenges of the week as far as scout team to do a great job.”

“They are number two in the nation in rushing and number six in the nation in pass efficiency. Third downs, which are so huge and we all understand how important it is to get an offensive team off the field, they are in the top five in the country in third down conversions. As we all know, Coach Johnson has a habit of going for it on fourth down too, and they make an awful lot of their fourth downs. That’s even more devastating, knowing that a lot of times if they don’t make it on third, they’ll make it on fourth, so they’ll continue the drive and put the pressure on your defense and your football team through that.”

“I can’t imagine the atmosphere being anything but electric. I know that our players will be looking forward to the challenge. I’m sure they will too. We’re ready to prepare for that.” 

On what Georgia’s tailback rotation will be on Saturday…

“I don’t know the answer to that. We have to sort through it. It’s just not cut and dry. I don’t even know who is going to start. I don’t even know who’s going to play. We are working our way through it. We’ll know more by the end of the week. Right this second I do not know exactly how it’s going to come out. We have some guys who have to learn to hold on to the football. I just want to see them practice. I guess competition is the hold up, deciding through competition who deserves to start, who deserves to play.”

On Carlton Thomas’ status for Saturday…

“That’s a good question. I don’t know that answer right now.”

On whether running the ball is the biggest key against Georgia Tech…

“It is for us offensively for sure. We always like to run the football, but you have to have backs who can do it and some backs who are willing to hang on to the football in the process. The thing about this game is every possession really is pretty crucial. Georgia Tech’s offense, because they run the ball so much and reduce yardage throughout and get to those third-and-shorts, that’s why they are one of the best third down percentage teams in America. If you keep converting third downs, you keep controlling the ball, you move the ball, you move the field position, you get more points. My guess is there are fewer possessions in a game that Georgia Tech plays than a lot of other games throughout the year. Every possession is very vital to them and to us. If we lose a possession for a turnover, or if they lose a possession from a turnover or for any reason and a possession is lost, it’s crucial. We’ve been fortunate to win or at least tie the turnover battle the last nine ballgames. I would say it’s more crucial this week than any week of the season.”

On whether the plan has been to control the ball the last couple of years against Georgia Tech…

“Not necessarily. The goal is to run the ball well. If you are able to run the ball well, I don’t have a problem with taking as many ticks off the clock as possible in any game. If you’ve seen us finish ballgames, some of the games have maybe been a little bit boring at the end to some people because we are trying to get first downs without throwing the ball because we know we can reduce the chance of a team that might be behind us to get back into the ballgame. The longer we have it, the better chance our defense has to rest.”

On Ben Jones…

“He’s a character. He’s a great guy. He showed up and started at center as a freshman in the Southeastern Conference. That’s not easy to do. I don’t know if he’s missed a snap unless we took him out. I can’t remember a time he’s missed a snap. There might have been a time he missed a practice, but I sure don’t remember it. He’s just a tough guy who loves football. He’s a great student of the game.”

On Isaiah Crowell’s status for Saturday…

“It’s his left ankle. I think there is a chance he plays.”

On Richard Samuel…

“Richard is coming along, but it won’t be this week. He’s not in the mix this week. We hope he’s in the mix next week.”

On Aaron Murray’s performance against Kentucky compared to the Auburn game…

“He was hot against Auburn. He made a lot of good throws, and guys made really good catches too. There were two in particular that if he would have it, his passing efficiency would have jumped dramatically. There was a post early in the game where we had Tavarres King open, had good protection and could have been and probably should have been a touchdown. You get the completion, you get the yards and you get the touchdown, that jumps up the rating, which we’re not all that concerned about. There was another one where we faked a little flare screen and we were going to go deep, and he just underthrew it. If he had hit him on the run, I think (King) would have been 10 yards ahead of the defender because they bought the cheese on that one. That would have been at least 60 yards and a touchdown. Two completions, touchdowns, maybe another 80 yards, just those two throws would probably put him up there we he wants to be. Not as high as Auburn, but it would have jumped it up pretty good. It only takes a couple.”

Quarterback Aaron Murray

On the Georgia Tech game…

“It’s going to be fun; it’s a big rivalry game, one of our biggest games of the season. I know everyone on this team is looking forward to it, it’s the last regular season game of the year. It’s just another way to continue our momentum that we’ve built over the last nine games.”

On the Georgia Tech defense…

“They run a very similar defense to our defense; bringing blitzes from different angles, having guys stand up and walk around, not really knowing where they’re going. We’ve just got to do some extra film study this week; figure out their tendencies a little bit more and figure out where they’re going to be coming from in different circumstances. They like to bring some pressure, so we are going to have to protect and open up some big lanes.”

Center Ben Jones

On playing with emotion…

“I play with a lot of emotion and I think that’s why I play well in the games. You have to have a little edge about yourself when you are playing football, especially as an offensive lineman; you’re not scoring touchdowns, you’re not making tackles, you’re doing the dirty work so the other guys get the glory and we take pride in that. If your backs are doing great, if Aaron Murray has a great game, we feel like we’ve had a great game. This year, we’ve had a lot of those games. Once we win and get that W, just being able release that and show how happy I am to get the W and get this program back on track means all the world to me.”

On the Georgia Tech rivalry…

“Coming in, Auburn was the biggest rivalry game for me since I am from Alabama, but after that first year, Tech is definitely the biggest rivalry game I’ve ever played in. Once you lose a rivalry, that’s when you figure out, ‘Hey, this is a rivalry game,’ and you never want to lose to those guys again. That’s my goal, I definitely want to end my senior year with beating Tech.”

On the Georgia Tech game…

“We have to come out as the offensive line and play well; we want to try to dominate up front to give Aaron Murray time to open up the passing game and also open up some holes for our backs. Just control the ball and get ahead. Tech’s got a great offense and they really take a lot of clock away if they’re having a good game. You don’t want to put stress on your defense. If we get up, I think we’ll have a great game. I think we have one of the top defenses in the country, we rely on them and I’m glad they’re on our side.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Dribble Dawgs Tripped Up By California

BASKETBALL

The University of Georgia men’s basketball team took its first loss of the season in the semifinals of the Progressive CBE Classic at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., after falling 70-46 to No. 18 California on Monday.

“We didn’t play well in any area of the game,” coach Mark Fox said. “We had it in a position in the first half where if we finished the half better, we could have regrouped. You have to give Cal credit. That’s a good basketball team, a mature basketball team, and they taught us a good lesson.”

Freshman Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led Georgia (3-1) with 10 points and six rebounds followed by redshirt senior Gerald Robinson and freshman Nemanja Djurisic with nine each. Sophomore Marcus Thornton led the effort on the boards with eight rebounds.

Senior Harper Kamp put in 16 points for Cal (4-0) while fellow classmate Jorge Gutierrez had 14 and redshirt sophomore Justin Cobb added 10.

Overall, Cal totaled 25-of-50 shooting while the Dawgs were 19-of-58. Outside of shooting, the teams matched up close to even in many categories. The Bears outrebounded Georgia 36-31, but the Dawgs put up 11 fast break points while Cal had four.

With the Bears up 8-4, Caldwell-Pope hit back-to-back three pointers to put Georgia ahead 10-8. The Dawgs then tied the contest at 15 with a Robinson basket and again at 18 with Ware’s three. A 7-0 run that was sparked by Djurisic’s shot beyond the arc and defensive plays by Caldwell-Pope and Djurisic that turned into offensive points gave Georgia its largest lead at 25-22 with 5:12 left in the half.

Cal quickly answered back by closing the first half with 14-straight points to go into the locker room with a 36-25 advantage.

The Bears took control early in the second half with a 10-4 burst to go up 46-25 before a Georgia timeout. Offensive troubles by the Dawgs helped Cal pull away, as Georgia shot just over 33 percent compared to Cal’s 52 percent from the floor. Georgia ended the game on a 6-3 spree, which included four points from freshman John Cannon.

Georgia concludes the Progressive CBE Classic on Tuesday, Nov. 22 in the third-place game, as the Dawgs match-up against Notre Dame at 7:45 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPNU.

Dawgs In Pads Today

FOOTBALL

Riding a nine-game winning streak and boasting the title of Southeastern Conference Eastern Division Champion, the Georgia football team began preparations on Monday for Saturday’s game in Atlanta against Georgia Tech.

The Dawgs worked out in full pads for just over an hour under the lights on the Woodruff Practice Fields.

The Dawgs pushed their win streak to nine straight with last week's victory over Kentucky. Seven of the wins came against SEC opponents, allowing the Dawgs to move into first place in the division. Georgia will face the winner of the Western Division in the SEC Championship Game December 3rd in the Georgia Dome.

For this Saturday's game, though, the Dawgs will step out of the conference against their instate rivals Saturday at 12:01 p.m. on ESPN. The 13th-ranked Dawgs are 9-2 overall, while No. 25 Georgia Tech is 8-3.

"We needed to work on a few things, so that's why we were in pads today," coach Mark Richt said. "We'll probably be in pads every day this week. … This game is crucial. If you don't stay focused, you'll get whipped, No. 1, and you might get hurt too, so these guys have got to be ready."

Richt was asked for his memories of legendary radio announcer Larry Munson, who passed away on Sunday.

"Everybody's got fond memories of Larry for the calls he made and for his love of the Dawgs," Richt said. "It was an honor to know him."

Richt said the captains for Saturday's game will be center Ben Jones, defensive end Abry Jones, linebacker Jarvis Jones and punter Drew Butler.

Charles Finalist For Mackey Award

FOOTBALL

DSC_7856Georgia junior Orson Charles was named one of three finalists for the 2011 John Mackey Award on Monday night, which is awarded annually to the most outstanding tight end in college football.

Clemson’s Dwayne Allen and Notre Dame’s Tyler Eifert join Charles as the three finalists for this year’s honor. Arkansas’ D.J. Williams was the 2010 recipient as Florida’s Aaron Hernandez claimed the 2009 award. Charles represents the first Dawg to be named a finalist since the award started in 2000.

The Mackey Award winner will be presented live at the Home Depot ESPN College Football Awards Red Carpet Show in Orlando, Florida, on December 8 at 6 p.m. on ESPNU.

Charles, a 6-3, 241-pound native of Tampa, Florida, has the most receptions of any Dawg this year (35) and has recorded 435 yards receiving and five touchdowns through 11 games. With Georgia surging to third in the Southeastern Conference in total offense at 427.6 yards per game during the team’s nine-game winning streak, Charles is coming off a performance where he led the Dawgs with 40 yards receiving on three catches versus Kentucky.

Teaming up at Georgia with his former quarterback at Plant High School, Aaron Murray, Charles is tied for the most all-time career touchdown catches for any Georgia tight end with 10 and is ranked second in career yardage (1,231) and third in receptions (84). Charles has started 26 games in his career, including the last 21 in a row, and has been a key component to the Dawgs having three different 100-yard rushers this season.

Charles has been a captain three times this season as he has also contributed on the kickoff team, PAT/field goal team and punt return team, including blocking a punt at Vanderbilt. A member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll with a 3.15 GPA, Charles has played a major role in the Dawgs capturing their first outright SEC Eastern Division title since 2005.

James Named Player Of The Week

BASKETBALL

Georgia's Jasmine James was named SEC Player of the Week by the league office in Birmingham on Monday after averaging 13.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.7 steals during a trio of Lady Dawg victories during the previous seven days.

James, a 5-9, junior guard from Memphis, Tennessee, scored 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the floor in Georgia's 68-49 win over Georgia Southern on Nov. 15. On Nov. 17, she flirted with a triple-double with game-high tallies of 17 points, seven assists and six steals – while also grabbing eight rebounds – in a 73-48 victory over College of Charleston. James led the Lady Dawgs with nine rebounds and six assists and played all 40 minutes in a 67-60 win over No. 23 Southern Cal on Nov. 20.

"To put up those kind of numbers, you not only have to play well, you have to play hard," Andy Landers said after the College of Charleston win. "J.J. hasn't just played well, she's played extremely hard for extended minutes. She's been very impressive."

For the season, James is averaging 13.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 4.0 steals per game. Among SEC statistical leaders, she currently ranks No. 10 in scoring, No. 4 in assists, No. 2 in steals, No. 6 in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.8) and No. 4 in minutes played (34.5).

The recognition represents the sixth weekly honor during James' two-plus seasons in Athens. As a freshman in 2009-10, she was tabbed SEC Freshman of the Week a league-record five times.

Also on Monday, the Lady Dawgs climbed to No. 10 in the Associated Press top-25 poll. The top-10 appearance is Georgia's 258th all-time. Since their first AP ranking in 1981-82, the Lady Dawgs have been included in the top-10 in 47.8 percent of the AP polls released.

Walsh, Jones & Boykin Honored

FOOTBALL

Senior place-kicker Blair Walsh and junior defensive end Abry Jones have received weekly Southeastern Conference awards following their performances in the 19-10 win over Kentucky, according to a league announcement on Monday.

Walsh was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time this year while Jones was named the SEC Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week for the second time of his career. Jones also split the honor after tallying 16 tackles against Georgia Tech in 2010.

Walsh, a 5-10, 192-pound native of Boca Raton, Florida, paced the Dawgs scoring with 13 points, including going 4-for-4 in field goals with three 39 yarders and a 25 yarder. He now has 393 points in his career, which puts him second in SEC and UGA history behind former Dawg Billy Bennett (409).

Supplying Georgia with a 12-10 edge at halftime, Walsh has now drilled 72 field goals in his career and attempted 95, which both stand at the No. 5 all-time mark in SEC history and make him the leading active NCAA kicker in both categories.

Walsh was also named the CollegeFootballPerformance.com National Place-Kicker of the Week.

Jones, a 6-3, 309-pound native of Macon, tallied four tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss, and helped the Dawgs hold Kentucky to a single touchdown and a field goal. In fact, Georgia’s defense is ranked 11th nationally in scoring defense (17.8 points per game).

Jones is third on the team with seven tackles for loss of 29 yards while holding down the seventh spot on the Dawgs with 36 total stops this season. Georgia limited the Wildcats to just 23 yards rushing on 21 attempts (1.1 yards per carry) and just 81 total yards in the final three quarters of the game.

This pair of conference awards gives Georgia 13 SEC weekly honors this year.

ALSO OF NOTE: Senior Brandon Boykin was named to the Paul Hornung Award Weekly Honor Roll for the seventh time this season following his outing versus Kentucky. Boykin grabbed his second interception of the year (seventh of his career) and added a tackle versus the Wildcats.

In addition, he had one 16-yard kickoff return to move to No. 3 on the all-time SEC kickoff return list with 2,484 yards and is the active leader in the category. Boykin also had a 22-yard punt return in the matchup and a 2-yard reception.

The 14th-ranked Dawgs (9-2, 7-1 SEC) travel to Atlanta to take on 25th-ranked Georgia Tech (8-3, 5-3 ACC) on Saturday at noon. ESPN will televise the matchup.

Munson Memorial Service

A memorial service for long-time University of Georgia football radio announcer Larry Munson will be held at a date yet to be determined; however, it will be after December 4th.

In lieu of flowers, the Munson family requests that donations be made to the Noah Harris Cheerleading Scholarship. The endowed scholarship is awarded annually to a student-athlete on the cheerleading team who demonstrates outstanding character, leadership, and dedication to the athletic program and the community. The fund was established in 2006 in memory of 1st Lieutenant Noah Harris who was a cheerleader for UGA.

Donation checks should be made payable to the UGA Foundation with the designation: Noah Harris Cheerleading Scholarship in memory of Larry Munson. They may be sent to the Georgia Bulldog Club, PO Box 1472, Athens, GA 30603.

Tribute To Larry

If you’ve been a Dawg fan at any time since 1966, you really don’t need anyone to tell you what Larry Munson meant to the program. Larry was the Dawgs, his voice was heard from tailgates to deer stands all over the south. Fans of other teams made sure they caught his highlights, his peers were envious of the picture he painted.

The great memories all have his voice telling you what happened and for those, I’d like to thank, “old lady luck,” she sure smiled down on the Dawg Nation.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

The Voice Is Quite Now

Larry MunsonLarry Munson, legendary voice of the Dawgs for 42 years, died at his Athens home Sunday night from complications of pneumonia according to his son, Michael.

Funeral arrangements have not been determined.

Munson wrapped up a lifetime of sports broadcasting in the fall of 2008, most of which was spent with the Dawgs from 1966 to 2008. His dramatic delivery, along with an unabashed partisanship for the Dawgs, endeared him to generations of UGA fans.

The Georgia job, which Munson landed in 1966, was the latest and longest lasting in a career that has covered over 60 years. He has been duly honored by several organizations for his outstanding contributions to broadcasting.

Born Sept. 28, 1922, in Minneapolis, Munson is an alumnus of Moorehead State Teachers College in Moorehead, Minnesota. After World War II, he used his military discharge pay to enroll in broadcaster's school back home in Minneapolis. He followed 10 weeks of training by landing an assignment to work at a small radio station in Devil's Lake, North Dakota. This job started a series of short-term jobs for Munson behind the microphone, the last of which took him to Cheyenne, Wyoming. He had gotten the job by recording an audition tape of a football game between Ohio State and Minnesota, replete with canned crowd noise and special effects. During his time in Cheyenne, Munson befriended another young broadcaster who later gained national fame: Curt Gowdy, who was calling University of Wyoming football and basketball games at the time. When Gowdy left Cheyenne for a Double A baseball job in Oklahoma City, he recommended that Munson replace him. It was the break that Munson sought. In 1949, when Gowdy joined Mel Allen on the New York Yankees radio crew, he again recommended Munson for the job in Oklahoma City.

Munson eventually spent three years broadcasting baseball there before making his next move. He left Oklahoma City for Nashville, in 1952, taking a job calling games for the Nashville Vols, a minor-league affiliate of several teams, including the New York Giants, Cincinnati and Minnesota. It was a career move that led him into other broadcasting directions. He served a stint as a Nashville disc jockey and also started what was believed to have been the first-ever TV show on fishing. Munson continued to host the fishing show long after he left Nashville for Georgia in the mid-1960s.

While in Nashville, Munson also made his second venture into collegiate athletics. He called Vanderbilt University football and basketball games over the powerful airwaves of AM station WSM. But in 1966 Munson got his big break into major-league baseball
when he landed a job calling Atlanta Braves baseball in their inaugural season. As the Braves' first spring training began, he read a newspaper story about the departure of Georgia football announcer Ed Thilenius. He then made an inquiry to UGA athletics director Joel Eaves, whom he had known during his days at Vanderbilt. Eaves offered him the Georgia football job during that first phone call.

During his career as the Dawgs’ play-by-play man, Munson has held a variety of auxiliary jobs. He called games for the Georgia basketball program from 1987-96 and for the Atlanta Falcons from 1989-92. He has also hosted various sports talk shows on radio and TV. In 1983, Munson was recognized by the Georgia General Assembly
for his role in the Georgia championship football program. Fourteen years later the same legislative body, led by Governor Zell Miller, honored him with a proclamation celebrating his 50 years in broadcasting.

In 1994, Munson was inducted into the Georgia Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and in 2005, he won a similar induction into the State of Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame on May 2, 2009. Munson was also the 2003 recipient of the Chris Schenkel Award, given annually by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. The award recognizes broadcasters with long and distinguished careers in
broadcasting college football, as well as their contributions to community service. He was also named winner of the 2008 Furman Bisher Award for Sports Media Excellence presented by the Atlanta Sports Council. On Nov. 17, 2007, Munson was named a UGA ‘Honorary Football Letterman' and presented with a letterman’s plaque and jacket at the Georgia-Kentucky game.

What they said through the years:

"Ask any sports fan in the South for the name of a college announcer other than his own and the chances are the one he or she will know is Munson."
--Loran Smith, 1986

"I've never known a college announcer who means more to his school's alumni and friends than Larry Munson. He delivers a passionate, emotional broadcast that has endeared him to all Dawgs and it has also made him the toast of the state."
--Mike Faherty, General Manager, WSB Radio, 1986

"Nobody that I know does play-by-play like Larry. He has a certain way of following the ball and his powers of concentration are unbelievable. He captures the feeling of the moment. He's great, but he's a horrible roommate. He could be doing a game in Montana in December and have the air conditioning on. He must have descended from a polar bear."
--Phil Schaefer, Georgia color analyst, 1986

"The voice of the Dawgs has become the voice of college football in the South."
--Boyd McWhorter, Southeastern Conference Commissioner, 1985

"Hardly a day goes by in my hectic world that I don't remind my staff to 'Hunker Down.'"
--Ronald Reagan, President of the United States, 1986

"Larry Munson is to Georgia football what fried chicken is to a tailgate party. You can't enjoy one without the other."
--Lewis Grizzard, 1985

"He's like a folk hero. He has that special style people love and relate to. I finally claimed him as one of the best after the '78 season. He just shot straight up. But I'd come out of the hotel on Saturday mornings rested after a good night's sleep, feeling good about the game and run into Munson and he'd say, 'You see how fast their receivers are, how we going to run with them?' I'd say, 'Munson get away from me.' The man is a worrier. He drove me crazy as a coach."
--Vince Dooley on Munson, 1994

Now Get The Picture……

"Matt Robinson fakes, end-around to Appleby. Appleby's gonna throw a bomb! He's got a man open down on the far side! Complete! A touchdown!..........Appleby to Washington. Eighty yards! Appleby! End around! Just stopped, planted his feet and threw it! Washington, caught it, thinking of Montreal and the Olympics, and ran out of his shoes right down the middle. Eighty yards!"
-- Nov. 8, 1975 vs. Florida

"The whole stadium is standing up and roaring against Georgia.....The whole game coming down to this!......He sets it down and it's up! Watch it! Watch it! YEAH! YEAH! YEAH! YEAH!"
--Oct. 28, 1978 vs. Kentucky, Rex Robinson winning field goal

"We hand it off to Herschel! There's a hole! Five! 10! 12! He's running over people! Oh, you Herschel Walker!.......My God Almighty, he ran right through two men.....He drove right over orange shirts, just driving and running with those big thighs. My God, a freshman!"
-- Sept. 9, 1980 vs. Tennessee, Herschel's debut

"Buck back, third down on the eight. In trouble. Got a block behind him. Gonna throw on the run. Complete to the 25! To the 30! Lindsay Scott! 35, 40! Lindsay Scott 45, 50! 45, 40! run Lindsay! 25! 20! 15! 10! Five! Lindsay Scott! Lindsay Scott! Lindsay Scott!...........I can't believe it. I broke my chair. A metal, steel chair with about a 5-inch cushion. Well, the stadium fell down.....I didn't mean to beg Lindsay to run, but I had to."
-- Nov. 8, 1980 vs. Florida, winning TD with 1:04 left

"Auburn trying to break our hearts here!......Again you guys, hunker down!....Eight-four seconds. I hate to keep saying it, but HUNKER DOWN!....A minute and four seconds. Sixty-four seconds. Sixty-four seconds to everything!....If you didn't hear me you guys, HUNKER DOWN!....It's fourth down....Ball on the 21 and they've got to go to the four for a first down. I know I'm asking a lot you guys, but HUNKER IT DOWN ONE MORE TIME!.....(A Pass by Auburn is broken up in the end zone)....The Dogs broke it up!.....Twenty-three, twenty-two, twenty-one. Clock running, running.
Oh, look at the sugar falling out of the sky! Look at the sugar falling out of the sky!"
-- Nov. 13, 1982 vs. Auburn, Georgia wins third straight SEC title

"So we'll try to kick one 100,000 miles....We're gonna try to kick one 60 yards plus a foot and a half....And Butler kicked a long one, a long one....Oh my God, oh my God....The stadium is worse than bonkers."
--Sept. 22, 1984 vs. Clemson, Kevin Butler winning field goal with 11 seconds left.

“We have come flying down the field we are on their six yard line. We are gonna have one play to try and save ourselves. Remember we left our heart down on the other end of the field. We have come all the way back to the six yard-line and we just took the last timeout like gold bouillon and had to spend it. Six yard line. Can you believe that David Greene brought us down the field that quick? Now we have one play to steal a win. 24-20 and they got the 24 with the great play Clauson to Stephens in three or four blocks. What in the world would you call now? You’re on their six yard line and Greene has brought you down there all the way. What are you gonna do now?”

”Mcgill led us out. Now he calls his hands and raises them for the huddle on the ten. Got ten seconds, we’re on their six. Michael Johnson turned around asked the bench something. And now Greene makes him line up on the right slot, we have three receivers. Tennessee playing what amounts to a four-four. A fake. And there’s a TOUCHDOWN! MY GOD A TOUCHDOWN! We threw it to Haynes. We just stomped them with five seconds left. My God Almighty did you see what he did? David Greene just straightened up and we snuck the fullback over, Hanes is keeping the ball, Haynes has come running all the way across to the bench. We just dumped it over to 26-24. We just stepped on their face with a hot nailed boot and broke their nose. We just crushed their face. We dumped it over, David Greene brought us flying down the field and Haynes caught a sneak pass wide open.”
-- Oct. 6, 2001 vs. Tennessee in Knoxville

Munson Himself

"I actually heard a commercial on a radio station. They were begging for announcers. Guys hadn't come back yet (from the war) and more and more new radio stations were popping up. There was a shortage like you can't believe. You were supposed to study for six months and they would try to place you. I went for nine weeks and they placed me."
--Larry on how he got his first job

"The Braves sent me to a car dealer to pick up a car to drive to their training camp in Florida. Before I left Atlanta, I picked up a copy of The Journal. When I got to West Palm Beach, I check into my room, threw the paper on the bed, hung up my clothes, took a shower and lay down on the bed. Then I saw this box in the paper saying that Ed Thelenius was going to have to drop Georgia football. The next morning I called Joel Eaves at the University. He offered me the job that day."
--Larry on how he got the Georgia job

"I was 20 years old and I read in a magazine want-ad somewhere that the University of Wyoming was looking for a play-by-play radio announcer to do its football and basketball games. I sent them a tape of me doing a play-by-play game. The tape was a fake. I went into the studio and taped me doing the play-by-play for the Ohio State-Minnesota game. I had never done sports or play-by-play before in my life. I recorded about seven or eight plays and added sound effects. I sent that in as my tape. Looking back on it now, I can really see just how bad that tape was. It was awful. When I got out to Wyoming the guy I was replacing was named Curt Gowdy.
Back then, I didn't know him from anybody. He was just another guy. He left to take the job doing Oklahoma A&M football and basketball. I got the Wyoming job and it paid $45 a week. Gowdy and I became good friends. His home was in Wyoming so we hunted and fished a lot together."
--Larry on how he got his first big break

"Porter Wagoner was the first to teach me to worm fish very deep. Years ago, he was throwing plastic worms off a bluff at night into 100 to 110 feet of water and walking the worm up the sides of the rocks. He was coming in with great strings of largemouths from deep water in Center Hill.
--Larry on learning to fish with plastic worms