I just can’t seem to wake up and get started writing this article. I’m just flat, I can’t seem to find the energy to smack around one of our orange enemies even after the other orange enemy falls on the same night. Maybe I’ll show up by the time I get half my allotted words on paper. This is just how the Dawgs played Saturday against the rival Vols in Tennessee. Just like the week before against Ole Miss and also in the South Carolina game, the Dawgs seemed to be sleepwalking through the first half.
You would think the players would have been as pumped up and ready as the fans (minus the liquid excitement), with an SEC title hunt rebirth, but it wasn’t to be. The Dawgs’ youth, especially on the line, once again reared its baby face. The Tennessee lines punched the Dawgs’ youthful lines right in the pacifiers all day. Not to pick on one player, because the entire offensive and defensive lines got pushed around all day, but in the first half, No. 77 on Dawgs O-Line pretty much single-handily stemmed every hopeful drive by committing some sort of penalty on seemingly every positive play. I think he should get the Pampers 24 pack award for his efforts cause he played like poop.
The Dawgs did come out in the second half and moved the ball on offense to slow Tennessee some. It was a respectable effort after such a pathetic first half, but with a 28-point deficit, it was too little, too late.
I didn’t look up any stats, no need to really. But I do understand that coach Mark Richt told the players at half time that they could go out and achieve the greatest comeback in school history or they could go out and have the most embarrassing day of their football lives.
They did come out and play hard in the second half, scoring 14 points and giving up only 7 points.
Some positives that did come out of this game were that we had no turnovers (excluding the Hail Mary at the end of the game). Kregg Lumkin got some playing time, despite a broken thumb. And our receivers seem to be catching the ball better. As for injuries, running back Thomas Grown went out with a botched-upcollar bone.
Well, the Dawgs must now try to be someone’s spoiler in the SEC hunt. Next week we travel back to the Volunteer State (thank goodness not Obnoxville). The Dawgs travel to Nashville to avenge last year’s homecoming loss to Vanderbilt. The Dawgs are scheduled this year as Vandy’s homecoming game. How funny is that? I guess the Dawgs will have to kick some Commode-door butt and hand Vandy a big homecoming loss. After kicking around the Commode–doors, the Dawgs can then take over Vandy’s place in the SEC as everybody’s spoiler for the rest of the 2007 season.
With the No. 75 ranked team knocking off No. 2 ranked team Saturday night and USF being ranked No. 5, this is proof that the college playing field is becoming leveled out and just about anything is possible for your team each week. Keep that in mind, Eric. The Gators sure did look better in their loss to LSU than we looked in our loss to Tennessee.
W.D., since FSU won and we looked so bad, I think I’ll start writing about the Fernandina Beach High School Pirates who also have their homecoming this week.
Go Dawgs. Sic … I just can’t finish it.