Mizzou This Weekend:A Rude Awakening.

A Great Night’s Sleep. You Next Weekend:

H o s p i t a l i t y G ro u pA t h e n s , G A

M u ThizzoM s WThi denkeeWWe d:M u ThizzoM s WThiA

denkeeWWeRude A

d:Awakenningng.g.

A t h e nH o s p i t a l i

G An s ,po ui t y G r

It’s time for an ‘old man’, Dawg whippin’!It’s time for an ‘old man’, Dawg whippin’!

Georgia-Missouri

RESTORING FUNCTION. RESTORING QUALITY OF LIFE.

A strategic affiliate of Southeast Georgia Health System

LOCATIONS

Summit Professional Plaza1111 Glynco Parkway Bldg. 1, Suite 35 and

Bldg. 2, Suite 100 Brunswick, GA 31525

912-262-9961

Wellness Way Medical Complex7000 Wellness Way, Suite 7110 St. Simons Island, GA 31522

912-466-5570

Camden Medical Pavilion2040 Dan Proctor Drive, Suite 120

St. Marys, GA 31558 912-576-6355

l to r: Frank Clements, PA-C; Beau Sasser, M.D.; Buck Cavalier, M.D.; Gary M. McClain, M.D.; Michael J. Sullivan, M.D.; Katherine L. Maurath, M.D.; J. Melvin Deese, M.D.; Denny A. Carter, M.D.

Musculoskeletal conditions and injuries can cripple your quality of life.

The physicians at Summit Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Surgery focus

on reducing pain, restoring function and improving your quality of life by

using the latest treatment techniques and a minimally invasive approach.

The board-certified physicians and orthopaedic surgeons at Summit

Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Surgery offer treatment options for

everything from simple fractures to sports injuries to the most complex

conditions. Our orthopaedic specialists offer comprehensive care in all

areas of orthopaedics including:

Foot and ankle

Hand and wrist

Joint replacement

Physical medicine and rehabilitation

Spine

Sports medicine

For more information or to make an appointment, please call the Summit Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Surgery location nearest you.

summitsportsmedicine.com

Southeast Georgia Health System is a tobacco-free organization.© 2012 SGHS 8/2012

Look who is heading to...

2310 W. Broad St. Athens, GA706-353-7667

Georgia vs. Buffalo

Discover What Locals Already Know…

Don’t Fight the Downtown Crowd!

Best Steakand Seafood

in Athens!

Bulldog Brunch Sundays 10 a.m.-noonJeff Dantzler & Kevin Butler

Live Music Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 7 p.m.

Monday Night Special- Half price off any bottle of wine under $30

Res

erva

tion

s W

elco

me.

Vis

it w

ww

.hil

ltop

gri

lle.

com

for

up

dat

ed m

enu

& w

ine

list

.

Sunday N

ight Special- K

ids eat free with each dinner entree

www.bulldawgillustrated.com 3

Missouri

FOR ADVERTISING OR TO SUBSCRIBE: 1-877-456-4624

www.bulldawgillustrated.com

Cha Cha Cha Publishing Inc.

Editor Vance Leavy

Editorial & Ad DirectorCheri Leavy

Sports GuruJeff Dantzler

SalesCaroline Kinney, Holly Stanfill

SportsMurray Poole

Travis Ragsdale

Layout/DesignCheri Leavy, Vance Leavy

Cover photoRob Saye

PhotographyRob Saye

ColumnistsCarlton DeVooght

Al HicksonRob Sherrell Loran SmithChad White

Student EditorTravis Ragsdale

InternsKatherine ParkePierce Persons

Annie Trice

DeliveryHatton Abernathy, Martin Cameron

Jake Davis, Will Hayes, Frank Sinkwich IV, Champ Vance

Missouri, September 3, 2012

From the editor : vance leavyWell Bulldog fans the 2012 season finally kicked off this past Satur-

day in Sanford Stadium and I would have to say the outcome was prettymuch what I expected. It wasn’t great, nor was it terrible. The biggest goalwas attained with Georgia’s 45-23 win over the Buffalo Bulls. You can’twin them all without winning the first one.

On the positive side of things, it’s always great when our offense takescare of the football. And with zero turnovers, mission accomplished there.While Aaron Murray had several over anxious throws early, he did settlein nicely giving his receivers plenty of catchable balls. And in case you did-n’t know it, this Georgia team has a ton oftalent at wide receiver. Tavarres King,Michael Bennett, Chris Conley and Rantavi-ous Wooten all had solid games, which isvery comforting not knowing how seriousthe injuries are to Malcolm Mitchell andMarlon Brown.

And my, oh my, didn’t our true fresh-man running backs have a stellar start totheir Bulldog careers?

Todd Gurley looked like a veteranusing speed, power and stiff arms to createbig plays throughout the game. And KeithMarshall’s quickness was definitely a nicecompliment to both Gurley and Ken Mal-come’s power game. How exciting to seesome quality production from Bryan Mc-Clendon’s tailback unit that has struggledover the last few years. And what I like bestis that it appears all these youngsters arecommitted to the program in all the rightways, both on and off the field. However, itwill certainly take more than one game todetermine whether our tailbacks are truly onthe up.

You also have to give props to ouryoung offensive line. Yes they gave up a fewsacks, but Aaron Murray had adequate time

to the throw the ball most of the day. And many ofour tailbacks productive runs began with a niceseam or hole provided by the big uglies on the O-line. Keep it up young fellas and this season couldcertainly be dreamy.

Now across the ball, things weren’t all thatgreat for our Bulldog defense. But that was fine byme because I fully expect Todd Grantham to usethat this week to have his players foaming at themouth when toe meets leather Saturday night in

Columbia, Mo. Players like Jarvis Jones, John Jenkins, Abry Jones andBranden Smith better be ready because all indications are that Mizzou canflat out move the football.

Unfortunately by now, we all know that our defense is missing morethan a third of their starters due to suspensions. Perhaps, Mark Richt’spoker game with the media will have a happy ending this week and AlecOgletree and Bacarri Rambo will get to see some action on Faurot Field?With or without those guys, Grantham’s defense must patch things upquickly. The focus wasn’t there for every play and that will certainly equate

to some SEC losses if not rectified. My bet isthings get better for Georgia’s D this week.

Beyond our offense and defense, thingswere about the same for special teams andoverall coaching in my opinion. Not great,not bad. I was glad to see our kicker, Mar-shall Morgan, drill his second kick after miss-ing the first one. And Coach Richt seemed tohave a good grasp of the overall ebb and flowof the game. However, I’m not sure Iwould’ve shown the double pass againstBuffalo. That play was definitely a head-scratcher. Although it should have gone fora touchdown, the drive quickly ended,which was folllowed by Buffalo marchingdown the field to tighten the score, 24-13.

That’s enough Monday morning quar-terbacking for me. It’s now time to devote allour energy to getting ready for the slugfestthat’s sure to take place on Saturday night.

It’s Missouri’s debut in the SoutheasternConference and they are so off their rockerwith enthusiasm that one of their playersopened his mouth when he should not of.Defensive tackle, Shelton Richardson said heturned off the Georgia-Buffalo game saying “… It’s like watching Big Ten football, It’s old-man football.”

Well, I guess Mr. Richardson and all the Mizzou faithful are about tofigure out how much Georgia loves their football. And how much theydon’t appreciate when someone disrespects them.

Still, we here at Bulldawg Illustrated always do our best to stay abovethe fray. So while we realize that our beloved Russ will be enshrined asUGA IX before the Florida Atlantic game in two weeks, we decided our“old man” mascot needed to grace our cover this issue. May his wisdomand ferocity lead our Georgia team and it’s incredible fans into MemorialStadium for what we hope is an “old man”, Dawg whippin’. See you thereSaturday night. Let’s blow the doors off that sucker!

photo by Rob Saye

2230 W. Broad St706-549-4265

475 US Hwy. 29706-549-0067

1124 Prince Ave.706-543-0522

3825 Atlanta Hwy706-613-0340

150 Gaines School Rd.706-543-8010

1741 Epps Bridge Pkwy.706-227-9200

Chicken McNuggets • Q

uarter pounder w/Cheese • Prem

ium Salads

Real Fruit Smoothies • Angus Snack Wraps • McCafe Frappes • Happy Meals

Real Fruit Smoothies • Angus Snack Wraps • McCafe Frappes • Happy Meals

Springtime means ... Smoothie time

Chick

en M

cNug

gets

•

Qua

rter p

ound

er w

/Che

ese

• P

rem

ium

Sal

ads

MIGHTY WINGSARE HERE!

Lobby and drive-thru open 24 hours at Gaines School Rd. and Epps Bridge Rd.

706.369.7100801 Riverhill Drivewww.wesleywoods.org

a community of WESLEY WOODS + affiliated with Emory Healthcare +United Methodist Church/North Georgia Conference

Place to Retire in AthensThe Retirement & Personal Care

2125 N. Decatur Rd. Decatur, GA 30033

404.634.6294 Go Dawgs!

www.alumni.uga.edu1-800-606-8786

Whether you’re having fun with your local chapter, supporting scholarships and endowments, or

plugging into a worldwide network of more than 270,000 graduates, the UGA Alumni Association is the best way to stay connected with YOUR alma mater!

We invite you to support your University and your Alumni Association by making a gift to the Georgia Fund for the UGA Alumni Association.

Give Every Year.Make a Difference Every Day!

4 Bulldawg Illustrated

Missouri alumni, fans and officialsare calling Saturday’s showdown withGeorgia the biggest in school history.This is the Tigers first ever league gameas a member of the mighty SoutheasternConference, and they are “foaming at themouth” to make a smashing entrance.

Georgia, with one of the great tradi-tions in college football annals, is aimingto shake off an annoying recent trend –being the victim of another program’ssignature wins. The Bulldogs don’t wantto add Missouri to this list.

Oklahoma State christened its newstadium with a 24-10 win over Georgiain the 2009 season-opener, a game inwhich the Bulldogs missed numerousopportunities. This gave the Cowboys abig lift and helped propel them to the topof the Big XII. Over the next couple ofyears, Oklahoma State added Oklahomaand Texas to the hit list and peaked witha No. 3 national finish in 2011. It wasthat win over Georgia, though, that putthe Cowboys on their way.

Later in that 8-5 season of 2009,Georgia blew a pair of 14-point leads andlost to Kentucky in Athens for the firsttime since 1977. It was the Wildcats sec-ond win over Georgia in a four year pe-riod, and former coach Rich Brookspoints to those triumphs as highlight Sat-urdays of his tenure.

Georgia had a schedule that set upfor a run at the SEC East title in 2010.Instead the Bulldogs got off to a disas-trous start and were the victims of fourschool’s marquee triumphs. South Car-olina would go to the Georgia Dome, andthe Gamecocks brilliant freshman run-ning back Marcus Lattimore had his na-tional coming out in a 17-6 Gamecocksvictory in Columbia. The followingweek, with any shot at a great seasonseemingly hanging in the balance, Geor-gia couldn’t finish a late comeback andfell in the closing seconds to Arkansas –giving the Razorbacks that breakthroughvictory. The Razorbacks went on to theirfirst of two straight double digit win sea-sons and berths in the Sugar and CottonBowls. Then came a 24-12 MississippiState over Georgia in Starkville. Itmarked the first time that the Maroonshad beaten the Bulldogs since 1974.Georgia’s maddening four game losingstreak hit its low point with a two-pointloss to lowly Colorado in Boulder. Itwould be the last victory for DanHawkins as the Buffaloes head coach.The Bulldogs did beat Tennessee andTech in 2010 and were 6-6 at the end ofthe regular season. The campaign endedwith arguably the biggest win in CentralFlorida history, as the Knights from Con-ference USA upended Georgia in the Lib-erty Bowl 10-6. The Bulldogs suffered alosing record for the first time since1996, and five of those losses (the othertwo were to Urban Meyer’s FloridaGators and national champion Auburn)

were to schools who marked the tri-umphs over Georgia as high points.

Last season, in the Georgia Dome,Boise State beat a Southeastern Confer-ence school for the first time ever, dom-inating the Dogs 35-21 in theChick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic. The seasonended with a painful overtime loss toMichigan State. The Spartans were hun-gry for a bowl win and a signature vic-tory over an SEC team. They got it. Itwas one that the Bulldogs let get away,and 10-4 didn’t look nearly as nice as 11-3 would’ve been. While Michigan State’splayers were talking about how big thatOutback Bowl was to their program, sev-eral Georgia players spoke of the game asa launching point for a national champi-onship run in 2012.

To achieve that goal of being in themix, the Dogs must be focused on everySaturday’s next challenge. There’s a potof gold at the end of the journey, but it’sa path laden with landmines.

To avoid those pratfalls, the Bulldogsfirst must eliminate those catastrophicbreakdowns that made last season good,not great. In the losses to South Car-olina, LSU and Michigan State, the Bull-dogs allowed SIX non-offensivetouchdowns.

Missouri, which is hoping to join thelikes of Boise State, Kentucky and Michi-gan State, and put Georgia on their hitlist, scored four non-offensive touch-downs in a 62-10 season-opening past-ing of Southeast Louisiana this pastSaturday.

What an SEC debut that would befor the Tigers.

Georgia’s aim is to be on the goodside of history and alter this annoyingtrend of falling to programs with inferiorhistory and recruiting bases.

Bulldog players came up with amotto for 2012: “Our team. Our time.No regrets.”

Saturday is the first opportunityagainst a high caliber opponent to walkthe walk. Georgia has a lot of talent backand as manageable a schedule as canpossibly be in the SEC. Tennessee,Florida and Auburn won’t all be downforever.

Getting derailed by Missouri would-n’t necessarily sink the ship for 2012.Due to injury and suspension, the Bull-dogs don’t figure to be at full strength forSaturday’s game in Columbia, so abounce-back would certainly be possi-ble. Plus Missouri has won 48 gamesover the last five years, with four win-ning records and one .500 mark in con-ference play over that stretch. But afterthe performances that Alabama andSouthern Cal put on this past Saturday, aloss to Missouri wouldn’t exactly put theBulldogs alongside the Tide, Trojans andLSU as national title front-runners.

And that’s where the Bulldogs wantto be.

It’s time to right a bad trend and walk the walk

jeff dantzler

photo by Rob Saye

Crazy Good.

cooked slow... served fastThese succulent new menu items are bathed in the tasty smoke of hickory wood for hours on end. Within minutes they are on your plate—sweet, juicy, and tender. Enjoy!

LOCOSGRILL.COM

onlineordering

CAMPUS • WESTSIDEEASTSIDE

available now atwww.bulldawgillustrated.com 5

Professor Robinson has stellar athletic backgroundWhen Gregory Robinson takes his seat at

Sanford Stadium to see the Georgia Bulldogs inaction, you can be assured that he has a prettygood sense of what’s transpiring down betweenthe hedges.

For although Dr. Robinson is a Franklin Pro-fessor and Distinguished Research Professor ofchemistry at the University of Georgia, he also hasa solid football background that enables him tounderstand why a certain play is being run andwhat the defensive team is doing to counter thatplay.

And, without question, Robinson’s rich ath-letic heritage from his days of growing up in thestate of Alabama and then playing collegiately atJacksonville State University has boded well in hisother current role at the university, that of being atwo-year member of the Board of Directors of theGeorgia Athletic Association.

Robinson, who joined the UGA faculty in1995, hails from Calhoun County in Alabama.“Anniston is the county seat,” he said. “I attendedAlexandria High School, a small high school there.I was a pretty good athlete as well as a pretty re-spectable student so I was able to get a footballscholarship upon graduation to Jacksonville StateUniversity. I played quarterback in high school,then in college I played linebacker. I was basicallya four-year starter at linebacker and my senior yearI was all-conference (in Gulf South) and confer-ence defensive player of the year also. We were abit smaller then and I think I played at about 215pounds,” Robinson recalled.

“And what I would like to say,” Robinsonadded, “I was recruited by the University of Geor-gia out of high school. I found a couple of re-cruiting letters from the recruiting coordinator …for some reason I kept those things and they aresome of my prized possessions now, from 1975.But I went on to Jacksonville State and 1976 wasmy freshman year.”

Upon graduation from Jacksonville State,Robinson attended graduate school at the Uni-versity of Alabama. “That’s where I studied andearned my PhD in 1984,” he said. “Growing up,I was busy being a Gamecock (Jacksonville State).But whether you want to or not, you’re kind ofinfluenced by Alabama and Auburn and so I sup-pose Alabama was certainly my favorite and that’swhy I went to graduate school there,” he said,laughing.

In 1985 Robinson would embark on hiscollege teaching career at Clemson University. “Istarted off as an assistant professor of chemistry,then associate and, ultimately, became full profes-sor there. And then, in 1995, I moved from Clem-son to the University of Georgia.”

At Georgia, Robinson would evolve into achemistry professor extraordinaire and, just re-cently, became one of a select group of interna-tional academics awarded a 2012 HumboldtResearch Award from Germany's Alexander vonHumboldt Foundation. The award is valued at60,000 euro (approximately $80,000), andRobinson is the second UGA chemist to receivethe award in as many years.

“I have known for many years that UGA ishome to some of the best faculty in the world,”said UGA President Michael Adams. “The fact thatDr. Henry Schaefer won the Humboldt Award lastyear and now Professor Robinson is this year’s re-cipient demonstrates that fact to the world. I amvery proud of both of them and wish Dr. Robin-son well in his research with colleagues in Ger-many.”

Robinson has been invited to undertake pro-longed periods of collaboration with otherchemists in Germany, and he plans to work withcolleagues at the Carl von Ossietzky University ofOldenburg and the Technical University of Berlin.The award, which is presented to up to 100 sci-entists worldwide annually, is granted in recogni-tion of a researcher’s entire achievements and ispresented to academics whose fundamental dis-coveries, new theories or insights have had a sig-nificant impact on their own discipline and whoare expected to continue producing cutting-edgeachievements in the future.

Robinson is internationally known for hiswork synthesizing chemical compounds thatother scientists had dismissed as impossible. In alandmark 1995 paper, he demonstrated that met-als can display electronic behavior that was previ-ously only thought possible with carbon-basedring systems such as benzene. These chemicalcompounds, known as aromatics, are particularlystable, and Robinson's innovations have the po-tential to improve the performance of semicon-ductors and electronics.

“I’m taking the family over to Germany nextsummer, the summer of 2013, and we’ll spendthe summer there and I’ll come back to the uni-versity in the fall,” said Robinson. “Then the planis to return to Germany in January of 2014 andstay for six or seven months and then come back

to the University of Georgia in the fall.”In the following question-and-answer ses-

sion with Bulldawg Illustrated, Greg Robinsontalks more about his background and his role onthe Georgia athletic board.

What is your occupation?I’m a professor of chemistry at the University

of Georgia. The current fall semester is a reallybusy semester for me. I’m teaching two classes,both in general chemistry. One of the classes is aclass restricted to honor students and chemistrymajors and that class has about a hundred stu-dents in it. But, also, I’m teaching a second gen-eral chemistry class that’s open to any student andthat has about 375 students in it. And every othersemester, I’ll teach a graduate course in organicchemistry.

How many years have you servedon the UGA athletic board?

I’m beginning my second year on the ath-letic board. I was a presidential appointee on theboard by President Adams. So in addition to beinga normal board member, I’m on the finance com-mittee of the athletic board. That’s a very impor-tant committee and I certainly enjoy serving onit.

Where did you grow up and whatmade it special?

The community was Alexandria, Ala. It wasjust a small town and there wasn’t a whole lotgoing on there, as it turned out, but you had achance to kind of grow up slowly there. And likemost people’s hometown, it just holds a specialplace in your heart. I think probably that’s it. I goback occasionally now and it doesn’t seem nearlyas big now as it did when I was growing up backthere, I tell you that.

What has been the most excitingpart for you serving on UGA’s athleticboard?

The most exciting thing is becoming famil-iar with the internal workings of Georgia athletics.It’s just the great people that are charged with thecaretaking of Georgia athletics and they are ab-solutely fantastic. And just the magnitude of the is-sues that the board has to deal with has been veryhumbling and impressive, actually.

What has been the most excitingaspect of your career?

Well, I would have to say the most excitingthing would be the discoveries that we make inour laboratory from time to time. You know, ifyou’re a scientist that’s kind of why you get into it,to have those rare moments where you know atthat particular moment you discover somethingthat has never been seen nor often even theorizedbefore. And we’ve been lucky enough to do thata few times and so that’s a very special feeling.

What do you think are the biggestchallenges for Georgia athletics in thenear future?

I would say just reaching our full potential.I think that’s the biggest challenge of any athleticdepartment, just reach your full potential, and Ithink we’re right on the cusp of doing that.

How has the knowledge from youroccupation helped in the betterment ofUGA athletics?

I could say as a scientist, I’ve kind of learnedhow to become a good member of a team. And Itry to use that in my experiences on the athleticboard as well. I try to be a good team member, Isuppose, and that’s the best way I can state it.

Your favorite UGA sports moment?I would have to say shortly after Coach Richt

came to Georgia when we won our first SECchampionship (in 2002) under Coach Richt. Ithink that was very special because it had been somany years, 20 years I believe. That whole sea-son was so exciting and just to see the great jobCoach Richt had done that year was one of myfavorite moments.

poole shotsBy Murray Poole

www.uga.edu

6 Bulldawg Illustrated

ny kind of win, even against a team like Buffalo, will instill con-fidence into the minds of players. That’s exactly what coachesand fans are hoping this past week did for the Dawgs. While itwasn’t the prettiest of wins, it still showed that Georgia has

plenty of talent on both sides of the ball. But that talent is headed to un-familiar territory this week. The experience of Columbia, Mo. will bebrand new to everyone on Saturday. You just hope that doesn’t spell dis-aster for the Dawgs.

Contain, Contain, Contain Nothing is more frustrating for fans than to see Jarvis Jones bearing

down on a quarterback, ready to drop the other team’s signal caller to theground than to see that QB tuck it and run up field for a nice gain be-fore JJ can get to him. That’s exactly what happened on several occa-sions this past Saturday. And this coming Saturday will be worse ifadjustments aren’t made. The Tiger’s QB, James Franklin, is one of thebest in the country at escaping pressure and making plays with his feet.With 1,145 rushing yards last year, Franklin poses a unique threat toGeorgia. Of course everyone knows Missouri as a run-and-gun type ofteam but if a pass play breaks down, Franklin will be off to the racesand will shred opposing defensive schemes given the opportunity. CoachGrantham surely has a plan in mind that will likely involve one of thelinebackers “spying” Franklin. The only problem here is that when a de-fense spies a quarterback, that defender is essentially lost for that play.This probably explains why Missouri’s offense has been so potent with Franklin at the helm.More unfortunate for the Dawgs is that Buffalo may have exposed to Missouri a weaknessin Georgia’s ability to contain the QB scramble and run. For Georgia, Franklin poses a muchgreater threat on the ground than he does in the air. This has to be stopped or it’s going tobe a long, long night.

The Walking WoundedPerhaps more infuriating than not beating Buffalo 56-3 as the Dawgs should have, is the

fact that several players were hurt in the process. Freshman right tackle, John Theus, sprainedhis ankle. Ken Malcome hurt his hand. And right guard Chris Burnette also had a lower leginjury. Plus, Marlon Brown and Malcolm Mitchell didn’t even play against the Bulls becauseof ankle injuries. In any football game there will be a number of different injuries to play-ers. Fans just hope that they don’t happen to the entire right side of the starting offensive lineas well as your starting running back. The offensive line was already thin before but with-out Theus and Burnette, the Dawgs had to start dipping into a pool of players that may notbe ready to compete in the SEC. This is a scary proposition with Aaron Murray’s health inthe balance. But, if there is any position on the field that can tough out an ankle injury andstill play, it’s the offensive linemen. Now for Ken Malcome, his injury may be a blessing indisguise. Malcome is a great back but Georgia has a couple freshmen waiting in the wingsthat are chomping at the bit to knock some heads in the SEC. Unfortunately, neither of thoseguys are as accomplished as pass blockers as Malcome is. Either way, this week hopefully al-lows Malcome and the rest of the walking wounded to heal, otherwise this just provides an-other hurdle that the Dawgs will have to overcome against the Tigers.

Gurley not “girly” In fact, he’s a man. A big, strong man, but how about those wheels? Everyone knew coming into

the 2012 season that Keith Marshall was incredibly fast. What caught everyone by surprise was howfast Todd Gurley is. And not just that but some of those stiff-arms he laid out on Saturday were plainmean. But hold on for a second, let’s not anoint him as the next Herschel just yet. Yes, he had a phe-nomenal debut but remember who it was against. Buffalo isn’t exactly known for their overwhelmingdefense. Let’s see if Mr. Gurley has that kind of performance a few weeks in a row and then we’ll beable to judge a little bit better. He certainly has the intangibles to be an every down kind of back, some-thing that Dawg fans haven’t seen in Athens since Knowshon Moreno. Don’t forget about Keith Mar-shall either. While he didn’t have the explosive plays that Gurley had, Marshall still looked veryimpressive. Missouri has their hands full trying to create a game plan around these two very differentstyle runners that are very capable.

IntangiblesThis will be Missouri’s first ever SEC conference game. It’s in Columbia. It’s at night. And Georgia

has a target on their back with its highly national ranking. The Tigers they’re also coming off a 62-10win in the first game of the season. The intangibles are pretty much all in the favor of Missouri here.It’s a scary, scary game that many fans are underestimating. Missouri is a good, disciplined footballteam. They have a high-powered offense that can lay 50 on the board before you know what happened.And with a few players out for Georgia on the defense due to suspensions, you better believe that theTigers are preparing extra hard this week to debut in the SEC with a splash. Still though, the Dawgsare more talented right now than the Tigers. If they can contain the Mizzou quarterback, get some guyshealed up from injuries and let the freshmen dynamic duo do their thing out of the backfield, theDawgs should win. If they do, watch out. This game could be the springboard to something special.

Dogs vs. TigersLet SEC play begin ... it won’t get anybigger as Mizzou tries to open with a bangBy Travis Ragsdale

A

photo by Rob Saye

www.jekyllisland.com

877-4-JEKYLL

Join the fun at the 33rd Annual Georgia-Florida Golf Classic on Jekyll Island!

Kick off your celebration of the big game with a Thursday-Friday tournament

format plus Wednesday practice round.

Make Jekyll Island your home base in the Golden Isles to enjoy this year’s

at golf.jekyllisland.com. Or call us, (912) 635-2368!

33rd Annual

Lots of Prizes to Win. Including a New Car.

WHAT’S NEW IN 2012

Play with the Dawgs or Gators GreatsLindsay Scott, Tim Worley and Greg Talley from Georgia; Doug Johnson and Ben Troupe from Florida.

Dinner with DooleyEnjoy a special evening with the legendary Coach Dooley including keynote speech and book signing event.

Now, See Him Putt!

Registration now open!

{YOU’VE SEEN LINDSAY RUN}

No

ow,V’YOU{

See SEENVE

HimLINDSAY

m Put} RUNY

tt!

Join the fun at the 33

Kick off your celebra

format plus Wednesd

Make Jekyll Island y

No

3rd Annual Georgia-Florid

ation of the big game with

day practice round.

your home base in the Go

ow,

da Golf Classic on Jekyll

h a Thursday-Friday tour

olden Isles to enjoy this ye

See

Island!

nament

ear’s

WHAT’S

Play witLindsay Scott, TDoug Johnson a

Dinner w

Him

NEW IN 2012

th the Dawgs or Gim Worley and Greg Talley from

and Ben Troupe from Florida.

with Dooley

m Put

Gators Greatsm Georgia;

tt!

at golf.jekyllisland.co

om. Or call us, (912) 635-2

2368!

Dinner wEnjoy a special ekeynote speech

Lots oInclud

with Dooleyevening with the legendary Coaand book signing event.

of Prizes to Win.ding a New Car.

ach Dooley including

8 Bulldawg Illustrated

Leon Farmer III, Beau Farmer, Brooke Farmer and Rebecca Farmer Rex Ramsey, Charlie Hurst, Kelley Blanton, Ginger Hurst and MikeBlanton

Georgia 45Buffalo 23

Sanders Wallis and and Craig and Anna Jane Streetman Tim and CeCe Wallis and Molly and Del YanceyGarth Brooks, John Neel and Tricia Yearwood

John and Angela Uphold, Woody Fields, Jamie Posey and Rebecca Plaxico

(front row)Hudson Smith,

Graham Blanks,Whit Ramsey,

William Murphy,Kenzie Howell,Jack Abernathy

Back Row:Annie Blanks,Sally O'Steen

Grace Beckham, Caroline Man, Holly Oglesby, and DemiFitzgerald

Kae Ashleigh Eller, Caroline Young, Kristen Cox and KirbyMontgomery

Deborah Griffith, Taylor Griffith, Laurene Guthas, Kevin Guthas;(back row) Jim Griffith and Mike Guthas

October 18 - 21, 2012Sea Island Golf Club

St. Simons Island, Georgiawww.mcgladreyclassic.com

Join UGA Alumni and Fans insideThe DAWG HOUSE

Features:

3040 Atlanta Hwy.800-362-0498

www.athensbmw.com

{Our Players}put us on top

as well

ATHENS

heerys.com

Now Shop Online

706.543.0702www.bulldawgillustrated.com 9

Britt Willingham, Megan Deese and Claire Dever Kimberly, Logan, Braden and Brady Sparks

Sean Andrew and Kiernan Craft Julianne Roche and Noelle Wallace Lucy, Rhett and Mally Burruss

Claire McDonald, Natalie Knox, Kaeti Lindsay, Emily Collins and Kathryn Boyd

Traci Avery and Kyli AverySkip Rimms and Ansley D’MezaJane and Rick Fine and Jim PriceAudrey Anderson and Susannah Brewton

Georgia 45Buffalo 23

GO DAWGS!get the

/UGABookstore

It’s student designed and student voted. It’s your school. It should be your shirt. Proceeds will go to benefit students and student organizations associated with Student Affairs.

Thanks to the students and State Farm for their support.

Pick up your Spirit shirt today at the UGA Bookstore or order online at www.ugabookstore.com.

2012 UGA SPIRIT SHIRT

GO

O DAW

WGS!

GO12 20

O DAWget the

UGA SPIR

WGS!e

RIT SHIRT

tudent s s’ItIt should be y

tudent and s

o tThanks t

Pick up yor or

tudent vdesigned and seeds wilocour shirt. Pry

etsociations asganizaor

e Fttatudents and She s

ty aodaour Spirit shirt ttder online ar .ugawww

our school.s y’ed. Itotvtudentso benefit sll go t

airs.fftudent Aed with S

or their support.arm fF

eortt the UGA Booksom.c.eortbooks

s.

/UGABoo

okstore

10 Bulldawg Illustrated

Pimento Cheese & Variations

Ingredients:

2 (8-oz.) blocks extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated 1 (8-oz.) block mild cheddar cheese, grated 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened 1 (7-oz.) jar diced pimientos, drained 1 small jar roasted red bell peppers, drained & chopped 3 tsp grated vidalia onion 1/2 cup Duke’s mayonnaise - only Duke’s will do! salt & freshly ground pepper to taste (more pepper than salt) ¼ tsp cayenne a dash of Texas Pete & worcestershire

Directions:

Variations:Toasted Pimento Cheese Sandwiches:

Tailgate Croissants:

Jalapeno Pimento Cheese:

Pimento Cheese Stuffed Burgers:2 lbs ground sirloinSeasonings of choice; I typically use dashes of: kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, Worcestershire sauce & Mrs Dash Grilling Seasoning for SteaksNote: You can also make Jalapeno Pimento Cheese in stuffed burgers. Add bacon slices if you’re feeling just a little too healthy.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK TRIVIA CONTESTAlly Garner

UGA Alumna

SEC Tailgate Staple:Pimento Cheese Winner: Amy Moore Brown

In 2009, the Bulldogs actually won two bowl games: the Capital One Bowl on 1/1/2009 and the Indepen-dence Bowl on 12/28/2009. What two teams did they defeat? Answer: Michigan State (UGA 24-12) and Texas A&M (UGA 44-20)

Go to bulldawgillustrated.com

WWW. .com

WWWW

..WWWWW.W.

m.com

UGA Alumna

nerAlly Gar

RECIPE O

OF THE WEE

dence BBowl ontwo bowIn 2009

TRIK

Bowl on 12/28/2009 Whn 1/1/2009 and the Indepwl games: the Capital O

9, the Bulldogs actually w

VIA CONTES

hat-pen

Onewon

ST

edients:Ingrre

Pimento Cheese

Pimento Cheeailgate SEC TTa

UGA Alumna

ariationse & VVa

ese Staple:

TV

12) andAnswertwo teadence B

Winne

oasted Pimento Cheese SandwTToariations:VVa

exas A&M (UGA 44-20) TTe: Michigan State (UGA 2r

ams did they defeat? Bowl on 12/28/2009. Wh

owe Brer: Amy Moor

wiches:

bulldawgiltoGo 24-

hat

wn

llustrated.com

eteetPsaxxaeexTTefohsada ¼ tsp cayenne

ound peshly grro salt & frres mayo 1/2 cup Duke’’s

3 tsp grated vidalia onedoasted rre 1 small jar r

1 (7-oz.) jar diced pimea 1 (8-oz.) package crre

1 (8-oz.) block mild ch 2 (8-oz.) blocks extra-

edients:Ingrre

erreihsrrsetsstecrrcow&

e pepper thpepper to taste (morres will do!onnaise - only Duke’

niond bell peppers, drained & chopp

mientos, drainedam cheese, softenedheddar cheese, grated-sharp cheddar cheese, grated

S2P

J

T

han salt)

ped

Seasonings of choice; I typically useound sirloin2 lbs grr

gersfed BurrgPimento Cheese Stufff

Jalapeno Pimento Cheese:

oissants:ailgate CrroTTa

oeshly grroe dashes of: kosher salt fr

s:

ound pepper

ections:Dirre

eteetPsaxxaeexTTefohsada

erreihsrrsetsstecrrcow&

yNWS

e feeling just a little too healthyyou’r

onepalaJekkeamoslanacuoYYo:etoNe sauce & Mrs Dash GcestershirorWWo

Seasonings of choice; I typically use

.yy.

srrsegrubdeffffutsnieseehCotnemiPGrilling Seasoning for Steaks

oeshly grroe dashes of: kosher salt, fr

fisecilsnocabddAAd.s

,ound pepperr,

www.bulldawgillustrated.com 11

Hamilton Harbin, Jack Yancy, Sims Holmes, Chilton McKnight and Ford Neel

Georgia 45Buffalo 23

Craig and

HarrisonNolen

with Russ

BradleyLastinger,

GigiLastinger,

Davis Jones,Tracy Jones

and JackGinley

Laurene Guthas and Aaron Murray Patrick Kuhn and Jigar Patel

Kathleen Matthews and Annie Lewis Sam Karlin and Allison Major Sidney and Griffin Wells with Erin Sinclair andTommie Patrick

Stephanie, Trey, Elle and Raynor Manley

Cindy Loveless, Elizabeth Truley, Bill Anderson;(front row) Addy Ragle and Gracie Truley

go to

Celebrating THE Bounty of Georgia’s Golden Isles

September 21-23, 2012 Gascoigne Bluff Saint Simons Island

Benefiting

Local foods prepared by more than 25 area chefs Live music The Market with a farm stand, juried arts & cra�s and retailers Fine wines & cra� beers Cooking classes & demonstrations

SM

Featuring the VIP Riverside Sporting ClubOpens at 1:00 p.m.

Televised coverage of the a�ernoon college football gamesCuisine from Frederica, Li�le Saint Simons and Sea Island

Pub-style libations

o to

ORDER NOW at www.sf-7x.com

AND PROCEEDS go towards SCHOLARSHIPS for students at the Boys & Girls Club of Athens to attend Athens Y Camp next summer

SF-BIENTER

12 Bulldawg Illustrated

1. Georgia Punting Game vs. Mizzou’s Marcus Murphy – Freshman ColinBarber showed off a strong leg in the Bulldogs win over Buffalo, averaging 50 yardsper punt. Adam Erickson did an excellent job, three times pinning the Bulls inside theirown 20-yard line. These two must continue to “hang ‘em high,” and Georgia’s puntcoverage unit must be on point, because a new star is shining in Columbia, MO. Mar-cus Murphy scored a pair of touchdowns on punt returns of 72 and 70 yards againstSoutheast Louisiana, marking the first time in program history that a Tiger twicestruck paydirt on kicks in the same game.

2. Georgia Run Defense vs. Mizzou run Game – The Tigers have an explo-sive passing attack and quick strike offense. To go along with a dual threat signalcaller, Missouri may have found a standout running back as well. Kendial Lawrencecarried 10 times for 121 yards, highlighted by a 76-yard run for a score. Georgia’shighly touted defense gave up 111 yards rushing to Buffalo’s Branden Oliver this pastSaturday, and will need to perform better for the Bulldogs to win in Columbia.

3. Big Play Making – In their openers, both Georgia and Missouri showed theability to score on explosive plays. Georgia freshman tailback had a 55-yard touch-down run and 100-yard kickoff return for a score. The Dogs also hit a couple of longscoring tosses to Tavarres King and Rantavious Wooten. Missouri, along with theaforementioned long punt returns from Murphy, also returned a pair of interceptionsfor scores against Southeast Louisiana. Georgia threw four pick-sixes last year, threein losses.

4. Handling the Hype – This is Missouri’s first ever intra-league SoutheasternConference game, and the entire Tigers fan-base and all their players are jacked upto have Georgia coming to town. Can the Bulldogs match the intensity? Mizzou fig-ures to come out flying. Georgia must stay patient and make it a 60-minute gameof typical tough Southeastern Conference football.

5. Georgia O-Line, FB’s and TE’s vs. Mizzou Front Seven – It is vital to winthe battle on the ground. Todd Gurley headlined an outstanding rushing perform-ance against Buffalo with eight carries for 100 yards. Georgia is now 47-5 in theMark Richt era when a tailback goes for 100-plus yards. The Dogs thin and beat upoffensive line and tight ends will have to be at its best against the Tigers stop unit.Fullback Merritt Hall impressed the coaching staff in preseason and spring workoutsand had an excellent game in the opener, cleaning out the hole – and protecting thepasser.

Georgia-Missouri Match-ups

1. Cover that Freshman – I can hear the Mighty Munson now talking aboutthat young monster at wide receiver. At 6-6, 220, with hands and speed, superfreshman Dorial Green-Beckham is a match-up nightmare for every defense.Especially with Georgia’s secondary not at full strength. He’s going to makeplays, but the Dogs must not allow the back-breakers – the catch and brokentackle 65-yarder. When he does catch it over the middle, Georgia must makehim pay. Where Green-Beckham could be very scary is on broken plays with thesupremely athletic dual-threat quarterback James Franklin. I can hear ToddGrantham now “maintain your assignment! Stay in your lanes! Don’t breakcoverage!”

2. Force Tiger Turnovers – Missouri has an explosive offense. Franklin istremendous, and the type of player with a big game and win over a team likeGeorgia, who could jump into the Heisman Trophy race. The Tigers are goingto move the football, but the Bulldogs physical and fast defense should be ableto make them put it on the ground and snare an interception or two. In justabout any game, turnovers is the most important statistic. In this one, whereemotions are running high with offenses that make big plays and fight to avoidthe disastrous ones – a pick six or scoop fumble could make all the difference.

3. Pound Away – Georgia can welcome Missouri to the SEC with hard-nosedfootball and that should deliver a win. That requires offensive patience. Runthat ball hard and strong, wear the Tigers down and win in the fourth quarter.And on defense, hit hard, wrap up and make the Tigers pay for every yard theyget. Championship teams turn games into 60-minute games. In Georgia’slosses last year, that was not the case – the Dogs had second half leads in threeof the setbacks. Now Georgia can set the tone for 2012 and hopefully return toa mantra that Mark Richt imported from Florida State in the first part of thechampionship-days of the first part of the 2000s.

4. Avoid the Big Offensive Miscues – To go from good to great, the Bull-dogs must eliminate the catastrophic mistakes and self-inflicted wounds. Thenon-offensive touchdowns that Georgia’s foes scored in the losses a year agowere excruciating. South Carolina scored three and set up another. LSU had twoand Michigan State had one. If the Bulldogs can limit that total to two or lessthis season, the red and black will be dancin’ in the Georgia Dome.

5. Kicking in that Funny Midwest Wind – Over the past couple of decades,Georgia has had a hard time kicking in Jacksonville. Those winds off the St.Johns have just painfully plagued the Bulldogs. Well that wind figures to reallybe whipping around Columbia. The Bulldogs have two freshman kickers who willhave to be ready, as will the coverage and return units. Expect a funny bounceor two.

Five keys for a Bulldog victory

By Jeff Dantzler

By Jeff Dantzler

By Jeff Dantzler

By Murray Poole

Location: Columbia, Mo.

Conference: SEC

Enrollment: 34.255

Tigers in a thumbnail: Missouri en-ters its first year in the SoutheasternConference coming off an 8-5 overallrecord last season, going 5-4 in itsfinal year in the Big 12. The Tigers ofcoach Gary Pinkel, who tuned up forSaturday’s conference debut againstGeorgia with a 62-10 rout of South-eastern Louisiana this past weekend,return 11 total starters from the 2011team that defeated North Carolina 41-24 in the Independence Bowl

A look at the Missouri offense:The Tigers, in their no-huddle, spreadoffense which features four and five-wideout sets, are expected to test theBulldogs’ highly-touted defense fromthe get-go Saturday night in Colum-bia. And pacing the Missouri attackonce again is junior quarterbackJames Franklin. Franklin (6-2, 225),who has bounced back from off-sea-son shoulder surgery, ran for 981yards and 15 touchdowns last season,while passing for 2,865 yards and 21touchdowns. Franklin’s top returningtargets are senior record-breaker T.J.Moe and junior Marcus Lucas but alleyes will be on the nation’s top recruitfrom a year ago, 6-6, 220-pound Dor-ial Green-Beckham. The Tigers’ run-ning game was dealt a severe blowwhen last year’s leading rusher, HenryJosey (1,168 yards), was pronouncedout for this season with the knee in-jury he suffered last fall but the teamstill has a dangerous weapon in sen-ior Kendial Lawrence, who ran for 121yards and two touchdowns in theTigers’ opening win last Saturday.

A look at the Missouri defense:Depth is a concern along the defen-sive front, where the Tigers are espe-cially short on experienced tackles.But Missouri is stocked well at defen-sive end with former All-Big 12 pass-rusher Brad Madison back on one side,and the Tigers’ secondary is experi-enced enough to challenge Bulldog QBAaron Murray and the Georgia re-ceivers, what with the likes of first-team All-Big 12 cornerback E.J. Gainesleading the way after setting a single-season school record with 18 passesdefended last year. The Tiger line-backing corps also looks potent withseniors Will Ebner and Zaviar Goodenand junior Andrew Wilson returning.And the Bulldogs had best be on theirtoes with their punt coverage this Sat-urday as Missouri redshirt sophomoreMarcus Murphy had a school-record180 yards in punt returns againstSoutheastern Louisiana including twotouchdowns, one return being for 70yards.

What Tigers head coach GaryPinkel says: “We know who we’replaying this week and I think the ex-citement level is about to go up an-other notch. I think the Georgia game,it’s big. We understand historically forthe University of Missouri it’s going tobe a big game, the first SEC game, thefirst SEC home game for our univer-sity. It’s going to be a big game forus.”

Game Prediction: My commentsfrom our annual preseason predictionscontinue to hold forth here: The Mis-souri Tigers will be pumped, fired-up– whatever adjectives you want to use– in their attempts to show the rest ofthe country they belong in the nation’sstrongest football conference. Butwith Jarvis Jones, John Jenkins andthe rest of the Bulldogs’ rugged de-fense welcoming the Tigers to the SECwith a slap upside the head, and withAaron Murray’s passing and the Geor-gia running game keeping Missouri’ssuspect defense reeling, the Dogs ringup a crucial victory in Columbia. Butwhereas I called this by 31-17 in mypreseason forecast, as we draw closerto kickoff it looks to be a muchtougher one for the Dogs to pull out.At the moment, I see Georgia prevail-ing by 28-21 in Columbia.

#15 Dorial Green-Beckham, WR6-6, 220 Fr.Springfield, Missouri (Hillcrest)

Arguably the most high profile recruit in Mis-souri history, this freakish freshman chosethe Tigers over all of college football’s royalprograms. Without question, moving intothe mighty SEC had to be a huge sellingpoint for a prospect considered by somescouting and recruiting services as the coun-try’s No. 1 overall prep player from 2011.Kellen Winslow is widely considered thegreatest Tiger ever. The faithful of Mizzouare hopeful that Green-Beckham can be thatkind of talent. All-star quarterback JamesFranklin is back for his second season, andnow Green-Beckham is in the fold. Missouri’soffense was outstanding a year ago, andwith a dynamic game changer on board withan ace quarterback, it’s easy to see why theTiger faithful are dreaming big in their firstyear in the SEC.

#1 James Franklin, QB6-2, 228 Jr. Corinth, Texas (Lake Dallas H.S.)

One of the best quarterbacks in the Big XIIa year ago, now Franklin leads Missouriinto Southeastern Conference play as oneof the league’s most accomplished signalcallers. Missouri has had an excellent line-age of quarterbacks, from Chase Daniel toBlane Gabbert to Franklin. Offensive MostValuable Player of Missouri’s 41-24 Inde-pendence Bowl victory over North Carolina,Franklin capped his first season as Mizzou’sstarter with 132 yards through the air anda touchdown passing and 143 yards andtwo scores on the ground. He accountedfor 36 touchdowns a year ago (21 passingand 15 on the ground) and posted 2,865yards through the air and 981 rushing. Heis a dual threat dynamo who will be one ofthe sternest tests Georgia’s defense facesthis season.

#48 Andrew Wilson, LB6-3, 235 Jr. Peculiar, Missouri (Raymore-PeculiarH.S.)

Missouri’s leading tackler from last seasonand the Defensive Most Valuable Player ofthe Tigers Independence Bowl victoryover North Carolina, Wilson is the Tigersstop-unit standout. In Shreveport againstthe Tar Heels, he had nine solo tackles,including two for loss and forced a fum-ble. Wilson was a second team All-Big XIIselection in 2011. His 98 tackles led theteam. Amongst his standout games in2012 were a 13-tackle showing at KansasState and 12-stop performance againstTexas A&M. As a redshirt freshman, Wil-son had 42 tackles and considered one ofthe Tigers top special teams players. TheTigers coaching staff is hoping he canmake the jump from good to great in2012.

Scouting Mizzou

Tiger Stars

photo by Rob Saye

photo by Rob Saye

www.bulldawgillustrated.com 13

Stewart Eberhardt and Robert Persons Chappell Loudermilk and Grace Kimble

Qanteel Ahmed and Nisha Katti Young, Brian and Gabriella Morris

Brooks Land, Emily Henderson, and Cody Mathis

Jason Smith, Jase Smith, Connie Smith andCope Smith

Katie Prather and Alex PratherJohn White and Samantha Tillery Chase Walker and Ford Neel

Georgia 45Buffalo 23

14 Bulldawg Illustrated

he Georgia Bulldogs hardly resembled a polished,No. 6-ranked team in their 2012 season debutagainst little Buffalo this past Saturday but, thanksin part to a freshman tailback named Todd Gur-

ley, they did plenty to tune up for the Missouri Tigers bycorralling the Bulls 45-23 at humid Sanford Stadium.“That was a good first game for me to have, to make mydebut,” said Gurley, the 6-1, 218-pound product of Tarboro,N.C. who scored on a record-tying 100-yard kickoff returnand also galloped for touchdowns of 10 and 55 yards whilemaking his entrance into college football with 100 yardsrushing on just eight carries from scrimmage. “But I’m stilllearning, I still made a lot of mistakes out there so I still haveto come back next week and improve. The kickoff returnwasn’t easy but just talking to my teammates and MalcolmMitchell (who sat out the opener with a turned ankle), hewas telling me how to hit that kickoff return and as soon asI caught it, I did exactly what he said and it worked. No, Inever had a 100-yard kickoff return in high school. Nobodycould kick it that far,” added Gurley, laughing.

What WorkedThe Bulldogs obviously balanced things out well in the runand pass game, totaling 485 yards on the day. And whenthey were challenged by the heavy underdog Bulls over thefirst two quarters, they came out of the dressing room inthe second half and dominated Buffalo by scoring 21 unan-swered points before allowing the visitors a meaninglessscore near game’s end.

What Didn’t WorkAs mentioned in the opening of this story, the Bulldogs wereplagued by inconsistencies on both offense and defense. Theoffensive line allowed the lighter Buffalo defensive front topour in on Murray at times and defensively, ToddGrantham’s stop-em gang hardly lived up to its lofty pre-season billing when they allowed the Bulls to go on touch-down drives of 75, 94 and 75 yards. Clearly, things will haveto get much better in the course of seven days before theGeorgia defense encounters a highly-explosive and pumpedMissouri Tiger offense this coming Saturday in Columbia,Mo.

Top PerformersIn addition to Gurley’s smashing debut in red and blank,also freshman tailback Keith Marshall ran for 46 yards on 10carries and sophomore starter Ken Malcome bulled for 32

yards on six carries before sustaining a hand injury. Murraywas 15-of-26 through the air for 258 yards and the threetouchdowns and King snared six of those balls for 117 yardsand his 63-yard score. Michael Bennett showed five recep-tions for 76 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, All-Amer-ica linebacker Jarvis Jones started the season with a bang bytotaling eight tackles including 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles forloss. Sophomore corner Damian Swann also notched eighttackles, senior linebacker Michael Gilliard had seven stopsand then came Garrison Smith and big John Jenkins withsix tackles each.

Big SEC opener in ColumbiaTo get where they want to be this year, the Bulldogs simplyhave to come out of Columbia, Mo. with a victory this com-ing Saturday evening. And with the Tigers of Gary Pinkelmaking their SEC debut before a rabid, sellout crowd, it’snot going to be easy for Georgia to do that. “We’ll be play-ing against a team next week which will be playing with alot of excitement and emotion and it’s going to be a war,”said Richt. “Missouri has a really fine team and they will cre-ate some major issues for us. They will spread us out andwe’ll have to play in space a lot, plus they have a quarterback(James Franklin) who can run.”

Game rewind: Dawgs 45, Bulls 23By Murray Poole

Kevin Butler, former University of Georgia legendary kickerand a member of the Georgia radio broadcast team, willeach week during the 2012 football season select his of-fensive, defensive and special teams players of the weekfor Bulldawg Illustrated. Here are Butler’s selections andreasons why for the Bulldogs’ season-opening 45-23 winover Buffalo.

OFFENSE – Freshman tailback Todd Gurley, who made asensational Sanford Stadium debut by tying a school, SECand NCAA record with a 100-yard kickoff return and alsotallied two other touchdowns on runs of 10 and 55 yardswhile rushing for 100 yards on just eight carries.“Obviously, there were high expectations coming into theseason for Todd and he was nothing less than spectacularin this first game,” said Butler. “He’s a freshman runningback who gained 100 yards and averaged 12.5 yards percarry. You know this kid is special because of how he worksto put himself into position to contribute to the team. Cer-tainly, his kickoff return highlighted his Georgia debut, andI think his speed and ability to dictate what the defendertries to do to stop him could be one of his greatest talents.I look for Todd to be a multiple winner of offensive playerof the game this year.”

DEFENSE – Junior outside linebacker Jarvis Jones whostarted the 2012 season where he left off last year byrecording eight total tackles including 1.5 sacks and 2.5tackles-for-loss.“Obviously, Georgia is lucky to have Jarvis back as captainof the defense,” said Butler. “Jarvis plays with great inten-sity and is the quarterback of the defense. Not only did hehave eight tackles and 1.5 sacks but the most importantthing he brings to the Georgia defense is his leadership,which will need to be brought to the forefront in this week’spreparation for Missouri.”

SPECIAL TEAMS – Freshman place-kicker Marshall Mor-gan, who after missing a first-quarter field goal, came backto boot a 35-yard field goal and six PAT kicks while contin-ually kicking off into the Buffalo end zone.“For a place-kicker who stepped in to fill the shoes of BlairWalsh, I think Marshall did a great job,” said Butler. “Aftermissing his first field goal try, he stepped up and made hissecond attempt and making that one really helped his con-fidence and gave him the sense he belongs on the fieldand can contribute to the success of the Georgia offensethis year.”

-- Compiled by Murray Poole

Kevin Butler’sPlayers of the Game

photo by Rob Saye

T

College football delivered an exciting first weekend, with a fantastic opener in Nashville through a big ACC showdown in Blacksburg.Alabama flexed its muscles in Dallas and deserves to be Number One for this week at least. These neutral site heavyweight openers area great way for college football to start the campaign. And kudos to teams who play intra-conference games in this first week. It’s toughbeing 0-1 in your league on Labor Day.

1. Alabama – Nick Saban had his team on edge for Michigan, and the Crim-son Tide responded with a rousing victory. Alabama led the then 8th-rankedWolverines 31-0 in the first half. Bama has been dominant in these neutral sitehigh profile showdowns. Freshman tailback T.J. Yeldon looks like a dynamo to goalong with tough and strong Eddie Lacy.

2. LSU – Odell Beckham is the Tigers next big play star. LSU has an out-standing stable of backs and Kenny Hilliard may be the best. Les Miles has an-other top notch defense, despite the loss of some serious All-American talent.

3. Southern Cal – What a start to the season for the Trojans, striking for a 75-yard touchdown on the first play of the season from scrimmage. Southern Cal andOregon are the teams to beat in the PAC-12, and wouldn’t it be a story if the Tro-jans played an SEC team for the big prize

4. South Carolina – The Gamecocks posted a hard-fought 17-13 victory atVanderbilt to open the season – and to open conference play. South Carolinacould have a tough time with East Carolina at Williams-Brice. Marcus Lattimoreis back and the Gamecocks defensive line is one of college football’s best.

5. Oregon – Chip Kelly has what looks like another fine football team. TheDucks jumped to a 29-0 lead over Arkansas State and cruised in 57-34. Oregonhas been able to reload at tailback and quarterback, where it’s had a bunch ofstandouts over the last few years.

6. Oklahoma – Give the Sooners credit for going to a tough to get to placeto open the season in a potential landmine game. Oklahoma got off to a slow start,but came back to take control and top UTEP 24-7 in the Sun Bowl. Bob Stoopshas done a tremendous job as the Sooners’ head coach.

7. West Virginia – The Mountaineers opened the 2012 season with a 69-34victory over cross-state foe Marshall. West Virginia has one of college football’smost explosive offenses and they are a bona fide contender in their first year inthe Big XII.

8. Clemson – The Tigers offense is the ACC’s best. Taj Boyd is a terrific two-way quarterback threat. Andre Ellington had a fantastic game against Auburn inthe Georgia Dome and is one of the league’s best running backs. When SammyWatkins, one of the nation’s elite players, returns from suspension, Clemson willreally be electric on offense.

9. Florida State – It was an impressive opening for the Seminoles as theyjust pummeled Murray State 69-3. The expectations in Tallahassee are for a re-turn to the glory days of the 1990s. The defense should be the ACC’s best.

10. Ohio State – The Buckeyes are on probation and ineligible for a bowberth or spot in the Big Ten Championship Game, but they may well be the bestteam in the league. Urban Meyer’s debut was highly successful, as the Scarlet andGray crushed Miami (Ohio) 56-10.

11. Arkansas – The Hogs didn’t get off to a flying start, but Arkansas got ittogether in a 49-24 win over Jaksonville State to open the John L. Smith era. Al-abama is looming in a couple of weeks, and Fayetteville is already jacked aboutthe Tide coming to town.

12. Michigan State – A Friday night 17-13 win over Boise State in East Lans-ing gives the Spartans a big jumpstart to the season. Mark Dantonio is an out-standing coach. Le’veon Bell had a performance for the ages, with 44 carries for210 yards. He put the Spartans on his back and delivered.

13. Georgia – The Bulldogs didn’t look as good as will be required to have achampionship campaign in a 45-23 win over Buffalo. The short-handed Dogs willhave their hands full with Missouri Saturday in Columbia. Freshman Todd Gurleycould be a special tailback.

14. Texas – Mack Brown is aiming to take that next step back towards the elitethis season. The Longhorns took care of Wyoming 37-17 to open the campaign.Texas has its most juice at running back since Cedric Benson.

15. Virginia Tech – The Hokies lost a lot of talent off of last year’s team that playedfor the ACC title and fell to Michigan in the Sugar Bowl – most notably tailback DavidWilson. Frank Beamer has led Virginia Tech to six of the eight ACC ChampionshipGames.

16. Nebraska – After trading scores with Southern Mississippi in the first halfof the season opener, the Cornhuskers pulled away for an impressive win. Big Redfigures to be in the fight to play for the Big Ten title.

17. Tech – The Yellow Jackets are eyeing a return to the ACC ChampionshipGame. To get there, Tech has to get better on defense. They should. The Jackets re-turn a lot of talent on that side of the ball.

18. Tennessee – Tyler Bray and Cordial Patterson had standout efforts in the Vol-unteers season-opening victory over N.C. State in the Georgia Dome. The Vols willroll Bill Curry and Georgia State and then Florida comes to Knoxville. Losing aheadache player may be a lift for Tennessee.

19. Kansas State – What a job Bill Snyder has done in the Little Apple. Again.Kansas State pulled away in the second half to rout Missouri State 51-9. It’s a big onethis Saturday, as Miami comes to Manhattan. The Hurricanes got a hard fought winat Boston College.

20. Oklahoma State – You talk about putting up a big number….OklahomaState dropped the hammer on Savannah State 84-0. The Cowboys lost a lot of fire-power off last year’s team, but still figure to be right in the mix in the Big XII.

21. Missouri – It was an impressive debut for Mizzou, as they scored four non-offensive touchdowns in a 62-10 rout of Bobby Bouche and the SE Louisiana Mud-dogs – aiming for that Bourbon Bowl. Now the Tigers have their SEC opener.Georgia comes to town in what the Tiger faithful are calling the biggest game inschool history.

22. Wisconsin – Just about everyone’s favorite to win the Big Ten, the Badgersstruggled with Northern Iowa. Wisconsin won just 26-21 and had a hard time get-ting the offense untracked. No doubt the Badgers miss Russell Wilson.

23. Michigan – Ending the 2011 campaign with wins over Ohio State and Vir-ginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl, the Wolverines sagging spirits were lifted. Still a longway to go to get to the elite. Alabama absolutely spanked Michigan in Dallas. Maybethe Wolverines will be good enough to make it to the Big Ten Championship Game,but they’ve got a lot of work to do and a lot of bumps and bruises to heal up.

24. Florida – It was tight and tough with Bowling Green most of the way, butthe Gators pulled away to win 27-14. Now comes two major road tests. Floridawelcomes Texas A&M to the SEC in College Station and then goes to Knoxville. TheGators have some issues on offense.

25. Auburn – In the Tigers loss to Clemson in the Georgia dome, they justmissed too many opportunities. Unless you have an exceptional defense, settling forfield goals against good teams is usually a recipe for a loss.

Jeff Dantzler’s Top 25