Bleacher Report - Articles by Robert Holland

SEC Policy Could Ultimately Ban Your Mobile Phone From Stadiums

Robert Holland — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 20:58:02 -0400

You better think twice before you try to bring your mobile phone to an SEC (South Eastern Conference) football game this year! The way the policy is shaping up, we might be looking at a 100% ban on all social media from college football stadiums.

If you don't leave your mobile phones at home, and you start using Twitter, uploading photos and videos to Facebook, and uploading videos to YouTube, then according to the SEC you just might be breaking the law.

According to sources,

Earlier this month, the conference informed its schools of the new policy, which reads: “Ticketed fans can’t “produce or disseminate (or aid in producing or disseminating) any material or information about the Event, including, but not limited to, any account, description, picture, video, audio, reproduction or other information concerning the Event.”

This policy move by the SEC doesn't surprising considering that ESPN and NBC are collectively paying $3 billion dollars for television rights to the 12 school's football games.

And this type of move isn't the first time social networking has been banned from a sporting event. The US Open banned all mobile phones and data devices from entering the facility, and the result was people actually going through withdrawals from not having their Blackberry!

Also, back in 2007, the British Open banned all mobile phones. However, I'm thinking in this case it was more for the disruptive ringing of the phone rather than people sending updates to Twitter since it was pretty much unknown in 2007.

I can see the US Open having success with this policy because it's a once a year event, and the fan base that actually show up for the event is probably not too consistent one year to the next.

The SEC implementing this ban, however, might create more of a backlash from disgruntled fans! In a lot of cases, these are the same fans that are biggest donors to the 12 SEC sport's programs.

This might be a case where the SEC's best friends are soon to become their fiercest enemies!

How would you feel if you were not allowed to bring your mobile phones into the football stadiums this year?

Georgia Football Producing Top Level NFL Players

Robert Holland — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 21:10:46 -0400

All the debate over whether Stafford and Knowshon Moreno should go the NFL was quickly squashed by the millions of dollars they were guaranteed in the draft.

Sure, we don't want to make this all about money!

But the main point I remember is that Stafford is the highest paid draftee in the history of the NFL.

Certainly there was a lot of controversy, debate, and blogging going on over whether or not they should leave Georgia for the NFL. In fact, there was even a website built just for that.

Now don't get me wrong—I'm a huge advocate for a college education. And I don't mean to make leaving college early to play in the NFL all about money. But c'mon, to a certain extent, money does matter (are you going to argue that?).

Even though an education is important, and especially from a great school like Georgia. There is certainly plenty of time, and money available to come back and complete that degree.

So anyway, they've left for the NFL and we need to now track their careers to see how it turns out.

I want to point out a secondary winner from Georgia's NFL draft prospects—and that is The University of Georgia and their football program.

Damon Evans, the University of Georgia's Athletic Director, has said before that he desires to elevate Georgia to a higher level of recognition, and respect, throughout the country. And the events that have unfolded recently certainly help that objective.

First, we saw ESPN's live coverage of G-Day—Georgia's spring scrimmage between first and second string offenses and defenses.

This alone put Georgia at the forefront in college football. I mean, was any other spring scrimmage covered this year by ESPN?

Some people wondered why ESPN was covering Georgia to begin with. If I had to guess, I would say that Damon Evans and staff were behind it.

Next we have the NFL draft where we saw three Georgia players go in the first round.

Certainly, this draft was the most successful outcome in Georgia football history. Never before has so many players gone in the first round—and certainly none for as much money as Matthew Stafford.

Let me know if I'm wrong on this point.

More than any other beneficiary, however, is the University of Georgia themselves, the staff, and the football program as a whole.

You have to admit that with Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno, and Mohamed Massaquoi all going to the NFL in the first round, this speaks volumes for the Georgia football program.

Certainly, from a recruiting perspective, this draft should help Georgia in recruiting the very best in the nation coming out of high school.

And whoever is consulting the staff on recruiting definitely needs to remind everyone that this year's NFL draft is a strong point of leverage—and perhaps even through in the amount of money that was paid.

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The Georgia Bulldogs' G-Day Game: A Chance To Shine On ESPN

Robert Holland — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 22:02:17 -0400

This year's G-Day on April 11 is going to be unlike any other in recent Georgia Bulldogs history.

First off, admission is free. Hopefully this means that Sanford Stadium will be packed to the gills with 90,000-plus raving fans who are ready to cheer on their Dawgs.

Second, G-Day is going to televised live on ESPN. Remember the last time that network covered a game at Sanford Stadium?

Yep, that's right. It was last year, when then-No. 8 Alabama beat then-No. 3 Georgia, 41-30.

I'm a bit curious as to why the game is on national TV and free; I guess they just want us, the fans, to fill out Sanford Stadium for the live broadcast?

Regardless, since the No. 1 sports channel is showing the game live, this is a great opportunity for the university to show the nation its high-caliber football team and a chance for the players to shine on national TV.

And speaking of players shining...

I don't know the exact number, but somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 Georgia players are on the injured list, and with that many players having to sit out G-Day, the scrimmage will be quite an opening for freshmen and second-team players to step up.

We all know about the highly competitive battle for the Dawgs' running back position. All of the contenders are going to have a chance to show the spectators (both in the stands and watching on the tube) exactly what they're made of.

And by the way, guys, coaches will be reviewing this film a bit too.

Now consider the quarterback position: You have starter Joe Cox ready to lead the first-team offense against the first-team defense, but also Logan Gray spearheading the second-team offense against the second-team defense.

These matchups are sure to be exciting to watch!

As UGA head coach Mark Richt said, "...when the No. 1 offense is on the field, the No. 1 defense will be on the field."

One thing's for sure: The stage is set for an exciting time in Sanford Stadium on Saturday.

In Summary:

There's free admission into Sanford Stadium.
The game is to be nationally broadcast on ESPN.
There are lots (30-plus) of players hurt.
Therefore, freshmen and second-team players will be ready to shine.
The team's top offense will be pitted against the top defense.

Man. Does Georgia Bulldog football get any better than this (outside of the regular season, that is)?

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Georgia Bulldogs "What If" Analysis of Upcoming G-Day

Robert Holland — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 18:45:59 -0400

I'm not really one to get caught up in the "what if's" in life.

And it's probably not something a lot of fans think about when it comes to Georgia's G-Day, the fans' first opportunity to see the new offense and defense square off against each other. Most people are just so excited to get to Sanford Stadium and take in all the action of another awesome year of Georgia football—as they should be!

For some reason though, I was just thinking about how certain scenarios could play out on Saturday and how to interpret them.

So if I may, let me give you a couple of "what if's" that have been running through my mind regarding what we'll see this Saturday at G-Day.

What If No. 1: What if Georgia's offense is absolutely manhandled by the defense?

If this happens, then we can assume that Georgia's defense has made amazing strides since last season and is absolutely dominating their game.

There are a lot of players on defense this year that are ready to come out fighting, none more so than Willie Martinez—Georgia's Defensive Coordinator. So perhaps we will see a dominating Georgia defense on Saturday.

So...

What if No. 2: If Georgia's defense does dominate, then what would that say about the offense?

In a scenario where Georgia's offense is getting man-handled by the D, we can either assume that the defense is just so amazing that even the best offense in the SEC won't stand a chance, or Georgia's offense has a lot of room for improvement.

What if No. 3: What if Georgia's offense absolutely manhandles the defense?

In this scenario, we could either assume that Georgia's offense is so dominant that no other defense in the SEC will stand a chance, or that the defense still has a lot room for improvement

This would be a situation where I would have the most concern. From everything I've read, Georgia's defense is ready to prove themselves this year. Sure, there are injuries at the defensive ends, but even Coach Richt believes the ends will be 100 percent healthy by game day.

Perhaps the best scenario:

It would great to see an impressive performance from both sides of the ball.

From an offensive perspective, I'm excited to see Georgia's running backs come out and give an amazing show of speed, cut backs, and power.

And perhaps I'm most excited to see Joe Cox come out and show his true colors as the leader that the entire team needs from the quarterback position. Cox has been waiting a long time for this situation and, in my opinion, the fact that he's stayed at Georgia over the years is a reflection of his true leadership, dedication, and commitment to the team.

From a defensive perspective, I'm excited to see Willie Martinez shine with his determination despite all the criticism he's had to endure since last year.

Obviously, Martinez knows that everyone is going to be watching his defense closely and the media is ready to criticize the slightest errors on the field. But one thing is for sure, he's got a lot of experienced players starting on defense this year, and learned a lot of hard lessons from last year, and that should be enough fuel to keep the defense fired up until the final whistle each and every game.

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Georgia Bulldogs Defense: Playing With Something to Prove in 2009

Robert Holland — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 19:31:10 -0400

Is 2009 going the be the year of redemption for the Georgia Bulldogs defense?

I'd say absolutely, and it's especially likely if Defensive Coordinator Willie Martinez has anything to say about it.

And he's got a mouthful, considering he was the one man from Georgia's coaching staff that had fans clamoring for his resignation at the end of last year's season.

Georgia's defense needs leaders to step up and motivate the team to keep fighting until the last whistle blows. They need leaders in the locker room at halftime who are firing up the boys, getting them ready to come out and fight, regardless of what the score board says.

This coming year more than ever, Georgia's defense must play with aggression, and the entire coaching staff needs to not care about hurting the other team's feelings by running the score up.

I'm not saying Georgia should never let up off the gas, even if they're blowing a team out.

What I am saying is that UGA needs a defense that makes the opposing offense afraid to even come on the field.

Playing hard each down and finishing the game with as much enthusiasm as they start could quickly make Georgia's defense the dominant force in the SEC in 2009.

Leading the way will be defensive tackles Kade Weston, Geno Atkins, and Jeff Owens. All three are veteran linemen that, if healthy, will be lining up side-by-side and striking fear into Bulldog opponents.

Here's what the DTs in the Red and Black had to say about each other:

“Geno is going to take the load off me,” Owens said. “He’s going to dominate, and they aren’t going to be able to block both of us.”

“We talked about how we want to set the tempo,” Atkins said. “It starts up front. We determine where the ball’s going to be.”

“It feels like we’ve been here all together through all this stuff, but it’s been hard trying to stay on the field together,” Weston said. “So I think it’s important to go out with a bang.”

All three linemen are seniors this year and are very experienced at their positions. It's that sort of certainty that's exactly what Georgia's defense needs.

It's what Willie Martinez is counting on to get redemption for the lack of performance in the past campaign. The good thing is that he's never run from responsibility.

“It starts with me,” Martinez said of his defense’s performance. “You take the three losses, but in particular the (loss to Georgia Tech), we played outstanding in the first half. You take the second half, and we played the complete opposite.

"It wasn’t the same intensity, it wasn’t the same focus, and again, that comes down (to) me. We’ve got to play 60 minutes, and we didn’t do that in big games."

The second half struggles came to a head in the late-season matchup with the rival Yellow Jackers. After the half, Georgia's defense was literally nowhere to be found, and GT took advantage of that in a big way.

In the upcoming season, Willie Martinez and the UGA defense are determined to get back to elite status. With three strong leaders on the line alone and the "finish the drill" mantra fresh in every Bulldog's mind, I'm expecting the defense to give the offense a lot more time on the field and a lot more opportunities to put points on the board.

I don't see expectations as lofty as 2008's No. 1 preseason ranking being an issue this year. The Dawgs can focus on fundamentals and play defense with the enthusiasm of a team that is heading to Atlanta for the SEC Championship.

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Can Mark Fox Lead Georgia to Compete in SEC Baskteball?

Robert Holland — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 23:20:15 -0400

Georgia's new basketball coach is hired. Damon Evans' search is over.

But can Mark Fox lead Georgia's basketball team to compete in the SEC?

We'll just have to wait and see about that one!

So the UGA AD has finally settled on the head coach from Nevada as the Dawgs' next head basketball coach. From what I've read, Fox isn't that much different than coach Dennis Felton when he took over the Georgia program.

Is this a hire that is going to rebuild the fan base and pack out the stands in Stegeman? And more importantly, is Fox going to be able to lead the Georgia basketball team to compete in the all-powerful SEC?

I will be most interested to hear the scheduled news conference for tomorrow morning at 11a.m., in which Evans will officially announce Fox's hiring to the position. I'm anxious to hear what Fox is going to bring to the table that is going to turn our program around.

Is Fox Capable of a Turnaround?

I'm not sure. Apparently, he has strong recruiting capabilities, so that will certainly help this program's rebuilding process.

I've always felt, though, that the best hire for the turnaround would be someone who has charisma, a lot of popularity, and a name that will spark the fan base and pack Stegeman Coliseum.

What Can We Expect from Fox?

Are we to expect that he is going to come to Georgia and give us the shock treatment we need?

I do know that one of the best and most effective ways to build a strong fan base is to start winning games. But coming from Nevada, is Fox going to perform on the tough SEC stage?

Think of the coaches that are now in place—Florida’s Billy Donovan, Tennessee’s Bruce Pearl, and Kentucky’s John Calipari are in a separate class.

It's going to be brutal in '09-'10. Considering the changes made and money spent in Lexington, UK will be expecting nothing less than a Final Four appearance from the team.

As a Georgia basketball fan, I'm going to support Mark Fox and give him the chance he deserves to lead to the team. After all, he has at least acknowledged the school as worthy of his presence.

But I feel my expectations for this hire were just so much higher for some reason.

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Georgia Basketball (Damon Evans) Settling for Whatever Coach They Can Get

Robert Holland — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 15:13:26 -0400

The Atlanta Journal Constitution is reporting that Georgia Athletic Director Damon Evans will meet with Clemson's Oliver Purnell and Miami coach Frank Haith to discuss the open men's basketball head coaching position at the school.

Evans left for Detroit Thursday morning to attend meetings surrounding the NCAA Final Four tournament and apparently will meet with the two coaches while there.

So does anyone else have the same opinion as I do: "This really sucks."

Regardless of who Evans picks from this point forward, the ones who really lose out are the players and fans of Georgia basketball.

Now don't get me wrong. As a dedicated fan to Georgia, I'm not going to abandon ship and jump on some other bandwagon. I'm sticking with Georgia, supporting the players and program, no matter what.

But I have problems with a few things here:

1) Why did it take Evans so long to make an offer to a coach? I mean, it wasn't until last week that any discussions (that we know of anyway) even happened. Former Bulldogs head coach Dennis Felton was fired on January 29th; that's nearly two months before fans heard of anything regarding a replacement.

Would that have happened if the team needed to find a head football coach?

2) Why wasn't Evans pursuing all of the top basketball coaches who were available last week? I mean, the $2 million a year offer to Missouri head coach Mike Anderson was all we heard about, and he decided to stay right were he's at.

Surely Georgia could have up'd that ante and made offers for some of the big names that were available.

3) The team now has to get whatever they can, and continue falling back until they can finally find a coach willing to come to Georgia. I don't know, that just puts a "cheap" feeling in my stomach, and it's definitely not the image I want to have for the Georgia basketball team.

So here we are. Georgia basketball fans are waiting to see who Evans comes up with to be our coach. Or I should say, what coach decides to accept an offer from Evans.

You see, the leveraging and negotiation power is no longer Georgia's. The team just has to accept whatever they can get at this point, and to me, that really sucks!

Join the Georgia Bulldogs crowd at www.BulldogVoices.com

BREAKING NEWS: Bobby Knight to Become Head Coach of Georgia Bulldogs Basketball

Robert Holland — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 10:59:00 -0400

APRIL FOOLS DAY!

Sorry, I know it's a day late, and wish I would have thought of this yesterday!

The real story on Georgia's basketball coach search:

Ok, so here's the real deal. Word is that Damon Evans is heading up to Detroit today to continue the search for a suitable coach for Georgia's basketball team.

I've been writing about how I believe Billy Gillispie is the perfect candidate for the job, and I've gotten mixed reviews from those who agree, and from those who would like to hang me at the stakes.

Anyway, here's how I see it!

Georgia men's basketball program needs shock treatment in the extreme kind of way.

A coach that, when looking at the stats, is someone you can say, "yeah, he is a pretty good coach" isn't going to be the shock treatment that Georgia needs.

Georgia needs someone who of course knows how to coach a team to the big dance, but they also need a coach that has the charisma and marketing power to draw in big crowds.

I just don't see how a coach that no one has ever heard of is going to do that for the Georgia basketball program. Unless of course the outlook is 3 - 5 years down the road. But that's not giving the Georgia basketball program the respect it deserves.

Look at how Kentucky approached the whole deal.

They said, "we need a program that is the absolute best in the country, and one that fans absolute pack into stadiums to see, both for home and away games."

And here's the most critical mindset I'm getting at here. Kentucky sees this as something, "WE NEED TO HAPPEN TODAY!"

If not Billy Gillispie, then perhaps we need to offer the job to Bobby Knight. Doesn't he have one of the best records of all coaches in college basketball?

Again, charisma, marketing power, and drawing in the media and fan base, all while winning games, is what Georgia needs to get to the same level as the Georgia football program.

P.S. Did you like my April fool's joke???

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Georgia Bulldogs Baseball Sweep Clemson, Next Up: Sold Out LSU

Robert Holland — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 22:58:05 -0400

The Georgia Bulldogs baseball team just swept the Clemson Tigers for the second year in a row, beating the Tigers 4 - 2 in a close, hair raising finish.

The No. 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs moved to a 24-3 record heading into a weekend series against the LSU Tigers.

Despite the victory tonight, Georgia's head coach David Perno was not pleased with the performance. He said the "bats were looking heavy and sluggish out there tonight".

And his biggest concern with that, he went on to say is "we simply cannot play like that against LSU—their pitching is too strong and if we play that way, we are going to disappoint the home crowd, and I don't plan on doing that to our fans."

Perno has every right to worry about the fans this weekend. The upcoming series with LSU is completely sold out. And I believe that is somewhere in the neighborhood of 10,000 tickets.

Is it possible that we'll see scalpers in front of Foley Field?

Has there ever been scalpers at Foley Field in the history of Georgia baseball?

Two weeks ago against Mississippi, Foley Field has it's largest crowd in history for a Georgia baseball game with nearly 4500 fans showing up to watch the Diamond Dawgs.

Coach Perno is obviously well aware that the LSU series this weekend is sold out. And that explains his comments about not wanting to let the Georgia baseball fan base down.

However, with a performance like tonight against the Clemson Tigers, coach Perno is going to have to find a way to get Georgia's bats loosened up and swinging hard.

Perno speculated after the game tonight that maybe too much batting practice is the cause of the sluggish bats.

He said they had batting practice this morning, and again this afternoon before they left for Clemson, and that maybe we need to let the team's arms and hands get a little rest before facing LSU.

"You do not want to face LSU with sluggish bats," Perno said.

Regardless of what Perno does to prepare Georgia for LSU, one things for sure, the fan base for Georgia baseball is fired up.

And this coming weekend, Foley Field is going to be rocking with sold out crowds, lots of red and black... and who knows—maybe even some scalpers!

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G Day: Who's Ready For Some Georgia Bulldogs' Football?

Robert Holland — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:09:06 -0400

Georgia fans! Are you ready for some football?

G-Day is here once again, and the Georgia Bulldogs football team takes the field at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, April 11 at 1:05 PM.

This year's G-Day Game will have free admission and be televised by ESPN. In place of the admissions fee, fans are encouraged to bring food donations to benefit the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia. Among the items most needed are soups, peanut butter, canned fruits and vegetables, cereal, rice, pasta, and pop-top canned goods.

Here's some words from Coach Mark Richt about the spring sessions leading up to G-Day:

"I felt better about the scrimmage after I watched the film than when I was walking off the field (Monday), I could not remember any other time when he had a team at Georgia have five practices in one week during the spring.

"A couple things I pulled from the scrimmage was that Geno (Atkins) is a dominant football player right now and I don't know if anyone can block him. I also noticed Nick Williams is still learning his position, but I like the fact that he tries to run right through people."

If you've never been to Georgia Bulldogs G-Day, then this year is the perfect time to take the family, or meet up with friends, and head over to Sanford Stadium.

It's always a great time because the weather is usually perfect, and it gives the fans a little taste of football to get us through the long summer while we wait for the season opener in September.

The spring practices have been intense for the Georgia Bulldogs. Coach Richt is determined to get the team ready to compete for an SEC championship this year, and redeem some tough losses from last year.

There are a lot of new faces this year at Georgia on both sides of the ball.

None more important than this year's starting quarterback Joe Cox. And if you get out to Sanford Stadium for G-Day, or be tuned into ESPN, then you'll get a first glance at what the leading Georgia quarterback can deliver.

Most fans remember Cox from the Colorado game in 2006. Cox stepped onto the field to take over a struggling Matthew Stafford, and within the span of only one quarter, brought Georgia back from a deficit to ultimately gain the victory by a point over Colorado.

It's sure to be an exciting time at G-Day to watch the new quarterback at work with Georgia's offense.

Also Georgia's back field has a lot of new faces, and a lot of tough competition. The running backs for Georgia are fierce, fast, and brutally competitive as they fight for the right to be the "go to" backs in the Georgia offense.

Again, another exciting moment at G-Day as we watch Georgia's speedy running backs take the ball and make magic on the field.

Georgia's defense is also taking the field at G-Day this year with a lot of injured players on the side lines. So much so that defensive linemen are being shifted over to fill in the gaps at the end positions.

Willie Martinez, Georgia's defensive coordinator, is sure to be hoping for some fast healing over the summer so they hit the first game with 100 percent of the players ready to go.

So if you're hungry for Georgia football, then we are about a week and half away from getting the opportunity to take it all in at G-Day. It's free, and also televised on ESPN, so there's no excuse if you're complaining half way through the summer about waiting to see the Bulldogs play some football!

Anticipation for the season is building, there's a lot of story lines building already, and the fans are getting hungry for some classic Georgia football to unfold.

And with hard work, and a little bit of luck, Georgia will find itself heading to Atlanta for the SEC championship, and possibly even beyond to a national championship!

Join the Georgia Bulldog crowd.

Georgia Bulldogs Football: Coach Richt Unsure How to Deal With Injured Defense

Robert Holland — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:13:54 -0400

As if the Georgia Bulldogs defense isn't dealing with enough coming off a disappointing season last year, they are now finding themselves plagued with injuries, especially at the defensive end position.

This does not help Willie Martinez—Georgia's defensive coordinator—in the quest to rebuild a defense that can get redemption from last years performance.

Granted, the Bulldogs are only in the their spring drills and the season is a long way off. But it still makes the fan base very uneasy when we see a lot of injuries coming so soon.

Part of the reason for the injuries can be attributed to Head Coach Mark Richt making sure that spring practice is aggressive and hard hitting. He obviously wants to build a team that is disciplined both mentally and physically, and more intense practice sessions is his strategy to make sure that happens.

But if if intense practice is causing these injuries, it's at least fair to assume that the injury bug might even be worse in live games—especially in the hard hitting SEC.

The search to fill the defensive end position

Georgia's need for more bodies came after the coaching staff learned that Jeremy Longo will most likely miss the rest of spring practice with a shoulder injury—which makes Longo the fifth scholarship defensive end to be sidelined.

That left only two defensive ends, Justin Houston and Kiante Tripp.

To compensate for the deficiency at the defensive end position, redshirt freshmen walk-on tight ends Ben Harbin and Trenton Turner were shifted over to fill the gaps.

“We just got to do what we got to do,” Coach Richt said. “We’re not going to cancel spring ball.”

Entering the spring sessions, Georgia already had three scholarship defensive ends sidelined while rehabbing from off-season surgeries—Neland Ball, Roderick Battle, and Cornelius Washington.

And the injuries at the defensive end position continued last week when Demarcus Dobbs broke a bone in his left foot, and Monday, at the first scrimmage of the spring session, Longo injured his shoulder.

The good news

Coach Richt stated that he expects all five of the injured defensive ends to be back in action by the end of summer.

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Mike Anderson Staying With Missouri: Gets New Seven-Year Contract

Robert Holland — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 22:25:18 -0400

It's now official, Mike Anderson has decided to stay with Missouri and continue the legacy he started there in March of 2006.

Today has literally been a roller coaster in the ranks of college basketball coaches. The news wires and the web have been on fire all day with the main characters being John Calipari, Mike Anderson, Damon Evans, Memphis State, Kentucky, and Georgia.

John Calipari met with officials from The University of Kentucky in Chicago over the weekend to discuss details of him taking over the head coaching position. The problem with that is Memphis State, and the void that he will leave.

Calipari, who earns $2.3 million a year at Memphis, would receive a significant raise that would make him among the highest-paid college coaches. Florida’s Billy Donovan, who said he was not interested in the Kentucky job, earns $3.5 million a year, and is the highest-paid coach in college basketball.

And as of this moment, according to the New York Times:

"Memphis Coach John Calipari will become the new coach at the University of Kentucky, according to a long-time friend of Calipari’s. An announcement could come Wednesday."

Then late this morning we have Mike Anderson's name hitting the wire, and lighting up the web with reports of his agent meeting with Damon Evans, The University of Georgia's athletic director.

This created a whirlwind of blogging, news releases, and up to the second reporting of what Anderson was going to do.

But then Missouri reported they were also in talks with Anderson to try to work out a deal that would keep him there and continue building the program he took over in 2006. Missouri, you have to believe, was very motivated to keep Anderson because the program he took over was literally a disaster - much like Georgia's program now.

And as of this minute, as I reported here, Mike Anderson finally decided to stay with Missouri and continue building his program.

The day has been hectic, fast moving, and sometimes hard to follow because of the flurry of information regarding these key figures and universities that were tied up in war for college basketball coaches.

But I think by tomorrow morning all should be settled, and we just need to listen to ESPN radio, or even watch SportsCenter tonight, and we'll get what I predict to be the final word for most of the story.

The only outstanding issue now is, what does Georgia do about their basketball program? Who are they going to target next, and how long is it going to take them to come up with a new prospect to take over the basketball program.

I know one thing's for sure, the Georgia Bulldog basketball fan base is growing tired and weary of this issue dragging on, and Damon Evans might start getting some push back from the press if a head coach isn't found soon.

Georgia Basketball Just Lost Out On Mike Anderson, Now Who?

Robert Holland — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 21:32:46 -0400

Now that Mike Anderson signed a new 7 year contract to stay at Missouri, where does that leave the Georgia Bulldogs basketball program?

The Georgia Bulldogs, and Damon Evans, were really hoping that Anderson would pull through. After a long, silent period of time since the firing of Coach Dennis Felton, a lot of the fan base started to wonder what exactly Georgia was doing to fill the new openning at head coach.

Then just today, the news wires lit up with talk of Georgia offering Anderson $2 million a year to come and coach the basketball team. Damon Evans reportedly met with Anderson's agent in Atlanta, and there were conflicting reports about whether or not an offer was extended to Anderson.

By this afternoon, Mike Anderson was seemingly the hottest coach on the market that everybody wanted, including Georgia. The three main options for Anderson were:

1) Stay at Missouri where he was already established, had great recruits in place, and was getting a substantially better offer than last year from Missouri.

2) Head to Memphis State where he would take over Callipari's position. Not sure what that offer was for, but I'm sure it was up around $1.5 to $2 million per year.

3) Come to Georgia for a reported $2 million per year to turn around the Georgia basketball program.

And now, according to ESPN's Andy Katz, Mike Anderson has just signed a new 7 year contract with Missouri.

So now where does that leave Georgia Bulldogs basketball program?

I've been preaching this message a lot over the past few days, but I'm going to say it again: "Georgia Needs To Hire Billy Gillispie!"

I've written an article here and here about why I think Billy Gillispie is great fit for Georgia. And now that Anderson is not coming to Georgia, this adds another reason to my already growing list of why Gillispie should be hired.

Because now, what does Georgia have to lose by not hiring Gillispie?

I mean, at this point who is left out there that is really going to be able to come into Georgia and give the basketball program the turn around it needs?

And who is going to come into Georgia and rally the fan base, and fill Stegeman Coliseum to the rafters? Who is going to turn the Georgia basketball program into a huge success such as the Georgia football program where 90,000 raving fans fill Sanford Stadium on saturday afternoons?

The only logical answer is Billy Gillispie!

He's got to be a phenominal coach or else Kentucky would never have hired him in the first place. And he's got a strong record of turnarounds, and an even strong record of recruiting top high school players.

These are the qualities that are desperately needed in the Georgia basketball program, and it's going to take a larger than life coach to come in and make that happen.

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Is Matthew Stafford and The Detroit Lions A Done Deal?

Robert Holland — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 17:01:26 -0400

The Detroit Lions held a private on-campus workout today with former Georgia Bulldogs star quarterback, Matthew Stafford.

And from what the Lions representatives were saying, the results were encouraging.

Does this mean that Stafford going to the Detroit Lions is a done deal?

In April's NFL draft, the Detroit Lions own the first pick. And the private workout today could have sealed the deal with Stafford as their No. 1 pick.

Sources described Stafford's workout as "flawless, stating it was significantly better than his March 19 pro-day workout, which was also held at Georgia."

Although the draft is still three weeks away, today's private workout session could have closed the deal on Stafford heading to the Detroit Lions.

(source Sports Illustrated)

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Georgia's Defense: Is There Cause for Concern?

Robert Holland — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:12:35 -0400

On Monday, the Georgia football team had its first scrimmage in Sanford Stadium, and apparently the offense outperformed the defense.

“It was the offense’s day,” said defensive end Justin Houston.

“They got the best of us,” said defensive tackle Geno Atkins.

Quarterback Joe Cox responded, saying, “The only way I would say that is if they admitted it.”

Coach Mark Richt said the two teams were “relatively even” and inconsistent on both sides of the ball.

“I just think when things were going well for one side of the ball or the other, they had enthusiasm,” Richt said. “And when things went bad, they had their heads down a little bit.

To make the situation even more scary, Georgia suffered another injury at defensive end yesterday and have just two scholarship ends healthy at the moment.

Should we be concerned at this point about the Georgia's defense?

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What If 10,000 Georgia Bulldogs' Baseball Fans Packed Out Folley Field?

Robert Holland — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 08:51:51 -0400

The Diamond Dawgs are packing out Folley Field in record number these days.

When Mississippi State visited Georgia a couple weeks ago, 4,461 fans filled the baseball stadium.

That was the largest crowed in Folley Field history!

That day, the Georgia Bulldog pitchers combined to throw their fourth shutout of the season, and Joey Lewis and Lyle Allen combined with homers to secure the win for the Diamond Dawgs!

Today, Georgia is currently on a seven game winning streak and ranked No. 1 in the nation for the third time this season.

Georgia will play Clemson tonight at Folley, and then head to S.C. to finish that series.

But then we have LSU coming to town!

If Georgia continues the winning streak and sweeps Clemson, we can expect Folley Field to be bursting at the seems with Diamond Dawg fans!

Could we see 10,000 fans packing into Folley Field?

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Why Billy Gillispie Is the Best Coach for Georgia Bulldogs Basketball

Robert Holland — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:00:55 -0400

I've been getting into some great discussions about the pros and cons of Billy Gillispie being head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs basketball program.

I'm going to lay out why I think he is, in my opinion, the best man for the job. And why The University of Georgia (Damon Evans) needs to act sooner rather than later on spending the money to get him here.

So here it goes: here's why Billy Gillispie should be head coach of Georgia's basketball program:

1) Georgia Bulldogs basketball needs a 180-degree turn around. They don't need a mediocre coach to come in and patty cake the job. Billie Gillispie has a record of turning programs around. After leading both UTEP and Texas A& M to postseason appearances one year after poor seasons, Gillispie became the only college basketball coach to be in charge of the NCAA program with the biggest turnaround in two consecutive seasons (source wikipedia.com).

THE BIGGEST TURNAROUND IN TWO CONSECUTIVE SEASONS (just to emphasize)

2) Georgia Bulldogs have not be able to recruit top basketball players. Billie Gillispie is known as an excellent recruiter who has managed to put together four straight top-25 recruiting classes. In his three seasons at A&M, the Aggies achieved three consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time (source wikipedia.com). I can only imagine what type of talent Billie Gillispie could recruit from the ATL.

3) Georgia Bulldogs basketball should be just as strong as Georgia football. Sanford Stadium gets packed to the top rows with 90,000 plus screaming fans that are completely hysterical over the Dawgs (me included...!!!). Not to mention millions more who are watching on TV, radio, the web, etc... The only way Stegeman Colliseum is going to rock Athens like Sanford Stadium is to give fans a reason to show up. And I believe that Billie Gillispie, especially now, would fill Stegeman up to the rafters on a nightly basis.

4) Billy Gillispie's coaching record (source wikipedia.com):

Season	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
UTEP (Western Athletic Conference) (2002–2004)
2002–03	UTEP	6–24	3–15	10
2003–04	UTEP	24–8	13–5	1 (t)	NCAA First Round
UTEP:		30–32	16–20
Texas A&M (Big 12 Conference) (2004–2007)
2004–05	Texas A&M	21–10	8–8	7	NIT Quarterfinals
2005–06	Texas A&M	22–9	10–6	4	NCAA Second Round
2006–07	Texas A&M	27–7	13–3	2	NCAA Sweet Sixteen
Texas A&M:		70–26	31–17
Kentucky (Southeastern Conference) (2007–2009)
2007–08	Kentucky	18–13	12–4	2 - East	NCAA First Round
2008–09	Kentucky	22–14	8–8	4 - East	NIT Quarterfinals
Kentucky:		40–27	20–12
Total:		140–85

By looking at his record, we at least know that he has the experience necessary to come in and lead Georgia's basketball program far beyond the SEC championships.

In Conclusion

Whether we bring in Billy Gillispie or not, my fear is that it is VERY quiet here in Athens regarding the replacement of Dennis Felton. The cream of the crop from the NCAA tournament is already being scooped up by other schools, and that's making me nervous because what does that leave Georgia to chose from?

Thanks for reading, and I'm anxious to hear your thoughts...

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Joe Cox: Leading The Georgia Bulldogs Like A General Heading Into Battle

Robert Holland — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:26:36 -0400

What's the one memory most people have of Joe Cox?

You got it—the Colorado game in 2006 when Stafford wasn't producing, so Cox, the red shirt freshman quarterback, came in to lead Georgia to breathe taking victory!

And man...was it spectacular! The five-play drive to secure the win over Colorado will go down as a classic in Georgia football history.

(see a video of this amazing drive here)

Joe Cox, the freshman backup QB to Matthew Stafford, stepped up in all his splendor to show us why he was so heavily recruited coming out of high school.

In just one quarter of play, Cox completed 10 of his 13 pass attempts for 154 yards and two touchdowns to ultimately steal the win from Colorado.

Joe Cox Must Lead With Splendor

The Georgia Bulldog football team needs a leader that will show up like a commanding general who is leading his army into battle!

Last year, the defense was demoralized and the sabers were rattling within the fan base with calls for Martinez to step down.

And then there were super stars Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno, and a few others that showed up each game, but were left holding the pot wondering where the rest of the team was—because they surely weren't on the field.

And there was even talk about how Stafford was lacking the leadership Georgia needed at critical moments throughout the year.

This year is different!

There are a lot of new players in the lineup, and Martinez isn't going to let his defense forget about the embarrassing performance of last year.

This is all going to require leadership from the quarterback position to step up, take command, and instill confidence in a team that is going to be faced with tough competition right from the beginning.

And Joe Cox is the man to do just that—leading his team—and the entire Georgia Bulldog fan base, not only to W's, but also to redemption from some of last year's embarrassing loses.

C'mon Joe—we're behind you and we believe in you, and we need you to be the most unbelievable quarterback Georgia has ever seen!

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Carlton Thomas: Exploding Out of Georgia's Back Field in 2009

Robert Holland — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:35:50 -0400

We're going to miss Knowshon Moreno—no doubt about it.

But do not think for a minute that the Georgia Bulldogs don't have running backs who are hungry, motivated, and ready to show the world exactly what they're made of.

Here's one such back that you may, or may not, be aware of...

Introducing Carlton Thomas!

Calton Thomas is one of new guys in Georgia's back field that is ready to explode through the line and dominate the opposing defense with his speed, devastating cut backs, and highly underestimated power will.

Thomas will be, in my opinion, not only a dominating running back on Georgia's offense, but I predict him to be one of the top backs in the SEC—if not the No. 1 back in the SEC!

Bold prediction?

Perhaps...but his speed, power, and ability to cut back and leave defenders paralyzed is unprecedented.

Honestly, I see a lot similarities between Reggie Bush and Carlton Thomas.

I do know that I can't wait to see this guy on opening day!

Check out this his amazing senior year highlight film.

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Will Nick Montana Become A Georgia Bulldog?

Robert Holland — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 23:16:23 -0400

Joe Montana, the all-time great 49er's quarterback, took a tour of Athens and The University of Georgia with his son, Nick Montana.

On a tour of other top SEC schools, Nick Montana made the stop in Athens to have a look at the Georgia Bulldogs football program.

Obviously, Georgia would love to add this high profile players to its roster, as it pushes the Georgia Bulldog football program out onto more of a national stage.

Montana told reporters that he and his father met with Georgia coach Mark Richt and Mike Bobo for around 30 minutes.

“We learned a lot about Coach Richt and the spiritual development, how he develops the players in the football program to be better men. That made a huge impression on me and my parents.”

Nick Montana went on to say about Georgia that, "it was nothing like he perceived to be. I was expecting Georgia to be out in the middle of nowhere, like the boonies. But there was actually a lot of stuff to do in the city. The town was lively. Another important thing were the people. I love the people. Everybody is kind, everybody is nice. They all want you to sign with Georgia.”

But will Montana chose Georgia over the flurry of offers he's getting?

Here's a list of current offers Montana has on the table:

Alabama

Florida State

Georgia

Maryland

Arizona

Notre Dame

Nebraska

North Carolina

Ohio State

South Carolina

Standford

So where will this high profile quarterback actually go?

That's hard to tell.

Georgia needs to do whatever it takes to get Montana to sign, because a player like that, with that much recognition, will add not only a high caliber quarter to the team, but also a higher level of national recognition that Georgia deserves.

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A Perfect Storm: Billy Gillispie And The Georgia Bulldogs

Robert Holland — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 08:31:02 -0400

I see a perfect storm in the making with Kentucky firing Billy Gillispie and Georgia firing Dennis Felton! Why not bring Billy Gillispie to Athens to coach the the Georgia Bulldogs?

Georgia is in desperate need of a coach that has national recognition and who can leverage that "fame" in recruiting the top players in the state of Georgia and throughout the country.

Billy Gillispie's "great luck he's always had" (as he quoted in his press conference yesterday) can pay off big time if he came to Georgia because Damon Evans, Georgia's athletic director, is ready to put "whatever resources necessary" into bringing a top level coach to the Georgia basketball program.

A perfect storm?

I believe so!

Is it something that will be considered by Damon Evans?

We'll just have to see!

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Five Reasons Georgia Bulldogs Basketball Will Rise from the Ashes of 2008-09

Robert Holland — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 22:26:50 -0400

The men's basketball program at The University of Georgia is ready to rise from the ashes of last year.

Below are five reasons you're going to see Georgia's basketball program heading to conference and national championships in the very near future, perhaps even as soon as next year.

We all know of the challenges that faced the men's basketball program at Georgia last year. It's no secret that coach Dennis Felton was fired after being routed by Florida. And that certain confusion and distraction entered into the player's hearts and minds that could not be shaken.

I can't even imagine what that early Thursday morning was like for Coach Felton and team, after landing in Athens around midnight back from being hammered by Florida, and then by 7 am losing your head coach right in the middle of the season.

Here's what Georgia senior forward Terrance Woodbury had to say about the effect of the mid-season firing of coach Felton:

“It kind of seemed like it was downhill from there. We tried our best to keep our enthusiasm, but it’s kind of hard once you lose your head coach and you’re losing a lot of games on top of that.”

But Damon Evans (Georgia's athletic director) simply had enough, and rightly so! Damon Evans has a big vision for Georgia basketball. He's quoted as saying his plans with the Georgia Basketball program include winning “conference championships and national championships.” And then also, “Our commitment and my commitment to build Georgia basketball is strong, and when I say that, I’d say very strong.”

Another very strong statement from Damon Evans, and one that shows his commitment to seeing national championships for Georgia basketball is this:

“basketball is not a red-headed stepchild here,” noting that the press conference when he made these statements was being held in a $30 million practice facility. “This building was built for a reason. We wanted to make a commitment to our basketball programs. I’m going to go out and get the best possible coach we can get. And I’m not going to let anything hold us back from doing that.”

The Bulldogs lost their first 11 games of the new year, including 9 games within the SEC. And what team of players wouldn't, at that point, be looking ahead with dismal hope to the rest of the year?

I agree with Damon Evans on his firing of Coach Felton. I'm sure at that point (the loss to Florida), Evans believed that the season was already shot and he had to make a strong statement to the Bulldog fan base that losing is not acceptable.

I also believe Damon Evans was broadcasting a message to the rest of the college coaching prospects that Georgia now has a job opening!

It's without question that the NCAA championships are being watched closely by Damon Evans and his staff. They should be looking at the potential coaches from which to chose the next leader in Georgia's basketball program.

It's already been stated that Evans is ready to spare no cost at bringing in the absolute best that the program needs to be successful.

One strong point on the resume of the next head coach needs to be a strong and successful recruiting strategy. If Georgia can bring in a high profile coach with national level fame, then recruiting top players from within the state of Georgia will be much easier.

Why Georgia Basketball Will Rise from the Ashes

Here are five reasons why Georgia's basketball program will rise from the ashes of last year, and begin building a foundation of success and leadership that will carry them to conference and national level championships:

1. Damon Evan is fed up with Georgia basketball not being an elite program, and that being in the shadows of the successful football program is not acceptable.

2. Damon Evans (and the University of Georgia) has the resources, and now the ambition, to spend whatever it takes to get a top notch, nationally recognized coach to replace coach Felton.

3. The team is very young—nine of the players are freshmen and sophomores, and seven players with starting experience are due to return including Trey Thompkins, one of only two Bulldogs who averaged in double figures in scoring. And also two freshmen, including a 6'11" center, Daniel Miller of Loganville, and 6'4" guard DeMario Mayfield of Carnsville, Georgia.

4. The season ended on a strong note with the Bulldogs winning three of their last four games, including wins over Kentucky (on the road) and Florida.

5. When situations are dismal and bleak, great things can be achieved with strong leaders in place that have a lot of drive, determination, and resources to turn things around—and that is exactly what Georgia basketball has working in its favor next year.

Bring all five of the factors above together, and the stage is set in Georgia for the men's basketball team to see an SEC championship, and even a national title, in the very near future!

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Georgia Bulldogs' Kicking Position: Can Blair Walsh Hold On to His Job?

Robert Holland — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 11:46:58 -0400

There is a heated competition, and a great storyline, brewing in Georgia Bulldog country at the kicker position!

First you have Coach Mark Richt stating that finding someone to solve the Bulldogs' kickoff problems as perhaps the biggest question mark between now and the fall.

This means there is trouble at the kicking position and with the defense last year struggling like it did, the Bulldogs cannot afford to not have the opposing teams starting at the 20 on each new position.

Second you have Blair Walsh who believes he is still the answer to the Bulldogs kicking problem. When asked if Walsh wants to give place kicking and focus solely on field goals, he said:

"Absolutely not," Walsh said. "I came here to do both, and that's what I want to do."

Eight of Walsh's 75 kickoffs went out of bounds last season, including two against Georgia Tech in a 45-42 loss in the regular-season finale.

Here's what Coach Mark Richt has to say about Blair Walsh:

"I think Blair is a very fine extra-point and field-goal kicker, and I think he's got the potential to be a good kickoff man also," Richt said. "We never really found an answer last season. Some of it could have been Blair doing his thing at the college level and maybe getting a little leg weary as the season went on."

So obviously Walsh is not very keen on the idea of giving up the kicking position, regardless if it's for kickoffs or field goals.

And third you have Brandon Bogotay, a junior college kicker from Grossmont College in El Cajon, CA. He was named a first-team all-Southern Conference selection.

Bogotay's longest field goal was from 52 yards.

Richt said he's looking forward to Bogotay "competing on our kickoff, field goal, and extra point teams."

So what can we expect this summer as we move toward a September 5th kickoff at Oklahoma?

One thing is for sure, Blair is not ready to give up the position anytime soon and is ready to fight for his position. However, going against that grain is Coach Richt and staff ready and anxious to fill an important kicking deficiency, which in turn will dramatically help the defense coming onto the field.

And finally, we have Brandon Bogotay coming from junior college, and from the other side of the country, with obviously something to prove.

After all, you don't send in your own video tape of your kicking game to the coaches, and travel all the way to the other side of the country, unless you've got something to prove.

Here's a video of Coach Mark Richt talking about the new kicker Brandon Bogotay.

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Georgia Bulldogs Basketball: Time To Rebuild

Robert Holland — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 23:35:36 -0400

Now that the Georgia Bulldogs basketball season is behind us, it's time for us to rebuild, literally from the ground up.

How do we do that?

Let me propose that we first find a way to do a lot better job of recruiting. It seems that the top level players in the state of Georgia look more to the pros, without giving UGA a second look. And honestly, can you blame them?

And not to mention the circus of a season we had this year.

Why can't Georgia's basketball program turn to Georgia's football program to get some tips on recruiting. The football recruiting program seems to be down to a science, and UGA is able to appeal to the highest caliber high school players in the country.

So what is Georgia's basketball recruiting missing?

I don't know, but I can tell you this, we can't just keep firing coaches. Imagine the effect that has on the morale of the b-ball players, staff, and yes, the fans as well. I mean, it's sort of sad to sit back as a fan and watch a train wreck unfold when you know that there is a lot of talent and drive on the team.

The Great Opportunity Now

The Georgia Bulldogs basketball team has an amazing opportunity in front of them right now. Let's learn from our mistakes of the past, find a coach who is willing to make the tough decisions, and start recruiting aggressively like we've never done before. We'll see Georgia's basketball program leading the way at the national level.

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Geno Atkins, Georgia Bulldog Leader

Robert Holland — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 17:16:59 -0400

As the Georgia Bulldogs continue to do their spring drills, coach Mark Richt is definitely sizing up the players and speaking very boldly about who is performing during the practices.

Here's what he had to say in Thursday's news conference:

“We ran well during practice, we pursued as a unit, I liked the way we looked today. (Brandon) Boykin had a couple of picks, and Joe Cox looked good.

(But) I’d say the most dominating player to this point has been Geno (Atkins). He’s tough to handle. Geno has had his way with just about everybody.”

Richt also went on to say that Atkins being the most dominate player during the session is "probably not to anyone's surprise."

That means Geno Atkins is leading the way!

It's going to take leadership and determination from players like Geno to carry the Dawgs through the upcoming season. Granted, the schedule is not as tough as last year, but inexperience on the roster will make things plenty tough.

Atkins is going to have to continue leading the Bulldogs with drive and motivation, especially when these players find themselves in front of 90,000 screaming Georgia Bulldog fans hungry for an SEC Championship!

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