No. 14 - Bulldawg Illustrated XIV: UGA vs. Coastal Carolina, 9/17/11
Looking Ahead to Week 4 & Beyond
I woke up early Saturday morning, threw on my golf attire (bow tie included—it’s a gentleman’s game), hopped in the car, turned on some old Dave Matthews, let my hair dance in the wind via an open sunroof, and headed to the links. My morning was only made better by shooting the best round of golf in my life (albeit on a par-three course). It’s always a good thing when your golf score and the points UGA puts on the board are close to one another.
After playing eighteen holes and thoroughly enjoying the crisp autumn breeze, I found my way back home to watch Auburn finally lose—with my wife (AU ’04) and her friend Holly (AU ’03). Oh yeah, did I mention I updated them with the Georgia score every two minutes? I didn’t? Well, I did—and with pleasure.
I was a little upset when I discovered ESPN8 (The Ocho) blacked out the game in Atlanta. I mean really… what could have better capped off one of those days golfers dream about than watching Mark Richt & Co. hang 59 on the Chanticleers? I had to Google Coastal Carolina’s mascot, and the first definition I encountered was “a prominent male vocal ensemble.” Turns out it’s a third cousin, twice removed, of the War Chicken family at Auburn.
Anyway, we’re 1–2, with Ole Miss up next in Oxford. After their embarrassing loss to Vandy, I don’t think we’ll have a problem leaving Vaught-Hemingway with our second W. And, coincidentally, we’ll have the red-headed stepchild of Mississippi football in our backyard the following weekend. Hopefully by then, we’ll have an official Uga who picks a fight with their bulldog—effectively inspiring our 2–2 team to another win.
That being said, we’ll make two trips to the state of Tennessee. The first stop? A fine university that, for decades, has produced some of the best managers in all of fast food. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of receiving your order correctly at a drive-thru, then you can thank the Volunteer grad who assisted you. I believe it’ll be a close game, but by then we’ll have been on a roll… three consecutive wins—chalk up another W. Hell, give me two W’s—Vandy is a goner too.
As I see it, we’ll be 5–2 going into Florida with a bye week. And while we’re at it, let’s be honest—if Richt loses to UF again, he’ll be a goner too. This team desperately needs to beat Florida—maybe more than any other team Richt has coached.
I won’t get too ahead of myself (as if I haven’t already), but following UF, we’ve got New Mexico State, the War Chickens, and Kentucky at home. And finally, the North Ave. Trade School in Atlanta.
From my office, I can see Grant Field, where I’ve been spying on those nerds for a few weeks. Between my telescopic lens and utilizing the lost art of lip reading, my covert operation has paid huge dividends. I plan on giving detailed notes to Coach Richt for review.
Who knows… we could end this season 10–2. Anything less than 9–3 will prompt a phone call from an untraceable pay phone, a seven-figure offer, and an Athens Country Club membership to an “unassuming” defensive coordinator in Tuscaloosa.
I’m doing my part—are you?
Editor’s Note: Brad Evans is a guest blogger for Bulldawg Illustrated. He writes from the perspective of a UGA alumnus and suburban dad who longs every weekend to be in Athens. Instead, he watches the game at home in a red and black bow tie, bourbon in one hand and cigar in the other, alongside his wife—an Auburn grad—and their 2½-year-old daughter and 2-month-old son, both caught in the middle of mom and dad’s football loyalties.
