The Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, in Which the Dawgs Roll out a Defense That Is Most Often Seen in the Fourth Quarter of a Blowout Win
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www.thedawgmeister.com The Dawgmeister on Facebook Welcome to the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, in which the Dawgs roll out a defense that is most often seen in the fourth quarter of a blowout win. I guess it’s time to see what next year’s defense will look like. The defenders tasked with shutting down Cincinnati are all scholarship athletes and were all recruited to play when the games matter. I hope they appreciate the opportunity, know that they’re competing for both a win and a starting job next year, and show out in the Benz against an opponent that outranks UGA in just about every statistic for the 2020 season, not to mention the team rankings that may make them the betting favorite by game time. In a way, it’s a good thing for Dawg fans that we won’t roll out the 1’s on defense, because the offense will need to play at full throttle in what should be a competitive game. The offensive opt-outs, Cleveland and McKitty, have missed games due to injuries, so we’ve played without them before and have plenty of guys hungry for their snaps. And it’s easy to see how a guy like McKitty, with only one year in the program, would feel more loyalty to his pro prospects than his team’s non-playoff bowl game. As for the defensive opt-outs, a lot of these guys grew up with next to nothing, and making an NFL roster is their best chance in life to take care of their families. I’d rather see them play, but then I’m not risking anything in saying so, as they would be in playing. It’s time to see what Monken will call when the other team is keeping it close. So far, he’s mainly game-planned for blowouts, though Missouri was anticipated to be more of a contest. This time, we should see the whole playbook in action. And we’ve been waiting for that all year. Meanwhile, around the SEC: Here’s how coaches fared after winning at Boise State and taking Power 5 jobs. Dan Hawkins: At Boise: 53-11 (.828) At Colorado: 19-39 (.328) At UC-Davis: 20-16 (.556) (2018 Eddie Robinson Award as coach of the year in the Football Championship Subdivision; 2018 Big Sky Coach of the Year). Chris Peterson: At Boise: 92-19 (.885) At Washington: 55-26 (.679) Bryan Harsin: At Arkansas State: 7-5 (.583) At Boise: 69-19 (.793) Here’s how Gus Malzahn did as Head Ball Coach at Auburn after leaving a lower- division job, one where he was succeeded by Bryan Harsin: Gus Malzahn: At Arkansas State: 9-3 (.75) At Auburn: 68-35 (.660) 5th on Auburn's all-time wins list behind Shug Jordan, Mike Donahue, Pat Dye, and Senator Tommy Tuberville. You’re fired! In my reading about Coach Harsin, someone I’d never heard of as I waited for Auburn to hire Bobby Petrino or Hugh Freeze, I came across references to his “insanely hot wife,” Kes. Once again, I report, you decide. SAT Question of the Week: Who the heck are these guys? Homer Rice, Ray Callahan, Tony Mason, Ralph Staub, Mike Gottfried, Watson Brown, Dave Currey, Tim Murphy, Mark Dantonio, Brian Kelly, Butch Jones, Tommy Tuberville A. Each once served as the Head of Women’s Studies at the University of Cincinnati. B. Each was expelled from the University of Cincinnati because he couldn’t figure out how to spell Cincinnati. C. Each would sin to win a natty. D. Each thinks that the nickname of the Queen City represents Cincinnati’s deep devotion to Freddie Mercury. Answer: Each served as the Head Ball Coach at the University of Cincinnati for 3 years or less, mostly moving to other jobs after winning at UC. The Weekend Forecast is offered as a free service to its readers; neither the Dawgbone nor The Dawgmeister profits financially from its publication. If you read the Forecast and want to contribute something back to our communities, please consider making a donation to this week’s featured Good Works service. There are many people living in needy circumstances, and every dollar helps to support them through another day, week, month, and year. This week’s featured Good Works organization: Youth Empowerment Through Learning, Leading and Serving empowers youth to rise as active, healthy, and productive servant-leaders within their communities. Youth Empowerment through Learning, Leading, and Serving, Inc. (YELLS) is a 501(c)3 non-profit youth development organization based in the Franklin Gateway community of Marietta, Georgia. By providing youth with marketable skills, support, and opportunities, they inspire them to invest in themselves, in their educations, and in their communities. Whether they are kindergartners or high schoolers, YELLS youth participate in innovative programs that combine mentorship, character development, academic achievement, community involvement, and service learning. From Afterschool Program participants who learn that daily acts of kindness can be fun, to Mentoring Program participants who are inspired and inspire in turn, to Community Action Café participants who have made successful government proposals to shape the identity of their community, YELLS youth receive support from the programs but also shape them as they assert their voices as community leaders. YELLS provides a safe haven for youth in the Franklin Gateway neighborhood while empowering them with the skills, resources, and character they need to serve as effective leaders and community members. Leadership workshops, arts enrichment, recreational activities, and academic support all work together, along with parent workshops and engagement, to build assets for youth and to promote stronger, healthier communities. DONATE I’ve seen a bit of the 2020-1 UGA basketball team, and it’s good to see them winning, albeit against a very weak schedule. Who thought that UGA would be unbeaten and at the top of the standings, and Kentucky would be bringing up the rear with one win? UK has lost to Richmond and Georgia Tech in starting 1-6, and has only beaten Morehead State, a team with a losing record against cruddy teams. And there’s UGA, sitting at the top of the heap through the preseason schedule. Them Dawgs are off to a strong start and should only get better as our program, soon to be known as Grad Transfer U, gets experience playing together. And the human ball of fire, Sahvir Wheeler, is really a blast to watch. He’s listed at 5’-10” but sure looks about 5’-8” to me, and that includes his hair. He’s a stocky kid too, which probably indicates that he does not have the fabled wingspan that is often listed along with a player’s height these days (Giannis is 6’-11”, but has a wingspan of 7’-11”; or Jarrett Allen is 6’-11”, hair- adjusted to 7’-11”). Wheeler, he’s 5’-8” with a wingspan of 5’-3”. He does get a few shots blocked when he attacks the rim, but that just seems to make him even more determined to attack the rim. Lots of good things happen with him on the court. Let’s hope that this big start isn’t an illusion based on playing bad teams, and a sign that this will be a good year in Stegeman Coliseum, where Tom Crean is fixin’ to set a new attendance record for the cutouts in the stands. Reports out of Columbia, SC, have confirmed that Will Muschamp is refusing to leave his office. He maintains that, after an unbeaten season in 2020, he wasn’t fired and is ready to lead the Gamecocks for the next four years. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey has announced that he will pardon LSU and Tennessee for all past, present, and future recruiting violations. Sankey has declined a request to pardon Bo Pelini for his work as LSU defensive coordinator. There have been few more talented or heralded players at UGA than Matthew Stafford. The QB from Highland Park, Texas began starting midway through his first year in the program and put a lot of points and wins on the board before being the top pick in the NFL draft, and subsequently the league’s highest-paid player. In Detroit he’s been highly productive on a team that’s never quite turned the corner. 2019 was rough on Matthew, whose back injury sidelined him; and on his wife Kelly, whose brain tumor imperiled her life. These setbacks can be humbling and frightening. They never affected their spirit of giving back to their communities, however. In 2019 they surprised a couple of young Lions fans who’d recently lost their father with a home visit that extended into the evening with gifts and video games on the couch. As Kelly said, “Maybe they have had to endure something no one should have to go through and just need an extra reason to smile during the holidays.” It was hardly their first such contribution. When Matthew was approached about donating an item to a fundraising auction for University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, he provided a prize of tickets and travel to the Lions’ Monday Night Football game in Chicago, which Matthew then bid on for $15,000 and donated to a hospital patient whose family had been through a lot of trauma. He also pledged $1 million spread over 10 years to help build a playing field and renovate the S.A.Y. Detroit Play Center at Lipke Park in an impoverished area of East Detroit.