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AJC > Sports > UGA > Blog > Archives > 2008 > May > 06
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Get used to tough schedules
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Some random thoughts of a Bulldog nature …
Looking at the 2009 football schedule after its completion with the addition of Tennessee Tech got me to thinking: IF this year’s murderous schedule keeps the Dawgs from making a successful run at the national championship and IF Matt Stafford and Knowshon Moreno decide to stick around for another shot at it, the 2009 schedule isn’t going to be a cakewalk either, though at least it doesn’t have that late-season on-the-road marathon. It’ll be another year with only six home games (the downside to upgrading the nonconference schedule) with the Dawgs opening on the road at Oklahoma State. The schedule does have an open date before Florida, though, as well as a 1-AA opponent the week before Auburn. The home games are South Carolina, Arizona State, LSU (the only October game in Athens), Tennessee Tech, Auburn and Kentucky.
As for this year’s schedule, Coach Mark Richt told the Athens Banner-Herald he thinks it will help keep the players’ heads in the right place: “I think our guys are mature enough to know that our league is rough, our schedule is, I think, pretty unbelievable, and we’ve got a really tall order ahead of us.” But Stafford seems to have the right attitude, telling the B-H: “I think it will be really fun. I think it will be really challenging for us. It’s one of the tougher schedules in the country this year. It’s definitely something that’s got our attention right now and it will keep it throughout the season, which is good for us to help us get focused for every game.”
Focus. That’s going to be the key this season. …
An interesting side note to Richt getting a commitment from record-setting Tampa QB Aaron Murray is that one of his Plant High School teammates, tight end Orson Charles, also is considering the Dawgs. Charles is the one who accidentally knocked over Florida’s 2006 BCS national championship crystal trophy, breaking it into a million pieces. Sounds like a kid who’d fit perfectly in Athens! …
I see that the national champion Gym Dogs will be signing autographs before the game and throwing out the first pitch when the Diamond Dogs meet the Yellow Jackets Wednesday at Foley Field. If you’re not like me (stuck at work) and can get over to Athens, this would be a great time to sample the exciting baseball the league-leading Dogs are playing this season. By the way, CBS will show UGA’s win at the NCAA gymnastics championships this Saturday at 3 p.m. …
Glad to hear smoking is finally completely banned from Sanford Stadium starting this season, bringing us in line with even the hillbillies in Knoxville. And just in case you’re thinking you can take a drag (or do anything else against the rules) without getting caught, remember that UGA plans on installing a high-tech video surveillance system by next season in the stadium, thanks to a federal Homeland Security grant of $236,000 that will pay about half the cost. It’ll allow campus police to see and record what happens in just about any corner of the stadium. This is in keeping with the hard line UGA security is taking these days; last season two guys sitting near us got into a dispute and rather than adjudicate who was in the wrong, the cops simply kicked them both out of the stadium. So be aware that Big Brother Dawg is watching you. …
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