If you were driving down South Lumpkin Street on Wednesday you might have thought there was a concert being conducted on Woodruff Practice Fields. There wasn’t.
That just the Georgia Bulldogs practicing. Their workout was being conducted between two industrial size Bose speakers that played only two songs.
“Sandstorm and 2001 Space Odyssey, which I love,” Georgia offensive tackle John Theus said. “I came out to it when I was in high school. We’ve been listening to that a good bit.”
Those are the two songs most often heard in South Carolina’s Williams-Brice Stadium. The Gamecocks play the theme song from the movie 2001 Space Odyssey (the actual title is Also Sprach Zarathustra) when they first come onto the field for games. “Sandstorm” is a 1999 Finnish techno song by Darude that South Carolina began playing in 1999 after scores and big plays.
Georgia players heard Sandstorm more than they care to remember during their 2012 game in Columbia when they lost 35-7.
“I kind of like the song,” Georgia outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins confessed. “When they played it during the game I was like, ‘shoot, it’s getting me heated up; I don’t know why they keep playing it.’ It doesn’t bother me as much as Rocky Top does.”
There actually was a method to the music madness. Not only are the coaches preparing the Bulldogs for the songs they’ll hear at Williams-Brice Stadium, they’re trying to prepare them for the noise they’ll encounter there. South Carolina has proven to have one of the loudest venues in the SEC and it’s difficult for opposing offenses to communicate there.
“Getting ready for that crowd noise is the biggest thing,” said Theus, who revealed that he’s more of a Queen fan when it comes to his personal taste in music. “Hutson’s been talking quietly rather than calling out the play loud. So we really have to zone in and focus on what he’s saying and relay it down the line in order to get the call.
Theus said “communication was definitely an issue” the last time Georgia played in Columbia. But it had more to do with defensive ends Jadeveon Clowney and Devin Taylor pressuring quarterback Aaron Murray. The Bulldogs gave up only two sacks and two hurries but the Gamecocks recorded 10 pass break-ups, most of them coming as soon as the ball left Murray’s hands.
“They just played so well that game,” Theus said. “They were amped up. We know we’ve really got to come out and fight and be on our A game because if they get in that environment we know what they can do.”
Georgia coach Mark Richt thought the offense worked reasonably well under the noisy conditions. But it’s nothing like they’re going to encounter Saturday in Columbia.
“We were doing as much as we could as loud as we could with the equipment we have,” Richt said. “It’s not like going to our stadium and doing it. It’s loud enough to make you work at it and focus. But it’s not as loud as it’s going to be there.”
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