ATHENS — The buzz about star tight end Brock Bowers and his surgically mended left ankle has drowned out almost everything in the hours leading to the rare November night kickoff between No. 2 Georgia and No. 9 Ole Miss on Saturday (7 p.m., ESPN).
It’s Senior Night for UGA, so everybody’s waxing eloquent about Georgia’s latest group, which carries a ridiculous number of streaks into Saturday and has a chance to leave as the class with the most wins of all time for the Bulldogs.
It’s also the last game for UGA’s hallowed Dan Magill Press Box, which for nearly six decades has welcomed great scribes from Furman Bisher to Jim Murray to cover college football from the best seats Sanford Stadium has to offer. Lording over it all is ESPN’s “College GameDay” traveling circus, which has staked up its tents in Athens.
That’s a lot to take in.
David Pollack, who for 11 years was part of that “GameDay” scene, believes Saturday’s game boils down to one thing and one thing only: Can Kirby Smart’s world-renown defensive-mindedness prevail once again against the latest, greatest offensive wizard – in this case Kiffin?
“Dang skippy,” said Pollack, speaking on his car phone as checked off errands Friday morning near his home in Oconee County. “It’s really about how many (points) because I know Ole Miss is going to score. If they don’t score in the 20s, I’d be shocked. Think about Auburn and the struggles Georgia had against a mobile quarterback. Well, now you bring in Jaxson Dart, who can throw the football and has really good playmakers around him. Couple him with (running back Quinshon) Judkins, those receivers and tempo, man, we’re really going to have to tackle great.”
If you’re sensing that Pollack hasn’t discarded his football-analyst cap, you’d be correct. The 41-year-old College Football Hall of Famer still provides daily insights via his Twitter feed, in frequent media interviews and occasionally on the “Family Goals” podcast he does weekly with Jonathan Howes, pastor of Graystone Church in the Athens area.
Quite notably, Pollack no longer provides his football insights via ESPN. The self-proclaimed “worldwide leader in sports” did not renew his contract in a massive talent layoff this summer.
But that hasn’t stopped Pollack from being an astute observer of the game he loves. That’s especially true when it comes to his alma mater. Pollack has been able to pay much closer attention to the program that made him the most decorated Bulldog since Herschel Walker. He’s even attended few games this year when it didn’t interfere with his coaching responsibilities.
That’s at issue again Saturday.
Most of Pollack’s time these days is spent coaching his son and daughter in their respective sports. He also serves as a lay coach for the North Oconee High School football team. He calls himself “assistant defensive line coach.”
“I’m an assistant to Brad Williams, who is a phenomenal defensive line coach,” Pollack said proudly. “The good thing is I’m a lay coach, so when I have speaking engagements or I’m coaching my baby girl in eighth-grade basketball, they don’t miss me. Their success has nothing to do with me.”
Rather than being on the “GameDay” set, as he has been every fall Saturday since 2011, Pollack will be on the sidelines with the undefeated Titans (10-0) on Saturday as the Region 8-4A champions take on Pace Academy (5-5) in a first-round playoff game.
“I’m excited and jacked up about that,” Pollack said of that 1:30 p.m. game. “I’m wondering if I can sneak out after the game and be able to get to the Georgia game. That’s my biggest question.” Titan Stadium is about 15 miles from Sanford Stadium, so odds favor Pollack making it. He will not, however, be dropping by the “GameDay” set. Pollack did play golf with “GameDay” producer Jim Gaiero this week and he had lunch with his close friend Rece Davis, the “GameDay” host. Pollack said Davis cut him “a huge check” for his latest passion project.
The Pollack Family Foundation is sponsoring a Nov. 20 event called “Banquet of Blessings,” in which they’re partnering with the Classic Center to feed the homeless and people in need throughout northeast Georgia on the occasion of Thanksgiving.
“It’s one of the coolest things we’ve ever done,” Pollack said excitedly. “We’re busing in 1,000 people from the surrounding communities, and we’re decking it out. We’re setting up tables with beautiful tablecloths and china, and we’re going to serve them their meal, serve them their drinks, love on them while Ebenezer choir’s singing music the whole time. And then they’re going to come to a table with a brand-new coat and clothes waiting on them. It’s going to be amazing!”
As of Friday, Pollack’s mind was racing about the Georgia-Ole Miss matchup. A retired defensive end, for Pollack it’s always about stopping opposing offenses. And now that he can be a biased, unabashed Bulldog, he’s worried about Georgia’s ability to do that, especially with Jamon Dumas-Johnson expected to miss the game.
The junior All-American linebacker suffered a fractured forearm in Saturday’s 30-21 win over then-No. 12 Missouri. That’s the injury that people should be focused on, not Bowers, Pollack said.
“I think we’re going to have our hands full,” Pollack said Friday. “‘Pop’ is your leading sacker on the season. He’s the guy who understands when to blitz, where to blitz, your most experienced defensive player and a guy who plays a lot of snaps. In this game in particular, you have to think super quick on your feet against Ole Miss. You have to make calls quick against the tempo and the pace and the speed. I think that’s even more magnified in this game.”
Georgia’s options behind Dumas-Johnson simply are to elevate sophomore Jalon Walker or freshman C.J. Allen at “Mike” linebacker or redistribute responsibilities between those players, “Money” linebacker Smael Mondon and various defensive backs.
As doom-and-gloom as Pollack’s analysis may seem, he’s not predicting Georgia’s record 26-game win streak to come to an end. He still likes the Bulldogs’ offense and quarterback Carson Beck against the Ole Miss defense. The Rebels just gave up 35 points at home to an anemic Texas A&M offense and, with or without Bowers, the Bulldogs come to battle with considerably more weapons than every opponent the Rebels have seen not named LSU.
“Beck has been sensational; the dude’s got a hose,” Pollack said, the excitement ramping up in his voice. “He can throw the ball through a car wash and not get it wet. I love the way he’s stepping up in the pocket now, the third-down scrambles, his poise in big moments. He’s been clutch when you’ve needed a play made. I thought he was going to be good; he’s been even better.”
As for Bowers, Pollack is not counting him out Saturday, but clearly is skeptical. A scant 25 days removed from TightRope surgery, what’s truly to be expected of an athlete who relies so much on his speeds and powerful legs on a Dooley Field turf that will have been moistened for the previous 24 hours by passing rainstorms?
After Georgia also was missing starting right tackle Amarius Mims for eight weeks because of the TightRope procedure, Pollack relishes the offense soon being reunited as a whole unit. But that may be even more important later than it will be Saturday.
“You start the season without Daijun Edwards and Ladd McConkey, you get them back, then you lose Mims and Bowers. I think if this unit can get through this stretch and get everybody healthy and back together and whole, they’re going to be very impressive and be able to out-score anybody. And we might need that because I don’t think this defense is close to what we’ve had the past couple of seasons.”
Down to the rain in the forecast, the scenario surrounding Saturday’s 7 p.m. kickoff is remarkably similar to the one we saw this time last year when two programs with contrasting philosophies met in the SEC’s “game of the year.” Josh Heupel’s No. 1-ranked Tennessee Volunteers came to town touting their high-flying, supposedly unstoppable offense. That notion was grounded well before rain swept over the proceedings in the second half as Smart’s defense prevailed for a 24-13 score.
“GameDay” was in town for that one, too, but with Pollack as a member of the cast. He will be otherwise happily occupied this Saturday.
“I’ve already seen some of those folks, and a bunch of them have texted and reached out to me, so that was cool to catch up with them,” Pollack said. “So, I’m not going over. But I’m not bitter or anything. That’s not why I’m not going over there. I’ve got other stuff going on.”
Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com
