Editor's Note Issue #14 - Ole Miss

by Vance Leavy

I don’t know about you, but I’m slap worn out after the celebration that ensued when the clock hit zero in the Dawgs amazing 17-9 victory over Florida.

Later, Gator!

Doesn’t that have an awesome ring to it? Needless to say, I shouted it to every dejected Florida fan slithering back to their car. Yes, I know we Georgia fans are supposed to be humble in our victories, but this one was too sweet not to have a little fun.

In our last issue, I reminded everyone how long it had been since Georgia had beaten Florida in consecutive years (1988-89). Well now that awful drought has finally ended, as history will forever show two Ws in the years 2011 and 2012.

Later Gator!

Even though the game was sloppily played, kudos go to everyone involved with the Georgia football program. Our boys came ready to play from the opening whistle and never wavered for all four quarters. And while Aaron Murray had his worst half of football during his career at Georgia, his teammates picked him up. And that was only fair because it was Murray who did most of the heavy lifting the week before in Lexington.

And what more can you say about Jarvis Jones other than BEAST. I hope you enjoy our BI photographer, Rob Saye’s killer cover photo of Jones. He named it “King of the Gators” and I bet everyone in Gainesville hopes they’ve seen number 29 for the last time.

Beyond Jarvis’ masterful performance, the rest of the folks on our defense were just as nasty. Sacks, picks, fumble recoveries … you name it. Yummy, yummy, can I please get more?

I sure hope so because as awesome as the Florida win was it will mean very little if everyone in the Bulldog Nation doesn’t quickly get their heads back down to earth with Ole Miss coming to Athens on Saturday. The Rebels are playing the best football since Eli Manning headed to the NFL. And the 3:30 p.m. nationally televised CBS game will have them ready to show the nation that things are moving in the right direction in Hotty Toddy land.

Without question, Ole Miss is going to spread our defense out and give our boys their best shot. Now the question is can our guys equal the same intensity from Jacksonville? Or was that emotion a one hit wonder?

I definitely don’t think that’s the case and fully expect Saturday’s homecoming game to be an extension of the good parts of the Georgia-Florida contest. However, if you’re a frequent reader of mine, surely you didn’t expect my offering to be all sunshine, did you?

The unnecessary penalties in the Florida game were atrocious. Just awful. I love how hard each player competed, but please for the love of Georgia, can we please start acting like we’ve been there before.
Make a big play or make a big hit and then get your fanny back to the huddle or sidelines. If you want to be the elite of the SEC, then start acting like it. You won’t see a Nick Saban Alabama team play with such silliness.

Okay, I’m done with my bickering, but mainly because I’m tired and really want to get this sucker to the printer, so I can get some shut-eye. I hope you will enjoy this issue. There are plenty of awesome photos from all the Georgia-Florida festivities. And JD, Murray and Travis get our minds focused on what it will take to continue the positive momentum versus the Rebels.

And as I mentioned earlier, it’s homecoming weekend, so I encourage everyone to load up the family and get to Athens. The parade on Friday is always a blast and seeing the former cheerleaders and band members return on the day of the game is truly special.

Gotta run now, but not before saying goodbye to a good friend of Bulldawg Illustrated. Dr. Don Parkerson passed away last week and Cheri and I will certainly miss our chats with him. His love of Georgia was undeniably displayed in his weekly newsletter that he sent all across the globe. Dr. Parkerson was laid to rest on the day of the Georgia-Florida game, so there’s no doubt in my mind that his spirit certainly
had something to do with our team’s inspired play.

Let’s keep this thing rolling Bulldawgs! We will be there with our bells on this Saturday!

Go Dawgs!

Tagged: vance leavy, editors note, mark richt, florida, gators, ole miss, dr don parkerson