On August 27, I had this to say about the Boise State game: "If we get to see the same D.J. Shockley we saw against Clemson in 2002, the Georgia passing game starts to click, and the Bulldogs are up by double digits at the half, this one could get ugly for the visiting team. I don't expect that to happen, though."
Clearly, I went on one sentence too long there.
Sean Bailey, Kenneth Harris, Martrez Milner, and Danny Ware all caught touchdown passes from D.J. Shockley, more about whom forthwith.
Greg Blue, Tra Battle, Dannell Ellerbe, and Tony Taylor also caught passes, albeit from Boise State quarterback Jared Zabransky, whose job was to complete passes to the guys in the white jerseys.
In addition to throwing four interceptions, the Bronco signal-caller also fumbled twice. It's a pity this game was on E.S.P.N. instead of N.B.C., since Jared Zabransky seemed particularly well-suited to appear on the Peacock Network, live from Athens on a Saturday night, as one of the Not Ready For Prime Time Players.
It's hard to believe that the winningest quarterback in N.C.A.A. history could ever find himself in the middle of a quarterback controversy, but D.J. Shockley reminded the Georgia faithful why there was a time when David Greene's status as the starter was in jeopardy. Shockley threw five touchdown passes and ran for a sixth such score, connecting on 16 of his 24 attempts for 289 yards, which ain't bad, considering that, at most, half of his eight incompletions were poorly thrown balls.
One of the nation's most prolific offenses was limited to 123 passing yards and held scoreless for two and a half quarters. While the game was less than perfect (Georgia lost a fumble and gave up 201 yards on kickoff returns), the result exceeded even the most lofty of expectations, as the Bulldogs handed the Broncos a stunning 48-13 setback.
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The atmosphere in Athens was electric.
The crowd was loud. The Lone Bugler was stirring. The montage on the upgraded scoreboard shrewdly included multiple scenes from last year's triumph over L.S.U., another competition in which the 'Dawgs were expected to win a close contest against a ranked opponent but wound up running away with the game.
I expected the weather to be hotter than Heather Graham in a Southern Cal cheerleading uniform, but it turned out to be a nice afternoon and evening in the Classic City. Even the Boise State fans I met were nice enough sorts.
The only downside to the whole game day experience was the Broncos' road uniforms. My old friend Pete Allen went to the game with me and there was a point at which he asked me whether we were playing Boise State or South Central Louisiana State from "The Waterboy."
Fortunately, no one playing for B.S.U. could hit like Adam Sandler.
Also, although I was much impressed by the new scoreboard, I had a question which remains unanswered: when Leonard Pope scores a touchdown, will the new scoreboard release a puff of white smoke?
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In other news, Tennessee did not look like the No. 3 team in the country in a 17-10 win over U.A.B., the Gator faithful were not pleased by a 32-14 Florida win that fell well short of expectations, and a team from the Lone Star State finally got the O.U. monkey off of its back . . . only not the one everyone expected. Hook 'em, Horned Frogs?
Finally, Chan Gailey (who doubtless saw Central Florida's inspired performance against South Carolina and began to wonder how many more losses it would take before some Yellow Jacket fans began campaigning to bring back George O'Leary) led his troops to victory on the Plains, as Georgia Tech snapped Auburn's winning streak by a 23-14 final margin.
In honor of Auburn's 0-1 start, of course, I am compelled to offer another couple of anti-War Eagle haikus:
No toilet paper
Is to be found in Toomer's
Corner: Auburn lost.
Tommy Tuberville
Is a jug-eared goofy freak
And a jerk, besides.
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Now we turn to my favorite part of each week, the Mark Richt Victory Watch.
Mark Richt was 40 years old when he became the head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs. Coach Richt was trained for that job by Bobby Bowden, who is still coaching in his seventies. We at "The Dawg Show" realized that, if Coach Richt coached until the standard retirement age of 65 and averaged eight wins a year, he would win 200 games, so a challenge to Vince Dooley's school record for victories appeared probable from the outset.
Consequently, beginning with the first game of the Mark Richt era, we at "The Dawg Show" kept our viewers informed each week of Coach Richt's career victory total, counting down to his record-tying 201st win.
The big win over Boise State gave Mark Richt his 43rd career victory, placing him just 158 wins shy of tying Vince Dooley as the winningest coach in University of Georgia history.
Coach Richt's 43 wins as the Bulldogs' head coach tie him with W.A. Cunningham for fifth place on the all-time Georgia wins list. Coach Cunningham posted a 43-18-9 record with the Red and Black between 1910 and 1919. Coach Richt now trails only Vince Dooley (201), Wally Butts (140), Harry Mehre (59), and Ray Goff (46) for the most career victories of any Bulldog head coach.
Moreover, at 43-10, Mark Richt has a better record through 53 games than any of the five coaches who are tied with or ahead of him on the all-time school wins list. At this point in their respective careers, W.A. Cunningham (34-13-6), Harry Mehre (32-18-3), Wally Butts (36-15-2), Vince Dooley (38-12-3), and Ray Goff (31-22) all trailed Coach Richt.
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Saturday night's victory was a great win over a good team. The losses of David Greene, David Pollack, Thomas Davis, Odell Thurman, and Brian VanGorder do not appear to have hampered the Bulldogs in the slightest and, if the Georgia team that showed up against Boise State takes on the South Carolina squad that took on Central Florida, a second straight big win is in the making.
Still, it is just a 1-0 start and it is too early to read too much into a win over a team that may well have been out of its depth and certainly was out of its element, what with the green field and the humidity and all, so we should simply savor this victory for what it is worth and look forward to the start of S.E.C. play in a rebuilding year that may hold the promise of yet another run at a conference crown.
Go 'Dawgs! | 
