Overheard on the highlight shows:

"...Yes, Lou. Incredibly, LSU rallied from a 31-3 deficit to defeat Troy 40-31 on Saturday night. It was not unlike the Tigers scintillating come-from-behind victory over Georgia earlier in the season when the Bulldogs faded under the pressure of the Death Valley crowd of 93,000 fans. The Tigers are now 8-2 and likely headed to the Capitol One..."

"...so Auburn snatches victory from the jaws of defeat with a last-gasp touchdown pass from Kodi Burns to Ben Tate in the corner of the end zone with only one tick on the clock and defeats the Bulldogs 20-17. The Tigers, following in the footsteps of their fourth-quarter triumphs over LSU, Vanderbilt and Arkansas earlier this season, improve to 9-2..."

"...and the Gamecocks have rallied to defeat LSU and improve to 10-1 on the season. It seems that Steve Spurrier's club has found a way to pull out win after win in the close games down the stretch. Witness the fourth-quarter victories over Georgia and Vanderbilt earlier this season and now today's come-from-behind thriller over the Tigers..."

"...another heart attack win for the Wildcats in what has been a remarkable and unforgettable season for Kentucky football. UK has now played master escape artist with fourth quarter victories over South Carolina, Georgia and Vanderbilt to take the Cats record to 9-1 with a likely Capitol One Bowl berth..."

Meanwhile, overheard from the talk shows:

"...want to know when Coach Richt is going to get this thing fixed. 9-2 won't cut it and..."

"...just don't have the right coordinators in place. Coach Richt has got to make substantial changes..."

"...can't see why everybody else is winning big while we can barely beat the Kentuckys and South Carolinas. Plus, Auburn and Tennessee are down this year..."

"...isn't good enough. We put all this money into facilities and coaching salaries and recruiting and this is the best that..."

Les Miles at LSU, Steve Spurrier at South Carolina, Tommy Tuberville at Auburn - all three of these guys have either national championships or undefeated seasons on their resumes. Rich Brooks at Kentucky...not so much. Still, I promise you that any of the four would trade this year's final score -- as well as their respective places in the standings -- with Mark Richt. And you wouldn't have to ask twice.

Nor with another former winner of two national titles, Dennis Erickson of Arizona State.

All five of those guys hosted Georgia in 2008. All five lost.

408,000 people filled the five stadiums: Williams-Brice, Sun Devil, Death Valley, Commonwealth and Jordan-Hare. The vast majority of those in attendance were decidedly not cheering for the red and black.

Brutal conditions. 5-0. Damn Good Dawgs.

Three of the aforementioned had the ball, inside our red zone, in the final minute of the game. How many of those three pierced our defense with the game on the line?

Zero.

Perspective. It all comes down to perspective, so here is mine regarding the play of Willie Martinez's defense in the clutch, on the road, in the toughest conference in America:

• In the fourth quarter with the game on the line at South Carolina the Gamecocks last three drives were to the:

o Georgia two-yard line
o Georgia 31-yard line
o Georgia 17-yard line

• The Gamecocks scored zero points.
  

• In the fourth quarter with the game on the line at LSU the Tigers last four drives ended:

o At the Georgia 13
o With a Bulldogs interception
o With an LSU touchdown
o At the Georgia 11

• One score in three trips to our red zone. Our defense matched that score with one of its own. Dawgs win! Dawgs win!
  

• In the fourth quarter with the game on the line at Kentucky the Wildcats last three drives were to the:

o Kentucky 46
o Georgia 35
o Georgia 13

• The Wildcats scored zero points.
  

• In the fourth quarter with the game on the line at Auburn the Tigers last two drives ended at the:

o Georgia 21 yard line
o Georgia 13 yard line

• The Tigers scored zero points

For the fifth time this season Georgia ventured into an unfriendly stadium - our red and black clad fans outnumbered 7 to 1 -- and for the fifth time Mark Richt's Bulldogs sent the hometown masses to the exits disgruntled and irritated. Our redcoat band merrily played in the corner of the lower level at each stadium -- well after the final gun had sounded - Georgia, again victorious on the road.

Look, our Bulldogs are a flawed team this year. But if we're soooo bad, then how are we 9-2? U-G-A is 9-2 because we have repeatedly refused to fail down the stretch during tight games on the road.

You don't go 9-2 because you're lucky. You don't go 5-0 in opponent's stadiums by being lucky. Especially when those opponents are LSU, Auburn, South Carolina, Kentucky and Arizona State -- whether those teams are in "down" years or not. Those guys Georgia has played are running sub-4.6 40's and can press 490 pounds just like our players. This game doesn't allow for much luck. 999 out of 1,000 victories are earned.

Georgia's offensive skill players create works of beauty. The defense is the ugly stepchild to Stafford, Knowshon, A.J., et al. The defense has had some dreadful moments - sometimes set up by abhorrent field position -- some of its own doing.

We just beat Auburn - a team desperate for victory in order to garner a bowl bid - for the third straight year. We dashed those dreams just like we made the year a little less tasty for the Gamecocks, Tigers and Wildcats.

Check the records in close games. Unlike the Bulldogs, LSU, South Carolina, Auburn, Kentucky plus just about every school in the A.C.C. (to cite a few) have not won all of their fourth-quarter battles this season. That's the difference between nine-win teams and six- and seven-victory teams.

Call your pals at any of the five schools where we've gone into their building this year and handed them nail-biting, heart-gripping defeat. Ask your pals from S.C., Auburn, Kentucky, LSU and Arizona State if they wanna swap places. Lemme know what they say.

Neil "Hondo" Williamson
November 20, 2008

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