Monday ‘Dawg Bites Isn’t As Loud As Usual

It’s Monday again, which is annoying, because frankly it feels like we now have one of these every week. It’s no one’s favorite day of the week, but we can help make yours a little better by catching you up on all the most important news in Bulldog Nation.

Kirby raised some eyebrows after the game by remarking that he was “disappointed in our fans for the first time.”

I think there are a handful of things going on here. For one, Georgia fans were very likely a bit flat after an Alabama loss that led some of them to recalculate their place in the SEC universe.

Also it was Homecoming, and the Homecoming peripherals always seem to lead to a less focused overall crowd. That’s one argument against playing your oldest conference rival on Homecoming, though I understand there are logistical issues that sometimes can’t be avoided. But no doubt there were a lot of folks texting their college roommates about dinner plans rather than being locked in on third down.

Also, and those not directly affected may not have realized this, a lot of diehard Bulldog fans are still dealing with the effects of Hurricane Helene. The game was a sellout, but I’m not 100% certain all those seats were full.

In other weather-related considerations, Saturday was an unseasonably hot day in Athens, and the folks at ABC didn’t ameliorate that by scheduling the game for the hottest three hours of that day. You may get excited to watch Georgia play Auburn. But are you excited to watch Georgia play Auburn two and a half hours into an 87 degree October afternoon with the Sun in your face the whole time? If so then you’re a legitimate Dawg fan.

Finally, it’s just a lot harder for Bulldog fans to get up for 2024 Auburn than it was for 2007 Auburn. Bulldog fans have probably gotten a bit too used to their team simply rolling in and rolling over opponents who don’t offer much resistance, and this Hugh Freeze-coached Auburn team fits that description.

Personally I also think there was an element of gamesmanship at play in Kirby’s remarks. Georgia has some tough games coming up in Sanford Stadium, including primarily a game against Tennessee that looks like it could play a huge part in determining the playoff lineup and pecking order. The Vols under Josh Heupel have been a very different team on the road than in Neyland Stadium. If I know that I’m pretty sure Kirby Smart knows. Let’s see how fans respond to a little gentle admonishment from the visored one.

Dawg fans will get another chance to psych themselves up this weekend when Mississippi State comes to town. The Starkvillians are a 34.5 point underdog for Saturday’s matchup, and enter the contest 1-4 under first year head coach Jeff Lebby. Kickoff will be at 4:15 Athens time on the SEC Network.

In recruiting news, the Red and Black picked up a big commitment from Lee County tailback Ousmane Kromah before the game on Saturday. Kromah picked the good guys over Auburn, Tennessee and FSU.

I’m excited about this pickup because I’ve watched Kromah a little over the past couple of seasons and think he’s got the potential to be a great one. He’s got a powerful lower body, runs with great vision, and has sneaky breakaway speed. He also has some of the best hands out of the backfield of any back in the 2025 class.

Kromah joins the immaculately named (for an SEC tailback) Bo Walker of Rabun Gap-Nacoochee as the second running back in Georgia’s current recruiting class.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!