Can the Dawgs "Man Up" Against 'Dores?

Forget about a supposed dip in talent level. Forget about being out-schemed. When the Bulldogs take the field in Nashville against the Vanderbilt Commodores, many a Georgia fan would simply like to see them just be plum nasty (until the whistle blows, that is).

I like kickoff returns for TDs and 50 yd bombs through the air as much as the next out-of-the-arena guy, but this Saturday, I'd most like to see the Dawgs show just a modicum of the old junkyard dog, "we're better than you" attitude, if even for only a few hours. It's "just" Vanderbilt (granted, UGA has hardly dominated the 'Dores recently, losing once and escaping by the skin of its teeth a couple of other times). A strong performance, especially on the lines of scrimmage, is not going to erase the shortcomings this team has, nor will it put out of mind the embarrassing loss to UT last week. But, for me at least, it would offer a bit of escapism in a thus far disappointing season.

Look, if you're half as fanatically rabid about Georgia football as I, you've got to realize that we start counting down the days to football season the day after the G-Day game. Cliched though it most certainly is, the players are taking the rest of the season one game at a time. It's a good idea to do that as a fan, too. So, when the Dawgs and 'Dores tee it up at 12:21 EST, let's see some real passion and pride, but more importantly, let's see that mean, nasty attitude that the better Georgia teams over the past half-century have displayed. Just for this afternoon, regardless of the opponent. Then we can go back to deciding who should have a job next year.