Three things stood out to me:
- I see why Artie Lynch is getting so much pre-season love. I've focused on his misses last year, but I missed something of how he presents a great target, then turns and gets up field. He was such an integral part of that last drive. That catch and run in the penultimate play of the game was terrific. He had the safety on him and caught the ball with the safety hanging on him. He then ran another ten yards with the safety hanging on to him. Just huge.
- Aaron never ever looked rattled. Even after the seeming game ending int (that got over turned).
- No one on Georgia's side line looked scared or panicky. They were genuinely shocked we had lost.
I noted the heart of Georgia's team after the loss. I still see it on the screen ten months later. There is something palpable about that group that gives me great hope about 2013. Could that be just wishful thinking or some sort of false security? Surely.
Still, I've got a feeling about Georgia's season I haven't had since 2005 or so. I expect us to go to Atlanta and play in the SEC Championship game. I expect us to win it. If we do that, those good things, such as a trip to California in January, should come. Could that all come crashing down in spectacularly karmic fashion Labor Day weekend, the weekend after, or any number of Saturdays between then and December? Sure. Oh definitely.
So I've rewatched that last drive for the final five times. Yes, we lost that game, but the lessons learned from it are pretty important, too. And will be more so as this season comes on.
I've kept from deleting that game for some reason. Maybe this was it. To help get my psyche in the right place about this season. Kind of a weird thing, a kick in the balls loss, doing that. But there you have it.
And now I've deleted it. New year. New Team. One Dream.
TD
