Just 'Cause I Don’t Run My Mouth Don’t Mean I Got Nothing to Say

I am sure you noticed the tidbit from the Columbia Tribune about the expected crowd at Faurot (pronounced Far-roe) Field for the SEC opener between Missouri and Georgia, but Dave Matter thinks it will be 'unprecedented'

@Will_Biz_Byrne with all of the suspensions for georgia, what are the odds you would put on a win over the dawgs? I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if Missouri wins that game. The atmosphere/energy will be unprecedented. We can analyze all summer about schemes and coaching philosophies, but bottom line, players play. And Georgia’s going to be missing some of its better players. Plus, consider this: Georgia is just 10-12 away from Athens the last three years.

First, let's get to the unprecedented thing. While this is Mizzu's first SEC game evah, this will be Georgia's 571st conference game and 80th season playing SEC football. It will be our 346th SEC game away from Sanford Stadium. Since the last three years were brought up (mad props by the way, very UF), I thought I'd mention that in those 345 games away from Athens, Georgia is 189-145-11. You call going into a hostile crowd on the road unprecedented? This is the SEC. This is why you wanted to be part of the SEC. When  you are on the road, at least 11 of the 13 places you can visit will be exactly like what it'll be like on September 8th in Columbia. Every week.

Second, I'm willing to bet, until it is proven otherwise, that the 40,000 Florida fans in Jacksonville will bring more atmosphere/energy than the 55,000 Missouri fans will in Columbia. No offense meant to Missouri. That is just what it is. For that matter, I don't expect it to be any different than going to Jordon-Hare, with their 70+K fans. Come to think of it, you'd probably better bring a few more Missouri fans, since it is easy to say Jordan-Hare will have more atmosphere/energy. And yes, I know Faurot Field holds 71,000. I'm saying around 1/5 of all folks there will be wearing Georgia colors.

Third, it isn't our first time in a 71,000 seat stadium. In fact, it will be the second smallest stadium we walk into all season, with just a shade fewer than 3500 more seats than Kentucky's Commonwealth Stadium.

This is a stadium (from "Kaz's" MySpace page)

Look, we get it. Missouri is psyched to be in the SEC, as the Tigers should be. For Georgia's football team and our fans, this is an exciting opportunity to be part of the welcoming committee to the conference. I hope to enjoy good times with new rivals. I also fully plan to see many, many people that I'd normally see on a game day in Athens. Missouri fans need to remember that the last time the whole 'Georgia won't be able to handle it' thing started, it was over dry heat. Well, 25K+ Dawg fans went to the desert and drank Arizona dry. Not of water. Not of beer. Of bourbon.  

There'll be around 15K Georgia fans in Columbia that night in the stadium. At least. For us, it'll not be unprecedented or anything else. It'll be another SEC road game, one that means just the same as the rest. Send Mizzu fans to Baton Rouge if you want unprecedented. Sit by yourself in amongst the LSU fans and you'll know what I mean. Get hosed down at Auburn. Listen to that infernal rooster crow in the other Columbia. Cringe at the Cowbells in Starkeville. Get the Hogs called in Reynolds. Try to talk to someone beside you in Tuscaloosa. Try to out yell Florida or Georgia in Jacksonville. Then you'll understand that no matter how loud or crazy it gets at The 'Zou, it won't be unprecedented.

By the way, we also get that winning the first game is only the beginning, not the goal. I'm not predicting a Georgia win, by the way. I am predicting a fun time, but not an unprecedented time, at least from our standpoint.

TD

Tweet