“I’ve never seen anything like that before.” “Another big game and we don’t show up.” “Who kidnapped Matthew Stafford?” “How embarrassing was that?” “Can I take this black shirt back to Target?” “Hey buddy, get away from my gas tank with that straw!” These are the things I heard while making the trek back to my car at halftime of the Georgia-Alabama football game last Saturday night in the longest walk ever. Never before had I left a Georgia football game so early and never before has the walk seemed so crowded and sullen. The Bulldog nation seemed shocked and saddened as if a sudden storm had just devastated the campus. The Crimson Tide had just rolled over Athens.
Some call me the eternal optimist—and I am as a coach—but with the 31-point deficit at the half and with the sped-up clock, I felt the odds of Georgia coming back were pretty slim. A good coach (and Nick Saban qualifies as such) with a good running game (which Alabama has) would make it impossible for a comeback. Given the choice of seeing a miracle or getting home before 3 a.m., I went with my first option and I was not alone. Somewhere on Sanford Drive I think I passed Alabama’s punter making his way back to the stadium – they certainly didn’t need him in the first half. They say misery loves company and that was certainly the case as I listened to my fellow refugees.
“That’s the last time we’ll ever have a blackout here.” “Is this going to hurt Stafford’s shot at the Heisman?” “Well, maybe next year.” “Losing this game is bad enough, but to do it on national television is even worse.” “Do you know where I can buy gas around here?”
SECOND-HALF ‘COMEBACK’
As I approached my car parked behind Stegeman, the crowds dispersed and I noticed all the tent cities that were so festive before the game were now deserted and in shambles. Apparently the shock waves of what hit the Dogs on the field had a ripple effect through campus, leaving no survivors. I was happy I didn’t have to clean up the mess and wondered how Mark Richt would clean up the mess on the field.
Although I pulled for the Dawgs while listening to Scott Howard’s second-half play-by-play while I drove home on 316, it was a moot point. There was no way Georgia would come back, as the deficit was just too big. To be honest, my concern wasn’t the second half of that game but the rest of the season for this Georgia team. All the hype, all the promise, and all the dreams of a national championship could have been shattered in just one night. All is not lost, as Florida also lost earlier in the day, thus giving the Bulldogs hopes of a rematch against Alabama in the SEC Championship if both teams win out. If that’s the case, there is still a string of hope for a trip to Miami in January. However, if the Dogs play like they did in the first half of this game against anyone else this season, those hopes will be destroyed.
Passing by “gas-less” stations all night long, I made it home before 11 p.m. I know I made the right decision to leave early. I just hope I never have to make that decision again.
But that’s just my opinion.
Dankosky can be reached at kdankosky@scoreatl.com.
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