With wins over Florida and Troy, Georgia has scored 40+ points in consecutive games for the first time since 2002. The Dawgs accomplished that feat twice in 2002. Otherwise, you have to go back to 1993 for the last time that Georgia scored at least 40 in consecutive games.

With that yang comes the yin – the Dawgs have also surrendered 30+ points in consecutive games. Unless someone beats me to it, I’ll also find out the last time that happened.

It’s to the point now that you’re slightly disappointed when Knowshon Moreno doesn’t make something happen on a particular play. Moreno, after his 196-yard performance against Troy, has once again been named the SEC Freshman of the Week. It’s the third time this year that Moreno has earned that honor.

His 80-yard touchdown run in the first quarter was the longest by a Bulldog since Robert Edwards took one the same distance against Kentucky ten years ago in 1997.

Even more impressive is Moreno eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark with three games remaining in the regular season. For a program that is sometimes called "Tailback U", 1,000 yards in a season has been a rare feat for Bulldog tailbacks. Moreno joins Musa Smith as the only Georgia tailbacks since 1992 to break through that mark. 1,000 yards isn’t just an accomplishment based on ability; it’s also a testament to a tailback’s endurance. Several good tailbacks, including Edwards, Brown, and Lumpkin, came up short of 1,000-yard seasons during their careers due to an assortment of injuries. Moreno is just the 12th back in Georgia history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, and he now has the second-best total for a Georgia freshman behind only you-know-who.

The question of endurance comes up as Thomas Brown returns to practice after missing three games. Brown’s role against Auburn, if he plays at all, will naturally be governed by his injury, but the question of the distribution of carries remains. Richt in his postgame press conference was hesitant to run Moreno 25-35 times per game due to the beating that tailbacks take in this league. While we should expect Moreno to start and get the clear majority of the carries, fans should expect to see Brown (if he’s able) get more than a couple of carries. Even McFadden sits now and then.

Homecoming 2007 was about as brilliant a day as you could want for college football. The highlight of Homecoming every year for me is the opportunity to venture back down Between the Hedges. The radio broadcast team noted a strong attendance at the Dawg Walk, and I have to add that the pregame crowd was as loud as I’ve ever heard from the field for a Homecoming. I believe that the crowd noise really helped the Georgia defense hold off Troy’s early scoring chances.

I disagree that the Dawgs came out flat in this game. If someone can pinpoint that two early fumbles were the result of a casual attitude, they’re far more astute than I am. It’s fortunate that the defense wasn’t flat to open the game; they limited Troy to just three points from those Georgia turnovers. Troy generally played well, and there was a reason why they received votes in last week’s poll. If there was an area of the game that was sluggish, I’d say it was Stafford’s accuracy in the first half. He picked it up at the end of the half with very accurate passes to Chandler and Bailey. As Ching notes, Stafford is 28-for-47 for 434 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions in the past two games.

Stafford’s third quarter interception was pivotal. A better throw from Stafford on the preceding play would have sent a wide-open Mikey Henderson into the end zone, but the long pass play still set the Dawgs up with a good chance to score. Another touchdown and a score of 31-13 early in the third quarter probably would have made the rest of the game much less dramatic. As it was, Troy quickly turned the interception into a touchdown of their own, and we were set for a back-and-forth finish.

Defense

You know, I’m not going to get on the defense that bad for giving up 34 points to Troy. It was a big play day for the defense, and I mean that in both a good and bad way.

The good was the takeaways highlighted by Marcus Howard’s sack and fumble recovery. The Dawgs just missed on a couple of other interceptions – one was taken away after review, and another bounced off of Rashad Jones. Remembering Georgia’s ability to feast on Auburn turnovers last year, the Bulldog defense picked a good time to start creating some takeaways.

The bad was the big plays that burned the defense. pwd correctly points out that Troy frequently used pesky screens to get the ball on the perimeter, but as annoying as those plays were to Georgia fans, they were relatively benign. The real damage came on big plays right down the middle. Troy’s first touchdown was a 32-yard pass down the middle of the field (not long after a 29 yard pass). Troy’s second touchdown was a 44-yard pass into double coverage. For the second straight game, Rashad Jones missed on an opportunity to break up a long touchdown pass. Troy’s third touchdown was set up by a 38-yard run again down the middle of the field.

Though it seemed as if Troy was converting 75% of their third downs, reality is that they were just 6-of-16. Two of those conversions came on their final throwaway drive at the end. They were able to convert a 3rd-and-13 and a 3rd-and-10, and memories of some big third down conversions by Florida probably distorted how effective Troy was. The Trojans converted 50% (2 of 4) third downs with 10+ yards to go and just 33% (4 of 12) with 9 yards or less to go. Strange, huh?

For all of the inconsistency on defense, the difference between a less-than-comfortable win and an upset loss were some big defensive stands. The two at the beginning of the game were impressive enough, but I think one defensive stand that really helped the outcome of the game was the goalline stand on Troy’s first drive of the third quarter. Troy had a first down on the Georgia 5 yard line, but the Dawgs held and forced a field goal. Since Troy was able to get a touchdown on their next drive, holding them to a field goal meant that Georgia maintained a four-point advantage. A tie game in the second half could have really changed the approach by both teams.

Asides

• Can someone please put the mike man/woman back in the box when grownup football returns to Sanford Stadium this weekend? God forbid a CBS camera captures that.
• Geno Atkins continues to be more and more disruptive from the defensive tackle position. If he can continue to get into the backfield, he could be a big factor against a less-mobile Brandon Cox.
• There was some question whether Sean Bailey would play, but it’s a good thing he did – he was Georgia’s leading receiver. He continues to be a very steady performer as a senior.
• Georgia didn’t give up a sack on Saturday and has only allowed two in the past three games. There’s definitely something good going on up front, and the best news is that the progress has been steady and consistent.

If there’s a bench-clearing celebration in Athens this weekend, it’s going to be one for the record books.  Mark Richt plans to dress 124 players for this weekend’s non-conference game against Troy.

The Bulldogs will dress out all 124 available players Saturday because of their showing all week in practice, Richt said.

“I just feel like everybody’s worked extremely hard and I’d like to reward them if I can,” Richt said.

There are no restrictions for nonconference games about how many players can suit up.

For SEC home games, teams are only allowed to dress 80 players.  It should be a much more crowded sideline this weekend.

Credit to ladyQdawg on the DawgVent

The AJC ran an article on Wednesday detailing how valuable Georgia Tech considers its Thursday night ESPN appearances.

“It’s just like Monday Night Football in the NFL,” Yellow Jackets coach Chan Gailey said. “You do get the national stage.”

A Thursday night game at Bobby Dodd Stadium is electric,” (Giff) Smith said. “It definitely helps us in recruiting. The atmosphere is what it’s all about.”

After Tech’s most recent Thursday night game, a 27-3 loss to Virginia Tech last night, Tech fans are probably thinking less about the electric atmosphere and more about the electric chair for Chan Gailey.

While the national stage gives you the opportunity to showcase your program, the exposure can also turn on you.  Last night ESPN viewers were treated by the home team to a non-sellout, jerseys stolen from the visitors locker room, a turnover fest, boos, and a stadium that started emptying in the third quarter.

Things got so bad that even the ESPN crew  got into the act of ragging on the Yellow Jackets.  Did you know that QB Taylor Bennett dressed up as Tinky Winky from the Teletubbies for Halloween?  Me neither.  But thanks to Chris Fowler and the rest of the crew, we do now.  As Bennett’s night descended into a living hell, Fowler and company became more and more relentless with the Tinky Winky references.  (Did Fowler really imply something about his state of mind when he watched the Teletubbies?)

The night ended with a still shot of the Teletubbies while the Georgia Tech fight song played over it.  On this night on this “national stage” in an atmosphere that challenged touching a door knob for electricity, Tech ended up being humiliated and mocked.  They are now 9-and-11 under Thursday Night Lights.

Photo: Athens Banner-Herald

The celebration back on campus was a bit too much for the Chapel bell to take:

The yoke that holds the 172-year-old bell in place broke Saturday night as fans clanged to celebrate the Bulldogs’ 42-30 win over the University of Florida.

The bell fell to a wooden platform inside its tower and no one was injured, but the break ended the ringing to celebrate a rare win over the Gators, only the third Georgia win in the last 18 games between the two teams.

The bell should be repaired and back in place in time for this weekend’s game, but go easy on it – more permanent repairs are going to be required after the football season.

Kudos to Doug Roberts and the UGA welding shop for the quick fix. Kinda sucks when tech support from the original manufacturer hasn’t been available for over 50 years.

You’ll never see this in a home-and-home:

The good news continues for the Georgia football program. RB Dontavius Jackson (Heard County HS, Franklin) and ATH Sanders Commings (Westside, Augusta) committed to Georgia on Wednesday morning.

Jackson is a Rivals 100 running back (one of the top 100 prospects in the nation). The Dawgs also have a commitment from Richard Samuel who could also play running back or linebacker. With those two, Knowshon Moreno, and Caleb King, the next generation of the Georgia backfield after Brown, Lumpkin, and Ware is complete. Jackson picked Georgia over LSU and Clemson.

If you’re a Rivals.com subscriber, be sure not to miss the great video of his announcement. It’s unlike any other you’ve seen.

Commings projects as a safety, and he is quite a baseball player as well. The possibility of playing both sports was a factor in his decision. Ray Tanner and the South Carolina baseball program were recruiting Commings heavily, and that made his decision very close and very difficult. He’ll play both sports at Georgia.

These two commitments give Georgia 23, and signing day is still three months away. Depending on Xavier Avery’s professional baseball future, the Dawgs might have as few as 2 or 3 spots remaining in this signing class. Give us a couple more linemen and perhaps another receiver, and we’ll call it a class.

I’m not one who believes that the focus of the team and the fans has to be in sync in order for the team to be successful. Last week, many Georgia fans were still in a deep funk over the Florida game and were going to the game hoping for the best but more or less resigned to a loss. Shame on us – the team fortunately had a different outlook.

Likewise, the team doesn’t always perform at its best when the crowd is great. The scene before the Auburn game in 1999 was as good as it gets in Sanford Stadium.

All that said, I still think that the crowd and the team can feed off each other for better or worse. Homecoming is usually a pretty dead crowd and an unexciting game. The alumni can reunite, eat fried chicken, and watch a lackluster win over someone like Vandy or Kentucky. (Well…except for last year.)

Another Homecoming loss is unthinkable, but Troy is a decent team that can put some points on the board. A letdown by both the fans and the team is very possible after such an emotional win last weekend. For that reason, Mark Richt is appealing to the fans to get to the Dawg Walk at around 11:30 and fire up the team.

“Our Bulldog fans can help our players get emotionally ready for the game,” said Coach Richt. “Our players need the energy and heart to face Troy and our fans can help prepare the team for the game.”

After such a good win, the Dawgs deserve better than the usual sleepy Homecoming crowd. Of course the team has a role too, and they need to come out with the same attitude and urgency that led them to a win last week. It’s been over a month since Georgia’s last home game, and a lot has happened since we last heard Soulja Boy.

I don’t think there’s been such a collective release of tension in the Bulldog Nation since Michael Johnson’s catch at Auburn in 2002. Instead of a letdown or coming out flat in the next game, Georgia followed that 2002 win with the 51-7 demolition of Georgia Tech and continued the roll into the postseason. A good start and nice win over Troy could set the Dawgs up for the two crucial home games that follow.

PS…if the pre-game and in-game videos aren’t updated with Florida highlights, someone needs to be drug out of the Butts-Mehre building and left in the street.

Could eleven SEC teams be bowl-eligible this season? Six teams already have six wins. Florida and Tennessee should join the club soon enough.

That leaves three teams with longer but not impossible odds for six wins:

Arkansas. Currently 5-3.
Remaining games: South Carolina, @ Tennessee, Miss. St., @ LSU

Mississippi State. Currently 5-4.
Remaining games: Alabama, @ Arkansas, Ole Miss

Vanderbilt. Currently 5-3.
Remaining games: @ Florida, Kentucky, @ Tennessee, Wake Forest

Vandy might face the longest odds of any SEC team with postseason hopes. Conference wins over Ole Miss and South Carolina have put them in a position to need just one more upset, but the competition is tough in their remaining four games. Wake Forest should be considered no less an opponent than any of the other three.

Mississippi State is hanging their hopes on the Egg Bowl, but they could cement their postseason fate with an upset of Alabama or Arkansas. The Hogs meanwhile face three quality teams and each of the current division leaders. The MSU game might become a must-win situation to avoid a .500 (or worse) season.

If all of these teams manage six wins, the question becomes who, if anyone, gets left out? The SEC has eight official bowl tie-ins. An at-large spot could almost certainly be found for a ninth team. If it gets up to ten or even eleven bowl-eligible teams, it’s possible that someone like Mississippi State or Vanderbilt could miss out.

There are plenty of snobs who think that there are too many bowl games or that 6-6 teams should be grateful for the crumbs they get. But the significance of even the most minor bowl game to a program like MSU or Vandy cannot be understated. Croom is desperately seeking legitimacy (and another year on the job), and a bowl bid is the next step after two big road upset wins. The drought is even longer for Vanderbilt, and they are the only SEC team without a trip to a bowl in this decade (not to mention the last decade). One even wonders if the SEC will intervene and send a 6-6 Vandy team to a bowl for the first time in 25 years over a stronger program like Arkansas who might be disappointed in a 7-5 season.

While we’re celebrating the parity and the wild SEC season, the league hasn’t done much to live up to its billing nationally. LSU’s win over Va. Tech stands tall, but there’s not much after that. Tennessee lost big to Cal. Miss. St. was toothless against West Virginia. Auburn fell to South Florida and just escaped Kansas State. Bama lost to FSU. Georgia’s win over Oklahoma State was nice but hardly significant. We’ll see another round of big non-conference games soon against mainly ACC opponents, and hopefully the league can show out a little better there before the bowl season.

The "right or wrong" question about Georgia’s unsportsmanlike celebration has played itself out. It happened, it worked, and any aftermath will be solely psychological now that no additional discipline is forthcoming.

The notion that Georgia will somehow be seen as a classless program or that Richt’s reputation will be damaged is just silly. As Chuck noted here the other day, "If class were a change jar, then Richt just spent a quarter out of his Duck Tales size swimming vault." If anything, it’s making people finally talk about Mark Richt the football coach. Pundits crank out list after list of the top coaches in the SEC and across the nation, and Richt is more often than not passed over for flashier, though not always more successful, options.

It is noteworthy though to see how a trio of former quarterbacks saw the incident. CBS’s Gary Danielson praised the celebration immediately. Eric Zeier also gushed from the broadcast booth. Kirk Herbstreit likewise had a positive reaction on Atlanta radio. Those three are all veterans of big-time football who recognized exactly what Richt’s motivation was. Meanwhile, the loudest outcries have come from those with – how shall we put it – a little less personal experience with the motivational ups and downs of a college football team.

2-15 was a ridiculous stat for a program like Georgia. Even given Florida’s success over the past 17 years, there was no logical explanation for such a one-sided series. Richt and the team did something equally ridiculous and illogical to address it. I won’t go so far as to say that the past 17 years have been erased, but I suspect that our approach to Jacksonville will be much different in the future than the pucker-fest it has been recently.

What I like most about the ongoing controversy is how Georgia has set the discussion. Florida is responding to Georgia for once. When we saw Meyer and a few Gator players jumping around before the next kickoff trying to show how hyped they were, it was clear that Richt’s tactic had worked. The Gators are a good team and responded immediately on the scoreboard, but Georgia had set the bar for intensity for the rest of the game.

In fact, Georgia’s attitude improvement didn’t start with the celebration. They came out of the locker room with it. The defense sacked Tebow on the opening play. Even after getting burned on 3rd-and-long they kept coming, and Rod Battle caused a rare Florida turnover. Then the offense ran it right at Florida’s highly-ranked rushing defense for nine consecutive plays and didn’t stop until they reached the end zone. The celebration was the most memorable expression of Georgia’s approach to the game, but the Dawgs carried that attitude before and well after the celebration.

Go Gators!

This was Ralphie beating up Scut Farkus. Yes, we know that fighting is wrong. Sometimes you have to do something extreme and unexpected to bring about change. Ralphie stood up to the bully, turned the tables on him, didn’t get killed by his father for it, and the neighborhood dynamics were never the same.

It’s a certainty that the celebration will be agenda item #1 in Jacksonville next year, and that will be a welcome change from hearing about 3-15. The Dawgs have not won consecutive games in this series in nearly 20 years, and that will likely be the storyline heading into that game. Georgia stood up to Florida in this year’s win, and next year’s job will be to begin turning the tide of the series. It won’t be easy immediately after playing at LSU, but that’s life in the SEC.

UPDATE: Tony Barnhart gets the reaction of several coaches and former coaches across the country. It’s especially interesting to hear the nearly unanimous support from the former coaches who don’t have to play politics with their own fans. Add in the opinions of the former quarterbacks named above, and it doesn’t seem to be much of an issue in the football community.

The flagship of the Georgia Bulldogs Radio Network is making Saturday’s broadcast of Georgia’s win over Florida available to its network affiliates on Tuesday.

Participating affiliates will re-air the game beginning at 8:06 p.m. on Tuesday. The broadcast will originate with Atlanta’s News/Talk 750 WSB. It will last approximately three hours and 20 minutes.

Mark Richt has written an apology on the chalkboard as punishment for Saturday’s celebration, and I for one hope that this sincere letter brings closure to any and all spectators, pundits, fans, and confused moralists who might have been damaged by the incident.  The apology is nothing if it doesn’t make you feel better, and that’s a deep concern of mine right now.

Principal SEC Commissioner Mike Slive extracted a telephone apology from Richt, and Richt followed up with a letter addressed to Slive.

“I apologize that I put everyone in that situation and specifically apologize to you, the Southeastern Conference, and the University of Florida. You can be assured I will not ask our team to do this type of thing again.”

“I understand that the entire team running on the field created the potential for an altercation and that excessive celebration is not in compliance with the Southeastern Conference sportsmanship policies and expected standards. My only intention was to create enthusiasm.”

Richt admits that his ultimatum to the team to draw a celebration penalty “was inappropriate”.  The good news is that the SEC will still let him have dessert after he’s through in time-out.

Charles Bloom, associate commissioner of the SEC, said Slive received the letter and “accepts his apology.” The league plans no disciplinary action against Richt, Bloom added.

Well…that’s a load off.

I got married back in June of this year. Though others might claim that I fell for the beauty or intelligence of this woman with two degrees from the University of Georgia, the reality is that I married her for a single reason: her higher Hartman Fund score meant access to Florida tickets.

I thought that was one heck of a dowry, but things got even more interesting. It turns out that she had not attended a Georgia-Florida game since 1989. In fact, she never saw a loss to Florida in the three games she attended from 1987-1989. With that information (and two tickets) in hand, there was no way that she was going to miss the first Georgia-Florida game of our marriage. She has still never witnessed a Georgia loss in Jacksonville. Cards, letters, bouquets, and a self-cleaning litter box can be sent to my lovely bride Karen.

Before you ask – yes, we are planning to be there again next year.

Great job, offense

I put the game squarely on the shoulders of the offense, and boy did they do what they had to.  Though the passing game did have several key plays (including uncharacteristically long touchdown passes), not many people expected the running game to be the story of the victory from the opening drive.  The blocking was there, Moreno was magnificent, and Stafford and the receivers efficiently moved the chains when they had to.

As we expected, Florida put points on the board.  It’s no shame to give up 23 to the Florida offense – only Auburn surrendered fewer points to them.  That meant that Georgia couldn’t take the foot off the gas for a second, and they didn’t.  From the opening drive to two huge fourth quarter touchdowns to a simple first down on the final possession which let the Dawgs end the game on their terms, Georgia executed on offense when they had to.

Most important were the answers.  Though Florida stood toe-to-toe and delivered plenty of punches of their own, Georgia was able to answer nearly every big Gator score.  Florida had tied it at 7, and you might have thought that the momentum from Georgia’s early celebration was gone.  Massaquoi’s touchdown erased those thoughts.  Florida answered Henderson’s 4th quarter touchdown quickly, and no one felt comfortable up 35-30.  The Dawgs didn’t cave, and a key third down conversion to Bailey led to Moreno’s clinching touchdown.

My favorite answer was after Florida took a 17-14 lead.  If you think back to 1997, Florida also erased a Georgia lead by going up 17-14.  In that game, a long Bobo pass to Corey Allen set up a Robert Edwards dive over the pile to retake the lead, and the Dawgs never looked back.  In 2007, Georgia also never let the Gators get comfortable with a lead.  My play of the game was a flare to Moreno on 3rd and 4 that could have been stopped for a loss and a 3-and-out.  A 3-and-out following a lead change could have been devastating to Georgia’s momentum.   Instead, Moreno made the first man miss, got a key block from Haverkamp, and made it past the marker.  He’d work some more magic later in the drive by reversing direction and scoring to put the Dawgs back out in front for good.

Tebow

Make no mistake – Tim Tebow is one hell of a football player. The running element of his game was limited, but he made big throws all night long and gave Florida the ability to drive and score in the blink of an eye. Any Georgia fan who tells you that they felt secure about a win until Florida’s late fumble is lying or still drunk. As I saw all of the “Teabag Tebow” stuff throughout the weekend, I wondered when Georgia would have such a successful high-profile player that would draw that kind of reaction from opponents. Not even David Pollack was so universally hated. I admit that the media “Superman” build-up is behind much of the gag reaction to Tebow, but nobody goes to these lengths of scorn and ridicule for untalented or unsuccessful opponents. Percy Harvin isn’t bad himself.

I remember back in 1992 when Florida players celebrated a close win by mocking Garrison Hearst’s Heisman hopes. I have to admit it felt good to drive the stake into Tebow’s Heisman campaign this year, but I fully expect him to be the front-runner entering next season. He’s a very good player involved in a high percentage of plays in a very good offense. Endurance obviously will be the limiting factor. Hopefully Stafford and eventually Moreno can give him plenty of competition for postseason honors down the road.

Officiating

It’s usually the role of the losing fan to mention some questionable calls (such as an illegal formation penalty called 20 yards downfield), but I will ask this: how the hell does Urban Meyer coach the game from the near hashmark and not receive the same “sideline warning” that was given to Georgia? I fully expected to see Meyer listed in the game’s participation report.

But, hey – I enjoyed celebrating every Georgia touchdown all over again after the reviews came back.

Geniuses

Charlie Strong has been a thorn in Georgia’s side for the better part of this decade, and most of us would love to see him earn a head coaching opportunity…far, far away from here. It’s incredible how pedestrian a great coordinator can look when his talent wanes and how brilliant other coaches can look when a dynamic young tailback emerges and when passes are placed where they should be (and then caught). The same Florida defense that knocked heads off in recent years is now doing its best PAC 10 audition, and Strong is no less competent now than he was then. The grass-is-greener trap is easy to fall into. In some cases, it really is greener. Stacey Searels has the newcomer-laden Georgia offensive line to the point that they are no longer a liability or excuse for underperforming offense, and that says volumes about the job he’s doing. But more often, coaches are a lazy target for both blame and credit.

Freshmen

Knowshon Moreno was the player of the game and the offensive player of the week in the SEC, but he wasn’t the only newcomer to shine. Tight end Bruce Figgins had a tremendous day blocking and also caught a nice pass on a drag route for a first down. Linebacker Rennie Curran played early and often. He’s only going to get better and should remain a starter. We also can’t forget the linemen. Trinton Sturdivant, aside from providing the seminal moment of the touchdown celebration, also anchored the left side of the offensive line with Chris Davis, and the Dawgs were able to run to that side all night. Standout defensive end Derrick Harvey was hardly a factor.

It wasn’t a perfect day for the youngsters.  Figgins missed a key block that led to Florida’s only sack. Rashad Jones was taught a valuable lesson about pass defense on Florida’s first touchdown. Though not a freshman, sophomore Prince Miller was really picked on. It happened with guys like Thornton, Wansley, Oliver, and so on…there’s just a certain amount of abuse most young cornerbacks have to take before they become stars. Miller is taking his lumps now, but he has the swagger and attitude to let each mistake roll off him, and he’ll be a very valuable defender in the next two seasons.

Continuity

Every Georgia fan I encountered after the game (the coherent ones anyway) asked the same question.  “Where was that against Tennessee?”  It’s a fair question, and I don’t think there’s a simple answer.  Tennessee came off their bye week with as much intensity as Georgia showed following their own bye.  The Dawgs weren’t able to answer Tennessee’s challenge, and the results were uglier. 

I’m not surprised by inconsistency from such a young team.  Sensing an absence of leadership to fill the intensity void, Richt created his own.  It worked brilliantly for a game.  Now it’s the job of the team to sustain this attitude and make the most of the opportunities opened by the win.  The last two wins over Florida were followed by losses to Auburn.  Troy is no pushover either.  Can the Dawgs somehow avoid slipping backwards?

Departing this morning for Amelia and of course the game. I’ll always enjoy the trip.

It is time to just win the damn thing.