Georgia Football: 2015 Bulldogs Must Find Heart

The Georgia football program needs to dig deep and find their heart this season if they want to overcome past disappointments.

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Every year dedicated Dawg fans, such as myself, follow a similar routine after the end of a season. We follow recruiting, spring practice, coaching changes, and player development looking for one thing…

Hope. Hope for what is to come from the team to which we have dedicated our fandom. And for that hope to materialize into something more than just a brief glimmering ray of light, the Bulldogs need to reach down inside and find their heart.

It’s heart that would have carried Georgia to victory over Florida last season. Instead, the Bulldogs came into the game a bit cocky and overconfident. They had beaten the Gators for three straight years, and this team wasn’t even as good as the previous three. Florida played with grit and heart…Georgia did not.

Heart would have also assured us that Georgia Tech would not have been able to run the ball at will. Again, the Bulldogs were confident that the Yellow Jackets were a fluke and nowhere near as good as advertised. Truthfully, Tech was that good, and if Georgia had taken it more seriously and played with true Bulldog heart, the outcome may have been different.

The Bulldogs have the talent, they have the coaching, they have the fans….but can they find their heart?

The problem is, something always goes wrong for the Bulldogs. Whether it be a star player’s injury, suspension, or just plain ole bad luck, the Dawgs just haven’t gotten where fans want them to be. So how can this 2015 team finally make it happen for their school, fans, and themselves?

Five simple things can tap down into the heart and spirit of the Bulldogs, and can get UGA where we all know they can be.

1) Confidence in every game is a must. Not overconfidence or unnecessary swagger, just belief that you can and will win. If we are going to play teams like Alabama we have to know that we can beat them (because we can) Last time we played Alabama we played our hearts out and almost won. This season we are returning enough talent to not only match our play, but win if we come in knowing we can do so.

2) Injuries can make or break us this year. We need to make sure our depth stays strong across all positions so we do not have to worry if one player is injured. We know that another can step up and perform just as well. When I found out there would be no Todd Gurley in four games I was beyond heartbroken (and racked up a huge bar bill drowning my sorrows) but Nick Chubb stepped up and made the void fill less devastating. We need that depth this year because as much as I hope it will not happen…we will have injuries.

3) Staying on the straight and narrow path. Stay out of jail and off drugs…it is simple. I don’t want to miss out on a player for any dumb reason that could have been avoided. I wish players would think long-term with some of the choices. Look how many players fell in the draft or went undrafted because of bad decisions.

Georgia Bulldogs

4) Do not make me miss Bobo! I am very happy for Mike Bobo and his new opportunities, but it is also a great opportunity for the Georgia offense to continue to improve under new leadership. We need to make sure this change is positive and not negative. Defense under Pruitt last year was a huge improvement and we need to keep that improvement going on the other side of the ball.

5) Fans are great when they are fans, but the negativity is the worst. All too often I see fans on social media and at games saying negative things to players and coaches. I am no college athlete, but I did play sports in high school, and I can tell you that when you do not feel like you are doing well it really negatively impacts your play. As fans we need to continue to encourage these players. Stop with the negativity and be a fan.

I know I say it every year and this year is no different. We can do it, Georgia fans. It will take a lot…but we can do it. Go Dawgs!