The Winning Smart Victory Post #118

The first game of the season……some people want to see it at a neutral site, against a top-tier opponent. Some want to have it at home, whether the opponent is top-tier or FCS. There are pros and cons to both, and personally, it doesn’t make much difference to me. The biggest difference is when the first game is at home, there are more (true) fans in the stands. Neutral sites seem to bring people with more money than fandom, and some of the home game traditions (Dawg walk, band pre-game performance, etc.) are lost for that day.

Chuck Leavell leading Sanford Stadium in the Star Spangled Banner (photo credit:squillian)

This year begins the sixth season since Podunk left us. Sometime in the 2022 season is when the number of games I attended without her surpassed the number of games I attended with her. I’d hand back every one of those without her games for one more with her.

Noon games are hard, because I always want to be on campus super early in order to get a good spot for the Dawg Walk. I don’t know why a 3PM game was hard for me yesterday but I left the house late, and Friday afternoon me didn’t care enough about Saturday me to put gas in the car, so I still had to get gas after picking up yesterday’s sidekick.

We still made it to campus in plenty of time to get to the Dawg Walk before it really began, and we were able to find a spot in the shade, which was essential. In the words of Wendy-lady: Peter, I’m ever so much more than twenty. And in the words of Randy Travis: They say time takes its toll on a body, makes the young girl’s brown hair turn gray. Thanks to my fabulous hairdresser, you’ll seldom see gray in my hair, but trust me, if not for her, you most definitely would. And the heat of early September in Georgia is much more difficult for me to take than it once was. 

Based on the weather forecasts (and my experience at the home opener last year, when I had to sit out the 3rd quarter due to heat issues), my goal was to make it through the game without sunburn or heat-related illness. I am happy to report that the goal was accomplished, but I did have to give up remaining in my seat for the entirety of the game in order to do so. 

Our score was still in the sub-50s when my sidekick and I decided that we needed to retreat to the air-conditioned comfort of the Tate Center. Neither of us wanted to leave campus, but we didn’t want to add to the number of fans making the EMTs and other officials work harder.

If you ever find yourself also needing to retreat to Tate, I highly recommend the theater for the coldest AC and comfy seats. And apparently, unless the game is ‘streaming only’, the game will be shown there on the big screen.

However, it is our intention to celebrate Georgia Bulldog Football Wins whenever and wherever they occur. The ugliness or beauty of any particular win is irrelevant for the purposes of the Winning Smart Victory Post. It is therefore my deepest honor and privilege to bring to you this week’s edition of: The Winning Smart Victory Post.

Coach Kirby Smart coached his 139th game this week for the Red & Black. He currently boasts a 118-21 record and a 0.8489 winning percentage, having carded his one hundred eighteenth win overall in the home season opener of the 2026 season against the Tennessee State Tigers.

At the identical juncture in their careers:

Vince Dooley’s 139th game as head coach resulted in a Georgia Bulldogs loss to Ole Miss in the fifth game of the 1976 season, giving Coach Dooley a record of 92-42-5 and a 0.6825 percentage.

Coach Mark Richt was 103-36 (0.7410) after a win over Auburn in the 9th game of the 2011 season.

One hundred and thirty nine games into his head coaching career Kirby Smart is fifteen games ahead of Coach Mark Richt and ahead of Coach Vince Dooley by 26 games. As of now, he is holding his own versus the two winningest coaches in Georgia Football History.

As always . . .

Go ‘Dawgs !!!!