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Georgia (10-2) vs. Hawaii (12-0) Tuesday, Jan. 1 | 8:30 p.m., FOX Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans Bowl Web site |
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PREGAME KNOWLEDGE
Laughable and/or unknown title sponsor: Allstate
Announcers subject to our devastating witticisms: Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis
All-star to watch: Georgia RB Knowshon Moreno (#24)
GAME BLOG
Who’s watching — Jim Reedy, UWIRE, falling asleep on the couch … Zach Osterman, Indiana Daily Student, working on new nicknames for Juice Williams … Gerald Nicdao, Daily Californian, band nerd who likes the black jerseys.
9:30 Jim — Oh, Rose Bowl, you put me right to sleep. Let’s see why Georgia is winning this one, 7-3.
9:34 Zach — I’m not gonna last longer than Hawaii; I hate watching Georgia win.
9:35 Jim — The Bulldogs don’t care about keeping Zach around; it’s 14-3 now. Come on, Rainbows.
9:36 Gerald — The question for Hawaii is how long its defense can hold the Georgia offense. Not looking good on that front.
9:38 Jim — That was probably the fastest montage of images I’ve ever seen going into a commercial. That was nearly subliminal. Good ol’ FOX.
9:40 Zach — This could get really ugly. Hawaii can’t give Colt Brennan any time to throw right now.
9:49 Gerald — Is Georgia going to out-Hawaii Hawaii? They’ve gone to the air a lot. Sure, Moreno has the two touchdowns, but there’s a lot of spread mixed in the playcalling.
9:50 Jim — Let’s see how these FOX announcers do through BCS play. They seem average if uninspired tonight. No mistakes or glaring annoyances, but they seem a little like they’re never met each other and I’m not wowed so far by Brennaman’s football knowledge.
9:52 Jim – Long FG for Georgia? Nothing Coutu it. Heh … OK, yeah, that’s a horrible pun.
9:57 Zach — I was really hoping the Warriors would go crazy on Georgia. Oh well.
10:00 Zach — I played in high school against a bunch of these Georgia guys and tackled Thomas Brown once. By “tackled,” I mean I grabbed hold of him and held on for 5 yards until he fell.
10:02 Jim – Ha. My claim to fame is watching Mr. Elizabeth Hasselbeck lead a game-winning touchdown drive against us. And I got run over in practice regularly by a future NFL offensive lineman.
10:04 Zach — My, that was pretty. Great throw from Stafford to Sean Bailey on a fade route. 24-3 with 8 minutes left until the rest of America tunes out at halftime.
10:07 Gerald — It’s a shame Georgia didn’t get to play LSU this season. I’d put money on the Bulldogs.
10:08 Jim — Gotta love 12-team conferences.
10:08 Gerald — It really does get annoying sometimes.
10:09 Zach — Yeah, LSU would win that matchup.
10:15 Gerald — Do I have to watch this? Hawaii looks like it belongs in D-III.
10:15 Jim — Someone needs to explain quickly why Brennan looks so bad. With his WAC pedigree, every game against a BCS-conference opponent is a referendum on his ability, and at this point, his previous success is starting to look like an island mirage.
10:16 Gerald — He might be pressing. Too nervous? Not used to the lights?
10:17 Jim — Confused by the indoors? Frightened of domes?
10:18 Gerald — Maybe he was out late last night partying it up in New Orleans.
10:18 Jim — He spent last night refusing to leave Tulane girls’ dorm rooms.
10:19 Gerald — Zing!
10:19 Jim — Thank you.
10:22 Zach — Feels like Colt Brennan is doing his best Shane Falco impression right now. At least he’ll get to hook up with a hot cheerleader.
10:24 Jim — And then 6 years later, she hooks up with Tim Riggins.
10:27 Jim — I’m not watching the halftime show unless it includes the Morris Brown marching band and/or Andre Benjamin.
10:30 Zach — I swear it is embedded in wide receivers’ brains that running 3 yards backward will allow them to shake the 6 defenders in front of them, instead of — I don’t know — just losing them 3 yards.
10:32 Jim — Nothing to see, folks. Move along. We’ll wake you up if Shane Falco mounts a comeback.
10:38 Jim — I like how FOX is giving us the school marching bands at halftime. “We can’t fill halftime with analysis, so here’s some musical numbers! Closeups of tuba players with bad skin!” … Oh, it’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Clever.
10:40 Jim — The Hawaii band has more Asians than the football team. And fewer 300-pound Polynesians.
10:41 Jim — I’m a little giddy as the 12-hour mark approaches. I’ve turned into Shecky Greene.
10:41 Gerald — JOURNEY! YESSSS! But the Cal band rendition is waaaaay better. It’s faster, more drumming. You can really get into it. But it’s still journey.
10:42 Jim — Shouldn’t Hawaii be playing “Don’t Stop Believing?”
10:43 Gerald — Yeah, I agree. … MORE JOURNEY?! Wow, I’m awake now. There’s your song.
10:44 Jim — All right. Never heard it with xylophones.
10:45 Gerald — But this is the greatest halftime show of all time, hands down.
10:50 Jim — Who ARE these analysts?
10:50 Gerald — I don’t know. Maybe they pulled them off the street.
10:51 Jim — “Here’s a pink sweater. Say something about Rich Rodriguez.”
11:07 Zach – Uh-oh. Shane Falco.
11:09 Jim — Yeah, that seemed like the type of mid-play route read that Brennan and his WRs have been making all year out on the islands. Tonight, in the dome, against this defense, Grice-Mullen goes one way and the ball goes another. Nice catch by the Georgia DB.
11:19 Zach – Georgia D-line is jumping that snap count. That’s the third time tonight I’ve seen a lineman come off the ball like that.
11:21 Jim – Ka-POW! Brennan gets slobberknockered, as they say, by DE Marcus Howard inside his own 5 and explodes into pieces. Fumble recovery in end zone by Georgia — or so the Germans would have us believe. I might have seen that recovery reviewed. Don’t you need to actually have the ball to recover it? 31-3.
11:22 Gerald — Good night and good luck.
11:25 Jim — Hawaii’s offensive tackles are like giant statues of some Polynesian bent. (I was going to say “Tiki gods,” but I don’t think they’re Hawaiian.) How did they protect Brennan all year? That’s 7 sacks already.
11:27 Gerald — The Warriors haven’t seen a defense like this. I’m sure Colt is frustrated. He has no time to throw — and when he does, it’s tipped at the line or Georgia has good coverage.
11:28 Jim — I’d be terrified at this point if I were him.
11:39 Jim — I think Georgia is playing with 15 defenders.
11:40 Gerald — Sure looks like it. … Tipped ball on the screen pass and another Bulldogs interception at midfield.
11:42 Jim — Stafford zips a 20-yard pass to Massaquoi on the slant — originally ruled a touchdown but maybe he’s down at the 1. Eh. I’m sure they’ll score anyway. Let’s just assume they do. 38-3.
11:58 Jim — Thom Brennaman says what we’re all thinking — those of us who’re still awake. Why the hell are we waiting so long on a challenge in a 38-3 game with 24 seconds left in the third quarter? Why is there even a challenge here?
12:51 Jim — In case you’re wondering, it’s 41-10 and the Bulldogs are being a little chippy. Colt Brennan, after taking heaps of abuse all night, has long since given way to Tyler Graunke.
12:59 Jim — And that’ll do it. Fin.
POSTGAME WRAP
Final thoughts
Jim — A sad ending to Hawaii’s great run, as well as a perfect first-round playoff game. The Warriors deserved to keep playing until they lost but didn’t deserve a spot in the BCS title game. The Bulldogs deserve to keep playing until someone beats them again. Alas.
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