Georgia Football should get back to Junkyard Dawg tradition for success
The Georgia football program is in a state of current rebuilding under second-year head coach Kirby Smart, but a return to what made the Bulldogs successful in the past may be desperately needed.
It can take time for a young head coach to find his footing, even one who studied under the master sensei of college football, Nick Saban, for nine years.
Kirby Smart, entering his second year as Georgia’s head coach, started off with a bang last season, reenergizing the fan base with his approach, while drawing a record 92,000-plus fans to Sanford Stadium for a spring football scrimmage.
From that point, the struggles which had been surfacing under former head coach Mark Richt came into full light, as the once-explosive offense stumbled to a 102nd national rank in scoring offense (down from 85th in 2015) and an No. 87 rank in total offense (down from 83rd in 2015).
The defense – although younger and less experienced than 2015 – also saw a downturn from a very successful 2015 campaign, down from 8th to 35th nationally in scoring defense, and from 7th to 16th in total defense.
The reasons for the struggles by the Bulldogs – both offensively and defensively – have been listed and broken down again and again by every analyst and fan in the nation, but the remedy can be summed up in two words by anyone who has followed this program since the days of Vince Dooley.
Junkyard Dawgs.
Now for those unversed in the once-common moniker for Georgia’s defense, which was so-named in 1975 by former defensive coordinator Erk Russell, it was explained by the late coach:
"“By our own definition, a Junkyard Dog is a dog completely dedicated to his task, that of defending his goal line. Further, he is very often a reject (from the offense) or the runt of the litter. Nobody wants him, and he is hungry. We had three walk-ons, four QBs, and three running backs in our original Junkyard Dog starting cast, which averaged 208 pounds across the front. In short, a Junkyard Dog is one who must stretch and strain all of his potential just to survive. Then he can think about being good.”"
After a dismal 6-6 1974 season, Russell put together the first Junkyard Dawg group, and Georgia went on to a 9-3 record in 1975, a national championship game appearance against Pitt in 1976, and an eventual shot at three national titles (with one win) from 1980-1982.
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The Junkyard Dawgs were small but quick, something almost unheard of in today’s world of massive linemen and towering defensive backs. They flew around the field and tackled with a seldom-seen viciousness.
But with the move towards more spread offenses and designed read-option packages, it might be exactly how Georgia needs to play to gain the edge needed in today’s game.
Known as somewhat of a defensive genius Kirby Smart played defensive back at Georgia from 1995-1998, and is undoubtedly familiar with the name, if not the entire concept of playing defensive underdog, or in this case, smaller but more vicious dog.
But Smart’s latest statements might lead one to believe that he’s gone over to the dark side of trying to load up on offense to outscore all opponents.
“So we’re casting the net far and wide,” Smart told Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Jeff Sentell. “We’re combing the country for the best guys. Because I honestly think that the success and fall of many programs is based on quarterbacks.”
While that might seem an easy statement to back up, given the premium placed on finding a great quarterback, it’s also even easier to pick apart.
Look at this list of national champions in the last 10 seasons, and the quarterbacks who led them:
2006 – Florida, Chris Leak
2007 – LSU, Matt Flynn
2008 – Florida, Tim Tebow
2009 – Alabama, Greg McElroy
2010 – Auburn, Cam Newton
2011 – Alabama, A.J. McCarron
2012 – Alabama, A.J. McCarron
2013 – FSU, Jameis Winston
2014 – Ohio State, J.T. Barrett/Cardale Jones
2015 – Alabama, Jake Coker
2016 – Clemson, Deshaun Watson
Of that list, only Cam Newton and Jameis Winston are still playing quarterback professionally as a starter (with Watson entering his first NFL season in 2017). It could be argued that the majority of those teams won their national titles on the strength of their defense and/or running games rather than a “great quarterback”.
What those players did have in common was that while some may have lacked in the ability to win a game with their arm, they were all solid team leaders and football-smart quarterbacks.
Signing the five-star, cannon-armed quarterbacks and fleet-footed receivers might make a big splash for fans, but it doesn’t necessarily lead to rings and trophies. In 1980, it was the combination of a Junkyard Dawg defense, a punishing runner in Herschel Walker, and a pedestrian but heady quarterback in Buck Belue who won Georgia’s first championship since 1942.
Perhaps its time for the recruiting focus by coach Smart and his staff to shift from looking at the players dreaming of shoe deals and endorsements, to the hungry, scrappy, turf-in-the-facemask guys who have no delusions of grandeur.
Bring back the Junkyard Dawgs. Return to looking for beasts who will do anything to play on defense, and finding running backs who move piles with or without the help of an offensive line.
More toss-sweeps, less skinny posts. More defensive teamwork, less prima donna attitude.
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Control the ball on offense, and smack them in the mouth on defense each and every down. That was Vince Dooley and Erk Russell’s Junkyard Dawgs, and the second coming of that attitude could be what gets Georgia past the unmet expectations they’ve faced for the last decade.