The other perspective: Q&A with Georgia radio host
GoGamecocks spoke this week with Neil Williamson of the Bulldogs Radio Network to get his take on Georgia and this weekend's game with South Carolina.
Williamson is the co-host of the AT&T Tailgate Show (20th season). Williamson is joined by Scott Howard (play-by-play), Eric Zeier (analyst, fourth most passing yardage in SEC history) and Loran Smith (35-plus year veteran of the show).
How is it from your perspective to USC-Georgia playing in Game 6 as opposed to the start of the season?
Even though I’m basically a traditionalist this had no effect on me. Frankly, moving Vandy out of October seems more unnatural, for whatever that’s worth.
From a game perspective I like this because neither team has to play the last 10 weeks of the season “pushing uphill.” When playing a top division rival in the first or second game of the season, the losing team loses control of its destiny and plays “two games” behind the winner until help – if any – comes along. I think that that can suck some of the life out of the fan base early in the season, not just for Georgia or South Carolina but other “early game” rivals too. I’d never considered this until you asked the question, but I like the way the Big Ten handles this. They play all non-con games in September. An early loss may hurt in the national standings, but it doesn’t leave one’s team playing from behind for weeks or maybe months. The fans have more hope for a longer period. Of course, if you are the winner of the early game it doesn’t matter quite as much.
Last year I asked you if Mark Richt was on the hot seat. I imagine that's not a topic of conversation these days.
Georgia’s Director of Athletics answered that question with the extension that he signed Coach Richt to earlier this year.
Neither Georgia nor South Carolina has faced that stiff of competition yet. Do you really know yet how good Georgia is?
Just how crazy was last weekend's 51-44 win over Tennessee?
Nuts. Not unlike the UGA-USC game in 2011. We handed the Vols three TDs and had to fight for our lives to win (unlike the outcome vs. the Gamecocks last year). The fans in Sanford Stadium were terrific. I love it when it’s close at the end because the players get to leave the field to roars of approval. It bugs me when we win big but the players exit to a half-empty stadium because everyone’s left early either to beat the traffic or get back to tailgating.
Is the Georgia defense as good as it was advertised to be?
Are you surprised that Todd Gurley AND Keith Marshall are both doing so well so quickly?
How tough was last year’s loss to South Carolina?
I remember it being tough. In retrospect it’s a kick-yourself-in-the-butt loss because you’ve shot-yourself-in-the-foot so many times. But South Carolina is a strong program and last year – like this season’s team – had some stellar players who made big plays. Great teams make great plays when the chips are down. Whether it’s Melvin Ingram in garnet and black or David Pollack in red and black, great players can demonstrably alter the outcome of a game.
Do you expect a 17-14 game this weekend or something more along the lines of last year's shootout?
With the way that Connor Shaw is playing South Carolina has a splendid complement to Marcus Lattimore’s gut-punches. Lots of points. In hockey-speak we’d say, “They’ll be lighting the lamp plenty.”
Do you think Georgia is game-planning to stop Marcus Lattimore this weekend?
How well do you think Georgia's O-line matches up with South Carolina's D-line?
Beyond Lattimore, what other USC players is Georgia most concerned about?
This story was originally published October 5, 2012 at 2:30 PM with the headline "The other perspective: Q&A with Georgia radio host."