DixieDestroyer
Hall of Famer
UGA Fullback Brannan Southerland led the (mostly black) Running Backs (& entire offense) in touchdowns AND scoring last season, and scored a TD in the home opener (vs. OSU) last Saturday. Unlike many other caste system hyped "superstars", Brannan's is totally humble and down to earth about his success. Brannan is one of the strongest players on the team (squats nearly 700 lbs) and totally unstoppable on the goal-line (with 4.5 40 yard dash speed). While sitting in Sanford Stadium on Saturday, I was disappointed that (new UGA Offense Coordinator & former Dawgs QB) Coach Bobo only gave Brannan one lousy carry (whilst giving Caste System hyped FR TB "YOshown" Moreno 20 touches). Brannan is the most dependable RB on the roster, and Coach Bobo and Richt had better utilize him alot more against Steve "Darth Visor" Spurrier's South Carolina Lamecox this weekend (I'll be at Sanford again to check it out)!
Fyi, here's a quick AJC article on Brannan...
Southerland a thoroughbred in workhorse's body.
Athens  Brannan Southerland is not going to take a bow
By CARTER STRICKLAND
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/23/07
Brannan Southerland, a fullback, became Georgia's go-to guy in crucial situations last season, and he scored 10 touchdowns.
He just doesn't care how many touchdowns he scored last season. The junior doesn't even care how many touches of the football he gets.
"Whatever is working,' " Southerland said.
It is more like who was working last year. Time after time in game after game as the offense tripped over itself, Southerland, a fullback, was the only player who played with finesse when it mattered and fierceness every down.
"The guy is so vital to our success," tight end Tripp Chandler said. "Guys joked around the team, and people called him the squat champion because he is just so strong."
He proved it, too. The former Greater Atlanta Christian player earned his title the hard way after putting the team on his back again and again. Southerland finished the season with 10 touchdowns. Matthew Stafford didn't even throw for 10 touchdowns. In fact, all three of Georgia's quarterbacks last season had a combined 12 touchdowns.
"Probably, to the eye, you look at him and you don't think he's fast," said linebacker Marcus Washington, who has the dubious duty of blocking Southerland down after down in practice. "But I think he is 4.5 [in the] 40. So the guy is pretty athletic, and he is pretty big and pretty strong."
"A lot of people might look at him and think he is a little bit stiff," Stafford added. "But he goes up and catches it. He does everything. He is a great athlete, and we use him as well as anybody uses their fullback in the country."
Southerland had 46 carries and 14 receptions. Of those carries, 18 resulted in first downs. And eight of those runs resulted in touchdowns. His 10 touchdowns gave him the most points scored by a fullback at Georgia in 50 seasons.
"[The scoring] is something that I never, ever saw coming," Southerland said. "I don't think I scored until the third game. It was something that just happened. It is not something I expect to happen this year or the next year. I hope that we can get a tailback in the end zone 10 or 12 times and get some long runs with them."
If those tailbacks stick behind Southerland, they might have more opportunity to find those wide-open spaces. At least that is the way it has worked in practice. Southerland has cleared the way, and the running backs have benefited.
"It seems like last year we didn't bust a run the whole year, and we have been taking a couple to the house [this fall]," Stafford said. "He's a smart player. He just never has a missed assignment."
Southerland also rarely fails when given the opportunity, whether that opportunity comes in blocking, running or passing.
"Brannan is flexible enough to play fullback and line up in the slot and give us some different looks because he is smart and got experience," said offensive coordinator Mike Bobo.
He also knows what it means to get to the stick. Plenty of times when Georgia got into a fourth-and-short situation last season everyone knew the ball was going to Southerland. Few stopped him.
"It is hard to stop that strong of a guy from getting a yard," Chandler said. "I guess we could do other things [on fourth and short], but this works."
"It is something where teams kind of knew it was coming and they couldn't stop our line, and they couldn't stop it, so why go away from it if it worked," Southerland said.
Um, wait a second, they couldn't stop the offense or they couldn't stop Southerland? If memory serves, the offensive line wasn't exactly bulldozing teams. Georgia finished 71st nationally in rushing offense. While the line might not have been pushing people out of the way, Southerland was. But he refuses to gloat or take any credit.
"They couldn't stop the offense," he said.
Typical.
***Reference article...
[url]http://www.ajc.com/uga/content/sports/uga/stories/2007/08/22 /gafoot_0823.html[/url]Edited by: DixieDestroyer
Fyi, here's a quick AJC article on Brannan...
Southerland a thoroughbred in workhorse's body.
Athens  Brannan Southerland is not going to take a bow
By CARTER STRICKLAND
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/23/07
Brannan Southerland, a fullback, became Georgia's go-to guy in crucial situations last season, and he scored 10 touchdowns.
He just doesn't care how many touchdowns he scored last season. The junior doesn't even care how many touches of the football he gets.
"Whatever is working,' " Southerland said.
It is more like who was working last year. Time after time in game after game as the offense tripped over itself, Southerland, a fullback, was the only player who played with finesse when it mattered and fierceness every down.
"The guy is so vital to our success," tight end Tripp Chandler said. "Guys joked around the team, and people called him the squat champion because he is just so strong."
He proved it, too. The former Greater Atlanta Christian player earned his title the hard way after putting the team on his back again and again. Southerland finished the season with 10 touchdowns. Matthew Stafford didn't even throw for 10 touchdowns. In fact, all three of Georgia's quarterbacks last season had a combined 12 touchdowns.
"Probably, to the eye, you look at him and you don't think he's fast," said linebacker Marcus Washington, who has the dubious duty of blocking Southerland down after down in practice. "But I think he is 4.5 [in the] 40. So the guy is pretty athletic, and he is pretty big and pretty strong."
"A lot of people might look at him and think he is a little bit stiff," Stafford added. "But he goes up and catches it. He does everything. He is a great athlete, and we use him as well as anybody uses their fullback in the country."
Southerland had 46 carries and 14 receptions. Of those carries, 18 resulted in first downs. And eight of those runs resulted in touchdowns. His 10 touchdowns gave him the most points scored by a fullback at Georgia in 50 seasons.
"[The scoring] is something that I never, ever saw coming," Southerland said. "I don't think I scored until the third game. It was something that just happened. It is not something I expect to happen this year or the next year. I hope that we can get a tailback in the end zone 10 or 12 times and get some long runs with them."
If those tailbacks stick behind Southerland, they might have more opportunity to find those wide-open spaces. At least that is the way it has worked in practice. Southerland has cleared the way, and the running backs have benefited.
"It seems like last year we didn't bust a run the whole year, and we have been taking a couple to the house [this fall]," Stafford said. "He's a smart player. He just never has a missed assignment."
Southerland also rarely fails when given the opportunity, whether that opportunity comes in blocking, running or passing.
"Brannan is flexible enough to play fullback and line up in the slot and give us some different looks because he is smart and got experience," said offensive coordinator Mike Bobo.
He also knows what it means to get to the stick. Plenty of times when Georgia got into a fourth-and-short situation last season everyone knew the ball was going to Southerland. Few stopped him.
"It is hard to stop that strong of a guy from getting a yard," Chandler said. "I guess we could do other things [on fourth and short], but this works."
"It is something where teams kind of knew it was coming and they couldn't stop our line, and they couldn't stop it, so why go away from it if it worked," Southerland said.
Um, wait a second, they couldn't stop the offense or they couldn't stop Southerland? If memory serves, the offensive line wasn't exactly bulldozing teams. Georgia finished 71st nationally in rushing offense. While the line might not have been pushing people out of the way, Southerland was. But he refuses to gloat or take any credit.
"They couldn't stop the offense," he said.
Typical.
***Reference article...
[url]http://www.ajc.com/uga/content/sports/uga/stories/2007/08/22 /gafoot_0823.html[/url]Edited by: DixieDestroyer