University of Georgia Athletics
A Cold And Soggy Good Time
October 19, 2019 | Football, Women's Basketball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Joni Taylor wears many hats: Mother of two, wife and Georgia women's basketball coach most prominent among them. On a cold and rain-soaked Saturday evening at Sanford Stadium, she added a new one: UGA Spike Squad member.
Sporting the now iconic spiked shoulder pads, this time in pink (more on that later), Taylor stood with her comrades-in-spikes on the front row of section 109 and cheered on the Georgia football team in its grind-it-out 21-0 win over Kentucky.
"I tell you what, it's really neat to be over here," Taylor said during the first quarter. "I always watch them from afar when we're at the game and they just have so much energy."
Former Georgia men's basketball coach Mark Fox donned the spikes several years ago. This time it was Taylor's turn, this time for more than just a laugh, a novel time and a cool moment to share on social media.Â
Taylor said Bulldogs Battling Breast Cancer reached out to her about a month ago to see if she'd be interested in donning the special pink spiked shoulder pads, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month. As long as she could make it work, she was in — and there she was Saturday, spiked and painted alongside the spirited squad of students that has become an institution around here.
"They were at Stegmania," Taylor said, referring to the men's and women's basketball showcase event earlier this month, "and so it's been neat to get to know some of them better and obviously bring awareness to breast cancer during Breast Cancer Awareness month — so I'm happy to be here despite the weather."
Not far away, on the cheering platform near Uga's dog house, were some more hearty folks like Taylor: Former Georgia cheerleaders that come back year after year, decade after decade, usually donning their old outfits on days or nights when it's pleasant to be on Dooley Field. The rain was relentless Saturday, but so were they, giving it all they had among the incessant downpour from Tropical Storm Nestor.
"They're troupers, for sure," Taylor said.
Taylor stayed with the Spike Squad for most of the first half. Dressed in black tights, a tank top, a clear poncho and a black Georgia cap, along with the spiked shoulder pads, of course. Not exactly dressed for the weather. Later, she smartly got out of the bad weather – she has a family at home and a season that's set to begin in a couple of weeks (Nov. 7 against Kennesaw State).
"My staff was like, you better not get sick," she said. "I'll try not to, I took some Emergen-C before I came out here."
Like the crew at a polo ground fixing the divots made by the horses, the folks that make Dooley Field look so spectacular were busy during halftime tamping down any big holes on the grass. It was a scoreless first 30 minutes of action, but there was still a lot of blocking and tackling and running around.
Georgia ran 30 plays and gained 123 yards in the first half — never once crossing midfield — while the Bulldog defense held the Wildcats (with wideout/returner Lynn Bowden playing quarterback) without a completed pass and just 52 yards rushing on 17 carries. It was the first 0-0 half for Georgia since a 1991 game against Alabama.
It took a little while in the third quarter for the scoreless game to be scoreless no more. Georgia's defense continued to not allow much of anything from the Wildcats and after Kentucky punter Max Duffy shanked a 15-yard punt out of bounds, the Bulldogs were in business at the Kentucky 39-yard line.
"That was definitely huge," right guard Ben Cleveland said. "That fired us up and gave us great field position to start off with. We just kept that momentum going."
On the first play Georgia ran in Wildcat territory in the game, D'Andre Swift took a handoff from Jake Fromm, scooted to the right, broke free from two Wildcats at the 30 and out-sprinted everyone to the right corner of the end zone. At last, with 6:20 remaining in the third, the Bulldogs were on the scoreboard, leading 7-0.
It was not the last we'd hear from Swift who went on to rush for 179 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries — a stellar 8.5 yards per attempt. Georgia finished with 235 yards rushing to just 35 passing. The Philadelphia native is, of course, quite familiar with conditions like Saturday's.
"I always played in the cold, it's my type of element," he said.
Three plays after Swift's score, with Kentucky facing a third-and-4 at its 31, Bowden tried to run for the first. He got popped by J.R. Reed, the ball came loose and Richard LeCounte scooped it up — first down Bulldogs at the Wildcat 31.
Swift gained 11 yards on first down and came close to taking another one all the way. Later, on first down at the 8, Brian Herrien took a handoff and patiently ran to the right side, waiting for the blocking to allow him to turn the corner. The blocking was there and he turned on the jets and dove into the end zone. Just like that, with 1:54 to play in the third, it was 14-0 Bulldogs.
The rain kept pouring but it didn't seem like anyone in Sanford Stadium could feel it at that moment.Â
The Bulldogs' battle wasn't yet won after the second score, not after the Wildcats' long kickoff return and subsequent drive inside the 10, but Georgia showed its mettle Saturday, killing that deep Kentucky drive, winning and pulling away when nothing came easy for anyone.
Taylor also showed her mettle, and spirit and spunk, and so did everyone that braved the miserable weather to be there for the Bulldogs. Whether you stayed a quarter, a half or hung in there until the very end — you were there. And your presence was noted by the players.
"Amazed? Yes," Cleveland said of the tens of thousands that endured the weather all the way to the end. "Surprised? No."
John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
