A couple of long-time coaches can still apparently pull in the fans after all of these years.
During the busiest spring game Saturday of the month of April, both Georgia and Oklahoma set records for spring game attendance. The Bulldogs watched as 46,073 fans piled into Sanford Stadium, topping the mark of 45,113 set a year ago. The Sooners, meanwhile, witnessed an unofficially official 43,500 patrons for their close to the spring.
Oddly enough, both of the programs are led by head coaches with more than a decade at the school -- Bob Stoops since 1999 at OU, Mark Richt since 2001 at UGA -- who at one time or the other have seen the media and fans play the “maybe they’ve stayed too long” card.
The Sooners ended the 2013 season on a high note, capping a four-game winning streak that will carry over to 2014 with a stunning 45-31 upset of Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. The fact that OU set a record in what’s leading into Stoops’ 16th season at the school makes some sense given that momentum. UGA, on the other hand, is kind of difficult to wrap my head around.
The Bulldogs went into the 2013 season full of hope, coming within seconds and yards of upending Alabama in the 2012 SEC championship game and possibly working its way into the BCS title game. Back-to-back midseason losses to Missouri and Vanderbilt, followed by five-point losses to Auburn and Nebraska (Gator Bowl) put a damper on a 2013 season that, despite a close loss to Clemson, began with immense promise.
The again, maybe it’s not hard to understand at all; UGA Nation simply loves its Dawgs.