Dawgs Will Open Season Without an Uga

The wait for Uga VIII may be coming to an end, but Georgia will still play its first few games with a stand-in before the new mascot makes his debut at Sanford Stadium.

I spoke with Sonny Seiler yesterday, and he said that although he already has several puppies that could be potential replacements for Uga VII, who died last year, he has already informed Georgia president Michael Adams and athletics director Damon Evans that no dog will be ready for the start of the season.

Seiler said he has already identified four or five puppies that are the offspring of Uga VI's line, but he is still waiting on a new litter due in the next month before making a final decision.

"Hopefully out of all of those we can pick the kind of dog that we think best represents the University of Georgia athletic department," Seiler said.

In the meantime, "Russ" -- the brother of Uga VII -- will continue to fill the role of stand-in for Georgia's preseason picture day and at least the first two or three games of the regular season. Russ was on the sideline last year for two games following Uga VII's death -- wins over Georgia Tech and Texas A&M.

"He sure is a good-looking dog and he's done us well and he travels well," Seiler said.

Seiler said Russ cannot be a permanent mascot, however, because the dog is already 5 years old, and the program prefers a younger dog who will have a chance to serve as the mascot for a longer time.