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Tasty Tailgating: A UGA Athletics Dietitian’s Seven-Layer Taco Dip

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Nutrition is an essential part of athletic success. Within each UGA Athletics program, a dedicated team of nutritionists works with athletes to ensure that they have the knowledge and resources to fuel themselves for success–both in and outside of their sports. 

Maria Williams (BSFCS ’07, MS ’09) is a sports nutritionist with UGA Athletics and has worked with swimming and diving teams, baseball, men’s tennis and equestrian. Her seven-layer taco dip recipe is both delicious and nutritious–she substitutes low-fat Greek yogurt for sour cream to add protein and reduce fat.  

Read on to learn how to eat like an athlete. 

Seven-Layer Taco Dip 

Ingredients 

1 (15 oz) can refried beans  

1 ½ cups plain, low-fat Greek yogurt  

1 tbsp taco seasoning  

1 ½ cups guacamole (store-bought or homemade)  

1 cup mild or medium salsa  

1 ¼ cups Mexican blend cheese, shredded  

1 ¼ cups iceberg lettuce, finely shredded  

Optional additional toppings:  

1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered   

1/4 cup black olives, pitted & sliced  

2 scallions, diced  

¼ cup pickled jalapeno slices  

Instructions 

  1. Spread the bean layer in an 8×11 baking dish or similar medium sized (clear) dish.  
  2. Combine Greek yogurt and taco seasoning in a small bowl, then add the yogurt mixture as the second layer.  
  3. Spread the guacamole layer followed by the salsa layer.  
  4. Add the remaining layers over the salsa layer in the following order: cheese, shredded lettuce, grape tomatoes, black olives, jalapeno slices, and diced scallions.     
  5. Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve later. Enjoy with any type of tortilla chips.  
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UGA giving challenge leaves Gators seeing double (Ls)

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The University of Georgia and the University of Florida squared off twice this past week—once on the field in Jacksonville, and once in Beat Week 2023, a head-to-head giving challenge—and the Bulldogs came out on top in both. 

Beat Week is a week-long giving challenge where UGA and another university compete to see who can drive their supporters to make more gifts over the course of a week. UGA went head-to-head with Auburn University for the past three years—with the red and black winning each time—before taking on Florida.  

With a strong reputation in the fundraising world, UF was looking for a win, but the Bulldog faithful kept UGA in the lead throughout the week. Georgia’s Beat Week victory was nearly as resounding as the one in EverBank Stadium. 

UGA – 4,156 

UF – 3,339  

Donors of all stripes contributed to the win—alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff, and friends of the university—and UGA staffers from all corners of campus worked for months to mount the effort that earned the university its fourth consecutive Beat Week win. 

Beat Week raised over $1.5 million to numerous areas at UGA, including scholarships, research, academic programming and much more. Kirby Smart’s Dawgs proved their No. 1 ranking on Saturday, but Bulldog Nation proved theirs all through the week. 

Thank you to everyone who made Beat Week a win! Go Dawgs! And Later, Gator! 

Mark Richt raises funds for Parkinson’s research

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Led by former University of Georgia head football coach Mark Richt, the Chick-fil-A Dawg Bowl raised more than $758,000 for Parkinson’s disease and Crohn’s disease research at UGA. The fundraiser, which featured a VIP bowling event, rallied over 1,330 donors to support UGA research. 

“I am very grateful to Chick-fil-A, Coach Richt and the many generous donors who contributed to the university’s research efforts in these important areas over the past two weeks,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “Private support is essential to the kinds of cutting-edge research our faculty are conducting on Parkinson’s and related diseases, and the Chick-fil-A Dawg Bowl helps our researchers looking for new treatments and cures.” 

Coach Mark Richt catches up with former player David Pollack at the 2023 Chick-fil-A Dawg Bowl.

Richt announced the charity event at UGA head football coach Kirby Smart’s (BBA ’98) Monday press conference on Oct. 2. Donations poured in before, during and after the bowling event on Wednesday, Oct. 18.

During the bowling tournament, viewers tuned into the event’s livestream from home, watching Coach Richt and Bulldog greats such as Kirby Smart, David Pollack (M ’05) and Rennie Curran (BBA ’17) battle it out at Showtime Bowling Alley in Athens. Over the course of the tournament, donors gave $35,000.  

“My family and I want to sincerely thank the Bulldog Nation and all the donors who helped us take a bite out of Parkinson’s and Crohn’s,” Richt said. “I am so thankful to everyone who came out and supported in whatever way they could.” 

The fundraiser surpassed its initial goal of $750,000, and all proceeds will go to UGA’s Isakson Center for Neurological Disease Research. There, researchers such as Anumantha Kanthasamy, John H. “Johnny” Isakson Chair for Parkinson’s Research and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, are developing groundbreaking treatments for Parkinson’s disease and investigating its link to gut inflammation conditions such as Crohn’s disease.  

Coach Kirby Smart poses with Arthi Kanthasamy and Anumantha Kanthasamy, researchers in the UGA Isakson Center, at the 2023 Chick-fil-A Dawg Bowl event.

“Giving at this level can have a monumental impact on the research we are doing here at the university,” Kanthasamy said. “We are so grateful to the donors and the Richt family for everything they have done to support the Isakson Center.” 

The fight against Parkinson’s and Crohn’s is deeply personal for the Richt family. Coach Richt was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2021, and his granddaughter Jadyn was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease as an infant in 2015. Since then, the family has prioritized raising awareness and funds for research on potential causes and treatments for these conditions. 

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The War for the Oar: A History

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Visitors to Tate Student Center over the years may have noticed an unusual display in the third-floor concourse: a 12-foot-tall carved wooden oar. 

The oversized oar, known as the Okefenokee Oar, has been a part of the Georgia-Florida football rivalry since 2009, when the University of Georgia and University of Florida student government associations partnered to create a rivalry trophy. 

The Okefenokee Oar joins the ranks of unique rivalry trophies exchanged throughout the SEC, such as The Golden Boot (Arkansas-LSU), the Golden Egg (Ole Miss-Mississippi State) and the Governor’s Cup (UGA-Georgia Tech).  

The OARigin Story 

Why an oar was chosen, and how it came to be, remains shrouded in mystery. It was funded by an anonymous donor at the University of Florida and carved from a 1,000-year-old oak tree from its namesake Okefenokee Swamp. Ownership of the swamp, which sits along the Georgia-Florida border, was historically disputed between settlers from both states.  

The Oar is engraved with the schools’ mascots and state seals on either side, with scores from every Georgia-Florida game since 2009 engraved on the handle. An article from the UF sports news website Gator Country reports that the Oar has room for scores for the next 150 years. 

After each game, the winning school displays the Oar in their student center until the next year’s match-up. When displayed at UGA, where it’s been since 2021, the side with the Bulldog design faces outward and the Gator is hidden on the reverse. 

For the Oar’s first few years of existence, it had little notoriety. Rivalry committees from both schools worked to get the word out about the new trophy by creating the hashtag #WarForTheOar and students exchanged it after the game in unofficial ceremonies around the stadium.  

Becoming OARfficial

The Oar was officially recognized through a joint resolution by both schools’ student government associations in 2011. The Oar came to the UGA campus for the first time that same year after the Bulldogs’ 24-20 victory against the Gators. It was displayed in a custom-built case in the Tate Student Center in an effort led by the UGA Student Government Association president at the time, Mallory Davis (AB ’13). 

“We’re really trying to build it into this huge tradition because we haven’t had it yet,” Mallory said in a Red and Black article in 2011. 

And a huge tradition it has become. Although still not officially recognized by UGA Athletics as the game trophy, the Oar has been featured on ESPN’s College GameDay broadcasts, helping it rise to fame among fans from both teams. 

The Oar is transported to Jacksonville, Florida, each year by the victors of the last season’s game. The winning team is then responsible for bringing it back to their campus. When Georgia wins it, the UGA Student Government Association generally arranges for the Oar to travel home on the bus with the Redcoat Band.  

Only time will tell how the mystery and excitement surrounding the Oar will continue to develop, but what we do know is this: the Bulldogs and Gators will face off again this year on October 28–reigniting the War for the Oar once again. 

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Tasty Tailgating: Virginia Willis’s Fried Chicken-on-a-Stick

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Game days lend themselves hand-held food–something you can hold and eat with one hand while you cheer and wave your pom-pom with the other. Virginia Willis (AB ’88), a James Beard Award-winning cookbook author, chef and on-air personality, knows this simple fact. 

Her crispy oven-fried chicken-on-a-stick with Vidalia-honey mustard dipping sauce, then, is a delicious and convenient addition to any tailgate. It’s also lower-calorie because it’s baked in the oven rather than deep-fried. 

Plus, as she says, “Who doesn’t like food on a stick?” 

Oven-Fried Chicken-on-a-Stick with Vidalia-Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce  

Makes 16 to serve 8  

Ingredients 

1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt 

2 teaspoons paprika
 

1 teaspoon onion powder
  

1 teaspoon garlic powder  

1 cup low-fat buttermilk  

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed (1½ pounds)  

2 cups panko bread crumbs  

2 tablespoons canola oil
  

2 large egg whites  

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard   

Freshly ground black pepper  

Vidalia-Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce, for serving (recipe follows)  

Instructions 

  1. In a large bowl, combine the salt, 1 teaspoon of the paprika, ½ teaspoon of the onion powder, and ½ teaspoon of the garlic powder. Add the buttermilk and whisk until the salt is completely dissolved and the spices are dispersed in the liquid.  
  2. Cut the chicken lengthwise into about 1-inch-wide strips. Add to the marinade and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. (Do not marinate any longer or the chicken will be too salty. If you can’t cook it right at the 30-minute mark, remove the chicken from the marinade and refrigerate until ready to continue.)  
  3. In a large shallow dish (a 9 by 13-inch baking dish works well), combine the bread crumbs, the remaining 1 teaspoon paprika,
 the remaining ½ teaspoon of onion powder, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of the garlic powder. Add the 2 tablespoons of oil and toss well to coat. Whisk together the egg whites and mustard in a second large shallow dish. Season both mixtures with pepper. 
  4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, then set an ovenproof rack on it. Coat the rack with nonstick cooking spray.  
  5. Remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off any excess,
 and thread onto sixteen 12-inch bamboo skewers, dividing the meat evenly, about 1 strip per skewer. Dip the chicken into the egg mixture, coating both sides. Place in the bread crumb mixture one skewer at a time, sprinkle with crumbs to cover, and press so the coating adheres to both sides. Gently shake off any excess crumbs and place the skewers on the prepared rack.  
  6. Bake the chicken, turning halfway through, until golden brown and the juices run clear, about 25 minutes. Serve warm with the dipping sauce.  

Vidalia-Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce  

Makes 2¼ cups  

Ingredients 

¼ cup apple cider vinegar 

1 Vidalia onion, peeled and quartered  

1 garlic clove  

1/3 cup honey  

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard  

½ cup canola oil  

Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper  

Instructions 

  1. Put the vinegar, onion, garlic, honey, and mustard in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse until smooth.  
  2. With the motor running, add the oil in a slow steady stream until thick and emulsified.  
  3. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.  

Oven-Fried Chicken-on-a-Stick  

Calories 204 
Fat 6 g 
Carbs 16 g Fiber .7 g Protein 20 g  

Vidalia-Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce (per tablespoon)   

Calories 42
 Fat 3 g 
Carbs 4 g 
Fiber .1 g
 Protein .1 g 

Tasty Tailgating: Ivy Odom’s Bulldog Candy

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If you’ve spent a lifetime in pursuit of the perfect game day bite, look no further: Ivy Odom’s spicy-sweet Bulldog Candy over a dollop of pimento cheese on a buttery cracker is unbeatable.

Ivy Odom (BSFCS ’15, AB ’15) is a senior lifestyle producer for Dotdash Meredith Food Studios and a member of the 2023 class of UGA 40 Under 40 honorees. You might recognize her from her Emmy-nominated lifestyle television program, the Southern Living show.

After completing her undergraduate degrees at UGA, Ivy graduated first in her culinary school program at L’Academie de Cuisine and completed an apprenticeship at an Atlanta fine dining restaurant. She started in the Time, Inc. test kitchen before taking on her current role at Dotdash Meredith and is an expert in all things Southern and delicious.

Bulldog Candy

Makes 1 cup

Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

12 oz. jalapeños, thinly sliced (about 2 ½ cups sliced)

1 fresno chile, chopped

½ cup packed light brown sugar

1 ½ tsp. apple cider vinegar

½ tsp. kosher salt

Instructions:

  1. Bring all ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan over medium high, stirring occasionally.
  2. Reduce heat to medium low and cook until jalapeños have turned dark in color, and all sugar has turned into a very thick syrup, about 15 minutes.
  3. Transfer to a glass jar and let cool to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
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Tasty Tailgate: Surcheros’ Guacamole

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Luke Christian (AB ’01) founded Surcheros, a Tex-Mex chain known for fresh food and friendly service, in 2007. The restaurant has locations throughout the Southeast, including an Athens, Georgia location that opened in 2022.

We’ve partnered with Luke, who was also a member of the 2018 class of UGA Alumni Association 40 Under 40 honorees, to share Surcheros’ original guacamole recipe to help you take your tailgate to the next level. This fresh, chunky guacamole is sure to be a game day crowd pleaser–and only takes a few minutes to make!

Surcheros’ Guacamole

Makes approximately 1 quart

Ingredients:

5 avocados

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon minced fresh jalapenos

1/3 cup lime juice

1 cup diced yellow onions

1 cup diced tomatoes

½ cup chopped cilantro

Instructions:

  1. Remove stem from avocados, then cut in half and remove pits.
  2. Scoop out pulp into a bowl with a spoon.
  3. Add salt, fresh jalapeño and lime juice. Smash mixture with potato masher, but leave chunky.
  4. Add remaining ingredients and fold with a spatula until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
  5. If not serving immediately, cover with plastic wrap so no air is in contact with the guacamole. Guacamole will stay fresh for up to three days in the fridge.
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Tasty Tailgating: Southern Belle Farm’s Strawberry Cake

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Everybody knows that one of the most important parts of any successful tailgate is delicious food. To help you set up the football buffet of your dreams, we’ve partnered with UGA alumni experts to share some of their favorite game day recipes.  

First up is Easy Strawberry Cake from the Carter family inspired by the bakery at Southern Belle Farm. This sweet treat comes together using a surprising ingredient–boxed cake mix!  

Southern Belle Farm is in Henry County, Georgia, and has been run by the Carters for five generations. The owner, James Carter (BSA ’69, MS ’73) and his son, Jake Carter (BBA ’03) are UGA alumni. 

Cake

Easy Strawberry Cake

Makes 16 servings

Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

Cake:

15.25 oz box white cake mix

3 oz box strawberry Jello

1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen and mashed or finely chopped)

¾ cup vegetable oil

½ cup whole or 2% milk

4 large eggs at room temperature

Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing:

8 oz cream cheese at room temperature

½ cup butter at room temperature

5 to 6 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

¼ cup strawberries (fresh or frozen and mashed or finely chopped, drained)

Instructions:

For the cake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly spray pan(s) with nonstick spray or Wilton cake release.
  2. Add cake mix, eggs, milk and vegetable oil to a mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer and mix well. Mix in the 1 cup of strawberries and the strawberry Jello powder.
  3. Mix 3 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl a couple of times.
  4. Divide the batter evenly among two 9-inch rounds, three 8-inch rounds, or one 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Bake for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack. Let cool completely before frosting.

For the icing:

  1. Beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add the sugar one cup at a time to the mixture, then add heavy cream and strawberries and incorporate completely.
  2. Remove the domed tops of the cake with a cake leveler or large serrated knife.
  3. If making a layered cake, place one layer of cake on a serving plate and spread about 1 cup of frosting over the top in an even layer before topping with the other cake round. For a three-layered cake, add another cup of frosting and the final layer of cake.
  4. Frost the outside of the cake using an offset spatula to get an even layer.
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2023 Away Game Guide: Georgia Tech

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UGA’s in-state rivalry game against Georgia Tech—or “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate,” to those who have experienced the heated rivalry—will be in Atlanta this year on Nov. 25. If you’re traveling to the ATL for the game, here’s a guide to all the best hotels, restaurants and attractions for your weekend in the biggest city in the South.  

Where to stay 

The Hampton Inn is the closest hotel to the Georgia Tech campus and makes getting to the stadium a breeze on game day. The Sonesta Select Atlanta is also convenient to Bobby Dodd Stadium, and many rooms have views of the city’s iconic skyline. 

For a luxury option, The Georgian Terrace, in the heart of Atlanta, is a stunning Southern interpretation of a Parisian hotel. The historic hotel was the location of the premiere of “Gone with the Wind,” and F. Scott Fitzgerald stayed there soon after its opening in 1911. 

Designed in the Beaux Arts style, the Georgian Terrace is a vision of timeless elegance in the city’s landscape. (Photo: The Georgian Terrace)

What to eat

The Varsity is one of the most iconic symbols of Atlanta and is close to the Georgia Tech campus. Even though the Athens location closed, you can still enjoy this game day tradition before heading to the stadium. What’ll ya have? 

The Varsity has been family owned and operated since 1928. (Photo: The Varsity)

Antico is a newer local favorite: a chain offering authentic Neapolitan pizzas and calzones. Their Georgia Tech location is part of a family of restaurants and cafes called “Little Italia”—there’s a bar, panini and pasta shop and gelateria right next door. 

Mary Mac’s Tea Room is another local standby, serving up classic Southern comfort foods since 1945. The restaurant is the city’s only remaining “tea room,” a title used by enterprising female restaurant proprietors in the South in the days before women business owners were more commonplace. 

The iconic restaurant has welcomed celebrities, leaders and politicians of all kinds to its dining room over the years, from President Jimmy Carter to Beyoncé. 

For breakfast, head over to the Silver Skillet, a ’50s-style diner that’s been featured in a long list of movies and TV shows because of its retro atmosphere. Their hot breakfasts are so legendary that Guy Fieri featured the diner on his hit show “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.” 

On game day

Sports & Social’s over-30-feet-tall TV screen, interactive games and extensive food and drink menu make it a great place to gather for the game with friends and family. The two-level space is perfect for watching the Dawgs play even if you don’t have a ticket, and game day table reservations can be made in advance to ensure you and your crew have a place to sit. 

Eleventh Street Pub is closer to the stadium and serves up something to please just about every palate. They offer pub classics like burgers and wings as well as upscale dishes, including their garlicky roasted mussels, arancini rice balls or steak frites.  

More Atlanta attractions

Atlanta is home to the largest aquarium in the United States, the World of Coke, the College Football Hall of Fame and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, all of which are located within walking distance from one another near Centennial Olympic Park. 

Visitors to Atlanta can also explore the city by walking, biking or taking a scooter along the BeltLine, a 22-mile railroad corridor turned into trails and lined with parks, public art, restaurants and other businesses. Make a stop at Ponce City Market, a large retail and dining center complete with Skyline Park, a rooftop arcade with views of the city. 

Skyline Park has vintage amusements, games, minigolf and refreshments at its rooftop location. (Photo: Skyline Park)

Not traveling to Atlanta and looking to connect with Dawgs in your own area? Find your local UGA alumni chapter and cheer on the Dawgs with fellow alumni at a game-watching party near you.

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