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Jacksonville Bulldog Club brings Georgia fans together to watch National Championship blow-out

The Jacksonville Bulldog Club is the largest UGA fan club in the country, with nearly 7,000 Facebook followers.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Southside of Jacksonville was full of "barking fans" as the Jacksonville Bulldog Club filled the Burrito Gallery in Town Center to watch the Bulldogs blow past TCU 65-7.

"It used to be considered the capitol of South Georgia, this area is full of Bulldog blood," said UGA Graduate Stephen Rowland.

Rowland has bled red and black since he graduated from UGA in 1987.

He's such a big fan, in fact, that he took it upon himself to create his own memorabilia.

He created a ten panel black-and-red hat that's the only one like it in the country, matching the hat UGA, the mascot, wears in the UGA logo.

"It's the only replica of the hat that UGA wears, so I brought them to the club so they could give them away as door prizes."

A room full of die-hard fans appreciated any kind of gear they could get their hands on, especially as the Bulldogs pulled ahead early on in the game.

There were no shortage of fans in the room - as the Jacksonville Bulldog Club describes itself as the biggest Georgia fan club in the nation, with nearly 7,000 followers on Facebook.

Including some fans who will travel far and wide to see the Dawgs win.

"We've gone everywhere with them," said UGA Fan Star Rice. "We traveled with them to the Indy game, went to Miami, we go to all the big games and we've been doing that consistently year after year."

One of the easiest players to root for for many fans - Stetson Bennett - who grew up just 80 miles from Jacksonville in Blackshear, Georgia.

"When the big game comes up, the mailman delivers," said Jacksonville Bulldog Club 2023 President Sean Stenson. "Love that guy, man. What an amazing story. So proud to have him as a dawg."

Rowland says he started creating the hats in the 90's when the Bulldogs were struggling, but with another championship appearance under their belts, he's hoping folks will be ready to rep the vintage attire.

"This is a heck of a time to be a Bulldog fan," said Rowland. "These are the good ole days, right now."

All those cheering fans will have a few days to rest their voices so they're all charged up to cheer again for the Jaguars' play-off game Saturday night.

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