Holtz, the former Notre Dame and South Carolina coach, drove to Tampa from his Orlando home to watch the Badgers practice at the University of Tampa and give a pep talk. Holtz was wearing a Notre Dame pullover and an Augusta National cap as he addressed the team.

``Barry asked me to come over and watch practice and talk to them and I was happy to do it,'' Holtz said.

Alvarez, who worked as an assistant under Holtz at Notre Dame, spent the morning with his former boss talking mostly about old times and a little strategy. Holtz, who retired last month from South Carolina, is familiar with SEC foe Georgia after facing the Bulldogs on an annual basis the past seven seasons.

``He's had two tough games, two tough losses against them and we visited a little bit about those games,'' Alvarez said. ``But the reason for him to come here was not to give us a scouting report on Georgia.''

Holtz coached South Carolina to a pair of Outback Bowl victories with consecutive victories against Ohio State in 2001 and 2002. He had nothing but praise for the annual game at Raymond James Stadium.

``There are a couple of reasons this game is so much fun,'' Holtz said. ``Number one, it's a great city. Number two, the bowl does a great job of allowing enough time to relax and enjoy the experience while at the same time allowing enough time for preparation while at the same time giving you enough to eat. It's just a fun time and we were fortunate to come here twice. I know our players had a great experience.''

MY FAVORITE COACH: Former Devil Rays 1B Fred McGriff drove into the parking lot at Pepin/Rood Stadium while Holtz was being interviewed by a local television station. As McGriff drove past Holtz, he stopped his car, rolled down his window and shouted, ``Lou Holtz is my favorite coach,'' prompting Holtz to go over and shake McGriff's hand.

McGriff worked out on the track as the Badgers conducted practice.

FULLY LOADED: Georgia's senior class is 41-10, second only to the 1983 class that went 43-4-1 and won the 1980 national championship. Senior WR Fred Gibson said he doesn't expect Georgia to fall in the national picture when this year's senior class leaves after Saturday's game.

``Just because we've got a whole lot of great seniors leaving, we still have a whole lot of great players that will be left behind,'' he said. ``This program is a top-notch program. These days, Coach [Mark] Richt and the coaching staff is going out recruiting blue-chip prospects.''

NO REMINDER - YET: In the final game of his career, Georgia quarterbacks coach Mike Bobo led the Bulldogs to a 33-6 win against Wisconsin in the 1998 Outback Bowl. Bobo finished 26-for-28 for 267 yards and a touchdown in the only meeting between the schools.

Bulldogs senior QB David Greene said Bobo, who joined the Bulldogs' coaching staff in 2001, has not talked about his game that day.

``I think every quarterback dreams of having that kind of success,'' Greene said. ``He hasn't mentioned it yet.''

TICKETS REMAIN: There are less than 2,000 tickets still available through Ticketmaster at (813) 287-8844, or online at ticketmaster.com.

EXTRA POINTS: Both teams worked out in full pads Monday, the only time this week they will do so. ... The teams will participate in the annual Busch Gardens outing today after practice. ... In four seasons, Richt is 16-1 against nonconference opponents. His only loss came against Boston College in the 2001 Music City Bowl. Erik Erlendsson, Scott Carter