The Dogs may not be hurting their opponents on the field this season, but some fans are getting aggressive in the stands, on campus and downtown.

According to statistics on the University Police Department Web site, there are more assault and battery charges in Sanford Stadium and on campus on a day when Georgia loses.

After this year’s loss to Vanderbilt, there were two documented cases of simple battery, both taking place after the game.

After a win against Vanderbilt in 2004, there were no reported incidents of assault or battery.

After last year’s close loss to Auburn, there were four documented cases of battery in Sanford Stadium alone.

Chief of University Police Jimmy Williamson said he sees the effects of a loss first-hand at every home game.

Instead of opposing fans duking it out, Williamson said most of the fights occur between fans of the same team.

“If there’s a close game, there are usually less fights, but if we have more of a blowout, we have more issues.”

Athens police and downtown bar employees are split on whether sour attitudes from a loss follow fans downtown.

“I knew right when we lost (to Tennessee) I was going to have to deal with a fight,” said Jamon Kessler, a University senior and a doorman downtown. “And sure enough, an hour later, I had to kick somebody out,” he said.

Capt. Clarence Holeman, an Athens-Clarke County duty officer for Friday and Saturday nights, said he didn’t think the football team’s performance plays a role in the number of fights downtown.

Instead, he blamed another culprit: alcohol.

“People drink all day, even if we win, so we make sure to have more staff downtown on the nights of gamedays,” he said.

But some students said they are more likely to vent their anger after a loss.

“When we lost (to Vanderbilt), there was a greater chance of me fighting that night,” said Corey Turner, a sophomore from Atlanta.

“After we lose, a lot of drunk people let their emotions get the best of them.”

After this year’s loss to Tennessee on Oct. 7, Craig Giliam, a visitor from Nashville, said he had a bad experience with a Georgia fan feeling the effects of defeat – and alcohol.

Giliam and his girlfriend, Jean Barnwell, were walking out of a student section tunnel when Giliam heard rude comments from a crowd of Georgia fans behind him trying to hustle Giliam and Barnwell out of Sanford Stadium.

“I turned around and said, ‘You guys need to calm down.’”

In response, the group of fans pushed Giliam, pulled his hair and forced him to the ground.

“I wasn’t that hurt, but I’m just mad that my girlfriend got hurt in the process,” he said. “She got a concussion.”

Giliam believes that the fact that he was a Tennessee fan contributed to the incident. “I was wearing a Tennessee shirt,” Giliam said. “And it definitely had something to do with all of this.”

While individual police reports were filed for Giliam and Barnwell, no arrests were made.

With one home game left against No. 20 Georgia Tech, Holeman offered common sense advice to fans.

“Just be responsible if you’re going to drink on nights after a game,” he said.