Georgia fans expecting to see the eighth installment of their beloved mascot when the 2010 football season starts will have to wait a little longer.

The much-anticipated Uga VIII will not be ready for action in time for the Sept. 4 opener against Louisiana-Lafayette, meaning that Russ, the interim bulldog from the end of the 2009 season, will continue to appear at football games this year.

Russ took over mascot duties for the final two games of the 2009 football season, including here during a win against rival Georgia Tech.

Frank “Sonny” Seiler, who has bred the Uga line of English Bulldogs since 1956, says there is no deadline for Uga VIII’s debut, but that a determination will made by the Oct. 16 matchup against  Vanderbilt — which is the Homecoming game for the Bulldogs.

“We have more dogs to choose from than we usually do,” Seiler said.

The puppies currently being considered for the job are offspring from the line of Uga VI and need to grow bigger before one of them can be named the next Uga. Seiler says he may also consider one of the puppies from another litter that will be born soon.

“Right now, the dog would not be big enough to wear the uniform,” Seiler said.

While the puppies continue to grow, Russ will try to keep his unbeaten streak alive after Georgia went 2-0 last year when the brown-spotted half-brother of Uga VII donned the red jersey on the sidelines.

Russ witnessed his first win after the Bulldogs defeated Georgia Tech 30-24 at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta. He then traveled with the team to Shreveport, La., where Georgia defeated Texas A&M 44-20 in the Independence Bowl in late December.

Russ was appointed the interim team mascot after Uga VII passed away in November from heart-related problems. He is the fifth interim bulldog in Georgia history and the first since 1989.

However, Russ is not being considered as a potential candidate to be Uga VIII. At six years old, Seiler says Russ is too old to handle the rigors of frequent travel. Georgia makes several lengthy trips in 2010, including Mississippi State, Kentucky and Colorado, as well as road games against South Carolina and their yearly matchup against Florida in Jacksonville.

But Seiler says Russ still plays the mascot role well, despite being a temporary replacement.

“Russ is a great mascot. He looks great and he’s undefeated,” Seiler said. “He loves people, as all [the dogs] do.”

When Uga VIII does makes his premiere, Georgia fans can only hope that the newest member of the famous bulldog lineage comes with the success of his bloodline.

Uga VI, who reigned from 1999-2008, is the all-time winningest mascot in team history, going 87-27 with an Uga-best .763 winning percentage. During his tenure, he witnessed SEC titles in 2002 and 2005, seven bowl wins and two Sugar Bowl victories in 2003 and 2008.

But when Uga VIII is big enough to fit in his trademark jersey and make his home in the red doghouse beside the hedges, it may leave fans barking a question: What happens to Russ?

“He comes back to the farm,” Seiler said.