- Produce major league pitchers
- Shoot three pointers
- Being really smart
- Churning out future CEOs
- Run the football
- Pass the football
- Score points on offense
- Win games in the SEC
Georgia 34, Vanderbilt 7
Friday, October 14, 2011
Vanderbilt Preview
Things Vanderbilt does well:
Georgia 34, Vanderbilt 7
Georgia 34, Vanderbilt 7
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Mid Season Assessment: The Youth Movement and the Future
After a dismal ending to the 2010, Georgia fans were looking for something to brighten their spirits for the off season ahead. They got what they were looking for with the recruiting class of 2011. Nicknamed the Dream Team, this class has already become a key part of the team. The decision to play so many true freshman combined with a large talent pool of player who are in their second and third years on campus, and things may finally be looking up in Athens.
Georgia has already played 14 true freshman this season. While a number of these players have been used on special teams, three freshman have become starters and key contributors for the Dawgs. Isaiah Crowell has lived up to the hype and has become the the feature back all of the recruiting experts expected he would be. He leads the team in rushing and is on pace to rush for nearly 1,200 yards this year. Malcolm Mitchell leads the Dawgs in receiving yards and has become the favorite downfield target for Aaron Murray. And Amarlo Herrera has stepped in at middle linebacker and has become a force over the middle. Ramik Wilson, Christian Conley, and Ray Drew have also begun to see playing time beyond special teams.
In addition to the true freshman, Georgia is littered with redshirt freshmen and sophomores who as making a big impact. This begins with quarterback Aaron Murray who, in just his second year in Athens, has moved in the top 5 in school history in passing touchdowns. Jarvis Jones has had an immediate impact this season and may be up for All-SEC when the season ends. Kwame Geathers, Michael Bennett, Garrison Smith, and Kenarious Gates are all making impacts this fall.
Overall, the Georgia Bulldogs are a young team that should continue to get better. The only significant losses on defense for 2012 will be Brandon Boykin and Deangelo Tyson. On offense, the Dawgs will lose 3 on the line and will most like lose two tight ends (White and Charles). But the running backs and all of the receivers will return next fall to give Aaron Murray options.
After the 0-2 start, there was little hope for a successful season in Athens. But after 4 straight victories and signs of improvement (particularly on defense), things are beginning to look up. And while the schedule will get tougher with Alabama on the schedule next fall, we will be the much more experienced team when we travel to Tuscaloosa.
Georgia has already played 14 true freshman this season. While a number of these players have been used on special teams, three freshman have become starters and key contributors for the Dawgs. Isaiah Crowell has lived up to the hype and has become the the feature back all of the recruiting experts expected he would be. He leads the team in rushing and is on pace to rush for nearly 1,200 yards this year. Malcolm Mitchell leads the Dawgs in receiving yards and has become the favorite downfield target for Aaron Murray. And Amarlo Herrera has stepped in at middle linebacker and has become a force over the middle. Ramik Wilson, Christian Conley, and Ray Drew have also begun to see playing time beyond special teams.
In addition to the true freshman, Georgia is littered with redshirt freshmen and sophomores who as making a big impact. This begins with quarterback Aaron Murray who, in just his second year in Athens, has moved in the top 5 in school history in passing touchdowns. Jarvis Jones has had an immediate impact this season and may be up for All-SEC when the season ends. Kwame Geathers, Michael Bennett, Garrison Smith, and Kenarious Gates are all making impacts this fall.
Overall, the Georgia Bulldogs are a young team that should continue to get better. The only significant losses on defense for 2012 will be Brandon Boykin and Deangelo Tyson. On offense, the Dawgs will lose 3 on the line and will most like lose two tight ends (White and Charles). But the running backs and all of the receivers will return next fall to give Aaron Murray options.
After the 0-2 start, there was little hope for a successful season in Athens. But after 4 straight victories and signs of improvement (particularly on defense), things are beginning to look up. And while the schedule will get tougher with Alabama on the schedule next fall, we will be the much more experienced team when we travel to Tuscaloosa.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Mid Season Grades and Awards
At the halfway point of the 2011 football season, the Georgia Bulldogs sit at a record of 4-2 tied with South Carolina for first place in the SEC East. And while they do not control their own destiny to get to Atlanta, there are in a good position to be there when it all shakes out. If you asked most Georgia fans if they would be satisfied with 4-2, I think most would have said yes. Considering the Dawgs were 2-4 at this same point last year (including losses to Miss State and Colorado) and I thin I am pretty satisfied. Here are my grades for the first half as well as some superlatives. I will continue my mid season report tomorrow with a look at Georgia's youth movement.
Offense (Overall): B-
Quarterbacks: B
Tailbacks: B+
Tight Ends/Fullbacks: A
Offensive Line: C -
Play Calling: C
Defense (Overall): A
Defensive Line: B+
Linebackers: A
Secondary: B+
Defensive Coaching: A-
Special Teams: B-
Place Kicking: C-
Kickoff Coverage: B-
Punting: A
Punt Coverage Coverage: B
Returns: B
Special Team Coaching: B
Overall Team MVP: Brandon Boykin
Offensive MVP: Isaiah Crowell
Defensive MVP: Shawn Williams
Biggest Surprise (Offense): Carlton Thomas/ Malcolm Mitchell
Biggest Surprise (Defense): Mike Gilliard
Biggest Disappointment: Blair Walsh
Offense (Overall): B-
Quarterbacks: B
Tailbacks: B+
Tight Ends/Fullbacks: A
Offensive Line: C -
Play Calling: C
Defense (Overall): A
Defensive Line: B+
Linebackers: A
Secondary: B+
Defensive Coaching: A-
Special Teams: B-
Place Kicking: C-
Kickoff Coverage: B-
Punting: A
Punt Coverage Coverage: B
Returns: B
Special Team Coaching: B
Overall Team MVP: Brandon Boykin
Offensive MVP: Isaiah Crowell
Defensive MVP: Shawn Williams
Biggest Surprise (Offense): Carlton Thomas/ Malcolm Mitchell
Biggest Surprise (Defense): Mike Gilliard
Biggest Disappointment: Blair Walsh
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Missouri to the SEC: A Hookup That Never Should Happen
The more Missouri insider information that slowly leaks out about Missouri's desperate courtship for SEC entry (unless the Big 10 calls), the more their statement of "explor[ing] options of conference affiliation" resembles the 1 AM drunken college scramble to find someone, anyone, to go home with other than the Big 12.
Brady Deaton to the SEC: "So, you're telling me there's a chance..."
In an exploratory study leaked from Missouri's governing board analyzing the school's SEC "options," beyond the potential $12 million per year additional funds Mizzou projects in joining the best damn conference in the land, "Missouri would not suffer a dramatic loss in academic prestige with an SEC move."
Are you serious? Was this report written dripping with understatement and irony, in Crayons, or just simply by a bunch of incompetents? As even the most partisan of websites, mizzou2sec.com, outlines in its factual argument, you have to go through 6 schools in the SEC (and only 2 Big 12 members), based on US News & World Report rankings before stumbling upon the Columbia Tigers. Maybe us SEC folks ain't too good at math, but even I end up using two hands to count that one out. Missouri would probably sell themselves to the next conference a-callin' twice as fast if they could even sniff the academic prestige of Auburn.
All I have to say is thank God there are some current SEC schools standing firm against adding another bunch of Tigers (and another Columbia) to the SEC. (And I'll spontaneously combust before someone convinces me that Dr. Michael Adams stands on the 'con' side of this argument).
I don't care how anyone slices and dices a map with lines, there's a cultural, moral and traditions divide that will never be bridged if Missouri joins the SEC. The SEC is kind of a big deal and not used to picking up the conference scraps for a simple short-term fling. It's nothing personal Missouri, really; we just aren't big fans of condescending, underachieving Midwesterners who wear t-shirts to football games.
Don't worry Missouri, don't keep desperately wanting; I'm sure the B1G will be around in a few minutes...
Monday, October 10, 2011
Too Much for UT
Another satisfying victory for the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday night. Like many others have written, it was certainly one of the most unusual games I have ever witnessed. From long possessions that resulted in few points to the 3rd and 56, just a strange game. But, this game felt a lot like the last few games for the Dawgs, in that the school remained somewhat close but the final outcome was never really in doubt. Here's my thoughts on this week's game:
The kind of bads (there were no real "bads" this week)
- Murray is still on his deep balls. Now, we can forgive because he was able to hit Mitchell deep twice, but he over shot TK twice wide open in the first half. If he hits other of those two passes, this game would not have been close.
- Mike Bobo, here's a little lesson: Calling a QB draw on third down once = Brilliant. Calling a QB draw again on third down later on the drive = Dumb. Also, Orson Charles is a mismatch, all the time. Just throw him the ball.
- Letting Simms complete that pass to the 1 on fourth and long. We had been pressuring his the two plays before, why we suddenly decided not to bring pressure on third and long is beyond me.
- The penalty marathon. It was horrible. From first down at the 23 and a sure fire 3 score lead to punting from around our own thirty. It did not matter here, but we can't waste good field position. This is why we continue to not put teams away when we clearly have the opportunity to.
- Injuries - Thank god it is just Vandy and the bye week coming up. We need Malcom Mitchell and IC healthy to beat Florida.
On to the goods!
- The linebacker play continues to get better each week. Just imagine what it will be like with Ogletree back in there. Gilliard was named SEC defensive player of the week and the Tennessee fans already hate Herrera and he's only a freshman.
- Grantham's D continues to get better each week. And they are mean. We injured their running back and their QB, and I am not sure how Da'Rick survived that brutal hit from Branden Smith.
- If I had to name a defensive MVP this season, it may go to Shawn Williams. Boykin is the best all around player on the defense, Jarvis Jones is an absolute beast, but ever ytime there is a key play, Shawn seems to be there.
- Crowell was pretty banged up, but he stayed in there and made some great runs in the second half. The second touchdown was a thing of beauty. Carlton Thomas continues to impress me as well and I definitely think he should be moved up to #2 on the depth chart.
- Malcom Mitchell is awesome. Great hands, great speed, and good routes. If he doesn't pull the hammy, that is a 93 yard touchdown.
- While Murray is still off, he made some good decisions to tuck and run and only made one bad throw (by my count).
Overall, it was a great night for the Dawgs. They are such a different team than they were 5 weeks ago. I have no crazy expectations of Georgia running the table, but I expect we will at least win a share of the SEC East title this year (even if we don't get the honor of getting smoked by LSU or Alabama). Saturday we go for the sweep of the state of Tennessee and then a much needed week to recover for the Gators. I'll have my mid season assessment of the team up on the blog later this week.
The kind of bads (there were no real "bads" this week)
- Murray is still on his deep balls. Now, we can forgive because he was able to hit Mitchell deep twice, but he over shot TK twice wide open in the first half. If he hits other of those two passes, this game would not have been close.
- Mike Bobo, here's a little lesson: Calling a QB draw on third down once = Brilliant. Calling a QB draw again on third down later on the drive = Dumb. Also, Orson Charles is a mismatch, all the time. Just throw him the ball.
- Letting Simms complete that pass to the 1 on fourth and long. We had been pressuring his the two plays before, why we suddenly decided not to bring pressure on third and long is beyond me.
- The penalty marathon. It was horrible. From first down at the 23 and a sure fire 3 score lead to punting from around our own thirty. It did not matter here, but we can't waste good field position. This is why we continue to not put teams away when we clearly have the opportunity to.
- Injuries - Thank god it is just Vandy and the bye week coming up. We need Malcom Mitchell and IC healthy to beat Florida.
On to the goods!
- The linebacker play continues to get better each week. Just imagine what it will be like with Ogletree back in there. Gilliard was named SEC defensive player of the week and the Tennessee fans already hate Herrera and he's only a freshman.
- Grantham's D continues to get better each week. And they are mean. We injured their running back and their QB, and I am not sure how Da'Rick survived that brutal hit from Branden Smith.
- If I had to name a defensive MVP this season, it may go to Shawn Williams. Boykin is the best all around player on the defense, Jarvis Jones is an absolute beast, but ever ytime there is a key play, Shawn seems to be there.
- Crowell was pretty banged up, but he stayed in there and made some great runs in the second half. The second touchdown was a thing of beauty. Carlton Thomas continues to impress me as well and I definitely think he should be moved up to #2 on the depth chart.
- Malcom Mitchell is awesome. Great hands, great speed, and good routes. If he doesn't pull the hammy, that is a 93 yard touchdown.
- While Murray is still off, he made some good decisions to tuck and run and only made one bad throw (by my count).
Overall, it was a great night for the Dawgs. They are such a different team than they were 5 weeks ago. I have no crazy expectations of Georgia running the table, but I expect we will at least win a share of the SEC East title this year (even if we don't get the honor of getting smoked by LSU or Alabama). Saturday we go for the sweep of the state of Tennessee and then a much needed week to recover for the Gators. I'll have my mid season assessment of the team up on the blog later this week.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Tennessee Prediction
The question for the Georgia Bulldogs this week is do they continue to climb the mountain back towards national prominence or do they fall all the way down Rocky Top back to mediocrity. Predictions have been across the board and with the Vegas line at only a 1.5 point Georgia favorite, it appears this game is a toss up.
I think Georgia has come a long way from the sad looking team we saw in the Dome to start the season. The defense has played at a such high level that I cannot see a Volunteer team that is so one dimensional putting up a lot of points. That being said, this will be a night game on the road in Neyland. I think the Dawgs come out with a win here, but it will be close until the end.
Georgia 27, Tennessee 17
I think Georgia has come a long way from the sad looking team we saw in the Dome to start the season. The defense has played at a such high level that I cannot see a Volunteer team that is so one dimensional putting up a lot of points. That being said, this will be a night game on the road in Neyland. I think the Dawgs come out with a win here, but it will be close until the end.
Georgia 27, Tennessee 17
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Rocky Top Tumble
Last week, I wrote about the importance of the Mississippi State game and how it could be the key to a successful season for Georgia. Following the Dawgs two touchdown victory over the West Bulldogs, Georgia will travel to Knoxville to take on Derek Dooley's Tennessee Volunteers. Thanks to losses by Florida and South Carolina on Saturday, Georgia is now tied for first place in the SEC East. But in recent years, the trip to Knoxville has not been a kind one for Georgia.
2009 was an absolute disaster. Once erratic Jonathan Crompton looked like a Heisman Trophy winner and the only Georgia offense came from Brandon Boykin. But that was not a good Georgia team. Two years earlier, Georgia lost 35-14 to Tennessee in a game that was no where near that close. The game ended up being the deciding factor in keeping the Dawgs out of the SEC Championship and ultimately out of the national championship game.
The last victory for Georgia in Knoxville came in 2005, when DJ Shockley and Thomas Flowers played key roles. Georgia totally dominated Tennessee last year, but that was before Tyler Bray became the quarterback. And maybe we are to blame for eventually taking the job. Late in the game last year, Bray took over for Matt Simms and promptly went 8 of 12 for 81 yards. He gradually saw more playing time and eventually took over the starting job.
And while Bray is off to a fast start this year, don't forget that Tennessee has played arguably the easiest schedule in the SEC so far. They lost their only meaningful game so far to Florida and lost their best player (Justin Hunter) to a season ending injury. They are incredibly thin on both lines and running back Tauren Poole only averages 4.5 yards a carry despite the poor competition they have faced.
The key for Georgia this weekend is to continue to play the way that has brought them success the last three weeks. Solid defense and ball control offense should limit the time that Bray has to throw to Da'Rick. If the Dawgs can stay grounded, they will find themselves at 4-2 with Vandy and a bye week coming before Florida. Otherwise, it is going to be one hell of a rough fall down the mountain to 3-3.
2009 was an absolute disaster. Once erratic Jonathan Crompton looked like a Heisman Trophy winner and the only Georgia offense came from Brandon Boykin. But that was not a good Georgia team. Two years earlier, Georgia lost 35-14 to Tennessee in a game that was no where near that close. The game ended up being the deciding factor in keeping the Dawgs out of the SEC Championship and ultimately out of the national championship game.
The last victory for Georgia in Knoxville came in 2005, when DJ Shockley and Thomas Flowers played key roles. Georgia totally dominated Tennessee last year, but that was before Tyler Bray became the quarterback. And maybe we are to blame for eventually taking the job. Late in the game last year, Bray took over for Matt Simms and promptly went 8 of 12 for 81 yards. He gradually saw more playing time and eventually took over the starting job.
And while Bray is off to a fast start this year, don't forget that Tennessee has played arguably the easiest schedule in the SEC so far. They lost their only meaningful game so far to Florida and lost their best player (Justin Hunter) to a season ending injury. They are incredibly thin on both lines and running back Tauren Poole only averages 4.5 yards a carry despite the poor competition they have faced.
The key for Georgia this weekend is to continue to play the way that has brought them success the last three weeks. Solid defense and ball control offense should limit the time that Bray has to throw to Da'Rick. If the Dawgs can stay grounded, they will find themselves at 4-2 with Vandy and a bye week coming before Florida. Otherwise, it is going to be one hell of a rough fall down the mountain to 3-3.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Thoughts on Mississippi State
DE-FENSE (stomp, stomp) DE-FENSE (stomp, stomp)!
Wow. For all the issues Georgia may have on offense and special teams, the defense has surely made up for them. For three straight weeks, the Georgia defense has been absolutely dominant to the point where the offense knows it doesn't need to continue scoring points to win. At no point in the game after Georgia held state to a field goal to make the score 7-3 did I feel Georgia was in trouble. Todd Grantham's system is finally paying off and it makes me excited to see how the rest of the year goes. Here are my thoughts on the game from Saturday and what's coming next.
- Pressure was coming from the linebackers all day long. Jarvis Jones notched a pair of sacks and has clearly proven why he was a 5 star recruit out of high school. Cornelius Washington had the best game of his career, but of course he had to go out and do something stupid and get suspended. Hopefully this opens the door for the Pastor of Disaster to finally make his impact.
- What a difference having a true nose tackle makes. Having Geathers and Jenkins in the middle makes Abry Jones and Deangelo Tyson awesome. Speaking of Jenkins, he finally made his first big play at Georgia. I loved seeing him sling Perkins around like he was nothing.
- Amarlo Herrera has done an admirable job filling in but I was very glad to see Christian Robinson back in the lineup. He had a nice pass break up on a key third down that most players would not have made.
- The secondary coverage has been great. Now, if we just learn to actually catch those interceptions before we run for the TD, we'd be awesome. I counted three for sure pick sixes we dropped.
- Blair Walsh...ugh. I know a lot of these misses are from almost 50, but that last miss was BAD.
- Aaron Murray was up and down again. He had some nice throws but all three picks were bad. The passing game plan sucked in my opinion.
- Speaking of the play calling, why the hell was Murray throwing with the Dawgs up 21 on a first down inside MSU territory with 8 minutes on the clock. I know it was first and 18, but three more runs would have ran another two minutes off the clock. You pin them back deep and make them go the length of the field three times in 6 minutes instead of risking them getting the free touchdown. The other part of the offensive game plan I did not like is the complete lack of throws downfield. We went deep once (the incompletion to Bennett) and that was it.
- Orson Charles is in full beast mode. No linebacker in the SEC can cover him one on one (well, no linebacker currently on Georgia's schedule anyway).
- Crowell looked great in the first, not so much in the second. But the blocking was also much worse in the second half as MSU definitely made adjustments to clamp down Georgia's running attack outside the tackles. FWIW, I thought Crowell stayed in bounds from what I saw on the replay.
- Malcom Mitchell is only a freshman. I repeat, only a freshman. This kid is good.
Overall, another solid win over an SEC opponent. I said this to some friends the other night, but this season is starting to feel a lot like the 2003 team. A solid defense that keeps the team winning despite inconsistency on offense. Don't forget that Georgia's leading rushed in 2003 was Michael Cooper and David Greene only had 13 touchdowns to go with 11 interceptions. But that team found its way to the SEC Championship game and finished #7 in the country. The Dawgs are set up for similar results. A win over Rocky Top would continue to build this strong momentum as we get closer to the game that will most likely decide the SEC East, the Cocktail Party in Jacksonville.
GO DAWGS!!!
Wow. For all the issues Georgia may have on offense and special teams, the defense has surely made up for them. For three straight weeks, the Georgia defense has been absolutely dominant to the point where the offense knows it doesn't need to continue scoring points to win. At no point in the game after Georgia held state to a field goal to make the score 7-3 did I feel Georgia was in trouble. Todd Grantham's system is finally paying off and it makes me excited to see how the rest of the year goes. Here are my thoughts on the game from Saturday and what's coming next.
- Pressure was coming from the linebackers all day long. Jarvis Jones notched a pair of sacks and has clearly proven why he was a 5 star recruit out of high school. Cornelius Washington had the best game of his career, but of course he had to go out and do something stupid and get suspended. Hopefully this opens the door for the Pastor of Disaster to finally make his impact.
- What a difference having a true nose tackle makes. Having Geathers and Jenkins in the middle makes Abry Jones and Deangelo Tyson awesome. Speaking of Jenkins, he finally made his first big play at Georgia. I loved seeing him sling Perkins around like he was nothing.
- Amarlo Herrera has done an admirable job filling in but I was very glad to see Christian Robinson back in the lineup. He had a nice pass break up on a key third down that most players would not have made.
- The secondary coverage has been great. Now, if we just learn to actually catch those interceptions before we run for the TD, we'd be awesome. I counted three for sure pick sixes we dropped.
- Blair Walsh...ugh. I know a lot of these misses are from almost 50, but that last miss was BAD.
- Aaron Murray was up and down again. He had some nice throws but all three picks were bad. The passing game plan sucked in my opinion.
- Speaking of the play calling, why the hell was Murray throwing with the Dawgs up 21 on a first down inside MSU territory with 8 minutes on the clock. I know it was first and 18, but three more runs would have ran another two minutes off the clock. You pin them back deep and make them go the length of the field three times in 6 minutes instead of risking them getting the free touchdown. The other part of the offensive game plan I did not like is the complete lack of throws downfield. We went deep once (the incompletion to Bennett) and that was it.
- Orson Charles is in full beast mode. No linebacker in the SEC can cover him one on one (well, no linebacker currently on Georgia's schedule anyway).
- Crowell looked great in the first, not so much in the second. But the blocking was also much worse in the second half as MSU definitely made adjustments to clamp down Georgia's running attack outside the tackles. FWIW, I thought Crowell stayed in bounds from what I saw on the replay.
- Malcom Mitchell is only a freshman. I repeat, only a freshman. This kid is good.
Overall, another solid win over an SEC opponent. I said this to some friends the other night, but this season is starting to feel a lot like the 2003 team. A solid defense that keeps the team winning despite inconsistency on offense. Don't forget that Georgia's leading rushed in 2003 was Michael Cooper and David Greene only had 13 touchdowns to go with 11 interceptions. But that team found its way to the SEC Championship game and finished #7 in the country. The Dawgs are set up for similar results. A win over Rocky Top would continue to build this strong momentum as we get closer to the game that will most likely decide the SEC East, the Cocktail Party in Jacksonville.
GO DAWGS!!!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
The Unshocking News of the Day: Ken Malcome Comes Back
Ken Malcome has decided to rethink his decision to transfer and has returned to the Georgia football team. When the news broke yesterday, I did not write anything because I honestly felt he would be back. He is a redshirt freshman who is currently stuck on the bench behind a true freshman, a converted linebacker, and two guys shorted than Prince Miller was. I can't blame him for being disappointed.
But I had a feeling he would change his mind. I am sure he got calls from his teammates and parents and asked him to really think about what he was doing. Yes, he may be back on the depth chart now, but Samuel and Thomas are juniors who will be gone after next season. Crowell will be the feature back, but even when we had Knowshon, Thomas Brown and Caleb King got a good number of carries.
Can I honestly say I expect Malcome to complete his remain eligibility at Georgia? Right now, the answer is no. But he will be with the team at least the remainder of this season.
But I had a feeling he would change his mind. I am sure he got calls from his teammates and parents and asked him to really think about what he was doing. Yes, he may be back on the depth chart now, but Samuel and Thomas are juniors who will be gone after next season. Crowell will be the feature back, but even when we had Knowshon, Thomas Brown and Caleb King got a good number of carries.
Can I honestly say I expect Malcome to complete his remain eligibility at Georgia? Right now, the answer is no. But he will be with the team at least the remainder of this season.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
How Important is the Mississippi State Game?
My simple answer is that this is the most important game left on Georgia's schedule. While all of the big rivalry games remain on the schedule, they will have no added story lines unless the Dawgs beat the Dogs on Saturday. Walk with me.
A Georgia win means the Dawgs will be back over .500 in the SEC for the first time since early in the season in 2009. This will be Georgia's last home game for over a month, so now is the last chance to have the home crowd help the Dawgs build the confidence they need to compete in Jacksonville. The next two games are in the state of Tennessee against clubs that Georgia should be favored to beat.
Tennessee is still a very young team that lost its best offensive player (Justin Hunter) to injury. They put up impressive numbers against lesser schools to start the season, but against Florida they looked like the young team that they are. For Georgia, this game will not be easy to win, but coming into Neyland with a winning record should give them the extra boost of confidence needed to pull out the victory.
The next week is Vanderbilt, a team that many people think are much improved. But last Saturday night, Vanderbilt could not take advantage of 4 Stephen Garcia interceptions andcould only score 3 points on a South Carolina team that Georgia put up 42 on. This may not be the 40 something to nothing blowout like it was last year, but the Dawgs should win.
If all this shakes out, Georgia could find itself at 5-2 heading into the off week. With both losses coming against top 15 teams, they most certainly will be back in the national rankings. Florida is always tough and this year will be no exception. But knowing that a win the next week over New Mexico State will secure a bowl birth again should take some of the pressure off the Dawgs.
But none of this happens without a win Saturday. A loss on Saturday means a losing record heading into a month away from home.
Do you honestly think Coach Richt would survive coming home from Jacksonville with a 3-5 record and Auburn and Tech still left on the schedule? I don't think so.
A Georgia win means the Dawgs will be back over .500 in the SEC for the first time since early in the season in 2009. This will be Georgia's last home game for over a month, so now is the last chance to have the home crowd help the Dawgs build the confidence they need to compete in Jacksonville. The next two games are in the state of Tennessee against clubs that Georgia should be favored to beat.
Tennessee is still a very young team that lost its best offensive player (Justin Hunter) to injury. They put up impressive numbers against lesser schools to start the season, but against Florida they looked like the young team that they are. For Georgia, this game will not be easy to win, but coming into Neyland with a winning record should give them the extra boost of confidence needed to pull out the victory.
The next week is Vanderbilt, a team that many people think are much improved. But last Saturday night, Vanderbilt could not take advantage of 4 Stephen Garcia interceptions andcould only score 3 points on a South Carolina team that Georgia put up 42 on. This may not be the 40 something to nothing blowout like it was last year, but the Dawgs should win.
If all this shakes out, Georgia could find itself at 5-2 heading into the off week. With both losses coming against top 15 teams, they most certainly will be back in the national rankings. Florida is always tough and this year will be no exception. But knowing that a win the next week over New Mexico State will secure a bowl birth again should take some of the pressure off the Dawgs.
But none of this happens without a win Saturday. A loss on Saturday means a losing record heading into a month away from home.
Do you honestly think Coach Richt would survive coming home from Jacksonville with a 3-5 record and Auburn and Tech still left on the schedule? I don't think so.
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