Taking stock of who’s out and who’s back as Georgia begins a four-game stretch away from home…

Offense

QB: No issues.

RB/FB: No issues.

WR: Tony Wilson is out for the year. Kris Durham is probable.

TE: All three active tight ends are injured to some degree. Tripp Chandler is working back from an injury and might play at LSU. Aron White is likely out for LSU. Bruce Figgins is playing through a shoulder injury that will require surgery.

OL: Vince Vance, Trinton Sturdivant, and Chris Little are out for the season. Chris Davis is playing through a hip injury.

Defense

DE: Jeremy Lomax is playing through turf toe.

DT: Jeff Owens is out for the season. Brandon Wood is suspended. Kade Weston is possible for LSU.

LB: Charles White, Marcus Washington, and Akeem Hebron are out for the season. Dannell Ellerbe is possible for LSU.

CB: No issues.

S: Quintin Banks is out with a knee injury.

Georgia Southern (3-3) —

Central Michigan (4-2): CMU got by Temple and remain undefeated against opponents outside of BCS conferences. Now they get a Toledo team that won at Michigan last week. The Chippewas are winning, but their offense isn’t really lighting people up anymore. THIS WEEK: @ Toledo

South Carolina (5-2): Don’t look now, but the Gamecocks are 5-2. Losses to Georgia and Vandy had them reeling a bit in September, but a pair of nice SEC road wins have contributed to a four-game winning streak. The quarterback shuffle continues; now it’s Stephen Garcia’s turn to start under center. A primetime home game against LSU is their opportunity to get back into the SEC picture. THIS WEEK: LSU

Arizona State (2-4): The good news is that the toughest part of the schedule is past, but the bad news is the damage it did to the program. The Sun Devils haven’t won since the second week of the season. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that two of the four losses were out of conference, so they can still make some noise in the Pac-10. They have a bye week to rest up, regroup, and try to salvage the season. Will two weeks be enough time to heal Rudy Carpenter’s ankle? THIS WEEK: BYE

Alabama (6-0): The bye week has come and gone for Alabama, and they got a chance to enjoy the unique experience of being jumped over for the #1 ranking. No worries, though. As the second half of the season begins, Alabama has to keep from being publicly giddy about how the remaining schedule has opened up for them. Traditional rivals Tennessee and Auburn are reeling. The only challenger for SEC West superiority, LSU, showed more than a little vulnerability last week. College football has a harsh way of making questions like this seem silly, but is LSU the only team left with a shot of derailing Bama in the regular season? THIS WEEK: Ole Miss

Tennessee (2-4): You know, Nick Stephens isn’t that bad, but the bread-and-butter of Tennessee football has been and should be the run. It’s amazing to me that quality backs like Foster and Hardesty can’t get much behind a veteran offensive line. Stars on defense like Ayers and Berry aren’t enough to cover for a weaker-than-usual supporting cast. Watching Georgia drive for ten minutes behind a piecemeal offensive line to seal last week’s game went against everything you thought you knew about Tennessee football. There’s no looking ahead to Alabama – the Vols are still looking for an SEC win, and MSU will do everything they can to make it close and ugly as usual. THIS WEEK: Mississippi State

Vanderbilt (5-1): The perfect start to the season is over, and now Vandy has to be looking at the schedule wondering where win #6 will come from. There’s a "new" quarterback who has posted points against the Dawgs, but Vandy’s lack of production on offense go deeper than the QB. It also isn’t a good sign that the SEC’s #10 rushing defense has to go up against Knowshon Moreno. Two years ago turnovers turned a comfortable Georgia halftime lead into a shocking upset. Can Vandy count on that happening again? THIS WEEK: @ Georgia

LSU (4-1): We can empathize with LSU. Two weeks ago, Georgia was the team who had to convince everyone that they weren’t as bad as their last game showed. Now it’s LSU’s turn, and not many teams will have the speed to shred LSU the way Florida did. They’ll have a tough job of getting back off the mat on the road against a South Carolina team regaining a bit of confidence. If LSU can’t move the ball against a tough Gamecock defense, this could be a close low-scoring game. THIS WEEK: @ South Carolina

Florida (5-1): Wow. It’s almost as if the Ole Miss game never happened. The Gators put it all together against LSU, and the results were impressive. Now they get the bye week to feel good about themselves, but the challenge will be sustaining that level of play through the bye and on into next week’s Kentucky game. As impressive as the offense was, let’s not overlook that Florida is #2 in the SEC in scoring defense at the midway point. I don’t know if that’ll hold up, but it’s hard not to give them their due. THIS WEEK: BYE

Kentucky (4-2): Last week everyone was patting Kentucky on the head for a nice effort in a loss at Alabama. That’s not the case this week. The Cats had every chance to put South Carolina away in the first half and couldn’t. It turned into a sloppy, unnecessary loss, and it – for now – flipped the fortunes of those two programs. Now the Cats have to deal with an Arkansas program feeling pretty good about themselves, and Kentucky will also have to play the rest of the season without playmaker Dicky Lyons Jr. THIS WEEK: South Carolina

Auburn (4-3): Tommy Tuberville got asked this question this week (h/t EDSBS): "What’s it been like for you guys being kind of passed by Alabama as the top team in the state?" Again, just because of questions like that, nothing would be funnier than to see Auburn find a way to extend the streak this year, especially if Bama comes in 11-0. THIS WEEK: BYE

Georgia Tech (5-1): Although they’re not beating the likes of Hawaii, I guess it’s a credit to Tech that they keep winning, and a lot of their remaining games seem, well, winnable. Carolina’s star is out for the year. FSU and Miami are average, and if Tech can prove to be above average, I guess that’s saying something relative to expectations for this year. Now Tech gets Clemson in the first post-Bowden game, and who knows what to expect? THIS WEEK: @ what’s left of Clemson

Several Bulldogs will have the opportunity to enter the 2009 NFL draft as underclassmen, but it sure sounds like Geno Atkins won’t be among those leaving early.

Loran Smith reports that Atkins’ mother Sandra is clear about her preference. “I told him I wanted to come to the senior banquet, and I want to walk on that field on senior day when he is recognized when he plays his last game in Sanford Stadium,” she said.

Back in August, Matthew Stafford laid out some ambitious personal goals for the 2008 season. Now that half the season is in the books, we’ll take a peek at how he’s coming along.

Goal: 35 TD
So far: 8 TD
Projected*: 16 TD
Comment: Not gonna happen. Even the Richt-era record of 24 set by Shockley in 2005 seems out of reach at this point. This isn’t a problem indicator; the SEC leaders only have 10 TD each, and the running game has been doing a great job of getting in the endzone. If Stafford can get to 20 TD on the season, I’ll be thrilled.

Goal: 3,700 – 4,000 yards passing
So far: 1503 yards
Projected*: 3000 yards
Comment: It’s probably not going to happen without a huge increase in production. Stafford did just post his first career 300-yard game. Even if Stafford averages 300 YPG the rest of the way, he’ll be at 3,300 yards heading into the postseason. That would put him in a position to beat Greene’s Richt-era record of 3,307 yards. If Stafford can average 250 YPG in the remaining six games, the SEC Championship, and the bowl, he’ll be in a position to challenge Eric Zeier’s all-time Georgia mark of just over 3,500 yards.

Goal: 64% completion rate
So far: 61.7%
Projected*: 61.7%
Comment: This goal is still very much within reach. Stafford has already improved his percentage over last season, and he just completed 69% of his passes against Tennessee. By completing just another couple of passes per game, he can get to 64%.

* – Projections are based on doubling the production so far. Yes, Georgia will likely face much better defenses the rest of the way. Production could also vary based on injuries and improvement. If my projections don’t suit you, fill in your own.

You’ve been reading a lot of this kind of sentiment this week. Chip Towers mentioned it earlier in the week. David Hale started a good conversation by noting that the players themselves seemed “reserved” during this game week.

OK, I sense it too. People are dragging. I admit that instead of wanting to get right back after it following the Alabama game, I was grateful for the bye week. The Arizona trip took a lot out of me personally, and it was even an adjustment for the players and coaches. Maybe we’re all still just shaking it off.

Anyway, it’s pretty clear that both the fans and team need something good to happen to snap them out of it. A win is what we’re after, but what’s really needed is that same energy and enthusiasm the fans and team had in Tempe. If you had to look to one guy to deliver that energizing bolt, I can’t think of anyone better than Knowshon Moreno. A highlight-reel run early in the game from the player who challenges physics with his perpetual energy would be the wake-up call we’ve been needing since late September.

Who, me?

If you want a stat to watch Saturday, Tennessee is last in the SEC in first downs generated. They’re next-to-last in third down percentage. The Vols are averaging fewer than 16 first downs per game. Alabama had five on their first drive against Georgia alone. I’m not as big of a detractor when it comes to the Georgia defensive coaches and scheme as others, but Georgia’s not likely to see a better chance of putting up some three-and-outs. If the Vols show the ability to drive and convert third downs early, Georgia’s in trouble.

I’m disappointed that Walter Hill had to be dismissed from the football team, but another Georgia coach is probably thinking he dodged a bullet. Hill was not only a football standout at East Hall; he was also recruited for basketball and had to choose between the two sports. Richt’s dismissal of Hill made the news of course, but imagine how many hand-wringing columns we’d be subjected to if Hill were the latest player dismissed by Dennis Felton.

The folks in Tuscaloosa are no doubt enjoying yesterday’s news from Auburn, but I can’t help but think back to Gameday at Alabama last September and all of the signs making light of Auburn’s slow start. Wouldn’t it be hilarious if after all this Auburn managed to extend the streak for one more year?

I’ll be disappointed in the Georgia student section if there’s not at least one pterodactyl reference on Saturday. Maybe the guys who paint themselves can spell out Veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek along the front row.

Knowshon Moreno was held to 30 yards in Knoxville last year, and he put up just 34 against Alabama two weeks ago. Quick starts by opponents in both of those games did the job of taking Georgia’s running game out of the picture. Nothing would make me happier Saturday than an opening drive by Georgia similar to what we saw in Jacksonville last year.

Nice – reporting the firing of Tony Franklin wasn’t enough; the Auburn media had to channel their inner TMZ and circle around while he cleaned out his office.

There are several challenges on defense this week. The loss of Ellerbe is high on the list. I’d also like to see a good game from Rashad Jones. Eric Berry is the star in the UT secondary, but Jones was just as big of a prospect. He’s shown us glimpes of great athleticism at times, but he’s nowhere near the consistent menace that Georgia needs patrolling the middle of the field. An inexperienced sophomore QB making his first road start should be like blood in the water to the Georgia secondary, but it’ll take better safety play to take advantage of the opportunity.

What happened to the Tennessee offensive line? This was supposed to be one of the more veteran lines in the SEC, and it should be one of the bigger advantages for UT on Saturday. The results so far though haven’t been all that good, and they’ve given up just one fewer sack than Georgia’s young patchwork line. They’ve been unable to get the running game going. Maybe I’m still stung from seeing Foster and Hardesty drag Georgia defenders around last year to the tune of 190 rushing yards, but I’m still concerned about this matchup whether or not Rod Battle is able to go for Georgia.

First, go read this post by David Hale. It’s one man’s opinion, but he’s at practice, speaks with the players and coaches, and his take seems reasonable even if it raises some unpleasant questions.

This is the part that stood out to me:

I think this speaks to a real issue for the Bulldogs. Mark Richt has often said that if a team is coach-driven, it is destined to fail. If it’s player-driven, you have a much better shot at winning. It sounds like Georgia has been pretty coach-driven so far this year.

It’s something that I’ve been wondering about since the Alabama game. At some point during the 31-point meltdown in the first half, you’d hope or expect someone on the sideline would start lighting a fire under his teammates. Those with better seats than mine have said it didn’t happen, and Hale’s cautious observation that "there just aren’t a lot of loud voices coming from the players" doesn’t do much to convince me otherwise.

Leadership is more than ranting and raving of course; he who screams loudest and throws the most chairs isn’t necessarily your best leader. Leadership-by-example is nice too, but it’s overrated. You can play your tail off and still be a Class A jerk whom no one wants to follow.

While I was thinking about this very thing last week, a single quote from last season came right to mind.

"Coach, you are the key. You have got to keep it going."

It’s a quote from an anonymous player during halftime of last season’s Florida game. Mark Richt "was whipped" – exhausted – after an emotional first half, but the players were feeding on his energy and needed him to sustain it as long as he could if they were going to finish the job.

Mark Richt’s conscious transformation last season was one of the highlights of Georgia’s 2007 campaign. It was refreshing, entertaining, and – most of all – necessary. It grew from a reaction to the lack of energy and enthusiasm he sensed during the ugly loss at Tennessee. The players loved it, the fans loved it, and Georgia ripped off seven straight wins to end the season.

But here we are now on the eve of another game with Tennessee, and the leadership question has reared its head again. While no one has grounds to complain about the results after Richt stepped into the leadership void last season, I have to ask whether the players are still stuck waiting for Richt to be the one who does something.

Rennie Curran spoke in depth about accountability and how players have been slow to claim the leadership roles that should belong to them. "Somebody will make a penalty or somebody won’t make a play, and it’s kind of like we just let it slide by, nobody will say anything," Curran said. The good news is that Curran claims that the team has improved in this area over the bye week. Still, is it something that we can expect to get fixed in two weeks? A team’s chemistry and leadership – especially among the players – is forged year-round, and it’s just as important in July as it is in October.

There will be some who take the comments of Curran and others and conclude that Georgia is adrift, not watching film at all, and completely unprepared to play. Let’s not go down that road – this is a very good team, they’ve already won some quality games, and they have a very solid staff who knew to push these buttons over the bye week. Curran and Lomax are among those who have recognized a problem, and at least they’re attacking it now while the season’s goals are still very much within reach.

pwd has good thoughts up about the uncertainty surrounding the Vandy kickoff time. At this point, it seems to be between ESPN at 8:00 p.m. and Raycom at 12:30 p.m..

The decision is ESPN’s, but that doesn’t mean UGA won’t have input. As Paul notes, pressure to select UGA for the earlier kickoff will come from several directions. Any other game and I might give the 8:00 kickoff a shot even with the administration’s distaste for night games, but with Homecoming in the balance I don’t see it.

Basically, you don’t ask these people to be at a game that ends after 11:30 p.m. That’s not a shot – a late night is a real consideration for many fans, and Homecoming is the one game where those considerations weigh more than they usually do. There are pregame and postgame events scheduled (and prepaid) that involve everyone from individual fans to Greeks to entire schools of the University.

It’s going to be a big game, and the need for a great home crowd can’t be understated. Unfortunately that’s not exactly the hallmark of a typical Homecoming crowd. The question is to what extent the administration will allow that typically casual Homecoming day to be altered to serve the team’s need for a crowd that’s involved in the game. Let’s just say that I’ll be pleasantly shocked if that happens.

Georgia Southern (3-3) —

Central Michigan (3-2): CMU had a heartbreaking loss to Purdue that many of us watched in Tempe, but the Chippewas have won a pair of MAC games by the skin of their teeth to remain undefeated in conference. They return from a bye week to host an improved Temple. THIS WEEK: Temple

South Carolina (4-2): After some ugly home wins against Wofford and UAB, quarterback Chris Smelley stepped up and led the Gamecocks to a nice 31-24 road win at Ole Miss. That improved passing attack will get a big test this week in Lexington as they’ll face a Kentucky defense that was effective against Alabama. THIS WEEK: @ Kentucky

Arizona State (2-3): A blocked field goal against UNLV started ASU on a three-game losing streak, and now Rudy Carpenter is injured and questionable. The good news? There is none. This weekend’s trip to USC was billed preseason as a possible Pac-10 title game between last season’s co-champions, but the Trojans are now 25-point favorites. A likely loss at Southern Cal will have the Sun Devils at 2-4, 1-2 in the Pac-10, and playing out the rest of the season hoping for a bowl of some significance. THIS WEEK: @ Southern Cal

Alabama (6-0): And after the sixth win, they rested. Bama got a small scare from Kentucky last week, but the game wasn’t that close. Alabama’s defense was as good as it’s been all year, and they THIS WEEK: BYE

Tennessee (2-3): Jonathan Crompton has given way to Nick Stephens, and the sophomore will make his first road start at Georgia. THIS WEEK: @ Georgia

Vanderbilt (5-0): The fact that Vandy is a significant road favorite for an SEC game this week pretty much says it all. They’re winning ugly, but they’re winning, and every week we get another one of these "first 3-0 SEC start since the Reformation" milestones. Mississippi State has had a rough go of it so far, but they did put up a respectable result against LSU. Will they make the mistakes on which Vandy has feasted in the rest of their conference wins? Just wrap your head around an SEC road game being called a possible "trap" game for the Commodores. Will they have to go to the second-string QB for the third straight game? THIS WEEK: @ Mississippi State

LSU (4-0): Maybe it was the weather screwing around with their September schedule, but considering that they’re the defending national champion and in the Top 5, isn’t it odd how under the radar LSU seems at this point in the season? Most Georgia fans have seen relatively little of LSU. Their one high-profile game – a thrilling win at Auburn – coincided with our game at Arizona State. Charles Scott has been a consistent rock in the backfield as the new quarterback comes along, and of course the defense is pulling its weight. No more hiding this week; yet another SEC game with national implications takes place in Gainesville. THIS WEEK: @ Florida

Florida (4-1): The Gators once again turned to the model established in the Miami game: get out to a small lead, hold off a lesser opponent with good defense, and pour it on late. They had few problems with Arkansas and are feeling pretty darn good about themselves at the moment. If there was one area of concern, Michael Smith had a nice 133-yard game for Arkansas and was able to find room up the middle several times. The Gators are getting some bodies back to help shore up the interior, but their run defense will get a bigger test against LSU. With a bye week looming, Meyer can afford to pull out all the stops for a very big game. THIS WEEK: LSU

Kentucky (4-1): The Wildcats put up a good showing at Alabama, but the Wildcats continue to have big questions on offense. Two of the best defenses in the SEC go at it this weekend in Lexington, and Kentucky just doesn’t have the firepower to respond if they find themselves down again. You just don’t see a lot of points being scored in this game, but South Carolina’s improvement in the passing game has to worry UK fans in search of the team’s first SEC win. THIS WEEK: South Carolina

Auburn (4-2): Big problems on the Plains. Auburn’s offense can’t get out of first gear, and the defense can only do so much. It looked as if Ben Tate was more than enough to beat Vandy, but he was a non-factor down the stretch. Clearly folks aren’t happy with the Tony Franklin experiment, and things aren’t much more clear than they were last week when everyone declared the spread era over at Auburn. The good news is that most any team can get a feel-good win against Arkansas. I wonder if many Auburn fans will look across the sideline and wonder what life would have been like had the Petrino deal worked out in 2003. Things are shaky at Auburn but not Arkansas bad. THIS WEEK: Arkansas

Georgia Tech (4-1): Tech continues to put up winning results against some pretty plain competition. Last week the defense held off Duke long enough to get the offense going, and a 3-0 game in the third quarter turned into a 27-0 final. THIS WEEK: Gardner-Webb. Seriously.

It’s bad enough when your team gets it handed to them at home. It’s even worse when that loss possibly cost you a chance to be better in the future.

California prep quarterback Josh Nunes withdrew his commitment from Tennessee after witnessing the home crowd turn on the Vols during their lopsided loss to Florida a few weeks ago. Nunes has now committed to Stanford. He maintains that the crowd reaction wasn’t part of his decision, but Andy Staples’s column sheds a little more light there.

Meanwhile, Georgia fans are getting praise for how they handled the 31-0 halftime deficit.

But what shocked me more was the dialogue that was occurring between the Georgia announcers. They were talking about the standing ovations that the Georgia fans were giving the team as they went into and came out of the halftime locker room. According to one announcer, he had never been so proud of the Georgia fans in all his years of broadcasting Bulldogs games.

I admit that I was waiting to hear a chorus of boos as the halftime whistle sounded. To be sure, there was some booing. But the overall positive reaction of the crowd in Athens was noticed not only by pundits and fans of other schools but also by some very important prospects that were in town.

“Even when Georgia got down, they stayed with them,” said Florida athlete Denard Robinson.

“The fans were great the whole time,” said defensive end Neiron Ball. “They stayed around, they kept supporting their team, and I really liked that.”

Georgia’s own high-profile quarterback commitment, Aaron Murray, was on campus along with teammate and tight end prospect Orson Charles. Their experience was also positive.

Look, I’m not going to pretend that Georgia fans are that far away from Tennessee fans. Maybe we were too stunned to boo. We’ve certainly seen our share of ugly behavior at Sanford Stadium, and many of us can recall that the reaction at the 1999 Auburn game (after a very similar first half) probably cost us any chance with Jason Campbell.

For one night though, Georgia fans did their part to keep the damage to the program limited to the field on Saturday night. I was as amazed as anyone at how the fans stayed in the game. When Prince Miller scored, you’d have thought that Georgia had tied it up. It’s unfortunate that the defense couldn’t get a stop after that punt return; instead, Alabama ate up the first five minutes of the 4th quarter and kicked a field goal that put the game away.

Let’s not make a habit of it, though. I don’t know that the Dawgs want to see how far they can push the goodwill of the fans, and another 31-point half most likely wouldn’t get the same response.

A third of the way into the 2008 season, no fewer than five SEC teams considered to be at least marginal contenders for the conference title are facing big questions about their offenses.

Whatever offense Auburn runs, don’t call it the spread. "We don’t run Tony Franklin’s spread offense," coach Tommy Tuberville acknowledged. "You can’t put a square peg in a round hole." Auburn has a quarterback controversy, the spread took a back seat during the Tennessee game, and offensive coordinator Tony Franklin is feeling the heat.

Meanwhile, Tennessee will use this weekend’s game against Northern Illinois to experiment with the quarterback position. Starter Jonathan Crompton hasn’t been playing as well as he practices, and backup Nick Stephens "likely will see playing time" against NIU. Crompton has taken criticism for poor decisions and turnovers, and coordinator Dave Clawson doesn’t exactly give a ringing endorsement. "It’s not like we’re in a rhythm now so it’s not like you’re disrupting something that’s going really well."

Steve Spurrier and staff are "coaching just as hard as we did, you know, 10 years ago, eight years ago," but the struggles of the Gamecock offense relative to a stellar defensive performance to date are raising frustration levels. South Carolina has used three quarterbacks this year, and the starter for Saturday’s trip to Oxford probably won’t be named until Thursday. Spurrier laid into his offense after they failed to light up the scoreboard against a bad UAB team. "I told our guys I don’t see how some of you guys look in the mirror sometimes after the performance you played.," he said. "The effort level and the way they played is sad."

Things aren’t rosy at Georgia either. Injuries are taking their toll especially at tight end where former starting left tackle Kiante Tripp is getting work. Injuries to starter Tripp Chandler and reserve Bruce Figgins have forced the Dawgs to play redshirt freshman Aron White and move Tripp from the offensive line, his second position move in a year. The situation is serious enough that it might even require the Georgia coaches to evaluate the role of the tight end in the offense. In addition to the crisis at tight end, Knowshon Moreno is banged up, receiver Tony Wilson – Georgia’s best blocker on the perimeter – is out for the year, and Kris Durham will miss a few games. At least Brannan Southerland is back.

Even Florida isn’t immune from questions about their offense. Injuries on the offensive line, turnovers, and a critical fourth down failure have resulted in no shortage of suggestions on how to get the Florida offense back to its gaudy greatness. A running game that doesn’t center around Tim Tebow still hasn’t emerged. Let’s bow our heads…

LSU might argue, but is the conference’s best offense currently in Tuscaloosa? It sure looked like it.

Beginning Monday (today) at noon, donors can order tickets to the October 18th Vanderbilt game (which is shaping up to be interesting, to say the least). You have until Wednesday at noon to order. If the Central Michigan game is any indication, any remaining tickets would then be opened up to the general public on Wednesday.

A limited number of tickets to the Georgia vs. Vanderbilt game on Saturday, October 18, will go on sale exclusively to William C. Hartman, Jr. Fund donors beginning Monday, September 29 at Noon. Hartman Fund donors will have until Wednesday, October 1 at Noon to order.

William C. Hartman, Jr. Fund donors will be sent an email at Noon on Monday, September 29, that will feature a direct link to the Gorgia-Vanderbilt ticket sales. The tickets can also be purchased online via the link included on the email or by calling the Athletic Association’s ticket office toll free 1-877-542-1231. There is no limit per order.

These remaining tickets are $45 each plus a processing fee. All orders will be mailed out on Wednesday, October 8.

The University has announced that the Tennessee game will be the 3:30 CBS game on October 11th.

It will be Georgia’s second appearance on CBS this year and the first at Sanford Stadium. CBS broadcasted the 14-7 win over South Carolina.

CBS hasn’t been as kind to Tennessee; they were there for the Vols’ losses to Florida and Auburn. Gary Danielson had better enjoy being elsewhere this weekend.

A lot of people are asking this week how Georgia should attack Alabama’s formidable defensive front. Quinton does a good job of illustrating the importance of winning individual battles in the passing game against the cornerbacks along the sideline. Others like Bruce Feldman place the game on Knowshon’s capable shoulders.

Of course a one-dimensional offense is going to struggle against a defense of any decent quality, so the Dawgs are going to need plays from both the passing game and on the ground. But which is more important? While the best scoring chances might come through the air, Mark Richt’s history against Nick Saban suggests that the margin of victory will be more closely reflected in the rushing totals.

During the 2003 season, Georgia and Saban’s LSU team met twice. Georgia actually passed for more yards than LSU in both games, but LSU came away with both wins. In the first meeting in Baton Rouge, the rushing totals were low and roughly even (105 LSU to 97 UGA), and the game was tight all the way, low-scoring, and decided at the end. The second meeting in Atlanta was all LSU. The Tigers racked up 293 yards on the ground, most of it from Justin Vincent, and the Dawgs eeked out 50 yards rushing. The score was predictably lopsided.

Fast-forward to 2004. Though the story of the day was David Greene’s record-setting five touchdown passes, he only completed ten passes in the game for 172 yards. LSU had more passing yards but lost the game by 29 points. The disparity in the score was again reflected in the rushing yardage – 221 for Georgia to just 67 for LSU.

Just eleven yards of rushing separated Saban’s first Alabama team and Georgia a year ago (164 Bama to 153 Georgia). The result was a score in the 20s with another close finish.

The happiest person over the emergence of A.J. Green has to be Knowshon Moreno. Whether it was defensive fatigue or adjustments to cover Green or some combination of the two, Moreno did most of his damage in the desert after Green had established his presence during that late first half drive. Bama might be tough up front, but the running game cannot be abandoned. Clemson sealed their fate by surrendering way too early to Bama’s run defense, and Georgia can’t get caught in that trap.

Georgia might get their big plays through the air, but the game will be won on the ground. Whether it’s establishing tempo early or keeping control of a lead later in the game, Georgia’s going to have to run the ball one way or the other even if it takes big passing plays to open things up.

Good blocking plus a little Knowshon can get it done.

Last year Alabama defensive end Wallace Gilberry said he had to “know where to send the flowers (to Matthew Stafford) after the game.” I assumed he was asking about sending condolences and not getting to know Stafford socially, but you never know. (By the way, neither Gilberry nor any other Crimson Tide defender registered a sack in the game.)

This year Bama strength coach Scott Cochran is the one talking about funerals (because Georgia’s wearing black! Get it?) in his own colorful language.

Everyone’s going to post this video, so I might as well too. The interesting part is around 1:04, and you need to turn your speakers up to get it.