Glory To Ole Georgia | A Georgia Bulldogs Chise

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Georgia Bulldogs

Console: PS3
Game: NCAA '11
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Glory To Ole Georgia| A Georgia Bulldogs Chise

First season: 1892

Athletic director: Damon Evans

Head coach: Mark Richt

Other staff: Mike Bobo (OC); Todd Grantham (DC)

Home Stadium: Sanford Stadium

Year Built: 1929

Stadium Capacity: 92,746

Location: Athens, GA

Conference: SEC

Division: Eastern

Past Conferences: SIAA (1895-1921), Southern Conference (1921-1932)

All-time Record: 731–389–54 (.646)

Postseason Bowl Record: 26–16–3

Claimed National Titles : 2 (1942, 1980)

Conference Titles : 12

Heisman Winners : 2

Consensus All-Americans : 28


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Uniform Combinations

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Georgia Coaching List

|Name|Seasons|All W/L/T|Win %
25|Mark Richt|2001-present|90-27-0|.769
24|Jim Donnan|1996-2000|40-19-0|.678
23|Ray Goff|1989-1995|46-34-1|.574
22|Vince Dooley|1964-1988|201-77-10|.715
21|Johnny Griffith|1961-1963|10-16-4|.400
20|Wally Butts|1939-1960|140-86-9|.615
19|Joel Hunt|1938|5-4-1|.550
18|Harry Mehre|1928-1937|59-34-6|.626
17|George “Kid” Woodruff|1923-1927|30-16-1|.649
16|Herman Stegeman|1920-1922|20-6-3|.741
15|W. A. Cunningham |1910-1919|43-18-9|.679
13 & 14|James Coulter & Frank Dobson|1909|1-4-2|.286
12|Branch Bocock|1908|5-2-1|.688
11|W. S. Whitney|1906-1907|6-7-2|.467
10|Marvin D. Dickinson|1903, 1905|4-9-0|.308
9|Charles A. Barnard|1904|1-5-0|.167
8|Billy Reynolds|1901-1902|5-7-3|.433
7|E. E. Jones|1900|2-4-0|.333
6|Gordon Saussy|1899|2-3-1|.417
5|Charles McCarthy|1897-1898|6-3-0| .667
4|Glenn “Pop” Warner|1895-1896|7-4-0|.636
3|Robert Winston|1894|5-1-0|.833
2|Ernest Brown| 1893|2-2-1|.500
1|Charles Herty|1892|1-1-0|.500
TOTALS||1892-Present|723-384-34|.649

 

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Coaching Bio: Mark Richt

Quick Facts:

Personal:
Hometown: Boca Raton, Florida
College: University of Miami, '82
Birthdate: February 18, 1960
Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Wife: Katharyn Francis
Children: Jon, David, Zach*, Anya*
*Adopted From Ukraine

Head Coach Mark Richt came to Georgia with the motto, "Finish the drill." After nine seasons between the hedges, he's demonstrated what that means by winning two SEC championships (2002, 2005), three SEC Eastern Division titles and tied for another, and his 90-27 record is third best in the country in winning percentage among active coaches (.769). And his emphasis on graduation has come to fruition as 161 Bulldog players have earned their degrees since December, 2001.

Richt was named SEC Coach of the Year in both 2002 and 2005. His record against non-conference teams is 38-4 and his teams are 33-6 when playing in an opponent's home stadium.

He is one of only nine head coaches in Division 1-A history to record 60 or more wins in his first six and 70 in his first seven seasons, one of only seven to reach 80 wins in his first eight seasons and 90 to win his first nine seasons. Richt is also one of only six coaches in history to win two SEC Championships (2002, 2005) in his first five years, and one of only five head coaches in SEC history to record four straight 10-win seasons (2002-2005).

The excitement produced by Richt's teams on the field has been matched by many other aspects surrounding the program. Richt has generated an atmosphere of excitement and unity among the Georgia faithful.

Richt had a reputation for developing quarterbacks while at Florida State and that has continued at UGA. Among the highlights of his first year was redshirt freshman quarterback David Greene being named SEC Freshmen of the Year after a season in which Greene set the school record for passing yards (2,789) and passing TD's (17) by a freshman. And in 2002, Greene led the SEC in passing efficiency and was the consensus choice for All-SEC first team. By the end of his career, Greene had become the SEC's all-time passing leader (11,528 yards) and set the NCAA Division 1-A record for career victories by a starting QB with 42. D.J. Shockley followed Greene in 2005 and led the SEC in passing efficiency. Matthew Stafford came next (2006-2008) and set the Georgia record for season total offense (3,499 yards) and finished third in career passing yardage (7,731).

The NFL is also known for looking Georgia's way on a regular basis. Forty-six of Richt's players have been chosen in the NFL draft over the last seven years including eight chosen in the 2002 NFL Draft -- the most Georgia players ever selected in a single year.

Inside the Numbers Under Richt

Record (*SEC): 90-27 (52-23)
Home / Away / Neutral: 46-11/ 33-6 / 11-10
Versus Ranked Teams (H/A/N): 8-7 / 10-2 / 9-7
Versus Top 10 Teams (H/A/N): 1-1 / 3-1 / 3-4
Day / Night: 62-18 / 28-9
SEC East / *West / Non-Conference: 22-16 / 23-7 / 39-4
Conference Record (H/A/*N): 22-10 / 26-5 / 4-8
Score First / Opp. Scores First: 63-8 / 19-14
Leading / Trailing / Tied at Half: 63-6 / 16-15 / 3-1
Leading / Trailing / Tied after 3rd Q: 71-4 / 7-18 / 4-0
Scoring / 18 Pts. / 18 + Pts. 11-15 / 71-7
Allowing less than 20 Pts.: 60-6
Allowing 20+ / 30+ Pts.: 18-9 / 4-8
Rushing for less than 100 yards: 13-9
Rushing for over 100 yards: 69-13
Rushing for 200+ yards: 17-2
Passing for 300+ yards: 17-4
Totaling less than 300 yards: 18-8
400+ yards of Total Offense: 41-4
Allowing less than 100 yards: 44-3
Allowing less than 300 yds. Total Off.: 51-5
Allowing 400+ yds. total offense: 6-8
Having 100-yard rusher: 37-3
Opp. have 100-yard rusher: 12-10
No turnovers / takeaways: 15-0 / 7-7
In August / September: 3-0 / 23-5
In October: 25-10
In November: 23-9
In December: 4-2
In January: 5-1

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2010 CFN Georgia Preview

By: Pete Fiutak

Head coach: Mark Richt
10th year: 90-27
Returning Lettermen:
Off. 23, Def. 23, ST 4
Lettermen Lost: 25

Ten Best Georgia Players:
1. WR A.J. Green, Jr.
2. OLB/DE Justin Houston, Jr.
3. P Drew Butler, Jr.
4. OT Clint Boling, Sr.
5. C Ben Jones, Jr.
6. RB Washaun Ealey, Soph.
7. TE Orson Charles, Soph.
8. PK Blair Walsh, Jr.
9. DE Demarcus Dobbs, Sr.
10. CB/KR Brandon Smith, Jr.

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It was almost like the hangover from 2008 carried over into 2009.

It was supposed to be Georgia’s turn on the SEC national championship carousel two years ago, but the team underwhelmed and didn’t play up to the expectations, and last year it became merely average. However, things really aren’t that bad.

Head coach Mark Richt is going into his tenth year, and while he has been a tremendous success and Georgia has been a major power in conference play, the program has taken a back seat to Florida, LSU, and now Alabama when it comes to being a national title superpower. Talent has never been a problem, Georgia gets more than its share of top-ranked prospects, and the coaching has been more than fine, but the right mix of skill, timely breaks, and luck haven’t been there to get the Dawgs over the top.

Florida won its two national titles under Urban Meyer with a loss, and LSU won championships with a loss under Nick Saban and two losses under Les Miles. Georgia had its mega-year in 2002 going 13-1, but it missed out on playing for it all when Ohio State and Miami went on a roll. Eight years later and without a sniff of a BCS title run, there’s a little bit of heat on Richt to start producing at a higher level. The SEC is cut-throat, and while there’s no question that Richt is one of the premier head coaches in college football (and would get snapped up in a heartbeat if he’s let go), he can’t have another 8-5 year without many thinking it’s time for a change.

Georgia doesn’t necessarily have to be in the national championship chase this year, but it has just enough talent on both sides of the ball, has the right schedule with the toughest road games at Auburn and Colorado (not counting the neutral site game against Florida), and missing Alabama and LSU from the West. And then there’s the reloading factor with the Gators and Tide needing to fill several monster holes. If you’re going to get the two big boys, do it now, but Georgia has to rebuild a bit, too. This might not be Richt’s best team, but with the schedule, the talent, and the timing, with so many SEC teams in a transitional period, to go trite, why not Georgia?

The offensive line should be among the best in America, even with so many health issues, there’s speed and talent to burn at running back and receiver, and there’s plenty of four-star high school talent being developed across the defense. The kicking game, with Ray Guy winner Drew Butler and Lou Groza finalist Blair Walsh, is peerless, there’s depth across the board, and there are enough good pieces in the puzzle to push for a special year.

Can the quarterback play be better? Aaron Murray is more talented than last year’s starter, Joe Cox, but he’s untested. Can the defense start taking the ball away after forcing a mere two fumbles? Richt addressed that with some major changes with new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham changing up the alignment. Can Georgia get the breaks and steal an SEC Championship? Yeah, and there’s no reason to set the expectations low.

Georgia can absolutely win the East and it can absolutely rise up at the right time to win the conference championship if everything breaks right. And lately, if you win the SEC Championship, big things tend to follow. No, this isn’t a national title team, but that’s not to say it can’t come back and rebound in a huge way.

What to watch for on offense: The health of the offensive line. There were a injury problems throughout the line last year, highlighted by a second knee injury to OT Trinton Sturdivant, and there was plenty of scrambling. The starting combination was rarely the same with the right starting five not set until halfway through the year. Even with all the drama, the production was still solid. Now, with talent, depth, and plenty of experience, the line might be the best in America if everyone stays healthy and the skill players will get plenty of time to work.

What to watch for on defense: The 3-4. Grantham will install a pro-style defensive scheme taking pass rushing star Justin Houston off the line and making him into a hybrid. The idea is to put three sides of beef up front, and the Georgia linemen are quick enough to get into the backfield, too. The four linebackers will be turned loose to be disruptive, swarm around the ball, and fly to the quarterback from a variety of angles.

The team will be far better if … it wins the turnover battle and if it stops screwing up. Georgia, with enough talent and speed to hang around with anyone in the SEC, forced two fumbles and picked off ten passes, while the offense gave it away 28 times. Alright, so takeaways aren’t necessarily indicative of success (Florida and Cincinnati only recovered three fumbles and Alabama came up with seven), but the knucklehead streak when it came to penalties didn’t help. The Bulldogs were flagged 105 times; only five teams got hit with more penalties.

The schedule: Georgia won’t be the best team in the SEC, but it has the schedule to look that way. Any SEC East team worth its salt would take this slate in a heartbeat. There’s no Alabama or LSU to deal with, Florida, as always, is at a neutral site, Tennessee is a home game, and the road games are at South Carolina, Mississippi State, Kentucky, and Auburn. Throw in a home date against Vanderbilt and anything less than a New Year’s Day bowl appearance will be a mega-disappointment. Even the non-conference schedule works out well with the Georgia Tech game at home and the one tough road trip at Colorado. On the negative side, the game against the Buffs is coming off a road trip to Mississippi State for the only back-to-back road games of the year, and the week off doesn’t come until late November.

Best offensive player: Junior WR A.J. Green. With size, great hands, tremendous athleticism, and the ability to always come through in the clutch, Green will be one of the top 15 players taken in the 2011 NFL Draft (assuming he leaves early), and he should make life far better for new starting quarterback, Aaron Murray. He was banged up throughout the second half of last year, but he was a monster early on with a three game stretch against Arkansas, Arizona State, and LSU catching 20 passes for 389 yards and five touchdowns.

Best defensive player: Junior OLB/DE Justin Houston. A consistently solid pass rusher last year finishing with 7.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss, now he’ll get to do more against the run after being moved to outside linebacker. It’s a great move career-wise for the 6-3, 259-pounder as he’ll get to show NFL scouts what he can do at his natural next-level position. There will be no transition period if he takes off early next year; he’ll get a chance to show how he can light up offenses with more room to move.

Key player to a successful season: Redshirt freshman QB Aaron Murray. There was supposed to be a major quarterback derby going into the fall, but Zach Mettenberger, who looked great at times this offseason, got his drink on, got arrested, and ended up getting booted off the team, while Logan Gray has been a guy, nothing more. Murray isn’t all that big, but he has a next-level arm and has just enough talent to grow into the job over the next few years. If he’s outstanding right away, Georgia has a legitimate shot to win the SEC title. If he’s inconsistent, the ceiling is a Florida bowl on New Year’s Day.

The season will be a success if … Georgia wins the SEC East. If you’re going to catch Florida, do it now. The Bulldogs might still be growing, too, but they have the schedule and just enough talent to win the division to get to the SEC title game. For a team with so many concerns, anything else would be gravy. If this isn’t a division-winning year, 10-2 with a January 1st bowl game would signal a big bounceback.

Key game: Oct. 30 vs. Florida. Enough is enough. The Bulldogs have lost four of the last five Cocktail Parties (yeah, we’re calling it what it is) and were destroyed over the last two years by a combined score of 90 to 27. The Gator schedule is just tough enough that Georgia can lose this game and still win the East, but a victory would almost cement a trip to Atlanta.

2009 Fun Stats:
- 2nd Quarter Scoring: Georgia 124 – Opponents 63
- Fumbles: Georgia 23 (lost 11) – Opponents 18 (lost 2)
- Sacks: Georgia 30 for 204 yards – Opponents 12 for 96 yards

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Zach Mettenberger Arrested, Charged With Underage Drinking

REMERTON, Ga. — A quarterback competing for the starting job at the University of Georgia has been released on bond after his arrest in south Georgia over the weekend on charges related to underage drinking.

A Remerton Police report says Zach Mettenberger was arrested at a bar called Flip Flops early Sunday and charged with underage consumption and possession of alcohol, possessing fake identification and disorderly conduct-obstruction.

Chief Mike Terrell said Monday the circumstances are still being investigated.

The 18-year-old Mettenberger is a redshirt freshman from Oconee County. The university is on spring break.

An athletic department spokesman did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment, and a phone listing for Mettenberger couldn't be found.

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Mettenberger Puts On A Show In 2010 Spring Game

ATHENS, Ga. — Quarterback Zach Mettenberger threw two touchdown passes as the White Team defeated the Red Team 17-7 on Saturday in the annual G-Day Game to mark the end of Georgia's spring football practice.
Mettenberger went 6-of-10 for 150 yards and the two touchdowns. Fellow quarterbacks Logan Gray was 10-of-17 for 132 yards and a touchdown and Aaron Murray finished 10-of-22 for 96 yards.

"They all did well today," Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "We're going to have to look at 15 spring practices to see where the position is. We're going to release a post-spring depth chart, but that will be after Coach (Mike) Bobo and I look at the entire spring. It won't be the final depth chart, but it will give us a snapshot of where we are. All the quarterbacks were hitting their targets, and it is a very close race."

The Red Team got on the board first as Gray fired a 7-yard touchdown pass to receiver Kris Durham. Kicker Blair Walsh tacked on the extra point for a 7-0 lead with 1:33 left in the first quarter.

The White Team found the end zone on its first and last possessions of the second quarter. The White Team tied the game as Mettenberger tossed a 20-yard touchdown pass to receiver Rhett McGowan and kicker Brandon Bogotay drilled the extra point at the 8:21 mark. Then, following a fumble recovery by tackle DeAngelo Tyson, Mettenberger found tight end Lynch for a 39-yard touchdown pass with just 12 seconds remaining. Kicker Jamie Lindley's PAT gave the White Team a 14-7 lead at halftime.

The only scoring of the second half came at the 2:24 mark of the third quarter as Bogotay drilled a 32-yard field goal.

"Today was a great day for Georgia," Richt said. "It was a great crowd, great weather and very entertaining. If you like offense, then you definitely liked the first half. And if you like defense, then maybe the second half was more for you. We got a good feel for the look of our team."

Carlton Thomas saw action at running back for both sides, rolling up 56 yards on 15 carries. Dontavious Jackson added 43 yards and Washaun Ealey contributed 22.

Rantavious Wooten had four catches for 55 yards, Durham caught three passes for 54 yards, while Lynch had two for 51 and tight end Derek Rich had two for 50.

Linebacker Nick Williams paced the defenders in the new-look 3-4 alignment with seven tackles. Linebackers Christian Robinson and Marcus Dowtin each added six, while end Cornelius Washington posted five.

"We came to play," defensive end Justin Houston said. "I think the defense did a great job, especially holding the No. 1 offense to seven points. It was a great confidence builder, especially since they have been sticking it to us all spring."

"The defense is coming along great together," defensive end Demarcus Dobbs said. "We are all in this together learning a new system. It's just great to come out here and perform well. It just shows how much we've come together as a group this past spring."

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Former UGA Quarterback Mettenberger Pleads Guilty To Sexual Battery

ATHENS, Ga. — Former University of Georgia quarterback Zach Mettenberger pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of misdemeanor sexual battery stemming from a March 7 incident in a bar in Remerton, Ga., near Valdosta.

Mettenberger entered the plea in Lowndes County Superior Court and was sentenced under the Georgia First Offender Act to 12 months probation and 80 hours of community service. He also was fined $2,000 and banished from Valdosta for a year.

Southern Judicial Circuit District Attorney J. David Miller said the sexual battery charges “were the result of Mettenberger grabbing the breasts and touching the buttocks” of a 20-year-old female Valdosta State University student in the bar.

Mettenberger, kicked off the Georgia team on April 18, originally was arrested outside the bar on five other misdemeanor charges. Miller said those charges — underage possession of alcohol, disorderly conduct, obstruction and two counts of possessing false identification -– were dismissed as part of the negotiated plea to the more serious charge that surfaced during the subsequent investigation.

Miller said the Remerton Police Department and the victim “were satisfied with this resolution.” As part of the sentence, Mettenberger is forbidden from having direct or indirect contact with the victim. He also is forbidden from being any place where alcoholic beverages are sold during the term of his probation.

Miller said the misdemeanor offense to which Mettenberger pleaded guilty will not require him to register as a sex offender.

Mettenberger, in a written statement released through his Valdosta attorney, said he “took full responsibility” for his actions.

“I first want to apologize to the young lady my actions most directly affected, and I hope that by me accepting responsibility for my actions that she can move on with her life,” Mettenberger said in the statement.

“I would also like to apologize to my family, friends, teammates, the coaching staff and the University of Georgia. Though it was very uncharacteristic of me to act the way I did, I still accept full responsibility for this event. I deeply regret my actions of that night and can assure that these actions will never happen again. I intend to do everything in my power to restore my image and rebuild the trust people had in me before.”

Mettenberger, 18, also expressed hope that he may get “a second chance” to play football at another college. “I hope to have another opportunity to demonstrate to everyone that I have learned a tremendously hard lesson and will make the most of any other opportunity,” he said.

Mettenberger’s attorney, Zachary R. Cowart, said his client would not comment beyond the statement. “He has accepted full responsibility for his actions and has suffered public humiliation and lost the ability to play football for the University of Georgia,” Cowart said in an e-mail.

Miller said that under the First Offender Act, Mettenberger’s record will be cleared if he successfully completes probation.

Mettenberger, a graduate of Oconee County High School, was kicked off the Georgia team before playing in a game for the Bulldogs. He was redshirted as a freshman last fall and was in a three-way competition for the starting quarterback job in spring practice, which concluded on April 10, eight days before Mettenberger was tossed from the team for what coach Mark Richt called a violation of team rules.

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The History Behind The Blackout

If you have followed college football in even the slightest bit, then you are familiar with Georgia's iconic and classic look: red or white tops with silver britches.

This all changed in 2007 against Auburn on November 10th.

The week prior to the game, the Georgia seniors approached Coach Mark Richt about it. Rumors were rampant all week that the team would wear black jerseys. Richt denied the jerseys saying that there was no way that they could ship jerseys this late for the game. The team even warmed up in the traditional red jerseys.

However, as the team went into the lockerroom after warming up, they changed into the new black jerseys. When they ran out of the tunnel, the crowd was electric and the atmosphere remained that way for most of the game.

Georgia went on to rout Auburn by a score of 45-20 in one of the most memorable games in Georgia history.

"I want to say thanks to Bulldog Nation,” Richt said. “It was unbelievable to look into the stands and see what I saw. I came out for warm-ups and the student section was jam packed. By the time we kicked off the whole stands were blacked out. It was truly a tribute to Bulldog Nation. It was a great sign of unity and I want to thank everyone for that. The players have wanted to have black jerseys for years now and I always resisted. This summer I pulled the trigger and spoke with Nike and they made the jerseys and we targeted them for a game later in the year. I didn't want to do it early in the year. It just so happened to be this game we chose before the season started. I'm glad we're still playing for something significant. I knew it would give us a boost and at least get us a jump start."

And jump start the season it did. Georgia won the final six games and ended the season as one of the best teams in the country. Unfortunately, because of the politcal BCS system, they were denied the right to play for the National Championship. Instead, they were placed against Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl.

Once again, the Seniors approached Richt about wearing the jerseys and he agreed. In one of the biggest blow outs in BCS history, Hawaii was destroyed 41-10.

Once again, the atmosphere was unreal and the legend of the blackout was born.

However, the notion that the jerseys made the team invincible were soon removed as the next year they decided to black out Alabama.

In a game between two top five teams with ESPN's College Gameday there, the anticapation leading to the game was like no other. Athens soon became quiet however when Alabama jumped to a 31-0 lead in the first half.

Georgia rallied in the second half but fell short 41-30.

Even with this comeback, the nation remembers only the first half score and Georgia became ridiculed for their failed attempt at a Blackout. It quickly was called a gimmick and a joke. Georgia fans were demanding to put the jerseys away for a while until the sting of the memory of the game evaporated.

However, this is doubtful as Richt has openly said that he wouldn't be opposed to wearing them again. So, the big question is, will we see them again this year?

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The Beginning Of An Era: The 2001 Season

Final Record: Overall: 8-4; SEC: 5-3
Team Captains: Tim Wansley, CB | Jermaine Phillips, ROV | Verron Haynes, TB | Curt McGill, C

Team|Score|UGA Record
Arkansas State Indians|45-17|(1-0)
South Carolina Gamecocks|9-14|(1-1)
Arkansas Razorbacks|34-23|(2-1)
at Tennessee Volunteers|26-24| (3-1)
at Vanderbilt Commodores|30-14|(4-1)
Kentucky Wildcats|43-29|(5-1)
Florida Gators|10-24|(5-2)
Auburn Tigers|17-24|(5-3)
at Ole Miss Rebels|35-15|(6-3)
at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets|31-17|(7-3)
Houston Cougars|35-7|(8-3)
Boston College Eagles*|16-20|(8-4)

*Music City Bowl (Nashville, TN)

The 2001 season was the season that set up the great run from 2002-2005. It was Coach Mark Richt's first year. It showed the emergence of redshirt Freshman quarterback David Greene. It was a season of high's and low's.

As the regular season came to a close, he had become the first Georgia coach since H.J. Stegeman in 1920 to win eight games in his inaugural season. He had also handed Tennessee its only regular season defeat (in Knoxville no less) and beaten arch rival Georgia Tech (for the first time since 1997). And he had a 4-0 record on the opponents' home turf beating Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, and Georgia Tech on the road.

The 'Dogs also finished ranked in the nation's Top 25 for the fifth consecutive season.

Best Moment: The Hobnail Boot Game, at Tennessee. In Richt's first road game in his head coaching career he took his young team into Knoxville, Tennessee, to face the Tennessee Volunteers, a team UGA hadn't beaten there in twenty years. With a redshirt Freshman quarterback making his first road start also, the pressure was high to say the least.

To make matters even worse, Tennessee took a late lead with a score of 24-20. Richt and Greene rallied Georgia however rallied the troops and led a historic comeback. The Bulldogs were near the goal line with seconds left needing a touchdown to win. Richt called "P44 Haynes," a play action pass where fullback Verron Haynes would sit in the spot between the linebackers and the safeties. It was a risky play but worked to perfection as Haynes caught the ball in the endzone with six seconds left to win for the first time in twenty years in Knoxville.

This play got the entire team and Bulldog nation to buy into Richt's style and ability and created a sense of optimism that is still felt today.

It is called the Hobnail Boot play because of long time team announcer Larry Munson's famous call.

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Worst Moment: This season had very few bad moments but the worst had to be the game in Jacksonville against the Florida Gators. Florida dominated the Bulldogs to a score of 24 to 10 and was the 13th time the Gators had beaten Georgia in the last 15 years. This trend will continue as Florida will constantly give Georgia problems even in their worst years.


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Destiny's Dogs: The 2002 Season

Final Record: Overall: 13-1; SEC: 8-1
Team Captains: Boss Bailey- Overall | Tony Gilbert- Defense | Jon Stinchcomb- Offense | Burt Jones- Spec. Teams

Team|Score|UGA Record
Clemson Tigers|31-28|(1-0)
at South Carolina Gamecocks|13-7|(2-0)
Northwestern State Demons|45-7|(3-0)
New Mexico State Aggies|41-10|(4-0)
at Alabama Crimson Tide|27-25|(5-0)
Tennessee Volunteers |18-15|(6-0)
Vanderbilt Commodores|48-17|(7-0)
at Kentucky Wildcats|52-24|(8-0)
Florida Gators|13-20|(8-1)
Ole Miss Rebels|31-17|(9-1)
at Auburn Tigers|24-21|(10-1)
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets|51-7|(11-1)
Arkansas Razorbacks*|30-3|(12-1)
Florida State Seminoles**|26-13|(13-1)

*2002 SEC Championship (Atlanta, GA)
**2003 Nokia Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, LA)

Stat Leaders[:/B]
Passing: David Greene (218-379, 22 TDs, 2924 YDs, 8 Ints)
Rushing: Musa Smith (260 Att, 1389 YDs, 8 TDs)
Recieving: Terence Edwards (59 Rec, 1004 YDs, 11 TDs)


Mark Richt had made a great first impression in 2001 and what the Bulldogs accomplished in 2002 was one for the ages. The school's first 13-win season, first SEC title in 20 years, a Sugar Bowl championship, and a final national ranking of #3 (highest since 1980) all combined to send the Georgia program soaring in 2002.

The season began with a instant classic game against Clemson when Bennett hit the go-ahead field goal with five minutes left. The dawgs beat USC the next week when Pollack stripped the quarterback and recovered the ball in the endzone.

Georgia started rolling as they proved they were "Man Enough" against Alabama and then beat Tennessee once again to improve to 6-0.

Georgia's season was magical and they won the SEC East in dramatic fashion against Auburn. They then beat Arkansas in the Championship Game to go to the Sugar Bowl.

There, they were matched up with Richt's old team: Florida State. The Dawgs dominated the Seminoles to finish the season ranked 3rd overall.

Every week seemed to be decided at the last second and was truly a team of destiny.

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Best Moment: Greene-to-Johnson: Auburn Game. Needing to win the final SEC game of the season to clinch the Eastern Division, Georgia traveled to rival Auburn to meet in a battle of top-tier teams.

However, the game did not start out like the Dawgs wanted as the Jason Campbell led Tigers took a 21-10 lead with 5:45 left in the 3rd quarter. However, Georgia's defense shut down Auburn's superb offense the rest of the game allowing Georgia to make a historic comeback.

Georgia scored quickly and made the game 21-17. At this point both defenses controlled the game and with 2:11 left in the game, the Dawgs got the ball for the final possession. They stormed down the field as Fred Gibson caught a 41 yard pass to get to the Auburn 14. However, penalties and incompletions made the down and distance fourth-and-fifteen from the Auburn 19. The Bulldogs needed a miracle.

"We had a different play that we'd been practicing all year long; we called it 'Touchdown' because you've got to score on it," Richt said. "It seemed like every time we practiced it, I was standing there thinking there's no way we're going to be able to hold the ball long enough for this to work."

So Richt called 70-X-Takeoff, a play they hadn't used in a game all season and hadn't practiced in more than a month. Greene lobbed it up to Michael Johnson (a wide reciever who was forced to play because of injuries) and Johnson came down with it for the touchdown and the SEC East Championship. The play is one of the best in school history and once again, Larry Munson had a memorable quote while calling the game.

Worst Moment: The Dropped Pass: Florida Game. In a season where there was one loss, it was also the most puzzling in recent memory. After blowing out both Vanderbilt and Kentucky in the previous weeks, the expectations were at a all time high when UGA met Florida in Jacksonville.

Georgia had plenty of chances to win the game to propel them to an undefeated season. They went a disastrous 0-for-13 on third down. They had two turnovers, inexcusable penalties, and numerous dropped passes.

The worst drop is also the most remembered when Terrence Edwards dropped a wide open deep throw that would have easily been scored to tie the game with two minutes left. Georgia turned it over three plays later and the perfect season was ruined.

To make matters worse, UGA was left out of the championship game because both Miami and Ohio State went undefeated. If Edwards had caught the pass, Georgia might have been in the National Championship game.

Honors:
First Team All-America: OT Jon Stinchcomb, DE David Pollack, OLB Boss Bailey
SEC Player of the Year: DE David Pollack
SEC Offensive Player of the Year: QB David Greene
First Team All-SEC: OT Jon Stinchcomb, QB David Greene, WR Terrence Edwards, TB Musa Smith, DT Johnathan Sullivan, OLB Boss Bailey, PK Billy Bennett
Second Team All-SEC: ILB Tony Gilbert, OG Kevin Breedlove, FS Kentrell Curry
Second Team Freshman All-America: CB Tim Jennings, DT Darrius Swain
Third Team Freshman All-America: DT Kedric Golston
Freshman All-SEC First Team: CB Tim Jennings, DT Kedric Golston, DT Darrius Swain
Academic All-America First Team: Jon Stinchcomb
Academic All-District: Jon Stinchcomb, Brett Kirouac
2002 Senior Bowl: OT Jon Stinchcomb, WR Terrence Edwards, OT George Foster
2002 East-West Shrine Game: OG Kevin Breedlove, ILB Tony Gilbert
SEC Good Works Team: TE Ben Watson


​

 

[Nash]

Top Dawgs In East Again: The 2003 Season

Final Record: Overall: 11-3; SEC: 6-3 (Division Champions)

Team Captains: Bruce Thornton- Overall | David Greene- Offense | Sean Jones- Defense | Billy Bennett- Spec. Teams

Team|Score|UGA Record
at Clemson Tigers Won|30-0|(1-0)
MTSU Blue Raiders|29-10|(2-0)
South Carolina Gamecocks|31-7|(3-0)
at LSU Tigers|10-17|(3-1)
Alabama Crimson Tide|37-23|(4-1)
at Tennessee Volunteers|41-14|(5-1)
at Vanderbilt Commodores|27-8|(6-1)
UAB Blazers|16-13|(7-1)
Florida Gators|16-13|(7-2)
Auburn Tigers|26-7|(8-2)
Kentucky Wildcats|30-10|(9-2)
at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets|34-17|(10-2)
LSU Tigers*|13-34|(10-3)
Purdue Boilermakers*|34-27 (OT)|(11-3)

*2003 SEC Championship (Atlanta, GA)
**2004 Capital One Bowl (Orlando, FL)

Stat Leaders
Passing: David Greene (264-438, 13 TDs, 3307 YDs, 11 Ints)
Rushing: Michael Cooper (156 Att, 709 YDs, 6 TDs)
Recieving: Reggie Brown (49 Rec, 662 YDs, 3 TDs)


With an 11-win season, the 'Dogs registered 11 or more wins in back to back seasons for the first time in history. Georgia earned its way back to the SEC title game, bowing to eventual natioinal champion LSU.

The 11-win performance was especially gratifying in a year that was supposed to be a rebuilding process--not to mention the high rate of injuries that sidelined a total of 44 players, including 24 starters, for a total of over 100 games.

But the 'Dogs defeated Tennessee for the fourth straight year, Tech for the third consecutive time, and Auburn for the second straight. And the over-achievers added an overtime Capital One Bowl victory over Purdue.

Georgia's defense led the way finishing second nationally in scoring defense and fourth in total defense.

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Best Moment: Sean Jones Fumble Recovery: Tennessee Game. With a 13-7 Georgia lead at Tennessee, the Volunteers were driving late in the first half.

With seven seconds left in the half and the ball just four yards away from the goal line, Coach Fulmer decided to risk it and go for a touchdown instead of a field goal. The play back fired as Tennessee fumbled the ball and Georgia safety Sean Jones scooped it up and took it to the house to end the half. Instead of a 13-10 or possible 13-14 game, it was 20-7 going into intermission.

This caused a rout in Knoxville as Georgia's defense dominated the game and the 'Dogs scored 21 third quarter points en route to a 41-14 road win.

Worst Moment: The 2003 SEC Championship Game. Losing just by seven points in a close and intense game in Baton Rouge, anticipation for the rematch at a neutral site for the conference championship.

Common sense would say this should be a close game that would be another classic for Georgia.

However, Justin Vincent led the LSU Tigers into a blowout running for 202 yards off just 18 carries. He scored two touchdowns including the first of the game when he took a toss sweep to the right 87 yards.

LSU won the game 34-13 and became the national champion after defeating Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl.

Honors:
Ted Hendrcks Award - National Defensive End of the Year: David Pollack
First Team All-America: ROV Sean Jones, DE David Pollack
First Team All-SEC: ROV Sean Jones, DE David Pollack, LB Odell Thurman, FS Thomas Davis
Second Team All-SEC: QB David Greene, PK Billy Bennett, OT Max Jean-Gilles, TE Ben Watson
First Team Freshman All-America: OT Daniel Inman
Freshman All-SEC First Team: TB Michael Cooper, DE Quentin Moses, TE Leonard Pope, OT Daniel Inman
Academic All-District: QB David Greene
2003 Senior Bowl: TE Ben Watson, CB Bruce Thornton
2003 East-West Shrine Game: PK Billy Bennett
Villages Gridiron Classic: PK Billy Bennett, DT Ken Veal, WR Michael Johnson, WR Damien Gary
AFCA National Good Works Team: QB David Greene
SEC Good Works Team: QB David Greene

​

 

[Nash]

Gray Sticking With Dawgs; Not Transferring

ATHENS, Ga. — “I have decided to stay at the University of Georgia because I truly do love being a Georgia Bulldog,” said Gray. “I want to be a part of this team getting back to the SEC Championship game and winning it. I’m also looking forward to getting some work at receiver and am going to work hard to make the best out of my opportunity at this position as well. I appreciate Coach (Mark) Richt’s patience while I made this decision and his helpful advice. Now, I want to put all of this behind me and focus on getting to work on preparations for next season at UGA.”

“I’m extremely pleased that Logan has decided to remain a Bulldog,” said Richt. “He’s an outstanding player and a great person as well. We’re fortunate to have him and he’ll be an important part of our team over the next two years.”

A native of Columbia, Mo., Gray is listed as second team quarterback in the post-spring depth chart.

​

 

[Nash]

Expectations Not Reached: The 2004 Season

Final Record: Overall: 10-2; SEC: 6-2

Team Captains: David Greene | David Pollack | Thomas Davis | Reggie Brown

Team|Score|UGA Record
Georgia Southern Eagles|48-28|(1-0)
at South Carolina Gamecocks|20-16|(2-0)
Marshall Thundering Herd|13-3|(3-0)
LSU Tigers|45-16|(4-0)
Tennessee Volunteers|14-19|(4-1)
Vanderbilt|33-3|(5-1)
at Arkansas Razorbacks|20-14|(6-1)
Florida Gators|31-24|(7-1)
at Kentucky Wildcats|62-17|(8-1)
at Auburn Tigers|6-24|(8-2)
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets|19-13|(9-2)
Wisconsin Badgers*|24-21|(10-2)

*2005 Outback Bowl (Tampa, FL)

Stat Leaders
Passing: David Greene (299-175, 20 TDs, 2508 YDs, 4 Ints)
Rushing: Thomas Brown (172 Att, 905 YDs, 8 TDs)
Recieving: Reggie Brown (53 Rec, 860 YDs, 6 TDs)


Coming into the 2004 seasons, preseason expectations for the team had never been as high. With almost the entire team returning from an eleven win team, Georgia faithful thought this might be their year to win the National Title.

They entered the season with a ranking of 3rd behind only USC and Oklahoma.

Georgia struggled to begin the season and never truly looked "right" until the LSU game. They exploded blowing out the defending national champion 45-16. However, Georgia stumbled the next week against Tennessee losing 19-14.

This loss would ruin Georgia's season as Tennessee would go on to win the SEC East.

While the 2004 season wasn't bad per se, the goals made before the season were never met.

Best Moment: The LSU Game. After such lofty preseason expectations, Georgia entered the season looking flat and out of sync. This all changed against LSU. The 'Dawgs destroyed the defending national champion.

Georgia forced four fumbles and dominated the game.

Senior quarterback David Greene threw five touchdowns while Danny Ware and Reggie Brown also exploded. Ware had 115 yards on the ground while Brown had 110 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

This game was also sweet revenge for the big defeat in the 2003 SEC Championship.

Worst Moment: The Tennessee Game. Coming off of the blowout of LSU, teams were already penciling this team into the SEC Championship. They had represented the East the last two years and this might have been the most talented team.

However, this all changed as an Erik Ainge led Tennessee team upset the 'Dawgs in Athens the next week 19-14.

Coming off of one of his best games, David Greene looked putrid with five sacks and completing only 15 of 34 passes for 163 yards.

Tennessee controlled the game with a solid running game and a quick passing attack by Ainge.

To add insult to injury, this loss catapulted Tennessee into the SEC Championship game.

A season was derailed by one upset that is still puzzling as to why it happened. Georgia just looked flat and lackadaisical.

Honors:

Rotary Lombardi Award - (Nation's Outstanding Lineman): David Pollack
Ted Hendricks Award - (Nation's Top Defensive End): David Pollack
Chuck Bednarik Award - (Nation's Top Defensive Player): David Pollack
Ronnie Lott Trophy - (Nation's Defensive Impact Player of the Year): David Pollack
SEC Defensive Player of the Year: David Pollack
First Team All-America: DE David Pollack, FS Thomas Davis

First Team All-SEC: DE David Pollack, FS Thomas Davis, LB Odell Thurman, WR Reggie Brown, WR Fred Gibson, OT Max Jean-Gilles, TE Leonard Pope
Second Team All-SEC: QB David Greene
Academic All-District: QB David Greene
2005 Senior Bowl: QB David Greene, WR Reggie Brown, WR Fred Gibson
2005 East-West Shrine Game: LB Arnold Harrison
Villages Gridiron Classic: FB Jeremy Thomas
SEC Good Works Team: QB David Greene
Academic All-SEC: Sean Bailey, John DeGenova, David Greene, Albert Hollis, Jacob Hooten, Lee Jackson, Brian Jordan, William Koehler, Porter Lady, Bryan McClendon, Bartley Miller, Quentin Moses, Gary Rymer, Ryan Schnetzer, D.J. Shockley, Russ Tanner, Joseph Tereshinski III,Jeremy Thomas, Evan Wells, Stephen White.

​

 

[Nash]

Champions Again: The 2005 Season

Final Record: Overall: 10-3; SEC: 6-2

Team Captains: QB D.J. Shockley | OG Max Jean-Gilles | DT Kedric Golston | FS Greg Blue | CB Mike Gilliam

Team|Score|UGA Record
Boise State Broncos|48-13|(1-0)
South Carolina Gamecocks|17-15|(2-0)
Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks|44-7|(3-0)
at Mississippi State Bulldogs|23-10|(4-0)
at Tennessee Volunteers|27-14|(5-0)
at Vanderbilt Commodores|34-17|(6-0)
Arkansas Razorbacks|23-20|(7-0)
Florida Gators|10-14|(7-1)
Auburn Tigers|30-31|(7-2)
Kentucky Wildcats|45-16|(8-2)
at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets|14-7|(9-2)
LSU Tigers*|34-14|(10-2)
West Virginia Mountaineers**|35-38|(10-3)

*2005 SEC Championship Game (Atlanta, GA)
**2006 Nokia Sugar Bowl (Atlanta, GA)

Stat Leaders
Passing: D.J. Shockley (173-310, 24 TDs, 2588 YDs, 5 Ints)
Rushing: Thomas Brown (147 Att, 788 YDs, 4 TDs)
Recieving: Leonard Pope (39 Rec, 541 YDs, 4 TDs)


Unlike the 2004 season, where Georgia entered with expectations of championships, the 2005 season outlook was watered down.

Replacing the winningest quarterback in collegiate history (Greene) and one of the best defensive coordinators in the nation was no easy task. The Dawgs were projected to finish 3rd in the SEC East behind Florida and Tennessee.

However, Georgia exploded to open the season against one of the best mid majors in Boise State. Georgia opened up a 38-0 lead against the Broncos behind new quarterback D.J. Shockley who had 289 yards passing and 5 touchdowns along with 89 rushing yards.

Georgia's defense was also stifling forcing Jared Zabransky, yes the same one that played in the Fiesta Bowl a year later, to throw four interceptions with only 70 yards passing.

The Boise State game led the Dawgs to start the season on a roll in which they started out 7-0.

However, star quarterback D.J. Shockley got injured late in the Arkansas game forcing him to miss Florida and play in the Auburn game hurt.

Georgia lost both games ending any National Title dreams.

However, the dream of winning the SEC was still in tact and they throttled LSU once more.

The 2005 season was one of the most exciting and surprising of the decade.

Best Moment: 2005 SEC Championship. Just like the year before, the best moment of the season was a throttling of LSU. After missing out on the national title game, the 'Dawgs took out their frustration on JaMarcus Russell and the Tigers.

The entire game was pure domination as Georgia once led 34-7 before winning 34-14.

Shockley once again put on a show with two touchdowns in the blowout.

Worst Moment: Sugar Bowl. Unfortunately for the 'Dawgs, deja vu occurred as Georgia's worst moment came after the LSU game. Everything seemed to fall apart in this game as West Virginia jumped out to a 28-0 lead early in the 2nd quarter.

The Mountaineers were led by Freshmen Pat White and Steve Slaton. White had 217 total yards and a touchdown. Slaton broke out with 216 yards and three touchdowns.

Georgia made a game of it as they stormed back and made it 38-35 late. They seemed close to winning when they stopped West Virginia to force a fourth down. Coach Rich Rodriguez made a gutsy move howevr by running a fake punt. The trick play worked and Georgia wasn't able to gain possession.

This game was the first sign that defensive coordinator Willie Martinez wasn't equal to his predecessor when he struggled to adjust to the read option in the first half.

Georgia seemed unprepared for the game, a theme that will reoccur for the next few seasons.

Honors:
Academic All-SEC: Benjamin Boyd, Jeff Busbee, John DeGenova, Christopher Gaunder, Mike Gilliam, Michael Henderson, Trahern Holden, Lee Jackson, Brian Jordan, Charles Krauth, Justin Lyles, Bryan McClendon, Brian Mimbs, Quentin Moses, Joseph O'Keefe, Mitchell Pittman, Ben Reaves, Ryan Schnetzer, Ryan Sewell, D.J. Shockley, Brannan Southerland, Russ Tanner, Joe Tereshinksi, Brett Thomason, Stephen White, Desmond Williams.
First Team All-America: OG Max Jean-Gilles, FS Greg Blue
First Team All-SEC: OG Max Jean-Gilles, QB D.J. Shockley, TE Leonard Pope, DE Quentin Moses, CB Tim Jennings, CB DeMario Minter, FS Greg Blue, PK Brandon Coutu
Second Team All-SEC: P Gordon Ely-Kelso, OT Daniel Inman
2006 Senior Bowl: QB D.J. Shockley, OG Max-Jean Gilles, FS Greg Blue, CB DeMario Minter, CB Tim Jennings
2006 East-West Shrine Game: DT Kedric Golston
2006 Hula Bowl: NT Gerald Anderson
2006 Las Vegas All-Star Classic: OT Dennis Roland, DT Darrius Swain
AFCA National Good Works Team: QB D.J. Shockley
SEC Good Works Team: QB D.J. Shockley
Bobby Bowden FCA Award: D.J. Shockley

​

 

[Nash]

Bulldogs Land Three On Lindy's Preseason All-America Teams

ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia juniors A.J. Green, Drew Butler and Blair Walsh have all been named to Lindy’s preseason All-American teams.

Green, a flanker from Summerville, S.C., is on the All-America Offensive First Team while Butler, a punter from Duluth, is on the All-America Defensive First Team. Walsh, a placekicker from Boca Raton, Fla., is listed on the All-America Offensive Second Team.

There are a total of 11 players from the Southeastern Conference on Lindy’s All-America teams. While Georgia has a trio of players, Alabama leads the league with four.

Lindy’s also has the Bulldogs at 21st in the preseason poll. Five teams from the SEC are listed in the publication’s top-25 poll.

Green was a semifinalist for last year’s Biletnikoff after earning All-SEC First Team honors. In just 10 games in 2009, Green hauled in a team-leading 53 catches for 808 yards and six touchdowns. He ranked second in the league in both receptions per game (5.3) and receiving yards per game (80.8). Green also blocked a field goal against Arizona State last season to help clinch the Bulldogs’ win.

Butler won the 2009 Ray Guy Award for being the nation’s top punter. The consensus First Team All-American posted a national-best 48.1 yards per punt average, becoming only the third Bulldog in school history to lead the NCAA in punting. In just his first season as a starter, Butler had 24 punts of 50 yards or more, including a career-long 75 yarder versus #9 Oklahoma State.

Walsh finished as one of three finalists for last year’s Lou Groza Award, which is given to the nation’s top placekicker. Highlighted by a 37-yard game winner against Arizona State, Walsh drilled 20 of 22 field goal attempts (90.9 percent, No. 2 in school history for field goal accuracy in a single season) in 2009. He connected on 11 of 12 kicks from 40 yards or longer and had a career-long field goal of 53 yards versus #9 Oklahoma State. Walsh is also 92-for-92 in PATs for his career.

Georgia opens the 2010 season in Athens versus Louisiana-Lafayette on September 4.

​

 

[Nash]

The Quarterback Debacle: The 2006 Season

Final Record: Overall: 9-4; SEC: 4-4

Team Captains: LB Tony Taylor | C Nick Jones | C Nick Jones | DE Quentin Moses | Rov Tra Battle | P Gordon Ely-Kelso

Team|Score|UGA Record
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers|48-12|(1-0)
at South Carolina Gamecocks|18-0|(2-0)
UAB Blazers|34-0|(3-0)
Colorado Buffaloes|14-13|(4-0)
at Ole Miss Rebels|14-9|(5-0)
Tennessee Volunteers|33-51|(5-1)
Vanderbilt Commodores|22-24|(5-2)
Mississippi State Bulldogs|27-24|(6-2)
Florida Gators|14-21|(6-3)
at Kentucky Wildcats|20-24|(6-4)
at Auburn Tigers|37-15|(7-4)
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets|15-12|(8-4)
Virginia Tech Hokies*|31-24|(9-4)

*2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl (Atlanta, GA)


Stat Leaders
Passing: Matthew Stafford (135-256, 7 TDs, 1749 YDs, 13 Ints)
Rushing: Kregg Lumpkin (162 Att, 853 YDs, 6 TDs)
Recieving: Martrez Milner (30 Rec, 425 YDs, 3 TDs)


After losing D.J. Shockley just a year after losing David Greene, Georgia entered the season in one of the biggest quarterback controversies in the Richt Era. The candidates: Joe Tereshinski III, Matthew Stafford, Joe Cox, and Blake Barnes.

Joe Tereshinski III was a Senior whose father and grandfather had both played for the 'Dawgs. He had waited his turn just as Shockley had. He had played in one game, the 2005 Florida game because Shockley was unable to play. He threw for a career high 100 yards.

Matthew Stafford was a true freshmen with one of the best high school careers ever. He was considered a future John Elway and was already being penciled in as the top draft pick in whatever draft he would be in. He dazzled scouts with his heart strength and Texas grit. He was the top recruit and many fans thought he should start day one.

Joe Cox was a redshirt Freshman from Charlotte, North Carolina. Like Stafford, he was a top recruit and he won the Gatorade National Player of Year Award. Cox had never lost in high school with a 31-0 record at Independence High School.

Blake Barnes, a Sophomore, was also a top recruit at the quarterback position. Fans still new very little about him until the Spring Game in which he went 6-6 for 36 yards. Fans jumped on the Barnes bandwagon and wanted him to start.

Still, no player separated himself from the pack so Richt went with experience and Joe Tereshinski III. However, he never looked great at the beginning of the season and then got hurt leading to a huge quarterback carousel.

Richt used a multiple quarterback system for the first seven games which just meant that no quarterback got into a rhythm. The team struggled mightily with emberrasing losses to Tennessee and Vanderbilt.

Finally, star recruit Matthew Stafford ran away with the job but at that point, the damage was done. Georgia had lost two straight and would lose two of the next three as the team adjusted to the new quarterback.

However, the team did adjust and won the final three games of the season, all against top 25 teams.

Best Moment: Auburn Game. At this point in the season, many Georgia fans were just wanting the season to end as quickly as possible. After starting out to a promising 5-0 record, they had lost four of their last five games including losses to Vanderbilt and Kentucky.

Auburn on the otherhand was 9-1 and had a top five ranking going into the game. They had defeated Georgia the last two years so the common thought was this would be another victory.

However, Georgia went into Auburn and destroyed them 37-15. The team was led by safety Tra Battle who had three interceptions on Brandon Cox. Matthew Stafford also had a solid game with a 14-20 game with 219 yards and a touchdown.

This victory got the team clicking and they went on to win the final three games, all against top 25 teams.

Worst Moment: Homecoming 2006: Vanderbilt Game. In the Richt Era, the average score of the Vanderbilt game was 34 to 12. They hadn't been close. After a stunning defeat to Tennessee, Georgia looked to beat Vanderbilt for homecoming to regain momentum. However, the 'Dores upset the Dawgs 24-22 on a last second Field Goal.

Quarterback Chris Nickson had 249 total yards and two touchdowns. Also, Earl Bennett had 89 receiving yards on eight receptions and a touchdown. The Vanderbilt loss sent Georgia into a deep downward spiral losing four of five games and playing themselves out of the SEC East race for the first time since Richt's inaugural year.

Honors:
Third Team All-America: Rov Tra Battle
First Team All-SEC: Rov Tra Battle, TE Martrez Milner, OT Daniel Inman, RS Mikey Henderson
Second Team All-SEC: C Nick Jones, DE Charles Johnson, LB Tony Taylor
Freshman All-SEC: QB Matthew Stafford, DT Kade Weston
2006 Senior Bowl: DE Quentin Moses, LB Tony Taylor, TE Martrez Milner
2006 Hula Bowl: C Nick Jones, LB Danny Verdun-Wheeler, P Gordon Ely-Kelso
2006 Houston Bowl: OT Daniel Inman, DT Ray Gant, Rov Tra Battle, LB Jarvis Jackson
AFCA National Good Works Team: DE Quentin Moses
SEC Good Works Team: DE Quentin Moses
Academic All-SEC: Sean Bailey, Dale Dixson, Kris Durham, Gordon Ely-Kelso, Chris Gaunder, Mikey Henderson, Trahern Holden, Evan Kobialka, Justin Lyles, Brian Mimbs, Quentin Moses,
Joseph O'Keefe, Mitchell Pittman, Joe Tereshinski, Tommy Watkins, Stephen White.
SEC Players of the Week: DE Quentin Moses, DE Charles Johnson, OG Fernando Velasco, QB Joe Cox, DE Charles Johnson, QB Matthew Stafford, Rov Tra Battle, QB Matthew Stafford, CB Paul Oliver


​

 

[Nash]

Motivated And Focused: The 2007 Season

Final Record: Overall: 11-2; SEC: 6-2

Team Captains: C Fernando Velasco | TB Thomas Brown | SS Kelin Johnson | PK Bandon Coutu

Team|Score|UGA Record
Oklahoma State Cowboys|35-14|(1-0)
South Carolina Gamecocks|12-16|(1-1)
Western Carolina Catamounts|45-16|(2-1)
at Alabama Crimson Tide|26-23 (OT)|(3-1)
Ole Miss Rebels|45-17|(4-1)
at Tennessee Volunteers|14-35|(4-2)
at Vanderbilt Commodores|20-17|(5-2)
Florida Gators|42-30|(6-2)
Troy Trojans|44-34|(7-2)
Auburn Tigers|45-20|(8-2)
Kentucky Wildcats|24-13|(9-2)
at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets|31-17|(10-2)
Hawaii Warriors*|41-10|(11-2)

*2008 Allstate Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, LA)


Stat Leaders
Passing: Matthew Stafford (194-348, 19 TDs, 2523 YDs, 10 Ints)
Rushing: Knowshon Moreno (248 Att, 1396 YDs, 14 TDs)
Recieving: Sean Bailey (39 Rec, 615 YDs, 5 TDs)


As disastrous as the 2006 season was, it did give Georgia one thing: an experienced Matthew Stafford.

When running back Knowshon Moreno emerged also, the Georgia team really took off.

This didn't happen at the beginning however. After showing its potential in the season opener, Georgia lost to South Carolina for only the second time in Richt's time in Athens 16 to 12. Stafford had a horrible game.

Georgia responded by winning against Western Carolina 45 to 16 in a dominating fashion.

The next week is one of the most memorable games in Georgia history. After a hard fought game between Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide hit a field goal on the opening possession of overtime to go ahead 23 to 20. Then, on the first play of Georgia's possession, Stafford did a play action fake to Thomas Brown and then a fade to the left corner of the endzone where Mikey Henderson caught the pass for the win. It is known as the "One and Done" game.

However, Georgia's season seemed over when Tennessee blew them out in Knoxville. After key changes to personnel, it all seemed to click. Georgia ended the year as the hottest team in the nation. Their offense had NFL players all over with Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno, Mohamed Massaquoi, and others.

Best Moment: Florida Game. Since 1990, nothing is harder for Georgia than beating the Florida Gators it seems. It seems as if Georgia has the game lost even before getting off the bus. They come out nervous and tight. They seem to try and do too much. However, with just one score, it seemed as if the whole mentality of the game was changed.

On the opening possession, the 'Dawgs decided to play smashmouth football, running the ball on every play. Moreno dominated the drive and after he leaped into the endzone, the entire team went to celebrate. And celebrate they did,. In one of the most controversial moments of the team's history, the entire team ran into the endzone and danced as if to say, "We aren't backing down this year."

Georgia dominated the game and won 42 to 30. Knowshon Moreno was the centerpiece of the offense, a staple that would remain for the rest of the year, and carried the ball 33 times for 193 yards and three touchdowns.

This win seemed to give the team a swagger that would get them rolling to end the year winning the final six games, all mostly in blowout fashion.

Best Moment II: Sugar Bowl: Hawaii Game. After being held from the National Title Game, Georgia was going to play Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl. Immediately, ESPN started to analyze the game and most had the same expectation for the game. What exactly was this common thought leading to the game:

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Georgia would look past Hawaii and the Rainbow Warriors' high powered offense would be too much for the the Bulldogs.

Well, you could say they were wrong. Not only did Georgia get EIGHT sacks in the game, they seemingly got a hit on Colt Brennan every play. They manhandled the team from the Pacific to a score of 41 to 10.

Believe me, it could have been much worse too. Georgia called off the attack in about the second quarter or it would have been in the triple digits.

Georgia seemed to have their way on both sides of the ball as the Dawgs forced five turnovers and held the Heisman hopeful Colt Brennan to just 169 passing yards. Marcus Howard also had the game of his career with two forced fumbles and numerous sacks.

Worst Moment: Tennessee Game. Before the winning streak and the team gelled, the 'Dogs hit rock bottom. Not only did they get dominated in a 35 to 14 fashion, but they just didn't seem to even care. There was no emotion or passion and the game was a pathetic show and numerous fans were considering the season would go the way of 2006.

Everything Georgia usually does well, they didn't in this game. They only had 69 rushing yards and Knowshon Moreno was shut down to 30 yards off of 13 carries.

Tennessee ran the ball well and made critical passes to get the game out of reach early on.

This was the second straight year that the team had been blown out by the Volunteers.

Worst Moment II: The ESPN Propaganda. By the end of the year, most fans felt that Georgia was the hottest team in the nation if not the best. They had won five straight and looked incredible in every game.

However, because of the two early losses, the Dawgs only split the SEC Eastern Division with Tennessee. Since, Tennessee won the regular season matchup they represented the East in the SEC Championship Game.

In the final week of the season, the top two teams in the rankings (Missouri and West Virginia) both lost in their games. This created a controversy where two new teams would be pitted against each other for the National Title.

The prevalent thought would be since the #1 and #2 teams lost, the #3 and #4 teams should both move up to the two top spots. Ohio State did as they went from #3 to #1 to play in the title game.

However, ESPN decided to do propaganda and say Georgia (the #4 ranked team) didn't deserve to be in the title game. They constantly went on air saying why LSU should be in (the preseason favorite) and eventually, people started to believe it and in the poll LSU was moved to the #2 spot. LSU jumped from the #7 ranking all the way to #2.

The worst part however, was that not only did Georgia not move up, they actually moved down to #5. This meant that three teams leaped over the Dawgs while Georgia never played a game. The main reason for the movement down in the poll was due to ESPN proganda.

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Biggest WTF Moment: In an Overtime SEC game, what are you thinking? How is the team going to win down 3? What type of play will they run? Well, if you are Mike Patrick, you are thinking about Britney Spears. Just a play before the game winning touchdown, Patrick stopped to ask what is Britney Spears doing with her life.

Team Highlights:

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Honors:
Academic All-District: P Brian Mimbs
2008 Senior Bowl: PK Brandon Coutu
2008 Hula Bowl: DE Marcus Howard
East-West Shrine Game: TB Thomas Brown
2008 Houston Bowl: OT Chester Adams
AFCA National Good Works Team: SS Kelin Johnson
SEC Good Works Team: SS Kelin Johnson
SEC Players of the Week: C Fernando Velasco, DT Jeff Owens, TB Knowshon Moreno, TB Thomas Brown, TB Knowshon Moreno, TB Knowshon Moreno, TB Knowshon Moreno, C Fernando Velasco, DT Geno Atkins,
First Team All-SEC: TB Knowshon Moreno (Coaches,AP), DT Geno Atkins (AP)
Second Team All-SEC: C Fernando Velasco (Coaches, AP), LB Dannell Ellerbe (Coaches, AP)
Coaches All-SEC Freshman Team: TB Knowshon Moreno, OT Trinton Sturdivant, OG Clint Boling
Academic All-SEC: Benjamin Boyd, Shaun Chapas, Jonathan deLaureal, Kris Durham, Bo Fowler, Chris Gaunder, Demiko Goodman, Andrew Gully, Mikey Henderson, Wes Jacobs, Andrew Johnson, Justin Lyles, Brian Mimbs, Casey Nickels, Mitchell Pittman, Jeff Potterbaum, Brannan Southerland, Matthew Stafford, Bo Stansell, Trinton Sturdivant, Will Sullivan.


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[Nash]

Spotlight: Mark Christensen

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ATHENS, Ga. — Mark Christensen, a native of Commerce, Georgia, grew up dreaming about being part of the University of Georgia’s athletic programs. Ten years ago that dream came true by way of a volunteer situation with the Athletic Association for the first year, funded by the Georgia Personal Assistance Service Corps (a division of AmeriCorps) for the following three years, and then being employed part-time by the Athletic Association. Christensen’s role is not that of a regular sports medicine staff member. In his job as rehab assistant, Mark greets, talks, motivates and encourages positive attitudes within our athletes as well as keeps track of exercise repetitions for rehabilitating and conditioning athletes.

Mark’s positive attitude and motivation provide a great sense of perspective in terms of our athletes dealing with their own injuries. His influence has been so dramatic that St. Mary’s Health Care System has established a scholarship in his name. The Mark Christensen Spirit of St. Mary’s scholarship ($1,000) is awarded to an athletic training student each year who meets the following criteria: it must go to a person who’s willing to go out of his/her way to help other people; who cares about the people he/she works with; who demonstrates a caring heart; who gets involved with the under-served populations in the community; who represents academic achievement and high moral character.

Mark lives in Commerce, Georgia, with his parents, Paul and Mary Beth Christensen.

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[Nash]

Making A Dream Team

ATHENS, Ga. — UGA’s more aggressive recruiting reflects changing times

Talk about changing times in recruiting.

Georgia, traditionally one of the more conservative programs around when it comes to football recruiting, actually sent out a press release early Wednesday evening to call attention to its in-state recruiting efforts this week. This is unusual on several levels — I guarantee you UGA’s compliance office ran over that release with a fine-tooth comb — but chiefly because you usually can’t get a peep out of the Bulldogs regarding their recruiting.

Yet there it was in my e-mail’s inbox at 5:43 p.m. Wednesday. Subject line: “Georgia Football Coaches Busy Recruiting The State.”

In the release, head coach Mark Richt outlines the Bulldogs’ plans to canvass the state during the next few weeks. “By the end of next week, our assistant coaches will have been to more than 350 schools in the state of Georgia,” Richt said. “Our coaches are really pounding the state of Georgia. The focus of our staff is to make sure we recruit the state of Georgia first.”

Richt also goes on to sell the athletic and academic merits of UGA and the ongoing $40 million expansion project of the Butts-Mehre football complex.

Monday represented Georgia’s first full week of the NCAA’s designated spring “evaluation period” and the Bulldogs began it in uncharacteristic fashion. They sent out seven assistant coaches — the maximum number allowed on the road at any one time — all together in one bunch and, starting in South Georgia, they went from school to school to school, hitting the ones with the highest-profile prospects first. They did the same thing throughout North Georgia and the rest of the state on Tuesday and Wednesday, and apparently they intend to carry it on until the four-week period ends.

Not coincidentally, the Class of 2011 represents one of the best of all time in the state of Georgia, which traditionally produces upward of about 150 Division 1 prospects per year. Players like Valdosta tight end Jay Rome, Wilcox County quarterback Nick Marshall, Carver-Columbus running back Isaiah Crowell, Thomas County Central defensive end Ray Drew, Dalton offensive tackle Watts Dantzler, Grady cornerback Damian Swann and Tucker linebacker James Vaughters are among the tops in the nation at their particular position.

Georgia coaches know this, of course, and have been hard-selling a “Dream Team” theme to those prospects and others. The theory is, get all these Georgia kids to stay home and the Bulldogs will be in the hunt for championships.

Says Richt: “As we all know, recruiting is the lifeblood of any program and our state is a hotbed for talent. It’s our job to do everything we can to show these young men the academic and athletic merits of the University of Georgia. I know if we get the best players in our state to come to the University of Georgia, we will win championships. When we do go out of state, it’s always been our philosophy to only sign great players who are great people.”

Georgia’s actions are a reflection of the times in recruiting. The Bulldogs’ “canvass the state” strategy closely mirrors the one employed the last two year’s by Auburn under coach Gene Chizik. Last year and this one, Chizik had seven of his assistant coaches — head coaches are not allowed on the road in the spring — pile into a white limousine decorated with Auburn regalia and parade around the state and occasionally into Georgia, making sure to make a scene and draw attention to their presence. Lane Kiffin used a similar strategy during the fall evaluation period, renting a helicopter and choppering into metro Atlanta high school stadiums where prospects were playing, usually right about the time the national anthem was playing.

Never minding that it is not in the spirit of the NCAA rules regarding evaluations, the Bulldogs have always displayed a “we’re-better-than-that” attitude to such “look-at-me” tactics. And as far as I can tell they’re still not riding around in any limos wearing logoed bowling shirts.

But the fact is that Auburn signed a Top 5 class this past February and Tennessee also finished ahead of Georgia, which finished out of the Top 10 in recruiting rankings for the first time in a long while. It appears the Bulldogs are taking measures to ensure that doesn’t happen again.

As college football and recruiting fans, I’d say enjoy the show while it lasts. If I were to guess, I wouldn’t imagine the NCAA will let these shenanigans go on much longer. After all, this “evaluation period” is by definition provided as an opportunity for coaches “to assess prospective student-athlete’s athletic abilities and academic qualifications” and it forbids any direct interaction with said prospect other than a polite greeting.

At the current rate high school coaches will be shooting t-shirt cannons into high school cafeterias before it’s over.

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