SEC East No. 1: Georgia Bulldogs
2007 Results and Offseason
In mid-October, not even the die-hard Georgia fans would have honestly told you they would finish the season ranked second in the country, but a win over Florida, followed by a win over Auburn and a thumping of Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl, led the way to a No. 2 final ranking. Georgia had another top-ranked recruiting class, but did have its share of offseason trouble that will result in some suspensions for the first two games. The Bulldogs enter the season ranked No. 1 in both the AP and Coaches Polls.
2007 Record: 11-2 (6-2)
Ret. Starters: 16
Ret. Lettermen: 44
Offense: PPG 28.5 (6th) 175.6 (4th) 188.6 (6th) - SEC Play
Defense: PPG 21.4 (2nd) 131.3 (4th) 197.0 (5th) - SEC Play
Offense (7 RS 16 RL)
If you want to discuss Georgia's offense, you need to know the name Knowshon Moreno. After splitting carries with Thomas Brown in the first half of the season, the redshirt freshman burst onto the national scene in the 42-30 win over Florida and ended up with five consecutive 100-yard rushing games. Joining Moreno will be Caleb King and Richard Samuel, who were both highly recruited out of high school. Fullback Brannan Southerland may be out until midseason, but he should be paving holes by the time Georgia hosts Tennessee on Oct. 11.
Matt Stafford may be the No. 1 quarterback taken in the draft next year if he decides to forego his senior season. The junior has been good, but not great, in his first two years. If UGA is going to win the national title, Stafford has to become the elite quarterback the NFL is projecting him to be. Outside of Mohamed Massaquoi, the receiving corps is young, but talented. This group has suffered from drops the past few seasons, but did show improvement down the stretch in '07. Watch out for true freshmen AJ Green out of South Carolina.
The O-line was thought to be a big problem heading into last year, but played surprisingly well considering the youth. A big loss this year will be center Fernando Velasco, who was the glue for the young guys. Left tackle became a big spot to fill when starter Trinton Sturdivant went down for the season with a knee injury. Sturdivant's name may not ring a bell, but I bet his dance moves do. Currently, Richt has four new starters on the O-line, but says he might make changes.
Defense (9 RS 25RL)
Georgia returns its top four tacklers from last year and six of the top seven. The leader of the defense is senior Dannell Ellerbe, who made 93 tackles and 7.5 tackles for a loss last season. Joining him at linebacker is Renne Curran who, despite his size, adjusted very well to SEC play as a true freshmen last season, finishing with 53 tackles. Marcus Washington will likely redshirt this season after suffering a shoulder injury in spring ball. Sophomore Akeem Dent steps into his place.
5 comments Last one added 10 months ago — Leave a Comment
Nick The Only 10 months ago
Moreno as punt returner. They must have a dearth of playmakers in Athens. Why risk injury to your starting RB by using him on special teams? Florida doesn't use Harvin on kick and punt returns.
Also, some punt returns (even 10-20 yard ones) end up being 30-50 yards of running for the returner. I think Moreno could use up too much energy on punt returns, which would hurt UGA's first down play options if he is huffing for air on the bench.
Don't they have any other playmakers to share the load?
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GeorgiaDawg 10 months ago
Nick, correct me if I am wrong... but I don't beleive Harvin is as big as Moreno... at least strength wise. Moreno can handle the load. Harvin seems a little fragile at times. UGA has several options to return punts.... but as Clark said... Richt wants Moreno with the ball as much as possible. King and Samuel can spell him for a play or two as needed... UGA is deep at RB.
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Nick The Only 10 months ago
Moreno at punt returner just feels all wrong. I would never want my main ball carrier to have to sit for a few plays after a punt return. Its a double edged sword for Georgia with Moreno at PR.
If he runs the ball back for a nice return, he will have to catch his breath on the sideline. If he only gets a few yards, then he risked injury for no reason.
To me, Moreno at PR says: We don't have anyone else that we trust to (a) not turn over the ball and (b) put us in good field position.
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ACC SEC Blog 10 months ago
The word out of Athens is that Richt wants to get the ball into Moreno's hands that much because he is that good. There is a risk of injury, but I think Richt knows what he has this year and he is pushing all of his chips in.
Moreno may not be the every day punt returner. He may only be used in special situations when the team needs a lift. Georgia did this with Herschel Walker back in the day on kick returns.
Reggie Bush helped return punts at USC. When you have playmakers like Moreno and Bush you have to use them.
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John Doe 10 months ago
If you want to talk about the Dawgs, Go to www.thedawgsden.com.
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