2008 Georgia Bulldogs - Recruiting Class

2008 Georgia Bulldogs Head Coach: Mark Richt

Georgia Bulldogs

2008 Recruiting Class

Star of the Class

Marcus Dowtin LB 6-2 215 Fork Union, Va. Fork Union Military Aca.
Fork Union…..2008 SuperPrep All-Mid-Atlantic team…. PrepStar All-Atlantic Region…Scout.com four-star prospect, Top 150, #111 player in America, #7 WLB in nation… Scout.com No. 7 weakside linebacker in the nation… Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100…as a senior in 2007, registered 76 tackles, nine for loss, three fumble recoveries, two sacks and one interception to go along with 1,202 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns on 121 carries (9.9 yards per carry)…as a junior at Georgetown Prep, finished with 92 tackles and rushed for 1,132 yards and as a sophomore Bishop O’Connell, tallied 126 tackles and two interceptions

Potential Instant Impact Players

A.J. Harmon DL 6-5 328 Louisville, Ga. Jefferson County
2007 USA Today All-USA Second Team Offense...2007 Parade All-American.. 2008 SuperPrep All-America and All-Dixie teams…PrepStar All-America Team.2007 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Georgia’s Super 11, Super Southern 100 and Class AA All-State…..All-State first team by Georgia Sports Writers Association….2007 Georgia Athletic Coaches Association All-Star… Scout.com four-star prospect, Top 150, #112 player in America, #34 prospect in the South, #6 prospect in Georgia... participant in 2008 Army All-American Bowl...2006 and 2007 Augusta Chronicle Dream 16 selection…2007 All-Region and All-Area first team…2007 North-South All-Star game…in his career recorded 200 tackles (161 solo, 39 assist), 39 tackles-for-loss, 24 sacks 32 QB Hurries and on offense over 100 pancake blocks…also forced 21 fumbles and recovered five…As a senior in 2007 recorded 32 tackles, four sacks, four tackles-for-loss, 50 pancake blocks, and forced three fumbles…2006 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Class AA All-State first team defense...as a junior in ‘06, recorded 70 tackles including 12 tackles-for-loss and nine sacks...

Tavarres King WR 6-1 160 Mount Airy, Ga. Habersham Central
SuperPrep All-America and All-Dixie Teams ….PrepStar Top 135 Dream Team…Scout.com four-star prospect, Top 150, #134 player in America, #22 WR in America, #133 player in the South, #8 player in Georgia…2007 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super 11and Super Southern 100…2007 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Class AAAA Offensive Player of the Year…2007 Georgia Sports Writers Association Class AAAA Offensive Player of the Year… Macon Telegraph Top 50…RISE Gatorade Georgia Football Player of the Year…finished senior season in 2007 with a state record 1,632 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns on 99 receptions (16.5 average)…set a then-school record with 42 catches for 700 yards and 10 TDs, and returned a kickoff and a punt for a score as a junior…finished career with 207 catches for 3,726 yards and 37 TDs

Rest of the Class
Xavier Avery ATH 6-0 185 Ellenwood, Ga. Cedar Grove
Brandon Boykin CB 5-10 171 Fayetteville, Ga. Fayette County
Sanders Commings DB 6-2 195 Augusta, Ga. Westside
Cordy Glenn OL 6-5 313 Riverdale, Ga. Riverdale
A.J. Green WR 6-4 190 Summerville, SC Summerville
Akeem Hebron LB 6-1 225 Gaithersburg, Md. Good Counsel
Toby Jackson DE 6-5 260 Griffin, Ga. Griffin
Dontavius Jackson RB 5-10 190 Franklin, Ga. Heard County
Ben Jones OL 6-2 306 Centreville, Ala. Bibb County
Jeremy Longo DE 6-3 255 Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Cardinal Gibbons
Jonathan Owens OL 6-4 294 Blountsville, Ala. Susan Moore
Bacarri Rambo DB 6-0 195 Donalsonville, Ga. Seminole County
Christian Robinson LB 6-2 205 Norcross, Ga. Greater Atlanta Christian
Bryce Ros TE 6-4 242 Kennesaw, Ga. Kennesaw Mountain
Richard Samuel RB 6-2 215 Cartersville, Ga. Cass
Carlton Thomas RB 5-7 165 Frostproof, Fla. Frostproof
DeAngelo Tyson DL 6-2 300 Statesboro, Ga. Statesboro
Blair Walsh PK 5-10 175 Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Cardinal Gibbons
Cornelius Washington DE 6-4 217 Hephzibah, Ga. Burke County
Nick Williams DB 6-2 205 Bainbridge, Ga. Bainbridge

- 2007 Georgia Season
- 2007 Georgia Preview
- 2006 Georgia Season

2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 8-4
2007 Record: 11-2

Sept. 1 Oklahoma St W 35-14
Sept. 8 South Carolina L 16-14
Sept. 15 West Carolina W 45-16
Sept. 22 at Alabama W 26-23 OT
Sept. 29 Ole Miss W 45-17
Oct. 6 at Tennessee L 35-14
Oct. 13 at Vanderbilt W 20-17
Oct. 27 vs. Florida W 42-30
Nov. 3 Troy W 44-34
Nov. 10 Auburn W 48-20
Nov. 17 Kentucky W 24-13
Nov. 24 at Ga Tech W 31-17
Sugar Bowl
Dec. 1 Hawaii W 41-10

2008 Early Lookahead
Why to get excited: Does anyone have a better buzz coming out of the 2007 season? Last year was supposed to be a stepping-stone season to this year, and all the questions were answered with the offensive line turning into a strength, RB Knowshon Moreno emerged as a superstar, and the defense was a killer with a terror of a pass rush and a rock-solid run D. Nine starters are back on defense and eight are back on offense.
Why to be grouchy: The margin between being great and being a national title contender is razor thin in the SEC. The loss of huge-legged PK Brandon Coutu might be enough to cost the Dawgs a game. The schedule isn't conducive to win a national title with road trips to South Carolina, Arizona State, LSU, Kentucky and Auburn, along with the neutral site day against Florida. The SEC West slate doesn't get much worse than at LSU, at Auburn, and Alabama.
The number one thing to work on is: Yeah, this was a nasty team over the second half of the season with almost everything clicking, but the passing game was merely average and might not be all that better. Matthew Stafford has the talent to be a top pro prospect, but he needs targets to work with. Mo Massaquoi is fine, but nothing special, and Sean Bailey is gone.
Biggest offensive loss: C Fernando Velasco
Biggest defensive loss: DE Marcus Howard
Best returning offensive player: RB Knowshon Moreno, Soph.
Best returning defensive player: LB Dannell Ellerbe, Sr.

2007 Recap
Recap: The Bulldogs caught fire following a loss to Tennessee on Oct. 6 and never cooled off, closing the season with seven straight wins and a blowout of Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl.  Playing with youthful exuberance on both sides of the ball, Georgia got better with each passing game, as did head coach Mark Richt, who reinvented himself en route to his best coaching job in Athens.  Even better than the Dawgs’ 11 wins, seven against bowl participants, was that it was achieved with a slew of freshmen and sophomores that entered the season with limited relevant experience.            

Offensive Player of the Year: RB Knowshon Moreno

Defensive Player of the Year: LB Dannell Ellerbe

Biggest Surprise: Moreno.  Yeah, he was one of the stars of spring, but a spot on the All-SEC first team wasn’t expected until 2009 or 2010.  After starting the year behind Thomas Brown, he erupted when his opportunity arose, rushing for 1,334 yards and 14 touchdowns, including 188 yards and three scores in the Dawgs’ upset of Florida on Oct. 27.       

Biggest Disappointment: Although there wasn’t much to complain about in 2007, Georgia recognizes its 35-14 loss to Tennessee on Oct. 6 cost it a shot at swapping the Sugar Bowl for the BCS National Championship game.  A couple of weeks before they’d find their rhythm, the Dawgs got blindsided by the Vols, falling behind 28-0, and never making the game interesting in the second half.     

Looking Ahead: Prepare the hype machine in Athens because Georgia is going to be one of the hottest teams between now and the start of the 2008 season.  And why not?  The Bulldogs are loaded, and capable of improving on last year after starting three freshmen on the offensive line and sophomore Matt Stafford behind them.

Jan. 1
2008 Sugar Bowl
Georgia 41 ... Hawaii 10
Georgia destroyed Hawaii with eight sacks, several other pressures, and holding the high-octane Warrior attack to a mere 306 yards with most coming late. Hawaii turned it over six times leading to several easy scores, but Georgia had now problems moving the ball on its own with Knowshon Moreno running for scores from 17 and 11 yards out in the first quarter, Sean Baliey catching an 11-yard scoring pass in the second, and Marcus Howard recovering a fumble off a sack in the third. Brandon Coutu blasted field goals from 52 and 45 yards out for the Bulldogs on the way to a 31-3 lead before Hawaii finally got in the end zone on a Tyler Graunke touchdown pass to Ryan Grice-Mullen in the fourth. The two teams combined for 22 penalties for 190 yards.
Offensive Player of the Game: The entire starting Georgia offensive line
Defensive Player of the Game: Georgia DE Marcus Howard made four tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss, forced two tumbles, and recovered one for a touchdown.
Stat Leaders: Georgia - Passing: Matthew Stafford, 14-23, 175 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Thomas Brown, 19-73, 1 TD. Receiving: Mo Massaquoi, 5-54
Hawaii - Passing: Colt Brennan, 22-38, 169 yds, 3 INT
Rushing: Kealoha Pilares, 7-26. Receiving: Jason Rivers, 10-105
Thoughts & Notes ... 5 Thoughts on the Sugar Bowl ... Sugar Bowl Stream of Consciousness Quarter By Quarter Game Notes ... The Hawaii offensive line almost got Colt Brennan killed. The Warrior's star quarterback never had time to operate with the Bulldog defense hitting him on seemingly every play and throwing the Hawaii offense off its rhythm all game long. Hawaii might have been overwhelmed by the moment, but the biggest problem was the poor play by the offensive line. ... Lost in the blowout win was the average game by Matt Stafford and the passing game. Thomas Brown only averaged 3.8 yards per carry, but Knowshon Moreno averaged 6.8 yards a pop to get the running game going. They carried the day while Stafford only completed 14 of 23 passes despite having all the time he wanted. ... Because of the sacks, Georgia outgained Hawaii 159 yards to -5 on the ground.

Nov. 24
Georgia 31 ... Georgia Tech 17
Matthew Stafford ran for a 31-yard touchdown and hit Mo Massaquoi for a nine-yard score in the second quarter o give the Bulldogs control of the game, but it wasn't until Thomas Brown tore off a 32-yard touchdown run early in the fourth before they could relax a bit. Georgia Tech played tough with a 12-yard Tashard Choice touchdown run and a 17-yard Colin McPeek catch, but the offense couldn't get going in the second half.
Player of the game: Georgia RB Thomas Brown ran 17 times for 139 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Georgia - Passing: Matthew Stafford, 14-29, 214 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Thomas Brown, 17-139, 1 TD. Receiving: Mo Massaquoi, 6-74,1 TD
Georgia Tech - Passing: Taylor Bennett, 9-27, 137 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Tashard Choice, 25-134, 1 TD. Receiving: Greg Smith, 3-49
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Red-hot, Georgia kept the momentum from the end of the regular season going with a solid effort against a fired up Georgia Tech. Matthew Stafford might not have thrown all that well, but he didn't have to with the way the running game was going. Tech spent so much time worrying about how to bottle up Knowshon Moreno, and doing a good job of it, that Thomas Brown was able to crank out a big game. The defense was fine, but was helped by Taylor Bennett's inconsistent passing. Now it's on to the BCS where the Dawgs are all but assured of a high-profile game. They deserve it.

Nov. 17
Georgia 24 ... Kentucky 13
Georgia rallied from a 10-0 deficit with a 24-3 run on one-yard touchdown runs from Knowshon Moreno and Thomas Brown, and a ten-yard Matthew Stafford run. The story was the Bulldog defense that came up with five sacks, generated pressure all game long, and held he UK offense to 297 yards of total offense. The Wildcats started off the scoring with a 36-yard Kennan Burton catch and a 31-yard Lonas Seiber field goal, but could only manage a 44-yard Seiber field goal the rest of the way.
Player of the game: Georgia LB Rennie Curran made 13 tackles and a tackle for loss
Stat Leaders: Georgia - Passing: Matthew Stafford, 12-22, 99 yds. 2 INT
Rushing: Knowshon Moreno. 22-124, 1 TD. Receiving: Mo Massaquoi, 4-49
Kentucky - Passing: Andre Woodson, 24-41, 268 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Rafael Little, 16-32. Receiving: Steve Johnson, 8-88
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Georgia showed that it could win when things weren't going well. The offense turned it over four times against Kentucky and didn't get anything to click from the passing game down the field, but the defense hit Andre Woodson time and again while the running game was its typical strong self with Thomas Brown contributing more, with 73 yards and a score, in his second game back from injury. He might not be nearly as effective as Knowshon Moreno, but he was able to crank out 22 carries to help the overall workload. Now the Dawgs need a Tennessee loss to play LSU for the SEC title.

Nov. 10
Georgia 48 ... Auburn 20
Georgia outgained Auburn 417 yards to 216, and after falling behind 20-17 on a 33-yard Wes Byrum field goal, blew the game open with 28 unanswered points on Knowshon Moreno touchdown runs from 24 and three yards out, followed up by one-yard scoring runs from Brannan Southerland and Thomas Brown. The Bulldogs bombed away early on with a wide-open Mo Massaquoi catching a 58-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, and Sean Bailey catching a 13-yard scoring pass in the second for a 17-3 Georgia lead. But the Tigers came back with 17 straight points on a seven-yard Ben Tate run and a 12-yard Mario Fannin catch.
Player of the game: Georgia RB Knowshon Moreno ran 22 times for 101 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Auburn - Passing: Brandon Cox, 14-30, 133 yds, 1 TD, 4 INT
Rushing: Ben Tate, 13-58, 1 TD. Receiving: Montez Billings, 3-21
Georgia - Passing: Matthew Stafford, 11-19, 237 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Knowshon Moreno, 22-101, 2 TD. Receiving: Sean Bailey, 4-96, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... While Georgia doesn't control its own destiny to the SEC title, it's playing like a team able to challenge LSU for the championship. That's a strong Auburn defense that got gashed by the Dawgs, while the defense shut down the mediocre Tiger attack. Matthew Stafford might have thrown a bad interception, but he bombed away well averaging a whopping 21.5 yards per completion. With Kentucky and Georgia Tech certain to throw everything and the mascot at Knowshon Moreno over the next two weeks, Stafford will have to keep taking advantage of his opportunities.

Nov. 3
Georgia 44 ... Troy 34
Knowshon Moreno tore off an 80-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and Matthew Stafford threw two second quarter touchdown passes to give Georgia a 24-10 lead, but Troy never backed down all game long with Omar Haugabook throwing a 32-yard touchdown pass to Jerrel Jernigan and connecting with Kennard Burton for a 44-yard score to pull within four. The Dawgs were able to pull away with two one-yard Moreno scoring runs and two Brandon Coutu field goals. The Trojans outgained Georgia 488 yards to 465.
Player of the game: Georgia RB Knowshon Moreno ran 26 times for 196 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Troy - Passing: Omar Haugabook, 29-45, 310 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Kenny Cattouse, 9-60. Receiving: Jerrell Jernigan, 11-102, 2 TD
Georgia - Passing: Matthew Stafford, 17-29, 217 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Knowshon Moreno, 26-196, 3 TD. Receiving: Sean Bailey, 5-57, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The good: Georgia got a fantastic day from Knowshon Moreno and Matthew Stafford against a good Troy defense. The bad: The starters got way, way too much work considering Auburn is up next week. This was a big-time trap game, and the Dawgs can be forgiven if they didn't have the intensity cranked up to 11, but it would've been nice to have kept Moreno, the team's burgeoning superstar, on the bench for extended stretches. Against Auburn next week, there can't be the three turnovers or nine turnovers there were this week.

Oct. 27
Georgia 42 ... Florida 30
Georgia showed off its attitude early on, as the entire team came out to celebrate a one-yard Knowshon Moreno touchdown run to establish the tenor of the game. Florida responded with a 40-yard Louis Murphy touchdown catch, but Georgia answered right back with an 84-yard Mo Massaquoi touchdown catch. The Bulldogs overcame an interception returned for a score by Wondy Pierre-Louis to get relative control of the game for the final 35 minutes, with Moreno running for a 10-yard score at the end of the first half, and sealing the game with a three-yard scoring run after Florida got Tim Tebow's second touchdown run of the game. Stafford threw three touchdown passes highlighted by a great throw to Mikey Henderson, who made a tough catch, for a 53-yard touchdown.
Player of the game: Georgia RB Knowshon Moreno ran 33 times for 188 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Georgia - Passing: Matthew Stafford, 11-18, 217 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Knowshon Moreno, 33-188, 3 TD. Receiving: Sean Bailey, 3-44
Florida - Passing: Tim Tebow, 14-22, 236 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Percy Harvin, 10-97. Receiving: Andre Caldwell, 4-56
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... It might be easy to dismiss the team's on-field celebration after the first touchdown against Florida as a goofy gimmick, but it threw down the gauntlet and appeared to give the Dawgs an attitude that the Gators couldn't stop. The defensive line was terrific, teeing off on Tim Tebow and rarely letting him get any room to move. The offensive line had one of its best games all season long. Knowshon Moreno might have been the star of the game, but this might have been the coming out party for Matthew Stafford on a big-time scale. He only threw one miserably bad pick, and was brilliant on his three touchdown passes. Now the key will be to keep this fire. It's one thing to rock Florida. It'll be another to show up against a good Troy team (don't laugh) next week.

Oct. 13
Georgia 20 ... Vanderbilt 17
Brandon Coutu nailed a 37-yard field goal as time ran out to complete a fourth quarter comeback to give the Bulldogs the win. Coutu also hit a 31-yard shot to tie it up with 6:12 to play, but Vanderbilt had a shot late getting down to the Bulldog 18, but Cassen Jackson-Garrison lost a fumble, sparking the final UGA drive. The Commodores took a 17-7 lead into halftime on a 15-yard Sean Walker touchdown run and a phenomenal 16-yard acrobatic catch. The Bulldogs outscored Vandy 13-0 in the second half.
Player of the game: Georgia RB Knowshon Moreno ran 28 times for 157 yards and caught two passes for 18 yards.
Stat Leaders: Georgia - Passing: Matthew Stafford, 16-31, 201 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Knowshon Moreno, 28-157. Receiving: Tony Wilson, 4-57
Vanderbilt - Passing: Mackenzi Adams, 7-10, 125 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: D.J. Moore, 2-48. Receiving: Earl Bennett, 3-31
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... This is going to be Georgia all year long. It's going to have some moments when it looks like a world-beater, and it'll have others when it struggles just to get things going. Against Vanderbilt, the offense struggled in the first half, but it moved the ball enough in the second to set up the key fourth quarter field goals, with QB Matthew Stafford coming through when he had to. Now the running game is going to be all Knowshon Moreno, as Kregg Lumpkin hurt his knee. Stafford will have to do even more.

Oct. 6
Tennessee 35 ... Georgia 14
Tennessee stunned Georgia by getting up 28-0 at halftime on Arian Foster touchdown runs from nine and 22 yards out, a 56-yard trick play pass from to Lucas Taylor, to LaMarcus Coker, and a ten-yard Montario Hardesty scoring dash. Georgia showed some life on the first drive of the second half with a 26-yard Demiko Goodman scoring grab, but Tennessee ended any comeback hopes with a four-yard Foster run. Tennessee outgained Georgia 411 yards to 243.
Player of the game: Tennessee RB Arian Foster rushed for 98 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries, while making a reception for 11 yards.
Stat Leaders: Georgia - Passing: Matthew Stafford, 16-33, 174 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Knowshon Moreno, 13-30. Receiving: Tripp Chandler, 4-33, 1 TD
Tennessee - Passing: Erik Ainge, 17-22, 165 yds
Rushing: Arian Foster, 17-98, 3 TDs. Receiving: Lucas Taylor, 6-50
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Call the Tennessee loss a learning experience for a big step forward. Eventually. The Vols got on an early roll, Georgia couldn't answer, and all of a sudden it was 28-0. Matthew Stafford couldn't bomb his way back into it, and the running game failed, coming off an amazing performance against Ole Miss. Now the Dawgs have to gear it back up again, avoid losing to Vanderbilt for a second year in a row, and then take the time off for Florida. This is still a dangerous team that might still get its shot to win the East, but it can't afford a mistake the rest of the way.

Sept. 29
Georgia 45 ... Ole Miss 17
Ole Miss scored first on a 45-yard Mike Wallace touchdown catch, and then Thomas Brown took over. The Georgia back tore off a 50-yard touchdown run for the first of his three scores on the day. With the game tied at 17 late in the third, the Bulldogs cranked out 28 unanswered points with brown scoring from four and 41 yards out and Knowshon Moreno and Fred Munzenmaier each running for short scores. The Bulldogs outgained the Rebels 328 yards to 158 on the ground.
Player of the game: Georgia RB Thomas Brown ran 16 times for 180 yards and three touchdowns, and caught a pass for 11 yards
Stat Leaders: Ole Miss - Passing: Seth Adams, 24-35, 228 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: BenJarvus Green-Ellis, 22-108, 1 TD. Receiving: Shay Hodge, 6-77
Georgia - Passing: Matthew Stafford, 13-21, 144 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Thomas Brown, 16-180, 3 TD. Receiving: Mo Massaquoi, 3-29, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... After the big win over Alabama, and with Tennessee coming up, the concern was whether or not Georgia would be able to focus for Ole Miss. After struggling for almost three quarters, the offensive line took over and dominated the Rebels on the ground. If Thomas Brown and Knowshon Moreno can keep ripping off big runs like they did this week, and the pressure is taken off Matthew Stafford, he didn't have to force many throws, this will be a tough offense to stop. The defense wasn't a rock, but it was good enough, and did a great job over the final 20 minutes.

Sept. 22
Georgia 26 ... Alabama 23 OT
Bama's Leigh Tiffin connected on a 42-yard field goal in overtime, but Matthew Stafford connected with Mikey Henderson on a 25-yard touchdown pass on Georgia's first play in overtime for the win. The Dawgs had a shot to win in regulation, but Brandon Coutu missed a 47-yard field goal as time ran out. Coutu connected on field goals from 45 and 47 yards out, and Thomas Brown and Knowshon Moreno each ran for short touchdowns, but the Tide was able to tie it up late on a ten-play, 88-yard drive ending with John Parker Wilson's second short rushing touchdown of the game.
Player of the game: Georgia QB Matthew Stafford completed 19 of 35 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions.
Stat Leaders: Alabama - Passing: John Parker Wilson, 17-35, 185 yds
Rushing: Terry Grant, 11-80. Receiving: Mike McCoy, 6-47
Georgia - Passing: Matthew Stafford, 19-35, 224 yds, 2 TD, 2 iNT
Rushing: Thomas Brown, 20-74. Receiving: Sean Bailey, 5-74
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... This is Georgia football. Just when you think it might not be the most talented team around, just when you think there are major holes, the Dawgs come out and win a tough road game. That they were able to come back emotionally at Alabama when the Tide tied it up in the final minute, and with a missed field goal forcing overtime, shows how tough the team appears to be right now. The defense did a nice job of never letting Alabama establish its offense, but struggled on the final drive in the fourth. Even so, this was the type of win that could change things around after the South Carolina loss a few weeks ago. Now the Dawgs are back in the fight.

Sept. 15
Georgia 45 ... Western Carolina 16
Georgia exploded for 21 points in the second quarter on two Matthew Stafford touchdown passes and a 23-yard Knowshon Moreno touchdown run. The Bulldogs rolled for 21 points to start the second half on two short touchdown runs and a 34-yard Demiko Goodman scoring grab from Joe Cox. WCU didn't get into the end zone until late in the fourth on a Mike Malone touchdown run.
Player of the game: Georgia QB Matthew Stafford completed 14 of 20 passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Western Carolina - Passing: Adam Hearns, 10-14, 122 yds
Rushing: Willie Harper, 8-20. Receiving: Mike Malone, 4-17
Georgia - Passing: Matthew Stafford, 14-20, 174 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Knowshon Moreno, 13-94, 1 TD. Receiving: Mo Massaquoi, 3-47
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Bulldogs were able to go through the motions and come up with the win over Western Carolina, but while that might not sound exciting, for an offense that needed work and needed consistency, it was a plus. With a road trip to Alabama up next, the receivers needs to get more involved after struggling last week, and for the most part, they were. It would've been nice if the running game had been better, but it was still effective.

Sept. 8
South Carolina 16 ... Georgia 12
South Carolina got Ryan Succop field goals from 41, 35 and 34 yards out after starting off the scoring with a nine-yard Cory Boyd touchdown run, and then hung on late as a last gasp Georgia pass was kicked into the hands of Jasper Brinkley. The Bulldogs got four Brandon Coutu field goals and outgained the Gamecocks 341 yards to 314, but Coutu missed an early 48-yarder and the offense failed to go on any long drives after the second-quarter march to set up Coutu's first field goal. The two teams combined to convert four of 29 third down chances.
Player of the game: South Carolina K/P Ryan Succop scored 10 of his team’s 16 points, going 3-of-3 on field goals, and averaged 40.7 yards a punt, landing two inside the 20.
Stat Leaders: South Carolina - Passing: Blake Mitchell, 20-31, 174 yds
Rushing: Cory Boyd, 14-76, 1 TD. Receiving: Kenny McKinley, 7-102
Georgia - Passing: Matthew Stafford, 19-44, 213 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Knowshon Moreno, 14-104. Receiving: Sean Bailey, 4-44
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... As good as the Georgia offense looked at times against Oklahoma State, that's how stagnant it became against South Carolina. Matthew Stafford took a step back, mainly because he receiving corps struggled, but on the plus side, Knowshon Moreno had a great day and showed he can handle himself as a centerpiece back if he gets more work. Unfortunately, there's no more margin for error in the SEC and there's a trip to Alabama ahead. To get back on track, finishing off drives with touchdowns instead of field goals is a must, and that'll come with better play on third downs. That'll come with better play from the passing game. That's what Western Carolina is for next week.

Sept. 1
Georgia 35 ... Oklahoma State 14
Georgia's offense was balanced an efficient as Thomas Brown ran for two first half scores and Matthew Stafford threw for two second half scores on the way to a surprisingly easy win. Oklahoma State's offense struggled to get consistently going, but it was able to tie it at seven early on a 20-yard Adarius Bowman touchdown catch and pulled within seven at the end of the first half on a five-yard Dantrell Savage run. And then the Dawgs took over, not allowing any second half points while Stafford calmly kept the offense moving.
Player of the game ... Georgia QB Matthew Stafford finished 18-of-24 for 234 yards and two touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Oklahoma State- Passing: Bobby Reid, 16-30, 191 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Dantrell Savage, 10-55  Receiving: Brandon Pettigrew, 7-85
Georgia - Passing: Matthew Stafford, 18-24, 234 yds, 2 TDs
Rushing: Knowshon Moreno, 20-70  Receiving: Sean Bailey, 5-87
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Georgia shockingly appeared to be in midseason form with a surprisingly easy win over a very, very dangerous Oklahoma State team. The offensive line did a great job when it had to get the ground game moving, and, for the most part, it kept Matthew Stafford upright against the OSU speed rush. The defense did a fantastic job of limiting the big plays, and did a better job of stopping the Cowboys on third downs. This is the exactly sort of performance the team needed going into the South Carolina showdown. There aren't any glaring issues to work on this week.