Scout.com > College Football News Instant Analysis: Georgia-Arizona State Story URL: http://cfn.scout.com/2/792791.html Matt Zemek CollegeFootballNews.com Sep 20, 2008 Saturday night’s tantalizing tilt between an SEC power and a Pac-10 challenger to USC proved to be the kind of game that doesn’t require a terribly complex or lengthy analysis. Georgia won because it had Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno, and A.J. Green, while Arizona State didn’t. Arizona State actually tried hard on this evening in the Desert Southwest. Unlike their foggy and groggy look-ahead loss to UNLV the week before, the Sun Devils did compete with energy and passion. However, Dennis Erickson’s team still proved to be no match for Mark Richt’s men, who made the long cross-country trek, dealt with the 100-degree heat in suburban Phoenix, and handled everything thrown at them in a thoroughly solid performance. From start to finish, it became crystal clear that Georgia simply had a better collection of players on the field. Under center, Stafford made quick-release, cross-field and sidearm throws that his counterpart, ASU’s Rudy Carpenter, simply couldn’t equal. At running back, Moreno displayed Reggie Bush-level athleticism that his opposite number, ASU’s Dmitri Nance, couldn’t hope to match. And at receiver, Green showcased soft hands and downfield playmaking capability that no one in the Sun Devils’ receiving corps had a prayer of imitating. Georgia’s offensive line was a little bit more effective than the home team’s hogs, and the Bulldogs’ defensive front proved to be a better bunch of run stuffers when compared to ASU’s defensive line. Yes, Sun Devil defensive end Luis Vasquez flew all over the field, and sure, ASU corner Omar Bolden acquitted himself fairly well, but in looking at the entire rosters of the two teams, Georgia was simply able to plug a better player into almost every position. It really was that simple. If there was a turning point in this game, it came when Nance fumbled after a seven-yard catch near midfield in the second quarter, with Georgia leading 7-0. Right after ASU’s defense made a gallant stand in its own territory, the Sun Devils needed to possess the ball on offense to give their defense some much-needed rest. But when Nance fumbled the ball away, the home team lost more than momentum; it lost a reasonable chance of staying within one possession of a very formidable ballclub. With ASU’s defense spent, Georgia’s offense strolled back onto the field and predictably tallied a touchdown to up its lead to 14-0. Arizona State never got closer than 11 points over the remainder of the proceedings. If this was a test for Georgia, the Dawgs passed it with flying colors. Despite significant injuries to key players such as left tackle Trinton Sturdivant, this assemblage of athletes from Athens has a chance to do something special in 2008. Copyright © Scout.com and CollegeFootballNews.com