Georgia Team Report

Whether the Georgia Bulldogs live up to their No. 1 ranking will depend an awful lot on their young offensive line.

The line received a severe blow in camp when left tackle Trinton Sturdivant suffered a season-ending knee injury. Georgia will start four sophomores up front, and freshmen are the top backups at four positions.

“It’s kind of scary sometimes,” offensive coordinator Mike Bobo admitted to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about playing freshmen.

If the line jells, the Bulldogs have a great shot at their first national championship since 1980.

The good news is that Georgia opens with Georgia Southern and Central Michigan at home.

Those sure victories should give Bobo and coach Mark Richt time for tinkering before the Bulldogs travel to South Carolina (Sept. 13) and Arizona State (Sept. 20).

Notes, Quotes

Scouting The Offense: The Bulldogs scored 32.4 points a game last season and could be even more potent this fall. With QB Matthew Stafford, RB Knowshon Moreno, WR Mohammed Massaquoi and TE Tripp Chandler, it can be argued few teams have better skill players. But there are questions about the young offensive line, especially now that LT Trinton Sturdivant has been lost for the season with a knee injury.

Scouting The Defense: Georgia gave up 20.2 points a game last year, which ranked 18th in the nation, and nine starters return. DT Geno Atkins is a run stuffer who can get to the quarterback too (7.5 sacks last year), and the back seven is frighteningly quick. CB Asher Allen is a burner who had three interceptions last year. LBs Dannell Ellerbe, Rennie Curran and Akeem Dent form one of the best trios in the SEC.

Quote To Note: “We all know it doesn’t matter where you start as much as where you finish, but the coaches’ poll is part of the decision-making process to see who plays in the big game down the road … It’s nice to have a third of (that selection process) think highly of your team as you begin.”—Coach Mark Richt to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, on his team’s No. 1 ranking.

Strategy And Personnel

THIS WEEK’S GAME: Georgia Southern at Georgia, Aug. 30—Perhaps the most important thing for Georgia, the consensus No. 1 team in the nation, is to get out of their first two games without suffering any more big injuries. Georgia should dominate Georgia Southern and Central Michigan at home before a challenging two-game road trip to South Carolina and Arizona State. Georgia Southern won’t be helped by the fact that coach Chris Hatcher had to suspend eight players for this game.

Players To Watch:

QB Matthew Stafford—The rocket-armed junior, who threw 19 touchdowns last season, has a clear mandate from coaches: become a more efficient quarterback. He ranked 56th among Division I-A quarterbacks last season with a pass efficiency rating of 128.9. Stafford must elevate his completion percentage (55.7).

RB Knowshon Moreno—The electric Moreno, who ran for 1,332 yards and 14 touchdowns as a freshman last year, is the emotional leader of the offense. With backup Caleb King banged up (but now participating in contact drills), Moreno should get a sizable workload early this season.

LB Dannell Ellerbe—The All-SEC performer had a team-high 93 tackles last season, including 12 for losses, and 4.5 sacks. He’ll anchor one of the fastest defenses in the country.

Roster Report:

• LB Charles White ruptured his Achilles tendon and is out for the year. White was a third-teamer at middle linebacker but played a lot on special teams.

• The dramatic improvement of free safety Reshad Jones allowed the Bulldogs to move senior CJ Byrd to strong safety. Jones led UGA safeties with 57 tackles last season despite playing mostly as a backup.

• Senior FB Brannan Southerland is on track in his recovery from a broken left foot. The best-case scenario has him returning for the Sept. 20 game at Arizona State. Southerland plans to be back no later than the Tennessee game Oct. 11.