Georgia vs South Carolina

By JY • September 10, 2008

Bulldogs- Keys of the Game

1. Georgia's air attack vs the South Carolina secondary- During the pre-season there was much hype over the South Carolina front seven. So deep on the defensive line that DE Eric Norwood was moved to linebacker to team with standout LB Jasper Brinkley! Amazingly enough, their run defense has been their weakness thus far this season. The Gamecocks have given up only 70 passing yards per game, however. And, Matthew Stafford will face his toughest test of the young season. Defensive backs Captain Munnerlyn and Emanuel Cook rank among the top talents in the SEC and have helped hold opponents to less than a 40% pass completion percentage, so far. The Dawgs receivers must continue to slice through the defense like a knife through chicken......so to speak.

2. Kicking game- Freshman kicker Blair Walsh has been lights out in the early going for the Dawgs. He nailed his first collegiate kick from over 50 yards out and has been perfect on extra points. The Georgia-South Carolina series has a history of close games and who knows if this one may come down to a last minute field goal? Walsh must continue his solid performance in front of his first hostile crowd in Columbia on Saturday.

3. Defense must Finish The Drill- The Bulldog's defense has taken care of business in the first two games, however, there have been lapses from time to time. Central Michigan's Heisman-hopeful quarterback found holes in the defensive secondary and orchestrated a couple of scoring drives to bring his team within 2 scores of a tie ballgame last weekend. Though South Carolina does not have the same caliber of quarterback, they do have standouts in wide receiver Kenny McKinley and tight end Jared Cook. The Dawgs must "bring it" for 4 quarters and keep Steve Spurrier's offense in check!

Potential Breakout Performance?

High School all-everything receiver A.J. Green has been silky smooth in his first two games as a Georgia Bulldog. While his stats haven't been eye-popping, he has been very impressive as he has worked his way into the offensive rotation. How sweet would it be for the true freshman to have his "coming out party" in his home state ,in front of a nationally televised audience? Mark Richt plucked the kid right out from under Spurrier and Green never waivered on his decision to commit to Georgia. Humble, eager to learn and talented, A.J. Green has the potential to stretch the field and create some fireworks inside Williams-Brice Stadium this weekend!