Stafford Reaches 300 yard Mark

Matt Stafford continued to spread the ball around, on is way to a career-best 310 yards passing.  He completed 25 of 36 passes and had 1 TD and 2 interceptions.  Eight different receivers caught the ball, led by Mohamed Massaquoi and A.J. Green, who combined for 12 catches for 156 yards and a (MoMass) touchdown. The running backs also proved to be valuable targets, combining for 6 catches. Fullback Shaun Chapas had a highlight-reel catch on a screen pass that went for 37 yards. And, Chapas led all running backs, catching 3 passes for 64 yards.

Dawgs Pound the Vols

Tennessee came into the game with the 4th best rushing defense in the SEC and the #1 total defense. By the end of the game, Georgia had rolled up 458 yards of total offense and 148 on the ground. Knowshon Moreno reached the century mark with 27 carries for 101 yards on the day. The Dawgs had several long drives, but, one of my favorites was a 4th quarter drive when Mike Bobo called 10 straight running plays, mainly to the left side of the offensive line. Georgia repeatedly pounded the left side of the line with a combination of Knowshon Moreno and Caleb King, as the game clock winded down under 3 minutes to go.

Time to Take Care of Business

Sitting at 5-1 and ranked #10 in the nation, the Dawgs must hunker down these next several weeks. The Dawgs are in a 3-way tie for first place in the SEC East with Vanderbilt and Florida. With offensive tackle Vince Vance going down with a season-ending injury against Tennessee, the offensive line has been shuffled once again. The good news is that these guys have finished the drill in the face of adversity all year and continue to play tough. With Vanderbilt finally loosing to Mississippi State this weekend, they will come into Sanford Stadium hungry and the Dawgs must be ready to take care of business. With Vandy, LSU and Florida all ranked, the next three games will shape how the SEC East shakes out and whether the Dawgs can make it back to Atlanta for the SEC title game....... Stay tuned.

Key Matchups

1. Georgia's defensive line vs UT's offensive line- Tennessee has not shown the dominant running game this year, which has been their trademark under head coach Phil Fulmer.  Part of the reason is new offensive coordinator Dave Clawson has brought a more balanced attack to Knoxville. But, make no mistake about the potential of their rushing game. The Vols have three potential all-SEC linemen in guard Anthony Parker, center Josh McNeil and right tackle Ramon Foster.  The Vols have struggled on offense all year, but, most of their scoring damage has been done on the ground, as they averaged 4.8 yards-per-carry coming into their matchup with Northern Illinois this weekend. If the Dawgs can stuff the running game, it could be a long day for the Volunteers.

2. Conquer the Penalty Issue- It is no secret that Georgia has struggled with penalties this year. Georgia gave away two first downs  (through their own penalties) on Alabama's first possession last week, which contributed to Alabama gaining the early momentum and running with it.... The SEC East is wide open right now and the Volunteers, (who are 0-2 in the SEC thus far) will be in a "must win" situation when they visit Athens. So, Georgia cannot afford to rack up penalties against the Vols.   This past week, Georgia used it's off week to focus on reducing penalties, brush up on fundamentals and get some weightlifting in.  If the Dawgs are to re-take first place in the SEC East, they must get off to a fresh start against the Vols and play disciplined football for the next several weeks, as they take on the "meat" of their schedule, with LSU, Florida and Auburn coming up.

3. Stafford must stay sharp- Matt Stafford threw his first interception of the year against Alabama. Tennessee has picked off 9 passes and enters the Georgia game as one of the top two teams in the SEC in the interception category. The Vols have one of the top safety tandems in the conference in Eric Berry and Demetrice Morley.  And, cornerback DeAngelo Willingham has 2 picks, while Berry has 3 INT's on the year. Stafford must stay focused against the Vols secondary and continue to lead the #1 passing offense in the SEC.

Dawgs Ready for Wild Ride

With Vanderbilt out to a 5-0 start and beating Auburn, they are currently standing in 1st place in the SEC East.........I believe hell is freezing over......anything is possible!!!! The SEC East is wide-open this year!!! The point is, anybody can be beaten on any given Saturday. The Dawgs face the toughest stretch of their schedule in the coming weeks and the road to a possible SEC Championship will be as difficult as it's ever been. Georgia showed what they are made of coming back in the second half against Bama to outscore them 30-10 in that half. It was too late, as the damage had been done in the disastrous 1st half. The Dawgs must stay focused on the "little things" during the next stretch of games and the off week was just what they needed to do just that. Each game will be huge and the margin off error will be paper thin.  The Dawgs will have plenty of chances to "Finish the Drill" and what a wild ride it promises to be!!!