LIVE: Georgia hopes for easy day against Georgia Southern
Mark Richt wants his players to focus on game but BCS standings are on Sanford Stadium scoreboard.
ATHENS — For the first Saturday of the season, Georgia will take the field today as SEC East Division champions. And by the time this game ends, the Bulldogs hope nothing will have happened to dampen that title.
A week after clinching the East title at Auburn, the Dogs play host to Georgia Southern. Nothing against the Eagles, who have an impressive winning tradition at the Division 1-AA/FCS level, but this one shouldn’t be close.
Georgia has three simple goals: 1) Tune up defensively for next week’s game against Georgia Tech, which, like Southern, runs an option offense; 2) Build a big enough lead to get into position to pull starters in the second half; 3) Get out of this game without any significant injuries.
A berth in the SEC championship against Alabama is secure, but Georgia could have more on the line after that. The Dogs’ No. 5 ranking in the BCS creates an outside possibility they could still sneak into the national championship game. In short, the Dogs would need to win out over Southern, Tech and Alabama, and then hope that two of the other three teams ahead of them in the BCS — Kansas State, Oregon and Notre Dame — lose a game. Click the link for how it breaks down.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see Georgia come out a little flat today against Southern. A letdown after a four-game winning streak and last week’s 38-0 blowout of Auburn seems only natural. Conversely, Georgia Southern (8-2) will be pumped. It’s a big deal for an FCS team any time it can face an FBS opponent, and I’m sure a lot of GSU’s players dreamed of playing in Athens. So I could foresee a final score of something like 48-21.
Here’s some more reading material if you’re looking to pass the time:
• Chip Towers on Georgia trying to stay focused while keeping an eye on the BCS.
• Chip on Todd Gurley on trying to become only the second true freshman running back in UGA history to go over 1,000 yards. (You know the other guy.) With four more games, there’s still a slim chance Gurley (973) can catch Walker’s freshman season rushing record of 1,616 yards, but he would need to average 160.7 per game.
• Here’s my three-second view of the game and other investment advice in Weekend Predictions.
Finally, in case you missed it, WSB Channel 2 picked up the broadcast for this game. So pull up a couch and follow along while you’re commenting here.
And with that, I’m going to open the cyber-venting lines now. What are you looking for in today’s game?
By Jeff Schultz
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
522 comments Add your comment
Buddy Landel
November 17th, 2012
3:08 pm
…so this is what the #5 team in the nation looks like?
Mike Franklin
November 17th, 2012
3:08 pm
After 7 pages of comments
UGA 17 – Trolls 3
jack bull
November 17th, 2012
3:08 pm
Is LA big enough for Lane Kiffin and Jim Mora Jr.?
Overrated Notre Dame
November 17th, 2012
3:09 pm
Dawgs outplayed first half. Pretty sad.
Referee at UGA game.
November 17th, 2012
3:09 pm
Listen guys, if UGA starts looking bad again, always flag the Eagles for a chop block. Because if we don’t these…drunk moon shiner Jawja fanswon’t let us out of Fred Sanford Stadium alive!
Mike Franklin
November 17th, 2012
3:11 pm
“Because if we don’t these…drunk moon shiner Jawja fanswon’t let us out of Fred Sanford Stadium alive.”
LMBFAO!
What a maroon.
Dum-Bass
November 17th, 2012
3:11 pm
Based on GA Southern’s past successes in football and baseball, go to all 50 states and ask anyone who knows sports who GSU is, and it will be 3 to 1 they will say Georgia Southern. Georgia State has hijacked the designator “GSU”, mainly through the help of the AJC. Period, case closed. Drop it! Enough already! Oh, and I still think it’s mighty “unclassy” for the Gametracker to be showing “GAS” in one endzone for GA Southern. Cute, but not classy at all, AJC sports dept.
Justin
November 17th, 2012
3:11 pm
Gurley only has 27 yards rushing. Smh.
Justin
November 17th, 2012
3:12 pm
You can tell the Tech fans are scared about next week boys! They are out in full force!
45 ACP
November 17th, 2012
3:13 pm
27 yards today = 1000 for this season. Go Dawgs!
Overrated Notre Dame
November 17th, 2012
3:13 pm
Name your dog Chip. Then it will get all excited when a Brave fouls a long fly ball…
Justin
November 17th, 2012
3:14 pm
Grantham isn’t trying to show Tech what he’s going to do. Defense will take the pitch man in the 2nd half and for the Tech game. Southern is better than Tech. Tech won’t give us this much of a fight.
Mike Franklin
November 17th, 2012
3:14 pm
No halftime show on ESPN3 but… reading the GT troll performance is still entertaining.
Rick ‘em, rack ‘em, ruck ‘em… take that funny gold and black uni and really… hide
Justin
November 17th, 2012
3:15 pm
South Carolina tied 7-7 with Wofford in the 4th quarter.
Referee at UGA game.
November 17th, 2012
3:15 pm
Sanford Stadium smells like:
A) Axe body spray
B) Budweiser
C) Motor oil
D) All of the above
If you chose “D”, you are correct.
Tech Hottie
November 17th, 2012
3:15 pm
Doggies cant handle Div. 2 team? We gonna neuter the doggies next week.
Discount DoubleDawg
November 17th, 2012
3:16 pm
Georgia will finish with around 40 points… GSU might score again and finish with 14… pretty much what everyone expected. still has to play out but looks like 30 point win
Buddy Landel
November 17th, 2012
3:16 pm
So…the chaz bono lookalike says in pre-game, “hey you ^%^&%%, don’t try and tackle the ^%^% pitchman in the %^%& first half.” Yeah, that makes sense.
Wutehvah
November 17th, 2012
3:17 pm
A real #5 team would not struggle with GSU. Game should be tied.
Dawgs Eat Tiger Meat
November 17th, 2012
3:17 pm
Is the game as ugly live as it is on tv Jeff?
Eric C.
November 17th, 2012
3:18 pm
The national champions struggled with them last year
Starring Sebastian Cabot as Mr. French.
November 17th, 2012
3:19 pm
I bet Steve Spurrier is doing the visor throwdown.
Dawgs Eat Tiger Meat
November 17th, 2012
3:19 pm
Where did you go Jeff?
Justin
November 17th, 2012
3:19 pm
Um, @ Wutehvah, Alabama was only up 24-14 at the half last year on Southern and they were the #2 team in the country.
Buddy Landel
November 17th, 2012
3:19 pm
funny post at 3:15, especially choice A. Jim Harrick, Jr would approve.
Voyceofreason
November 17th, 2012
3:19 pm
“Sanford Stadium smells like:”
That’s pretty funny. Especially since it’s more or less the truth…
Justin
November 17th, 2012
3:20 pm
ALABAMA WAS UP 24-14 AT HALFTIME LAST YEAR VS. THIS SAME GA SOUTHERN TEAM! THEY WERE UP 10 POINTS JUST LIKE UGA IS THIS YEAR! RELAX!
Starring Sebastian Cabot as Mr. French.
November 17th, 2012
3:21 pm
I chose D for Master Jody and A for Miss Buffy.
Jeff Schultz
November 17th, 2012
3:22 pm
Some numbers at halftime: Keith Marshall 7 for 27. … Todd Gurley 9 for 27. … Aaron Murray 10-15-0 199 yds, 1 TD. … Georgia has 249 yards in offense, Southern 165. … Each team with one turnover (lost fumbles).
Overrated Notre Dame
November 17th, 2012
3:22 pm
Zeier says game where expected to be. He expect Eagles to be winning at half as they should have been if not for UGA referees?
Not So Fast
November 17th, 2012
3:22 pm
Last year at halftime Alabama 24 GSU 14…. I guess using some the trolls logic, our defense is better than Alabamas was last year. Same spread Bama had at the half with less points given up.
Justin
November 17th, 2012
3:23 pm
That was a clear chop block. You guys saw that. No excuses.
Buddy Landel
November 17th, 2012
3:23 pm
Maybe you coulda added Fabreeze to the list. You know, just in case you don’t have time to actually wash that Knowshown Moreno jersey.
eagle boy
November 17th, 2012
3:23 pm
That blocking call when Southern was inside the 5 yard line and driving for the lead was chicken poop. The Bulldogs have been head tackling all day and not a single call and then to nick pick on a block at the end… Pure ridiculous… Southern is handling the thUGs just fine. Just don’t start calling junk when the game is in question. Pure ridiculous!!
Oger
November 17th, 2012
3:23 pm
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRDDDDDDDDDDDSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Oger getting ready for next saturday
Jeff Schultz
November 17th, 2012
3:23 pm
Dawgs Eat Tiger Meat: TV screen doesn’t lie.
Overrated Notre Dame
November 17th, 2012
3:25 pm
Stop making excuses. If Dawgs are #5 team in country then Ga. Southern is #6.
Justin
November 17th, 2012
3:25 pm
Deep down, I really quite scared of Bama and what they’re gonna do to us. Back in a minute, Mom is calling me up from the basement. UGH
eagle boy
November 17th, 2012
3:26 pm
That was a crap call when Southern was driving for the lead. Georgia has been head tackling all afternoon, not a call. Pure ridiculous..
Buddy Landel
November 17th, 2012
3:26 pm
goodbye fake oger
Greg
November 17th, 2012
3:26 pm
If the Dawgs D gets a stop here, we should be able to put this game away.
Rodster
November 17th, 2012
3:27 pm
watching the game with sound off. That way I can enjoy watching the Bulldogs and forego the aggrevation of listening to WSB’s play-by-play.
Greg
November 17th, 2012
3:27 pm
If Georgia holds Southern to 7 points, that’s outstanding. And the only reason they got those is because of that McGowan fumble.
Oger
November 17th, 2012
3:27 pm
real Oger just gave fake Oger a wedgie
45 ACP
November 17th, 2012
3:28 pm
Adjustments….maybe….
Overrated Notre Dame
November 17th, 2012
3:28 pm
Ga. Tech probably licking chops watching Dawgs defense revert to SC game defense.
Greg
November 17th, 2012
3:28 pm
Great defense!
Greg
November 17th, 2012
3:29 pm
Georgia Tech gives up an average of 50 points a game…don’t think UGA is scared of Tech.
Jeff Schultz
November 17th, 2012
3:30 pm
Jim Mora has taken a 7-0 lead over Lane Kiffin.
Overrated Notre Dame
November 17th, 2012
3:31 pm
I heard Jarvis Jones name called once today. When Eagles rb ran over him on td refs called back.