By the numbers: Top 10 opener a rarity for UGA
A win over Oklahoma State would be only the second season-opening victory over a Top 10 opponent in school history, UGA’s sports communications folks point out. The only other time it happened was when unranked Georgia under Vince Dooley beat Bear Bryant’s No. 5 Alabama 18-17 in Athens in 1965. All-time, the Bulldogs are 1-4-1 against Top 10 foes in season openers.
Of course, the Dogs haven’t faced that many top teams in opening games over the decades. Once UGA moved Alabama out of that first-game spot, opponents have tended to be designated patsies with directional or hypenated names until recently, when the likes of Boise State and Okie State have been added.
Loading ...Georgia has won its past 12 openers, including an 8-0 mark under Mark Richt. In the Richt era, of course, the Dogs are 30-4 in an opponent’s stadium, including 10-2 versus ranked opponents. The last time Georgia was on the road to start the season was in 2003 when the Bulldogs shut out Clemson 30-0. The Bulldogs’ all-time record for season openers is 88-24-3.
Georgia is 3-1 against Top 10 teams in opponents’ stadiums under Richt, having beaten No. 6 Tennessee in 2001, No. 8 Tennessee in 2005 and No. 5 Auburn in 2006. In 2004, No. 8 Georgia lost to No. 3 Auburn.
Overall, Georgia is 3-0 against Oklahoma State, including the 2007 win in Athens. This will be the Dogs’ first trip to Stillwater since 1947, when Georgia beat what was then called Oklahoma A&M 20-7.
Under Richt, the Dogs have averaged 41.3 points in their season openers, but that’s skewed by putting up 45 or more points against the likes of Arkansas State, Georgia Southern (twice) and Western Kentucky.
A lot of folks think Georgia will have to put up a like number of points this week to come away with a win over the high-scoring Pokes.
What do you think? Will the Dogs need 45 or more points in Stillwater? Feel free to comment, vote in the poll or do both.
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89 comments Add your comment
puppydawg
August 31st, 2009
4:02 pm
“The over under is 62. Vegas knows what they are doing. 45-17 Cowboys”
D’bag, I’ll take the Dawgs and 28 and you can name the amount. You got the nads to back that up? Didn’t think so! I guess D stands for damsel. Who’s the retard now, beeotch?
Topp Dogg
August 31st, 2009
4:04 pm
Camel rides free with purchase of any GT tickets.
D
August 31st, 2009
4:05 pm
You’re the retard. Cause you made the fatal mistake. Using the word bee in a sentence while not mocking GT!! LOOOOOZA!! LOL
puppydawg
August 31st, 2009
4:12 pm
Really, D’bag? That’s the best comeback you have? Pathetic!!! How old are you, nine? And what’s the bet, beeotch?
Sanford Drive
August 31st, 2009
4:15 pm
D, I have a couple of friends who are Tech grads that can’t find jobs right now. This economy is helping nobody.
AcidReflux
August 31st, 2009
4:19 pm
Buuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrppppppppppp!!!!! Dang, it seems like this story line will never end. Haven’t we seen these same posts over and over again? Dawgs gonna win. OSU gonna lose. CWM can’t coach. CMR is too easy. Penalties. Poor Tackling. Well, I’m keeping my peace till the game is played this weekend. I do hope we don’t see/hear what we saw/heard last year. Dang, I think a dawg win would make me feel better, but I will tell you that when I went to my fortune teller today, she said there would be some dark skies soon. She wouldn’t tell me what she meant by that. Can someone help me?
puppydawg
August 31st, 2009
4:19 pm
C’mon D’bag. You can do better than that. What a lame comeback! Tell the truth, now. Are you still in middle school? If so, I’ll leave you alone and limit my correspondence on this board with the adults.
Sanford Drive
August 31st, 2009
4:25 pm
puppydawg,
Middle School kids don’t even use “LOL.” Perhaps he has a few extra chromosomes.
LT
August 31st, 2009
4:25 pm
If UGA stays disciplined on defense and does not get beat by the big play, there is a decent shot for them to pull out a victory. This game will tell us alot about Willie Martinez and the rest of the season. 24-21 Dawgs
puppydawg
August 31st, 2009
4:29 pm
Sanford, yes he’s “special” alright. Probably rides the short bus to school.
WTF
August 31st, 2009
4:33 pm
Sound like D has got a bug up his @ss. Can’t imagine being that miserable or hating so many folks that much. Oh well, just skip his tirades and read the posts that actually pertain to the subject.
orangeblood83
August 31st, 2009
4:45 pm
dez bryant is going to be down the field b4 yall hillbillys even no it hes going to out jump you & kendall hunter is just gonna run through you zack robinson is going to tear the defense piece by piece & your going to realize that yall aint nothin with out matthew stafford
reality check
August 31st, 2009
4:45 pm
My prediction is something like 28 – 21 Georgia.
Everybody loes the OSU offense, but their defense is questionable. Robinson, Okung, and Hunter would all start if they played at Georgia, and Dez Bryant is truly special. But they will miss Pettigrew and overall I believe our talent level is higher. The key will be stopping their running game.
We have stronger lines on both sides of the ball. Their run defense may be decent, but it is hard to tell because they have questions in their secondary and everybody exploits that when they play them. As much as some malign Martinez, Oklahoma State has been giving up almost 100 yards per game more and unless their new DC has done wonders and/or we do not establish and stick with the running game we should have some very favorable matchups.
reality check
August 31st, 2009
4:46 pm
Everybody loves the OSU offense
UGA#1
August 31st, 2009
4:54 pm
THATS WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT WTF!!!!
45ACP
August 31st, 2009
4:55 pm
Put on your flak jacket before posting on the blog.
Hey Tech guys there is a new handle for one of you.
No charge.
UGA#1
August 31st, 2009
4:56 pm
I guess D forgot that UGA was 3 TDs ahead before Coach Richt decided to put some high school kids in. I’d feel bad to if a team that had ga. played THAT BAD!!!!!!!
LarryvilleDawg
August 31st, 2009
4:58 pm
orangeblood83, I couldn’t help but notice that you failed to mention your defense. How do you think Coach Gundy is are planning to stop the UGA offense with that miserable excuse of a defense that he has? The Dawgs defense will stop OSU’s offense more than the Pokes defense will stop UGA’s offense. UGA 38, OSU 24.
LarryvilleDawg
August 31st, 2009
4:59 pm
oops, “is planning”.
hello newman
August 31st, 2009
5:05 pm
orangeblood I hope that was a weak attempt at poking fun at us “hillbillies” – otherwise there is no way you made it through college. And by the way, Atlanta is a much more cosmopolitan and worldly city than anywhere in Oklahoma, and considering most UGA students are from Atlanta, I’d say you could not be more off base with that comment. Regardless, there is no legitimate way of determining who will win this game before it is played. Fortunately, we need not wai much longer. Go Dawgs!
Bob Horner had a sweet compact swing
August 31st, 2009
5:47 pm
I think OK state puts 8 guys in the box on defense and makes Cox beat em…..
and I think Cox does….he throws 30 times connects on 20…3 TD’s
GA Poke
August 31st, 2009
5:49 pm
Wow, eighty percent of you think Georgia can rein in the Cowpokes? No way! That offense is way too balanced. The only worry is if OSU can rein in the dog’s new offense. We will see if the new defensive coordinator has turned it around. Georgia always comes ready to play so this should be a good one. Go Cowboys!
Bill
August 31st, 2009
6:28 pm
Ga fans are ignorant delusional myrmidons. Just reading this blog lowers ones IQ by 20 points. Looking forward to watching my Cowboys expose this fraud of a team Saturday.
2 touchdown win. Mark it down.
okstate24
August 31st, 2009
6:30 pm
reality check, you really think that UGA’s talent level is higher than OSU’s? higher than zac robinson, dez bryant, kendall hunter, and russell okung? wow
Cuz
August 31st, 2009
7:36 pm
Bill, Mymidions, really. Cool, we fought with Achilles. Greatest Linebacker of all time. Slapped Dick Butkis and made him cry for his Momma. Count me in.
Cuz
August 31st, 2009
7:37 pm
okstate, that would be an affirmative. Back at ya Cowboy.
pokesfan
August 31st, 2009
9:14 pm
All my fellow Cowboy fans on here look, no talking to the puppy fans here, cause they think a rookie QB and RB are just going to kill OSU. They think a great offense line, which they have a good one, will pass and run the ball down the field. Now i know OSU’s defense is suspect but its at our house and that only helps us. 42-21 Cowboys
pmc
August 31st, 2009
10:09 pm
This game sounds a lot like the Hawaii game, a lot of hype to a team that has’nt beat anyone. They lost 4 of their last 6 games. DAWGS roll. 45-21
Cuz
August 31st, 2009
10:19 pm
pokesfan, rookies are in the pro leagues. I will grant you first year starter because he could not hold the position in 2006. I will even give you unproven. But rookie sounds like you and the rest of the big 2 plus 10 don’t understand college football. Let me explain it to you.
It is the first crisp day in the fall. It is you and your best friends hanging out shouting “How bout dem Dawgs” till almost daylight. It is getting up, drinking a six pack and eating a barbeque sandwich before heading to the game with your girl. It is the hush before the sound of a lone trumpet coming from the North side of the stadium. It is the greatest mascot in College football history on your sidelines. It is Larry, it is Lindsay. It is Herschel, it is Hoague. It is Green, it is Brown. Watch out, that light at the end of the tunnel is a train painted Red and Black. Cry Havoc, and unleash the Dawgs of War.
You won’t know what hit you.
orangeblood83
August 31st, 2009
10:55 pm
you need to understand one thing & one thing only we only lost one game at home last year & that was against #3 ou & the other games was #2 texas tech #1 texas & oregon & thats because we lost dez bryant other wise we would of won cause we was beatin the crap out of them its not like we lost to georgia tech give us a break pistol pete gonna step on that little dawg so you might want to leave him in the dawg house cause the big dogs are in stillwater
ORANGEPOWER
August 31st, 2009
11:13 pm
52-0 OSU MARK IT DOWN. JOE COX GETS FOLDED IN HALF.
Cuz
August 31st, 2009
11:39 pm
Hey Orange guys, quit hogging the bong!
Cuz
August 31st, 2009
11:44 pm
If you Cowboys think you got whupped when you came to Athens, just wait till we inaugurate Slim Pickens Stadium. Just like Slim on that bomb going down in Dr. Strangelove. Enjoy the ride, but you won’t last the full eight seconds.
Who is pistol pete, didn’t he play for the Hawks?
SagaciousSamDawg
September 1st, 2009
3:28 am
When there’s three seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter it is entirely possible that I will have enough information to say who will win. That’s about as risky as one need’s to be in predicting the outcome of collegiate football games. I speck I better wait before embarrassing myself with the wrong answer. I don’t know why, but I really enjoy being correct about such things. Of course with only three seconds left I will have to give a very quick answer so that the buzzer doesn’t sound. But I do expect somebody to win and I surely do hope it is our beloved Dawgs. But as much as I wish they would win, I hope moreso that they play well for the full game unlike a few games last year. We do have a very good chance to win. I hope the tides of good fortune are with us. Actually, for all you Dawg fans out there who are just interested in winning, remember you don’t even have to necessarily play well if the other team doesn’t either and if luck favors you in the game, the win is yours. So really it might be better to be lucky than good.
HottCheesE
September 1st, 2009
6:48 am
We have beaten this dead horse into oblivion havn’t we? “We are the best!”, says random UGA fan. “No, we are the best!”,says Pokes fan. “Our O-line is great and you can’t play D.” “Oh yeah? Well we have a great QB, WR, RB, and one of our LT is really good.” Enough already! Lets play some football! Thursday will be a little appetizer for what is to come on a great football Satitty. And to the economy speak on this blog; give it a rest. Sports are supposed to be a diversion from our troubles. That is pretty weak sauce for a Techie to come on here and be like, “We may suck at athletics, but at least we have jobs. ((((45-42))))” C-mon Techies. You can do better than that right? One more thing for the OK residents. I was unfortunate enough to have to live in OK for almost a year. It is a dump and your beer sucks. My mouthwash has a higher content of alcohol than a Bud Light does in OK. Speaking of mouthwash, spread the word to your neighbors: it helps with foul odors and it may save what few teeth you have left in the state. OK could best be described as an armpit (its hot and smelly). I was lucky enough to catch Bedlam in Norman, and that is the only reason I didn’t set fire to the entire state.
Dallas Dawg
September 1st, 2009
3:31 pm
what about UCLS in Athens in 1983?
Dallas Dawg
September 1st, 2009
3:31 pm
Oops, UCLA
orangeblood83
September 1st, 2009
5:26 pm
hey hotcheese i lived in georgia for 6 months & that is all i could take yall say georgia peaches all i saw was a bunch of fat cows
bonairedawg
September 1st, 2009
5:37 pm
Hey D
By the number of times you have posted on here today it appears to me that maybe you are the one that is unempolyed. People who actually have a job would not have the time to post on websites over and over again. Why don’t you and your tech buddy, Habib, go have a drink and talk about a subject you both might know something about-SOCCER