UGA’s next opponent at a glance: Missouri

Who: at Missouri

When: 7:45 p.m. Saturday

TV; radio: ESPN2; 750, 95.5

About Missouri

Record: 1-0 (0-0 SEC)

Last time played: The only previous football game between Georgia and Missouri came in the Orange Bowl at the end of the 1959 season. Georgia won 14-0 on two long touchdown passes by quarterback Fran Tarkenton.

Offense: Missouri’s spread offense revolves around dual-threat quarterback James Franklin, a 6-foot-2, 228-pound junior who last season passed for 2,865 yards and ran for 981. Starting tailback Kendial Lawrence, a senior, ran for 121 yards in a season-opening 62-10 victory over Southeastern Louisiana last week. The Tigers’ top receiver is T.J. Moe, who caught 146 passes in the past two seasons. Freshman Dorial Green-Beckham, a 6-foot-6, was the nation’s No. 1-rated high school receiver last year and caught three passes for 32 yards in his college debut.

Defense: Missouri allowed 380 yards per game last season, which ranked No. 61 in the nation but No. 4 in the offense-oriented Big 12. Outspoken defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson, well-known for his comment that Georgia plays “old man football,” is a highly regarded player who transferred to Missouri from junior college last year. Cornerback E.J. Gaines was first-team All-Big 12 last season, when he had 16 pass breakups. Linebacker Zaviar Gooden has started 27 consecutive games.

Special teams: Sophomore Marcus Murphy returned punts 70 and 72 yards for touchdowns last week, becoming the first player in Missouri history with two two kick-return TDs in the same game.

What you should know: Missouri (8-5, 5-4 Big 12 last season) has won eight or more games in each of the past six seasons.

Coach: Gary Pinkel is in his 12th season at Missouri (86-54 record) and 22nd as a head coach (159-91-3, including 10 years at Toledo).

– Tim Tucker, AJC

THE AJC’s COMPLETE COVERAGE OF GEORGIA’S SEASON OPENER:

191 comments Add your comment

Huh?

September 4th, 2012
6:21 pm

AltamahaDawg…I repeated what another UGA fan said about you. You and I were debating, and another UGA fan told me to quit wasting my time, since you were a tool and UGA fans couldn’t stand you.

boots

September 4th, 2012
6:24 pm

This game reminds me of the blackout game of the Dawgs v. Alabama. Dawgs were sky-high and all jacked up, and it got ugly really quickly. If we have some of our starters back, especially on D, we will dominate. Without our LBs and some secondary, this could be closer than it should. I hope we are focused. If so, the Dawgs should win by 10.

I dropped my fried twinkie

September 4th, 2012
6:26 pm

Play Buffalo and fall in the polls? Hahhahah
That is like being a stripper leaving the Pole after a 3 song set fully dressed………..If you don’t understand that just a UGa Drunk Fake Blonde Co-Ed and she will explain it to you.

Huh?

September 4th, 2012
6:29 pm

boots. I don’t see how you can predict domination after UGA’s showing against Bufflalo. UGA might win, but predicting that the Dogs will “dominate” is homeristic.

CHDawg

September 4th, 2012
6:30 pm

Huh?, how do you know what Tree did?

Water girl wants to know

September 4th, 2012
6:34 pm

When CMR be giving us the weather report for Saturday, really really hope it isn’t hot.

Huh?

September 4th, 2012
6:34 pm

Well…we all know about the theft from last year. If you want to make the argument that we don’t know that Tree tested positive for weed…fine. However, he was suspended for the first game, so I choose not to live in dreamland about it. Theft+weed=Thug in my book.

MIZ

September 4th, 2012
6:36 pm

Last time Gary Pinkel coached offenses played an SEC team

2007:
vs. Ole Miss W 38-25
@ Arkansas (Cotton Bowl) W 38-7 *

2006:
vs. Ole MIss W 34-7

2005:
vs. S. Carolina (Independence Bowl) W 38-31

Not saying we are winning this game. We have a ton of respect for UGA’s program, but to call us a “Cake Walk” might be a bit premature. Are we on Alabama and LSU’s level… no way, but we will compete in the SEC as we have the last 7 years.

-A Realistic Mizzou Fan

North Georgia Dawg

September 4th, 2012
6:38 pm

The game will start at 8:45 local time, so the heat should not be a problem.

CHDawg

September 4th, 2012
6:42 pm

Huh?, I guess your Kentucky inbreeding is causing this mean streak about Georgia football? You were being deceptive about Crowell’s tests last year when I called you on that one, too. We don’t know what Tree did, and calling people thugs on innuendo isn’t too nice.

Huh?

September 4th, 2012
6:45 pm

CHDawg…I’m not anti UGA. I just think that theft and the next year smoking point should be punished with more than 1 game. Ok…you want to argue that we don’t know what Tree did…but we know he did SOMETHING because he was suspended for game 1. It’s been reported that he tested positive…so if you want to go on hoping that it wasn’t for drugs, then be my guest. If it quacks like a duck…

As for Crowell…I wasn’t being deceptive. I said that I didn’t believe that Richt did anything wrong, but that the timing raised eyebrows with the media.

CHDawg

September 4th, 2012
6:53 pm

Yes, and I pointed out that the AJC reported that they weren’t notified until several days after the Florida game. 19/20 year olds make mistakes and they have to be corrected. You can write them all off as thugs, but CMR has helped to reform a number of them. I like that outcome much better. I believe in disciplining the young men, but when you punish the whole team it isn’t really fair. I would rather they handle it privately and hammer them privately. They pay the price or they leave the team. “Grounding” players hurts the rest of the team.

Gdawg '84

September 4th, 2012
6:54 pm

Please, no more, “wait till they play Bama” stuff. It’s our job to welcome them to the SEC. Pretty cool opportunity actually and if we don’t /can’t show them how things are done in the SEC, it’s on us.

Heard the same, “they ain’t never seen a front 7 like ours” before the Mich St., Boise, Central Fl, Colorado and OK ST games? (all out of conference road failures). Fact is we have struggled badly in these type of games in recent years and those teams ALL handled our strength, size and speed without much problem.

Glad to see our team is staying quiet for once. Talk is cheap and we just need to shut up and play better. So far so good.

Huh?

September 4th, 2012
6:58 pm

CHDawg…yes you did point out what the AJC said. And I said that the timing raised eyebrows at ESPN, the SPorting News, and other media outlets…no re-hash is needed. Except for the fact that saying you called me out and that I was being deceptive isn’t true. We can disagree, but we don’t have resort to that.

As far as punishing players….I agree that kids make mistakes, but if you don’t punish them they don’t learn from them. As far as it hurting the rest of the team…it does and it should. That’s why they call it a team game. Sometimes, it takes the rest of the team to get a player straightened up, especially if the actions of that player hurt the rest of the team. Why do you think a coach sometimes makes the whole team run when a player screws up? Because you win and lose as a TEAM.

AltamahaDawg

September 4th, 2012
6:58 pm

OH MY! calling names (then pretending its just the Georgia fans that do that) then lie about it?. Tsk tsk.

Gary Pinkel is a drunk!

September 4th, 2012
7:03 pm

That’s all I wanted to say

CHDawg

September 4th, 2012
7:08 pm

Huh?, you are missing the point. They can discipline the whole team for the mistakes of a few privately. The problem is that most of these guys have worked extremely hard and they aren’t going to play at the next level. This might be their senior year and UGA’s strict policies might cost them a lot. Why not hammer the offender through other means? If you want to punish the whole team, you can do it–privately. I ran into this coaching kids. Some parent would use baseball or football as their hammer when junior talked back to his Mom, they pull him out for a game or two, punishing the whole team for their son’s mistake. If they are on the team, they have a responsibility to the team. Discipline them through other means, or don’t commit to the team.

Browndog

September 4th, 2012
7:17 pm

I believe this should be a really good game and can go either way. UGA has to withstand the first quarter as Mizzou will be sky high and have the crowd into their first SEC game. Believe UGA will be a really good team by the end of the year but right now the suspensions and injuries level the field tremendously.

Browndog

September 4th, 2012
7:24 pm

MIZ is right on the point about the Tigers! Believe UGA is 9 and 3 at best, but all games will be close and fun to watch. Hope I am wrong but a really long season ahead with some pretty good teams in the east this year. Not like the West, but still pretty good.

Mickey

September 4th, 2012
7:28 pm

I don’t know… I think UGA will lose in Mizzu. I just don’t trust the coaching staff. CMR seems too passive and I don’t see him holding his coaching staff accountable. They should have blown the doors off of Buffalo, like OK ST did Savannah ST.

It looks like both coordinators have adapted CMR’s passivity and I can just hear CMR now in the after game press conference talking about how tough Mizzu played them hard and how they are a good team as he is justifying his team’s poor play and the loss.

Unfortunately, UGA will also lose against SC, but CMR will do just enough to keep his job and the athletics director will buy it. We need a coach like Chris Petersen of Boise State who if he had the talented recruits that UGA consistently get would give us a national championship team.

AZDawg

September 4th, 2012
7:36 pm

Biggest concerns with this game are the obvious….Secondary & Bozo’s predetermined game plan….Not to call out individuals but #11 was so out of place on just about every play Mizzou may have a field day….also not the quickest kid in the shop and he is going up against some beasts….With Rambo, Cummings, Mitchell and the balance, I think we win by 10…..without (the obvious) we loose by 13….Then Richt can use the game as a learning experience not to act like idiot off the field!!!

Then there is Bozo’s play calling….never mind….beating a dead horse….

I wish we had Larry to get us through this one because were gonna need him, the broken chair, the hobnail boot and even the kitchen sink….Go Dawgs!!!! Hunker down just one more time…..

AltamahaDawg

September 4th, 2012
7:36 pm

Buffalo would have blown the doors off of Sav State.

AltamahaDawg

September 4th, 2012
7:38 pm

Speaking of punishment………..Richt hasn’t announced the suspension yet. Obviously he doesnt know what he is going to do yet, right Huh?

T to theThwang!

September 4th, 2012
8:30 pm

How far does Jawja fall in the polls when they lose to Mizzu? I’m thinking they’ll end up 23-25…..then after USC, Tenn, Vandy and FL beat them they will be praying to be bowl eligible….Too bad Tech’s gonna keep them out of the Music City bowl this year!!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA….WE RUN THIS STATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 45-42…..45-42……..45-42…….45-42!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chipper

September 4th, 2012
8:39 pm

Someone make sure this gets to Mark Richt (since he never reads the papers or the websites covering college football:
http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/feed/2012-08/ups-index/story/ups-team-performance-index-leaders-missouri-leads-way-after-week-1

Columbus

September 4th, 2012
8:58 pm

Missouri will keep it close for awhile but UGA will pull away in the 4th. Missouri is no Oklahoma State…and their defense. well, I can say that they have one I guess….same old story as always when playing these teams with all offense no defense. This is the SEC, where above average SEC teams beat offense like this on a regular basis and good teams thrashes them. This offense has been around since the early 90’s. You MUST have a defense as good as your offense or you will get ran out of the stadium…remember UGA playing undefeated Hawaii in the bowl game a few years back with their Heisman candidate QB and high powered offense? Yeah, things didnt go to well for their offense and well, they had a defense I guess too. Talk all your smack Mizzou fans while you can. This is the SEC where DEFENSE rules and the offense is even faster….Your “young boy offense” has been around for 20 years. How is your infantile defense going to do after it is on the field ALL game? 4th quarter will be dominated by UGA. Take that to the bank. Its going to be even better if the humidity is not high. UGA is used to high humidity and that will be like a breather all game long. It will bea good game….for a half. The first half…..

I like how these Missouri fans come in here with ZERO humility. Many are respectul and many recongnize that they are stepping UP in competition level and show respect. But many are also talking smack while walking into the unknown. An unknown with the toughest and strongest reputation in the nation. In a league where defenses are blistering fast week in and week out and the offenses even faster…Odds are Missouri will be behind half the SEC teams, smart bets would be on the upper half of SEC teams being STRONG competition and the top 4-6 SEC teams being big favorites. Yet they talk without even playing an SEC game. I think after this Saturday night, they will have TREMEMDOUS respect and know that they have their work cut out for them for several years. Let me emphasize this, UGA has it tough for one reason ans that is they are the first SEC team to face the Missouri offense live and has no good film to study and see what worked and what didnt work. So that sucks. But Let me be CLEAR to all the Missouri fans showing disrespect and talking BIG SMACK…..this offense will not last in the SEC. It will be figured out quickly and then what? Your defense will not be able to win games for you. Even if you won your first few SEC games, after that it will be all downhill. We have the greatest Defensive coordinators in the nation here and the fastest defensive players… many have MAMMOTH defensive lines that will create panic and turnovers, knock passes down at the line, create sacks and fumbles, defenses that will lure you in thinking you have an open receiver then swoop in and intercept your pass and run 70 yards for a TD…will make your QB timid and scared to throw instead of being confident.

So talk big now. Show no respect. It sounds good but we have heard it all before . The scoreboard has ALWAYS shown that is was just hype when the game is played…..

DOGGIE IN NC

September 4th, 2012
9:12 pm

Never seen so many people making such crazy predictions and judgements based on one game. And just the blantant lies & half/truths. Stop putting Dawg in your name – you are definitely not DAWG fans. This blog must be filled with 13 to 17 year olds!
Mizzou will score some points, but they will not be able to stop the DAWGS from scoring more. I can see a 48 to 27 type score, and if the Defense plays like they did against Auburn last year, we could blow them out! GO DOGGIES!

The Factor

September 4th, 2012
9:16 pm

Screw Missouri. Nothing but mid western Pinheads.

Cracka Dawg

September 4th, 2012
9:22 pm

look folks… Ole Richt didn’t show the Mizzu nothing.. Why should he? Whats the point of running up the score.. Really!!!!! The defense was bland for a reason.. Dont be fooled… I think we will see a entirely different team this week. defensive line played soft due to instability in the secondary…. Lets just let Grantham eval the players.. sit back and have a beer saturday…. Just make sure u have a 30 pack ready just in case we stillhave half our defense suspended…..

Columbus

September 4th, 2012
9:23 pm

Who does this JUNIOR COLLEGE TRANSFER think he is?! He has played ONE game at this level?! He played against a VASTLY INFERIOR team. His team won how many games last year with his YOUNG BOY offense?! Yeah I said BOY! You hear that BOY?! You will be playing a MAN’s OFFENSE come Saturday night. A WISE MANS OFFENSE. WHY dont YOU go try and stop it little boy?!!! WHO ARE YOU? DO YOU MATTER? DO YOU HAVE A CLUE? YOU ARE HOW OLD? YOU ARE WHO?! YOU WILL HAVE A CLUE COME SATURDAY NIGHT. YOU WILL KNOW THAT YOU DONT KNOW JACK SQUAT AND IT IS BETTER TO JUST BE QUIET INSTEAD OF LETTING THE ENTIRE FOOTBALL NATION KNOW THAT YOU ARE IGNORANT AND DUMB AT THE SAME TIME….MAN, ARE YOU GOING TO GET HIT. YOU BETTER BE THANKING THE HEAVENS OGLETREE AND RAMBO ARENT PLAYING…..!!!!

IF UGA HAD THEIR FULL DEFENSE ON THE FIELD, UGA WOULD SCORE 60 BECAUSE THEIR OFFENSE WOULD BE SCREWING UP LEFT AND RIGHT FROM THE PRESSURE, SPEED AND TALENT….IF YOU ARE GONNA GET A WIN OVER UGA, YOU ARE PLAYING THEM AT THE PERFECT TIME SO THERE WILL BE NO EXCUSES AVAILABLE AFTER UGA PROPERLY WELCOMES YOU TO THE SEC WITH A SPIRIT-KILLING LOSS. AND NOBODY WILL FEEL THAT PAIN WORSE OR BE MORE EMBARASSED THAN BIG MOUTH…..

DOGGIE IN NC

September 4th, 2012
9:33 pm

I challenge any of you naysayers to put on a full football uniform, in 95 degree temperature, with 90% humidity, then run around for 60 minutes, with short breaks inter-mixed. It would kill half of you! Going to be in the 70’s Sat. nite – DAWGS are going to roll! GO DOGGIES!

Columbus

September 4th, 2012
9:33 pm

Murray missed so many passes Saturday with overthrows…..UGA would have scored 65 if not for him being too pumped…see come Sat night…UGA will grind it out with the backs and a short passing game for the msot part and keep the Missouri offense on the bench, watching the clock tick and the UGA defense will stay so fresh and the Missouri offense will be so anxious when they do get on the field, they will make mistakes, force things and be 3 and out many times. UGA WILL have the lead in the 4th quarter and WILL run the clock out while the Missouri offense watches helplessly. Ball CONTROL with the UGA backs….that and GREAT defense neutralizes Missouri at home Sat night…Ive been watching SEC football for 32 years….How long u been watching it and particularly UGA? ive seen these spread offenses/run and shoot offenses come and go for 20 years and all I can tell you is if you dont have a REALLY good defense to go along with it, youre not going to win many games against teams that have a really good defense unless you get several turnovers. So youre county on getting breaks. Dont sound reliable. Not sound football.

Got to get a GREAT defensive coordinator and GREAT defensive players in this league. Defense wins in the SEC. Not offense.

Marjoe Ricked

September 4th, 2012
9:37 pm

Okie State, Boise State, now Mizzou-

CHOKE. Again…

Blog me Monday telling me what a great Christian man Mark Richt is and how he is a bargain at $3M a year…

No improvement over last year. If the opponent had been Boise State on Saturday, the result would have been as bad, or worse than last year…

Dawg Nation voted to give da Preacha Man a big contract extension after a mediocre season where they lost to every ranked team…

Losers!

Anthony

September 4th, 2012
9:52 pm

I meant after they went 0-2 they ran the table to the SEC Championship, Sorry for the wrong wording but I am sure most people understood what I meant.

MIZTIGER

September 4th, 2012
10:02 pm

Hey GO DAWG…I know more about college football than you’ll ever know. I have more knowledge in my little finger than you have across your entire body. Everyone said, when we go SEC, we would run into some STUPID fanatics in the south. I know what they mean now. Uneducated idiots!!! Much like most of your recruits…Thieves, thugs, dopers. Step up in class for a moment. I know that will be a huge step for you, but it can be done. Should be a good game this Saturday. I know all of Mizzou nation is looking forward to it. We’ll roll out the red carpet for all the Dawg fans, and welcome them to Missouri with open arms. We haven’t been playing HS teams the last several years. We’ll compete, and see what happens. I look for ole Mizzou to be 7-5….9-3 before years end. Other than Bama Saturday night, and the Tennessee QB, I’ve not seen anything else that gets me excited. South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Vandy, none impreseed me.

joe jenkins

September 4th, 2012
10:08 pm

When was the last time UGA took advantage of a smaller d-line?…..We out weigh mizzo by 30 lbs!…..Buffalo had a pretty big o-line and held their own against us….I think mizzao has a smaller o-line than buffalo….So will we finally take advantage of a smaller and slower team….or do we continue to let the underdogs push us around……I just don’t what to expect sat night…we are just missing to many star players….for god’s sake richt….let rambo and tree play …geez… they didn’t robb a bank…they just had a little spring break fun

joe jenkins

September 4th, 2012
10:11 pm

hey miztiger i bet your dad’s gay lover impress you.lol…..ya’ll dont belong in the sec….your team sucks

Agridawg

September 4th, 2012
10:30 pm

MIZ, what does impreseed mean? Forgive me, I’m an SEC fan.

bitter troll

September 4th, 2012
10:40 pm

All you fools that come on this BLOG and crank out hate —both sides—

–can go F___k yourself—both teams have tallent and at the end of the game

somebody will have bragging rights for 1 year

nobody can see into the future—look at tech almost beating va tech—none of the socalled experts on espn gave the yeller jackets a chance in he double hocky sticks

——-Lets play on saturday night and may the team that hits the hardest win

—-and to the turds that hate Coach Richt—-stop with the Stupidity

——trailer trash

Snoop Dawg

September 4th, 2012
10:54 pm

Snoop’s heard this BS too many times, too many years. Da Preacha Man couldn’t win a Pop Warner championship with an all-star team.

Remember the Dawgs were going to demolish Boise State’s smaller line. What happened?

It’s the coaching, stupid.

You homer turds need to choke on it…

T Check

September 4th, 2012
11:10 pm

The SEC has long lived off Bama, LSU, at times the Gators. the dawgs have been a second level SEC team at best.

MIZTIGER

September 4th, 2012
11:51 pm

Sorry Agridawg….just a typo. Much like Bitter Troll trying to type Talent with tallent.

I’ll be back Saturday night win, lose or draw. I think someone else said it best…Too many SEC teams are living off the coat tails of Bama, LSU, and Florida to an extent. The rest of the league is mediocre at best. Just ask Arkansas when they had a highly touted RB in the Cotton Bowl. Mizzou killed them. Our DEFENSE shut him down, and our offense was not something they had seen before. Our pitiful RB only rushed for 280 yds against that vaunted SEC defense. The SEC has no imagination on offense, thus it’s much easier for a defense to look good. All teams hit hard. Some are bigger, some are faster, but all hit hard. You don’t believe me? Come on out to a Mizzou practice. We’ll put some pads on you, and you can let me know if they hit hard or not. Should be a good game Saturday. If both teams play to their full potential, Mizzou will win by 2 touchdowns. You probably don’t want to hear that, since you see things through rose colored glasses, but Mizzou is much better than Georgia. PERIOD!!

Huh?

September 5th, 2012
12:11 am

AltlamahaDawg…it was CHDawg that said it the first time. Again, there you go with trying to distort the truth to make yourself look good.

zbulldawg

September 5th, 2012
12:32 am

This old man he play two He play nik nak all over you ! LET THE BIG DAWG EAT

Huh?

September 5th, 2012
12:37 am

Looks like he already has…UGA is one fat dog.

preferredduck

September 5th, 2012
3:45 am

Giys I watched the game from Saturday now four times after seeing all the Omg comments. We looked vanilla for a reason. No stunts, no blitzes, nothing fancy, no schemes. Do you know why. I’m sure TG playbook is bigger than we saw last year and I’m sure new stuff has been learned/installed since last year also. Remember last year how it just clicked to them better than year one. I’m sure mizzou will have many things they will never have seen on tape coming at them, I promise. I am sure we will also have a spy or a one person always on the QB for the most part. We even ran vanilla plays on offense, why, because more people know the playbook now. Staffords last year he had control on audibles, Murray will too if he sees something. I saw more tosses back to the TB last game than I have in five years, is that how we will run, prob not, bit I’m sure some things we showed will have three to four plays spur off from it and confuse the zou. And we still won’t show everything, happens every year. Ww had no need to be fancy Saturday so why do it honestly and give them film. We want to confuse them and have their D out of position, also of their DB” play far off the wr then we will pick on them. I have noticed the offensive playcalling opening up over the years, just remember how many young guys we had last year and this year that know even more, it will show Saturday. If Murray can het in the auburn game zone from last year we run away with it, and I have a feeling he may be pretty Sharp this week. Let’s all hope so, go dawgs, and please let that D player meet Mr gurly early!!!

Bama Fan#2

September 5th, 2012
6:11 am

Good luck dawgs saturday night against the tigers!!

AltamahaDawg

September 5th, 2012
7:05 am

Ah, so if CHDawg said it , its your committed opinion from then on???? Because it was YOU that spend an hour arguing with me that since Bill King didnt know who was suspended then certainly Richt had NO idea who was or was not. And further that meant he might be contemplating changing the rules. ….then called me argumentative for saying that was ridiculous.

Follwed by your refusal (3 times) to answer my questions as to what you DID know about Mizzou, rather than what you DIDN’t like about the Dawgs.

You like to convince yourself you are just some level headed sports fans adding to the converstion…..but if any of us were in a Auburn blog every days, taking shot at your team and fans, arguing with anything positive about the Tigers, butting into other peoples discussion, you and everybody else would see us as just another troll. And be right.

Also in term of ‘distortion”, I’d be glad to post the actual comment from Fla Dawg, that you turned into name calling , then claim you didnt, and accused only Georgia fans of name calling.

AltamahaDawg

September 5th, 2012
7:12 am

I’m sure it going to be quite surprising news to CHDawg, that he actually thought Richt didn’t really know who was suspended a week befor his SEC opener too.(despite quotes to the contrary, not to mention basic logic), too.

Or that he forms your opinion for you.

ole yeller

September 5th, 2012
7:59 am

Too much at stake, Tree & Rambo play.