SEC Championship game matchup: Special teams
Each day this week, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution takes a quick look at a matchup in the SEC Championship game. Today: special teams.
Georgia special teams
Key stat: Freshman kicker Marshall Morgan has made eight of 12 field goals and 54 of 58 extra points. Georgia has attempted fewer field goals than any other SEC team and fewer than in any other season under coach Mark Richt.
Season high point: Richard Samuel’s stop of a Missouri fake-punt play was pivotal in that early-season win.
Season low point: Georgia gave up a 70-yard punt return for a touchdown in the loss to South Carolina.
Name to know: Punting figures to be at a premium in what projects as a defensive struggle Saturday. Freshman Collin Barber averages 41.2 yards per punt.
Alabama special teams
Key stat: Senior Jeremy Shelley is the only major college kicker in the country who hasn’t missed a field goal or an extra point this season. He is 10-for-10 on field goals and 60-for-60 on extra points. His longest field-goal attempt was 38 yards. Alabama uses Cade Foster on attempts from 40-plus yards; Foster is 4-for-8.
Season high point: Christion Jones returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown against Ole Miss.
Season low point: Foster missed two field goals (from 44 and 45 yards) against Tennessee.
Name to know: Cody Mandell averages 44.1 yards per punt.
Previous matchups-at-a-glance in this series:
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14 comments Add your comment
Slim
November 30th, 2012
12:29 pm
EntFlorida Atlantic coach Carl Pelini called Alabama “as physical a team as there is out there.” “That’s not Georgia we faced today, that’s Alabama – it’s very different, “Pelini said. “Different scheme-wise. I think they’re more physical than Georgia. You know, I don’t compare teams but they’re just different. They play differently. They pressure more than Georgia did. They’re physical in their man coverage.”
david
November 30th, 2012
12:42 pm
who is ent florida atlantic?
Kirk
November 30th, 2012
12:43 pm
This is it Dawgs – this is your chance to show all of those “fire MR” people what Georgia can do. You’ve gotten a rare opportunity with an easier schedule and luck to get to where you are even with a humiliating loss. Find a way to beat the impossible ‘Bama and find yourself with a real shot at winning it all.
Odds are stacked against us and bookies are only giving us 7.5 to 1 odds (better than the 25 to 1 one odds earlier in the year) of winning it, but we know you can do it if you play the way we know you can.
Bring us home guys!
charlie400
November 30th, 2012
12:59 pm
Go Dawgs! GATA!
john
November 30th, 2012
1:28 pm
On facing the defenses of Georgia and Alabama
“For me personally, I felt there was no true difference. All in all, the SEC is fast in and of itself. Georgia was fast, and Alabama was fast, so it just felt the same to me.”
rhbDAWG1
November 30th, 2012
1:53 pm
I wonder how Florida would compare the defenses of UGA and South Carolina. How would South Carolina compare the offenses of Georgia and Florida. How would we compare the offenses and defenses of South Carolina and Florida. Different opponents different games – how one plays against two different teams is hard to meaningfully compare.
NCDawg
November 30th, 2012
2:11 pm
Slim – the key to that statement is when we played FL ATL that was true. Ask UF if UGA is as physical as LSU? The answer is: who wore down and who did not. UF beat LSU physically to the point that they caved in. UGA did not give an inch. A quote totally out of context. UGA played half hearted earlier in the season. That is no longer true.
Almost game time...
November 30th, 2012
3:10 pm
The funny thing is our defenses will not be playing each other. Should be a good game.
Roll Tide
ARdawg
November 30th, 2012
3:32 pm
Let the Big Dawg eat!!
1eyedJack
November 30th, 2012
3:39 pm
Were’nt Ogletree and Jarvis out for the FAU game? Two hammers.
ARdawg
November 30th, 2012
3:46 pm
All of the talking heads and associated mouth pieces are picking Bama. I’m okay with that as anyone’s guess is as good as the next but most all are picking on the premise that Bama has been in big games before. It is really good time to tip the apple cart. Nobdy is picking Bama because they think Bama has the goods to win other than “they win big games” or “Richt doesn’t win big games”. Bizarre
ARdawg
November 30th, 2012
3:51 pm
1eyed
Yes they were. Pellini’s appraisal is as useful as tits on a bull. FAU is a cupcake and cupcakes are used by different teams for different purposes. Case in point, Bama mowed them over before the 1st qtr was over. Georgia never got serious until the 3rd qtr. On purpose or not who is to say but it was a different game on the schedule for both teams
AltamahaDawg
November 30th, 2012
6:14 pm
I’m not sure there is anybody in the SEC, with a more solid ST in the past month and a half, than Georgia.
alice newton
December 1st, 2012
8:40 pm
Just finished watching the dawgs get beaten by the clock, not by sabin and his bunch of Alabama rednecks of all colors. The team is overrated and the Irish will stomp them. All I can say is GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO IRISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!