First Two Games Will Dictate Bulldogs' Fate For 2011 Season
By Don Stone - Football Atlanta
No cupcakes early on in the schedule this season to
ease into a new team for Mark Richt. A
lot of pundits have the head coach on the hotseat this season. I guess
winning 9.5 games a season with two SEC Championships isn't enough for some.
Short memories abound for many skeptics in the Bulldog Nation.
Yes.
Obviously, the last few seasons have been subpar. No one knows that better
than Richt. And, no one is working harder to rectify the situation. Many
forget the decade of mediocrity that preceded his time in Athens.
Post-Dooley Era: 1989-2000 -
Ray Goff coached from 1989-1995,
posting a 46-34-1 record (.574 winning percentage). Against the Bulldogs'
top rivals...not too good. Against Tennessee (0-5). Florida (1-6), Auburn
(2-4-1). His main success came against Georgia Tech where he posted a 5-2
record. No conference titles to be found. Then Gator coach Steve
Spurrier mocked the Georgia coach, calling
him Ray "Goof".
Then came Jim Donnan from
1996-2000. A much better record of 40-19-0 made many Dawg fans happier for
awhile. But the .678 winning percentage also brought no SEC titles. Donnan
had a tendency to beat up on everyone but the big games. His record against
rivals was on par with Goff. Tennessee (1-4), Auburn (2-3), Florida (1-4).
But, even worse, he couldn't beat the Yellow Jackets (2-3).
Richt was brought in from FSU and things got better immediately.
But, a few average years have the natives restless. A stellar recruiting
class that the coach termed the "dream team" is practicing now in red and
black and looking forward to a season that is hard to predict.
As former Dawg QB Buck Belue
likes to say, "did the guy who won all those games and championships
suddenly just get bad? I don't think so!"
An SEC East that is uncharacteristically down this year makes a
successful path a bit easier to tread. But, not so fast. In many ways, the
way that Georgia's season goes will be dictated by the way the first two
games go.
The Bulldogs planned a very tough game in the season opener on
September 3 at the Georgia Dome. Its the fourth annual Chick-Fil-A Kickoff
game. It will be nationally televised on ABC or ESPN.
"It was too good an opportunity to turn down," Georgia athletic
director Greg McGarity said.
UGA had to cancel a home game this season against Louisville and a
road game in Louisville in 2012 to fit it in.
No slouches are these Broncos who use tough openers as a way of
gaining respect. They did it last year by opening the season on the road in
Blacksburg and stunning the future ACC Champion Virginia Tech Hokies.
Boise State finished 2010 with a 12-1 record, blowing out a good
Utah team 26-3 in the Las Vegas Bowl.
And, they have a lot of key returning players from that team.
Quarterback Kellen Moore passed for
3,845 yards with 3t touchdowns and 6 interceptions.
Running Back Doug Martin
rushed for 1,260 yards and 12 td's. Both are back along with WR Tyler
Shoemaker, TE Kyle Efaw,
OT Nate Potter, guard Joe
Kellogg, center Thomas Byrd,
DT Billy Winn, DE Shea
McClellin, LB Byron Hout,
and safety George Iloka.
If Georgia makes its way past the Broncos, an even tougher and more
important matchup awaits them in week two as the take on reigning SEC East
Champion South Carolina. Steve Spurrier
will be doing something brand new in the SEC.
No team has ever returned a 1,000 yard rusher, a 1,000 yard receive and a
3,000 yard passer. But that's what the Gamecocks will be doing.
Stephen Garcia threw for 3,059 yards and 20
touchdowns. Then freshman Marcus Lattimore
rushed for 1164 yards and 17 td's while Alshon Jeffery
caught 88 passes for 1,517 yards and 9
touchdowns.
With South Carolina being in the SEC East, it makes the game
imperative if UGA plans a serious run at the title this year. It helps that
the game is at Sanford Stadium where 95,000 screaming fans will do their
best to slow down the Gamecock offense.
We'll get into a more detailed analysis of each individual game as
time gets closer.
If Georgia makes it past those two games unscathed, the rest of the
schedule looks very winnable. SEC road games at Mississippi, Tennessee, and
Vanderbilt will have UGA favored. Conference home games with Mississippi
State and an Auburn team will be as well. The national champion Tigers look
tough on paper but have lost a ton of talent.
Throw in few breathers like Coastal Carolina and New Mexico State
and all that's left is in state rival Georgia Tech and Florida. Both teams
are coming off disappointing seasons with a lot of changes. The Yellow
Jackets will be breaking in new quarterbacks, running backs and wide
receivers. And the Gators have a whole new coaching staff to go with key
players gone.
So, if ever there was a season to turn things around, it appears to
be this one. But, not much of that will matter if the Dawgs stumble at the
Dome and drop it between the hedges against Spurrier. On the other hand,
take those two and watch out.
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