As the heat continues to soar, August wanes and the Georgia Bulldogs get closer and closer to their opening game in Athens v. Louisiana-Lafayette on Sept. 4. The 2010 season will be a different one from 2009—and, I firmly believe, a more positive one than 8-5 with a trip to the Independence Bowl. In fact, several factors are pointing in this direction.
First, new life at quarterback. Last year was a transition year for the Bulldogs at the quarterback position. Joe Cox was thrown into an unenviable position, having sat behind Matthew Stafford his entire college career, and being called upon in his senior year to lead the Dawgs. But, it did give head coach Mark Richt some breathing room to develop the next generation of UGA quarterbacks, in the personas of Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger. Due to Mettenberger’s own screw-up off the field, Murray is free and clear with the call in the starting position, and all indications are that he is doing as fine a job as any redshirt freshman could be asked to do. The ongoing word is that he has “it,” that intangible quality of calm, cool understanding that gives a quarterback the capacity to become a great quarterback—let’s hope it is true.
Having a freshman, even a redshirt, in the starting QB position may sound like a negative, but a lot of Murray’s success is going to come or go with the second factor in the Bulldogs’ potential success in 2010: The offensive line. Georgia has an excellent offensive line this season, with five starters and eight overall lettermen returning. They have the capacity to be one of the best offensive lines in the nation, if they rise to the challenge. And, that kind of strength and talent is just what a young quarterback needs as he is building on-the-field experience and confidence in his ability to lead his team to victory. Rising to the challenge and finding a consistency that could not be found in 2009: That is a key to success in 2010.
All that having been said, Murray is still a freshman QB, and the Bulldogs are going to have to rely heavily on their running game this season: true, traditional Junkyard Dawgs ball. Junior tailback Caleb King, sophomore running back Washaun Ealey and senior fullback Shaun Chapas return, and I believe they will bring the kind of slow-but-steady drive to the Bulldogs offense that wears down opposing defenses and results in points on the board. Coach Richt seems to prefer a pass-dominated offense, and when you have a mature QB and are light on backfield, that’s fine. But, this season, with talent on the ground and a QB who is just beginning to build a leadership role, the ground is the way to go—and Georgia football will reap the results.
Defense will find new life for the Bulldogs this season. With new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham bringing the 3-4 to replace the Georgia 4-3 defense, things have been something of a whirlwind for the players—it’s hard to teach an old Dawg new tricks, as they say—but the team has worked hard and is taking this opportunity to excel seriously. The first line of the 3-4 will be the nose and two ends, backed up by two inside linebackers and two outside. The defensive playbook, many players have said, is thicker than some of their academic textbooks, and that is a big change, especially for players who have been in the UGA game for a couple of years. But, the new system is much more flexible, allowing attacks from different angles without obvious intentions for opposing offenses to easily read. Additionally, the newly-charged, ground-heavy game of the UGA offense will benefit the UGA defense, giving them more time to rest on the sidelines between trips onto the field.
Special teams will play a significant role in the success of the Georgia Bulldogs this year. Drew Butler is the Ray Guy Award winner and the nation’s top punter; kicker Blair Walsh was a finalist for the Lou Groza Award; and Brandon Boykin tied the SEC record for touchdown returns last year, bringing back three. The Sporting News picked Georgia as the top special team in college football this season, and College Football News said that Georgia has the best kicking team in college football. Special teams are often overlooked and underappreciated, but I have a feeling that this trio is going to play a significant role in some UGA wins this season.
It is also helpful that the preseason has seen some bumps and bruises but, thus far, no major injuries on the field, and few players recovering from previous injuries. "That's a blessing," Coach Richt said on www.georgiadogs.com about the small number of injuries on the team. "The strength staff did a great job getting the guys ready for camp, and the guys did a great job of working hard to be in shape when they got here. Having more one-a-days and more teaching time is also paying off."
Will the appointment of new UGA Athletics Director Greg McGarity affect the 2010 season? Probably not directly, but it certainly brings a new energy to the entire Bulldogs athletics department, while eliminating an ongoing feeling of unease about the future direction of the program, and that cannot be anything but positive, for both team and coaching staff.
As for the record this year, I think the Bulldogs are going to surprise a lot of people. I have seen a lot of predictions of 8-4 in the regular season, and I think those people are way off the mark. I’ve also seen a few people going out on a limb with 11-1, and I think those people are closer. I’m going with 10-2. Who will the losses be to? I’m afraid Florida, although I don’t think we’ll be destroyed, and, if the second loss does come, I’m thinking Tennessee. Either way, we beat Tech.
The main thing I am looking for with Georgia as a team this year is a renewed sense of self. Over several seasons, inconsistency has plagued the Bulldogs. This year, however, with a new defensive coordinator, an extremely talented and promising young QB, and a running-based offense, I think the Dawgs can finally look at themselves and say, “We are the Georgia Bulldogs and this is who we are.” This will be the year that the black cloud that has hung over Sanford Stadium for quite awhile finally moves far away and lets the sunshine pour into Athens.
Go Dawgs!
Check out the SEC Season Preview and Examiner.com's complete 2010 College Football Kickoff.
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