No. 10 Georgia blacks out No. 18 Auburn, 45-20

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) -- Georgia coach Mark Richt came up with another motivational gimmick for Auburn, and this one worked just as well as the end zone celebration against Florida.

Of course, it didn't hurt having Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno.

With the No. 10 Bulldogs donning black jerseys for the first time in the modern era, Stafford threw a pair of touchdown passes and Moreno broke 100 yards rushing for the fourth straight game, leading Georgia past 18th-ranked Auburn 45-20 Saturday.

The Bulldogs (8-2) remained on top of the Southeastern Conference East with a 5-2 mark, but they'll need a little help to reach the Dec. 1 championship game in nearby Atlanta. Tennessee has only two SEC losses, too, and holds the tiebreaker over Georgia.

Whatever the outcome in the league race, the Bulldogs will long savor this win over their longest-running rival. In the 111th meeting between the schools, Stafford threw a 58-yard TD pass to Mohamed Massaquoi and a 13-yarder to Sean Bailey. Moreno, a redshirt freshman, had another big game with scoring runs of 24 and 2 yards, finishing with 101 yards on 22 carries.

Thomas Brown finished off the Tigers (7-4, 4-3) with a 53-yard run to the Auburn 1 early in the fourth. Brannan Southerland powered over on the next play, and the celebration was on for the black-clad Bulldogs and all their fans wearing the same color.

Georgia scored the final 28 points against an Auburn defense that was leading the SEC and ranked fifth nationally in points allowed, just 14.5 per game. Georgia has eclipsed 40 points in three straight games, the first time that's happened since 1942.

Auburn rallied for the lead in the third quarter but couldn't overcome four interceptions by Brandon Cox.

Richt, who gave up the offensive play calling late last season, apparently has more time to sit around thinking up ways to fire up his players. Against Florida, he ordered his team to get a celebration penalty after their first TD, then watched the entire roster storm the end zone.

While Richt had to apologize to the SEC commissioner for his tactic, it sure seemed to work - Georgia rolled past the Gators 42-30, only their third win in that bitter series over the last 18 years.

Auburn had beaten Georgia in 12 of their last 15 meetings at Sanford Stadium, so Richt went looking for another motivational edge. He found it when the seniors put out the request for all fans to wear black, and the coach decided to have the players join the ``blackout.''

Richt spent most of the week dancing around the jersey issue, and the Bulldogs came out for warmups wearing their normal red home attire.

When the four captains walked out of the locker room still in red, there was a bit of a groan from the crowd. But it was all a ruse.

The rest of the team charged out through the main entrance wearing black jerseys, sending the 92,000 fans into a tizzy, the massive stadium rocking out to the AC/DC anthem ``Back in Black.''

Then it was time to take care of business on the field. Kelin Johnson snatched the first of his two interceptions on the very first play from scrimmage, setting up Brandon Coutu's 32-yard field goal and sparking Georgia to a 17-3 lead by early in the second quarter.

But the outcome was very much in doubt after Auburn, still smarting from a 37-15 loss to the Bulldogs a year ago, ripped off 17 straight points and took the lead on Wes Byrum's 33-yard field goal with just under 7 minutes left in the third quarter.

Georgia dominated the rest of the way, reclaiming the lead with two big plays. First, Stafford went deep down the right sideline for a 45-yard pass to Bailey. Then, Moreno ripped off a brilliant run, sprinting through a big hole over left tackle and, just when it looked like he would head for the corner, cut back to his right and left Auburn safety Zac Etheridge grasping at air. Moreno posed in the end zone with both hands on his hips, proud of his work.

When it was over, the Bulldogs sprinted toward the student section, dancing along with one more playing of ``Back in Black.''

Source: ncaafootball.com; Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media

No. 20 Georgia upends No. 9 Florida, 42-30

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- The Georgia Bulldogs celebrated in the end zone early and on the sideline late.

They probably should have hoisted Knowshon Moreno and Matthew Stafford on their shoulders for both.

Moreno ran for a career-high 188 yards and three scores, Stafford threw three touchdown passes and No. 20 Georgia upset ninth-ranked Florida 42-30 on Saturday in a game filled with big plays and momentum shifts.

The Bulldogs (6-2, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) sacked Tim Tebow six times and contained the Gators' high-scoring offense most of the game. The result was a rare Bulldogs victory in one of the South's most heated rivalries.

Florida (5-3, 3-3) had dominated the series known as the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party since 1990, winning 15 of the last 17 meetings and eight of nine. Georgia turned it around Saturday, taking advantage of Tebow's bruised non-throwing shoulder and Florida's porous defense.

Bulldogs coach Mark Richt set the tone for before the game. Richt, who had been 1-5 against the Gators, uncharacteristically orchestrated an on-field celebration following his team's first touchdown.

``I told them if they didn't get a penalty for celebrating after the first score I would be mad at them,'' Richt told CBS Sports as he headed to the locker room.

The Bulldogs came through for their coach in a big way, when the entire team ran on the field and into the end zone to celebrate Moreno's first TD run. The Bulldogs bounced around and drew two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.

Georgia was forced to kickoff from the 8-yard line and the brazen show of emotion drew the ire of Florida coach Urban Meyer.

Just two weeks ago, Richt chastised his players for jumping on Vanderbilt's midfield logo following a 20-17 victory.

Meyer huddled his players on the sideline and had them jumping up and down. The Gators may have felt dissed but that wasn't enough to make up for defense that's struggled all season.

The defending national champions were exposed in losses to LSU and Auburn, and Kentucky's Andre Woodson picked them apart in a close game last week.

Georgia was even better, gouging every aspect of Florida's defense.

Stafford was 11-of-18 for 217 yards with an interception by that was returned for a touchdown early.

Moreno did most of the damage on 33 carries, picking up yards inside and out, breaking tackles and outrunning defenders all over the field. Stafford took advantage, using play-action passes to make Florida's secondary look silly. The Gators' pass rush rarely got close to Stafford.

The Bulldogs sealed the victory when Tebow fumbled a snap with 2:23 remaining. The turnover started a raucous celebration on the Georgia sideline, then at midfield and again in the same end zone.

Georgia finished with its most points in the series since a 44-0 win in 1982.

Florida simply wasn't as effective as it had been on offense. Tebow injured his shoulder last week against the Wildcats and was clearly favoring it Saturday. He ran very little in the first half, and the Gators just weren't the same.

Tebow finished 14-of-22 for 236 yards, with a touchdown and an interception.

Percy Harvin picked up the slack, running for 97 yards and catching two passes for 41 yards. A fumble by Kestahn Moore and another fumbled snap by Moore helped Georgia build an early lead.

Stafford never let the Bulldogs relinquish it.

He connected with Mohamed Massaquoi for an 84-yard score that made it 14-7. He flipped a 1-yarder in the flat to Brannan Southerland to make it 28-17 early in the second half. Stafford's 53-yarder to Mikey Henderson was the topper, making it 35-24 with about 11 minutes remaining.

Florida also dropped to 7-1 in rivalry games under Meyer, losing its first game against Tennessee, Georgia or Florida State.

SOURCE: NCAAFOOTBALL; PHOTO CREDIT: SEC SPORTS MEDIA

After another wild weekend in the SEC, Georgia back in the race

By PAUL NEWBERRY
AP Sports Writer

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) - A couple of weeks ago, coming off a dismal loss at Tennessee, the Georgia Bulldogs put a moratorium on any title talk.

Coach Mark Richt said it wouldn't do his team any good to keep discussing what it would take to win another Southeastern Conference championship, especially when they had lost two of their first four league games.

Well, after another crazy Saturday in the SEC, the Bulldogs found themselves right back in the race without even taking a snap.

While Georgia was getting in some R&R during an off week, South Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee all took their second conference losses. Suddenly, the Bulldogs (5-2, 3-2 SEC) find themselves in a three-way tie for first in the Eastern Division.

``There's not too many years where a team from the East goes to the championship game having two losses,'' tight end Tripp Chandler said. ``We're definitely fortunate.''

Actually, Georgia played for the title twice in the last four years despite losing two conference games. But that's definitely against the norm - since the SEC went to a title game in 1992, only one other Eastern team has made it with two losses in the league (that was Florida, in the very first year of divisional play).

But this is shaping up as a season like no other. Heck, it's not unrealistic to envision an Eastern champ with three SEC losses.

``You just never know,'' Georgia fullback Brannan Southerland said. ``Honestly, it's hard to tell with the SEC, with all the talent and the fact that any team can beat anybody. You can't depend on one team to win and another team lose. You've got to try to do your part every day, because you never know what can happen to the other teams in the SEC.''

Richt was still reticent to resume any discussion of the big picture. He knows Georgia still has a brutal stretch remaining, beginning with Saturday's annual albatross of a game against No. 9 Florida.

The defending national champion Gators have defeated their rivals to the north 15 times in the last 17 years. Even in 2002 and 2005, when the Bulldogs claimed SEC titles, they failed to win in Jacksonville.

``There's no doubt it's huge,'' Richt said. ``We're fortunate to be in position to have a big swing game. At one time, we felt we already had that swing game and it was over. But this is a big one.''

The Bulldogs looked done when they fell behind 28-0 in the first half and lost 35-14 at Tennessee on Oct. 6. They didn't perform much better the following week, beating last-place Vanderbilt on a last-second field goal.

But that victory looked a whole lot more impressive after the Commodores pulled off a shocking 17-6 upset at South Carolina last week. Throw in Tennessee's blowout loss at Alabama, Florida's high-scoring win at Kentucky and - voila - it's a horse race again, with the Bulldogs right in the thick of things heading down the home stretch.

``I guess I could say that I expected South Carolina to beat Vanderbilt,'' Southerland said. ``For the race to be so open again just like that, in just one day, it's funny. It's crazy to see how the SEC can work.''

But Georgia is far from a sure bet to make it to Atlanta for the fourth time in six years. After Florida, the Bulldogs close out their SEC schedule by hosting No. 23 Auburn and 14th-ranked Kentucky.

``Personally, I think this gives us a good shot,'' safety Kelin Johnson said. ``But we've still got to take care of Florida. If we don't take care of Florida, all that's in vain. If we get so caught up in, 'Oh, they won or they won,' and we don't take care of our business, then it's pointless.''

But, at least the Bulldogs have a fighting chance. That's more than they had just two short weeks ago.

``We know we're not all the way in control of what we do,'' receiver Mohamed Massaquoi said. ``But if we handle our business from here on out, we'll be in a great situation at the end of the year.''

SOURCE: NCAAFOOTBALL; PHOTO CREDIT: COLLEGIATE IMAGES

Dawg Daze: Vols take down No. 12 Georgia, 35-14

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Tennessee reminded Georgia who owns Neyland Stadium.

Arian Foster rushed for 98 yards and three touchdowns, Lucas Taylor made the most of his very short time as a quarterback and Tennessee put an emphatic end to No. 12 Georgia's winning streak in Knoxville with a 35-14 victory Saturday.

It was Georgia's worst loss since the 2003 Southeastern Conference championship, a 34-13 loss to LSU, and coach Mark Richt's first loss at Tennessee. The Bulldogs had won their last three games at Neyland.

It also was the most points allowed this year by Georgia (4-2, 2-2 SEC).

Tennessee (3-2, 1-1) began this year with high hopes, only to find itself struggling after a tough loss to California and a rout by Florida. The running game was patchy and the defense wasn't much better, and the grumbling about coach Phil Fulmer had already started.

But a bye last weekend worked wonders for the Vols. They went after the Bulldogs from the opening kick, and never let up. Tennessee scored on four of its first five possessions, showed it really did have a running game and made the Bulldogs look more like a work in progress than a top-15 team.

Montario Hardesty rushed for 68 yards and a score, and Erik Ainge was 17-of-22 for 165 yards. Taylor threw for a touchdown on his second career pass, and added six catches.

Georgia managed only two first downs in the first half, and didn't cross midfield until after halftime. The Vols shut down elusive running back Knowshon Moreno, holding him to only 30 yards - more than 50 below his average. Thomas Brown ran for 20 yards before an injured shoulder sidelined him for the second half.

Matthew Stafford threw for two touchdowns and 174 yards, but was under pressure much of the day. He finished 16-of-33, and threw one interception.

Though Tennessee has several different backs to choose from, the Vols had struggled to get their running game going early in the season. Not this day.

Alternating between Foster and LaMarcus Coker, Tennessee ground its way down the field on its first possession before Foster scored on a 9-yard run to give Tennessee the early lead.

The Bulldogs nearly picked Ainge off on Tennessee's second series, forcing the Vols to punt. But they came right back and showed they've got a few things in their offense that could make the SEC East race interesting.

On the first play of the second quarter, Ainge took the snap and faked a handoff before giving the ball to Taylor. With the Georgia defense collapsing to stop the run, Taylor - who also threw a pass last season - launched a long throw that Coker hauled in down the left sideline. There wasn't anybody close to him, and he scampered into the end zone to put Tennessee up 14-0.

Georgia's defense had been solid against the run, but they looked out of synch Saturday. When Hardesty barreled into a pile of defenders in the red zone, he simply spun off of them, veered right and ran into the end zone.

Foster gave Tennessee a 28-0 lead at halftime with a 22-yard run.

The Vols weren't quite as aggressive in the second half, but they didn't need to be with Georgia struggling.

The Bulldogs are starting three freshmen on the offensive line, and they'd held OK so far. But there was little room for Moreno and Brown to run Saturday.

When Stafford did have time to throw, somebody was on his receivers. He did find Kris Durham for a 24-yard catch early in the second half that got Georgia across midfield, and found Demiko Goodman two plays later for a 26-yard touchdown.

Tripp Chandler caught a 2-yard scoring pass with 6 minutes to play, but any hope Georgia had of rallying ended on the next series, when Stafford was intercepted.

Source: ncaafootball; Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media

THE CFI TOP 25 COUNTDOWN: #8 GEORGIA BULLDOGS

BY DANIEL MOGOLLON
CO-FOUNDER
COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDERS




2006 RECORD: 9-4; SEC: 4-4
Won Chick-fil-A Bowl vs. Virginia Tech 31-24
LOCATION: Athens, Georgia
STADIUM: Sanford (92,756)
HEAD COACH: Mark Richt
OVERALL: 61-17 (6 seasons)
AT GEORGIA: 61-17 (6 seasons)

Who has the most wins among Southeastern Conference teams over the last five years? Not Louisiana St….not defending Champion Florida…that’s right it is the Georgia Bulldogs. The boys that play “between the hedges” have been one of the premier programs over the last six years under Mark Richt, who has just one less win than Jim Tressel does during the same span. Last season they failed to reach double digits in wins for the first time since 2001, Richt’s first season. What did they do the following season? Oh…just win 13 games and there is reason for optimism this year as well -- the Dawgs finished the ’06 season with three straight wins over ranked clubs.

WHEN THE DAWGS HAVE THE BALL

OFFENSIVE COORDINAROR: Mike Bobo (1st Season)
OFFENSIVE STARTERS RETURNING: 7
KEY LOSSES: Danny Ware, Martrez Milner, Daniel Inman, Nick Jones, Ken Shackleford

Matthew Stafford could one day find himself walking to the podium in Radio City after the Commissioner of the National Football League says the words, “And with the first pick in the draft.” He is that good and he began to show some signs down the stretch of his true freshman season, which is why everyone involved with the Georgia program expects him to take a major step this season towards stardom. His receivers were a major disappointment last season, not helping matter with inconsistent play and dropped passes, nevertheless with talented seniors Sean Bailey and AJ Bryant back and junior Mohamed Massaquoi poised for a bounce back season, they could be part of the solution in 2007. The running game should be fine, no one is the clear cut “feature back”, however there is no shortage of talent in the backfield. According to reports, the offensive line jelled in the spring with true freshman Trinton Sturdivant, redshirt frosh Chris Davis and junior college transfer Scott Haverkamp joining two senior returning starters.

PRO PROSPECTS: 1) Matthew Stafford (SO), 2) Trinton Sturdivant (FR), 3) Thomas Brown (SR), 4) Mohamed Massaquoi (JR), 5) Mikey Henderson (SR), 6) Kregg Lumpkin (SR), 7) Fernando Velasco (SR), 8) Brannan Sutherland (JR), 9) Brandon Coutu (SR), 10) Sean Bailey (SR), 11) AJ Bryant (SR)

WHEN THE OTHER TEAM HAS THE BALL

DEFENSIVE COORDINAROR: Willie Martinez (3rd Season)
DEFENSIVE STARTERS RETURNING: 3
KEY LOSSES: Charles Johnson, Quentin Moses, Paul Oliver, Tony Taylor, Jarvis Jackson, Tra Battle

Only three starters return on this side of the ball, but the Athens faithful have no reason to fret, they remain well stocked with top shelf talent. Players such defensive tackle Kade Weston, end Roderick Battle, SAM Darius Dewberry, along with a trio of corners (Bryan Evans, Prince Miller and Asher Allen) are six sophomores who got a taste of action last season and are ready for bigger roles. They will also count on redshirt freshmen Reshod Jones, who could be a star in the secondary, and linebacker Akeem Dent, as well as JC transfer Jarius Wynn at defensive end. Up the middle, veterans Jeff Owens (DT), Brandon Miller (MIKE) and Kelin Johnson (SS) provide some stability for the entire defense. As usual, the Dawgs will rely on their speed, which will allow them to get to the quarterback and swarm to ball carriers.

PRO PROSPECTS: 1) Kade Weston (SO), 2) Reshod Jones (FR), 3) Jeff Owens (JR), 4) Roderick Battle (SO), 5) Jarius Wynn (JR), 6) Dannell Ellerbe (SO), 7) Kelin Johnson (SR), 8) Brandon Miller (SR), 9) Ramarcus Brown (JR)

THE SCHEDULE

The rivalry games are key, and sorry Tech fans, I am not talking about the Yellow Jackets whom the Dawgs always beat. This is all about fellow Eastern Division competitors Florida and Tennessee. Since Mark Richt took over, his biggest stumbling block has been the Gators, he is just 1-5 against the University of Florida. Richt has handled the Volunteers, taking care of Tennessee four times out of six, however he has never defeated both in the same season. Their 20-13 loss to Florida in 2002 was the only thing between Georgia and an undefeated season. Last year, for the first time under Richt both the Gators and the Vols knocked off UGA. If the Bulldogs can defeat off both this season, it would all but assure them of a spot in the SEC Championship game and who knows maybe a chance at the BCS Title.

PIVOTAL POINT

Maturity. Whenever talking about college athletics, to some extent the maturity factor is par for the course, but a particular point of emphasis for Georgia. Stafford can become an All-American type signal caller, which Massaquoi could help by stepping up after drops plagued him throughout his sophomore season. Then there are the seniors -- Brown, Lumpkin, Bailey and Bryant, who have yet to cash in on the vast potential they brought with them to Athens. Defensively, several players need to prove they are ready to handle expanded roles. Talent is nice to have, but it does not always ensure production on the field -- they could be a year away.

CFI FINAL ANALYSIS

Making the Bulldogs the highest ranked SEC East club is the first flip-flop of the season, as they pulled ahead of the Tennessee Volunteers in the preseason Top 25 Countdown. It is a bit of a risky pick considering they need both unproven players to move into starting roles, as well as underachievers to fulfill potential, however there is so much talent on both sides of the ball that enough players should emerge and come into their own in 2007. It all begins with Stafford, who could be the most gifted passer in college football.

Check back tomorrow to see who is #7 in CFI’s Top 25 Countdown