2008 Georgia Bulldogs

Expectations. Coach Mark Richt is entering his 7th season as head coach and this is by far his greatest challenge. At the same time, he may be coaching his most talented group yet. But they simply don’t come more even-keeled than Mark Richt.

That word, “expectations”, comes with the territory when your school ends the 2007 season in a magical way, with 8 straight wins, an improbable run of dominance that nearly (and should have) led to an appeance in the BCS championship game, but did lead to another trip for Mark Richt (a 3rd) to the AllState Sugar Bowl and a 41-10 thrashing of undefeated (but overmatched) Hawaii.

With 17 returning starters, Georgia leads the majority of the polls (including the CNN/USA Today Coaches’ & the Associated Press Poll) and heads into the season as the #1 ranked team in the country with not one, but two Heisman Trophy contenders.

Of course, along with trying to meet expectations (and for many Georgia fans, nothing less than the BCS Title game in Miami on January 9th, 2008 will meet those expectations), comes the toughest schedule in school history, which includes an early season road game at Arizona State, and a four game stretch, later in the season, that includes back to back games in Baton Rouge (at LSU) and in Jacksonville (at Florida).

Offense

Most of the main players from last year return to this group with the two most key players back being legitimate Heisman Trophy contenders. First, there’s Junior Quarterback Matthew Stafford. Second, there’s Redshirt Sophomore Running Back Knowshon Moreno, arguably the most electrifying player in the nation, who in the last few weeks, has graced the covers of The Sporting News, Sports Illustrated and ESPN the Magazine.

Along with Stafford and Moreno, the Dawgs return Senior Wide Receiver Mohammed Massaqoui,the best Fullback in college football, Brannan Southerland, (who starts the season out for at least the first 3-4 games) as well as Senior Tripp Chandler, who started slowly for the Dawgs in 2007, but came on in a big way and seems to be continuing the tradition of Georgia being “Tight End U.”

Last year, the offensive line had to be completely rebuilt and a down year was assumed with so many new faces. However, thanks to the amazing work of one of the best Offensive Line coaches in the country, Stacey Searels, the offensive line was one of the best in the country by the end of the season and that effort was led by Senior Fernando Velasco and Freshman Trinton Sturdivant. The problem? Velasco (the vocal leader on the line) is gone and Sturdivant, the huge left tackle expected to be this year’s leader, may now be out for the year, barring any positive changes in the medical report.

Even more now will be expected from the increased depth that Coach Richt and his staff (including Searels and offensive coordinator, Mike Bobo, have been working hard on) especially from RG Clint Boling (suspended for the first game, this weekend), Center Chris Davis, and LT Kiantee Tripp, who’s filling the role for injured Sturdivant and has the versatility to excel.

One of the questions any good fan base asks is what freshmen can come in & compete and contribute right away. Thanks to the masterful recruiting job the last several years by Coach Richt, recruiting (guru) coordinator Rodney Garner, and other members of the staff (especially Bobo), Georgia’s Freshman class was once again in the top 5-7 in the nation (depending on which recruiting service you prefer, I prefer the ones not run by Tennessee grads) and several freshmen may come in right away on the offense.

Starting in the backfield, Knowshon Moreno has no shortage of help. First, there’s phenom Caleb King. King, a redshirt Freshman who was the #1 RB recruit in the country when he came to the Dawgs in January of 2007. He’s so big and talented that despite having a serious Heisman contender in Moreno, the Dawgs will be forced to get him in there. Of course, they may have both share time with one of two Freshmen sensations: Richard Samuel and Carlton Thomas, both of whom have exceeded the already big expectations they had, with commanding spring practice performances.

At wide receiver, the Dawgs lost talented veteran, Sean Bailey, but are loaded with veteran help for Senior Mossaquoi, but maybe no one will be more help than Freshman sensation, AJ Green. Along with Alabama’s Julio Jones, Green was the other top wide receiver recruit in the nation, and has already blown his peers away in practice.

Along the offensive line, the Dawgs added a lineman who’s performed so well so early (Ben Jones) Georgia may be forced to play the young man early. Depth is key with injuries and a few suspensions already getting in the way here early.

And though they won’t be in Athens until they arrive in the 2009 class, Georgia has already landed 2 of the top 8 Quarterbacks in the nation for next year: Zack Mettenberger. and Florida’s Aaron Murray. The staff continues to fill the ranks with talented stars keeping Georgia in contention, year in and year out.

Defense

If you think the offense is loaded with stars and firepower, meet the 2008 Georgia Bulldogs defensive unit. This is arguably the fastest defensive unit in the nation, and the same unit that sacked Florida golden boy Tim Tebow 6 times (on his way to a Heisman.) Another Heisman contender, Hawaii’s Colt Brennan, looked like a Division III scrub after our defense was done beating the heck out of him in the Sugar Bowl. Interestingly, Brennan sought Tebow out for advice at the Heisman ceremony in New York about Georgia’s defense. Tebow must have explained how to properly eat grass every time one of our guys plants you in it.

Leading the defense will be Linebacker Darnell Ellerbee, a special and fast hitter, who seems to play his best in the biggest games. But Ellerbee has a LOT of help – to say the least. Georgia only lost one starter from 2007 (Marcus Howard, who was terrific) but bring back a veteran crew of talented players, many of whom will be on the All America watch list.

Along with Ellerbee, linebackers Akeem Dent and Rennie Curran — a small but super fast hitter — who came on late and punished opposing offenses with his quickness and striking ability. Along the line, another powerful group of dangerous veterans return for the Dawgs. Leading the way is Senior DT Jeff Owens, who’s considered a potential major breakout star this year and who — according to the AJC — will be a contender for the Outland and Nagurski awards. Several players will be teaming up with Owens to smash opponents, and none more so than Junior DT Geno Atkins, also a legitimate contender during the awards season.

The secondary is just loaded as well. The leader of this unit is Junior Asher Allen, who came into his own last year and is now one of the most feared cornerbacks in the nation, giving opposing wide receivers nightmares. Teaming with Allen in this talented unit will be Free Safety Reshard Jones, the other leader of this group as only a redshirt Sophomore.

The leader of the unit is defensive coordinator Willie Martinez. Martinez has experienced his share of growing pains, but grew up with the defense after last year’s embarrassing loss to Tennessee. Martinez led the defense the rest of the way to arguably the best performance by any team in the country, the last 8 games, finally, fully, earning the confidence of Dawg Nation. For a long time, many Dawg fans missed the intensity of former DC Brian Van Gorder. Martinez seems to have finally come into his own and has a chance now to be one of the best coordinators in the country.

Special Teams

The kicking game, arguably the most important part for any team trying to win close games (and Georgia will have many this year with their schedule), lost a kid with potentially the strongest leg in America, Brandon Coutu. Coutu will be missed, but Freshman Blair Walsh showed off an incredibly strong leg during spring, and Coach Richt appears to have full confidence in Walsh ably filling Coutu’s shoes.

Returning to lead the punting is proven senior Brian Mimbs, who showed himself a smart distance kicker last year.

The big question is, among the various speedsters Georgia has to choose from, who will take super fast and shifty Mikey Henderson’s place to return punts. Along with Henderson’s graduation, senior tailback Thomas Brown (now with the Falcons) was the leading kick returner and will also have to be replaced.

Asher Allen got a lot of experience returning kicks last year and will be back in that role, more often than not. As of the end of spring practice, rumors (and now possibly fact) at who will now be returning punts, Mark Richt has apparently decided that his team’s best all around player, running back and Heisman contender Knowshon Moreno, may just be the man for the job. And why not? Considering how many defenses Moreno destroyed last year, getting the ball in his hands as often as possible seems like a pretty good idea.

Outlook

Well, if everything goes according to plan, we should go 12-0, roll through this schedule and after blowing out LSU or Auburn in the SEC Championship game, roll through Ohio State (like everyone else in the SEC) , USC, or Oklahoma in the National championship game.

But wait, we do have to now deal with the hardest schedule in the nation and no matter how biased I am and how much I love my Dawgs, I don’t see how we can run the table, unblemished. I am a realist.

The scariest game on the schedule (as always) will be Florida. The Gators return Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and a 2nd contender for that award in Percy Harvin, and have generated faux anger over our end zone celebration, as written about by Urban Meyer in “Urban’s Way”, a self help book for all Gators who couldn’t get over losing to us in 2007. And though I make fun, this game (IMHO) is the toughest game on the schedule. The Gators are loaded and our best opponent.

You look at games like at Arizona State or at LSU, where we are the better team, but based on the timing of the game, the travel involved, or the location, and the better team may lose. LSU is dropped a little in my eyes with the loss of Quarterback Ryan Perrilloux. Auburn is also another big time rivalry game and they are expected to be a top 20 level team, and a new Quarterback actually helps them – the Dawgs will deeply miss slow-moving target Brandon Cox.

Then, there’s also games with South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky. All games the Dawgs should win and are clearly the better team on paper, but all teams capable of beating us in the ever tough Southeastern Conference.

In the end, I will say 11-1 and I believe in Mark Richt and I believe in this team, and despite a loss somewhere along the way (yes, maybe Jacksonville), the Dawgs will make all of us Georgia fans believe and head to Miami to play for the BCS championship. Of course, this caveat always depends on good health, which is why it’s so important that Georgia is blessed with wonderful depth.

–Alex R.