Georgia primed for run at championship
By ANTHONY HANSHEW - The Herald-Dispatch
HUNTINGTON -- Any conversation surrounding 2004’s top college football teams has to include Georgia.
Simply put, the Bulldogs are loaded for a national championship run. Seventeen starters, including 10 on offense, return from last season’s 11-3 squad.
Mark Richt is on the fast track to building a national power as Georgia’s coach. In three seasons, he’s amassed a 32-8 record, the Bulldogs best run since posting a 43-4-1 mark from 1980-83.
Like the Georgia teams of the early ’80s, this year’s team boasts national championship potential. The always daunting Southeastern Conference schedule poses a potential roadblock, along with a Sept. 18 home matchup with Marshall.
Georgia is a top-five team in virtually every preseason poll and tops Dennis Dodd’s CBS Sportsline rankings. Richt’s squad appears to have veteran leadership to deal with lofty expectations.
More than 82 percent of last season’s offensive production returns. Fourth-year starter David Greene is back at quarterback and will be protected by an offensive line that returns intact.
Greene excels with efficiency, completing 60 percent of his passes (264 of 438) for 3,307 yards and 13 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. His top receiver, Reggie Brown (49 receptions, 662 yards, three touchdowns), returns along with leading rushers Michael Cooper (156 carries, 673 yards, six touchdowns) and Kregg Lumpkin (112-523-6).
Also back are the top two tacklers, safety Thomas Davis (138 tackles) and linebacker Odell Thurman (121), along with two-time All American defensive end David Pollack (92 tackles, team-high 7.5 sacks).
They lead a defense that ranked third nationally in scoring (14.5) and fourth in total defense (276.9). Defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder was named the nation’s top assistant coach in 2003 after his unit held teams scoreless in 25 quarters.
VanGorder joined the Bulldogs staff with Richt in 2001 and his teams have allowed 30 points just once. LSU’s 34 points in last years’ SEC championship game snapped VanGorder’s run.
Opponents hoping special teams might present a weak link likely will be disappointed. In the Richt era, Georgia has blocked eight punts, eight field goals and two PATs. Last season, Richt’s special teams units blocked four field goals, two punts and a PAT, leading to 17 points.
Among the secrets to Georgia’s 2003 success (the Bulldogs knocked off Purdue 34-27 in the Capital One Bowl) were fast starts. Opponents were outscored 80-18 in the first quarter and 190-79 overall in the first half.
Despite the tremendous upside to the 2004 season, Georgia hasn’t been entirely immune to adversity. Defensive end Marcus Jackson reportedly will miss the season after being hospitalized with a blood clot in his brain. Punter Gordon Ely-Kelso has been suspended for the season opener against Georgia Southern for a violation of team rules.
Georgia’s first ever matchup with Marshall is preceded by its SEC opener at South Carolina and comes two weeks prior to a huge matchup with LSU. The Tigers defeated Georgia twice last season en route to earning a share of the national championship.
Georgia’s 32-8 mark under Richt represents the fifth best winning percentage (.800) since 2001. Marshall ranks seventh at .789 (30-8). Since 1997, Marshall has the nation’s top winning percentage at .811 (73-17); Georgia is eighth at .761 (67-21).
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