07-20-2002, 07:00 PM
GEORGIA EYES SEC EAST BIG BOYS
If the Georgia Bulldogs want to challenge Florida and Tennessee for the top spot in the incredibly tough SEC East -- which includes Lou Holtz's South Carolina Gamecocks -- coach Mark Richt and his staff need junior RB Musa Smith to remain at full strength the entire way and the revamped defense to come together in a hurry.
After working his way back to 100 percent from the groin/hip flexor injury that bothered him last year, Smith was held out of contact work in the spring. Another key performer on offense will be junior TE Ben Watson, who transferred to Georgia three years ago from Duke. With Randy McMichael moving on to the Miami Dolphins, poised sophomore QB David Greene will be looking Watson's way often this season. Considered one of the strongest players on the team, Watson has the frame (6-3, 251 pounds) and athleticism to be quite a factor. Keep in mind, he started three games last year when the Bulldogs went to a double tight-end set.
Defensively, there are plenty of questions to be answered with the loss of defensive ends Charles Grant and Josh Mallard, linebackers Will Witherspoon and Adrian Hollingshed, and defensive backs Tim Wansley, Jermaine Phillips and Terreal Bierria. Blue-chip sophomore David Pollack has been shifted from DT to DE, where he should be a real force getting after the QB. Highly regarded junior Johnathan Sullivan is the key performer along the interior at DT. While there's pressure on Pollack, Grant lacked game-to-game consistency even as he flashed the potential to dominate last season.
Senior OLB Boss Bailey has a chance to garner All-American recognition. In the middle, many tend to forget that underrated senior Tony Gilbert has led the Bulldogs in tackles each of the past two seasons. Junior Decory Bryant steps in for Wansley at cornerback, where he'll work opposite junior Bruce Thornton, a converted RB who struggled in coverage last season. Opposing offenses went after Thornton, usually staying away from Wansley's side of the field. Sean Jones, a converted quarterback, is now the rover, with Kentrell Curry at free safety.
If the Georgia Bulldogs want to challenge Florida and Tennessee for the top spot in the incredibly tough SEC East -- which includes Lou Holtz's South Carolina Gamecocks -- coach Mark Richt and his staff need junior RB Musa Smith to remain at full strength the entire way and the revamped defense to come together in a hurry.
After working his way back to 100 percent from the groin/hip flexor injury that bothered him last year, Smith was held out of contact work in the spring. Another key performer on offense will be junior TE Ben Watson, who transferred to Georgia three years ago from Duke. With Randy McMichael moving on to the Miami Dolphins, poised sophomore QB David Greene will be looking Watson's way often this season. Considered one of the strongest players on the team, Watson has the frame (6-3, 251 pounds) and athleticism to be quite a factor. Keep in mind, he started three games last year when the Bulldogs went to a double tight-end set.
Defensively, there are plenty of questions to be answered with the loss of defensive ends Charles Grant and Josh Mallard, linebackers Will Witherspoon and Adrian Hollingshed, and defensive backs Tim Wansley, Jermaine Phillips and Terreal Bierria. Blue-chip sophomore David Pollack has been shifted from DT to DE, where he should be a real force getting after the QB. Highly regarded junior Johnathan Sullivan is the key performer along the interior at DT. While there's pressure on Pollack, Grant lacked game-to-game consistency even as he flashed the potential to dominate last season.
Senior OLB Boss Bailey has a chance to garner All-American recognition. In the middle, many tend to forget that underrated senior Tony Gilbert has led the Bulldogs in tackles each of the past two seasons. Junior Decory Bryant steps in for Wansley at cornerback, where he'll work opposite junior Bruce Thornton, a converted RB who struggled in coverage last season. Opposing offenses went after Thornton, usually staying away from Wansley's side of the field. Sean Jones, a converted quarterback, is now the rover, with Kentrell Curry at free safety.