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I Monday, September 10, 2007 | The Red & Black
Instant Replay
IN THE POLLS
AP Top 25
1. USC (40) 1-0 1,594
2. LSU (25)2-0 1.582
3. Oklahoma 2-0 1,418
4. West Virginia 2-0 1,408
5. Florida 2-0 1,370
6. Texas 2-0 1,290
7. Wisconsin 2-0 1,171
8. California 2-0 1,126
9. Louisville 2-0 1,097
10. Ohio State 2-0 962
11. UCLA 2-0 910
12. Penn State 2-0 896
13. Rutgers 2-0 820
14. Nebraska 2-0 693
15. Georgia Tech 2-0 590
16. Arkansas 1-0 537
17. South Carolina 2-0 477
18. Virginia Tech 1-1 382
19. Oregon 2-0 367
20. Clemson 2-0 349
21. Boston College 2-0 323
22. Tennessee 1-1 284
23. Georgia 1-1 261
24. Hawaii 2-0 247
25. Texas A&M 2-0 243
USA Today Coaches’ Poll
1. USC (42) 1-0 1,476
2. LSU (11) 2-0 1,437
3. Florida (7) 2-0 1,353
4. West Virginia 2-0 1,269
5. Oklahoma 2-0 1,264
6. Texas 2-0 1,156
7. Wisconsin 2-0 1,141
8. California 2-0 1,038
9. Louisville 2-0 1,020
10. Ohio State 2-0 972
11. UCLA 2-0 837
12. Penn State 2-0 804
13. Rutgers 2-0 699
14. Nebraska 2-0 677
15. Georgia Tech 2-0 582
16. Arkansas 1-0 493
17. Virginia Tech 1-1 371
18. Texas A&M 2-0 325
19. Boston College 2-0 315
20. Clemson 2-0 311
21. Oregon 2-0 309
22. Hawaii 2-0 308
23. South Carolina 2-0 294
24. Tennessee 1-1 237
25. Georgia 1-1 199
SEC STANDINGS
East West
South Carolina LSU
1-0,2-0 1-0,2-0
Florida Alabama
0-0.2-0 1-0, 2-0
Kentucky Arkansas
0-0, 2-0 0-0,1-0
Tennessee Auburn
0-0.1-1 0-0,1-1
Vanderbilt Mississippi
0-1,1-1 0-0,1-1
Georgia Mississippi State
0-1, 1-1 0-1, 1-1
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KELLY WEGEL | The Red a Black
▲ Redshirt sophomore Bryan
Evans talks with reporters in
the locker room after
Saturday’s game. Georgia hosts
Western Carolina next Saturday
in Athens.
“You’re always surprised in a game when you don’t
score any touchdowns. That’s why we went for it on
that fourth-down situation (in the third quarter) where
we got sacked. It was a trick play, and we thought we
should take a shot at it-because we were having such a
tough job of getting in the end zone. I knew Coutu
could make that field goal, but I didn’t think that
would be enough to win us the game.”
Georgia head coach Mark Richt
“We have a lot of character, we are not going
to keep our heads down, we are going to fix our
mistakes and get ready for the next opponent. They
did a good job offensively and defensively. We had
some success running the ball. We tried to mix it up,
but they did a good job on defense and we just came
up short. We are going to get it back together, we just
have to get back to basics and get ready for Western
Carolina.”
Georgia tailback Knowshon Moreno
“Twenty-four is special. He’s a game breaker.
Looking back on this game, we did a poor job of getting
him the ball. We’ve got to do a better job of getting the
ball in his hands.”
Georgia offensive coordinator
Mike Bobo on Moreno
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SARA GUEVARA i The Red * Black
A Georgia running back Thomas Brown gets tackled in the first quarter
of Saturday’s game.
Bulldog offense sputters,
fails to score a touchdown
By PHILLIP KISUBIKA
The Red & Black
During the first quarter
of Saturday’s game, the
scoreboard speakers were
malfunctioning, causing a
muted effect throughout
Sanford Stadium.
When the sound came
back and the crowd came
alive, the Georgia offense
could not, and senior
Brandon Coutu made a
career-high four out of five
field goals because the
Bulldogs could not get the
ball in the endzone.
The surprising thing
was not that only one
touchdown was scored in
a game between SEC rivals
the surprising thing was
that Georgia was the team
unable to cross the goal
line.
“We throw and catch
well in practice. We just
have to take it to the next
level in games,” Georgia
head coach Mark Richt
said.
“We looked better in
the second half; we just
didn’t finish it like we
GAME: Loss puts team ‘behind
the eight-ball’ in SEC title race
>• From Page 1
Bailey, who had four receptions for
44 yards.
While some may point to the
young offensive line for the team’s
struggles, most of the players were
quick to defend the linemen. “They
did a great job there’s no question
about it, they just need to keep
doing what they’re doing,” Stafford
said.
While head coach Richt said the
line looked “ragged” in the first half,
he was quick to say that they looked
better in the second half.
To honor injured teammate
Antavious Coates, a South Carolina
native, senior defensive end Marcus
Howard wore Coates’s number 17
for the game. “I wanted to honor
him and let him know he’s still part
of this team. He was captain
tonight,” said Howard, who recorded
a first quarter sack.
OVERHEARD ON GAMEDAY
GAME ANALYSIS
needed to.”
After Saturday,
Gamecock coach Steve
Spurrier didn’t look crazy
for thinking South Carolina
could challenge for the
conference title, and Richt
had the answers as to
whether Georgia still can.
“There were coaching
decisions as well that
could have changed the
outcome of this game. But
we’re all in this thing
together,” Richt said.
“I’m not pointing any
fingers. We had opportuni
ties that we didn’t take.
And South Carolina did
enough to win.”
Though offensive coor
dinator Mike Bobo’s play
calling may come under
question, the inexperience
of Georgia’s lineup showed,
as the team could not
make plays when faced
with adversity.
Georgia outgained
South Carolina 341 yards
to 314, but the team was
“We’ve been here in this situation before. No one
was panicking. Our team is a fourth quarter team. We
conditioned real hard. We were ready to go out there,
we just didn’t capitalize when we needed to.”
Georgia receiver Sean Bailey
“Every year they play us tough. It’s always a battle
playing USC. They’re a great football team.. We tried to
come up with a W but it didn’t happen tonight.”
Georgia defensive tackle Jeff Owens
“This is the first one we have won against Georgia
since I have been here. Somehow or another we scored
16 points, ii was a wonderful win. It wasn’t a shocker,
we thought we would win this game. We are two evenly
matched teams.”
South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier
“This feels great. Personally I had a chip on my
shoulder so it makes it even better. Our defensive line
got a lot of pressure on their offense. This is the best
defense we have had since I have been here. This is a
stepping stone to get to the SEC championship and
what we did tonight we could do all season. This let
everyone in the country know that we could play with
anybody and win the big game.”
South Carolina linebacker Jasper Brinkley
SPORTS
constantly forced into long
third downs and convert
ed only three of 18.
The Bulldog offensive
line was challenged by a
stout Gamecock defensive
front, rushing quarterback
Matthew Stafford into
throws he wasn’t making
when he had time.
Stafford threw the ball
an astounding 44 times
Saturday.
“We just couldn’t get
into a rhythm. They did a
good job of scheming for
us. But my timing was off
a little bit. I have got to hit
wide receivers if they get
open. I have to make
plays,” Stafford said.
The Bulldogs should
have an easier time against
Western Carolina next
weekend, but they are
going to face better teams
than South Carolina soon,
with away games against
Alabama and Tennessee
in the next month.
“Now we have to
regroup and make sure we
get better if we want to
win in this league right
now,” Richt said.
While the loss is upsetting to the
Georgia players and fans, the scene
is similar to Gamecock head coach
Steve Spurrier’s first year in
Columbia. “This game is like the
game two years ago. That game had
some missed field goals, some
missed extra points and (Georgia)
won the ugly game. This year we
won the ugly game after struggling
with Louisiana-Lafayette, and
Georgia beating Oklahoma State
handily,” said Spurrier.
Despite the letdown, the team
has not given up all hope for an SEC
Championship.
“This game did not knock us out
of the league race ... It just set us
behind the eight-ball a little bit,”
Richt said.
Safety Kelin Johnson and receiver
A. J. Bryant were injured in the game
and did not return after half-time.
The severity of the injuries are not
currently known.'
Cock-a-doodle-doo ~
Sir Big Spur, the USC mascot, watches the gene
from the sidelines. Cocky, USC’s official mascot,
was voted the Capital One Bowl mascot of the year
in 2003, and Sir Big Spur has been jealous ever
since.
Photo by Kelly Wegel
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QUARTER-CAPS
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SARA GUEVARA | The Red a Black
▲ South Carolina scored the game’s only
touchdown on a nine-yard run by senior
tailback Cory Boyd.
FIRST QUARTER USC 7-UGA 0
The Georgia offense sputtered on their first drive, but with the help
of two personal fouls were able to move the ball down the field to set
up a missed Coutu field goal. After the team traded three and out
drives, USC was able to drive the field and score on a nine yard Cory
Boyd rush for a touchdown.
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KELLY WEGEL | The Red a Black
▲ Quarterback Matthew Stafford is pressured
by South Carolina defensive end Eric Norwood
in the second quarter.
SECOND QUARTER USC 10-UGA 3
Georgia’s first second-quarter drive would result in the Bulldogs first
points of the game as the team drove 13 plays for 71 yards. The
Gamecock offense then would string together a series of rushes and
pick up 39 yards and kick a field goal to take the lead 10-3. Near the
end of the quarter, Georgia punted it away and recovered as USC fum
bled the catch. An illegal formation penalty on Georgia would call back
the recovery and give it back to South Carolina.
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KELLY WEGEL | The Red a Black
▲ South Carolina linebacker Marcus
Davis brings down redshirt freshman
tailback Knowshon Moreno.
THIRD QUARTER USC 13-UGA 6
The Bulldogs’ second possession of the quarter saw Moreno break
a 50-yard run. However, a fourth and short sack would prevent the
team from scoring. The Gamecocks then would complete a 31-yard
pass to WR McKinley to set up a 35-yard Ryan Succop FG. The fol
lowing drive saw Stafford complete two big passes over the middle to
Chandler and Durham respectively. The drive soon would stall and end
in a field goal.
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SARA GUEVARA | Tee Red * Biace
A Redshirt freshman Tony Wilson is attended
to by Georgia medical staff.
FOURTH QUARTER USC 16-UGA 12
An early fourth quarter field goal put the Gamecocks up 16-6 with
less than a quarter to play. The Bulldogs would drive and score two field
goals to bring the game within four. With a minute to go, the Bulldogs
regained possession on their own 20 and drove 19 yards before the
Gamecocks picked off a deep Stafford pass to seal the victory.
Compiled by Marshall Duncan