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Monday, October i, 2007 | The Red & Black
Instant Replay
IN THE POLLS
AP Top 25
1. (33)5-0 1.593
2. USC (32) 4-0 1,591
3. California 5-0 1,475
4. Ohio State 5-0 1,420
5. Wisconsin 5-0 1,271
6. South Florida 4-0 1,203
7. Boston College 5-01,172
8. Kentucky 5-0 1,143
9. Florida 4-1 1,031
10. Oklahoma 4-1 992
11. South Carolina 4-1 900
12. Georgia 4-1 885
13. West Virginia 4-1 861
14. Oregon 4-1 837
15. Virginia Tech 4-1 639
16. Hawaii 5-0 586
17. Missouri 4-0 561
18. Arizona State 5-0 497
19. Texas 4-1 449
20. Cincinnati 5-0 377
21. Rutgers 3-1 299
22. Clemson 4-1 265
23. Purdue 5-0 218
24. Kansas State 3-1 214
25. Nebraska 4-1 198
SEC STANDINGS
EAST WEST
Kentucky LSU
5-0,1-0 5-0,2-0
Florida Alabama
4-1,2-1 3-2,2-1
Georgia Auburn
4-1,2-1 3-2,1-1
South Carolina Mississippi St.
4-1,2-1 3-2,1-2
Vanderbilt 3-1, Arkansas 2-2,
1-1 0-2
Tennessee Mississippi 1-4,
2-2,0-1 0-3
OVERHEARD ON
GAMEDAY
“The fans and alumni of
the University of Georgia
have a special situation
here with Thomas
(Brown) and Knowshon
(Moreno) being in the pro
gram at the same time.
They should really relish
this moment because it’s
special when you have two
players like that in your
program.”
Georgia running
backs coach Tony Ball
“I started going upfield,
and somebody got a cut
block for me downfield. I
was heading for the end
zone, and 1 saw on the
Jumbotron that someone
was coming up behind me.
(Players) look at the
Jumbotron a lot (on the
field). That’s sometimes
the only way you can see
who’s coming up behind
you.”
Georgia running
back Thomas Brown on his
50-yard touchdown run in
the second quarter
“I feel for him because
I’ve been under that type
of pressure. The kid’s
tough as nails and he came
back. I don’t have to say
anything to him. He knows
I trust in him and he’s our
tight end. We’ve got to get
him the ball.”
Georgia quarterback
Matthew Stafford on tight
end Tripp Chandler
“I’m not afraid to throw
the football to anybody.
Everybody on our team
can play, and everybody
can make plays. That’s one
of the strengths of the
offense. You don’t know
who’s going to get the
ball.”
Stafford
“We practice a lot of
things ali the time. That’s
kind of part of the reason
why we don’t want every
body watching all the
time. Not that we don’t
like (the media); any time
coaches are doing some
thing that has to do with
strategy, you don’t want
anybody watching. It’s just
human nature. People see
an onside kick in practice
and they say ‘Man, I saw
something cool,’ and all of
a sudden, it’s on the
Internet.”
Georgia head coach
Mark Richt on the onside
kick the Bulldogs attempt
ed in the third quarter.
“It is obvious now we
do not have SEC-caliber
players. In the first half we
battled with them, but we
just broke down as the
game worg on. Our kickoff
return team didn’t see the
ball well. There was no
doubt in my mind before
the game we have some
weaknesses. We have to
recruit to fill those posi
tions.”
Ole Miss head coach
Ed Orgeron
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:sk >■'"— --*■ *•***
RICHARD HAMM | Thf. Red & Black
A Bulldog fans celebrate as tailback Thomas Brown runs into the
end zone for a touchdown after a 41-yard run in the fourth quarter
of Saturday’s game against the Ole miss Rebels at Sanford Stadium.
Slow, steady wins the game
The fans wanted
the flash and dash.
They wanted the
energy, the spark, the
Hare. Georgia fans want
ed Knowshon Moreno,
and they wanted him to
start for the Bulldogs.
If that makes Thomas
Brown the Tortoise of
this fable, then he’s one
hell of a tortoise.
Saturday, Brown had
the game of his life and
showed those who bleed
red and black that’s he
still the top dog on this
team.
“He’s awesome. The
numbers speak for them
selves, but they can’t tell
you what kind of guy he
is. He’s here every day
working hard, he’s the
freakin’ strongest guy on
our team, he’s a leader,
he’s the whole package,”
quarterback Matthew
Stafford said.
Excluding the six
games he missed last
year with a tom ACL,
Brown has been the con
stant, the rock of an
ever-changing Bulldog
offense.
This season, coming
back from injury and
with Moreno spinning
and juking his way into
the hearts of the Bulldog
Nation, Brown almost
became an afterthought
in the offense.
“With (Brown’s) injury
and everybody being
enamored with
Knowshon, somebody
asked me Tuesday if
Knowshon should start,”
GAME: Dogs prepared to take on Vols
>■ From Page 1
out there and having fun,” freshman
tailback Knowshon Moreno, who had
93 yards and a touchdown himself,
said.
“I was still pushing him just saying ‘you
can’t get another one.’”
Brown suffered what he called a
“slightly separated shoulder” after
landing awkwardly at the end of his
first touchdown run. During that drive,
Brown accounted for 80 of the Bulldogs’
96 yards.
“Anytime a running back has a big
game like that, unless they’re Barry
Sanders, you’ve got to thank your offen
sive line,” he said.
The career-high for Brown came
amidst many fans calling for Moreno to
Phillip Kisubika
A
head coach Mark Richt
said. “We have a great
back in Thomas and he’s
mature and he’s a leader
and you want your lead
ers as your starters.”
“That’s the way it is in
sports out with the old,
in with the new, especially
when a guy comes in like
(Moreno) and provides
such a great spark,”
Brown said.
Brown has been fight
ing to stay on the field
since he arrived on cam
pus in 2004, but his 180
yards and three touch
downs against Ole Miss
make the case that
maybe he shouldn’t have
had to share as much as
he has.
“I knew when I came,
here it would be a 'run
ning back by commit
tee,”’ Brown said. “When
I came here, there were
maybe seven miming
backs. People talk about
how we have a crowded
backfield now, but it was
even more crowded back
then.”
Even on Saturday,
when he slightly separat
ed his shoulder on his
first touchdown, he
came back and showed
become the starter. Brown’s perfor
mance Saturday looks to end that dis
cussion at least for now.
“(Moreno’s) not ready (to start)
yet,” Richt said. “If a guy is up-and
coming, you give him some totes, but
you don’t change the chemistry of the
football team by putting a true fresh
man ahead of a guy like him.”
With another lax run defense next
on the schedule (ninth in the confer
ence), the Bulldogs already are focus
ing on the Volunteers.
“It’s hard to say how this thing will
go, but I think our guys will be pre
pared and excited to play (Tennessee),”
Richt said in his teleconference Sunday.
“I don’t think whoever loses this game
will feel out of it It would be a definite
blow, though.”
SPORTS
the grit and tenacity
that should make the
Tucker native one of
Athens’ favorite sons by
the time he leaves to
play on Sundays.
In a conference where
leadership is as impor
tant as playmakers,
Brown is as valuable
now as he ever was
before. Moreno is great
for the change of pace,
but Brown is the key for
the Bulldogs if they want
tough yards, tough play
and tough leadership.
“He’s a more patient
runner now, and he
seems more aggressive
now. I know that seems
contradictory, but he
just has more energy and
agility. I think he’s quick
er than he was before
the injury. He may have
been in the weight room
too much. Not many
guys can play as relent
less after an ACL injury
as he’s been playing,”
Richt said.
Brown is now seventh
on Georgia’s all-time
rushing list with 2,260
yards in his unfinished
career, and it’s not a
stretch to think that he
won’t be in the top five
when it’s all said and
done.
So you can have flash
and dash. You can have
the Hare.
I want the steady
Tortoise. From what I
hear, he wins the race.
Phillip Kisubika is
the First & Goal editor.
QUARTER-CAPS
RICHARD HAMM | The Red * Black
▲ Matthew Stafford drops back to pass during
the first quarter as right tackle Chester Adams
blocks Marcus Tillman of Ole Miss.
FIRST QUARTER OLE MISS 7-UGA 0
The Bulldogs elected to receive to start the game and were forced into a
three-and-out by Ole Miss, The Rebels followed up with an eight-play, 86-yard
touchdown drive capped by a 45-yard touchdown pass from Seth Adams to
Mike Wallace. Ole Miss held the ball for almost 10 of the 15 first quarter min
utes. A fumbled snap at the Georgia 1-yard line recovered by Bulldog safety
C.J. Byrd kept the Rebels from taking a two touchdown lead.
LINDY DUGGER | The Rbd a Black
▲ Mohamed Massaquoi catches a touchdown
pass from Matt Stafford during the second
quarter.
SECOND QUARTER UGA 17-OLE MISS 10
Georgia finished a drive started on their 4-yard line with a 50-yard touch
down run by senior tailback Thomas Brown. After getting a stop on defense, the
Bulldogs drove 80 yards to score again to take the lead on a 5-yard pass from
Matthew Stafford to Mohamed Massaquoi. Ole Miss kicker Joshua Shene
added a 30-yard field goal to cut the Georgia lead to 14-10. The Bulldogs would
score at the end of the first half on a 20-yard Brandon Coutu field goal to push
the lead back to seven.
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RICHARD HAMM | The Red a Black
▲ Tailback Thomas Brown runs for a touchdown
in the third quarter.
THIRD QUARTER UGA 24-OLE MISS 17
The Ole Miss offense made its presence felt in the third quarter, reeling off
an 18-play, 84-yard drive that took more than nine minutes off the clock. The
drive ended with a two-yard run by tailback Ben Jarvus Green-Ellis to tie the
game at 17. Georgia answered by moving the ball 80 yards in a little over two
minutes, with Brown getting his second touchdown of the game on a 4-yard toss
to the outside.
RICHARD HAMM | The Red * Black
▲ Linebacker Brandon Miller runs for 13 yards
after intercepting a pass from Ole Miss quarter
back Seth Adams in the fourth quarter.
FOURTH QUARTER UGA 45-OLE MISS 17
The next Georgia possession started at the Ole Miss 47, and it took the
Bulldogs two plays to get it in the end zone. Brown scored his third touchdown
on a 41-yard run up the middle to give the Bulldogs a 14-point lead. After a
Brandon Miller interception of Adams, Georgia scored again on an 8-yard run
by Knowshon Moreno. The Bulldogs would score again on a 6-yard run by
backup fullback Fred Munzenmaier.
Compiled by Phillip Kisubika
Glory, glory to oT Georgia
A band member plays before Saturday’s
home gsme against Ole Miss.
- Photo by Lindy Dugger