Keys to a Georgia Win

1. Avoid special teams mistakes- Last week vs Kentucky proved that special teams can make a huge difference in a football game, as Georgia gave Kentucky's offense excellent field position on several occasions (which led to points). This week the Dawgs face an Auburn team with excellent special teams play. The Tigers rank among the best in the SEC in Kickoff Returns, Punt Returns, Kickoff Coverage and Punting. The Dawgs must avoid the "big play" on special teams to put themselves in good field position on both offense and defense.

2. Restore pride on defense- Word has it that the defense held a "players only" meeting this week to discuss getting back to playing Georgia defense. The Dawgs have given up over 30 points for three straight weeks and the goal is to change that trend starting with Auburn. The Dawgs must follow the lead of Corvey Irvin, Dannell Ellerbe and Rennie Curran and "get back to basics" and "have fun". The Dawgs have a good opportunity to get some defensive swagger back this week against an Auburn offense that has clearly struggled all year (scoring 19.5 points per game).

3. Gain the early momentum and run with it- Auburn has started strong this year, scoring most of their points in the first half, while fading in the second half. However, in a historic rivalry like this one, you never know what might happen. The Dawgs need to gain the early momentum, to take the crowd out of it, and put these birds (...or, War Eagles) back in their nest. Momentum is very important in rivalry games and any bit of early momentum for Auburn could begin to pick up steam against the Dawgs. I look for Auburn to come out with a "nothing to loose" attitude and beating them to the first punch would be huge!!

LEXINGTON, KY- Whew!!! Close one..... The Dawgs used a "clutch" play on offense and a key defensive stop to survive upset-minded Kentucky this weekend. In an ugly win, the Dawgs got back in the win column after surviving several special teams mistakes. The Dawgs gave up a 96-yard kickoff return, an 18 yard punt and a blocked punt that led to easy points for the Wildcats. The defense struggled all day against an option attack, led by quarterback Randall Cobb's 18 carries for 83 yards (and 3 TD's).  Kentucky's offense was able to control the clock, holding the ball for 9 more minutes than the Dawgs. However Georgia fired back with four plays that went for over 40 yards and out-gained the Cats in total offense 520 to 331. Matthew Stafford had a career day, going 17 for 27 with 376 yards passing and 3 touchdowns. Knowshon Moreno picked up 123 yards rushing with another 3 touchdowns. Mohammed Massaquoi had 191 yards receiving and  1 touchdown. But, it was a Matt Stafford to A.J. Green 11-yard touchdown with 1:54 left in the game that sealed the deal.

Keys to Skinning the 'Cats

1. Eliminate Turnovers- A big reason the Dawgs lost to the Gators last week was turnovers. The Dawgs lost the turnover battle 4-0.  Georgia must regroup and play mistake-free against an opportunistic Kentucky defense. The Cats have forced 22 opponent turnovers (#1 in the SEC) and are 2nd in the SEC in turnover margin with a +.67 turnover ratio. Their defense is 2nd in the league in interceptions and have sacked the opposing QB 23 times in 9 games (also 2nd in the league)!!!! The O-line must "hunker down" against Kentucky's front seven and keep Matt Stafford from getting dirt on his jersey!!!!

2. "Put on" in the Red Zone- As the song goes...."I put on for my city, on on for my city..." The Dawgs must put some points on the scoreboard when they get into the Red Zone against Kentucky. The Wildcats are very good in "the zone" as they are one of the top 3 Defensive units in the conference, allowing opponents to score only 70% of the time. The Dawgs have struggled from time-to-time in the Red Zone, missing a couple of field goals just last week. Georgia should be able to move the ball against Kentucky's defense, however, capitalizing on Red Zone opportunities will be crucial to getting a "W".

3. Put Derrick Locke on "Lock Down"- Kentucky has spread the ball around to several running backs and receivers in order to move the ball this year. However, one weapon that stands out is multi-purpose threat Derrick Locke. He leads the Cats kickoff return team that is one of the tops in the league. (He even has a 100-yard return for a TD on his resume!) Locke also leads Kentucky with 812 all-purpose yards (303 rushing, 195 receiving and 314 kick return yards). He is Kentucky's leading rusher and is perhaps the top "playmaker" on their roster. Keeping close tabs on Locke, particularly in the return game, will benefit the Dawgs on Saturday.

A whole boat load of publicity has been given to the famous Georgia "celebration" at last years game, as Georgia whooped Florida 42-30.  Florida has stewed about it for an entire year and coach Urban Meyer referred to himself in third-person when he put in his book, "It will forever be in the mind of Urban Meyer...and Urban Meyer plans to do something about it and it's going to be a big deal...." I guess the guy has poor self-esteem if he has to refer to himself like that. Urban called the celebration a bad deal, but, it was ultimately a brilliant coaching strategy by Georgia coach Mark Richt. (Did I mention the final score was 42-30 Georgia? ...enough said!!)

Dawgs on Offense

Controlling the clock and making big plays will be crucial when Georgia has the ball. The Bulldogs lead the SEC in total offense and first downs, and, the Dawgs are second in the conference in scoring, third-down conversions and time of possession. What does this mean? All of these stats add up to an offense that can move the ball, keep drives alive, keep possession of the ball and ultimately.....score. With Georgia and Florida having the top two scoring offenses in the SEC, this game could have a whole lot of offensive fireworks!!! While, Florida's defense is very good, Georgia must control the ball to keep the Gator offense off of the field. To accomplish this, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo must keep the Gator defense off balance. The Dawgs must put up points with Matt Stafford, A.J Green, Mohamed Massaquoi and Knowshon Moreno leading the way. The Dawgs must bring their "A-game" and hit the big plays on Saturday.

Dawgs on Defense

Defensively, the Dawgs must limit Florida's big plays and win the turnover battle. Florida's offense has thrived on big plays, with speedy playmakers Chris Rainey, Jeffrey Demps, Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy. In Florida's last two games (vs LSU and Kentucky), the Gators had at least two touchdowns of 20 or more yards. In a loss to Mississippi, Florida had one touchdown that went for more that 20 yards. Also, in Florida's last two games, they've won the turnover battle 2 to 4. In the loss to Ole Miss, Florida lost the turnover battle 3 to 1. Florida has stuck with the run lately, spreading the ball around to it's playmakers. The Dawgs must match Florida's speed, with speedy linebackers (Rennie Curran) and get penetration with the D-line (Geno Atkins) to disrupt the Gator's Spread offense. Florida leads the SEC in turnover ratio and the Dawgs must turn the table and make Florida cough up the ball.

GO DAWGS!!! LET'S GET IT ON!!!!

Darryl Gamble actually tied an NCAA record (for linebackers) with 2 interceptions for touchdowns on the day. Georgia's defense had 3 total interceptions against LSU, with safety Rashad Jones picking off a pass, along with Gamble's two.  The Dawgs defense gave up 497 yards of total offense, however, the 3 picks (and 2 for TD's) were huge. Offensively, Knowshon Moreno had 21 carries for 163 yards and a 68 yard touchdown. Matt Stafford threw for 249 yards and 2 touchdowns, and, he had a 7-yard TD run as well. A.J. Green was the leading receiver with 3 catches for 89 yards and a 49-yard TD.  Michael Moore and Mohammed Massaquoi had 3 catches a piece, to help pace the Dawgs passing attack.

My 3 keys to the game were: 1. Score Early 2.  Linemen need to G.A.T.A (Get After Their Asses) and 3. Use "Star Power". Georgia accomplished all three as Darryl Gamble provided the early score. Next, the offensive and defensive lines "got after it". LSU came into the game with all of the "big name" linemen, and, I thought the Georgia offensive line, in particular, stepped up. With the star-studded Tiger D-line across from the young, injury-plagued Georgia line, the "young pups" grew up and helped the Dawgs roll up 443 yards of total offense. The last key to the game was to use "star power". Matt Stafford, Knowshon Moreno, A.J. Green and Darryl Gamble all shined in a big way.

How to Win in "Death Valley"

1. G.A.T.A.- Bulldog fans know these initials stand for "Get After Their Ass". LSU remains one of the most talented teams in the SEC. Their offensive and defensive lines will be one of the best, if not THE best pair of lines the Dawgs will face all year. Their offense has had little trouble moving the ball and ranks among the SEC's best, averaging over 30 points-per-game. When these two teams strap on the shoulder pads, Georgia's offensive and defensive linemen will need to play with "a bad case of the wants", as former coach Erk Russell used to say.

2.  Score early- Anyone who has attended a game in "Death Valley", as I have, knows what a rowdy bunch the LSU fans can be. The Dawgs must get on the scoreboard early and capitalize on each scoring opportunity. The longer you don't score, the tougher it will be in one of the loudest stadiums in the nation.

3. Use "Star Power"- You've heard the phrase before: "Big players make Big plays in Big games". This is exactly what Georgia will need against LSU. This will be a huge game for both teams and Georgia's "stars" must shine. Georgia has the advantage at the quarterback position, with Matt Stafford directing the offense. And, Stafford, along with Knowshon Moreno, A.J. Green, Mohamed Massaquoi and others, must step up. On defense, Rennie Curran, Dannelle Ellerbe, Asher Allan and their teammates, must "bring it" for 4 quarters.

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Overall, this game could have had a much larger margin of victory for Georgia. Several interceptions were dropped or missed. And, penalties are still showing up on the stat sheet. Kicker Blair Walsh missed a field goal, which was rare. And, there appeared to be a couple of missed assignments here and there. To their credit, the Bulldog defense held steady when the score sat at 21-14, and, the offense had some key first downs to run the clock down, when it counted.