Bulldogs outlast Gamecocks in SEC opener
SEC Notebook
Derek Oxford
Issue date: 9/17/08 Section: Sports
The Georgia Bulldogs, then ranked No. 2 in the country, weren't expecting much from a South Carolina team coming off a loss the week before to perennial Southeastern Conference doormat Vanderbilt.
Georgia escaped 14-7, but Heisman Trophy hopeful Knowshon Moreno was held to only 79 yards.
The Bulldogs (3-0, 1-0 SEC) got everything they wanted and more from the Gamecocks, who had a chance to tie the game late in the fourth quarter but tailback Mike Davis fumbled the ball into the end zone and Georgia recovered, ending the threat of an upset.
Moreno did provide the go-ahead touchdown for the Bulldogs when he bullied in from 5 yards out with an impressive second effort on a nice cut.
For some reason, Georgia and South Carolina like to play each other close, no matter what the teams are ranked or have personnel-wise, and they typically keep the game low scoring.
Whatever the case, it gives Georgia coach Mark Richt stomach pain.
"My gut has churned more in this series, and on this field, than anywhere else at Georgia," Richt said.
The nail-biter dropped Georgia from No. 2 to No. 3 in this week's Associated Press Top 25 poll.
Baseball or football?
It was hard to tell Saturday night whether the Auburn Tigers and Mississippi State Bulldogs were playing baseball or football from how the final score turned out.
Auburn escaped Starkville, Miss. with a 3-2 victory, as both teams simply just could not get anything going on offense.
Whether it was the teams' defense or ineptness on offense is anyone's guess, but new Auburn offensive coordinator Tony Franklin was just happy that it was his team that had more points on the board when the clock read zero Saturday night.
"It was hard to overcome the penalties and three fumbles," Franklin said. "Every time we seemed to get something going, we'd shoot ourselves in the foot. But the main thing is, I thought the players played hard and gave good effort."
Georgia escaped 14-7, but Heisman Trophy hopeful Knowshon Moreno was held to only 79 yards.
The Bulldogs (3-0, 1-0 SEC) got everything they wanted and more from the Gamecocks, who had a chance to tie the game late in the fourth quarter but tailback Mike Davis fumbled the ball into the end zone and Georgia recovered, ending the threat of an upset.
Moreno did provide the go-ahead touchdown for the Bulldogs when he bullied in from 5 yards out with an impressive second effort on a nice cut.
For some reason, Georgia and South Carolina like to play each other close, no matter what the teams are ranked or have personnel-wise, and they typically keep the game low scoring.
Whatever the case, it gives Georgia coach Mark Richt stomach pain.
"My gut has churned more in this series, and on this field, than anywhere else at Georgia," Richt said.
The nail-biter dropped Georgia from No. 2 to No. 3 in this week's Associated Press Top 25 poll.
Baseball or football?
It was hard to tell Saturday night whether the Auburn Tigers and Mississippi State Bulldogs were playing baseball or football from how the final score turned out.
Auburn escaped Starkville, Miss. with a 3-2 victory, as both teams simply just could not get anything going on offense.
Whether it was the teams' defense or ineptness on offense is anyone's guess, but new Auburn offensive coordinator Tony Franklin was just happy that it was his team that had more points on the board when the clock read zero Saturday night.
"It was hard to overcome the penalties and three fumbles," Franklin said. "Every time we seemed to get something going, we'd shoot ourselves in the foot. But the main thing is, I thought the players played hard and gave good effort."
Be the first to comment on this story