Georgia Bulldogs
2010 record: 6-7 overall, 3-5 conference
2010 Bowl Game: 10-6 loss to UCF in Liberty Bowl
2010 ATS: 5-8
2010 O/U: 9-4
Returning starters: 11 total (4 on offense, 7 on defense)
Over the month of August, our team of writers will be previewing the top teams heading into an exciting 2011 campaign. The college football handicappers at Maddux Sports are also preparing and have season-long packages readily available for clients.
Let’s head south to Athens, Georgia and see how head coach Mark Richt plans on bouncing back from a dreadful 2010 campaign.
Offense
Aaron Murray learned a lot as a freshman starting quarterback in the SEC and finished with 3,049 passing yards and 24 touchdowns. The yardage was second in conference history by a freshman.
He earned Freshman All-America honors and showed effectiveness in running the football by scoring four rushing touchdowns. His former teammate wide receiver A.J. Green stated that he’s got Heisman Trophy potential in just his second year.
The Bulldogs were expected to return four of their top five rushers from a year ago, but the dismissals of Washaun Ealey and Caleb King have changed things. Richt has moved Richard Samuel back to the position and the campus is all abuzz in welcoming freshman Isaiah Crowell. He was the top rated running back in the Class of 2011 in terms of recruiting.
Georgia suffered a big loss in the receiving corps with Green bolting to the NFL to become the fourth pick in the draft, but All-SEC candidate Tavarres King is the leading returner, catching 27 passes for 504 yards and three touchdowns a year ago.
Plenty of other downfield options are found out of the tight end spot, including All-SEC second-team selection Orson Charles, who came away with 26 catches for 422 yards.
Two starters return on the offensive line that led the team to finish 10th in the SEC in rushing last year.
Defense
The defensive line has a major player in the middle of its 3-4 scheme, as sophomore Kwame Geathers is coming off a year of earning Freshman All-SEC recognition and a spring in which he was named the MVP on defense.
Lack of experience may plague the linebacking group, but the unit does possess plenty of talent. Christian Robinson has 11 career starts under his belt and is the second-leading returning tackler.
Many around campus are waiting to see if outside linebacker Jarvis Jones is ready to burst on the scene, as he transferred from Southern California and was a menace during 2010 practices.
Three returning starters in the secondary figures to be the strength of the unit, as the group was 17th nationally in pass defense a year ago, allowing 181.3 yards per game.
Safety Bacarri Rambo is Georgia’s leading returning tackler with 82 and also came away with three interceptions.
Special Teams
No team in the nation may have a better kicking game this year, as Blair Walsh and Drew Butler are Lou Groza and Ray Guy Award candidates respectively.
Walsh scored 106 points last year on 20 field goals, while Butler averaged 44.5 yards per punt.
The kick return unit is electric with Brandon Boykin setting the school’s career mark for return yardage and is the only player in SEC history with three 100-yard plays of any kind.
Against the Spread
The team has been a failure against the number the last three years, posting a combined 13-23 ATS mark.
Bet On
Don’t miss out on the season finale against in-state rival Georgia Tech in Atlanta, as the Bulldogs are a perfect 6-0 ATS on the road in the series.
Fade Away
Facing off against South Carolina during Week 2 is likely to not end well for Georgia, coming into the season on a 0-4 ATS run in the series.
