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By B.J. Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com Senior Editor
SouthernPigskin.com Senior Editor B.J. Bennett looks at the differences in the 2008 and 2009 pre-seasons for the Georgia Bulldogs.
Last pre-season was quite different for the Georgia Bulldogs. With stars Matthew Stafford at quarterback and Knowshon Moreno at running back, the Bulldogs were the pre-season number one team in the nation. The offensive firepower, the defensive tenacity, a proven head coach; Georgia had it all, including the expectations, pressure and spotlight that come with such hype.
An impressive 4-0 started lamented the championship talk. The stage was set for a classic SEC showdown: eighth-ranked Alabama at third-ranked Georgia, with ESPN in town for a primetime broadcast. The Bulldogs deemed the game a "Blackout", donning black uniforms for the clash with the Crimson Tide. With 90,000 fans in black attire, historic Sanford Stadium closed in on the playing field like the north Georgia night. The sentiment proved to be foreshadowing for the looming Tide. Perhaps the 'Dogs got a little cocky, maybe 'Bama was just that much better, but 29 minutes into the game, the blackout was a humbling shutout. Alabama jumped out to a blistering 31-0 lead, taking the advantage to the half and taking the expectations down a notch in Athens. While UGA made a late second half rally, the halftime shock remained. The Bulldogs played an elite team and looked totally overmatched.
Inefficient (4 of 13 on third downs, two turnovers), sloppy (ten penalties) play cost Georgia dearly. After limping through their next two games against Tennessee and Vanderbilt, the once top-ranked Bulldogs reclaimed a little pride with a 52-38 thrashing of 13th ranked LSU in Baton Rouge.
Then came the Gators.
Four turnovers later, Georgia found themselves on the bad side of a confidence-crippling 49-10 loss. Mistakes and untimely penalties again proved to be the Bulldogs' downfall.
The month of November seemed to lack some zest and motivation. A four-point win over Kentucky, who went 2-6 in SEC play, and a four-point win over Auburn, who went 2-6 in SEC play, led to an embarrassing 45-42 home loss to Georgia Tech to end the regular season. Losing to the Yellow Jackets is one thing (UGA had won seven straight), but the fashion in which Georgia lost was another. The Bulldogs allowed 409 yards rushing, 7.3 yards per carry, on their home turf.
"Nobody thought we would be in this position at the beginning of the season," linebacker Rennie Curran said after the loss. "It was all high hopes. But things didn't work out the way we wanted to."
Not all who participated were so mellow.
"People punch you in the mouth and you've got to punch them back," Yellow Jackets' senior Darryl Richard said. "A lot of punchers can't handle being punched back."
Georgia did go on to win their bowl game, 24-12 over Michigan State, but the 2008 season was a disappointment. Considering pre-season expectations were as high as they had been in decades, last fall just felt incomplete. After both Stafford and Moreno decided to enter the NFL Draft early, many Bulldog fans were simply at a loss.
In lieu of the news, the UGA coaches and players simply had to move on. Richt has made that sentiment the theme of this off-season.
"Everybody expected us to win 'em all because we had these two guys that everybody considered stars, and maybe subconsciously our guys thought, 'we can count on these guy'," Richt explained at SEC Media Days. "Now that they're gone, I think our team understands the only chance they have is to play together, work together, earn it as a team. I think they've done a great job of buying into that, preparing throughout this off season for that type of season. So I'm excited."
Enter Joe Cox, the heir-apparent to the number one overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft and the new big man on campus in Athens. An assuming fifth-year senior who loves buffalo wings and has a crush on Halle Berry, Cox is the projected starter for the Bulldogs. He may not have the arm strength or sheer physical ability of Stafford, but Cox has his own attributes to offer.
"8th Grade," Cox shook his head when asked by SouthernPigskin.com staff writer J.T. Bennett about when the last time he lost a game as starter was. "We lost to Northeast Middle School. It was Mohamed Massaquoi’s team."
Undefeated through high school, Cox has played well in limited opportunities with the Bulldogs. He is a veteran who knows the playbook very well and has the respect of his younger teammates.
"When it comes to quarterback play, in my opinion, you need to have an accurate passer, you need to have a great decision maker, you need to have a young man who can handle the pressure of the job, because there's a lot of pressure that comes with that job, and you need a guy who can lead. And Joe really personifies all those characteristics," Richt added at SEC Media Days.
Cox will lead a Georgia team should be much better at the line of scrimmage. A brutally young offensive line from last season has all five starters returning and gets massive tackle Trinton Sturdivant back from injury. The defensive line returns intact and gets All-SEC tackle Jeff Owens back from injury. All-American candidate wide receiver A.J. Green provides the star power. Ironically enough considering last season, Green wears the number one.
The Georgia players feel like they have some unfinished business. The 2009 season is an opportunity.
"It's been a big difference this season. Before last season, it was, 'Georgia this, Georgia that.' Hype can get to you and that was a factor with last season," Owens admitted.
Gone are the national media, the magazine covers, the pressure and the super expectations. The 13th ranked Bulldogs will actually be underdogs in their season opener against 11th ranked Oklahoma State, quite the reverse from a year ago. In their own division, UGA got zero votes to win the SEC East. Their archrival Gators are the consensus favorite to not only win the SEC, but the national title as well. 
Last pre-season, fans saw every facet of the Bulldog football team; the specials on Moreno, Stafford, Richt, ect. Without the bright lights and cameras, many may not be seeing the new mindset of this football team: a persistent dedication to proving the naysayers wrong.
Georgia may be getting overlooked this August, but the expectations inside the locker room are no different.
"We have the same goal every season. We want to win the East and play for the SEC title," Cox told J.T. Bennett of SouthernPigskin.com
Cox hasn't gone through the battles Stafford did. He hasn't yet faced the key third down and longs. He hasn't tried to audible in Neyland Stadium. He hasn't looked upfield and seen Brandon Spikes waiting. But he has gotten comfortable with the media and has mastered the art of the quip.
When asked what his favorite road stadium to play in was, Cox answered, "...The Georgia Dome."
Then a brief pause.
"That means we are in the SEC title game," he added.
No Stafford. No Moreno. No pre-season hype and pressure.
For as good as the two current NFL'ers were, the last of those omissions could prove to be the most prominent.
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Comments
Nice article. Cant wait for the season.
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