The celebration was brief.
After Georgia notched its seventh straight win with a 41-10 humbling of Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s night, confetti sprayed Bulldogs football players as they embraced on the Louisiana Superdome turf. Not 30 minutes later, coach Mark Richt was peppered with questions concerning a potential national championship run in 2008.
Richt continues to field queries on the subject as his Bulldogs prepare to start spring practice Monday. Georgia has 17 of 22 starters back from a team that went 11-2 and finished No. 2 in the Associated Press poll.
“Every year is a new group of guys,” Richt said. “It’s a new team. I know maybe 70 percent of the team is back, but it has a whole new personality and a whole new leadership component. It makes it fun, exciting and interesting.”
Quarterback Matthew Stafford and tailback Knowshon Moreno are the stars, but Stafford said leadership this year will start with the senior quartet of receiver Mohamed Massaquoi, fullback Brannan Southerland, defensive tackle Jeff Owens and middle linebacker Dannell Ellerbe.
David Paschall is a sports writer for the Times Free Press. He started at the Chattanooga Free Press in 1990 and was part of the Times Free Press when the paper started in 1999. David covers University of Georgia football, as well as SEC football recruiting, SEC basketball, Chattanooga Lookouts baseball and other sports stories. He is a Chattanooga native and graduate of the Baylor School and Auburn University. David has received numerous honors for ...
