Primary strengths
• It’s the starting point for any championship aspirations the Georgia Bulldogs harbor. Georgia finished fifth nationally in total defense last season and returns players with multiple starts at every position. Headlining those are outside linebacker Jarvis Jones and free safety Bacarri Rambo, the first combination of returning All-America defenders in Bulldogs history. John Jenkins and Kwame Geathers are a stout tandem at noseguard, and the talent and experience branches from there. “We have a lot of great players on our defense who are a year older now, so they understand the system we have and how we play,” Jones said. “If we win and play at a higher level than we did last year, that’s definitely an accomplishment for us.”
• Aaron Murray is the only quarterback in the SEC to start wire-to-wire the past two seasons and is coming off a sophomore year in which he set a program record with 35 passing touchdowns. The previous record of 25 was set by Matthew Stafford in 2008. Even bigger than his touchdown total was leading the Bulldogs to the SEC title game for the first time since 2005, which predated the Stafford era. Murray has a wealth of experience now, but he feels there still is room for growth. “My footwork is the biggest thing that I’ve worked toward improving,” he said. “I’m working to be able to move around the pocket more fluidly – to be in a position at all times to make accurate throws.”
• Georgia will have the same coaching staff in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2003-04. The Bulldogs were vastly improved last season in their second year under defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, holding foes to 101.2 rushing yards a game, which was the best for the program since 1985. The 176 passing yards allowed per contest was a five-year best. Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo is often message-board fodder, but Georgia’s 5,719 total yards last year set a single-season program standard.
Primary concerns
• Bulldogs coach Mark Richt entered camp hoping to find the five offensive linemen best in a hurry and did just that with left tackle Kenarious Gates, left guard Dallas Lee, center David Andrews, right guard Chris Burnette and true freshman right tackle John Theus. Only Lee and Burnette are playing where they earned starts last year. Theus came in and beat out Watts Dantzler, who appears to be the only backup in whom the coaches have complete confidence. Avoiding injuries up front obviously is paramount for the line to succeed. This group was pounded by the defense routinely in spring practice, but perhaps facing such stout competition daily in practice will result in this not being much of a concern area. “Iron sharpens iron, and a mature side of the ball usually helps a younger side of the ball grow up,” Richt said. “That’s what we’re hoping for.”
• Punter Drew Butler and place-kicker Blair Walsh were signed by Ray Goff, or maybe it just seemed that way. Butler was a three-year starter and Walsh a four-year starter, but they have moved on and are being replaced by Collin Barber and Marshall Morgan. Richt has been impressed by Barber’s hang time and said Morgan has made most of his field-goal tries but not as many as he would like. “What we need is consistency for those guys to do their job,” Richt said.
The last play of Georgia’s 2011 season, of course, was a missed Walsh field goal in triple-overtime of the Outback Bowl.
• The Bulldogs haven’t been that great in new journeys recently, losing at Oklahoma State in 2009 and at Colorado in 2010. Those were hostile atmospheres, but they likely won’t compare to what Georgia will experience Sept. 8 at Missouri as the Tigers face an SEC team for the first time as an SEC member.
Missouri coach Gary Pinkel used the term “mammoth” this spring to describe Georgia’s visit, and the Bulldogs will be without top cornerback Sanders Commings, who is serving a two-game suspension. Outside linebacker Chase Vasser, another projected starter, is suspended as well.
The Bulldogs have lofty expectations this season, but they could be 1-1 through two games.