University of Georgia Athletics
2003 Fall Football Notes
June 12, 2003 | Football
June 12, 2003
A LOOK AT THE UPCOMING GEORGIA BULLDOGS
OFFENSE:
| 2003 Georgia Schedule | |
|---|---|
| Date | Opponent |
| Aug. 30 | @ Clemson |
| Sept. 6 | Middle Tenn. State |
| Sept. 13 | South Carolina |
| Sept. 20 | @ LSU |
| Oct. 4 | Alabama |
| Oct. 11 | @ Tennessee |
| Oct. 18 | @ Vanderbilt |
| Oct. 25 | UAB |
| Nov. 1 | % Florida |
| Nov. 15 | Auburn |
| Nov. 22 | Kentucky |
| Nov. 29 | @ Georgia Tech |
| % Jacksonville, Fla. | |
- QB David Greene: A 6-3, 227-pound Junior native of Snellville, Ga.
- 2002 SEC Offensive Player of the Year and a First Team All-SEC selection by the AP and SEC Coaches
- Career Record of 21-5 as Georgia starter including 8-0 on opponent's home field, winning @ #6 Tennessee, #21 Ga. Tech, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt in 2001; @ #22 Alabama, #24 Auburn, South Carolina and Kentucky in 2002;
- In 2002, led the SEC and was 18th nationally in Passing Efficiency (137.3), 4th in SEC in Total Offense (205.1) and 3rd in Passing Avg./Game (208.9)
- Five 4th quarter comebacks in his career (Clemson, @#22 Alabama, @#24 Auburn in 2002; @#6 Tennessee, Kentucky in 2001)
- 22 TD Passes in 2002 ranked 3rd most in Bulldog history for a season
- MVP of the 2002 SEC Championship Game in 30-3 win over #22 Arkansas (17-for-29, 237 yards, 1 TD)
- Set Completion Percentage Record in 48-17 win over Vanderbilt, 20-for-23 (87%), 319 yards, 2 TDs
- CBS Player of the Game in 27-25 win over #22 Alabama, Georgia's first-ever victory in Tuscaloosa
- Twice tied School Record this season with 4 TD Passes in 52-24 road win at Kentucky and 45-7 win over NW St. in Athens
- Combined with D.J. Shockley vs. Kentucky to set Bulldog record with 6 TD passes in a game.
DEFENSE:
- DE David Pollack: A 6-3, 264-pound Junior native of Snellville, Ga.
- Named 2002 AP, FWAA All-American and one of five finalists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy
- Named SEC Player of the Year by AP and league coaches, first defensive player since 1988 (Auburn DT Tracy Rocker); Also First Team All-SEC by the AP (Associated Press), SEC Coaches
- Led SEC and 4th Nationally with School Record 14 Sacks for minus 99; Also SEC-best 35 QB-Pressures, 23.5 Tackles for a Loss of 128; Also had 2 INTs including one for a TD
- Ranked 3rd on team with 102 tackles, 7 Pass Breakups; Served as Team Def. Captain vs. Ole Miss
- Team-high 14 tackles, 1 INT with a 39-yard return, 1 Sack, 3 QB-Pressures vs. #22 Florida
- In win over #22 Alabama: Blocked a field goal, 8 tackles, 1 sack, 8 QB-Pressures
- Named SEC Defensive Player of the Week and CBS-TV Player of the Game in 13-7 win over SC after 1 INT Return for a TD, 1 Fumble Recovery at the Georgia 2-yard line, Career-high 14 tackles.
- In win against Clemson: Tallied 8 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 QB-Pressures and 2 Pass Breakups...Saw action on offense as a fullback for the final plays including the clinching fourth-and-1 conversion from the Georgia 38 with 40 seconds left in the Bulldogs' 31-28 win.
- Signed with Georgia out of Shiloh High as a FB/DL.
A Quick Look At The Coach
Mark Richt: Alma Mater: Miami, (Fla.) ('82)
UGA/Overall: 21-5 (2 seasons)
Notes:
The 2002 SEC Coach of the Year led the Bulldogs to the SEC title, the first for Georgia since 1982...Set a school record with a 13-win season in 2002, capped by a Nokia Sugar Bowl victory over Fla. State...In 2001, posted best record by a first-year coach at Georgia since 1920 when Herman Stegeman went 8-0-1, RIcht's Bulldogs posted an 8-4 mark...Came to UGA from Fla. State (1990-2000), serving as the offensive coordinator from 1994-2000.
| The Mark Richt Era | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | W | L | T | Pct. | Sec. Reg. Season |
| 2001 | 8 | 4 | 0 | .667 | 5-3 (T3rd/East) |
| 2002 | 13 | 1 | 0 | .929 | 7-1 (1st/Champs) |
| Total | 21 | 5 | 0 | .808 | 12-4 (.750) |
Potential For Marquee Role
With the departure of junior running back Musa Smith (260 att., 1,324 yards, 8 TDs) and senior split end Terrence Edwards (59 rec., 1,004 yards, 11 TDs) to the NFL, the Bulldogs will be looking for a top threat in the backfield and at wideout for 2003.
The top returning candidates in the backfield include sophomores Tony Milton (82 att., 314 yards), Tyson Browning (23 att., 114 yards, 1 TD), redshirt freshman Michael Cooper and redshirt sophomore Mike Gilliam (10 att., 29 yards in 2001). Milton saw the most action, appearing in all 14 games including a start against Kentucky when Smith was sidelined with a thumb injury. Against the Wildcats, the 5-10, 200-pound Milton had a career-high 18 carriers for 78 yards. A solid blocker, he also had nine receptions for 27 yards last season.
Georgia is better stocked at receiver where top deep threat junior Fred Gibson (43 rec., 758 yards, 4 TDs) returns along with seniors Damien Gary (27 rec., 254 yards, 4 TDs), Michael Johnson (28 rec., 373 yards, 2 TDs), and junior Reggie Brown (23 rec., 296 yards, 2 TDs). Gibson ranked third on the team behind Smith and Edwards in all-purpose yards with 1,212. He is Georgia's top kickoff returner (19 ret., 460 yards, 1 TD). Gibson ranked third in the SEC in receiving yards/game (63.2) and fifth in kick return average (24.2).
The Bulldogs also welcome back sophomores Bryan McClendon (5 rec., 90 yards) and Mario Raley (3 rec., 43 yards). Senior tight end Ben Watson ranked third on the team in receptions with 31 for 341 yards and 3 TDs.
Shockley Ready for Action
Georgia began the 2002 season with a two-quarterback system of sophomore David Greene and redshirt freshman D.J. Shockley but that was halted when Shockley broke a bone in his left foot against South Carolina in game two. He missed the next four games and returned to action versus Vanderbilt.
For the year, the 6-1, 190-pound native of College Park, Ga., completed 32-of-52 passes for 415 yards, 5 TDs and 2 INTs. Also, he rushed 36 times for 107 yards and 2 TDs.
| DID YOU KNOW? | Career-Highs for Shockley | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Against Florida State in the Sugar Bowl, Shockley attempted just one pass, and it went for a 37-yard TD to Terrence Edwards. | Attempts | ||



