Raising The Curtain On 2010: Georgia vs. Louisiana-Lafayette

Aug. 30, 2010

Complete Game Notes | Gameday Central 2010

Georgia has won 12 of its last 13 season openers, including an 8-1 mark under Mark Richt. The Bulldogs sole loss came to #9 Oklahoma State in 2009, 24-10. Georgia has not lost a home opener since falling to Southern Miss 11-7 in 1996. Under Richt since 2001, the Bulldogs have averaged 37.8 points in their season openers. The Bulldogs all-time record for season openers is 88-25-3, in this the 117th season.

Non-Conference Success
Under the direction of Mark Richt, Georgia owns a 38-4 record against teams from outside the Southeastern Conference. Two of the losses came in bowl games: (Boston College, 20-16, 2001 Music City; West Virginia, 38-35, 2006 Nokia Sugar). The other two came during the regular season: (Georgia Tech, 45-42, 2008; Oklahoma State, 24-10, 2009).

In 2009, the Bulldogs beat Arizona State (20-17), Tennessee Tech (38-0), #7 Georgia Tech (30-24) and Texas A&M (44-20 in the Independence Bowl) and lost to the #9 Cowboys (24-10) to finish with a 4-1 non-conference record.

The Bulldogs are 25-1 against non-conference foes at home. In addition to Louisiana-Lafayette, Georgia also faces non-conference opponents Idaho State (Nov. 6) and Georgia Tech (Nov. 27) at home in 2010.

Speaking Of The Ragin' Cajuns
Although Mark Richt's teams nor any other Georgia football team has ever been matched up against UL, Richt does have a connection to the Ragin' Cajuns head coach Rickey Bustle. Before arriving at UL in 2002, Bustle was the offensive coordinator/QB coach at Virginia Tech from 1995-2001. Therefore, he was directing the offense for the Michael Vick-led Hokies in the 2000 BCS Championship Game/Sugar Bowl versus Florida State. Richt was the Seminoles' offensive coordinator during that season as FSU beat VT 46-29.

Also of note, Bustle and junior Bulldog FLK A.J. Green both grew up in Summerville, S.C., and graduated from Summerville HS. Incredibly, Summerville's John McKissick, who turns 84 in September, coached both of them and started his 59th season in 2010.

OFFENSE

Murray Set To Lead Bulldog Offensive Attack
Redshirt freshman Aaron Murray will be directing the offense at QB after winning the job during spring practice. The 6-1, 209-pound Murray redshirted in 2009 after enrolling early at UGA in January of that year. During the annual G-Day spring game, Murray was 8-of-19 for 96 yards. Murray's last game action came as he led Plant HS (Tampa, Fla.) to a state title in 2008. Sophomore TE Orson Charles, who was the third-leading receiver for Georgia in 2009 (23 rec.-374 yds.-3 TDs), was Murray's teammate at Plant in 2008. Senior SS Josh Murray is his older brother who walked on last year.

Backing up Murray is freshman Hutson Mason. Mason arrives in Athens after being named a 2009 Parade All-American and Georgia's Gatorade Player of the Year at Lassiter. He set Georgia state records for passing yards (4,560) and touchdowns (54) in a season in 2009. Junior Logan Gray, who switched to WR during the offseason, could also be used after playing QB his first years at UGA. He saw action during the 2009 season and went 5-of-12 for 31 yards.

Experienced Front Anchors Offense
The five Bulldog offensive line returning starters have combined to start an SEC-leading 127 games in their careers. This unit led the SEC with the fewest sacks allowed in 2009, allowing only 12 sacks in 13 games. During the 2009 season, they employed six different lineups with LT Clint Boling, LG Cordy Glenn, C Ben Jones, RG Chris Davis and RT Josh Davis joining together to start five of the last six games. After working to get in the best shape of his career, Glenn was diagnosed with mono and missed a portion of the preseason before returning to action later in the fall.

In addition, junior OT Trinton Sturdivant, who was a Freshman All-American after starting 13 games in 2007 and then missed the 2008 and 2009 seasons with knee injuries, will be in the mix at tackle in 2010.

The Bulldogs showed the potential of their rushing offense during the final half of the season. Georgia rolled up 339 yards on the ground to help knock off #7 Georgia Tech and gained 1,216 yards on the ground over the final five games.

Dangerous Threats Abound At TE
The Bulldogs feature one of the deepest and most versatile groups of tight ends in the country. Aron White was named to this year's Mackey Award Watch List after starting 12 games as a redshirt sophomore last season. He was named the Offensive MVP of the Independence Bowl after hauling in two touchdown passes to conclude 2009. White finished with 13 catches for 198 yards and four TDs on the year. Orson Charles earned Freshman All-America honors after appearing in all 13 games, including three starts. He ranked third on the team with 23 catches for 374 yards and three scores.

In his freshman season, Arthur Lynch saw action in 11 games and had two catches for 17 yards in 2009. Lynch also hauled in a 39-yard touchdown during the annual G-Day game. The Bulldogs also welcome back junior Bruce Figgins who redshirted in 2009 with a shoulder injury. In his Bulldog career, Figgins has appeared in 24 games, including three starts, with five catches for 56 yards and one touchdown.

Green In The Hunt For 1,000 Yards
A.J. Green finished second in the SEC receiving yards/game (80.8) and rec./game (5.3) and was named to the AP All-SEC first team as a sophomore in 2009. Green missed three games late in the year due to a shoulder injury, but returned to lead the Bulldogs in the bowl win over Texas A&M after snagging six catches for 57 yards.

With four 100-yard receiving games under his belt, Green will be Aaron Murray's primary target. But sophomore SE Marlon Brown and converted WR Logan Gray should provide additional depth. The 6-5 Brown played in eight games last season and is another big target for Murray. Gray joined with Brown to have one of the better preseasons after Gray chose to convert to WR after playing QB and returning punts his first two seasons.

Green and the receiving corps will also be complemented with the return of senior Kris Durham after Durham redshirted in 2009 with a shoulder injury. Durham has 32 catches for 450 yards in his career and highlighted the 2010 G-Day game with three catches for 54 yards, including a touchdown.

Bulldog Tailbacks Strong Down The Stretch
The Bulldogs had four different leading rushers in 2009, but finished the year by employing a combination of Caleb King and Washaun Ealey. Sophomore Carlton Thomas will be increasingly added to the mix after rushing for 92 yards in seven games last season. The Bulldogs tallied 1,216 yards rushing in their last five games, including 339 in the road win over #7 Georgia Tech. The 339 rushing yards was the most in a game since 1988 when the Bulldogs rumbled for 372 yards on 53 carries in a 59-24 win over William & Mary.

Also, the Bulldogs had two 100-yard rushers against the Yellow Jackets for the first time since 2004.

Ealey tallied a career-high 183 yards on 20 carries (9.1/carry) while King registered a career-best 166 yards on 19 carries (9.2/carry) and two touchdowns. Ealey was named the SEC Freshman of the Week for the second time this season after the Georgia Tech game. Ealey had a career-high 98 yards rushing on 18 carries and one touchdown versus Auburn and was also named SEC Freshman of the Week. King started the final five games of 2009.

Paving The Way For The Tailbacks
Seniors Shaun Chapas and Fred Munzenmaier return for their final season at fullback for the Bulldogs. This duo has the ability to run-block, but has also shown the ability to move the chains. Chapas gained 45 yards on seven carries and had one score plus nine catches for 50 yards and one score in 2009. Munzenmaier had 10 carries for 36 yards and two TDs and also caught three passes for 21 yards. Munzenmaier sat out the spring after having shoulder surgery and made a full recovery.

DEFENSE

Three New Defensive Coaches, 3-4 Scheme Prepared For UGA Debut
Mark Richt retooled his defensive staff following the 2009 season. Georgia's defensive staff in 2010 is led by defensive coordinator/outside linebackers coach Todd Grantham, assistant head coach/defensive line/recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner (12th year at UGA), defensive backs coach Scott Lakatos and inside linebackers coach Warren Belin.

Grantham came to Georgia from the Dallas Cowboys where he was the defensive line coach from 2008 to 2009. Before arriving in Athens, Grantham spent 11 seasons in the NFL but also has had assistant coaching experience at Virginia Tech and Michigan State.

Lakatos came the Bulldogs from Connecticut where he was the secondary coach since 2004. Lakatos helped the Huskies have a national ranking of No. 9 in pass efficiency defense in 2008.

Belin arrived in Athens after spending the last eight seasons coaching linebackers at Vanderbilt. The 20-year coaching veteran also spent the last two seasons as Vandy's recruiting coordinator.

With Grantham running the defense, Georgia made the switch to a 3-4 alignment this spring. New terminology includes two ends and a nose. The linebackers are "Sam," "Will," "Mike," and "Mo."

Who Will Be The Men Up Front?
Georgia's switch to a 3-4 defense puts the spotlight on who will fill the role at nose. Junior Justin Anderson has taken an early lead for the starting spot at nose after playing on the OL his first two years. The Bulldogs lost their top three defensive linemen in Jeff Owens, Geno Atkins and Kade Weston to the NFL. Junior DeAngelo Tyson played in all 13 games last season and finished with 12 tackles and is challenging Anderson at the position. A younger lineman looking to make an impression is sophomore Abry Jones, who played in 12 games and had eight tackles and two tackles for loss. Jones and senior DeMarcus Dobbs emerged as the leaders to fill the end spots on the line. Dobbs started all 13 games of 2009 at one of the defensive end spots and finished with 30 tackles and 4.5 sacks as a junior. At 6-6, 325, redshirt freshman Kwame Geathers will also be in the rotation for the Bulldogs at nose.

Houston Is SEC's Top Returning Sack-Master
Despite playing in only 10 games as a sophomore, Justin Houston finished second in the SEC in 2009 with a team-leading 7.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss. For his efforts, he was named to the AP All-SEC second team. The Bulldogs registered 30 sacks in 2009 compared to just 12 by their opponents. Houston has now been slotted to play one of the outside LB spots for Georgia's 3-4 defense.

No Dowtin The Bulldog Linebackers
In Georgia's new 3-4 scheme, the linebackers will play an important role in slowing the opposition's offensive attack. The Bulldogs' top returning tackler is junior ILB Marcus Dowtin. Dowtin registered 57 tackles last season, including seven TFLs and two sacks. He appeared in 11 games with four starts. Georgia's returning linebackers also include OLB Darryl Gamble, who had 47 tackles, and ILB Akeem Dent, who finished with 32 stops.

After the preseason, the Bulldogs the four linebackers set to start are Gamble (Sam), Dent (Mike), Justin Houston (Will) and sophomore Christian Robinson (Mike). In addition, sophomore Cornelius Washington finished 2009 as a defensive end with 13 tackles, four tackles and 15 QBPs and should provide depth on the outside. The coaches showed their trust in redshirt freshman OLB Reuben Faloughi after he was awarded a scholarship and should serve as additional support to the defense.

Retooled Secondary Aims To Do Its Part
Brandon Boykin returns for his junior season to lead the Bulldogs' youthful secondary in 2010. Boykin was fourth on the team in 2009 with 54 tackles and three interceptions while starting 12 of 13 games. He is the lone returning member of the secondary as Prince Miller and Bryan Evans graduated and Reshad Jones entered the NFL Draft early. Redshirt sophomore safety Bacarri Rambo played in 11 games for the Bulldogs last season and finished with 25 stops and two INTs. Also getting snaps at defensive back in 2009 were Branden Smith and Vance Cuff. Smith started one game and played in all 13 and in addition to his 14 tackles, he had 17 carries for 211 yards and two scores on offense. Cuff was named a captain for the UL game after proving himself as one of the most improved defensive players. He had 21 tackles in 2009 after starting one game and playing in nine. In addition, redshirt freshman Jordan Love has returned from a foot injury last year and is slated as a CB backup. Sophomore Sanders Commings will also be attempting to earn more playing time after playing in all 13 games last year and finishing with 12 tackles and one interception.

Mid-year enrollee Jakar Hamilton joined the Bulldogs in January and is expected to make an immediate impact. Hamilton had 50 tackles, four picks and eight pass break-ups for Georgia Military College in 2009. Junior Nick Williams, who saw action in the secondary and at linebacker in 2009, enters the fall as one of the candidates at strong safety. He led all the tacklers at G-Day with seven.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Georgia Returns Nation's Best Kicking Tandem In Butler, Walsh
Georgia junior punter Drew Butler and junior place-kicker Blair Walsh rank among the nation's best at their respective positions. In 2009, Butler was a consensus All-American and the Ray Guy Award winner, which is given to the nation's top punter. Walsh was one of three finalists for the Lou Groza Award, which is given to the nation's top place-kicker. Both are again on the preseason Watch Lists for their respective awards in 2010.

Butler became only the third Bulldog in school history to lead the NCAA in punting, joining Zeke Bratkowski and Bobby Walden. Butler averaged 48.1 on 56 punts. He and the Bulldogs also led the NCAA in Net Punting with an average of 42.0.

Walsh ranked among the best in school history in Field Goal Percentage for a single season. He drilled 20-of-22 FGs (90.9 percent) in 2009, including 4-of-5 from 50 or more yards. Walsh has also connected on all 92 of his PATs during his career and was 42-for-42 in 2009. More about Butler and Walsh on pg. 8.

Boykin Owns KOR Record
Defensive back Brandon Boykin set the school record for kickoff return yardage in a single season with 988 kickoff return yards on 38 returns in 2009. He also had the most kickoff returns in a season, breaking the old mark of 28 shared by Gene Washington (1974) and Asher Allen (2007). Boykin is the first player in SEC history with two 100-yard kickoff returns for touchdowns in the same season after picking up one versus South Carolina and at Tennessee. Boykin, Vanderbilt's Warren Norman (2009) and Tennessee's Willie Gault (1980) share the SEC record for KOR TDs in a season with three.

Boykin owns the school record with three kickoff returns for touchdowns in a season. Boykin and Jimmy Campagna are the only Bulldogs in school history with three return touchdowns in a season. Campagna had two punts and one KOR in 1952.

Boykin's 100-yard KOR against SC was the longest scoring play for Georgia in Sanford Stadium history. Boykin finished with the second-most kickoff return yards in a single game (187), missing the school record by just three yards (Scott Woerner, 1977).

Frix Following In Footsteps
Ty Frix serves as Georgia's starting snapper and was awarded a scholarship during the offseason. Frix, a Biomedical Engineering major, was valedictorian at Calhoun HS. In 2009, Georgia was looking for a new snapper after two-year starter Bo Fowler completed his career and Frix filled the role. Frix's father, Dr. Mitch Frix, was the starting snapper for Georgia in 1981 and '82 and was member of three SEC championship teams, one national title team and three Sugar Bowl teams.

A Closer Look At Butler & Walsh
In his first season as a starter, redshirt sophomore Drew Butler led the NCAA with an average of 48.1 yards on 56 punts. His 57.0 average against #9 Oklahoma State was the second-best average for a game since 1958 (Bobby Walden, 63.0). Butler's 75 yarder against the Cowboys was the longest since Brian Mimbs booted a 77 yarder in 2008 versus USC. Butler also serves as the holder for Blair Walsh.

Butler is the son of former NFL standout and Bulldog All-American Kevin Butler. Butler is on Georgia's post-game radio show. Walsh ended up with the No. 2 spot in school history for field goal accuracy in a single season. He hit 20-of-22 (90.9%). The record is 13-of-14 (92.86%) by Billy Bennett in 2000. Walsh's consistency made him one of three finalists for the Lou Groza Award. Walsh connected on a 37-yard FG to beat Arizona State as time expired in 2009. This was the first game-winning FG for the Bulldogs since Coutu drilled one from the same distance to beat Vanderbilt in 2007 (also a 20-17 win). Walsh also hit a career-long 53-yard field goal at #9 Oklahoma State in 2009. Walsh's FG was the longest on the road since Hap Hines hit a 54 yarder vs. Kentucky in 1996.

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