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20
Georgia
The Bulldogs are back in the SEC hunt, but uncertainty at
quarterback could take the bite out of their
resurgence
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Stinchcomb will offer safety for the Georgia
passer—whoever he
is.
(Dale W.
Zanine)
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Two days
before his team's game against Mississippi State last
October, second-year Georgia coach Jim Donnan climbed
aboard a steamroller and drove it across the Bulldogs'
practice field. What the gesture lacked in subtlety it made
up for in effectiveness: That
Saturday the
Dawgs rolled over Mississippi
State 47-0 for their first conference shutout in 15 years.
What motivational ploys can players expect from Donnan this
year? "I have no idea, but I'm sure he'll come up with
something," says senior All-America offensive lineman
Matt Stinchcomb. "He's a pretty creative
guy."
That talent will come in handy because Donnan has another
tough act to follow: last year's surprising 10-2 finish,
Georgia's best since 1992. In the wake of the departures of
Mike Bobo, the Bulldogs' second alltime leading passer;
Hines Ward, the
second-leading receiver in school history; and running back Robert
Edwards, who rushed for 1,708 yards and 21 touchdowns over
the last two years, can the Bulldogs remain contenders for
the SEC
crown?
Replacing Bobo is the first priority. Among the five
players vying for the starting job—none of whom
has thrown more than seven passes in his Georgia
career—there were no clear front-runners as of late
August, only intriguing story lines. Daniel Cobb, a
redshirt freshman, was recently cleared to start throwing
after undergoing surgery in February to
correct a circulatory problem that had caused clotting in his
right (throwing) shoulder. Also in the mix is newcomer
Quincy Carter, a top high school quarterback who signed a
letter of intent with Georgia Tech two years ago but never
enrolled, opting instead
to pursue a professional baseball career after he was
drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the spring of
1996.
Whoever steps into the pocket can count on two things:
plenty of help from the running backs and superb protection
up front. Though Edwards received most of the playing time
in '97, backups Olandis Gary and Patrick Pass combined for
613 yards on the
ground. Gary, a senior, and Pass, a junior, will run behind the
formidable tackle duo of the
6' 6", 291-pound Stinchcomb, who
last year was named first-team
All-America and first-team
Academic All-America, and
6' 5", 285-pound senior Chris
Terry.
The defense has a few things to brag about as well,
including the eight lettermen who form the deepest Georgia
line since the early '80s, and triple-threat junior
cornerback Champ Bailey. In addition to being the Bulldogs'
best defensive back since
two-time All-America Terry Hoage graduated
in 1983, Bailey averaged 22.7 yards per
kickoff return and caught 12 passes for 234 yards last
year. He also placed second in the SEC in the long jump
this spring with a leap of
25' 8 3/4". "Champ is the best pure athlete I've ever been
around," says Donnan, who will expand Bailey's
offensive role this fall. "He is a Charles Woodson
type who can—and will—do
everything."
There will be another Bailey in Athens this fall. Among
Georgia's seven new linebackers is the highly touted Boss
Bailey, a 6' 4", 220-pound true freshman, whom older brother Champ
calls "the real athlete of the family." Another
member of Donnan's recruiting class, which has been widely
praised as one of the country's top five, is Stinchcomb's
brother Jon, a
Parade All-America offensive
lineman.
Tough acts to follow? Absolutely. But not as difficult as
the one Donnan has to follow this
fall. —Kelli Anderson
Fast Facts
1997 record: 10-2 (6-2, tied for 2nd in SEC
East)
Final ranking: No. 10 AP, No. 10 coaches'
poll
| 1997 Averages | Offense | Defense |
| Scoring | 31.5 | 17.2 |
| Rushing Yards | 169.9 | 114.8 |
| Passing Yards | 262.7 | 231.2 |
| Total Yards | 432.6 | 346.0 |
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Pivotal Players
Left tackle
Matt
Stinchcomb is a strong candidate to become the first Georgia player
to win the Outland Trophy since Bill Stanfill
in
1968.... All-SEC cornerback and
part-time receiver
Champ
Bailey may be the Dawgs' best athlete since Herschel
Walker.... Junior placekicker
Hap
Hines converted only seven of 12 field goal attempts last year.
He will be pushed by sophomore
Chad
Holleman.
Key Games
Schedule strength: 14th of
112
Oct. 3 at LSU
The resurgent Tigers (with 16 returning starters) hardly
resemble the team Georgia beat 31-10 in 1991, their last
meeting.
Oct. 31 vs. Florida
The Gators haven't forgotten last year's 37-17 loss, which
snapped their seven-game winning streak against
Georgia.
Bottom Line
A weak September schedule buys time to break in 13 new
starters. Even so, last year's 10-2 record will be hard to
match.
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