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Are the easy wins gone? That’s the question Georgia must ask itself heading into 2007. For the first time since 1974, the Bulldogs are coming off a season in which they lost to both Vanderbilt and Kentucky. Their 4-4 SEC record was the worst in head coach Mark Richt’s six years, and guess what? Kentucky and Vanderbilt will be better; Tennessee is making a determined push back toward relevance; Steve Spurrier is coaching at South Carolina; and Florida is the defending national champion. It should be a heck of a year in Athens. There is reason for optimism, however, most notably the return of a more seasoned Matthew Stafford. The sophomore quarterback appears headed for greatness. There’s the revolving and reloading stable of running backs, and a defense that’s loaded with talented players. There are also question marks. The offensive line is inexperienced, the wide receivers are underachieving, and the defensive ends and most of the linebackers are gone. “A lot of the excitement is the unknown,” Richt says. “You’re sitting here like, ‘Golly, how’s it all going to come out?’ I feel like we have enough talented players across the board to compete.” OFFENSEStafford has it all, including, at least last year, too much confidence. The Texas native threw 13 interceptions while starting eight games as a true freshman. He had three three-interception games but embraced offensive coordinator Mike Bobo’s motto — “Sometimes you have to punt, and there’s nothing wrong with punting,” Bobo says — down the stretch. Stafford had one interception the last three games. Behind Stafford will be another stable of running backs, led by seniors Kregg Lumpkin and Thomas Brown. Both have career averages of 4.9 yards per carry. Redshirt freshman Knowshon Moreno and true freshman Caleb King both have a reputation for making the big plays Georgia has sorely lacked. The best player in the backfield is also the most overlooked. Junior fullback Brannan Southerland is a devastating blocker. Last year, he became the first fullback since 1957 to lead the Bulldogs in scoring, with 10 touchdowns. Georgia also has a plethora of wide receivers who look good in their uniforms but have dropped too many passes. Look for senior Mikey Henderson to have a bigger role under Bobo. Senior Sean Bailey likely will start along with junior Mohamed Massaquoi. The Bulldogs brought in five new offensive linemen in time to participate in spring practice and two of them — true freshman Trinton Sturdivant and junior college transfer Scott Haverkamp — look like starters heading into the fall. This group’s development will be the biggest key to the offense. DEFENSEThe Bulldogs defense was supposed to be a strength, but the offense had its way in the spring, leaving plenty of questions to be answered in fall camp. The most glaring problem in the spring was the secondary, despite the fact that it should have leadership from senior safety Kelin Johnson. The Dawgs suffered a major loss when star senior cornerback Paul Oliver was ruled academically ineligible in May. Sophomores Bryan Evans, Asher Allen and Prince Miller will be expected to fill Oliver’s All-SEC shoes at corner. On the defensive line, Georgia probably will start 220-pound Marcus Howard at end. The former linebacker’s quickness will get him some sacks, but teams will run at him. Georgia’s most experienced linebacker — senior Brandon Miller — has been moved from the strong side to the middle, so this group feels brand new. They want to act like it, too, hoping to build a reputation for speed and aggressiveness. Miller and fellow projected starters Dannell Ellerbe and Darius Dewberry could be the most athletically gifted linebackers in the SEC, but they have yet to prove they can make their production match their talents. SPECIALISTSThere will be a competition for the punting job, but senior Brandon Coutu has the placekicking job wrapped up. He’ll be an All-America candidate and the most dangerous kicker in the SEC. FINAL ANALYSISGeorgia went into spring practice worried about its offense and came out worried about its defense. The Bulldogs’ D gave up big plays all spring. The defensive line, without departed ends Quentin Moses and Charles Johnson, has to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks to provide enough support for an athletic but inexperienced secondary. If the defensive coaches can get things straightened out in the offseason, Georgia has a chance to compete for the SEC title again, because the offense seems to be on track. In fact, if all of the Bulldogs’ playmakers live up to their potential, this could be the most exciting offensive year of Richt’s tenure in Athens.
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