2007 Georgia Bulldogs football team
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2007 Georgia Bulldogs football | |||
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SEC Eastern Division Co-Champion | |||
Sugar Bowl, W 41-10 | |||
Conference | SEC East | ||
Ranking | |||
Coaches | #3 | ||
AP | #2 | ||
2007 Record | 10-2 (6-2 SEC) | ||
Head Coach | Mark Richt | ||
Offensive Coordinator | Mike Bobo | ||
Defensive Coordinator | Willie Martinez | ||
Home Stadium |
Sanford Stadium (92,746) | ||
Seasons
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The 2007 Georgia Bulldogs football team competed on behalf of the University of Georgia in American football against teams from other colleges and universities. The Bulldogs tied for first place in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) but lost a tie-breaker with the University of Tennessee. The team finished its season by defeating the University of Hawaii Warriors in the 2008 Sugar Bowl. This was the Georgia Bulldogs' seventh season under the guidance of head coach Mark Richt.
Contents |
[edit] Preseason
Two key players from the 2006 season, defensive end Charles Johnson and running back Danny Ware, decided to leave school early to enter the NFL draft.[1] Another junior, defensive back Paul Oliver, considered a move to the NFL, but decided to return to the Bulldogs for his senior year.[2] Despite coming back for his senior year, Paul Oliver became academically ineligible and decided to enter the supplemental draft. [3]
[edit] Rankings
Poll | Pre | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Wk 14 | Final |
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AP | 13 | 11 | 23 | 22 | 15 | 12 | 24 | 21 | 20 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
Coaches | 13 | 12 | 25 | 21 | 16 | 11 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Harris | Not released | 15 | 12 | 23 | 20 | 19 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 4 | - | |||
BCS | Not released | 20 | 18 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 5 | - |
[edit] Schedule and results
Before the season, CNNSI.com ranked the 2007 UGA schedule the 14th hardest in the country.[4]
Date | Time | Opponent# | Rank# | Site | TV | Result | |
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September 1* | 6:45 pm | Oklahoma State | #13 | Sanford Stadium • Athens, GA | ESPN2 | W 35-14 | |
September 8 | 5:45 pm | South Carolina | #12 | Sanford Stadium • Athens, GA | ESPN2 | L 16-12 | |
September 15* | 1:00 pm | Western Carolina | #25 | Sanford Stadium • Athens, GA | CSS | W 45-16 | |
September 22 | 7:45 pm | at #20 Alabama | #21 | Bryant-Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, AL | ESPN | W 26-23 OT | |
September 29 | 1:00 pm[5] | Ole Miss | #16 | Sanford Stadium • Athens, GA | W 45-17 | ||
October 6 | 3:30 pm | at Tennessee | #11 | Neyland Stadium • Knoxville, TN | CBS | L 35-14 | |
October 13 | 6:00 pm | at Vanderbilt | #23 | Vanderbilt Stadium • Nashville, TN | ESPN2[6] | W 20-17 | |
October 27 | 3:30 pm [7] | vs. #11 Florida | #19 | Jacksonville Municipal Stadium • Jacksonville, FL (The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party) | CBS[8] | W 42-30 | |
November 3*† | 1:00 pm | Troy | #10 | Sanford Stadium • Athens, GA | W 44-34 | ||
November 10 | 3:30 pm | #17 Auburn | #10 | Sanford Stadium • Athens, GA (Deep South's Oldest Rivalry) | CBS | W 45-20 | |
November 17 | 12:30 pm | #20 Kentucky | #9 | Sanford Stadium • Athens, GA | LFS | W 24-13 | |
November 24* | 3:30 pm | at Georgia Tech | #7 | Bobby Dodd Stadium • Atlanta, GA (Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate) | ABC | W 31-17 | |
January 1* | 8:30 p.m. | vs. #10 Hawaiʻi | #4 | Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA (Sugar Bowl) | Fox | W 41-10 | |
*Non-Conference Game. †Homecoming. #Rankings from Coaches Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time Zone. |
[edit] Game notes
[edit] Oklahoma State
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Oklahoma State | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
#13 Georgia | 14 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
Sophomore quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for 234 yards and two touchdowns as the Bulldogs cruised past the Cowboys from the Big XII in a much-hyped season opener. Georgia won its first game of the season for an 11th consecutive season.
[edit] South Carolina
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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South Carolina | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
#12 Georgia | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 12 |
The Gamecocks took a 7-0 lead on their first drive of the game and used stifling defense to hold off the Bulldogs the rest of the way. It was Georgia's first loss in the series since 2001, and the team's fifth consecutive loss to SEC East opponents, dating back to the 2006 season.
[edit] Western Carolina
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Western Carolina | 3 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 16 |
#25 Georgia | 3 | 21 | 14 | 7 | 45 |
After a slow start, the Dawgs exploded for 42 points in the final three quarters to bounce back with a win over the 1-AA Catamounts. Freshman running back Knowshon Moreno rushed for 94 yards on 13 carries.
[edit] Alabama
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total | |
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#21 Georgia | 7 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 26 |
#20 Alabama | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 23 |
In a virtual must-win situation, the Dawgs avoided an 0-2 start in SEC play by escaping Bryant-Denny Stadium with an overtime win. Matthew Stafford connected with senior wide receiver Mikey Henderson on the Bulldogs' first play from scrimmage in OT for the winning score.
[edit] Ole Miss
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Ole Miss | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
#16 Georgia | 0 | 17 | 7 | 21 | 45 |
Running backs Thomas Brown and Knowshon Moreno combined for 270 yards rushing as the Bulldogs punished the hapless Rebels for their third consecutive win. In contrast to their current five-game losing streak against the SEC East, Georgia had now won five in a row against Western division opponents.
[edit] Tennessee
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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#11 Georgia | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
Tennessee | 7 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 35 |
Georgia suffered its worst loss since the 2003 Southeastern Conference championship, a 34-13 loss to LSU, and coach Mark Richt's first loss at Tennessee. The Bulldogs had won their last three games at Neyland, Tennessee's home stadium.[9]
[edit] Vanderbilt
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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#23 Georgia | 7 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 20 |
Vanderbilt | 3 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
Senior kicker Brandon Coutu drilled a 37-yard field goal as time expired to give Georgia its second road win of the season, both coming on the game's final play. The Dawgs outscored Vanderbilt 13-0 in the second half to rally from a 17-7 halftime deficit.
[edit] Florida
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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#11 Florida | 7 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 30 |
#19 Georgia | 14 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 42 |
Behind Knowshon Moreno's 188 yards (3 touchdowns) and Stafford's 223 yards passing (3 touchdowns), the Dawgs ended their hex against the rival Gators, who had won 15 of the last 17 games in the series. The game was also notable for a controversial end-zone celebration following Georgia's touchdown on their opening drive, in which the entire team rushed the field.
[edit] Troy
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Troy | 10 | 0 | 10 | 14 | 34 |
#10 Georgia | 7 | 17 | 10 | 10 | 44 |
Knowshon Moreno had another huge game, rushing for 196 yards and three touchdowns, as the Bulldogs avoided a post-Florida hangover with a 10-point win over the pesky Trojans from the Sun Belt.
[edit] Auburn
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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#17 Auburn | 3 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 20 |
#10 Georgia | 10 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 45 |
Georgia had their way in The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry for the second consecutive year behind a balanced offensive attack, with 237 yards passing from Matthew Stafford and 180 combined yards on the ground. The Tigers allowed their most points in a game for the entire season to Georgia for the third straight year.
[edit] Kentucky
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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#20 Kentucky | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
#9 Georgia | 0 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 24 |
The Dawgs had to shake off the rust after falling behind 10-0 early and did just that by scoring 24 of the game's final 27 points to complete the SEC schedule at 6-2. Georgia ran their winning streak over the Wildcats in Athens to 15 games.
[edit] Georgia Tech
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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#7 Georgia | 3 | 13 | 7 | 8 | 31 |
Georgia Tech | 0 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
Georgia tied a school-record with its seventh-consecutive win in the series of their rivals from Atlanta. Thomas Brown ran for 139 yards and the Georgia defense allowed just 12 completions on 32 pass attempts by the Yellow Jackets.
[edit] Postseason
[edit] Sugar Bowl
2008 Sugar Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bowl Game | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date | January 1, 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stadium | Louisiana Superdome | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Location | New Orleans, Louisiana | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
MVP | Marcus Howard | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Favorite | Georgia by 9.5 [10] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Halftime show | Both school bands, AllState Sugar Bowl Band | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Network | FOX | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Announcers | Thom Brennaman and Charles Davis [11] |
Georgia controlled both sides of the line of scrimmage and completely outmanned the undefeated Western Athletic Conference champs from the beginning of the game to the end. The Bulldogs' previously unheralded defensive end Marcus Howard dominated the Warrior offensive line and was named the game's Most Valuable Player. This is only the second time a Defensive player has been named MVP in the sugar bowl's history. The last time a defensive player was named MVP was in 1951, Walt Yowarsky, who played Tackle for Kentucky.
[edit] Final Ranking
The Associated Press final poll lists the Bulldogs ranked 2nd- the highest ranking since December 6, 1982 and the highest final season ranking since the National Championship year of 1980[12]. Bouyed by three first place votes, the Bulldogs barely outpaced the third ranked USC program.[13] 2007 marks the eleventh consecutive final AP poll which the Bulldogs ranked in the top 25, the current longest active streak. The Bulldogs have been ranked 30 times in the final poll including 14 Top-10 and 9 Top-5 rankings.
The USAToday final poll lists the Bulldogs ranked 3rd - which ties the highest ranking ever in that poll (set in the final 2002 poll).
[edit] Post-Season All-Star Games
[edit] Players
2007 Georgia Bulldogs by Position[14] | ||||||
Edit | ||||||
Quarterbacks
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Offensive Line
Defensive Line
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Linebackers
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Safeties
Punters
Long Snappers
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[edit] Coaching staff
The 2007 Season is Coach Richt's seventh season at Georgia. Neil Callaway, Georgia's offensive coordinator from 2001 to 2006, left at the end of 2006 to become the head coach at University of Alabama at Birmingham. Richt named former UGA quarterback Mike Bobo as the new offensive coordinator.[15] Bobo took over play calling responsibilities during the Georgia Tech game as well as in the 2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl. Callaway also served as the offensive line coach. Stacy Searels, offensive line coach at LSU from 2003 to 2006, was named to the same position at Georgia to replace Callaway.[16]
[edit] Related pages
- Georgia Bulldogs football
- Georgia Bulldogs football under Mark Richt
- Southeastern Conference
- University of Georgia
University of Georgia | |
Academics |
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences • Franklin College of Arts and Sciences • Terry College of Business • Odum School of Ecology • College of Education • Environment & Design • Family and Consumer Sciences • Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources • Graduate School • Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication • School of Law • College of Pharmacy • College of Public Health • School of Public and International Affairs • School of Social Work • College of Veterinary Medicine |
Athletics |
Bulldogs • Bulldog Championship Teams • Uga • Hairy Dawg • Athletic Director • Football (2008 • coach) • Men's Basketball (2007-08 • coach) • Women's Basketball (coach) • Women's Gymnastics (coach) • Swimming and Diving (coach) • GT-UGA rivalry • Deep South's Oldest Rivalry • The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party • Southeastern Conference • Sanford Stadium • Stegeman Coliseum • Gabrielsen Natatorium • Foley Field • Turner Soccer Complex |
People, History, and Campus Life |
President • Alumni and Faculty • Greek life • Campus Arboretum • Georgia Redcoat Marching Band • Demosthenian Literary Society • Phi Kappa Literary Society • UGA Campus Transit • The Red and Black |
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ *Juniors Charles Johnson, Danny Ware To Declare For NFL Draft (HTML) (English). UGA Sports Communications (2007-01-01). Retrieved on 2007-01-05.
- ^ *UGA Cornerback Paul Oliver Will Return for Senior Season (HTML) (English). UGA Sports Communications (2007-01-03). Retrieved on 2007-01-05.
- ^ *UGA Cornerback Paul Oliver Ineligible For '07 Season (HTML) (English). UGA Sports Communications (2007-01-03). Retrieved on 2007-01-05.
- ^ Steve Megargee, Top 25 toughest schedules, SI.com/Rivals.com, June 21, 2007.
- ^ The Sept. 29 game against Mississippi at Sanford Stadium will kick off at 1 p.m. It is not being televised.|http://www.macon.com/166/story/139357.html
- ^ ESPN2 To Televise Georgia-Vanderbilt Football Game Oct. 13 - GeorgiaDogs.com—Official Athletic Site of the University of Georgia
- ^ Schedules - CBSSports.com
- ^ ESPN - NCAA College Football Schedule, College Football Schedule, NCAA Football Schedule
- ^ NCAA Football - Georgia Bulldogs/Tennessee Volunteers Recap Saturday October 6, 2007 - Yahoo! Sports
- ^ Fiutak, Pete (2007-12-27). 2008 Sugar Bowl - Georgia vs. Hawaii. Scout.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-02.
- ^ Fox, David (2007-12-13). Rivals.com Bowl Viewer's Guide. Rivals.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-17.
- ^ Poll History - GeorgiaDogs.com—Official Athletic Site of the University of Georgia
- ^ Usatoday.Com
- ^ Template:Citew web
- ^ UGA QB Coach Mike Bobo Named Offensive Coordinator (HTML) (English). UGA Sports Communications (2006-12-19). Retrieved on 2007-01-05.
- ^ LSU's Stacy Searels Named Offensive Line Coach At UGA (HTML) (English). UGA Sports Communications (2007-01-06). Retrieved on 2007-01-16.
[edit] References
- Football - 2007 Schedule (HTML) (English). georgiadogs.com (2006). Retrieved on 2007-01-04.
- Past and Present Assistant Coaches (HTML) (English). georgiadogs.com (2006). Retrieved on 2007-01-04.