Dogs, Aggies set for Independence Day shootout
By Bud L. Ellis
The last time the Georgia Bulldogs faced the Texas A&M Aggies, the year was 1980 and the Dogs were en route to capping an undefeated season by winning the national championship inside the Louisiana Superdome.
Fast forward 29 years to the present, where the Dogs will end their 2009 season in the northwestern part of Louisiana, facing the high-octane Aggies’ offense in this year’s AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl, set for Dec. 28 at Shreveport.
The matchup features two teams that have stood toe-to-toe with the nation’s best, and two teams that have met their share of struggle this season.
Just two weeks ago, Georgia upended then-No. 7 Georgia Tech, while the Aggies were throwing quite a scare into national-championship game bound Texas. So both of these teams can be really, really good.
They also can struggle. Georgia gave up 30 or more points five times this season, a point that has Texas A&M’s strong offense salivating. On the other hand, the Aggies allowed 30-plus points five times, a fact that makes Georgia’s stable of offensive playmakers smile.
There doesn’t figure to be a lack of offense in this one, and both teams are looking for a strong boost into 2010. Something will have to give for that to happen, as neither team has ever lost in the Independence Bowl.
The Aggies have been to the Independence Bowl twice, the last coming in 2000 when Texas A&M beat Mississippi State 43-41 in overtime, in the snow. In 1981, Texas A&M knocked off Oklahoma State 33-16.
Georgia’s only Independence Bowl appearance came in 1991, when the Dogs downed Arkansas 24-15.
Georgia fans probably recall the last time the Dogs and Aggies met, in 1980, when Georgia won 42-0 in Athens behind the running of a freshman named Herschel Walker. The Dogs would go on to win the national championship that season.
It’s the only time Georgia has beaten Texas A&M. The two teams met three times in the 1950s, with the Aggies coming out on top each time.
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Monday, December 7, 2009 at 9:12 pm by bud
Tags: Arkansas, Georgia Bulldogs, Georgia Tech, Independence Bowl, Louisiana Superdome, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M Aggies
