Dogs could land as SEC rep in Independence Bowl
By Bud L. Ellis
Amid a gaggle of SEC teams with seven wins, it’s quite possible the Georgia Bulldogs emerge as the conference’s representative in the AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La.
It looked like the Dogs, who have struggled through their worst season in a decade, were heading for the Papajohns.com bowl in Birmingham. But then the Dogs stunned seventh-ranked Georgia Tech last Saturday in Atlanta, and moved into a crowded group of seven-win SEC teams.
Georgia is an interesting story, albeit disappointing. Head coach Mark Richt returned the Dogs to their glory days of the early 1980s in the early part of this decade, and Georgia kicked off last season ranked No. 1 in the nation. But after struggling through the second half of 2008, the Dogs flopped behind fifth-year senior quarterback Joe Cox and an underachieving defense.
But what makes Georgia’s 7-5 season so maddening is how many playmakers the Dogs possess. Sophomore wide receiver A.J. Green may be one of the top wideouts in the nation. Redshirt sophomore running back Caleb King teamed with freshman back Washaun Ealey to rip Georgia Tech’s defense, the two combining for 349 rushing yards (and Ealey winning SEC freshman of the week for the second time this season).
The last time Georgia played in this game, the Dogs beat Arkansas 24-15 on Dec. 29, 1991. This year’s game is Dec. 28.
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Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at 9:29 pm by bud
Tags: A.J. Green, AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl, Arkansas, Caleb King, Georgia Bulldogs, Georgia Tech, Joe Cox, Mark Richt, Washaun Ealey
