By Bud L. Ellis
Nobody could’ve known it back then, but when the Georgia Bulldogs met the Arkansas Razorbacks in the 1991 Independence Bowl, it would be a preview of the game that launched the Dogs back to the Sugar Bowl a decade later.
As many Georgia fans fondly remember, the Dogs won the SEC championship in 2002, routing Arkansas in the Georgia Dome to punch the Dogs’ ticket to New Orleans and the program’s first conference title and Sugar Bowl berth in 20 years.
But when the Dogs and Hogs met in Shreveport in the 1991 Independence Bowl, the two teams weren’t even in the same conference (Arkansas would join the SEC a season later).
Georgia started fast, racing to a 14-0 lead. Eric Zeier, who now is the Georgia radio color commentator, found Arthur Mitchell and offensive-MVP Andre Hastings on two touchdown passes. Hastings would catch four passes for 94 yards, and scored on a 53-yard run on a reverse in the third quarter to give the Dogs a 24-7 lead, putting the game out of reach.
The Dogs also got a 39-yard field goal by Kanon Parkman. Zeier finished 18-for-28 passing for 228 yards.
Defensively, the Dogs were led by defensive-MVP linebacker Torrey Evans, who came off the bench to intercept a pass, recover a fumble and record four tackles. On the day, the Dogs picked off five passes.
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Sunday, December 20, 2009 at 10:00 pm by bud
Tags: Andre Hastings, Arkansas, Arthur Mitchell, Eric Zeier, Georgia, Georgia Dome, Independence Bowl, Kanon Parkman, Texas A&M, Torrey Evans
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
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
