Independence Bowl Schedule
Monday
12/27/2010
5:00 PM
AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl
Independence Bowl Stadium - Shreveport, LA -
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NEWS
By Bud L. Ellis
On the surface, the eight-win season posted by the Georgia Bulldogs wasn’t up to the rabid expectations of Bulldog Nation.
But a deeper dive into the second half of Georgia’s topsy-turvy season, capped by a 44-20 thrashing of Texas A&M in Monday’s Independence Bowl, shows plenty of hope for a program that finished the season with four victories in its final five games.
Monday was a perfect example of what the Dogs can do when they’re clicking. Georgia, facing Jerrod Johnson and the explosive Aggies’ offense, bent all game long. Texas A&M rolled up 471 yards of total offense, 362 coming through the air. But when the Dogs needed big stops, they came through, much as they did in late-season victories against Auburn and Georgia Tech.
All the more impressive considering Georgia fired three defensive coaches four weeks ago. Graduate assistants Mitch Doolittle and Todd Hartley, and the one remaining defensive assistant, Rodney Garner, got their players ready and the Dogs responded.
Special teams went Georgia’s way, too, swinging the game in the Dogs’ favor. Brandon Boykin returned a kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown. Bacarri Rambo blocked a punt. Geno Atkins blocked a field goal. All of it combined provided the Dogs with enough fuel to surge to their eighth win of the season, extending Georgia’s streak of eight-win seasons to 13 (longest in the nation).
And while the Georgia offense sputtered in the first half – mustering just 99 total yards of offense – the Dogs found their gear on that side of the ball in the final two quarters. Georgia rolled up 267 yards of offense in the second half, a pair of Joe Cox touchdown passes to Aron White pushing the Dogs to victory.
That’s seven wins in nine tries for Georgia in bowl games under coach Mark Richt. The Dogs improved to 2-0 all time in the Independence Bowl.
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Tuesday, December 29, 2009 at 7:37 pm by bud
Tags: Aron White, Bacarri Rambo, Brandon Boykin, Geno Atkins, Georgia, Independence Bowl, Joe Cox, Mark Richt, Mitch Doolittle, Rodney Garner, Texas A&M, Todd Hartley
By Bud L. Ellis
When Georgia and Texas A&M take the field for the Independence Bowl on Monday in Shreveport, La., the outcome very well could hinge on which team has the ball last.
Neither defense is first rate, and both offenses feature playmakers that can go up and down the field all night long.
Hopefully, the scoreboard operator gets a good night sleep Sunday night, because the points very well may be flying Monday afternoon.
Georgia ranks 70th in the nation in scoring defense and has given up 34 or more points five times during a shaky 6-6 campaign that led the Dogs to dump three defensive coaches before the game.
Texas A&M is 104th in the nation in scoring defense. Four times in 12 games, the Aggies gave up 47 or more points.
You get the idea. Both teams are coming off inspired performances, albeit exactly one month will have passed by the time kickoff arrives Monday from their last games. The Dogs upset Georgia Tech, rushing for 339 yards in a shocking 30-24 victory in Atlanta. The Aggies pushed unbeaten Texas to the limit before falling in a shootout.
The Dogs hope to end their rocky road on a good note and build momentum for next season. A victory also would make Georgia 7-2 in bowl games under Mark Richt. Meanwhile, the Aggies seek their first bowl win since 2001.
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Sunday, December 27, 2009 at 9:37 pm by bud
Tags: Georgia, Georgia Tech, Independence Bowl, Texas, Texas A&M
By Bud L. Ellis
It certainly isn’t where the Georgia Bulldogs hoped to be going this holiday season, but that didn’t stop Brandon Boykin from spreading a little Christmas cheer.
In the process, the Georgia sophomore saved his teammates some running.
The Bulldogs wrapped up their Athens-based preparations for the Independence Bowl, where the Dogs will face Texas A&M on Monday in Shreveport, La. The Dogs will meet Thursday in Shreveport, where they will spend Christmas then step up final preparations for the Aggies and their high-powered offense.
Boykin helped send everybody out of practice in good spirits, upholding a Georgia tradition by singing a Christmas song to cut down the number of post-practice sprints the Dogs are required to run. Head coach Mark Richt joked with media members after practice that Boykin’s song saved the players more than 500 yards of running.
Georgia, which comes into the Independence Bowl off an upset victory of Georgia Tech, hopes to do plenty of running in Shreveport. In the victory against Tech, the duo of Washaun Ealey and Caleb King churned out 349 yards rushing (183 for Ealey, 166 for King, who rushed for two touchdowns).
The Dogs would love nothing more than to dial up the same recipe for success against the Aggies, who boast the top-ranked offense in the Big 12.
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Tuesday, December 22, 2009 at 11:32 pm by bud
Tags: Brandon Boykin, Caleb King, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Independence Bowl, Mark Richt, Texas A&M, Washaun Ealey
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
He stands 6-foot-5, but from the perspective of the Georgia defense, Jerrord Johnson must look larger than life.
The challenge for the Bulldogs entering the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La., on Dec. 28, is to slow the second-team All-Big 12 selection.
The Texas A&M quarterback grabbed the nation’s attention with his performance against Texas on Thanksgiving weekend, going 26-for-33 for 342 yards and four touchdowns against the Longhorns. Johnson also rushed for 97 yards on 14 carries against Texas.
It was, in every sense of the word, a breakthrough performance, especially for a guy who opened last season catching passes, not throwing them.
Johnson started 2008 as a wide receiver, but took over at quarterback early in the season and started the final 10 games of the season under center, setting a school record with 21 touchdown passes.
In 2009, Johnson has become one of the more prolific quarterbacks in the nation. He ranks sixth in the nation in total offense, 14th in total passing yards and 15th in passing yards per game. He’s topped 300 yards passing seven times, and his 51 career passing touchdowns is a school record.
All of this is far from comforting for a Georgia defense that allowed 30-plus points six times this season, a defense that comes into the Independence Bowl having fired its defensive coordinator and two assistants.
The Aggies can take control of this one if Johnson can unleash the offensive arsenal he’s displayed all season. It could be a very long day for the Georgia defense.
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Friday, December 18, 2009 at 11:40 pm by bud
Tags: Big 12, Georgia, Independence Bowl, Jerrord Johnson, Texas, Texas A&M
By Bud L. Ellis
Nothing came easy for the Georgia Bulldogs’ defense in 2009, and that trend will continue when the Dogs wrap up their season in the Independence Bowl against Texas A&M.
The Dogs (7-5) allowed 20 or more points nine times in 12 games, not exactly the recipe Georgia fans hoped for when the season kicked off. But from the season opener at Oklahoma State, a disturbing trend reared its ugly head time and time again:
When the Dogs needed to stop the opposition, they almost always failed to do so.
Georgia allowed 26.4 points per game, not exactly the way to have success in the ultra-tough SEC. In Georgia’s big conference games, the Dogs allowed 41 points in a loss to Florida, 45 points in a loss to Tennessee, 37 points in a win over South Carolina, 41 points in a win over Arkansas …
You get the idea.
It’s that type of performance that led head coach Mark Richt to fire defensive coordinator Willie Martinez and two defensive assistant coaches last week. All three dismissed coaches declined Richt’s invitation to coach in the bowl game, meaning Richt will spent most of his time leading up to the Dec. 28 game working with the defense.
And that defense figures to get one more good workout before calling it a season. The Aggies average 465 yards of offense per game and scored nearly 34 points per contest in 2009. Nine times this season, Texas A&M scored more than 30 points, including four games of 39 or more points.
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Wednesday, December 9, 2009 at 9:50 pm by bud
Tags: Georgia, Independence Bowl, Mark Richt, Texas A&M, Willie Martinez
