Postgame Notes and Injury Update

Matthew Stafford didn't come off the field, even with Georgia trailing by 18 points late in the game. By the time he got to the locker room following the Bulldogs' 41-30 loss, however, his head was spinning.

Stafford suffered a minor head injury, head coach Mark Richt said, but Georgia's trainers determined it was not a concussion.

"He's got more of a headache than anything else," Richt said. "His head was pounding pretty good. During the game we checked and (trainer Ron Courson) didn't think it was (a concussion). I talked to Matthew and he was very clear minded. He didn't lose any consciousness or any thought process."

Stafford finished the game with 274 yards passing and two touchdowns, but his injury was hardly the only one to a Georgia star.

Running back Knowshon Moreno left the game early with an elbow injury, and Richt said he was unsure how serious it was.

"We don't know," Richt said. "We're just going to have to wait and see what's up with that elbow."

Linebacker Dannell Ellerbe left the game with a knee injury in the first half and was immediately taken to the locker room.

"(Courson) doesn't think it's a season-ending situation," Richt said. "He thinks he'll miss some playing time though."

Tight end Tripp Chandler and wide receiver Kris Durham left the game with injuries as well. Chandler returned to action after injuring his shoulder, and Richt said he would likely play when Georgia returns to action in two weeks.

Durham's situation was more serious. The junior injured his ankle after making a catch in the third quarter. Richt said he didn't believe there was a break, but said Durham was questionable at best for Georgia's game against Tennessee.

"Kris Durham, pretty good sprain," Richt said. "It's just, you don't know how long ankles take, but it was a pretty significant ankle sprain."

NO NUMBER ONE:

Georgia had a chance to grab the top spot in the polls with a win Saturday, but instead it will take a tumble down the rankings along with several other high-profile teams that lost this week.

That's a good-news bad-news situation, Richt said. The loss hurts, but unlike last season when the Bulldogs dropped a game to Tennessee and couldn't fight their way back into the SEC East race, this year they still control their own destiny.

"The best news about today is we still have a chance to control what happens, where a year ago, we did not have that ability," Richt said. "Just about everybody in the East still has a chance."

BACK IN BLACK?:

The fans were excited, the energy was high, and the noise in Sanford Stadium was at an all-time high, Richt said. That part of the Bulldogs' blackout worked.

On the field, however – that was another story.

So when he was asked after the game whether Georgia would retire the black jerseys that had helped to inspire two wins last season, Richt remained noncommittal.

"If you're looking for atmosphere, we had atmosphere. It got as loud as you could get, but they were ready. I don't know what we're going to do with that. I don't want to say anything I'm going to have to go back on."

BRANNAN'S BACK:

Georgia fullback Brannan Southerland didn't return to the offense Saturday, but he did get his first taste of playing time of the season.

The senior played on several special teams, including filling in as the personal protector on punt formations after missing the first four games of the season following foot surgery.

Richt said he expects Southerland to be back at fullback when the Bulldogs take on Tennessee in two weeks.

"Any time you come off an injury, you never know what's going to happen," Southerland said. "You can't really plan it out, you've just got to be smart about it."

EXTRA POINTS:

Prince Miller's 92-yard punt return in the fourth quarter was Georgia's longest since 1952… Zack Renner became the first Bulldogs player since David Pollack to block two punts in the same season when he got a hand on an Alabama punt in the second half… Justin Houston earned his first career start at defensive end… Stafford set a career high with 24 completions, while receiver Mohamed Massaquoi caught a pass for the 33rd consecutive game.