Second quarter blog

End of half, Georgia leads 27-7

The first half has ended and, except for one play, it's been all Georgia.

The stat sheet isn't particularly lopsided, except for turnovers (Tennessee 3, Georgia none) and sacks (Georgia with three, and it would've been four, but Justin Houston couldn't grab Matt Sims, who then threw the Vols' lone score.)

The final minute of action illustrated where we are in this game: The Bulldogs called a timeout so Tennessee had to punt from midfield. Then the Bulldogs didn't drop a man back to return, or try to rush the punter. Basically, they called timeout just to see if Tennessee had any more mistakes left in it.

It didn't, at least for that play. But there are 30 minutes left.

1:55 left in first half, Georgia leads 27-7

The frustration has officially been taken out on Tennessee.

Taking advantage of more Volunteer mistakes, Georgia tacks on a Blair Walsh field goal and leads by 20. It could have been more, but A.J. Green couldn't quite haul in a pass while diving in the end zone.

Georgia's drive started at the Tennessee 21, thanks to (in order) a muffed Vol snap that backed its offense to its own 3, a short punt, and a late hit call on Logan Gray's punt return.

So the Bulldogs are back in control, having in less than a half equaled their highest point total from any of the previous four games. (Last week's 29-27 loss at Colorado.)

Tennessee has three turnovers, which is a big reason the game is so lopsided. But don't short the Bulldogs, who are getting good games from Aaron Murray, A.J. Green, and - finally - some playmaking on defense.

6:41 left in second quarter, Georgia increases lead to 24-7

When in doubt, pass it to A.J.

After a couple not-so-fortuitous occurences, Georgia was backed up to its 22 for a very long second-and-goal. No matter. Georgia went for broke anyway, and Aaron Murray found A.J. Green over the middle, who made the catch around the 5 and ran the rest of the way despite a defender being draped on him.

Cordy Glenn's chop block call, a 15-yard penalty, was the reason the Bulldogs were all the way back - wiping out a play that saw Washaun Ealey fumble inside the 5 once again.

This time the fumble went out of bounds. But Ealey was quickly yanked, and you could hear a lot of muttering from the stands here.

7:28 left in second quarter

Blake Sailors had a nice way of redeeming himself. The special teams ... er ... specialist recovered a muffed punt in the air at the Tennessee 37.

It was Sailors' block-in-the-back that negated Logan Gray's nice punt return to midfield.

The fumble recovery was a big lift for Georgia, whose offense was starting to sputter, after its second straight three-and-out.

As is customary after such turnovers, Georgia went for the big strike on the next play - and succeeded. Tight end Aron White got wide open down the right sideline, as Tennessee's secondary bought a play fake by Aaron Murray, who hit White for a 30-yard gain. (White gained nearly 10 of those yards down the sideline as the Volunteers couldn't bring him down.)

12:58 left in second quarter, Georgia now leads 17-7

Don't crown the Bulldogs in this one just yet.

Tennessee gets a big third-down play, with Matt Sims escaping another sack from Justin Houston, then heaved a touchdown pass - which Bacarri Rambo barely missed at least tipping.

So, yet another big play given up by the Georgia defense. Todd Grantham reacted by yelling, and Mark Richt reacted by shaking his head and looking at the ground. It was a nice play by Sims, though.

I still think Tennessee's offense is a bit limited in how it would be able to respond from being down this much. But it would behoove the Georgia offense to put up and answer here, or at least a long-ish drive, given the up-and-down tendencies of the Georgia defense.

UPDATE: Three-and-out from the Georgia offense - but the Bulldog defense forces a three-and-out after a 51-yard Drew Butler punt. That'll work too.

First quarter blog

0:55 left in first quarter, Georgia ups lead to 17-0

The rout is on.

Derek Dooley has had better days inside Sanford Stadium, I suspect.

Taking advantage of another turnover, this time on a kickoff, Georgia's offense punches it in and now has what should be a commanding lead against Tennessee's struggling offense.

Rantavious Wooten catches his first touchdown of the season, hauling in a nice pass from Aaron Murray.

There was a scare when AJ Green was sandwiched, somehow making a catch while also being interfered with. He was down a minute, but after a brief time on the sideline had his helmet back on.

2:15 left in first quarter, Georgia ups lead to 10-0

An interception leads to a field goal, and Georgia is still sitting pretty.

Bacarri Rambo's interception - courtesy of a Vance Cuff tip - set up the offense, which got into the red zone. The drive stalled on a third-down sack. Washaun Ealey got the tailback duties on that drive, rather than Caleb King, who had looked pretty good on the first drive.

Alec Ogletree came in on offense for one play. Lining up at receiver, he laid down a block for Washaun Ealey on a short run. That's at least some of the trickeration.

Cuff didn't start but he's played a lot - and just had a huge play for Georgia. He tipped Matt Sims' pass, and seconds later Rambo made a toe-tipping catch at midfield. Rambo's momentum carried him over the hedges, literally.

So on the first two possessions, Georgia's defense did what it hadn't been before: Stopping the opening drive, and getting a turnover. Two more very good signs for the Bulldogs.

And a good sign for the Bulldog offense: Kris Durham, questionable with a neck injury, is playing.

8:18 left in first quarter, Georgia takes 7-0 lead

Well, I'd say this one has started much better for Georgia.

The Bulldogs are off to a 7-0 lead thanks to Aaron Murray and his legs. The freshman quarterback just scampered 35 yards for a touchdown, taking advantage of a wide-open right side of the field. It was the second time that drive Murray decided very quickly to run the ball to the right, on what apparently was a pass-then-keep play.

That was nearly a perfect opening drive for Georgia, with very quick matriculation down the field.

Caleb King had a 14-yard run, making the first defender miss at the line. Aaron Murray kept it for a nine-yard run, on what might have been a designed pass, but A.J. Green was flattened. No matter, Murray hit Green a play later for a 12-yard gain.

Then came the Murray run.

I felt coming in that Georgia had a good chance to win this game rather convincingly, and so far I haven't seen anything to dissuade me.

10:44 left in first quarter

Well, there's one hopeful sign for Georgia. Its defense held on the first possession for the first time since the Louisiana-Lafayette game.

So there's one less question for Todd Grantham to get snippy about this week.

Tennessee got one first down, on a third-down sneak. But that was it, as Justin Houston made a big tackle behind the line on second down.

Shawn Williams, and not Jakar Hamilton, started at safety.

Vance Cuff replaced Abry Jones (a corner for an end) on second down. Looks like Georgia will playh a lot of nickel today.

In a bit of a surprise, A.J. Green was the punt return man for Georgia. Green was in the group getting reps there, but it was expected to be Logan Gray. But with Branden Smith and Carlton Thomas both out, there you go A.J., injury risk or not.

Pregame blog (updated with Thomas, Washington)

12:19 a.m.: Richt runs out of the tunnel

As promised, head coach Mark Richt led his team out of the tunnel just now.

That acct was witnessed by what I'm estimating are about 60-70,000 people. If Sanford Stadium does fill up today, it won't be right away. Vince Dooley isn't the only person staying away today.

New starters announced

As expected here's your new starting offensive line: LT Trinton Sturdivant, LG Cordy Glenn, C Ben Jones, RG Kenarious Gates, RT Clint Boling.

Caleb King is the announced starter at tailback. When A.J. Green was announced as the starting flanker, it got the biggest ovation from the (rather meager) crowd.

(Head coach Mark Richt also got a warm response, though not as big as Green.)

On defense, Sanders Commings was announced as a starter at cornerback, along with Brandon Boykin. Commings started last week at Colorado, but along with Branden Smith, who is out this week. Vance Cuff is the odd man out this week, but I'm sure he'll play a lot.

Abry Jones will start a second straight game at one DE spot.

11:41 a.m.: Dissecting the injury news

So with Washington out, I'll be very curious to see what Georgia does personnel-wise. I also understand (though as a reporter, don't condone) why Georgia kept Washington's injury from the public. The Bulldogs are now very thin at the outside spot, which means a possible adjustment scheme-wise.

I'm not sure how crazy Georgia will be about playing Chase Vasser or Rueben Faloughi for significant periods of time. Or letting Christian Robinson slide over to an outside spot. So that could mean a lot more 4-2-5.

Of course much of that is dictated by the opposing offense. Will Tennessee try to do what South Carolina did, i.e. line up in a three-receiver set then run it up the middle? Georgia would be in a better position to stop that today if Kwame Geathers sees more playing time at nose tackle.

As for Carlton Thomas being out, that leads you to wonder whether Ken Malcome will see action, or Georgia will just ride Caleb King and Washaun Ealey all the way.

The run game in general will be fascinating to watch today, with the revamped offensive line: How much will the Bulldogs run right, where Kenarious Gates is seeing his first action as a collegian at the guard spot?

11:25 a.m.: Yup, Washington and Thomas out

Georgia has confirmed that Cornelius Washington and Carlton Thomas will not be playing today because of injuries.

Washington has a concussion, and Thomas has a strained hamstring.

Washington has started all five games, though he mostly split time at outside linebacker with Darryl Gamble. But with T.J. Stripling also out (with season-ending knee surgery) that means Georgia is suddenly very thin at outside linebacker.

We might see a lot of Chase Vasser and Reuben Faloughi, or maybe one of the inside guys (Marcus Dowtin, Akeem Hebron) could play some outside.

11:05 a.m.: Doubting Thomas plays

As I gave out onto the field for warmups, Carlton Thomas is standing with injured teammates Marlon Brown and Dexter Morant. So while we still don't have any official word on Thomas' status, you can pretty much rule him out for this game.

I suspect Thomas wasn't going to play as much this week anyway. He started at Colorado. Maybe he would have been a change-of-pace guy today.

This also might up the chances that the redshirt comes off Ken Malcome. Stay tuned.

10:55 a.m.: Washington and Thomas out?

Cornelius Washington and Carlton Thomas were not carrying shoulder pads or a helmet, unlike their teammates, as Georgia made its way down the sideline just now. We're checking to see if Washington and Thomas are injured or not playing.

Other injuries wwe already knew about: Marlon Brown is definitely out, along with Richard Samuel and Branden Smith.

10:15 a.m.

They're playing Flock of Seagulls here at Sanford Stadium. And I ran ... I ran so far away ...

If Georgia doesn't win today, Mark Richt and his players may need to run so far away from Athens before they get tarred and feathered by the fan base.

Actually, these are two weary fan bases. The traffic around the stadium was light, and there don't appear to a plethora of Volunteer fans here either. It's a sellout, but it took until the day of the game for that to happen: Who would've thought that would be the case for a Georgia-Tennessee game?

Derek Dooley, who if you hadn't heard grew up in Athens, and whose father is rather famous around these parts, is on the Sanford Stadium field with some of his orange-clad players.

Now they're playing Miley Cyrus. Yup, "Party in the U.S.A." Luckily not the, uh, Georgia version. But that's small consolation. Let's get back to the early '80s New Wave stuff, people!

Behind enemy lines: Tennessee edition

By now, you know all the stats. That Tennessee and Georgia will both have losing records when they beat for the first time since Teddy Roosevelt was President, and neither is ranked for only the second time since Franklin Roosevelt was in the White House.

Well, I bet you didn't also know that as we speak, a man named Roosevelt Skerrit is the prime minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica. Did I just blow your mind? Do you need a minute to compose yourselves before you continue reading? I'm sure you do.

Andrew Gribble covers Tennessee for The News-Sentinel in Knoxville, Tenn. Andrew was kind enough to answer, in great depth, some questions about the Volunteers. I was also kind enough to answer his about the Bulldogs, which are linked here.

1. From being there in person and reading their body language, how well (if at all) will Tennessee rebound to the circumstances of the LSU loss?

AG: On Tuesday, Tennessee's first practice, it was definitely still hanging over their heads and us reporters will still asking them about it. A couple veterans, such as wide receiver Gerald Jones and safety Prentiss Waggner said the practice was OK, but not ideal and that it was noticeable that a few players were bothered by the game still. Wednesday, though, was a different story. Time heals all wounds, even ones as wide as the one caused by the debacle that was Saturday afternoon in Death Valley. If Tennessee comes out lackluster and gets run over by Georgia on Saturday, it won't be because of the LSU game. That's a poor excuse.

2. How porous is Tennessee's depth? I've seen Derek Dooley quoted as saying he essentially has a team of first- and third-teamers.

It's as bad as I've ever seen an SEC team, and I covered Auburn last year in the wake of Tommy Tuberville's departure. The Vols are nowhere near the NCAA scholarship maximum of 85, and there are plenty of former walk-ons on the roster who have earned scholarships to make that number just a bit more respectable. Dooley said it earlier this week: When the Vols lose a player to injury, it's like losing two. The difference was apparent last Saturday against LSU, when running back Tauren Poole, linebacker Herman Lathers and Jones returned to the lineup. This is a team that can go from respectable to atrocious in a hurry. Pay attention to the left tackle situation before game time Saturday. Dallas Thomas is questionable with an ankle sprain. His loss would cause an entire shuffle on the offensive line, one that certainly makes the Vols even worse at protecting Matt Simms.

3. Let's talk Tauren Poole. Georgia had a ton of problem tackling South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore, who just kept getting yards up the middle. How comparable is Poole to Lattimore, and how much does he figure in the Vols' offense?

Both those guys are roughly the same size and both have done significant damage behind two of the worst offensive lines in the SEC. It'd be amazing to see what Poole or Lattimore would be able to do behind the lines of Alabama or Auburn. Poole is obviously vital to the Vols' offense and he's been the most consistent piece. Look at the second half of the UAB game, when Poole went down with a thigh injury. The Tennessee offense was absolutely stagnant, barely able to pick up a first down against a team that 1) Got the doors blown off it Wednesday against UCF, and 2) Has to play some of its regular season games on a Wednesday. Poole, in my eyes, has to be one of the more underrated players in the conference, considering that he's sixth in rushing yards (427) despite combining for just 46 against Florida and UAB. Putting up 109 against LSU isn't much to sniff at, either.

4. Now let's talk Matt Sims. Georgia's secondary has turned the likes of Chris Relf and Tyler Hansen into one-game stars. How capable is Sims, and what about his receivers?

There's a lot of vitriol for Simms among UT fans and I just don't get it. Among the Vols' litany of problems, what Simms has done thus far ranks near the bottom. For what he lacks in flashiness, he makes up for in efficiency. Despite a two-interception performance against Florida, Simms really hasn't made many mistakes. His young receivers have made enough for him. Though UT fans would lead you to believe he's on a short leash, he's got one of the safest jobs in the SEC. Now, UT just has to protect him. There isn't a quarterback in the SEC who has taken more punishing hits than Simms, who has been sacked an astonishing 19 times in five games. It's a minor miracle that he hasn't been hurt yet. Taking those hits, though, has garnered some major respect from his teammates and has established him as one of the team's top leaders, even though he's only been here since the spring.

5. How will Tennessee defend A.J. Green? Or can they?

Can anyone, really? That's a tough one. Colorado had two cornerbacks that are NFL-bound, right? Yeah, Tennessee doesn't have that unless it can somehow make Eric Berry eligible for one game. The key word for Tennessee is containment when it comes to defending Green. Green has caught 15 passes in two career games against the Vols, but has yet to break the big one. He's averaging well below 10 yards per catch against the Vols, and that's something Tennessee's secondary will hope to build upon. It's actually something they've been good at, too, even though they're at the bottom in most SEC defensive categories. Tennessee is a surprising third in the conference in pass efficiency defense, which, after you carry the 1 and do something comparable to the quadratic formula, translates to the Vols being good at preventing big pass plays. They're averaging close to 6.5 yards per pass attempt, a benchmark of defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox's that is currently being met.

6. Finally, what do you think are the two or three keys for Tennessee in this game?

Though I slightly poo-pooed it in my first answer, the Vols can't come out hungover from last week's loss against LSU. There were plenty of things to build upon from that game, even though it will only be remembered for one fateful play. Tennessee showed that the UAB game was a minor anomaly and that it is, if nothing else, a team that compete with some of the best in the SEC. On offense, Tennessee's woebegone line has to protect Simms long enough to let him make effective throws. When given the time, Simms can be pretty darn effective and opposing defenses have had a tough time guarding Jones, especially when he's in the slot. On defense, the Vols simply have to tackle better. It's been a glaring inconsistency for this team, one that definitely reared its ugly head against UAB but only showed up briefly (Jordan Jefferson's 83-yard TD run on the first play of the game) against LSU.

Gameday atmosphere changes afoot?

This stood out to me at Thursday’s meeting of the UGA Athletic Association board: Jennifer Stamp, a board member, said that after attending last month’s game at South Carolina, she saw better gameday “aesthetics” at that school, which Georgia could learn from.

That’s despite Georgia’s prouder tradition (in terms of wins and championships) and Sanford Stadium having about 10,000 more seats.

There actually was a lot of discussion of the gameday atmosphere at the board meeting. It also appears to be a concern of new athletics director Greg McGarity, who said the focus the rest of this season would be on “customer service.”

One possible immediate change: Cutting down the commercials that are played during timeouts. This was suggested at the board meeting by a student representative, who said the commercials have a way of “killing the atmosphere.”

McGarity at least wants to minimize what he called the “canned music.”

“So many institutions ... go maybe overboard in all this pre-programmed music,” he said. “I’m pretty much a traditionalist, a conservative. If the band’s there, I want to hear the band playing, and I think the fans do too.”

McGarity doesn’t want the atmosphere to resemble a pro game, and all the bells and whistles that come with it.

“It’s just tweaking a few things,” McGarity added. “It’s not anything that’s off in the ditch here. It’s something that I’m going to pay a bit more attention to now that I’m getting comfortable.”

The student representative also asked the board about the tailgating policies on North Campus. The answer from the board and McGarity was that all procedures would be reviewed at the end of the year. What was left unsaid was that school president Michael Adams was not at Thursday’s meeting, and that was an issue that would have to be addressed with him.

Georgia senior receiver Kris Durham, also present at the board meeting, had another concern: The players notice that at road games the opposing students get there earlier, adding some “nastiness” to the pregame atmosphere. Durham asked if UGA students weren’t being let in as early as at other schools, but was told that they were.

The reason for that concern, it's limited to this season, is the time of the games: Both of Georgia's home games have started at noon, while two of the three road games started at night.

McGarity says football focus 'is on this year'

Georgia athletics director Greg McGarity said Thursday he has not had a discussion with Mark Richt’s about the head coach’s job status.

“We talk every day, every other day. But our focus has been on this year,” McGarity said after a meeting of the UGA athletic association board. “What we do is focus on: Mark, what can we do to help. Is there anything there we can do to help. We basically have those conversations. But really we don’t deal with the future. … We’ll deal with all that stuff at the appropriate time.”

McGarity does have some optimism for the Tennessee game, citing the Bulldogs’ practices this week. Richt held a full-pads practice on Monday, a rarity for him, and has said the following two days were “spirited.”

Through his own observations, including some conversations with players in the elevator, McGarity got a sense that there was a "lot of juice” in the program this week.

“If Monday and Tuesday are any indication as to how we’ve responded to a 1-4 start, all of our fans and supporters would feel very good about things heading forward to this weekend,” McGarity said.

McGarity is still hearing from a lot of those fans and supporters. Coming off the loss at Colorado, he said it’s been a “rather interesting week,” but not as active as it was after the loss to Mississippi State.

“I think you see it’s really almost 50-50,” McGarity said. “You see a lot of individuals that absolutely want change. And you see others that want change in certain ways. And very few that say ‘Mark Richt must go.’ It’s all over the map.”

One thing that was clear from the board meeting: Georgia has plenty of money. A treasury report to the board pointed to a large reserve of revenue, and the construction of Butts-Mehre came in about $5 million under budget.

Football, obviously, is a huge part of that revenue generator. Specifically ticket sales and athletic giving.

Asked about that, McGarity said the focus for the rest of this season would be on gameday atmosphere. He pointed to problems in the NFL, where there have been an increasing number of blackouts. Some attribute it to the recession, while others point to the TV experience.

“If we’re struggling a little bit, an individual is says Well do I go to a game or do I stay at home and watch it on TV,” McGarity said. “We’ve got to be creative in there and just be prepared to deal with every decision that may arise.”

Mailbag time

OK, no dawdling. Lots of questions to get to, so let’s dive right in:

Can you take some time this week and find out exactly what makes Bobo and co. so high on Carlton Thomas?
- David Harrison

I asked Bobo this week, and he agreed that Thomas is more of a change-of-pace back. That’s probably the best way to use him now. The things he does have on Caleb King and Washaun Ealey is he hasn’t fumbled this year, and he manages to stay healthy.

Oh, and how about an over-under poll on how many wins saves Richt? I'm mad, but I'm still with the Coach. Mainly because I do see the improvement he's seeing, and I don't want to see some other schmuck come in and win next year with a team that Richt put together.
- David Harrison again

I like the word ‘schmuck.’ That’s the main reason I’m answering this question. (For future reference, getting Yiddish in your question adds to the chances it’ll get into the mailblog). … Now what was the question? Oh yeah. There’s no set over-under on Richt and wins he “needs.” From what I can tell, new A.D. Greg McGarity is quietly evaluating the program, and any decision would be made more on the overall state of things.

How does Coach Richt's demeanor compare during this trying time sitting at 1-4 versus other coaches that you have been around in a similar situation? I just listened to his press conference and I don't know if I should be happy or upset that he continually seems so even keel. You wouldn't know if we were at 5-0 or 1-4. Just curious as to your thoughts.
- Stephen Williams

Stephen, you’re exactly right. Richt has been very even-keel during his press conferences, although his post-Mississippi State one did seem a bit unusual. He was a bit shorter with reporters after that loss. Behind the scenes, however, Orson Charles told me that Richt has been a bit more fiery.

I am so confused. Are the events this year a lack of talent, coaching or youth....a combination of all three?
- Ian Lee

If you look at the recruiting rankings, it’s not talent. But how accurate are they? I think youth is an issue in the secondary – but not on the offensive line. As for coaching, well, that’s been dealt with a lot, and I’m not sure I have anything to add to it. Sorry, there just aren't any easy answers here.

What effect will the NFL lockout have on players like AJ Green? Can they go pro and still get paid, or will they be stuck in limbo? … Also, what is your favorite type of potato chip? My guess is the Utz Crab Chip.
-Conor McCullough

I like Sun Chips. The calorie count is sort of in the middle, and the taste is pretty solid. If I knew I could eat Cool Ranch Doritos all day and not balloon into Ralph Friedgen, I would. … As for the lockout, I’m not convinced it’ll happen. And if it does, I still don’t think it will have a huge effect on underclassmen. Maybe I’ll be proven wrong, but I think the kids that want to go pro will anyway. Keep in mind, when they do declare they’re now free to accept whatever they want as far as endorsements and agent deals, so they won’t go poor for the duration of the lockout.

I know Richt has had 10 years to make something happen, while Saban and Meyer both came in and took their programs to National Championships in 2-3 years. Besides Joe Pa, is there a good example of a coach having such problems in his program and then bringing them back to win a Nat' Championship??? I want to hold out hope for Richt but it seems that the blueprint for winning a National Championship in the SEC over the past 10 years is to follow Fla and Bama. Any thoughts?
- Drew Ward

AND …

- I have heard a lot the past couple weeks about firing Coach Richt if we keep losing. Is "Firing Coach Richt" even an option? I have heard that his buyout clause is $2 million+ a year and that Coach Richt has 4 years left on his contract. If this is correct, then UGA would owe him $8 million+ to fire him. There is no way that UGA would pay that kind of money so why do fans even discuss potentially firing Coach Richt if we can't fire him. Let's just put this topic to rest and move on.
- Anonmyous

The contract runs three years after this season. As far as the buyout, as far as I can figure (it’s fairly convoluted) it’s around $5 million. Ultimately I don’t think money would be a factor. But it’s still hard to see Georgia firing Mark Richt. He’s built up too much goodwill, both on and off the field. That doesn’t meant that, if it gets bad enough, there could be a mutual parting of ways, or something like that. I don’t know how this will play out – nobody does – but I have a hard time picturing a press release that has "Mark Richt” and “fired” in the same sentence.

If you ran the team and could fix one thing, right now, what would it be?
- Jeff Fisher

First off, if you’re Jeff Fisher, I’m pretty sure you’d know better than me. Oh wait, you’re not THAT Jeff Fisher. Oh … Honestly I can’t pick one thing, and that’s what has to be so frustrating to Georgia fans, and the coaching staff. With the exception of special teams at Colorado, you could find blame in all three units in each of the four losses.

Changes in O-line sound good. What about (defense). D.backs have struggled. Is this personnel or more learning?
- Ken Wilkinson

I’ll have a story in Friday’s paper on the secondary. The coaches say it is youth and learning. But I do wonder whether guys like Nick Williams and Alec Ogletree could provide some help at safety.

If I'm Isaiah Crowell, I want to go where I can play. Do the Dawgs struggles help or hurt competition for top talent?
- Ken Wilkinson again

It never helps. Richt said this week that it could show that players have a chance to make an immediate contribution. But that shows a digression: True freshmen aren’t starting on this year’s team (although Kenarious Gates looks like he’s about to at right guard) and if you look up and down the Georgia roster, they have a lot of players who have redshirted.

Why haven't we seen more of Alec Ogletree? I know he's a Freshman but the safety play couldn't be any worse, right?
- Daniel Wood

I tend to agree. But Scott Lakatos told me the same basic three guys (Bacarri Rambo, Jakar Hamilton and Shawn Williams) will see time there. Maybe he’s playing possum this week, the way they tried to on the offensive line, before forgetting that reporters had eyesight.

I've seen Kiante Tripp out there lately - very happy for him to get PT. What about CB we heard tons about in spring - D Owen?
- Zach Ramsey

Derek Owens is in the mix now, with Branden Smith out. Lakatos says Owens is in the group with Sanders Commings and Jordan Love, behind Vance Cuff and Brandon Boykin.

Did Dexter kill anyone this week?
- sgtangelbatista@miamipd.com

Actually no, he didn’t. And that’s worrisome. And I just realized that Julia Stiles doesn’t come on the scene until later in the scene, and only for two episodes, according to IMDB. What’s up with that?

Charles: 'We're p----d off'

Tight end Orson Charles isn’t leaving any doubt how he – or, he claims, allhis teammates – are feeling about Georgia’s 1-4 start.

“We’re pissed off,” Charles said Wednesday. “That’s our thing right now. We’re pissed off right now. We’re 1-4. We’ve got a lot of fans saying this, a lot of fans saying that. And I mean, we just want to make everybody happy. We want to be happy.

“We’re tired of walking around the locker room, quiet, coaches yelling at us all the time for no reason, because we’re losing. So we’re just going out there and to get our respect back. We’re pissed off right now.”

And just to be clear:

“I’m speaking for everyone at Georgia,” Charles said.

There hasn’t been a singular fiery speech by one player, the tight end added, because everyone feels the same way.

“We can’t change the past,” Charles said. “We’ve gotta move forward. The main thing is we’ve gotta stick together.”

Charles said he has also detected a difference in head coach Mark Richt, who on Wednesday night had to answer a question of whether he was fighting for his job. Publicly, Richt has remained rather even-keel, but in practice it’s apparently been a different story.

“I noticed he was kind of hyped when it came down on Monday, and everybody started hitting,” Charles said. “He was a little jumpy. We started getting hyped. And coach was in it. That was what we really needed.”

Richt called a full-pads practice on Monday, the first time he had done so two days after a game in his 10 years at Georgia. Charles said the players approved.

“I felt like we needed it,” Charles said. “Like coach Richt said, camp was a little lighter than usual. To tell the truth, it put a lot of energy around the locker room. Everybody was ready to go. Everybody when in the training room and got taped. So you knew everyone was really excited.”

So people felt like it was about time, and that it was needed?

“Oh yeah,” Charles said. “Oh yeah.”

O-Line changes, Richt on coaching for his job, and more

After a poor start to the season, Georgia looks to be juggling its personnel on the offensive line, taking a redshirt off a freshman in the process.

Kenarious Gates, who has yet to play, was getting reps at first-team right guard. Trinton Sturdivant was at left tackle and Clint Boling was at right tackle.

But the Bulldogs are trying to be secretive about it.

“You noticed that?” head coach Mark Richt said after Wednesday’s practice, smiling, when asked about Gates. “Well then why don’t we tell Tennessee what we’re doing. That’s why I don’t like you guys out there sometimes.”

Richt appeared to be good-natured about it. After all, he did extend the media portion of practice on Monday for an extra five periods and 25 minutes.

Josh Davis, who would be displaced as the right tackle, was mum on the moves.

“No comment,” Davis said, with a slight grin. “I can’t talk about that.”

A few other quick notes:

- Richt was asked if he felt like he was coaching for his job right now. He didn’t want to get into it.

“You always are. I think you always are,” he said, then took a long pause before adding: I’m coaching my tail off though, I can tell you that.”

Richt was asked if that was fair, considering his success.

“Oh, I’m not getting into all that,” he answered. “There are only so many things I can control, and that’s what I’m working on.”

- Kris Durham has a 50-50 chance of playing against Tennessee, according to Richt. Durham missed the Colorado game with a pinched nerve in his neck.

- Marlon Brown is definitely out with a shoulder injury, but Richt didn’t appear worried that it would be long term.

- Richt indicated on the SEC teleconference that another player was hurt. But no more details were forthcoming.

“I said somebody was injured and I wasn’t going to tell who?” he said. “I forgot who it was.”

Green and The Catch

There seems to be a slight disagreement: A.J. Green said he hasn’t seen replays of his one-handed touchdown catch at Colorado – but he does rate it among his best-ever.

But Green’s teammates and coaches, while saying they’ve watched plenty of replays, say they’ve witnessed better ones from Green.

“That was a routine catch there for him,” quarterback Aaron Murray said. “Usually I expect it to be eyes closed, tip it a couple times and then catch. No that wasn’t a big deal at all.”

OK, Murray was kidding a bit. He said that the night after the game, he and center Ben Jones went to the film room and watched the catch about six times, putting it in slow motion and pausing it.

“I don’t know anyone in the nation that can make that kind of catch,” Murray said.

Fellow receiver Marlon Brown, who was on the field for the play, was also floored.

“I was like, You know what, I’m gonna go inside. I don’t wanna be around this guy right now,” Brown said.

Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo shrugged it off.

“No, we’ve seen it in practice all the time,” he said. “That’s the thing, he makes catches like that all the time, on a routine basis. We’ll throw balls behind him, low, high. He’s just very fluid in how he runs and catches it. Makes it look effortless.”

John McKissick, who was Green’s coach at Summerville, S.C. High School, saw the catch and called it "phenomenal." But not one of Green's best.

“He’d do it all the time here,” McKissick said. “You couldn’t throw him a bad pass.”

As for Green, he claimed on Tuesday that he still hadn’t seen a replay.

“By the time we got home, Sportscenter was off, and I haven’t seen it yet," he said. "I’ll probably YouTube it one day.”

(Psst, A.J., if you're reading this, the link is above.)

Still, despite not having seen it, Green did sound quite proud of it.

“That’s got to be one of the best ones ever,” Green said.

Just one of the best, a reporter asked?

“Yeah, that’s the best one, by far,” Green said.

Marlon Brown looks doubtful

Chalk up another Georgia receiver as being set to miss a game.

Marlon Brown's shoulder injury, sustained in Monday's full-pads practice, has him likely to miss Saturday's game at Tennessee.

"Marlon's chances of playing are not very good at all," head coach Mark Richt said on Wednesday's SEC teleconference.

Brown had his first career touchdown catch just last week at Colorado. He's a native of Tennessee.

There might have been another injury either at Monday's unusual full-pads practice, or Tuesday's physical practice. Richt indicated as much on the teleconference, but didn't want to name them. So maybe we'll find out later today at practice.

For the record, we did interview A.J. Green after Tuesday's practice, and he seemed fine.

Then again, we interviewed Brown on Tuesday too, and he never said anything about being hurt. Of course no one asked.

Of the 3-4 and whether it's 'working'

Former Georgia defensive end Charles Johnson is no fan of the 3-4, at least as far as his alma mater is using it. The Carolina Panther (who also called losing to Colorado "a disgrace") said this week he thought the scheme was part of the problem.

“We ain't never a 3-4 defense. It's not looking like it's working out down there.”

Ironically, Bulldogs defensive coordinator Todd Grantham estimated Tuesday that his unit has only played out of 3-4 about 60 percent of the time. The rest of the time the Bulldogs have been in a 4-2-5, which Grantham said wasn’t unusual.

“If you watch Alabama, they play a 4-2-5. They probably have been in more 4-2-5 than we have, truthfully,” Grantham said. “It’s more just situations that come up in the game. Maybe the team that you’re playing this maybe fits better. Or it allows maybe a guy or two that you’ve got to do some things that he does well.

“It’s like I told you when I first came here, I think it’s important to build the system that you’ve got to best fit the players you have now. We’re always going to try to put those guys in position to make plays.”

Georgia currently ranks eighth in the SEC in scoring defense (21.6 points per game) and seventh in total defense (324.4 yards).

Last year the Bulldogs were 10th in scoring defense (25.9) and seventh in total defense (339.4).

Green on the NFL, Brown hurt, and coaches turning red

We didn’t get a chance to ask A.J. Green last week about the NFL, so we did this week. The Georgia star receiver was asked Tuesday whether missing four games this year, due to the NCAA suspension, would affect his decision.

“I don’t know yet. But I do feel like I owe some of the fans some more stuff, just missing those four games. So I don’t know,” Green said. “Like I said, I’m gonna sit down with my family whenever the time comes and make the best decision for me.”

Green could be the top receiver taken in the 2011 NFL draft if he leaves early. Most still expect him to do so.

Some more notes from Tuesday’s availability:

- There seems to be a new rule that Georgia cannot have all its receivers available for one game. Marlon Brown missed Tuesday’s practice with a sprained AC joint (shoulder), according to receivers coach Tony Ball.

“He’s still progressing, as I was told,” Ball said.

Brown injured the shoulder in Monday’s full-pad practice. The Bulldogs are hoping to get back Kris Durham, who missed the Colorado game, the first time Green was eligible.

- And now the coach-testiness section of the blog:

Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham was asked if it would be a “small victory” if his unit didn’t allow a touchdown to open the game – which it has the past four. He didn't seem crazy about the stat, or the question.

“I don’t believe in small victories, all right,” Grantham said. “You either win the game or lose the game, all right. You either stop them or you don’t. So I don’t buy into small victories.”

So he doesn’t get hung up on the opening-drive streak?

“Do I get hung up on it? Well I wouldn’t say I get hung up on it,” Grantham said. “I mean obviously we’re gonna look to stop them, but to say I get hung up on it no. We’re gonna come out and play the next series.”

Earlier, offensive line coach Stacey Searels was asked how he would assess his unit this year.

“One-and-four, you tell me,” he answered. “I don’t think anybody’s pleased with the way we’ve played on the team.”

- Offensive coordinator Bobo didn’t name a starter, but it seems clear that Caleb King is the favorite. Bobo pointed out that for the first time this season (at least during the losing streak) the Bulldogs got ball-carriers into the secondary, and King was mostly to credit.

“He might’ve it three times, and Washaun did it one time and Carlton did it once,” Bobo said. “I think five times we made the safety miss and were able to rush for some more yards because of making guys miss in the perimeter, which was good to see.”

- Carlton Thomas seems to be a more of a change-of-pace back, it was posited to Bobo, who didn’t disagree.

“Carlton sometimes needs a little space,” Bobo said. “Carlton has done a nice job when he’s gotten opportunities this year.”

- Bobo said Washaun Ealey has handled losing his starting job well. Bobo called him “upbeat” during Saturday’s game, and has been the same way in practice.

“It’s showing a little maturity out of him,” Bobo said.

Bobo still calling plays, King still the man at RB, and more

There was a bit of a surreal moment in Mark Richt’s news conference on Tuesday. The Georgia head coach had a back-and-forth for a few minutes with a radio reporter discussing the importance of Richt's religion, his commitment to Christ, how it helps him in the current situation, etc.

The follow-up question: Was Richt surprised to be such a heavy favorite to beat Tennessee?

“We’re a 13-point favorite? Wow," Richt said, smiling. "I hope they’re right. Are you kidding. But I don’t look at those things.”

Say what you want about Richt’s coaching abilities. But to seamlessly go from talking about his religion to answering a gambling question, well that takes skill.

A few other notes from the presser:

- Richt was asked if he plans to take a more active role in the playcalling:

“Right now that’s not the plan,” he said, then added: “I gotta be more assertive to say let Mike (Bobo) know certain situations.”

By that last part, Richt meant game management (whether they were planning on going four downs, go for field goals, etc.)

Richt then demurred, saying little, when asked about Bobo and the negative affect of the criticism he’s been getting.

- Caleb King has lead to start at tailback, despite the decisive fumble at Colorado.

“I do think Caleb had one of his better ballgames,” Richt said. “Certainly nobody’s happy about the last play. But there are some circumstances. That wasn’t your normal fumble.”

- And what of Washaun Ealey, who had but one carry at Colorado?

“He had enough ball security issues that the other guys got the opportunity, basically,” Richt said. “But he’s still a ballplayer. The pass protection is important too.”

Richt went on to add that when it comes to the tailbacks, “whoever plays the most has the most issues.” As in, the more exposure they get the more flaws that are exposed.

That’s a pretty nice way of saying that no one seems to be doing enough to grab the job.

- CB-PR Branden Smith is out this week with a concussion, and will be treated carefully, since he's sustained it twice this season. In his absence Carlton Thomas, AJ Green and Logan Gray getting reps at punt return.

- Has the 1-4 start affected recruiting much? The coach can’t comment on specific recruits, but Richt did say they would have some on campus for Saturday’s game, and hoped to show them a good game.

“I can’t say all the recruits are excited about what’s happening,” Richt said. “But most of the guys that we have committed love Georgia, and want to be at Georgia. And some of the guys realize it presents an opportunity to come in and make a difference.”

- Richt was asked to assess the offensive line: “Not good enough at this point.”

- Richt said he talked “once or twice” with Vince Dooley in the past few days. He has no problem with Vince rooting for Tennessee.

“He loves Georgia. But I think he loves Derek more,” Richt said. “As he should.”

- Defensive end Garrison Smith played for the first time at Colorado, ruling out a redshirt for this season. Could other true freshmen (like Ken Malcome) enter the picture? Perhaps, though Richt didn’t name anybody.

“There’s a chance that other guys would play,” he said.

Richt and Bulldogs 'shake things up'

It may not sound like much, but for the first time Monday we saw the first tangible sign of Georgia trying something to fix its woes.

The Bulldogs held a full-pad practice on Monday, which is normally reserved for special teams work and other minor walk-through stuff. Head coach Mark Richt answered “never” when asked how unusual it was to do so on a Monday.

“We hadn’t been blocking and tackling real good, so we decided to have a little spring ball today,” Richt said. “Normally we’re in shorts, running, getting a little running in, work on a few things. But we decided to put the pads on and get after it. One vs. one, two vs. two.”

Richt seemed pleased, calling it “physical” with “great competition.”

The players found out via text at 2 p.m. that the practice was going to be switched up.

“We’ve gotta do something different, to shake things up,” tailback Caleb King said. “It honestly was a good fun practice. I’m looking forward to tomorrow, more like this.”

King said that despite having to do sprints at the end of practice. That went for the entire offense, which “lost” a set of mini-scrimmages to the offense.

Cornerback Vance Cuff admitted that the rules were set up to favor the defense.

“They had to get a certain amount of yards and have to do certain things, and all we had to do was pretty much stop them at the beginning,” Cuff said.

Receiver Kris Durham, still dealing with a pinched nerve, was in a non-contact jersey. (He said he hopes to play Saturday.) But Durham also thought the padded practice was a good thing.

“It was a very emotional practice. You could tell everyone was getting after it. It was pleasing to see,” Durham said. “It was something that we needed. We needed to get more physical.”

King reiterates: It was not a flea-flicker

Caleb King talked Monday night for the first time since his fumble at Colorado. The Georgia tailback admitted it "was a long plane ride back," and also cleared up what the call was on the play.

"Everybody says it was a flea-flicker. But it was a draw play," King said. "We don't even do flea-flickers."

King said the it was the same draw play the Bulldogs had called throughout the game, and had run with a good deal of success. Head coach Mark Richt afterwards called the play the team's "No. 1 running play."

"The whole time, I saw the man coming off the edge. And I tried to spin before he got there. I guess the ball just (came out). But it's part of the game. It's something we've gotta look past and get ready to play Tennessee."

On the bright side, King did finish with 100 yards.

"I didn't even know that," King said.

"A Dilemma" For Dooley

Vince Dooley said that he will be staying away from Sanford Stadium on Saturday.

His son Derek is the coach at Tennessee, but Dooley said it would be impossible for him to root against Georgia while inside Sanford Stadium

He called it, “a dilemma of mixed emotions.”

“I’m going to be in my home in my den watching the game on television,” Dooley. “There is no question I have to pull for my son. It is family first. It is a great dilemma, of course. But never the less, to not pull for Georgia in Sanford Stadium, there is no question I couldn’t do that. So I am staying away.”

Dooley was also asked about the state of the Georgia program. The Bulldogs are 1-4 for the first time since 1957, with three losses in the SEC. Coach Mark Richt is being criticized by Bulldogs’ fans that thought Georgia would be competing to win the SEC East this year.

“Any football coach is going to through some tough times,” Dooley said. “I don’t care who you are. Now, coach Richt has been very blessed in that respect.”

Dooley pointed out that Richt was at Florida State when it was one of the top programs in the county. Dooley also pointed out that Richt won a SEC Championship his second year at Georgia, and has been consistently winning 10 games a year, until recently.

“So he’s going through a tough time. That’s what happens,” Dooley said. “Four or five years ago, Joe Paterno had three losing seasons in four years at a place called Penn State. Bear Bryant went through his problems in the late 60s and very early 70s. Bobby Bowden ended up, even though what an incredible coach he was, his last few years at Florida State weren’t very pleasant.

“A coach has to address it, analyze it, make some decisions and go forward. And I sure he’ll do that.”

Dooley said that Georgia was very close in all its losses and believes it’s just a dip in the program.

“You need to be able to realize that while you aspire for the best, you’ve got to realize that’s not always possible,” Dooley said. “And you have to hang tough through the tough times. What’s the old saying? Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.”

Richt teleconference notes

First some injury updates:

- Freshman OLB T.J. Stripling will have season-ending knee surgery on Tuesday. Stripling tore his patellar tendon at Colorado, but head coach Mark Richt expects Stripling to recover.

“The history on those things have been very, very good,” Richt said.

Stripling would not qualify for a medical redshirt because he played in five games this year.

- Branden Smith is doubtful for Saturday’s game against Tennessee after a re-occurrence of a concussion. Smith missed the second half at Colorado.

“I don’t think he’ll play this week,” Richt said.

Meanwhile, Richt tried to keep upbeat about the Bulldogs’ latest loss. He said the team was holding together, and showing no signs of crumbling mentally.

“The bottom line is we must keep the faith,” Richt said. “We must keep the faith. I think that’s the biggest thing right now. I think we will. To this point we haven’t had an issue with anybody not working, not cooperating, not believing. We had a group of guys that I thought were excited about playing, were ready to play, played hard.”

Richt was also asked if he was worried that the fan reaction to the poor record would infiltrate his players. Again, he was not worried.

“I think it’s a minority of fans who really come out horribly negative with our guys and this coaching staff,” Richt said. “But I think the majority of our fans are true blue and they’re gonna support us no matter what. I can say, walking off that field in Colorado, I thought the fans that showed up were phenomenal before, during and after the game.”

Tennessee (2-3) visits Sanford Stadium on Saturday, in a game that normally has a huge bearing on the SEC race. But this year, both teams are simply searching for their first league win.

“Two teams who are normally, there’s a lot of history of us being ranked when we play, and now we’re sitting there without a win in the SEC,” Richt said. “A little bit different circumstance for each team, but a very important game for both of us.”

Fleeting thoughts: After Colorado

BOULDER, Colo. - Two weeks ago, the Georgia Bulldogs were 1-2, and the sky was falling.

Doesn’t 1-2 seem such a quaint, innocent time now?

The season has officially gone off the rails, with Saturday’s loss here in the Rockies. Here are some mind-boggling stats and facts:

- Georgia and Tennessee will both having losing records when they meet each other for the first time since 1906. They played to a 0-0 tie that year, and the way things are going neither team may deserve to win on Saturday either.

- By my count, Georgia is seeking to avoid its first five-game losing streak since 1953. One of those losses was to Mississippi Southern, which later changed its name to Southern Miss. Vince Dooley was a senior at Auburn in ’53. Mark Richt was seven years away from being born.

- In order to finish bowl-eligible (6-6), Georgia will have to finish 5-2. That means beating at least two of the following teams: Auburn (5-0), Florida (4-1), Kentucky (3-2) and Georgia Tech (3-2). And that number increases if the Bulldogs somehow can’t win home games against Tennessee (2-3), Vanderbilt (1-3) and Idaho State (1-4).

- On the season, Georgia is still out-scoring its opponents, and by more than two touchdowns. No, seriously. That season-opening 48-point win over Louisiana-Lafayette still overtakes the combined 32 points by which the past four opponents have defeated the Bulldogs.

- The importance of A.J. Green: The star receiver did not touch the ball on Georgia’s first two possessions. He missed two more full series in the third quarter, dealing with cramps. On those four possessions, Georgia combined to lose five yards, and had one first down. The rest of the game, comprising seven possessions, the Bulldogs had 414 yards and 19 first downs.

Now the grades:

QUARTERBACKS: Aaron Murray had one interception, just his third in five games. Otherwise he made full use of Green, and got the tight ends involved. Murray also rushed well, though there were a few times he should have scrambled through an open middle. … B+.

RUNNING BACKS: Up until the end, Caleb King’s game was fantastic. You can’t forget his 100 yards, but you also can’t overlook the fumble. Meanwhile Carlton Thomas looked like someone who didn’t belong in Division I-A, even though he’s had his moments before Saturday. Washaun Ealey had just one carry, though it went for 15 yards. This unit continues to be a sore point for the offense, not only with its lack of production, but now three critical fumbles in four losses. … D+.

RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: Green did everything he could. Kris Durham missed the game with his neck injury, and you have to wonder if that made a difference when Green was out in the third quarter. Marlon Brown had a touchdown catch (two if you count the one called back). Orson Charles and Aron White each had two catches, as it looked like the middle of the field was a bit more open with Green lined up outside. … B.

OFFENSIVE LINE: The holes were there for the tailbacks, as the Bulldogs averaged 5.9 yards per carry, more than two yards over their season average. Murray was sacked twice, and was pressured when he threw his one interception. And both those sacks were on third down, on the drives in the third quarter when Green was out. It was an improved performance, but that’s not saying too much. … C.

DEFENSIVE LINE: Colorado averaged five yards per carry, but much of its yardage came on Rodney Stewart’s 65-yard run, which came on a pitch-out. The issue with the line was two-fold: Not making key stops on third and fourth down – Colorado just ran it up the middle and made it several times – and not enough pressure on the quarterback. On the plus side, Kwame Geathers seemed to play well when he was in there, getting a couple tackles. We may yet see Geathers at nose and DeAngelo Tyson at end. … C.

LINEBACKERS: Marcus Dowtin expressed frustration with his playing time last week, then did the smart thing and backed it up on the field, picking off a pass and recording one of the team’s two sacks. (Fellow linebacker Justin Houston had the other one.) Akeem Dent once again led the team with 12 tackles, eight of them solo, and the linebacking unit managed to make a few big tackles behind the line. Still, in a 3-4 scheme a lot of the third-down issues (Colorado was 7-for-15) fall on the linebackers not making plays when they’re needed most. … B-.

SECONDARY: It’s time to accept that this unit just isn’t very good. At this point it’s not even average. Getting sliced by Ryan Mallett was one thing, but Chris Relf and Tyler Hansen? The third downs and big plays keep killing the Georgia defensive backs, as they continues to allow receivers to get wide, wide open. It didn’t help in the second half that Branden Smith was out with a re-occurrence of his concussion. And what about Vance Cuff: He made some big plays, but kept committing penalties, including on special teams. … F.

SPECIAL TEAMS: The return units finally provided a spark, beginning with Brandon Boykin’s first kick return. (The offense didn’t capitalize.) Punter Drew Butler was solid (46.3 average, and only one was returned). The kick and punt coverage was also very good, especially kickoffs. But Blair Walsh’s miss from 41 yards, his first failure of the season, was the difference. You can’t kill him for it, given what he’s done so far, and because he didn’t get a chance at the end to win it. But a miss is a miss. … B.

COACHING: Mike Bobo’s play-calling seemed a lot smarter with Green in there. It might have been useful to see a bit more trickery, but Smith’s absence prevented that. I know a lot of people want to berate Bobo for the final play call, but no one speaking to the media after the game said it was intended to be a flea-flicker. Richt was pretty specific that it was the team’s “No. 1 running play.”

As for the defense, well the glow officially seems off Todd Grantham and the 3-4. It may just be a case of needing the right players to fit the system – after all, they are using the smallish Tyson and the youthful Geathers at nose tackle. But once again, the Bulldogs weren’t ready to stop the opening drive (four games, four touchdowns) and had trouble making stops at the end of the game. … C.

A few (early) fleeting thoughts

I'll have more on Sunday, but as I get ready to leave the Folsom Field press box, a few quick things:

- No, the play on which Caleb King fumbled was not a flea-flicker. At least that's according to everyone I talked to down there - Mark Richt, Aaron Murray, but not Caleb King, who wasn't available. Richt called the play the team's "No. 1 running play," i.e. a high-percentage run.

- Thanks to deadline pressures and space issues, I wasn't able to write too much about the defense. But it probably deserves a bit more focus for this one. Once again it gave up a touchdown on the game's opening drive, and struggled in the latter portion of the game. The only way it salvaged itself was finally forcing a stop on Colorado's second-to-last drive, which set up Georgia's last chance.

- A.J. Green confirmed that his absence for two drives near the end of the third quarter was cramps. ("A lot of cramping," he said.)

Remember, while Green was in the locker room, the offense went three-and-out twice, and Colorado took the lead for good.

- Georgia hasn't been 1-4 since 1957. The Bulldogs finished 3-7 that year, under Wally Butts.

From the locker room

As you would expect, it was a pretty downcast scene among the Georgia staff and players. Folsom Field is set up in such a way that people leave the locker room right where fans exit the stadium.

So a lot of Georgia fans hung, with one or two yelling a few choice words, but at no one in particular. A.J. Green, as he was interviewed, got a few "way to go A.J.'s." When Mark Richt exited and walked towards us, I didn't hear anything untoward.

Richt, when asked what his main priority was now, said, "Getting home safe."

“Losing’s not good,” Richt said. “But there’s a lot of good things that came out of this, just as far as the effort and the attitude of this group. There’s a lot of things I could point to as a coach to be proud of as these guys. But the bottom line in football is wins and losses. And right now we haven’t gotten a win in awhile.”

As for the Caleb King fumble, Aaron Murray said that King just got hit once he got the ball.

"I just wish it would've bounced my way instead of going the other way," Murray said. "I don't know where the guy came from. I just handed it off to him, I guess he got it and it came out. ... You can't blame Caleb. You know everyone's gonna make mistakes here and there."

Richt said the call that was played was the team's "No. 1 running play."

“I think he was trying to make a spin move as he was getting the ball,” Richt said. “You know, that’s his instinct, to try to make somebody miss. But we’ve gotta get the ball first, and he just didn’t do that. But Caleb, he gave great effort, he made great runs.”

The sharpest comments came from senior defensive end Demarcus Dobbs.

"We didn't represent Georgia well. We didn't represent the SEC well,” Dobbs said. “The only people we have to blame is ourselves."

"There's going to be frustration. We're Georgia, we never expected to (have) four losses in a row to the teams that we lost to. But you just have to push ahead. You can't turn on each other. All we've got is each other, so we just have to stick together, keep grinding, watch film, and finish the season out on a high note, hopefully."

I was there when Dobbs said the above comments. In comments that were provided by Colorado's sports information department, Dobbs was quoted as saying:

"I thought it was a shoe-in, that's how comfortable I was. I put my helmet down, I was ready to run on the field and celebrate. But it didn't happen that way. We made a fatal mistake and that type of stuff needs to be corrected. We cannot turn the ball over at the end of the game. It felt like death to me."

Fourth quarter blog

1:48 left in game, Georgia losing 29-27

In field goal range, the game almost at hand - and Georgia's Caleb King fumbled the ball. Colorado recovered, and the Bulldogs look headed for a fourth straight defeat.

Incredible. King was having a stupendous game up to that point - 103 yards on 11 carries - so it was a no-brainer to give him the ball again. But the backfield was penetrated, King was hit, and he immediately coughed it up.

Georgia used its final timeout after Colorado ran for a first down on the next play.

3:37 left, Georgia still trails 29-27

Georgia's problem on offense has been not converting in the red zone. Well, that doesn't matter now. All it needs to do over the next three minutes is get down there, and let Blair Walsh win it.

It took Georgia's defense awhile, but it finally made a stop. The question is whether it took too long.

Colorado just took a LONG time off the clock. But it might have undone itself with the curious decision to try a 52-yard field goal with a guy whose only make this year was from 28.

Needless to say, it missed, wide left. Now Georgia's resurgent offense takes over at the 35 with 3:37 left.

12:30 left in fourth quarter, Georgia within 29-27

Georgia's offense moved the ball without A.J. Green, then got him back, but its drive stalled at the 2 anyway.

So a chip-shot Blair Walsh field goal makes it a two-point game. That two-point conversion by Colorado looms rather large now.

Green only figured in one play upon his return, an incomplete throw his way near the goal-line. Most of the production on the drive came on the ground: Caleb King had a good run, and Aaron Murray scrambled for another long gain.

Murray should have done that several other times in this game. The middle has been there for Murray to scramble through - including on his second-quarter interception in the end zone - but he didn't take it until that play there.

Still, Georgia's offense looks like it can move the ball and eventually win this game. It just needs the Bulldog defense to come through.

Third quarter blog

End of third quarter, Georgia trails 29-24

The third quarter ends on a good note for Georgia, as Orson Charles hauls in a 28-yard pass into Colorado territory. Georgia is at the 35 as the final 15 minutes begin.

Perhaps even better news: During the break between quarters, A.J. Green ran out of the tunnel, eliciting big cheers from the red-clad fans who have surrounded that corner of the stadium.

Sit tight folks, we're in for an interesting final quarter.

4:39 left in third quarter, Colorado now leads 29-24

Well, this game's momentum turned back rather quickly.

With A.J. Green in the locker room, Georgia's defense has given up its second consecutive touchdown, and Colorado has the lead again.

Georgia says Green is suffering from cramps. I haven't seen him come out of the locker room yet.

The Georgia special teams deserves some blame there too. Colorado should only have a one-point lead, but Vance Cuff was called for roughing-the-kicker, and Colorado elected to take points off the board. One play later, it got the touchdown.

That drive started for Colorado with a 46-yard pass play down to the Georgia 21. Once again a play-action pass got the Bulldog defense - but on the bright spot, in the past few games that probably would've been a 77-yard touchdown. Cuff, a step behind, was at least there to make the tackle.

7:44 left in third quarter, Georgia lead down to 24-22

In answer to a previous question of how the Georgia defense would play with a multi-possession lead, the answer is ... badly.

Colorado struck right back, the big damage coming on a 65-yard run by Rodney Stewart, who caught a pitch and ran down the left sideline.

Shawn Williams had a touchdown-saving tackle, catching up to Stewart after not giving up on the play. But it only saved the touchdown briefly.

Three plays later, Colorado QB Tyler Hansen appeared to be bottled up, but he escaped the pocket, faked a pass and dove into the end zone.

Then came a strange decision, although not too strange when you think about it. Colorado went for two and got it, a dangerous decision considering had it failed, it would've been down more than a field goal.

But Colorado has been running extra points out of this strange formation all day, apparently with the plan to catch Georgia off guard at one point. This time it did, and now Georgia has the lead, but isn't in control anymore. The onus is back on the offense and Mr. Green.

10:40 left in third quarter, Georgia takes 24-14 lead

Dare I say, Georgia is in control now? There's a lot of game to play, but right now things are going very smoothly.

Marlon Brown has a touchdown catch called off because of a penalty? Two plays later, Brown gets open in the end zone and Aaron Murray hits him again.

Interestingly, AJ Green was NOT on the field for the touchdown play, despite it being a three-receiver set. It looked like Green cramped up or something, as they're now working on his left leg on the sideline.

Green did his damage on that drive, hauling in a 50-yard catch, which pushes him up to 119 for the night.

Now we're going to find out how a Todd Grantham defense plays with a multi-possession lead. Still aggressive, or a little bit more zone coverage to avoid the big plays?

Apparently that unit will play without Branden Smith. The sophomore cornerback has his pads off, and looks to be done for the night.

Halftime stat highlights

- A.J. Green has 109 of Georgia's 222 yards of total offense.

- The star receiver has six catches for 69 yards, including two touchdowns, and a 40-yard run.

- Caleb King was the fourth Bulldog to have a carry in this game - but he's currently the team's leading rusher. King has 56 yards on five carries, the most damage being a 32-yarder. (The first three ball-carriers, in order, were Carlton Thomas, Washaun Ealey and Green.)

- The tight ends ... (the tight ends!) have combined for three catches for 30 yards. In the first four games, the unit combined for six catches.

- Brandon Boykin’s 72-yard kick return was Georgia’s longest of the season so far. Branden Smith also had a 36-yard punt return, also the longest for the Bulldogs in that category.

- Colorado had 121 offensive yards in the first quarter, and 14 points. It had 74 yards and zero points in the second quarter.

Second quarter blog

End of half, Georgia still leads 17-14

The Bulldogs have the lead by three, but it could've been more.

Blair Walsh missed a 41-yard field goal as the half ended. Thus ended a season-opening streak of eight made field goals for Walsh. The junior kicker had wondered if the thin air would affect him, and it may have. (Walsh heard that kicks tended to go longer but would also be erratic. His miss was wide right.)

The miss wasted Marcus Dowtin's interception with 1:40 left, which had given Georgia the ball at the Colorado 39.

Still, the good news for Georgia is its offense is finally clicking - thanks to you-know-who - and the defense has clamped up after a rough start.

Then again, we've heard that last part before. And it hasn't ended well for Georgia. Let's see if it does this time.

2:00 left in second quarter, Georgia still leads 17-14

Suddenly, Georgia looks the way it was supposed to before the season started: Potentially explosive with A.J. Green, and a solid running game, but prone to mistakes from a freshman quarterback.

OK, so all the talk that A.J. Green's return would change the entire complexion of the offense, make everything better, including the running game ... In this game, at least, it appears to be true.

Ever since Georgia has begun involving Green, it can't be stopped - until an interception.

Murray's pass on third down was picked off, in a nifty catch by a Colorado defender. Murray was hit as he threw it. The middle was open, and Green probably should have just run through it. But those are the kind of things a freshman quarterback does.

7:29 left in second quarter, Georgia now leads 17-14

Where to start ... Georgia has its first lead in four games, and 202 minutes. A.J. Green has two catches this season - both touchdowns.

For the first time in a month, you're actually feeling that Georgia is in control of a football game.

Green just hauled in a 39-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Murray, running a perfect route down the middle, with Murray hitting him perfectly in stride in the end zone.

This came after Georgia's defense had two big stops. The first was negated by a personal foul penalty. But the Bulldogs held again, and Branden Smith returned the subsequent punt to the Colorado 39. One play later ... Murray to Green.

Momentum swung before the play, and now the lead has also.

11:08 left in second quarter, Georgia now within 14-10

A.J. Green just showed the viewing public why he was so sorely missed the first four games.

Georgia's star receiver made a one-handed catch - in the middle of a leap - then held on as he hit the ground in the end zone. Touchdown Georgia, and dare I say, the kind of play that could alter this game, maybe even the season.

Hyperbole, maybe. But when the player whose absence has been the story off the field for four games - while his team went 1-3 on it - makes a play like that, it could lift the entire team.

Pretty decent first catch of Green's season, eh? It'll be on Sportscenter, and should be on YouTube any minute.

Green hadn't even touched the ball until that drive, but Georgia made sure to change that right away, calling an end-around. Green gained 40 on the play.

Then Caleb King went for 32, after a nifty run. He nearly went down a few yards past the line of scrimmage, got up and then straddled the sideline down to the 8.

The keeper by Aaron Murray only gained five, but it was a pretty good adjustment by the freshman, who was nearly bottled up in the backfield. Two plays later, Murray hit Green, and it seems like a whole new ballgame.

13:15 left in second quarter, Colorado now leads 14-3

The bad start for Georgia's defense has carried into the second quarter, and now it finds itself down two possessions.

The touchdown was set up by a now-familiar sight: The Georgia defense giving up a big play. This time it was a 39-yard screen pass to Brian Lockridge.

Lockridge caught it in the flat - wide open - and ran down to the 2, where he was finally caught by Bacarri Rambo. About 10 yards before that Lockridge ran past Jakar Hamilton, who didn't get in position for even a leg tackle.

Oh, that play was on third down. Just in case you'd forgotten what's become Georgia's worst down, defensively. Colorado is now 4-for-5 on third downs.

Georgia's defense is getting manhandled and out-physicaled again. What has to be discouraging about this - beyond the fact that Colorado isn't supposed to be a good team - is that the Bulldog defense hasn't tightened up yet. It at least did that the previous three games, only to get beat again later in the game.

Now it's back up to the Georgia offense, which hasn't been on the field much. But when it has, A.J. Green has yet to touch the ball. I fully expect that to change on this third drive. Well, maybe.

First quarter blog

End of first quarter, Georgia trails 7-3

The verdict on the first 15 minutes? It looks too much like what we've seen the past three games.

Georgia's offense has looked ineffective so far, even with A.J. Green, who has no catches. And the running game has been, well, awful.

Defensively, Georgia gave up an opening touchdown, then forced a three-and-out, but as the second quarter starts has allowed Colorado to drive past midfield. Colorado QB Tyler Hansen is looking a lot better than his reputation would suggest.

And two opportunities were wasted: The long kick return only led to a field goal, and good field position for Georgia's second drive led to a punt.

Oh, and the silly mental mistake: Drew Butler said he expected to get about five more yards on his punts because of the thin air. Well if that was true, those five yards were used up by a delay of game penalty before the punt.

4:53 left in first quarter

Georgia freshman T.J. Stripling has left the game with what appears to be a serious injury to his right knee. Stripling, a linebacker, was injured on Georgia's kick coverage unit.

He was taken off the field in a cart, after play was stopped for almost five minutes.

Stripling, a true freshman from Decatur, has played mainly on special teams, with some time on defense.

4:58 left in first quarter, Georgia now trails 7-3

Georgia answers, sort of, on its opening drive. But the red zone troubles are back.

After a great opening kickoff by Brandon Boykin, the Bulldogs have to settle for yet another Blair Walsh field goal.

Brandon Boykin's 72-yard return went down to the 24, and was precisely what Georgia needed. It sort of sent the message that no, this would NOT have to play out just as the previous three games had.

But with absolutely no running game, and only one first down completion, Georgia still trails.

There was a lot of confusion on formations for Georgia in that series. A.J. Green and Marlon Brown were mixed up on where to line up for third down. The prior play, right tackle Josh Davis had to point behind him to literally point Shaun Chapas in the right direction.

Green was targeted twice, on the final two plays of the drive. The first was an overthrow in the end zone (Green was well-covered) and the second was on an inside slant. It was blocked at the line.

The first call was a pass to a tight end - Aron White caught it for an 8-yard gain. Well good, they got that out of the way.

Carlton Thomas did get the start at tailback. Wow, how far have Washaun Ealey and Caleb King slipped after all those preseason expectations.

7:47 left in first quarter, Colorado leads 7-0

Here we go again?

Georgia certainly hopes not, but this game has started exactly like the previous three, all losses: The opposition driving downfield for a touchdown.

And, just as happened in the second half at Mississippi State last week, third downs killed the Bulldogs. Colorado got several, including runs by Tyler Hansen on the first series, and a 39-yarder deep into Georgia territory.

Hansen also completed a pass down to the 3 to convert another third down.

All too familiar, this scene so far.

A few quick other defensive personnel notes:

Defensive end Garrison Smith's redshirt is officially burned. The true freshman played, after sitting out the first four games.

Sophomore Sanders Commings started at cornerback.

Bacarri Rambo and Jakar Hamilton started at safety. Nick Williams still isn't with the first unit.

Ben Jones supsended for clip

Minutes before kickoff, Georgia has announced that center Ben Jones is suspended for the first half of tonight's game because of his clip at Mississippi State.

A release says the decision was made after SEC commissioner Mike Slive and Georgia head coach Mark Richt "conferered." Slive and Richt each watched replays of the clip, which riled up MSU head coach Dan Mullen.

“It was poor judgment on Ben’s part,” Richt said in the statement. “He feels very badly about the incident and has sent a note of apology to the Mississippi State player. I have talked with (Mississippi State Coach) Dan Mullen and he appreciated the concern and Ben’s apology.”

It appears Chris Davis will start in Jones' place at center.

Durham, starting changes, and other pregame stuff

Receiver Kris Durham didn't participate in receiver drills. The team's leading receiver this season is in uniform, but he had his helmet off and stood to the side while his compatriots caught passes.

I don't know if that definitely means Durham, dealing with a neck stinger, is a no-go for the game. They might just be trying to stay careful, but it can't be a good sign that he's not going through warmups.

While the Bulldogs would obviously rather have Durham out there, they do have that A.J. Green fellow.

Meanwhile, there could be a few other starting changes, judging by pregame warmups:

Carlton Thomas was getting snaps with the first team at tailback. Chris Davis was getting work at right guard.

Defensively, watch out for Nick Williams. The junior safety was stretching with the first-teamers. The question is, would Williams start at safety or linebacker? (Probably safety, but with him you never know.)

Another note: The end of the Tennessee-LSU game - both endings - were watched with rapt attention on this side of the press box. Not only reporters, but Georgia officials, including Greg McGarity.

LSU head coach Les Miles was an assistant at Colorado in the early 1980s, so a few local reporters were also interested in the end-of-game mismanagement.

So I gotta wonder, does this demoralize Tennessee in advance of next week's game? Or the opposite?

Seeing red in Boulder

Sorry it's not a better picture, but the above shot should give you a bit of an idea of the scene inside Folsom Field.

Georgia fans have invaded, and are dominating one corner. They've formed almost a Dawg Walk in the area between the locker room and sideline.

More Bulldog fans are ringing the side of the field I'm on, in the press box. You can also see red-clad fans in different parts of the stadium.

Folsom Field has a capacity of 53,613. Georgia sold out (obviously) its allotment of 5,500 tickets. And it looks more than a few other fans found other ways to get seats.

Pregame blog (updated continuously)

6:03 p.m.

Kris Durham is dressed out, after being listed as questionable. Well, not listed, but stated by head coach Mark Richt on Wednesday. We'll have to monitor Durham during warmups to see how he's doing. (Oh good, another Caleb King situation.)

5:45 p.m.

(By the way, even though we're in the Mountain Time Zone, all my time stamps will remain eastern. That's partly not to confuse the vast majority of you, but also keep me straight, since I have to hit deadlines.)

Georgia kicker Blair Walsh said he wasn't sure during the week whether the thin air would be advantageous or not: He had heard that it would add a few yards, but also cause the kicks to be more erratic.

So far in warmups that appears to be what he's finding. He teed up a 70-yarder, and it had the distance - but was wide left. Now he's been trying some from 65-58, and he's had the distance on most of them, but has still been left. After several of them he's smiled and thrown up his hands, apparently exasperated.

5:27 p.m.

Some dress list notes:

Tailback Ken Malcome and receiver Michael Bennett both made the trip, despite plans to redshirt both players. Ditto for tackle Kenarious Gates. Those three have made other trips, and are probably only on hand for emergency purposes. (Cue up your joke about the state of the offense being an emergency.)

Another true freshman who has yet to play, defensive end Garrison Smith, is here. Keep an eye on whether his redshirt ends up getting burned.

Walk-on Parker Welch is the third quarterback on the trip. (Other than Logan Gray).

Oh, and A.J. Green dressed. Just to be sure.

5:15 p.m. (eastern)

It's a beautiful day here in Boulder. And I mean beautiful.

Georgia has just walked into Folsom Field, and players and coaches are on the grass, inspecting the property.

Mark Richt and his wife Kathryn are near her assigned spot, at the water area. Mike Bobo is looking dapper in a suit jacket (but no tie). Athletics director Greg McGarity is out there too.

One of the first things I notice: This is a small field, with very little room on the sidelines. The distance from the field to the stands may be 10 feet.

There's also the rising runway beyond one end zone, painted black with "COLORADO" in gold. I remember that from television, but the small sidelines are something I haven't seen in a major college stadium.

Postcard from the Rockies

Boulder, Colo. - My first trip west of the Mississippi came when I was a teenager, to a place called Boulder. Bill McCartney was the coach of the Colorado football team, which was a few years off a national championship.

I returned to Boulder on Friday, this time for business, along with a lot of other Georgia residents. Not much around here seems to have changed: The people are still friendly, and the vista is still beautiful – and while McCartney has long since been retired as the Buffaloes coach, plenty of people here are clamoring for him to return.

More on that later, along with some local talk on the status of the coach at Georgia.

But first, those mountains. You forget that the Rockies aren’t just some mountain range off in the distance. When you’re in Boulder, they’re right there on top of you. They overlook the town. Overtake it, even.

Speaking of overtaking Boulder …

There were a ton of Georgia fans in the downtown area on Friday night. The red shirts and hats, and G logos, were hard to miss along Pearl Street, about a mile-long stretch of restaurants, bars and street performers. (Among the curiosities spotted: A man using cardboard boxes for art, and a man painting himself bronze and acting like a statue.)

But the amount of Georgia fans who have made the trip here is what stands out. I’m sure a lot of Boulder residents are saying, ‘These many people are traveling for a 1-3 team?’

Well, when you make non-refundable plane reservations back when you think the team will be 4-0, or at worse 3-1, you sort of have to be a loyal fan.

(And hey, given the current postseason prospects, this may have to be treated as the bowl trip.)

But you have to be impressed with the Georgia fan base, regardless of record. This is two time zones away, and not a cheap trip, and yet they have descended on Boulder in strong force. The Colorado fans are used to seeing this from some of their more rabid Big 12 fan bases – Texas, Oklahoma, etc. – but to see a team from the East Coast travel like this should remind them of how serious people in SEC territory take their football.

They like their football here in Colorado too – but mostly the pro kind. (Even the third-string quarterback for the Denver Broncos has his jersey sold in the airport! Some guy named Tebow. Not sure where he went to school.)

Still, the locals knew there was a college football game going on this weekend – as witnessed by the “Go Dawgs” greeting a few Bulldog fans were given at the car rental agency.

The game – and Mark Richt’s job status - was a topic on local sports talk radio on Friday night. The host weighed in by stating that while Colorado coach Dan Hawkins is also on the hot seat, that Richt's seat is “way hotter,” perhaps even “scalding.”

Well, that seemed a bit laughable. Hawkins might have been fired after last season if Colorado didn’t have money problems. (And believe it or not, some people want McCartney back. And he will be Saturday night, as part of festivities honoring the 1990 national title-winning team. I’m sure that’ll make Hawkins feel great.)

Luckily the host had the Colorado beat guy for the Boulder Daily Camera on a short time later, and the writer, Kyle Ringo, corrected him on just whose job is in more jeopardy.

The talk radio host when on to adjust his statement to mean that Richt’s seat was hot because of the fan base. The fact that a coach with 91 wins over 10 seasons, who has won two SEC titles, would be on the hot seat was a sign of what the host called “insanity” in the SEC fan base.

Ringo couldn’t disagree with that assessment. Nor could all the natives on Pearl Street, watching the see of red and black in their town. (Boulder is pictured below, if you can make it out, from a scenic outlook about five miles away.)

Behind enemy lines: Colorado edition

Two facts I did not know about Boulder, Colo.: It is not only home to the University of Colorado, but Naropa University, one of only two accredited Buddhist universities in the U.S. And starting in 1998 some citizens have taken part in a naked Pumpkin run on Halloween, which is exactly what it sounds like. But police started cracking down on it last year.

Two facts I did not know about Colorado's football team: It's looking for back-to-back wins for the first time since 2008, and Saturday night it will host an SEC team for the first time since 1979. (When it beat LSU.

For more on the team and the atmosphere, we go to Tom Kensler, who covers the Buffaloes for the Denver Post.

First off, the important question: For Georgia fans in the Boulder-Denver area for the game, where are some good places to eat, and are there any other places you'd suggest they stop by?

Kensler: For those staying in or near Boulder, the best bet, and easiest thing to do is to go to Boulder's Pearl Street Mall. It's regarded as one of the nation's best pedestrian malls. Plenty of good restaurants and shops. And interesting characters.

If staying near or in the city of Denver, the downtown is one of the nation's most vibrant --and safe. The Lodo area (Lower Downtown) is teeming with activity - bars, restaurants, clubs.

For those who have a rental car and want to explore the mountains but don't have much time, drive west on I-70 to the town of Idaho Springs. It's only about a 30-45 minute drive, but retains the flavor of an old western mining town, great shops. Eat at the Buffalo Bar (which is really a restaurant). Try a buffalo burger if you never have. It just tastes like the best hamburger.

Another suggestion: take Coors Brewery Tour in Golden, which is a western suburb of Denver. The town is quaint too. Where ever you go, sample the microbrew beers. The Denver area vies with Portland, Ore., as the nation's top location for brewpubs.

Most fans around here remember Colorado from the glory years of Bill McCartney (who will be in the stadium Saturday). Obviously the program has fallen on harder times, but how has that affected the fan base? Where is Colorado football in the pecking order of sports interest in the state?

Kensler: Even when Colorado has won, the relatively small stadium isn't guaranteed to be a sellout. Colorado faces challenges that no other Big 12 school does in athletics -- it's in the shadow of a pro town (People in Boulder don't like to admit it, but Boulder is part of suburban Denver). So at best, CU football ranks well below the Broncos (huge No. 1 in interest) and the Colorado Rockies, and sometimes below the Nuggets and Avs. That's one reason why CU will fit better in the Pac-10, where many of its members are in pro towns.

How much do people in your area know about Georgia football, and the SEC? How would they tend to view each?

Kensler: Probably not a lot, other than the die-hard college football fans who watch everything on TV at sports bars. The SEC is a long way from here. And, frankly, newspapers don't have enough space and TV and radio don't have enough air time to talk much about other conferences, although some sports talk guys really like college sports and emphasize that more than others.

It's probably no different than if you ask somebody in Georgia about CU. You tend to mostly follow your conference. But people here are well aware that UGA has a long tradition and that it has top-level athletes, even if the record thus far does not reflect that. As for the SEC, I think most everybody believes it is the top conference for football.

OK, a question about the actual game: Colorado has run the ball a lot the first three games. Is that the kind of approach that should carry into this game?

Kensler: Not sure about that. In two of the three games, CU has thrown the ball for more yards than it has run. Coach Dan Hawkins strives for balance. But, yes, Colorado probably wouldn't mind controlling the clock some with its running attack because CU typically can't keep up in a scoreboard shootout. But I'm not sure the Buffs can control the line of scrimmage enough to emphasize the run. They'll have to take some shots downfield.

Is Colorado the team that got rolled by California, and struggled in the first half against Hawaii? Or is the one that recovered to rout Hawaii, and beat Colorado State soundly?

Kensler: Hawaii is a decent team -- some of the preseason magazines picked the Warriors to be the second- or third-best team in the WAC behind Boise State. So the second half explosion was impressive. But the Buffs were overwhelmed by Cal, and Georgia has at least as much athleticism and size as the Bears, so this will be a big test.

Finally, which player or two (or three) should worry Georgia?

Kensler: Wide receivers Toney Clemons (transfer from Michigan) and Travon Patterson (Southern Cal) have sprinter's speed. Can't let them get behind the secondary. Quarterback Tyler Hansen can move out the pocket and go. He surprises teams with his foot speed. Defensively, linebacker B.J. Beatty and cornerback Jalil Brown are playmakers.