Athens, GA (Best E Casino) - Top-10 teams meet in SEC action in Athens this weekend, as the third-ranked Georgia Bulldogs welcome the eighth-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide to Sanford Stadium.
Both teams are sitting at 4-0 on the young season and both are coming off big road wins.
Nick Saban's Crimson Tide continue to impress with each passing week. Alabama opened the season with a rout of a good Clemson program (34-10) and has continued the strong play with wins over Tulane (20-6), Western Kentucky (41-7) and most recently, Arkansas (49-14). In fact, the Tide's offensive eruption against the Razorbacks in their SEC-opener was the most points by Alabama in an SEC game since 1990.
Looking to bring a halt to Alabama's momentum is Georgia, which moved to 4-0 on the season with a solid 27-10 victory at Arizona State. Knocking off the Sun Devils in Tempe gives the Bulldogs some much needed credibility, with rather bland wins over Georgia Southern (45-21) and South Carolina (14-7) sandwiched around a rout of Central Michigan (56-17) preceding the victory in the desert.
Alabama holds a 35-25-4 edge in the all-time series with Georgia, but it is the Bulldogs who have closed the gap of late, winning three straight meetings, including a 26-23 overtime thriller in Bryant-Denny Stadium last year.
The Tide certainly know how to roll up the points on offense this year. With its eruption last weekend against Arkansas, Alabama is now averaging 36.0 ppg, on 387.5 yards of total offense.
The ground game is the most productive phase of the offense for Alabama, as the team is churning out 236.8 yards per game rushing the football, on a healthy 5.9 yards per carry. In addition, the team has rushed for nine TDs in the first four games. Junior tailback Glen Coffee has been one of the most productive rushers in the SEC in the first month of the season, averaging 8.6 yards per carry and 101.0 yards per game. He led a rushing attack that amassed 331 yards against Arkansas last week, rushing for 162 yards on just 10 carries. Freshman Mark Ingram gives the team a viable second option out of the backfield, with his 6.1 yards per carry average. Ingram has also scored a team-high four TDs.
Quarterback John Parker-Wilson is a savvy signal-caller with the ability to manage a game just fine. He has completed nearly 60 percent of his throws thus far, going for 542 yards, with five TDs and just one INT. He has a pair of quality targets downfield in senior tight end Nick Walker (12 receptions, for 102 yards and two TDs) and freshman wideout Julio Jones (11 receptions, for 132 yards, three TDs).
Still, Coach Saban believes there is room to get better on offense.
"There are a lot of things we need to improve on as a team. We're not throwing the ball as effectively as we need too. We need to be a better third down team."
Few teams are getting it done as well as Alabama on the defensive side of the football. The team is yielding a mere 9.2 ppg and that is more impressive considering the team has held solid teams in Clemson and Arkansas to a combined 24 points.
The rush defense has been particularly stout, ranking among the nation's best at a meager 55.0 yards per game (2.2 ypc). Every level of the defense has excelled thus far. The linebackers are paced by sophomore Rolando McClain (team-high 29 tackles, three TFLs) and junior Brandon Fanney (17 tackles, 3.5 TFLs).
The secondary features safeties Rashad Johnson (24 tackles) and Justin Woodall (13 tackles, two INTs) and corners Kareem Jackson (18 tackles) and Javier Arenas (16 tackles, one sack, one INT).
Up front, it is mammoth nose tackle Terrence Cody that teams have to concern themselves with. At 6-5, 365 pounds, Cody takes up a lot of room, but is extremely quick for a player his size. He has 12 tackles on the season, with three TFLs. Senior Bobby Greenwood and junior Brandon Deaderick flank Cody in the 3-4 defensive front.
The Bulldogs do a lot of the same things offensively that the Crimson Tide do. Georgia is averaging 35.5 ppg on the year and enjoys mixing up the run (189.2 ypg) and the pass (260.8 ypg).
Where the team has an advantage is in star power in the backfield, starting with Heisman hopeful Knowshon Moreno. The standout sophomore tailback is as dangerous a runner as there is in the nation. He is averaging 113.8 yards per game on 6.6 yards per carry and certainly knows how to finish plays off, as evidenced by his nine TDs in the first four games.
Having that kind of threat on the ground definitely opens things up for QB Matthew Stafford and the passing game. Stafford has been impressive in terms of managing the game this year and is currently completing just over 60 percent of his passes, with five TDs and no interceptions in 102 pass attempts.
The arrival of freshman A.J. Green is certainly reason to be happy in Athens as well. The 6-4 youngster has played lights out in the first four games, leading the Bulldogs in receptions (16) and receiving yards (300). Green was named the SEC Freshman of the Week after recording eight receptions, for 159 yards and one TD against Arizona State.
One other thing Green has done is open things up downfield for Mohamed Massaquoi (14 receptions, for 195 yards). Both wideouts have registered two receiving scores on the year.
The Georgia defense has dominated the line of scrimmage thus far and has completely shut down opposing ground games, giving up just 45.8 yards rushing per game on 2.0 yards per carry. The pass defense has been a little more forgiving (229.2 ypg), but teams have had to abandon the run early on in games.
Linebacker Rennie Curran has been all over the field for the Bulldogs thus far and currently leads the team in tackles (29), TFLs (five) and sacks (three).
Although this unit has played well, one area of concern has to be a lack of forced turnovers. The Bulldogs have only recorded five takeaways in the first four games, with three INTs and two fumble recoveries.
This game will certainly garner a national audience and coach Richt knows that Alabama presents Georgia with a daunting task.
"It's a very exciting week for us, no doubt. We get a chance to play at home again. We get a chance to play another Southeastern Conference game, which is big. We are playing a great team, a top 10 team and one that is coached by one of the finest coaches in America. They have been tested, they just have whipped everybody so bad it didn't seem like they were. To play a top-10 team in Clemson and play Arkansas they way they did, they made it look like they weren't tested. They are a dominant team right now and a very confident team right now."
