2009 Record – 8-5, 4-4 SEC
Bowl Game – Independence Bowl – Beat Texas A&M 44-20
Letterman Returning: 49
Stadium – Sanford Stadium (92,746)
College Location – Athens, GA
Coach – Mark Richt – 90-27 (10th year)
OFFENSE: (10)
Key Returnees – WR AJ Green (below), RB Washaun Ealey, T Clint Bowling, TE Orson Charles, C Ben Jones
Key Losses – QB Joe Cox, WR Michael Moore
- Heading into spring football in Athens, the Bulldog offense was surrounded by competition. At nearly every position, apart from the offensive line where every starter returns, a heated battle was on, where questions were answered and a hit elimination series of Georgia’s Got Talent, began. The biggest question Georgia faces 
this season is at quarterback, where heralded redshirt freshman, Aaron Murray, takes claim of the starting position. Murray out-battled junior, Logan Gray, in the spring and Gray has since moved on to wideout to finish his career in Athens. Murray is a talented pocket passer, who may remind some of a younger Matthew Stafford, but the in-experienced leader will head through some growing pains before him and Stafford may be mentioned in the same sentence again. Murray has the confidence of head coach Mark Richt and a talented group surrounding him on offense to makes things much easier. Flashbacks of another redshirt freshman quarterback entering first time starting duty back in 2007, in Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford, seem closely similar to Murray’s 2010 campaign. Things seemed to work out just fine in Norman for Bradford and the Sooners. At wideout, a lot of Bulldog fans and football fans around the country are aware of All-American AJ Green, who has done nothing but impress since arriving on campus but it is the wide recievers on the other side of the field that has created discussion and left some questioning. Finding a reliable No.2 wide receiver, to help both Green and a young QB, was one task for the Bulldogs this spring. Sophomore, Tavarres King and senior, Kris Durham, are the two most likely candidates in the rotation. King has shown flashes of greatness, but will miss the first game of the season on suspension. Durham, a reliable possession receiver and the favorite to win the job, will be heading back from a season off, after shoulder surgery. Whoever wins the battle through fall camp, however, may have to play third fiddle to athletic sophomore tight end, Orson Charles, who will steal catches this fall. The last battle for the Bulldogs was at the running back position where sophomore, Washaun Ealey and junior, Caleb King, duked it out for the head position. Ealey led the team in rushing last season with 717 yards, while King brought in the most touchdowns with seven, on 594 yards. Both averaged better than five yards a carry, however, and will each get a fair share of time in the fall.
DEFENSE: (5)
Key Returnees – OLB Justin Houston (below), CB Brandon Boykin, MLB Marcus Dowtin
Key Losses – MLB Rennie Curran, S Reshad Jones, DT Jeff Owens, DT Geno Atkins
- It's not really a secret that Georgia defenders litter NFL rosters like media members at an offseason Brett Favre press conference. The Mark Richet era has been filled with talented defenses and NFL pro days that make scouts salivate like Cruella 
Deville in a pet shop. From the likes of the old defenses of Richard Seymour and Charles Grant, to the talented defenses of Thomas Davis and David Pollack and most recent products of Dannell Ellerbe and Rennie Curran, Georgia has always seemed to be one to produce a defender. Though finding even one player this season who will take the torch left behind by past greatness, however, is like scavenging for a miss printed M&M. The 2010 defense loses six starters, including three members of the secondary and two talented defensive linemen in Jeff Owens and Geno Atkins. Future talent does still return for the Bulldogs, especially at linebacker, where sophomore Cornellius Washington and junior, Justin Houston, provide excitement from their outside position. The two combined for 11.5 sacks last season from their edge rush and will be counted upon to bring even more pressure this season. The Georgia defense had nine multi-sack games last season including two games of six. A high amount of pressure is placed on the secondary in 2010 to produce more than the -1.2 average in the turnover ratio for the Bulldogs. The team came away with a positive ratio in just three games last season. The only returning starter will be junior corner, Brandon Boykin. Boykin brought in nine passes defended and finished second on the team with three interceptions. Starters filling the rest of the secondary still remains up in the air and probably won’t be figured out until after August camp. Senior end, Demarcus Dobbs, leads an inexperienced group of defensive linemen, along with sophomore, Abry Jones and junior nose tackle, DeAngelo Tyson.
SCHEDULE:
- Under head man Mark Richt, a comfortable position amongst the top of the SEC has been the case for Georgia the last nine years. Last season was Richt’s first true hiccup as a head coach for the Bulldogs, going 4-4 in the SEC and bringing in an 8-5 record, his worst as a head coach. Blowout losses to Tennessee and Florida and coming out on the wrong end of shootouts against Kentucky and LSU plagued the Bulldogs. This season, a familiar SEC test and a much more relaxed out of conference schedule, should place Georgia back into its comfort zone in the SEC. An early September test against the Gamecocks, in a trip to South Carolina, will be just what a young QB like Murray needs to prove himself. A home visit from Arkansas and trip to Mississippi State round out September. An out of conference trip to Colorado, followed by home visits from Tennessee and Vanderbilt, round out three consecutive weeks atop October. Revenge from last season’s loss against Kentucky is scheduled for Oct. 23. A week later the toughest test yet for the Bulldogs comes in a trip to Jacksonville to take on Florida, Oct. 30. Idaho State at home and a trip to Auburn Nov.13, lead Georgia into their first off week of the season. With a talented Georgia Tech offense heading to Athens in the final game of the season Nov.27, the bye week for the Bulldogs couldn’t have come at a better time.
Schedule rating: B+
Red = Toughest Game. Blue = Pivotal to conference.
Top Incoming Freshman:
1.) Alec Ogletree (left), *#3 OLB, 6-3 212, Newnan, GA
Ogletree, rated by many as a linebacker, will most likely play safety for the Bulldogs and may play early this fall.
2.) T.J. Stripling, #12 DE, 6-6 215, Decatur, GA
Stripling, an end in high school, has the size and speed of an ideal rush outside linebacker for the Bulldogs.
3.) Garrison Smith, #6 DT, 6-3 255, Atlanta, GA
Another talented defender from the state of Georgia brought in by the Bulldogs.
4.) Brent Benedict, #10 OT, 6-6 290, Jacksonville, FL
Benedict has the strength (400 lb bench) and athleticism (33 inch vert) to fill in right away if need be in Athens.
5.) Michael Thornton, #16 DT, 6-1 275, Stone Mountain, GA
Another talented Georgia product from state powerhouse Stephenson HS in Stone Mountain.
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