After a week of traveling 10 hours to Shreveport, visiting local hospitals on Christmas Day and, being “off” for the better part of a month, the Georgia Bulldogs will be itching to play today against Texas A&M in the Advocare 100 Independence Bowl. On the way to Shreveport, a bus full of Bulldogs broke down in Macon. The players received a stipend from the NCAA to fund travel expenses to the bowl game and several spent their money on a chartered bus. After leaving on the 24th, the team finally arrived in Shreveport late on Christmas Eve.
The following day, the team visited a local hospital and helped patients get into the Christmas spirit.
“We visited with some patients at the hospital and some of the guys started singing, this is a sign of the times, they were pulling out their cell phones and getting the lyrics for like, ‘Jingle Bells.’ I didn’t know it had a second verse. They were having a good time,” said head coach Mark Richt.
The team then practiced in the afternoon for the first time in Shreveport. On Saturday, the team practiced again for the second and final time in Shreveport before today’s game. Sunday was spent resting and participating in the final walk-through before today’s contest.
The bowl practice schedule was a bit different than in previous years.
“Last year, we had a full week of practice and preparation. Now here, we have two days and a walk-through,” tailback Caleb King said. “It’s weird that we had so much of the practice in Georgia.”
FAMILIAR FACE ON AGGIE SIDELINE
Former Georgia defensive coordinator Joe Kines will be on A&M’s side this time facing the team he coached from 1995-1998 as defensive coordinator. Kines is known for giving a good quote and for his folksy way of explained things to players and the media.
For instance, here is the veteran coach explaining the difference between the SEC and Big XII: “Having been through the SEC and now on this side, it’s two different animals. Once you cross that Mississippi, it’s a different animal,” Kines said. “But it’s just like a jigsaw puzzle every week. You’ve got to put it together, and the shape of the pieces don’t matter.”
Kines has coached for Arkansas, Clemson, Florida, and Alabama as well.
However, Kines’ defense this year has been terrible. The Ags are ranked 87th in rush defense, 111th in pass defense, 107th in total defense, and 104th in scoring defense.
But the A&M offense has more than made up for these shortcomings.
The Aggies offense is the only squad in the nation to be ranked in the top 25 of the four main offensive categories- total offense, scoring offense, passing offense, and rushing offense.
Junior QB Jarrod Johnson is the straw that stirs the drink for the Aggies. Johnson has set several Texas A&M single-season records this season including passing yards (3,217), passing touchdowns (28), touchdown responsibility (36) and total offense (3,672).
The second-team All Big XII selection presents a unique challenge to the Bulldog defense. He is big, fast, athletic, and is precise throwing the football. After facing a large QB that can pass in Arkanasas’ Ryan Mallett, a running and passing quarterback in Florida’s Tim Tebow, and an athletic running quarterback in Tech’s Josh Nesbitt, the Dawgs now face a quarterback that features a little bit of all of those guys in Johnson.
“Facing a guy that can move and throw the ball as well as he can, it’s a tough challenge,” defensive end Demarcus Dobbs said. “You have to worry about keeping contain, and you can’t have too many guys worrying about the run because he can throw the ball.”
INJURY SITUATION
-AJ Green and Reshad Jones wore green jerseys during bowl prep but will be available today.
-Baccari Rambo will be ready to play for the first time since being injured on a hit at the end of the Auburn game.
-Demarcus Dobbs injured his ankle during bow prep but will be available today as well.
STATS AND HISTORY
Georgia is 1-3 all time against the Aggies with the win coming during the 1980 national championship season. A&M’s wins came in 1950, 1953, and 1954. The 1950 game was in the Presidential Cup, a bowl game played on Dec. 9 just a week after the end of the regular season. The 1954 game is interesting because it featured Bear Bryant’s first team at A&M, the team that was the subject of the book and television movie “The Junction Boys”.
Georgia will play in their 45th bowl game all time tonight, a number which is sixth-most in the nation. The Bulldogs have won 25 of those games, which is good enough for a tie for fourth all time. UGA has been to 18 different bowl games, more than anyone else.
The Dawgs played in the Independence Bowl one other time, a 24-15 win over Arkansas after the 1991 season. The game was Arkansas’ last as a member of the SWC.
Black can be reached at sblack@scoreatl.com.
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