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| | Monday, September 4 Bulldogs barking, but do they have bite? | |||||
| By Pat Forde Special to ESPN.com Georgia Bulldogs 1999 record: 8-4 (5-3 SEC) Coach: Jim Donnan Returning starters: 18 (8 offense, 10 defense) Outlook Welcome to the Prove It year in Athens. The stage is set for the Bulldogs to finally push past Tennessee and Florida and win their first outright SEC East title -- and perhaps their first overall league title since Herschel Walker wore silver britches. Almost every key player from last season's Outback Bowl-winning team returns, in a season when Tennessee reloads and Florida tries to rediscover its swagger. It starts with quarterback Quincy Carter, the Heisman candidate who threw for 2,713 yards, 17 touchdowns and only six interceptions, and ran for five more TDs. It continues with burly running back Jasper Sanks, who could be poised for a breakout year. It goes on to a receiving corps that returns all starters. And it includes a defense that has 10 starters back. The Dogs could well be 4-0 when the Volunteers come to town Oct. 7 for a game that could either propel Georgia to glory or wreck its psyche. The annual Cocktail Party game with Florida in Jacksonville comes three weeks later. Nobody needs to remind Donnan that his record against those two is 1-7, with none of the defeats closer than 12 points. (Neither is it recommended to bring up his two-game losing streak to Georgia Tech.) If that doesn't change this season, Donnan and his players will have some serious explaining to do. Keep an eye on ... The reconstructed knee of sophomore defensive end/fullback Charles Grant. He was a burgeoning superstar last year as a true freshman, as Kentucky would attest (three sacks, two rushing TDs in that game), but tore a ligament in the season finale against Tech. Grant still hopes to play both ways, but we'll see how the knee holds up. It's a good season if ... Georgia is playing in the SEC title game down the road in Atlanta. |
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