DEL.ICIO.USSEC Football
Is this Georgia’s best offense ever?
Richt: ‘Best combination of playmakers we’ve ever had’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Athens - Usually it’s the offensive line that makes skill players look good. It has been just the opposite for Georgia this season.
As coach Mark Richt put it this week: “We are blocking some, but we are absolutely having some skill guys make some plays, too.”
Brant Sanderlin/bsanderlin@ajc.com
Mohamed Massaquoi and the Bulldogs have been scoring in bunches.
He’s referencing four skill players in particular. Quarterback Matthew Stafford, tailback Knowshon Moreno and wide receivers Mohamed Massaquoi and A.J. Green are having superb seasons for the Bulldogs. Each of them rank among the best at their positions in the SEC. Together, they are a big reason why Georgia leads the league it total offense (436.8 ypg).
“That’s one of the reasons why I wish I was still calling plays,” said Richt, who relinquished those duties to offensive coordinator Mike Bobo toward the end of last season. “I think it’s the best combination of playmakers on offense we’ve ever had here.”
That’s saying something. The Bulldogs have had playmakers aplenty during Richt’s eight seasons in Athens.
Richt said the 2002 offense was fairly close to this one in terms of big-play ability. That unit featured David Greene at quarterback, Musa Smith at tailback and Terrence Edwards and Fred Gibson out wide. The Bulldogs went 13-1 that season, won the SEC title and finished as Sugar Bowl champions.
But singularly, none of those players were as prolific as this year’s individuals have been from a production standpoint. And that ‘02 team was playing behind an all-senior offensive line.The quartet’s production this season is more amazing considering that their success depends upon a line that has lost three starters to injuries and is starting three freshmen and two sophomores.
“They definitely make it easier for us,” sophomore left tackle Clint Boling said. “Matthew gets rid of the ball quick and doesn’t take too many steps. Knowshon, all you have to do is give him a little bit of a hole and he makes something happen out of nothing. It’s just really easy to block for them and it makes everyone on the offense better.”
It’s Auburn’s task to prepare to stop the Georgia offense this Saturday. Here’s the four players the Tigers will focus on:
QB Matthew Stafford
Statistics: 176-of-289 passing for 2,587 yards, 15 TDs, 8 interceptions; 1 rushing TD.
Statistical rank: First in the SEC in passing (258.7 ypg) and total offense (262.8).
Season highlight: Threw the game-winning pass to Green with 1:54 remaining in a win over Kentucky on Saturday. Also passed for a career-high 376 yards.
Season lowlight: Threw three interceptions in the 49-10 loss to Florida.
Quote: “Believe me, I’m thankful we’ve got Matthew right now. As beat up as our offensive line has been, it takes a veteran, full-grown man to stand in there and make the types of plays he’s been making.” — Richt
Knowshon Moreno
Statistics: 1,113 yards rushing on 188 carries, 15 TDs.
Statistical rank: Second in SEC and 16th nationally in rushing yards per game (111.3).
Season highlight: Jumped over the head of a standing Central Michigan defender while in full stride in the season game of the season. Had a season-high 172 yards rushing against Vanderbilt.
Season lowlight: Let a pitch on a toss sweep go between his hands for a fumble Florida returned to the Georgia 10-yard line.
Quotable: “He can run with power, he can run for speed, he catches the ball out of the backfield really well. We’re finding a lot of different ways to get him the ball. He’s tough for defenses to scheme for. You just don’t know where he’s going to be.” — Stafford
Mohamed Massaquoi
Statistics: 41 catches for 669 yards and 5 TDs.
Statistical rank: Fifth in the SEC in receptions per game (4.1) and third in receiving yards (66.9)
Season highlight: Had a career-high eight catches for a career-high 191 yards and a touchdown against Kentucky.
Season lowlight: Lost two fumbles against the Wildcats.
Quotable: “Straight ahead he may be one of our fastest receivers. Not many people realize that. Got great hands and he knows what to do every time. He’s really been playing well.” — Stafford
A.J. Green
Statistics: 46 catches for 806 yards and 6 TDs.
Statistical rank: First in SEC in receiving yards per game (80.6) and fourth in catches per game (4.6).
Season highlight: Had eight catches for 159 yards and a touchdown against Arizona State. Also pulled down the game-winner versus Kentucky.
Season lowlight: Dropped a wide-open pass for a would-be touchdown against Tennessee.
Quotable: “He’s going to be awesome. He’s got that potential. He just needs to keep working hard and trying to get a perfect with his routes as he can get because if he can do that it’s going to be tough to cover him.” — Stafford
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