Georgia: looking back and peeking ahead

By Tim Tucker

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The game that was

Nice day. Full stadium. No injuries. Easy victory against an overmatched opponent.

Georgia's 55-7 season-opening rout of Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday might have been good for the psyche of redshirt freshman quarterback Aaron Murray, the reconfigured defense and Bulldog Nation. But it soon will be forgotten as the Dogs move into SEC play.

What we learned

1. The answer to the much-asked question of whether freshman quarterback Hutson Mason would redshirt: No. He entered the game late in the third quarter with Georgia leading 41-7 and seems solidly the No. 2 QB.

2. Todd Grantham definitely gets fired up. Georgia's new defensive coordinator was animated on the sideline and went on a tirade when safety Bacarri Rambo allowed Louisiana-Lafayette's only score, a 60-yard pass. "I was grinning," Coach Mark Richt said Sunday of Grantham's demeanor. "I liked it. I think the players liked it, too."

3. The running game has some work to do. "Overall is was a good day, not a great day, running the ball," Richt said. Missed preseason practice time by two starting offensive linemen and the one-game suspension of tailback Washaun Ealey figured into that. "Once we play a little bit longer together, practice more together, I think we'll be fine," Richt said.

Injury report

Georgia suffered no injuries as far as Richt knew Sunday.

Numbers game

7

UGA players who scored touchdowns Saturday -- Caleb King, Kris Durham, Shaun Chapas, Aaron Murray, Fred Munzenmaier, Logan Gray and Jakar Hamilton

Sound bite

"It was like all high school all over again, getting all those carries."

-- Backup tailback Carlton Thomas, who led Georgia in rushing yards (61) and carries (13). He had only 22 carries all of last season, no more than six in a single game.

Loose ends

The three players who were suspended from the opener because of recent arrests --  Washaun Ealey, wide receiver Tavarres King and safety Alec Ogletree -- are expected to play this week, Richt said. . . .  A different player will wear No. 31 each game this season in honor of Quintin Banks, the safety who was forced to forgo his senior season because of recurring knee injuries. Split end Kris Durham wore Banks' No. 31, instead of Durham's regular No. 16, against Louisiana-Lafayette. The idea originated with the team's senior players.  "I said, ‘If the jersey fits, wear it,'" Richt said. "I think [Banks] is a man worth honoring, so I think it's a good idea."

What's next

Georgia and South Carolina meet at noon Saturday in Columbia (ESPN2). If history holds, the game will be close. Seven of the past nine Georgia-South Carolina games have been decided by seven points or fewer. Georgia is 7-2 vs. South Carolina under Richt, including 4-0 in Columbia.

South Carolina has been Georgia's first SEC opponent in every season since 1992.

"It's always been the biggest test and the most honest test of where you are," Richt said. "You can have your first game against a non-conference opponent and maybe not know what it's really going to be like when you get into league play. Just like Aaron Murray right now: He played a game, played in front of a big crowd, got a chance to get hit and make plays and all that kind of thing, but [this] week is going to be a new experience for him . . . playing away, playing in a hostile environment, playing against a Southeastern Conference opponent, playing against maybe a different brand of athlete on defense."

South Carolina opened its season last Thursday with a 41-13 victory over Southern Miss.