DEL.ICIO.USCOLLEGE FOOTBALL: CAPITAL ONE BOWL
WR Moore confident about ‘09 after strong game
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Orlando — Any uncertainty about who might replace Mohamed Massaquoi next season was erased with Michael Moore’s display against Michigan State on Thursday.
Moore, a junior flanker, led Georgia’s receivers with six catches for 97 yards in the Capital One Bowl. He also had a 35-yard touchdown catch to cap a 96-yard scoring drive that tipped the game in the Bulldogs’ favor.
Pouya Dianat / pdianat@ajc.com
Georgia wide receiver Michael Moore (82) evades Michigan State defenders as he runs for a touchdown in the third quarter.
That it came at the expense of Massaquoi and A.J. Green — who combined for just two catches for 22 yards — was a minor disappointment.
“That’s just the way the coverages broke down,” said Moore, who set career bests in both catches and yards. “I was wide open in the middle of the field a lot while they were on the outside. The coaches believed in me and they said they were going to take advantage of that. That’s what we did in the second half.”
Moore said he feels an obligation to step up and become a go-to guy and leader in the absence of his good friend Massaquoi, who should graduate later this year.
“I hope this was kind of an introduction to the new year. I feel real good right now, real confident,” said Moore, who finished the season with 29 catches for 451 yards and two TDs. “Me and Mohamed are like brothers and I’m definitely looking to fill his void.”
As for his second TD of the season, Moore said it was just a well-designed play executed perfectly.
“It was a fake screen,” he said. “I faked like I was going to block and then just got vertical up field. It worked to perfection. We haven’t run it all season and Coach Bobo just made a great call with it at the right moment. They were calling ‘screen, screen, screen’ when we lined up.”
Green, Massaquoi don?t get 1,000
Neither A.J. Green or Mohamed Massaquoi surpassed 1,000 receiving yards on the season. Green caught one pass for 12 yards Thursday, giving him 963 yards overall, and Massaquoi caught one for 10 yards, leaving him at 920.
Why so few catches for the Bulldogs’ top receivers? Said quarterback Matthew Stafford:
“We thought we could take some shots downfield with Mohamed and A.J, but the slow start to the game made us change what we were going to do … I think those guys got more attention on the outside and we were able to do more in the middle [chiefly with Michael Moore.]”
Terrence Edwards remains the only 1,000-yard receiver in Bulldog annals. He had 1,004 in 2002.
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