Three story lines
Righting the ship. The Bulldogs, coming off a losing season for the first time since 1996, were within a touchdown in the fourth quarter in all seven games they lost in 2010. As a result, they made changes in the strength program and shifted the emphasis to conditioning.
Winning the big one. For all its accomplishments the past five seasons – a .924 winning percentage and a pair of undefeated seasons — Boise State has not won a BCS championship. The Broncos are ranked No. 5. If they can win their fifth consecutive game against an opponent from an automatic-qualifer conference and take care of business the rest of the way, they should end up playing for the title in New Orleans.
Coming-out party. Saturday will mark the UGA debut for more than a few players, including freshman tailback Isaiah Crowell, sophomore outside linebacker Jarvis Jones and junior nose guard John Jenkins. Add to that at least nine other members of the Bulldogs' famed "Dream Team" recruiting class who are scheduled to play.
A Georgia win would ...
- Give the Bulldogs tremendous momentum heading into next weekend's game against No. 12 South Carolina in Athens.
- Be its first over a top-5 opponent since Nov. 11, 2006, when they beat No. 5 Auburn 37-15 on the Plains.
A Boise State win would ...
- Be its fifth consecutive over a team from a BCS power conference. It has beaten Oregon (twice), Oklahoma and Virginia Tech in the past five seasons.
- Place the Broncos among the favorites to reach the BCS Championship game Jan. 9 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans.
Keep an eye on ...
For Georgia: Orson Charles doesn't play wide receiver, but the Bulldogs' junior tight end from Tampa figures to be the most likely player to take over the role as top target for quarterback Aaron Murray. Georgia lost its top receiver from a year ago, A.J. Green, who was the fourth pick of the NFL draft after his junior season.
For Boise State: If the Broncos win eight games this season, fifth-year senior quarterback Kellen Moore will become the winningest quarterback in major college football history. He enters the game as the nation's active career leader in pass efficiency (166.74) and second in completion percentage (68.17), yards (10,867) and passing touchdowns (99).
The numbers game
0 Boise State wins over SEC teams in four tries
0-4 Georgia’s record against top-5 teams the past four seasons
The history book
Series record: Georgia leads 1-0.
Previous meeting: Georgia defeated Boise State 48-13 in 2005. Making his starting debut, quarterback D.J. Shockley accounted for six touchdowns (five passing) as the Bulldogs rolled the Broncos from the start. Georgia intercepted Boise's first pass of the game and never looked back.
The bottom line
It’s a game of monumental importance for both teams. A loss would effectively end any hopes Boise State has for making another national championship bid. Georgia needs a victory to reestablish itself as a program of national significance and to carry the banner of SEC dominance. All indications are it is an extremely close matchup.
About the Author
