Outback Bowl: Michigan State (10-3) vs. Georgia (10-3)
Three storylines
Tailback shuffle. Redshirt freshman Ken "Boo" Malcome will get the start at tailback for Georgia. The Bulldogs have started five different players at that position this season. Malcome will share time with junior Richard Samuel and freshman Isaiah Crowell, each of whom is returning from ankle injuries, and junior Carlton Thomas, who is coming back from a knee injury in the SEC Championship game.
Homecoming for Charles, Murray. Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray and tight end Orson Charles, two of the Bulldogs' biggest offensive stars, played their high school ball at Plant High School. That's exactly 4.6 miles from Raymond James Stadium, where they will do battle against Michigan State. Murray and Charles, who have connected on a team-high 44 passes this season, could be playing their last game together. Charles, a junior, is contemplating entering the NFL draft on Jan. 15.
Continuing the turnaround. Georgia's Mark Richt coached himself off the hotseat this season as the Bulldogs won 10 consecutive games after starting the season 0-2. Currently 17 starters are slated to return next season. Players have said they view Monday's bowl game as the 2012 season opener and want to win in impressive fashion to set up "big things" for next fall.
A Georgia victory would ...
Be the Bulldogs' 27th in 47 bowl appearances. Only Alabama (32), USC (31) and Oklahoma (28) have won more.
Give Georgia its fourth season of 11 or more victories under coach Richt. UGA had only four previously.
A Michigan State victory would ...
Be the Spartans' first in a bowl game under coach Mark Dantonio. He is 0-4 in bowls.
Keep an eye on ...
Michigan State defensive tackle Jerel Worthy. The 6-foot-3, 310-pound junior is considered one of the top interior defensive lineman in the nation. Playing tackle in the Spartans' 4-3 scheme, Worthy was named a consensus first-team All-America selection. A semifinalist for the Lombardi Award, Worthy has 25 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
Georgia cornerback/kick returner Brandon Boykin. The senior start his 38th game for the Bulldogs at cornerback but also sees a lot of action as a kickoff and punt returner, and occasional offensive contributor. Boykin already owns the school record for career kickoff return yardage with 2,593. He has four returns for TDs but is still looking for his first this season.
The numbers game
3
Georgia's national rank in total defense
5
Michigan State's rank in total defense.
19
Times Georgia has won 10 more games, including seven under Richt
404
Career points by UGA kicker Blair Walsh. He needs 6 points to pass Billy Bennett as the Bulldogs' -- and the SEC's -- all-time scoring leader.
The history book
Series record: Georgia and Michigan State have played two other times, both in bowl games. The Bulldogs won both meetings, 34-27 in the 1989 Gator Bowl and 24-12 in the 2009 Capital One Bowl.
Last meeting: On Jan. 1, 2009, quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 21 of 30 passes for 250 yards and 3 touchdowns as the Bulldogs came back from a 6-3 halftime deficit. Stafford was just 6 of 14 in the first half before directing Georgia on a 10-play, 96-yard scoring drive to give it the lead for good. Stafford was 6 of 6 for 92 yards on the march.
The bottom line
This is one of the most evenly matched bowl games of the year. Both teams are coming in with top 10-ranked defenses and high-powered, pass-oriented offenses led by top-notch quarterbacks, Murray of Georgia and Kirk Cousins of Michigan State. The Spartans are extremely motivated to break the 0-4 bowl drought under Dantonio while the Bulldogs look to set up for a championship run in 2012.
Chip Towers
