Georgia-Appalachian State preview

Series record: First meeting between schools

1. The Gurley Factor. Two things were made evident by Todd Gurley's performance against Florida this past weekend: (1) The Bulldogs are a totally different team when he's in the backfield; (2) he's not completely recovered from the ankle injury that sidelined him a month,. The Bulldogs intend to play him against Appalachian State, even with the risk of aggravating the injury before next Saturday's matchup against No. 8 Auburn. That's a big gamble.

2. Murray watch. Aaron Murray went into the Oct. 19 Vanderbilt game needing three touchdown passes to become the SEC's all-time leader. Three weeks later, he remains two short of passing the mark of 114 set by Florida's Dannay Wuerffel from 1993-96. Saturday will also represent the 50th consecutive start of Murray's career. Only David Greene has had more at Georgia (52).

3. Honing the D. Head coach Mark Richt actually used the phrase "turned the corner" with regard to Georgia's defense. That may be a bit optimistic, but the Bulldogs are definitely playing better. The last three teams they've faced have all been held under 400 yards per game, with the Gators managing just 319 this past Saturday. The key is improving their play in the red zone and in "sudden change" situations.

MATCHUP TO WATCH

Georgia ends & linebackers vs. App State backfield: The Mountaineers come in with a fast-tempo, run-oriented spread offense similar to one Auburn runs under new coach Gus Malzahn. Such systems put a lot of pressure on the defensive perimeter and linebackers, who have guarded against over-pursuit and stick to their keys. The game should offer some good preparation for what they'll see the following week on The Plains.

TWEET OF THE WEEK

“Better make some amazing memories now. This college lifestyle only last so long.”

@TheWoot_ (Senior WR Rantavious Wooten)