Three storylines
Missing persons. Georgia enters the game without its top four tailbacks. Freshman star Isaiah Crowell, Carlton Thomas and Ken Malcome are suspended after flunking a UGA-administered drug test, and backup Richard Samuel underwent season-ending surgery Tuesday for an ankle injury suffered in the Florida game. The Bulldogs will go with Brandon Harton, a 5-foot-6, 174-pound sophomore who was awarded a scholarship in preseason camp, and Kyle Karempelis (5-9, 180), a freshman walk-on.
Not-so-special teams. Expected to be a team strength this season, Georgia's special-teams play instead ranks among the worst in the SEC. The Bulldogs will look to shore up kickoff coverage in particular. They gave up 200 yards and a touchdown on five returns against Florida last week, and New Mexico State features the nation's 12th-best return team.
Calling the Hogs. While most eyes in college football will be focused on Saturday's night's "Game of the Century" between No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama in Tuscaloosa, the Bulldogs and their fans will be more interested in what's happening in Fayetteville, Ark., at about the same time. There, No. 8 Arkansas (7-1, 3-1 SEC) will play host to No. 10 South Carolina (7-1, 5-1). A Gamecocks loss will give Georgia sole possession of first place in the SEC's Eastern Division.
A Georgia win would ...
- Be its seventh consecutive for the first time in a season since 2007
- Be its 71st in 90 homecoming games (currently 70-17-2)
A New Mexico State win would ...
- Be its first against an SEC opponent in 14 tries.
- Be its fourth of the season against five losses
Keep an eye on ...
For Georgia: Brandon Harton. The sophomore is expected to get the start at tailback. Harton, a lightning quick and shifty runner, earned a scholarship in preseason camp and had worked his way up to No. 3 on the depth chart, but a severe ankle injury late in camp sidelined him for the first two games of the season.
For New Mexico State: Taveon Rogers. The Aggies' senior wide receiver (6-0, 188) is a threat in both the passing and return game. Last week he had seven catches for 203 yards and two touchdowns against Nevada. It was his third multi-touchdown game of the season. He leads New Mexico State's wideouts with 32 catches for 669 yards and averages 27.5 yards on kickoff returns, with a nation-leading two touchdowns.
The numbers game
6 Touchdowns surrendered by Georgia's defense in the past six games
24 Tackles by Aggies safety Donyae Coleman vs. Nevada last week
The history book
Series record: Georgia leads 3-0
The last time: On Sept. 28, 2002, the Bulldogs fell behind 7-0 before scoring 41 consecutive points at Sanford Stadium. Damien Gary notched Georgia's first two scores on a 71-yard punt return and a 20-yard pass from David Greene.
The bottom line
New Mexico State is the type of opponent the Bulldogs need at this juncture of the season. The Aggies feature a high-octane offense (419 yards, 30 points per game) and one of the best return games in the country. They’re giving up 442 yards per game, and their rush defense ranks 111th nationally. So Georgia should be able to absorb its personnel losses while having to stay sharp and focused.
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