THREE STORYLINES
The Gurley Factor. Two things were made evident by Todd Gurley's performance against Florida last week: The Bulldogs are a different team when he's in the backfield, and 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 week's matchup against No. 9 Auburn. That's a big gamble.
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 Danny Wuerffel from 1993-96. Murray will make his 50th consecutive start at Georgia. Only David Greene has had more for the Bulldogs (52).
Honing the defense. 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 playing better. The past three teams they faced were held to under 400 yards, with Florida managing only 319. The key is improving their play in the red zone and in "sudden change" situations.
MATCHUP TO WATCH
Georgia DEs and LBs vs. Appalachian State QB and RBs: The Mountaineers come in with a fast-tempo, run-oriented spread offense similar to one Auburn runs under coach Gus Malzahn. Such systems put a lot of pressure on the defensive perimeter and linebackers, who guard against overpursuit and stick to their keys. The game should offer some good preparation for what Georgia will see next 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)
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