2003 Statistics

Quarterback
The hype around D.J. Shockley dissipated after his season-ending knee injury returned job security to fifth-year senior David Greene. With any controversy quelled, Greene responded by matching a school record 176 pass attempts without an interception and finishing second in the SEC in total offense, despite an injury-plagued supporting cast. Having 40 career starts under his belt makes Greene as much a "sure thing" as any QB in the nation, boosting him near the top of pre-season Heisman lists. Greene's maturity guarantees he will protect/respect the football, especially in crunch time (as he has only 11 second-half turnovers for his career). The one worry are Greene's statistical drop-offs (more INTs, less TDs) from his sophomore to his junior campaign, in part because of his young O-Line, but also resulting from too many passes sailing high on his receivers. If his Outback Bowl MVP performance is any indication, Greene will be back to form and will be a nightmare for defenses on third down. Pending Shockley's rehab, he is the back-up; though, any complications opens the door for RS sophomore Joe Tereshinski or super-prep A.J. Bryant and his astounding 4.3/40 speed. This position is perhaps the strongest, up and down, of any I-A team.

Running Back
Going an entire season without a back breaking the century mark for the first time in over 30 years was less a cause for concern and more a current illustration of the balance and depth in the Bulldog backfield. While Richt might hope for a star to emerge this spring, more likely three and even four backs will share the workload, led by RS sophomore Michael Cooper. Cooper is a balanced "tweener," lacking the raw size of powerful sophomore Kregg Lumpkin or the elusiveness of smallish scatback Tyson Browning. Tony Milton actually topped the depth chart before a leg injury sidelined him for the season and should return to the mix depending on his health. Former walk-on Jeremy Thomas returns at FB, though, expect more two TB sets so as to get all of their talent on the field. Blocking and pass-catching will decide playing time among the bunch, but, either way, Georgia will offer a host of different looks to opposing defenses.

Wide Receiver
Injuries decimated what could have been the Bulldogs' strength, and now, with the departures of Damien Gary and Michael Johnson, senior FL Fred Gibson must stay healthy to give Greene an early go-to target. Even with his bad finger and a nagging hamstring, down the stretch Gibson showed flashes of the brilliance that had him toying with an early NFL departure. His size and speed give him the versatility to run any route, and he should eclipse his three TD grabs. Senior SE Reggie Brown starred in the Outback Bowl and is the speedster to stretch defenses, allowing Gibson and sizeable sophomore Sean Bailey to work underneath. Juniors Bryan McClendon and Mario Raley add depth and athleticism, but little experience. With a pistol like Greene, or with any of the QBs for that matter, both newbies are poised and should eventually emerge to give the air game its needed dimensions for the ladder part of the Dogs' campaign.

Offensive Line and Tight End
Most teams would be drooling to have all five starters back on the O-line, unless of course that group was the weakest unit on the team. Not to say that with overwhelming potential and a few hard knocks, the group won't gel into one of the better units in the SEC. Still, after watching Greene hurried on practically every play in losses to Florida and LSU, the now-junior-laden line must mature quickly to at least slow down the pass rush (47 sacks allowed).

With guards Josh Brock and Reggie Weeks already sidelined and a potential shoulder surgery on the way for Bartley Miller, the unit might not be on the field together and healthy until late August. Fortunately, the Bulldogs return lettermen to back-up every position so depth won't be a problem. 62 combined starts and the experience of an SEC title game in every season guarantees this group increases its 3.4 yards per carry season average by at least half a yard. Being embarrassed constantly motivates most of us to somehow change. This unit will have to be just that, a group; however, if you're looking for potential stars, watch monster tackles Max Jean-Gilles (6'4", 365) and Daniel Inman. Big target Leonard Pope (6'7") and converted wideout Martrez Milner look to fill long-time starter Ben Watson's highly-utilized role at TE.

OFFENSIVE BREAKDOWN
Georgia's offense will bag its play-not-to-lose mantra in exchange for a more balanced and wide-open attack. Few quarterbacks loft the deep ball with the touch of Greene, and so, considering Gibson's leaping ability, a big play will never be far away. Expect the offensive-minded Richt to frequently cycle fresh legs into the backfield. This is to dually establish a more dominant ground game and to utilize the option of throwing to backs (like Browning) in the flat. The big question marks are health and the O-Line. Odds are that Sanford Stadium will not resemble the infirmary it became, and that all-important big-game experience will translate into a solid, if not dominant line. If this is the case, the Dawgs will control the clock on the ground while providing time for Greene to hit the deep routes via well-set up play-action. Richt should be giddy with this many toys at his disposal, and the indecision defenses will encounter if he plays with them wisely.

Defensive Line
Georgia lost one DE early to the NFL Draft, just not the one everyone expected. While Robert Geathers will be missed on one side, the return of senior David Pollack alone boosts Georgia's line into the elite of the SEC. While the Lombardi Award finalist's sacks were down to 3.5, Pollack fought through enough double-teams to still lead the Bulldogs with 32 hurries. The attention thrown his way opens gaps for the trio of run-stopping junior tackles, of whom the starters average 6'4", 317. Kedric Golston has the most starts and will fight to be the centerpiece if he is 100%. Senior Will Thompson will likewise need to recover from injury after missing all of 2003; if healthy, along with sophomore DE Quentin Moses, they form a pair of 235lb athletes who will shut down the corner (and anything outside) opposite Pollack. In case August practices weren't going to be heated enough, enter two of the nations' top DE recruits in Brandon Miller and Charles Johnson to round out such a deep line that a few position switches may be necessary for all the talent to be optimally utilized.

Linebacker
After losing all three starters to the NFL in '03, the Bulldogs will enjoy the opposite end of the spectrum with senior Arnold Harrison and juniors Odell Thurman and Tony Taylor, all back from starting almost every game. This least-publicized Bulldog unit nevertheless accounted for over 250 tackles and solidified the middle of the nation's second best scoring defense in their first year on the job. Thurman can fly around the field and posted double-digit tackle games in seven of his last eight, as well as leading the team in TFLs (18.5). He should be somewhere on most preseason All-American lists. Taylor has the size and speed of a safety. His coverage ability is the perfect complement to Thurman's ball-hawking. The underrated Harrison makes up for a relative lack of speed with frightening strength and will intimidate receivers over the middle. Danny Verdun-Wheeler is a star-in-waiting behind this talented group whose game experience will translate into reading plays quickly and wreaking havoc in opposing backfields. Underneath routes and big plays will be few and fewer, respectively.

Defensive Back
Decimated may be too dramatic a word to describe the Bulldogs' secondary. However, losing a pair of senior corners, coupled with the early departure of born-with-a-sixth-sense-for-the-ball rover Sean Jones to the NFL, signals a rough transition period ahead. Junior safeties Thomas Davis and Greg Blue have their work cut out if they are to fill Jones' role as the takeaway magnet and ultimately lead the Bulldogs back to the top of the SEC in turnover margin. Count on Davis to be the difference-maker after leading the team with 138 stops. The former linebacker already has a reputation as one of the biggest hitters in the SEC and has Jones' penchant for the big play (blocked FG, INT, two FFs, TD return). Blue and CB Tim Jennings gained valuable experience unfortunately thanks to late-season injuries to starters. But with a wide-open battle at the other corner, there are question marks everywhere. While some of the aggressiveness may be gone, expect the Bulldogs to still play press coverage, relying on the presence of a dominant front-seven to compensate for the inexperience behind them.

DEFENSIVE BREAKDOWN
Defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder knows his secondary will be a relative weak spot. Getting pressure from a defensive line without having to blitz will key the Bulldogs' defensive schemes. Having Thurman free to roam the middle will disrupt opposing running games, though matching the scant four rushing TDs allowed might be a stretch. Teams will have to attack them vertically, allowing Pollack and company to tee off and double their 18 sacks. As scary as it sounds, everything is in place for this defense to be improved, assuming a shut-down corner emerges and takeaways remain the defense's calling card. Early foes have to strike hard and heavy, before this crew solidifies and again dominates with confidence and swagger.