Georgia 45, Western Carolina 16

(Sabbath Blog #34)

My preseason prediction for this game was UGA 45, Western Carolina 17. I would brag about how close I came in predicting the score of this game and the Oklahoma State game, but I missed the South Carolina game badly, so I won’t. But I sure did nail this one, didn’t I?

I hate games like this one. A team like UGA is in a no-win situation. If they win, no big whoop, because they are supposed to win. If they don’t win big, people throw stones. And if they lose, chaos erupts. Still, the gap has closed some between the 1-A and 1-AA (the new nomenclature will take some getting used to) programs—just ask Michigan about Appalachian State! That’s an unfair comparison, though, because Appalachian State is a 1-AA powerhouse. Western Carolina isn’t that good; they’ve now lost twelve straight games.

First, the good. Matthew Stafford was 14/20 passing for 174 yards with no interceptions and two touchdowns. Joe Cox got to play most of the second half and he threw a touchdown pass. Knowshon Moreno rushed 13 times for 94 yards, including a 23-yard run for a touchdown. Georgia went deep into its bench, playing 71 players. So far as I am aware, UGA came away from the game with no significant injuries.

Now, the bad. The Catamounts were able to score 17 points against the Dawgs’ defense. In seven previous games against SEC schools, they had been outscored 383-12.

Georgia’s next opponent is the University of Alabama. The Crimson Tide will roll into the game with a 3-0 record and coming off a stirring 41-38 win over Arkansas.

Scary scores of the week: Florida 59, Tennessee 20 and Kentucky 40, Louisville 34. It's going to be a tough, tough season!

Go Dawgs!