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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) -- Georgia didn't stop Adrian Peterson's
100-yard streak. The Bulldogs (No. 11 ESPN/USA Today, No. 10 AP) did stop some of the lingering criticism directed at their defense.
With Quincy Carter passing for two touchdowns and running for
another, Georgia began a season of high expectations by sloshing to
a 29-7 victory over defending I-AA champion Georgia Southern on
Saturday night.
The Georgia defense, now being run by former Oklahoma head coach
Gary Gibbs, stymied a team that averaged nearly 50 points per game
last year in winning the national title. The Eagles avoided a
shutout with about three minutes remaining after recovering a
fumbled punt.
The performance was a vast improvement over last year, when the
Bulldogs gave up nearly 26 points a game. And they didn't even have
starters Charles Grant, Richard Seymour and Kendrell Bell, each
serving a one-game suspension for unauthorized use of a university
phone card.
Also, linebacker Boss Bailey's season ended midway through the
first quarter when he torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his
right knee while defending a kickoff return.
"I thought we did a good job of handling the adversity,
especially the way everyone blasted our defense," said coach Jim
Donnan, who fired coordinator Kevin Ramsey and hired Gibbs to shore
up the unit. "They have an explosive offense. For us to shut them
down after losing the players we did is very impressive."
Peterson, last year's Payton Award winner as the top player in
I-AA, did manage to extend his streak of 100-yard running games to
31 in a row _ encompassing his entire college career. He gained 152
yards on 27 carries to become the school's leading career rusher
with 3,891 yards, breaking Joe Ross' mark of 3,876.
"I'm not happy because we didn't win," Peterson said.
Carter, who returned for his junior season because he wanted to
lead Georgia to its first Southeastern Conference title since 1982,
completed 16 of 27 passes for 203 yards, with one interception.
"I don't know what else you could ask him to do," Donnan said.
"He had one bad throw when the ball slipped out of his hands. But
he made a lot of good decisions, a lot of good checks at the line.
I think this is really going to be a special year for him."
Georgia hardly looked overpowering, which might have had
something to do with the conditions. The game was played in a
driving rainstorm through much of the first half, making it
difficult for either team to click offensively.
"We didn't want to show the full package against a non-SEC
team," offensive tackle Jonas Jennings said. "Coach Donnan did a
good job of calling a basic game and still winning."
Besides, the defense had things under control. Southern managed
only 19 first downs and 235 yards with its option offense.
"We were coming in here to make a statement," linebacker Will
Witherspoon said. "We have a new coordinator. He's a very smart
guy and knows what he's doing. It was our turn to show he's taught
us well."
The Bulldogs' best drive was their first, when they took the
opening kickoff and went 84 yards in 17 plays for a touchdown. On
third-and-9 at the Southern 12, Carter hooked up with sophomore
Durell Robinson over the middle for a touchdown that capped the
6-minute, 29-second possession.
Georgia took advantage of Southern mistakes for its next 16
points. Late in the first half, with the Eagles less than a minute
from going to the locker room trailing only 7-0, Peterson fumbled
at his own 46 and Tony Gilbert recovered.
"I think my fumble really hurt us, because they were able to go
down and score," Peterson said.
After a defensive holding penalty, Carter hit Reggie Brown with
a couple of passes totaling 24 yards to put the ball on the
Southern 12. From there, the quarterback took off on a draw,
spinning away from one tackler and sprinting in for the TD with
just 27 seconds left in the half.
Southern failed to move on the first possession of the second
half and surrendered two more points when the ball was snapped over
the head of punter Scott Shelton, who was forced to cover it in the
end zone for a safety.
Late in the period, Eagles quarterback J.R. Revere was
blindsided by Josh Mallard, knocking the ball loose. Marcus Stroud
fell on it at the Southern 18, setting up Carter's 7-yard touchdown
pass to LaBrone Mitchell with 14:49 left in the game.
With Southern worn down, freshman Musa Smith scored Georgia's
final TD on a 2-yard run with 7:04 to go.
The Eagles missed two field goals but finally scored with 2:55
remaining on Mark Myers' 9-yard run.
Two other Georgia players sat out because of the phone scandal,
leaving Gilbert and Robert Brannon to serve their penalties next
weekend at South Carolina.
Southern will have it easier next week, meeting Division II
Johnson C. Smith after dropping to 0-13 against Division I-A
opponents.
"This was just another football game," defensive lineman
Willie Johnson. "We did not want to make it too big."
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ALSO SEE
COLLEGE FOOTBALL Scoreboard
Georgia Southern Clubhouse
Georgia Clubhouse
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