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 On Location: Knoxville, Tenn.
October 10, 2005
By Ira Schoffel for MCSPOLL.com
Like many college football enthusiasts, Master Coach John Robinson had heard the whispers of skepticism surrounding the Georgia Bulldogs.
He had heard the critics’ comments about D.J. Shockley. That he wasn’t a national championship-caliber quarterback.
He had heard the rumblings about how unimpressive the Bulldogs looked in their first two Southeastern Conference games. They only beat SEC weaklings South Carolina and Mississippi State by a combined total of 15 points.
But after going “On Location” this past Saturday to Knoxville, Tenn., to watch the big SEC showdown of top-10 teams, Robinson said he has no doubts that Georgia belongs among the nation’s elite. The Bulldogs, who were ranked No. 5 in last week’s MCS Poll, took control early and knocked off the host Volunteers, 27-14
Robinson said Georgia’s victory was every bit as impressive as Alabama’s blowout victory against Florida one week earlier.
“I really admire both of those clubs – Georgia and Alabama – because they’re playing the kind of football that’s physical and efficient,” Robinson said. “They’re fundamentally sound.”
Like Alabama, Robinson said the Bulldogs have all the traits of a good, old-fashioned college football powerhouse – they play great defense, they can run the ball, they are solid on special teams, and they don’t make mistakes.
All of those facets were on display in Georgia’s victory at Tennessee – the Bulldogs’ first road win against a top-10 opponent since 2001.
The Bulldogs, who improved to 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the SEC, shut down Tennessee’s running game, limiting the Volunteers to 48 yards rushing. And even though UT quarterback Rick Clausen threw for a career-high 310 yards, the Bulldogs forced three turnovers.
“Their corners played well, and their defense tackled well,” Robinson said. “Their defensive line was very good. They won the battle against Tennessee up front. Tennessee’s offensive line couldn’t run the ball at all.”
Georgia’s ground game, meanwhile, was as good as advertised. The Bulldogs’ top three rushers – running backs Thomas Brown and Danny Ware and quarterback Shockley – each average more than 5 yards per carry on the season, and they combined for 174 of Georgia’s 198 rushing yards Saturday.
And in the fourth quarter, they iced the game with a nine-play, 73-yard drive that consumed almost five minutes of game clock.
“At the end of the game, their running game was dominant,” Robinson said. “They just drove down the field and drove the stake into Tennessee’s hearts.”
Robinson was perhaps most impressed by the way Georgia dominated the special-teams battle. He said Georgia head coach Mark Richt and his assistants must be “kicking-game guys,” judging by the way they put the game in the hands of their punt coverage and punt return units.
With a 13-7 lead early in the fourth quarter, Georgia faced a fourth-and-short in Tennessee territory. If he had been coaching, Robinson said he likely would have gone for the fourth-down conversion and tried to put the game away.
“But they punted and downed the ball at the 1-yard line,” Robinson said. “Then their defense held and Tennessee punted, and they ran the punt back for a touchdown. They did all those things really well.”
Though he had heard comments that Shockley might be suspect at quarterback, Robinson found the first-year starter to be more than adequate. Against Tennessee, Shockley completed 16 of 27 passes for 207 yards. He now has thrown eight touchdown passes with just three interceptions, and he is completing about 60 percent of his attempts.
“He’s a good quarterback,” Robinson said. “He was smart, he was accurate with his throws, and he made a couple of big throws in the game. I think there have been some doubts about him, but he looked very good to me. He threw one interception that let Tennessee back in the ballgame, but that was as much the call as it was him. I think I read where their coaches said they shouldn’t have called that pass.”
The Volunteers, meanwhile, are headed in the wrong direction at 3-2 overall and 2-2 in the conference. Though Tennessee appears to have plenty of talent at the skill positions, Robinson said it’s difficult to point out any area where the Vols really excel.
“Tennessee is hurting,” Robinson said. “They can’t seem to get anything going. They don’t have an identity about their offense. They look like they’re going to be good at everything, but then it doesn’t happen. They look like they have really good receivers, but they don’t make plays.”
Georgia, on the other hand, was just the opposite. Though the Bulldogs might not wow anyone with their star power, Robinson said they have a knack for playing as a unit.
“They blend together, and you don’t see individuals,” he said. “The most impressive individual is Leonard Pope, the tight end. He’s on his way to becoming a real star. But for the most part, they just play sound, fundamental football.”
So does that mean Georgia could hang with the other top-five powers – Southern Cal, Texas, Virginia Tech and Florida State?
Robinson said there’s no doubt the Bulldogs belong in the same class with Virginia Tech and FSU. But as much as he liked the way Georgia played, he said the ’Dogs would likely need a huge effort to knock off USC or Texas.
“The top two teams look like they’ve just got so much offense,” Robinson said. “They look like they’re going to get three touchdowns on anybody. I’d put Georgia – and Alabama, too – in kind of a lurking category. If they get you when you have a bad day offensively, then they have a chance to get you … because they’re probably going to play a good game. They’re not going to give you a lot of turnovers. They’re not going to give you a lot of chances. And if you have a bad day, they could beat you.”
NEXT WEEK....
 On Location with John Robinson - Southern Cal at Notre Dame
Photos courtesy of the University of Georgia Athletics.
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