Dawgs Preparing For Jackets

FOOTBALL

With the SEC Eastern Division title clinched, the Dawgs (9-2, 7-1 SEC) look to close the regular season with 10-straight wins, as they take on Georgia Tech (8-3, 5-3 ACC) Saturday in Atlanta.

Kickoff is scheduled for 12:01 and the game will be televised on either ABC or ESPN.

“It’s a grind either way—whether you are wining or losing,” coach Mark Richt said on Sunday about the winning streak. “To find a way to win nine is big. I say that the ninth win was significant mainly because it gave us a title. It’s not the SEC title, but it’s the Eastern Division title, which is very coveted. It takes mental toughness either way. Starting 0-2 definitely tested us to our limits, and I think everybody came through pretty good.”

In the team’s 19-10 victory over Kentucky, the defensive side of the ball stepped up to hold the Wildcats in the second half to 13 yards on 22 plays and no points. The game marked the second game in a row for the Dawgs to total five sacks. This season, redshirt sophomore Jarvis Jones leads the attack, as he ranks first in the SEC with 12.5 sacks.

“When you play defense like that every week you can become a consistent winner,” Richt said of the defense’s play throughout the season. “If you rely strictly on offense, big plays and things of that nature, you are just going to have an off day. We have played well defensively that when our offense is really going well, we are putting people away, and when our offense is not doing extremely well, the defense is holding down the fort until the offense makes enough plays to win.”

Richt did not offer any further information on tailback Carlton Thomas, but did say that freshman Isaiah Crowell should be ready to take the field against the Yellow Jackets after hurting his left ankle against Kentucky.

Georgia holds the edge over Georgia Tech in the all-time series with a record of 61-37-5, which was boosted by the Dawgs winning nine of the last 10 contests. Quarterback Tevin Washington’s 1,481 passing yards and 849 rushing yards leads the Yellow Jackets this season. In Tech’s 38-31 victory over Duke on Saturday, Washington posted 185 yards through the air and 136 rushing yards including a touchdown.

“It’s a whole different world,” Richt said of Tech’s rushing offense. “It’s a different type of running game. It’s something that you may be outstanding against some of the more common things we see on a week-to-week basis, and then just get thrashed by this system we are about to go against. I just don’t know if you can equate what’s happened to this point stopping the run and what’s going to happen this weekend. It’s just too different.”

Lady Dawgs Remain Unbeaten

BASKETBALL

Meredith Mitchell put up a career-high 21 points and notched five rebounds as the No. 12 Georgia Lady Dawgs (4-0) defeated the No. 23 USC Women of Troy (1-2), 67-60, Sunday afternoon.

“I thought our kids were well prepared," said coach Andy Landers. "Assistant Coach Cameron Newbauer did a great job of getting the information we needed and getting it to the team in a way they could understand. I thought we were the aggressive team and most of the time, the aggressive will win it.”

After heading into the locker room with a 26-19 lead, the Lady Dawgs started the second period with a 14-2 run and never looked back. Georgia shot 48.1 percent from the floor in the second half, including double-digit efforts from Mitchell and Khaalidah Miller, 11 and 12 points, respectively.

“The great thing about Meredith's performance was that it was all within reason," continued Landers. "I didn’t think one of her shots was ill-conceived. They were the shots I wanted her to take. She was driving the baseline, pulling up on the boards and then coming off of two screens she made a three. It was good day, about as good as it gets.”

Miller tied her season high with 17 points and added four rebounds to her fourth consecutive double digit scoring effort his season.

Jasmine James and Jasmine Hassell led Georgia on the boards with nine rebounds each. James also recorded seven points and six assists, while Hassell added nine points to her season-high rebounding effort.

“Everyday is not going to be a great day for everybody," said Landers. "Michael Jordan wasn’t great everyday. Everybody on the basketball team has to find a way to do something. They can work together. Maybe it’s going to be shot, maybe it’s going to be a rebound, or maybe it’s going to be a steal. When players learn to think like that, they become more confident. I thought Jasmine James was terrific with the ball.”

Three USC players recorded double-digit scoring efforts, but it was not enough to overcome Georgia. In the first half, Georgia held the Women of Troy to 24.1 percent from the floor and scored 12 points off of USC turnovers.

The Lady Dawgs play again Saturday, November 26th, as they take on No. 14 Georgetown at the Lady Rebel Round-Up in Las Vegas. Georgia returns to Stegeman Coliseum on Wednesday, November 30 at 7:00 p.m., when they host South Carolina State.

Notes

• The Lady Dawgs improved to 4-0 overall.
• Georgia is now 3-4 against Southern Cal, including a 2-0 record versus the Women of Troy in Athens.
• This is Georgia’s fourth win in 10 days and third straight victory in the last 115 hours.
• UGA had a strong inside presence, scoring 36 points in the paint against USC.
• Georgia converted 14 USC turnovers into 22 points.
• Meredith Mitchell scored a career high 21 points, the most since her previous career high of 18 against South Carolina on 3/4/11.
• Khaalidah Miller tied her season-high scoring record with 17 points, her previous 17-point effort was against TCU on 11/11/11.
• Tonight’s win by seven points over Southern Cal marks Coach Andy Landers 777th win at Georgia.
• Georgia shot a blistering 48.1% from the field in the second half.

Lady Dawgs In Double Digits

• Meredith Mitchell scored 21 points, marking her second double-digit game of the season and the 28th of her career.
• Mitchell’s 21 point performance marks her first 20-point game and the highest points scored in a game in her career.
• Khaalidah Miller scored 17 points, marking her fourth double-digit game of the season and the 18th of her career.

Southern Cal Head Coach Michael Cooper

On the game…

“We couldn’t hit shots. When you don’t hit shots out on the road, it’s going to be difficult for you to win games. Our last three games, we came out as a whole. But today, towards the beginning, whenever you dig a hole like that for yourself it’s hard to climb out. But I’m proud of our team, our ladies played hard. They closed the gap and they stayed with it.”

Top 25–Week 13

FOOTBALL

	Team	Record	Opponent
1.	LSU	11 - 0	Arkansas
2.	Houston	11 - 0	Tulsa
3.	Alabama	10 - 1	Auburn
4.	Arkansas	10 - 1	LSU
5.	Stanford	10 - 1	Notre Dame
6.	Virginia Tech	10 - 1	Virginia
7.	Oklahoma State	10 - 1	Off
8.	Boise State	9 - 1	Wyoming
9.	South Carolina	9 - 2	Clemson
10.	Georgia	9 - 2	Georgia Tech
11.	Michigan State	9 - 2	Northwestern
12.	Wisconsin	9 - 2	Penn State
13.	USC	9 - 2	UCLA
14.	Penn State	9 - 2	Wisconsin
15.	Oregon	9 - 2	Oregon State
16.	Michigan	9 - 2	Ohio State
17.	Kansas State	9 - 2	Off
18.	Clemson	9 - 2	South Carolina
19.	TCU	9 - 2	OFF
20.	Southern Miss	9 - 2	Memphis
21.	Oklahoma	8 - 2	Iowa State
22.	Virginia	8 - 3	Virginia Tech
23.	Georgia Tech	8 - 3	Georgia
24.	Rutgers	8 - 3	Connecticut
25.	Nebraska	8 - 3	Iowa

Dawgs Win East

FOOTBALL

The Dawgs punched their ticket to the SEC Championship game in Atlanta on December 3rd with a 19–10 win over Kentucky today.

Former walk-on tailback Brandon Harton rushed for 101 yards and Blair Walsh kicked four field goals while the Dawg defense shut down the Wildcats in the second half.

Coach Mark Richt

"I left the South Carolina game encouraged. I wasn't encouraged that we lost, but I was encouraged that as we moved forward that we could win. I knew we had good leaders, good players and good coaches. We had to protect the ball and get after it. It's hard to win nine in a row, especially when you need every single one to get back to the Dome. I'm just so proud of them right now."

"Today was definitely a team victory. Everybody had to do their part. I thought the special teams played extremely well. The offense made enough plays and the defense did their thing."

"Brandon Harton had to come through for us. Even though the ball came out a few times, he had over 100 yards. And Ken Malcome did a few things. Overall, the tailbacks protected pretty good. As the game went on, they made some plays."

"Our defense stoned them again. Twenty-three yards net, that's pretty fantastic. They didn't throw that well either. Our defense played lights out I thought."

"I am so proud of the guys for winning the SEC East. Guys could have quit, pointed fingers and found a way to fall apart. But they didn't do that. Last season was pretty horrible by record, but the players never gave up on the coaches and the coaches never gave up on the players. We maintained our unity. That's what carried us through the offseason and carried us through the early part of this year."

"Kentucky played hard. We missed some opportunities, but we kept fighting. I'm glad there was not a lot of drama at the end."

"You take it one game at a time, one play at a time, one practice at a time. It's hard to win nine in a row -- period. I'm just thankful that we did."

Quarterback Aaron Murray

On the win and clinching the SEC East…

“It’s a victory. We didn’t play great, but it's great to get back to Atlanta. We’re excited. We have our game at Georgia Tech first, but we’re definitely blessed to be back in the SEC Championship game this year. It’s a great feeling.”

On today's game…

“We just weren’t connecting and you’re going to have those games. We just fought through it. The defense played great and we’re just happy to get out of it with a win.”

Linebacker Jarvis Jones

“We knew they would come in with some confidence and that they were going to give it their all. Last time they were here they beat us, so we knew they were coming to play. We just came to battle and stepped up. “

“After the beginning of the season we were a little down, but you just have to keep fighting and that’s what we did. Now we’re headed back to Atlanta and it’s a really good feeling.”

Tailback Brandon Harton

On rushing over 100 yards in the SEC East clinching victory…

“To come in and have this kind of game in this kind of game makes me feel so good. It’s the best feeling I’ve ever had. I just wanted to go out have fun, do what I was supposed to do, hit my assignments, but have fun."

Free Safety Bacarri Rambo

“It’s feels so good. The last time Georgia made it to the SEC championship I was in ninth grade, so it’s a great feeling. We put in a ton of work in the off-season and pre-season and it’s all paying off.”

Cornerback Brandon Boykin

“I’m feeling great. This is what I came back to do. It’s like a fantasy. As a senior, to win on senior day and to win the SEC East is a great feeling.”

KENTUCKY POST-GAME QUOTES

Kentucky Head Coach Joker Phillips

On the way his team played today…

“I am proud of this team and how they fought. A lot of people knew how much this week meant for Georgia and no one talked about what we were playing for. We’re playing for pride, our university and an extra win. The game that this team played proved they played for each other as well. I am proud of them.”

On the Kentucky defense…

“I said at half time that our defense had a lot of wins today. They forced some field goals instead of touchdowns that kept us in the game. It was good to see some young guys come up and make some plays. We had some guys who haven’t practiced lately and really came through with some good plays for us today. It was probably the best game this defense has played this year. We didn’t get pushed around and we have seen Georgia push some really good teams around. I don’t think that they pushed us around.”

On the Kentucky offense…

“We made some plays in the first half. We proved that we could move the ball on any defense that we face. We couldn’t get the run game started in the second half because of some of the schemes Georgia ran but I am proud of the way these guys fought for each other out there today. No one can see we didn’t fight.”

On Georgia’s defense…

“It’s hard to play against a defense that is as good as Georgia. This is one of the best defenses in the conference. We’ve seen Georgia hold some good teams to just a few points. It’s a tough to play against a team with great personnel, great schemes and athletic players.”

On Danny Trevathan…

“Danny is a pro and plays like a pro. Nothing he does surprises me anymore. He knows where he is supposed to be and where everyone else is supposed to be. That makes him play faster. I don't think I have been around a better tackler. He plays with emotion and excitement every week and he means a lot to this program.”

Notes

With today’s 19-10 victory over UK, the Dawgs (9-2, 7-1 SEC) captured the SEC Eastern Division title outright, the sixth for the program since the league split into divisions in 1992. Georgia will be heading to Atlanta for the SEC Championship game on Dec. 3 for the first time since winning it in 2005 over LSU. The Dawgs are 2-1 in SEC Championship Games.

Georgia won its ninth consecutive game, the longest winning streak in a season since the 1982 team under Vince Dooley went a perfect 11-0 during the regular season.
Under Richt, Georgia won 11 straight games over a span of two seasons, winning the final seven in 2007 and the first four contests in 2008.

Georgia’s defense shutdown the Wildcats in the second half as they managed just 13 yards on 22 plays and no points. Overall, UK gained 165 yards on 57 plays and 65 of those yards came on their first drive of the contest. The Dawgs had five sacks and won their seventh straight SEC game.

Redshirt sophomore OLB and Butkus Award semifinalist Jarvis Jones recorded 2.5 sacks versus the Wildcats to give him 12.5 in a season. This ties David Pollack (2004) for the No. 3 spot in the school record books for a season and leads the SEC this year. Jones was third in the nation coming into the game with 10 sacks. Pollack owns the school record with 14 in 2002. Sophomore Alec Ogletree led the Dawgs with eight tackles while Shawn Williams, Bacarri Rambo and Jarvis Jones had seven apiece.

Senior Blair Walsh booted three 39-yard field goals and a 25 yarder to pace the Dawg scoring. This is the second time Walsh has had four in a game after going 4-for-6 at Vanderbilt. His first FG was set up after Connor Norman recovered an onside kick on the Wildcat 44-yard line. Walsh’s second FG came following Smith’s INT return. The third FG came after Brandon Boykin returned a punt 22 yards to the Kentucky 23-yard line. Brandon Bogotay recovered a fumble on the Wildcat 30-yard line to set up Walsh’s fourth FG. He added a PAT and with those 13 points, Walsh is now second in SEC history with 394 points (72 FGs, 177 PATs). Former Dawg Billy Bennett owns the UGA and SEC records with 409 points from 2000-03.

Junior CB Branden Smith snagged his second interception of 2011 and returned it 53
yards to the Kentucky 27-yard line in the second quarter. He now has four in his career. The Dawgs have 15 picks this season. Smith also had a 21-yard kickoff return. Senior CB Brandon Boykin also had an INT in the first half.

Redshirt sophomore QB Aaron Murray improved on his single season touchdown pass record by adding this 28th TD pass in the third quarter. Murray connected with Marlon Brown in the back of the end zone for a 7-yard score at the 14:55 mark in the third period. Murray now has 28 in 2011 and 52 in his career. The Tampa, Florida, native finished 16-of-29 for 162 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT.

Smith’s interception in the opening period led to the second Blair Walsh field goal. True freshman Quintavius Harrow forced a fumble on a kickoff late in the second quarter and PK Brandon Bogotay recovered it. Walsh connected on another field goal following the Bogotay recovery. Boykin’s interception came with :01 left in the
second quarter. OLB Jarvis Jones forced a fumble by hitting Kentucky’s quarterback late in the third quarter and ILB Christian Robinson jumped on the loose ball. QB Aaron Murray connected with Marlon Brown for a 7-yard score on the ensuing possession. Georgia has forced 27 turnovers and converted them into 96 points.

TB Ken Malcome fumbled at the 10:44 mark in the second quarter on the Dawg 27-yard line. Kentucky then scored a touchdown just more than two minutes later. Murray threw an interception in the Dawgs’ opening drive of the first half. The Wildcats had to punt on the next possession. TB Brandon Harton fumbled in the third quarter after gaining 44 yards earlier in the drive. Kentucky also had to punt on this possession. Opponents have scored 42 points off 17 Dawg miscues.

Redshirt sophomore TE Arthur Lynch and sophomore FB Alexander Ogletree both started for the first time in their careers.

Injury Report: TB Isaiah Crowell injured his left ankle in the first half and did not return. With Crowell out, sophomore Brandon Harton had a career-high 101 yards on 23 carries.

Georgia’s captains on Saturday were all members of the 2011 senior class. C Ben Jones, LT Cordy Glenn, DE DeAngelo Tyson and CB/KOR Brandon Boykin represented their teammates at midfield.

The Dawgs travel to Atlanta to take on Georgia Tech on Saturday, November 26th. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:01 p.m. and ABC or ESPN will televise the game.

Lady Dawgs Defeat Cougars

BASKETBALL

Jasmine James put up 17 points, recorded eight rebounds, dished out seven assists and collected six steals to lead the No. 12 Georgia Lady Dawgs (3-0) to a 73-48 victory over College of Charleston (1-2) Thursday night at Stegeman Coliseum.

"We’re playing good defense, we’re knocking balls down and we’re playing well in transition," said coach Andy Landers. "The difference tonight was that we passed the ball well in transition. I thought we did some really nice things when we passed the half line tonight.”

With a dominant 18-0 run to open the first half, the Lady Dawgs started strong and held the Cougars scoreless the first 9:14 of the game. Georgia shot 48.6 percent from the field in the first half and entered the locker room with a 44-22 lead.

The second half was much like the first, as the Lady Dawgs had an impressive 15-4 run the start the period.

College of Charleston had 31 turnovers for the night, 20 of which were forced by the Lady Dawgs.

“We won the points off of turnover battle which is really important," continued Landers. "Our defense really created a lot of offense tonight."

Krista Donald posted her first career double-double, as she led Georgia on the boards with 10 rebounds and put up 10 points.

“Krista Donald, Jasmine James and Erika Ford played with a lot of energy and seemed to focused on what it was they intended to do tonight," said Landers.

Khaalidah Miller and Anne Marie Armstrong were also productive for the Lady Dawgs, putting up 10 points each, and Ford and Tamika Willis contributed seven points apiece.

The Cougars, who shot 41.9 percent for the night, were paced by Megan Fischer with 15 points.

Georgia wraps up a busy week of three games in six days, when they play host No. 23 Southern Cal on Sunday at 2:00 p.m.

Notes

• The Lady Dawgs improved to 3-0 overall and 1-0 against College of Charleston in their first meeting with the Cougars.
• UGA is 47-11 all-time versus teams currently competing with the College of Charleston in the Southern Conference.
• This is Georgia’s third win in seven days and second straight victory against a SoCon team, including Tuesday’s 68-49 win over Georgia Southern.
• Freshman Krista Donald’s double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) was the second time this season that a Dawg recorded a double-double. Meredith Mitchell scored 10 points and grabbed 12 boards against TCU in the season-opener.
• Georgia converted 31 CofC turnovers into 40 points, the most for the Dawgs this season.

Lady Dawgs In Double Digits

• Krista Donald scored 10 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to earn the first double-double of her career.
• Donald’s 10-point performance was also a career-best. Her previous high was four against Georgia Southern.
• Jasmine James scored 17 points, marking her third double-digit game of the season and the 42nd of her career.
• Khaalidah Miller scored 10 points, marking her third double-digit game of the season and the 17th of her career.
• Anne Marie Armstrong scored 10 points, marking her second double-digit game of the season and the 18th of her career.

College of Charleston Head Coach Nancy Wilson

On the game…..

“We were honored to play a very athletic and good Georgia team. Obviously, the first 10 minutes or so were pretty scary when we couldn’t get on the score board. Once we got out of the zone and started playing man and started penetrating a little more and they were fouling that opened up things a little bit. But we do realize what a good team they are.”