A (Next) Season Changer

With the exception of a few key injuries Saturday, our boys had what I believe to be our best game of the season to this point. As most know by now, Rambo was concussed in the latter stages of the fourth quarter and AJ was sidelined with an arm injury, possibly for the season, after amassing only a couple of catches.

Even with those injuries, we were able to survive an early two touchdown deficit to grab a victory from the hands of defeat. Some have ventured so far as to say it was a must win game, and I would tend to agree. Though I feel confident we would have been able to become bowl eligible with a win against UK next week, it certainly feels nice knowing we can beat at least one first year head coach in an always tough SEC match-up.

Aside from being a win (a conference win at that), this game provided more of an off the record boost than most realize. Everyone knows the War Tigers hail from just across the border in Bama, and recruits from the area are often torn between the two schools. Heck, at this game alone UGA welcomed nearly 400 recruits, friends, and family. Losing this one could have been detrimental to our final class of 2010. Aside from beating Auburn on the field, we may have just beat them off the field in the recruiting ranks as well.

As far as on the field action was concerned, there were some highs and lows on both sides of the ball. For the first time this year in a game that actually mattered we were able to run the ball consistently for the duration of the game. Ealey looked like the back we thought he could look back, and C King showed flashes of his high school self. We finally managed to play an SEC opponent without turning the ball over, which if not for committing only four penalties would have been the biggest stat of the night.

Defensively, we looked pretty solid after the first twelve minutes. We actually played some solid coverage, pressured the QB, and forced some bad throws. I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried, because I honestly thought the game was over before it had started. Amazingly, our defensive unit showed some stones and "manned up" for the remaining forty seven minutes.

As far as the aforementioned injuries are concerned, we know for a fact that both Rambo and AJ are gone for the Kensucky game, and maybe for the remainder of the season. Rambo has the best chance of returning before whatever bowl we wind up in, an amazing feat considering he lay unconscious on the field for nearly twelve minutes. Before being placed on the back-board he did have motion in all his extremities and was diagnosed with only a concussion. The verdict is still out on AJ, and the coaches are keeping mum on his situation to this point. All I've heard is he hurt his shoulder/arm and doesn't have full strength or range of motion and he won't return to the field until he does.

Check back often for updates, and I'll be back with my breakdown and prediction on Wednesday or Thursday, barring any technical difficulties. Go DAWGS!