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2005 Outback Bowl Preview
#8/7 Georgia (9-2, 6-2 SEC) vs. #16/16 Wisconsin (9-2, 6-2 Big Ten)
Tampa, Florida - Raymond James Stadium Saturday, January 1, 2004 - 11:00 am ET - ESPN Coaches: Georgia - Mark Richt, Wisconsin - Barry Alvarez Series Record: Georgia Leads 1-0, Last Meeting: Jan.1, 1998 - UGA 33, UW 6 (Outback Bowl)
Many bowl games feature match-ups of two highly rated quarterbacks or running back or a top flight receiver who will square off against a great cornerback. In this year's edition of the Outback Bowl, Wisconsin defensive end Erasmus James and Georgia defensive end David Pollack will be two of the featured players when the Badgers and Bulldogs face off on New Year's Day. Both players have received numerous post-season awards and are considered top prospects by many NFL scouts.
The two D-linemen won't be the only high profile players in the game though. Georgia quarterback David Greene makes his final collegiate start and will look to extend his record as the winningest signal caller in NCAA Division I-A history. The Badgers' star on offense is tailback Anthony Davis, the senior will look to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark for the season with a good game and propel Wisconsin to its fourth 10-win season in school history. Georgia's Bowl Record: 20-15-3 Wisconsin on Offense As Davis goes, so goes the Badger offense and the team. In Wisconsin's season ending loss to Iowa, Davis was sidelined with a thigh injury but should be healed, rested and ready to go against the "Dogs." Davis sits in fifth place in the Big Ten annals and has 894 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. While Davis has missed the occasional game this season, he has still proven to be a dangerous weapon for head coach Barry Alvarez. In Davis' seven games this season, he is averaging 127.7 yards-per-game rushing. Booker Stanley will also see some carries in the backfield after rushing for 346 yards and two scores during the regular season. Fullback Mat Bernstein could be used in short yardage situations after rushing for 313 yards in 2004. Quarterback John Stocco will be looking to redeem himself after a two interception and two fumble performance versus the Hawkeyes. The sophomore QB will have to avoid David Pollack but shouldn't have much trouble completing passes, which he has done at a 53 percent clip this season with eight TD passes to his credit. Owen Daniels and Darrin Charles are usually Stocco's first two reads out of the receiving corps. Each player has pulled down two touchdown passes this season and has 348 and 281 yards receiving respectively. Brandon Williams was the leader in receptions and receiving yards at 39 and 461 yards and should get his fair share of chances against a tough Georgia secondary. Georgia on Offense Greene runs a tight ship out on the field and gets his players at the skill positions involved early and often. The senior completed 60 percent of his passes while gaining 2,244 yards during the regular season. Most impressively, the veteran QB threw 18 touchdown passes and was only picked off twice. To throw a wrench at the Badger "D," head coach Mark Richt could bring in junior QB D.J. Shockley, who saw action in nine games this season, throwing for 464 yards and four TDs. More concerning to Wisconsin is Shockley's ability to improvise. In 2004, he ran for 156 yards on 21 attempts. Lining up in the backfield with Greene will be Thomas Brown and Danny Ware. Both tailbacks are a threat to make a big play at any moment and both averaged about five yards-per-carry in 2004. The pair also combined for 11 touchdowns this season. A trio of Bulldog receivers scored six touchdowns during the 2004 campaign. Reggie Brown pulled down 50 balls for 821 yards and averaged just over 16 yards-per-catch this season. Flanker Fred Gibson is a big target at 6'4" and is also averaging over 16 yards-per-catch this season. The senior had 45 catches and 759 yards to go along with his six TD receptions. Leonard Pope is the third member of the six-touchdown club for offensive coordinator Neil Callaway. Pope is a massive target at 6'7" out of the tight end position and gained 417 yards this year on only 22 opportunities. Wisconsin of Defense Stopping unanimous All-American selection Erasmus James should be the number one priority of the Georgia offensive line on New Year's Day. The Bulldog front five did allow 20 sacks on the season so getting to Greene is possible, especially with the strength of the Badgers' front four. James had eight sacks on the year to lead the team and will line up with Anttaj Hawthorn who has five sacks and 10.5 tackles-for-loss. Dontez Sanders is leading the team after the regular season with 75 tackles and will line up at his weak-side linebacker position versus the Bulldogs. The junior is a threat in pass coverage, stopping the run and blitzing the quarterback, as he has recorded 10 tackles-for-loss, five-and-half sacks and one interception already this season. Another strength of the defense comes in the secondary where Scott Starks and Jim Leonhard both had 2004 season which saw them post big numbers and make big plays. Starks fumble return clinched Wisconsin's victory over Purdue on October 16th. The senior cornerback made 41 tackles this season while breaking up four passes. Leonhard is known as much for his return skills as he is for his defense. The senior ranked second on the Badgers with 65 tackles and added three interceptions and ten pass deflections for coordinator Bret Bielema's unit. Both players will be counted on to make some big plays against the Georgia offense that will provide them with ample opportunity. With Wisconsin allowing less than 15 points-per-game this season, the defense proved it has the ability to shut down an offense and will need to do the same to a veteran Bulldogs offense. Expect the Wisconsin defense to make some big plays to keep Georgia's offense off the field and set up Stocco and the offense in good field position. Georgia on Defense The Georgia defense is right on par with Wisconsin's after holding their opponents to just over 16 points-per-game in 2004. In addition, the Bulldogs allowed more than 20 points only three times this season and never had an opponent score more than 30 this season. As a team, they are holding the opposition to under 300 yards-per-game on average. Pollack is the top player on the unit and was a unanimous All-American selection for his nine-and-half sacks and 14.5 tackles-for-loss this season. Pollack's speeds off the end, strength and awareness have proved to be troublesome to offensive lines. Pollack often draws double teams and that usually frees up Will Thompson or Quentin Moses to have a better shot at taking down the quarterback. The duo combined for eight sacks in 2004. One area where the Georgia defense is vulnerable is in the secondary, where they have only made five interceptions on the year - last in the Southeastern Conference. Thomas Davis led the team in tackles out of the free safety position, so getting into the secondary shouldn't prove much of a challenge for Wisconsin. Odell Thurman and Danny Verdun Wheeler back up the defensive line at the linebacker positions. The junior and sophomore recorded 59 and 51 tackles respectively and can make some noise in the opposition's backfield after a total of ten tackles-for-loss this season. Keys to the Game With both teams boasting strong defenses, the game may very well be decided by who makes the fewest mistakes. For Wisconsin, Stocco must protect the football - both in the pocket and when he lets it fly. Georgia's mistakes could come on the defensive side for the ball where they could be vulnerable to the play action pass. Watch for what transpires on third down plays for both teams. Georgia converted 41 percent of its third down opportunities during the regular season while Wisconsin was just a bit better, converting on 43 percent of its chances. However, both teams held their oppositions to around a 30 percent conversion rate for the season. The second quarter could also be a determining factor in the outcome of this year's Outback Bowl. Wisconsin has scored 92 points in the second stanza this season - 42 points higher than any other quarter. By contrast Georgia has divided their scoring up almost evenly between the second, third and fourth quarters. Wisconsin could also have an advantage if it jumps out to an early lead in the game, when it can totally unleash its punishing running offense to run down the clock and take plays away from the explosive Georgia offense.
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