Texas A&M Aggies vs. Georgia Bulldogs | Independence Bowl Preview
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- Monday, December 28, 2009, 12:12
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The Texas A&M Aggies of the Big 12 Conference and the Georgia Bulldogs of the SEC will collide in the Independence Bowl, which will be played at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Texas A&M is making its 31st bowl appearance, the most recent of which was a trip to the 2007 Alamo Bowl. The Aggies enter this tilt with a modest 6-6 overall record and closed out the regular season with a 49-39 loss to Texas, a game that was close from start to finish. Texas A&M finished fifth in the Big 12 South Division, as inconsistency can be blamed for the mediocre results. The Aggies are making their third appearance in the Independence Bowl and their first since 2000.
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“They’ve watched the tapes and know that we are playing a quality team, and I’ve expressed that to them,” said Texas A&M head coach Mike Sherman about his team. “I would say they are very, very excited about that.”
As for Georgia, it made its only previous appearance in the Independence Bowl back in 1991. The program is making its 45th all-time bowl appearance, sixth most of any team in the nation, and the Bulldogs are 25-16-3 in the previous 44 showings. This season has been a bit of a struggle, as the club’s 7-5 overall record and 4-4 SEC mark is undoubtedly disappointing. On a positive note, three of the final four regular season games resulted in victory.
The team decided recently not to retain three defensive assistant coaches, and it will be interesting to see how the Georgia defense responds without those men. Willie Martinez, the defensive coordination, was a member of Richt’s original staff in 2001, but his group just didn’t get the job done during the 2009 regular season, making the coach expendable.
“Texas A&M is an outstanding football team with a great football tradition,” says Georgia head coach Mark Richt about his opponent. “Coach Sherman has their team on the rise and playing extremely well late in the year. It will be a tremendous challenge for us.”
Texas A&M holds a 3-1 series lead over Georgia, and the teams haven’t met since 1980.
It is somewhat surprising that Texas A&M is 6-6 considering the fact that the team averages 33.9 ppg and 465.3 total ypg. The Aggies have scored 52 offensive touchdowns in 12 games, and the team can move the ball equally as well on the ground and through the air.
Jerrod Johnson is a standout at the quarterback position, as he has 37 total touchdowns to his credit. As a passer, Johnson has thrown for 3,217 yards and 28 scores while completing 60.8 percent of his throws. The fact that he was only intercepted six times in 439 pass attempts during the regular season was tremendously impressive. As a runner, Johnson added eight touchdowns. Christine Michael has rushed for 767 yards and nine touchdowns for A&M, and Ryan Tannehill leads a balanced receiving corps with 44 catches.
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“To play in a bowl game, that’s your goal,” said Johnson when asked about the excitement of playing in this contest. “Last year we didn’t get to experience that for the first time in my career. Being back now it’s exciting and we’re looking forward to it, especially playing a team like Georgia. To be with these guys for two more weeks, it’s everything that you want.”
Defensively, Texas A&M is allowing 32.7 ppg and 431.3 total ypg. The Aggies have struggled in their efforts to stop the run, as they have permitted 26 scores on the ground through 12 games. As for the pass the defense, it is yielding 262.8 ypg and 12.0 yards per completion. Clearly, A&M does a great job of pressuring opposing quarterbacks, as the club has posted 36 sacks to date. Also worthy of mention is the fact that the Aggies have 21 takeaways to their credit.
Von Miller is one of the best defensive players in the nation. The Texas A&M standout has posted a staggering total of 17 sacks, and he has 21 TFLs to his credit. Trent Hunter leads the Aggies with 87 total tackles, and Jordan Pugh has recorded three interceptions.
Georgia isn’t as explosive offensively as Texas A&M, as the Bulldogs are scoring 27.7 ppg to go with 361.8 total ypg. They have posted 36 offensive touchdowns, only 14 of which have come on the ground. Washaun Ealey, a talented freshman, leads a balanced group of runners with 639 yards, while fellow tailback Caleb King has run for five touchdowns and 534 yards.
The Georgia passing game features wideout A.J. Green, one of the most talented receivers in the nation. Injury has limited him to nine games, and while he is still not 100 percent, Green is expected to play in this game. He has racked up 751 yards and six touchdowns on just 47 catches. Quarterback Joe Cox has completed 56.1 percent of his passes for 2,426 yards and 22 touchdowns against 14 interceptions.
Obviously, the 26.4 ppg and 328.4 total ypg that Georgia has allowed through 12 games are disappointing figures, thereby explaining why the three coaches were let go. The Bulldogs have actually played fairly well against the run, as they have limited foes to 3.4 yards per attempt. Unfortunately, they have struggled against the pass, having permitted 23 touchdowns and an average of 12.8 yards per completion.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
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