Dawg stat watch, Week 9

It’s a two-team duel for the East, so needless to say, the stat watch marches on.  Here’s where things stand now:

1. Hold opponents under 17 points per game.  As a team, Georgia is yielding 20.38 ppg.
2. Finish at least +8 in turnover margin.  Georgia’s turnover margin is +6.
3. Average better than 380 yards per game on offense.  Georgia’s offense is averaging 404 ypg.
4. Finish in the top five in total defensive yardage.  Georgia’s defense ranks fourth in total yardage.
5. Finish in the top three in first downs.  Georgia is third in first downs.
6. Finish no worse than third in passing yardage.  Georgia is third in passing yardage.
7. Finish no worse than third in sacks.  Georgia is first in sacks.

Most of the statistical categories were shored up on Saturday.  The Dawgs dropped one slot in total defense, but are little more than a ypg behind South Carolina.  Considering each team’s opposition this week, Georgia stands a good chance of reclaiming third.

The one that’s a little shaky appears to be defensive scoring.  But this week’s game and the game against Kentucky should offer good opportunities to whittle that number down.

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SEC Power Poll, Week 9

Game of the Century Week is finally here, but let’s not forget about the titanic slate of games which marked last weekend’s schedule. This version of the Power Poll winds up in the same order as Week 8.

That will not be the case next week, though. Not only do we get the Alabama-LSU match, there’s also Arkansas-South Carolina and a meeting to decide which team really is the conference’s worst.

In the meantime, this will have to do:

1. LSU (8-0, 5-0). In getting three key players back from suspension, the Tigers managed to kick the bye week’s ass, too.
2. Alabama (8-0, 5-0). This week is the kind of shit Nick Saban has time for.
   
3. Arkansas (7-1, 3-1). A second straight struggle against weaker opposition suggests the Hogs’ defense ain’t all it’s cracked up to be.
4. Georgia (6-2, 5-1). It’s unusual for the Dawgs to beat the Gators. It’s astounding for them to do so without playing their best game.
5. South Carolina (7-1, 5-1). The OBC gets no help from his alma mater. That’s gotta sting a little.
6. Auburn (6-3, 4-2). It looks like the bye week will do the Tigers some good. So did playing Ole Miss.
7. Florida (4-4, 2-4). The most ordinary Florida team I’ve seen in a long, long time.
8. Vanderbilt (4-4, 1-4). It’s hard to believe, but third place in the division is on the line with this week’s trip to Gainesville.
9. Mississippi State (4-4, 1-4). Getting by Kentucky just means that you’re better than an FCS team.
10. Tennessee (3-5, 0-5). Starting a true freshman quarterback who’s never thrown a pass in a college game against a top ten defense turned out to be every bit the WTF move we thought it would be.
11. Mississippi (2-6, 0-5). We’re about to find out what happens when a resistible force meets a movable object.
12. Kentucky (3-5, 0-4). Three of its remaining SEC games are against opponents with a combined 1-14 conference record. But will it matter?

Alex, I’ll take high points from the Goff Era for $200.

The last time Georgia beat Florida when scoring less than 30 points was November 11, 1989. The final score was 17-10.