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Georgia and LSU came into the season facing big expectations, with the Bulldogs starting out at No. 1 for the first time in school history and the Tigers hoping to defend their national championship.
With each team having endured a blowout loss, another setback would almost certainly derail either's hopes of getting back to the top.
One won't make it out of Baton Rouge unscathed on Saturday, when the No. 11 Tigers kick off a five-game homestand by hosting the ninth-ranked Bulldogs for the first time since 2003.
Georgia (6-1, 3-1 SEC) had never been the No. 1 team in the AP preseason Top 25 before this season, and the Bulldogs looked like a potential national title contender in their first four games. Then came a 41-30 home loss to Alabama on Sept. 27 in which Georgia fell behind 31-0 at halftime, dealing a crushing blow to its SEC and national championship hopes.
The Bulldogs have won their two games since the loss to the Crimson Tide, but they've looked much more ordinary. Struggling Tennessee kept close well into the fourth quarter in Athens on Oct. 11 before Georgia won 26-14, then the Bulldogs played a back-and-forth affair with Vanderbilt last Saturday, finally sealing a 24-14 victory with a late field goal.
"I'm really not worried about it," coach Mark Richt said of his team's lackluster performances. "Winning to me is pretty stylish, so if we keep winning I'll be happy, I can promise you."
LSU (5-1, 3-1), meanwhile, began defense of its national title ranked No. 7, and had climbed three spots heading into Florida on Oct. 11 for a showdown between the last two BCS champions. But the Tigers had three turnovers and gave up 475 yards in a 51-21 defeat.
After falling behind 17-10 at South Carolina last Saturday, it looked like LSU might lose back-to-back SEC games for the first time since 2001. But instead of abandoning the run and putting sophomore the game on the arm of sophomore Jarrett Lee, which the Tigers did at Florida, coach Les Miles stuck with the ground game, which produced 74 yards in the final two drives of their 24-17 win.
One of the wrinkles Miles added to the rushing attack was moving Charles Scott, who ran for 535 yards and six touchdowns in the first four games, to fullback, allowing the speedier Keiland Williams to get more carries.
"I like what we did with Charles Scott at the fullback spot," Miles said. "We'll throw it. We'll run it. He'll block from there, and he'll carry the football from fullback. It gives (defenses) another personnel group that they have to prepare for and it brings quality characteristics to our football team."
Scott is averaging 105.2 yards per game on the ground, fourth in the SEC, but he'll only be the second-most proficient rusher on the field Saturday. Georgia's Knowshon Moreno is averaging 108.9 ypg and has 11 touchdowns, tops in the SEC.
Moreno was at his best against Vanderbilt, rushing for a season-high 172 yards and a score.
"He has great quickness, runs with power, and has great vision," Miles said. "He's a tremendous receiver ... and he'll block the defensive ends before he leaves the pocket as well, so we're very much aware of him."
Moreno's presence has helped mask some struggles from junior quarterback Matthew Stafford recently. After not throwing an interception in the Bulldogs' first five wins, Stafford has thrown five in his last three games, including two apiece against Tennessee and Vanderbilt.
But with Moreno in the backfield and freshman A.J. Green - the SEC's leading receiver (81.9 ypg) - to throw to, Stafford feels like Georgia's offense is on the verge of a breakout performance.
"I think we are working hard towards it," said Stafford, the conference's second-highest rated quarterback (142.6) behind reigning Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow of Florida. "Nobody is ever going to play a perfect game, but you at least try to get a game where all three phases are clicking and see what happens."
Georgia hasn't played at LSU since 2003 - the only time under Richt's tenure it's played in Baton Rouge - and the teams haven't met since a 34-14 Bulldogs' win in the 2005 SEC championship game.
Richt's lone memory of Tiger Stadium was a 17-10 loss, also to a No. 11 LSU team, but he remembers the atmosphere quite well.
"We tied up the score with a couple minutes to go and I was expecting a hush from the crowd," Richt said. "It got louder and louder. It was the loudest I've ever heard a stadium."
LSU has won six consecutive games against top 10 opponents.
With each team having endured a blowout loss, another setback would almost certainly derail either's hopes of getting back to the top.
One won't make it out of Baton Rouge unscathed on Saturday, when the No. 11 Tigers kick off a five-game homestand by hosting the ninth-ranked Bulldogs for the first time since 2003.
Georgia (6-1, 3-1 SEC) had never been the No. 1 team in the AP preseason Top 25 before this season, and the Bulldogs looked like a potential national title contender in their first four games. Then came a 41-30 home loss to Alabama on Sept. 27 in which Georgia fell behind 31-0 at halftime, dealing a crushing blow to its SEC and national championship hopes.
The Bulldogs have won their two games since the loss to the Crimson Tide, but they've looked much more ordinary. Struggling Tennessee kept close well into the fourth quarter in Athens on Oct. 11 before Georgia won 26-14, then the Bulldogs played a back-and-forth affair with Vanderbilt last Saturday, finally sealing a 24-14 victory with a late field goal.
"I'm really not worried about it," coach Mark Richt said of his team's lackluster performances. "Winning to me is pretty stylish, so if we keep winning I'll be happy, I can promise you."
LSU (5-1, 3-1), meanwhile, began defense of its national title ranked No. 7, and had climbed three spots heading into Florida on Oct. 11 for a showdown between the last two BCS champions. But the Tigers had three turnovers and gave up 475 yards in a 51-21 defeat.
After falling behind 17-10 at South Carolina last Saturday, it looked like LSU might lose back-to-back SEC games for the first time since 2001. But instead of abandoning the run and putting sophomore the game on the arm of sophomore Jarrett Lee, which the Tigers did at Florida, coach Les Miles stuck with the ground game, which produced 74 yards in the final two drives of their 24-17 win.
One of the wrinkles Miles added to the rushing attack was moving Charles Scott, who ran for 535 yards and six touchdowns in the first four games, to fullback, allowing the speedier Keiland Williams to get more carries.
"I like what we did with Charles Scott at the fullback spot," Miles said. "We'll throw it. We'll run it. He'll block from there, and he'll carry the football from fullback. It gives (defenses) another personnel group that they have to prepare for and it brings quality characteristics to our football team."
Scott is averaging 105.2 yards per game on the ground, fourth in the SEC, but he'll only be the second-most proficient rusher on the field Saturday. Georgia's Knowshon Moreno is averaging 108.9 ypg and has 11 touchdowns, tops in the SEC.
Moreno was at his best against Vanderbilt, rushing for a season-high 172 yards and a score.
"He has great quickness, runs with power, and has great vision," Miles said. "He's a tremendous receiver ... and he'll block the defensive ends before he leaves the pocket as well, so we're very much aware of him."
Moreno's presence has helped mask some struggles from junior quarterback Matthew Stafford recently. After not throwing an interception in the Bulldogs' first five wins, Stafford has thrown five in his last three games, including two apiece against Tennessee and Vanderbilt.
But with Moreno in the backfield and freshman A.J. Green - the SEC's leading receiver (81.9 ypg) - to throw to, Stafford feels like Georgia's offense is on the verge of a breakout performance.
"I think we are working hard towards it," said Stafford, the conference's second-highest rated quarterback (142.6) behind reigning Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow of Florida. "Nobody is ever going to play a perfect game, but you at least try to get a game where all three phases are clicking and see what happens."
Georgia hasn't played at LSU since 2003 - the only time under Richt's tenure it's played in Baton Rouge - and the teams haven't met since a 34-14 Bulldogs' win in the 2005 SEC championship game.
Richt's lone memory of Tiger Stadium was a 17-10 loss, also to a No. 11 LSU team, but he remembers the atmosphere quite well.
"We tied up the score with a couple minutes to go and I was expecting a hush from the crowd," Richt said. "It got louder and louder. It was the loudest I've ever heard a stadium."
LSU has won six consecutive games against top 10 opponents.
