5 Ways the Georgia Bulldogs are Improved

The offensive line:
8 different offensive linemen started games for Georgia last year, and that doesn’t include left tackle Trinton Sturdivant, who hurt his knee in fall practice and missed the year. The upside is that the Bulldogs now have plenty of veteran linemen that could become one of the top units in the country, a huge benefit to an offense that will have a lot of new faces elsewhere.
Joe Cox’s leadership:
Georgia will certainly miss the cannon arm of Matthew Stafford, but what the Bulldogs lose in talent, they may make up for in heart with new quarterback Joe Cox. Cox is a vocal leader, and a veteran who isn’t afraid to call out a teammate who isn’t getting the job done. He’s been the backbone of a dramatically more focused offseason, but only time will tell if that pays dividends this fall.
Lower expectations:
Last year, Georgia began the season as the No. 1 team in the country and faltered miserably under the spotlight that comes along with such lofty expectations. This year, the Bulldogs are flying quietly under the radar, and that’s a role Mark Richt and company say they’re far more comfortable playing.
Dominant defensive tackles:
Jeff Owens hurt his knee in Week 1 last year, depriving Georgia of what could have been a dynamic tandem on the interior defensive line. This year, he’s back to full health and will pair with Geno Atkins to give the Bulldogs a dominant defensive front up the middle that can cause plenty of havoc in the backfield while still shutting down the run.
Be healthier:
There’s virtually no way Georgia could be bitten any harder by the injury bug this year than they were in 2008. More than 30 players missed action or were hindered in practice last year due to injuries, and the run of bumps and bruises caused Richt to scale back practice. This year, the injured Bulldogs are on the road to recovery, and everyone’s keeping their fingers crossed that last year’s bad luck is balanced by an injury-free 2009. The SEC Rocks!