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batted balls · 11-01-2007, 01:57 PM

Los Angeles--You can now officially take the Georgia Bulldogs off life support.

Nearly a month after seeing its post-season hopes take a severe hit, Georgia pulled out a late-game victory to advance to the Orange Bowl national championship game.

"Things didn't look very promising after our loss to Alabama (in week five)," said Bulldog head coach Vince Dooley. "But we hung in there and played hard until the end."

After wins over Florida State and Tennessee in the regular season's final two weeks, Georgia won the All-American Football League South title and moved on to play Midwest champion Ohio State.

In Saturday's Rose Bowl national semi-final, Georgia slipped past the Buckeyes 28-21 to set a date with Penn State for the AAFL championship game.

"It's a true thrill to be in this position," said Bulldog quarterback and Rose Bowl Most Valuable Player Eric Zeier.

Zeier was near perfect against Ohio State. He completed 16-of-19 passes for 247 yards and a touchdown. At one point, he connected on nine straight throws.

Georgia raced out of a 13-0 lead in the game's first quarter. Running back Charley Trippi scored the opening touchdown at the 9:12 mark. Two series later, Zeier drilled an eight-yard touchdown pass to wide out Hines Ward. However, Kevin Butler missed the extra point.

Yet, Ohio State didn't panic. The Buckeyes ground out a methodical drive by going 80 yards in 14 plays for their first score. Archie Griffin finished off the drive by barreling over from the three with 11 minutes remaining before halftime.

"There was a lot of game left to play," said Ohio State head coach Woody Hayes. "We stayed with our running game."

The quarter then turned into a defensive stalemate until each team's final possession. Following an interception by safety Terry Hogue of an errant Bobby Hoying pass, the Bulldogs used a short field to score their third touchdown.

"Bobby audibled out of a running play because of something he thought he read in the defense," said Hayes.

Hoying, seeing action for ineffective starter Troy Smith, never stepped on the field again in the game.

Georgia quickly moved the ball from the Ohio State 37-yard line to the end zone. Herschel Walker capped the drive with a six-yard touchdown run with just 38 seconds left before halftime. Walker then powered off tackle for the two-point conversion.

Leading 21-7, Georgia kicked off to the Buckeyes. Following an 18-yard return by Ted Ginn, Jr., Ohio State took possession at its own 27. Smith came back onto the field with four wide outs.

"I'm sure that raised a few eyebrows," said the normally conservative Hayes.

Yet, Ohio State stayed with the run. Following a road-clearing block by tackle Orando Pace, Griffin broke through the Georgia line and was off and running. Picking up key blocks along the way, Griffin outsprinted the Bulldog defense en route to a 73-yard touchdown run.

Following Mike Nugent's extra point, the Buckeyes went into halftime down only 21-14 with momentum apparently on their side.

The beginning of the third quarter favored Ohio State. After holding Georgia on two straight possessions, the Buckeyes moved downfield on their game-tying drive. Eddie George broke free on a nine-yard touchdown run with 8:03 left in the quarter. Nugent's extra point knotted the score.

"Give Ohio State credit, they didn't quit for a minute," said Dooley.

Neither did Dooley's 'Dwags. Both teams settled in defensively. In fact, most of the game's remainder was played between each team's 30-yard lines.

Each team also lost a key member to injury. First, Griffin went down with a broken ankle late in the third quarter. Then, Hines limped off with a hamstring pull early in the fourth quarter.

"Archie's injury really hurt our running game," said Hayes. "He was having one of his best days as a Buckeye. Still, we have plenty of talent to take his place."

As the afternoon turned to evening, the Georgia offense took over at its own 25-yard line with 5:04 remaining in the game. After playing the second half rather conservatively, Dooley decided to open up his offense.

"Eric is a fine quarterback," said the Georgia head coach. "It's a waste not to use him."

Thus, the Bulldogs began their march down the field with a near-even mixture of pass and run. The key play of the drive came on a third-and-eight from the Bulldog 45. Zeier stepped away from a blitzing A.J. Hawk and rifled a 13-yard gain to Andre Hastings.

"That play not only kept us going, it fired us up," said Georgia offensive guard Joel Parrish.

The Bulldogs not only continued their drive, they also continued to eat up precious minutes on the clock. Five plays later, a Zeier-to-Garrison Hearst completion gave Georgia a first-and-goal at the Ohio State six.

"We had one eye on their offense and one eye on the time," said Hayes.

Knowing he most likely had a field goal in his back pocket, Dooley decided to keep the ball in Walker's hands. The durable Bulldog back picked up five yards on a first-down carry.

"The line really came off the ball and got the push I needed," said Walker.

The next play turned out to be the game-winner. Following the blocks of Matt Stinchcomb and Max Jean-Gilles, Walker bulled over from the one. Just 1:48 showed on the scoreboard.

After adding the extra point, Butler squibbed a bounding kickoff that Ginn fielded at the 18-yard line. The Bulldog coverage team gang-tackled the Buckeye speedster at the 25.

"We got to him before he could get into gear," beamed Robert Edwards, one of the tacklers.

Forced to abandon his ground game, Hayes rotated plays into the game by alternating Smith and Joe Germaine at quarterback. While each had some success, Ohio State finally turned the ball over on downs when Smith's final pass sailed off the hands of tight end John Franks on a fourth-and-eight just inside Georgia territory.

"We had a nice season," said Hayes. "Too bad it had to end one game short."

In the meantime, Georgia's season will add one more date to the schedule.

"That's what makes all the off-the-field work worth it," said a grinning Walker in the post-game interview.

Game Summary
Ohio State 0 14 7 0 -- 21
Georgia 13 8 0 7 -- 28

Geo 9:12 of 1st--1 yard run by Trippi (Butler kick)
Geo 2:09 of 1st--8 yard pass from Zeier to Ward (kick failed)
OSU 11:00 of 2nd--3 yard run by Griffin (Nugent kick)
Geo 0:38 of 2nd--6 yard run by Walker (run good)
OSU 0:19 of 2nd--73 yard run by Griffin (Nugent kick)
OSU 8:03 of 3rd--9 yard run by George (Nugent kick)
Geo 1:48 of 4th--1 yard run by Walker (Butler kick)

First Downs--Geo 22, OSU 19
Rushing Yards--Geo 175, OSU 283
Passing Yards--Geo 247, OSU 94
Total Yards--Geo 422, OSU 377
Fumbles/Lost--Geo 0/0, OSU 0/0
Interceptions--Geo 0, OSU 1
Penalties--Geo 4-20, OSU 4-25
Time of Possession--Geo 32:32, OSU 27:28
Third Down Eff.--Geo 11-14, OSU 7-12

Individual Rushing
Georgia--Sinkwich 6-32, Trippi 6-21, Walker 20-59, Davis 3-5, Edwards 2-6, Ward 2-7, Hearst 5-28, Smith 4-18, Zeier 1 for minus 1.
Ohio State--George 9-62, Griffin 4-89, Byars 9-25, Spencer 5-10, Pearson 8-42, Harris 4-17, Cassady 3-29, Clarett 1-7, Brockington 5-8, Smith 1 for minus 4.

Individual Passing
Georgia--Zeier 16-19-247-2-0.
Ohio State--Smith 3-5-60-0-0, Germaine 2-3-19-0-0, Hoying 1-3-15-0-1.

Individual Receiving
Georgia--Pope 2-26, Hastings 2-22, Scott 1-9, Brown 1-9, Sinkwich 1-6, Trippi 1-9, Walker 1-12, Edwards 3-77, Ward 3-72.
Ohio State--Carter 2-34, Jenkins 1-29, Cassady 1-10, Brockington 1-15, Glenn 1-6.

Individual Punting
Georgia--Andrews 3-41.3.
Ohio State--Skladany 3-51.9.

Sacks
Georgia--Waters.
Ohio State--none.

Interceptions
Georgia--Hogue.
Ohio State--none.

Fumble Recoveries
Georgia--none.
Ohio State--none.

Rose Bowl Most Valuable Player: Eric Zeier, Georgia

11-01-2007, 01:57 PM	#165
batted balls All Star Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: White Sox Country Posts: 1,323	Walker's Late Touchdown Sends Georgia into Title Game Los Angeles--You can now officially take the Georgia Bulldogs off life support. Nearly a month after seeing its post-season hopes take a severe hit, Georgia pulled out a late-game victory to advance to the Orange Bowl national championship game. "Things didn't look very promising after our loss to Alabama (in week five)," said Bulldog head coach Vince Dooley. "But we hung in there and played hard until the end." After wins over Florida State and Tennessee in the regular season's final two weeks, Georgia won the All-American Football League South title and moved on to play Midwest champion Ohio State. In Saturday's Rose Bowl national semi-final, Georgia slipped past the Buckeyes 28-21 to set a date with Penn State for the AAFL championship game. "It's a true thrill to be in this position," said Bulldog quarterback and Rose Bowl Most Valuable Player Eric Zeier. Zeier was near perfect against Ohio State. He completed 16-of-19 passes for 247 yards and a touchdown. At one point, he connected on nine straight throws. Georgia raced out of a 13-0 lead in the game's first quarter. Running back Charley Trippi scored the opening touchdown at the 9:12 mark. Two series later, Zeier drilled an eight-yard touchdown pass to wide out Hines Ward. However, Kevin Butler missed the extra point. Yet, Ohio State didn't panic. The Buckeyes ground out a methodical drive by going 80 yards in 14 plays for their first score. Archie Griffin finished off the drive by barreling over from the three with 11 minutes remaining before halftime. "There was a lot of game left to play," said Ohio State head coach Woody Hayes. "We stayed with our running game." The quarter then turned into a defensive stalemate until each team's final possession. Following an interception by safety Terry Hogue of an errant Bobby Hoying pass, the Bulldogs used a short field to score their third touchdown. "Bobby audibled out of a running play because of something he thought he read in the defense," said Hayes. Hoying, seeing action for ineffective starter Troy Smith, never stepped on the field again in the game. Georgia quickly moved the ball from the Ohio State 37-yard line to the end zone. Herschel Walker capped the drive with a six-yard touchdown run with just 38 seconds left before halftime. Walker then powered off tackle for the two-point conversion. Leading 21-7, Georgia kicked off to the Buckeyes. Following an 18-yard return by Ted Ginn, Jr., Ohio State took possession at its own 27. Smith came back onto the field with four wide outs. "I'm sure that raised a few eyebrows," said the normally conservative Hayes. Yet, Ohio State stayed with the run. Following a road-clearing block by tackle Orando Pace, Griffin broke through the Georgia line and was off and running. Picking up key blocks along the way, Griffin outsprinted the Bulldog defense en route to a 73-yard touchdown run. Following Mike Nugent's extra point, the Buckeyes went into halftime down only 21-14 with momentum apparently on their side. The beginning of the third quarter favored Ohio State. After holding Georgia on two straight possessions, the Buckeyes moved downfield on their game-tying drive. Eddie George broke free on a nine-yard touchdown run with 8:03 left in the quarter. Nugent's extra point knotted the score. "Give Ohio State credit, they didn't quit for a minute," said Dooley. Neither did Dooley's 'Dwags. Both teams settled in defensively. In fact, most of the game's remainder was played between each team's 30-yard lines. Each team also lost a key member to injury. First, Griffin went down with a broken ankle late in the third quarter. Then, Hines limped off with a hamstring pull early in the fourth quarter. "Archie's injury really hurt our running game," said Hayes. "He was having one of his best days as a Buckeye. Still, we have plenty of talent to take his place." As the afternoon turned to evening, the Georgia offense took over at its own 25-yard line with 5:04 remaining in the game. After playing the second half rather conservatively, Dooley decided to open up his offense. "Eric is a fine quarterback," said the Georgia head coach. "It's a waste not to use him." Thus, the Bulldogs began their march down the field with a near-even mixture of pass and run. The key play of the drive came on a third-and-eight from the Bulldog 45. Zeier stepped away from a blitzing A.J. Hawk and rifled a 13-yard gain to Andre Hastings. "That play not only kept us going, it fired us up," said Georgia offensive guard Joel Parrish. The Bulldogs not only continued their drive, they also continued to eat up precious minutes on the clock. Five plays later, a Zeier-to-Garrison Hearst completion gave Georgia a first-and-goal at the Ohio State six. "We had one eye on their offense and one eye on the time," said Hayes. Knowing he most likely had a field goal in his back pocket, Dooley decided to keep the ball in Walker's hands. The durable Bulldog back picked up five yards on a first-down carry. "The line really came off the ball and got the push I needed," said Walker. The next play turned out to be the game-winner. Following the blocks of Matt Stinchcomb and Max Jean-Gilles, Walker bulled over from the one. Just 1:48 showed on the scoreboard. After adding the extra point, Butler squibbed a bounding kickoff that Ginn fielded at the 18-yard line. The Bulldog coverage team gang-tackled the Buckeye speedster at the 25. "We got to him before he could get into gear," beamed Robert Edwards, one of the tacklers. Forced to abandon his ground game, Hayes rotated plays into the game by alternating Smith and Joe Germaine at quarterback. While each had some success, Ohio State finally turned the ball over on downs when Smith's final pass sailed off the hands of tight end John Franks on a fourth-and-eight just inside Georgia territory. "We had a nice season," said Hayes. "Too bad it had to end one game short." In the meantime, Georgia's season will add one more date to the schedule. "That's what makes all the off-the-field work worth it," said a grinning Walker in the post-game interview. Game Summary Ohio State 0 14 7 0 -- 21 Georgia 13 8 0 7 -- 28 Geo 9:12 of 1st--1 yard run by Trippi (Butler kick) Geo 2:09 of 1st--8 yard pass from Zeier to Ward (kick failed) OSU 11:00 of 2nd--3 yard run by Griffin (Nugent kick) Geo 0:38 of 2nd--6 yard run by Walker (run good) OSU 0:19 of 2nd--73 yard run by Griffin (Nugent kick) OSU 8:03 of 3rd--9 yard run by George (Nugent kick) Geo 1:48 of 4th--1 yard run by Walker (Butler kick) First Downs--Geo 22, OSU 19 Rushing Yards--Geo 175, OSU 283 Passing Yards--Geo 247, OSU 94 Total Yards--Geo 422, OSU 377 Fumbles/Lost--Geo 0/0, OSU 0/0 Interceptions--Geo 0, OSU 1 Penalties--Geo 4-20, OSU 4-25 Time of Possession--Geo 32:32, OSU 27:28 Third Down Eff.--Geo 11-14, OSU 7-12 Individual Rushing Georgia--Sinkwich 6-32, Trippi 6-21, Walker 20-59, Davis 3-5, Edwards 2-6, Ward 2-7, Hearst 5-28, Smith 4-18, Zeier 1 for minus 1. Ohio State--George 9-62, Griffin 4-89, Byars 9-25, Spencer 5-10, Pearson 8-42, Harris 4-17, Cassady 3-29, Clarett 1-7, Brockington 5-8, Smith 1 for minus 4. Individual Passing Georgia--Zeier 16-19-247-2-0. Ohio State--Smith 3-5-60-0-0, Germaine 2-3-19-0-0, Hoying 1-3-15-0-1. Individual Receiving Georgia--Pope 2-26, Hastings 2-22, Scott 1-9, Brown 1-9, Sinkwich 1-6, Trippi 1-9, Walker 1-12, Edwards 3-77, Ward 3-72. Ohio State--Carter 2-34, Jenkins 1-29, Cassady 1-10, Brockington 1-15, Glenn 1-6. Individual Punting Georgia--Andrews 3-41.3. Ohio State--Skladany 3-51.9. Sacks Georgia--Waters. Ohio State--none. Interceptions Georgia--Hogue. Ohio State--none. Fumble Recoveries Georgia--none. Ohio State--none. Rose Bowl Most Valuable Player: Eric Zeier, Georgia Attached Images __________________ White Sox fan since 1972 Last edited by batted balls; 11-01-2007 at 02:56 PM.