Mark Richt is preparing for one of the biggest games of his 15-year tenure as Georgia's coach when the No. 8 Bulldogs play Alabama on Saturday, but he took time to visit a Southern University player who sustained a serious injury.
Southern receiver Devon Gales suffered damage to his neck and spine in the Bulldogs' 48-6 victory over the Jaguars last Saturday and underwent surgery at Athens Regional Medical Center to stabilize several fractures.
TOP TO BOTTOM
RANK (PREV) TEAM;RECORD;COMMENT
(1);Ole Miss;4-0;Looking to hand Florida its first loss
(2);Georgia;4-0;Welcomes Alabama between the hedges
(3);LSU ;3-0;Fournette looks like Heisman front-runner
(4);Alabama;3-1;Loss at Georgia could end national title hopes
(5);Texas A&M;4-0;Another overtime victory against Arkansas
(6);Mississippi State;3-1;Going for road victory at Texas A&M
(8);Florida;4-0;11 in a row over Tennessee
(11);Kentucky;3-1;Should have no problems with E. Kentucky
(7)Missouri;3-1;Freshman Lock starting for suspended Mauk
(9);Tennessee;2-2;Butch Jones feeling plenty of heat from fans
(10);Auburn;2-2;San Jose St. should provide relief from SEC struggles
(12);Arkansas;1-3;Another close one gets away against the Aggies
(13);South Carolina;2-2;Battle of Columbias at Missouri
(14);Vanderbilt;1-3;Road trip to Middle Tennessee won’t be easy
PLAYER TO WATCH
Christian Kirk
WR, Texas A&M
The true freshman has become a go-to receiver for Texas A&M and lead the SEC with 442 receiving yards on 24 catches through 4 games.
Arkansas struggled to cover Kirk, who had 8 receptions for 173 yards and 2 touchdowns, including a 20-yard score in overtime to help the Aggies beat the Razorbacks 28-21.
According to ESPN Stats, Kirk has caught every pass thrown to him this season. He’s averaging 18.4 yards per catch and has four touchdowns.
At times, Kirk lined up on the outside but also has been in the backfield. He lined up at running back against the Razorbacks for a play on which he caught a pass for a 67-yard gain.
The Aggies figure to target Kirk heavily again when they play Mississippi State on Saturday night at Kyle Field.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Alabama at Georgia
2:30 p.m. Central, CBS
The Bulldogs and Crimson Tide are meeting for the first time since their epic 2012 SEC Championship Game matchup when Alabama held on to win 32-28 when Georgia ran out of time after driving inside the Tide’s 10-yard line.
Both teams go into Saturday’s game at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga., with a starting quarterback who transferred from the Atlantic Coast Conference. Greyson Lambert (from Virginia) will start for the eighth-ranked Bulldogs (4-0, 2-0 SEC) while Jake Coker (from Florida State) gets the start for No. 13 Alabama (3-1, 0-1).
Alabama likely needs to win to stay in the national championship race considering the Tide already has lost at home to Ole Miss.
A victory by Georgia, a two-point favorite, would be a big step for the Bulldogs in staying on pace to win their first national title since 1980.
BY THE NUMBERS
1.2 Average yards per play gained by Louisiana-Monroe against Alabama. The Warhawks gained 94 yards on 72 plays.
76.5 Completion percentage for Georgia quarterback Greyson Lambert, who has completed 52 of 68 passes.
8.64 LSU tailback Leonard Fournette’s yards-per-carry average on 73 rushing attempts.
OVERHEARD
“Who knows? Maybe he plays better than the guy before him.”
— South Carolina Coach Steve Spurrier on Missouri freshman quarterback Drew Lock, who will make his first start against the Gamecocks in place of suspended junior Maty Mauk
Richt and members of the Georgia coaching staff along with their families and the team chaplain visited Gales on Sunday night.
Georgia's athletic department also paid to have Gale's parents fly from Louisiana to Athens, Ga., to be with their son.
Gales has movement in his upper body but so far has not been able to walk.
"We're trying to cover him up with as much love as we can and let him know that we care and let him know that we're here to help," Richt told members of the Georgia media. "We're just going to continue to pray, and I know the Bulldog Nation is behind him as well."
Richt said he's going to reach out to Georgia fans to help with raising funds to support Gale and his family.
"There may come a time when there may be some needs," Richt said. "If it does come to that, I'm going to be calling all 'Dogs to get involved and help out."
Georgia Athletic Director Greg McGarity told members of the media the school's medical and athletic staff have been heavily involved with assisting Gales and his family in every way possible, treating the situation as if one of the Bulldogs had been injured.
Gales, 5-8 and 158 pounds, was injured playing on the kickoff return team when he collided helmet-to-helmet with Georgia kicker Marshall Morgan, 6-3, 194.
Morgan visited Gales and his family Tuesday.
"I think it was good for him to go and talk to everybody and understand that it's football," Richt said. "No one's mad at Marshall, and he didn't do anything that was out of line in any way, shape or form. It's just unfortunate."
Lock starting
For the first time in Gary Pinkel's 15 seasons as Missouri's coach, he's going to start a true freshman at quarterback.
Drew Lock, who has played 37 snaps for the Tigers (3-1), will start against South Carolina on Saturday in place of junior Maty Mauk, who has been suspended for undisclosed disciplinary reasons.
"What we do -- and I think our players have great respect for it -- is protect the integrity of the program," Pinkel said Wednesday during the SEC coaches teleconference. "We're going to be who we are and do the right thing.
"We're not going to manipulate things: 'Well, we can get by with this and play him and discipline him another way.' We don't do that. We have rules we abide by.
"Everybody lives by the same rules. Overall, that's helped us build our football program."
Lock will be the first true freshman quarterback to start for Missouri in 20 years, since Corby Jones started the final five games in 1995.
Pinkel said he's excited about Lock's ability and thankful he's gotten at least some limited work in games.
"It's a great opportunity," Pinkel said. "I think he'll do well."
Lock has completed 15 of 25 passes for 225 yards and 1 touchdown with 1 interception.
"He has pretty good instincts back there,"Pinkel said. "He doesn't have Maty's foot speed, but not many quarterbacks do. He's got to be who he is."
Will LSU come to pass?
LSU ranks 124th nationally in passing offense, averaging 100.7 yards per game.
The lack of a passing game hasn't stopped the Tigers from beating Mississippi State, Auburn and Syracuse, thanks in large part to tailback Leonard Fournette rushing for 631 yards and eight touchdowns.
Malachi Dupre, who leads LSU with 103 receiving yards on seven catches, said he and fellow receiver Travin Dural and quarterback Brandon Harris aren't going to complain.
"Leonard's been getting opportunities and making the best of it almost every time he touches the ball, which I understand, which Travin [Dural] understands, which Brandon [Harris] understands, which everybody understands," Dupre told members of the LSU media this week. "Leonard's doing the best job that anybody could possibly do at running back.
"We're not complaining at all. We keep getting W's, and that's what it's all about."
As good as Fournette is, LSU no doubt will need to have a passing game at some point this season to win.
The Tigers play Saturday against Eastern Michigan, which ranks last in the nation in rushing defense, yielding an average of 373.3 yards.
Given that stat, logic might dictate another heavy running game for LSU, but it might be the perfect chance to have Harris -- who has completed 29 of 47 passes for 3o2 yards -- air it out and let him gain some confidence.
Winning close ones
Kentucky's first four games have been decided by an average of 6.0 points, and the Wildcats have come through with a 3-1 start.
The Wildcats blew a 23-point lead in their opener but came back to beat Louisiana-Lafayette 40-33, broke a 22-game road losing streak with a 26-22 victory at South Carolina, lost 14-9 to Florida and beat Missouri 21-13.
Winning the close ones is a sign of Kentucky's progress considering the Wildcats were 1-4 in games decided by eight or fewer points in Coach Mark Stoops' first two seasons.
"I think that's a credit to a lot of factors," Stoops said Monday at his weekly news conference. "I think, first and foremost, it's just us growing as a program and finding ways to win.
"I think it's the ability to overcome negative things that happen throughout the course of the game and adversity that seems to hit you in every game. I think we're deeper. We're a better football team."
Sports on 10/01/2015