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Falling behind a bad sign for Dogs

Falling behind a bad sign for Dogs

By Josh Kendall - kendall_j@bellsouth.net


ATHENS --

When things are going poorly for Georgia's football team during a game, center Fernando Velasco falls back on one of his favorite clichŽs.

"Fernando always says, 'The smoke's going to clear, the smoke's going to clear,' " tackle Chester Adams said.

The problem for the No. 24 Bulldogs is that hasn't always been true. In fact, once the smoke sets in, it's usually too late for Georgia. The Bulldogs are 3-0 this year in games when they score first and 1-2 when they don't.

The only game Georgia (4-2, 2-2 SEC) has won after falling behind is the Sept. 29 Mississippi game, and that day the Bulldogs needed an unforced error by the Rebels to mount their rally. Ole Miss was on the verge of going ahead 14-0 but fumbled a quarterback snap on Georgia's 1-yard line.

"Something sparked our ability to start getting after it," head coach Mark Richt said. "Did we create that break? I don't know. I think that guy just fumbled it."

Georgia's most impressive victory of the season came Sept. 22 at Alabama when it scored on its first possession and played well throughout.

Last week, after Tennessee went ahead 7-0 and the Bulldogs' offense failed to pick up a first down on its first drive, the wheels came off.

"We got jumped on, and we didn't know how to react," Adams said.