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Liberty Bowl Preview: Georgia Bulldogs Vs. UCF Knights

The 6-6 Georgia Bulldogs will play the 10-3, Conference USA-champion UCF Knights in the 2010 Liberty Bowl. Dominant in conference (losing only one game and winning all but one of their others by multiple scores) and a pair of fourth-quarter slips away from beating the N.C. State Wolfpack and Kansas St. Wildcats, the Knights might be the best Conference USA team since Bobby Petrino's Louisville Cardinals came a minute away from going undefeated in 2004.

UCF coach George O'Leary is no stranger to the Dawgs. O'Leary went 3-4 against UGA in seven full seasons as Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach, but went 0-1 against Mark Richt. He left Tech after the 2001 season to take the Notre Dame Fighting Irish job, which he had to forego after it came out that he'd made false claims on his resume.

He's been at UCF ever since, piloting the program to its first three bowls after going 0-11 in the MAC in his first year on duty.

The Knights have the nation's 58th-ranked offense and 12th-ranked defense. In classic O'Leary fashion, they're a decent running team with a mobile quarterback (freshman Jeff Godfrey) and feature a strong run defense. DE Darius Nall is 23rd in the nation with 8.5 sacks, and his bookend, Bruce Miller, is 45th with 7.


Next Game


Passing

Passing Rushing Sacks
G Rating Comp Att Pct Yds Y/G Y/A TD INT Rush Yds Y/G Avg TD Sack YdsL
Rob Calabrese 5 73.0 25 39 64.1 316 63.2 8.1 2 2 16 59 11.8 3.7 1 - -
L.D. Crow 3 93.0 7 12 58.3 135 45 11.3 1 0 3 -8 -2.7 -2.7 0 - -
Nico Flores 3 -60.0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 47 15.7 7.8 0 - -
Jeffrey Godfrey 13 103.0 143 210 68.1 2045 157.3 9.7 13 6 142 546 42 3.8 10 - -

Rushing

Rushing Receiving
G Rush Yds Y/G Avg TD Rec Yds Y/G Avg TD
Rob Calabrese 5 16 59 11.8 3.7 1 0 0 0 0 0
L.D. Crow 3 3 -8 -2.7 -2.7 0 0 0 0 0 0
Jonathan Davis 7 65 234 33.4 3.6 1 2 15 2.1 7.5 0
Nico Flores 3 6 47 15.7 7.8 0 0 0 0 0 0
Jeffrey Godfrey 13 142 546 42 3.8 10 0 0 0 0 0
A.J. Guyton 11 5 7 .600 1.4 0 28 353 32.1 12.6 3
Brendan Kelly 7 35 138 19.7 3.9 1 0 0 0 0 0
Quincy McDuffie 13 10 54 4.2 5.4 0 12 138 10.6 11.5 2
Latavius Murray 11 93 533 48.5 5.7 10 5 47 4.3 9.4 1
Jamar Newsome 13 2 15 1.2 7.5 1 34 597 45.9 17.6 3
Brian Watters 13 1 11 .800 11 0 41 594 45.7 14.5 2
Ronnie Weaver 13 185 890 68.5 4.8 11 4 29 2.2 7.3 0

Receiving

Receiving
G Rec Yds Y/G AVG TD
Kamar Aiken 12 29 471 39.3 16.2 2
Jonathan Davis 7 2 15 2.1 7.5 0
Billy Giovanetti 2 1 6 3 6 0
A.J. Guyton 11 28 353 32.1 12.6 3
Ricky Kay 7 10 116 16.6 11.6 2
Quincy McDuffie 13 12 138 10.6 11.5 2
Latavius Murray 11 5 47 4.3 9.4 1
Jamar Newsome 13 34 597 45.9 17.6 3
Adam Nissley 4 4 52 13 13 1
Brian Watters 13 41 594 45.7 14.5 2
Ronnie Weaver 13 4 29 2.2 7.3 0
Khymest Williams 4 3 62 15.5 20.7 0
Marquee Williams 1 1 15 15 15 0

Kicking

Field Goals PAT
G 0-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+ FGM FGA PCT XPM XPA PCT pts
Nick Cattoi 12 - - - - - 10 18 60.0% 46 49 90.0% 76
Jamie Boyle 3 - - - - - 0 2 0 9 9 100.0% 9


Knights Football Schedule

South Dakota Coyotes Sat 09/04 W 38 - 7
South Dakota Coyotes Sat 09/04 W 38 - 7
N.C. State Sat 09/11 L 21 - 28
@ Buffalo Sat 09/18 W 24 - 10
@ Kansas St. Sat 09/25 L 13 - 17
UAB Wed 10/06 W 42 - 7
@ Marshall Wed 10/13 W 35 - 14
Rice Sat 10/23 W 41 - 14
East Carolina Sat 10/30 W 49 - 35
@ Houston Fri 11/05 W 40 - 33
Southern Miss. Sat 11/13 L 21 - 31
@ Tulane Sat 11/20 W 61 - 14
@ Memphis Sat 11/27 W 37 - 17
SMU Sat 12/04 W 17 - 7
Georgia Fri 12/31 3:30 PM EST


Photographs by coka_koehler used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.