ESPN 300 RB A.J. Turman set to announce 
November, 11, 2012
11/11/12
8:27
PM ET
By
Kipp Adams | ESPN.com
After wrapping up an outstanding high school career that includes 4,867 rushing yards and 55 touchdowns as a starter for more than three seasons, ESPN 300 prospect A.J. Turman (Orlando, Fla./Boone) felt he need not delay his commitment any longer. On Sunday, Turman told ESPN.com he intends to announce his decision Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in a downtown Orlando restaurant.
He was actually ready to announce his decision almost a month ago, but his parents advised him to wait.
“I wanted to get my decision done with three weeks ago and I had a good feeling about where I wanted to go, but I had not taken my final trip to Georgia yet,” Turman said. “My parents wanted to wait until after that trip to make my decision. I felt the same after the visit, so I figured since the season was over I should get it out of the way.”
He was actually ready to announce his decision almost a month ago, but his parents advised him to wait.
“I wanted to get my decision done with three weeks ago and I had a good feeling about where I wanted to go, but I had not taken my final trip to Georgia yet,” Turman said. “My parents wanted to wait until after that trip to make my decision. I felt the same after the visit, so I figured since the season was over I should get it out of the way.”
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Georgia checks out Ashton Shumpert
November, 11, 2012
11/11/12
4:14
PM ET
By
Radi Nabulsi | ESPN.com
Georgia does not have a running back committed for the Class of 2013, despite having 27 commitments already. To rectify that, tailbacks coach Bryan McClendon was in Fulton, Miss., on Nov. 2 to check out ESPN 300 athlete Ashton Shumpert of Itawamba High School.
“I talked to Coach McClendon on Sunday,” Shumpert said. “He talked about how much he enjoyed the game and everything. He said he liked the way I played. He wants me to make it back to Georgia sometime soon.”
With offers from Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State and Oklahoma State, Shumpert is wanted for his ability to play a number of positions. The Bulldogs want him to run the ball.
“I talked to Coach McClendon on Sunday,” Shumpert said. “He talked about how much he enjoyed the game and everything. He said he liked the way I played. He wants me to make it back to Georgia sometime soon.”
With offers from Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State and Oklahoma State, Shumpert is wanted for his ability to play a number of positions. The Bulldogs want him to run the ball.
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ATHENS, Ga. -- No. 5 Georgia got the win it needed to clinch the SEC East title against Auburn -- and it did so without any resistance whatsoever from a Tigers team that is stumbling toward the finish line.
The Bulldogs (9-1, 7-1 SEC) thoroughly dominated every aspect of Saturday’s game, handing the Tigers (2-8, 0-7) a defeat that might have sealed the fate of embattled head coach Gene Chizik and his staff.
Let’s recap some of the highs and lows of Saturday’s victory:
The Bulldogs (9-1, 7-1 SEC) thoroughly dominated every aspect of Saturday’s game, handing the Tigers (2-8, 0-7) a defeat that might have sealed the fate of embattled head coach Gene Chizik and his staff.
Let’s recap some of the highs and lows of Saturday’s victory:
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When getting there is not good enough
November, 11, 2012
11/11/12
7:00
AM ET
By
David Ching | ESPN.com
AUBURN, Ala. -- Mark Richt actually injured himself a year ago when his team turned its locker room floor into a makeshift Slip’N Slide while wildly celebrating a win against Kentucky that clinched the SEC East title.
In contrast, Richt’s demeanor after Saturday’s 38-0 win against Auburn -- which secured the division championship for the second straight season -- seemed almost as if he had just attended a wake. The difference, he said, is that the fifth-ranked Bulldogs (9-1, 7-1 SEC) can’t be satisfied with simply returning to Atlanta for another SEC championship game.
“We had fun celebrating the victory and winning the East, but I think there was a little different feeling in everybody’s spirit that Atlanta is not the end of the road, we hope,” said Richt, Georgia's head coach.
The hope, instead, is that the Bulldogs’ larger goals remain within reach. Not just the program’s first SEC championship since 2005, but a spot in the BCS championship game in Miami.
That is where the team placed its focus before the season and it remains a reasonable goal with only two regular-season games remaining. But first the Bulldogs must post wins against Georgia Southern and Georgia Tech and then defeat the SEC West champion -- most likely defending BCS champ Alabama, which lost on Saturday for the first time this season, but can clinch the division with a win of its own against Auburn -- in Atlanta to even remain in consideration for a spot in the big game.
Oh, and at least two of the three remaining undefeated teams -- Oregon, Notre Dame and Kansas State -- must lose somewhere along the line, as well. Just like top-ranked Alabama did on Saturday.
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AP Photo/Butch DillUGA handled Auburn, but the Bulldogs aren't content with just advancing to the SEC title game.
AP Photo/Butch DillUGA handled Auburn, but the Bulldogs aren't content with just advancing to the SEC title game.“We had fun celebrating the victory and winning the East, but I think there was a little different feeling in everybody’s spirit that Atlanta is not the end of the road, we hope,” said Richt, Georgia's head coach.
The hope, instead, is that the Bulldogs’ larger goals remain within reach. Not just the program’s first SEC championship since 2005, but a spot in the BCS championship game in Miami.
That is where the team placed its focus before the season and it remains a reasonable goal with only two regular-season games remaining. But first the Bulldogs must post wins against Georgia Southern and Georgia Tech and then defeat the SEC West champion -- most likely defending BCS champ Alabama, which lost on Saturday for the first time this season, but can clinch the division with a win of its own against Auburn -- in Atlanta to even remain in consideration for a spot in the big game.
Oh, and at least two of the three remaining undefeated teams -- Oregon, Notre Dame and Kansas State -- must lose somewhere along the line, as well. Just like top-ranked Alabama did on Saturday.
Dawgs clinch East, add to Tigers' misery
November, 11, 2012
11/11/12
1:54
AM ET
By
Chris Low | ESPN.com
AUBURN, Ala. -- The Deep South’s oldest rivalry didn’t resemble much of a rivalry Saturday night.
In fact, all you really need to know about this game is that one of the loudest cheers of the night came when the Alabama final score flashed across the scoreboard at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
That’s not counting the constant roar from the red-and-black swarm of Georgia fans, who were about the only ones left in the stadium by the time the fourth quarter began.
Georgia’s 38-0 dissection of Auburn was like a dream in a lot of ways, a bad dream if you’re of the Auburn persuasion. It could have just as easily been 58-0. Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray was done by the end of the third quarter, and the Bulldogs took their foot off the gas pedal after scoring touchdowns on each of their first four possessions.
It was the first shutout in this series since 1976, and Auburn is now one loss away from finishing with its first winless season in the SEC since 1980, which begs an obvious question:
Is this really the same program that won a national championship two years ago?
The same goes for No. 5 Georgia, which clinched its second consecutive trip to the SEC championship game and remained on the periphery of the national championship race.
Is this really the same team that rolled over and played dead at South Carolina back on Oct. 6 and struggled to get past Kentucky two weeks later?
“We weren’t going to let one game ruin our whole season,” Georgia outside linebacker Jarvis Jones said of the 35-7 loss to the Gamecocks. “We knew we had the talent to be a championship team. We just had to put it all together, play with more discipline and handle our business.
“It wasn’t about anybody else. It was about us.”
The Bulldogs (9-1, 7-1 SEC) are old pros at this. They faced a similar predicament a year ago after losing their first two games, but regrouped to win 10 consecutive games and play their way into the SEC championship game.
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John Reed/US PresswireKeith Marshall ran for 105 yards on just eight carries -- 13.1 yards a pop -- in Georgia's rout.
John Reed/US PresswireKeith Marshall ran for 105 yards on just eight carries -- 13.1 yards a pop -- in Georgia's rout.“People are going to say what they want to say. Coach Richt is a great leader and a great man,” Georgia safety Bacarri Rambo said. “He sets the tone, and just like last year, we knew we weren’t out of anything.”
Simply getting to Atlanta was a coup last season for the Bulldogs, but there was very little celebrating inside their locker room Saturday after clinching their second straight East title.
“It was a little different feeling,” Richt said. “Atlanta’s not the end of the road, we hope.”
On the flip side, this does look like the end of the road for Auburn coach Gene Chizik, whose Tigers have now lost nine consecutive SEC games dating back to last season.
In those nine losses, seven have been by 17 points or more, and Georgia has won the past two meetings between the schools by a combined 83-7 margin.
It’s not just that the Tigers (2-8, 0-7 SEC) are losing. They haven’t even been competitive in a lot of their games, which makes the crash from where this program was two years ago all the more stunning.
Chizik, who would be owed a $7.5 million buyout if he’s not retained, has steadfastly refused to discuss what the future might hold for him. He didn’t deviate from that approach Saturday in the grim aftermath of another embarrassing defeat.
“I don’t entertain those thoughts,” Chizik said. “Again, like I said earlier, I have really one quest. We have two games left, and our seniors have done a lot for this university. They have done a lot for this place, and I hurt for them. Certainly, they never envisioned going out with this type of season, nor did anybody else coaching-wise, either.
“But it’s their last go-around, so I have one focus for them, and that is this week in them playing their last game at home and trying to get a win.”
Chizik repeated several times Saturday that the Tigers didn’t play well in any phase of the game, but he wasn’t buying the notion that he’s lost the team.
“Absolutely not,” he said.
Whether he has or hasn’t, the Auburn program has seemingly lost its way. This league is always going to be cyclical. There are going to be peaks and valleys.
But it might be a while before we see another crash this pronounced, even in the topsy-turvy world of the SEC.
Chris Low talks to Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray following the Bulldogs' 38-0 win over Auburn.
Instant analysis: Georgia 38, Auburn 0
November, 10, 2012
11/10/12
11:23
PM ET
By
Sam Khan Jr. | ESPN.com
Georgia's heading back to the SEC championship game.
The Bulldogs clinched a spot in Atlanta for the second consecutive year after routing Auburn 38-0 on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Georgia (9-1, 7-1 SEC) jumped out to a 28-0 lead in the first half and the result never seemed in doubt. Here's a look at the high points:
It was over when: The teams went into the locker room at the half. The Bulldogs scored on each of their first four drives, all of which covered at least 64 yards. They punted only once in their first seven drives.
Game ball goes to: Running backs Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall. The pair led Georgia to a 289-yard rushing effort. Gurley had 116 yards on 11 carries (an average of 10.5 yards a tote) along with a touchdown and Marshall added 105 yards on eight carries (13.1 yard average) with a touchdown of his own.
Key stat: 497. That's how many yards Georgia ended up with, a total that could have been higher if the game wasn't already well in hand by the third quarter. The Bulldogs averaged 7.4 yards per play and Aaron Murray threw for 208 yards on 18 of 24 attempts, including three touchdown tosses.
Key play: Murray connected with receiver Tavarres King for a 55-yard completion with 5:32 left in the second quarter to get the Bulldogs to the Auburn 6. Murray did get a little pressure up the middle as he threw, but made a perfect throw to King over the coverage. The completion set up Georgia's fourth touchdown, which made it 28-0.
What it means: As SEC East Division champions, the Bulldogs will await the SEC West champion for a Dec. 1 showdown in Atlanta. Alabama had the chance to clinch that berth on Saturday but was upset by Texas A&M and will now need a victory over Auburn to clinch the West. For the Tigers (2-8, 0-7), it was another ugly loss in what has become a nightmarish season. They are still without a conference win and it will only continue to increase the pressure on head coach Gene Chizik.
The Bulldogs clinched a spot in Atlanta for the second consecutive year after routing Auburn 38-0 on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Georgia (9-1, 7-1 SEC) jumped out to a 28-0 lead in the first half and the result never seemed in doubt. Here's a look at the high points:
It was over when: The teams went into the locker room at the half. The Bulldogs scored on each of their first four drives, all of which covered at least 64 yards. They punted only once in their first seven drives.
Game ball goes to: Running backs Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall. The pair led Georgia to a 289-yard rushing effort. Gurley had 116 yards on 11 carries (an average of 10.5 yards a tote) along with a touchdown and Marshall added 105 yards on eight carries (13.1 yard average) with a touchdown of his own.
Key stat: 497. That's how many yards Georgia ended up with, a total that could have been higher if the game wasn't already well in hand by the third quarter. The Bulldogs averaged 7.4 yards per play and Aaron Murray threw for 208 yards on 18 of 24 attempts, including three touchdown tosses.
Key play: Murray connected with receiver Tavarres King for a 55-yard completion with 5:32 left in the second quarter to get the Bulldogs to the Auburn 6. Murray did get a little pressure up the middle as he threw, but made a perfect throw to King over the coverage. The completion set up Georgia's fourth touchdown, which made it 28-0.
What it means: As SEC East Division champions, the Bulldogs will await the SEC West champion for a Dec. 1 showdown in Atlanta. Alabama had the chance to clinch that berth on Saturday but was upset by Texas A&M and will now need a victory over Auburn to clinch the West. For the Tigers (2-8, 0-7), it was another ugly loss in what has become a nightmarish season. They are still without a conference win and it will only continue to increase the pressure on head coach Gene Chizik.
Georgia will play for SEC title after Aaron Murray connects for three touchdowns in 38-0 victory over Auburn.
Watch: 2014 WR Terry Googer interview
November, 9, 2012
11/09/12
4:00
PM ET
By DawgNation staff | ESPN.com
Radi Nabulsi talks with College Park, Ga. junior Terry Googer about the recruiting interest he’s been receiving, and what position he hopes to play at the next level.
Watch: UGA ready for 'chippy' game
November, 9, 2012
11/09/12
3:54
PM ET
By DawgNation staff | ESPN.com
Several Georgia players and coach Mark Richt talk about the “chippy” nature of the Georgia-Auburn rivalry.
Tom Hauck for ESPN.comMax Redfield is out at USC -- is Leon McQuay in?
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You can also rank the battles this week in SportsNation.
We asked for questions on The Pound, DawgNation’s message board, and our readers had quit a few. From coaching hot seats to hot recruits to ice cold players, we touch on a little bit of everything.
Bullpup969:- Do you know if Reuben Foster (Auburn, Ala./Auburn) is still solid on Auburn? Would a coaching change play into the picture?
Radi Nabulsi: Coaching changes always have consequences and if Gene Chizik and, more importantly, Trooper Taylor were no longer with Auburn, then I would expect Foster to take some official visits. He would likely check out Georgia, LSU, Alabama, Oregon and Washington. The Tide coaches have never stopped recruiting him. Some of Georgia’s commits would try and sway Foster to Athens since he is so close to Tray Matthews (Newnan, Ga./Newnan) and Shaq Wiggins (Tyrone, Ga./Sandy Creek). The last time I spoke to Foster, he was solid to Auburn. He has a good family situation living in Auburn, Ala. But things change in recruiting. Here is one angle that I have not seen mentioned. If Chizik were fired and Auburn hired a new, exciting coach, the prospects committed to the Tigers might become more enthusiastic. I can see them lining up to play for a Charlie Strong or a Jon Gruden.
Bullpup969:- Do you know if Reuben Foster (Auburn, Ala./Auburn) is still solid on Auburn? Would a coaching change play into the picture?
Radi Nabulsi: Coaching changes always have consequences and if Gene Chizik and, more importantly, Trooper Taylor were no longer with Auburn, then I would expect Foster to take some official visits. He would likely check out Georgia, LSU, Alabama, Oregon and Washington. The Tide coaches have never stopped recruiting him. Some of Georgia’s commits would try and sway Foster to Athens since he is so close to Tray Matthews (Newnan, Ga./Newnan) and Shaq Wiggins (Tyrone, Ga./Sandy Creek). The last time I spoke to Foster, he was solid to Auburn. He has a good family situation living in Auburn, Ala. But things change in recruiting. Here is one angle that I have not seen mentioned. If Chizik were fired and Auburn hired a new, exciting coach, the prospects committed to the Tigers might become more enthusiastic. I can see them lining up to play for a Charlie Strong or a Jon Gruden.
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NO. 5 GEORGIA AT AUBURN
Saturday, 7 p.m. ET
Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, Ala.
ESPN2
Records: Georgia 8-1 (6-1 SEC), Auburn 2-7 (0-6)
Last week: Georgia beat Ole Miss 37-10, Auburn beat New Mexico State 42-7
What’s the Story?: For the 21st time in the history of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, Saturday’s outcome will determine either a division or conference championship. Georgia is 11-8-1 in previous meeting under those circumstances and it needs another win on Saturday in order to claim its second straight SEC East title. Auburn has had a horrible season, but it played No. 7 LSU and No. 13 Clemson close, so there is a precedent for a closer game than the 15-point spread might indicate. An Auburn win would rank among the season’s biggest upsets, however.
Saturday, 7 p.m. ET
Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, Ala.
ESPN2
Records: Georgia 8-1 (6-1 SEC), Auburn 2-7 (0-6)
Last week: Georgia beat Ole Miss 37-10, Auburn beat New Mexico State 42-7
What’s the Story?: For the 21st time in the history of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, Saturday’s outcome will determine either a division or conference championship. Georgia is 11-8-1 in previous meeting under those circumstances and it needs another win on Saturday in order to claim its second straight SEC East title. Auburn has had a horrible season, but it played No. 7 LSU and No. 13 Clemson close, so there is a precedent for a closer game than the 15-point spread might indicate. An Auburn win would rank among the season’s biggest upsets, however.
The Experts: Not enough wins for Richt?
November, 8, 2012
11/08/12
1:30
PM ET
By DawgNation staff | ESPN.com
ESPNU's The Experts look at Mark Richt who has posted an impressive record at Georgia but never seems to be very far away from the hot seat.
Watch List ATH Terry Googer keeps ticking
November, 8, 2012
11/08/12
11:41
AM ET
By
Radi Nabulsi | ESPN.com
DECATUR, Ga. -- ESPN Watch List wide receiver Terry Googer (College Park, Ga./Woodward Academy) will need some heavy-duty bleach to get the grass, dirt and blood stains out of his white uniform after last Friday’s game against Cedar Grove (Ga.) High School. The 6-foot-4, 203-pound junior lined up at quarterback and was hit early and often. Sometime he was greeted in the backfield by a defender, but most often he would collide into a tackler 5 yards downfield on a rushing attempt. Cedar Grove had too many athletes for Woodward, and the ball with Googer seemed to be the only play that worked. So it was called. A lot. And Googer soldiered on.
At one point he was knocked out of the game, but he returned on the next series to run and throw, moving Woodward Academy down the field against one of the best defenses in the Peach State. That grit and tenacity has earned Googer offers from Notre Dame, South Carolina, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Syracuse, Cincinnati, Wake Forest and Florida International. More are likely on the way.
When asked who he thought would offer next, Googer said, “Probably Florida, hopefully Georgia and I kind of want a Southern Cal offer. My family really likes Georgia. When I went to visit it seemed like a good place to spend my four years.”
At one point he was knocked out of the game, but he returned on the next series to run and throw, moving Woodward Academy down the field against one of the best defenses in the Peach State. That grit and tenacity has earned Googer offers from Notre Dame, South Carolina, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Syracuse, Cincinnati, Wake Forest and Florida International. More are likely on the way.
When asked who he thought would offer next, Googer said, “Probably Florida, hopefully Georgia and I kind of want a Southern Cal offer. My family really likes Georgia. When I went to visit it seemed like a good place to spend my four years.”
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
David Ching
David Ching came to ESPN.com in 2011 after six years covering UGA for the Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer and Athens (Ga.) Banner-Herald. He lives in Athens. Email him at davidchingespn@gmail.com.
Radi Nabulsi
Radi Nabulsi joined ESPN.com in 2011 after covering the University of Georgia for Rivals.com for four years and for the UGA Athletic Association since 1993. Nabulsi is a graduate of the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and lives in Athens. He can be reached at radinabulsiespn@gmail.com.
Kipp Adams
Kipp Adams joined ESPN.com in 2011 after covering University of Georgia football and basketball recruiting for five years at Rivals.com. He lives in Sandy Springs, Ga., and enjoys spending time with his two sons. He can be reached at kippadamsespn@gmail.com.