Some experts already chalked-up a dominating victory in the win column for New Orleans and last I checked we are still hours away from kickoff. The Superdome is a tough place to play, although I submit to you that a rivalry like the Falcons and Saints is no run away victory for either side. Sure Matt Ryan has looked better than he did on the road against the Cowboys last Sunday, but he’s still growing and the maturation process continues for him as an NFL Quarterback.  Atlanta Falcons fans can be confident in this, tonight’s game will be a shootout and your quarterback could be the better looking of the two after all is said and done.  The best quarterbacks in this league perform in big games like this one tonight and Matt Ryan will bounce back from last weeks debacle in Dallas.

It may be fair to say that the Saints are the best team in the NFL right now, but it doesn’t mean they can’t be beaten on any given week in this league.  Expect this one to go down to the wire, you can catch up on sleep another day.

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are a fantastic football team and probably the best the ACC has to offer this season. On the other hand, The Vanderbilt Commodores are among the worst of the SEC. So, the question that immediately comes to mind, “Does this game really do either conference any good?”

Maybe this game matters to Tech fans because they are trying to put another one in the win column, but beyond that, it’s Vandy; therefore, not very exciting for an out of conference game, especially not against an SEC opponent.  The Jackets definitively cannot afford to lose this game and damage their impressive record or their position in the Top 25. Furthermore, if Tech loses, it will only add fuel to the argument for SEC fans that their conference is far superior. (I would suggest that the SEC is the better conference overall; however, I think the gap has narrowed in recent years.)  From the Vanderbilt perspective, losing this game at home will reaffirm their cellar dweller standing and raise the question, “do they even belong in this conference?” Now, whether or not the question is justified isn’t my point.

At this juncture in the college football season, I expect to see exciting matchups that mean something, not a best versus worst ACC-SEC matchup.  Even though no local teams are involved, I’m more compelled to watch the Yankees -Phillies in Game 3 of the World Series and this is football season!

The Bulldogs (4-3, 3-2 SEC) will travel to St. Augustine, Fla., on Friday before facing the No. 1 Gators (7-0, 5-0 SEC) in Jacksonville. This will be the fourth time in school history Georgia plays the No. 1 team in the country including the third time against Florida.

“This is the last little bit of preparation here as far as on the field,” Richt told the media prior to practice. “I feel good about the preparation that we’ve had to this point. This is the last little bit in the stadium with the crowd noise before we feel like we’ve done everything we can do. With the crowd noise, you have to concentrate and you have to focus.”

Richt also stressed the importance of effective special teams play against the Gators.

“There are six phases of special teams, and if you win four out of six, you win the special teams game,” Richt said. “It’s a situation where you are going against one of the better special teams in the league and the country. It will be a challenge. Everybody is going to be up for it.”

The Bulldogs are coming off a bye week following the 34-10 win over Vanderbilt on Oct. 17. This marks the sixth time in the history of the series that Georgia enters the game after an open date. The last time it happened was in 2007 when No. 20 Georgia upset No. 9 Florida 42-30.

Georgia will renew its rivalry with Florida for the 88^th time Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on CBS. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series, 47-38-2.

Valdosta State handled the first two games with ease, but struggled in the third. In the fourth game, the struggles continued with VSU trailing 17-8. The Lady Blazers regrouped and stormed back to take the lead, 21-20, and eventually win the fourth game, 25-22, to take the match.

Ruthie King, Arielle Parnell and Tania Tauiliili each tallied 12 kills to lead the Lady Blazers in the match. Irene Hannan pitched in 11 kills. Emelia Saulter passed out 49 assists in the match while King and Hannan cleaned up on defense.

King notched 32 digs and Hannan had 20. Macy Markham had eight and three others had four. Tauiliili had one solo block and five assists. Parnell blocked two solo and had three block assists, and Katie Onushko had four block assists. The VSU defensive effort led to 11 team blocks to just four for Albany State.

For Albany State, Latrice Lewis had 18 kills and Sabrina Garcia had 15. Priscila Sena passed out 33 assists and had 13 digs. Carolina Ribeiro notched 20 digs while Davisha Moore had 15.

Valdosta State will look to add to the winning streak against Fort Valley State at 7 p.m. on Friday in the P.E. Complex.

2009 regular season on Friday with a 7 p.m. contest vs. Tennessee at the UGA Soccer Stadium. The 13-4-1 (6-4-0) Bulldogs will honor the team’s eight seniors in a pre-game ceremony.

“As surreal as it is playing possibly our last game at home, it has been an incredible journey,” said senior Lindsay Stein. “I know we seniors couldn’t ask for better teammates and a better atmosphere for Senior Night to conclude an awesome regular season, but more importantly to kick off our postseason run. I have been so blessed with the opportunity to be a part of this program and to be on a team with these girls and I have some of my best soccer memories on our field.”

Georgia is coming off its third straight split weekend after defeating Alabama 3-0 at home last Thursday and dropping a 2-0 match- up on the road at Auburn on Sunday. The Lady Vols lead Georgia, 10-6, in the all-time series, but the Bulldogs have won the last two regular-season meetings between the SEC rivals. The Bulldogs will also be looking for a bit of revenge as it was Tennessee who ousted Georgia from last year’s SEC Tournament, 1-0.

This weekend will determine the final standings in the conference as a number of teams are still jostling for position prior to next week’s tournament.

Georgia is 6-8 all-time in regular-season finales, including a 2-2 mark since 2005 under Patrick Baker.

“We are excited to host Tennessee here tomorrow night and this has become a very big game for both teams,” said head coach Patrick Baker. “Georgia and Tennessee have competed at the highest level over the past few years and this year is no different. We have the utmost respect for their players and coaches – they are always in contention for the SEC regular season and tournament championships.

“We will be recognizing eight very special seniors and cannot speak enough of their accomplishments on and off the field. They are all tremendous people, dedicated students and quality soccer players. The

2009 senior class came to the University of Georgia when a lot of young ladies wouldn’t even look our way. They have re-written the record books and there is still more to come from this group.”

SENIOR NIGHT: Friday will mark Senior Night for the Bulldogs’ eight seniors – Michelle Betos, Natalie Farley, Lauren Glancy, Leslie McConnell, Carrie Patterson, Mary Ricker, Lindsay Stein, and Olivia West. The senior class has led Georgia to two NCAA Tournament appearances and has an overall record of 52-28-4 heading into the weekend.

LAST TIME OUT: The Bulldogs scored all three of their goals in a span of 4:25 in the first half to defeat Alabama, 3-0, last Thursday.

Georgia got goals from three different players — Carrie Patterson, Caroline Simpson, and Ashley Miller — to put away the Tide and wrap up a 3-2 homestand. Michelle Betos was only forced to make one save as UGA outshot Alabama 22-1 on the night. The Bulldogs then headed to Auburn for Sunday’s regular-season road finale, but came away empty- handed as the Tigers pulled out the 2-0 win. The teams went into halftime tied at zero before Rebecca Howell scored first for Auburn in the 56th minute, after Georgia had allowed only one goal in the previous six halves. Howell scored again in the 79th minute and Auburn never looked back. Georgia fired four shots in the final 10 minutes but couldn’t find the back of the net. Michelle Betos finished with a season-high nine saves on the afternoon, while Georgia outshot Auburn 16-14.

SEC STANDINGS: The Bulldogs stand in third place in the SEC East with a record of 6-4-0 in league games, sitting five points behind first- place Florida and four behind South Carolina in their division.

Georgia is fourth overall in the league standings, also four points off LSU in the West, though the Tigers have two regular-season games remaining. The Bulldogs are four points up on the Lady Vols in the East. UGA is now 86-68-11 all-time in SEC matches, including a

36-22-4 mark under head coach Patrick Baker since 2005. In 2008, the Bulldogs posted a 7-3-1 ledger in conference play on their way to a second-place finish in the SEC East.

SCOUTING THE LADY VOLS: Geogia hosts a Tennessee team that has won just once in its last five outings, with that win coming last time out, a 2-0 win over Alabama. The Lady Vols are led by Mick Imgram — who leads the SEC in goals (12), points (27), and shots (73). The senior has been a one-woman show this season, as the next leading scorer for Tennessee — Chelsea Hatcher — has three goals and only four other players have scored this season. Keeper Molly Baird has played all 1,702 minutes this season and is fifth in the league in saves with 83, allowing 1.11 goals per game and stopping just under 80% of shots sent her way for a total of seven shutouts. The Lady Vols are narrrowly outscoring opponents, 22-21, and fire 16.7 shots per game on average.

A LOOK AT THE BULLDOGS: Georgia is led by senior forward Carrie Patterson, who has a team-best nine goals on the season after two vs.

South Carolina and one Thursday vs. Alabama. The two-goal effort marked Patterson’s ninth career multi-goal game (the most in program history). Patterson adds four assists for 22 points, while leading the team with five game-winners and going 3-for-3 on PKs this season.

Jamie Pollock boasts 13 points (6g, 1a), while Ashley Miller also has

13 (4g, 5a). Alex Hooker has four goals and one assist for nine points, while seven other Georgia players have scored at least once in what has been a balance season offensively for Georgia, which is outscoring its opponents by a 34-16 margin. Veteran goalkeeper Michelle Betos has logged 1,570 minutes this season, posting a 0.92 gaa and a .820 save percentage while stopping 73 shots in goal. Betos has seven shutouts to her name. The Dogs average 1.89 goals per game, are leading opponents in corners, 114-50, and have more than doubled opponents’ in the shot column (16.1-8.0).

NOTING THE BULLDOGS: All three of UGA’s goals vs. Alabama Oct. 22 came in a span of 4 minutes, 25 seconds in the first half. …

Georgia has now scored three or more goals in a game seven times this season. … By allowing just one shot to Alabama, UGA has allowed five or fewer shots to an opponent on eight occasions this season, including zero allowed to FAU on Sept. 4. … the Auburn game was only the second road loss of the year for the Bulldogs … Georgia’s shutouts vs. Arkansas, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt (Sept. 27-Oct. 4) marked the first time in program history the team has posted back-to- back-to-back shutouts in SEC contests. … The 3-0 win over Vanderbilt on Oct. 4 clinched the Bulldogs’ fifth straight year with double-digit wins, matching the five consecutive seasons from 1995-99 with at least 10 victories. In the five years before head coach Patrick Baker arrived in 2005, the Bulldogs had double-digit wins in three seasons. … Georgia is the only team in the SEC without playing an overtime game yet this season. … The Bulldogs continue to lead the SEC in corner kicks, taking 114 on the season.

BULLDOG MILESTONES: Two Georgia players reached milestones recently.

First, senior forward Carrie Patterson’s two goals against South Carolina gave her a total of nine multi-goal games for her career, a new Georgia record as she surpassed Mandy Aiken’s eight. Patterson is the all-time leading scorer in UGA history with 42 career goals and

106 career points, and is just one off of tying the assist record as well as she now has 22 helpers for her career. Patterson is only one off the program record for game-winning goals, now with 14 after the Alabama game. Stephanie Yarem’s 15 game-winning goals is the current record at UGA. Senior goalkeeper Michelle Betos’ three saves vs.

Florida Oct. 18 moved her into 10th all-time in the SEC in saves.

Betos is only 4.5 career shutouts off the record at UGA, held by Nicole Williams, as Betos has 25 for her career. Betos is also only two off Williams’ record for career wins in a Bulldog uniform, owning

47 to date.

SEC RECORDS WATCH: Carrie Patterson currently ranks first among active players in the SEC in points (106) and is just one away from moving into a tie for ninth all-time in that category in an always- competitive soccer conference. Her 42 career goals ranks first among active players as well and is just one off moving her into a 10th place tie all-time. With 22 career assists, Patterson is third among active players there. Keeper Michelle Betos, with a 1.00 goals- against average for her career, stands in fourth among active players in that category in the SEC. Tenth place is 0.91. Betos’ 304 career saves is second among active players and also good for ninth all-time in the conference, while her 25 shutouts ranks first among active players and sits her tied for fourth all-time in the SEC in that category.

GEORGIA IN THE RPI: The Georgia soccer team jumped from No. 12 to No.

9 in the latest Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) report released Oct.

19 by the NCAA. The Bulldogs are the highest ranked SEC team.

Stanford is No. 1 followed by North Carolina, Portland, Central Florida, Florida State, UCLA, Wake Forest, Boston College, Georgia and Notre Dame to round out the top-10. The Bulldogs have seven other wins against teams in the RPI top-100 including No. 66 Vanderbilt, No. 81 Arkansas, No. 87 Mississippi State, No. 88 Kentucky, and non- conference opponents No. 37 Minnesota, No. 50 Charlotte and No. 70 Northeastern. The SEC has five teams in the RPI top 21, and the Bulldogs’ only losses have come against No. 16 Florida, No. 20 Ole Miss and No. 21 LSU. The RPI is the most important criteria used by the NCAA to determine the 64-team field for the NCAA Tournament that compares results and strength of schedule.

BAKER NEARS RECORD: With a 13-4-1 record so far this season, UGA head coach Patrick Baker is now 64-34-6 in his fifth season at the helm.

Bill Barker is the winningest coach in program history at 65-30-8 in five seasons from 1995-99, leaving Baker just one off the mark and two from setting the new school record.

ON DECK: The Bulldogs will next head for Orange Beach, Ala., to take part in the 2009 SEC Championships, set for Nov. 4-8. For the first time all games will be available streaming on SECsports.com while the championship will be carried on ESPNU on Nov. 8 at 3 p.m. EST.

Bulldog fans, hear me loud and clear: experts claim that your team is not supposed to win this weekend; therefore, you should consider it a likelihood that your team ends up with at least 4 or possibly even 5 losses; furthermore, your expectations for a successful Georgia Football season won’t be met. However, as a fan you’re okay with going to an early bowl game because on October 31^st; that soon-to-be memorable Halloween Day, your Bulldogs knock off the number one ranked team in the nation  and salvage an otherwise disappointing season.

So, you’re asking yourself, “alright, but how?” Simply put, Georgia’s game plan is going to be better. Richt and company will take more risks mostly on the offensive side of the ball to sustain longer drives and win the time of possession battle, while keeping the defense fresh.  Remember Georgia fans, there’s nothing to lose in this game because the Bulldogs are not supposed to win.  Weird things can happen, it’s Halloween.

Veazey, a 5-9, 175-pound native of Tifton, Ga., suffered a back injury and was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to Chance and his family right now,” said Georgia coach David Perno. “Chance is a very tough individual and that’s going to help him.”

The son of Todd and Darby Veazey, Chance arrived at Georgia this fall as an Honor student out of Tift County High School. He is a pre-Business major. He was named the Blue Devils MVP and led the team in numerous offensive categories as a four-year starter. As a senior in 2009, he led the team with a .444 batting average and a .573 on-base percentage.

A day before their football counterparts square off in Jacksonville, the Georgia and Florida swimming and diving teams will meet on Friday in Gainesville, Fla. The meet, which will be held at the O’Connell Natatorium, will start at 11 a.m. with the diving competition.

“It should be a knock-down drag-out meet,” Georgia head coach Jack Bauerle said. “They have one of the best programs in the country, and we have a lot of respect for them. I am expecting the meet to be a shootout. It’s a great rivalry, and we always seem to bring out the best in each other. Even though it’s early in the season, it’s a big meet. We are looking forward to some great swims. It will be a big challenge and we’ll need some big performances. It should be a great, great competition.”

“Florida has a great diving team,” Georgia diving coach Dan Laak said. “They’ve got a couple of the best divers in the conference, so it will be a big challenge for us. Diving at their place is a little more challenging than some other pools, but we got the jitters out in the first meet at home. We’re excited about the competition, and we hope to score some points to help the team out.”

The Lady Bulldogs opened the season last Friday with a home victory against North Carolina. Georgia had the best effort in 15 of the 16 events, led by double winners Wendy Trott (500 and 1,000 freestyle) and Morgan Scroggy (100 breaststroke and 100 freestyle).

Trott leads the SEC in the two distance events, while Lisa Caprioglio has the best time in the 100 butterfly. Florida boasts league leaders in Shara Stafford (100 and 200 freestyle), Kristen Beales (1,650 freestyle), Teresa Crippen (400 individual medley) and Kara Salmone (1- and 3-meter diving).

The Bulldogs dropped a close decision to the Tar Heels in a meet that went down to the final two events. Craig Jennings and Michael Arnold led Georgia, as they each won an individual event and helped two relays post victories.

The Bulldogs’ Troyden Prinsloo leads the league in the 500 and 1,000 freestyle, and Andrew Gemmell is tops in the 400 individual medley. The Gators are sparked by Shaune Fraser, who leads the SEC in the 100 and 200 butterfly and the 200 individual medley.

Georgia coach Mark Richt said Tuesday’s move indoors changed the practice routine a bit coming off a bye week. The original plan was to have a couple of walk and talk and teaching sessions on Wednesday and Thursday but after having one on Tuesday due to the rain, the team went with a full speed workout Wednesday, and it well, according to Richt.

Looking ahead to Saturday’s game, Richt said one of the keys for Georgia will be its ability to run the football against the Gators.

“We’re not going to be able to throw it on every down, that’s not healthy against anybody, but we have to keep hammering it and pop one,” said Richt. “We need to run it well. No team has been able to be methodical and drive down the field on them. We’re going to have to be able to trade blows. We’ll have to keep banging away with the run even it we’re not successful early.”

Florida ranks second in the SEC in rushing defense and second nationally in scoring defense. Richt did not announce who will start for the Bulldogs at tailback.

“I don’t know honestly,” said Richt. “Sometimes it depends on what play we have called and our field position. We’d love to be in the position to know who it is no matter what the call, but we’re not there right now.”

Saturday’s game will mark the fourth time in school history that the Bulldogs face the nation’s No. 1 ranked team. Georgia is 1-2 in these contests, and the victory came in 1985 when No. 17 Georgia stunned No. 1 Florida 24-3 in Jacksonville.

Georgia (4-3, 3-2 SEC) had an open date this past Saturday while the Gators (7-0, 5-0 SEC) posted a 29-19 win over Mississippi State to extend their winning streak to 17 games.

Georgia junior linebacker Akeem Dent looks to return to action Saturday after battling a hamstring injury since the summer. Dent played in the first two games this season but has not played since Sept. 19 against South Carolina.

“It’s been tough for Akeem, he was going to be one of our starters, one of our leaders,” said Richt. “We’re hopeful he can finish the year in style.”

Saturday’s kickoff is set for 3:35 p.m. ET., and CBS will televise the contest.

“We’re looking forward to the exhibition Thursday, this is a great opportunity the USTA (United States Tennis Association) has come up with to have the Junior National Team on some college campuses,” said Georgia coach Jeff Wallace. “This is good for college tennis and good for the players who are on the Junior National Team.”

Georgia’s top fall performances have come from sophomores Chelsey Gullickson and Nadja Gilchrist. Gullickson, ranked second nationally, is 6-2 including reaching the finals at the Riviera ITA All-American Championships earlier this month in California. Gilchrist, who is ranked No. 43, is 6-3. Last week in Atlanta, Gilchrist reached the semifinals of the ITA Southeast Regional Championships.

Thursday’s exhibition will feature round-robin doubles and then singles. Gullickson, Gilchrist and seniors Yvette Hyndman and Naoko Ueshima are expected to see action for the Bulldogs.

“We’re coming off a good showing at the ITA Regionals, and after this, we’ve got one more event next weekend to wrap up the fall season,” Wallace added.

Gullickson will be among the elite field at the ITA National Indoor Championships (Nov. 5-8) in New Haven, Conn., while a Bulldog contingent will participate in the Desert Women’s Classic (Nov. 6-8) in Palm Springs, Calif.

The Junior National Team consists of the top prep players from across the nation, and the squad is comprised of mostly sophomores and juniors.