Joe Cox News

You may or may not have noticed that the SEC Defensive Player of the Week named on Monday was Kentucky linebacker Sam Maxwell.

They got bruised in Stillwater, blindsided in Knoxville and humbled in Jacksonville.

University of Georgia students led the fans who wore black for Saturday night's game against Kentucky in tribute to the Bulldogs' late mascot, Uga VII.

It will actually be Jeff Owens' second shot at his final home game. A year ago, Owens participated in Georgia's senior day festivities, strolling on to the field to the cheers of the crowd, knowing he may never play another game at Sanford Stadium.

Georgia's performance upgrade, demonstrated against Auburn, reflected what the coaching staff was expecting back in August when the new season got under way.

Randall Cobb runs against the Dogs last year in Lexington. Amid all the talk this week about bowl games and a prime-time telecast against Tech, Saturday's game against Kentucky still looms large, prompting painful memories of the Dogs' close escape in Lexington last year as the Georgia defense seemed incapable of stopping then-quarterback Randall ...

Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green holds his left arm after injuring it against Auburn.

Now that Georgia is bowl eligible, the question is where will the Bulldogs go bowling? The Southeastern Conference has qualified nine teams, which means there are few certainties now for bowl executives.

Georgia's first two offensive drives Saturday were followed by a chorus of boos, and the Bulldogs' offense struggled to accomplish much of anything against the Auburn defense.

Perhaps it's a sign of mutual respect in the Auburn-Georgia rivalry that there has been relatively little bragging about the Bulldogs' three-game winning streak in the series.

What has become an afterthought for Georgia in recent years while racking up 10-win seasons and top-10 poll finishes is now nothing to take for granted.

Joe Cox awoke Monday morning and saw a text message from Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo telling him to get in touch with coach Mark Richt.

At first, the award was little more than a nice sign of recognition following a season of hard work.

The offensive line shuffle has been the norm for Georgia this season with five different starting lineups used.

Mark Richt is a nice guy. That is a reputation that has dogged him since the day he was hired at Georgia, when his former boss Bobby Bowden wondered if Richt had the stomach for some of the tough decisions that accompanied being the head coach of a big-time college football program.

Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green and the Bulldogs take on Tennessee Tech today in Athens.

Washaun Ealey ran for two touchdowns as Georgia focused on its running game to beat Tennessee Tech 38-0 on Saturday for its first shutout in three years.

Georgia is suffering through perhaps the worst season of his career, and the Bulldogs were humiliated - again - by Florida.

If it was all just a lost cause, maybe Joe Cox could sleep a little easier. If there simply wasn't any talent on the field, maybe it would make more sense.

Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009 5:42 p.m. Georgia probably picked a good week to be without the Southeastern Conference's leading receiver.