Georgia seniors have lofty place in school history

ATLANTA - For Georgia seniors, the magic number is 44 - the most wins for any class in school history.

With a chance to add win No. 45 in Monday night's Sugar Bowl against West Virginia, the class of 2005 has an impressive list of bragging points.

The seniors could finish 4-0 in bowl games. They could land a fourth-straight Associated Press top 10 final ranking. They already have clinched a fourth straight season with 10 or more wins, entering the Sugar Bowl at 10-2. The senior class of 2005 won its second Southeastern Conference championship, beating LSU 34-14 on Dec. 3 in the championship game. The Bulldogs also won the 2002 SEC title, ending a 20-year drought for the school.

Georgia coach Mark Richt has stressed the legacy of the class, making sure the seniors know where they will stand in Georgia history.

"It means a lot to be a part of that," senior cornerback Tim Jennings said Saturday. "All the history that we have, it's something to be proud of."

Added Jennings: "I came here in 2002 and being a part of that SEC championship meant a lot, playing with Tony Gilbert and Boss Bailey and those guys. We were able to keep it going and we feel we have a great group of young guys now who can keep it going."

The seniors have the most wins of any Georgia class, but they won't try to say they have been the most successful class in school history.

That spot remains reserved for the class of 1983, which also posted four straight seasons with 10 or more wins. But that class won the 1980 national championship and three SEC titles (1980-82) with Herschel Walker.

"I'd give up having the most wins for that national championship," said senior offensive tackle Dennis Roland.

Because of recent 12-game schedules and the addition of the SEC championship game, this year's seniors have played more games than the teams of the 1980s.

The seniors are 44-8, leaving them with twice as many losses as the 1983 seniors, who finished 43-4-1.

"I don't think we compare quite to the accomplishments they had," Richt said. "That was definitely the greatest four-year period in Georgia history. ... We can't match the three SEC championships and the national championship."

There are still more goals to be accomplished. The seniors could leave with a 4-0 bowl record by beating No. 11 West Virginia, and No. 8 Georgia has a chance to move into the top five.

Senior offensive guard Max Jean-Gilles said Georgia also wants to represent its conference against the Big East.

"We have to defend the SEC," Jean-Gilles said. "Everyone has to know that the SEC is one of the most dominating conferences in the country."

Georgia players attended Friday night's Peach Bowl game in the Georgia Dome. Jennings said some of Georgia's players from Florida were pulling for Miami, but he said most were pulling for the SEC and Louisiana State, which crushed Miami 40-3.

Georgia's back-to-back losses to Florida and Auburn came by a combined total of five points. The Bulldogs were close to a perfect season, pending the Sugar Bowl, but the players realize that doesn't mean they were five points away from a shot at the national championship.

"We could have gone undefeated and still ended up in the same position, in the Sugar Bowl," said receiver Bryan McClendon.

Georgia couldn't match Southern Cal and Texas in the national championship race, but the Bulldogs still surpassed expectations.

Due to the departures of such key 2004 players as defensive end David Pollack, quarterback David Greene, safety Thomas Davis, linebacker Odell Thurman and receivers Fred Gibson and Reggie Brown, Georgia was picked in most preseason polls to finish behind Florida and Tennessee in the SEC East.

Another big reason to question the 2005 team's chances for another season with 10 or more wins was the decision by former defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder to become an NFL assistant with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

VanGorder, who recently accepted the position of Georgia Southern's head coach, was seen by many as the major reason for Coach Mark Richt's success.

Richt quickly promoted Willie Martinez to the coordinator spot. The Bulldogs have continued another tradition of the Richt era by ranking fourth in the nation in scoring defense - the fourth straight top-10 ranking in that statistic.

West Virginia, playing in its first BCS bowl, may have more to gain Monday night, but Georgia players say they may have more to protect.

"This game is huge," said senior center Russ Tanner. "It's our senior year and we realize the importance of going out with a bang. We want to have that sweet taste in our mouths. That's how we want to go out - with a win."