Georgia not taking past giant-killer Louisiana-Monroe lightly

ATHENS -- Georgia is expected to beat Louisiana-Monroe. The Bulldogs should beat Louisiana-Monroe.

Anything other than a Georgia win would send shockwaves through the college football landscape.

But Louisiana-Monroe is no stranger to the big stage. Just ask Georgia defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, who was the director of player development at Alabama in 2007.

In Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s first season, Louisiana-Monroe entered Bryant-Denny Stadium and upset the Crimson Tide 21-14. Five years after that game, the Warhawks opened their 2012 season with a 34-31 win over then-No. 8 Arkansas. Given those examples, Pruitt knows not to overlook teams.

“I coached against Louisiana-Monroe one time, and I’m 0 for 1,” Pruitt said. “It don’t matter who our opponent is, we’re worried about Georgia.”

Georgia’s coaching staff hasn’t gone out of its way to tell the players about Louisiana-Monroe’s upset history. Pruitt doesn’t believe they need any added motivation in that regard.

Head coach Mark Richt said he wasn’t sure if he would bring up the topic. During the week, Richt said his focus was on making sure his players would be able to focus on their assignments.

“I just mentioned the analogy of they’ve all gone to take tests before,” Richt said. “And when you ask if they’re ready for the test they say, ‘Yeah, I think I can pass the test.’ Passing the test is different than acing the test. If you know the subject well enough to get a B or a C, yeah I could pass it, I know enough. But do you know enough to get a 100 percent? Can you get an A? Can you get an A-plus? That’s what they got to be striving for.”

Richt won’t allow his players to overlook the Warhawks, who totaled 36 sacks a year ago, lost four games by seven points or fewer and barely lost to Texas A&M 21-16.

“They showed us film of them going into the fourth quarter with Texas A&M,” junior receiver Reggie Davis said. “They have the capability of playing with us. You can’t take them lightly.”

The Warhawks will be relying on redshirt freshman quarterback Garrett Smith, who figures to have his work cut out for him with Georgia’s outside linebacker group of Jordan Jenkins, Leonard Floyd, Lorenzo Carter and Davin Bellamy.

The Warhawks’ offense struggled a year ago, posting only 349.4 total yards and 20.1 points per game.

On defense, the Warhawks will look for senior nose tackle Gerrand Johnson to get the initial push up front with the intent of slowing down Georgia’s vaunted rushing attack. Johnson led his team in tackles with 93 in 2014.

Georgia very well could be on its way to a blowout win in this season’s opener. But junior right guard Greg Pyke said the Bulldogs are treating the Warhawks like they would any other opponent.

“Whoever comes in and has their mind right to play and has done the preparation is going to win,” Pyke said. “You can’t take teams lightly. Anyone who comes in, it doesn’t matter where they’re at or what they’re doing. If they execute and do all the right stuff, they’re going to win.”

Davis said he and his teammates haven’t talked about what Louisiana-Monroe did in 2007 and 2012. In his eyes, it’s more important to focus on what this year’s Warhawks team is capable of doing.

“I believe upsets really happen when teams take other teams lightly,” Davis said. “Those guys were recruited just like you were. They play football the way you do. They put on pads like you do. Saturday, it’s just all about who wants it the most that day.”

This story was originally published September 4, 2015 at 3:46 PM with the headline "Georgia not taking past giant-killer Louisiana-Monroe lightly ."