Monday bowl roundup: Defense the question for Texas A&M and Georgia
SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — Texas A&M defensive back Jordan Pugh is sick of hearing about it.
On TV, in the paper, at his favorite restaurant, all anyone wants to talk about is all the points that will be scored when the Aggies play Georgia in Monday's Independence Bowl.
"That's all you hear," Pugh said Sunday. "They talk about the offense every day. As a defense, we're going to be out on the field, too."
Of course, there's a good reason for all that talk of a high-scoring affair.
Texas A&M (6-6) has given up 30 or more points eight times this season and more than 60 points twice. The Aggies' opponents averaged 32.7 points per game, 104th out of 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams.
Georgia (7-5) was a touchdown better, giving up 26.4 ppg. But that ranked the Bulldogs an unaccustomed 10th in the Southeastern Conference and led to the firing of three defensive assistants, including defensive coordinator Willie Martinez.
The Independence Bowl gives each defense a chance to prove it's no pushover.
"You've got to look forward to that," Pugh said.
Georgia (7-5) vs. Texas A&M (6-6), 5 p.m. (ESPN2)
Line: Georgia by 7.
What's at stake Georgia has played in January in six of its last seven bowls, so the Independence Bowl is a bit of a let down. But if coach Mark Richt wants to push his postseason win streak to four and set the stage for the Bulldogs to return to elite status next season, Shreveport is a great place to start. For Texas A&M, a win is the next step in coach Mike Sherman's rebuilding effort.
Key matchup Texas A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson vs. Georgia's secondary. The Bulldogs were 10th in the Southeastern Conference, allowing 200.8 yards per game passing. They've struggled against double-threat quarterbacks with losses to three teams featuring quarterbacks that can run and pass.
Players to watch Georgia: LB Rennie Curran Jr. The Georgia defense has struggled as a unit, but still has one of the SEC's best defenders. Curran finished with 122 tackles this year to lead the SEC (10.2 per game).
Texas A&M: DE Von Miller. A guy named Suh got all the attention this year, but Miller led the nation in sacks with 17. He also was fifth in tackles for loss with 21.
Facts & figures The Bulldogs are 6-2 in the postseason under Richt. ... The Aggies have lost three straight bowl games with their last appearance coming in the 2007 Alamo Bowl. ... The teams last played each other in the postseason in the 1950 Presidential Cup. A&M won 40-20. ... The Aggies played 18 freshmen this season, second most in the FBS. ... Georgia leads the nation with 12 straight seasons of 8 wins or more and needs one more win to push that streak to 13.
Independence Bowl: Texas A&M vs. Georgia, 5 p.m., ESPN2
Eaglebank Bowl: Temple vs. UCLA, 4:30 p.m., ESPN Champs Sports Bowl: Miami vs. Wisconsin, 8 p.m., ESPN