GAME NOTES: Fresh off a statement win, the 10th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs take a break from SEC play to battle the surging Troy Trojans of the Sun Belt Conference. Troy played two straight SEC teams to open the campaign and was crushed in both contests. After losing to Arkansas by 20 points, the Trojans dropped a 28-point decision to Florida. Fortunately, Troy has rebounded from the rough start to post six consecutive victories, including five in a row against league competition. The Trojans are already eligible for bowl play, and they will almost certainly earn a spot in the postseason if they can knock off the nation's 10th-ranked club. That is certainly easier said than done, as Georgia is flying high after a 42-30 victory over Florida in the annual rivalry game. That triumph was the second in row for the Bulldogs, who are 6-2 overall. Saturday's tilt marks the first of what will be three consecutive home games for the Dawgs. This contest marks the first-ever meeting between Georgia and Troy on the gridiron.

Last weekend, Troy cruised to a 27-0 victory over Arkansas State on the road. Of the three touchdowns that the Trojans scored, only two came from the offense, and both were one-yard runs by quarterback Omar Haugabook. A versatile performer, Haugabook ran for 94 yards in the clash while throwing for 156 yards. Troy is averaging 34.5 ppg this season to go along with 448.2 total ypg. The 30 touchdowns that the offense has posted have been split evenly between the run and the pass. Haugabook is hoping to score the league's player of the year honors once again, and considering that he has rushed for eight touchdowns and thrown 12, it appears he has a good chance of winning the award. Although he is dealing with a hamstring injury, the quarterback is expected to play this weekend. Kenny Cattouse leads the Trojans with 566 rushing yards to go along with five touchdowns, and Gary Banks has 37 catches for 449 yards.

The Troy defense was tremendous in the shutout victory over Arkansas State last weekend. The Trojans allowed only 12 of the 28 passes they faced to be completed for 121 yards, and three interceptions were registered. Boris Lee also recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter and returned it one yard for a touchdown. Troy posted five sacks, and even more impressive was the fact that Arkansas State finished 0-of-13 on third down conversion attempts. Lee leads the defense with 51 total tackles, and he has a pair of interceptions to his credit. Elbert Mack leads the club with five picks and Kenny Mainor is tops with five sacks. Opponents are scoring 23.6 ppg against Troy while gaining 377.1 total ypg.

Georgia isn't considered an explosive offensive team, so it was surprising that the Bulldogs were able to rack up 42 points against Florida last weekend. They scored six offensive touchdowns, with three on the ground and three through the air. Freshman tailback Knowshown Moreno was sensational running the football, as he racked up 188 yards and three touchdowns en route to being named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week. Matthew Stafford only completed 11 passes in the tilt, but three resulted in touchdowns, He threw an 84-yard touchdown pass and a 53-yard scoring strike, and the big-play ability was simply not expected from the offense. Overall this season, Georgia is scoring 29.9 ppg while gaining 369.0 total ypg. Of the 30 touchdowns the offense has generated, 16 have been rushing scores. Moreno has rushed for 807 yards and six touchdowns, and Stafford has thrown 13 scores against five interceptions.

Florida scored four touchdowns against Georgia last weekend, but only three were generated by the powerful Gator offense. For that reason, the Bulldogs deserve a great deal of credit for their defensive effort. They limited Tim Tebow and his talented offensive counterparts from Gainesville to 343 yards, including only 107 rushing yards. The biggest accomplishment of all was holding Tebow to minus-15 yards rushing, largely the result of six sacks totaling 40 yards in losses. The Bulldogs are yielding 21.0 ppg and 322.5 total ypg, solid numbers considering the high quality of opposition the team has faced. The Bulldogs have only allowed five passing touchdowns, but the have a mere two interceptions to their credit. A total of eight takeaways in eight games simply isn't good enough.

Georgia is the obvious pick in this contest, but don't expect a blowout. The Trojans will put up a fight, as they can score and play defense.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Georgia 27, Troy 17