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Moreno, Georgia head out west to visit Arizona State

Sep 20, 2008 - 10:09 AM No. 2 Georgia (3-0) at Arizona St (2-1), 8:00 pm EDT

TEMPE, Arizona (Ticker) -- Knowshon Moreno and Georgia already received an indication of how difficult their road schedule is going to be when they visited South Carolina last week. The Bulldogs figure to face another tough test when they travel out west for the first time in nearly 50 years.

Moreno and the second-ranked Bulldogs play their second road game in as many weeks Saturday night when they visit No. 24 Arizona State in an inter-conference clash.

The nationally televised contest will mark the first time Georgia (3-0) has played a regular-season game this far west since a 10-3 loss to Southern California on October 7, 1960.

"It is a new experience for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt said. "It would have been nice to maybe go a day early and do some sight-seeing, but it's in the middle of the season and we have school to go to.

"It will be a business trip for us for sure. I think the guys are excited to play someone in the Pac-10 and someone that they have never played before."

Moreno, Georgia's star running back and a Heisman Trophy candidate, admitted he is looking forward to the prime-time game against the Sun Devils (2-1).

"I don't know how long it's been since we did something like this, but the thing is that is good for both teams to see where they are going to be and to do something different," Moreno said. "It's going to be a crazy atmosphere, which will be something to get used to, but at the same time it's going to be a good contest."

Georgia certainly hopes to have an easier time than last Saturday, when Moreno's third-quarter touchdown run and a series of late defensive stands lifted the Bulldogs to a 14-7 victory over the Gamecocks in their Southeastern Conference opener.

Sophomore safety Reshad Jones sealed the victory when he intercepted Chris Smelley at Georgia's 3-yard line with 13 seconds remaining.

Moreno finished with 79 yards on 20 carries while fellow Heisman hopeful Matthew Stafford completed just 15-of-25 passes for 146 yards. Stafford, who battled calf cramps in the fourth quarter, was sacked four times by South Carolina's swarming defense.

Richt knows his team will have to deliver a better performance this weekend against an Arizona State team reeling from last Saturday's 23-20 overtime loss to Nevada-Las Vegas.

"It's obvious that (the Sun Devils) were expecting to win that game, and most people would have predicted it but they ended up losing to a team that they know in their heart they shouldn't have lost to," Richt said. "It probably made our job tougher."

Despite owning a 10-point lead in the second half, Arizona State was stunned by UNLV, which took the lead on Kyle Watson's 20-yard field goal in overtime and sealed the victory when Malo Taumua blocked Thomas Weber's 35-yard attempt.

"It's sickening," Sun Devils coach Dennis Erickson said. "It starts with me. I didn't have them ready to play and I'll take the blame. But we have to play better as a group."

Arizona State certainly will have to play better against a Georgia team that received the preseason No. 1 ranking for the first time in school history.

However, in order to live up to that lofty expectation, the Bulldogs will have to survive a treacherous schedule that also includes road games against sixth-ranked Louisiana State and No. 9 Auburn along with their annual neutral-site showdown with fourth-ranked Florida.

Saturday's contest will mark the first time that Georgia faces Arizona State.