ATHENS - It was only two years ago that Georgia had two players from Columbia, Mo., on their roster. But both are gone now, and knowledge of Missouri and its football program is very limited.

Or nonexistent, in some cases.

Georgia junior receiver Rantavious Wooten, who is from Belle Glade, Fla., said Missouri was "pretty much a total mystery" to him.

"I have seen some film. But other than that, I don't know anything about them besides looking at film,"Wooten said.

Last year, Georgia had senior tight end Aron White, a Columbia, Mo., native. And the year before it also had receiver Logan Gray, who also grew up near Missouri's campus. But now the Bulldogs are devoid of Missouri natives.

If players do know about Missouri, it's recent history. Junior quarterback Aaron Murray recalled being a ballboy at a quarterback camp where future Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert was participating. And his counselor at the same camp a few years ago was Chase Daniel, another Missouri quarterback.

"That's all I really know about them," Murray said.

Senior defensive end Abry Jones rattled off the names of Daniel, Sean Weatherspoon, and receiver Jeremy Maclin.

"So they've got a good football tradition and a good history, and stuff like that," Jones said. "And for awhile now they've been a good football team."

Meanwhile, Georgia players were shrugging off the now-infamous "old man football" comment, made by Missouri player Sheldon Richardson.

"I don't know what that really means," Murray said. "Whatever it takes to win games, that's all it really means, it's a W at the end of the day. We could play powder-puff football for all I care."

Head coach Mark Richt got into the act, with a quip of his own.

"Being over 50, and I'm getting AARP stuff in the mail, I took it as a compliment," Richt said, grinning.

But all in all, it seemed Georgia players had been instructed not to retaliate with their own bulletin-board material.

Sophomore receiver Michael Bennett had a humorous exchange with reporters when asked about it.

"You know, we're just gonna have to stay focused on our gameplan," Bennett said.

Was that the quote the Georgia players were told to give reporters when asked about "old man football"?

"Yeah, something like that," Bennett said, grinning.

Were there other possible canned quotes?

"A, B and C, I guess," Bennett said. "I've got a few more in my pocket if you want them."

He laughed, then went on.

"Focus on the game ... They're a great team ..."

When Georgia players did respond to Richardson's comment, it seemed to be more in confusion about what "old man football" meant.

"I think we play our football. I mean I don't know what you would classify as old man football," Jones said. "I mean, this is college, I don't know many men over the age of 23 playing football in college. So I don't what old man football is."

Jones and other players said the comment wasn't gaining much traction in Georgia's locker room. Of course, you'd probably expect them to say that.

"When you hear comments like that from another team, it comes to you the task of will we be distracted by what another team's trying to say, what they're trying to start. Or are we gonna focus on ourselves," sophomore receiver Chris Conley said. "The coaches have done a good job of teaching us to try to stay focused on the job at hand. So when we hear something like that, it really falls on us the task of really ignoring the noise, ignoring what outside people say, and focusing on the gameplan."