My blog has moved!

You should be automatically redirected in 6 seconds. If not, visit
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/bulldogs-blog/
and update your bookmarks.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Richt Talks Indy Bowl

It's official... Georgia will take on Texas A&M in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La. on Dec. 28.

The bowl held a teleconference tonight, and here's a bit of what head coach Mark Richt and AD Damon Evans had to say...

-- Bowl committee statement: “Our selection committee members are truly excited about the strong ties to the Independence Bowl both universities have and are excited they will once again add to the rich history of the Advocare V100 Independence Bowl. We could not have asked for a better match-up than the Aggies vs. the Bulldogs for the 2009 Bowl game.”

-- Evans on tickets: “I think the allotment is 12,000, and we’ll push tickets as we always do. Being that last game we expect our fans to have some excitement and travel well and we need them to travel well because their support is crucial to our overall success. So we’ll get out there an market this bowl as we do all other bowls and show our excitement.”

-- Richt on handling the matchup without three defensive coaches: “I think challenge is a better word – not to say that we’re not concerned, but we’ll use the word ‘challenge.’ It’ll be a great challenge and a great opportunity for those young guys and for our defensive players to step up to the plate and really do everything they can do to help with the situation we’re in right now. And of course Rodney Garner will be right there working it, too. It’ll definitely be a challenge, no doubt. We’ve seen enough to know they can move the ball, put points on the board and it’ll challenge everybody across the board – offensively and special teams, too.”

-- Richt on whether Garner would be considered the DC for the game: “We’re not going to throw anything out like that. We’re going to work together on this thing and get it done.”

-- Richt on his own involvement in the game: “I’ll be helping out in the organization and planning and I’ll spend probably 99 percent of the time on the defensive field as we prepare. I’ll definitely help facilitate that, and my role might be to make sure the scout team is doing a good job because the guys that were working the scout team are now going to be working with the defensive unit. It’ll be an all-hands-on-deck situation, but I think everybody is going to have a good attitude about it and we’re all going to work together to get prepared.”

-- Richt on whether he could take anything from this year's matchup with fellow Big 12 opponent Oklahoma State as preparation: “Just playing Oklahoma State and being able to see all the teams that Oklahoma State played that are in common, you get some kind of gauge of what we’re up against. But you never know what’s going to happen in any given Saturday or any given bowl game. A lot of teams might be a certain way at the beginning of the year and at the end of the year they’re a whole lot different. A&M really finished extremely strong and that’s going to be a big factor for us. Until we really start studying the film, it’s going to be hard to have a really good gauge of what we’re up against.”

-- Richt on the selection process: “When we were sitting where we were with everybody else sitting there, it was just a big wad of teams. To try to sort it out and try to make a lot of sense of where everybody should go, it was very difficult for everybody. So I had no preconceived ideas of where we might go or where we should go and I was just thankful that we got ourselves in a situation where we could play this bowl game and play on national TV one more time and a chance to coach these seniors one more time.”

-- Richt on moving players like Logan Gray and Richard Samuel to new positions, along with other changes for the bowl game: “We won’t do a lot of that – I doubt we make some position changes just in practice. We’re going to have our hands full just preparing for this game. I’ve always had the opinion that it’s very crucial to try to win the game. A lot of people say it’s more spring ball and that kind of thing, and not to say we won’t have some opportunities for some young guys to scrimmage a little bit, but our main focus is preparing to play this ballgame.”

Couple other tidbits:

-- The last time UGA played in the Independence Bowl, Damon Evans was a wide receiver for the Bulldogs.

-- UGA's first scheduled practice is Saturday. The departure date for Shreveport is still to be determined, but Richt said that there's a good chance they will practice over Christmas rather than their normal mode of operations of giving players off for a few days over the holiday.

-- More info on the game can be found HERE.

27 comments:

Sam said...

wow, they really went all out with that website design didn't they?

Anonymous said...

Go Dawgs!!!!!!

Kathleen said...

Party in Shreveport!

My humble opinion is.. yes, it's far and yes, it's the Independence Bowl, but if we look at this as the start of *next* year and not the end of *this* year, we should be supportive fans and go.

Richt made the staffing changes he needed to make. Those kids worked their a**es off in the Tech game. I think a good turnout is in order!

I know I'll be there!

Go Dawgs!

Kathleen said...

I should clarify.. I mean the start of a new season because of the staff changes... Not that the new staff will be there. Or that we'll see anything that we might see next year. But we could see it as a way to show support for where they are going and not where they've been.

Alabama played in the independence bowl 2 years ago.

John said...

You couldn't pay me to go to Shreveport to watch such a crappy bowl game. Worthless bowl game, worthless season.

I hope the players and coaches have a miserable bowl season so that they will remember next year what awaits mediocre programs.

Brad said...

John is a douchebag.

Alan said...

John -
Nothing says "true fan" like wishing your team has a miserable time at their bowl...
(Hopefully, you're picking up on my sarcasm, b/c I'm laying it on pretty thick)

Ron said...

I agree with Brad. John is a douchebag or maybe one of the bug's fans that has nothing else to do. I'll be there pulling hard for our Dawgs!

Kathleen said...

Alan-

nice Tommy Boy reference!

At least we're not going bowling in Davenport.

Anonymous said...

Yes, John is an douchebag, and probably is a rival fan trying to make UGA look bad, but negative posts are a major part of the reason UGA went to the bottom of the 7-5 SEC teams. Who would want to count on UGA fans showing up after all the desertions we have seen this year? I hate he way bowls play politics with matchups and give is crud games, but if your objective is to get butts in the seats, UGA is the least attractive 7-5 team in the SEC. Spoiled, and fairweather...that is us.

That said, the Texas A&M matchup is a lot better than many we could have drawn. TA&M will travel well. Shreveport has casinos, and good cajun food, not all that bad for a destination.

Anonymous said...

If we could turn down the bowl and still be allowed the extra practice time, I would do that. Bowl games are just glorified scrimmages.

jimmy_d said...

We've finally arrived to the day when our so called '"fans" are stating that they won't watch the Dawgs play football on tv. I agree, that this season has been rough, to say the least, but a bowl is better than no bowl (extra practice, NATIONAL tv exposure, etc.).

Unfortunately, it's going to be really tough to get UGA fans to the game, since it's on a Monday @ 5pm est. I can't make it, but I'll be sure to cut out of work early to see our Dawgs play.

Go Dawgs, sic'em!

Unknown said...

"Opportunities for some younger guys to scrimmage" Does this mean that we may see some Aaron Murray?

Anonymous said...

Jarrod- is there anything less than a zero percent chance, because there is no way that happens. Even if cox and gray both go down with injuries in the game, the coaches still would not pull murray's redshirt

Unknown said...

I knew that they would not pull his redshirt. I thought redshirts could play in bowl games.?.

dawgjammin said...

Totally unrelated to the Dawgs, BUT...
Al Michaels just said the following on NBC broadcast of Min vs Az at 13:45 left in 4th qtr.

Referencing Jarred Allen:

"sooner or later number 69 will be in your face".

HA! That is classic!

Stay at the Horseshoe said...

To Kathleen, Brad, Alan & Ron...we have family that is currently involved with the Alabama team (managers)and after two consecutive trips to Shreveport (Shula and Saban), I can honestly say that the Tide players, coaching staff and managers used the second trip as motiviation to never attend such again. After year one and the team and staff lodging in casion hotels, year two was not so nice (Saban's intent I am sure). A roadside Comfort Inn outside Shreveport suited the kids and staff while away from home during Christmas and all were.....well....miserable. You now see the results (Nat Title game)... and as I heard at the time from players and staff "never again".

A dose of humility may do our guys some good!

Anonymous said...

I knew that they would not pull his redshirt. I thought redshirts could play in bowl games.?.


D,JD, Jarrod

John said...

To the posters that got their panties in a twist over my earlier post, piss off. I'm a Dawg, will ALWAYS be a Dawg, but just because I'm no going to get excited about the fruits of a mediocre efforts does not make me a douchbag.

This team soundly deserves the horrible bowl game that it got. And I hope the destroy A&M, I mean just line up and do work. But I also hope it pisses them off that they are in Shreveport BEFORE New Year's Day playing Texas freaking A&M.

I'm not going to apologize for wanting this team to remember this embarassment and use it next year. And make no mistake, the Independence Bowl is an embarassment.

Kathleen said...

John I'd understand that if this season were entirely on the kids. But.. swine flu? ConcussionS (Rambo, Caleb. Who else am I forgetting?) AJ's injuries. Washaun's injury.

BAD, wish it were criminal, officiating. Terrible playcalling. We saw what they could do when the game plan was finally suited to their talents (GA Tech).

There were so many little flukes to this season, so many little incidents that if they had been the slightest bit different, we'd be somewhere completely different. Because of that it's hard for me to think they deserve to be miserable.

I'm sure the players are already motivated to NOT have this happen next year. I'm sure the players are plenty motivated without us hoping they are miserable.

My thinking is it's nice when they think "our fans deserve better" and not "those 'fans' can suck it!"

Anonymous said...

John,

I sincerely hope you find another team to plague. UGA deserves much, much better than fair weather ninnies like you.

It's folks like yourself that forced us down the totem pole of the glut of 7-5 SEC teams. Because of all the negaholic panty wetters in the Bulldawg Nation, the bowl committees wouldn't touch us with a 20 foot pole. I bet the Indy Bowl committee is less than enthused about being stuck with our cry baby "fans."

If you're looking for somebody to blame, take a look in the mirror pal.

Merry Christmas!

Anonymous said...

John, you are still a DB and a bad fan. This team has the same record as the ones playing in the Outback and the Chick Fila, both desirable bowls for a team that lost three key players to the NFL. And they beat LSU but had it stolen. This team wasn't real, real, good, but they played closer to expectations than several other teams from the Top 10. Don't slay them for being in Shreveport, it is fans like you that caused the bowls to bypass this team.

Anonymous said...

Mmmmmm panties

Travis said...

david - when will you finally get access back to players? I'm still curious on if we will see Samuel in his new role during the bowl game, or if that is the plan for next year.

Randall said...

Ohh, so now it's the fans fault we are going to Shreveport. Ohh I see it's the fans fault. Not that we went 7-5. Yes, we had some bad breaks but if my brother was a girl he would be my sister. It has nothing to do with a UGA team not living up to fan expectations( legitimate or not), nothing to do with AU and Tn having good seasons under new coaches and the fan support that goes along with it. It was just not a good year to be middle of the pack in the SEC. Bottom line: win more games and control own destiny. Stop whining about having to accept the scraps of what some committee throws out to you. It does look to be an interesting game if A&M plays like they did against Tx.

John said...

Exactly Randall. If we can hold on to the effing ball for ONE half against UK, we are in the Outback or CFA. Couldn't do it, fell to the Indy...it is not the fans' fault, its the team's fault.

That's fine. A bad season happens, everyone has bumps in the road. What I am saying is that I hope the coaches and players recognize that 7-5 doesn't get it done. The Indy Bowl doesn't get it done.

Some of you seem to think that being a good fan means blindly accepting whatever product is out on the field as acceptable. Ask UT how that worked out for them the last two to three years of Fulmer's tenure, or Miami with Larry Coker, or FSU with Bowden, etc. I refuse to accept mediocre efforts, and it would appear that Richt does too. Looking foward to next year.

Anonymous said...

Once and for all- playing in the bowl game would cause Murray to lose his redshirt. redshirts are NOT allowed to play in bowl games.