Nose tackle Justin Anderson will have season-ending toe surgery, head coach Mark Richt said after Wednesday’s practice.
Anderson, a junior, missed the past two games with turf toe, and Richt said the decision was made to get the surgery now so he could be ready for his final year. Anderson has already taken a redshirt year, so he would not be eligible for a sixth season.
The decision also hurts the team depth-wise at the position. DeAngelo Tyson has been starting there, and Kwame Geathers got some snaps against Arkansas. Brandon Wood and Abry Jones have also shifted inside in certain packages.
“The nose position, we still feel like we’re still good with DeAngelo and Kwame,” Richt said. “And other people can jump in there.”
In other news:
- Branden Smith (concussion) was cleared to practice and should be able to play against Mississippi State. Smith would return punts and do anything else (including offense) if he’s cleared to play in the game.
“He was symptom-free,” Richt said. “He didn’t get a headache or anything like that, any kind of symptom. So Ron (Courson, the trainer) let him practice today in a non-contact jersey. He feels pretty confident he’ll play if there’s no setback.”
- Guard Chris Davis (hip and knee) practiced Wednesday. Davis and Tanner Strickland are “basically competing” to start at right guard, Richt said.
- Fullback Shaun Chapas (ankle) practiced but “definitely didn’t look 100 percent,” according to Richt. But Chapas still isn’t being ruled out for Starkville.
- Richt thinks tailback Caleb King (ankle) will be 100 percent by game time.
- Inside linebacker Richard Samuel (knee) still isn’t being counted out for a return. The Bulldogs are wary of the depth at the position, but all indications are he would still probably redshirt.
- Tackle Josh Davis will serve as a captain on Saturday in place of center Ben Jones, who suggested to Richt that Davis – the team’s lone Mississippi native – be able to serve in the role in his home state.
- Richt’s message to the team on Wednesday was to act like it was “Day one.”
“I think it’d be good. Just have a day-one attitude," Richt said. "Let’s get the same feeling that we had for the first game of the year. Because what I don’t want to happen is for the last couple ballgames to affect this ballgame. So we need to put it behind us and move forward, and get that same feeling we had when we played the very first ballgame. It’s just more for everybody’s psychological attitude, I guess.”
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
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10 comments:
+1 Ben Jones
...was so controversial
Seth,
I would love to get your thoughts on Coach Richt’s decision to go with Joe Cox last year, and redshirt Aaron Murray. To me, CMR has wasted two years of football by this decision. Last year he decided to go with a below average SEC QB in Cox, and take away valuable experience for the future UGA QB. Everyone knew that Cox didn’t have much to offer like Murray does, but he wanted to give Cox his chance and look how that turned out. And when things got bad, he still thought it was best to keep Murray off the field. Much of this season has focused around hand cuffing Murray, and trying to figure out what kind of QB he is. They have publicly bashed Murray calling some of his decision making “bonehead plays”, and blaming him for holding on to the ball to long. Aren’t mistakes going to happen with a freshman QB in the SEC, and especially against some tough opponents like South Carolina and Ark. It seems like a huge coaching blunder on Richt’s part, and one of his biggest failures this season.
Grant, Had he played Murray and lost the SC game and Ark game last year (that required a shoot out and 5 TD's to win) there would have been a collective scream from the fans. This is a can't win question. Your windshield is a lot bigger than your rear view mirror for a reason! I agree when it came down to the end, he could have put him in, BUT had he lost one of those last wins and the L went to 6, the hot seat talk would have been louder. I am sure you do things to keep your job that others on the outside may question, but it is your job to keep. The statement that should you listen to the fans too much you will end up sitting with them is a very true statement. I know a good bit about football, but am no way qualified to question someone who has risen to a level we have no shot it making, so, I will continue to trust his judgement for now. 90 wins in 9 years is probably better than I could have done.
Grant,
Aaron Murray was hurt. Its pretty simple.
Besides Grant, there is a lot of difference between a RF Freshman and a TRUE Freshman
Grant- please learn the facts.
Aaron Murray was injured last year. That is why he didn't play.
Mark Richt has even said that had he not been injured he would've played.
I don't follow other teams' injuries like I follow UGA's, but it seems like we just have WAY TOO MANY injuries EVERY year.
Not sure what we can do about it, but unless they practice at a much more aggressive level than they have in the games this year, I can't imagine why so many well-conditioned athletes are getting hurt. Maybe another strength/conditioning coach would be a place to start.
At some point, you've got to start looking for a solution to such a problem as excessive injuries.
Billy I agree and it seems like the injuries come in waves - last year it was hamstrings. This year we already have a TB and then a FB with a sprained ankle.
Compare 2007 Stafford's Stats to 2009 Joe Cox's stats. Almost identical. Why the difference? DEFENSE stats tells it all. We need to stop bashing Joe Cox. He is and will always be a Damn Good Dawg and represented all that is good at UGA football!
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