Video Blog: Richt, Dent Talk Defense

Mark Richt and a very dapper Akeem Dent talk about adjusting to the 3-4 defense in Year 1 under Todd Grantham...



*Video courtesy of Mr. Brandon Spoon.

Five Dawgs Who Could Surprise

Yesterday Georgia announced it had placed five players on Phil Steele's All-America teams and 14 on his All-SEC teams. That's a pretty impressive tally, putting the Bulldogs on par with reigning national champ Alabama.

But while having 14 players make Steele's All-SEC teams, here's my question: Could there be more by season's end?

With that said, here are five players who didn't make Steele's preseason list who I think could turn into All-SEC caliber performers by year's end.

5. Branden Smith. If things fall right, Smith could find his name on the All-SEC teams twice at year's end. He's in line to earn a significant amount of time at corner -- and possibly the starting job -- and as a five-star recruit with blazing speed, there's no reason to think he won't develop into a legit playmaker. He could also end up returning punts this season and, if he avoids the fumbling problems he had last year, could turn in a Brandon Boykin-esque performance.

4. Akeem Dent. Last year was a lost one for Dent, but he made some nice strides in 2008 and appears to be fully healthy for 2010. He's the veteran leader of the linebacking corps, and he'll be counted on heavily in Todd Grantham's 3-4 defense. If he can turn in the type of senior season he's capable of having, that would be huge news for both Dent's future prospects in the NFL and for Georgia's defense as a whole.

3. Tavarres King. Perhaps Kris Durham should be here instead. Or maybe Marlon Brown or Rantavious Wooten. But someone is going to be the beneficiary of all the attention A.J. Green gets, which means there will be plenty of opportunities for another WR to step up and turn in a strong season.

2. Abry Jones. Any kid that impresses Rodney Garner within a few weeks of arriving on campus as a true freshman has to have something going for him. Jones is strong and fast and could be a force as a pass rusher in the 3-4. How well he holds up against the run as part of the new-look D line will likely be what defines his sophomore campaign, but the potential is definitely there.

1. Cornelius Washington. Justin Houston's inclusion on Steele's first-team All-SEC list was well deserved, but Washington -- the other starting OLB -- is going to be given a chance to shine this year, too. For one, his skill set makes him a perfect fit at OLB, whereas he was a bit out of place in the more traditional DE in a 4-3. Secondly, Houston had such a strong 2009 season that he'll have to command more attention from the opposition, which could help free things up for Washington. The sophomore showed flashes last season, had an excellent G-Day performance, and I'll be shocked if he doesn't become a consistent threat as a pass rusher in 2010.

I should probably also include Caleb King on this list, but I'm guessing Phil Steele essentially flipped a coin on Georgia's running backs and went with Washaun Ealey as his rep. Odds are only one of the two will make an All-SEC team, but the chances are strong for either one. And, if by chance both prove to be All-SEC worthy by year's end, there's probably a good chance Georgia will be playing for an SEC title, too.

So… who do you think might also step up and surprise?

A Look Inside: Belin's ILBs Will Be Center Stage in 2010

I'm putting together a story for later in the week on the inside linebackers and new ILB coach Warren Belin. I figured I could share a few of the quotes I got for the story here though, for those of you sick of talking QBs and ready to hear more about the new-look D...

Warren Belin on Christian Robinson...
“Christian is improving each and every day. I’m very pleased with his progress. He’s playing multiple positions for us at the inside linebacker, and he’s a young man that’s a hard worker, works really hard at being the best he can be at doing the fundamentals and the little things right, and as he continues to grow into our defensive package, he’s going to make a great contribution to our football team.”

Belin on Marcus Dowtin...
“Marcus is very talented, and we’re excited about what he brings to the table as a student-athlete. Again, as he said and as I would also agree, we’ve got to consistently be the best, know our assignments, and physically do everything we’re asking him to do. Mentally he’s very, very close to where we need him to be right now. He’s had a few mistakes here and there. As a linebacker coach, the No. 1 thing that I’m going to ask is that he does things the right way all the time. And there are no excuses for missed assignments and missed alignments. There’s just none. We get beat if you don’t do things the right way.”

Todd Grantham on Robinson and Akeem Dent...
“Dent and Robinson have played both Mike and Mo, so they give you some flexibility there. We’re also working to progress Richard Samuel, because he does show up as far as his ability to run and chase and we’re trying to work with him to see if we can find a role for him as we move forward.”

Grantham on where Richard Samuel must improve...
“I just think the key and diagnose of blocking schemes. He has a feel for where the ball’s going, but is it a downhill run? Is it a wide play? I just think it’s more the recognition of the blocks and where do I need to fit based on the recognition of the call. That’s based on experience, but the guy was in here last Friday after meetings watching tape trying to get ready for the scrimmage because he wanted to get better. If our guys will do that and work to improve, I think we’ll be fine.”

Christian Robinson on the mix at ILB...
"To us, it’s really not a battle. We’re just trying to put the best guy forward. Everybody is working really hard. We have different groups for different situations. Coach [Todd] Grantham will take me and put Downtin in, or Darryl, or Dent. It’s a group of guys who are going to put our best foot forward every time. Some guys are bigger, some guys are faster. Whatever coach Grantham wants from his linebacker corps, he’s going to do it."

Robinson on the leadership of Akeem Dent & Darryl Gamble...
"Having Darryl and Dent, they’re just great leaders and great people. If we have a rough day, they’re the first ones to get on us and bring us up. They were just as influential as Rennie (Curran) was. They’ve been here, this is their fifth year, so everybody knows them, everybody respects them. They’ve earned their time, and they’ve been playing since they were freshmen. When they say something you listen. Coach comes first, but those guys are second.”

Akeem Dent on Belin's expectations...
"With him he just wants everybody to go out and play with great energy, have a great attitude, and give great effort. There are a lot of things that you can’t control, but you can your attitude and effort. He wants us to go out every day and just play."

Notes: Depth Chart Won't Affect Murray's Summer

In the next few days, Aaron Murray and the rest of the world will get a big clue as to who might be starting at quarterback for Georgia in the fall, and while he’s anxiously awaiting head coach Mark Richt’s first post-spring depth chart, he’s not going to allow the results to change his focus.

“I’m definitely looking forward to it just so we know where we stand heading into the summer,” Murray said. “I don’t really think it’s too much of a difference. I know what I need to work on, and Coach (Mike) Bobo’s going to tell me what I need to work on. So if I’m No. 1 or No. 3, I’m still going to have to work on the same stuff fundamentally and with the playbook.”

Murray looked sharp early in the spring, but his G-Day performance – 8-of-19 passing for 96 yards and an interception – was hardly the crescendo he was hoping for.

The slow finish wasn’t ideal, but Murray said he wasn’t exactly planning on a relaxing summer regardless.

Throughout the spring, Murray said he has been keenly aware of a few shortcomings in his game – including his footwork and making quick progressions – that will require some tinkering regardless of his play on G-Day or his position on the subsequent depth chart.

“A lot of times I’m out there, and I’m stuck on one receiver, I’m hitching, hitching, hitching, and I just need to check it down to the running backs,” Murray said. “I need to work on getting through my reads faster and then – boom – hit the running back on the check down and get what you can get or run the ball. Just not stick on one receiver. I’ll be working on that, working on my footwork and making sure I know the playbook as best as I can.”

While Murray struggled in the final spring scrimmage, fellow redshirt freshman Zach Mettenberger shined, and junior Logan Gray continued his consistent progress.

Still, the eventual depth chart will consider more than just the spring game, Richt said, and the No. 1 quarterback going into fall camp isn’t guaranteed to be the starter when Georgia opens its season.

That means the next few months will be crucial for all three quarterbacks, Murray said, regardless of whether they open the fall with the first-team offense or the third.

“I’m just going to go out there this summer and work on the things (Bobo) tells me to work on and the things I think I need to improve on in my game, and use those two months to get better,” Murray said. “I’ll watch the spring practices, see what I can work on, and hopefully have a good camp and take it from there.”

IN THE LINE OF FIRE

With two minutes left in last week’s G-Day game, a minor skirmish broke out between tailback Washaun Ealey and safety Nick Williams. Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham immediately intervened, sending Williams to the bench with a stinging dose of criticism to boot.

When the game ended, Grantham was there again, patting each of his players on the back – including Williams – for a job well done after his squad held the first-team offense to just seven points.

That’s a perfect example of his style, Grantham said. He likes being a part of the action, and that’s why he plans to spend the upcoming season working from the sidelines, too.

“I like to get a feel for the players,” Grantham said. “I like to get a feel for the physicalness of how the game’s going, the protection, those kinds of things. Then also I think it helps you in the playcalling a little bit being down there.”

Grantham said it hasn’t been decided yet which of his assistants will work games from the press box, but he said those coaches will have a vital role on game day.

“You can’t see as well, so you have to have stable eyes in the box,” Grantham said. “At the same time, you kind of know who should fit where, and you’ve got a feel for those things. You’re going to rely on your eyes in the box for the breakdowns, but overall, I think it’s better for the coordinator to be on the field.”

STAYING STRONG

As a sophomore in 2008, Akeem Dent made huge strides, starting 10 games and earning the trust of his coaches. His future looked bright.

Things didn’t exactly play out the way he had hoped last year, however, as a myriad of injuries derailed his junior season. He missed much of fall camp, then was limited to just four starts during the regular season, finishing 32 tackles – the lowest tally of his career.

When the Bulldogs wrapped up spring practice last week, however, Dent was among the first players Grantham complimented for a strong performance, and Dent is hoping to keep that momentum rolling for a full season this time around.

“Last year was kind of disappointing for me, but injuries are something I really can't control,” Dent said. “Sometimes, it kind of hurt to sit at home while my teammates were traveling and things like that. I feel like this year I have to come out, and keep fighting, and stay healthy. I just want to stay injury free.”

Practice Notes: Samuel Moving Inside

Richard Samuel is on the move again, although this time it’s not quite as drastic as his switch from offense to defense earlier this offseason.

After a brief tryout at outside linebacker, new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham decided Samuel was a better fit playing inside linebacker, where he’ll be better able to utilize his speed in coverage.

“He can run, he can cover, and by playing inside, you can still blitz, but there’s a little more coverage element involved, and that would utilize his speed,” Grantham said.

Grantham said all his inside linebackers have crosstrained at both inside positions – the Mike and Mo, as Grantham is calling them – and Samuel will work at each.

That still leaves Georgia a bit thin at outside linebacker, but head coach Mark Richt said the staff felt the best option was to put Samuel where he had the best chance to succeed rather than trying to fill out a depth chart.

“It’s probably a little bit more natural for him (to play inside),” Richt said. “We started him outside a little bit because of some issues with numbers at outside linebacker, but to give him a more fair opportunity, we moved him inside.”

NICKEL FOR YOUR THOUGHTS

Georgia’s new-look secondary has been a work in progress so far this spring, with Brandon Boykin, the lone returning starter, switching from boundary corner to field corner, and three other starting jobs up for grabs.

Bacarri Rambo appears to have one of the open safety jobs locked down, but the other two players working with the No. 1 unit have been a bit of a surprise – sophomore Shawn Williams at safety and senior Vance Cuff at corner.

“I like what I see out of Vance, he’s definitely competing hard,” Boykin said. “I definitely think (Williams) has gotten better and is continuing to compete. Nothing’s set in stone, but I think he could definitely have a shot at that safety spot.”

Nick Williams, Jakar Hamilton and Quintin Banks are also in the running for the vacant starting safety job, while Sanders Commings, Jordan Love and Branden Smith are battling for the open cornerback role.

At nickel, Boykin said he and Smith have gotten the most work, but even that remains an open competition.

“As of right now, we’re the nickels,” Boykin said. “I plan on being the nickel once the season starts, but we really don’t know. Right now we’re just trying to learn the system, so we’ll see.”

NOWHERE MAN

Senior offensive lineman Clint Boling said he has been pleased with the progress of Trinton Sturdivant, who is recovering from his second knee surgery in as many years. Sturdivant has been jogging and doing some light workouts, but won’t be a full participant in spring practice.

That leaves the future for Boling wide open once again. Boling started as a freshman at guard, then shifted to right tackle as a sophomore. After Sturdivant went down, he eventually moved to left tackle, but swapped back to the right side again to start the 2009 season. Midway through last year, however, Boling was on the move again to replace Sturdivant, so by the time his senior season is ready to kick off, he has no idea where he might end up.

“I really don’t know,” Boling said. “I’ve switched around so much that it’s all kind of run together so it doesn’t matter which position I’m playing, I guess.”

BUILDING LEADERSHIP

Georgia held its first character education meetings of the spring on Thursday, and Richt talked to his seniors about developing their leadership on the practice field. The result was the most spirited day of practice so far, Richt said.

Identifying some leaders within the locker room will be a key step this spring. Last year’s veterans – Joe Cox, Jeff Owens and Rennie Curran – are all gone, and while Richt singled out Clint Boling, Darryl Gamble and Akeem Dent as players who have stepped into that leadership role, he said there are plenty of jobs available and plenty of candidates for the gig.

“I don’t want to discourage anybody by not calling him out because all those guys are really doing a good job,” Richt said.

EXTRA POINTS

-- Richt on Thursday’s practice: “It’s a great energy bunch right now. They’ve got a lot of enthusiasm. It was the first day in some form of pads where they could actually hit somebody, I think they were excited about that. But both sides of the ball came out to get better. We’re making a ton of mistakes, I know that. But when we’re making mistakes with the type of tempo and energy we’re having, it’s fun to see. We see really good athletes out there making plays on both sides of the ball, and I’m really encouraged right now.

-- On the injury front, offensive lineman Dallas Lee left practice for about 10 minutes due to some asthma issues, but returned for the completion of workouts. Safety Jakar Hamilton left practice early Tuesday with a foot injury, but he was back to a full workout Thursday.

-- Richt singled out an unnamed blogger who he thought misunderstood how the team planned to use Logan Gray on special teams this season. While Richt didn’t name names and said he “rarely, if ever” reads blogs, he felt the need to clear the air because, “the gentleman just didn’t understand why he was back there returning punts”

“When Logan is back there, it’s a time when the offensive team is punting it in, it’s a pooch kick,” Richt said. “Our defense, our punt return team, is in punt safe to keep them from faking the punt because they’ve crossed our 50-yard line. So all Logan is doing is making the decision on whether to make the fair catch or let the ball hit. The fine gentleman who writes the blog, I don’t think he really understood that very much. I just thought if everybody got educated on that, they might understand a little bit better why Logan would do that. He was 100 percent last year on making those decisions and never bobbled the ball. That’s not a hard thing to do, and we’re not expecting him to return the punt because those punts don’t get returned.”

Re-reading what I wrote Tuesday about Logan, I’m fairly certain I wasn’t the offending party. Then again, Richt was looking in my general direction during his remarks. Or perhaps he was simply checking out the score of the UNLV-Northern Iowa game.

Practice Notes: Richt Cracks Down After Latest Arrest

A second player in three weeks was arrested for misdemeanor traffic violations Wednesday when offensive lineman Vince Vance was taken into custody by the Athens-Clarke County police for driving without a license.

Head coach Mark Richt said Vance, 22, had a learner’s permit, which would allow him to operate the vehicle if another adult was present, but that was not the case at the time of the arrest. The violation is the second in the past year for Vance, who was arrested on a similar charge last November.

“He doesn’t have a car, and he claims that he never drives unless he has someone 21 (years old) with (him) which is legal to do," Richt said. "So here’s a kid who doesn’t have a suspended license. It’s a legal license. Now, why he has a learner’s permit at this age, everybody’s asking the same question. But he drove by himself and had a traffic violation and when they ran it, he broke the law."

Richt said the arrest will not affect Vance’s playing time in this week’s game against Florida.

“It’s not affecting his playing status at all,” Richt said. “If he starts, he was going to start, if he doesn’t start, he wasn’t going to start.”

Richt said further punishment is being handled in-house, but said that the team’s focus on these minor traffic offenses has increased in recent weeks.

Three weeks ago, cornerback Vance Cuff was arrested for driving a scooter with a suspended license, and linebacker Rennie Curran also had a bench warrant issued for him after he failed to appear in court following a speeding violation.

“I can’t even tell you what we’ve been trying to get done in regard to making sure these things don’t happen,” Richt said. “I’m highly frustrated. I’ve taken things a little bit more into my own hands to make sure these things get resolved.”

The problem, Richt said, is that rules are often nearly impossible to enforce. While the school tries to ensure each player has a valid license, situations like the one faced by Vance result from players not having the proper class of license, which is forcing Richt to take a firm stand on the issue.

“My feeling is, every single Georgia football player must have not only a valid license, but a Class C license,” Richt said.

Still, Richt said, it remains difficult to keep tabs on any potential moving violations, parking tickets and other minor issues that can, if ignored, become more serious. Finding a foolproof plan to combat the issues will take some time, he said.

“I can’t snap my finger and get it done overnight,” Richt said. “If a kid gets a ticket and he can’t take care of it quickly enough, he could find himself with an issue there. So it’s a real pain in the rear, quite frankly.”

While neither Vance nor Cuff were charged with anything more serious than a misdemeanor, Richt said the problem is more about image than substance.

"It’s one thing to get stopped and get a citation," Richt said. "I don’t think anybody gets too bent out of shape. But if a guy gets stopped and he’s arrested, that’s a more serious matter. These are misdemeanor issues, but it’s an arrest nonetheless, and it’s embarrassing. It’s embarrassing to the program and to them. So we’ve got to do a better job, and I’m taking the blame for not making certain these things were taken care of, but we’re going to get it straight.”

Richt said he would personally take account of players' driving status and make an effort to constantly remind players that moving violations and other traffic citations must be reported to the coaching staff.

In Curran's case, a traffic ticket went unpaid, and a bench warrant was issued. That's not uncommon, Richt said, as the busy schedule of classes and football can often cause a player to forget to follow up on such issues.

While Richt is understanding of why the problems can arise, however, he's unwilling to tolerate further excuses.

“I don’t think anybody’s purposely trying to do those things, but if they don’t follow through, that’s another problem," he said. "So all these things can happen and they seem little … but those little things if you don’t handle your responsibilities, then you get bigger problems. That’s part of growing up, that’s part of college, that’s part of what we’re trying to help these guys understand. They’ve got to grow up, be a man, handle your responsibilities so we don’t have to deal with this. But we have got to make sure we’re monitoring these things so we don’t have these things blow up on us.”

RECORD CHASER

As far as the record books go, Florida quarterback Tim Tebow is currently tied with former Georgia great Herschel Walker for the SEC’s record for career rushing touchdowns, meaning the much-reviled Gators star could set the mark against Walker’s old team this week. That doesn’t exactly sit well with some of Georgia’s players.

“It seems like everybody is trying to make history on us,” defensive tackle Jeff Owens said, referencing Eric Berry’s attempt to set a record for interceptions against Georgia three weeks ago. “We want to keep him out of the end zone. He’s a tough player, always trying to get that extra yard, so we’ve just got to scratch and claw and try to stop him.”

Tebow has 49 career rushing touchdowns, five of which have come against Georgia. While that officially ties the record, Walker has five additional touchdowns that came in bowl games, which were not counted toward official totals at the time.

Regardless of the caveats, Georgia isn’t interested in seeing Tebow break Walker’s record – officially or unofficially – this week.

“Just knowing the type of player that Herschel was and the type of guy that he is now, we just want to represent for the guys who played before us,” linebacker Rennie Curran said. “That would be huge for us to hold their offense and Tebow and not let them score. We know they like to put the ball in his hands on the goal line so that is going to be our main goal. Not just because it is going to be a record but because as a defense we just want to play our best game.”

Of course, that’s as much a compliment to Tebow as anything. For as much as Georgia’s players hope they can maintain Walker’s record, quarterback Joe Cox admits he has a great deal of respect for Tebow, too.

“He’s unique being such a big, powerful runner,” Cox said. “You see a lot of quarterbacks nowadays that can run, but it’s not like a guy that runs like a fullback. You don’t have a lot of guys that play quarterback that are your goal line back. I think he’s different in that sense. I don’t know how many guys can take that many carries in a conference like this. I don’t know how many you’ll see that are like him. You’ll see a lot of guys that are dual-threat, but guys that can take that many carries and be the goal-line back? I don’t know.”

HAPPY TO BE BACK

Cox is making his first start in a Georgia-Florida game this season, and he’s happy to be doing it in Jacksonville, Fla.

There was a great deal of debate over the future of the game in recent months, but a deal to keep the game in Jacksonville appears imminent, and that’s just the way it should be, Cox said.

“I know there are people that think this game needs to come to Atlanta, but it doesn’t matter because wherever you are, it’s going to be a 50-50 crowd, and it’s always really cool to see it like that,” he said. “Two teams that are big rivals, they get to share the stadium, and it’s one of the best games in college football and it’s always fun to be a part of.”

NEW FACE EARNS PRAISE

Early in the season, Christian Robinson was buried on the depth chart at linebacker. But with injuries to Akeem Dent and Marcus Dowtin, the redshirt freshman has seen significant playing time the past two weeks, and he’s made the most of it.

In the past two games, Robinson has made six tackles – including one for a loss – in reserve duty, and linebackers coach John Jancek said his progress has been impressive.

“Christian has a very bright future here,” Jancek said. “He’s only a freshman, but he’s really caught on to things very well. He’s a dedicated player, he plays very hard. I look for him to continue getting better and better and better. His biggest thing will be his physical development once we end this season.”

EXTRA POINTS

-- Georgia practice in full pads today, a change from its normal schedule following a bye week. The Bulldogs were making up for yesterday’s indoor workout, which was necessitated due to bad weather. The team will practice in shorts Thursday and have a brief walk-through Friday in preparation for Saturday’s game against Florida.

-- Richt said he was not sure who would start at tailback this week but indicated several of Georgia’s five scholarship tailbacks could play. He said, to this point, no one back has emerged that can handle all of Georgia’s playbook to the standards necessary, so different backs will be used for different play calls. Of the backs on the roster, however, Richt said sophomore Caleb King is closest to being a full-time player.

-- Richt still would not comment on a starting lineup for the offensive line, but Clint Boling (LT), Cordy Glenn (LG), Ben Jones (C), Chris Davis (RG) and Josh Davis (RT) handled the first-team reps during the early periods of Wednesday’s practice.

-- Richt said linebacker Akeem Dent went through a full practice today and will be able to play Saturday. Defensive end Kiante Tripp has also been cleared to play after missing most of the season with a neck stinger.

Practice Notes: Bobo to Stay on Sidelines

The sideline might not be the most comfortable place for Mike Bobo to watch a game, but it’s hard to argue with success.

For the first time in his career as offensive coordinator, Bobo called plays from the sideline in Georgia’s last outing against Vanderbilt, and the result was the team’s easiest win of the year, highlighted by a season-high in rushing yards. While the view wasn’t quite as good as it was from the press box, Bobo said he liked the feel of being on the sideline and said he’ll be there again this week when the Bulldogs take on No. 1 Florida.

“In the box, it’s like you’re watching a TV screen except you can see the whole thing, so you can see if we executed, and you can see if we don’t,” Bobo said. “Down there, you can feel the passion and the excitement, the highs and lows of when things go well and when things don’t go well. That part I liked. It’s a little more intense down there for sure.”

While Bobo won’t have access to the bird’s-eye view the press box affords, he said the negative impact of watching from the sideline has been lessened by the efforts of receivers coach Tony Ball, who provides pictures and analysis from the box while Bobo is on the field.

“You’ve got to have guys up there that are capable of giving you a picture and Coach Ball does a good job of that,” Bobo said. “You’ve got to prepare well to where you can recognize their looks and make sure they’re playing the way we thought they were, and if they didn’t, we’ve got to be able to make adjustments.”

The upside to Bobo’s appearance on the sideline is mental, he said.

With so many first-year starters on offense, Bobo was concerned that the unit was lacking confidence. Players were talented enough to succeed, but he wanted to be on the field where he could remind them of that, even in the face of failure.

“We’ve got a lot of young guys that haven’t made a lot of plays in some games,” Bobo said. “We have guys we feel we have some ability, but for whatever reason, they’re not making the play or they had their head down at certain times. (I wanted to) have the ability to say, ‘Hey you’ve got the ability, let’s go and get it done,’ or just to look them in the eye and say, ‘We can do it.’”

MYSTERY SURROUNDS O LINE

During Georgia’s off week, Clint Boling said he had spent some time working at left tackle, moving over from the right side where he has played all season.

Josh Davis got his first start of the season against Vanderbilt, too, giving the Bulldogs yet another look on the offensive line – their fourth different starting lineup of the season.

But Tuesday, head coach Mark Richt said he isn’t expecting a major shake-up for this week’s contest against Florida.

“We really don’t have a lot of choices, so I don’t see a lot of change there,” he said. “The guys that have been playing will continue to play. We may move them around a little bit, but I’m not even sure of that.”

Richt said Davis, Boling, Vince Vance, Ben Jones, Chris Davis and Justin Anderson will all see action, but he wouldn’t commit to the specific roles for any of them.

So while the head coach isn’t predicting change, he isn’t exactly promising the status quo either. That has Bobo convinced that this week’s lineup may have a look fans haven’t seen yet this year.

“I’d say probably, but you’ll just have to wait and see,” Bobo said. “But it’s been different every single week.”

‘BACKERS BACK

Georgia’s depleted linebacker corps figures to get an infusion of healthy bodies this week with both Akeem Dent and Marcus Dowtin expected to return to action after extended absences due to injuries.

“(Dent) looks like he’s going to be able to make the trip, but we’ll see how he progresses here during the week as we run a little bit more,” linebackers coach John Jancek said. “Dowtin has been cleared and is ready to go.”

Dowtin missed the past two games after suffering a ligament tear in his finger that required surgery following Georgia’s loss to LSU. Dowtin had earned regular work as a reserve linebacker and was third on the team in tackles at the time of the injury.

“We really missed Marcus not having him for the last two ballgames,” defensive coordinator Willie Martinez said. “Marcus has been one of our playmakers – a kid that can run, athletic, smart. He really was playing really well.”

Dent has missed nearly every practice since mid-August with a nagging hamstring injury, and his return brings a much needed veteran presence.

“I think he’s ready to go,” Martinez said. “We tried to get him to come back and maybe it was too soon. He re-aggravated that injury he had. … We haven’t had Akeem, his leadership and toughness. To get him back in the presence of the team is really huge.”

WARMER WEATHER

Temperatures in Jacksonville, Fla. for Saturday’s game are expected to be in the 80s with plenty of sunshine, which is a welcome change of pace for the Bulldogs.

Georgia hasn’t played a game in temperatures warmer than 80 degrees since its opener, and their last game against Vanderbilt began with temperatures in the mid-40s.

But while the warmer weather comes as a treat, it also means the Bulldogs might have to dig a bit deeper on their depth chart to rotate in fresh players as the heat takes its toll on the starters.

“I think we’re definitely going to have to have a lot of subs, especially in a warm game,” quarterback Joe Cox said. “But I’m just glad the weather is going to be good. We’ve had a lot of crazy weather situations this year. We might have to use some subs, but we’ll see how it goes.”

CHAPAS READY TO GO

Thanks to a stinger in his neck, fullback Shaun Chapas watched Georgia's last game against Vandy from the comfort of his own living room, but he hardly felt comfortable.

"It felt really weird," he said. "I'd never missed a game before, and right before kickoff I just had this overwhelming sense that I needed to be somewhere. That was kind of weird, but I really did enjoy watching the game from the sense that it looked like we got the running game going and we won, so that made it fun."

Chapas said the injury has healed fully already and he will be ready to play against Florida this week in a game that holds a bit of extra meaning for the Jacksonville native. While he hasn't gotten official word that he'll start over Fred Munzenmaier, he said he expects to.

"I would imagine," he said. "We haven't talked about it, but I would assume so."

EXTRA POINTS

-- Georgia had a 12-period indoor practice today due to significant rain in the area.

"It was a good day with good focus," Richt said. "We walked through things, which is important mental preparation and also helps get the sensation of what your body is supposed to do during the game. It really didn't hurt us in our physical preparation either because we had our typical Tuesday practice on Sunday and we'll get our regular Wednesday practice in tomorrow."

-- Bobo said he expected the team would still use a rotation at running back this week.

Practice Notes: Dawgs Look to Jump Start Running Game

There have been plenty of problems on offense in the past three games for Georgia, but the biggest stumbling block has been the team’s inability to run the football.

Against Tennessee last week, the Bulldogs mustered just 89 yards rushing – more than half of which came in the fourth quarter after the Volunteers had the game well in hand – and for the season, their ground game ranks 104th in the country.

With those kinds of numbers, quarterback Joe Cox said, getting the rest of the offense to click can be a difficult task.

“It is tough just because a lot of people feel that they can just come at us when we’re in passing situations, especially once you get down,” Cox said. “It’s tough when you feel like you’ve become one-dimensional and we definitely need to pick up our running game.”

Turning around the moribund rushing attack has been a mystery to Georgia’s coaches so far. In six games, five different players have tallied the day’s longest run, and while Richard Samuel has started each game, Georgia has relied heavily on four different runners already.

“No one has really stood out. No one has really asserted himself to the point where he’s our guy,” head coach Mark Richt said. “No one really has made the offensive line look better than maybe they are blocking at times. We have pretty much been getting what we’ve been blocking for, which statistically hasn’t been a whole heck of a lot.”

Samuel will get another shot this week to prove he can handle the load, but Richt said he doesn’t expect anyone to get a bulk of the work. Still, of all the backs, Samuel has met with the most consistent success – even if that hasn’t been much.

“His deal is confidence,” offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. “Coming into this year, he had a lot of expectations on him, and he kind of takes everything to heart sometimes when he doesn’t have success. But we think he’s a talented back, and we think he’s got to help us in the run game for us to be successful.”

For any of Georgia’s backs to be successful, however, the blocking up front needs to improve. While the Bulldogs’ offensive line has been reshuffled due to injuries since the start of the year, Bobo said the bottom line remains attitude.

“We need to play with more passion up front, we need to finish blocks and we need to have a sense of urgency when we’re running the football,” Bobo said. “That’s offensive linemen, that’s tight ends and that’s running backs. You’ve got to take pride in it, and you’ve got to play hard and physical.”

While there haven’t been many highlights, there have been glimpses of what the tailbacks and the line can do when everything clicks into place this season, highlighted by an 80-yard run for Samuel against Arkansas.

That’s what has been so maddening, Cox said, but it also offers some hope for improvement down the line.

“That’s probably been the most frustrating thing is that we know it’s there but it hasn’t been working,” Cox said. “It’s something that we got to just keep chipping away at. We know we have good backs, we know we have a good line and we just got to get it going so we know we can do it.”

FIGGINS TAKES REDSHIRT

Junior tight end Bruce Figgins missed the first six games of the season following a suspension for a violation of team rules, but he decided this week that he’ll instead sit out the entire season.

Figgins underwent offseason shoulder surgery, but he said the redshirt decision was based on more than health. Having already missed half the season, Figgins decided it was best to finish his rehabilitation and start with a clean slate in 2010.

“There’s pros and cons to either, but Coach Richt came to the conclusion that I should take a red shirt and we’re rolling with that, and I’m looking forward to next year,” Figgins said.

While the decision was ultimately Figgins’, he said he got input from family, friends and his coaches before signing off on the plan. He said the success of freshman Orson Charles and sophomore Aron White at tight end this season didn’t factor into his final decision.

“The coaches put in their input, but I was the last to decide,” Figgins said. “I was the last say so.”

KIDS TO SEE MORE ACTION

With Georgia’s hopes of a conference title nearly vanished, Richt said he isn’t giving up on the season, but he may give some of the younger players a chance to see a bit more action.

Richt said redshirt freshman Baccari Rambo will see an increase in his playing time at safety, establishing a three-man rotation with Bryan Evans and Reshad Jones.

Freshman Branden Smith should see more work at corner, too, spelling senior Prince Miller.

Richt said his two freshman receivers, Marlon Brown and Rantavious Wooten had earned more playing time, too, following Brown’s first significant action of the season last week.

“Marlon is smoothing out his game, I guess is the best way to put it,” Richt said. “He is a talent, he just needed to get more reps to become a smooth competitor, a smooth receiver. He has proved to be a pretty tenacious blocker. You can tell he wants it, you can tell he’s getting better. He has earned a right to play more snaps for us and hopefully he’ll get more opportunities to catch the ball because he has good hands.”

INJURY UPDATES

Tavarres King and Caleb King each returned to limited practice Tuesday after both missed last week’s game with concussions.

Caleb King figures to be in the mix at tailback, where Bobo said there will be an open competition for carries this week.

Tavarres King expects to step back into his role as the team’s starting receiver opposite A.J. Green. King’s absence last week left Georgia with just five healthy receivers, and watching his offense struggle without him was difficult, he said.

“It hurt really bad watching my teammates and wanting to be out there,” he said.
While neither player participated in contact drills Tuesday, Tavarres King said he’s on track to play against Vanderbilt.

“I did everything that I could, just limited contact,” he said. “I expect to play.”

Cornerback Vance Cuff saw limited action last week following a knee injury, but Richt said he should get in a full week of practice this week and is in line for an increased role on defense against the Commodores.

Linebackers Akeem Dent and Marcus Dowtin are both unlikely to play this week, Richt said. Both are expected back after the team’s off week.

DAWGS DON’T DO DOME

After some speculation earlier this month that Georgia could move its annual matchup against in-state rival Georgia Tech to the Georgia Dome for the 2011 season opener, athletics director Damon Evans said Tuesday that the school had decided against the plan.

“After careful consideration, we did not think in the final analysis it was in the best interest of our football program to play the game as a season opener in 2011,” Evans said. “I think the most significant factor was that we did not want to give up the home game that year and make a change in the current home game rotation with Georgia Tech.”

SHADES OF GRAY?

With Cox struggling in his past three games, Richt said there was a chance backup quarterback Logan Gray could see more work in the coming weeks.

Richt was quick to endorse Cox as his starter, but he wouldn’t rule out handing a series or two to Gray as a change of pace.

“He’s been practicing well the past two weeks, I know that,” Richt said. “I wouldn’t say that’s out of the question.”

Gray ran Georgia’s offense on its final two drives against Tennessee, completing just 1-of-4 passes for six yards. The Bulldogs did have their most success running the football when Gray was in the game, however.

“Logan’s done a nice job,” Bobo said. “He’s done an extremely good job getting better as a quarterback. I think he’s ready if he gets into the game. Obviously if we continue to struggle, he could be something that could spark our offense.”

REPEAT PERFORMANCE

Georgia doesn't have to look too far into the past to find a template for how the rest of its season could unfold.

The Bulldogs were 5-4 following four losses in five games 2006, but rebounded to beat three straight ranked teams, including a Chick-fil-A Bowl victory over Virginia Tech.

While a turnaround of that magnitude may still be a long way off, Cox said the team may actually be in better shape to accomplish the feat this season.

“I think our unity is better than 2006, and I think we could end up having a better season than 2006, but as far as hitting a tough stretch and how everything is around you, it’s about the same," Cox said. "People around here are used to winning. We’ve had some really successful teams the past nine years, and people expect us to win every game. We do, too. And when it doesn’t happen, everybody’s mad, including us. It’s something that does remind me of 2006, but it’s something we can definitely get turned around and have a successful season.”

The key to the improvement down the stretch in 2006 was tenacity, Richt said. While demands for immediate changes to the coaching staff and player personnel by fans followed the Bulldogs' most recent defeat at Tennssee, Richt said the dedication of his coaches and players will be the turning point in whether the Bulldogs can rebound this season.

“It’s hard to measure a team’s ability to withstand pressure," he said. "I think a lot of teams fold under that kind of pressure. A lot of coaching staffs fold under that kind of pressure and we never did. We were very resilient. We were very persistent. We stayed the course. We didn’t make a bunch of wholesale changes, whether it was players, coaches or anything like that. We just kept grinding, we kept banging away. You just never know how close you are to success until you live it out."

EXTRA POINTS

-- I know I said I'd have some commentary from Rennie Curran on the defensive effort, but it turned out to be a little more than a note. I'll have the full text tomorrow.

A few notes on the basketball teams from today's preseason news conference:

-- Travis Leslie is cleared to play this season, according to coach Mark Fox. Leslie missed the tail end of last season for academic reasons.

-- Albert Jackson is wearing a cast to protect an injured finger, but Fox said he'll be ready to practice when camp opens Friday.

-- Ricky McPhee was given a scholarship for his senior season, as was Tyler Whatley.

-- Dustin Ware on Trey Thompkins: "Trey is looking like he’s just ready to be a monster this year. He came back and I almost didn’t recognize him his body looked so good."

-- On the women's side, Angel Robinson had to have her knee scoped, but Andy Landers said she should be ready to practice fully before the season begins.

-- Landers also said he expects all seven of his freshmen to play significantly this season.

Practice Notes: Two Kings With Concussions

Georgia’s already thin wide receiver corps took another big hit this week.

Head coach Mark Richt said freshman receiver Tavarres King was “very unlikely” to make the trip to Tennessee for Saturday’s game after suffering a concussion last week against LSU.

That leaves Georgia with just five healthy scholarship receivers, but only two – A.J. Green and Michael Moore – have any significant playing time this season.

“All hands will be on deck, I can say that,” Richt said.

Tight end Orson Charles and cornerback Branden Smith have both been used in wide receiver roles at various times this season, but the injury to King likely means more playing time for sophomore Israel Troupe and freshmen Rantavious Wooten and Marlon Brown.

One of the country’s most highly recruited receivers last year, Brown has seen just a handful of snaps so far this season and has not caught a pass, but Richt said he has continued to make progress during practice and could be part of the game plan this week.

“He’s one step closer than he was before Tavarres getting hurt,” Richt said. “He’s not a whole lot different than what was happening with Washaun Ealey. We kept getting him ready and getting him to the point where he could function in a game, and Marlon is rapidly moving in that direction.”

Playing time would be particularly rewarding for Brown this week, as the Memphis native would have a chance to play in front of his home-state fans against a program that was in hot pursuit of him during the recruiting process.

That extra bit of pressure doesn’t worry offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, however.

“He’s an even-keeled kid who works hard,” Bobo said. “I think he’s got the right attitude and he’ll be successful if he keeps that attitude.”

King has 10 catches for 170 yards and a touchdown in five games this season. Wooten has two catches, and Brown and Troupe have yet to record a reception in 2009.

PULLED IN ALL DIRECTIONS

After working a few snaps on offense in each of Georgia’s first four games, Smith might see less action on that side of the ball for the next few weeks.

Smith, who has one catch for 3 yards and six rushes for 80 yards this season, didn’t earn a touch on offense last week against LSU after his practice time with the group was cut short during the preceding week.

“With some injuries at corner, he’s been playing more corner here lately, so practice time with Branden has gone down a little bit,” Bobo said. “Yeah, it’s easy to draw up a play and say we’re going to do this play, but if you don’t have guys to practice it, it’s a little more difficult.”

The same situation holds true with backup quarterback Logan Gray, who Bobo said has been avoided in the game plan because of an injury to third-string quarterback Aaron Murray.

“You have Aaron Murray out and your backup in the game running some plays, if you get him hurt, that puts you in a situation where you really don’t have a back-up quarterback,” Bobo said. “So that changes your thought process a little bit of what you’re going to do offensively with Logan Gray.”

Despite the apparent limitations on two of Georgia’s change-of-pace weapons, Bobo said both Gray and Smith will continue to have a role in the playbook.

“There’ll always be a few plays with (Smith) in the game plan and with Logan,” Bobo said. “But it just depends on what we feel gives us the best chance.”

MORE INJURY NEWS

Tailback Caleb King also suffered a concussion and a broken jaw after a hit during last week’s game, and Richt said he was almost certain that sophomore Richard Samuel would get the start this week.

Linebackers Marcus Dowtin and Akeem Dent will miss this week’s game as well. Dent is still recovering from a lingering hamstring injury that has kept him out of the past two games, and Dowtin underwent surgery on a torn ligament in his left ring finger on Sunday.

Senior Marcus Washington and sophomore Nick Williams will likely handle the majority of the reps Dent and Dowtin would have played, but Richt said there was a chance some of the younger linebackers such as Christian Robinson, Akeem Hebron and Charles White could see action, too.

“We’ve been repping them all along and giving them as much work as we can, and more than likely they’ll get more opportunity in the game than they have,” Richt said.

DOUBLE DUTY

While Gray may not be seeing much action at quarterback so far this season, he’s getting plenty of work on special teams. Gray has worked on Georgia’s kickoff coverage unit and has been the team’s primary punt returner in situations where a fair catch is likely.

Those were roles Gray played last season, but he said he wasn’t expecting another year of action. But he’s not complaining.

“I think it comes with being the backup quarterback, I wasn’t going to do as many special teams,” Gray said. “Coming into the season, I didn’t even think I was going to catch punts. It was sort of a last-second thing with our punt safe team when we know a fair catch is coming, I guess Coach (Jon) Fabris wanted me to keep doing it.”

MY BAD, GUYS

Brandon Boykin is used to celebrating interceptions, but after making his second pick of the season to halt a potential touchdown drive against LSU, the sophomore cornerback immediately knew he had messed up.

With the Tigers driving deep into Georgia territory in the first quarter, Boykin picked off a Jordan Jefferson pass in the end zone. Rather than settle for a touchback, however, Boykin attempted to return the interception. He was tackled at the 2-yard line, and Georgia's offense was unable to sustain a drive. The result was bad field position for much of the fist half for the Bulldogs.

"That was my fault," Boykin said. "It wasn’t very smart of me to take that out. I was just trying to make a play, and initially I thought there was daylight, but there wasn’t. The smart thing to do would have been to take a knee and give my offense great field position. But I can’t look at that. If I get the opportunity to take it in the end zone, I definitely will take a knee, so it was a learning experience and I’ll get better from it.”

CHANGE BREWING?

For the second straight year, Georgia's kickoffs have been an adventure, but this season there is one big difference: Richt has an alternative to kicker Blair Walsh.

The Bulldogs signed junior college transfer Brandon Bogotay during the offseason to push Walsh for the kickoff job, and while a change hasn't come yet, Richt said the team has given some thought to handing the job to Bogotay if Walsh continues to struggle.

"It's been considered," Richt said. "We haven't done it to this point, but everybody's got to perform and certainly we want Blair to do that. I definitely don't want to throw him under the bus for all the issues on that team, but it's been part of the issue, not getting it where we need to get it. The ball placement hasn't been as sharp."

EXTRA POINTS

-- I noted this last week, but Bobo was a bit more emphatic in his pronouncement this week -- quarterbacks Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger will both redshirt, barring an injury to one of Georgia's top two quarterbacks.

-- Tight ends coach John Lilly said that there still has been no decision on whether tight end Bruce Figgins will accept a medical redshirt for this season. Figgins will be serving the sixth and final game of a suspension this week and would be eligible to return to action against Vanderbilt on Oct. 17. Lilly said the ultimate decision on whether to play would be up to Figgins.

-- Richt on today's practice session: "I thought today's practice was good. I thought the guys played with good tempo, good focus. Overall it's been a really good Tuesday and Wednesday. We'll see how it goes tomorrow. We're going to go over to the stadium and crank the noise and try to get it so loud we can't hear. Hopefully we don't blow a speaker."

Practice Notes: Dawgs Looking For Spark on the Ground

Georgia knew replacing Knowshon Moreno would be tough, but four weeks into the season, coaches hoped the results would be a bit better.

The Bulldogs rank 11th in the SEC in rushing offense, averaging just 112 yards per game on the ground – down nearly 40 yards per game from last season.

Richard Samuel opened the season as the Bulldogs’ top tailback, but since Caleb King returned from a hamstring injury two weeks ago, the two have shared the load. That’s a trend head coach Mark Richt said he expects to continue.

“Right now in my mind they are 50-50 in my thinking,” Richt said. “One guy might be running a little bit better than the other, and he may get more. We’re not to the position where we saying 75 percent of the totes here and 25 percent there. We looking to more let’s play them both, keep them fresh, see how they’re doing and kind of go from there.”

That’s Richt’s plan, but offensive coordinator Mike Bobo isn’t convinced that a timeshare is the best alternative.

Before Tuesday’s practice, Bobo said he hoped one back could impress enough during this week’s workouts to secure the bulk of the work and, in turn, improve the floundering running game.

“We’ve got to get somebody in a groove, and we’ve got to get the running game going,” Bobo said. “I’d say right now, (they’re even), but if somebody has a great day (in practice), they might be the starter. We’ve got to find somebody to jump start our running game.”

Samuel is averaging 4.5 yards per carry so far this season, but aside from an 80-yard run against Arkansas, the sophomore tailback has tallied just two yards per rush on his other 26 carries in the past two games.

King has looked like the better runner overall, picking up 114 yards on 22 carries since returning from a hamstring injury that cost him the first two games of the season. In addition to his rushing exploits, King has also been the better all-around back in practice, running backs coach Bryan McClendon said. But that doesn’t mean King has secured a more significant role in the offense.

“I do think both worked extremely hard, but Caleb did a little better in pass protection than Richard did,” McClendon said. “Hopefully one way or another it will shake out, but as long as we get the production, it wouldn’t hurt me if I had to play them 50-50 again.”

Richt has been impressed with King's strong outings in his first two games as well, but a fumble last week against Arizona State and two drops on screen passes make the task of identifying a clear starter a bit hazy.

“He’s been progressing as he’s been able to play," Richt said of King. "I think he’ll certainly get a good share of (the carries), but I’m not going to sit here and try to predict if he’ll get more than Richard."

Beyond the work of the tailbacks, Bobo said Georgia needs to improve in other areas in order to get the running game going. Blocking by the offensive line has been problematic at times, and Georgia's continued propensity for turnovers and penalties have hindered the team's ability to get its tailbacks into any sort of rhythm.

The bottom line is productivity, Bobo said, and the coaches are happy to employ whichever lineup will maximize that, whether it means playing one tailback the majority of the time or splitting up the playing time between Samuel, King and freshman Carlton Thomas.

“If you ask any running back, they’d like to have it 25 carries themselves a game, but what’s going to give us the best chance to win the game?" Bobo said. "We’re not going to give it 25 times a game if we’re not getting but a yard or two yards every time we run it.”

BACK TO WORK

Two weeks ago, Brandon Wood wasn’t expecting to play this season. His shoulder was feeling better after offseason surgery, but he had all but decided to accept a medical redshirt in order to preserve an extra year of eligibility down the road.

Still, Wood missed being a part of the action, and when Richt approached him about returning to work following Georgia’s win over South Carolina earlier this month, Wood jumped at the chance.

“It’s hard just sitting there and watching the boys play and I can’t do anything, and then I saw we had injuries and I didn’t want to be selfish, I wanted to be a part of the team and help out,” Wood said.

With starting defensive end Rod Battle out, Wood saw a chance to make an impact. And despite the surgery that held him out of the first three games, he said his shoulder is actually feeling pretty good.

“I felt good going through the drills and stuff,” Wood said. “The (coaches) had been looking at the film and seeing what I was doing. They asked me what I was thinking about it, and I said I was ready to play.”

The junior saw significant action at defensive end last week against Arizona State despite having played defensive tackle each of the past two seasons. The transition hasn’t been particularly tough, Wood said, but it has tested his conditioning.

“You cover a lot more ground at defensive end than you do at tackle,” Wood said. “That’s the tough part about it. But it’s better going against a tight end than a guard and a center.”

FILLING OUT THE SCHEDULE

Georgia announced Tuesday that it had finalized a deal to add Idaho State to its 2010 football schedule.

Georgia had two open dates available on the slate, needing one more non-conference home game to fill out the schedule. The Bengals will visit Athens on Nov. 6, one week after the Bulldogs’ annual date with Florida. Georgia’s lone open date will be Nov. 20, meaning it will play 11 straight games before its 2010 off week.

Idaho State plays in the Big Sky Conference and is 0-4 so far this season, including a 50-3 defeat to Arizona State, which lost to Georgia last week. The Bengals finished 1-11 in 2008, losing their first 11 games before beating Sacramento State to close out the season. Overall, Idaho State has lost 19 of its last 20 games.

Georgia’s remaining non-conference slate in 2010 includes the home opener against Louisiana-Lafayette, a road date at Colorado and the annual regular-season finale against Georgia Tech.

FAMILIAR FOE

LSU will be the second team Georgia faces this season with a new defensive coordinator, but unlike the mystery that surrounded Bill Young’s defense at Oklahoma State, the Bulldogs know what to expect from John Chavis.

The Tigers’ new defensive coordinator is a familiar adversary for Richt, having spent 14 years as Tennessee’ defensive coordinator before moving on to LSU when Philip Fulmer was let go at the end of last season. From what Richt has seen on film, not much has changed in Chavis’ new location.

“They are doing the same thing and for good reason,” Richt said. “Coach Chavis has been one of the finest defensive coordinators in the SEC for years. … What they do is very, very sound, very difficult to deal with. When you insert the type of athletes that Tennessee and LSU have, they’ll have nothing but success.”

WAITING ON MARLON

While fellow freshman Rantavious Wooten has enjoyed increased playing time in each of the past two games, Marlon Brown is still waiting his turn on the sidelines.

Brown said he thought he had a good preseason and has been surprised by the lack of action so far, but he isn't letting it get him down.

"It's been real tough, real tough," Brown said. "When the season started, I wasn't playing and I was kind of down a little bit. But after a while, I just said, 'Forget it,' and keep grinding in practice."

Brown was highly recruited coming out of high school, waiting until National Signing Day to confirm he was headed to Athens. After announcing his decision, Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin suggested Brown only chose Georgia to make his grandmother happy.

So the slow start to his career could certainly have Brown questioning his choice, but when asked if he had any regrets, he was pretty emphatic in his response.

"Never, man," he said. "Never."

INJURY UPDATES

Richt said Tuesday that he expected linebacker Akeem Dent to miss a second straight game and said defensive end Kiante Tripp was likely to sit out of Saturday’s matchup against LSU as well.

Dent's hamstring injuries have been an ongoing problem since the preseason, with his brief return to the lineup earlier this season only setting him back further.

"It's one of those things you can't really explain," linebackers coach John Jancek said. "At first he had a high hamstring pull, and now this one's a little lower. I think it's an issue of time and once he gets back of just rehabbing it and maintaining. For me, it's hard to explain, but I just know we need him out there."

After spraining his knee against Arkansas and missing last week’s game, however, cornerback Vance Cuff is expected to be ready to play this weekend.

NOTABLE QUOTABLE

Asked about the big hit that sent Florida’s Tim Tebow to the hospital with a concussion last week, Georgia receiver A.J. Green said he was more concerned about the lineman responsible for the sack.

“Whoever on the offensive line gave up that block is about to get it,” Green said. “It’s not good to be him right now.”

Practice Notes: Richt Mum on Jax Deal

One of the offseason’s most controversial topics for debate took another step toward being settled Wednesday when Georgia’s athletics association board of directors approved a recommendation by athletics director Damon Evans to continue negotiations to keep the annual game between the Bulldogs and Florida Gators in Jacksonville, Fla.

The current contract for the game runs through next season, sparking debate that the venue could be changed – either moving it to Atlanta on a permanent basis or alternating between the two cities.

Georgia coach Mark Richt said during the offseason that he felt Florida had a distinct advantage by playing closer to its campus, but after the board’s decision Wednesday, he was taking a more political stance.

“My only focus on that game or any game is just trying to win it, and not really being too concerned about where it’s being played,” Richt said. “So any question that you ask me about the game, that will be my answer. Refer to answer No. 1.”

While negotiations with the city of Jacksonville remain ongoing, Evans endorsed the status quo during a quarterly meeting with the athletics association’s board of directors Wednesday, saying that the current venue offers significant benefits for both the school and the fanbase.

“An extraordinary amount of study has been done on the various options available and a great deal of input has been gathered,” Evans said. “After all the fact-gathering and evaluation of those factors, I’m convinced that moving forward with discussions on extending the contract in Jacksonville is the appropriate way to go.”

In May, Richt told fans at a Bulldog Club meeting that he thought the current set-up was inequitable for Georgia, which has lost 15 of the past 18 matchups with Florida – 16 of which occurred in Jacksonville.

“When people ask me the question, ‘Do you really think (Jacksonville) is a neutral site?’, I say, ‘No, it’s not neutral,’” Richt said at the meeting, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “When you play in the state of Florida every year –- we fly, they drive; it’s hotter for us, it’s cooler for them. It’s played in a stadium that (used to be called) the Gator Bowl. But what the heck? If nothing else, we’ll make Jacksonville pay more to keep it there. . . . I wouldn’t feel bad having a ‘neutral site’ game in Georgia – in the Georgia Dome.”

Richt has since backed off those statements and refused to comment further about the issue.
Meanwhile, Evans said he thought continuing to play the game in Jacksonville would provide significant recognition for Georgia, assist in recruiting and provide a boost to the economy in the southern part of the state.

Richt said he has not had recent conversations with Evans about the issue.

“Not any time in recent times,” Richt said. “There’s been discussions over the years but I’m really more concerned about trying to win the game than where it’s being played.”

KING, SAMUEL TO SEE SPLIT

After Caleb King made a successful return to the playing field following a six-week absence with a hamstring injury and incumbent Richard Samuel fumbled twice in Georgia’s win over Arkansas last week, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said the decision on who would start at tailback was “still yet to be determined.”

Samuel ran for an 80-yard touchdown in the game, but had just 24 yards on his 15 other carries, two of which ended with fumbles. King picked up 59 yards on 11 carries in the game and earned praise for his improved pass blocking.

Bobo said the likely scenario will be that both players will see action early.

“I think it a lot depends on how they’re running the football,” Bobo said. “I think both guys will get equal amount early on and if we feel one guy is hotter than the other, I think we’ll stick with him.”

MURRAY TO REDSHIRT?

Freshman quarterback Aaron Murray is sitting out of practice for the second straight week with triceps tendonitis, and Bobo said that doesn’t bode well for his chances at avoiding a redshirt.

“He’s still not practicing,” Bobo said when asked if Murray would earn a redshirt. “Yeah, I would say so. He hasn’t practice in over two weeks. Right now, he’s not playing.”

Richt was more cautious in his approach, saying that there was still a chance Murray could play this season.

The same is true of several of Georgia’s other freshman who have yet to see playing time, including tailback Washaun Ealey and linebacker Chase Vasser.

“I’m pushing that decision closer to Week 6,” Richt said. “If you had some injury situations or promoted a guy to first or second team and you know he’s going to get considerable reps every game, I think getting him in the last six games is worth it. It might be worth it with just four to go, especially if you’re in contention for an SEC title.”

GETTING SOME REST

Left tackle Vince Vance sat out of Tuesday’s practice with some soreness in his left knee. Vance missed the latter half of last season following ACL surgery on the knee, but Bobo said the recent soreness was nothing to be concerned about.

“It’s just natural for any guy coming off an knee injury to have some soreness, and you’ve got to work through that,” Bobo said. “He practiced (Wednesday) and looked fine.”

Cordy Glenn worked at left tackle during Tuesday’s practice, and Bobo said Glenn worked there for significant snaps during Georgia’s game against Arkansas last week, with Chris Davis subbing in for Glenn at left guard. Bobo said Vance will start this week’s game, however, with Glenn at guard and Davis coming off the bench.

HE’S NO SLOUCH

Like every Wednesday, quarterback Joe Cox didn’t throw a pass during yesterday’s practice. A nerve problem in his throwing shoulder causes pain during many everyday activities, and coaches have decided an extra day of rest could mean a stronger arm on game day.

But despite the reduced role during practice, Cox said he’s hardly taking the day off. While he may not be throwing passes, he said he’s staying involved in everything else that’s happening on the practice field.

“It’s not like I come out there in my street clothes and just watch,” Cox said. “I practice. There are some periods where I’ll still do the pass plays, I just won’t throw. I’ll take my drop and act like I’m going to throw, just won’t throw it. It’s not a day off of practice. It’s just a day off from throwing.”

NO HARM DONE

Georgia’s back-to-back shootout wins have created a renewed round of criticism for defensive coordinator Willie Martinez, whose unit struggled down the stretch last season and has allowed 78 points in the past two games this year.

While the cries for Martinez’s job have worked to galvanize some players, Richt said the ire from fans rarely seeps into the coaches’ offices.

“I think people don’t understand how busy we are,” Richt said. “We are working our tails off. I would guess we are working somewhere around 80 hours a week. We are looking at the next opponent. We are getting prepared for the next game and trying to correct any mistakes that we made in this game, but we are moving forward and constantly doing that. We don’t get too caught up in that kind of thing.”

For his part, Martinez knows the criticism, but he’s not taking it to heart. He admits he needs to have his players better prepared than they have been the past two games, but said his time is best spent coaching rather than addressing the critics.

“I don’t pay attention to it, but obviously it’s not fun playing this kind of defense,” Martinez said. “I’m very happy that we won. … You want to do whatever you can to help the team win, and we want to play better defense. So yeah, we’re not happy about it.”

While Richt isn’t settling for how the defense has performed the past two games, he said it’s far more important that Georgia won the ballgames and that the team hasn’t splintered amid the criticism.

“We are a very, very strong team,” Richt said. “You are not going to see anyone pointing fingers. You are not going to see anyone do anything other than encourage their teammate and their fellow coach. That’s just the way we’ve been operating here for the last nine years and that’s not going to change.”

PASSING FANCY

Georgia’s defense has been stout against the run this season – but perhaps a little too stout.
While the Bulldogs have held opposing tailbacks far below their season averages in each of their three games this season, defensive end Demarcus Dobbs said that the focus on stopping the run has allowed offenses to take advantage through the air.

“Our defense is centered on stopping the run first, but we are so focused on stopping the run that we have to do a better job at converting to pass rush and getting to the quarterback,” Dobbs said.

The excessive focus on the run has left Georgia particularly prone to play-action passes by the offense, and Dobbs said that was a particular problem in recent weeks as South Carolina and Arkansas combined for 721 yards through the air. More than 70 percent of the offensive plays the opposition has run the past two weeks have been passing plays.

“A lot of teams kill us with play action because we’re so zoned into the run,” Dobbs said. “Play action will kill a defense and we have to learn to convert and get into the quarterback’s face, even if it isn’t a sack, but just to alter his throws a little bit so our DBs can make a play.”

That’s an ongoing process, Dobbs said, but it starts with preparation in the film room and at practice.

“It will come with experience and being able to read stats better and studying their offensive line,” Dobbs said. “It just goes by reading stances, reading the way the linemen are blocking, if they’re giving half-effort blocks and heading down the line and not advancing upfield, you should be able to see that with your eyes and convert into a pass rush.”

NO LOVE FOR LOVE

Freshman cornerback Jordan Love has yet to play this season due to a toe injury he originally suffered in high school. While Richt hoped the injury would heal with rest, the answer isn’t quite so clear now.

“He’s not recovering well enough to where he’s close to playing and I still don’t know if this will require some surgery ultimately,” Richt said. “We’re trying to get it to where he could play this season, but as time’s rolling on it may take a repair to get him right.”

EXTRA POINTS

Richt said linebacker Darius Dewberry would likely return to action this week after missing the past two games. Akeem Dent, who missed action during the preseason with a sore hamstring and sat out last week’s win over Arkansas, is unlikely to play this week, Richt said.

Practice Notes: Samuel's Job In Jeopardy

Richard Samuel figured to lose some carries after Caleb King returned to the lineup for the first time this season against Arkansas, but after two fumbles during the game, Samuel could be in danger of losing his starting job.

“I don’t know if we are ready to move him from the No. 1 position, but I would say if that kind of thing continued, we’d have to really consider whether or not he should start for us,” head coach Mark Richt said. “You can’t have two a game, that’s for sure, and continue to play the kind of football you need to to win.

Samuel had the first 100-yard game of his career against Arkansas, picking up 104 yards on 16 carries, including one for an 80-yard touchdown, but he coughed the ball up in crucial situations twice.

In the first quarter, Samuel mishandled a pitch from quarterback Joe Cox that was recovered by Arkansas to set up a touchdown. In the second half, Samuel lost the football after being hit at the end of a run. He scrambled to recover the ball, scooping it into his chest before the Razorbacks could grasp control.

Ball security has been an ongoing issue for the sophomore tailback, who had problems with fumbles last season, including one on the first carry of his career. Coaches had hoped Samuel had rectified the issue during preseason practice this year, but the tailback said he still has some work to do.

“I approach it as focusing more on the ball itself – the little fundamentals of protecting the ball and looking the ball in,” Samuel said.

Complicated the backfield situation further was the strong performance by King in his first action of the season. The sophomore ran for 59 yards on 11 carries, often looking more explosive than Samuel.

“There will definitely be a plan to play both of them,” Richt said. “Caleb did very well. He ran the ball well. He pass protected well and secured the ball well. He showed no signs of the hamstring becoming an issue for him, so it was a very good performance.”

King said he was excited about regaining a key role in the offense, but he said running backs coach Bryan McClendon has not indicated how the carries might be split this week.

CHANGES IN STORE

After his defense allowed 41 points against Arkansas – a second straight lackluster performance – defensive coordinator Willie Martinez said some changes could be in store.

Arkansas had numerous big plays, and Georgia struggled to stop the opposing passing game for the second straight week. The Bulldogs have allowed 721 passing yards in the past two games, and nearly all of the members of the defensive backfield have been beaten at least once, and Martinez said he thinks it’s time to see what some of his younger players can do.

“We’re going to get some other guys some more opportunities,” Martinez said. “We’ve got some young players we’re trying to get in there.”

Redshirt freshman Sanders Commings will see action at both safety and cornerback, Martinez said, while Baccari Rambo has earned additional playing time at safety as well.

“We’re going to play Baccari Rambo more,” Martinez said. “I should have played him more in this past ballgame just because of the amount of reps.”


DENT, DEWBERRY QUESTIONABLE

For the second straight week, Georgia played without two of its top linebackers, as Darius Dewberry and Akeem Dent missed the game against Arkansas, both with sore hamstrings. Martinez said both could miss this week’s contest against Arizona State as well.

“We’d like to have them back, but they’re still questionable,” Martinez said. “We hope to get them back, because it’s important.”

Dewberry and Nick Williams missed the game against South Carolina two weeks ago, but while Williams was able to return last week, Dent was a surprise scratch.

The absence of the veteran linebacker was obvious, Rennie Curran said, as the use of several younger players caused some problems in coverage.

“There were plays that could have been made that he normally would have made if he was out there,” Curran said of Dent. “We’ve got young guys in that were a little confused at times, and that’s going to happen when a guy goes down.”

Despite Martinez’s cautious approach, Curran said he was optimistic Dent could be ready to play this weekend.

“I feel like he’ll be able to come back this week,” he said. “He’s a warrior, and he fights through everything.”

MORE INJURY NEWS

It looked much worse than it actually was when cornerback Vance Cuff was helped off the field in the second half against Arkansas last week. Cuff suffered an MCL sprain and is day to day, and the junior didn’t participate in Tuesday’s practice.

Despite his absence, Richt said he remained optimistic that Cuff could be ready for Saturday’s home date with the Sun Devils.

“At this point, I’d say it’s possible that he plays,” Richt said. “We’re more hopeful than not. If he can’t do anything at all tomorrow, we’d probably get a little discouraged, but (trainer) Ron (Courson) feels like he is going to have a chance.”

LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES

With Cuff potentially missing time, freshman Branden Smith could see increased action this week.

Smith was beaten badly for a long touchdown against Arkansas last week, but Martinez said the freshman speedster has taken a good approach to the bad play.

“It’s not something you want to see what happened to him in the game Saturday, but he is really working hard," Martinez said. "He’s talented and excited, and he gets better each day, each week. So I’m excited about him.”

THAT'S MUCH BETTER

Two weeks ago, Joe Cox did all he could to avoid the critics. This week, he's relishing the spotlight after tying a team record with five touchdown passes and leading the Bulldogs to their second straight come-from-behind win.

“It’s a lot different just being in Athens after you win," Cox said. "You go places, and everybody wants to pat you on the back. After a loss, you don’t even want to go out of your house. You don’t want to go out to eat and be seen in places because you know people are probably talking about you."

Of course, Cox hasn't forgotten those low points either, nor is he trying to. In fact, he said he's used the criticism as motivation.

"Anybody who's a competitor, if you have people saying you're not good, you want to play good," Cox said. "That's something I say to myself before every game is that these people don't think I'm any good. It's been driving our offense, too, since Week 1. Everybody says we have a terrible offense, we don't have Knowshon and Matthew, it's the end of the world, we're not going to be able to score any points for the rest of the season. Obviously, we want to prove people wrong."

So far, so good. The Bulldogs have posted 93 points in their past two games -- their highest total in a two-game stretch since 2004. More importantly, the team is winning, and that's a while lot more fun than the alternative.

"We know what it feels like to lose, we know what it feels like to win, and we definitely want to keep winning,” Cox said.

ANCHORS AWAY

Richt said there are two big weights holding his team back -- turnovers and penalties.

And always the storyteller, Richt had his own analogy for the coaching staff's approach to the issues.

“I always make the analogy of the team being a train," Richt said. "You want to get that train on the track and you want to get it rolling down the track and gain momentum and energy as you go. … We are getting it rolling pretty good, but I think we’ll roll a whole lot faster if we don’t have the two anchors out the back of the caboose that are stuck in the ground dragging behind us, and that is our turnover ratio is very poor and penalties have cropped up on us. If we can just cut those anchors lose, I think we will fly even better and if we just improve in those two areas, I think everything will improve.”

Tuesday Tidbits: Week 4

A few nuggets from today's early afternoon media session…

-- First off, two administrative things: Mark Richt apologized for hitting the Dawg Walk too early in the team's first home game. This week the Dawg Walk will be at 5 p.m. and Richt promises the team will not be there before then this time. Secondly, Richt followed up on the trash along North Campus. "When we have these home games, it's one of the most beautiful campuses in the country, and we want to keep it that way," Richt said. "I'm encouraging all the fans to put the trash where it belongs because we don't want it to look like the city dump after a ballgame."

-- A few notes of interest from the game notes: First, Arizona State is 0-4 all time against the SEC. Second, Marcus Dowtin is listed as the No. 1 middle linebacker this week. I spoke with Rennie Curran, who said the team missed Akeem Dent against Arkansas, but said he was hopeful Dent would be ready to play in time for this week's game against Arizona State.

-- Richt raved about A.J. Green, and Joe Cox said the Arkansas game was the starting point for the offense in having other guys start to take the pressure off A.J. Remember, Green had his best game last year against Arizona State.

-- Richt said both Caleb King and Richard Samuel would play this week, but he said he didn't know who would start. He said the coaches were extremely disappointed that Samuel fumbled twice and that Samuel is in danger of losing playing time because of it.

-- Richt also said that Vance Cuff would not practice today, but said he was optimistic that the cornerback could return in time for Saturday's game.

-- Willie Martinez and the other coaches haven't been paying much attention to the extensive criticism this week, Richt said. "I think people don't understand how busy we are," Richt said. "We're working our tails off -- somewhere around 80 hours a week. We're going, looking at the next opponent, looking at the next game and trying to correct mistakes. We're moving forward constantly, and we don't get too caught up in those kinds of things."

-- As expected, Richt mostly dodged questions about the defensive problems, mentioning a.) turnovers hurt, b.) penalties hurt, c.) both of the poor defensive games ended with wins, while the poor offensive game ended with a loss.

-- Joe Cox on A.J. Green: "He could end up being one of the best players to ever play here."

-- Cox on how much he fed off the criticism from fans and media: "Anybody who's a competitor, if you have people saying you're not good, you want to play good. That's something I say to myself before every game is that these people don't think I'm any good. It's been driving our offense, too, since Week 1. Everybody says we have a terrible offense, we don't have Knowshon and Matthew, it's the end of the world, we're not going to be able to score any points for the rest of the season. Obviously, we want to prove people wrong."

-- One last thing: I noted in my blog about the defense yesterday that I thought there was a distinct correlation between the success against the run and the lack of pressure and propensity toward giving up big plays. I asked Demarcus Dobbs and Rennie Curran about that today, and they agreed. Dobbs said Georgia's defensive line has been bad at getting off their blocks on passing plays because they were expecting run, and said the defense has been killed by play action. Rennie said it comes down to needing more film study and being better at reading pass formations, while Dobbs said the linemen have to improve on reading the blocks of the offensive line.

Post-Game Notes: Green Gets Revenge

In the days leading up to the game, Arkansas cornerback Ramon Broadway made a glaring mistake in his preparations for Georgia receiver A.J. Green. He said he didn’t think Green was that much better than most of the other receivers he had faced.

Broadway and the rest of the Razorbacks’ secondary got a firsthand taste of Green’s revenge Saturday as the Georgia receiver scored twice in a thrilling shootout in Fayetteville, with the Bulldogs prevailing 52-41.

“Everybody knows how good he is in our locker room, and that’s what matters,” said quarterback Joe Cox, who had five touchdown passes in the game. “If somebody wants to run their mouth before the game, that’s their problem. Obviously it might not end up good after the game when he has a couple touchdowns on them.”

Green’s second touchdown with 10:46 left to play proved to be the turning point in a back-and-forth contest in which the two offenses traded blows throughout and the defenses struggled to find their footing.

Cox completed 18-of-26 passes for 375 yards and Green had seven catches for 137 yards.

“I think we had a perfect game plan for everything they were doing and we knew we had them on their heels,” Cox said. “We knew if we executed and made plays that we weren’t going to be stopped, and that was how it was the whole night. It was a fun feeling.”

Green's big game wasn't meant as a slap in the face to his critics, he said, but he didn't have the comments from Broadway in the back of his mind as he racked up catch after catch.

“That’s disrespect to me," Green said, "but I showed them today.”

COX SETS MARK

For the past nine months, Joe Cox heard plenty of criticism that he couldn't match the offensive fireworks of his predecessor, Matthew Stafford. Saturday, Cox put himself in rarified air -- tying a school record with five touchdown passes in a game, helping Georgia past Arkansas 52-41.

Cox's mark ties him with D.J. Shockley, David Greene and, of course, Stafford. The difference, however, was that Stafford's mark came in a loss against Georgia Tech last season, but Cox rallied his troops to a win.

"It's pretty cool, and it's definitely not something I expected to happen," Cox said. "We didn't know it was going to be a shootout like that, but if a team wants to make it a shootout, we've got to find a way to answer."

Cox finished the game 18-of-26 passing for 375 yards, both career highs. He was matched pass-for-pass by Arkansas' Ryan Mallett, who set the Razorbacks record with five touchdowns and 408 yards passing.

More than the numbers Cox posted, however, it was his demeanor in the huddle that made the difference, tight end Orson Charles said.

“My feeling was that we couldn’t be stopped, and Joe got in the huddle and said, ‘We can keep going, they won’t stop us.’”

BIG RUN MEANS A BIG DAY

In his first start, Richard Samuel couldn’t manage to break a tackle, but still mustered 87 yards.

A week later, his second start was hampered by Georgia turnovers and he got just 15 touches.

By Week 3, however, Samuel was ready for his breakout performance, and he showcased his impressive speed in the second quarter with an 80-yard touchdown run.

It was Samuel’s second touchdown of the season and the longest touchdown run by a Bulldogs’ player since Knowshon Moreno had an 80-yarder against Troy in 2007. Robert Edwards was the last Georgia player to run for a touchdown of 80 yards or more in an SEC game when he scored on an 80-yard run against Kentucky in 1997.

“It was a needed run for the running backs, just to show that they’re good for more than just five, six yards a carry,” Samuel said. “It was a good little run.”

Samuel ended the game with 16 carries for 104 yards — without his 80-yard scamper factored in, the sophomore averaged under two yards per carry at 15 rushes for 26 yards.

HAPPY RETURNS

Caleb King got his first taste of action this season after sitting out more than a month with a sore hamstring.

After weeks of confusion on whether the sophomore tailback would be available to play, King finally took his first handoff in the first quarter against Arkansas – a 5-yard run. He got back into the action in the second quarter with two more runs, both more than 10 yards, helping the Bulldogs to 122 rushing yards in the first half.

"It felt real good not having a broke wheel," King said. "I'm just glad the coaches still had the trust in me to put me back in the fire."

In what turned into a pass-happy affair, King finished the game with 11 carries for 59 yards. Three of his carries came as the Bulldogs tried to run the clock on their final drive.

“It’s just adding another asset to the little rotation we’ve got going on here,” Samuel said. “It’s good to have him back in the rotation and just playing football.”

GIVE IT AWAY

Georgia’s problems holding onto the football surfaced quickly against Arkansas.
After turning the ball over twice in the first quarter a week ago, and the results were no better against the Razorbacks.

Prince Miller muffed early in the first quarter after Brandon Boykin backed into the play on coverage. Arkansas responded with a touchdown four plays later.

With 24 seconds left in the first quarter, Joe Cox tossed to Samuel, who mishandled the ball and the Razorbacks’ Adrian Davis recovered the fumble. Again, Arkansas made Georgia pay for the miscue, with Ryan Mallett hitting Greg Childs for a 30-yard touchdown on the next play.

The Bulldogs turned the ball over a third time in the second quarter when Cox threw an interception down the middle of the field on a third-and-long play.

Georgia now has nine turnovers on the season, leading to 40 points by the opposition.

“We shot ourselves in the foot a lot and we still put up more than 50 points,” said wide receiver Michael Moore. “That just shows that we still have a long way to go. We can’t make mistakes and stupid penalties. We still have a long way to go and that just shows that we can be that much better.”

CHIPPING IN

Two Bulldogs got their first career touchdowns Saturday.

Redshirt freshman Tavarres King made the first big play of his career, hauling in a career-high 50-yard pass in the third quarter for his first touchdown as a Bulldog. He would add a 14-yard, third-down reception early in the fourth quarter.

Freshman tight end Orson Charles got in on the action too, reeling in two consecutive third-quarter passes for 62 yards and his first Georgia score.

“It was awesome. It was everything I dreamed it would be,” King said. “We had a lot of fun out there today. On that touchdown, Joe just looked at me, I looked at him and I knew it was coming my way. I embraced my opportunity and went up and got the ball.”

With Kris Durham out for the season, Moore is the Bulldogs' only scholarship senior at receiver. After career-highs in January’s Capital One Bowl, Moore had been quiet this season.

But Saturday he proved a valuable weapon at Cox’s disposal, besting his previous season totals and career-highs with six receptions for 91 yards.

EXTRA POINTS

-- Georgia linebacker Akeem Dent was a surprise scratch from the game, which left the Bulldogs thin at the position, given the absence of Darius Dewberry as well. Marcus Dowtin got the start at middle linebacker, with Darryl Gamble at Sam linebacker.

-- Blair Walsh’s 35-yard field goal in the first quarter, 37-yarder in the second and 31-yarder in the fourth make him a perfect 6-for-6 on the season.

-- Rantavious Wooten’s carry for no gain in the second quarter was the first touch of his career.

-- Bulldogs’ defensive end Justin Houston made his first start of the season after serving a two-game suspension to start the year.

-- Georgia senior Justin Fields left the game with an injured shoulder and did not return. Corner Vance Cuff also left the game in the third quarter with a knee injury and did not return.

-- Georgia’s 52 points matches its total from a win at LSU in 2008 as the most the Bulldogs have scored in an SEC road game since 2004.

*Thanks to Tyler Estep for assisting with these notes.

** I'll get to the Willie Martinez commentary tomorrow.