Dalton defensive end Jalen Fields, Georgia’s first commitment from the class of 2010, won’t be in Athens when the rest of the incoming freshmen arrive this month.
Fields did not qualify academically, head coach Mark Richt confirmed Tuesday, and will play the upcoming season elsewhere. Richt said he wasn’t sure where Fields would play, although he didn’t rule out the possibility of a season at Georgia Military College.
Of the 16 other freshmen signed by Georgia in February, only receiver Lonnie Outlaw has also failed to qualify, Richt said. Before committing, Outlaw had been set to attend GMC with plans to transfer to Georgia in a year or two.
“I’ll just say, there’s no surprises in this bunch,” Richt said of the group’s academic issues.
WHO'S THE BOSS
If there’s one topic first-year Tennessee coach Derek Dooley has talked enough about this spring, it’s about his parents.
Dooley’s father, Vince Dooley, was the longtime head coach at Georgia, and since the son was hired at Tennessee, all most fans want to know is what colors dad will be wearing when the Bulldogs and Volunteers face off on Oct. 9.
“It’s amazing to me how interested everybody is in my mom and dad and what they’re going to wear,” Derek Dooley said.
At a Tennessee fan event in Atlanta this spring, Dooley’s mother, Barbara, showed up sporting Volunteers colors, spurring plenty of talk among fans and reporters. The Tennessee faithful love it. The Georgia fans, not so much.
“I had to remind her that the event is not for her,” Derek Dooley said. “She’s developed a little bit of an icon status in Tennessee, and I’ve had to ban her from the state.”
Not that Dooley has much authority over his mother. Despite his rules, she’s made a habit of offering public comments.
“She violated the media policy,” Derek Dooley said. “(My) power can only go so far. She thinks it’s funny. She’s not going to think that when we’re having some bad years.”
GARCIA STILL IN DOGHOUSE
During his news conference with reporters Tuesday, South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier was asked if, from a quarterback’s perspective, he was a tough coach to play for.
“If you play well, I’d say I’m pretty easy to play for,” Spurrier said, earning chuckles from the media contingent. “If you don’t play very well, and there’s another player with pretty close ability, then I believe in bringing in the next guy.”
That might be the case with starting quarterback Stephen Garcia this season after the junior earned scorn from his coach during the spring. With true freshman Connor Shaw waiting in the wings, Spurrier said the pressure is on his incumbent to maintain the job by taking a big step forward on the field and off it.
“Spring practice was – I wouldn’t say it was a lot different than most of his spring practices,” Spurrier said. “There may be a point that he’s playing the best he can, and we’re expecting too much from him. But if that’s the case, we’ve got to get the next guy ready to play because the way (Garcia) has performed so far, we’re going to be limited.”
Spurrier said he still believes Garcia can blossom into the type of quarterback he wants, but if not, Shaw could quickly become part of the starting lineup.
“You don’t have to worry about (Shaw’s) commitment level -- it’s strong,” Spurrier said. “He’s a good passer. He can run a bit. He’s definitely the back-up right now, and he’ll compete for the starting assignment.”
EVANS EXPECTS TURNAROUND
Bad seasons happen, and Damon Evans is chalking up Georgia’s dreadful performance on the baseball diamond in 2010 to simply an off year. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be a bit of pressure on coach David Perno to turn things around in short order.
“He’s had success, and there’s no reason for me to believe he won’t have success again,” Evans said of Perno. “I look for Dave to have a good year next year.”
Georgia finished 16-37 in 2010 with a league-worst 5-23 record in SEC play – both low points during Perno’s tenure. And while Evans said Perno would have the opportunity to turn things around in 2011, decisions on the rest of the Perno’s staff remained up in the air.
THORNTON READY TO PLAY
Mark Fox isn’t expecting his top recruit to need much time to adjust to the rigors of the SEC.
Fox said the 6-foot-7 Marcus Thornton, who signed with Georgia last month after de-committing from Clemson, did a good job of adding strength and weight during his senior season at Westlake High School and should be physically ready for the college game from Day 1.
“I watched Marcus play a ton last summer, but he’s a different player today than he was a year ago,” Fox said. “Physically he’s ready to make the transition from high school to the SEC. A lot of guys have to get stronger and put on weight. He’s ready to step in and contribute and get after it. We’re really excited to have him.”
'DREAM TEAM' A MIXED BAG
Richt recently dubbed the team’s approach to in-state recruiting as pursuing “The Dream Team” of top players in the state of Georgia. It’s a concept Richt likes, but he said the moniker alone won’t be enough to convince every in-state recruit that the Bulldogs are serious about landing them.
“Some think it’s pretty cool, and some don’t think much about it at all,” Richt said.
While the philosophy was meant to re-emphasize Georgia’s commitment to landing the best players close to home, Richt said he didn’t believe it would come at the expense of selling the program to any out-of-state players.
“We didn’t say it was a national thing,” Richt said. “We’ve always said that any player that we offer out of our state, we think he’s a very special guy. I think if you looked at our overall roster, they’re usually around two-thirds Georgia overall, and usually around 50-50 in the starting lineup in-state vs. out-of-state.”
COMMINGS NOT GOING
Richt said that cornerback Sanders Commings and receiver Israel Troupe, who had both discussed playing amateur baseball this spring, had talked over the situation with their position coaches and decided against the endeavor.
Showing posts with label Israel Troupe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Israel Troupe. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Notes: Mett Suspended One Game
By FLETCHER PAGE
Redshirt freshman quarterback Zach Mettenberger will be given a one-game suspension, Georgia coach Mark Richt said Tuesday.
Mettenberger was arrested March 7 in Remerton, Ga., near Valdosta. He is facing five misdemeanor charges including: underage possession of alcohol, disorderly conduct, obstruction and two counts of possession of false identification.
“I’m pretty certain it’s going to be a one-game suspension, and all the other internal things that we do that he’s in the process of doing right now,” Richt said.
Richt has said Mettenberger has shown remorse for his actions, and has taken full accountability in dealing with his punishment.
Richt delayed the suspension announcement for almost two weeks while waiting for more information regarding the incident.
“I’m still waiting,” he said. “Really, what I’m looking for is if there’s another report that I can get my hands on. A lot of times there is an initial report, and then another one that comes with it, and I just haven’t seen that. It may not exist. That’s the main thing.”
Mettenberger entered spring practice as one of three players hoping to secure the starting quarterback job.
Although suspended for the season-opener, there have been no indications if Aaron Murray or Logan Gray hold an advantage over Mettenberger in the battle for the job.
He’s still practicing, and seeing time with the No. 1 offensive unit.
MAKING THE SWITCH
Justin Anderson is moving to the defensive side of the ball, Richt announced Tuesday.
Formerly an offensive tackle, Anderson played in all 13 games, including five starts last season.
Despite Anderson’s experience on offense, the decision was made to move him the defensive line.
“His strengths are that he’s big, strong, quick, powerful,” Richt said. “In this [3-4 defensive] scheme he is the type of body that we think can help us at that nose position.”
Anderson is sidelined for spring practice, out with an injured shoulder. Richt first thought of the move when Todd Grantham was initially hired as defensive coordinator. But because of the injury, Richt was worried about Anderson missing time.
“Because he couldn’t practice I didn’t know if it was worth trying to move him,” Richt said. “The more I thought about it, the more I realized it might be in his best interest, and in our best interest too.”
Richt listed at least five players, not counting incoming freshman, who can play the offensive tackle position, making the switch easier to make. The change has been made, but if an injury were to crop up along the offensive line, Anderson has been told he could be asked to move back.
“I know he’s been told if they have some injuries on the offensive line, they’ll move him back,” said defensive line coach Rodney Garner.
OUT, BUT NOT FOR LONG...
-- Junior running back Caleb King missed practice Tuesday with a stomach illness.
King was sick over the weekend, and thought he’d be able to go full speed in practice, but after lunch it was clear he was not ready.
-- Receiver Marlon Brown also missed practice, nursing a bruised shoulder. The injury occurred Saturday, and Brown initially thinking he wouldn’t miss any time. But he was held out Tuesday, with hopes he’d be back soon.
"Marlon should be able to practice in a green [non-contact] jersey Thursday and Friday,” Richt said.
-- The receiving corps was especially thin, as Israel Troupe did not participate Thursday, out with a sore hamstring. He remained to the side during most drills, wearing a green non-contact jersey.
Richt said he expects the junior back on the field soon.
COMMINGS GUNNING FOR NICKEL
Sanders Commings is ready to take his game to the next level.
The redshirt sophomore appeared in every game last season, making 12 tackles and an interception.
But he’s not satisfied with that.
“I’m looking to help my team as much as I can first,” Commings said. “Individually, I’m looking to have a breakout season. Get my name out there.”
So far, Commings is spending time on the No. 1 defensive unit in nickel packages. With Grantham’s new defensive system still in installation, the competition in the secondary has picked up.
Brandon Boykin is returning at corner, with Branden Smith and Vance Cuff fighting for the other starting spot. Commings says he likes where he is, currently as the go-to-guy when the Bulldogs employ the nickel.
“Yes, it’s pretty intense,” he said. “With so many spots open, everybody is going really hard. The whole secondary competition has been good.”
Redshirt freshman quarterback Zach Mettenberger will be given a one-game suspension, Georgia coach Mark Richt said Tuesday.
Mettenberger was arrested March 7 in Remerton, Ga., near Valdosta. He is facing five misdemeanor charges including: underage possession of alcohol, disorderly conduct, obstruction and two counts of possession of false identification.
“I’m pretty certain it’s going to be a one-game suspension, and all the other internal things that we do that he’s in the process of doing right now,” Richt said.
Richt has said Mettenberger has shown remorse for his actions, and has taken full accountability in dealing with his punishment.
Richt delayed the suspension announcement for almost two weeks while waiting for more information regarding the incident.
“I’m still waiting,” he said. “Really, what I’m looking for is if there’s another report that I can get my hands on. A lot of times there is an initial report, and then another one that comes with it, and I just haven’t seen that. It may not exist. That’s the main thing.”
Mettenberger entered spring practice as one of three players hoping to secure the starting quarterback job.
Although suspended for the season-opener, there have been no indications if Aaron Murray or Logan Gray hold an advantage over Mettenberger in the battle for the job.
He’s still practicing, and seeing time with the No. 1 offensive unit.
MAKING THE SWITCH
Justin Anderson is moving to the defensive side of the ball, Richt announced Tuesday.
Formerly an offensive tackle, Anderson played in all 13 games, including five starts last season.
Despite Anderson’s experience on offense, the decision was made to move him the defensive line.
“His strengths are that he’s big, strong, quick, powerful,” Richt said. “In this [3-4 defensive] scheme he is the type of body that we think can help us at that nose position.”
Anderson is sidelined for spring practice, out with an injured shoulder. Richt first thought of the move when Todd Grantham was initially hired as defensive coordinator. But because of the injury, Richt was worried about Anderson missing time.
“Because he couldn’t practice I didn’t know if it was worth trying to move him,” Richt said. “The more I thought about it, the more I realized it might be in his best interest, and in our best interest too.”
Richt listed at least five players, not counting incoming freshman, who can play the offensive tackle position, making the switch easier to make. The change has been made, but if an injury were to crop up along the offensive line, Anderson has been told he could be asked to move back.
“I know he’s been told if they have some injuries on the offensive line, they’ll move him back,” said defensive line coach Rodney Garner.
OUT, BUT NOT FOR LONG...
-- Junior running back Caleb King missed practice Tuesday with a stomach illness.
King was sick over the weekend, and thought he’d be able to go full speed in practice, but after lunch it was clear he was not ready.
-- Receiver Marlon Brown also missed practice, nursing a bruised shoulder. The injury occurred Saturday, and Brown initially thinking he wouldn’t miss any time. But he was held out Tuesday, with hopes he’d be back soon.
"Marlon should be able to practice in a green [non-contact] jersey Thursday and Friday,” Richt said.
-- The receiving corps was especially thin, as Israel Troupe did not participate Thursday, out with a sore hamstring. He remained to the side during most drills, wearing a green non-contact jersey.
Richt said he expects the junior back on the field soon.
COMMINGS GUNNING FOR NICKEL
Sanders Commings is ready to take his game to the next level.
The redshirt sophomore appeared in every game last season, making 12 tackles and an interception.
But he’s not satisfied with that.
“I’m looking to help my team as much as I can first,” Commings said. “Individually, I’m looking to have a breakout season. Get my name out there.”
So far, Commings is spending time on the No. 1 defensive unit in nickel packages. With Grantham’s new defensive system still in installation, the competition in the secondary has picked up.
Brandon Boykin is returning at corner, with Branden Smith and Vance Cuff fighting for the other starting spot. Commings says he likes where he is, currently as the go-to-guy when the Bulldogs employ the nickel.
“Yes, it’s pretty intense,” he said. “With so many spots open, everybody is going really hard. The whole secondary competition has been good.”
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Notes: Special Teams Staying Young
Georgia’s kickoff coverage team has struggled throughout this season, culminating with a disastrous effort against LSU that allowed the Tigers to begin their final drive with exceptional field position.
While head coach Mark Richt said the team continues to address the problems, he said some of the issues are simply a matter of youth that can only improve with increased experience.
“I can’t sit here and say we’ve got 10 guys that are really getting after it and getting it done,” Richt said. “I think they’re trying their tails off but there’s a lot of youth on that thing and they’ve got to continue to mature.”
Richt said the kick coverage team is the youngest of any of Georgia’s special teams units, and the loss of special teams stalwart Chad Gloer to a hamstring injury simply removed one more rare veteran presence.
Gloer will not be ready for this week’s game against Tennessee, Richt said, but could return in time to take on Vanderbilt next week.
As for last week’s debacle following a go-ahead touchdown by A.J. Green, sophomore Logan Gray – who serves on the coverage unit as well as being the team’s No. 2 quarterback – said the problems started early with a 15-yard penalty backing up a kick, and the execution that followed was bad from the start.
“If we hadn’t gotten the penalty, we probably would have had a lot more options as to what we wanted to do, but because we were backed up, we had to kick it as deep as we could to try to save field position,” Gray said. “The kick was more middle of the field and we had tried to directional kick it. You have to play off that, but (Trindon Holliday) is a good player, and fast. We couldn’t let that happen, so it was unfortunate.”
While Gray concurred that an excess of youth on the unit has caused problems, he said the key to improving coverage going forward is far more about effort than experience.
“We did lose a lot of guys that played kickoff their whole careers here that were seniors last year, but I think kickoff is about want and desire and guys wanting to make a play,” Gray said. “I’m not saying our guys don’t want it, but we’ve got to dig deep for the rest of the season and make plays. It’s all about making plays, us vs. them, on kickoffs, with everybody getting to the ball.”
TAKING THE HEAT
Sure, Joe Cox tossed a potential game-winning touchdown for Georgia with just 1:09 to play last week, but even he knows it was far from his best effort.
The Bulldogs mustered just one first-half first down, and Cox threw a few passes that went wide of their intended targets.
So while his comeback effort was nice, he’s not at all surprised by some of the criticism he’s gotten from fans since Georgia dropped a heart-breaking 20-13 game to No. 4 LSU.
“Any time something’s not going right, they think if you put a new quarterback in, that’s going to change the problems,” Cox said. “That doesn’t bother me at all.”
For the season, Cox has completed 59 percent of his passes, including 11 touchdowns, while throwing six interceptions.
Against LSU, he finished 18-of-34 for 229 yards, but was just 3-of-9 for 31 yards in the first half.
“I missed a couple throws,” he said. “It’s jut being more accurate. That’s all it is. You’re not going to be able to make every throw. It’s not that I have a lack of confidence in certain throws. There’s just some times when you’ve got to hit them and (Saturday) I didn’t hit ‘em.”
WHERE’D HE GO?
After seeing a healthy dose of action in Georgia’s first two games of the season, freshman tailback Carlton Thomas has disappeared from the offense in recent weeks.
That’s no knock on Thomas, head coach Richt assured. It’s simply a matter of a numbers game at tailback, where Caleb King’s return to the lineup and a desire to let the Bulldogs’ top two runners establish a groove, left little room for Thomas to see the field.
“He’s getting it, but when Caleb came back that was kind of more of the issue than anything else,” Richt said. “We’re not disappointed in Carlton. But we’ve had a lot of extremely close games and one more healthy back in the lineup when Caleb was out.”
Thomas could see more playing time this week, as King is expected to miss the game after suffering a concussion and a broken jaw last week against LSU.
The bulk of King’s carries, however, will be going to freshman Washaun Ealey, who saw his first taste of action last week and looked sharp in the second half against the Tigers.
That was a home date, however, and this week’s task gets tougher in front of more than 100,000 fans at Neyland Stadium. Richt said he’s not sure how Ealey will react, but he said the freshman appears confident.
“He seems excited about it,” Richt said. “I think he’s practiced pretty well. He thinks he’s ready, but we’ll see. It’s hard to describe what it’s like over there to the guys who have never been there, and he’ll get a taste of that.”
Richt said he expected Richard Samuel to be the starting tailback, with Ealey getting roughly half the carries in the game.
THE WAITING GAME
For the fourth straight week, Georgia will be without linebacker Akeem Dent and defensive end Kiante Tripp, who have both missed time with injuries that have lingered since fall camp.
Dent hurt his hamstring in early August and was slow to recover. He played in Georgia’s first two games, but re-aggravated the hamstring injury against South Carolina and hasn’t played since.
“For some reason he’s just really had trouble healing,” Richt said. “Some guys have a hamstring injury, and most guys just recover a little bit quicker. Even when he did play a game or two, it happened again.”
Richt said Dent would be questionable next week against Vanderbilt, but barring a setback, would definitely be ready to take on Florida after Georgia’s open date.
A neck stinger limited Tripp during the preseason, but like Dent, he attempted to get back on the field after the season began. The injury never completely healed, however, and he hasn’t seen action in three games.
While he’ll be out against Tennessee, Richt said the junior defensive end was upbeat about his prognosis.
“He feels like we’re really close, and it could even be next week that he’ll begin to practice,” Richt said. “He’s definitely improving, and he doesn’t feel like he’s just stuck.”
NO HARD FEELINGS
While Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin made headlines throughout the offseason by criticizing several other programs in the SEC, linebacker Rennie Curran isn’t looking at this week’s game as a chance to punish the Volunteers’ coach for any potentially critical comments.
“You see it and react to it, but you go with your life,” Curran said. “You realize a coach is going to talk, but at the same time, I’ve never seen a coach put on pads and play. Sometimes as a coach you have to do things to get your team fired up, and I guess that was his way of doing that.”
That doesn’t mean Curran isn’t taking this week’s game seriously, however. When it comes to playing Tennessee, he doesn’t care who’s on the sidelines. He just wants to win.
“No matter what coach they have, this is such a huge rivalry and there’s so much tradition invested in this game, that for them to beat us would be a huge boost to their program,” Curran said.
LOST IN THE SHUFFLE
With just six scholarship receivers on the team, third-year sophomore Israel Troupe thought this might be his breakout season. So far, that hasn’t been the case.
Troupe caught three passes last year but has barely seen the playing field in 2009, despite the fact that Georgia has routinely employed only three receivers.
“I would say he’s right on the verge of breaking through,” Richt said of Troupe’s progress. “I like how he’s been practicing. I like the effort that he’s putting forth. He knows what to do. The coaches have just determined that other guys should be playing ahead of him right now.”
Richt said a combination of cool weather, long TV timeouts and a number of short drives have allowed the team to get by using just its top three receivers, with only a few rare appearances by Troupe and freshmen Marlon Brown and Rantavious Wooten.
That could change this year with No. 2 receiver Tavarres King expected to miss Georgia’s date with Tennessee due to a concussion he suffered last week. King’s absence could open the door to Troupe for the first time this season, and Richt said that might be all it takes to make the sophomore a regular part of the offense.
“Sometimes that’s all a guy needs is a chance,” Richt said, “and if he gets it, hopefully he’ll do well.”
READY AND WAITING
Logan Gray hasn’t seen much action at quarterback this season, but he is getting a healthy dose of life atop the depth chart in practice. Gray has handled all of the first-team reps each Wednesday, while starter Joe Cox rests an injured shoulder.
The extra work in practice has been a boon to Gray’s confidence and knowledge, he said.
“It’s benefited me a lot just to get more and more reps,” Gray said. “I feel like starting from the beginning, I’ve gotten more and more comfortable. I feel like it has me more ready to get in the game.”
Gray has been in on just three snaps at quarterback so far this season, despite repeated discussions by the coaching staff this preseason that the sophomore could be a valuable weapon as an athletic change-of-pace under center.
“Obviously our coaches know what they’re doing, and we have tons of different stuff we put in each week, but it’s one of those things where situations call for different things,” Gray said. “I was hoping maybe (he’d get more playing time), but it’s worked out how it’s worked out, and I’m just going to keep on practicing and see what happens.”
Part of the issue, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said, has been the particularly close games Georgia has played so far. While Bobo said he’s been impressed with Gray’s growth throughout the season, Cox still holds a distinct advantage in his ability to run the offense.
“I think (Gray) has an understanding of it, but I don’t think he understands it as fully as Joe Cox,” Bobo said. “But like I’ve said in the past, getting reps every week with the ones, it has definitely improved his confidence level. It’s still not a lot of game experience, which you’d worry about, but if he had to go in there I think he could execute and help us win a game.”
IT COULD’VE BEEN WORSE
Quarterback Joe Cox admits it is a bit ironic.
For four weeks, Georgia turned the ball over three times in every game, yet managed to win three of the four.
Each week, the team preached about protecting the football, and finally the lesson took hold against LSU. Georgia didn’t cough up the ball until Cox’s final throw of the game – a heave toward the sideline as the clock ticked and Georgia desperately needed to move the football. Yet, despite the reduced turnovers, Georgia came up on the wrong end of the final score.
It is an odd twist, Cox said, but it’s by no means a lesson that turnovers are acceptable.
“That’s one of the reasons we were in the ballgame,” Cox said of the improved ball protection. “If we’d have turned the ball over, it could have gotten ugly. Three-and-outs are going to happen, mind you we didn’t want to have that many in the first half. But we didn’t do anything dumb with the ball, and we kind of waited for our chance to get things going.”
LIGHTER ON HIS FEET
Senior defensive tackle Kade Weston has started the past two games for Georgia, and he’s responded with two strong efforts, including a five-tackle, two-sack performance against LSU last week.
The keys to Weston’s success, he said, have been a combination of an injury-free season and a slimmed-down physique. Weston lost about 15 pounds and is finally playing at a weight his coaches had hoped for.
“It’s a lot different now,” Weston said. “Coaches wanted me at 315, and I’ve been around there the whole season, and I think it shows on the field.”
WHO ARE THESE GUYS?
Mark Richt admits the term “identity” is overused a bit, but he also admits it’s hard to really quantify just what his offense is capable of this season.
Some weeks, the unit has been spectacular. Some week, it’s been awful. Against LSU last week, the offense was as bad as it’s been all year in the first half, then looked incredibly sharp during a second-half comeback.
“I guess no one has an identity until they are consistently playing something where you could define that team to say this is what we do well,” Richt said. “Right now we’ve not been consistent offensively, defensively or in the kicking game quite frankly. I feel like we are gaining a lot of positive momentum defensively. Some of our special teams have played outstanding and a couple have struggled. Offensively, we’ve pretty much run the gamut of emotions and productivity. Again, I guess the one word I’m looking for more than anything else is a more consistent effort all the way around.”
RUBBING IT IN
Just a final side note for the day.
I was wearing my Newhouse t-shirt to Richt's news conference today -- Newhouse being the name of the Syracuse communications school.
Richt looked at the shirt and asked if it was a Syracuse shirt. I said that it was, and he asked what Newhouse meant.
"Did they get a new stadium or something?" he said.
"No," I told him, assuming he was serious and not simply making a sly joke at the embarrassing level of Syracuse football. "It's the name of the journalism school there."
"Ah," he said. "So, do they still have that basketball player playing quarterback?"
That's when I figured he was, in fact, making a sly joke about the embarrassing level of Syracuse football. Either that, or he's awfully good at unintentional humor.
Good times. Go Orange.
While head coach Mark Richt said the team continues to address the problems, he said some of the issues are simply a matter of youth that can only improve with increased experience.
“I can’t sit here and say we’ve got 10 guys that are really getting after it and getting it done,” Richt said. “I think they’re trying their tails off but there’s a lot of youth on that thing and they’ve got to continue to mature.”
Richt said the kick coverage team is the youngest of any of Georgia’s special teams units, and the loss of special teams stalwart Chad Gloer to a hamstring injury simply removed one more rare veteran presence.
Gloer will not be ready for this week’s game against Tennessee, Richt said, but could return in time to take on Vanderbilt next week.
As for last week’s debacle following a go-ahead touchdown by A.J. Green, sophomore Logan Gray – who serves on the coverage unit as well as being the team’s No. 2 quarterback – said the problems started early with a 15-yard penalty backing up a kick, and the execution that followed was bad from the start.
“If we hadn’t gotten the penalty, we probably would have had a lot more options as to what we wanted to do, but because we were backed up, we had to kick it as deep as we could to try to save field position,” Gray said. “The kick was more middle of the field and we had tried to directional kick it. You have to play off that, but (Trindon Holliday) is a good player, and fast. We couldn’t let that happen, so it was unfortunate.”
While Gray concurred that an excess of youth on the unit has caused problems, he said the key to improving coverage going forward is far more about effort than experience.
“We did lose a lot of guys that played kickoff their whole careers here that were seniors last year, but I think kickoff is about want and desire and guys wanting to make a play,” Gray said. “I’m not saying our guys don’t want it, but we’ve got to dig deep for the rest of the season and make plays. It’s all about making plays, us vs. them, on kickoffs, with everybody getting to the ball.”
TAKING THE HEAT
Sure, Joe Cox tossed a potential game-winning touchdown for Georgia with just 1:09 to play last week, but even he knows it was far from his best effort.
The Bulldogs mustered just one first-half first down, and Cox threw a few passes that went wide of their intended targets.
So while his comeback effort was nice, he’s not at all surprised by some of the criticism he’s gotten from fans since Georgia dropped a heart-breaking 20-13 game to No. 4 LSU.
“Any time something’s not going right, they think if you put a new quarterback in, that’s going to change the problems,” Cox said. “That doesn’t bother me at all.”
For the season, Cox has completed 59 percent of his passes, including 11 touchdowns, while throwing six interceptions.
Against LSU, he finished 18-of-34 for 229 yards, but was just 3-of-9 for 31 yards in the first half.
“I missed a couple throws,” he said. “It’s jut being more accurate. That’s all it is. You’re not going to be able to make every throw. It’s not that I have a lack of confidence in certain throws. There’s just some times when you’ve got to hit them and (Saturday) I didn’t hit ‘em.”
WHERE’D HE GO?
After seeing a healthy dose of action in Georgia’s first two games of the season, freshman tailback Carlton Thomas has disappeared from the offense in recent weeks.
That’s no knock on Thomas, head coach Richt assured. It’s simply a matter of a numbers game at tailback, where Caleb King’s return to the lineup and a desire to let the Bulldogs’ top two runners establish a groove, left little room for Thomas to see the field.
“He’s getting it, but when Caleb came back that was kind of more of the issue than anything else,” Richt said. “We’re not disappointed in Carlton. But we’ve had a lot of extremely close games and one more healthy back in the lineup when Caleb was out.”
Thomas could see more playing time this week, as King is expected to miss the game after suffering a concussion and a broken jaw last week against LSU.
The bulk of King’s carries, however, will be going to freshman Washaun Ealey, who saw his first taste of action last week and looked sharp in the second half against the Tigers.
That was a home date, however, and this week’s task gets tougher in front of more than 100,000 fans at Neyland Stadium. Richt said he’s not sure how Ealey will react, but he said the freshman appears confident.
“He seems excited about it,” Richt said. “I think he’s practiced pretty well. He thinks he’s ready, but we’ll see. It’s hard to describe what it’s like over there to the guys who have never been there, and he’ll get a taste of that.”
Richt said he expected Richard Samuel to be the starting tailback, with Ealey getting roughly half the carries in the game.
THE WAITING GAME
For the fourth straight week, Georgia will be without linebacker Akeem Dent and defensive end Kiante Tripp, who have both missed time with injuries that have lingered since fall camp.
Dent hurt his hamstring in early August and was slow to recover. He played in Georgia’s first two games, but re-aggravated the hamstring injury against South Carolina and hasn’t played since.
“For some reason he’s just really had trouble healing,” Richt said. “Some guys have a hamstring injury, and most guys just recover a little bit quicker. Even when he did play a game or two, it happened again.”
Richt said Dent would be questionable next week against Vanderbilt, but barring a setback, would definitely be ready to take on Florida after Georgia’s open date.
A neck stinger limited Tripp during the preseason, but like Dent, he attempted to get back on the field after the season began. The injury never completely healed, however, and he hasn’t seen action in three games.
While he’ll be out against Tennessee, Richt said the junior defensive end was upbeat about his prognosis.
“He feels like we’re really close, and it could even be next week that he’ll begin to practice,” Richt said. “He’s definitely improving, and he doesn’t feel like he’s just stuck.”
NO HARD FEELINGS
While Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin made headlines throughout the offseason by criticizing several other programs in the SEC, linebacker Rennie Curran isn’t looking at this week’s game as a chance to punish the Volunteers’ coach for any potentially critical comments.
“You see it and react to it, but you go with your life,” Curran said. “You realize a coach is going to talk, but at the same time, I’ve never seen a coach put on pads and play. Sometimes as a coach you have to do things to get your team fired up, and I guess that was his way of doing that.”
That doesn’t mean Curran isn’t taking this week’s game seriously, however. When it comes to playing Tennessee, he doesn’t care who’s on the sidelines. He just wants to win.
“No matter what coach they have, this is such a huge rivalry and there’s so much tradition invested in this game, that for them to beat us would be a huge boost to their program,” Curran said.
LOST IN THE SHUFFLE
With just six scholarship receivers on the team, third-year sophomore Israel Troupe thought this might be his breakout season. So far, that hasn’t been the case.
Troupe caught three passes last year but has barely seen the playing field in 2009, despite the fact that Georgia has routinely employed only three receivers.
“I would say he’s right on the verge of breaking through,” Richt said of Troupe’s progress. “I like how he’s been practicing. I like the effort that he’s putting forth. He knows what to do. The coaches have just determined that other guys should be playing ahead of him right now.”
Richt said a combination of cool weather, long TV timeouts and a number of short drives have allowed the team to get by using just its top three receivers, with only a few rare appearances by Troupe and freshmen Marlon Brown and Rantavious Wooten.
That could change this year with No. 2 receiver Tavarres King expected to miss Georgia’s date with Tennessee due to a concussion he suffered last week. King’s absence could open the door to Troupe for the first time this season, and Richt said that might be all it takes to make the sophomore a regular part of the offense.
“Sometimes that’s all a guy needs is a chance,” Richt said, “and if he gets it, hopefully he’ll do well.”
READY AND WAITING
Logan Gray hasn’t seen much action at quarterback this season, but he is getting a healthy dose of life atop the depth chart in practice. Gray has handled all of the first-team reps each Wednesday, while starter Joe Cox rests an injured shoulder.
The extra work in practice has been a boon to Gray’s confidence and knowledge, he said.
“It’s benefited me a lot just to get more and more reps,” Gray said. “I feel like starting from the beginning, I’ve gotten more and more comfortable. I feel like it has me more ready to get in the game.”
Gray has been in on just three snaps at quarterback so far this season, despite repeated discussions by the coaching staff this preseason that the sophomore could be a valuable weapon as an athletic change-of-pace under center.
“Obviously our coaches know what they’re doing, and we have tons of different stuff we put in each week, but it’s one of those things where situations call for different things,” Gray said. “I was hoping maybe (he’d get more playing time), but it’s worked out how it’s worked out, and I’m just going to keep on practicing and see what happens.”
Part of the issue, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said, has been the particularly close games Georgia has played so far. While Bobo said he’s been impressed with Gray’s growth throughout the season, Cox still holds a distinct advantage in his ability to run the offense.
“I think (Gray) has an understanding of it, but I don’t think he understands it as fully as Joe Cox,” Bobo said. “But like I’ve said in the past, getting reps every week with the ones, it has definitely improved his confidence level. It’s still not a lot of game experience, which you’d worry about, but if he had to go in there I think he could execute and help us win a game.”
IT COULD’VE BEEN WORSE
Quarterback Joe Cox admits it is a bit ironic.
For four weeks, Georgia turned the ball over three times in every game, yet managed to win three of the four.
Each week, the team preached about protecting the football, and finally the lesson took hold against LSU. Georgia didn’t cough up the ball until Cox’s final throw of the game – a heave toward the sideline as the clock ticked and Georgia desperately needed to move the football. Yet, despite the reduced turnovers, Georgia came up on the wrong end of the final score.
It is an odd twist, Cox said, but it’s by no means a lesson that turnovers are acceptable.
“That’s one of the reasons we were in the ballgame,” Cox said of the improved ball protection. “If we’d have turned the ball over, it could have gotten ugly. Three-and-outs are going to happen, mind you we didn’t want to have that many in the first half. But we didn’t do anything dumb with the ball, and we kind of waited for our chance to get things going.”
LIGHTER ON HIS FEET
Senior defensive tackle Kade Weston has started the past two games for Georgia, and he’s responded with two strong efforts, including a five-tackle, two-sack performance against LSU last week.
The keys to Weston’s success, he said, have been a combination of an injury-free season and a slimmed-down physique. Weston lost about 15 pounds and is finally playing at a weight his coaches had hoped for.
“It’s a lot different now,” Weston said. “Coaches wanted me at 315, and I’ve been around there the whole season, and I think it shows on the field.”
WHO ARE THESE GUYS?
Mark Richt admits the term “identity” is overused a bit, but he also admits it’s hard to really quantify just what his offense is capable of this season.
Some weeks, the unit has been spectacular. Some week, it’s been awful. Against LSU last week, the offense was as bad as it’s been all year in the first half, then looked incredibly sharp during a second-half comeback.
“I guess no one has an identity until they are consistently playing something where you could define that team to say this is what we do well,” Richt said. “Right now we’ve not been consistent offensively, defensively or in the kicking game quite frankly. I feel like we are gaining a lot of positive momentum defensively. Some of our special teams have played outstanding and a couple have struggled. Offensively, we’ve pretty much run the gamut of emotions and productivity. Again, I guess the one word I’m looking for more than anything else is a more consistent effort all the way around.”
RUBBING IT IN
Just a final side note for the day.
I was wearing my Newhouse t-shirt to Richt's news conference today -- Newhouse being the name of the Syracuse communications school.
Richt looked at the shirt and asked if it was a Syracuse shirt. I said that it was, and he asked what Newhouse meant.
"Did they get a new stadium or something?" he said.
"No," I told him, assuming he was serious and not simply making a sly joke at the embarrassing level of Syracuse football. "It's the name of the journalism school there."
"Ah," he said. "So, do they still have that basketball player playing quarterback?"
That's when I figured he was, in fact, making a sly joke about the embarrassing level of Syracuse football. Either that, or he's awfully good at unintentional humor.
Good times. Go Orange.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Video Blog: Israel Troupe
Wide receiver Israel Troupe talks about what it's like to have Joe Cox as the team's starting quarterback.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Moore Than Meets the Eye
Georgia's wide receiver corps will have a much different look in 2009 than it did a year ago. But while the group is short on experience, there's still plenty of talent. The elder statesman of the group, senior Michael Moore, gives his thoughts on what his fellow pass-catchers can bring to the table this season....
On whether A.J. Green can handle all the attention from defenders this year...
"He was double teamed all season. Every team we played, we were watching film on them, but by the time we got to the game, they had a whole different coverage, and a lot of that was because of A.J."
On what tight end Orson Charles brings to the table...
"He's a high motor guy. He always wants to know what to do. He wants to learn more, he runs well, he catches the ball well. I think he's a better fit for tight end only because it will give him a better advantage. You can flex him out and he's going to beat up a DB, but he's better suited for tight end. He looks good."
On whether Marlon Brown can repeat what A.J. Green did last year...
"I think that's putting too much pressure on anybody to say they can come in and do what A.J. did. A.J. came in and had one of the best things the SEC's ever seen. He's just an extremely talented kid, and you can't expect those to come around too often. It's just like Knowshon. You can't expect a kid to come in and replace Knowshon. You can expect Marlon to be Marlon."
On who freshman Rantavious Wooten reminds him of....
"He's kind of a more polished Mikey Henderson. Mikey only played receiver for two years, while Wooten's been playing receiver his whole life. He's fast. He's probably the same speed as Mikey, and Mikey was probably the fastest player on the team at the time."
On the development of Israel Troupe...
"Troupe was a lot like I was my sophomore year. He got some game experience. He had a few catches. Now he's going to have an opportunity just like everybody else to get in the weight room, get in the film room, out there in pass skel and just wait for his turn. That's what I had to do. But there's going to be an opportunity for him, and he's got to be ready for it."
On the role cornerback Branden Smith might be able to play on offense...
"He's fast, and if you're fast and you have the ball in your hands, you can get away from people. When game time comes around, I think we'll be able to see him out there."
And finally, what he's expecting from himself as Georgia's No. 2 threat...
"A.J.'s going to get double-teamed, and if I have one-on-one matchups, I like my chances."
On whether A.J. Green can handle all the attention from defenders this year...
"He was double teamed all season. Every team we played, we were watching film on them, but by the time we got to the game, they had a whole different coverage, and a lot of that was because of A.J."
On what tight end Orson Charles brings to the table...
"He's a high motor guy. He always wants to know what to do. He wants to learn more, he runs well, he catches the ball well. I think he's a better fit for tight end only because it will give him a better advantage. You can flex him out and he's going to beat up a DB, but he's better suited for tight end. He looks good."
On whether Marlon Brown can repeat what A.J. Green did last year...
"I think that's putting too much pressure on anybody to say they can come in and do what A.J. did. A.J. came in and had one of the best things the SEC's ever seen. He's just an extremely talented kid, and you can't expect those to come around too often. It's just like Knowshon. You can't expect a kid to come in and replace Knowshon. You can expect Marlon to be Marlon."
On who freshman Rantavious Wooten reminds him of....
"He's kind of a more polished Mikey Henderson. Mikey only played receiver for two years, while Wooten's been playing receiver his whole life. He's fast. He's probably the same speed as Mikey, and Mikey was probably the fastest player on the team at the time."
On the development of Israel Troupe...
"Troupe was a lot like I was my sophomore year. He got some game experience. He had a few catches. Now he's going to have an opportunity just like everybody else to get in the weight room, get in the film room, out there in pass skel and just wait for his turn. That's what I had to do. But there's going to be an opportunity for him, and he's got to be ready for it."
On the role cornerback Branden Smith might be able to play on offense...
"He's fast, and if you're fast and you have the ball in your hands, you can get away from people. When game time comes around, I think we'll be able to see him out there."
And finally, what he's expecting from himself as Georgia's No. 2 threat...
"A.J.'s going to get double-teamed, and if I have one-on-one matchups, I like my chances."
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Talent Trumps Experience at Receiver in '09
The season-ending injury to Kris Durham takes a potential starter out of the rotation from a depth chart that already figured to be fairly shallow.
With the departures of Mohamed Massaquoi, Kenneth Harris and Demiko Goodman, along with Walter Hill's decision to leave the program, left Georgia with just six scholarship receivers before Durham's injury. The additions of Rontavious Wooten and Marlon Brown gave some much-needed depth, but without Durham, experience will still be at a premium.
So how might the wideout situation work out this fall?
The star: A.J. Green
Green led the SEC in receiving a year ago despite playing with a groin injury all year. He said he's finally 100 percent healthy, however, and he expects an even better performance in 2009, with coaches moving him around a lot more this spring, hoping to use different schemes to get their top target open.
"It's going to be something special what I can do when I'm healthy," he said.
The slot receivers: Michael Moore and Tony Wilson
Moore came on strong last season, hauling in 29 passes for 451 yards, including a team-best six grabs for 97 yards in Georgia's bowl win over Michigan State.
"I just gained confidence," Moore said. "I kept working hard in the weight room, kept working hard on the practice field, and once the ball came my way, I started making plays. I just tried to build off that each week."
Moore, who is heading into his senior season, will be Georgia's only other experienced receiver, which means coaches will rely heavily on him to take some of the pressure off Green.
Moore is likely to play most of the year in the slot, however, where he will share time with Wilson. Wilson battled an ankle injury all year last season, making just one catch before accepting a redshirt that ended his year.
Wilson still isn't 100 percent healthy, but he said he feels better than he did this time last year, and expects to be ready to go by the fall. Both Moore and Wilson are exceptional blockers and -- given their experience -- are easily the most knowledgeable receivers on the team.
"I think that (Moore) and Tony are pretty interchangeable," head coach Mark Richt said. "I think one will be the X and one will be the Y, and they'll probably crosstrain. Those two guys have to be our best blockers, and they will be that. Both of them have to go down the middle and be brave and make plays, and they both can be very good at that."
The rookies: Rontavious Wooten and Marlon Brown
Both Wooten and Brown will arrive in Athens this summer, and with Durham's injury, the expectations surrounding them will be high.
Wooten checks in at a generous 5-foot-10 and just 158 pounds, which won't make him an obvious target, but Richt said the speedy pass-catcher out of Florida can be an exceptional weapon if coaches can find ways to maximize his skills.
"If you get the ball to him with a little bit of space – whether it's reverse, quick screens, and he still can penetrate the deep field – he's a pretty complete receiver, and he does have quicks and can make people miss," Richt said.
Wooten is clearly overshadowed, however, by Brown, who was among the top wide receiver recruits in the nation this year.
Following Green's monster freshman year, anything short of a repeat performance by Brown would be a disappointment for many fans who have watched the Memphis product's high school film and drooled over his potential.
The comparisons between Green and Brown aren't entirely unfair, however, and Green said he's happy to be in a position to help his soon-to-be teammates follow in his footsteps.
"Marlon is a great kid. I talked to him during the recruiting process, and I was the first to know he was coming to Georgia. I'm trying to help him out, and I've got Mike helping me out, so we both can help him."
Richt said he expects Brown to work primarily at split end or flanker opposite Green this season.
The up-and-comers: Israel Troupe and Tavarres King
Neither King nor Troupe have seen significant playing time despite both arriving in Athens amid a good deal of hype.
Troupe, entering his third season in Athens, has just a handful of catches to show for his first two years with the Bulldogs, but he said he has taken a new approach to this spring in hopes of revitalizing his career.
"This year coming in is kind of like my freshman year all over again. I've got a clean slate coming in and I'm just starting over from scratch," Troupe said. "This spring is a great opportunity for me to be seen and get my name heard. With the people coming in, all it is is competition for me."
Troupe had flown mostly under the radar this spring, but a long touchdown grab from Aaron Murray in Georgia's second scrimmage of the year opened a few eyes. With Durham out, Troupe's name will be near the top of the list of players who need to take that next step in 2009.
King actually earned some playing time early in the year last season, but an ankle injury slowed him after the Arizona State game, and coaches eventually decided to hold him out the rest of the year to get him a medical redshirt.
The taste of playing time was a big help in his development, King said, but that doesn't mean he's ready to take the next step into being a consistent performer in the SEC. Richt said King still needs to add some size and strength to help his blocking -- an area he has struggled this spring -- and needs to show a more consistent effort during practice.
"He's still got a ways to go to really be ready for our league," Richt said. "But he's got the ability, and he absolutely has had his moments when you're like, he can do it. We're expecting him to play, but he has to continue to get better to be a really effective receiver in our league. But he has the ability and he's smart, and he's just got to realize that it takes great effort every single day in practice."
The secret weapons: Orson Charles and Branden Smith
Neither Charles nor Smith are officially on the wide receiver depth chart, but both could play key roles in the pass-catching department in 2009.
Charles has been an enthusiastic learner since signing with Georgia last month, and Richt said the tight end has already gotten his weight up to 225 pounds. At Plant High in Tampa, Charles played with fellow Bulldog Aaron Murray and was a huge threat in the passing game as a hybrid tight end. Richt envisions a similar role for him this year at Georgia.
"It would be very natural for him to know the tight end or just flex and be that third receiver on the inside because we really call the routes the same," Richt said. "As he's training at tight end, he'll be training as a flex wide anyway."
Smith won't spend nearly as much time at receiver -- or even on the offensive side of the field. The five-star athlete from Atlanta figures to be in the mix for a starting cornerback job, but his speed and athleticism make him a potential weapon in the receiving game, too.
"We could take a guy like Branden Smith and use his abilities," Richt said. "He's going to be a corner, but there might be some plays where we can use him."
Defensive coordinator Willie Martinez has no problems with that plan, as long as Smith still gets his reps on defense, too.
"That's one of the reasons why we wanted him," Martinez said. "I'm for winning games and if we've got to play kids like Branden both ways, we're going to do it."
Note: Bruce Figgins, Aron White and Arthur Lynch figure to make the tight end position a lot more productive in 2009 than it was a year ago, and running back Carlton Thomas says he's anxious to prove his pass-catching skills out of the backfield, too. One thing that won't happen, however, is the use of White -- a Charles-like hybrid tight end -- split out wide. Richt said the rising sophomore has proved he belongs at tight end, and his experience will be crucial to that group.
The verdict: Durham's injury doesn't kill Georgia's receiving corps, but the lack of veteran experience will be an issue. That means much of the responsibility for turning this group into a productive unit will fall to the coaching staff -- namely Mike Bobo and Tony Ball.
Finding ways to get Green open in 2009, even with opposing defenses focused on stopping him, will be essential. While Green had a notably crucial mentor-protoge relationship with Mohamed Massaquoi that keyed his big freshman season, the coaches will likely have to take a more active role with Brown when he arrives. Finding time to school Charles and Smith at multiple positions will also be the responsibility of a coaching staff that hasn't had hybrid athletes of their caliber in a while.
Long story short, Georgia's receivers won't lack talent and ability. But it will take a top-notch performance by the coaching staff to turn that ability into success on Saturdays.
With the departures of Mohamed Massaquoi, Kenneth Harris and Demiko Goodman, along with Walter Hill's decision to leave the program, left Georgia with just six scholarship receivers before Durham's injury. The additions of Rontavious Wooten and Marlon Brown gave some much-needed depth, but without Durham, experience will still be at a premium.
So how might the wideout situation work out this fall?
The star: A.J. Green
Green led the SEC in receiving a year ago despite playing with a groin injury all year. He said he's finally 100 percent healthy, however, and he expects an even better performance in 2009, with coaches moving him around a lot more this spring, hoping to use different schemes to get their top target open.
"It's going to be something special what I can do when I'm healthy," he said.
The slot receivers: Michael Moore and Tony Wilson
Moore came on strong last season, hauling in 29 passes for 451 yards, including a team-best six grabs for 97 yards in Georgia's bowl win over Michigan State.
"I just gained confidence," Moore said. "I kept working hard in the weight room, kept working hard on the practice field, and once the ball came my way, I started making plays. I just tried to build off that each week."
Moore, who is heading into his senior season, will be Georgia's only other experienced receiver, which means coaches will rely heavily on him to take some of the pressure off Green.
Moore is likely to play most of the year in the slot, however, where he will share time with Wilson. Wilson battled an ankle injury all year last season, making just one catch before accepting a redshirt that ended his year.
Wilson still isn't 100 percent healthy, but he said he feels better than he did this time last year, and expects to be ready to go by the fall. Both Moore and Wilson are exceptional blockers and -- given their experience -- are easily the most knowledgeable receivers on the team.
"I think that (Moore) and Tony are pretty interchangeable," head coach Mark Richt said. "I think one will be the X and one will be the Y, and they'll probably crosstrain. Those two guys have to be our best blockers, and they will be that. Both of them have to go down the middle and be brave and make plays, and they both can be very good at that."
The rookies: Rontavious Wooten and Marlon Brown
Both Wooten and Brown will arrive in Athens this summer, and with Durham's injury, the expectations surrounding them will be high.
Wooten checks in at a generous 5-foot-10 and just 158 pounds, which won't make him an obvious target, but Richt said the speedy pass-catcher out of Florida can be an exceptional weapon if coaches can find ways to maximize his skills.
"If you get the ball to him with a little bit of space – whether it's reverse, quick screens, and he still can penetrate the deep field – he's a pretty complete receiver, and he does have quicks and can make people miss," Richt said.
Wooten is clearly overshadowed, however, by Brown, who was among the top wide receiver recruits in the nation this year.
Following Green's monster freshman year, anything short of a repeat performance by Brown would be a disappointment for many fans who have watched the Memphis product's high school film and drooled over his potential.
The comparisons between Green and Brown aren't entirely unfair, however, and Green said he's happy to be in a position to help his soon-to-be teammates follow in his footsteps.
"Marlon is a great kid. I talked to him during the recruiting process, and I was the first to know he was coming to Georgia. I'm trying to help him out, and I've got Mike helping me out, so we both can help him."
Richt said he expects Brown to work primarily at split end or flanker opposite Green this season.
The up-and-comers: Israel Troupe and Tavarres King
Neither King nor Troupe have seen significant playing time despite both arriving in Athens amid a good deal of hype.
Troupe, entering his third season in Athens, has just a handful of catches to show for his first two years with the Bulldogs, but he said he has taken a new approach to this spring in hopes of revitalizing his career.
"This year coming in is kind of like my freshman year all over again. I've got a clean slate coming in and I'm just starting over from scratch," Troupe said. "This spring is a great opportunity for me to be seen and get my name heard. With the people coming in, all it is is competition for me."
Troupe had flown mostly under the radar this spring, but a long touchdown grab from Aaron Murray in Georgia's second scrimmage of the year opened a few eyes. With Durham out, Troupe's name will be near the top of the list of players who need to take that next step in 2009.
King actually earned some playing time early in the year last season, but an ankle injury slowed him after the Arizona State game, and coaches eventually decided to hold him out the rest of the year to get him a medical redshirt.
The taste of playing time was a big help in his development, King said, but that doesn't mean he's ready to take the next step into being a consistent performer in the SEC. Richt said King still needs to add some size and strength to help his blocking -- an area he has struggled this spring -- and needs to show a more consistent effort during practice.
"He's still got a ways to go to really be ready for our league," Richt said. "But he's got the ability, and he absolutely has had his moments when you're like, he can do it. We're expecting him to play, but he has to continue to get better to be a really effective receiver in our league. But he has the ability and he's smart, and he's just got to realize that it takes great effort every single day in practice."
The secret weapons: Orson Charles and Branden Smith
Neither Charles nor Smith are officially on the wide receiver depth chart, but both could play key roles in the pass-catching department in 2009.
Charles has been an enthusiastic learner since signing with Georgia last month, and Richt said the tight end has already gotten his weight up to 225 pounds. At Plant High in Tampa, Charles played with fellow Bulldog Aaron Murray and was a huge threat in the passing game as a hybrid tight end. Richt envisions a similar role for him this year at Georgia.
"It would be very natural for him to know the tight end or just flex and be that third receiver on the inside because we really call the routes the same," Richt said. "As he's training at tight end, he'll be training as a flex wide anyway."
Smith won't spend nearly as much time at receiver -- or even on the offensive side of the field. The five-star athlete from Atlanta figures to be in the mix for a starting cornerback job, but his speed and athleticism make him a potential weapon in the receiving game, too.
"We could take a guy like Branden Smith and use his abilities," Richt said. "He's going to be a corner, but there might be some plays where we can use him."
Defensive coordinator Willie Martinez has no problems with that plan, as long as Smith still gets his reps on defense, too.
"That's one of the reasons why we wanted him," Martinez said. "I'm for winning games and if we've got to play kids like Branden both ways, we're going to do it."
Note: Bruce Figgins, Aron White and Arthur Lynch figure to make the tight end position a lot more productive in 2009 than it was a year ago, and running back Carlton Thomas says he's anxious to prove his pass-catching skills out of the backfield, too. One thing that won't happen, however, is the use of White -- a Charles-like hybrid tight end -- split out wide. Richt said the rising sophomore has proved he belongs at tight end, and his experience will be crucial to that group.
The verdict: Durham's injury doesn't kill Georgia's receiving corps, but the lack of veteran experience will be an issue. That means much of the responsibility for turning this group into a productive unit will fall to the coaching staff -- namely Mike Bobo and Tony Ball.
Finding ways to get Green open in 2009, even with opposing defenses focused on stopping him, will be essential. While Green had a notably crucial mentor-protoge relationship with Mohamed Massaquoi that keyed his big freshman season, the coaches will likely have to take a more active role with Brown when he arrives. Finding time to school Charles and Smith at multiple positions will also be the responsibility of a coaching staff that hasn't had hybrid athletes of their caliber in a while.
Long story short, Georgia's receivers won't lack talent and ability. But it will take a top-notch performance by the coaching staff to turn that ability into success on Saturdays.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Practice Notes: Ready to Hit
After being limited to lifting weights and performing in non-contact drills for over two months, the Georgia players will get a chance to hit tomorrow when they dress out in full-pads for the first time since the Capital One Bowl.
Although there won’t be an official scrimmage, UGA head coach Mark Richt is confident that the intensity will not be lacking.
“(Saturday) is going to be a spirited practice,” Richt said. “First day of pads is usually that way. I think the tension is already building, and I got a feeling that we’re gonna have to pull some guys off of each other.”
Despite giving up nearly 25 points per game a year ago, Richt made it clear that it is the defense that is making the early strides and dictating play in the majority of off-season drills.
“Defense without question is setting the tone in the spring,” Richt said. “I remember the years that I coached at Florida State, when we had that great run of 14 years in the top-5, I don’t think there was a spring where the defense didn’t kick our rear-end every year. It’s just the beginning, but the defense has really done a nice job.”
In addition to dressing out in full-pads for the first time, Georgia will also be hosting its annual Junior Day on Saturday.
“It’s a huge day,” Richt said of the opportunity. “It’s exciting that that many guys want to come. Every Junior Day we have is a little different and this year’s emphasis is going to be about the football part of it. They’ll get to see our Coaches coach and our players get after it.”
Richt expects at least 300 recruits to make the visit.
SAME FACES, NEW PLACES
Georgia’s offseason coaching shake-up didn’t exactly introduce the Bulldogs to a bunch of new faces, but former graduate assistant Bryan McClendon and former running backs coach Tony Ball have both brought new approaches to their new roles. Ball has taken over the wide receivers this season, and he’s giving each of his receivers a chance to prove their mettle with a clean slate and a fresh attitude.
“He’s got a different philosophy with what he does and how he wants to us do things, so it’s like rebuilding and starting over again,” said redshirt freshman Israel Troupe.
McClendon, who now handles Georgia’s running backs, has given his players a fresh start, too. Tailback Caleb King said McClendon has made a point of starting from scratch and re-teaching many of the fundamentals that may have faded into the background in the past.Of course, neither Ball nor McClendon have seen this spring as any drastic departure from the past, but they are excited to be undertaking a new adventure.
“It’s not too different,” McClendon said. “I’ve been through it as a player, I’ve been through it as a graduate assistant before, so I pretty much know the regiment. The biggest thing is the excitement – how excited I am to be able to work with those guys and just to be on the field coaching. It’s always great to be out there with those guys and improving those guys on and off the field.”
KICKIN’ IT OLD SCHOOL
Blair Walsh took plenty of criticism throughout last season for his problems on kickoffs, including hearing his head coach suggest he would fly to Poland to find someone who could handle the role. As it turns out, however, Walsh looks to be the guy to handle kickoff duties once again, and while he hopes to improve the results, he hasn’t changed his approach.
“I keep it the same,” Walsh said. “I approach it just like I do everything, very professionally and try to do my best at it. But I haven’t changed any way I look at it.”
As for what the coaches might have in store for him this year – whether he’ll be kicking deep, directional kicking or not kicking off at all – Walsh said he hasn’t gotten any news.
“I don’t know yet,” Walsh said. “We haven’t really done anything yet. I don’t know what their philosophy is, I don’t know what the coaches are doing or thinking about.”
STARTING FROM SCRATCH
Troupe is one of several players this spring hoping to turn a particularly minor role last season into significant playing time this year. Troupe’s game plan for working his way into the offense is simple: He’s going back to basics.
“This year coming in is kind of like my freshman year all over again,” Troupe said. “I’ve got a clean slate coming in and I’m just starting over from scratch.”
HANGIN’ IN THERE
Dallas Lee’s introduction to life in the SEC hasn’t been a particularly enjoyable one, thanks to the magic of offensive line coach Stacy Searels. But despite the typical freshman struggles, Lee – who Searels said is working out at center and guard so far – has held his own.
“He’s doing good,” Searels said. “It’s a kid who should still be in high school right now, but he’s out there working and it’s an eye-opening experience for him.”
Although there won’t be an official scrimmage, UGA head coach Mark Richt is confident that the intensity will not be lacking.
“(Saturday) is going to be a spirited practice,” Richt said. “First day of pads is usually that way. I think the tension is already building, and I got a feeling that we’re gonna have to pull some guys off of each other.”
Despite giving up nearly 25 points per game a year ago, Richt made it clear that it is the defense that is making the early strides and dictating play in the majority of off-season drills.
“Defense without question is setting the tone in the spring,” Richt said. “I remember the years that I coached at Florida State, when we had that great run of 14 years in the top-5, I don’t think there was a spring where the defense didn’t kick our rear-end every year. It’s just the beginning, but the defense has really done a nice job.”
In addition to dressing out in full-pads for the first time, Georgia will also be hosting its annual Junior Day on Saturday.
“It’s a huge day,” Richt said of the opportunity. “It’s exciting that that many guys want to come. Every Junior Day we have is a little different and this year’s emphasis is going to be about the football part of it. They’ll get to see our Coaches coach and our players get after it.”
Richt expects at least 300 recruits to make the visit.
SAME FACES, NEW PLACES
Georgia’s offseason coaching shake-up didn’t exactly introduce the Bulldogs to a bunch of new faces, but former graduate assistant Bryan McClendon and former running backs coach Tony Ball have both brought new approaches to their new roles. Ball has taken over the wide receivers this season, and he’s giving each of his receivers a chance to prove their mettle with a clean slate and a fresh attitude.
“He’s got a different philosophy with what he does and how he wants to us do things, so it’s like rebuilding and starting over again,” said redshirt freshman Israel Troupe.
McClendon, who now handles Georgia’s running backs, has given his players a fresh start, too. Tailback Caleb King said McClendon has made a point of starting from scratch and re-teaching many of the fundamentals that may have faded into the background in the past.Of course, neither Ball nor McClendon have seen this spring as any drastic departure from the past, but they are excited to be undertaking a new adventure.
“It’s not too different,” McClendon said. “I’ve been through it as a player, I’ve been through it as a graduate assistant before, so I pretty much know the regiment. The biggest thing is the excitement – how excited I am to be able to work with those guys and just to be on the field coaching. It’s always great to be out there with those guys and improving those guys on and off the field.”
KICKIN’ IT OLD SCHOOL
Blair Walsh took plenty of criticism throughout last season for his problems on kickoffs, including hearing his head coach suggest he would fly to Poland to find someone who could handle the role. As it turns out, however, Walsh looks to be the guy to handle kickoff duties once again, and while he hopes to improve the results, he hasn’t changed his approach.
“I keep it the same,” Walsh said. “I approach it just like I do everything, very professionally and try to do my best at it. But I haven’t changed any way I look at it.”
As for what the coaches might have in store for him this year – whether he’ll be kicking deep, directional kicking or not kicking off at all – Walsh said he hasn’t gotten any news.
“I don’t know yet,” Walsh said. “We haven’t really done anything yet. I don’t know what their philosophy is, I don’t know what the coaches are doing or thinking about.”
STARTING FROM SCRATCH
Troupe is one of several players this spring hoping to turn a particularly minor role last season into significant playing time this year. Troupe’s game plan for working his way into the offense is simple: He’s going back to basics.
“This year coming in is kind of like my freshman year all over again,” Troupe said. “I’ve got a clean slate coming in and I’m just starting over from scratch.”
HANGIN’ IN THERE
Dallas Lee’s introduction to life in the SEC hasn’t been a particularly enjoyable one, thanks to the magic of offensive line coach Stacy Searels. But despite the typical freshman struggles, Lee – who Searels said is working out at center and guard so far – has held his own.
“He’s doing good,” Searels said. “It’s a kid who should still be in high school right now, but he’s out there working and it’s an eye-opening experience for him.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
