Richard Samuel isn't quite conceding the starting spot at inside linebacker to Alec Ogletree.
Before Ogletree’s move from safety was announced earlier this month, it was safe to assume that Samuel would head into spring practice with the inside track to start. But Ogletree’s move changed that.
But Samuel still feels he has a shot at playing at one of the two inside spots.
“I feel like through practicing, and if I practice well and show I can get the job done, we’ll get a fair share of the playing time,” he said after Thursday’s third day of Georgia spring practice.
Samuel’s case is buttressed by the fact that the Bulldogs don’t really have many other options at inside linebacker, after the graduation of Akeem Dent and the transfers of Marcus Dowtin and Nick Williams. There’s Christian Robinson, the anointed captain of the defense, Ogletree, Samuel and Mike Gilliard.
So Samuel saw Ogletree’s switch as having more to do with numbers.
“I feel that we need depth at that position,” said Samuel, who will be a junior next season. “Due to the fact that he had playing experience at that position last year, he (Ogletree) got that position. More competition will make both of us better.”
Samuel knows a little bit about switching positions. In fact, compared to him, Ogletree’s switch is nothing.
This time last year Samuel was shifting from running back, a spot he had played since high school. (He's currently listed at 6-foot-2 and 243 pounds.)
Samuel ended up redshirting last season after incurring a knee injury. Samuel could have played – he said the knee felt close to 100 percent by the end of the season – but the staff elected to save his redshirt.
And don’t even think about a move back to tailback for Samuel. Not with Isaiah Crowell on the way to join the already crowded picture.
“Not really,” Samuel said, when asked if he still thinks about playing running back. “I think about it every now and then when I look at the other running backs and compare myself to what I would have done if I were in their position. But that’s about as far as it goes.”
Head coach Mark Richt, when asked about the Ogletree move on Samuel and Gilliard, made his answer more about the safeties, and not the inside linebackers.
“It certainly helps them understand there’s more competition. But we’re really only two deep total at that position,” Richt said. “I think what it’s affected more is the safeties, to guys like Shawn Williams and Jakar (Hamilton) and even Marc Deas. Just to realize there’s a whole lot of playing time that just opened up for them.
“Not to say that there was a guarantee that Tree was going to continue to hold onto the job. But he was by the end of the year the starter, and now he’s out of there.”
A few other notes from Thursday:
- We don’t get to watch most of practice, but for the early portion, four return candidates were fielding kick and punts: Tavarres King, Brandon Boykin, Branden Smith and Carlton Thomas.
- A.J. Green, Justin Houston and Fred Gibson were at Thursday’s practice. Green and Akeem Dent also watched Tuesday’s practice after participating in pro day.
- The team will have a full-pads scrimmage on Saturday. They’ll have a half-scrimmage day, as Richt put it, which won’t count towards the three scrimmages they’re allowed.
- Offensive lineman Dallas Lee has been slowed by an asthma-like condition. The length of time he’ll be out is unclear, according to Richt.
Showing posts with label Justin Houston. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Justin Houston. Show all posts
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
A.J. Green's pro day saga, and other fascinating notes
Georgia’s pro day has just been completed. And there ended up being a bit more drama than expected.
The player a lot of scouts came to see was A.J. Green, and they did get to see him – but only through a computer, and only after a long set of deliberations.
The issue was who would throw to Green. The star receiver has been training with Justin Roper, a former University of Montana quarterback who now lives in Buford. But according to an obscure NFL rule, that prohibited scouts from watching Roper pass to Green – or Kris Durham or fullback Shaun Chapas – in person.
At first it appeared to be a lockout-related issue. No current NFL quarterback, such as Matt Stafford (who was in attendance) could participate, because players are locked out. And anyone throwing to the receivers had to be draft-eligible, ruling out Aaron Murray.
Roper, who works with San Diego based passing guru George Whitehead, is draft-eligible. But the NFL also stipulates that the passer must live in the “Athens metroplex,” as Whitehead put it. Buford was not inside the Athens metroplex.
There was a lot of back-and-forth, with head coach Mark Richt engaging in a lot of checking himself. In the end, Green held firm on wanting to use Roper.
“That’s the only quarterback that I had timing with. So my agent and I felt he was the best guy for the job,” Green said.
So after a long set of negotiations – including calls to the NFL league office – it was determined that Roper could pass to Green and the others, but the scouts couldn’t watch. So after all the other positions had gone through their drills, the NFL scouts moved inside to watch the catching drills on ESPN3.
As you’d suspect, Green was impressive in his drills. But he did take a spill near the end, tripping over a cord barrier.
“I caught myself,” Green said. “I had on some gloves, so I was all right.”
A few other notes off the top of my notebook:
- Green hasn’t made a decision about whether to attend the draft. He wants to, but is waiting to see what happens on the NFL Players’ Association boycott call. Green said he was hoping for a “conclusion” to the matter.
“It’d be nice to go to New York, that’d be a dream come true,” Green said.
- Green was asked about his Wonderlic score, which was reported to be low. There are 50 questions on the test, and Green said he only got to about 20 of them.
“I didn’t even finish,” Green said. “I was thinking too much. I didn’t want to skip any questions. … If you come back here and look at my grades, you know I’m not dumb.”
- While Green didn’t do anything but get weighed and catch passes, Justin Houston went through drills at defensive end and linebacker. He said teams are looking at him at both positions, and didn’t express a preference.
Interestingly, Houston said he only got a second-round grade from the NFL draft advisory committee. That’s part of the reason he took his decision right up to the deadline, only notifying Richt the night before.
“As of right now, I do think that I made the right decision,” Houston said. “But in due time, we’ll see.”
- Clint Boling said teams are looking at him at guard and tackle, but that more teams seem to be looking at him at guard.
“As long as I can play guard, tackle, something like that, it doesn’t really matter to me,” Boling said.
- There was also a Marcus Dowtin sighting, as the former Georgia linebacker was among the many non-participants who attended. Dowtin announced his intention to transfer after the season, and said he was looking at Division II schools such as Texas A&M-Kingsvile, Northwest Missouri, North Alabama and Carson-Newman.
Dowtin, who is not currently enrolled at Georgia, said those teams might let him also play running back.
- Logan Gray, who is also transferring from Georgia, was also in attendance, hanging out with fellow current and former players. Gray is set to visit Colorado in a couple weeks.
- And continuing the trend of awkward appearances, guess who the Carolina Panthers’ representative was on Tuesday? That would be Warren Belin, who left as Georgia’s inside linebackers coach in February to take the linebackers job at Carolina.
- I wasn’t one of the people who brought a stopwatch and breathlessly watched every drill. But it seemed that Kris Durham did well in his receiving drills and sprints, Kiante Tripp showed up well in the weight room, and the Cincinnati Bengals – who have the fourth pick – spent an awful amount of time sidling up and talking with Green.
The player a lot of scouts came to see was A.J. Green, and they did get to see him – but only through a computer, and only after a long set of deliberations.
The issue was who would throw to Green. The star receiver has been training with Justin Roper, a former University of Montana quarterback who now lives in Buford. But according to an obscure NFL rule, that prohibited scouts from watching Roper pass to Green – or Kris Durham or fullback Shaun Chapas – in person.
At first it appeared to be a lockout-related issue. No current NFL quarterback, such as Matt Stafford (who was in attendance) could participate, because players are locked out. And anyone throwing to the receivers had to be draft-eligible, ruling out Aaron Murray.
Roper, who works with San Diego based passing guru George Whitehead, is draft-eligible. But the NFL also stipulates that the passer must live in the “Athens metroplex,” as Whitehead put it. Buford was not inside the Athens metroplex.
There was a lot of back-and-forth, with head coach Mark Richt engaging in a lot of checking himself. In the end, Green held firm on wanting to use Roper.
“That’s the only quarterback that I had timing with. So my agent and I felt he was the best guy for the job,” Green said.
So after a long set of negotiations – including calls to the NFL league office – it was determined that Roper could pass to Green and the others, but the scouts couldn’t watch. So after all the other positions had gone through their drills, the NFL scouts moved inside to watch the catching drills on ESPN3.
As you’d suspect, Green was impressive in his drills. But he did take a spill near the end, tripping over a cord barrier.
“I caught myself,” Green said. “I had on some gloves, so I was all right.”
A few other notes off the top of my notebook:
- Green hasn’t made a decision about whether to attend the draft. He wants to, but is waiting to see what happens on the NFL Players’ Association boycott call. Green said he was hoping for a “conclusion” to the matter.
“It’d be nice to go to New York, that’d be a dream come true,” Green said.
- Green was asked about his Wonderlic score, which was reported to be low. There are 50 questions on the test, and Green said he only got to about 20 of them.
“I didn’t even finish,” Green said. “I was thinking too much. I didn’t want to skip any questions. … If you come back here and look at my grades, you know I’m not dumb.”
- While Green didn’t do anything but get weighed and catch passes, Justin Houston went through drills at defensive end and linebacker. He said teams are looking at him at both positions, and didn’t express a preference.
Interestingly, Houston said he only got a second-round grade from the NFL draft advisory committee. That’s part of the reason he took his decision right up to the deadline, only notifying Richt the night before.
“As of right now, I do think that I made the right decision,” Houston said. “But in due time, we’ll see.”
- Clint Boling said teams are looking at him at guard and tackle, but that more teams seem to be looking at him at guard.
“As long as I can play guard, tackle, something like that, it doesn’t really matter to me,” Boling said.
- There was also a Marcus Dowtin sighting, as the former Georgia linebacker was among the many non-participants who attended. Dowtin announced his intention to transfer after the season, and said he was looking at Division II schools such as Texas A&M-Kingsvile, Northwest Missouri, North Alabama and Carson-Newman.
Dowtin, who is not currently enrolled at Georgia, said those teams might let him also play running back.
- Logan Gray, who is also transferring from Georgia, was also in attendance, hanging out with fellow current and former players. Gray is set to visit Colorado in a couple weeks.
- And continuing the trend of awkward appearances, guess who the Carolina Panthers’ representative was on Tuesday? That would be Warren Belin, who left as Georgia’s inside linebackers coach in February to take the linebackers job at Carolina.
- I wasn’t one of the people who brought a stopwatch and breathlessly watched every drill. But it seemed that Kris Durham did well in his receiving drills and sprints, Kiante Tripp showed up well in the weight room, and the Cincinnati Bengals – who have the fourth pick – spent an awful amount of time sidling up and talking with Green.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Notes: Sturdivant Question Lingers for O Line
With all five starters returning from last season, Georgia’s offensive line will be among the most experienced in the country this season. Still, there’s one big question mark looming on the horizon that could throw the established line into chaos.
After two years sidelined with injuries, left tackle Trinton Sturdivant is on pace to be ready for the season opener, and that could mean a shake-up among the five starters – Clint Boling, Cordy Glenn, Ben Jones, Chris Davis and Josh Davis – who performed so well down the stretch in 2009.
“Trinton looks good,” Josh Davis said. “I think he’s right on schedule to be back when they said he was. I saw him out there (last week). He looked real good. He’s moving around real well. He told me he feels strong and he thinks he’ll be able to come back and do what he’s supposed to do.”
That’s good news for the Bulldogs, no doubt. Sturdivant was a freshman All-American in 2007 and oozes potential – assuming he’s healthy.
But Georgia’s line jelled nicely in the latter half of last season, and a healthy Sturdivant would likely displace Boling – another potential All-American – and send either Josh or Chris Davis to the bench. That’s a possibility that Josh Davis has done his best to ignore for now.
“It crosses my mind but I have no idea,” Josh Davis said. “I have no clue about what (will happen). That’s why (offensive line) coach (Stacy) Searels gets the big bucks to figure that out. I’m sure the best five will play every week. That’s how we’ll roll with it.”
That’s been Searels’ mantra since he arrived at Georgia, so it’s likely a scenario that the current crop of Bulldogs linemen are familiar with. Still, chemistry matters more on the line than virtually anywhere else on the field, and even Davis admits that there will need to be some adjustments as the season progresses.
“Of course chemistry is important,” Davis said. “We played together the last six games of last year and we did all right. But it’s just as important to have a good player. Trinton is a good player. Any way he plays he’s going to do good. I feel like that about all of us. Most of us can play most of the positions. That’s why we did so well in the past because certain guys moving around just learning new positions. It really won’t matter about chemistry because he’s a good player and everyone that can possibly be put in that slot can play that position.”
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
As Georgia’s starting quarterback, Aaron Murray knows he’ll be viewed as a leader on the offense. As the lone new face on a unit that returns 10 starters, however, he also knows that leadership role won’t simply be handed to him either. So one of Murray’s biggest goals for this offseason is to prove to his teammates that he’s earned the job.
With that in mind, Murray has already been busy prepping for the 2010 season. He’s organizing passing drills twice a week around class schedules. He’s doing rehab and strength training on his shoulder nearly every day to make sure he’s healthy for the season. He’s putting in at least 90 minutes of time in the gym each day, working with receivers and defensive backs with some one-on-one drills, running a handful of seven-on-seven drills with the rest of the offense and then spending more than an hour a day in the film room. It’s a grind, but it’s something he knows he needs to do to earn the respect of the veterans around him.
“I’ve got to find my way of being a leader on this team, my way to motivate people and figure out ways to push them and make them do stuff they never knew they could do,” Murray said. “That’s not going to come in a week or two. It’s going to take some time to better understand the guys and what they can do and motivate them and hopefully by this summer hopefully I’ll make some strides in that category.”
So far, so good on that front. Murray’s teammates are already touting his work ethic and expecting big things from the freshman quarterback when the season gets going in a couple of months.
Last week, after players wrapped up a workout session, Murray got some of his linemen and running backs together to spend a few extra minutes practicing handoffs. He just wanted to work on the little things, lineman Josh Davis said.
“He’s stepping up to the challenge tremendously,” Davis said. “He’s putting in extra work. He’s trying his best to lead because the quarterback is a leadership position. He’s working his butt off to get it done every day.”
BRING THE PAIN
Last year, Justin Houston averaged more sacks per game than anyone in the SEC – and that was under Georgia’s old defensive regime.
This year, he’ll be turned loose on opposing quarterbacks as an outside linebacker – moving from defensive end in Todd Grantham’s new 3-4 scheme – and be given the freedom to play a more aggressive style than in years past.
“It’s going to allow me to get more pressure on the quarterback,” Houston said. I’m a stand up guy, so this defense is pretty much a pressure defense so it’s going to allow me to rush more.”
So, if he was already among the best in the SEC last year, how much better might he be now that he’s playing in a scheme that focuses his skills on getting to the quarterback?
Houston isn’t exactly giving away any answers to that question just yet other than to say he’ll do what it takes to win.
“I don’t have an individual goal really,” Houston said. “I just want to do my part and whatever that is to win I just want to do that. I haven’t really looked at individual goals lately. If it takes for me to get 15 sacks for us to win, I’ll get 15 sacks. That’s my goal.”
ON AN ISLAND
New defensive backs coach Scott Lakatos thinks he has a pretty strong corps of cornerbacks, and he’s planning to let their talents take over on the field in 2010 by waving goodbye to a lot of zone coverage and rolling the dice with a lot more man-to-man.
“He’s basically saying that my guy is better than your guy, and we’re going to see what happens,” junior Brandon Boykin said. “He’s basically putting you out there on that island, and you just have to have confidence in yourself. I think that’s something that he’s trying to build in us. If we make mistakes we just have to have that short memory, so he’s kind of teaching all those things.”
Those are some lessons Boykin is thrilled to learn. After two straight years with few takeaways and too many big plays allowed, Boykin thinks the new scheme plays to the Bulldogs’ strengths and will make the secondary a lot more dangerous.
“That’s what every corner wants is to get that one-on-one matchup,” Boykin said. “That’s what people get their respect from – not playing zone as much. It gives you a chance to just go out there and show what you have.”
Of course, Boykin also knows that the trust Lakatos has put in his corners has to be rewarded with a lot of effort by the players. The increased man coverage every Saturday means an increased level of importance in how Georgia’s defensive backs prepare for those one-on-one battles during the week.
“No matter how good you are, you still have to work on our technique,” Boykin said. “It’s something that you got to continually work on because everybody is different as far as receivers. You have to see what their strengths are. It will require watching film and things like that. I think we’re doing a good job of that early, and I think we’ll see those improvements going into the fall.”
NEW KID IN TOWN
In terms of hype entering their freshmen years, there probably isn’t much that Branden Smith has in common with the newest member of the Georgia secondary, but that doesn’t mean Derek Owens hasn’t already drawn some comparisons to his speedy teammate.
“He reminds me a lot of Branden Smith,” Boykin said of the 5-11, 180-pound Owens. “He’s quick, great hips. He doesn’t have a lot of technique right now but his quickness makes up for all of that. Really, really quick and has fluid hips. Once he gets the technique he’s going to be really good.”
Owens will likely be competing with Jordan Love and Sanders Commings for a backup role among the cornerbacks in 2010.
DIFFERENT STYLE, SAME RESULTS
As they did at the end of 2009, the Bulldogs figure to open this season with an even split in carries between tailbacks Washaun Ealey and Caleb King, and that’s OK with the offensive line.
For the line, Josh Davis said it doesn’t matter which player gets the football, the blocking schemes are still the same. The only difference between King and Ealey, as far as he’s concerned, is how much smack talk he hears coming from the backfield.
“The only difference we can tell between those two guys in the backfield is Washaun is more lively, and he talks more than Caleb,” Davis said. “You know Caleb is a quiet guy, and Washaun will be talking a little more trash. That’s the only difference to me is the personalities. They both have good speed, good power and a little swagger about them. It’s good having both of them.”
After two years sidelined with injuries, left tackle Trinton Sturdivant is on pace to be ready for the season opener, and that could mean a shake-up among the five starters – Clint Boling, Cordy Glenn, Ben Jones, Chris Davis and Josh Davis – who performed so well down the stretch in 2009.
“Trinton looks good,” Josh Davis said. “I think he’s right on schedule to be back when they said he was. I saw him out there (last week). He looked real good. He’s moving around real well. He told me he feels strong and he thinks he’ll be able to come back and do what he’s supposed to do.”
That’s good news for the Bulldogs, no doubt. Sturdivant was a freshman All-American in 2007 and oozes potential – assuming he’s healthy.
But Georgia’s line jelled nicely in the latter half of last season, and a healthy Sturdivant would likely displace Boling – another potential All-American – and send either Josh or Chris Davis to the bench. That’s a possibility that Josh Davis has done his best to ignore for now.
“It crosses my mind but I have no idea,” Josh Davis said. “I have no clue about what (will happen). That’s why (offensive line) coach (Stacy) Searels gets the big bucks to figure that out. I’m sure the best five will play every week. That’s how we’ll roll with it.”
That’s been Searels’ mantra since he arrived at Georgia, so it’s likely a scenario that the current crop of Bulldogs linemen are familiar with. Still, chemistry matters more on the line than virtually anywhere else on the field, and even Davis admits that there will need to be some adjustments as the season progresses.
“Of course chemistry is important,” Davis said. “We played together the last six games of last year and we did all right. But it’s just as important to have a good player. Trinton is a good player. Any way he plays he’s going to do good. I feel like that about all of us. Most of us can play most of the positions. That’s why we did so well in the past because certain guys moving around just learning new positions. It really won’t matter about chemistry because he’s a good player and everyone that can possibly be put in that slot can play that position.”
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
As Georgia’s starting quarterback, Aaron Murray knows he’ll be viewed as a leader on the offense. As the lone new face on a unit that returns 10 starters, however, he also knows that leadership role won’t simply be handed to him either. So one of Murray’s biggest goals for this offseason is to prove to his teammates that he’s earned the job.
With that in mind, Murray has already been busy prepping for the 2010 season. He’s organizing passing drills twice a week around class schedules. He’s doing rehab and strength training on his shoulder nearly every day to make sure he’s healthy for the season. He’s putting in at least 90 minutes of time in the gym each day, working with receivers and defensive backs with some one-on-one drills, running a handful of seven-on-seven drills with the rest of the offense and then spending more than an hour a day in the film room. It’s a grind, but it’s something he knows he needs to do to earn the respect of the veterans around him.
“I’ve got to find my way of being a leader on this team, my way to motivate people and figure out ways to push them and make them do stuff they never knew they could do,” Murray said. “That’s not going to come in a week or two. It’s going to take some time to better understand the guys and what they can do and motivate them and hopefully by this summer hopefully I’ll make some strides in that category.”
So far, so good on that front. Murray’s teammates are already touting his work ethic and expecting big things from the freshman quarterback when the season gets going in a couple of months.
Last week, after players wrapped up a workout session, Murray got some of his linemen and running backs together to spend a few extra minutes practicing handoffs. He just wanted to work on the little things, lineman Josh Davis said.
“He’s stepping up to the challenge tremendously,” Davis said. “He’s putting in extra work. He’s trying his best to lead because the quarterback is a leadership position. He’s working his butt off to get it done every day.”
BRING THE PAIN
Last year, Justin Houston averaged more sacks per game than anyone in the SEC – and that was under Georgia’s old defensive regime.
This year, he’ll be turned loose on opposing quarterbacks as an outside linebacker – moving from defensive end in Todd Grantham’s new 3-4 scheme – and be given the freedom to play a more aggressive style than in years past.
“It’s going to allow me to get more pressure on the quarterback,” Houston said. I’m a stand up guy, so this defense is pretty much a pressure defense so it’s going to allow me to rush more.”
So, if he was already among the best in the SEC last year, how much better might he be now that he’s playing in a scheme that focuses his skills on getting to the quarterback?
Houston isn’t exactly giving away any answers to that question just yet other than to say he’ll do what it takes to win.
“I don’t have an individual goal really,” Houston said. “I just want to do my part and whatever that is to win I just want to do that. I haven’t really looked at individual goals lately. If it takes for me to get 15 sacks for us to win, I’ll get 15 sacks. That’s my goal.”
ON AN ISLAND
New defensive backs coach Scott Lakatos thinks he has a pretty strong corps of cornerbacks, and he’s planning to let their talents take over on the field in 2010 by waving goodbye to a lot of zone coverage and rolling the dice with a lot more man-to-man.
“He’s basically saying that my guy is better than your guy, and we’re going to see what happens,” junior Brandon Boykin said. “He’s basically putting you out there on that island, and you just have to have confidence in yourself. I think that’s something that he’s trying to build in us. If we make mistakes we just have to have that short memory, so he’s kind of teaching all those things.”
Those are some lessons Boykin is thrilled to learn. After two straight years with few takeaways and too many big plays allowed, Boykin thinks the new scheme plays to the Bulldogs’ strengths and will make the secondary a lot more dangerous.
“That’s what every corner wants is to get that one-on-one matchup,” Boykin said. “That’s what people get their respect from – not playing zone as much. It gives you a chance to just go out there and show what you have.”
Of course, Boykin also knows that the trust Lakatos has put in his corners has to be rewarded with a lot of effort by the players. The increased man coverage every Saturday means an increased level of importance in how Georgia’s defensive backs prepare for those one-on-one battles during the week.
“No matter how good you are, you still have to work on our technique,” Boykin said. “It’s something that you got to continually work on because everybody is different as far as receivers. You have to see what their strengths are. It will require watching film and things like that. I think we’re doing a good job of that early, and I think we’ll see those improvements going into the fall.”
NEW KID IN TOWN
In terms of hype entering their freshmen years, there probably isn’t much that Branden Smith has in common with the newest member of the Georgia secondary, but that doesn’t mean Derek Owens hasn’t already drawn some comparisons to his speedy teammate.
“He reminds me a lot of Branden Smith,” Boykin said of the 5-11, 180-pound Owens. “He’s quick, great hips. He doesn’t have a lot of technique right now but his quickness makes up for all of that. Really, really quick and has fluid hips. Once he gets the technique he’s going to be really good.”
Owens will likely be competing with Jordan Love and Sanders Commings for a backup role among the cornerbacks in 2010.
DIFFERENT STYLE, SAME RESULTS
As they did at the end of 2009, the Bulldogs figure to open this season with an even split in carries between tailbacks Washaun Ealey and Caleb King, and that’s OK with the offensive line.
For the line, Josh Davis said it doesn’t matter which player gets the football, the blocking schemes are still the same. The only difference between King and Ealey, as far as he’s concerned, is how much smack talk he hears coming from the backfield.
“The only difference we can tell between those two guys in the backfield is Washaun is more lively, and he talks more than Caleb,” Davis said. “You know Caleb is a quiet guy, and Washaun will be talking a little more trash. That’s the only difference to me is the personalities. They both have good speed, good power and a little swagger about them. It’s good having both of them.”
Friday, June 18, 2010
Notes: Boykin Sets Goals High
Brandon Boykin isn’t interested in tempering expectations heading into the 2010 season. Instead, he’s raising the bar just about as high as possible.
After a stellar sophomore campaign in which Boykin in which he picked off three passes and returned three kickoffs for touchdowns, he’s not just looking to surpass those numbers. Boykin wants to obliterate them.
“My goal is, I’m trying to get to 10 picks this year,” Boykin said. “That’s a pretty high goal, but if I get anywhere near it, I think that’s pretty good. Kick return I want to get at least three or four (touchdowns). I’m setting it pretty high and we’ll see what happens.”
Only three players in Georgia history have intercepted at least 10 passes in a season – Ben Smith was the last in 1989 – so Boykin knows he’s aiming high. And realistically, he said, there probably won’t be enough opportunities for him to top that mark if he starts the season on a hot streak.
“I figure by the time I get about five or six they’ll probably stop throwing my way,” Boykin said.
But even while he doubts he’ll attain his lofty goal, he thinks the possibility remains. After all, he made huge strides in his first season as a starter a year ago, despite a lot of learning on the fly.
This time around Boykin will be armed with a much better understanding of what being a shut-down cornerback requires in the SEC, and a defensive philosophy under new secondary coach Scott Lakatos that allows him to flourish.
“I feel like I could have done a lot more last year because I wasn’t as knowledgeable as I feel like I am now just because I was kind of learning on the go being the newcomer to the secondary,” Boykin said. “(This year) it’s a lot more man-to-man at the corners, not as much zone. (Lakatos) is basically saying that my guy is better than your guy, and we’re going to see what happens. He’s basically putting you out there on that island, and you just have to have confidence in yourself.”
FINALLY FEELING GOOD
When Josh Davis hit the weight room in January, it had been nearly a year since he had done any serious weight training. Two offseason shoulder surgeries following the 2008 season kept him from lifting weights, and when he was finally recovered last fall, the season was already in full swing and there was little time to catch up.
“I really didn’t get to touch a weight until about (fall) camp,” Davis said of his rehabilitation last summer. “Then it was still like lifts, and I couldn’t do much weight because the surgeries hurt.”
Despite the setbacks, Davis stepped into the starting lineup on Georgia’s offensive line midway through the season, and the Bulldogs’ running game was instantly transformed. Georgia averaged more than 100 yards more on the ground per game after Davis was inserted at right tackle, and the offense finally began to click.
Now firmly established as a cornerstone on the Bulldogs’ line, Davis is bulking up and feeling good for the first time in nearly two years. He’s added nearly 20 pounds to his frame from his playing weight of about 290 last year, and the shoulder feels as good as new.
“I’m absolutely 100 times better than last year because last year I had shoulder surgeries,” Davis said. “I feel much better, my body feels healthy and I feel stronger.”
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
T.J. Stripling arrived at Georgia at about 220 pounds, a weight head coach Mark Richt said likely won’t cut it at outside linebacker over the long haul. But while Stripling, one of Georgia’s top recruits in the class of 2010, might have some work to do to get physically ready for the SEC, fellow linebacker Justin Houston said adding weight just takes time.
“I came in weighing at 218 so I wasn’t the biggest guy,” said Houston, who now checks in at a robust 255. “I came in pretty small. I think he’s at least 220, so he actually weighs more than me coming in.”
Of course, the other lesson Houston has learned over the years is that size isn’t everything.
“I learned from Marcus Howard,” Houston said. “He’s not one of the biggest guys but he plays hard, fast and strong. It’s not always about the size; it’s about the technique and strength. If you can get your strength and technique just as good as the next guy, you’ll be all right.”
WHERE'S LOGAN?
One of the biggest questions of the offseason still doesn’t seem to have a definitive answer.
For the past two months, Richt has said he expects junior Logan Gray to get most of his summer reps at wide receiver after Gray failed to win the starting quarterback job in spring practice. But after the first few days of drills and voluntary practices, Aaron Murray, the likely starting quarterback, said he’s still not sure what Gray’s future might hold.
“We’ve only had a week-and-a-half of workouts and only done (pass drills) twice, and he’s been back and forth,” Murray said of Gray. “So I wouldn’t say he’s favoring one or the other at this point. I guess he’s going to feel it out the first couple weeks and see what he wants to do from there.”
FINDING A HOME
Of Georgia’s new batch of linebackers, only Demetre Baker appears destined for a role in the middle.
Recent transfer Jarvis Jones said he will open practices at outside linebacker, but could switch down the road. Houston said that Stripling, Brandon Burrows and Dexter Morant – all three of whom played defensive end in high school – are also working at outside linebacker this summer.
“I think Baker is at inside right now,” Houston said. Pretty much the rest of them are at outside.”
Freshman Alec Ogletree, Georgia’s highest-rated recruit, might also have a future at linebacker, but for now he’s working at safety, Boykin said.
“I saw him break out up a pass the other day, and just seeing that I’ll know he’ll be able to compete with the speed,” Boykin said. “As he learns the technique I think he’ll be fine.”
After a stellar sophomore campaign in which Boykin in which he picked off three passes and returned three kickoffs for touchdowns, he’s not just looking to surpass those numbers. Boykin wants to obliterate them.
“My goal is, I’m trying to get to 10 picks this year,” Boykin said. “That’s a pretty high goal, but if I get anywhere near it, I think that’s pretty good. Kick return I want to get at least three or four (touchdowns). I’m setting it pretty high and we’ll see what happens.”
Only three players in Georgia history have intercepted at least 10 passes in a season – Ben Smith was the last in 1989 – so Boykin knows he’s aiming high. And realistically, he said, there probably won’t be enough opportunities for him to top that mark if he starts the season on a hot streak.
“I figure by the time I get about five or six they’ll probably stop throwing my way,” Boykin said.
But even while he doubts he’ll attain his lofty goal, he thinks the possibility remains. After all, he made huge strides in his first season as a starter a year ago, despite a lot of learning on the fly.
This time around Boykin will be armed with a much better understanding of what being a shut-down cornerback requires in the SEC, and a defensive philosophy under new secondary coach Scott Lakatos that allows him to flourish.
“I feel like I could have done a lot more last year because I wasn’t as knowledgeable as I feel like I am now just because I was kind of learning on the go being the newcomer to the secondary,” Boykin said. “(This year) it’s a lot more man-to-man at the corners, not as much zone. (Lakatos) is basically saying that my guy is better than your guy, and we’re going to see what happens. He’s basically putting you out there on that island, and you just have to have confidence in yourself.”
FINALLY FEELING GOOD
When Josh Davis hit the weight room in January, it had been nearly a year since he had done any serious weight training. Two offseason shoulder surgeries following the 2008 season kept him from lifting weights, and when he was finally recovered last fall, the season was already in full swing and there was little time to catch up.
“I really didn’t get to touch a weight until about (fall) camp,” Davis said of his rehabilitation last summer. “Then it was still like lifts, and I couldn’t do much weight because the surgeries hurt.”
Despite the setbacks, Davis stepped into the starting lineup on Georgia’s offensive line midway through the season, and the Bulldogs’ running game was instantly transformed. Georgia averaged more than 100 yards more on the ground per game after Davis was inserted at right tackle, and the offense finally began to click.
Now firmly established as a cornerstone on the Bulldogs’ line, Davis is bulking up and feeling good for the first time in nearly two years. He’s added nearly 20 pounds to his frame from his playing weight of about 290 last year, and the shoulder feels as good as new.
“I’m absolutely 100 times better than last year because last year I had shoulder surgeries,” Davis said. “I feel much better, my body feels healthy and I feel stronger.”
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
T.J. Stripling arrived at Georgia at about 220 pounds, a weight head coach Mark Richt said likely won’t cut it at outside linebacker over the long haul. But while Stripling, one of Georgia’s top recruits in the class of 2010, might have some work to do to get physically ready for the SEC, fellow linebacker Justin Houston said adding weight just takes time.
“I came in weighing at 218 so I wasn’t the biggest guy,” said Houston, who now checks in at a robust 255. “I came in pretty small. I think he’s at least 220, so he actually weighs more than me coming in.”
Of course, the other lesson Houston has learned over the years is that size isn’t everything.
“I learned from Marcus Howard,” Houston said. “He’s not one of the biggest guys but he plays hard, fast and strong. It’s not always about the size; it’s about the technique and strength. If you can get your strength and technique just as good as the next guy, you’ll be all right.”
WHERE'S LOGAN?
One of the biggest questions of the offseason still doesn’t seem to have a definitive answer.
For the past two months, Richt has said he expects junior Logan Gray to get most of his summer reps at wide receiver after Gray failed to win the starting quarterback job in spring practice. But after the first few days of drills and voluntary practices, Aaron Murray, the likely starting quarterback, said he’s still not sure what Gray’s future might hold.
“We’ve only had a week-and-a-half of workouts and only done (pass drills) twice, and he’s been back and forth,” Murray said of Gray. “So I wouldn’t say he’s favoring one or the other at this point. I guess he’s going to feel it out the first couple weeks and see what he wants to do from there.”
FINDING A HOME
Of Georgia’s new batch of linebackers, only Demetre Baker appears destined for a role in the middle.
Recent transfer Jarvis Jones said he will open practices at outside linebacker, but could switch down the road. Houston said that Stripling, Brandon Burrows and Dexter Morant – all three of whom played defensive end in high school – are also working at outside linebacker this summer.
“I think Baker is at inside right now,” Houston said. Pretty much the rest of them are at outside.”
Freshman Alec Ogletree, Georgia’s highest-rated recruit, might also have a future at linebacker, but for now he’s working at safety, Boykin said.
“I saw him break out up a pass the other day, and just seeing that I’ll know he’ll be able to compete with the speed,” Boykin said. “As he learns the technique I think he’ll be fine.”
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Notes: Competition Is Key This Spring
By FLETCHER PAGE
(*Check out Fletcher's story on the progress Georgia's 3-4 defense is making HERE.)
The theme of spring practice should be dubbed "competition."
Occupying most of the headlines coming into spring, a three-way quarterback battle figured to be the most exciting competition. However popular the quarterback race, Logan Gray, Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger aren’t the only Bulldogs dealing with competition.
“It’s definitely a big competition,” said tight end Orson Charles. “It’s competition everywhere. I mean, how am I going to get better if I don’t have a competition? How is Aaron going to get better without Zach and Logan? It’s competition everywhere, and that’s how you get better.”
The competition for playing time has noticeably picked up on the defensive side of the ball. Last spring, the defense was predominately upperclassmen laden, with most starting spots locked up early.
That’s not the case this year, not with defensive coordinator Todd Grantham keeping players on their toes. Grantham has ratcheted up the competition by implementing the new 3-4 defense. No player has been guaranteed playing time, and no starting spot announced.
“It’s great because it brings a lot out of players, knowing that you might not be the starter,” said safety Nick Williams. “Nobody has a starting job. You can get kind of content when you know you’re going to be playing as a starter on Saturday nights, so you don’t practice as hard.”
The winner amid all this competition? The Georgia team as whole, since players say practice has been intense, with each man bringing his best every day.
“Everybody is out there just flying around,” Williams said. “And I like how the coaches are doing it. They haven’t set on who is starting at each position. They have swapped everybody out, keep everybody wondering really. No one knows, so you have to come out every day with your best.”
HOUSTON ROUNDS OUT HIS GAME
Justin Houston says he’s in a familiar position.
Two years ago, while redshirting during his freshman season, Houston was moved to outside linebacker. He worked in pass coverage, briefly learning how to do more than just rush the quarterback.
He was moved back to defensive end, his high school position, and enjoyed success the past two seasons, only having to pin his ears back and get to the quarterback.
Now in Grantham’s new 3-4 scheme, Houston finds himself changing positions again. He’s back at outside linebacker, and while he still gets to rush the quarterback on most occasions, he’s trying to complete his game at the new position.
“The main focus right now, what I’m trying to do, is drop back into coverage,” Houston said. “I pretty much, in pass rushing I’ve still got some moves to work on, but my main focus right now is learning how to drop into coverage.”
Houston says the time spent at outside linebacker, even though in the 4-3 scheme, helped prepare him for his current role.
“I’m starting to get back in the groove of things, and starting to get back used to it,” he said.
SHAKE-UP AT OLB
Houston and Cornelius Washington are the projected starters at outside linebacker, but there have been some moves made behind the tandem on the depth chart.
Grantham announced the changes Tuesday.
“We moved Reubon Faloughi to Sam [strongside], and Montez Robinson to Will [weakside],” Grantham said. “So Reubon is now behind Cornelius and Montez is behind Justin. I thought that went really well. I was pleased thought, I really was.”
Faloughi and Robinson, as well as Washington, made the switch from defensive end to outside linebacker, just like Houston.
“I think we’re all in the same position,” Houston said. “I think as defensive ends, you learn how to pass rush, but you don’t learn how to drop in coverage. I think everybody is in the same shoes, learning how to drop into coverage.”
GRANTHAM SETTLING IN
Moving from the NFL back to the college coaching ranks could be considered a culture shock.
Professional players already have a foundation of knowledge and understanding. College coaches get players basically starting at square one.
Grantham shrugs off the notion of a culture shock, but says he has made some adjustments in his coaching approach.
“The level of teaching is different,” he said. “You’re taking guys that are really raw, and you’re teaching them quite a bit of stuff. So you’ve got to make you’re your mechanics, and methods of teaching are one that they can understand, and that they can improve. It’s a little but slower process probably from that standpoint. But at the same time, I still think we’ll get there. It just takes time.”
So far, Grantham’s message, and methods for delivering it, has worked.
“Coach Grantham is a good coach,” said defensive end DeAngelo Tyson. “He gives me advice how to play, and how to make me a better person at the position. So, I think he is a good coach.”
(*Check out Fletcher's story on the progress Georgia's 3-4 defense is making HERE.)
The theme of spring practice should be dubbed "competition."
Occupying most of the headlines coming into spring, a three-way quarterback battle figured to be the most exciting competition. However popular the quarterback race, Logan Gray, Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger aren’t the only Bulldogs dealing with competition.
“It’s definitely a big competition,” said tight end Orson Charles. “It’s competition everywhere. I mean, how am I going to get better if I don’t have a competition? How is Aaron going to get better without Zach and Logan? It’s competition everywhere, and that’s how you get better.”
The competition for playing time has noticeably picked up on the defensive side of the ball. Last spring, the defense was predominately upperclassmen laden, with most starting spots locked up early.
That’s not the case this year, not with defensive coordinator Todd Grantham keeping players on their toes. Grantham has ratcheted up the competition by implementing the new 3-4 defense. No player has been guaranteed playing time, and no starting spot announced.
“It’s great because it brings a lot out of players, knowing that you might not be the starter,” said safety Nick Williams. “Nobody has a starting job. You can get kind of content when you know you’re going to be playing as a starter on Saturday nights, so you don’t practice as hard.”
The winner amid all this competition? The Georgia team as whole, since players say practice has been intense, with each man bringing his best every day.
“Everybody is out there just flying around,” Williams said. “And I like how the coaches are doing it. They haven’t set on who is starting at each position. They have swapped everybody out, keep everybody wondering really. No one knows, so you have to come out every day with your best.”
HOUSTON ROUNDS OUT HIS GAME
Justin Houston says he’s in a familiar position.
Two years ago, while redshirting during his freshman season, Houston was moved to outside linebacker. He worked in pass coverage, briefly learning how to do more than just rush the quarterback.
He was moved back to defensive end, his high school position, and enjoyed success the past two seasons, only having to pin his ears back and get to the quarterback.
Now in Grantham’s new 3-4 scheme, Houston finds himself changing positions again. He’s back at outside linebacker, and while he still gets to rush the quarterback on most occasions, he’s trying to complete his game at the new position.
“The main focus right now, what I’m trying to do, is drop back into coverage,” Houston said. “I pretty much, in pass rushing I’ve still got some moves to work on, but my main focus right now is learning how to drop into coverage.”
Houston says the time spent at outside linebacker, even though in the 4-3 scheme, helped prepare him for his current role.
“I’m starting to get back in the groove of things, and starting to get back used to it,” he said.
SHAKE-UP AT OLB
Houston and Cornelius Washington are the projected starters at outside linebacker, but there have been some moves made behind the tandem on the depth chart.
Grantham announced the changes Tuesday.
“We moved Reubon Faloughi to Sam [strongside], and Montez Robinson to Will [weakside],” Grantham said. “So Reubon is now behind Cornelius and Montez is behind Justin. I thought that went really well. I was pleased thought, I really was.”
Faloughi and Robinson, as well as Washington, made the switch from defensive end to outside linebacker, just like Houston.
“I think we’re all in the same position,” Houston said. “I think as defensive ends, you learn how to pass rush, but you don’t learn how to drop in coverage. I think everybody is in the same shoes, learning how to drop into coverage.”
GRANTHAM SETTLING IN
Moving from the NFL back to the college coaching ranks could be considered a culture shock.
Professional players already have a foundation of knowledge and understanding. College coaches get players basically starting at square one.
Grantham shrugs off the notion of a culture shock, but says he has made some adjustments in his coaching approach.
“The level of teaching is different,” he said. “You’re taking guys that are really raw, and you’re teaching them quite a bit of stuff. So you’ve got to make you’re your mechanics, and methods of teaching are one that they can understand, and that they can improve. It’s a little but slower process probably from that standpoint. But at the same time, I still think we’ll get there. It just takes time.”
So far, Grantham’s message, and methods for delivering it, has worked.
“Coach Grantham is a good coach,” said defensive end DeAngelo Tyson. “He gives me advice how to play, and how to make me a better person at the position. So, I think he is a good coach.”
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Notes: Outside Look at Inside Linebacker
It’s safe to say Justin Houston is excited about his new role on Georgia’s defense. His job – mainly crushing a few quarterbacks – won’t change much, but he’s loving the new setting of the 3-4 defense, where he moves to outside linebacker from defensive end.
“It was a good experience to be out there learning what we’ve got to work on,” Houston said of the Bulldogs’ first taste of the new scheme last week. “I just have to drop back (into coverage) every now and then. I like to drop back. I get tired of just banging all the time.”
Houston admitted he wasn’t always fully aware of where he was supposed to be or what he was supposed to do during Day 1 of practice, but he thinks he’ll pick up the basics pretty quickly. His teammates playing inside linebacker, however, won’t have it quite so easy.
“The inside guy has a lot to learn,” Houston said. “The outside guys, to me it’s simple. I’m picking it up pretty fast. But the inside guys, Akeem Dent and Darryl Gamble, we were talking about it coming off the field that the things they have to learn, they’ve got a long ways to go.”
New defensive coordinator Todd Grantham will be coaching the outside linebackers and said their primary role is still to rush the quarterback. The inside linebackers, however, will have an increased presence in the running game, will be required to work in coverage and the Mike linebacker position will essentially be the quarterback of the defense.
“It’ll mean more communication, especially from my part,” said Gamble, a senior who played middle linebacker for much of the past two seasons. “You’ve got to be able to see more, get the line and even the DBs adjusted to what’s going on in front of us.”
It’s no surprise then that the two top contenders for the job are Georgia’s most veteran linebackers – Gamble and Dent.
“Me and him, we’ve got a lot of reps under our belt, more than a lot of other guys on the defense,” Gamble said. “So it’ll be better off hearing it from us than hearing from somebody else that doesn’t know a lot about what’s going on on Saturdays.”
ON THE MOVE
Nick Williams arrived at Georgia as a safety. Midway through his freshman season, he moved to linebacker. When injuries disrupted the depth chart at safety last spring, he moved back to safety. By the time the season started, however, he was a linebacker once again. And now, as spring begins for Georgia in 2010, Williams is once again on the move – and he couldn’t be happier.
“I was excited when I heard I was back at safety,” Williams said. “I liked linebacker, but I wasn’t big enough. I knew that, but I was going to play it regardless. So when Coach (Mark Richt) told me I was going back to safety, and this was my permanent spot, I’m like, ‘That’s good.’ It wasn’t hard switching back.”
Williams said he needs to drop a few pounds before the season starts – he’s at about 220 now – but beyond that, safety feels like home.
Even better than the new position, however, is the new style, Williams said. In Grantham’s new defense, the safeties are given a lot more room to run and make plays, and that’s exactly what Williams wants to do.
“This is just a fun defense to play in,” he said. “You’re running around making plays. You’re not just assigned to one gap. You’re making plays. You never know who’s blitzing, the safeties are always running and moving around. It’s fun.”
Of course, before Williams can make too many plays, he needs to land a starting job. Both of last year’s starters are gone, which leaves the competition this spring tight between Bacarri Rambo – last year’s top backup – junior college transfer Jakar Hamilton, veteran Quintin Banks and Williams.
During Georgia’s first practice, Williams said he and Hamilton split most of the first-team reps, but said the other safety position really isn’t up for grabs.
“I see it as one open position because Rambo’s got his locked,” Williams said. “He’s ready to go.”
ANY WAY YOU WANT IT
Branden Smith had plenty of highlight moments in his freshman campaign, but he didn’t exactly secure his place in the pecking order of the defensive backfield. In fact, much of Smith’s impact in 2009 was felt on the offensive side of the football.
That should change a bit this season as Smith battles to land the starting job at cornerback opposite Brandon Boykin, but his playing time on offense last year didn’t necessarily maximize his study time for his current job.
“I wish I could have played defense a little more last year, but on the other hand, I’m just here to help the team win, that’s all,” Smith said.
Smith finished last season with just 14 tackles and two pass break-ups, playing in a back-up role on defense, generally in nickel coverages.
On offense, Smith met with a bit more success – rushing for 208 yards and two touchdowns on the season. He handled kick returns, too, but has occasional problems hanging onto the football.
This spring, Smith said he plans to focus on developing his skills at corner and said he hasn’t spoken with new defensive backs coach Scott Lakatos about playing offense or special teams, too. Still, the idea of being an all-purpose contributor remains of keen interest for Smith.
“I like playing both ways, but my main focus is just winning,” Smith said. “If I had to play offense the rest of the season to help the team win, that’s what I’d have to do.”
For now, however, Smith's role is to be the student, and he's enjoying the early lessons from his new coach.
“Coach Lakatos is real different from (former) Coach (Willie) Martinez. Both of them have their ways, just teaching different stuff," Smith said. "Now we’ve got to learn the things (Lakatos) is teaching us, and … his teaching style is way different. Coach Lakatos, he sits down and shows us how to do things. He is a teacher, really.”
HEAD OF THE CLASS
Kris Durham is thrilled to be suiting up this spring in order to finish out his Georgia career on a high note. But it's not just on the field.
Durham gets decked out for his other full-time gig each day this semester, too. He's student teaching a history class at Oconee County Middle School to finish up his degree, and while he's in charge of the classroom, he said he's learned a few lessons along the way.
“It’s definitely different," said Durham, who plans to begin grad school at UGA this summer. "I used to think I was getting away with a lot of stuff, but teachers see more than you think they do.”
Each weekday from 7:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., Durham is in the classroom, with recent lectures focusing on civil rights, Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott.
Of course, before he could get to teaching, he had to get past the excitement among his students that they would be learning from a Georgia football player.
Durham didn't reveal his other job, but his students had no trouble unveiling his true identity.
“They figured that out after about the first 20 minutes," Durham said. "I had to get that out of the way real quick and make sure they saw me as not just a football player, but I’m here to help you guys learn and help educate.”
As much as Durham is looking forward to getting back on the football field after missing all of last season with a shoulder injury, his off-field work is proving every bit as rewarding.
“I’ve been blessed by having so many good teachers and coaches, I just feel like that’s how I’ve got to pay it forward,” he said. "I get to enjoy the youth of America. I get to have my influence on them. It’s just a good way to give back.”
WHAT THE OFFENSE SEES
Not sure if I had posted this before, but here's Mike Bobo's take on the 3-4 defense:
“I think the big difficulty in the 3-4 is you have the outside backers that are backers/rush guys. As an offense, it’s hard to account – do I account for those guys as outside guys as a D lineman or as a linebacker? You’re worried about mismatches and blocking. I still want my left tackle to block that guy, but in that front, my fullback or my back might have to block that outside backer, and that’s a mismatch. So that’s where it causes some confusion for offenses is identifying personnel and trying to get the right matchup on those guys. In a 3-4, you can disguise and you don’t know where they’re coming from. You create mismatches, get to the quarterback and cause confusion.”
“It was a good experience to be out there learning what we’ve got to work on,” Houston said of the Bulldogs’ first taste of the new scheme last week. “I just have to drop back (into coverage) every now and then. I like to drop back. I get tired of just banging all the time.”
Houston admitted he wasn’t always fully aware of where he was supposed to be or what he was supposed to do during Day 1 of practice, but he thinks he’ll pick up the basics pretty quickly. His teammates playing inside linebacker, however, won’t have it quite so easy.
“The inside guy has a lot to learn,” Houston said. “The outside guys, to me it’s simple. I’m picking it up pretty fast. But the inside guys, Akeem Dent and Darryl Gamble, we were talking about it coming off the field that the things they have to learn, they’ve got a long ways to go.”
New defensive coordinator Todd Grantham will be coaching the outside linebackers and said their primary role is still to rush the quarterback. The inside linebackers, however, will have an increased presence in the running game, will be required to work in coverage and the Mike linebacker position will essentially be the quarterback of the defense.
“It’ll mean more communication, especially from my part,” said Gamble, a senior who played middle linebacker for much of the past two seasons. “You’ve got to be able to see more, get the line and even the DBs adjusted to what’s going on in front of us.”
It’s no surprise then that the two top contenders for the job are Georgia’s most veteran linebackers – Gamble and Dent.
“Me and him, we’ve got a lot of reps under our belt, more than a lot of other guys on the defense,” Gamble said. “So it’ll be better off hearing it from us than hearing from somebody else that doesn’t know a lot about what’s going on on Saturdays.”
ON THE MOVE
Nick Williams arrived at Georgia as a safety. Midway through his freshman season, he moved to linebacker. When injuries disrupted the depth chart at safety last spring, he moved back to safety. By the time the season started, however, he was a linebacker once again. And now, as spring begins for Georgia in 2010, Williams is once again on the move – and he couldn’t be happier.
“I was excited when I heard I was back at safety,” Williams said. “I liked linebacker, but I wasn’t big enough. I knew that, but I was going to play it regardless. So when Coach (Mark Richt) told me I was going back to safety, and this was my permanent spot, I’m like, ‘That’s good.’ It wasn’t hard switching back.”
Williams said he needs to drop a few pounds before the season starts – he’s at about 220 now – but beyond that, safety feels like home.
Even better than the new position, however, is the new style, Williams said. In Grantham’s new defense, the safeties are given a lot more room to run and make plays, and that’s exactly what Williams wants to do.
“This is just a fun defense to play in,” he said. “You’re running around making plays. You’re not just assigned to one gap. You’re making plays. You never know who’s blitzing, the safeties are always running and moving around. It’s fun.”
Of course, before Williams can make too many plays, he needs to land a starting job. Both of last year’s starters are gone, which leaves the competition this spring tight between Bacarri Rambo – last year’s top backup – junior college transfer Jakar Hamilton, veteran Quintin Banks and Williams.
During Georgia’s first practice, Williams said he and Hamilton split most of the first-team reps, but said the other safety position really isn’t up for grabs.
“I see it as one open position because Rambo’s got his locked,” Williams said. “He’s ready to go.”
ANY WAY YOU WANT IT
Branden Smith had plenty of highlight moments in his freshman campaign, but he didn’t exactly secure his place in the pecking order of the defensive backfield. In fact, much of Smith’s impact in 2009 was felt on the offensive side of the football.
That should change a bit this season as Smith battles to land the starting job at cornerback opposite Brandon Boykin, but his playing time on offense last year didn’t necessarily maximize his study time for his current job.
“I wish I could have played defense a little more last year, but on the other hand, I’m just here to help the team win, that’s all,” Smith said.
Smith finished last season with just 14 tackles and two pass break-ups, playing in a back-up role on defense, generally in nickel coverages.
On offense, Smith met with a bit more success – rushing for 208 yards and two touchdowns on the season. He handled kick returns, too, but has occasional problems hanging onto the football.
This spring, Smith said he plans to focus on developing his skills at corner and said he hasn’t spoken with new defensive backs coach Scott Lakatos about playing offense or special teams, too. Still, the idea of being an all-purpose contributor remains of keen interest for Smith.
“I like playing both ways, but my main focus is just winning,” Smith said. “If I had to play offense the rest of the season to help the team win, that’s what I’d have to do.”
For now, however, Smith's role is to be the student, and he's enjoying the early lessons from his new coach.
“Coach Lakatos is real different from (former) Coach (Willie) Martinez. Both of them have their ways, just teaching different stuff," Smith said. "Now we’ve got to learn the things (Lakatos) is teaching us, and … his teaching style is way different. Coach Lakatos, he sits down and shows us how to do things. He is a teacher, really.”
HEAD OF THE CLASS
Kris Durham is thrilled to be suiting up this spring in order to finish out his Georgia career on a high note. But it's not just on the field.
Durham gets decked out for his other full-time gig each day this semester, too. He's student teaching a history class at Oconee County Middle School to finish up his degree, and while he's in charge of the classroom, he said he's learned a few lessons along the way.
“It’s definitely different," said Durham, who plans to begin grad school at UGA this summer. "I used to think I was getting away with a lot of stuff, but teachers see more than you think they do.”
Each weekday from 7:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., Durham is in the classroom, with recent lectures focusing on civil rights, Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott.
Of course, before he could get to teaching, he had to get past the excitement among his students that they would be learning from a Georgia football player.
Durham didn't reveal his other job, but his students had no trouble unveiling his true identity.
“They figured that out after about the first 20 minutes," Durham said. "I had to get that out of the way real quick and make sure they saw me as not just a football player, but I’m here to help you guys learn and help educate.”
As much as Durham is looking forward to getting back on the football field after missing all of last season with a shoulder injury, his off-field work is proving every bit as rewarding.
“I’ve been blessed by having so many good teachers and coaches, I just feel like that’s how I’ve got to pay it forward,” he said. "I get to enjoy the youth of America. I get to have my influence on them. It’s just a good way to give back.”
WHAT THE OFFENSE SEES
Not sure if I had posted this before, but here's Mike Bobo's take on the 3-4 defense:
“I think the big difficulty in the 3-4 is you have the outside backers that are backers/rush guys. As an offense, it’s hard to account – do I account for those guys as outside guys as a D lineman or as a linebacker? You’re worried about mismatches and blocking. I still want my left tackle to block that guy, but in that front, my fullback or my back might have to block that outside backer, and that’s a mismatch. So that’s where it causes some confusion for offenses is identifying personnel and trying to get the right matchup on those guys. In a 3-4, you can disguise and you don’t know where they’re coming from. You create mismatches, get to the quarterback and cause confusion.”
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Practice Notes: Rambo Happy to Be Back
Growing up, one of Bacarri Rambo’s idols was a local football player named Brandon Register, who went on to play safety at UAB. Register was ahead of Rambo at Seminole County and had a reputation as being one of the hardest hitters in the state. It was a style Rambo always hoped to emulate.
“When I was little, I used to always look up to the older guys, especially him,” Rambo said. “They used to be like, ‘That guy hits so hard, he knocks himself out out there.’ I was like, ‘Man, I want to try that one day.’”
Rambo did just that against Auburn last month, breaking up a reception late in the fourth quarter with a bone-crunching hit and knocking himself unconscious in the process.
The result – beyond the game-saving pass break-up – was a concussion that cost him the final two games of the regular season and the realization that perhaps knocking himself out making a tackle was a rather silly objective for a young football player.
“I didn’t know it was going to come against Auburn,” Rambo said. “I thought I’d do it in high school or something. And I don’t want that to happen anymore. That was a bad experience.”
Rambo remembers little of the play, but he said he’s watched replays on television several times since it happened.
“I watch it every time it comes on,” he said. “People will call me and say the Auburn game’s on. I turn to it and I’m like, ‘I still don’t remember that play. What happened?’ It’s just crazy, really.”
When Rambo checked out of the hospital the next day, he found 150 friend requests on his Facebook page, about 50 emails from well-wishers and more than 30 missed calls from friends and family. The support was incredible, he said.
But his recovery really wasn’t particularly painful. Rambo experienced headaches for about two weeks after the hit, which is what kept him sidelined against Kentucky and Georgia Tech. But it was the time away from football that really hurt.
“I wasn’t dizzy or sensitive to lights and noises, but I was having headaches,” he said. “After Georgia Tech week, my headaches went away and I was ready to play.”
Rambo said he has no lingering symptoms of the concussion and beginning Wednesday he was a full participant in practice – no green non-contact jerseys and no concerns about the injury. He’s simply happy to be back to work.
“It’s been a month since I played football and I’m anxious to get back out there and do my thing and play football with the fellas,” Rambo said. “I’m going to go out there and do all I can to support the seniors and this team.”
IN ROD WE TRUST
Georgia may be down three defensive coaches after Willie Martinez, Jon Fabris and John Jancek were dismissed earlier this month, but the defensive ends may have picked up a de facto assistant in the meantime.
Senior Rod Battle is out for the season with a knee injury and is scheduled to graduate Friday, but in the meantime he’s spending his final few weeks in Athens helping his teammates prepare for their bowl game against Texas A&M, picking up right where Fabris left off.
“Rod has always been a guy with great technique, so I think it’s real easy for him to teach us,” defensive end Justin Houston said.
NO RASH DECISIONS
Linebacker Darryl Gamble said his teammates haven’t spent much time discussing the potential replacements for Martinez at defensive coordinator, but he wouldn’t be surprised if he gets his chance to weigh in on the final decision before it’s made.
“Coach (Mark) Richt is pretty open, and I think he’ll bring in a couple older guys, a few other upperclassmen, to see what we think,” Gamble said. “He always says it’s the seniors’ team.”
Richt said Wednesday that he was in no rush to make a hire, but expected a decision would be made by the first week in January. That’s fine with Gamble – even if he doesn’t get to add his two cents on who the eventual hire is.
“If he makes his decision, we’re behind him 100 percent, but I think he’ll try to get a little feedback from us before he makes his decision,” Gamble said.
NOT FEELING THE PRESSURE
On paper, it looks like an ugly mismatch for the Bulldogs. Georgia’s defense is shorthanded, preparing for the bowl without three defensive coaches. Texas A&M’s offense is dangerous, ranked first in the Big 12 and fifth nationally in total offense.
That might be a sign of a shootout, but offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said he’s not worrying about keeping pace with a potentially high-flying Aggies offense. After all, he said, expectations rarely match reality.
“Every time you think it’s going to be low-scoring, it ends up being a shootout, and every time you think it’s going to be a shootout, it ends up being low-scoring,” Bobo said. “We just have to prepare for what they do, get our guys ready to play and execute on the 28th when we play them.”
“When I was little, I used to always look up to the older guys, especially him,” Rambo said. “They used to be like, ‘That guy hits so hard, he knocks himself out out there.’ I was like, ‘Man, I want to try that one day.’”
Rambo did just that against Auburn last month, breaking up a reception late in the fourth quarter with a bone-crunching hit and knocking himself unconscious in the process.
The result – beyond the game-saving pass break-up – was a concussion that cost him the final two games of the regular season and the realization that perhaps knocking himself out making a tackle was a rather silly objective for a young football player.
“I didn’t know it was going to come against Auburn,” Rambo said. “I thought I’d do it in high school or something. And I don’t want that to happen anymore. That was a bad experience.”
Rambo remembers little of the play, but he said he’s watched replays on television several times since it happened.
“I watch it every time it comes on,” he said. “People will call me and say the Auburn game’s on. I turn to it and I’m like, ‘I still don’t remember that play. What happened?’ It’s just crazy, really.”
When Rambo checked out of the hospital the next day, he found 150 friend requests on his Facebook page, about 50 emails from well-wishers and more than 30 missed calls from friends and family. The support was incredible, he said.
But his recovery really wasn’t particularly painful. Rambo experienced headaches for about two weeks after the hit, which is what kept him sidelined against Kentucky and Georgia Tech. But it was the time away from football that really hurt.
“I wasn’t dizzy or sensitive to lights and noises, but I was having headaches,” he said. “After Georgia Tech week, my headaches went away and I was ready to play.”
Rambo said he has no lingering symptoms of the concussion and beginning Wednesday he was a full participant in practice – no green non-contact jerseys and no concerns about the injury. He’s simply happy to be back to work.
“It’s been a month since I played football and I’m anxious to get back out there and do my thing and play football with the fellas,” Rambo said. “I’m going to go out there and do all I can to support the seniors and this team.”
IN ROD WE TRUST
Georgia may be down three defensive coaches after Willie Martinez, Jon Fabris and John Jancek were dismissed earlier this month, but the defensive ends may have picked up a de facto assistant in the meantime.
Senior Rod Battle is out for the season with a knee injury and is scheduled to graduate Friday, but in the meantime he’s spending his final few weeks in Athens helping his teammates prepare for their bowl game against Texas A&M, picking up right where Fabris left off.
“Rod has always been a guy with great technique, so I think it’s real easy for him to teach us,” defensive end Justin Houston said.
NO RASH DECISIONS
Linebacker Darryl Gamble said his teammates haven’t spent much time discussing the potential replacements for Martinez at defensive coordinator, but he wouldn’t be surprised if he gets his chance to weigh in on the final decision before it’s made.
“Coach (Mark) Richt is pretty open, and I think he’ll bring in a couple older guys, a few other upperclassmen, to see what we think,” Gamble said. “He always says it’s the seniors’ team.”
Richt said Wednesday that he was in no rush to make a hire, but expected a decision would be made by the first week in January. That’s fine with Gamble – even if he doesn’t get to add his two cents on who the eventual hire is.
“If he makes his decision, we’re behind him 100 percent, but I think he’ll try to get a little feedback from us before he makes his decision,” Gamble said.
NOT FEELING THE PRESSURE
On paper, it looks like an ugly mismatch for the Bulldogs. Georgia’s defense is shorthanded, preparing for the bowl without three defensive coaches. Texas A&M’s offense is dangerous, ranked first in the Big 12 and fifth nationally in total offense.
That might be a sign of a shootout, but offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said he’s not worrying about keeping pace with a potentially high-flying Aggies offense. After all, he said, expectations rarely match reality.
“Every time you think it’s going to be low-scoring, it ends up being a shootout, and every time you think it’s going to be a shootout, it ends up being low-scoring,” Bobo said. “We just have to prepare for what they do, get our guys ready to play and execute on the 28th when we play them.”
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Practice Notes: Robinson Happy to Get His Chance
At first, the award was little more than a nice sign of recognition following a season of hard work. But when Montez Robinson told his foster father he won the SEC’s defensive lineman of the week honors after a two-sack performance against Tennessee Tech, the weight of the award suddenly hit home.
“My dad, he was crying because he was just overwhelmed,” Robinson said. “Everybody was just congratulating me, but I was just like, it’s just an award. But it really does mean something to me, and it obviously means a lot to other people in their eyes.”
Robinson isn’t the first Georgia player to win the award this season, but when he took notice of the other Bulldogs to earn the honor, it put into perspective just how far he had come in a short period of time.
“The more and more I think about it, I see how prestigious it is,” Robinson said. “Geno Atkins and Justin (Houston) have been in the game a couple of years, and I get it as a freshman. I’m just thinking that’s pretty good.”
Robinson finished the game with five tackles – 2.5 for a loss – in his first extended action of the season. He said he hoped the performance had earned him more playing time going forward, but at the very least, it has caught the eye of some of his teammates.
“He has worked hard, earned the coaches trust and finally got that playing time,” linebacker Rennie Curran said. “I was in the same position when I came in my freshman year. It took me a little while for the light to come on and for me to earn the trust of my teammates and my coaches, but I always believed in myself and I feel like he is the same way. He believes in his ability and what he can do, and we need all the player makers that we can get on defense, especially at defensive end.”
JUMP AND SHOUT
Before last week’s game, Mark Richt decided any player flagged for a penalty would leave the game for the remainder of that series. As it turned out, he had to pull a player from action 11 times.
Six times an offensive lineman was flagged for a false start, and quarterback Joe Cox said the infractions should have gone the other way.
Tennessee Tech’s defensive linemen were routinely mimicking Cox’s cadence at the line of scrimmage – an infraction according to NCAA rules – causing Georgia’s linemen to flinch.
“You could see the guy right in front of Ben Jones in a three point stance, you could see him (flinch) and yell something, and that's when the whole line moves,” Cox said. “He said, ‘Set, go.’ I remember that. And we all pointed right at him, looking at the referee saying, 'He's yelling out the snap count.'"
For whatever reason, the referees didn’t take notice, but Georgia line coach Stacy Searels did. This week in practice, Searels has been doing his best to recreate the situation, hoping to keep Georgia’s linemen steady, even if the other team offers a distraction.
“We’ll focus on it more in practice because they’re not the only team that shifts and has somebody say, ‘Move,’ when they shift,” Cox said. “Coach Searels made it a point (in practice) that every single time we ran a play that he would just start yelling stuff while I was in the middle of my snap count, trying to see if anybody would jump, and nobody did.”
For his part, Richt said he planned to continue pulling players from the game when they are flagged for a penalty, but he may adjust his mandate that they sit the remainder of the series.
Cox said it was difficult to keep a lot of continuity on the line when players were being substituted so often, and left tackle Clint Boling said the rule took its toll on the offensive line.
“It was definitely a little bit different, but Coach Richt is just trying to clean things up and make sure we play a bit more disciplined,” Boling said. “I’m not really sure whether it slows guys down or what it does, but it does make you think a little bit that you want to play hard, but at the same time you don’t want to get any penalties.”
NO PROMISES FOR GRAY
After Richt announced Cox would remain his starting quarterback last week, he also promised a series early in the game for backup Logan Gray. As it turned out, it took six drives before Gray got his taste of action, and that ended with an interception.
Richt said he still had confidence in Gray, but against a more formidable opponent this week, there won’t be any further assurances of playing time for the sophomore quarterback.
“I wouldn’t sit here and promise it right now publicly, although we would like to continue to help him grow as a quarterback,” Richt said. “I wouldn’t say going into this game we are going to nail it down, at least not publicly.”
HE’S GOT WHEELS
Cox admits he won’t be winning any foot races in the near future, and for the season, the quarterback has just 13 rushing attempts that didn’t end in sacks.
“I’m definitely not a dual-threat guy,” he said.
But against Tennessee Tech, Cox did pick up eight yards on a nifty run that, while not exactly wowing fans with his speed, managed to catch the defense off guard. Not coincidentally, he said, it was also his first game without an interception this season, and Cox hopes that making a few more plays with his legs can keep that trend going.
“I probably should have (run) it more,” Cox said. “That’s one thing I said last week is, if I don’t like how it looks, I’m just going to take off and run. So I’ll probably end up doing that more but just make sure I take care of the ball.”
NO REGRETS ON BROWN
Richt decided before the season began that freshman receiver Marlon Brown would see action this year, and by the second week of the season, Brown had indeed taken reps on offense.
But in the seven games since, Brown’s playing time hasn’t increased much, and even against an overmatched Tennessee Tech team last week, the freshman saw little action and wasn’t targeted on a single pass.
Despite Brown’s minimal role, however, Richt said that the decision not to redshirt him has paid dividends.
“He is absolutely improving as a route-runner, as a ball-catcher, a blocker. He’s understanding what we’re doing much better,” Richt said. “He’s so much further ahead right now than he would have been hanging around on the scout team. We think he’s going to be making a big impact sooner than later. I don’t regret that right now.”
FEELING BETTER
Richt said defensive end Justin Houston was expected to return to action this week after sitting out against Tennessee Tech with an elbow injury.
Receiver A.J. Green also missed last week’s game with a bruised lung, but returned to full practice Sunday and said he’s completely healthy.
“I’m 100 percent. I’m rested, I’m ready to go,” Green said. “I felt it like the first day or so, and then it just went away.”
PRACTICE IN THE RAIN*
The Georgia Bulldogs practiced for two and a half hours in a steady rain that fluctuated between a wind-blown, driving drizzle to a solid, soaking downpour on Tuesday afternoon. The final 30 minutes of the full pads workout were conducted under the heaviest rainfall of the day. By the time the team wrapped up, puddles were commonplace on the FieldTurf surface and an inch-high stream was flowing from the driveway that goes from the upper grass fields to the lower section of the facility.
"I can probably remember one or two we've had like this but not too many," Richt said. "Over the course of nine years, you're bound to have a couple. I was relatively happy with the effort. We got the work in. It wasn't the best throwing and catching but we got the work in, which was most important."
Richt said the staff decided to practice in the elements as opposed to indoors due to the nature of Tuesday's routine.
"We have about 45 minutes of special teams practice on Tuesdays," Richt said. "You just can't take that inside. Those are things you have to be out and simulate and get a good feel for. If you don't get them in today, you spend the rest of the week trying to cram in too much."
(*From UGA press release)
EXTRA POINTS
-- Richt announced the captains for Saturday's game would be quarterback Joe Cox, center Ben Jones, cornerback Prince Miller and defensive tackle Jeff Owens.
-- Jon Fabris came in for interviews following practice wearing a soaking wet, long black rain jacket and hood, which made him look quite a bit like the villain from "I Know What You Did Last Summer," but another reporter topped that, noting he resembled the Gorton's fisherman. Either way, comedy gold.
“My dad, he was crying because he was just overwhelmed,” Robinson said. “Everybody was just congratulating me, but I was just like, it’s just an award. But it really does mean something to me, and it obviously means a lot to other people in their eyes.”
Robinson isn’t the first Georgia player to win the award this season, but when he took notice of the other Bulldogs to earn the honor, it put into perspective just how far he had come in a short period of time.
“The more and more I think about it, I see how prestigious it is,” Robinson said. “Geno Atkins and Justin (Houston) have been in the game a couple of years, and I get it as a freshman. I’m just thinking that’s pretty good.”
Robinson finished the game with five tackles – 2.5 for a loss – in his first extended action of the season. He said he hoped the performance had earned him more playing time going forward, but at the very least, it has caught the eye of some of his teammates.
“He has worked hard, earned the coaches trust and finally got that playing time,” linebacker Rennie Curran said. “I was in the same position when I came in my freshman year. It took me a little while for the light to come on and for me to earn the trust of my teammates and my coaches, but I always believed in myself and I feel like he is the same way. He believes in his ability and what he can do, and we need all the player makers that we can get on defense, especially at defensive end.”
JUMP AND SHOUT
Before last week’s game, Mark Richt decided any player flagged for a penalty would leave the game for the remainder of that series. As it turned out, he had to pull a player from action 11 times.
Six times an offensive lineman was flagged for a false start, and quarterback Joe Cox said the infractions should have gone the other way.
Tennessee Tech’s defensive linemen were routinely mimicking Cox’s cadence at the line of scrimmage – an infraction according to NCAA rules – causing Georgia’s linemen to flinch.
“You could see the guy right in front of Ben Jones in a three point stance, you could see him (flinch) and yell something, and that's when the whole line moves,” Cox said. “He said, ‘Set, go.’ I remember that. And we all pointed right at him, looking at the referee saying, 'He's yelling out the snap count.'"
For whatever reason, the referees didn’t take notice, but Georgia line coach Stacy Searels did. This week in practice, Searels has been doing his best to recreate the situation, hoping to keep Georgia’s linemen steady, even if the other team offers a distraction.
“We’ll focus on it more in practice because they’re not the only team that shifts and has somebody say, ‘Move,’ when they shift,” Cox said. “Coach Searels made it a point (in practice) that every single time we ran a play that he would just start yelling stuff while I was in the middle of my snap count, trying to see if anybody would jump, and nobody did.”
For his part, Richt said he planned to continue pulling players from the game when they are flagged for a penalty, but he may adjust his mandate that they sit the remainder of the series.
Cox said it was difficult to keep a lot of continuity on the line when players were being substituted so often, and left tackle Clint Boling said the rule took its toll on the offensive line.
“It was definitely a little bit different, but Coach Richt is just trying to clean things up and make sure we play a bit more disciplined,” Boling said. “I’m not really sure whether it slows guys down or what it does, but it does make you think a little bit that you want to play hard, but at the same time you don’t want to get any penalties.”
NO PROMISES FOR GRAY
After Richt announced Cox would remain his starting quarterback last week, he also promised a series early in the game for backup Logan Gray. As it turned out, it took six drives before Gray got his taste of action, and that ended with an interception.
Richt said he still had confidence in Gray, but against a more formidable opponent this week, there won’t be any further assurances of playing time for the sophomore quarterback.
“I wouldn’t sit here and promise it right now publicly, although we would like to continue to help him grow as a quarterback,” Richt said. “I wouldn’t say going into this game we are going to nail it down, at least not publicly.”
HE’S GOT WHEELS
Cox admits he won’t be winning any foot races in the near future, and for the season, the quarterback has just 13 rushing attempts that didn’t end in sacks.
“I’m definitely not a dual-threat guy,” he said.
But against Tennessee Tech, Cox did pick up eight yards on a nifty run that, while not exactly wowing fans with his speed, managed to catch the defense off guard. Not coincidentally, he said, it was also his first game without an interception this season, and Cox hopes that making a few more plays with his legs can keep that trend going.
“I probably should have (run) it more,” Cox said. “That’s one thing I said last week is, if I don’t like how it looks, I’m just going to take off and run. So I’ll probably end up doing that more but just make sure I take care of the ball.”
NO REGRETS ON BROWN
Richt decided before the season began that freshman receiver Marlon Brown would see action this year, and by the second week of the season, Brown had indeed taken reps on offense.
But in the seven games since, Brown’s playing time hasn’t increased much, and even against an overmatched Tennessee Tech team last week, the freshman saw little action and wasn’t targeted on a single pass.
Despite Brown’s minimal role, however, Richt said that the decision not to redshirt him has paid dividends.
“He is absolutely improving as a route-runner, as a ball-catcher, a blocker. He’s understanding what we’re doing much better,” Richt said. “He’s so much further ahead right now than he would have been hanging around on the scout team. We think he’s going to be making a big impact sooner than later. I don’t regret that right now.”
FEELING BETTER
Richt said defensive end Justin Houston was expected to return to action this week after sitting out against Tennessee Tech with an elbow injury.
Receiver A.J. Green also missed last week’s game with a bruised lung, but returned to full practice Sunday and said he’s completely healthy.
“I’m 100 percent. I’m rested, I’m ready to go,” Green said. “I felt it like the first day or so, and then it just went away.”
PRACTICE IN THE RAIN*
The Georgia Bulldogs practiced for two and a half hours in a steady rain that fluctuated between a wind-blown, driving drizzle to a solid, soaking downpour on Tuesday afternoon. The final 30 minutes of the full pads workout were conducted under the heaviest rainfall of the day. By the time the team wrapped up, puddles were commonplace on the FieldTurf surface and an inch-high stream was flowing from the driveway that goes from the upper grass fields to the lower section of the facility.
"I can probably remember one or two we've had like this but not too many," Richt said. "Over the course of nine years, you're bound to have a couple. I was relatively happy with the effort. We got the work in. It wasn't the best throwing and catching but we got the work in, which was most important."
Richt said the staff decided to practice in the elements as opposed to indoors due to the nature of Tuesday's routine.
"We have about 45 minutes of special teams practice on Tuesdays," Richt said. "You just can't take that inside. Those are things you have to be out and simulate and get a good feel for. If you don't get them in today, you spend the rest of the week trying to cram in too much."
(*From UGA press release)
EXTRA POINTS
-- Richt announced the captains for Saturday's game would be quarterback Joe Cox, center Ben Jones, cornerback Prince Miller and defensive tackle Jeff Owens.
-- Jon Fabris came in for interviews following practice wearing a soaking wet, long black rain jacket and hood, which made him look quite a bit like the villain from "I Know What You Did Last Summer," but another reporter topped that, noting he resembled the Gorton's fisherman. Either way, comedy gold.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Practice Notes: Cox Copes With Criticism
Joe Cox swears he hasn’t owned a working computer in 18 months. At times it might have been an inconvenience, but lately, he’s been happy not to have it.
With Georgia’s 4-4 start to the season and Cox’s 12 interceptions to go along with the record, Cox hasn’t had much interest in surfing the Internet to see what fans are saying about his performance.
“Anybody can get on that and talk about sports,” Cox said. “That’s like me going on WebMD and talking like I’m a doctor and telling these guys what they should be doing in hospitals. That’s the least of my worries.”
It’s not that Cox doesn’t understand the concerns of fans. He freely admits that he hasn’t played well, and he said he would have understood if head coach Mark Richt had decided to bench him after last week’s three-interception performance against Florida.
But being at the center of a sea of criticism is no easy task, and the only real option, he said, is to avoid it.
“When you have a bad game, and you go out to eat the following week, you feel like there might be people at the restaurant talking bad about you,” he said. “It’s tough. You don’t want to go out sometimes and be places. I’ve changed so much in my life as far as how much I do and where I go just based on the role that I have on the football team. It’s tough to get used to. You never know how crazy it is until you’re really in that position.”
Cox said he even warns his parents to stay away from message boards and fan blogs after the games. While he can handle the criticism, he said they take it much more personally.
The animosity aimed at Cox reached a new crescendo this week as the Bulldogs dropped their second straight game to Florida, with Cox’s bad throws at the center of the underwhelming performance.
But rather than let his quarterback twist in the wind this week, Richt announced Monday that Cox would remain the starter, citing a unanimous vote among the coaches.
“It means a lot having your coach’s confidence. I’m definitely glad it’s not something I have to answer, and I’m just glad I have another week where I have to play football.”
It hasn’t been the senior year Cox had dreamed of, and the costs of being the starting quarterback at Georgia have been greater than even he expected, but he still wouldn’t trade the job for anything.
“I definitely don’t want to have the plug pulled on me and not play any more for the rest of the year. I have another chance and I want to make the best of it.”
LEARNING ON THE FLY
Freshman Washaun Ealey got the starting nod at tailback for two straight weeks, but a missed block against Florida will likely cost him that role this week. While Ealey continues to run the ball well, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said pass protection remains a concern that’s too big to ignore.
“It’s always a big concern with young backs,” Bobo said. “I do know he knows what to do, he just did not execute the proper techniques of how to block. It was costly in (the last) game … but I think he’ll improve. He’s just got to trust his technique and execute it properly.”
Bobo said Ealey has gotten plenty of advice this week from the Bulldogs’ expected starter, Caleb King.
Last year, King missed a key block against Florida as well and then-running backs coach Tony Ball benched him for the next few games. The punishment was tough, but the lesson was learned, and King improved dramatically during the offseason.
Ealey won’t be benched, he just won’t start. Unlike last season, Georgia’s need for a strong runner outweighs any benefit a stint on the sideline might offer. It’s in stark contrast to the decisions Richt made with another freshman tailback a few years ago.
“That's one of the main reasons why Knowshon (Moreno) ended up redshirting because when it got time to doing those kind of things, especially early on in camp, he was a freshman,” Richt said. “He was struggling at it, and we had three veteran guys, three very proven guys.”
Georgia didn’t have that luxury this season, but Richt doesn’t have any regrets about playing Ealey, who waited until the fifth game of the season before seeing action. It simply means that the Bulldogs will have to take the good with the bad as Ealey learns on the field.
“This time around,” Richt said, “we are playing the freshman and kind of taking some of the lumps."
WILLING TO WAIT
With four games remaining and the chances of an SEC East crown now gone, Richt said this week he plans to keep shooting for wins this season rather than giving additional playing time to some younger players as preparation for the future.
While the decision met with mixed reviews from fans, Georgia’s up-and-comers aren’t complaining about the veterans keeping their jobs.
“In every sport there’s always a person pushing for a starting spot, but I don’t believe there’s any jealousy amongst the players that would make a younger player think he wants to move an older player out,” said sophomore linebacker Marcus Dowtin, who has seen his role increase as the season has progressed. “We compete at practice every day, and the coaches will make the best decisions.”
Baccari Rambo has earned more playing time each week, too, but has so far been unable to push senior Bryan Evans from the starting lineup at safety. While Rambo said he would love the starting job, he said he respects his coaches for giving the veterans a chance to turn things around.
“I think by Coach Richt supporting the veterans, when I get my time, that’ll happen to me,” Rambo said. “When they make mistakes, I try to learn from them. I think it’s a great thing how Coach Richt supports the veterans and lets them try to get better and correct their mistakes.”
HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM
Defensive end Justin Houston is doubtful for Saturday’s game after suffering a hyperextended elbow last week, and Richt said there will likely be a rotation of players filling the void.
Cornelius Washington, Montez Robinson and Kiante Tripp are likely to each see a bump in playing time against Tennessee Tech if Houston missed the game, Richt said. Tripp has been inactive for the past six games after seeing some early action, due mostly to a shoulder injury that has hindered his progress since moving from the offensive line in January.
“He was working his way into some playing time early on, and then the injuries set him back for a long time,” Richt said. “Being injured that long, it’s just hard to snap your fingers and be right back where you were. … But I’ve seen a lot of effort an energy out of him this week, that’s for sure.”
MORE BAD BLOOD?
Florida coach Urban Meyer announced Wednesday that linebacker Brandon Spikes would sit out all of the Gators' game against Vanderbilt this week as punishment for attempting to gouge the eyes of Georgia tailback Washaun Ealey. Meyer had originally only suspended Spikes for the first half.
But while Spikes' punishment was increased, Meyer also noted that Georgia linebacker Nick Williams had hit quarterback Tim Tebow late on a play and should have been flagged. Meyer brought the hit to the attention of the SEC head of officials this week but did not disclose the league's response. Richt said that after reviewing the film, Meyer's critique was correct.
For his part, Williams said he was unaware that Meyer had sent the tape to the SEC, but said the hit was just part of the game and was not intentional.
"I was just trying to make a play," Williams said. "Tebow is a great player, and it's obvious you better get him on the ground or he's going to spark something. I was just trying to make a play, and I didn't think anything of it. I wasn't trying to hurt him or anything, I was just out there playing."
NOT-SO-BREAKING NEWS
Defensive end Neland Ball hasn't been a participant in practice since the preseason, and Wednesday we found out why.
Richt announced that Ball had been given a medical disqualification in September, but the news had not been officially released.
Ball, a redshirt sophomore, played in five games in 2008. He missed all of spring practice this year with a tendon injury in his knee, but it was a chronic back problem that brought about the medical DQ.
BOLING BACK
Left tackle Clint Boling suffered a knee injury against Florida last week, but Richt said the junior should be available this week.
"Boling is fine," Richt said. "He was able to go with no limitations (at practice) today."
With Georgia’s 4-4 start to the season and Cox’s 12 interceptions to go along with the record, Cox hasn’t had much interest in surfing the Internet to see what fans are saying about his performance.
“Anybody can get on that and talk about sports,” Cox said. “That’s like me going on WebMD and talking like I’m a doctor and telling these guys what they should be doing in hospitals. That’s the least of my worries.”
It’s not that Cox doesn’t understand the concerns of fans. He freely admits that he hasn’t played well, and he said he would have understood if head coach Mark Richt had decided to bench him after last week’s three-interception performance against Florida.
But being at the center of a sea of criticism is no easy task, and the only real option, he said, is to avoid it.
“When you have a bad game, and you go out to eat the following week, you feel like there might be people at the restaurant talking bad about you,” he said. “It’s tough. You don’t want to go out sometimes and be places. I’ve changed so much in my life as far as how much I do and where I go just based on the role that I have on the football team. It’s tough to get used to. You never know how crazy it is until you’re really in that position.”
Cox said he even warns his parents to stay away from message boards and fan blogs after the games. While he can handle the criticism, he said they take it much more personally.
The animosity aimed at Cox reached a new crescendo this week as the Bulldogs dropped their second straight game to Florida, with Cox’s bad throws at the center of the underwhelming performance.
But rather than let his quarterback twist in the wind this week, Richt announced Monday that Cox would remain the starter, citing a unanimous vote among the coaches.
“It means a lot having your coach’s confidence. I’m definitely glad it’s not something I have to answer, and I’m just glad I have another week where I have to play football.”
It hasn’t been the senior year Cox had dreamed of, and the costs of being the starting quarterback at Georgia have been greater than even he expected, but he still wouldn’t trade the job for anything.
“I definitely don’t want to have the plug pulled on me and not play any more for the rest of the year. I have another chance and I want to make the best of it.”
LEARNING ON THE FLY
Freshman Washaun Ealey got the starting nod at tailback for two straight weeks, but a missed block against Florida will likely cost him that role this week. While Ealey continues to run the ball well, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said pass protection remains a concern that’s too big to ignore.
“It’s always a big concern with young backs,” Bobo said. “I do know he knows what to do, he just did not execute the proper techniques of how to block. It was costly in (the last) game … but I think he’ll improve. He’s just got to trust his technique and execute it properly.”
Bobo said Ealey has gotten plenty of advice this week from the Bulldogs’ expected starter, Caleb King.
Last year, King missed a key block against Florida as well and then-running backs coach Tony Ball benched him for the next few games. The punishment was tough, but the lesson was learned, and King improved dramatically during the offseason.
Ealey won’t be benched, he just won’t start. Unlike last season, Georgia’s need for a strong runner outweighs any benefit a stint on the sideline might offer. It’s in stark contrast to the decisions Richt made with another freshman tailback a few years ago.
“That's one of the main reasons why Knowshon (Moreno) ended up redshirting because when it got time to doing those kind of things, especially early on in camp, he was a freshman,” Richt said. “He was struggling at it, and we had three veteran guys, three very proven guys.”
Georgia didn’t have that luxury this season, but Richt doesn’t have any regrets about playing Ealey, who waited until the fifth game of the season before seeing action. It simply means that the Bulldogs will have to take the good with the bad as Ealey learns on the field.
“This time around,” Richt said, “we are playing the freshman and kind of taking some of the lumps."
WILLING TO WAIT
With four games remaining and the chances of an SEC East crown now gone, Richt said this week he plans to keep shooting for wins this season rather than giving additional playing time to some younger players as preparation for the future.
While the decision met with mixed reviews from fans, Georgia’s up-and-comers aren’t complaining about the veterans keeping their jobs.
“In every sport there’s always a person pushing for a starting spot, but I don’t believe there’s any jealousy amongst the players that would make a younger player think he wants to move an older player out,” said sophomore linebacker Marcus Dowtin, who has seen his role increase as the season has progressed. “We compete at practice every day, and the coaches will make the best decisions.”
Baccari Rambo has earned more playing time each week, too, but has so far been unable to push senior Bryan Evans from the starting lineup at safety. While Rambo said he would love the starting job, he said he respects his coaches for giving the veterans a chance to turn things around.
“I think by Coach Richt supporting the veterans, when I get my time, that’ll happen to me,” Rambo said. “When they make mistakes, I try to learn from them. I think it’s a great thing how Coach Richt supports the veterans and lets them try to get better and correct their mistakes.”
HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM
Defensive end Justin Houston is doubtful for Saturday’s game after suffering a hyperextended elbow last week, and Richt said there will likely be a rotation of players filling the void.
Cornelius Washington, Montez Robinson and Kiante Tripp are likely to each see a bump in playing time against Tennessee Tech if Houston missed the game, Richt said. Tripp has been inactive for the past six games after seeing some early action, due mostly to a shoulder injury that has hindered his progress since moving from the offensive line in January.
“He was working his way into some playing time early on, and then the injuries set him back for a long time,” Richt said. “Being injured that long, it’s just hard to snap your fingers and be right back where you were. … But I’ve seen a lot of effort an energy out of him this week, that’s for sure.”
MORE BAD BLOOD?
Florida coach Urban Meyer announced Wednesday that linebacker Brandon Spikes would sit out all of the Gators' game against Vanderbilt this week as punishment for attempting to gouge the eyes of Georgia tailback Washaun Ealey. Meyer had originally only suspended Spikes for the first half.
But while Spikes' punishment was increased, Meyer also noted that Georgia linebacker Nick Williams had hit quarterback Tim Tebow late on a play and should have been flagged. Meyer brought the hit to the attention of the SEC head of officials this week but did not disclose the league's response. Richt said that after reviewing the film, Meyer's critique was correct.
For his part, Williams said he was unaware that Meyer had sent the tape to the SEC, but said the hit was just part of the game and was not intentional.
"I was just trying to make a play," Williams said. "Tebow is a great player, and it's obvious you better get him on the ground or he's going to spark something. I was just trying to make a play, and I didn't think anything of it. I wasn't trying to hurt him or anything, I was just out there playing."
NOT-SO-BREAKING NEWS
Defensive end Neland Ball hasn't been a participant in practice since the preseason, and Wednesday we found out why.
Richt announced that Ball had been given a medical disqualification in September, but the news had not been officially released.
Ball, a redshirt sophomore, played in five games in 2008. He missed all of spring practice this year with a tendon injury in his knee, but it was a chronic back problem that brought about the medical DQ.
BOLING BACK
Left tackle Clint Boling suffered a knee injury against Florida last week, but Richt said the junior should be available this week.
"Boling is fine," Richt said. "He was able to go with no limitations (at practice) today."
Monday, November 2, 2009
Cox Remains Starter, Green Out
Per UGA release...
University of Georgia head football coach Mark Richt confirmed Monday that senior quarterback Joe Cox will remain the starter for the Bulldogs.
"It was unanimous among our staff that Joe gives us the best chance to win and that’s where our focus needs to be.,” said Richt. “There’s still a lot of football left this season. We tell our players to finish the drill and we are committed to doing that this week and each week the remainder of the season. We have faith in Joe that he gives us the best opportunity to do that. At the same time, we do plan on Logan Gray getting some playing time this week at quarterback.”
Richt also updated the injury situation from Saturday and status for this week’s game against Tennessee Tech. He said A.J. Green suffered a pulmonary contusion and will not play this week; Clint Boling had a knee contusion and is probable; and Justin Houston suffered a hyper extended elbow and is doubtful.
And from the SEC, regarding Brandon Spikes:
The Southeastern Conference has reviewed and accepted the disciplinary actions taken by the University of Florida regarding football student-athlete Brandon Spikes. The university suspended Spikes for the first half of its next game (vs. Vanderbilt, Nov. 7) for an unsportsmanlike act during the Gators' last game (vs. Georgia, Oct. 31).
ADDENDUM: Here is what Brandon Spikes had to say:
"I accept responsibility for my actions and I accept the consequences of my actions. I would like to apologize to my team and the coaching staff and Washun Ealey. Football is a very physical and emotional game, but there is no excuse for my actions."
University of Georgia head football coach Mark Richt confirmed Monday that senior quarterback Joe Cox will remain the starter for the Bulldogs.
"It was unanimous among our staff that Joe gives us the best chance to win and that’s where our focus needs to be.,” said Richt. “There’s still a lot of football left this season. We tell our players to finish the drill and we are committed to doing that this week and each week the remainder of the season. We have faith in Joe that he gives us the best opportunity to do that. At the same time, we do plan on Logan Gray getting some playing time this week at quarterback.”
Richt also updated the injury situation from Saturday and status for this week’s game against Tennessee Tech. He said A.J. Green suffered a pulmonary contusion and will not play this week; Clint Boling had a knee contusion and is probable; and Justin Houston suffered a hyper extended elbow and is doubtful.
And from the SEC, regarding Brandon Spikes:
The Southeastern Conference has reviewed and accepted the disciplinary actions taken by the University of Florida regarding football student-athlete Brandon Spikes. The university suspended Spikes for the first half of its next game (vs. Vanderbilt, Nov. 7) for an unsportsmanlike act during the Gators' last game (vs. Georgia, Oct. 31).
ADDENDUM: Here is what Brandon Spikes had to say:
"I accept responsibility for my actions and I accept the consequences of my actions. I would like to apologize to my team and the coaching staff and Washun Ealey. Football is a very physical and emotional game, but there is no excuse for my actions."
Friday, September 18, 2009
Five Players to Watch: Arkansas Edition
I'm hitting the road for Arkansas -- woo hoo! -- so I'm limited on posts for today. But in advance of this week's SEC showdown, here's my thoughts on five players who will be the difference for Georgia on Saturday.
1.) Prince Miller. The senior cornerback didn't officially get burned against South Carolina, but he sure didn't have his best day. The Gamecocks had two touchdown passes against Miller, but both were called back due to penalties. He'll need to improve in coverage against a far more potent Arkansas team that enjoys lulling an opponent to sleep with a controlled passing game, then going deep for the big play at just the right time.
2.) Akeem Dent. South Carolina burned Georgia over and over by dumping off passes to the tight end over the middle. Dent didn't play particularly well, and with Darius Dewberry out and Nick Williams questionable for the game, he'll be back to work at the Sam linebacker spot on Saturday. That's going to be a concern, as Arkansas has one of the conference's top tight ends and the Razorbacks will no doubt be looking to exploit the same weaknesses South Carolina did.
3.) The Brand(on/en)s. Man, we really need a better nickname for these two. And as a fan of a non-Houston NL Central team, I can't endorse "The Killer Bs." Plus, as one reader pointed out, no true Georgia Tech hater can give his players a bee-related nickname.
Anyway, to the main point: Arkansas' special teams aren't exactly the best the SEC has to offer. Smith and Boykin were monsters in the return game last week, setting up Georgia with good field position on offense (or in Boykin's case, taking it to the house). They'll have a chance at a repeat performance this week, and against the Hogs' high-octane offense, every yard is important.
4.) Justin Houston. With Rod Battle out, Georgia's depth at defensive end isn't getting any better now that Houston is back from a two-game suspension. But that doesn't mean the results can't be improved. Houston had a huge spring and continued to earn praise for his work this fall despite the two-game absence. That should match up well with the less-than-mobile Ryan Mallett, who won't give the defensive line the same trouble Garcia did a week ago by moving around in the pocket and making plays with his feet.
5.) Mike Bobo. Two games into the season, and we really don't have any better understanding of what Georgia's offensive identity is. Marlon Brown and Rantavious Wooten still have hardly seen the field. Orson Charles has looked impressive but has been underutilized. Richard Samuel appeared on the verge of a breakout game last week, then disappeared from the game plan for 15 minutes. The playcalling improved last week from the opener, but there were still plenty of curious decisions. Arkansas' defense should't require a rocket scientist to solve, but the problem for Bobo has really seemed to be his overthinking of the game plan. Bobo needs to find the right mix of diversifying the offense enough to keep the Hogs guessing while not abandoning the Bulldogs' bread and butter for long stretches of the game. In other words, find an identity and go with it.
So… what do you think? What are your keys to this game? What matchup has you the most worried?
1.) Prince Miller. The senior cornerback didn't officially get burned against South Carolina, but he sure didn't have his best day. The Gamecocks had two touchdown passes against Miller, but both were called back due to penalties. He'll need to improve in coverage against a far more potent Arkansas team that enjoys lulling an opponent to sleep with a controlled passing game, then going deep for the big play at just the right time.
2.) Akeem Dent. South Carolina burned Georgia over and over by dumping off passes to the tight end over the middle. Dent didn't play particularly well, and with Darius Dewberry out and Nick Williams questionable for the game, he'll be back to work at the Sam linebacker spot on Saturday. That's going to be a concern, as Arkansas has one of the conference's top tight ends and the Razorbacks will no doubt be looking to exploit the same weaknesses South Carolina did.
3.) The Brand(on/en)s. Man, we really need a better nickname for these two. And as a fan of a non-Houston NL Central team, I can't endorse "The Killer Bs." Plus, as one reader pointed out, no true Georgia Tech hater can give his players a bee-related nickname.
Anyway, to the main point: Arkansas' special teams aren't exactly the best the SEC has to offer. Smith and Boykin were monsters in the return game last week, setting up Georgia with good field position on offense (or in Boykin's case, taking it to the house). They'll have a chance at a repeat performance this week, and against the Hogs' high-octane offense, every yard is important.
4.) Justin Houston. With Rod Battle out, Georgia's depth at defensive end isn't getting any better now that Houston is back from a two-game suspension. But that doesn't mean the results can't be improved. Houston had a huge spring and continued to earn praise for his work this fall despite the two-game absence. That should match up well with the less-than-mobile Ryan Mallett, who won't give the defensive line the same trouble Garcia did a week ago by moving around in the pocket and making plays with his feet.
5.) Mike Bobo. Two games into the season, and we really don't have any better understanding of what Georgia's offensive identity is. Marlon Brown and Rantavious Wooten still have hardly seen the field. Orson Charles has looked impressive but has been underutilized. Richard Samuel appeared on the verge of a breakout game last week, then disappeared from the game plan for 15 minutes. The playcalling improved last week from the opener, but there were still plenty of curious decisions. Arkansas' defense should't require a rocket scientist to solve, but the problem for Bobo has really seemed to be his overthinking of the game plan. Bobo needs to find the right mix of diversifying the offense enough to keep the Hogs guessing while not abandoning the Bulldogs' bread and butter for long stretches of the game. In other words, find an identity and go with it.
So… what do you think? What are your keys to this game? What matchup has you the most worried?
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Practice Notes: Penalties No Problem
Throughout the preseason, Mark Richt made cutting down on penalties a focus. Two games into the season, Georgia ranks 109th in penalties, but given the intensity his team has shown, Richt isn’t complaining.
“If you have to chose between the team playing the way we played with the amount of energy, fire and enthusiasm the whole game, and if the byproduct of that is penalties, I’ll take that over a team that doesn’t have a penalty but doesn’t have a pulse to go with it,” Richt said.
Georgia was flagged 13 times in a win over South Carolina last Saturday bringing the team’s total to 20 for the season. The numbers have been offset, however, by a barrage of penalties against the opposition, too. Oklahoma State was whistled for 15 penalties in Georgia’s opener and South Carolina had 11 flags, including two that overturned touchdowns, last week.
“Some games get wild,” Richt said. “That game got wild.”
Richt said the key for Georgia will be reducing the number of avoidable penalties like offsides calls or having too many men on the field. What he doesn’t want to see happen is players like safety Reshad Jones, who was flagged for personal fouls in each of the first two games, reduce their intensity on game day.
“I love the way he is playing,” Richt said of Jones. “I don’t think he has tried to hurt anybody. As far as the sideline play (against South Carolina), I think he was trying to tackle the guy. You are running full speed, and reaching out and grabbing what you can. Going back to the other play at Oklahoma State, I think he did everything right.”
Defensive coordinator Willie Martinez said Jones' flag against South Carolina was originally deemed a late hit by the referees on the field, but was later clarified to be a horse-collar tackle. Martinez said after reviewing the film that he agreed with the assessment.
SEEING SOME ACTION
Freshman receiver Rantavious Wooten joked with senior Michael Moore after Saturday’s game that he finally had a chance to run a route. Wooten was in on just one play against South Carolina, but it was one more play than he had earned a week earlier. The fact that it was a passing play made it even better.
“He’s building off of that, and he’s excited now,” Moore said.
Wooten and fellow freshman Marlon Brown saw just three combined reps in Georgia’s second game of the season after being shut out of playing time in the opener, but quarterback Joe Cox said the lack of action isn’t a knock on their skills. The coaches are simply easing them into the game plan.
“I definitely think they can help us but we want to make sure they know what to do,” Cox said. “It gets crazy just trying to hear my call in the huddle and when we start moving tight ends and doing certain motions with them – we just want o make sure they have everything down. They definitely have ability, but you don’t want to have them come in and miss something important because they weren’t sure.”
The close games Georgia has played in each of the first two weeks haven’t helped matters, but Cox said he’s confident Brown and Wooten will both see increased action as the season progresses.
“It probably would have been different if we’d have put (South Carolina) away,” Cox said. “Then I’m sure Marlon and Rantavious would have gotten a lot of plays. I know they’re ready to play as far as their mentality, but we need to make sure they’ve got everything down in our game plan and they’ll definitely start to get on the field more and more.”
HAPPY RETURNS
With Rod Battle going down with a season-ending knee injury, virtually everyone on Georgia's defense is taking a deep sigh of relief that Justin Houston returns from a two-game suspension this week.
But as excited as the coaches might be, it's defensive tackle Jeff Owens, who had to sub for Battle throughout much of last week's game, that might be the happiest to have the sophomore defensive end back for this week's contest.
"He took 33 snaps at defensive end last game, so I believe he'll appreciate me a lot coming back," Houston said.
LINEBACKER CONCERNS
Georgia will be without senior linebacker Darius Dewberry for a second straight week, Richt said, and sophomore Nick Williams is questionable after sitting out last week’s contest against South Carolina.
“It would be nice to have all those guys healthy,” Richt said. “Dewberry was playing extremely well, and Nick was another one of those young guys who was getting better everyday at practice, and you hate to slow down that progress.”
With Dewberry, a Peach County alum, and Williams sidelined, South Carolina tight end Weslye Saunders found plenty of room to get open and finished the game with eight catches for 96 yards. Richt said Darryl Gamble will likely get the task of stopping All-SEC tight end D.J. Williams against Arkansas this week, but the linebacking crew will also get some help from a senior Marcus Washington, who had been moved to defensive end at the start of fall camp.
“Marcus is back at linebacker because we’ve lost a couple of guys there, but he could still be a swing guy in case of an emergency,” linebackers coach John Jancek said. “We’ll go into the game using him as a linebacker and possibly move him to defensive end as well.”
DAILY CALEB UPDATE
Richt said Tuesday morning that the status of tailback Caleb King isn't much different this Tuesday than it was last -- it's a mystery.
But offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said King made it through the entirety of Tuesday's practice, which was a crucial first step toward getting the sophomore back onto the field.
"He looked better than last week, so that's a good sign, but we'll see how he progresses through the week," Bobo said.
READY BUT NOT READY
Safety Quintin Banks has had a hard time staying healthy for the past two years, so now that he’s finally been cleared to start playing again after a knee injury last month, the coaches are taking it slow.
A year ago, the former Houston County standout played in just one game due to a myriad of injuries, and he missed Georgia’s opener this season as well. Banks was dressed for last week’s game against South Carolina but did not play.
“He’s able to play, but he hasn’t had a lot of practice reps,” Richt said. “He hasn’t done a lot of things full speed. I wouldn’t say that he is 100 percent back to the best Quintin Banks can be.”
STRONG START FOR JONES
Richt said one of the most promising developments from Georgia’s first game to its second was the progress made by the freshmen on special teams. At the top of that list, Richt said, is former Northside star Abry Jones, who complimented an increased amount of playing time at defensive tackle with a strong performance on Georgia’s kick return unit that tallied 252 yards last week.
“He has a lot of ability, but he has a ways to go on his fundamentals,” Richt said. “He has a ways to go on every little thing that you have to learn, but we feel like he is going to get better in a hurry, which he is. Abry is moving very rapidly into a very fine player and I think the sky is the limit for him.”
WHERE WAS SAMUEL?
Perhaps the most perplexing part of Georgia's win over South Carolina was the emergence then sudden disappearance of tailback Richard Samuel.
On Georgia's first scoring drive offensively, Samuel had five touches including an 11-yard run and a 16-yard reception, capping the series with a 1-yard touchdown run with 1:56 remaining in the first quarter. After that, however, Samuel got just one more carry in the first half -- also an 11-yard dash -- while Carlton Thomas was on the field throughout much of the second quarter, including working as the pitch man on Branden Smith's 61-yard run on a reverse.
Bobo said Samuel's absence was due to a combination of the play calls and a desire to get the sophomore tailback some rest.
"(Samuel) had ran several times on that drive and ran physically hard, and we just wanted to get him out of the game," Bobo said. "The play for the reverse called for Carlton. … It was the plays we were calling and the players we have for those calls."
GRAY AREA
With Cox hurting, fans assumed they'd see a bit more of backup quarterback Logan Gray against South Carolina, but that wasn't the case.
Just as he had a week earlier against Oklahoma State, Gray got just one snap on offense, and the rationale behind his absence was simply the pace dictated by the game.
"This game we had only 53 snaps and losing possessions hurt his opportunity to go in the game," Bobo said. "Joe was very effective when he was in there and we didn't want to break the rhythm he was in."
Gray will get all the snap with the No. 1 unit during Wednesday's practice again this week, and that will be the routine throughout the season. While Bobo wouldn't guarantee more playing time for the sophomore quarterback on game day, he said the extra action with the first-team offense in practice can be a big stepping stone in Gray's development.
"It's beneficial for him that he's getting a lot of first-team reps and continuing to grow as a quarterback and establish himself as a leader in that huddle with the first group," Bobo said. "The more he becomes comfortable on the practice field, the greater the chance he'll have to get more significant playing time."
SLOW DAY AT PRACTICE
Georgia just dodged the rain for Tuesday's practice, but the effort was a bit dreary still, Richt said.
"It was a little bit sluggish," he said. "I'm sure the game Saturday took a good bit out of them. We've got time to get them ready to play by Saturday."
Richt also announced his captains for this week's game against Arkansas. Clint Boling is the offensive captain, while DeAngelo Tyson gets the nod for the defense. After several key special-teams plays made the difference in Georgia's win over South Carolina last week, Richt made a rare move of naming two captains -- Brandon Boykin and Rennie Curran -- from that unit this week.
"We've probably done it before while I've been at Georgia but I can't really remember a time off the top of my head – at least recently – when we've done so," Richt said.
“If you have to chose between the team playing the way we played with the amount of energy, fire and enthusiasm the whole game, and if the byproduct of that is penalties, I’ll take that over a team that doesn’t have a penalty but doesn’t have a pulse to go with it,” Richt said.
Georgia was flagged 13 times in a win over South Carolina last Saturday bringing the team’s total to 20 for the season. The numbers have been offset, however, by a barrage of penalties against the opposition, too. Oklahoma State was whistled for 15 penalties in Georgia’s opener and South Carolina had 11 flags, including two that overturned touchdowns, last week.
“Some games get wild,” Richt said. “That game got wild.”
Richt said the key for Georgia will be reducing the number of avoidable penalties like offsides calls or having too many men on the field. What he doesn’t want to see happen is players like safety Reshad Jones, who was flagged for personal fouls in each of the first two games, reduce their intensity on game day.
“I love the way he is playing,” Richt said of Jones. “I don’t think he has tried to hurt anybody. As far as the sideline play (against South Carolina), I think he was trying to tackle the guy. You are running full speed, and reaching out and grabbing what you can. Going back to the other play at Oklahoma State, I think he did everything right.”
Defensive coordinator Willie Martinez said Jones' flag against South Carolina was originally deemed a late hit by the referees on the field, but was later clarified to be a horse-collar tackle. Martinez said after reviewing the film that he agreed with the assessment.
SEEING SOME ACTION
Freshman receiver Rantavious Wooten joked with senior Michael Moore after Saturday’s game that he finally had a chance to run a route. Wooten was in on just one play against South Carolina, but it was one more play than he had earned a week earlier. The fact that it was a passing play made it even better.
“He’s building off of that, and he’s excited now,” Moore said.
Wooten and fellow freshman Marlon Brown saw just three combined reps in Georgia’s second game of the season after being shut out of playing time in the opener, but quarterback Joe Cox said the lack of action isn’t a knock on their skills. The coaches are simply easing them into the game plan.
“I definitely think they can help us but we want to make sure they know what to do,” Cox said. “It gets crazy just trying to hear my call in the huddle and when we start moving tight ends and doing certain motions with them – we just want o make sure they have everything down. They definitely have ability, but you don’t want to have them come in and miss something important because they weren’t sure.”
The close games Georgia has played in each of the first two weeks haven’t helped matters, but Cox said he’s confident Brown and Wooten will both see increased action as the season progresses.
“It probably would have been different if we’d have put (South Carolina) away,” Cox said. “Then I’m sure Marlon and Rantavious would have gotten a lot of plays. I know they’re ready to play as far as their mentality, but we need to make sure they’ve got everything down in our game plan and they’ll definitely start to get on the field more and more.”
HAPPY RETURNS
With Rod Battle going down with a season-ending knee injury, virtually everyone on Georgia's defense is taking a deep sigh of relief that Justin Houston returns from a two-game suspension this week.
But as excited as the coaches might be, it's defensive tackle Jeff Owens, who had to sub for Battle throughout much of last week's game, that might be the happiest to have the sophomore defensive end back for this week's contest.
"He took 33 snaps at defensive end last game, so I believe he'll appreciate me a lot coming back," Houston said.
LINEBACKER CONCERNS
Georgia will be without senior linebacker Darius Dewberry for a second straight week, Richt said, and sophomore Nick Williams is questionable after sitting out last week’s contest against South Carolina.
“It would be nice to have all those guys healthy,” Richt said. “Dewberry was playing extremely well, and Nick was another one of those young guys who was getting better everyday at practice, and you hate to slow down that progress.”
With Dewberry, a Peach County alum, and Williams sidelined, South Carolina tight end Weslye Saunders found plenty of room to get open and finished the game with eight catches for 96 yards. Richt said Darryl Gamble will likely get the task of stopping All-SEC tight end D.J. Williams against Arkansas this week, but the linebacking crew will also get some help from a senior Marcus Washington, who had been moved to defensive end at the start of fall camp.
“Marcus is back at linebacker because we’ve lost a couple of guys there, but he could still be a swing guy in case of an emergency,” linebackers coach John Jancek said. “We’ll go into the game using him as a linebacker and possibly move him to defensive end as well.”
DAILY CALEB UPDATE
Richt said Tuesday morning that the status of tailback Caleb King isn't much different this Tuesday than it was last -- it's a mystery.
But offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said King made it through the entirety of Tuesday's practice, which was a crucial first step toward getting the sophomore back onto the field.
"He looked better than last week, so that's a good sign, but we'll see how he progresses through the week," Bobo said.
READY BUT NOT READY
Safety Quintin Banks has had a hard time staying healthy for the past two years, so now that he’s finally been cleared to start playing again after a knee injury last month, the coaches are taking it slow.
A year ago, the former Houston County standout played in just one game due to a myriad of injuries, and he missed Georgia’s opener this season as well. Banks was dressed for last week’s game against South Carolina but did not play.
“He’s able to play, but he hasn’t had a lot of practice reps,” Richt said. “He hasn’t done a lot of things full speed. I wouldn’t say that he is 100 percent back to the best Quintin Banks can be.”
STRONG START FOR JONES
Richt said one of the most promising developments from Georgia’s first game to its second was the progress made by the freshmen on special teams. At the top of that list, Richt said, is former Northside star Abry Jones, who complimented an increased amount of playing time at defensive tackle with a strong performance on Georgia’s kick return unit that tallied 252 yards last week.
“He has a lot of ability, but he has a ways to go on his fundamentals,” Richt said. “He has a ways to go on every little thing that you have to learn, but we feel like he is going to get better in a hurry, which he is. Abry is moving very rapidly into a very fine player and I think the sky is the limit for him.”
WHERE WAS SAMUEL?
Perhaps the most perplexing part of Georgia's win over South Carolina was the emergence then sudden disappearance of tailback Richard Samuel.
On Georgia's first scoring drive offensively, Samuel had five touches including an 11-yard run and a 16-yard reception, capping the series with a 1-yard touchdown run with 1:56 remaining in the first quarter. After that, however, Samuel got just one more carry in the first half -- also an 11-yard dash -- while Carlton Thomas was on the field throughout much of the second quarter, including working as the pitch man on Branden Smith's 61-yard run on a reverse.
Bobo said Samuel's absence was due to a combination of the play calls and a desire to get the sophomore tailback some rest.
"(Samuel) had ran several times on that drive and ran physically hard, and we just wanted to get him out of the game," Bobo said. "The play for the reverse called for Carlton. … It was the plays we were calling and the players we have for those calls."
GRAY AREA
With Cox hurting, fans assumed they'd see a bit more of backup quarterback Logan Gray against South Carolina, but that wasn't the case.
Just as he had a week earlier against Oklahoma State, Gray got just one snap on offense, and the rationale behind his absence was simply the pace dictated by the game.
"This game we had only 53 snaps and losing possessions hurt his opportunity to go in the game," Bobo said. "Joe was very effective when he was in there and we didn't want to break the rhythm he was in."
Gray will get all the snap with the No. 1 unit during Wednesday's practice again this week, and that will be the routine throughout the season. While Bobo wouldn't guarantee more playing time for the sophomore quarterback on game day, he said the extra action with the first-team offense in practice can be a big stepping stone in Gray's development.
"It's beneficial for him that he's getting a lot of first-team reps and continuing to grow as a quarterback and establish himself as a leader in that huddle with the first group," Bobo said. "The more he becomes comfortable on the practice field, the greater the chance he'll have to get more significant playing time."
SLOW DAY AT PRACTICE
Georgia just dodged the rain for Tuesday's practice, but the effort was a bit dreary still, Richt said.
"It was a little bit sluggish," he said. "I'm sure the game Saturday took a good bit out of them. We've got time to get them ready to play by Saturday."
Richt also announced his captains for this week's game against Arkansas. Clint Boling is the offensive captain, while DeAngelo Tyson gets the nod for the defense. After several key special-teams plays made the difference in Georgia's win over South Carolina last week, Richt made a rare move of naming two captains -- Brandon Boykin and Rennie Curran -- from that unit this week.
"We've probably done it before while I've been at Georgia but I can't really remember a time off the top of my head – at least recently – when we've done so," Richt said.
Friday, August 28, 2009
From the Mailbag: One Week to Go Edition
It's Friday, there's just one week until football season, so that means we crack open the mailbag...
(Quick note: All of these are real emails, comments or Tweets, but some have been abridged for easier reading. Also, if you send me correspondence that you don't want included in a mailbag or re-posted on the blog, please say so.)
Brett writes: David read on a site (Zach) Mettenberger ran scout team in preparation for Zac Robinson. I don't see any similar qualities between the two wouldn't Logan gray be the best fit for that duty?
DH: No similarities, Brett? Umm... they're both named Zac(h), aren't they? You've got to start thinking like a coach, man!
Actually, Mettenberger, Aaron Murray and walk-on receiver Vernon Spellman each took turns playing the role of Robinson during Wednesday's practice game. For the scout-team work, the coaches will often rotate in different players to simulate the various skill sets of an individual opponent. So on a passing play, it might be Mettenberger in there, and on a designed run, it might be Spellman.
Bob W. writes: I enjoyed your piece in today’s paper regarding the grueling practices the Bulldog players have endured and their commitment to themselves, the team, the school and the fans.
Rennie Currans comments at the end of the article struck a chord with me.
Curran said. “If we don’t sacrifice now, it’s going to get ugly. The way I look at it is, I’d rather hurt now than hurt on ESPN or in front of those fans and look sloppy in front of the fans. We’ve been putting work in day in and day out, and hopefully it’s going to pay off.”
That being said I was wondering what commitment will the fans have to the team? Will it be “you’ve got our support 100 percent” but then the Dawgs hit a bump in the road and the blame game starts or the Defense has a bad day and the fans begin to cry out for Martinez’s head?
Or will the fans step up and pledge their undying support for this unheralded group? Thick or thin “We are Dawgs through and through” should be the mantra of the Dawg Nation.
I see this as a challenge to the fans to make the same type of commitment as the players have made. Stand firm, hurt when they hurt, celebrate when they celebrate, admit any shortcomings but forge on.
When the season draws to its conclusion can the fans say “they laid it on the line for us and we laid it on the line for this group of Damn Good Dawgs!”
If you so choose put it out there to the fans. Curious as to how deep is our (the Dawg Nations) allegiance.
DH: I'm a First Amendment guy, so I'm not going to criticize anyone for speaking their mind, but I figured it was a sentiment worth sharing, and the rest of you can do with it what you will. Something tells me though that we'll still hear an occasional "Willie Must Go" cry this season.
(And a side note... I was cleaning out some old clothes for Goodwill the other day and came across a "Fire Ed Wade" t-shirt I'd bought several years ago when the current Houston general manager was busy ruining the lives of every Phillies fan on the planet. It was a pretty low-quality piece of merchandise, but on the back it listed every bad move Wade had ever made, from signing Gregg Jeffries to hiring Larry Bowa. I wore it to a Phillies game during Wade's last season before being fired, and not only did I get a number of drinks bought for me by fans who loved the shirt, but people would actually come up and ask to have their picture taken with me. Anyway, I mention all this because it seems to me someone is missing out on a prime chance to make some quick cash off disgruntled Georgia fans here.)
Jimmy H. writes: First off, thanks for the blog, stories, and all the information you share about Georgia football. I was wondering why there has been no mention of AJ Harmon this season ? I assume he is still on the offensive side of the ball, maybe 2nd or 3rd string? Any info would be great.
DH: I couldn't begin to tell you why, but I would bet that I get more questions about A.J. Harmon than almost any other player on the team. Anyway, I posed the question to Mark Richt, and here's what he had to say:
"He's showing signs. In any given day, he makes plays where he looks like he's getting it, then he makes plays where he gets beat. He's working against Geno every day, working against Jeff, Kade. Those guys are pretty darned good, so I think anybody's going to have a rough time against them. Our No. 1 unit would be struggling against those guys. But he's getting comfortable as an offensive lineman. I think he has the ability to do it. He has really gotten his body in good shape. He's still got a ways to go, but he trimmed it down and now he's building it back up in a real positive way. He's getting his technique down, getting more comfortable with all his assignments and the tandems. I think he's making good progress."
Anonymous writes: David: Objectively, didn't Adrian Karsten's rise--as seen through his walk up to the top of the roof Carrier Dome--and fall--as seen in his later tragic death--symbolize perfectly the modern day highs and lows of the Syracuse football program?
DH: You know, I had to Google this to get the whole story on Karsten because I'd simply forgotten about him altogether. And in that respect, he's just like the Syracuse football program.
Anonymous Suckup writes: did you ever talk to anyone about why Carlton Thomas doesn't appear to be getting any looks at punt returner or kick returner? I thought he would be a good candidate, but what do I know?
DH: I reported a while back that Mark Richt did not list Thomas among the players working return duty for Georgia this fall. Here's the thing about getting info from Richt -- he's rarely deliberately evasive, but I honestly think sometimes he just has too much on his plate to remember every detail of what's going on.
Anyway, I checked with Bryan Evans, who Richt said was among the kick return options. Evans told me that Thomas is working with the kick returners, along with Vance Cuff, Branden Smith and Brandon Boykin. So you might then assume that Thomas was a legitimate candidate, right?
Well, Richt did his best to shoot that down again Wednesday, adding that Richard Samuel is a leading candidate to handle kick returns and saying Thomas wasn't particularly close.
"Carlton (Thomas) is in there, too," Richt said, "but I don't know if he'd be in the top three right now. But he's been getting work."
So, why would Richt say Samuel was a top candidate and Evans not even mention Samuel's name? Your guess is as good as mine, but if I were a betting man, I'd say there's a little subterfuge on Richt's part that Mr. Evans simply wasn't in on.
Carter writes: CMR said the following regarding Ros career ending injury: "We have petitioned for an NCAA medical exemption that will allow him to remain on scholarship." Does such an exemption allow a player to maintain an athletic scholarship without counting against the limit of 85?
DH: Yes, Ros can remain on scholarship for the rest of his time at Georgia without counting against the team's 85 scholarship limit. That doesn't begin this season, however, so it won't open up a scholly for someone currently on the team. It will mean an extra slot for the 2010 class.
@RexRobinson5 asks via Twitter: I am curious to know that if something HAS clicked with Richard (Samuel) compared to last year what was it that clicked?
DH: I'm not sure it's "something" as opposed to a lot of things. Richard spent the spring studying, learning and getting more comfortable with being a running back in the SEC. That might seem like a small thing, but for a kid who was 16 when he arrived on campus, it's really not.
I had a story in yesterday's Telegraph on Samuel's thirst for knowledge, and I think that was his biggest asset in developing from where he left off last season to being Georgia's probable starter this season.
Jake G. writes: Do you know what's going on at the cornerback position? ... Do you see our cornerbacks as a strength, wash, or weakness for us this year? Probably tough to say with a redshirt freshman starting on one side...
DH: I corrected Jake in his email that Brandon Boykin was, in fact, a sophomore, not a redshirt freshman. Then I asked Bryan Evans for his thoughts on Boykin, and Evans also referred to him as a freshman. Goes to show you how little playing time Boykin got last year, I guess.
Anyway, here's what else Evans had to say:
"Boykin is very athletic. I don't think it's a drop-off at all (from Asher Allen). He needs to get some experience, but that comes with the game. I have no doubts that Boykin is going to probably be one of the best first-year starters on our team this year. People need to look out for him."
As for the rest of the secondary, the most recent two-deep I've gotten is this:
WC: Prince Miller, Branden Smith
SC: Brandon Boykin, Vance Cuff
NB: Makiri Pugh, Nick Williams
SS: Reshad Jones, Baccari Rambo
FS: Bryan Evans, Sanders Commings
Brian writes: It looks like Brandon Boykin has locked down a starting corner spot, and that Pugh and Rambo are the backup safeties, but I have yet to see anything saying who the nickle corner is. Especially against a team like OSU, I imagine that the defense will be playing nickle more often than not. Do you know who is likely to be that fifth defensive back?
DH: Good follow-up to Jake's question. I talked with Mark Richt about the nickel position, and he agrees that the importance of having a good nickel is growing each year.
What the defense essentially does when going against three-wide or a spread offense is drop the Sam linebacker (who would normally be on the tight end) in favor of an extra defensive back (usually a safety). This gives the defense a bit more speed to handle coverage and avoid the mismatch of a wideout being covered by a linebacker. Considering the number of teams now using some version of the spread, this has become almost a default defense for Georgia in recent seasons and the reliance on the nickel will be even greater this year.
Richt said Makiri Pugh has spent the most time working at nickel, and the extra reps he got this fall while Evans, Quintin Banks and Reshad Jones were out with injuries, could prove to be key in his preparation. Pugh even iced Georgia's practice game with an interception late in the "fourth quarter" on Wednesday.
The more intriguing name at nickel, however, might be sophomore Nick Williams.
Williams has easily been one of the most popular players this offseason among the coaching staff because he loves to hit and he's a bundle of energy. (And, I'll add, one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet.) Because of all the injuries, he's been shuffled back and forth from safety to linebacker to safety and back to linebacker in the past 18 months. While moves like that have hindered the careers of players like Kiante Tripp, it may have turned out to be a blessing for Williams, who now may see action at both the Sam and the nickel -- which as Richt said, will essentially be the same position when Williams is on the field.
"They've let me know that maybe I need to learn everything, and that's my mentality is that I'm just going to learn it all so whenever it's time for me to go in, I'm prepared," Williams said. "I think it will get me on the field more. Coach likes versatility. He likes guys who can do more than one thing."
Williams has been packing on and losing weight seemingly every month because of the position shifts, but he said he's now at a comfortable 220 pounds, which is where he plans to stay. The weight hasn't cost him much speed either. He ran a 4.47 at the end of offseason workouts.
Brad writes: With respect to the "Team" attitude, I heard a story from practice last Wednesday. A couple players got into a tussle during practice and were punished with running. I'm told the entire team put on running shoes and ran. If that is true, then that is impressive.
DH: That's a great story, but sadly, it's apparently not true.
There have certainly been a few scuffles, but Jeff Owens said the team running part didn't happen. (Well, he called it "an exaggeration.") Not that you should be too concerned about the fights. They happen all the time, he said, and that's a good thing.
"That's the name of the game," Owens said. "Every play, offensive line and defensive line are getting into it. Backs and linebackers. Everybody's getting into it. Every play, you're competing, and when you're competing, the aggression's out there. But it's all just love. If you sat out there and watched practice, you'd see scuffles every day. But you're competing, and that's the name of the game. That's how you get better, you compete."
Jon writes: After reading comments made about Abry Jones last week, I was wondering if there was any thought of playing him some at defensive end since there are so many seniors on the interior line?
DH: Good thought, Jon, and having seen a little of Jones' high school tape, I think there's little question he could do it. Problem is, the coaches aren't planning on it, so it's not likely to happen. Of course, that doesn't mean you won't see a good bit of him this season.
“Right now, he’s inside and we don’t see him being outside right now," Mark Richt said. "Abry has done a very nice job and he's right on the cusp of getting some good playing time. Right now we think he’ll play.”
(NOTE: If you were playing a "right now" drinking game with that quote, please pause here and take a few minutes to sober up.)
@007dawg writes via Twitter: For Branden (Smith): What road trip are you most looking forward to in your first season?
DH: Branden didn't have to think too long about this one: “I’d have to say Jacksonville. I heard it’s loud, and there’s nothing like playing with a lot of fans. So I’d say Jacksonville.”
Mike B. writes: what kind of camp has Justin Houston had? I know there is the two game suspension thing but what about game three? Is he going to take over the starting job or just be depth?
DH: The reports on Houston have all been very positive, despite his suspension. I wondered whether he might backslide after a great spring because of two-game absence, but virtually every player I've talked to has said that Houston has continued progressing and working hard, which leads me to believe that, if he's not the starter Week 3, he'll be right in the thick of things.
“He’s been really good about it," fellow defensive end Demarcus Dobbs said. "He’s been coming to all the workouts, showing up on time and being a great leader to those other guys. Even though he’s had this setback, he doesn’t show it.”
JaxDawg writes: you do not have children. If you did, you would realize that while we want to give our children plenty or freedom, checking on them and monitoring their activities is the mark of a good parent. Most is innocuous chatter - but not always.
DH: This was in response to my comment that parents befriending their kids would be the ultimate death of Facebook.
I get what JaxDawg is saying, and while I don't have kids (and Lord knows, that's best for everyone), I can fully understand how Facebook allows parents to get a certain peace of mind through a social networking site. Heck, I've certainly stalked enough ex-girlfriends that... you know what, scratch that last part.
Anyway, the bottom line is not that I'm personally opposed to parents joining Facebook. The problem is that it's simply bad for business for Facebook. Hey, I'm in favor of prisons and liquor stores and Sonic drive-thrus, but I don't want any of them to be built next to my house because it lowers the property value (you know, if I owned property). I imagine the operators of Facebook view parents much the same way.
jferg writes: Should we read anything into CRGs comments on Jeff and Geno...something to the tune of "if those two don't get it going, they might not even start, regardless of what list they're on". Was that just a barb to get his horses working hard again? I don't remember CRG ever saying something like this for no reason. Have the two big guys been slacking a little? He even said Kade has been a better leader. Really? Can you go deeper for us?
DH: I appreciate JFerg's willingness to take Rodney Garner at face value, but I can promise you, Garner's never met a player he didn't think was slacking off. That might be a slight exaggeration, but he really does find ways he wants all his guys to improve, and he's not shy about telling them and the media about it.
So, bottom line, Geno Atkins and Jeff Owens will still be the two starters -- and two of the best interior linemen in the country -- but Kade Weston and DeAngelo Tyson will see a good bit of action, too.
Frank D. writes: We, of the Dawg Nation, have been working by email committee, sub-committee and focus group. Behind your back.
The Season of Most Apprehension stretches out before us. We are nervous. We are Don Knotts with a hairy Dawg fetish and lines on a mirror. We are caffeined, bourboned and Valiumed. We are a mess.
We lay our collective agony at your feet. We have come to Delphi and bow before you. We ask, we plead for your wisdom, insight and undivided attention to our needs. We need every minute of your time. Every second.
In light of the crisis at hand, the Committee for the Season of Most Apprehension has assembled a regiment for you to follow over the next four and a half months. This is NOT a suggestion. I hope I make myself clear on this point.
Until the clock runs out in the unnamed bowl game, you shall, and without complaint or equivocation:
1. Forgo sex with any other humanoid other than yourself, and keep that to a bare minimum.
2. Eliminate meals. Fruit cups on-the-go should suffice. This will additionally eliminate the Gas-X tab on your expense account.
3. Bathe infrequently.
4. Dispose of your watch, alarm clock and hair brush.
5. Bunk in with the team. Joe Cox talks in his sleep.
6. Pray to Buddha. Jeezus is working with the meek this fall.
7. Unplug your TV.
8. Avoid Barbara Dooley.
9. Channel Squab Jones.
10. Get a swine flu shot.
These Ten Commandments are absolute and unconditional. You are bound to these orders as of noon today. Thank you.
DH: There are two things particularly frightening about this email. (And, yes, I know what you're saying... "Only two?")
First, it's amazing how many of these items I was already sticking to without being asked. I may need to rethink my life and where it all went wrong.
And second, this wasn't my favorite email of the week.
Which leads me to...
McCullough writes: David, this posting made me a big fan of yours. Of course, it could be the beers I've already consumed, but so many parts of this made me very happy. I'm so glad to have your stuff to read every day, and this was a banner day for you. I don't give a $#@! about Lost, but that's OK. So many parts of this post was very enjoyable. I can't even go into detail. But, you the man. Thanks.
DH: Now here's what we're going to do. I want everyone reading this to drink a fifth of bourbon, then re-read the mailbag again. Then, tell everyone you know about how great it was. I think we're remarkably close to becoming the first blog post to win a Pulitzer.
Thanks for all the questions, folks. Keep 'em coming, and we'll do more next week.
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