For most of the past two years, Georgia fans have cringed and crossed their fingers with each kickoff. This season, Warren Belin aims to change all that.
The Bulldogs’ new linebackers coach and kickoff coordinator isn’t giving away any trade secrets just yet, but he said he’s made special teams a priority this spring, and he’s planning to tailor his philosophy on kickoffs to highlight the strengths of the players he has to work with.
“Each week, things are going to change as I look at film and see what the returns we’re facing – those returns may dictate what we do on game day,” Belin said. “So for me to come in as the coach in charge of the kickoff team, I’m just going to use the basic fundamentals and take advantage of our kickers, and use the speed that we have to cover the kicks.”
Sounds simple enough, but for fans frustrated by two years of brutal kick coverage – Georgia ranked 117th nationally in kickoff coverage and lost to LSU due in large part to a botched fourth-quarter kickoff – that simplicity is music to their ears.
Gone will be the philosophy of directional kicking. Belin plans to use kicker Blair Walsh’s strong leg to his advantage. And gone will be the plan to play mostly walk-ons and underused reserves on kick coverage. Belin, a former special teams coordinator at Vanderbilt, wants the best players on the field at all times – including offensive and defensive starters when possible.
“I have a philosophy … of using a guy that does that particular drill or that particular scheme the best, whether he’s a starter or a back up or a young man who’s shown he can develop as a walk-on,” Belin said. “If he’s a guy that can cover and avoid blocks and go make tackles, we need to find a spot for him. I’d love to use all the starters we can, but if those starters aren’t ready to fit that position, I’ll use the next guy who does it the best scheme-wise.”
Of course, part of finding the right players for the job is making special teams a priority, even this spring. Belin said he and tight ends coach John Lilly, who organizes all the special teams meetings, have done their best this spring to make sure the players know that their work on kickoffs and other special teams units are going to be crucial.
“You have to have a third of your practice designed for special teams,” Belin said. “I think Coach Richt, when we come out at the start of practice – and we put it all at the beginning of practice – that’s showing our guys special teams are going to be very, very important.”
HAVE A NICE TRIPP
If there’s one constant in Kiante Tripp’s football career, it’s change. So while his teammates on Georgia’s defense have been busy adjusting to life in Todd Grantham’s new 3-4 scheme, it’s business as usual for Tripp, who spends virtually every spring learning something completely new.
The difference this time, he said, is that this new-look defense seems to be perfectly tailored to fit his skill set.
“Being 290 and being an athlete at the same time, the 3-4 is good because I can use my athleticism in the inside and use my size and power for the run,” Tripp said. “I like the defense because you don’t know what’s going to happen, it confuses the offense, and we’re doing damage out there.”
During his first four seasons at Georgia, Tripp’s versatility and athleticism actually hindered his career, as coaches moved him from the defensive line to the offensive line to tight end and back again, never quite sure where best to utilize his talents. Now, his versatility makes him an asset without having to leave the defensive line.
The majority of his work has been at defensive end when the defense is using three down linemen. In nickel situations when the scheme shifts to the more traditional four-man front, however, Tripp slides inside to tackle. His speed and athleticism matched with his hulking frame allows him to handle both jobs, and his work has impressed head coach Mark Richt.
“Kiante has done well,” Richt said. “He’s moved around a lot, as we know, positionally. Now we know we’ve got him in his final resting place, so to speak. I think he’s embracing it and he’s doing well. He’ll play. He’ll help us.”
BATTLE TESTED
A year ago, Bacarri Rambo was struggling just to earn playing time. Now, he’s embracing the role of veteran leader among Georgia’s safeties.
Rambo finished last season with 25 tackles, two interceptions and five pass breakups, mostly in reserve duty, but he learned a lot along the way from starters Reshad Jones and Bryan Evans.
Although Rambo hasn’t officially locked up a starting job now that Jones and Evans have moved on, he’s spent virtually all of spring practice working with the No. 1 unit, and he’s taken the opportunity to try to provide the same mentorship he enjoyed last year for the group of young safeties working their way up the depth chart this season.
“Last year when I was playing, Reshad and Bryan helped me out,” Rambo said. “It was my first season, and I didn’t know stuff like they knew. Since they taught me, I feel like I can help those other guys out on the field and be a great leader to those guys.”
Showing posts with label Kiante Tripp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kiante Tripp. Show all posts
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Changing Faces: 5 Potential Breakout Players on Defense
At this point, it's hard to gauge how Todd Grantham's new 3-4 defense is going to affect the current roster of Bulldogs other than to say it's definitely going to shake things up.
But of all the fan-friendly quotes I've heard from Grantham so far, I think this one caught my eye more than any others when it comes to player development:
So, with that in mind, I tried to put together a quick list of five players I think might see the biggest impact in Year 1 from Grantham's arrival.
Now, keep in mind, this isn't a list of which players I think will find the most success. My guess is Justin Houston is going to be a first-team All-SEC guy in 2010 -- but he might have been that anyway.
And it's not a list of who the new faces will be this season. Players like Garrison Smith and Jakar Hamilton appear to have bright futures, but again, they would have likely had bright futures regardless of the DC.
This list is of five guys who have already been in Athens for at least a year who have a chance to see the career path they were on shifted in a positive direction now that the new staff is (almost) in place. For some, it's a matter of the scheme now matching their skills. For others, it's about getting a fresh start with a new opportunity to prove themselves. And for others, it's just about getting some better coaching to iron out the flaws in their game.
Anyway, here's what I came up with...
Cornelius Washington (RSo./DE). At 6-4, 250, Washington is a big boy, but his pass-rush skills have always hinged on his speed. Add to that the fact that in the 4-3, he was going to be stuck behind Houston and Demarcus Dobbs on the depth chart, and you have a guy with a ton of skill who wasn't being utilized in the best way. Enter the 3-4 and it's a completely different story. While Dobbs possesses the wider frame that could keep him at DE, Washington is a prototype outside linebacker in Grantham's scheme and could be an absolute stud as a pass rusher. If he teams with Houston at OLB in 2010, Washington's numbers could be off the charts, and Georgia's pass rush could be downright frightening.
Akeem Hebron (Sr./LB). I'm not entirely sure where Hebron fits in, but the fact of the matter is, he arrived at Georgia as one of the most highly recruiting linebackers the Dawgs had landed in recent years and his career has come and gone with about as little fanfare as any top-100 recruit could have. He has appeared in just nine games and made just four tackles total at Georgia, but with a fresh start under Grantham and the departure of Rennie Curran, there's a chance Hebron could salvage the final season of his college career much the way Brandon Miller did in 2007.
Marcus Dowtin (Jr./LB). Dowtin made huge steps forward in 2009 and was arguably Georgia's second best linebacker already. But the biggest chink in Dowtin's armor has been his consistency. I've been told by Curran and John Jancek and Darryl Gamble and even Dowtin himself that he has a tendency to take a play or two off on occasion or to let down his guard from time to time. Something tells me that Grantham and his 11 years of NFL experience won't be letting that happen any longer. Dowtin is talented enough to be a future star at the next level, and I wouldn't be shocked if Grantham gets him to just that point. Add to that Dowtin's strong tackling skills, strong work in blitz situations and ability to play in coverage and he seems like a good fit at ILB in the 3-4 to boot.
Kiante Tripp (Sr./DE). This might be wishful thinking on my part, but for anyone who has followed Tripp's career, you have to root for the kid to finally make something of himself at Georgia. He's been misused from the beginning, and he hasn't complained. Wherever coaches have needed him, he's gone. And each time he makes a position change, he gets thrown to the wolves, then cast aside quickly. The same was true last year after moving to DE when Tripp struggled to get onto the field after some early injury concerns. And as much as it would be a shame for a guy who has given his all for Georgia to miss out on a finding some success, it would be a crime for UGA to let someone with Tripp's combination of size and athleticism to graduate without turning him into a real player. Tripp's body type could work very well on the D line in Grantham's 3-4, and while he'll no doubt be pushed by some younger talent like Abry Jones and Kwame Geathers, he won't be without a good group of fans pulling for him to turn the corner after so many setbacks.
Jordan Love (RFr./CB). A lot of competition for the final slot -- with Geathers and Jones among the younger players who might thrive in new roles and Darryl Gamble or Akeem Dent among the older players who might cap their careers nicely in the 3-4 -- but I didn't want to only consider the front seven. In any defense, it's incumbent upon the corners to provide solid play in the run game, and Prince Miller did that really well last year. In the 3-4, that responsibility becomes even more important. Certainly Branden Smith could fill that role and do it well, but Love is bigger and more physical and could find himself in competition for a bit more playing time this season than he might have been otherwise. A foot injury kept him off the field in Year 1 of his career, which might have put him behind the 8-ball with the previous regime, but a strong spring could now leave him in prime position to be, at worst, the top corner off the bench in nickel situations.
So, what do you guys think? Any sleepers you're particularly excited about in 2010? Any veterans you're hoping will get one last shot?
But of all the fan-friendly quotes I've heard from Grantham so far, I think this one caught my eye more than any others when it comes to player development:
"The best thing you can do is create one-on-ones. You try to get the guys that can win for you against the guys that can’t win for them. I don’t think there’s any question that can be an asset for us, and I think that some players will thrive because of that. I think some guys will enhance their careers because of that, because we’re going to find ways to make guys in protection – whether it be a back or a freshman guard or tackle – we’re going to find ways to make those guys block.”Add that to Grantham's insistence that the best players will play and there's a clean slate for those who hadn't seen much playing time in the past, and I'd say it's a safe bet that we'll see some new stars emerge on defense next season.
So, with that in mind, I tried to put together a quick list of five players I think might see the biggest impact in Year 1 from Grantham's arrival.
Now, keep in mind, this isn't a list of which players I think will find the most success. My guess is Justin Houston is going to be a first-team All-SEC guy in 2010 -- but he might have been that anyway.
And it's not a list of who the new faces will be this season. Players like Garrison Smith and Jakar Hamilton appear to have bright futures, but again, they would have likely had bright futures regardless of the DC.
This list is of five guys who have already been in Athens for at least a year who have a chance to see the career path they were on shifted in a positive direction now that the new staff is (almost) in place. For some, it's a matter of the scheme now matching their skills. For others, it's about getting a fresh start with a new opportunity to prove themselves. And for others, it's just about getting some better coaching to iron out the flaws in their game.
Anyway, here's what I came up with...
Cornelius Washington (RSo./DE). At 6-4, 250, Washington is a big boy, but his pass-rush skills have always hinged on his speed. Add to that the fact that in the 4-3, he was going to be stuck behind Houston and Demarcus Dobbs on the depth chart, and you have a guy with a ton of skill who wasn't being utilized in the best way. Enter the 3-4 and it's a completely different story. While Dobbs possesses the wider frame that could keep him at DE, Washington is a prototype outside linebacker in Grantham's scheme and could be an absolute stud as a pass rusher. If he teams with Houston at OLB in 2010, Washington's numbers could be off the charts, and Georgia's pass rush could be downright frightening.
Akeem Hebron (Sr./LB). I'm not entirely sure where Hebron fits in, but the fact of the matter is, he arrived at Georgia as one of the most highly recruiting linebackers the Dawgs had landed in recent years and his career has come and gone with about as little fanfare as any top-100 recruit could have. He has appeared in just nine games and made just four tackles total at Georgia, but with a fresh start under Grantham and the departure of Rennie Curran, there's a chance Hebron could salvage the final season of his college career much the way Brandon Miller did in 2007.
Marcus Dowtin (Jr./LB). Dowtin made huge steps forward in 2009 and was arguably Georgia's second best linebacker already. But the biggest chink in Dowtin's armor has been his consistency. I've been told by Curran and John Jancek and Darryl Gamble and even Dowtin himself that he has a tendency to take a play or two off on occasion or to let down his guard from time to time. Something tells me that Grantham and his 11 years of NFL experience won't be letting that happen any longer. Dowtin is talented enough to be a future star at the next level, and I wouldn't be shocked if Grantham gets him to just that point. Add to that Dowtin's strong tackling skills, strong work in blitz situations and ability to play in coverage and he seems like a good fit at ILB in the 3-4 to boot.
Kiante Tripp (Sr./DE). This might be wishful thinking on my part, but for anyone who has followed Tripp's career, you have to root for the kid to finally make something of himself at Georgia. He's been misused from the beginning, and he hasn't complained. Wherever coaches have needed him, he's gone. And each time he makes a position change, he gets thrown to the wolves, then cast aside quickly. The same was true last year after moving to DE when Tripp struggled to get onto the field after some early injury concerns. And as much as it would be a shame for a guy who has given his all for Georgia to miss out on a finding some success, it would be a crime for UGA to let someone with Tripp's combination of size and athleticism to graduate without turning him into a real player. Tripp's body type could work very well on the D line in Grantham's 3-4, and while he'll no doubt be pushed by some younger talent like Abry Jones and Kwame Geathers, he won't be without a good group of fans pulling for him to turn the corner after so many setbacks.
Jordan Love (RFr./CB). A lot of competition for the final slot -- with Geathers and Jones among the younger players who might thrive in new roles and Darryl Gamble or Akeem Dent among the older players who might cap their careers nicely in the 3-4 -- but I didn't want to only consider the front seven. In any defense, it's incumbent upon the corners to provide solid play in the run game, and Prince Miller did that really well last year. In the 3-4, that responsibility becomes even more important. Certainly Branden Smith could fill that role and do it well, but Love is bigger and more physical and could find himself in competition for a bit more playing time this season than he might have been otherwise. A foot injury kept him off the field in Year 1 of his career, which might have put him behind the 8-ball with the previous regime, but a strong spring could now leave him in prime position to be, at worst, the top corner off the bench in nickel situations.
So, what do you guys think? Any sleepers you're particularly excited about in 2010? Any veterans you're hoping will get one last shot?
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."
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Practice Notes: Richt Cracks Down After Latest Arrest
A second player in three weeks was arrested for misdemeanor traffic violations Wednesday when offensive lineman Vince Vance was taken into custody by the Athens-Clarke County police for driving without a license.
Head coach Mark Richt said Vance, 22, had a learner’s permit, which would allow him to operate the vehicle if another adult was present, but that was not the case at the time of the arrest. The violation is the second in the past year for Vance, who was arrested on a similar charge last November.
“He doesn’t have a car, and he claims that he never drives unless he has someone 21 (years old) with (him) which is legal to do," Richt said. "So here’s a kid who doesn’t have a suspended license. It’s a legal license. Now, why he has a learner’s permit at this age, everybody’s asking the same question. But he drove by himself and had a traffic violation and when they ran it, he broke the law."
Richt said the arrest will not affect Vance’s playing time in this week’s game against Florida.
“It’s not affecting his playing status at all,” Richt said. “If he starts, he was going to start, if he doesn’t start, he wasn’t going to start.”
Richt said further punishment is being handled in-house, but said that the team’s focus on these minor traffic offenses has increased in recent weeks.
Three weeks ago, cornerback Vance Cuff was arrested for driving a scooter with a suspended license, and linebacker Rennie Curran also had a bench warrant issued for him after he failed to appear in court following a speeding violation.
“I can’t even tell you what we’ve been trying to get done in regard to making sure these things don’t happen,” Richt said. “I’m highly frustrated. I’ve taken things a little bit more into my own hands to make sure these things get resolved.”
The problem, Richt said, is that rules are often nearly impossible to enforce. While the school tries to ensure each player has a valid license, situations like the one faced by Vance result from players not having the proper class of license, which is forcing Richt to take a firm stand on the issue.
“My feeling is, every single Georgia football player must have not only a valid license, but a Class C license,” Richt said.
Still, Richt said, it remains difficult to keep tabs on any potential moving violations, parking tickets and other minor issues that can, if ignored, become more serious. Finding a foolproof plan to combat the issues will take some time, he said.
“I can’t snap my finger and get it done overnight,” Richt said. “If a kid gets a ticket and he can’t take care of it quickly enough, he could find himself with an issue there. So it’s a real pain in the rear, quite frankly.”
While neither Vance nor Cuff were charged with anything more serious than a misdemeanor, Richt said the problem is more about image than substance.
"It’s one thing to get stopped and get a citation," Richt said. "I don’t think anybody gets too bent out of shape. But if a guy gets stopped and he’s arrested, that’s a more serious matter. These are misdemeanor issues, but it’s an arrest nonetheless, and it’s embarrassing. It’s embarrassing to the program and to them. So we’ve got to do a better job, and I’m taking the blame for not making certain these things were taken care of, but we’re going to get it straight.”
Richt said he would personally take account of players' driving status and make an effort to constantly remind players that moving violations and other traffic citations must be reported to the coaching staff.
In Curran's case, a traffic ticket went unpaid, and a bench warrant was issued. That's not uncommon, Richt said, as the busy schedule of classes and football can often cause a player to forget to follow up on such issues.
While Richt is understanding of why the problems can arise, however, he's unwilling to tolerate further excuses.
“I don’t think anybody’s purposely trying to do those things, but if they don’t follow through, that’s another problem," he said. "So all these things can happen and they seem little … but those little things if you don’t handle your responsibilities, then you get bigger problems. That’s part of growing up, that’s part of college, that’s part of what we’re trying to help these guys understand. They’ve got to grow up, be a man, handle your responsibilities so we don’t have to deal with this. But we have got to make sure we’re monitoring these things so we don’t have these things blow up on us.”
RECORD CHASER
As far as the record books go, Florida quarterback Tim Tebow is currently tied with former Georgia great Herschel Walker for the SEC’s record for career rushing touchdowns, meaning the much-reviled Gators star could set the mark against Walker’s old team this week. That doesn’t exactly sit well with some of Georgia’s players.
“It seems like everybody is trying to make history on us,” defensive tackle Jeff Owens said, referencing Eric Berry’s attempt to set a record for interceptions against Georgia three weeks ago. “We want to keep him out of the end zone. He’s a tough player, always trying to get that extra yard, so we’ve just got to scratch and claw and try to stop him.”
Tebow has 49 career rushing touchdowns, five of which have come against Georgia. While that officially ties the record, Walker has five additional touchdowns that came in bowl games, which were not counted toward official totals at the time.
Regardless of the caveats, Georgia isn’t interested in seeing Tebow break Walker’s record – officially or unofficially – this week.
“Just knowing the type of player that Herschel was and the type of guy that he is now, we just want to represent for the guys who played before us,” linebacker Rennie Curran said. “That would be huge for us to hold their offense and Tebow and not let them score. We know they like to put the ball in his hands on the goal line so that is going to be our main goal. Not just because it is going to be a record but because as a defense we just want to play our best game.”
Of course, that’s as much a compliment to Tebow as anything. For as much as Georgia’s players hope they can maintain Walker’s record, quarterback Joe Cox admits he has a great deal of respect for Tebow, too.
“He’s unique being such a big, powerful runner,” Cox said. “You see a lot of quarterbacks nowadays that can run, but it’s not like a guy that runs like a fullback. You don’t have a lot of guys that play quarterback that are your goal line back. I think he’s different in that sense. I don’t know how many guys can take that many carries in a conference like this. I don’t know how many you’ll see that are like him. You’ll see a lot of guys that are dual-threat, but guys that can take that many carries and be the goal-line back? I don’t know.”
HAPPY TO BE BACK
Cox is making his first start in a Georgia-Florida game this season, and he’s happy to be doing it in Jacksonville, Fla.
There was a great deal of debate over the future of the game in recent months, but a deal to keep the game in Jacksonville appears imminent, and that’s just the way it should be, Cox said.
“I know there are people that think this game needs to come to Atlanta, but it doesn’t matter because wherever you are, it’s going to be a 50-50 crowd, and it’s always really cool to see it like that,” he said. “Two teams that are big rivals, they get to share the stadium, and it’s one of the best games in college football and it’s always fun to be a part of.”
NEW FACE EARNS PRAISE
Early in the season, Christian Robinson was buried on the depth chart at linebacker. But with injuries to Akeem Dent and Marcus Dowtin, the redshirt freshman has seen significant playing time the past two weeks, and he’s made the most of it.
In the past two games, Robinson has made six tackles – including one for a loss – in reserve duty, and linebackers coach John Jancek said his progress has been impressive.
“Christian has a very bright future here,” Jancek said. “He’s only a freshman, but he’s really caught on to things very well. He’s a dedicated player, he plays very hard. I look for him to continue getting better and better and better. His biggest thing will be his physical development once we end this season.”
EXTRA POINTS
-- Georgia practice in full pads today, a change from its normal schedule following a bye week. The Bulldogs were making up for yesterday’s indoor workout, which was necessitated due to bad weather. The team will practice in shorts Thursday and have a brief walk-through Friday in preparation for Saturday’s game against Florida.
-- Richt said he was not sure who would start at tailback this week but indicated several of Georgia’s five scholarship tailbacks could play. He said, to this point, no one back has emerged that can handle all of Georgia’s playbook to the standards necessary, so different backs will be used for different play calls. Of the backs on the roster, however, Richt said sophomore Caleb King is closest to being a full-time player.
-- Richt still would not comment on a starting lineup for the offensive line, but Clint Boling (LT), Cordy Glenn (LG), Ben Jones (C), Chris Davis (RG) and Josh Davis (RT) handled the first-team reps during the early periods of Wednesday’s practice.
-- Richt said linebacker Akeem Dent went through a full practice today and will be able to play Saturday. Defensive end Kiante Tripp has also been cleared to play after missing most of the season with a neck stinger.
Head coach Mark Richt said Vance, 22, had a learner’s permit, which would allow him to operate the vehicle if another adult was present, but that was not the case at the time of the arrest. The violation is the second in the past year for Vance, who was arrested on a similar charge last November.
“He doesn’t have a car, and he claims that he never drives unless he has someone 21 (years old) with (him) which is legal to do," Richt said. "So here’s a kid who doesn’t have a suspended license. It’s a legal license. Now, why he has a learner’s permit at this age, everybody’s asking the same question. But he drove by himself and had a traffic violation and when they ran it, he broke the law."
Richt said the arrest will not affect Vance’s playing time in this week’s game against Florida.
“It’s not affecting his playing status at all,” Richt said. “If he starts, he was going to start, if he doesn’t start, he wasn’t going to start.”
Richt said further punishment is being handled in-house, but said that the team’s focus on these minor traffic offenses has increased in recent weeks.
Three weeks ago, cornerback Vance Cuff was arrested for driving a scooter with a suspended license, and linebacker Rennie Curran also had a bench warrant issued for him after he failed to appear in court following a speeding violation.
“I can’t even tell you what we’ve been trying to get done in regard to making sure these things don’t happen,” Richt said. “I’m highly frustrated. I’ve taken things a little bit more into my own hands to make sure these things get resolved.”
The problem, Richt said, is that rules are often nearly impossible to enforce. While the school tries to ensure each player has a valid license, situations like the one faced by Vance result from players not having the proper class of license, which is forcing Richt to take a firm stand on the issue.
“My feeling is, every single Georgia football player must have not only a valid license, but a Class C license,” Richt said.
Still, Richt said, it remains difficult to keep tabs on any potential moving violations, parking tickets and other minor issues that can, if ignored, become more serious. Finding a foolproof plan to combat the issues will take some time, he said.
“I can’t snap my finger and get it done overnight,” Richt said. “If a kid gets a ticket and he can’t take care of it quickly enough, he could find himself with an issue there. So it’s a real pain in the rear, quite frankly.”
While neither Vance nor Cuff were charged with anything more serious than a misdemeanor, Richt said the problem is more about image than substance.
"It’s one thing to get stopped and get a citation," Richt said. "I don’t think anybody gets too bent out of shape. But if a guy gets stopped and he’s arrested, that’s a more serious matter. These are misdemeanor issues, but it’s an arrest nonetheless, and it’s embarrassing. It’s embarrassing to the program and to them. So we’ve got to do a better job, and I’m taking the blame for not making certain these things were taken care of, but we’re going to get it straight.”
Richt said he would personally take account of players' driving status and make an effort to constantly remind players that moving violations and other traffic citations must be reported to the coaching staff.
In Curran's case, a traffic ticket went unpaid, and a bench warrant was issued. That's not uncommon, Richt said, as the busy schedule of classes and football can often cause a player to forget to follow up on such issues.
While Richt is understanding of why the problems can arise, however, he's unwilling to tolerate further excuses.
“I don’t think anybody’s purposely trying to do those things, but if they don’t follow through, that’s another problem," he said. "So all these things can happen and they seem little … but those little things if you don’t handle your responsibilities, then you get bigger problems. That’s part of growing up, that’s part of college, that’s part of what we’re trying to help these guys understand. They’ve got to grow up, be a man, handle your responsibilities so we don’t have to deal with this. But we have got to make sure we’re monitoring these things so we don’t have these things blow up on us.”
RECORD CHASER
As far as the record books go, Florida quarterback Tim Tebow is currently tied with former Georgia great Herschel Walker for the SEC’s record for career rushing touchdowns, meaning the much-reviled Gators star could set the mark against Walker’s old team this week. That doesn’t exactly sit well with some of Georgia’s players.
“It seems like everybody is trying to make history on us,” defensive tackle Jeff Owens said, referencing Eric Berry’s attempt to set a record for interceptions against Georgia three weeks ago. “We want to keep him out of the end zone. He’s a tough player, always trying to get that extra yard, so we’ve just got to scratch and claw and try to stop him.”
Tebow has 49 career rushing touchdowns, five of which have come against Georgia. While that officially ties the record, Walker has five additional touchdowns that came in bowl games, which were not counted toward official totals at the time.
Regardless of the caveats, Georgia isn’t interested in seeing Tebow break Walker’s record – officially or unofficially – this week.
“Just knowing the type of player that Herschel was and the type of guy that he is now, we just want to represent for the guys who played before us,” linebacker Rennie Curran said. “That would be huge for us to hold their offense and Tebow and not let them score. We know they like to put the ball in his hands on the goal line so that is going to be our main goal. Not just because it is going to be a record but because as a defense we just want to play our best game.”
Of course, that’s as much a compliment to Tebow as anything. For as much as Georgia’s players hope they can maintain Walker’s record, quarterback Joe Cox admits he has a great deal of respect for Tebow, too.
“He’s unique being such a big, powerful runner,” Cox said. “You see a lot of quarterbacks nowadays that can run, but it’s not like a guy that runs like a fullback. You don’t have a lot of guys that play quarterback that are your goal line back. I think he’s different in that sense. I don’t know how many guys can take that many carries in a conference like this. I don’t know how many you’ll see that are like him. You’ll see a lot of guys that are dual-threat, but guys that can take that many carries and be the goal-line back? I don’t know.”
HAPPY TO BE BACK
Cox is making his first start in a Georgia-Florida game this season, and he’s happy to be doing it in Jacksonville, Fla.
There was a great deal of debate over the future of the game in recent months, but a deal to keep the game in Jacksonville appears imminent, and that’s just the way it should be, Cox said.
“I know there are people that think this game needs to come to Atlanta, but it doesn’t matter because wherever you are, it’s going to be a 50-50 crowd, and it’s always really cool to see it like that,” he said. “Two teams that are big rivals, they get to share the stadium, and it’s one of the best games in college football and it’s always fun to be a part of.”
NEW FACE EARNS PRAISE
Early in the season, Christian Robinson was buried on the depth chart at linebacker. But with injuries to Akeem Dent and Marcus Dowtin, the redshirt freshman has seen significant playing time the past two weeks, and he’s made the most of it.
In the past two games, Robinson has made six tackles – including one for a loss – in reserve duty, and linebackers coach John Jancek said his progress has been impressive.
“Christian has a very bright future here,” Jancek said. “He’s only a freshman, but he’s really caught on to things very well. He’s a dedicated player, he plays very hard. I look for him to continue getting better and better and better. His biggest thing will be his physical development once we end this season.”
EXTRA POINTS
-- Georgia practice in full pads today, a change from its normal schedule following a bye week. The Bulldogs were making up for yesterday’s indoor workout, which was necessitated due to bad weather. The team will practice in shorts Thursday and have a brief walk-through Friday in preparation for Saturday’s game against Florida.
-- Richt said he was not sure who would start at tailback this week but indicated several of Georgia’s five scholarship tailbacks could play. He said, to this point, no one back has emerged that can handle all of Georgia’s playbook to the standards necessary, so different backs will be used for different play calls. Of the backs on the roster, however, Richt said sophomore Caleb King is closest to being a full-time player.
-- Richt still would not comment on a starting lineup for the offensive line, but Clint Boling (LT), Cordy Glenn (LG), Ben Jones (C), Chris Davis (RG) and Josh Davis (RT) handled the first-team reps during the early periods of Wednesday’s practice.
-- Richt said linebacker Akeem Dent went through a full practice today and will be able to play Saturday. Defensive end Kiante Tripp has also been cleared to play after missing most of the season with a neck stinger.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Practice Notes: Dawgs Looking For Spark on the Ground
Georgia knew replacing Knowshon Moreno would be tough, but four weeks into the season, coaches hoped the results would be a bit better.
The Bulldogs rank 11th in the SEC in rushing offense, averaging just 112 yards per game on the ground – down nearly 40 yards per game from last season.
Richard Samuel opened the season as the Bulldogs’ top tailback, but since Caleb King returned from a hamstring injury two weeks ago, the two have shared the load. That’s a trend head coach Mark Richt said he expects to continue.
“Right now in my mind they are 50-50 in my thinking,” Richt said. “One guy might be running a little bit better than the other, and he may get more. We’re not to the position where we saying 75 percent of the totes here and 25 percent there. We looking to more let’s play them both, keep them fresh, see how they’re doing and kind of go from there.”
That’s Richt’s plan, but offensive coordinator Mike Bobo isn’t convinced that a timeshare is the best alternative.
Before Tuesday’s practice, Bobo said he hoped one back could impress enough during this week’s workouts to secure the bulk of the work and, in turn, improve the floundering running game.
“We’ve got to get somebody in a groove, and we’ve got to get the running game going,” Bobo said. “I’d say right now, (they’re even), but if somebody has a great day (in practice), they might be the starter. We’ve got to find somebody to jump start our running game.”
Samuel is averaging 4.5 yards per carry so far this season, but aside from an 80-yard run against Arkansas, the sophomore tailback has tallied just two yards per rush on his other 26 carries in the past two games.
King has looked like the better runner overall, picking up 114 yards on 22 carries since returning from a hamstring injury that cost him the first two games of the season. In addition to his rushing exploits, King has also been the better all-around back in practice, running backs coach Bryan McClendon said. But that doesn’t mean King has secured a more significant role in the offense.
“I do think both worked extremely hard, but Caleb did a little better in pass protection than Richard did,” McClendon said. “Hopefully one way or another it will shake out, but as long as we get the production, it wouldn’t hurt me if I had to play them 50-50 again.”
Richt has been impressed with King's strong outings in his first two games as well, but a fumble last week against Arizona State and two drops on screen passes make the task of identifying a clear starter a bit hazy.
“He’s been progressing as he’s been able to play," Richt said of King. "I think he’ll certainly get a good share of (the carries), but I’m not going to sit here and try to predict if he’ll get more than Richard."
Beyond the work of the tailbacks, Bobo said Georgia needs to improve in other areas in order to get the running game going. Blocking by the offensive line has been problematic at times, and Georgia's continued propensity for turnovers and penalties have hindered the team's ability to get its tailbacks into any sort of rhythm.
The bottom line is productivity, Bobo said, and the coaches are happy to employ whichever lineup will maximize that, whether it means playing one tailback the majority of the time or splitting up the playing time between Samuel, King and freshman Carlton Thomas.
“If you ask any running back, they’d like to have it 25 carries themselves a game, but what’s going to give us the best chance to win the game?" Bobo said. "We’re not going to give it 25 times a game if we’re not getting but a yard or two yards every time we run it.”
BACK TO WORK
Two weeks ago, Brandon Wood wasn’t expecting to play this season. His shoulder was feeling better after offseason surgery, but he had all but decided to accept a medical redshirt in order to preserve an extra year of eligibility down the road.
Still, Wood missed being a part of the action, and when Richt approached him about returning to work following Georgia’s win over South Carolina earlier this month, Wood jumped at the chance.
“It’s hard just sitting there and watching the boys play and I can’t do anything, and then I saw we had injuries and I didn’t want to be selfish, I wanted to be a part of the team and help out,” Wood said.
With starting defensive end Rod Battle out, Wood saw a chance to make an impact. And despite the surgery that held him out of the first three games, he said his shoulder is actually feeling pretty good.
“I felt good going through the drills and stuff,” Wood said. “The (coaches) had been looking at the film and seeing what I was doing. They asked me what I was thinking about it, and I said I was ready to play.”
The junior saw significant action at defensive end last week against Arizona State despite having played defensive tackle each of the past two seasons. The transition hasn’t been particularly tough, Wood said, but it has tested his conditioning.
“You cover a lot more ground at defensive end than you do at tackle,” Wood said. “That’s the tough part about it. But it’s better going against a tight end than a guard and a center.”
FILLING OUT THE SCHEDULE
Georgia announced Tuesday that it had finalized a deal to add Idaho State to its 2010 football schedule.
Georgia had two open dates available on the slate, needing one more non-conference home game to fill out the schedule. The Bengals will visit Athens on Nov. 6, one week after the Bulldogs’ annual date with Florida. Georgia’s lone open date will be Nov. 20, meaning it will play 11 straight games before its 2010 off week.
Idaho State plays in the Big Sky Conference and is 0-4 so far this season, including a 50-3 defeat to Arizona State, which lost to Georgia last week. The Bengals finished 1-11 in 2008, losing their first 11 games before beating Sacramento State to close out the season. Overall, Idaho State has lost 19 of its last 20 games.
Georgia’s remaining non-conference slate in 2010 includes the home opener against Louisiana-Lafayette, a road date at Colorado and the annual regular-season finale against Georgia Tech.
FAMILIAR FOE
LSU will be the second team Georgia faces this season with a new defensive coordinator, but unlike the mystery that surrounded Bill Young’s defense at Oklahoma State, the Bulldogs know what to expect from John Chavis.
The Tigers’ new defensive coordinator is a familiar adversary for Richt, having spent 14 years as Tennessee’ defensive coordinator before moving on to LSU when Philip Fulmer was let go at the end of last season. From what Richt has seen on film, not much has changed in Chavis’ new location.
“They are doing the same thing and for good reason,” Richt said. “Coach Chavis has been one of the finest defensive coordinators in the SEC for years. … What they do is very, very sound, very difficult to deal with. When you insert the type of athletes that Tennessee and LSU have, they’ll have nothing but success.”
WAITING ON MARLON
While fellow freshman Rantavious Wooten has enjoyed increased playing time in each of the past two games, Marlon Brown is still waiting his turn on the sidelines.
Brown said he thought he had a good preseason and has been surprised by the lack of action so far, but he isn't letting it get him down.
"It's been real tough, real tough," Brown said. "When the season started, I wasn't playing and I was kind of down a little bit. But after a while, I just said, 'Forget it,' and keep grinding in practice."
Brown was highly recruited coming out of high school, waiting until National Signing Day to confirm he was headed to Athens. After announcing his decision, Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin suggested Brown only chose Georgia to make his grandmother happy.
So the slow start to his career could certainly have Brown questioning his choice, but when asked if he had any regrets, he was pretty emphatic in his response.
"Never, man," he said. "Never."
INJURY UPDATES
Richt said Tuesday that he expected linebacker Akeem Dent to miss a second straight game and said defensive end Kiante Tripp was likely to sit out of Saturday’s matchup against LSU as well.
Dent's hamstring injuries have been an ongoing problem since the preseason, with his brief return to the lineup earlier this season only setting him back further.
"It's one of those things you can't really explain," linebackers coach John Jancek said. "At first he had a high hamstring pull, and now this one's a little lower. I think it's an issue of time and once he gets back of just rehabbing it and maintaining. For me, it's hard to explain, but I just know we need him out there."
After spraining his knee against Arkansas and missing last week’s game, however, cornerback Vance Cuff is expected to be ready to play this weekend.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
Asked about the big hit that sent Florida’s Tim Tebow to the hospital with a concussion last week, Georgia receiver A.J. Green said he was more concerned about the lineman responsible for the sack.
“Whoever on the offensive line gave up that block is about to get it,” Green said. “It’s not good to be him right now.”
The Bulldogs rank 11th in the SEC in rushing offense, averaging just 112 yards per game on the ground – down nearly 40 yards per game from last season.
Richard Samuel opened the season as the Bulldogs’ top tailback, but since Caleb King returned from a hamstring injury two weeks ago, the two have shared the load. That’s a trend head coach Mark Richt said he expects to continue.
“Right now in my mind they are 50-50 in my thinking,” Richt said. “One guy might be running a little bit better than the other, and he may get more. We’re not to the position where we saying 75 percent of the totes here and 25 percent there. We looking to more let’s play them both, keep them fresh, see how they’re doing and kind of go from there.”
That’s Richt’s plan, but offensive coordinator Mike Bobo isn’t convinced that a timeshare is the best alternative.
Before Tuesday’s practice, Bobo said he hoped one back could impress enough during this week’s workouts to secure the bulk of the work and, in turn, improve the floundering running game.
“We’ve got to get somebody in a groove, and we’ve got to get the running game going,” Bobo said. “I’d say right now, (they’re even), but if somebody has a great day (in practice), they might be the starter. We’ve got to find somebody to jump start our running game.”
Samuel is averaging 4.5 yards per carry so far this season, but aside from an 80-yard run against Arkansas, the sophomore tailback has tallied just two yards per rush on his other 26 carries in the past two games.
King has looked like the better runner overall, picking up 114 yards on 22 carries since returning from a hamstring injury that cost him the first two games of the season. In addition to his rushing exploits, King has also been the better all-around back in practice, running backs coach Bryan McClendon said. But that doesn’t mean King has secured a more significant role in the offense.
“I do think both worked extremely hard, but Caleb did a little better in pass protection than Richard did,” McClendon said. “Hopefully one way or another it will shake out, but as long as we get the production, it wouldn’t hurt me if I had to play them 50-50 again.”
Richt has been impressed with King's strong outings in his first two games as well, but a fumble last week against Arizona State and two drops on screen passes make the task of identifying a clear starter a bit hazy.
“He’s been progressing as he’s been able to play," Richt said of King. "I think he’ll certainly get a good share of (the carries), but I’m not going to sit here and try to predict if he’ll get more than Richard."
Beyond the work of the tailbacks, Bobo said Georgia needs to improve in other areas in order to get the running game going. Blocking by the offensive line has been problematic at times, and Georgia's continued propensity for turnovers and penalties have hindered the team's ability to get its tailbacks into any sort of rhythm.
The bottom line is productivity, Bobo said, and the coaches are happy to employ whichever lineup will maximize that, whether it means playing one tailback the majority of the time or splitting up the playing time between Samuel, King and freshman Carlton Thomas.
“If you ask any running back, they’d like to have it 25 carries themselves a game, but what’s going to give us the best chance to win the game?" Bobo said. "We’re not going to give it 25 times a game if we’re not getting but a yard or two yards every time we run it.”
BACK TO WORK
Two weeks ago, Brandon Wood wasn’t expecting to play this season. His shoulder was feeling better after offseason surgery, but he had all but decided to accept a medical redshirt in order to preserve an extra year of eligibility down the road.
Still, Wood missed being a part of the action, and when Richt approached him about returning to work following Georgia’s win over South Carolina earlier this month, Wood jumped at the chance.
“It’s hard just sitting there and watching the boys play and I can’t do anything, and then I saw we had injuries and I didn’t want to be selfish, I wanted to be a part of the team and help out,” Wood said.
With starting defensive end Rod Battle out, Wood saw a chance to make an impact. And despite the surgery that held him out of the first three games, he said his shoulder is actually feeling pretty good.
“I felt good going through the drills and stuff,” Wood said. “The (coaches) had been looking at the film and seeing what I was doing. They asked me what I was thinking about it, and I said I was ready to play.”
The junior saw significant action at defensive end last week against Arizona State despite having played defensive tackle each of the past two seasons. The transition hasn’t been particularly tough, Wood said, but it has tested his conditioning.
“You cover a lot more ground at defensive end than you do at tackle,” Wood said. “That’s the tough part about it. But it’s better going against a tight end than a guard and a center.”
FILLING OUT THE SCHEDULE
Georgia announced Tuesday that it had finalized a deal to add Idaho State to its 2010 football schedule.
Georgia had two open dates available on the slate, needing one more non-conference home game to fill out the schedule. The Bengals will visit Athens on Nov. 6, one week after the Bulldogs’ annual date with Florida. Georgia’s lone open date will be Nov. 20, meaning it will play 11 straight games before its 2010 off week.
Idaho State plays in the Big Sky Conference and is 0-4 so far this season, including a 50-3 defeat to Arizona State, which lost to Georgia last week. The Bengals finished 1-11 in 2008, losing their first 11 games before beating Sacramento State to close out the season. Overall, Idaho State has lost 19 of its last 20 games.
Georgia’s remaining non-conference slate in 2010 includes the home opener against Louisiana-Lafayette, a road date at Colorado and the annual regular-season finale against Georgia Tech.
FAMILIAR FOE
LSU will be the second team Georgia faces this season with a new defensive coordinator, but unlike the mystery that surrounded Bill Young’s defense at Oklahoma State, the Bulldogs know what to expect from John Chavis.
The Tigers’ new defensive coordinator is a familiar adversary for Richt, having spent 14 years as Tennessee’ defensive coordinator before moving on to LSU when Philip Fulmer was let go at the end of last season. From what Richt has seen on film, not much has changed in Chavis’ new location.
“They are doing the same thing and for good reason,” Richt said. “Coach Chavis has been one of the finest defensive coordinators in the SEC for years. … What they do is very, very sound, very difficult to deal with. When you insert the type of athletes that Tennessee and LSU have, they’ll have nothing but success.”
WAITING ON MARLON
While fellow freshman Rantavious Wooten has enjoyed increased playing time in each of the past two games, Marlon Brown is still waiting his turn on the sidelines.
Brown said he thought he had a good preseason and has been surprised by the lack of action so far, but he isn't letting it get him down.
"It's been real tough, real tough," Brown said. "When the season started, I wasn't playing and I was kind of down a little bit. But after a while, I just said, 'Forget it,' and keep grinding in practice."
Brown was highly recruited coming out of high school, waiting until National Signing Day to confirm he was headed to Athens. After announcing his decision, Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin suggested Brown only chose Georgia to make his grandmother happy.
So the slow start to his career could certainly have Brown questioning his choice, but when asked if he had any regrets, he was pretty emphatic in his response.
"Never, man," he said. "Never."
INJURY UPDATES
Richt said Tuesday that he expected linebacker Akeem Dent to miss a second straight game and said defensive end Kiante Tripp was likely to sit out of Saturday’s matchup against LSU as well.
Dent's hamstring injuries have been an ongoing problem since the preseason, with his brief return to the lineup earlier this season only setting him back further.
"It's one of those things you can't really explain," linebackers coach John Jancek said. "At first he had a high hamstring pull, and now this one's a little lower. I think it's an issue of time and once he gets back of just rehabbing it and maintaining. For me, it's hard to explain, but I just know we need him out there."
After spraining his knee against Arkansas and missing last week’s game, however, cornerback Vance Cuff is expected to be ready to play this weekend.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
Asked about the big hit that sent Florida’s Tim Tebow to the hospital with a concussion last week, Georgia receiver A.J. Green said he was more concerned about the lineman responsible for the sack.
“Whoever on the offensive line gave up that block is about to get it,” Green said. “It’s not good to be him right now.”
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Practice Notes: Dawgs Aren't Thrilled With Handshakes
After a grueling month of hitting each other during practice, exchanging pleasantries with the opposition before Saturday's game isn't exactly the ideal way to kick off the season, several Georgia players said, but they're willing to do it if Oklahoma State is.
The American Football Coaches Association requested that all teams shake hands before their first game in order to promote sportsmanship, but Cowboys' head coach Mike Gundy expressed some concerns about potential fights between the teams. That's a sentiment Georgia quarterback Joe Cox can understand.
"I think it could definitely happen, especially between teams that have bad blood," Cox said. "If you have that many guys going to midfield to shake hands, somebody's going to say something they shouldn't say probably. I think it could get out of hand and the whole team is on the field."
That was Gundy's worry when he told reporters he was unsure whether he supported the plan. Georgia head coach Mark Richt said he would have his players participate if Gundy agreed – it's up to the head coach of the home team to decide, Richt said – but he would also remind his players what is at stake should a problem escalate.
"I'd like to have all of our guys who traveled be able to participate in the game, and if you get in a fight, you're out, you're done," Richt said. "That in itself, I would think, would keep things cool."
Keeping things cool is part of the problem, Cox said.
While Cox said he's not against the idea, he would prefer his players be as focused and intense as possible before kickoff. The handshakes only distract from that.
"If I was a coach and I was trying to get my team really focused on physically beating somebody in a physically demanding game, I wouldn't want to go do a full-team handshake before the game," he said.
While Richt said the gesture is fine for the opening game, he wouldn't be in favor of continuing the tradition throughout the season as more rivalry games are played.
Oklahoma State and Georgia certainly aren't traditional rivals – as will be the case with many of the opening-week games – but the two teams did play just two years ago, and Cox said he has no doubt there are still some bitter feelings about the outcome in the Cowboys' locker room.
"Everybody knows how they were talking after the game, saying they didn't come ready to play and thought they were outplayed and outcoached, and nobody wants to play again and have the same feeling after the game," Cox said. "So they're going to be focused and fired up and I'm sure the last thing on their mind is meeting at midfield and shaking hands before the game."
KING STAYING HOME
As reported by the Telegraph earlier this week, sophomore tailback Caleb King will not make the trip to Stillwater for Georgia's opener against Oklahoma State.
A hamstring injury has sidelined King since Aug. 12, and while coaches remained hopeful last week that he might return in time to make the trip, the injury has been slow to heal.
Richt said he watched King jogging at practice Wednesday and thought he looked better, which gave him some hope that the tailback would at least be able to return in time for the South Carolina game.
"He was running at least three-quarters speed," Richt said. "I would think he'll be ready for that game."
King's absence leaves just two scholarship tailbacks likely to see significant action against the Cowboys – sophomore Richard Samuel and redshirt freshman Carlton Thomas.
It's a far cry from how the preseason began, with five players fighting for carries. Both Dontavius Jackson and freshman Washaun Ealey will make the trip to Stillwater, Richt said, but neither is expected to see much action. Walk-on Kalvin Daniels will be Georgia's No. 3 tailback for the game, and fullback Fred Munzenmaier is also available for duty should he be needed.
"That's pretty surprising," Cox said of the shallow roster of running backs, "but I think they tried to find the guys that were the most consistent, and I think we have two good ones that know what's going on and are going to do fine with our plan."
NO TRIP FOR TRIPP
Junior defensive end Kiante Tripp is another veteran who will miss the Oklahoma State game due to injury.
Tripp suffered what Richt described as a "stinger" that has been slow to heal, costing the converted offensive lineman a shot at his first action of his career on the defensive side of the football.
We don't think it's anything real serious, but sometimes it's like a hamstring – it just lasts longer," Richt said. "It's one of those things."
The loss is particularly problematic at a position in which Georgia lacks experienced depth. Demarcus Dobbs and Rod Battle will start Saturday, but with sophomore Justin Houston suspended for the first two games, the Bulldogs do not have another defensive end on the roster with playing experience at the position.
Senior Marcus Washington, who moved from linebacker last month, and redshirt freshman Cornelius Washington will be the top two players off the bench, Richt said, and freshman Montez Robinson will be ready to go if called upon.
"I think we're well prepared," Marcus Washington said of the group. "It's been a long grind ever since camp started. Guys are learning, pushing, fighting trying to get right. We're all fighting hard trying to make sure we get it done."
FRESHMEN MAKE THE CUT
A majority of Georgia's freshmen will make the trip to Oklahoma State, Richt said, and most of those will play.
Quarterbacks Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger will be on the plane, as will receivers Marlon Brown and Rantavious Wooten. Ealey and tight ends Orson Charles and Arthur Lynch are all part of the offensive travel squad, while Robinson, Abry Jones, Mike Gilliard, and Branden Smith will be a part of the defensive unit.
One player not making the trip is freshman cornerback Jordan Love, who continues to battle a toe injury. Richt said that isn't a sign of things to come for Love, however.
"He would have made the trip," Richt said, "but he's not able."
Richt said a total of 72 players will make the trip to Oklahoma State.
TIGHT QUARTERSMark Richt was on a recruiting trip to meet current St. Louis Cardinals slugger Matt Holiday the first and only time he has been in Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater. He said he doesn't remember much of what he saw, and he doubts it looks the same after a huge renovation project, but he's heard the horror stories about the cramped sidelines the opposing teams must endure.
"You'd rather have a little more breathing room, but you've just got to deal with it." Richt said. "That's part of being in a hostile environment. It adds to it."
While it won't be the most comfortable of working environments, Richt said there may be a small advantage for the Bulldogs.
During last week's practice game, Richt complained about problems many of the younger players had making substitutions. The cramped quarters, however, might help keep the players' heads in the game.
"In some ways it may help you because the kids will be closer to coaches, and I doubt they'll want to be turning around," Richt said. "I'm sure they'll be focused on what's ahead, so it may help us."
CHANGE OF PACE
Richt announced a new twist to Georgia's regular practice schedule today.
Beginning this weekend, the Bulldogs will begin practicing on Sundays and take Mondays off completely.
It was a move Richt said he had considered several times, but in the end, he decided there was an advantage in terms of preparation by working out the kinks from the previous game the day after playing, then moving on to preparation for the next game after a day's rest.
The final push may have actually come from Richt's brother-in-law, Brad Johnson, who said the NFL works from a similar schedule.
"I've considered it a lot of times, and we're going to give it a try, and I think the players will like it," Richt said. "A lot of teams do it, and it's actually based on the NFL model."
NOT GOOD ENOUGH
Georgia practiced in shorts for the first time in weeks Wednesday, a nice change of pace for the players. The response, however, wasn't exactly what Richt was hoping for.
"We had one of two dress rehearsals today," Richt said. "It was not super sharp. It wasn't horrible, but I'm thankful we have another day of what should be a review."
Georgia holds its final walk-through in shorts tomorrow before leaving Friday for Oklahoma.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
A few more quotes on Mike Gundy's "handshake" comments...
From Makiri Pugh: “Sportsmanship is important, and that’s why you shake up after the game. As jacked up as we’ll be, I wouldn’t mind shaking a guy’s hand because it is a contest. I don’t think it’s a personal grudge outside of playing football. But of course, our two schools have met before, so there’s some blood between us, but sportsmanship is important, too.”
From Marcus Washington: “That’s his right if he feels that way. If he’s not inclined to shake our hand, he doesn’t have to. It’s all good.”
From Michael Moore: “We’ll have to talk about that after the game. We recognize what happened, and we’ll try to settle that on the field.”
Friday, August 21, 2009
Practice Notes: Samuel a 'Solid No. 1'
What seemed like the likely outcome since last week’s first scrimmage is now official, according to head coach Mark Richt. Sophomore tailback Richard Samuel is firmly atop Georgia’s depth chart with a chance to become an every-down runner.
“I’d say Richard is a solid No. 1,” Richt said. “He’s playing with a lot of energy. Some of these practices, by the end of practice he’s still blazing a trail pretty good. When the other guys fatigue, he looks even faster.”
Samuel figured to have a more competitive battle with fellow sophomore Caleb King for the starting job, but King went down with a hamstring injury last week and has been unable to practice.
Richt was quick to note, however, that King’s injury hasn’t made Samuel the default choice as the starter.
“We would have rated Richard No. 1 after the scrimmage regardless of the injury,” Richt said, “but we’re anxious to get Caleb back healthy, I can promise you that.”
Both Samuel and King struggled in reserve duty at times a year ago, but Samuel has been able to take a huge leap forward during the offseason.
In two scrimmages, Samuel has tallied 233 yards on 19 touches with four going for touchdowns.
“That one year makes a huge difference,” linebacker Rennie Curran said. “You can tell he knows his plays, knows the right fits, he knows where to be. It shows on the field. He’s running that ball hard. He’s definitely that type of running back we need in the SEC to play that hard-nosed football.”
While Samuel’s upright running style has drawn some criticism of scouts and fans, Curran said a tailback who enjoys contact as much as Samuel can be difficult for defenses to stop.
“I remember tackling him one time and I got a headache,” Curran said. “He’s the type of back that can beat a defense down over time. If you throw a speed tailback in there to mix it up with him, that can really wear a defense out with a guy who runs straight ahead and hits the hole as hard as he does.”
Richt said redshirt freshman Carlton Thomas remains in the tailback competition after posting two strong scrimmage performances as well, but the bottom line is that Samuel has been the most impressive and has earned the trust of his coaches.
“He’s shown some flashes where he runs hard, plays hard and has a much more comfortable air about him, his body language,” Richt said of Samuel. “He’s in control of what to do, and he’s giving people confidence right now.”
WHAT A RELIEF
Richt said it looked bad when sophomore center Ben Jones collapsed with a sprained ankle Wednesday, but it turns out the injury doesn’t appear too serious.
Jones suffered a lateral sprain of his left ankle which resulted in some significant swelling, but Richt said there’s virtually no chance Jones will miss any playing time.
“I’d be shocked if he didn’t play (against Oklahoma State),” Richt said. “He really is day to day. When it happened, it looked worse than it ended up being. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him get some work next week.”
Chris Davis and Kevin Perez took reps at center with the No. 1 unit for a second straight day Friday.
TO BE DETERMINED
Georgia president Michael Adams announced dates all school employees must take mandatory furloughs Thursday, but Richt said things remain undecided as to when the Bulldogs’ coaching staff will be on vacation.
The dates set by Adams would require Georgia’s coaches to take off work the day before the Bulldogs play Florida along with another day during Georgia Tech week.
While Richt said he’ll be meeting with athletics director Damon Evans next week to discuss how best to work around the furloughs, he said he isn’t expecting any time off during a crucial period of the season.
“If the university needs to do it, then we need to cooperate,” Richt said. “My guess is, I don’t know if we’ve ever had a day off during the season, so I really doubt that we’ll be able to just stay home and relax.”
PLANS HAVEN’T CHANGED
Before opening fall camp, Richt said he expected all of his true freshmen linebackers, defensive backs, wide receivers, tight ends and running backs to play this season. Three weeks into the preseason, things are still going according to plan.
“The majority of them are still absolutely in the race,” Richt said. “Some are right in the thick of it, and some of them are kind of right on the fringe, but they’re still battling, still working.”
Among the most likely to play are tight ends Orson Charles and Arthur Lynch, wideouts Marlon Brown and Rantavious Wooten, cornerback Branden Smith and linebacker Michael Gilliard.
While several others are still working to secure playing time, Richt said finals decisions on redshirts aren’t likely to come until after the fourth game of the season.
“You just don’t know with injuries and you don’t know who’s going to perk up all of a sudden,” Richt said. “Once we get into a little bit of a different routine and everything becomes a little more familiar, they start to play a little faster and they’re not as confused. So all of a sudden a guy who you didn’t think had a chance after scrimmage No. 2 has a lot of life.”
HOW THEY DOING?
Richt's comments on two of the potential "fringe" guys:
On Jordan Love: “Jordan has done very well, and we still have every intention of playing Jordan this year.”
On Chase Vasser: “Chase is more of a bubble guy right now. He’s got to prove that he can be reliable on special teams at this point, and he’s still got a ways to go to learn what’s got to be done as an every-down scrimmage player. We haven’t given up on the thought of him playing as a true freshman, but he’s probably a little farther off than some of the others.”
GETTING CLOSER
Safety Reshad Jones has been back at practice for two days, but he's still donning a green non-contact jersey. Although he's being kept out of contact drills, he said he's feeling just fine.
"Hamstrings are frustrating and kind of tricky," Jones said. “I’m full speed, I’m just limited in drills, not being able to do everything right now. But next week, I should be back without the green on.”
Consider that the case for the majority of Georgia's cast of characters missing action due to sore hamstrings.
Bryan Evans, Caleb King, Akeem Dent, Aron White and Darius Dewberry all fit the bill, and while Richt said all are looking a lot better, the training staff is taking a cautious approach to bringing them back.
“We’re at the point with some of these hamstrings where, if we were three or four weeks away from a game, they’d probably be going right now," Richt said. "But we know if we get another little tweak right now, it might cost those guys the ability to play in that game. So we’re being conservative right now, but they’ll almost all be back next week.”
DOBBS DOING FINE
Demarcus Dobbs has been in green the past two days thanks to a sore neck suffered during 11-on-11 drills, but Richt said the junior defensive end hasn't missed much.
“Dobbs is fine," Richt said. "He got his neck tweeked a little bit, but he’s out there running full speed. We’re just trying to keep him from using his (head to tackle) right now.”
Dobbs said he feels good and expects to practice fully Saturday.
Beyond the injury report, Richt also gave Dobbs a ringing endorsement in terms of production, too.
“Dobbs has really had a good camp," Richt said. "I’m proud of his effort. He’s come a long way.”
TRIPP'S TAKING IT EASY
Kiante Tripp has missed the past several practices as well due to a sore shoulder. While the time away isn't helping the converted offensive lineman prepare for Oklahoma State, he said the rest is mostly for precaution.
“The shoulder’s good," Tripp said. "I’m just trying to stay in shape. I’m still in the green jersey now because they don’t want any contact because they want to keep it alright until game time, but everything feels good.”
ANOTHER SCORCHER
After Thursday's practice, Jeff Owens sent a Twitter message telling friends he had just been through the toughest practice in four years.
Friday, the sun was still hot, the bodies still sore, but the coaches didn't let up -- and that's exactly what Richt was hoping to see.
“It was hot out there and kind of miserable, but they fought real good," Richt said of the team's practice. "We’re still making a few mistakes here and there, but I really liked how they practiced today. They pushed. Yesterday was a tough day, so to come right back with another one, coaches are just coaching their tails off and guys are responding. We need days like today.”
The tempo being set by the coaches hasn't diminished throughout the preseason, Curran said. Considering the problems of a year ago, that's fine by him.
"We know nobody’s going to feel sorry for us this season, nobody’s going to give us any breaks when it comes to playing those games," 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.”
NO HARD FEELINGS
The Sporting News posted a list of its selections for the top 10 players in the SEC, and while Florida was well represented, and Alabama receiver Julio Jones earned a spot, no Georgia players made the cut.
That might add a touch of motivation for the current season, Curran said, but the truth is, he doesn't think any of the Bulldogs have earned that type of recognition just yet.
"At the end of the day, you’re just trying to win those games," Curran said. "If the offense is doing well, the defense is doing well and we’re winning games, that respect is going to come. The lists that they’re making because their teams made it far. They made it to the SEC championship, to the national championship. We can’t expect to get respected when my defense isn’t producing and people are getting 40 points on us. That’s how it works.”
ONE MORE THIS WEEK
Georgia practices at 9 a.m. Saturday, followed by the team's annual fan picture day at Sanford Stadium.
“I’d say Richard is a solid No. 1,” Richt said. “He’s playing with a lot of energy. Some of these practices, by the end of practice he’s still blazing a trail pretty good. When the other guys fatigue, he looks even faster.”
Samuel figured to have a more competitive battle with fellow sophomore Caleb King for the starting job, but King went down with a hamstring injury last week and has been unable to practice.
Richt was quick to note, however, that King’s injury hasn’t made Samuel the default choice as the starter.
“We would have rated Richard No. 1 after the scrimmage regardless of the injury,” Richt said, “but we’re anxious to get Caleb back healthy, I can promise you that.”
Both Samuel and King struggled in reserve duty at times a year ago, but Samuel has been able to take a huge leap forward during the offseason.
In two scrimmages, Samuel has tallied 233 yards on 19 touches with four going for touchdowns.
“That one year makes a huge difference,” linebacker Rennie Curran said. “You can tell he knows his plays, knows the right fits, he knows where to be. It shows on the field. He’s running that ball hard. He’s definitely that type of running back we need in the SEC to play that hard-nosed football.”
While Samuel’s upright running style has drawn some criticism of scouts and fans, Curran said a tailback who enjoys contact as much as Samuel can be difficult for defenses to stop.
“I remember tackling him one time and I got a headache,” Curran said. “He’s the type of back that can beat a defense down over time. If you throw a speed tailback in there to mix it up with him, that can really wear a defense out with a guy who runs straight ahead and hits the hole as hard as he does.”
Richt said redshirt freshman Carlton Thomas remains in the tailback competition after posting two strong scrimmage performances as well, but the bottom line is that Samuel has been the most impressive and has earned the trust of his coaches.
“He’s shown some flashes where he runs hard, plays hard and has a much more comfortable air about him, his body language,” Richt said of Samuel. “He’s in control of what to do, and he’s giving people confidence right now.”
WHAT A RELIEF
Richt said it looked bad when sophomore center Ben Jones collapsed with a sprained ankle Wednesday, but it turns out the injury doesn’t appear too serious.
Jones suffered a lateral sprain of his left ankle which resulted in some significant swelling, but Richt said there’s virtually no chance Jones will miss any playing time.
“I’d be shocked if he didn’t play (against Oklahoma State),” Richt said. “He really is day to day. When it happened, it looked worse than it ended up being. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him get some work next week.”
Chris Davis and Kevin Perez took reps at center with the No. 1 unit for a second straight day Friday.
TO BE DETERMINED
Georgia president Michael Adams announced dates all school employees must take mandatory furloughs Thursday, but Richt said things remain undecided as to when the Bulldogs’ coaching staff will be on vacation.
The dates set by Adams would require Georgia’s coaches to take off work the day before the Bulldogs play Florida along with another day during Georgia Tech week.
While Richt said he’ll be meeting with athletics director Damon Evans next week to discuss how best to work around the furloughs, he said he isn’t expecting any time off during a crucial period of the season.
“If the university needs to do it, then we need to cooperate,” Richt said. “My guess is, I don’t know if we’ve ever had a day off during the season, so I really doubt that we’ll be able to just stay home and relax.”
PLANS HAVEN’T CHANGED
Before opening fall camp, Richt said he expected all of his true freshmen linebackers, defensive backs, wide receivers, tight ends and running backs to play this season. Three weeks into the preseason, things are still going according to plan.
“The majority of them are still absolutely in the race,” Richt said. “Some are right in the thick of it, and some of them are kind of right on the fringe, but they’re still battling, still working.”
Among the most likely to play are tight ends Orson Charles and Arthur Lynch, wideouts Marlon Brown and Rantavious Wooten, cornerback Branden Smith and linebacker Michael Gilliard.
While several others are still working to secure playing time, Richt said finals decisions on redshirts aren’t likely to come until after the fourth game of the season.
“You just don’t know with injuries and you don’t know who’s going to perk up all of a sudden,” Richt said. “Once we get into a little bit of a different routine and everything becomes a little more familiar, they start to play a little faster and they’re not as confused. So all of a sudden a guy who you didn’t think had a chance after scrimmage No. 2 has a lot of life.”
HOW THEY DOING?
Richt's comments on two of the potential "fringe" guys:
On Jordan Love: “Jordan has done very well, and we still have every intention of playing Jordan this year.”
On Chase Vasser: “Chase is more of a bubble guy right now. He’s got to prove that he can be reliable on special teams at this point, and he’s still got a ways to go to learn what’s got to be done as an every-down scrimmage player. We haven’t given up on the thought of him playing as a true freshman, but he’s probably a little farther off than some of the others.”
GETTING CLOSER
Safety Reshad Jones has been back at practice for two days, but he's still donning a green non-contact jersey. Although he's being kept out of contact drills, he said he's feeling just fine.
"Hamstrings are frustrating and kind of tricky," Jones said. “I’m full speed, I’m just limited in drills, not being able to do everything right now. But next week, I should be back without the green on.”
Consider that the case for the majority of Georgia's cast of characters missing action due to sore hamstrings.
Bryan Evans, Caleb King, Akeem Dent, Aron White and Darius Dewberry all fit the bill, and while Richt said all are looking a lot better, the training staff is taking a cautious approach to bringing them back.
“We’re at the point with some of these hamstrings where, if we were three or four weeks away from a game, they’d probably be going right now," Richt said. "But we know if we get another little tweak right now, it might cost those guys the ability to play in that game. So we’re being conservative right now, but they’ll almost all be back next week.”
DOBBS DOING FINE
Demarcus Dobbs has been in green the past two days thanks to a sore neck suffered during 11-on-11 drills, but Richt said the junior defensive end hasn't missed much.
“Dobbs is fine," Richt said. "He got his neck tweeked a little bit, but he’s out there running full speed. We’re just trying to keep him from using his (head to tackle) right now.”
Dobbs said he feels good and expects to practice fully Saturday.
Beyond the injury report, Richt also gave Dobbs a ringing endorsement in terms of production, too.
“Dobbs has really had a good camp," Richt said. "I’m proud of his effort. He’s come a long way.”
TRIPP'S TAKING IT EASY
Kiante Tripp has missed the past several practices as well due to a sore shoulder. While the time away isn't helping the converted offensive lineman prepare for Oklahoma State, he said the rest is mostly for precaution.
“The shoulder’s good," Tripp said. "I’m just trying to stay in shape. I’m still in the green jersey now because they don’t want any contact because they want to keep it alright until game time, but everything feels good.”
ANOTHER SCORCHER
After Thursday's practice, Jeff Owens sent a Twitter message telling friends he had just been through the toughest practice in four years.
Friday, the sun was still hot, the bodies still sore, but the coaches didn't let up -- and that's exactly what Richt was hoping to see.
“It was hot out there and kind of miserable, but they fought real good," Richt said of the team's practice. "We’re still making a few mistakes here and there, but I really liked how they practiced today. They pushed. Yesterday was a tough day, so to come right back with another one, coaches are just coaching their tails off and guys are responding. We need days like today.”
The tempo being set by the coaches hasn't diminished throughout the preseason, Curran said. Considering the problems of a year ago, that's fine by him.
"We know nobody’s going to feel sorry for us this season, nobody’s going to give us any breaks when it comes to playing those games," 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.”
NO HARD FEELINGS
The Sporting News posted a list of its selections for the top 10 players in the SEC, and while Florida was well represented, and Alabama receiver Julio Jones earned a spot, no Georgia players made the cut.
That might add a touch of motivation for the current season, Curran said, but the truth is, he doesn't think any of the Bulldogs have earned that type of recognition just yet.
"At the end of the day, you’re just trying to win those games," Curran said. "If the offense is doing well, the defense is doing well and we’re winning games, that respect is going to come. The lists that they’re making because their teams made it far. They made it to the SEC championship, to the national championship. We can’t expect to get respected when my defense isn’t producing and people are getting 40 points on us. That’s how it works.”
ONE MORE THIS WEEK
Georgia practices at 9 a.m. Saturday, followed by the team's annual fan picture day at Sanford Stadium.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Practice Notes: Samuel Seizing Control at Tailback
After Saturday's scrimmage, running backs coach Bryan McClendon met with each of his five tailbacks to give them a progress report on their play and an update on their status on the depth chart, which he said is finally starting to take shape.
"You do see a pecking order start to fold itself out," McClendon said. "Everyone understands it's based off what I see out there on the field. You start to see how stuff plays itself out a little bit."
To be sure, McClendon isn't declaring a winner of the competition to replace Knowshon Moreno as Georgia's starting tailback, but sophomore Richard Samuel does appear to have a leg up at the moment.
Samuel wowed coaches in Georgia's first scrimmage, racking up 108 yards on the ground on just five carries. His numbers in Saturday's scrimmage weren't quite as impressive, but he ran hard and the film showed clear progress.
"Right now, you can see Richard start to sort of take things on, and you do start to see him start to separate himself from other guys in the pack," McClendon said. "Now to say he's the clear-cut guy, maybe or maybe not. There's still a long time to see. We've still got three more weeks to go."
Samuel's primary competition figured to be sophomore Caleb King, but King has missed the past week of practice with a hamstring injury.
McClendon said he saw enough of King before the injury that the missed time hasn't set him back, and stressed that he didn't want any of the tailbacks to assume injuries were a key factor in how the depth chart takes shape.
While King may have fallen behind Samuel at this point, it may be even more important for him to stay ahead of redshirt freshman Carlton Thomas.
After an impressive spring, Thomas racked up 90 yards on six carries in Saturday's scrimmage. Although Thomas isn't an ideal size for the role of an every-down back, he has continued to show he belongs in the mix.
That puts a bit of pressure on King to come back strong, as McClendon said he doesn't anticipate more than two tailbacks seeing significant action in the early going.
"You're definitely looking for guys to solidify themselves in that top two just to get the quality reps," he said. "You need four guys because it's a long season, and those backs get hit on a lot, but as far as me saying we're going to play four guys, I just don't think that will be the case."
A REAL GRAY AREA
While the tailbacks continue to compete, the battle for the back-up quarterback job hasn't been that much of a competition.
Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said he has been impressed with all four of his quarterbacks, but senior Joe Cox and sophomore Logan Gray have clearly been ahead of the pack.
"I think Joe has done a nice job of establishing himself," Bobo said. "You can tell he's been here five years. He has great knowledge of the system and great command of what we're trying to do. I think Logan's had a great spring and he's really improved from spring until the fall, and he's really gotten better every practice. The young guys are still just trying to figure things out. It's going a little bit fast for them."
With Cox firmly planted in the role of starter, Bobo still isn't ready to call the fight for the second spot a done deal. After all, he said, Matthew Stafford was tied for third on the depth chart after two scrimmages in 2006, but by Week 3 of the season, he was the starter.
For now, however, there's an obvious pecking order.
"Right now I'd say that Joe is a solid No. 1 and Logan is a solid No. 2," Bobo said.
'NOT GOOD ENOUGH'
After two days off and the first day of classes, Georgia's players finally returned to the practice field Tuesday, and it wasn't the warmest of welcomes, head coach Mark Richt said.
While Richt said a few players were likely still getting the hang of mixing classwork with football, and a few others had strong individual performances, the overall grade for the day's practice didn't meet the standards the coaches wanted.
"It was not good enough," Richt said. "It wasn't a horrible practice. There were some good things, but it wasn't good enough to win, especially with who we're playing Game 1. It wasn't good enough."
LIKES WHAT HE SEES
Georgia's three most experienced safeties are all wearing green non-contact jerseys, meaning a couple of redshirt freshmen are getting plenty of work in practice.
While Richt said Baccari Rambo had an impressive interception in the end zone during Tuesday's practice, the star of the show has been converted corner Makiri Pugh, who may have found a home at safety.
"Safety and the nickel is where he belongs," Richt said. "He's a much more natural safety, and I think he's found a home. After looking at the film (of Saturday's scrimmage) he made some really fine open-field tackles. I really liked what I saw."
HURTS SO GOOD
Receiver Marlon Brown has spent nearly the entirety of fall practice with his hand wrapped to protect an injured finger, but Richt said it hasn't slowed the talented freshman.
Brown had two catches in Saturday's scrimmage, but it was his blocking that caught the eye of his coaches.
"As we talked about personnel, (receivers) coach (Tony) Ball mentioned specifically that he liked that he fought in the downfield blocking and didn't use his hand as an excuse or complain about it in any way," Richt said.
HAMMIES HAPPEN
Rex Bradberry is a member of Georgia's strength and conditioning staff and is working on his PhD at Georgia. Bradberry has spent a good bit of time studying hamstring injuries, Richt said, as part of what might become his dissertation, and his findings are something Richt already assumed true.
"It happens every single camp," Richt said. "It's almost identical now as it was 20 years ago. You just have X amount of guys that are going to get pulls."
Georgia has six full- or part-time starters currently sidelined with hamstrings, with safety Bryan Evans and linebacker Akeem Dent the most recent additions to a list that already included Darius Dewberry, Reshad Jones, Aron White and Caleb King.
While the number is higher than Richt would like, he said none of the injuries appear particularly serious, and his staff has remained cautious when bringing players back.
"Hamstrings are funny in that you get to the point where you feel you're ready to go, but when you accelerate or burst as if the game's riding on it, sometimes you can come back too soon," Richt said. "So I always like to tell the guys, when you feel like you're ready, you're still another three or four days away at least."
ONE BAD DAY
Georgia's coaches have made a point of stressing penalty-free play this fall, but last Friday's practice was a bad one.
"The last practice prior to the scrimmage was horrible," Richt said. "It was a day mentally where I think everybody gave in to the heat, gave in to fatigue, and things got a little sloppy. That was really the only day where if you watched the stats, you'd say Georgia was a very undisciplined football team."
Since then, however, things have been back to normal, and Richt said the number of flags in Saturday's scrimmage and Tuesday's practice were minimal.
ODDS AND ENDS
-- Defensive end Kiante Tripp missed Tuesday's practice with a shoulder bruise.
-- It's official. The news that senior Marcus Washington has been working at defensive end isn't new, but Richt made Washington's move from linebacker official Tuesday. "That's what he's working," Richt said. "We know he can play linebacker if need be, but he's in the meetings and he's taking every rep at D-end right now."
-- Freshman lineman Chris Burnette has been spending most of his time at center recently, a move that Richt said is a perfect fit. "It's not 100 percent, but we think he's a fine center prospect," Richt said. "His body type is definitely center/guard, and you want your centers to be smart and athletic, and he's definitely that."
-- Richt confirmed that Aron White is still his No. 1 tight end, but how he prefaced his response to the inquiry might tell you something about how good the freshmen have looked. When asked who was atop his depth chart, Richt's immediate response: "That's a really good question."
-- While McClendon was a bit cagey about revealing his current depth chart, Bobo said Samuel and Thomas are currently running with the No. 1 unit and Washaun Ealey and Kalvin Daniels are running with the twos. Dontavius Jackson just returned to practice Tuesday after missing several days.
-- When it comes to the other depth-chart battles, Richt isn't handing out too many details. He said he spoke with coaches to get a rough idea of who the 75 members of Georgia's travel team would be for Oklahoma State, but he didn't ask about the actual depth charts and he's not naming names beyond that. "I listened to them basically give me a review of how each player did in the scrimmage and how they've done to this point," Richt said.
-- Geno Atkins, Rennie Curran and Jeff Owens were among 62 players named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list, which was released Tuesday. Georgia is one of just four schools -- Penn State, Florida and Alabama are the others -- with at least three players named on the list.
"You do see a pecking order start to fold itself out," McClendon said. "Everyone understands it's based off what I see out there on the field. You start to see how stuff plays itself out a little bit."
To be sure, McClendon isn't declaring a winner of the competition to replace Knowshon Moreno as Georgia's starting tailback, but sophomore Richard Samuel does appear to have a leg up at the moment.
Samuel wowed coaches in Georgia's first scrimmage, racking up 108 yards on the ground on just five carries. His numbers in Saturday's scrimmage weren't quite as impressive, but he ran hard and the film showed clear progress.
"Right now, you can see Richard start to sort of take things on, and you do start to see him start to separate himself from other guys in the pack," McClendon said. "Now to say he's the clear-cut guy, maybe or maybe not. There's still a long time to see. We've still got three more weeks to go."
Samuel's primary competition figured to be sophomore Caleb King, but King has missed the past week of practice with a hamstring injury.
McClendon said he saw enough of King before the injury that the missed time hasn't set him back, and stressed that he didn't want any of the tailbacks to assume injuries were a key factor in how the depth chart takes shape.
While King may have fallen behind Samuel at this point, it may be even more important for him to stay ahead of redshirt freshman Carlton Thomas.
After an impressive spring, Thomas racked up 90 yards on six carries in Saturday's scrimmage. Although Thomas isn't an ideal size for the role of an every-down back, he has continued to show he belongs in the mix.
That puts a bit of pressure on King to come back strong, as McClendon said he doesn't anticipate more than two tailbacks seeing significant action in the early going.
"You're definitely looking for guys to solidify themselves in that top two just to get the quality reps," he said. "You need four guys because it's a long season, and those backs get hit on a lot, but as far as me saying we're going to play four guys, I just don't think that will be the case."
A REAL GRAY AREA
While the tailbacks continue to compete, the battle for the back-up quarterback job hasn't been that much of a competition.
Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said he has been impressed with all four of his quarterbacks, but senior Joe Cox and sophomore Logan Gray have clearly been ahead of the pack.
"I think Joe has done a nice job of establishing himself," Bobo said. "You can tell he's been here five years. He has great knowledge of the system and great command of what we're trying to do. I think Logan's had a great spring and he's really improved from spring until the fall, and he's really gotten better every practice. The young guys are still just trying to figure things out. It's going a little bit fast for them."
With Cox firmly planted in the role of starter, Bobo still isn't ready to call the fight for the second spot a done deal. After all, he said, Matthew Stafford was tied for third on the depth chart after two scrimmages in 2006, but by Week 3 of the season, he was the starter.
For now, however, there's an obvious pecking order.
"Right now I'd say that Joe is a solid No. 1 and Logan is a solid No. 2," Bobo said.
'NOT GOOD ENOUGH'
After two days off and the first day of classes, Georgia's players finally returned to the practice field Tuesday, and it wasn't the warmest of welcomes, head coach Mark Richt said.
While Richt said a few players were likely still getting the hang of mixing classwork with football, and a few others had strong individual performances, the overall grade for the day's practice didn't meet the standards the coaches wanted.
"It was not good enough," Richt said. "It wasn't a horrible practice. There were some good things, but it wasn't good enough to win, especially with who we're playing Game 1. It wasn't good enough."
LIKES WHAT HE SEES
Georgia's three most experienced safeties are all wearing green non-contact jerseys, meaning a couple of redshirt freshmen are getting plenty of work in practice.
While Richt said Baccari Rambo had an impressive interception in the end zone during Tuesday's practice, the star of the show has been converted corner Makiri Pugh, who may have found a home at safety.
"Safety and the nickel is where he belongs," Richt said. "He's a much more natural safety, and I think he's found a home. After looking at the film (of Saturday's scrimmage) he made some really fine open-field tackles. I really liked what I saw."
HURTS SO GOOD
Receiver Marlon Brown has spent nearly the entirety of fall practice with his hand wrapped to protect an injured finger, but Richt said it hasn't slowed the talented freshman.
Brown had two catches in Saturday's scrimmage, but it was his blocking that caught the eye of his coaches.
"As we talked about personnel, (receivers) coach (Tony) Ball mentioned specifically that he liked that he fought in the downfield blocking and didn't use his hand as an excuse or complain about it in any way," Richt said.
HAMMIES HAPPEN
Rex Bradberry is a member of Georgia's strength and conditioning staff and is working on his PhD at Georgia. Bradberry has spent a good bit of time studying hamstring injuries, Richt said, as part of what might become his dissertation, and his findings are something Richt already assumed true.
"It happens every single camp," Richt said. "It's almost identical now as it was 20 years ago. You just have X amount of guys that are going to get pulls."
Georgia has six full- or part-time starters currently sidelined with hamstrings, with safety Bryan Evans and linebacker Akeem Dent the most recent additions to a list that already included Darius Dewberry, Reshad Jones, Aron White and Caleb King.
While the number is higher than Richt would like, he said none of the injuries appear particularly serious, and his staff has remained cautious when bringing players back.
"Hamstrings are funny in that you get to the point where you feel you're ready to go, but when you accelerate or burst as if the game's riding on it, sometimes you can come back too soon," Richt said. "So I always like to tell the guys, when you feel like you're ready, you're still another three or four days away at least."
ONE BAD DAY
Georgia's coaches have made a point of stressing penalty-free play this fall, but last Friday's practice was a bad one.
"The last practice prior to the scrimmage was horrible," Richt said. "It was a day mentally where I think everybody gave in to the heat, gave in to fatigue, and things got a little sloppy. That was really the only day where if you watched the stats, you'd say Georgia was a very undisciplined football team."
Since then, however, things have been back to normal, and Richt said the number of flags in Saturday's scrimmage and Tuesday's practice were minimal.
ODDS AND ENDS
-- Defensive end Kiante Tripp missed Tuesday's practice with a shoulder bruise.
-- It's official. The news that senior Marcus Washington has been working at defensive end isn't new, but Richt made Washington's move from linebacker official Tuesday. "That's what he's working," Richt said. "We know he can play linebacker if need be, but he's in the meetings and he's taking every rep at D-end right now."
-- Freshman lineman Chris Burnette has been spending most of his time at center recently, a move that Richt said is a perfect fit. "It's not 100 percent, but we think he's a fine center prospect," Richt said. "His body type is definitely center/guard, and you want your centers to be smart and athletic, and he's definitely that."
-- Richt confirmed that Aron White is still his No. 1 tight end, but how he prefaced his response to the inquiry might tell you something about how good the freshmen have looked. When asked who was atop his depth chart, Richt's immediate response: "That's a really good question."
-- While McClendon was a bit cagey about revealing his current depth chart, Bobo said Samuel and Thomas are currently running with the No. 1 unit and Washaun Ealey and Kalvin Daniels are running with the twos. Dontavius Jackson just returned to practice Tuesday after missing several days.
-- When it comes to the other depth-chart battles, Richt isn't handing out too many details. He said he spoke with coaches to get a rough idea of who the 75 members of Georgia's travel team would be for Oklahoma State, but he didn't ask about the actual depth charts and he's not naming names beyond that. "I listened to them basically give me a review of how each player did in the scrimmage and how they've done to this point," Richt said.
-- Geno Atkins, Rennie Curran and Jeff Owens were among 62 players named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list, which was released Tuesday. Georgia is one of just four schools -- Penn State, Florida and Alabama are the others -- with at least three players named on the list.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Deleted Scenes: Georgia's Mentor Program
One of the biggest changes this offseason for Georgia has been a new dedication on the part of the team's veterans on teaching the younger players rather than simply letting the coaches do the coaching. I have an article in today's Macon Telegraph on how the new attitude has helped both the older guys and the new freshmen.
After you're done reading the article, check out these additional quotes from players about the emphasis on mentoring this offseason.
Fullback Shaun Chapas on the team-first mentality...
"I think this team's very united. We all love each other and we have good chemistry on the team. And I know that we all really care about each other, what we do on and off the field."
Defensive end Kiante Tripp on the different feel of this offseason...
"From the time I've been here, I'd have to say that this has been a real successful summer in that I've never seen the guys work as hard as we've been working. Everybody's out there working. It's a good environment to be around to prepare for the season."
Tripp on the team's new mantra...
"In order for us to be successful, we've got to be a team and help each other out. It's a team thing, and we've got to work together. Mark Richt said the star of the team is the team, and we took that and have run with it."
Linebacker Akeem Dent on the offseason philosophy...
"It started in the weight room. All of them came in and were really willing to work. We've had a lot of guys who when we go into the film room, they're already ready, they have pens and pencils to take notes, and we're ready to teach them."
Dent on this offseason compared to past ones...
"Now compared to when I got here, there's more guys willing to go out and teach, teach the whole playbook. When they first came in, guys like Mike Gilliard and Chase (Vasser), we started from the basics and then moved on and letting them go out and throw them into the fire to see if they're grasping everything."
Dent on handling the freshmen...
"You have those first time jitters the first time you go out on the field because you don't know what to expect, but me, Darryl Gamble, Rennie, we're out there and we critique them on everything, even if it's something minor because we want them to do it the best way."
Running back Carlton Thomas on the difference between this year and last...
"Everybody's just become more hands-on. You can just see it in every unit. Everybody has this focus, everybody's pushing each other, everybody's trying to learn more. We're getting in there to watch film, and that's something we really didn't do a lot of before. A lot of units are even coming in in the mornings to watch film. And it's not just a couple guys trying to improve each other. It's like everybody's on the focus of, if I can get my unit better, it's going to help the team."
Thomas on the attitude this year...
"Since mat drills we've been saying the thing, the star of the team is the team. It's been a team thing, and we want to be a player-driven team. That's basically been what it's been. Nobody's being forced. We're just coming out here and doing extra work."
Wide receiver Michael Moore on interacting with the youngsters...
"Everybody knew we had to step up as leaders. We all know how hard it is to come in as a freshman, and this year we're depending on everybody for success. When I knew Wooten and Marlon were coming in, even on Facebook before they got here, they were asking questions, and it's just good to see. Orson's asking me questions every day. And when you have players that want to learn, it makes it easier for us."
Moore on his experiences as a freshman...
"It was a lot different. The senior class that we had, everybody was more established. Everybody to me was more trying to get their own stuff together. This year, we're trying to take it as more of a team, because we need the younger guys. You don't want them to shy away. You want them to be able to perform and be able to compete with you."
Moore on dealing with the new freshmen...
"Sometimes it's funny because when you try to explain things to them, they're still looking at you like you're talking to a brick wall. So sometimes you need to take a step back and break it down for them from point A to point B to point C. You can't just go from A to C. The guys that we have now, they're real smart and they're picking it up real fast."
Wide receiver Kris Durham on teaching teammates...
"Sometimes you have to tell them what they did wrong and get in their face to explain it to them. Yeah, it might make them mad, but everybody realizes that you're trying to make them better."
Durham on learning lessons from last season...
"We've discussed what happened last year, and we're trying to move on and learn from it. Everyone's just trying to build off of what works."
After you're done reading the article, check out these additional quotes from players about the emphasis on mentoring this offseason.
Fullback Shaun Chapas on the team-first mentality...
"I think this team's very united. We all love each other and we have good chemistry on the team. And I know that we all really care about each other, what we do on and off the field."
Defensive end Kiante Tripp on the different feel of this offseason...
"From the time I've been here, I'd have to say that this has been a real successful summer in that I've never seen the guys work as hard as we've been working. Everybody's out there working. It's a good environment to be around to prepare for the season."
Tripp on the team's new mantra...
"In order for us to be successful, we've got to be a team and help each other out. It's a team thing, and we've got to work together. Mark Richt said the star of the team is the team, and we took that and have run with it."
Linebacker Akeem Dent on the offseason philosophy...
"It started in the weight room. All of them came in and were really willing to work. We've had a lot of guys who when we go into the film room, they're already ready, they have pens and pencils to take notes, and we're ready to teach them."
Dent on this offseason compared to past ones...
"Now compared to when I got here, there's more guys willing to go out and teach, teach the whole playbook. When they first came in, guys like Mike Gilliard and Chase (Vasser), we started from the basics and then moved on and letting them go out and throw them into the fire to see if they're grasping everything."
Dent on handling the freshmen...
"You have those first time jitters the first time you go out on the field because you don't know what to expect, but me, Darryl Gamble, Rennie, we're out there and we critique them on everything, even if it's something minor because we want them to do it the best way."
Running back Carlton Thomas on the difference between this year and last...
"Everybody's just become more hands-on. You can just see it in every unit. Everybody has this focus, everybody's pushing each other, everybody's trying to learn more. We're getting in there to watch film, and that's something we really didn't do a lot of before. A lot of units are even coming in in the mornings to watch film. And it's not just a couple guys trying to improve each other. It's like everybody's on the focus of, if I can get my unit better, it's going to help the team."
Thomas on the attitude this year...
"Since mat drills we've been saying the thing, the star of the team is the team. It's been a team thing, and we want to be a player-driven team. That's basically been what it's been. Nobody's being forced. We're just coming out here and doing extra work."
Wide receiver Michael Moore on interacting with the youngsters...
"Everybody knew we had to step up as leaders. We all know how hard it is to come in as a freshman, and this year we're depending on everybody for success. When I knew Wooten and Marlon were coming in, even on Facebook before they got here, they were asking questions, and it's just good to see. Orson's asking me questions every day. And when you have players that want to learn, it makes it easier for us."
Moore on his experiences as a freshman...
"It was a lot different. The senior class that we had, everybody was more established. Everybody to me was more trying to get their own stuff together. This year, we're trying to take it as more of a team, because we need the younger guys. You don't want them to shy away. You want them to be able to perform and be able to compete with you."
Moore on dealing with the new freshmen...
"Sometimes it's funny because when you try to explain things to them, they're still looking at you like you're talking to a brick wall. So sometimes you need to take a step back and break it down for them from point A to point B to point C. You can't just go from A to C. The guys that we have now, they're real smart and they're picking it up real fast."
Wide receiver Kris Durham on teaching teammates...
"Sometimes you have to tell them what they did wrong and get in their face to explain it to them. Yeah, it might make them mad, but everybody realizes that you're trying to make them better."
Durham on learning lessons from last season...
"We've discussed what happened last year, and we're trying to move on and learn from it. Everyone's just trying to build off of what works."
Friday, July 3, 2009
From the Mailbag: Talking Turnovers
Last one from the mailbag for this week. Doug Stutsman is scheduled to cover the football interview session for me next week, so I'll let you know who's on the slate and pass along any questions you'd like him to answer.
Our final question for the day comes from our MVP of the mailbag, @CrossfitDawg13, who I think has now had three questions answered in the past two weeks. Anyway, he asks, "how does the D expect to create more turnovers this year? Different scheme? Better execution?"
For this, I talked to two players and got two pretty different answers.
Defensive tackle Kiante Tripp said the key to getting turnovers will start with the guys up front, and the failure to get to the QB last year was a big part of the reason the turnovers just didn't come.
"I think it always starts off with the defensive front getting that pressure on the quarterback so it can alter the throws," Tripp said. "The defensive line plays a big part into what happens after he throws the ball. If he has time to look at what he wants to do, it'll be a lot easier to make those throws. If we make him scramble out of the box and throw on the run, we'll be more successful in getting more picks and causing more third and fourth downs."
You have to like Tripp's attitude and willingness to shoulder the responsibility for the problem himself. But as I thought more about it, I couldn't help but think that the blame couldn't rest solely -- or even mostly -- on the pass rush.
Looking back to last season, how many INTs were simply dropped? How many turnovers were negated by penalties? How many times was a player simply out of position?
Those fundamental things were the primary culprit in my opinion, and as it turns out, Darryl Gamble agrees with me.
"We had chances to make plays last year but they just weren't made," Gamble said. "So it's really about taking advantage of opportunities, and I don't think we did good with that last year. We would be in the right places, but we've got to execute on what's there."
Our final question for the day comes from our MVP of the mailbag, @CrossfitDawg13, who I think has now had three questions answered in the past two weeks. Anyway, he asks, "how does the D expect to create more turnovers this year? Different scheme? Better execution?"
For this, I talked to two players and got two pretty different answers.
Defensive tackle Kiante Tripp said the key to getting turnovers will start with the guys up front, and the failure to get to the QB last year was a big part of the reason the turnovers just didn't come.
"I think it always starts off with the defensive front getting that pressure on the quarterback so it can alter the throws," Tripp said. "The defensive line plays a big part into what happens after he throws the ball. If he has time to look at what he wants to do, it'll be a lot easier to make those throws. If we make him scramble out of the box and throw on the run, we'll be more successful in getting more picks and causing more third and fourth downs."
You have to like Tripp's attitude and willingness to shoulder the responsibility for the problem himself. But as I thought more about it, I couldn't help but think that the blame couldn't rest solely -- or even mostly -- on the pass rush.
Looking back to last season, how many INTs were simply dropped? How many turnovers were negated by penalties? How many times was a player simply out of position?
Those fundamental things were the primary culprit in my opinion, and as it turns out, Darryl Gamble agrees with me.
"We had chances to make plays last year but they just weren't made," Gamble said. "So it's really about taking advantage of opportunities, and I don't think we did good with that last year. We would be in the right places, but we've got to execute on what's there."
From the Mailbag: One Day at a Time for Tripp
More questions from the Twitter mailbag, this time for defensive tackle Kiante Tripp...
@bgavingreen asks: "ask kiante what are his personal goals for the season? Land a starting job? Get X amount of sacks?"
As you might imagine from a guy who has played five different positions in the past two years, Tripp doesn't like to look too far ahead, and in this case, he's not looking ahead at all.
"Being back at my home position, I really want to succeed here, and I think you just need to take it one day at a time," Tripp said. "I'm not setting any long-term goals, but I just want to have a successful game each time out."
What was a big concern for Georgia this spring actually turned out to be a big advantage for Tripp's development. He said the loss of so many defensive ends to injury meant he got a lot of reps, and that's exactly what he needed to get into shape and get ready to make an impact -- whatever it might be -- in 2009.
"I just have to put some WD-40 on the rusty spots I had from my freshman year, but the spring, getting a lot of reps and just working on my skills, I'm getting a lot more comfortable doing a lot of pass rush stuff," Tripp said. "My run game was never too bad, but there's always things you can work on, and that's what I'm doing right now."
He's also been happy to have a chance to catch up with his old friends on the offensive line this spring, and said that working against guys like Clint Boling and Trinton Sturdivant has been another big asset in his transition back to defensive end.
"It's going to be a great preparation because right now, even during pass rush stuff, I get a chance to go against those guys and just talk to them," Tripp said. "Even though I've been on that side and know the ins and outs, but just to interact with those guys during the summer, we can talk and get each other better."
Oh, and this wasn't exactly a question, but @allyugadawg shared a sentiment I think a lot of fans would agree with: "Not a ? but a comment to KT-Wld u pls tell him how much we appreciate his constant hard wk & team 1st attitude."
I passed this along for you Ally, and Kiante was very appreciative. Although I think his big smile was due as much to the fact that the long team-first journey is finally over as anything.
@bgavingreen asks: "ask kiante what are his personal goals for the season? Land a starting job? Get X amount of sacks?"
As you might imagine from a guy who has played five different positions in the past two years, Tripp doesn't like to look too far ahead, and in this case, he's not looking ahead at all.
"Being back at my home position, I really want to succeed here, and I think you just need to take it one day at a time," Tripp said. "I'm not setting any long-term goals, but I just want to have a successful game each time out."
What was a big concern for Georgia this spring actually turned out to be a big advantage for Tripp's development. He said the loss of so many defensive ends to injury meant he got a lot of reps, and that's exactly what he needed to get into shape and get ready to make an impact -- whatever it might be -- in 2009.
"I just have to put some WD-40 on the rusty spots I had from my freshman year, but the spring, getting a lot of reps and just working on my skills, I'm getting a lot more comfortable doing a lot of pass rush stuff," Tripp said. "My run game was never too bad, but there's always things you can work on, and that's what I'm doing right now."
He's also been happy to have a chance to catch up with his old friends on the offensive line this spring, and said that working against guys like Clint Boling and Trinton Sturdivant has been another big asset in his transition back to defensive end.
"It's going to be a great preparation because right now, even during pass rush stuff, I get a chance to go against those guys and just talk to them," Tripp said. "Even though I've been on that side and know the ins and outs, but just to interact with those guys during the summer, we can talk and get each other better."
Oh, and this wasn't exactly a question, but @allyugadawg shared a sentiment I think a lot of fans would agree with: "Not a ? but a comment to KT-Wld u pls tell him how much we appreciate his constant hard wk & team 1st attitude."
I passed this along for you Ally, and Kiante was very appreciative. Although I think his big smile was due as much to the fact that the long team-first journey is finally over as anything.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Georgia's Secret Weapon
Kiante Tripp hasn't seen a ton of playing time during his Georgia career, but he has developed a niche over the years of being Georgia's jack-of-all-trades. From defensive line to right tackle, over to the left side, then to tight end, Tripp has become familiar with a multitude of the Bulldogs' positional meeting rooms.
While the constant transition may not have landed him a full-time job in his first two seasons with the Bulldogs, his diverse knowledge of offenses could pay huge dividends at his latest home as Georgia's newest defensive end.
"With me, now that I've been on O line and tight end, I know the calls and everything," Tripp said.
More than just the calls, however, Tripp knows the subtleties. He's still an offensive lineman by trade, and he's planning to take all the information he soaked in during his time on the other side of the ball and use it to his -- and the Bulldogs' -- advantage.
"It's looking at their stances, basically seeing if they're heavy or light," Tripp said. "Me knowing that, I can tell my other guys, look, he's light, he's heavy, he's fixing to do this, he's fixing to do that. Now they're picking up on it so it's going to make it a lot easier on us this year."
While Georgia's defense -- particularly the ends -- struggled to rack up sacks last season, finishing with just 23 on the season, six of which came in its bowl game against Michigan State.
So while Tripp hopes he can be the Bulldogs' secret weapon in the pass rush this year, he's pretty sure all of Georgia's ends are going to sneak up on a lot of people.
"I think we're all going to be secret weapons," he said. "Everybody's underestimating us, so we're just going to show them what we've got."
More with Tripp...
Check out the video of Kiante Tripp discussing Georgia's pass rush and his move to defensive end. If you want an idea of how bad the injury situation has been at D-end the past year, notice how Tripp misunderstands my inquiry as to who he picked for his Final Four in basketball, thinking I was asking who would be the final four defensive ends still healthy enough to play...
While the constant transition may not have landed him a full-time job in his first two seasons with the Bulldogs, his diverse knowledge of offenses could pay huge dividends at his latest home as Georgia's newest defensive end.
"With me, now that I've been on O line and tight end, I know the calls and everything," Tripp said.
More than just the calls, however, Tripp knows the subtleties. He's still an offensive lineman by trade, and he's planning to take all the information he soaked in during his time on the other side of the ball and use it to his -- and the Bulldogs' -- advantage.
"It's looking at their stances, basically seeing if they're heavy or light," Tripp said. "Me knowing that, I can tell my other guys, look, he's light, he's heavy, he's fixing to do this, he's fixing to do that. Now they're picking up on it so it's going to make it a lot easier on us this year."
While Georgia's defense -- particularly the ends -- struggled to rack up sacks last season, finishing with just 23 on the season, six of which came in its bowl game against Michigan State.
So while Tripp hopes he can be the Bulldogs' secret weapon in the pass rush this year, he's pretty sure all of Georgia's ends are going to sneak up on a lot of people.
"I think we're all going to be secret weapons," he said. "Everybody's underestimating us, so we're just going to show them what we've got."
More with Tripp...
Check out the video of Kiante Tripp discussing Georgia's pass rush and his move to defensive end. If you want an idea of how bad the injury situation has been at D-end the past year, notice how Tripp misunderstands my inquiry as to who he picked for his Final Four in basketball, thinking I was asking who would be the final four defensive ends still healthy enough to play...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
