Notes: Line Will Be Key to Offense

No team in the country returns more experience on its offensive line than Georgia, and head coach Mark Richt is hoping that will mean big things for the Bulldogs’ offense in 2010.

“I feel as good going into this year as I have in a while, but I felt good last year and we had some things that happened,” Richt said. “But if everybody stays healthy, we have (a lot of) different guys who have started.”

Those “things” that happened last year – and in 2008 – helped season a deep pool of talent, with all five starters from last year’s line returning, along with Trinton Sturdivant, who has missed virtually all of the past two seasons with knee injuries, and a handful of up-and-coming talent on the line as well.

“Chris Burnette is a kid that I think is going to be good enough to help us win. Dallas Lee might be another kid,” Richt said. “When you add those two, the two guys who were injured, and all those other guys that got to play, we’re in good shape.”

With a freshman quarterback getting the starting nod, a veteran offensive line might be as important as ever, too. As receiver Kris Durham said, everything about the Bulldogs’ offensive attack will start with the line.

“The run game’s going to open up the passing game, the passing game’s going to open up the run game, but it all starts with the offensive line,” Durham said. “I feel like they’re going to be our rock, the starting point of our offense. We can’t do anything without them. So we’re going to try to throw it and run it, but the offensive line is going to be the key.”

A STRONG PERFORMANCE

Durham saw the talent and potential in Tavarres King early on, but it was also pretty obvious what might hold the lanky receiver back on the field.

“You’ve got to have the speed and intangibles, but you have to have strength, too," Durham said of King. "He’s working on that, and fortunately for us, he has a couple more years for us to see what he can do.”

After a solid season as a redshirt freshman in which King hauled in 18 catches for 377 yards -- the second most on the team -- Durham said King is making similar strides in his strength training, too.

King has worked extensively with Georgia's new nutritionist, Rex Bradberry, and has already begun to see the results on the field. He's added some weight -- up from about 181 pounds at the end of the 2009 season -- without losing his speed and agility.

“I worked out with TK in May, and he’s up to 192, and he’s gotten a lot stronger," Durham said. "Hopefully that will lead to good things on the field.”

FEELING AT HOME

Throughout Richard Samuel’s two-year trial at running back, Richt promised the five-star recruit had all the tools for the job, he just lacked some of those natural instincts that come with years of experience at the position.

Unfortunately, Samuel never really developed those instincts, but now that he’s lining up on the other side of the field, Akeem Dent thinks Samuel is a natural fit at linebacker.

"I feel like he has more instincts at linebacker,” Dent said. “I'm not taking anything away from him at running back, but just watching a little film on him and seeing how he's progressed coming over to linebacker, I've seen the instincts he does have, and he's going to be able to make a lot of plays in the future."

THE HEAT IS ON

With noon kickoffs set for Georgia’s second game of the season against South Carolina and third game against Arkansas, along with a likely early start for the opener against Louisiana-Lafayette, Richt knows his team’s conditioning is going to be tested early.

"It is going to be excruciatingly hot and humid, and I can just picture what it's going to be like these first three ballgames," Richt said. "So I'm hoping for a hot summer so our guys can get used to it."

More than just the heat, Durham said, it’s what Georgia does when the temperatures are soaring. He said this summer’s workouts will be crucial, and with the early start times in September, the Bulldogs will have to prepare better than they have in the past.

“It’s going to rely a lot on our conditioning during the summer,” Durham said. “We’re going to have to get out there in the heat, we’re going to have to run, we’re going to have to do more conditioning than we’re accustomed to and really push ourselves.”

STARTING FROM SCRATCH

The fresh start that came with a new coaching staff on defense has created plenty of excitement in the Georgia locker room this offseason, but there's no doubt that some players were a bit more enthusiastic than others about the changes, Richt said.

"The veterans that had established themselves maybe weren't too excited about having to start over again, but the defense as a whole knew it was going to be a clean slate and there was going to be a chance to prove they can play and prove they deserved a chance to play or start," Richt said. "A guy like Jakar Hamilton coming in, he's brand new and if we didn't change the system, he'd have been behind. But now, he shows up in the spring just like everybody else, learning it from scratch. So a guy like that really benefited."

Of course, the downside the all the change -- for both the veterans and the rookies -- is that there hasn't been anyone with significant experience to lean on during this offseason. It's been more about keeping the veterans a half-a-step ahead on the learning curve.

"During the spring, we implemented the new defense, and we're just trying to pick up where we left off," Dent said. "Right now, in spring ball you get a little bit of an upper hand. Everyone has about the same playing field, but right now, we have a slight advantage over (the younger) guys that gives us a chance to help them make plays."

Five Dawgs Who Could Surprise

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Notes: Consistency Eludes Dawgs' Receivers

One of the biggest questions on Georgia’s offense entering the season surrounded the group of wide receivers hoping to establish themselves as a consistent second option after A.J. Green. While several players have shown flashes of potential, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said none have truly emerged.

While Green has missed nearly all of the final four games of the season, his 47 receptions still more than double anyone else on the roster. The No. 2 receiver in terms of catches is senior Michael Moore, who will play his final game next week.

That leaves a group of younger players still searching for consistency, Bobo said. Tight end Orson Charles’ 21 catches were the high-water mark among returning players other than Green, while Tavarres King finished second on the team in receiving yards with 377 on 18 receptions. The rest of the returning wide receivers – Rantavious Wooten, Israel Troupe and Marlon Brown – combined for just 16 receptions and 302 yards this year.

“I think all guys showed flashes of ability to make plays, but we didn’t have a consistent guy at those spots,” Bobo said. “But they showed flashes and a lot to build on going into the offseason. We have talent there, but it’s just a matter of them doing it on a consistent basis.”

MAKING A PREDICTION

Texas A&M is far from a familiar opponent for Georgia – the two teams haven’t played since 1980, when the Bulldogs won 42-0 – but they do have a bit of common ground. The Aggies and Bulldogs played two common opponents this season, and neither met with much success.

Georgia dropped its season opener against Oklahoma State 24-10 on Sept. 5. The Cowboys provided a similar fate to Texas A&M, dropping the Aggiest 36-31 on Oct. 10.

Both team have also played against Arkansas, with A&M falling 47-19 on Oct. 3 and Georgia pulling out a victory on Sept. 19, but still allowing 41 points.

So, what can Mark Richt and the Bulldogs take from those early season matchups? Not much, according to Georgia’s head coach.

“People want to compare like opponents, but I think football is a game where some teams match up better against a team, and they might have matched up better against Okie State than we did,” Richt said. “I’m not sure if you can look at those common games and figure out what’s going to happen. All I can tell you is they’re very talented and well coached and they’ll take everything we’ve got.”

STAYING BUSY

December has been a hectic month for defensive line coach Rodney Garner – and not because of any last-minute Christmas shopping.

As the lone holdover from Georgia’s defensive staff after coordinator Willie Martinez and two other coaches were dismissed earlier this month, Garner has worked as the de facto defensive leader, taken on the responsibility of coaching the full defensive line as opposed to his previous role as tackles coach, worked on the film preparation and game-plan implementation as the Bulldogs prepare for Texas A&M and has spent much of the month out on the road recruiting.

“We spent a lot of time, and it was hard,” Garner said. “There were a lot of days I worked in the a.m. and then went out recruiting. Some days I didn’t go out recruiting at all, just so I could get a good feel for their offense. We’re just trying to get these kids the best game plan so they can go out and compete.”

While it has been a bit of a Herculean effort for Garner, he has had some help. Graduate assistants Mitch Doolittle and Todd Hartley are also helping to coach the defense, while injured senior Rod Battle has overseen much of the practice time for the defensive ends when Garner has been working on drills with the tackles.

It has been an adjustment, Garner said, but he doesn’t mind the challenge. And should Richt decide to keep him on as the coach of the full defensive line – something Richt speculated about when considering bringing on a full-time special teams coach – Garner said he’d be fine with the added responsibilities.

“I think Coach Richt has to decide what he feels is best for the staff,” Garner said. “Once he makes those decisions and fills out those assignments, you’re going to do what you’re asked to do. I don’t know which way he’s going to go, and he has not discussed anything with us other than that he’s looking.”

Practice Notes: Christmas Comes Early for Bobo

With five children between ages 2 and 5, Christmas is an exciting time of year in Mike Bobo’s house. But with Georgia set to depart for Shreveport, La. on Thursday, the normal holiday routine had to change a bit.

Since Bobo and his family will be in Shreveport on Christmas day with the Bulldogs preparing for their bowl date with Texas A&M, the schedule was moved up a bit. The Bobos held Christmas Eve festivities tonight and Christmas day comes Wednesday.

“My kids are jacked, and I’m jacked, too,” Bobo said.

While Bobo admits his wife did most of the shopping, he had the crucial job of ensuring that Santa was aware of the tweaked holiday schedule at his house. Luckily for him, Santa was happy to oblige.

“It just happens that we’re playing the 28th, so Santa’s coming early,” Bobo said. “We wrote him a letter, and he wrote back and said if they’re nice to mom, he’ll come early.”

GRADES ARE IN

Georgia head coach Mark Richt got some good news on the academic front as the Bulldogs wrapped up their final practice of the year in Athens. No players have been ruled academically ineligible for the bowl game on Dec. 28, and the overall efforts of the team in the classroom during the fall semester were exceptional, he said.

While results aren’t official yet, Richt said he was told 43 players earned a 3.0 GPA or better during the fall semester, and the overall team GPA was better than 2.7.

“No one has really any issues going into the spring as far as grade point average and all the number of hours needed is very manageable,” Richt said. “So it was really a very successful semester academically.”

TALKING IT OVER

While Georgia will bid farewell to a large group of seniors after the Independence Bowl, two juniors on defense could be departing, too.

Linebacker Rennie Curran and safety Reshad Jones are both considering leaving school a year early for the NFL draft, and Richt said he has spoken with both players about their decisions. While he said he’s offered advice to both Curran and Jones, he said neither has made up their mind and both are focused on ending the season – and possibly their careers – on a high note against Texas A&M.

“We’ve had some conversations, but more of the trying to make sure we’re getting good information and not putting this decision before finishing out their careers in a very positive way,” Richt said. “They’re definitely thinking about it. But neither one has definitely said I’m doing one thing or the other at this point.”

BOYKIN TO THE RESCUE

Georgia held its final practice in Athens this season on Tuesday with a morning workout that focused primarily on special teams. The practice ended, however, with the annual pre-Christmas conditioning in which Richt made the team run 10 half-gassers – across the width of the football field and back – unless a player stepped up to sing a Christmas carol in front of his teammates.

“Somebody had to stand up in front of the team and sing at least a verse or two of a song,” Richt said. “It was Chester Adams for years. He would sing ‘Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire,’ and he’d do a great job of that.”

This year, the volunteers were sparse, but finally cornerback Brandon Boykin stepped up to offer his voice to save some running – about 500 yards worth, according to Richt – for his teammates.

“He sang something about a mistletoe, I’m not quite sure,” Richt said. “But he sang it well. He cut those gassers in half, so that was a good deal.”

TUNING IN FOR BOWDEN

Bobby Bowden, will be coaching the final game of his career on Jan. 1, and his former protégé hasn’t ruled out a trip to watch.

Richt said he’ll definitely tune in for the game, but wouldn’t rule out a trip to Jacksonville to watch it in person. The truth is, he said, he hadn’t yet considered the fact that he would be off work on the first of the year.

“I haven’t thought about it,” Richt said. “I guess I’m so used to playing on the first you don’t think about being able to do something like that.”

SIMMER DOWN

With the Christmas holiday looming and Georgia’s bowl game less than a week away, Richt said his search for a new defensive coordinator is likely to take a backseat for a few days, at least.

“We’ll work on that more after the bowl games,” Richt said. “But we’ll get it done.”

EXTRA POINTS

-- Richt noted that things would look a quite different on Georgia's practice fields the next time the Bulldogs got together in Athens for a full practice. Construction is ongoing at the Butts-Mehre facility, with concrete being poured and steel being put into place for an expansion to the football facilities. In the meantime, team meeting rooms have been moved to trailers and the team set up a temporary weight room in Stegeman Coliseum that Richt dubbed, "the dungeon."

-- Richard Samuel said he's feeling back to normal after suffering a concussion during practice prior to the Georgia Tech game last month. “I remembered everything that happened, but at the beginning of it, I didn’t think it was that bad," Samuel said of the injury. "But the symptoms kept reoccurring.” That has since cleared up, and he said he'll be able to play in Georgia's bowl game, where he is expected to start on several special teams units as well as back up Caleb King and Washaun Ealey at tailback.

Practice Notes: Dawgs Look to Jump Start Running Game

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FIGGINS TAKES REDSHIRT

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

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

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

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

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

KIDS TO SEE MORE ACTION

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

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

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

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

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

INJURY UPDATES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DAWGS DON’T DO DOME

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

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

SHADES OF GRAY?

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

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

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

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

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

REPEAT PERFORMANCE

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

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

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

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

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

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

EXTRA POINTS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Practice Notes: Two Kings With Concussions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PULLED IN ALL DIRECTIONS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MORE INJURY NEWS

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

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

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

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

DOUBLE DUTY

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

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

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

MY BAD, GUYS

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

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

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

CHANGE BREWING?

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

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

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

EXTRA POINTS

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

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

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

Post-Game Notes: Green Gets Revenge

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

COX SETS MARK

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

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

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

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

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

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

BIG RUN MEANS A BIG DAY

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

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

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

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

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

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

HAPPY RETURNS

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

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

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

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

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

GIVE IT AWAY

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

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

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

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

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

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

CHIPPING IN

Two Bulldogs got their first career touchdowns Saturday.

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

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

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

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

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

EXTRA POINTS

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Thanks to Tyler Estep for assisting with these notes.

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

Sunday Notes: Sturdivant Tears ACL

As if the news on offense wasn't bad enough after Saturday's 24-10 loss to Oklahoma State, things got worse Sunday when an MRI revealed that left tackle Trinton Sturdivant tore his ACL in his left knee -- the same injury that kept him off the field for the entirety of the 2008 season.

"Mentally would be the only thing that could keep him from making a full recovery," head coach Mark Richt said. "If he rehabs the same way he did a year ago, he'll be able to play again next year. It's just one piece of ligament that can be repaired, can be replaced, and then you just start over again. Psychologically it's tough, but physically I've had guys that had the injury a second time around and it went great the rest of their career. So it's just going to be Trinton's state of mind, but we know he's going to battle and he has goals in his life, and he's going to come back again."

Richt said Sturdivant was surprised by the injury but has kept his spirits up since learning the news.

"He really didn't feel like that was the situation after the ballgame, and we weren't predicting that," Richt said. "He seemed kind of more philosophical. He's just like, 'Well, I've got two choices. I can either give up or I can go fight again.' He knows and we know that he's going to fight and that he'll be back."

That leaves Georgia short a left tackle for the remainder of the season, and Richt said the current solution will be to use senior Vince Vance at the position, but that more options could open up down the road.

"It won't be long before Josh Davis will be able to play again also," Richt said. "He can play either tackle. All three of those kids (including Clint Boling) can play tackle, and Cordy (Glenn) can play tackle but would be more of a right tackle. So we still have some options there."

The offensive line was expected to be a strong point for Georgia this season, but Sturdivant's injury clearly puts a damper on the lofty expectations. More concerning was the lack of dominant play by the line during Saturday's loss -- and Richt said the struggles came in both the passing game and the running game.

"It was hot and cold," Richt said of the line's play. "It wasn't flawless by any means. The sack that caused the fumble was a protection issue. Most of the time we protected well, but that time in particular it wasn't very good."

On the run blocking, Richt said the scheme was strong, but the execution was lacking.

"Their safeties tackled well, they closed space quickly, and there was a couple times when we just didn't finish blocks," Richt said. "Schematically we were creating good space, but if we'd have stuck on our blocks a little bit better, we might have broken some big runs."

EXTRA POINTS

-- With Sturdivant out, Richt said there is clearly a concern about how Georgia's line will hold up against South Carolina's stout defense, led by linebacker Eric Norwood and defensive lineman Cliff Matthews.

"It's going to definitely create an issue for us," Richt said. "Hopefully we won't be in a bunch of third-and-longs where we absolutely have to live and die by the drop-back pass. Hopefully we can pass when we want to."

-- Regarding Joe Cox's performance -- 15-of-30 for 162 yards, 1 TD and 2 turnovers -- Richt said it wasn't as bad as it might have seemed, and he wasn't sure how much Cox's struggles could be pinned on his ailing health.

"I really don't know how he's feeling to be quite honest," Richt said. "He wasn't going to miss that game. Oklahoma State did some things that were good. I think Joe will be sharper as we go. Overall I think he played a pretty decent ballgame. It wasn't anything to sit there and say it was spectacular by any means, but it was solid."

-- Still, Georgia's passing game was far from impressive, and the burden of responsibility can be shifted in any number of directions.

"In the pass game, I would just say we weren't sharp at all," Richt said. "There were some times when we looked good, but for the most part, we just weren't consistent in our effort in the passing game."

Richt said improvements need to be made in all areas, including receivers hanging on to the football, better route running and quicker decisions from Cox.

"I would say the route running certainly needs to improve, and that's for the tight ends also," Richt said. "We've just got to get our timing squared away. We made some throws where we went to the right guy, but not as quick as we should. But we're not far off there either, but I thought we were closer to being in sync in the running game that we are in the passing game."

-- One receiver who managed to impress, Richt said, was redshirt freshman Tavarres King. Although King had just one catch for four yards, Richt said he saw an increased level of aggression from King that earned kudos from the coaches.

"I think Tavarres King has earned himself some more playing time," Richt said. "He really got after it as a blocker and made one catch across the middle where he had to really extend that took some bravery. We gained more confidence in Tavarres' ability to play more downs and get more opportunities."

-- Branden Smith got four touches on offense, and Richt said the decision to include the freshman cornerback in the game plan was a no-brainer.

"One was speed and agility and a confidence about him that we wanted to tap into," Richt said. "We knew he was going to play some defense, so it wasn't like we were worried about whether he was going to redshirt or not."

-- A missing ingredient from Saturday's performance was clearly tailback Caleb King, and Richt said he's hopeful that the sophomore will return to action quickly.

"I would love it," Richt said. "He's a guy that we need to get healthy and get in there and compete and play. We need him."

Richt said that he hasn't spoken with trainer Ron Courson about King's progress following a pulled hamstring, but I've spoken with multiple sources who said there's a strong possibility King won't be able to return until at least Week 3.

Notebook: Freshmen Ready For Action

The opening game of each season tends to bring a bit of first-time jitters for Georgia's freshmen, but for tight end Orson Charles, the scene at Boone Pickens Stadium on Saturday will seem a bit familiar.

It's not that Charles has ever visited Stillwater, Okla. before, but for the past six months, he's been dreaming about what the trip will be like.

"Ever since I found out I was going to Georgia, I looked at the schedule and I've just been dreaming about it – imagining scoring touchdowns, making that crucial block and just celebrating with my teammates after the victory," Charles said. "I'm getting enough sleep, but I'm always dreaming about the same thing."

Charles' fellow freshman tight end, Arhtur Lynch, said he hasn't been quite as consumed by visions of his first college downs, but he's definitely a bit anxious about what's in store.

"In high school, we had a lot of big games, but I can't really get a grasp on what it's going to be like," Lynch said. "It's going to be fun, it's going to be exciting, but it's going to be nerve-wracking because you know this isn't high school anymore."

Mark Richt has been down this road with freshmen before, but admits this season will be a bit different than even he is used to. It has been since 2003 that Georgia opened on the road – meaning there isn't a player on the roster that can pass along any advice on how the freshmen should handle the situation.

That, Richt said, might not be a bad thing.

"Those guys have no idea what's about to happen to them," he said. "They say the term ‘Ignorance is bliss' and it's probably true. The less you tell them, the better."

Regardless, it will be an experience the freshmen won't forget, Richt said. And more importantly, it's one they've waited a long time to enjoy.

"Camp has been long," Charles said. "We've been seeing too much of each other, been banging too much, and now we finally get to leave and go hit somebody else."

EARLY TEST

In last season's opener, Georgia went to then-freshman A.J. Green on just the third offensive play of the game and Green responded with a 36-yard catch to set up a touchdown.

"There's nothing quite like that first catch," Green said.

Richt said he's like to do a similar favor for a few of this year's true freshmen in Week 1, but he's not making any promises.

"It would be nice to, but I don't even know if we've established what the first play will be yet," Richt said. "I think the first time the opportunity arises for the freshmen, it's nice when they do make the play. It just gives them instant confidence. If they don't make the play, you've got to be there for them and give them another chance and let them know you believe in them."

EXCITEMENT ALL AROUND

It's not just the freshmen that are excited to get their first taste of action Saturday. Marcus Washington has been at Georgia for five seasons, but it's been more than a year since he last took the field on game day.

In the meantime, he's recovered from a serious shoulder injury and switched positions, from linebacker to defensive end, which makes Georgia's date with Oklahoma State as close to a new beginning as it gets.

"It's been a long time coming," Washington said. "I haven't played in over a year, and it's a new position, so it's almost like a fresh start for me. I just can't wait to get out there and see what I can do."

WHAT, YOU TOO?

The freshmen may not know what to expect Saturday, but Richt admits, he's not much different.

With Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno and Mohamed Massaquoi – the stalwarts of Georgia's offense for the past two seasons – now in the NFL, it's hard to make an accurate prediction as to what the Bulldogs might look like when they take the field against Oklahoma State. But rather than nerves, Richt said he's feeling more excitement at the possibilities.

"I get excited," Richt said. "I'm anxious, but curious is maybe the best word. I've very curious to see what we've got, curious to see how we'll respond in this game and throughout the season. But you get a good taste in Game 1."

READY, WILLING AND ABLE

Richt isn't giving away any scoop on who might handle the kickoff duties at Oklahoma State – sophomore Blair Walsh or JuCo transfer Brandon Bogotay – but he definitely sounds like he's gained a lot more confidence in the incumbent since the preseason began.

"I see a lot different focus from Blair," Richt said. "I think the competition of Bogotay coming in has really helped that situation. Both of those guys are really capable."

The competition has certainly kept both players sharp, but Walsh said it's not necessarily Bogotay's presence that has spurred him on to greater heights.

"I'm not the type of person who lays back when he has a job, but competition pushes everybody," Walsh said. "It's not just about bringing guys in so you have somebody pushing you the entire time. You've got to do what you've got to do and just working hard for me has been the key."

After a strong start to the season, Walsh struggled down the stretch last year – particularly when attempting directional kickoffs, a favorite philosophy of Georgia's kicking coach, Jon Fabris.

Whether the Bulldogs choose to kick to the corner or boot it deep, however, Walsh said he's aware that Oklahoma State presents a significant problem. Kick returner Perrish Cox is closing in on the Big 12 record for return yards, and his 895 return yards and two touchdowns made him one of the top threats in the country.

"We know what we're up against," Walsh said. "We know the guy is very good, and we've got to be on top of our game."

Walsh plans to be on top of his game, too. Regardless of which kicker is handling kickoffs, Walsh said he has something to prove, starting with Saturday's contest against the Cowboys.

"I've been working hard and I have something to prove to everybody to show that I can do what's asked of me and that I'm the guy for the job," Walsh said.

THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE

Oklahoma State's defense took a good bit of criticism a year ago after being embarrassed against rivals Texas Tech and Oklahoma and finishing 93rd in the nation in total defense.

That might be some encouraging information for Georgia, but with new defensive coordinator Bill Young now at the helm for the Cowboys, there's a bit of mystery as to just how good the unit might be.

"You look at where he's been, and if it's consistent, then schematically you know this is probably what he likes to do," Richt said. "But then as you're studying his scheme, you're not studying his personnel. If you're studying Oklahoma State's personnel, it's in a system that they're probably not going to be running. Coaches don't like the unknown, and we don't know for sure what's going to happen."

That makes the task of preparing for Oklahoma State a bit more of a challenge than normal.
The plan, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said, is simply to watch the Cowboys' personnel and study Young's past work, then hope to come up with a few options that look like they have a chance to be successful. The bottom line, however, is for Georgia's offense to be good at what they do best.

"You've got rules for your plays and blocking assignments and routes for different coverages," Bobo said. "So what we can execute and what we feel gives us the best chance to win against any kind of package is what we'll go into the game with."

THEY ALL LOOK GOOD

Don't ask freshman cornerback Branden Smith to pick out which of Georgia's young receivers has been the most impressive this preseason. With all he's been trying to learn in such a short time, they've all looked good.

"Right now everyone's impressing me," Smith said. "The college level is a whole other level. I'm still improving, still trying to learn. Their routes are so smooth, and everybody's running good routes. So everybody's challenging me."

Of course, when it comes to playing favorites, Smith isn't pulling punches. As difficult as it might be to cover any of Georgia's receivers, he knows one has a little more to his game than the rest.

"A.J., he's amazing," Smith said of sophomore receiver A.J. Green. "Anything in the air, he goes and gets it."

NO HARD FEELINGS

Richard Samuel will get the start at tailback Saturday, and he's expecting a pretty significant number of carries, too. While that might be a good opportunity for him to gloat after numerous fans wondered if he might be better suited to linebacker this offseason, fullback Shaun Chapas said he never heard Samuel complain about the critiques.

"As far as I could tell, I don't think he ever let any of that bother him," Chapas said. "He's always been a student of the game and tried to go in and get better each day."

That attitude hasn't changed much in the wake of his recent success, either. Samuel ignored the critics at his low points, and he said he hasn't paid much attention to the enthusiasm surrounding him now.

"I'd say people are a little more excited," he said, "but I'm just going on with my day."

KING FOR A DAY?

With just six scholarship receivers, Georgia's coaches know they'll be counting on several unproven players to come up big in the passing game. That list might start with redshirt freshman Tavarres King, and Richt said he's been pleased with the attitude King has had throughout the preseason.

"The one area of improvement that I have seen has been in his confidence level," Richt said. "It's much more positive and stronger this fall. In this past scrimmage, in the running game, he really competed. That's something that is an indication of his confidence level."

After getting a taste of action early last season, then riding the bench with a medical redshirt the final three months, King admits he's in a far better emotional state this time around. The promise of significant playing time and a shot at some big plays is enough to keep anyone motivated.

"It's kind of exciting going into the season knowing that I could be a marquee guy, that I could be what Mohamed Massaquoi was last year," King said.

BOYKIN TO RETURN KICKS

Sophomore cornerback Brandon Boykin is the likely starter at kick returner, Richt said Thursday, while Prince Miller will handle the majority of the punt returns against Oklahoma State.

While Boykin is the top candidate for kick returns, Richt said freshman Branden Smith and Samuel are also in the mix, adding that Samuel's duties as the starting tailback – even with just two scholarship running backs likely to play – hasn't changed the way the team will use him on special teams.

"If we thought Richard was the best return man, he'd be there," Richt said. "Richard's actually covering some kicks for us. We're trying to put our best people in a position to help us win, and we think our special teams plays are just as important as our scrimmage down plays."

SPECIAL MOMENT FOR FRESHMEN

Prior to the start of fall camp, Richt said he anticipated that a number of Georgia's true freshmen would see action on special teams this season.

As Georgia prepares for Oklahoma State, Richt said he's not sure how many will actually start, but most of the 12 who are traveling to Stillwater will see some action on special teams.

"I don't know how many true freshmen are starters, but I know they're all over our special teams, and in the course of a game, you tend to get into your two-deep pretty quick," Richt said. "So I wouldn't be surprised if a good many of them play for us on a special team."

RUNNING DOWN THE LIST

The 12 freshmen making the trip for Georgia are:

QBs Zach Mettenberger and Aaron Murray; RB Washaun Ealey; WRs Marlon Brown and Rantavious Wooten; TEs Arthur Lynch and Orson Charles; DLs Abry Jones and Montez Robinson; LB Mike Gilliard; DBs Branden Smith and Shawn Williams

Sophomore kicker Brandon Bogotay will also be on the trip.

KEEPING AN EYE OUT

The college football season officially kicks off tonight with games between Oregon and Boise State and South Carolina and NC State. While Richt's focus will still be on Saturday's contest in Oklahoma, he said he'll be keeping a careful watch on tonight's games, too.

"When you watch those games, you can do some role playing. You're watching it and you're like, ‘What would I do in this situation right now?' It's kind of a practice game for you. Situations, as much as you try to simulate them out here, there's always something that could happen that you didn't plan for. When I watch these games, situations will come up, and I might get on the horn with a coach and say, ‘Did you see what happened last night? Are we ready for that?' There's a checklist for all these situations, but everyone once in a while something will pop up."

*NOTE: Our meetings with Richt on Thursdays come before practice, so there won't be any post practice notes. I'll post the release from UGA after practice though.

Practice Notes: Dawgs Find Plenty of Room to Improve

Georgia got an early taste of what's in store when it opens the season against Oklahoma State when the Bulldogs held a practice game against the scout team Wednesday, and the results weren't exactly encouraging.

"Overall, my feeling was that we weren't quite ready to beat Oklahoma State, so I'm glad we have 10 more days to prepare," head coach Mark Richt said. "We're playing the No. 9 team in the country, a team with (numerous) senior starters on defense, a team with an offense that is nothing short of spectacular. We've got to be sharp, and we weren't sharp today."

The problems weren't disastrous, Richt said, but they were numerous.

After finishing among the most penalized teams in the country a year ago, the Bulldogs' penchant for drawing flags reared its head again Wednesday, although Richt cautioned the problems were mostly a result of playing a number of inexperienced players.

"We had a few too many penalties," Richt said. "We were substituting pretty freely because it was warm, and some of our younger guys didn't really handle it very well in my opinion."

Richt said the first-team offense had a holding penalty and an illegal formation flag that each halted drives or forced field goals.

In addition to the flags, the offense simply wasn't clicking on all cylinders, Richt said.

The unit posted 27 points in the 30-minute practice game, but it wasn't the type of success he had hoped for.

"It was just an erratic day," Richt said. "It just was not sharp. It wasn't awful, but when you're playing this game, and you have almost your first and second team vs. the rest, you would think we'd have been a little more explosive offensively against that group."

While the offense seemed sluggish, Richt did have some kudos for his defensive unit.

The defensive front got significant pressure against the scout-team offensive line – a trend Richt admits isn't likely to happen against the real Oklahoma State line – and the linebackers and secondary did a nice job of remedying one of the Bulldogs' major problems from a year ago.

"There were some really fine defensive plays, some good solid tackling," Richt said. "I thought the tackling was pretty good."

STARTING FROM BEHIND

The final score of Wednesday's practice game was 27-24 Georgia, but it wasn't quite as close as the margin might indicate.

Richt set the teams up to play just the second half of the simulated action, and the No. 1 unit took the field having spotted the scout team three touchdowns before a single snap had taken place.

"I wanted a little sense of urgency for both sides of the ball to make it a tight ballgame," Richt said. "The defense twice had to play with a three-point lead, which I thought they did a good job of."

It was a somewhat familiar situation for quarterback Joe Cox, too.

Cox's last significant action during a game came in 2006 when he came on in relief of Matthew Stafford in the second half against Colorado trailing 13-0. Cox rallied the Bulldogs to a 14-13 win, just as he maneuvered the first-team offense to a comeback victory Wednesday.

Despite his calm under pressure, however, Cox said he'd be just fine with his defense keeping the Cowboys off the scoreboard.

"No, I don't want to spot Oklahoma State 14," Cox said. "I think they did that so we'd really come out and have a different mind-set, and I think it was definitely a good thing. (After the scrimmage), we don't want to say we lost because we couldn't come back."

GOING OFF SCRIPT

One plus for Georgia's offense was the opportunity to run through the playbook in a game situation, Cox said.

In practice, most of the offensive plays are scripted in advance, but Wednesday the Bulldogs got to take the training wheels off.

"We just went off Coach (Mike) Bobo's call sheet, some things we like that we thought would work for the Oklahoma State game," Cox said. "Anything could come in at any time, so it really tests your knowledge and tests everything you've been working on the past few weeks in camp."

The results were clearly mixed, Cox said, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The early scrimmage work gave the offense a chance to revamp a few of its plans for its date with the Cowboys on Sept. 5.

"We saw a lot of things we did really well that we can definitely solidify in our game plan or maybe tweak a little bit," Cox said. "There's probably some things that we ran that we said maybe that's not what we want to run. It's good to have a scrimmage like this and have some time to go back and make some changes to the game plan."

NO DECISIONS YET

Freshman quarterbacks Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger took turns playing the role of Oklahoma State's Zac Robinson during Wednesday's practice game, and only helped the scout team muster three points against Georgia's first-team defense.

That's been indicative of the struggles both have endured at various points this fall, but Richt said he's still not close to deciding whether either or both of the two will redshirt this season.

"I don't think we're there yet," Richt said. "We've still got some time and we've got some games to play. I don't want either one of those guys thinking they're redshirting right this minute."

KING OF THE HILL

Tavarres King was one of Wednesday's offensive stars, hauling in a touchdown reception from quarterback Logan Gray. While it was another strong moment for the redshirt freshman, the more important improvement in his game has come when the ball isn't in his hands, Richt said.

King came in undersized and had to put on weight this offseason, but the work has paid off and Richt said his receiver is looking much improved in the blocking game.

"He's getting better," Richt said. "He's certainly getting much more aggressive as a blocker, and blocking as a receiver is really much more about attitude and technique."

CAPTAINS ANNOUNCED

Richt announced the captains for Georgia's opener against Oklahoma State. Cox will represent the offense, with Rennie Curran and Jeff Owens representing the defense, and Demarcus Dobbs representing the special teams.

The beauty of the decision, Richt said, is that it was so hard to make.

"A lot of guys to chose from," he said. "It was not easy to decide on that. There were a lot of names that came up, a lot of names that crossed my mind that deserved it, which is good."

DOUBLE DUTY

Richt announced last week that Richard Samuel had a firm grip on the top of the tailback depth chart, but that doesn't mean he won't continue his work on kick returns, where he tallied 401 return yards as a freshman last season.

Samuel is one of five players getting work at the position, Richt said, and likely a leading candidate for the majority of the work.

"(Samuel), (Brandon) Boykin and Branden Smith are the top three guys right now," Richt said. "Carlton (Thomas) is in there, too, but I don't know if he'd be in the top three right now. But he's been getting work there along with Bryan Evans."

GOT YOU COVERED

The special teams work during Georgia's practice game is a bit more simulated than the rest of the scrimmage. Kickoffs are live, but the return men already have a second ball waiting and don't catch the kicks – a move made to ensure every kick is returned rather than wasting a rep.

That doesn't make judging the overall kicking game a simple task, but from what he did see, Richt was pleased with how the first-team coverage units played.

"It's a little bit tough to grade or judge how the kicks are going in relation to our coverage, but today the coverage was outstanding," Richt said.

WHO WANTS HIGHLIGHTS?

Richt didn't have stats available following Wednesday's practice game, but a few highlights were easy to recall.

On the defensive side, Brandon Boykin stood out.

"I just happened to see a real fine form tackle by Boykin on the sideline, just a real good job of breaking down and putting his face on the guy and running his feet on contact," Richt said.

Makiri Pugh and Boykin each had interceptions in the game as well, with Pugh's sealing the victory for the Georgia squad.

One rookie made some noise on the scout-team defense, too.

"Just from the naked eye on the sideline, it looked like Derrick Lott had a nice day," Richt said. "He played real strong inside, made some nice unassisted tackles. He stood out."

On offense, King and A.J. Green each caught touchdowns, but Richt was a bit more reserved in his praise.

"I thought Joe was sharp running the system," Richt said of his quarterback. "He was accurate throwing the ball."

Richt on tailback Richard Samuel: "Good day. It wasn't spectacular but it was a good day, solid."

EXTRA POINTS

-- The lone turnover by the first-team offense came on an interception. Richt didn't mention which quarterback threw it but he referred to Cox as "accurate" while simply saying Logan Gray "got some snaps." So read between the lines.

-- Ben Jones didn't participate Wednesday, and Kevin Perez worked at center, with Trinton Sturdivant, Chris Davis, Cordy Glenn and Clint Boling rounding out the rest of the No. 1 offensive line.

-- Jeff Owens on who impressed him: "Geno Atkins as usual. He always does great."

-- Richt said the practice game didn't result in any serious injury concerns.

-- Blair Walsh booted all three field goals in the game and Richt said the sophomore kicker had a strong hold on the field-goal and PAT job.

-- Rod Battle continues to impress. Richt said he had one or two sacks in the game.

-- Mettenberger, Murray and Vernon Spellman all took turns playing OSU quarterback Zac Robinson. Rantavious Wooten handled the role of Dez Bryant for the scout team.

-- Richt on Marcus Washington: "He got to play and played a good bit, but I can't sit here and say he did anything exceptional."

-- Akeem Dent, Reshad Jones, Bryan Evans and Caleb King all sat out of Wednesday's scrimmage, but Richt said Jones and Evans could have gone but were held out for precautionary reasons.

-- Darius Dewberry and Aron White sat out all of last week's practices but were full participants in the practice game.

-- King didn't participate, but Richt said he would be back by Monday at the latest. Richt said the next week's practice makes for an easier transition for many of the injured players returning to the lineup. "We're at the point now where there's going to be so much scout team work, and the tempo of the scout work is not quite like the (other drills). It's good tempo, but it's not the same tempo as when you're competing against the No. 1 or No. 2 units. So those guys tend to integrate into practice during scout work, and hopefully they catch up on their fundamentals when they're healthy again."

-- Jeff Owens says his goal is to get to 1,000 Twitter followers before opening day. So far, he’s at 830. If you want to help him out, you can follow him HERE.

-- Don't forget, the blog is taking the day off tomorrow. I'll be back Friday when the Dawgs hit the practice field again. You can follow me on Twitter for breaking news updates.

Saturday Odds & Ends: Tavarres, Thompkins and Tattoos

A few tidbits for your Saturday reading pleasure...

-- Georgia's scrimmage won't start until 8 p.m. tonight. Fletcher Page will have stats posted as soon as possible afterward, but it will probably be pretty late.

-- Speaking of Fletcher, he has a nice feature on Darius Dewberry in today's Telegraph that I encourage you to check out.

-- Another link for ya... Bernie's Dawg Blawg has video of yesterday's Watermelon cutting festivities. One note for Bernie: Baccari Rambo's not a good swimmer, so I think yesterday's fun in the pool was not as much fun for him.

-- Answering a couple of tweets...

First, @dukes01 asks: How is Tavarres King doing?

Rather than type up the whole response, I'll simply point you over to Macon.com. I had a story on TK and Israel Troupe earlier this week with some updates on their progress. Here's the money quote on King, however, courtesy of cornerback Brandon Boykin:

"A.J. (Green) is a great receiver, but T.K.'s just as good. He has the smoothest routes I have ever seen. It's tough guarding him, and I do it every day. I think this year you're going to see T.K. get on the field and make some plays."

And second, @allyugadawg hit on a big mystery with this question: Why do all of our coaches wear sweatshirts in the summer? Seriously, it bugs me. I need to know.

I asked Claude Felton, Georgia's excellent sports information director, and he said he always assumed it was a weight-loss tool. But the mystery got even deeper yesterday, according to Fletcher, who said Mark Richt even had long sleeves on in the pool!

Tyler Estep's best guess: Richt has some serious tattoos he doesn't want to show off.

-- And one final bit of info that should come as some good news. I'm doing a freelance story for a magazine previewing Kentucky's upcoming basketball season under John Calipari, so I interviewed Wildcats sophomore Darius Miller the other day to get some quotes.

Miller spent the summer playing with the USA Under-19 team, where he was teammates with Georgia's Trey Thompkins, so I managed to sneak in a question about that, too.

Miller's assessment is pretty encouraging...

"Trey's real good," he said. "I'd seen him before, and I think he's been working real hard because he's gotten a lot better. He really impressed me when he was over there. He had a lot of good games, a couple 20-point games, and that's tough to do when you play with a lot of good players."

Miller said he has stayed in touch with Thompkins over the summer and he's definitely looking forward to the Wildcats' first matchup against the Dawgs once the SEC season gets going.

"It should be a lot of fun," Miller said, "and we'll probably do a little bit of trash talking that day, too."

Little Things a Big Deal for Ball

When Tony Ball swapped jobs from running backs coach to wide receivers coach, the general consensus was that he made the switch just in time, considering the departure of star tailback Knowshon Moreno.

As it turns out, working with Georgia's stable of replacement running backs might be an easier task that what Ball now faces, with just two veteran wide receivers on the roster. But while Ball will be tasked with trying to find some suitable cohorts for Michael Moore and A.J. Green, the general consensus is that he's just the right man for the job.

"(Having Ball) helps a lot," redshirt freshman receiver Tavarres King said. "He's helped me with so much in the short time he's had me, and I feel a lot better about myself and my abilities."

While former wide receivers coach John Eason was a big-picture guy in terms of approach, Ball is just the opposite, spending most of his time focused on the small details and reteaching the basics of the position. That's exactly what the young crop of receivers needs, according to Georgia's lone senior receiver.

"He's a lot more intense," Moore said. "He has more attention to detail. He wants you to get out of your break as quickly as possible. He wants you to be able to break the DB off. When you line up, they could put anybody in front of you and he wants you to have confidence you can break him off. Coach Eason was a more laid-back guy. Coach Ball, he's focused on our technique and trying to get that together."

It's not a drastic change, King said, but the lessons Ball is teaching fit the students in the classroom, and that's had a big impact.

"It's nothing different, he just works us, works us on the small things," King said. "He's a technician and that's what I like about him."

Of course, that doesn't mean Ball has left his old lot of Bulldogs high and dry. Even without Moreno, Ball's still keeping tabs on how the running backs are doing, and he's made sure they know where to find him, too.

"I still talk to him every now and then, ask him for a few little pointers and give him a few updates on how I feel, what I'm doing," sophomore tailback Richard Samuel said. "I still check in on him, and anything dealing with the running backs, he makes sure we can still go and talk to him even though he's no longer our position coach."

Talent Trumps Experience at Receiver in '09

The season-ending injury to Kris Durham takes a potential starter out of the rotation from a depth chart that already figured to be fairly shallow.

With the departures of Mohamed Massaquoi, Kenneth Harris and Demiko Goodman, along with Walter Hill's decision to leave the program, left Georgia with just six scholarship receivers before Durham's injury. The additions of Rontavious Wooten and Marlon Brown gave some much-needed depth, but without Durham, experience will still be at a premium.

So how might the wideout situation work out this fall?

The star: A.J. Green

Green led the SEC in receiving a year ago despite playing with a groin injury all year. He said he's finally 100 percent healthy, however, and he expects an even better performance in 2009, with coaches moving him around a lot more this spring, hoping to use different schemes to get their top target open.

"It's going to be something special what I can do when I'm healthy," he said.

The slot receivers: Michael Moore and Tony Wilson

Moore came on strong last season, hauling in 29 passes for 451 yards, including a team-best six grabs for 97 yards in Georgia's bowl win over Michigan State.

"I just gained confidence," Moore said. "I kept working hard in the weight room, kept working hard on the practice field, and once the ball came my way, I started making plays. I just tried to build off that each week."

Moore, who is heading into his senior season, will be Georgia's only other experienced receiver, which means coaches will rely heavily on him to take some of the pressure off Green.

Moore is likely to play most of the year in the slot, however, where he will share time with Wilson. Wilson battled an ankle injury all year last season, making just one catch before accepting a redshirt that ended his year.

Wilson still isn't 100 percent healthy, but he said he feels better than he did this time last year, and expects to be ready to go by the fall. Both Moore and Wilson are exceptional blockers and -- given their experience -- are easily the most knowledgeable receivers on the team.

"I think that (Moore) and Tony are pretty interchangeable," head coach Mark Richt said. "I think one will be the X and one will be the Y, and they'll probably crosstrain. Those two guys have to be our best blockers, and they will be that. Both of them have to go down the middle and be brave and make plays, and they both can be very good at that."

The rookies: Rontavious Wooten and Marlon Brown

Both Wooten and Brown will arrive in Athens this summer, and with Durham's injury, the expectations surrounding them will be high.

Wooten checks in at a generous 5-foot-10 and just 158 pounds, which won't make him an obvious target, but Richt said the speedy pass-catcher out of Florida can be an exceptional weapon if coaches can find ways to maximize his skills.

"If you get the ball to him with a little bit of space – whether it's reverse, quick screens, and he still can penetrate the deep field – he's a pretty complete receiver, and he does have quicks and can make people miss," Richt said.

Wooten is clearly overshadowed, however, by Brown, who was among the top wide receiver recruits in the nation this year.

Following Green's monster freshman year, anything short of a repeat performance by Brown would be a disappointment for many fans who have watched the Memphis product's high school film and drooled over his potential.

The comparisons between Green and Brown aren't entirely unfair, however, and Green said he's happy to be in a position to help his soon-to-be teammates follow in his footsteps.

"Marlon is a great kid. I talked to him during the recruiting process, and I was the first to know he was coming to Georgia. I'm trying to help him out, and I've got Mike helping me out, so we both can help him."

Richt said he expects Brown to work primarily at split end or flanker opposite Green this season.

The up-and-comers: Israel Troupe and Tavarres King

Neither King nor Troupe have seen significant playing time despite both arriving in Athens amid a good deal of hype.

Troupe, entering his third season in Athens, has just a handful of catches to show for his first two years with the Bulldogs, but he said he has taken a new approach to this spring in hopes of revitalizing his career.

"This year coming in is kind of like my freshman year all over again. I've got a clean slate coming in and I'm just starting over from scratch," Troupe said. "This spring is a great opportunity for me to be seen and get my name heard. With the people coming in, all it is is competition for me."

Troupe had flown mostly under the radar this spring, but a long touchdown grab from Aaron Murray in Georgia's second scrimmage of the year opened a few eyes. With Durham out, Troupe's name will be near the top of the list of players who need to take that next step in 2009.

King actually earned some playing time early in the year last season, but an ankle injury slowed him after the Arizona State game, and coaches eventually decided to hold him out the rest of the year to get him a medical redshirt.

The taste of playing time was a big help in his development, King said, but that doesn't mean he's ready to take the next step into being a consistent performer in the SEC. Richt said King still needs to add some size and strength to help his blocking -- an area he has struggled this spring -- and needs to show a more consistent effort during practice.

"He's still got a ways to go to really be ready for our league," Richt said. "But he's got the ability, and he absolutely has had his moments when you're like, he can do it. We're expecting him to play, but he has to continue to get better to be a really effective receiver in our league. But he has the ability and he's smart, and he's just got to realize that it takes great effort every single day in practice."

The secret weapons: Orson Charles and Branden Smith

Neither Charles nor Smith are officially on the wide receiver depth chart, but both could play key roles in the pass-catching department in 2009.

Charles has been an enthusiastic learner since signing with Georgia last month, and Richt said the tight end has already gotten his weight up to 225 pounds. At Plant High in Tampa, Charles played with fellow Bulldog Aaron Murray and was a huge threat in the passing game as a hybrid tight end. Richt envisions a similar role for him this year at Georgia.

"It would be very natural for him to know the tight end or just flex and be that third receiver on the inside because we really call the routes the same," Richt said. "As he's training at tight end, he'll be training as a flex wide anyway."

Smith won't spend nearly as much time at receiver -- or even on the offensive side of the field. The five-star athlete from Atlanta figures to be in the mix for a starting cornerback job, but his speed and athleticism make him a potential weapon in the receiving game, too.

"We could take a guy like Branden Smith and use his abilities," Richt said. "He's going to be a corner, but there might be some plays where we can use him."

Defensive coordinator Willie Martinez has no problems with that plan, as long as Smith still gets his reps on defense, too.

"That's one of the reasons why we wanted him," Martinez said. "I'm for winning games and if we've got to play kids like Branden both ways, we're going to do it."

Note: Bruce Figgins, Aron White and Arthur Lynch figure to make the tight end position a lot more productive in 2009 than it was a year ago, and running back Carlton Thomas says he's anxious to prove his pass-catching skills out of the backfield, too. One thing that won't happen, however, is the use of White -- a Charles-like hybrid tight end -- split out wide. Richt said the rising sophomore has proved he belongs at tight end, and his experience will be crucial to that group.

The verdict: Durham's injury doesn't kill Georgia's receiving corps, but the lack of veteran experience will be an issue. That means much of the responsibility for turning this group into a productive unit will fall to the coaching staff -- namely Mike Bobo and Tony Ball.

Finding ways to get Green open in 2009, even with opposing defenses focused on stopping him, will be essential. While Green had a notably crucial mentor-protoge relationship with Mohamed Massaquoi that keyed his big freshman season, the coaches will likely have to take a more active role with Brown when he arrives. Finding time to school Charles and Smith at multiple positions will also be the responsibility of a coaching staff that hasn't had hybrid athletes of their caliber in a while.

Long story short, Georgia's receivers won't lack talent and ability. But it will take a top-notch performance by the coaching staff to turn that ability into success on Saturdays.