Support for Team Mett

UPDATE: I traded emails with one of the players supposedly involved with this and he assured me this was not meant as a sign of a division within the team and said he was not actually involved in the creation of the site. I was told that a UGA student not on the team created the site, but that the three players listed as "administrators" were not the creators of the site.

The Facebook page is in the process of being taken down, and I would urge "fans" to consider the ridiculous accusations they'll throw at players who simply support a former teammate and I would caution you to think twice about the comments you make regarding utter speculation surrounding that former player.

***

Interesting find on Facebook...

(*edit*) A Facebook page said to be started by several Georgia players (*end edits*) was started a support page called "Team Mett" in honor of dismissed QB Zach Mettenberger.

The description of the page: "Zach Mettenberger... Enough Said. We'll miss you brother

*Closed to those who ever doubted Zach "The Show" Mettenberger*"

The page currently has 111 (and counting!) members, including a handful of other current and former UGA players.

So, will you be joining?

Mettenberger Dismissed from Team

(Updated, 8:15 PM)

Fans were waiting for Georgia to release an official post-spring depth chart to find out who the front-runner for the vacant starting quarterback job would be. What they got was a stunning announcement from the school that redshirt freshman quarterback Zach Mettenberger had been dismissed from the program.

One month after being arrested in Remerton on charges of underage consumption of alcohol and possession of false identification, the school released a brief statement Sunday saying that Mettenberger had been dismissed from the program due to a violation of team rules.

Head coach Mark Richt had said throughout the spring that Mettenberger would face a minimum of a one-game suspension for the arrest in Remerton, but had failed to set a specific timetable on when the quarterback might return to action. Georgia sports information director Claude Felton confirmed Sunday that the dismissal did not stem from a new incident or arrest involving Mettenberger. Felton said Richt informed Mettenberger of the decision Sunday and was unlikely to make additional public comments on the quarterback's situation in the near future.

While the dismissal means Mettenberger’s career at Georgia will end without him ever taking the field in a game, it also means the competition for the starting quarterback job in the fall will have a much different look than was expected.

Mettenberger was seen as the most likely challenger for fellow redshirt freshman Aaron Murray in the race to land the starting job, and the battle only appeared to intensify after last week’s G-Day game that wrapped up spring practice.

Mettenberger completed 6-of-10 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns in the game, while Murray struggled, connecting on just 8-of-19 passes for 96 yards and an interception. Logan Gray, the third quarterback in the race, was 10-of- 17 for 132 yards and a touchdown.

With Mettenberger gone, Murray would appear to have the inside track on the starting job in the fall, with Gray still a legitimate candidate. Lassiter High School quarterback Hutson Mason is scheduled to arrive in Athens in June with the rest of the Bulldogs’ incoming freshmen to add another name to the depth chart.

A graduate of Oconee County High School in Watkinsville, Mettenberger redshirted last season but had made impressive strides in the past year and posted the best scrimmage stats of the spring. Following his arrest in early March, however, he was barred from any contact with media.

An official depth chart is expected to be released sometime this week, but Felton said it would not be in the next several days.

Here's the full release from the school...

University of Georgia redshirt freshman quarterback Zach Mettenberger has been dismissed from the Bulldog football team according to a Sunday announcement by UGA head coach Mark Richt.

According to Richt, the dismissal is a result of violation of team rules.

A graduate of Oconee County High School in Watkinsville, Ga., Mettenberger had been issued a minimum one-game suspension by Richt following an alcohol-related arrest in March.

Picking Sides in the QB Battle

Normally I'd say we've been through enough discussion of the quarterback derby already, but we've got three months to kill, so why not dive in a bit deeper, eh?

First off, I posted the combined spring scrimmage stats the other day, which seems to be the best evidence for Zach Mettenberger's claim to the top of the depth chart.

But two things to keep in mind about that...

First off, here are the stats if you take out the G-Day numbers:

Murray: 23-of-32 (72%) for 284 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
Mettenberger: 17-of-26 (66%) for 283 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT

Slight edge for Murray in completion percentage, but he threw one additional INT.

So the bottom line in Mettenberger's significantly better overall numbers comes down to a significantly better G-Day performance. And G-Day was perhaps the least game-like of the three scrimmages.

Of course, perhaps the stats don't really mean much of anything at all. To wit, here are the numbers from last spring:

Quarterback A: 19-of-30 (63%) for 207 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT
Quarterback B: 24-of-47 (51%) for 249 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT
Quarterback C: 13-of-21 (62%) for 325 yards, 3 TDs and 0 INTs

Which of the three would you have said should be the leader on the depth chart at the end of last spring?

Would it change your opinion any if I added the fact that Quarterback C had the longest completion of the day in each of the three scrimmages?

Well, as it turns out, QB A was Logan Gray, QB B was Joe Cox and QB C was Aaron Murray.

Was Murray anywhere near ready to be the starter when he posted those numbers? Not even close.

Was Gray in position to unseat Cox as the starter because of his better numbers in the spring? I think most of us agree now that he wasn't.

And was Cox a disaster because his spring numbers didn't look all that hot? He wasn't great in the fall, but he did lead all SEC QBs in TDs during conference play. His problem wasn't so much the low yardage or completion totals, but the high number of INTs -- an issue which didn't manifest itself in the spring at all.

It's understandable for fans to over-analyze the little bit of information we get from the spring, but the coaches have a much, much broader spectrum of evidence to review before making a decision. So be careful not to put too many eggs in one basket this time of year. Spring stats are like the tip of an iceberg -- it's just a small but visible percentage of a much larger picture.

Anyway, lots of responses on both sides to my recent posts on how seriously we should take what happened on G-Day. Here's a bit of what was said...

Anonymous writes: David why is it that everytime i read something about the QBs you are always baised for AM? man crush maybe? anyways a covered WR is a covered WR and ZM made some really good throws, so who are bring down here? Mett not good because of who he played or are you saying our 2nd teamers aren't any good?

David: Let's look at this conversation objectively for a second -- I'm a Syracuse fan from Delaware who is paid to write news about Georgia. I have no ties to UGA, no vested interest in UGA's performance (other than that I'd like to go somewhere fun for the bowl game) and I get paid the same no matter how much I write or who I write about.

Anonymous, on the other hand, is a Georgia fan who assumes because I wrote something he doesn't agree with that I must be the one who is bias and purposely trying to tear down some member of his favorite team.

So… which one of us do you think is writing objectively?

Look, Mettenberger had a good day. He's made huge strides. I've written both of those things numerous times. But G-Day is not everything.

Again... I'm not picking a side with any QB. I'm reporting to you the most objective information I can because I want you to be informed. If you don't want to read information that may clash with your opinions, I can't help you.

The best information I have says Murray was the favorite entering the spring. Aside from G-Day, Murray performed well this spring. G-Day, as we've discussed, is an inaccurate representation of overall performance. So that formula leads me to believe that Murray is still the favorite -- though probably by a smaller margin than he was before. I'm not rooting for him -- I'm just telling you what I think best sums up the situation.

If and when the time comes that the information I have changes, you'll hear about that, too.

Anonymous writes: Last year Logan went out and had a good spring game, many debated if he should start over Cox. I was a Cox fan and thought Logan maybe deserved it.

Murray has been subject to much hype since grabbing him out of Plant HS and many seem to want to justify him as that hyped player when none of these kids have proven anything at game speed including Logan.

IMO Mett fits Bobo's play calling the better than any QB he has had since becoming OC. If CMR was OC I could see Logan or Murray being better.

David: I'm not trying to pick on this commenter, because his views are probably indicative of many readers' take on things, but a couple things confuse me.

First off, why the hate regarding Murray's "hype"? You guys do realize he plays for Georgia, right? Shouldn't you be excited that one of your own is getting hype? Aaron Murray was a spectacular high school quarterback. His coaches at Georgia have raved about his preparation and willingness to accept coaching. Other scouts and QBs have raved about his potential athletically. AND HE PLAYS FOR GEORGIA. What's not to like? He's not someone who just fell out of the sky and started being hyped for no reason. He's earned it, and he continues to work hard.

Now, does that mean you have to write off Mettenberger or Logan Gray? Absolutely not. Again, Mett has made huge strides. But I don't get why this has become anything remotely close to an emotional debate for Georgia fans. You have (at least) two good quarterbacks who have four years of playing time in front of them. That's a good thing, right?

And as for who fits the system better, I think that's a moot point. Bobo wasn't OC for D.J. Shockley, but he was the QB coach. And moreover, Richt has been heavily involved in the QB meetings and offensive meetings this spring, so who's to say that he's not working closely with Bobo to develop ways to employ a more mobile QB?

Dog44 writes: Someone other than Mett is going to start the season at QB for the Bulldogs. That's a fact. If that QB does really well, there will be no reason to make a change and he'll likely be the QB for the foreseeable future. So that leaves two QBs as potential season-starters: Murray and Gray. It may not be a coincidence that those were the two guys who split reps with the ones on Saturday. So in essence, Mett is playing for the back-up role to begin the season. If the starter struggles, Mett will get his shot. So any debate right now over whether he should start over one of those other two guys is a bit pointless. He's not going to start the first game regardless, and might not ever start unless the other guy can't get the job done.

Based on everything we've heard about Murray and on Mett's suspension, the job is still Murray's to lose. If he struggles, I'm glad we'll have a very talented back-up in place.

David: Depending on who you're talking to, the suspension Mettenberger faces is either being over-analyzed or under-analyzed.

Dog44 is right in that the suspension can't be ignored. Richt specifically said that whoever starts the first game is going to have a leg up the rest of the way. Well guess what -- Mett isn't starting the first game, and that isn't going to change no matter how well Mett performs.

That said, in 2006 Joe Tereshinski started the first game and played well against a lower-tier opponent. Then a week later, Georgia went to Columbia, Tereshinski got hurt early, and Matthew Stafford came in for his first serious action as a college player and helped lead Georgia to a win. So it can happen, and Mettenberger actually has more experience than Stafford, who was a true freshman at the time.

The bottom line is that the suspension is a big plus in Murray's favor, but it doesn't necessarily guarantee anything. I said two days after Mett's arrest that this wouldn't disqualify him from the competition, but that he would now need to do more than simply show he was a little ahead of Murray to win the job. He's going to have to prove unequivocally that he's the better quarterback -- and while that's still a possibility, that hasn't happened yet.

Anonymous writes: What's interesting to me is that a lot of people have resolved in their mind that Aaron Murray is the QB based on what he did in High School and last year in according to practice reports. I believe I was one of those people until I went to the G-Day game.

The fact is that Mett has made great strides and has performed equally well if not better in all of the scrimmages from a stat standpoint. This includes whether he went against 1st team or 2nd team defenses. Granted there is more to it than stats. However, it does give us some indication.

People tend to pick a horse and want to see that horse win..but these kids are all representatives of a team. A team that we want to see win.

I'm cool with Murray or Mett and know that they are loaded with talent. If our line is dominant and we can run the ball both of them could do some damage.

But I am no longer going to discount Mett because of where he started last year. He looked cool and calm from the time he stepped on the field for warm ups. And I don't care if he was throwing against a high school defense..he looked good.

If Murray is the starter that will be fine too. The great thing is that we have 2 highly talented kids at QB. No longer is there going to be a huge gap if someone gets hurt. Remember when Shockley's backup was Joe T :(

We've got 2 guys that can play. I trust Richt will handle the situation and I look forward to watching the Dawgs kick tail in the Fall.

David: I don't think anyone should discount Mettenberger's accomplishments. The best news to come from this spring was probably how much Mett has progressed since last fall.

But let's look at the logic here: "What's interesting to me is that a lot of people have resolved in their mind that Aaron Murray is the QB based on what he did in High School and last year in according to practice reports. I believe I was one of those people until I went to the G-Day game."

So what you're saying is that it's silly to buy into all the evidence in support of Murray if you saw one watered-down practice on G-Day? That seems like the opposite of the logic you should be taking.

If Murray was a star in high school, one of the most highly recruited QBs in the country, had exceptional scrimmage performances last year, earned praise from coaches for how he prepared as a redshirt, and then played well this spring right up until G-Day, wouldn't logic dictate that G-Day was the exception, not the other way around?

And as I noted at the beginning, Mettenberger wasn't far superior in each scrimmage. Just the last one.

Of course, the last point is the best one: There are two good quarterbacks here, and that's good news for Georgia fans.

Anonymous writes: Mett had the best touch on the ball.

Murray overthrew targets and tossed a Stafford style brain fade pass to the defender. I should have known right then he was Bobo's boy for the job. I have heard enough about picking up nuances and quick releases, it does nothing if the ball isn't catchable.

Tebow had terrible mechanics if you listen to the NFL scouts but won a BCS title as a starter and played in a defacto playoff for a 2nd.

David: I honestly want to know what joy people like this get from being fans? You hate Bobo, you're willing to throw one of your QBs under the bus after one ugly throw, and you've made up your mind about a player and a coach already. You're still upset with Stafford for -- OK, I'm not sure exactly what. And you don't think the nuances like release, footwork and reading progressions are important keys to the puzzle because your QB isn't completing every deep ball he throws.

I'm a Philly fan and even I'm not that masochistic.

The interception Murray threw was probably the ugliest pass by any QB all spring. I haven't seen the previous two scrimmages, but I feel comfortable in saying it'd be hard to throw one any uglier. But it was one throw out of literally thousands that the QBs made this spring, and if you think Richt or Bobo or any other coach should let that be the overriding factor in selecting a QB, then you're going to be sorely disappointed.

Richt-Flair writes: One throw? Really?

Greene probably made that throw in his first or second G-Day game. I seem to remember him having a forgettable game against Clemson in 2002 as well. I know Shockley and Stafford have made those throws. Cox ... well, yea.

None of the Qbs are ready. that's what fall camp is for. It's a coachable moment and I'm sure it's already been pointed out, and probably corrected. Who knows if the scrimmage rules didn't play a hand -- it looked like they were going to stop the play, and I'm sure it crossed Murray's mind.

I came away impressed the with progress of the QBs, and that's about all I'm taking away from it.

David: Exactly my point. The G-Day scrimmage is a contrived event that doesn't give anything close to an accurate picture of the progress anyone has made this spring. Mettenberger looked good, and he deserves credit. And Georgia fans should be excited by this spring, but understand that all three QBs still have a ways to go.

Wooly Butts writes: Just wondering why people must choose sides in the QB competition. I want the best guy to win the job and win games for UGA. I'm happy to see that all 3 contenders have competed well this spring and that we'll have someone under center next year who's beaten out impressive competitors. It's all about the Dawgs, and I'm feeling better about the QB position heading into summer and fall, based on strong showings in the spring.

David: Well said. So let's all relax, see what the depth chart tells us when it's finally released, and then continue to see how the QBs progress over the summer. The competition didn't end Saturday, so let's just sit back and enjoy watching two talented young quarterbacks develop their games. I'll continue to report to you the best, objective information I can get, and you can choose to believe that information or not.

Mettenberger Shined During Scrimmages

Add this to the "For What It's Worth" category...

Final scrimmage stats for Georgia's quarterbacks this spring:

Aaron Murray -- 31-of-53 (59%) for 380 yards, two touchdowns and three INTs

Logan Gray -- 23-of-42 (55%) for 280 yards, two touchdowns and one INT

Zach Mettenberger -- 23-of-36 (64%) for 433 yards, five touchdowns and one INT

Again, this doesn't tell us how they performed during the 12 other days of practice, it doesn't distinguish between plays with the No. 1 offense and No. 2 offense, and it doesn't necessarily tell us what the coaches have seen in terms of the fundamentals that don't show up on a stat line.

But... going just by those numbers, Mettenberger certainly looks the best.

Notes: Brown's Progress Slow But Steady

Hype sets the expectations, but it doesn’t necessarily mean results will come in short order. That’s a lesson Georgia fans have learned all too well when it comes to receiver Marlon Brown, who was one of the most coveted prospects at his position two years ago, but thus far his career with the Bulldogs has amounted to just two receptions.

“Marlon is a little bit raw and has to fine-tune his skills,” offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. “He’s getting close there, but he needs to practice.”

That’s been easier said than done for Brown since he first arrived in Athens last summer.

A hand injury set back his progress in fall camp last year, a series of nagging dings limited him at time during the season, and although he’s been practicing during conditioning drills, he’s donned a green non-contact jersey for the past week during spring practice.

That’s one of the frustrations, head coach Mark Richt said. This spring in particular, Brown seemed to be making steady progress. But the injury bug has made life a bit more complicated.

“I felt bad when he got hurt,” Richt said. “He looked so much quicker to me and a much smoother route runner this spring that he was in the fall. He’s made great, great improvement.”

Despite the setbacks, Bobo said Brown has kept a positive attitude. He’s as frustrated as anyone that he hasn’t earned more playing time, but that frustration hasn’t reduced Brown’s desire.

“All these guys tend to get a little bit frustrated if they come in and don’t play as well as a recruiting service or somebody ranks them,” Bobo said. “That’s just part of the process, and sometimes I think it’s good to go through that and learn how to have a little adversity and learn how to fight and push. Marlon’s a kid that has accepted that well and I haven’t seen anything that he’s a guy who is sulking or disappointed. He’s playing hard.”

So while Brown’s freshman campaign fell well short of fan expectations, he isn’t in his coach’s doghouse by any stretch. In fact, Richt may be the one person who might be the least surprised by the extended development time for Brown.

“I knew Marlon was going to take a little bit of time to get used to Southeastern Conference football,” Richt said. “But he really made great strides, and he’s a very physical football player, he’ll block, he’ll get after you, he’s got strong hands. He’s going to help us and I’m looking forward to seeing him blossom.”

THE WAITING GAME

Regardless of whether he wins the starting job, odds are Zach Mettenberger won’t be playing in Game 1 of the season for Georgia after an offseason arrest last month that will most likely result in a one-game suspension.

Mettenberger’s punishment has already begun, fellow quarterback Logan Gray said, and the redshirt freshman has already learned a valuable lesson.

“(Mettenberger) has finished up his discipline runnings in the mornings, so hopefully it’s letting him sleep more now instead of waking up early,” Gray said. “But it’s definitely helped him mature a lot. It’s got to be tough. He’s only 18, so he’s young just for a freshman, and especially with going through all the scrutiny he did. But I think he’ll keep on growing from it.”

Of course, there’s still the matter of the on-field dynamics of getting prepared for the season – something that would be complicated if Georgia needed to start either Gray or Aaron Murray in its first game, then make the switch to Mettenberger one week later.

That will be a problem, Bobo admits, but it’s an issue he’s hoping to avoid for as long as possible.

“Right now, we don’t want them looking ahead, and I want us trying to get better,” Bobo said. “We have a lot to get better at, and it’s too early to decide that. We’ll cross that bridge when it comes to it. In a perfect world, I don’t want to rep two or three quarterbacks before the first game because we’ve still got to get a guy ready. But all of that is the head coach’s decision, too, so we’ll see.”

MURRAY GETS COMFORTABLE

One of the biggest things Bobo is still looking for in his next quarterback is a commanding presence on the field.

“I think all three have to work on that just because of being young,” Bobo said. “They’re in that role now of being that guy, and that was one of our main objectives this spring is we’ve got to take command of the huddle. That’s a work in progress with all three.”

Bobo gets no argument from Murray, who has never taken a snap in a college game and admits he’s still getting used to the idea of being the leader in the huddle with 10 other returning starters.

But while the role of field general at Georgia is still a bit foreign, Murray said he’s getting more comfortable each day.

“I think I’m slowly coming into that,” Murray said. “Leadership comes with confidence, and the more confident I feel, that will start to come out more. So I just need to concentrate on making sure I know what to do before I can tell everyone else what they need to do.”

EXTRA POINTS

-- Be sure to check out my story in today's Telegraph on the battle at safety among a diverse collection of Bulldogs.

-- And check back here later this afternoon for complete stats from today's second spring scrimmage.

Bobo Breaks Down the QB Battle

No, we still don't have a depth chart. And we probably won't for a while. (More on that in a minute.) But that doesn't mean each of the quarterbacks -- Aaron Murray, Zach Mettenberger and Logan Gray -- hasn't made some strong impressions with their coaches.

I talked to Mike Bobo this week about what goes into deciding who the starter will be, and while the overall winner is yet to be decided, he offered some interesting insight into the more detailed analysis of the competition.

Here's what he had to say about which quarterback has excelled the most at each area of interest:

Release mechanics: "Murray." One word answer, short and sweet. Bobo didn't take more than a fraction of a second to think about this one.

Footwork: "I think Murray probably and Logan does a nice job in the pocket, but the other day in the scrimmage, Zach probably moved better in the pocket than any guy we had out there just by being fundamentally sound and getting up in the pocket and stepping under a blitz. He did an outstanding job the other day."

Presence in the huddle: "I think all three have to work on that just because of being young. They’re in that role now of being that guy, and that was one of our main objectives this spring is we’ve got to take command of the huddle. That’s a work in progress with all three."

Knowledge of the playbook: "I would say Logan is probably ahead of everybody in the meeting room. His is just that he’s got to do it on the field. And on the field, I’d say all three are probably, they’re all doing well and I’ve been really pleased with how they’re progressing. We’re looking for a guy who can go through a progression and his feet and his eyes, and I think all three are doing a pretty good job of that."

Reading defenses and making progressions: "All three considering they’re going against a new defense this spring and not really having a 100 percent of what they’re doing or what they’re trying to do, as opposed to the last few years when you’re going against the same defense all the time. But I think all three have done a nice job of taking what they give us and protecting the football."

Decision making: "(Tuesday) there wasn’t anybody very good. They’ve all had their moments, and I think a lot of decision making is just facing something new for the first time. But I wouldn’t say one’s better than the other right now. I’d say some are a little faster at picking it up a little bit, but that’s a lot to do with the look or the protection or some of that stuff you get up front."

That last one is particularly important because, for everyone who falsely blamed Joe Cox's noodle arm for the turnovers, the truth was that it was a series of bad decisions that were the cause of most of Cox's interceptions. (Just think about the Arizona State and Kentucky games for a minute.) So for me, I'd call decision making a top concern.

Bobo wasn't providing an answer on who's ahead overall, and neither was Mark Richt, but the head coach did provide a little insight.

“When you watch them play, you’ve got days where one guy may be a little hotter than the other, but I’ve been pleased with the accuracy of our quarterbacks," Richt said. "I’ve been in every single meeting, I’ve listened to Coach Bobo go through their assignments, the progressions of their reads, their understanding of the running game and protections, and these guys are on the ball. They really understand it. They’re good students of the game. They’re very diligent, and then when you watch practice, you see them putting what they’ve learned in the meeting room to practice."

And, of course, there's also the little issue of Zach Mettenberger's potential suspension to start the season. That's an issue Mike Bobo is hoping to avoid for the time being.

"Right now, what we’re trying to do is get better," Bobo said. "I know that’s not the answer you want, but right now, we don’t want them looking ahead, and I want us trying to get better. We have a lot to get better at, and it’s too early to decide that. We’ll cross that bridge when it comes to it. In a perfect world, I don’t want to rep two or three quarterbacks before the first game because we’ve still got to get a guy ready. But all of that is the head coach’s decision, too, so we’ll see.”

So, when might we actually get an answer on the depth chart? Sounds like it won't come until a few weeks after G-Day.

"We’ve got some good players, and when you rotate them like we have, you could grade every three days or something if you wanted to, but I’m more inclined to just take it all in and then when the spring is over, try to look at it again," Richt said. "I will take our practice film and we can click a button that will sort every play by No. 11, then every play by No. 6 and every play by No. 5, and you can watch them in succession and get a better overall feel of how they did in the spring. That’s probably the first time I’ll really sit there and go, Hey, let’s start trying to pack up a little bit of a pecking order.”

Notes: Tuesday's Practice Short on Energy

Mark Richt spent the meeting time Tuesday praising his players for their tempo throughout last week’s scrimmage. He spent the practice time eating his words.

“Out of nine practices, I would rate it the ninth as far as just the tempo,” Richt said. “It kind of fizzled on us a little bit. I’d been pretty pleased with it all spring, but (Tuesday) it kind of gave way a little bit. I think we’ve got to learn to push through when we’re tired, and I didn’t think we practiced like champions.”

The result was a particularly long practice – likely the longest of the year, and one that had many of the offensive players still on the field working as most of the defensive players shuffled out of the locker room to head home for the day.

Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo was among the most upset with the performance, calling it a “bad day” in which his offensive players spent too much time simply going through the motions.

That could have been a result of a small hangover from last Saturday’s scrimmage – the first of the spring – or a hefty week of exams for many players, but excuses aren’t something Bobo wanted to hear.

“That’s the easy way out, after the first scrimmage we came out and relaxed,” Bobo said. “But if we’re a team that wants to be champions, we’ve got to have guys come out ready to practice. We do have young quarterbacks, but we have a veteran-laden offensive line that needs to come out and set the standard for how we’ll practice.”

The silver lining, Richt said, is that Tuesday’s lackluster effort was the exception to what had been a strong spring thus far, which leads him to believe things will get back on course when the Bulldogs hit the practice field again Thursday.

“The good news is, Thursday’s another day, and we’ll have another opportunity to do better,” Richt said. “Hopefully they will.”

COULD BE WORSE

Based strictly on the numbers from last Saturday’s scrimmage, rising junior Logan Gray might have taken a step back in the competition for the starting quarterback job, but he’s not ready to give up on the battle just yet.

“I didn’t think it was my best day, but there’s always room for improvement, and that’s not our only scrimmage of the spring,” Gray said.

For the day, Gray was 6-of-14 passing for 37 yards and one interception and was sacked three times.

That last number resonates, as Gray played all but one series behind the second-team offensive line, which has been decimated by injuries. Gray said that’s something he thinks will change going forward.

“I just missed some throws, some things didn’t really go my way,” Gray said. “I would have liked to have gotten a few more reps with the ones, but I’m sure that will probably even out on Saturday and G-Day, too.”

Even more than the players surrounding him was the situations he found himself in, Bobo said. The scrimmage was a controlled practice, meaning that rather than allowing play to unfold naturally, many situations were predetermined before they were run. This means in some cases, Gray was asked to make more high-risk throws, while the other quarterbacks may have been in a position to complete more of their passes.

For the scrimmage, Aaron Murray completed 10-of-15 throws, while Zach Mettenberger connected on seven of his 10 passes.

"I thought the two young guys did a nice job of that, and I’m sure Logan would like to have a couple back that he could have completed," Bobo said. "Logan had a couple of plays that were drops, but he could have been a little bit more accurate.”

STILL EVEN

Bobo still hasn’t formulated a depth chart at quarterback after Saturday’s scrimmage, and that’s not likely to change before G-Day, Richt said. The plan, he said, will be to extend the rotations they’ve employed this spring right through to the end.

“More than likely the quarterbacks will just be fluid,” Richt said. “They’ll roll. They’ll be a red and a white team, and they’ll be wearing black and I’m sure Mike (Bobo) will just roll them like we have been. I’m not sure if it’ll be by quarter or by series, but we’ll just keep rotating those guys with both units.”

Notes: Injuries Underscore WR Shortage

By FLETCHER PAGE

The line on Georgia’s current wide receiver unit has been quality over quantity.

Coach Mark Richt says he’s impressed with his receivers, headlined by A.J. Green, and said barring injuries he’s expects big things. But Richt’s injury fears hit the team Thursday, and although not serious, they show just how precarious this position is.

Both Marlon Brown and Israel Troupe sat out practice Thursday, creating razor-thin depth, leaving only four scholarship receivers to participate in drills. Both Brown (shoulder) and Troupe (hamstring) are expected to be 100 percent soon, but their absence indicates what could happen if injuries crop up in the future.

“We just asked some of the walk-ons to step up,” said sophomore Rantavious Wooten. “We just, as receivers, have to suck it up.”

Now, the group still had Green, senior Kris Durham, Wooten and Tavaress King going full speed Thursday. The talent of the crew is not in question. Especially not with Green out there, as Richt says, “A.J. makes plays every day.”

“We don’t have a lot of quantity, but the quality is unbelievable,” said quarterback Aaron Murray. “Our guys can play anywhere in the country, all of them.”

Injuries have plagued these players in the past. Durham and Green had shoulder issues last season. King had to redshirt in 2008 after hurting his ankle.

Even when Brown and Troupe return, the group is slim. Receivers coach Tony Ball has structured practice to help alleviate the stress.

“Coach Ball has us in set groups that he has going to at a certain time,” Wooten said. “I feel like that helps very much. You don’t have to worry about a specific player at a specific time. You’ve got your group that you go with. That’s helping out with the receivers being thin.”

Despite the recent attrition, King says the receivers have made strides this season, and expect to make an impact.

“If our guys continue to progress, and stay healthy, we’ll have a tremendous time,” Murray said. “Those guys are going to be able to make some plays. We just have to hope they stay healthy, and we’ll be fine.”

GEATHERS LOVES THE 3-4

Kwame Geathers feels at home in the new 3-4 scheme.

The redshirt freshman nose tackle has done everything he possibly can do to get ready for spring ball. In fact, he’s dropped over 30 pounds since August, now weighing in at a modest 308.

“Just my first step is a little quicker, and I think I’m a little quicker off the ball,” he said.

When Geathers made his way to Athens in late August last season, he found out a lot about himself. He was overweight and out of shape. He was also determined to fix both of those problems.

He’s done that, and is starting to generate a name for himself on the practice field.

“I try to compete every day,” Geathers said. “Some days you’re going to have bad days, some days are going to be good days. I go out there and compete every day.”

And he says he fits right in playing over the center. The 3-4 scheme made things easier for him.
“I think it’s not too hard play wise,” Geathers said. “I think it’s just heads-up football. It is just ‘get after the football.’”

QB RACE STILL UNSETTLED

Three men entered spring practice with a shot at securing the coveted Georgia starting quarterback position.

Three men remain.

Logan Gray, Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger are still each receiving the same amount of reps with the No. 1 unit.

“We’ve been getting equal reps with every single drill we’ve done,” Gray said. “Everybody’s had really good days, and days that need improving.”

The coaching staff has given no timetable on when a starter will be announced, but with Saturday’s scrimmage approaching the pecking order may shake out sooner, rather than later.

Mettenberger, despite a likely one-game suspension, is still seeing time with the No. 1 group. Gray, who once considered a position change, says he’s completely focused on the starting quarterback job.

Essentially, nothing has changed the past two weeks of practice, with the spot still up for grabs.
Richt, and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo have not indicated if they are leaning toward one player, or another.

“No, [Bobo] or coach Richt, they haven’t really said too much,” Murray said. “I don’t really know what’s going on with that.”

COACHES GET DRENCHED

Several hundred high school coaches lined the sideline during Georgia’s practice Thursday.
The Bulldogs invited them to Athens for the annual spring football coaching clinic, giving them a taste of the ‘Georgia way’ in rainy conditions in Sanford Stadium.

"We had all of our high school coaches here,” Richt said. “There must be 300 to 400 of them, and we're excited about them being here.”

The two-day clinic offers former NFL coach Tony Dungy as the featured speaker, delivering his message today at 10:45 a.m.

Video Blog: Perusing the Passing Game

Some practice highlights of Georgia's quarterbacks and receivers...



Video courtesy of the lovely and vivacious Brandon Spoon.

Notes: Mett Suspended One Game

By FLETCHER PAGE

Redshirt freshman quarterback Zach Mettenberger will be given a one-game suspension, Georgia coach Mark Richt said Tuesday.

Mettenberger was arrested March 7 in Remerton, Ga., near Valdosta. He is facing five misdemeanor charges including: underage possession of alcohol, disorderly conduct, obstruction and two counts of possession of false identification.

“I’m pretty certain it’s going to be a one-game suspension, and all the other internal things that we do that he’s in the process of doing right now,” Richt said.

Richt has said Mettenberger has shown remorse for his actions, and has taken full accountability in dealing with his punishment.

Richt delayed the suspension announcement for almost two weeks while waiting for more information regarding the incident.

“I’m still waiting,” he said. “Really, what I’m looking for is if there’s another report that I can get my hands on. A lot of times there is an initial report, and then another one that comes with it, and I just haven’t seen that. It may not exist. That’s the main thing.”

Mettenberger entered spring practice as one of three players hoping to secure the starting quarterback job.

Although suspended for the season-opener, there have been no indications if Aaron Murray or Logan Gray hold an advantage over Mettenberger in the battle for the job.

He’s still practicing, and seeing time with the No. 1 offensive unit.

MAKING THE SWITCH

Justin Anderson is moving to the defensive side of the ball, Richt announced Tuesday.

Formerly an offensive tackle, Anderson played in all 13 games, including five starts last season.

Despite Anderson’s experience on offense, the decision was made to move him the defensive line.

“His strengths are that he’s big, strong, quick, powerful,” Richt said. “In this [3-4 defensive] scheme he is the type of body that we think can help us at that nose position.”

Anderson is sidelined for spring practice, out with an injured shoulder. Richt first thought of the move when Todd Grantham was initially hired as defensive coordinator. But because of the injury, Richt was worried about Anderson missing time.

“Because he couldn’t practice I didn’t know if it was worth trying to move him,” Richt said. “The more I thought about it, the more I realized it might be in his best interest, and in our best interest too.”

Richt listed at least five players, not counting incoming freshman, who can play the offensive tackle position, making the switch easier to make. The change has been made, but if an injury were to crop up along the offensive line, Anderson has been told he could be asked to move back.

“I know he’s been told if they have some injuries on the offensive line, they’ll move him back,” said defensive line coach Rodney Garner.

OUT, BUT NOT FOR LONG...

-- Junior running back Caleb King missed practice Tuesday with a stomach illness.

King was sick over the weekend, and thought he’d be able to go full speed in practice, but after lunch it was clear he was not ready.

-- Receiver Marlon Brown also missed practice, nursing a bruised shoulder. The injury occurred Saturday, and Brown initially thinking he wouldn’t miss any time. But he was held out Tuesday, with hopes he’d be back soon.

"Marlon should be able to practice in a green [non-contact] jersey Thursday and Friday,” Richt said.

-- The receiving corps was especially thin, as Israel Troupe did not participate Thursday, out with a sore hamstring. He remained to the side during most drills, wearing a green non-contact jersey.

Richt said he expects the junior back on the field soon.

COMMINGS GUNNING FOR NICKEL

Sanders Commings is ready to take his game to the next level.

The redshirt sophomore appeared in every game last season, making 12 tackles and an interception.

But he’s not satisfied with that.

“I’m looking to help my team as much as I can first,” Commings said. “Individually, I’m looking to have a breakout season. Get my name out there.”

So far, Commings is spending time on the No. 1 defensive unit in nickel packages. With Grantham’s new defensive system still in installation, the competition in the secondary has picked up.

Brandon Boykin is returning at corner, with Branden Smith and Vance Cuff fighting for the other starting spot. Commings says he likes where he is, currently as the go-to-guy when the Bulldogs employ the nickel.

“Yes, it’s pretty intense,” he said. “With so many spots open, everybody is going really hard. The whole secondary competition has been good.”

Arrest Won't Change QB Reps This Spring

The punishment is coming, but Zach Mettenberger’s future as Georgia’s starting quarterback is nowhere close to evaporated just yet, head coach Mark Richt said.

Mettenberger was arrested last week near Valdosta on five charges including underage consumption, possession of a fake I.D. and obstruction, meaning a suspension is likely. But while it certainly won’t help Mettenberger’s chances of earning the starting quarterback job, Richt said the off-field problems won’t change the current plan for the remainder of the spring.

“It won’t effect Zach’s reps in the spring at all,” Richt said. “If he’s suspended for the first game, when we get ready to practice – once we move into the phase of getting ready for the first game – anybody who’s suspended, they don’t get any reps.”

Richt acknowledged that unless charges are dropped against Mettenberger, the redshirt freshman quarterback will be automatically suspended for one game to start the season. Richt said he could extend the suspension, but he won’t have a firm decision on that for a few more days.

“I still want to get all the information in before we make some public decision on what’s going to happen,” Richt said.

Aaron Murray took the first reps with the first team during Tuesday’s practice after Logan Gray was the first of the No. 1 quarterbacks during the March 4 practice session. Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said Mettenberger is still set to take the first reps with the starters when the Bulldogs return to work again on Thursday, and the three will continue to share an equal number of reps throughout the remainder of the spring.

Beyond that, Richt said, Mettenberger’s primary job will be rebuilding the trust from his teammates, coaches and fans – a job that, if he can complete, will put him squarely back into the competition at quarterback.

“He knows he’s dug himself a hole, and he wants to climb out,” Richt said. “He knows that what has happened this last week is not going to define who he is and define his career. He’s very anxious to prove to everybody he’s a very solid person and leader. We’re all disappointed and we all know there’s consequences to that kind of action.”

TUESDAY PRACTICE REPORT:

Here's what Richt had to say about Tuesday's work in Georgia's first day back at practice since spring break...

“I thought the boys were kind of rusty but I guess you would expect that coming off of spring break. I thought practice actually improved as it went on, but we looked rusty. But they’re very eager to learn, very eager to prove to the coaching staff that they deserve to play, they’re really working hard at learning what to do. I’ve got no issue with their effort at all right now or their attitude as a group. It’s pretty encouraging actually.”

Georgia will don shells and some pads for Thursday's practice and play in full pads with some tackling on Saturday.

I'll have more notes from Tuesday's practice in the morning.

Arrest Will Impact QB Battle

So here's the question most people seem to be asking about Zach Mettenberger -- Does an offseason arrest preclude him from being Georgia's starting quarterback in 2010?

(OK, that's slightly untrue. The question most people are asking is, "Why would anyone spend spring break in Valdosta?" But that's probably not as relevant to UGA's 2010 season as the question I'm posing.)

The obvious answer is no, because anything can happen between now and September, and if injuries or inconsistency plagued the other contenders, this situation certainly wouldn't be enough to keep Mettenberger off the field.

But here's how Mike Bobo discussed the timing of making an official decision on a starter:

"Not to say it won’t go into the fall, but to wait until the second scrimmage, it’s a little bit difficult to get a guy ready to play for the first game. You’re trying to get them all an opportunity, but you’ve still got to get a guy ready for that first game."

Well, what if one of those quarterbacks is suspended for that first game? Then you've either got to eliminate that QB from the competition or you risk having to get two quarterbacks ready for two separate first games. That's a lot to ask.

Again, the "wide open competition" is the right thing to do this spring because competition helps everyone. But the truth is, this was likely Aaron Murray's job to lose from the start, and this only adds more fuel to that decision.

The bigger issue is how Mettenberger responds to this incident. From my time with him, I'm fairly certain he's a good kid who made a bad decision -- and one that a vast number of us college grads made during our tenures as students, too.

But as Bobo also pointed out, Mettenberger has a habit of paying attention to the press clippings and letting them bother him a bit too much.

“People have told him all his life he’s slow and you’ve got to work on your feet," Bobo said of Mettenberger's development with his footwork. "So a lot of times he overcompensates and tries to speed things up when he’s really in good timing and good balance, because in his mind, he’s thinking, I’m slow, I’m slow, I’m slow.”

Whether or not you thought Mettenberger had much chance at the starting job even before this, the bottom line is that there's not a lot of depth on that QB depth chart, and Mettenberger was going to be an important part of the team -- even if it was waiting his turn in case of an injury or simply providing strong competition during practice.

So while this may not shake up the competition for the starting job too much, Georgia fans probably need to hope the only lasting impact of this incident is that Mettenberger learns a valuable lesson and doesn't find himself making these types of headlines in the future.

Video Blog: White Breaks Down the QBs

If you guys have never checked out Brandon Spoon's great Dancing in the Endzone blog, be sure to give it a look.

Brandon's going to be helping us out here a bit over the next few weeks, too, shooting video and doing some more multimedia stuff for the blog. Next up... here's Georgia tight end Aron White breaking down each of the horses in the QB race this spring, including his former high school teammate, Logan Gray.

Bobo Talks Spring QB Race

More notes coming in a bit, but here's a bunch of stuff from Mike Bobo about the race for the starting QB job this spring...

On whether he expected Logan Gray to play more last season...
“We did hope to play him more last year going into the season and it just didn’t work out that way. Not that we had this game plan going into each game that we were going to play him X number of snaps. Certain games did not dictate that, and sometimes performance in practice did not dictate playing in games. He had a lot of opportunities to prove that you’re ready to play. He knows what he has to work on, he’s been working on it hard, and he’s excited about this spring.”

On whether Aaron Murray's injury cost him a chance to play last year...
“I think it was a make-or-break thing. I can’t sit here and say if he wasn’t injured he would have played, but I think it definitely sealed the deal that he did not play when he misses 21 practice opportunities. It just hurt his progression of playing quarterback. It was not in his best interest or our best interest to play him based off of some potential we might have seen in the spring.”

On Zach Mettenberger's improvement with his footwork...
“He’s improved tremendously and a lot has to do with getting himself in good physical condition. He’s always going to be a big boy. He’s always going to weight around 240. But being in good physical shape where he doesn’t get tired and his legs get tired – he’s never going to be the fastest or the quickest guy, but if he’s in good shape and good condition, he’ll be able to improve his foot quickness.”

On what Mettenberger needs to work on with his footwork...
“People have told him all his life he’s slow and you’ve got to work on your feet. So a lot of times he overcompensates and tries to speed things up when he’s really in good timing and good balance, because in his mind, he’s thinking, I’m slow, I’m slow, I’m slow.”

On what he would like to do differently with this QB competition than he did in 2006...
“We probably should have weeded it down a little bit sooner. We went into two, two-and-a-half weeks of fall camp before we ranked them. It’s just tough to get that many guys reps and get them quality reps and get them ready for the season. I don’t see us going that far this year. Not to say it won’t go into the fall, but to wait until the second scrimmage, it’s a little bit difficult to get a guy ready to play for the first game. You’re trying to get them all an opportunity, but you’ve still got to get a guy ready for that first game.”

On how he views the QB competition this spring...
“The way we’re viewing it going into the spring is it’s wide open. There is not a clear-cut No. 1 going into the spring. Logan Gray will take the first reps with the No. 1 offense, but we’re planning on rotating all three, and giving all three equal amount of looks with the first group.”

On whether he could play two QBs extensively in 2010...
“I’d definitely be comfortable with that. Sometimes it takes that. You have to play it out sometimes if it’s close. You can’t overestimate playing in a game-like atmosphere and experience. I’m not saying yes or no, that’s what we’re going to do, but I would not be against it.”

On when he might begin to narrow down the options at QB...
“I can’t say it’s one week, two weeks, three weeks. It might be the end of spring, it might be into the fall. It depends on which guys step up, show an ability to lead the offense and execute the offense.”

On what the QBs need to do to impress this spring...
“The big thing for them is to worry about improving themselves and not worry about where they are on the depth chart, what their statistics were for the day or certain scrimmages. It’s about getting better every day and trying to put them in the best position to lead the offense. They need to worry about that, and we’ll figure out all that as we go.”

On the fact that each QB brings a different set of skills...
“You’ve got to put them into positions where they can be successful when you’re scripting plays and in practice. You know what they can do and what they can’t do. I want to do things they can be successful in.”

On how those skill sets could fit into the 2010 offense...
“A lot is going to depend on the personnel group around them, who steps up and who we think the playmakers are as to what direction we need to go at quarterback or what type of quarterback we might need to have. But the bottom line for the guy that plays quarterback for us, he’s got to make good decisions in the run and pass game, he’s got to be able to execute the offense and throw the ball accurately, and respect the football. Coming off last year, that’s going to be a big focus of ours is taking care of the football and not turning it over. Now if you add something to that with your legs or athletic ability, that’s a bonus.”

On what kind of physical shape the QBs are in...
“They’re all three doing a nice job in the winter workouts. The two young guys, Zach and Aaron, having come in last year and gone through mat drills definitely benefited them. They know what to expect. Logan going into his third or fourth mat is really doing a nice job of leading and competing. … All of them look great. Zach came in last year at about 245, 250. He’s down to about 234. He’s really changed his body. Murray’s at like 210, 211. He looks really good and does a good job in the weight room. His body looks great. Logan, when we signed that kid, he might have been 170, 175 pounds. Now he’s like 196, a really good athletic body. All three of them are in good shape physically, all of them are ready to go and excited about the opportunity they have this spring.”

UGA Notes: Samuel Expects to Stay at RB

He opened the year as Georgia’s bell-cow tailback, but the pickings got slim for Richard Samuel by midseason, and 2010 remains a bit of a mystery at this point.

But while rumors have swirled surrounding a potential move to linebacker for the rising junior, Samuel said he’s happy to stay right where he’s at. In fact, that’s the plan – for now.

“Going into spring my thought is that I’m still going to be playing running back,” Samuel said. “If coaches decide to do anything with me, I’ll be glad to do whatever helps the team win.”

Head coach Mark Richt said that there could be several position changes in the works for Georgia players, but he declined to comment on any specifics, saying those announcements would likely come following national signing day when the Bulldogs have a better idea of what their new recruiting class will look like.

“I'm not saying there's some certainty that there'll be some changes but there's going to be some thought about that as a staff,” Richt said. “What you want to do at this point of the season, which is very young and brand new, is to get everybody in the right spot where they'll have the greatest chance of success.”

That’s the lingering question surrounding Samuel, who landed the starting tailback job to start the year after a strong fall camp coupled with an injury to Caleb King made the decision easy.

Samuel had 51 carries in Georgia’s first three games and had more than 85 yards of total offense in each, including a 16-carry, 104-yard game against Arkansas. But his yards-per-carry slipped throughout the early season, and when King returned from injury and freshman Washaun Ealey exploded onto the scene, Samuel’s role virtually disappeared. He failed to earn a single touch in any of the Bulldogs’ final four games.

Georgia has two running back commitments for 2010 so far -- Ken Malcolme and Alexander Ogletree (who is likely to end up at fullback or linebacker) -- and King and Ealey appeared to have secured the bulk of the carries out of the backfield by year's end.

“He got some nagging injuries, and I think he lost a little confidence at times,” offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. “Richard’s a guy who needs some confidence, too. He’s relatively new at playing the position and developing those instincts. We’re not disappointed in Richard that he’ll never play running back. I think he has a bright future and a lot of ability, but it’s growing into his role. He just hasn’t figured it out totally yet, but I would not say Richard Samuel’s done and he’ll never play running back.”

He may not be done, but Richt publicly acknowledged that a move to linebacker, where Samuel played in high school, was a possibility earlier in the season. So the speculation continues, and that’s fine with Samuel.

While he wants to stay at running back, and he believes he can ultimately succeed there, he said the difference between playing tailback and linebacker isn’t such a broad leap for him.
“I liked both of them about the same,” Samuel said of his high school days. “It’s hard to choose between running back and linebacker.”

QB BATTLE BEGINS

When Georgia left the field following an Independence Bowl win over Texas A&M, it officially marked the end of Joe Cox’s career at Georgia and the start of a new era at the quarterback position.

Rising junior Logan Gray will enter the spring as the Bulldogs’ only experienced quarterback, but the Georgia coaches are still waiting to learn whether Gray even plans to play quarterback when practice begins again.

"I think he's trying to make a decision right now,” head coach Mark Richt said of Gray, who has considered moving to wide receiver where he could earn more playing time down the road. “I don't know for certain what he'll come up with but we want to respect what he wants to do. We didn't put a timetable on that."

Whether or not Gray swaps positions, it appears that freshmen Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger are far enough along that the coaching staff believes Georgia can win with one of them as the starter in 2010.

While both redshirted last season, Cox said they both showed enough on the practice field to inspire confidence.

“They both have the ability and they’re both really smart kids,” Cox said. “I look at them and I know that both of them are past where I was my true freshman year in understanding what’s going on. They adjusted rather quickly, and once both of them get a chance to compete with the first team and understand that it’s open and this is their chance to play, that does a lot for your confidence level.”

Confidence has been a key for both young quarterbacks, but both have made strides, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said.

For Mettenberger, the goal was to improve his footwork and fundamentals to match his impressive arm.

“He’s got to continue to improve with his foot quickness,” Bobo said. “Just seeing a lot of strides there, and he’s not just relying completely on his arm.”

Murray was clearly the better performer in Georgia’s scrimmages, and his preparation has been lauded by coaches and teammates, despite his role as a redshirt. But there are still small things to polish, Bobo said, if Murray wants to step into the starter’s role with confidence.

“Being able to progress faster, seeing it faster and understand the concepts, and that will come with reps,” Bobo said. “He can move in the pocket, he can use his legs and he has a really quick release. He can get rid of the ball quickly. He’s got a lot of confidence and belief that he can get it done, and that carries over when he’s in the huddle.”

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT?

It’s hard for coaches to ask much more of A.J. Green, the All-SEC wide receiver who was virtually Georgia’s only playmaker during the early part of the 2009 season. But when putting his entire season into context, Bobo thinks there are still a few chinks in the armor that Green could improve upon during the offseason.

“He’s got to stay healthy for a full season,” Bobo said. “He’s got to get bigger and stronger. He’s got to be able to run routes with a little more consistency. There’s no denying his playmaking ability of catching the ball in the air and doing things when he has the ball in his hands. But it’s being more consistent and being able to finish the season and a good offseason in the weight room will help that.”

Green finished his freshman campaign by nearly eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark, but a nagging groin injury hampered him throughout the year.

As a sophomore, Green finished with 53 catches and 808 yards receiving, but he missed three of Georgia’s final five games and reached the end zone just once after Oct. 3.

“He’s a tough kid and a physical kid,” Bobo said. “I think he wants to stay healthy for the entire season so he can do what he does for 12 games, and there’s no telling how good he can be or how many plays he can make for a full season.”

SURGERY-FREE SPRING

A year ago, January was filled with doctor’s visits and trips to the hospital for many of Georgia’s players. This year, Richt said the Bulldogs are hopeful that they’ll avoid the operating table altogether before spring practice begins in March.

“I don’t think there’s any,” Richt said. “The surgeries that have already happened are the only ones we anticipate this offseason, and that would be tremendous for us.”

Right tackle Josh Davis, who underwent two offseason shoulder surgeries last year, missed Georgia’s bowl game against Texas A&M, but Richt said he should be fine to return for spring practice.

Left tackle Trinton Sturdivant, who tore his ACL for the second straight season in Georgia’s opener against Oklahoma State, isn’t likely to participate in spring drills, Richt said, but is recovering quickly.

“I am glad it’s nothing serious with Josh and that he’ll be back and won’t have to deal with any offseason surgery,” Richt said. “I don’t think we expect Trinton to participate in any live contact in the spring, although we think he’ll be far enough along to do some walkthroughs.”

ON THEIR OWN

For the past four years, Kade Weston, Jeff Owens and Geno Atkins have been virtually inseparable as Georgia’s big three defensive tackles. But now all three are preparing for the NFL draft, and Weston said he’s still getting used to the idea of life without his partners in crime.

"Right now, it’s starting to be a business," Weston said. "It can’t be, oh, we want to go here together. It’s what’s best for me from a business perspective.”

TOUGH LOVE

In the wake of scandals at Texas Tech and Kansas, coaches are getting a more critical look at how they motivate and push their players, but Richt said that won’t make much difference in Georgia’s preparations.

“It won’t change one thing in regard to what we’re trying to get accomplished on the field,” Richt said. “I want our coaches to push the young men to do their very best. Not many young men can be at their best unless someone pushes them beyond their comfort zone. But there’s a way to do that that’s well within what every parent would want to be done.”

Practice Notes: Aggies Present Big Challenge to Dawgs' D

Georgia has faced plenty of fast-paced offenses this season, but Texas A&M will present a challenge unlike any the Bulldogs have battled before.

The Aggies run an up-tempo style that often yields 80 or more plays a game, keeping defenses on their toes and creating plenty of chaos on the field.

“It’s quicker than anyone we’ve seen,” Georgia linebacker Rennie Curran said. “If you watch the film, they catch a lot of teams off guard, a lot of defenses aren’t ready.”

Oklahoma State and Auburn both ran quick-paced offenses as well, with the Tigers’ attack being a similar style of no-huddle to Texas A&M, but Georgia head coach Mark Richt said that the Aggies take things to an even higher level.

“They want as many plays as they can possibly get,” Richt said. “They are fast. That’s their goal. More plays, more yards, more points. That’s the way they see it.”

The results have been positive for Texas A&M, which ranks first in the Big 12 in total offense and fifth nationally, totaling 465 yards per game on average.

What makes the Aggies even tougher to defend is that they rarely substitute players, which prevents the defense from adjusting personnel, too, but A&M still manages to run multiple formations on offense.

“They go fast without changing any personnel,” Richt said. “And what they do with the same personnel group is run multiple formations. Multiple formations and speed between plays is creating problems for everybody they’ve played.”

The battle plan defensively is the same as what Georgia used against Auburn – plenty of scout team work in practice against the hurry-up and close attention to film study to quickly recognize keys.

But more than the defensive adjustments, Richt said the best plan for stopping the Aggies’ high-flying attack is to keep it on the sideline.

“The longer we can hold the ball,” Richt said, “the better we’ll be.”

STAYING ON THE FIELD

With a makeshift defensive coaching staff for the bowl game, Richt said he wasn’t sure which of Georgia’s two graduate assistants – Todd Hartley or Mitch Doolittle – would coach from the field and which would head to the press box yet, but on the offensive side of the ball, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo remains comfortable on the sideline.

Bobo had coached from the press box virtually his entire career, but against Vanderbilt this season, he moved to the field and the result has been a dramatically improved offensive attack.

“We’ve improved in particular in the run game and possibly the overall intensity level of the team,” Richt said. “He’s got a lot of enthusiasm on the ground, and it hasn’t seemed to bother him to make the calls he likes to make, so I would think he’d keep doing it.”

TOUGH CALL ON ROBINSON

Georgia defensive end Montez Robinson will not travel with the Bulldogs to the bowl game in Shreveport, La. and remains on indefinite suspension, but Richt said he’s moving closer to a decision on the freshman’s future.

“We’re working on that decision is the best we can say,” Richt said.

Richt refused to put a definitive timetable on the decision, but he said the choice of whether to reinstate Robinson or dismiss him from the team has been a particularly difficult one.

Robinson spent much of his life in foster care and group homes and has shouldered a large portion of the responsibility for caring for his younger siblings. Richt said he remains torn in trying to balance the discipline necessary after Robinson was charged with assault earlier this month and the desire to keep him in a stable environment.

“It’ll be a tough decision, I can tell you,” Richt said.

INJURY UPDATES

Updating several key bumps and bruises as the Bulldogs prepare for the bowl game...

Reshad Jones has been in a green non-contact jersey for the past few practices. “He’s got more of a tendonitis issue in his knee, but nothing real serious," Richt said. He added that there may be some other nagging injuries but did not expect Jones to miss the bowl game.

A.J. Green has remained in Green but said he is completely healthy. Richt said the team remains cautious for now. “He’s doing everything, but we’re trying to minimize any contact right now," Richt said. "The day after Christmas, when we’re in pads that day, he probably won’t be in green and we’ll let him get some contact.”

Bacarri Rambo has made a full recovery since suffering a concussion after making a hit against Auburn. Richt said Sunday's practice was a particularly good one for Rambo, who shows no signs of hesitancy at the point of contact after the injury. “The speed at which he’s breaking on the ball, even when we’re asking our guys to thud runners and receivers, he’s doing a great job of making direct hits and he does it the way it needs to be done," Richt said. "Bacarri is really a fine football player.” “He’s sticking his face on those guys and wrapping up and running his feet with no hesitation right now.”

Wide receiver Marlon Brown has missed the past three practices after suffering a concussion last week during practice.

EXTRA POINTS

-- Asked about players for next year that have shown significant promise during the bowl practices, Richt offered defensive tackle Kwame Geathers and freshmen quarterbacks Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger.

-- Richt said that, while bowl practices are often a time for next year's players to get a start on impressing coaches, about 90 percent of the work done this month has been about preparing for the bowl game against Texas A&M.

-- Richt said it would have been understandable for some of the players to slack off a bit with the defensive coaching changes and the lower-tier bowl game this month, but he said for the most part the tempo has been high. "The second or third day of installation, it just wasn't good. I think the first couple days of install, Day 2 and 3, you could tell they were thinking too much. They were getting the calls but they weren't playing very fast. So we were pleased they were getting it, understanding it and communicating it well, but they really weren't playing fast enough and physical enough. Today, that was our big emphasis -- hey you know the plan now or at least you have it in your mind well enough to where you can start executing it with some speed and some physicalness. They did that today. It was a really good day. I guess you could have a problem with that, but I don't see that right now. I see a great attitude."

Future Looks Bright for Murray, Mettenberger

Mark Richt isn't interested in looking ahead to next year, and probably for good reason. But his job dictates a steady focus on the task at hand. Ours doesn't. So the question on most people's minds, even as Georgia wraps up the 2009 season, is who might be playing quarterback in 2010.

Back in January, when Matthew Stafford announced he was leaving for the NFL, the job of starter was immediately passed along to Joe Cox. When Cox departs at year's end, things won't be so cut and dry.

"It'll be wide open," Richt said.

That means Logan Gray, Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger will all get their shot in the spring, and the battle may not be over until fall camp breaks and the Dawgs begin preparations for next season's opener.

While we've gotten to see a bit of Gray this year, the majority of the curiosity focuses on the two freshmen. In fact, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo has even ratcheted up the curiosity factor but making Murray and Mettenberger off limits to the media for the remainder of the season.

Perhaps that move is simply to ensure the duo is concentrating on getting ready for the challenge that awaits, but either way, it's pretty clear that both are making strides, even while riding the bench (and avoiding interviews).

Mettenberger had farther to go, but his upside is tremendous. His arm strength is off the charts, but his footwork and his physique were question marks early on. But as the fall has progressed, Bobo said he's seen marked improvement.

"Zach has matured a lot," Bobo said. "He’s changed his body. He came in, he was 250 pounds. (Now) he’s 231 or 232 and has really improved his footwork and throwing the ball."

As much the physical side of the game has improved, Mettenberger has made strides in his mental approach, too. While Murray took his team to a state title his senior year at Plant High School in Tampa and was roundly considered one of the top quarterback recruits in the country, Mettenberger's skills remained raw and his background less polished. The result was some issues with confidence.

"It’s just him getting more confidence of the system and playing in a system like this where he played for four different coordinators in high school," Bobo said. "Aaron had played in kind of a different system and threw the ball a little more. Zach’s still learning that part, but has a tremendous amount of potential.”

That potential offers plenty of intriguing possibilities, but at the moment, Murray is the clear leader among the freshmen in the race to replace Cox.

A shoulder injury has forced Cox to back off his throwing during the week this season, and as a result, Georgia's backups get plenty of work, particularly on Wednesdays when Cox doesn't throw at all. Gray and Murray have gotten the majority of that work, and Murray has been particularly impressive, despite an elbow injury that caused him to miss several weeks of practice time.

"Aaron Murray comes in every day like he’s the starter, looking at the game plan and takes notes and does a phenomenal job mentally of preparing like he’s going to play every week," Bobo said. "And he’s really been throwing the ball nice the last couple weeks. Really no effects of the injury and doing an outstanding job."

The extra work with Georgia's first- and second-team offenses have been particularly important for both Murray and Mettenberger in their development. Bobo said it's rare for redshirted quarterbacks to get that type of experience, which puts Murray and Mettenberger ahead of the curve for next season.

More than anything though, the work with the No. 1 unit gives the two freshmen a taste of what it's like to be the starting quarterback, which goes much deeper than simply knowing the playbook and putting the ball where it needs to be.

"It’s been big to get reps with what we’re doing and not necessarily just reading a card, but also of learning how to lead, having to step into the huddle and having to tell the play to guys that are on the travel squad and playing on Saturdays," Bobo said. "That’s a valuable experience that you’re not going to get if you’re redshirted and you’re just down on the scout team.”

Fans won't get to see the results until the spring, but Murray and Mettenberger's teammates are already talking about big things in their futures.

“I’ve actually worked with them a lot," receiver Mike Moore said. "When we run routes with the QBs, and when Joe’s not throwing, they’re the main two throwing to us. They’ve been looking better and better every week, every day. Those two guys work hard. They’re very blessed. Mettenberger has a cannon for an arm, and Aaron Murray, you can’t write him off with his arm strength either. He throws a good ball, too. I think we’ll be pretty good in the future with quarterbacks.”

(NOTE: Don't forget we're chatting live at macon.com/ugachat at noon. Get your Dawgs questions in now.)

Practice Notes: Dawgs Seek Replacement For Green

For the past eight weeks, wide receiver A.J. Green has been the foundation of Georgia’s offense. This week, the Bulldogs will get their first taste of life without their superstar.

Green suffered a bruised lung after taking a hit in the third quarter against Florida last week and will miss Saturday’s game against Tennessee Tech. That opens the door for some of Georgia’s other receivers to step up, and head coach Mark Richt is hoping they’ll make the most of their opportunity.

“Those guys are going to have to make plays, and I'm hoping that they do make plays and gain confidence,” Richt said. “In the long run, it may end up being a blessing for us to get some guys with some more opportunities.”

Redshirt freshman Tavarres King and true freshman Rantavious Wooten will be Georgia’s starters at receiver on Saturday, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said, and fellow freshman Marlon Brown is expected to see an uptick in playing time, too, after seeing little action in Georgia’s first eight games.

None of the three have shown an ability to consistently make plays of late, and in the past five games, Green and senior Michael Moore are the only to receivers to have more than two catches in one game.

“You are obviously going to miss a guy like (Green), but I think we have guys like that that can step up and make plays,” quarterback Joe Cox said. “Wooten has been getting better every week in practice, making plays showing he should be in some plays in games. We’re looking forward to seeing who’s going to step up and who’s going to fill that spot.”

Brown may be the wild card Saturday. He has just two catches this season, both coming against Tennessee on Oct. 10. Brown suffered a hip pointer after that, however, and has been limited during practice for the past two weeks.

He’ll get his shot this week, Bobo said, and after a long season on the sideline, the injury to Green may be the opportunity he’s been waiting for.

“He has a lot of ability, too, and we definitely want to give him the opportunity to get on the field and make plays,” Cox said of Brown. “He’s already been on the field this year, but he hasn’t had a lot of balls thrown his way. This could be a good week to make a statement about his future.”

As for Green, Cox said the sophomore receiver said he felt good Sunday and reported no further problems so far this week. Richt said he expected Green to be ready to return to action next week when Georgia hosts Auburn.

“We're not 100-percent certain but the history of this type of an injury by the second week everybody has played to this point, so we don't have any reason to think that he won't,” Richt said.

NOT GONNA HAPPEN

After Cox’s three-interception performance against Florida, some fans were hoping one of Georgia’s two freshman quarterbacks might make his first appearance of the season this week, but Richt said that won’t be the case.

Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger will both redshirt this season, Richt said, but he admitted there was discussion about giving one of them playing time this week.

“It was discussion,” Richt said. “It wasn't just like, well their freshmen don't do it. We talked about it.”

In the end, several factors kept Richt from pulling the trigger.

For one, Murray had missed several weeks of practice earlier this season with elbow tendonitis. More importantly, Richt said, neither quarterback had proven he was ready to take over the job.

“We just didn't feel that this late in the season that it was time to do it, and they (hadn’t) earned the right to be the starter,” Richt said. “If you're going to put a freshman in there, you start him and you start him the rest of the way. But did anybody really earn that? They didn't. … We've got extremely high hopes for their careers, but to say one guy earned it over another, that didn't happen.”

KING FOR A DAY

Freshman tailback Washaun Ealey started for the second straight game last week and picked up a career-high 70 yards on 17 carries against Florida’s tough defense, but Richt said Tuesday that sophomore Caleb King would get the starting nod this week.

“We're not highly disappointed in Washaun at all,” Richt said. “Washaun will continue to play, but Caleb has proved to be the one guy … that is much stronger in his pass protection right now.”

The pass protection problems for Ealey were on display in the third quarter when Cox threw his second interception of the game. Ealey missed a block and Cox was forced out of the pocket, throwing a pass under duress toward the sideline. The turnover thwarted a key drive for the Bulldogs, and Florida solidified its lead from there.

King didn’t see nearly as much action as Ealey against the Gators, but Richt said he was pleased with the work that King did get. For the season, King has played in just five games, rushing 40 times for 154 yards and a touchdown. He also has four receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown and has looked sharp in pass protection.

EMPTY SEATS

With Georgia struggling and FCS opponent Tennessee Tech on the docket this week, Richt was asked Tuesday about the potential of a large number of no-shows for Saturday’s game. While he said he hopes that won’t be the case, he said it won’t be a concern for the team.

"I’m not going to try to control the things that I can't control,” Richt said. “I don't know what's going to happen. I wouldn't underestimate our fan base. Our fans do love the Dogs. You can tell by the passion. I'm sure they want to support the young men. We want the fans to handle adversity well too. I can understand their feelings of being upset or being curious, whatever it might be, there's different levels. But we're all still Bulldogs. We all still want to support these young men, so I think our fan base will do a good job."

Cox said winning Saturday’s game takes precedent over any off-field issues, regardless of how many fans make their way into Sanford Stadium.

“We want to finish up these last four games as strong as we can, and it starts Saturday whether there’s 10 people in the stands or 90,000,” he said.

NO HARD FEELINGS

Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes earned a half-game suspension from head coach Urban Meyer after TV cameras caught him attempting to gouge the eyes of Georgia tailback Washaun Ealey last week. But while the punishment has been far from adequate in the minds of many fans, the victim isn’t holding a grudge.

“I don’t think he should have gotten suspended at all,” Ealey said. “We were just out there playing football.”

Ealey said he was not injured on the play, noting that Spikes never came particularly close to doing any serious harm.


“I had my eyes closed, and he really didn’t gouge my eyes,” Ealey said. “My eyes are OK. He really didn’t get his hands close to my eyes. He was out there playing football and having fun.”

Ealey’s teammates aren’t taking the eye gouge personally either, noting that the physical nature of the game often results in players taking things a step too far.

“It was a hard-fought game,” Georgia linebacker Marcus Dowtin said. “Stuff like that, it happens. People try to play a little harder than another person. I’ve got no hard feelings toward (Spikes). He’s a great player, he works hard. What he did I don’t think was smart, but stuff happens in a game.”

Spikes’ teammates in Florida, however, have pinned the blame for the incident square on Georgia’s players, saying the eye gouge came in retaliation for actions the Bulldogs made earlier in the game.

That’s news to Richt, who said he reviewed the film from the game looking for any examples of poor sportsmanship from the Bulldogs and came up empty.

"The only thing I noticed that I could think of is there was a time in the game when, (Spikes’) helmet comes off quite often, and there was one time where his helmet came off in the middle of a play, and he actually got hit with his helmet off,” Richt said. “It was totally unintentional. Everybody was just playing ball. And that might have got him bent out of shape, but I don't know. I have no earthly idea about all that."

CONSISTENCY IS THE KEY

Georgia's running game met with increased success against a stout defense last week, and part of the return to form was a new look on the offensive line.

Clint Boling moved from right tackle to left tackle, while Cordy Glenn shifted inside to right guard and Josh Davis got the start at Boling's former position. It was the fifth different lineup the Bulldogs had used this season, and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo hopes this one sticks.

"Hopefully we can stay with the same group," Bobo said. "Clint got banged up at the end of the game, but it looks like he'll be able to go. Hopefully we can get two weeks of continuity up front."

CAPTAINS FOR SATURDAY

Punter Drew Butler, linebacker Rennie Curran, kicker Blair Walsh and tight end Aron White will serve as captains for the Homecoming date. Walsh and White will be serving as captains for the first time in 2009, while Curran will be doing so for the sixth time and Butler for the third occasion.

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 QUARTERS

Mark 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.”