G-Day Live Blog

Greetings from Sanford Stadium on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The weather couldn't be better, Kelin Johnson just ran 60 yards for a TD in the flag football game, and I'm about to get some free press box food. What's not to like? Well, other than the guy doing the PA for the flag football game. He has a certain "Wootendaballcarriah" approach that's not mixing well with the Crown and Cokes from last night.

In any case, the live blog is back... and hopefully I won't be too rusty. Now... free food awaits...

UPDATED, 12:45 PM

Answering a couple reader questions:

Opsomath writes: Mr. Hale, will you be personally covering G-Day? Where will you be? I feel that, given your consistent feeding of my Georgia football habit, I owe you a beer or something.

David: I'll be in the press box, but thanks to Mr. Fletcher Page, I think I'm giving up drinking forever.

Anonymous writes: Any idea if ESPN3.com archives the games so you can watch later?

David: They usually archive games for a few days, but not forever. If you check the "replay" section, you should be able to find it for the next few days to a week.

Kathleen writes: What happened to Samuel? Did I miss that somewhere?

David: As they say in the business, I'm still efforting that information. I can tell you, however, that Samuel is DEFINITELY out for the game.

Mpstrick writes: We'll do it Live! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tJjNVVwRCY

David: Exactly!

Schlagdawg writes: They better have a good dessert spread...

David: Jason's Deli for lunch, which is good. Unfortunately, the soda machine is broken and someone has spelling problems. Here's the sign...

OK, be back shortly...

UPDATED 1 PM

-- A handful of players will be playing for both teams today, in addition to the QBs. They are: Chris Burnette, Jordan Love, Rantavious Wooten, Darryl Gamble and Bruce Figgins. I'm hoping they have those Gaylord Perry-type jerseys that work for both teams.

UPDATED, 1:15 PM

-- Mark Weiszer has the depth charts for the game on his blog. Here's the first teams:

First-team offense (Red team): QB Logan Gray or Aaron Murray or Zach Mettenberger, TB Washaun Ealey, WR A.J. Green, Tavarres King (Kris Durham, Rantavious Wotten backups), LT Clint Boling, LG Cordy Glenn, C Ben Jones, RG Chris Davis, RT Josh Davis, TE Orson Charles (Aron White backup), FB Shaun Chapas.

First-team defense (Black team): LE Abry Jones, N DeAngelo Tyson, RE Demarcus Dobbs, SLB Cornelius Washington, WLB Justin Houston, MLB Darryl Gamble, MLB Akeem Dent, FS Jakar Hamilton, SS Baccari Rambo, SC Brandon Boykin (Branden Smith), WC Vance Cuff (Sanders Commings).

-- Just ran outside to give our pal Brandon Spoon his credential for the game, and I ran into Rennie Curran. I'm assuming he was barred from participating in the letterman's game so no one would get hurt.

UPDATED 1:25 PM

-- The letterman's game just ended with the black team defeating the red team 34-27. Fletcher Page had the under in the game, so he's pretty bummed. I'm heading down to the field in a few minutes. The players are about to head out to stretch.

UPDATED, 2 PM

-- We're just a couple minutes from kickoff, although a few players are still stretching and we may be a tad behind schedule.

-- Some useless info from the sidelines...

- Still don't know what Richard Samuel's injury was, but he was wearing giant sunglasses and looked a bit like Bono on the sideline.

-- Friends of the blog Mike Moore & Drew Williams were on the field as well.

-- Current leader for quote of the day from Fletcher Page, upon hearing "In the Air" by Phil Collins: "Man this song gets me jacked. If I heard this at a baby shower, I'd tackle someone." True dat.

-- Watched Todd Grantham working with a handful of the OLBs (actually, there are only a handful period, I guess) in the corner of the end zone during warm-ups. He is intense all the time, I think.

-- Rough guess on attendance: About 35k. About half of the lower bowl is full.

-- The press box soda machine has been fixed. I assume temporally.

-- The black team has won the toss, and we're about to get started.

UPDATED: 2:05 PM

Note from Dustin: "The spring game has been blacked out in savannah on espn3.com. Now you are my only hope!!"

David: This is not surprising. Every time I go to Savannah, I end up blacking out, too.

Also of note, Richard Samuel is out with a concussion. So there ya go.

And lastly, Logan Gray is getting the first reps at QB.

UPDATED, Start of 1st Quarter

-- 23-yard completion from Gray to TK on first play. I guess he'll be the starter now.

-- Third-and-8 after two short runs by Ealey. D is in the nickel with four down linemen. Gray hits a wide open Tavarres King, who bobbles the ball and can't come up with it. We'll have our first punt of the game.

-- Butler shanks a punt. Man, that guy stinks.

-- Murray in at QB for the black team. He hits Wootendaballcarriah (and we get our first "Woooooot!" of the year) for a 4-yard gain.

-- Dontavius Jackson picks up the first down. Second-team D isn't quite as good against the run.

-- Brandon Wood sacks Murray on first down for a loss of 8.

-- Another big run for D-Jax. He picks up 13. Quintin Banks makes the tackle.

-- Murray airs it out on third-and-5 but overthrows his receiver. Joe Cox never would have done that.

UPDATED, 7 Minutes Remaining in 1st Quarter

-- To answer to recent questions:

1.) Charter may be the most evil corporation in the world.

2.) As far as I know there are no rules about how often I update per quarter, but it'll still probably only be three or four times, as I don't want to miss too much of the action going through and updating the blog. So be patient.

-- Logan Gray still in at QB for the Red Team, which is the No. 1 offense BTW. He misses AJ Green on first down.

-- Carlton Thomas gets his first carry, and once again it goes for just a few yards. If nothing else, the first team D looks stout against the run.

-- Gray on a keeper on third-and-7 runs for 10 yards and a first down. Brandon Boykin should have had the sack, but since there's no tackling of the QBs, the whistle never blew. Boykin was hot afterward, too. I assume Penn Wagers is reffing the game.

-- Lot of four down linemen schemes so far. Looks to me like they are really working to not show too much of this D.

-- Big run by Carlton Thomas for 30 yards down to the 20. Here's a prediction: I'm betting Thomas graduates as Georgia's all-time leading rusher on G-Days.

-- Third-and-2 from the 12... and we have our first timeout of the day.

UPDATED, 2:25 Remaining in 1st Quarter

-- Washaun Ealey picks up the first down inside the 10. Akeem Dent makes the tackle.

-- Gray hits Kris Durham wide open in the end zone for the TD. Get those "Fire Todd Grantham" chants ready. Walsh's PAT is good, RED 7, BLACK 0 (1:33 to play in the first)

-- Fletcher Page points out that the hedges on the East side look like crap. Ironically, Fletcher isn't looking too hot either.

-- Murray still in at QB for the 2s, but it's a quick three-and-out. Time for one more play in the quarter.

-- Huge crowd getting Israel Troupe's autograph right now. They're totally missing a fullback run by a walk-on right up the middle! And these people call themselves football fans!

UPDATED, Start of 2nd Quarter

-- Saw my live blog described on one of the message boards as "better than nothing." I'm adding that to my resume.

-- Still haven't gotten our first look at Zach Mettenberger today. Cornelius Washington sacks Logan Gray on a third-and-7 to force yet another punt. Drew Butler gets the largest applause of the day so far for a soaring punt to the 15-yard line.

-- Well, there's our first look at Zach and he throws a bomb, perfectly placed and connects with Wooten on the sideline. Play of the day so far... by a longshot. That was pretty.

-- First-and-10 at the RED 39. Wooten takes an end around and moves it down ot the 25 for another first down.

-- The 3-4 scheme is pretty interesting. Kwame Geathers has worked the nose for most of the game so far. The OLBs are about a yard off the line of scrimmage. Hasn't seemed particularly confusing thus far, but then again I doubt they're trying to do anything too technical either.

UPDATED, 9:15 Remaining in 2nd Quarter

-- Third-and-7 for Mett & the Black team. Mettenberger floats a jump ball into the end zone that walk-on receiver Rhett McGowan comes down with. Bogotay boots the PAT and we're tied. RED 7, BLACK 7 (8:21 left in 2nd Quarter).

-- Mark Richt is up in the TV booth, so I'm guessing he's not calling the plays for either team right now.

-- Gray is back in with the 1s and goes nowhere. Cornelius Washington picks up his second sack of the game. So far, Logan is the only QB to get snaps with the No. 1 offense.

-- Gray hits Kris Durham on a short pass, and Durham cuts across the field and picks up a huge gain to the 43.

-- Gray lofts a long one toward TK, but throws it just out of reach.

-- Third straight incompletion by Gray, and the Red team will line up for a field goal. This would be a 61-yarder. Fans are pumped, but it gets tipped at the line and falls well short.

UPDATE, 4:49 Remaining in 2nd quarter

-- Mett hits tight end Derek Rich for a first down into Red territory. Also, I can't type the name "Rich" anymore without accidentally typing "Richt."

-- Darryl Gamble swats away a Mettenberger pass at the line of scrimmage. That brings up a third-and-11.

-- Mett hits Derek Richt again, but Rich fumbles at the 7-yard line, recovered by the Red team. Our first turnover of the game. Guess we won't see much of Derek Rich this year.

-- Gray back in yet again for the Red team. He hits Shaun Chapas on first down for a 12-yard gain. Gray has looked pretty sharp thus far.

-- Justin Houston with the sack. Again, hardly an accurate representation of the real defense, but Washington and Houston have three sacks between them already.

-- Gray hits Ealey just across the line of scrimmage and Ealey darts upfield to the 31 for a first down -- 1:25 to play in the half.

-- I'd say at least half the plays so far -- and potentially more than that -- have been run with four down linemen. Fans definitely aren't getting much of a look at the new D.

-- AJ gets his first catch of the afternoon, but Branden Smith stands him up immediately. It does pick up a first down though at the 44.

-- Carlton Thomas takes the handoff and runs up the middle, fumbling. DeAngelo Tyson recovers the fumble for the Black team, which will have about 23 seconds to try and make something happen. Mettenberger back in at QB.

-- Mett throws a rope to Arthur Lynch, who rumbles over a handful of defenders and into the end zone for the score. That was a pretty pass. Mett has looked far and away the best of the three QBs so far. BLACK 14, RED 7, 12 seconds left in the 2nd.

HALFTIME

A few quick halftime updates...

-- Mike Bobo praised Mett's work and his ability to step up in the pocket amid pressure and deliver some strong throws.

-- That Carlton Thomas fumble comes just two days after Mike Bobo praised Thomas for doing a much better job of holding onto the football this spring.

-- Damon Evans was being interviewed by CSS and refused to make a guess on the attendance. Lame, Damon! I hope he at least has the cojones to pick which Hairy Dawg the McDonalds' fries are hiding behind on the Jumbotron later.

-- Blair Walsh and Drew Butler each were honored at halftime for being finalists for national awards (and in Butler's case, winning the Ray Guy trophy).

-- QB info... Gray has played the entire game with the No. 1 offense. Murray played first quarter with the No. 2s, and Mett played the second quarter with the 2s.

-- QB stats: Gray 7-of-13 for 102 yards and 1 TD; Murray 2-of-3 for 0 yards; Mettenberger 5-of-7 for 147 yards and 2 TDs. No INTs for any of the QBs.

-- The question of the hour: Will Mettenberger be allowed to talk to media after the game? Usually, players facing a suspension are barred from media contact, and Mett has been off limits all spring.

UPDATE, Start of third quarter

-- First penalty of the day is an offsides on the D. Mettenberger back in with the No. 2 unit. Odd that they haven't switched them up, since Richt did say the QBs would all switch teams. Not sure if we should read something into this or not.

-- Dustin says you can listen to the game here: http://streaming.1340wgau.com/_players/coxradio/index.php?callsign=WGAUAM

-- The GameDay Chef says: "I am watching ESPN's spring practice update (on mute). Syracuse looks really good from what they are showing. Thought that would make you happy."

See how little spring games really mean?

-- Mett hits Wooten (Wooooooooot!) for a short gain, bringing up third-and-5.

-- A few other stats from halftime: Ealey 4 carries, 8 yards, Jackson 4 carries, 24 yards. Durham 2 catches, 41 yards and a TD, Derek Richt 2 catches, 50 yards and a fumble, Artie Lynch 1 catch, 39 yards and a TD.

-- Mett's third-down pass sails incomplete. Red team back on offense, and this time Murray is at QB for them.

UPDATE, 8:59 Remaining in 3rd Quarter

-- Oh wait, correction from GameDay Chef... "Dave, my bad, that was Boise State they are showing practice clips of-sorry for the false alarm." Now that makes more sense.

-- Murray hits AJ for a first down to the 45. It was thrown a bit behind AJ, but he did a Stretch Armstrong impersonation and reeled it in.

-- Murray looks for Orson, and it's nearly picked off by Bacarri Rambo, who made a great break on the ball. Instead, Rambo swats it out of bounds.

-- Cornelius Washington is having a very nice game so far. He's one of my picks to click in 2010 along with Abry Jones.

-- Murray has an arm, and his last pass was one of the prettiest spirals of the day. Unfortunately the throw went nowhere near AJ Green, bouncing in the end zone instead. Brings up a third-and-10.

-- Murray throws a tick behind Orson, who grabs it on his shoulder pad and hauls it in to pick up the first down.

-- Under a ton of pressure, Murray throws a Joe Cox special right into Marcus Dowtin's chest for an interception that is returned to the Black 38 yard line. It is OK that we joke about Cox now, right?

UPDATED, 2:58 Remaining in the 3rd Quarter

-- Mettenberger still in with the 2s. Dontavius Jackson takes the handoff and goes up the middle for 4 yards.

-- The run game has not impressed today. Other than a 30-yarder by Carlton Thomas and a 13-yarder by Jackson, there's been nothing on the ground.

-- Mett throws a bullet over the middle that hits Wooten in the chest, but Woot drops it. It was a pretty play. Mett rolled out to the right, set up and delivered an absolute rocket. The stories about his arm are not exaggerated.

-- Murray sails another pass over A.J. head on a deep ball. Fletcher Page's synopsis: "He's trying too hard." Oddly, that's exactly what I told Fletcher as he tried to talk to girls last night.

-- Nice run by Thomas up the middle for a gain of 9.

-- And that's the end of the 3rd quarter.

UPDATE, Start of 4th Quarter

-- The fans are starting to pour out of the stadium already. Seriously, how do you leave the spring game early?

-- No signs of Logan Gray in the second half thus far.

-- Murray hits Orson Charles with a rope, but Charles drops it. Punt team comes on.

-- I'm officially bored.

-- Our pal Brandon Spoon did some research of the past five G-Day games last week. In games in which one of the offensive teams scores more than 14 points, UGA typically has a good season (05, 07). In the games when they score 14 or fewer (06, 09), they have bad seasons. (And in 2008, a notoriously middle-of-the-road season, they scored 17.) Our score right now... 14-7.

-- Rennie Curran being interviewed on the sideline right now. They're showing that on the Jumbotron. Even the camera guys don't care about the game anymore.

-- Logan Gray is back in the game -- with the Black Team for the first time. He hits one of the walk-on receivers for a first down.

UPDATED, 7 Minutes Remaining in the 4th Quarter

-- Gray hits another walk-on receiver for another first down.

-- By the way, Russ is chilling in his doghouse. Fletcher compares him to Keith Lockhart -- a very solid pinch hitter.

-- Gray hits Artie Lynch for a gain of 11 and another first down. I'll probably finish up this drive from the press box, then head down to the field... FYI.

-- Kevin Lanier runs up the middle for a big gain down to the 22 yard line. D-Jax follows that up by bouncing off the line up the middle, then taking out around the left side down to the 13. Second-and-1.

-- Gray throws a Donovan McNabb special at the feet of Royston. Third-and-1 at the 13.

-- D-Jax goes up the middle and comes up just short of the first down. Bogotay on for the FG, and I'm heading down to the field. I'll have notes up postgame.

Everything You Need to Know for G-Day

G-Day is just 24 hours away. Here's the down-low on everything you'll need to be prepared for the big day...

Rosters:

You can find the full rosters for the Red Team and the Black Team HERE. Keep in mind, Georgia's three QBs will rotate between both teams to give roughly equal reps with the No. 1 unit offense.

Injury Updates:

The following players are out or unlikely to play tomorrow: Caleb King, Justin Anderson, Trinton Sturdivant, Austin Long, A.J. Harmon, Josh Murray, Richard Samuel, Tanner Strickland, Israel Troupe, Jeremy Longo and Fred Munzenmaier.

More Background Info:

-- You can read all the major details, including information about the alumni game which precedes G-Day HERE.

-- You can catch up on much of what you might have missed this spring by listening to podcasts with both myself (HERE) and Fletcher Page (HERE).

-- And don't forget to bring a canned good or 10 for Georgia's canned food drive. Last year, the event took in more donations than ever before, and head coach Mark Richt said he's hoping to top that number this time around.

Game Rules:

G-Day should be handled pretty much the same as past years.

There will be four 12-minute quarters, with clock rules mirroring that of a normal game.

There will be no live kickoffs. Instead, each new possession will begin at the 25-yard line of the offensive team.

There will be live field goals, PATs and punting, but the defense will not rush.

And, as I said, the QBs will rotate between teams.

Stars of the spring:

Check out the full list of spring award winners HERE.

Check out my recent stories on two of the stars of the spring -- Jakar Hamilton HERE and Reuben Faloughi HERE.

I asked a number of the defensive players for who they thought was the most improved on that side of the ball this spring, and the resounding answer from every single one was the same: Vance Cuff.

On offense, I got a lot of votes for Carlton Thomas -- which is pretty much the same answer I got last year -- and a few others. Here's what Mike Bobo had to say:

On Shaun Chapas: “I can’t say enough about Shaun Chapas. Every day, the way he approaches practice, he’s our fullback and he’s not in there on every personnel group, but just the energy he brings, he’s in there on every play in every huddle and does a great job of leading those guys. He’s probably the leader of our offense. He’s a very unselfish player, and that’s what you want in a fullback.”

On Cordy Glenn: “Cordy Glenn has had an outstanding spring. He’s just outstanding the way he’s worked, the way he’s competed. Sometimes that’s tough for guys to do with us being so thin at certain positions when you know somebody behind you is not going to take your job. You’re out there knowing I’m pretty much going to start, but he’s had the right mind-set every day. He has tremendous talent, but just to see improvement in him, the knowledge of what we’re doing, early on as a freshman he had to depend on a lot of guys next to him to help him out and now he pretty much knows what we’re doing and he’s able to execute and then use his God-given ability to dominate. He’s had an outstanding spring.”

On Carlton Thomas: “Carlton had a great spring last year, and this year, he’s had an even better spring from the standpoint of his physicality – not just in how he runs the ball because he’s always run physical for his size, but in his pass protection, he’s done an outstanding job, and he’s done a good job of protecting the football. That’s the one thing that got him a little bit last year was protecting the football a little bit early on. He’s done a nice job of that this spring, so he’s just got to continue to do that and keep showing us in practice he can hold on to the football and play physical and do everything as a back that we ask of him.”

Answering some questions:

Anonymous writes: I am from Massachusetts but I am a huge Georgia fan. I am wondering though if G-Day is going to be streamed on ESPN360.com or some other website. Do you know if it will be?

David: You can watch the game on ESPN360.com, view highlights on GeorgiaDogs.com or watch it live on television on CSS starting at 2 p.m. And, of course, if you're in Athens and you can tear yourself away from watching Tiger for a couple of hours, the game is free to attend in person.

Andy writes: Tragically, I will be at a wedding (Saturday). Totally inexcusable considering the bride and groom are Dawg fans too. I will be relying on a live blog from you, David. Don't let me down!

David: If you promise to swipe a few drinks from the open bar at the wedding for me, it's a deal! (Oh, and please, no Electric Slide.)

JFerg writes: For G-day…will we go ones vs ones or ones vs twos?

David: The Black Team is the No. 1 defense and No. 2 offense, and the Reds are the No. 1 offense and No. 2 defense, so yes, the 1s go against the 1s, and the 2s play the 2s. Of course, if you inspect the rosters a little closer, the 2s are more like the 3s at a number of positions where the coaching staff has allowed two players battling for the same job to both run with the No. 1 unit.

Josh writes: Longtime blog reader and it's a must read for me pretty much daily. Any info about parking for GDay? I saw nothing on the association's website

David: Well normally I wouldn't answer this question, but since you complimented me so well, OK. It's open season for parking. There are no reserved lots, so it's pretty much first come, first served, according to UGA's sports info department.

Chris writes: Will the press box be open for Saturday's game? I know general admission is free but I wasn't sure if they are going to use the press box or not.

David: Press box will be for working media, same as a regular-season game, from what I understand. Although if you want to transcribe my interviews for me after the game, that will free Fletcher Page up to get to the bar early.

(*Note: I know I promised a mailbag today, but I just don't have time. Monday though...)

What to expect in the game:

-- First off, for those of you who think G-Day means nothing, you may be right. But Brandon Spoon's reviews of the past few years shows that there may be a bit of correlation between how well the offense performs Satuday and how well the team will do this fall. Check it out HERE.

-- As for how watered down the schemes will be, here's what Mark Richt has to say about just how much the fans will see Saturday: "I know the fans are probably waiting for a lot of this, that and the other. We might do this, that and not the other. We'll do some things, but we don't want to show too much. And we've put in a few things offensively that we don't want to show. Sometimes the more the offense does with formations and shifts and things like that, the more it shows how our defense would react to it. We don't want to do things offensively that's going to make the defense show how they might adjust to certain things. I don't want to say it's going to be vanilla, because it won't be. We'll be doing some blitzing and stunting defensively, and there'll be plenty of plays offensively we think we can run that we'll have a chance to score. But as much of the strategy, the nuts and bolts of how we operate, we're going to try to keep other people from learning too much about our defense, I would guess."

So, bottom line, they'll be answering some questions a little at a time, but for the big reveal, you'll have to wait a while longer.

Also, between each quarter, there will be scenes from an alternate dimension where Logan Gray is the incumbent starting quarterback and Willie Martinez is still the DC, but no real explanation will be given to what we're watching.

(*Note: If you don't watch "Lost" that last joke went over your head completely.)

Richt on how important G-Day is for the players: "It's very much like a scrimmage, and maybe a little more (important) because there are fans there, they are on TV. Those are some of the things that the quarterback has to be able to deal with. And hopefully, he's not thinking one thing about that. It shouldn't affect him in any way, but sometimes it does. So I'd say (it's more important) for the QB position, but I think everybody. I think they all know they're going to be on TV and they all know a lot of people will be in the stands. You just don't know how that affects a guy."

Aaron Murray on what G-Day means in the QB battle: "I think it's big for all of us, but I don't think whoever goes out there and has the best game is going to end up being the guy. We've had three or four weeks now where we've all put in good work and improved day in and day out, so I think it's a whole body of work. The practices are like the quizzes, the other two scrimmages were the tests and this could be like the final. But the final's not your whole grade, it's just part of it. It's most of it, but I think everything we've done so far in the practices and scrimmages goes a lot in these coaches' eyes. So we've just got to look at it as another day to go out there and get better."

And finally, here's some video of Todd Grantham giving the low down on what he's expecting to see at G-Day...

Georgia Spring Awards Announced

(*Note: Although the headline is already outdated, you can read more about Reuben Faloughi's story in today's Telegraph.)

From UGA release...

The University of Georgia head football coach Mark Richt announced the team’s spring football awards Friday in conjunction with the annual spring G-Day football game. 
 


The awards are given annually at the conclusion of spring practice to recognize improvement, dedication and performance on the field. 
 
Richt also announced that walk-on redshirt freshman DL/LB Reuben Faloughi has been awarded a scholarship.
 


Highlighting the list of awards were the recipients of the long-standing Coffee County Hustle Award given annually to the player(s) showing the most desire during spring drills.

Recipients include Washaun Ealey, TB, Stillmore, Ga.; Demarcus Dobbs, DL/LB, Savannah, Ga.; DeAngelo Tyson, DT, Statesboro, Ga.
 


The list of 2010 awards are as follows:
 


MVP (offense): Cordy Glenn, LG, Riverdale, Ga.


True Grit Award (Offense): Shaun Chapas, FB, St. Augustine, Fla.


Coffee County Hustle Award (Offense): Washaun Ealey, TB, Stillmore, Ga.


Most Improved Player (Offense): Carlton Thomas, TB, Frostproof, Fla.


Outstanding Walk-On (Offense): Cameron Allen, FB, Canton, Ga./Kevin Lanier, FB, Woodstock, Ga.
 


MVP (Defense): Justin Houston, DL/LB, Statesboro, Ga.


True Grit Award (Defense): Akeem Dent, LB, Atlanta, Ga.


Coffee County Hustle Award (Defense): Demarcus Dobbs, DL/LB, Savannah, Ga./DeAngelo Tyson, DT, Statesboro, Ga.


Most Improved Player (Defense): Vance Cuff, CB, Moultrie, Ga./Brandon Boykin, CB, Fayetteville, Ga.


Outstanding Walk-On (Defense): Reuben Faloughi, DL/LB, Martinez, Ga.

Video Blog: Learning the Defense

Linebacker Reuben Faloughi talks about the teaching style of Todd Grantham, and corner Brandon Boykin discusses how quickly the defense is learning the new scheme.



*Video courtesy of Brandon Spoon

Notes: King Out, Brown Back

With just two days remaining in spring practice, the injury bug finally appears to be taking its toll on Georgia’s roster.

The Bulldogs had their heftiest contingent of players in green, non-contact jerseys of the spring during Thursday’s practice, with several big names likely to miss Saturday’s G-Day game.

Tailback Caleb King has missed the past four practices, and head coach Mark Richt confirmed Thursday that he would not play in Saturday’s spring game.

Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said he talked to Georgia’s training staff Thursday and was told that King’s knee injury was not severe and nothing that should cause a long-term problem.

“I talked to (trainer) Ron Courson about that and he thinks he’s going to be fine,” Bobo said. “It’s just an issue of some swelling and more precautionary for now.”

Meanwhile, fans aren’t likely to get their first glimpse of last year’s starting running back at his new position on Saturday either. Richard Samuel, who moved from running back to inside linebacker this spring, spent Thursday’s practice session on the sideline, and Richt said Samuel was questionable for Saturday.

Still, defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said Samuel remains in the plans for this fall.

“We’re working to progress Richard Samuel, because he does show up as far as his ability to run and chase and we’re trying to work with him to see if we can find a role for him as we move forward,” Grantham said.

Wide receiver Israel Troupe won’t be ready for G-Day either after suffering a concussion last week, but fellow receiver Marlon Brown did make a return to the practice field on Thursday, ditching his green jersey for the first time in weeks. That’s good news for Georgia’s offense, particularly given the progress Brown appears to have made despite the injury.

“When he was out there, we were definitely pleased with what we saw,” Bobo said. “The last couple days he’s been out there able to run routes, even though he’s been in a green jersey. Marlon’s coming along. He’s smoothing out his ability to run routes, get in and out of cuts. He just looks more fluid.”

NEW D HELPS RECEIVERS

It’s not easy to find ways for A.J. Green to improve his game. The two-time All-SEC receiver has managed to make strides this spring, however, and his position coach says a good bit of that credit can go to new defensive backs coach Scott Lakatos.

“Understanding what the defense is doing, you can’t study that enough,” receivers coach Tony Ball said of Green’s growth. “And especially with all the things he’s seeing right now. The new defensive staff is showing him a lot of variations of coverages and coverage techniques. We’re all really having to learn and grow because of that.”

Ball said the new-look defense has forced the entire offense to rethink some of their fundamentals, and that’s a good thing.

“It forces us as coaches to look at what we’re doing and tweak what we’re doing from a technique perspective, and it forces players to get better at attacking what they see,” Ball said. “It has helped us all, and you expect that when you have change.”

WELCOME BACK, BRUCE

Sitting out all of last season with a medical redshirt, tight end Bruce Figgins couldn’t do much other than help his teammates. In his coach’s eyes, however, that was no small achievement.

“I’ve been very proud of him,” tight ends coach John Lilly said. “Even last year when he redshirted, he would stay after practice and try to help Orson (Charles) and Arthur Lynch. He helped them a tremendous amount.”

Now that Figgins is healthy once again, Lilly said the junior from Columbus is showing he’s ready to make the same kinds of strides he aided his younger teammates in making a year ago.

“He’s in a position where he’s got another light in his eye because now he’s back out there,” Lilly said. “Last year was a difficult year for him, but he’s ready to go back at it again. He’s performed really well this spring in terms of his focus and his enthusiasm about things, and if he can continue that, there’s definitely a place for him in the fall.”

Notes: Update on G-Day Info, Injuries & Rosters

OK, just a quick post-practice run-down today...

Practice notes...

-- Practice was cut short by five plays, according to Mark Richt, thanks to rain and lightning.

-- Aaron Murray said he's looked at each practice as a quiz, the two scrimmages as tests and Saturday will be the final exam for the QBs. Said he's eagerly awaiting news on the depth chart.

-- Dontavius Jackson confirmed he was the "peacemaker" in the taxi cab incident, but said he could not comment further due to the ongoing investigation.

On G-Day...

Mark Richt says the won't run a "vanilla" offensive and defensive scheme on Saturday, but it will be dialed back. Said Richt, "Fans may be expecting this, that and the other, and we might give 'em this and that, but not the other."

There won't be live kickoffs, but there will be live punting. Punts, FGs and PATs won't be rushed by the D though.

They'll play 12-minute quarters, unless Richt changes his mind between now and then.

On injuries...

Chris Davis' hip is bothering him. He may not play G-Day, but it's nothing serious.

Tavarres King and Kris Durham both have minor hand injuries, but both will play.

Abry Jones should practice Friday, but was in green today. Same with Marcus Dowtin.

Caleb King was in green and will not play on G-Day.

Richard Samuel was out of practice Thursday, too. Richt wasn't sure the specific injury, but he said Samuel was doubtful to play Saturday. (And I'm working on finding out what the specific injury was.)

Marlon Brown practiced Thursday and should be 100 percent for G-Day.

-- And finally, the much awaited G-Day rosters...

The black team, which will actually be wearing white, is the first-team D and second-team offense. The red team is the first-team offense and second-team defense.

Richt said all three quarterbacks will rotate between both teams.

(Note: * = player who is hurt and not expected to participate.)

Black Team	Red Team
Branden Smith	Washaun Ealey
Brandon Boykin	Luis Capella
Drew Butler	Caleb King*
Marlon Brown	Zach Mettenberger
Brandon Harton	Logan Gray
Bacarri Rambo	Orson Charles
Sanders Commings	AJ Green
Matt Sweat	Jordan Love
Jakar Hamilton	Aaron Murray
Greg Lanier	Austin Herod
Vance Cuff	Tavarres King
Rhett McGowan	Blake Sailors
Dontavius Jackson	Timothy Boleman
Israel Troupe*	Kris Durham
Carlton Thomas	Josh Murray
Chris Young	Rantavious Wooten
Brandon Bogotay	Richard Samuel*
Kevin Lanier	Jeremy Sulek
Wes Van Dyk	Cameron Allen
Marcus Dowtin	Corey Dunson
Dustin Royston	Alex Parsons
Justin Houston	Makiri Pugh
Charles White	Eric Elliot
Josh Sailors	Quintin Banks
Fred Munzenmaier*	Micah King
Darryl Gamble	Chase Vasser
Akeem Dent	Mike Gilliard
Josh Parrish	Shawn Williams
Demarcus Dobbs	Akeem Hebron
Ben Reynolds	Cortney Newmans
Matt DeGenova	Nick Williams
Dallas Lee	Rickey Lowe
John Bodin	Kyle Brock
Kolton Houston	Chris Grund
Jonathan Owens	Jason Veal
Chris Burnette	Christian Robinson
Ty Frix	Chad Gloer
Kiante Tripp	Jackson Griffeth
Ben Harden	Shaun Chapas
Justin Anderson*	Jeremy Longo*
Taylor Bradberry	Tanner Strickland*
Cornelius Washington	Blair Walsh
Derek Rich*	Clint Boling
Arthur Lynch	Ben Jones
Bruce Figgins	Chris Davis
Abry Jones	AJ Harmon*
Billy Johnson	Cordy Glenn
DeAngelo Tyson	Austin Long*
Jamie Lindley	Trinton Sturdivant*
	Josh Davis
	Aron White
	Derrick Lott
	Nick Franks
	Candler Cook
	Scott Eichler
	Reuben Faloughi
	Brandon Wood
	Trent Dittmer
	Kwame Geathers

Georgia's Houts, Robinson Taken in WNBA Draft

From UGA release...

Ashley Houts and Angel Robinson, teammates and roommates for the Georgia Lady Bulldogs over the past four seasons, enjoyed hearing their names called in the WNBA Draft on Thursday. Well, at least Houts did.

Houts was at a restaurant watching with her parents, Greg and Joni, and brother, Andrew, when she was taken in the second round with the No. 16 overall pick by the New York Liberty.

Four slots later, Robinson was the No. 20 player tabbed by the Los Angeles Sparks.

A fifth-year senior who is pursuing a master's degree in Adult Education, Robinson was working on a paper in a study room in her dorm when she was notified she had been picked, via a text message from Houts.

"I sent her 'congratulations' and she replied 'on what,'" Houts said.

With their selections, a dozen Lady Bulldogs have been chosen in the last 10 editions of the WNBA Draft, including eight first-rounders. Twenty-one Georgia players have gone on to play in the league since its inception in 1997, including eight during the 2009 campaign.

Houts, a 5-6, guard from Trenton, Ga., was a four-year starter for the Lady Bulldogs and also won Gold Medals representing the U.S. at the 2007 U21 World Championships and the 2009 World University Games. She broke the school record for career minutes played and finished No. 14 among Georgia's career scoring leaders with 1,514 points. Houts also ranks No. 3 all-time for the Lady Bulldogs in games played, games started, assists, steals and free throws made.

"I was pretty relieved when they called my name," Houts said. "It's something I've been working for for a long time. To be honest, I don't think it's really hit me yet. To get drafted is great, but what matters the most is to get to training camp. I'm excited about the weeks ahead and looking forward to getting up there, working hard and seeing what I've got to do."

Robinson, a 6-5, forward from Marietta, Ga., became the first Georgia player in two decades to lead the Southeastern Conference in rebounding as a junior. She was a first-team All-SEC pick in the pre-season but was hindered by head and foot injuries during 2009-10. Robinson completed her career ranked No. 25 among the Lady Bulldogs' career scoring leaders with 1,188 points, as well as No. 5 in rebounds and No. 4 in blocked shots.

"I'm very excited," Robinson said. "I'm just enjoying every minute of it. I'm proud for Ashley. My phone has been ringing off the hook. All my friends...If I don't return your call, it's because I have to charge up the battery on my phone. I looking forward to seeing what Ashley and I can do at the professional level. We've learned a lot from Coach Landers during our time at the University of Georgia, and I'm excited about the chance to use that knowledge at the professional level."

Practice Report (4/8)

Practice tidbits from a dreary Thursday afternoon at Butts-Mehre...

-- No G-Day rosters yet, but we're expecting them soon. I'll post that info as soon as I can.

-- Green jersey report for Thursday: Marcus Dowtin, Abry Jones, Chris Davis, Richard Samuel, Israel Troupe, Fred Munzenmaier, Caleb King, Derek Rich and a handful of others.

Don't read too much into the high number of green jerseys though. The weather was rainy, the field was wet, and it was an abbreviated practice to begin with. Good chance everyone is just playing it safe for now.

-- And regarding Caleb -- he still wasn't working with the tailbacks, but instead was doing some light jogging and agility drills along the sideline. At one point as he was jogging, our pal Fletcher Page stepped in front of him while taking some photos. Calab made a quick juke to the left and went around him, showing now signs of problems with the knee. We laughed, and Caleb shot back, "They don't have me in green socks."

-- One notable absence from the green jerseys: Marlon Brown. He returned to a full practice with the wide receivers today and seemed to be earning some rave reviews from Tony Ball. I heard "Alright, Marlon!" "There you go, Marlon" and "Good stance, Marlon" all in about three minutes while I watched the receivers work.

-- And speaking of watching receivers, Mark Richt wasn't doing that today. Nor was he watching the QBs. For the first time all spring, I saw him mingling with the defense a bit while we were out there.

-- Without Caleb practicing, Washaun Ealey was running with the first string RBs, Carlton Thomas No. 2 and Dontavius Jackson looked fully healthy working with the third-stringers.

-- Haven't watched the O line much this spring, but did get to see Stacy Searels chew out Kolton Houston and a walk-on today with a few words not fit for print and a loud, "This is nothing new!"

-- I watched the QBs throw to the RBs for a bit, with Mike Bobo critiquing Mettenberger and Murray to get their throws out in front and leave the RBs with some room to run.

-- And I watched the QBs throw to the receivers. That was hit-and-miss. There were a number of overthrows -- and one nearly overthrow that Wooten soared into the air and pulled down along the sideline.

Part of the problem may have been the wet conditions making it tough to get a good grip on the football. On one play, Aaron Murray took the snap, a three-step drop, then lost the football as he cocked it to throw. That led to Mike Bobo shouting, "Oh, no, the glove! It's the gloved one!"

-- Watching the defense for a while, I had just commented to Dave Van Halanger that there hadn't been many injuries this spring for a change, and as we spoke, Kiante Tripp crumbled to the field after a drill. Turns out it was an eye injury -- probably got poked by a blocker -- and he trotted off the field to get it checked. Didn't look severe in any way though, and I'll be sure to keep my mouth shut during future practices.

-- Didn't watch much of the secondary, but did see Vance Cuff and Branden Smith get a stern talking to about communication. And watched some interior line work in which both Rodney Garner and Todd Grantham were overseeing the drills together. Two things on that: Kwame Geathers looked really good, and Grantham and Garner together are LOUD.

-- One other thing I talked with Van Halanger about: He told me that, since there are so few injuries this year, he's planning to do a full NFL-style combine -- including all the drills they'd be doing in front of NFL scouts theoretically -- with the players about three weeks after spring practice ends. He said it's something he used to do regularly, but they haven't been able to the past few years because so many guys were banged up. According to Van Halanger, the idea met with resounding approval from players.

-- Oh, and how about a practice report from Florida? This is an interesting one.

Thursday Links (4/8)

I wasn't going to post any links today, but then I came across a handful of good stories to link to, and now here we are.

Quick note: Practice begins early today -- around 2 p.m. -- and should be wrapping up by 4 or 4:30, so we'll be on a slightly accelerated schedule.

OK, linkage...

-- An important note about G-Day that I forgot to mention earlier: Remember that the school is doing its annual food drive as well, so please bring a donation.

-- I have a story in today's Telegraph on the circuitous route Jakar Hamilton has taken to become a top prospect at safety for the Bulldogs. He really comes off as a level-headed, good kid. I'm excited to see how he looks in action this year.

-- Our pal Brandon Spoon gets you prepped for G-Day with a great look back at G-Days past. Not sure if you can read a lot into the trend, but the three best years for the offense (2005, 2007 & 2008) were also the three best years in the fall.

-- If you only read one story today about Todd Grantham, make sure it's this one from Tim Tucker at the AJC. It's a great look at the new Georgia DC and how he came to be in Athens.

-- T Kyle King has a new project in the works that should interest any old-school Georgia fan.

-- The Junkyard Blawg writes a good piece on Mark Richt's good works away from the field.

-- Marc Weiszer looks at the changes in how Georgia's coaches are handling recruiting.

-- Chris Low has a post on Darryl Gamble's team-first attitude.

-- This strikes me as the kind of thing Steve Spurrier would say during the spring just to spice things up, but still -- for a team that's being given a ton of preseason credit for returning one of the few established QBs in the SEC, I wouldn't be thrilled if I was a South Carolina fan right now.

-- Bloomberg has an enlightening piece on just how much money schools paid out to coaches they fired in the last year. Sad to see furloughs and layoffs for teachers and yet millions and millions of dollars are going to coaches who couldn't win. But really, should that surprise anyone these days? (h/t GTP)

-- The latest installment from ESPN ombudsman Don Ohlmeyer is just fantastic from start to finish, particularly in its discussion of the Tony Kornheiser suspension and the future of news on the Web. (h/t Jim F)

-- And speaking of ESPN, the lead for Bill Simmons' latest column is fantastic for any "Lost" fans out there. (h/t Schlagdawg)

-- Mad Atoms has a great run-down of potential "Lost" spinoffs, once the show goes off the air. (I know someone sent me this link, but for the life of me I can't remember who. So sorry for the lack of a h/t.)

-- The Boston Globe is back to taking shots at Michael Adams. Man, did he insult Josh Beckett or something?

-- Sad news yesterday: The inventor of box wine died. Enjoy a glass of Franzia chillable red in his honor.

-- You know you've made some bad choices in life when Hugh Hefner has the moral high ground in a story like this.

-- And speaking of bad decisions, Screech has gotten himself into a bit of a pickle. If TV has taught me anything, I'm sure Zack and Slater will find a way to bail him out though.

-- And finally, just when I thought I couldn't hate airlines more... well, I suppose this was inevitable. (Pretty soon, I'm just going to start driving to Birmingham so I can fly Southwest.)

Oh, and if you didn't see my post earlier, you can catch podcats with both myself (HERE) and Fletcher Page (HERE) discussing all the happenings during spring practice to get you prepped for G-Day.

Video Blog: Belin Talks Fundamentals

Two things on this video:

1.) Warren Belin is a guy who knows the difference between using what my mom would call "his inside voice" and "his outside voice."

2.) I'm going to go out on a limb and guess this will be hands down your favorite video of the spring.

So, if your boss doesn't like you watching football videos at work, tell him you think he's just being soft.

And for the record, No. 37 is Akeem Hebron.



*Video courtesy of the great Brandon Spoon, who if he's not the next Steven Spielberg, he's certainly as good as his Mexican equivalent.

(*"Non-union" Mexican equivalent... can't believe I screwed up the quote!)

G-Day Prep on the Web

You know what the problem with this blog is? In addition to all those painful mouse clicks and scrolling, you're also forced to read if you want to find out information. I mean, seriously, this is America, right? We shouldn't be forced to read things!

Sadly, my script for the movie version of Bulldogs Blog hasn't gotten the greenlight yet (despite having the kid from Harry Potter attached to play the role of Fletcher Page), so the best I can do for you is the audio version.

First off, Fletcher checked in with WUOG yesterday for their pre-G-Day podcast, which you can listen to HERE.

And I'm the guest on the leatest edition of the Dawgcast, which you can listen to HERE. (And you can catch previous installments of the Dawgcast HERE.)

Listen. Learn. Libate.

Notes: Belin Brings New Plan to Kickoffs

For most of the past two years, Georgia fans have cringed and crossed their fingers with each kickoff. This season, Warren Belin aims to change all that.

The Bulldogs’ new linebackers coach and kickoff coordinator isn’t giving away any trade secrets just yet, but he said he’s made special teams a priority this spring, and he’s planning to tailor his philosophy on kickoffs to highlight the strengths of the players he has to work with.

“Each week, things are going to change as I look at film and see what the returns we’re facing – those returns may dictate what we do on game day,” Belin said. “So for me to come in as the coach in charge of the kickoff team, I’m just going to use the basic fundamentals and take advantage of our kickers, and use the speed that we have to cover the kicks.”

Sounds simple enough, but for fans frustrated by two years of brutal kick coverage – Georgia ranked 117th nationally in kickoff coverage and lost to LSU due in large part to a botched fourth-quarter kickoff – that simplicity is music to their ears.

Gone will be the philosophy of directional kicking. Belin plans to use kicker Blair Walsh’s strong leg to his advantage. And gone will be the plan to play mostly walk-ons and underused reserves on kick coverage. Belin, a former special teams coordinator at Vanderbilt, wants the best players on the field at all times – including offensive and defensive starters when possible.

“I have a philosophy … of using a guy that does that particular drill or that particular scheme the best, whether he’s a starter or a back up or a young man who’s shown he can develop as a walk-on,” Belin said. “If he’s a guy that can cover and avoid blocks and go make tackles, we need to find a spot for him. I’d love to use all the starters we can, but if those starters aren’t ready to fit that position, I’ll use the next guy who does it the best scheme-wise.”

Of course, part of finding the right players for the job is making special teams a priority, even this spring. Belin said he and tight ends coach John Lilly, who organizes all the special teams meetings, have done their best this spring to make sure the players know that their work on kickoffs and other special teams units are going to be crucial.

“You have to have a third of your practice designed for special teams,” Belin said. “I think Coach Richt, when we come out at the start of practice – and we put it all at the beginning of practice – that’s showing our guys special teams are going to be very, very important.”

HAVE A NICE TRIPP

If there’s one constant in Kiante Tripp’s football career, it’s change. So while his teammates on Georgia’s defense have been busy adjusting to life in Todd Grantham’s new 3-4 scheme, it’s business as usual for Tripp, who spends virtually every spring learning something completely new.

The difference this time, he said, is that this new-look defense seems to be perfectly tailored to fit his skill set.

“Being 290 and being an athlete at the same time, the 3-4 is good because I can use my athleticism in the inside and use my size and power for the run,” Tripp said. “I like the defense because you don’t know what’s going to happen, it confuses the offense, and we’re doing damage out there.”

During his first four seasons at Georgia, Tripp’s versatility and athleticism actually hindered his career, as coaches moved him from the defensive line to the offensive line to tight end and back again, never quite sure where best to utilize his talents. Now, his versatility makes him an asset without having to leave the defensive line.

The majority of his work has been at defensive end when the defense is using three down linemen. In nickel situations when the scheme shifts to the more traditional four-man front, however, Tripp slides inside to tackle. His speed and athleticism matched with his hulking frame allows him to handle both jobs, and his work has impressed head coach Mark Richt.

“Kiante has done well,” Richt said. “He’s moved around a lot, as we know, positionally. Now we know we’ve got him in his final resting place, so to speak. I think he’s embracing it and he’s doing well. He’ll play. He’ll help us.”

BATTLE TESTED

A year ago, Bacarri Rambo was struggling just to earn playing time. Now, he’s embracing the role of veteran leader among Georgia’s safeties.

Rambo finished last season with 25 tackles, two interceptions and five pass breakups, mostly in reserve duty, but he learned a lot along the way from starters Reshad Jones and Bryan Evans.

Although Rambo hasn’t officially locked up a starting job now that Jones and Evans have moved on, he’s spent virtually all of spring practice working with the No. 1 unit, and he’s taken the opportunity to try to provide the same mentorship he enjoyed last year for the group of young safeties working their way up the depth chart this season.

“Last year when I was playing, Reshad and Bryan helped me out,” Rambo said. “It was my first season, and I didn’t know stuff like they knew. Since they taught me, I feel like I can help those other guys out on the field and be a great leader to those guys.”

Wednesday Links (4/7)

I've had appointments all day today, so I'm running behind. But how about just a small batch of links to help wrap up your afternoon?

-- If you didn't see the link earlier, I have a story in today's Telegraph on how UGA's offensive line is hoping to take the next step this season.

-- Marc Weiszer looks at the sudden emergence of Vance Cuff, who Mark Richt called the most impressive cornerback of the spring.

-- Chris Low is predicting bit things for Washaun Ealey in 2010.

-- I highly recommend cruising over to Dawgs View where Ben has taken an in-depth look at this year's Bulldogs going position by position. It's good stuff.

-- Florida may use two quarterbacks this year, if you believe Urban Meyer.

-- It's gone from bad to worse to just plain ugly for the Diamond Dogs.

-- Chicago Now has an extended interview with former Diamond Dog Gordon Beckham.

-- I think I'm finally over the Syracuse loss enough that I can now enjoy this fantastic video from our pal Jay Adams. Plus, who doesn't love an oversized Julie Boeheim head?

-- Good piece in The New York Times on how Conan O'Brien is using the intergoogles to stay in the spotlight despite not staying on the air.

-- And New York Magazine has the intriguing story of how J.D. Salinger's final book was almost published.

-- I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this one: "The Office" is trying to get Amy Ryan to return for another episode.

-- And finally, some "Lost" links...

First, an interview with the actor who plays Jacob.

Second, The Village Voice looks at "Lost" therapy sessions.

And last, I thought last night's episode was by far the best of the season, although I may be bias because Desmond is hands down my favorite character on the show.

Stuff of Legend has some early thoughts at his blog.

I think this episode showed how sorely Desmond's character has been missed. He provides something to the show -- both in terms of human emotion and in advancing the more advanced aspects of the plot -- that no other character does.

I'm also thrilled that we finally have some understanding of the flash sideways timeline -- even if it did seem to come a bit suddenly. Daniel's explanation came off as particularly didactic rather than a natural progression of the plot. But hey, it's what I've been waiting all season for, so who am I to complain about minor details?

Plus... who can argue with having Charlie back? And next week looks like we're going to see even more of our favorite dearly departed characters in a Hurley-centric episode that I'm hoping finally gives us some closure on the whole Libby in the psych ward loose end.

All in all, a great episode, brutha.

More Glass Half Full From Grantham

I wrote last week about a few reasons to be encouraged by how quickly the new staff has addressed many of the primary concerns fans had last year. For what it's worth, here are a couple more that jumped out at me from Tuesday's interviews with Todd Grantham.

Both of these quotes came from our discussion of Darryl Gamble's move to outside linebacker, but I think they both illustrate big changes in terms of philosophy on the defensive side of the ball.

ISSUE: Receivers could cruise downfield uncovered far too often.

This sounds counterintuitive, but part of the Georgia coverage schemes in years past included allowing certain receivers to go uncovered in order to cover a specific side of the field. The idea was that if the pressure was good up front, it could push a play to one side of the field, and Georgia's coverage there would be strong.

What happened too often last season, however, was that the uncovered receiver would find his way into the end zone with the football in his hands. The sheer number of wide open receptions last year was enough to make fans toss a warm Coors Lite through their new flat screen.

So, a throw-away line in Grantham's response to a question I asked about how well seniors Akeem Dent and Darryl Gamble have been able to help train the younger players should come as some very good news.

“Everybody’s a rookie, everybody’s a freshman," Grantham said. "Everything’s new. Terminology is new, understanding splits of receivers means something, rerouting means something. We don’t want to have a free access defense where we let receivers run free into our defense. That’s new for them. Run-fits are new. Everything’s new. But what helps those guys is, because they’ve played, they kind of have a feel for, if this guy’s here, I need to be here. But really, everyone’s a freshman, but those guys have done a good job of learning the system and they’ve done a good job of adapting. They’ve got to continue to do that and help the younger guys come through.”

(*Update: I should clarify a bit, since this seems to have boiled a few fans' blood... the "free receiver" defense isn't entirely uncommon, and it's used situationally -- both at UGA and elsewhere. It relies heavily on the pressure up front though, and that's where things often fell apart in years past. Much like the directional kicking, it's not that the philosophy itself is completely flawed, it's that the execution didn't work repeatedly, yet the philosophy didn't really change. Regardless, Georgia won't employ directional kicking or free access defense this season, so things are looking up.)

ISSUE: The best players didn't always play.

Bryan Evans is a good kid, a good leader and a hard worker. But he wasn't as good a player last year as Bacarri Rambo, and yet that didn't matter. Evans was the senior leader, so he continued to be the starter.

This year?

Well, here's what Grantham had to say about how much Gamble might play at OLB this season:

“It’s very possible he could stay out there based upon how he plays this week and how the guys inside play," Grantham said. "Our whole deal is, I believe it’s a production deal and the guys who produce and make plays and give us a chance to win are the guys we’re going to put on the field. To do that, sometimes you have to move guys around to various spots to see what they can do and see what your best combinations are. We’re going to play the best players come September.”

Now on that front, I'll admit that Willie Martinez & Co. often gave lip service to the same philosophy, even if that didn't play out during the season. But hearing Grantham's opinions on playing time -- and he's made clear from Day 1 that he'll be giving all players a fair evaluation -- I'm inclined to think he's being honest when he says this.

Again, the news always seems positive in the spring, and the defense still has a long way to go, but comments like these should at least give some cause for optimism.

G-Day Details

University of Georgia football fans will get their first glimpse of the 2010 edition of the Bulldogs on Saturday, April 10 in Sanford Stadium as the Red squad competes against the Black squad at the annual G-Day game set to kickoff at 2:05 p.m. The game will be televised live by CSS.

“I think it's a great celebration of Georgia football and the University of Georgia,” head coach Mark Richt said of G-day. “It's great for our fans to get a chance to see our guys and see how far they've progressed throughout the spring.”

The G-Day festivities will begin at noon with an alumni flag football game. Approximately 80 Georgia football letterwinners spanning six decades will take part in the light-hearted competition. Some notables on the roster include previous NFL players Scott Adams, Ray Donaldson, Randall Godfrey, Spike Jones, Larry Rakestraw, Paul Snellings and Kirk Warner.

Due to the construction of Reed Plaza, certain sections of Sanford Stadium will be not open for seating. The north side of the stadium from sections 01 through 13 will be closed in the 100, 200, 300 and 600 levels. Seating is prohibited in these areas for safety reasons. The entrance gates on this side of Sanford Stadium will also be closed. The University of Georgia Athletic association urges fans to abide by these guidelines. The gates that will be utilized for the public are the main gate under the Sanford Drive bridge as well as gates 1, 6, 7, 7a, 8, 9 and 10.

Admission to the game is free and Sanford Stadium gates will open at 11:30 a.m. Along with television coverage by CSS, the game will air on the Georgia Bulldog Radio Network, with AM 960 The Ref in Athens, WSB AM 750 and other affiliates statewide carrying the broadcast. The game will also be available on satellite radio via Sirius channel 122 and XM channel 43.

Video Blog: Walsh Talks Special Teams

Kicker Blair Walsh talks about his motivations for 2010, the competition he still gets from Brandon Bogotay and how his special teams brethren have been left without a home, now that two of the practice fields have been overtaken by the Butts-Mehre expansion.



*Video courtesy of Brandon Spoon

Notes: Dawgs Continue to Support Robinson

(Note: Check out my feature story in today's Telegraph on Mike Bobo's hope that Georgia's O line will go from good to dominant.)

Dismissed Georgia linebacker Montez Robinson will spend a few more days in jail after a Tuesday bond hearing, but he has already received visits and support from his former coaches.

Head coach Mark Richt said he visited Robinson in the Athens Clarke County Jail and said the linebacker was struggling with the situation.

“He’s just hurting. He’s suffering right now,” Richt said. “But we’re helping him understand that he can still have a bright future if from this point forward he does what he’s supposed to do, what he needs to do.”

Robinson’s arrest was his third in the past six months – all involving domestic disputes with a female student at Georgia – and he was already serving a two-game suspension set to begin with the Bulldogs’ opener in September.

The most recent arrest, however, was the final straw with the university, and it also violated the terms of probation following his previous arrests. The latter means Robinson will spend at least a few more days in jail, according to the Athens Banner-Herald, as a judge considers how to handle punishment for the probation violation.

Tuesday, Athens-Clarke Chief Magistrate Judge Patricia Barron set Robinson’s bail on the latest charge at $10,000.

“There’s some things I was expecting (from Robinson), there’s some things the Association was expecting, there’s some things the university was expecting, and the law for that matter,” Richt said. “And he wasn’t able to live up to that. That’s why he is where he is now.”

Defensive line coach Rodney Garner, who helped recruit Robinson out of Avon, Ind., also visited his former player in jail and imparted some positive words. But the optimistic slant on things was hardly enough to overcome Garner’s disappointment in Robinson’s inability to stay out of trouble. Robinson had spent the majority of his life in group homes and foster care, and Garner said this latest transgression was a blow to both the player and his family.

“I’m disappointed that we weren’t able to save him,” Garner said. “Me knowing personally where this kid came from, his background, how important it was for him to make it – not just for him, but for all those siblings – to see him go off and have a chance to go off and change the course of what they’ve known their whole lives – it’s disappointing.”

Despite the incidents, Robinson’s teammates remained in his corner.

“Montez is a good guy,” fellow linebacker Reuben Faloughi said. “Situations happen like that all the time, and we’re all praying for him. I think all is going to be all right with Montez. He’s going to be a good player somewhere, and we’re just all keeping him in our prayers.”

More from Garner on his message to Robinson: "I told him I wanted him to stay positive and I wanted him to know that this is a hurdle he’s got to clear, but he can still be positive, he can still achieve his goals, his dreams, and that’s still out there. He’s got to deal with this, he’s got to move forward, and he’s got to learn from it.”

And see all of Richt's comments on the situation HERE.

BETTING ON GAMBLE

With Robinson gone, the on-field repercussions were immediate for the Bulldogs.

Senior Darryl Gamble moved from inside to outside linebacker Tuesday, helping to add some depth to the position that was down to just three scholarship players after Robinson’s dismissal.

As it turned out, however, defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said the move had been planned even before Robinson’s dismissal.

“This was in the works,” Grantham said. “It’s just the way it’s kind of unfolded, but we were actually going to move Darryl to outside backer this week so now he can play outside and inside for us. With the situation that just came up, it’s obviously a natural fit now.”

Grantham said Gamble looked sharp during his first day of practice at the new position, and Richt said it was a move the senior seemed happy with.

“I saw Darryl during practice and asked him how he liked it,” Richt said. “He had a big smile on his face. I think he really liked it. I think that was a good change for him.”

During spring practice last season, Gamble played at outside linebacker and rush end after a series of injuries left Georgia’s defensive ends depleted. That gave him a leg up in this transition, and Richt said he thinks there’s a good chance the move will be permanent.

Even with Gamble’s move, however, Richt admits the Bulldogs will be particularly thin at outside linebacker moving forward. That means several of the incoming freshmen scheduled to arrive in June are likely to play immediately, and Richt is already making the sales pitch for future linebackers to move Georgia up their list of potential college choices.

“If you’re a recruit, and you want to play outside linebacker in a hurry, sign up,” Richt said. “We need help.”

A few more quotes on Gamble's move:

Grantham on the timetable for Gamble at Sam and Reuben Faloughi playing Will…
“We’ll be like that for this week, and once we get through this week, we’ll kind of re-evaluate it and see where guys need to be in the fall.”

Grantham on Gamble's strengths at OLB...
“He’s strong at the point. He does have some stoutness. He understands the coverage aspect pretty good because, being the Mike, he understands the inside aspect of it pretty good, where as the Sam is the outside half. So he has a feel for where guys need to be, he understands the terminology and the call, and that transition for him was pretty easy. I thought he did a good job today, I thought he made some plays. I thought it was a good first day.”

Richt on the impetus of the Gamble move...
“I mentioned to Coach Grantham and the defensive staff that I really believed Darryl could do it. He can play Mike, he can play Sam, so I think all spring long, Coach Grantham had the intention of moving him. But if he didn’t have that plan, that probably would have had to be the plan by necessity because of Montez’s situation.”

Richt on the incoming freshmen playing at OLB...
“Somebody’s got to play, so sometimes, ready or not, you play. One of them’s going to be most ready. Another will be next most ready. That’s just how we’re going to peck ‘em.”

KING STILL SITTING OUT

Tailback Caleb King missed his third straight practice Tuesday with a knee injury, and Richt said his prospects of playing in Saturday’s spring game were still up in the air.

“If we thought it felt good enough to go, he’d go, and it just doesn’t feel good enough yet,” Richt said. “He’s not able to go full speed, cut full speed. You don’t want to put him out there wounded. But we’re still hopeful he’ll be able to play in the spring game.”

Tailback Dontavius Jackson returned to work after missing several practices, while Washaun Ealey was “closer to 100 percent” Tuesday after experiencing some knee soreness during last week’s scrimmage.

Wide receiver Marlon Brown practiced in a green non-contact jersey Tuesday, and fellow receiver Israel Troupe was sidelined with a concussion that Richt said was likely to keep him out of the spring game.

(*Note: I mentioned Troupe wearing sunglasses in my practice notes yesterday. Obviously, that was due to his concussion symptoms... so no need to lock him in a closet, Coach Leach.)

SCRIMMAGE REDUX

Last Saturday's scrimmage was an overall win for the offense, but by Tuesday, the defensive side had enough to feel good about that it couldn't be called a complete loss.

Mark Richt on the overall performance…
“Offense really had a pretty good day. Defense didn’t have as much success as they’d had during the mid-week, although they made some big plays at the tail end of some drives that were really impressive. The defense won the short-yardage drill at the end of practice.”

Todd Grantham on his thoughts on the D's performance…
“Everybody was pretty much on the same page coming in, so he was pretty much right with everybody. He’s picked up on the speed a little more, he’s been in the film room, knows what to expect from receivers routes. He’s pretty much the same as everybody else in doing the things everybody expects him to do.”

Brandon Boykin on how he felt the D played...
“There was good plays, and I think there were plays we need to improve upon. We’ve got to work to be consistent. I think there has been some progress, and I’m pleased with their effort. I’m pleased with the way things go, but at the same time, we’re not where we want to be as a football team. So right now, guys need to make plays for us, and then we’ll feel better.”

EXTRA POINTS

-- Richt said that he's not trying to deliberately conceal the name of the one player involved in the taxi situation, but he said he didn't want to release any information that might inadvertently impede the ongoing police investigation.

Still, Richt didn't avoid comment on the player. "The bottom line was the only thing he did was to try to make a bad situation better. He didn't do anything that was -- when you talk about what happened in the cab, he did nothing but what I would hope our guys would do, try to diffuse the situation."

-- Richt on Tuesday's practice: "Today was about what I thought it would be. It was one of our longer practices, it was by far the hottest practice. I knew it was going to be a grind, I knew it was going to be tough physically and mentally to push through, and I thought they did a pretty good job considering all those things. It was not the most crisp of all the practices, but considering the heat, I think they did pretty good. They pushed, and I think when we watch the film, we'll probably like it more than when we observed it."

-- Richt on Vance Cuff: "He's playing with the most confidence by far since he's been at Georgia. … He's really taken well to Coach Lakatos' style and he's really done a lot of great things. I think he's played the best of the corners this spring."

(*Note: Marc Weiszer has more details on Cuff's emergence.)

-- Two more practices remain before G-Day, with Thursday's practice in shells and Friday's practice -- which is closed to media completely without post-practice interviews -- in shorts.

Richt on Robinson, Taxi Controversies

Richt on the Montez Robinson situation:

On the decision to dismiss Robinson...
“Montez had some things he knew he had to do, disciplinary-wise. Then there were some things he knew he couldn’t do if he wanted to stay. There’s some things I was expecting, there’s some things the Association was expecting, there’s some things the university was expecting, and the law for that matter. And he wasn’t able to live up to that. That’s why he is where he is now.”

On his feelings about what happened...
“I’ll say this about Montez – I really love that kid. I really do care very much about all the guys at Georgia, whether they’re on scholarship or a walk-on or whatever it may be. And when we sign a kid at Georgia and he becomes one of ours, I feel like it’s my responsibility to help him grow up into a man, and hopefully realize all his dreams athletically and academically, too. I take it seriously trying to help these guys make it in life. Some guys have farther to go than others, and if a guy makes a mistake or even a couple, you try like mad to find a way to keep them in the fold and hope that they can learn from it and become better for it in the end. But there are times when a guy does enough where he’s lost the privilege to play for Georgia, which is where Montez is at right now. But do we still care about him? Yes. Do we still want to make sure he lands somewhere where he can continue on and finish strong? If we remember Michael Lemon’s situation, Michael went through some things, and he got to the point where he couldn’t stay at Georgia. But we helped him get into junior college at Georgia Military College and he did a good job there. I’m thankful that Coach Bert Williams gave him a chance and when he left there, he was able to say this kid deserves another opportunity. I’m very thankful for Coach O’Brien to take a chance, because he had to stick his neck out a little bit to get him in there at NC State. But from what I hear, the kid is doing fantastic, and he’s got a chance to realize all the dreams he had. Even though he’s not here, we think about him and we want him to succeed, and we feel the same way about Montez.”

On his visit with Robinson in prison...
“He’s just hurting. He’s suffering right now. But we’re helping him understand that he can still have a bright future if from this point forward he does what he’s supposed to do, what he needs to do. He still has the goal of getting an education. He still has the goal of playing college football. And so I don’t think he’s been robbed of that opportunity. It’s just not going to be at Georgia. But he loved it at Georgia.”

Richt on the taxi situation:

On the eventual outcome...
“I’m just glad that it all came out and that none of our guys were a problem. The only gentleman involved in it was a peacemaker. The thing that’s hard to take is just all the time and speculation and everybody just assuming it was our guys and assuming they would do these things.”

On any feelings of vindication...
“I just hope that as much time as everybody spent reporting that, I hope they spend as much time reporting that it was not our guys, and if anything, somebody was trying to help out some people that needed help. But I just learned that’s part of the way things are.”

Practice Report (4/6)

Some quick notes from practice...

First off, it's hot. Really hot. I don't envy those guys sprinting around in full pads.

Secondly, Darryl Gamble was working out with the outside linebackers today. Gamble told me at the beginning of the spring that he thought he might work there on occasion, mostly because he didn't want to ever have to come out of the game. This is the first time I've seen him practicing with the OLBs though.

I could see Gamble being fairly successful there. Remember, he worked off the edge as a stand-up rusher at DE for much of spring practice last year when Georgia was so thin at the position due to injuries. Obviously the depth problems are a result of the Montez Robinson situation this time around.

As for the OLBs, here's the full list of players working at the position today: Justin Houston, Cornelius Washington, Darryl Gamble, Chase Vasser and Reuben Faloughi.

And one more OLB note -- TJ Stripling was at practice today for a bit. (As were a handful of other recruits whom I wouldn't possibly recognize if they were wearing name tags… which they were.)

Other news...

Caleb King was not practicing again today. He was in green and doing a few light workouts away from the field. I'll ask more of Richt later today, but don't be surprised if they play this one cautiously. No need to exacerbate an injury for a player who you already know enough about.

Other players in green: Fred Munzenmaier and Marlon Brown were still in green, but both were going through all the early drills. Trinton Sturdivant was jogging laps around the field and he doesn't seem to be limping at all. Israel Troupe was hanging out with the wideouts, but he was in green and not running drills. He was rocking sunglasses and looked like he should be on a magazine cover.

Blair Walsh was complaining a bit last week about the lack of practice space for the special teamers this spring due to the construction at Butts-Mehre. Today he was sneaking a few kicks in anyway while the DBs were practicing along the sideline.

Mark Richt spent his time shuffling back and forth between the wideouts and quarterbacks.

Enjoyed watching some drills with the safeties toward the end of our time on the field. The players were all on the ground in almost a push-up position, and GA Todd Hartley would go down the line trying to knock them to the ground, while the players tried to hold their footing.

At one point, Scott Lakatos came over to correct Jakar Hamilton and Bacarri Rambo on their efforts, asking, "How many plays are you going to make if you're on the ground? That's right… none!"

I'll have more notes after practice is over.

Video Blog: Orson and The Hitman

Check out Jakar Hamitlon talking about the origins of his nickname "The Hitman" and Orson Charles discussing life with three quarterbacks...



*Video courtesy of Brandon Spoon