From UGA release...
Georgia juniors A.J. Green, Drew Butler and Blair Walsh have all been named to Lindy’s preseason All-American teams.
Green, a flanker from Summerville, S.C., is on the All-America Offensive First Team while Butler, a punter from Duluth, is on the All-America Defensive First Team. Walsh, a placekicker from Boca Raton, Fla., is listed on the All-America Offensive Second Team.
There are a total of 11 players from the Southeastern Conference on Lindy’s All-America teams. While Georgia has a trio of players, Alabama leads the league with four.
Lindy’s also has the Bulldogs at 21st in the preseason poll. Five teams from the SEC are listed in the publication’s top-25 poll.
Green was a semifinalist for last year’s Biletnikoff after earning All-SEC First Team honors. In just 10 games in 2009, Green hauled in a team-leading 53 catches for 808 yards and six touchdowns. He ranked second in the league in both receptions per game (5.3) and receiving yards per game (80.8). Green also blocked a field goal against Arizona State last season to help clinch the Bulldogs’ win.
Butler won the 2009 Ray Guy Award for being the nation’s top punter. The consensus First Team All-American posted a national-best 48.1 yards per punt average, becoming only the third Bulldog in school history to lead the NCAA in punting. In just his first season as a starter, Butler had 24 punts of 50 yards or more, including a career-long 75 yarder versus #9 Oklahoma State.
Walsh finished as one of three finalists for last year’s Lou Groza Award, which is given to the nation’s top placekicker. Highlighted by a 37-yard game winner against Arizona State, Walsh drilled 20 of 22 field goal attempts (90.9 percent, No. 2 in school history for field goal accuracy in a single season) in 2009. He connected on 11 of 12 kicks from 40 yards or longer and had a career-long field goal of 53 yards versus #9 Oklahoma State. Walsh is also 92-for-92 in PATs for his career.
Showing posts with label Blair Walsh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blair Walsh. Show all posts
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
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
*Video courtesy of Brandon Spoon
Friday, April 2, 2010
Kicking It Old School
I think we pretty well established what a disaster the kickoff situation was at Georgia for the past two years under Jon Fabris. If you're unclear, read this.
And amid all the problems -- from the LSU debacle last year to the out-of-bounds kickoffs in '08 to Mark Richt promising to go to Poland to find someone who could do the job -- the man who was actually doing the job wasn't allowed to talk about it.
But among the many reasons fans are going to love Warren Belin -- who replaced Fabris as kickoff coach this year -- is that the muzzle is finally off Georgia's kicker, who shared some wisdom on the situation with us Thursday. Here's what Blair Walsh had to say...
On working with Belin so far...
“He’s a great guy. He’s real positive about stuff and when you hit a good kick, he’ll let us know we hit a good kick. He’ll let us know when we hit a bad one, but he’s not very high on the whole negative thing. He’s a good guy, and I like his philosophy and what he wants us to do.”
On the directional kicking...
“It’s not like it was here the past two years directional-wise. It’s a lot more use of my talent I would say. I was fine doing what they wanted me to do. I’m a team player, and I can go along with it. But it’s a lot more use of my talent, and I’m happy about it. I don’t feel like there’s a restraint on me anymore. Without giving too much away, it’s different.”
On improving the kick coverage...
“From what little I know about football, I know we’re going down there and trying to bust helmets up. We’re literally just trying to beat the guy in front of us and go get the guy. It’s not a lot of schemes. It’s a lot of old-school football involved in our kickoff coverage. I know (Belin) doesn’t like me to talk too much about what we’re doing exactly, but as much as I can tell you, the best hint your going to get is that you’re going to see a lot of guys hustle, a lot of fast stuff.”
On his goal for touchbacks...
“I think I had 17 last year, and I sort of figured out that with the new philosophy, I’m thinking about 25, I’m hoping. It just depends on how things go and staying healthy throughout the season.”
So… music to your ears or what?
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Notes: Richt Mum on Taxi Incident
What seemed like an April Fool’s joke turned out to be no laughing matter, and Georgia coach Mark Richt is still working to get to the bottom of a story that several of his players made threats to a couple in a cab in Athens last week.
The Red & Black reported that four men physically and verbally assaulted a couple in a taxi on March 29 and the victims believed the men were Georgia football players.
That was the extent of the report as of Thursday evening, Richt said, and he was in the dark about further details.
“Right now, it’s speculation,” he said. “We don’t really know anything for sure. I’m aware of the report, and we’ll just wait and see what’s going to happen from here. I don’t want to over- or under-react at this point.”
The police report said that the four men harassed the couple and slapped the victims multiple times while making suggestive sexual remarks.
Richt said he is working to get more information, but he said he only learned of the incident moments before practice began and had not had a chance to discuss it with the team.
“I had (the story) stuck in front of my face real quick right as I was walking on the field, and I really wasn’t aware of it.,” he said. “I don’t even know enough about it to answer that question.”
(NOTE: More from Marc Wiezser on the incident.)
THE RIGHT DIRECTION
Georgia’s kickoff philosophy was one of the most talked-about issues of the year last season, but kicker Blair Walsh said that should change in 2010.
Under former coach Jon Fabris, Georgia routinely employed a directional kicking philosophy in which the kicker aims his kickoffs to a specific spot on the field. In the past two years, however, Walsh had trouble keeping those kickoffs in bounds and Georgia ranked 117th in the nation last season, allowing nearly 26 yards per return on kickoffs.
This spring, Fabris is gone, and new coach Warren Belin has taken the restraints off of Walsh and will let him boot a few more long ones. Walsh led the SEC with 17 touchbacks last year.
“It’s not like it was here the past two years directional-wise,” Walsh said. “It’s a lot more use of my talent I would say. I was fine doing what they wanted me to do. I’m a team player, and I can go along with it. But it’s a lot more use of my talent, and I’m happy about it. I don’t feel like there’s a restraint on me anymore. Without giving too much away, it’s different.”
KING SITS OUT
Tailback Caleb King did not participate in Thursday’s practice due to a combination of an illness and a sore knee.
Richt said King hurt the knee in high school and occasionally has problems with swelling and soreness. Those symptoms returned after Tuesday’s practice, but Richt was still hopeful that King could participate Thursday. Instead, the tailback was further hindered by nausea Thursday morning and sat out the day’s workouts as a precaution.
“It wasn’t like there was some kind of incident that happened on the field that made it happen,” Richt said of the knee injury. “It just got a little irritated.”
Richt said the injury was “nothing serious” and called it a sprain. He said the team was hopeful that King would be able to participate fully in Saturday’s scrimmage.
WORKING OVERTIME
Outside linebacker Justin Houston dripped sweat and staggered to do an interview in front of a camera following practice. Safety Jakar Hamilton said he was holding back vomit. Nick Williams doubted he’d be able to eat when he got home because he was too tired.
The reason for such post-practice anguish was a grueling bit of discipline done by the team before they left the field Thursday. A rash of penalties during practice meant the entire team had to roll 200 yards – up the field and back – before wrapping up the hottest day of practice so far this spring.
Williams said the rolling may actually have been a bit better than being forced to run, but by the looks of his teammates, they hardly caught a break. But Williams wasn’t complaining. He said he understands the need for the punishment.
“It was high energy (at practice), but we just had a lot of penalties,” he said. “That’s something we’ve got to fix. We were a penalized team last year, so that’s something we’re working on. And hopefully this year it won’t be a burden on why we may or may not win games.”
EXTRA POINTS
Richt said he cut practice about 25 minutes short Thursday, due in part to the high temperatures – which reached into the mid-80s – and in part to ensure a strong showing at Saturday’s scrimmage.
“I wanted them to be really fresh and excited about scrimmaging because it’s really the last scrimmage where we can do all the things we want to do schematically,” Richt said. “This Saturday is really the last big test with all the stuff we’ve installed.”
Because the team’s final scrimmage on G-Day is open to the public, Richt said the team will employ a more vanilla scheme then, making Saturday’s work crucial because it will be the final time coaches can see the team execute everything that has been installed this spring.
On the injury front, linebackers Marcus Dowtin and Chase Vasser were among a small group of players who missed practice with injuries. Receiver Marlon Brown was in a green non-contact jersey but participated in most of the team’s workouts.
The Red & Black reported that four men physically and verbally assaulted a couple in a taxi on March 29 and the victims believed the men were Georgia football players.
That was the extent of the report as of Thursday evening, Richt said, and he was in the dark about further details.
“Right now, it’s speculation,” he said. “We don’t really know anything for sure. I’m aware of the report, and we’ll just wait and see what’s going to happen from here. I don’t want to over- or under-react at this point.”
The police report said that the four men harassed the couple and slapped the victims multiple times while making suggestive sexual remarks.
Richt said he is working to get more information, but he said he only learned of the incident moments before practice began and had not had a chance to discuss it with the team.
“I had (the story) stuck in front of my face real quick right as I was walking on the field, and I really wasn’t aware of it.,” he said. “I don’t even know enough about it to answer that question.”
(NOTE: More from Marc Wiezser on the incident.)
THE RIGHT DIRECTION
Georgia’s kickoff philosophy was one of the most talked-about issues of the year last season, but kicker Blair Walsh said that should change in 2010.
Under former coach Jon Fabris, Georgia routinely employed a directional kicking philosophy in which the kicker aims his kickoffs to a specific spot on the field. In the past two years, however, Walsh had trouble keeping those kickoffs in bounds and Georgia ranked 117th in the nation last season, allowing nearly 26 yards per return on kickoffs.
This spring, Fabris is gone, and new coach Warren Belin has taken the restraints off of Walsh and will let him boot a few more long ones. Walsh led the SEC with 17 touchbacks last year.
“It’s not like it was here the past two years directional-wise,” Walsh said. “It’s a lot more use of my talent I would say. I was fine doing what they wanted me to do. I’m a team player, and I can go along with it. But it’s a lot more use of my talent, and I’m happy about it. I don’t feel like there’s a restraint on me anymore. Without giving too much away, it’s different.”
KING SITS OUT
Tailback Caleb King did not participate in Thursday’s practice due to a combination of an illness and a sore knee.
Richt said King hurt the knee in high school and occasionally has problems with swelling and soreness. Those symptoms returned after Tuesday’s practice, but Richt was still hopeful that King could participate Thursday. Instead, the tailback was further hindered by nausea Thursday morning and sat out the day’s workouts as a precaution.
“It wasn’t like there was some kind of incident that happened on the field that made it happen,” Richt said of the knee injury. “It just got a little irritated.”
Richt said the injury was “nothing serious” and called it a sprain. He said the team was hopeful that King would be able to participate fully in Saturday’s scrimmage.
WORKING OVERTIME
Outside linebacker Justin Houston dripped sweat and staggered to do an interview in front of a camera following practice. Safety Jakar Hamilton said he was holding back vomit. Nick Williams doubted he’d be able to eat when he got home because he was too tired.
The reason for such post-practice anguish was a grueling bit of discipline done by the team before they left the field Thursday. A rash of penalties during practice meant the entire team had to roll 200 yards – up the field and back – before wrapping up the hottest day of practice so far this spring.
Williams said the rolling may actually have been a bit better than being forced to run, but by the looks of his teammates, they hardly caught a break. But Williams wasn’t complaining. He said he understands the need for the punishment.
“It was high energy (at practice), but we just had a lot of penalties,” he said. “That’s something we’ve got to fix. We were a penalized team last year, so that’s something we’re working on. And hopefully this year it won’t be a burden on why we may or may not win games.”
EXTRA POINTS
Richt said he cut practice about 25 minutes short Thursday, due in part to the high temperatures – which reached into the mid-80s – and in part to ensure a strong showing at Saturday’s scrimmage.
“I wanted them to be really fresh and excited about scrimmaging because it’s really the last scrimmage where we can do all the things we want to do schematically,” Richt said. “This Saturday is really the last big test with all the stuff we’ve installed.”
Because the team’s final scrimmage on G-Day is open to the public, Richt said the team will employ a more vanilla scheme then, making Saturday’s work crucial because it will be the final time coaches can see the team execute everything that has been installed this spring.
On the injury front, linebackers Marcus Dowtin and Chase Vasser were among a small group of players who missed practice with injuries. Receiver Marlon Brown was in a green non-contact jersey but participated in most of the team’s workouts.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Making Special Teams Special Again
Georgia’s special teams responsibilities have been officially divvied out among the assistant coaches.
Wide receivers coach Tony Ball will handle kickoff returns and tight ends coach John Lilly will be in charge of punting and punt coverage, just as they were last year. The Bulldogs led the nation in punting in 2009 and kick returner Brandon Boykin scored three touchdowns on returns.
The shakeups occur in the units formerly coached by dismissed defensive ends coach Jon Fabris.
Punt return duties will fall to second-year running backs coach Bryan McClendon, who returned punts and kicks for the Bulldogs as a player in 2003 and 2004.
Lilly will handle overall special teams coordination, setting up meetings and practice times, Richt said, but will not hold the title of special teams coordinator
The most notable change, however, comes on the much maligned kickoff coverage team, which will now be headed up by Warren Belin, who coached that unit for eight seasons at Vanderbilt. If last season tells us anything, this should be one of the biggest steps forward for Georgia in 2010.
To wit…
Last season, Vandy ranked second in the SEC in kick coverage and 29th nationally, allowing an average of 20.2 yards per return.
Georgia ranked last in the SEC and 117th nationally in kick coverage nationally, allowing an average of 25.71 yards per return.
How much of a difference was that really?
Vandy allowed 550 fewer kick return yards than Georgia for the season, and at five yards per kick, it probably made a difference of 20 to 25 yards of field position per game, which is hardly insignificant.
Of course, the other important thing to remember is -- Vandy was doing it with worse players.
I won't get into the coverage unit itself, since it should be fairly obvious that the backups at UGA should be every bit as skilled athletically as the starters for Vandy. There's absolutely no question that Georgia should be able to cover kicks as well as Belin's old squad.
But let's look at the kickers.
Vandy finished second in the SEC in coverage despite the fact that their kicker -- Ryan Fowler -- had just three touchbacks all season.
Georgia finished last in woeful fashion, despite the fact that its kicker -- Blair Walsh -- was a Groza finalist and led the SEC with 17 touchbacks.
So to be clear, Walsh had fourteen more kickoffs than Fowler in which the opposition wasn't able to return the kick, and Georgia still allowed an average of five more yards per kickoff return for the season.
Wide receivers coach Tony Ball will handle kickoff returns and tight ends coach John Lilly will be in charge of punting and punt coverage, just as they were last year. The Bulldogs led the nation in punting in 2009 and kick returner Brandon Boykin scored three touchdowns on returns.
The shakeups occur in the units formerly coached by dismissed defensive ends coach Jon Fabris.
Punt return duties will fall to second-year running backs coach Bryan McClendon, who returned punts and kicks for the Bulldogs as a player in 2003 and 2004.
Lilly will handle overall special teams coordination, setting up meetings and practice times, Richt said, but will not hold the title of special teams coordinator
The most notable change, however, comes on the much maligned kickoff coverage team, which will now be headed up by Warren Belin, who coached that unit for eight seasons at Vanderbilt. If last season tells us anything, this should be one of the biggest steps forward for Georgia in 2010.
To wit…
Last season, Vandy ranked second in the SEC in kick coverage and 29th nationally, allowing an average of 20.2 yards per return.
Georgia ranked last in the SEC and 117th nationally in kick coverage nationally, allowing an average of 25.71 yards per return.
How much of a difference was that really?
Vandy allowed 550 fewer kick return yards than Georgia for the season, and at five yards per kick, it probably made a difference of 20 to 25 yards of field position per game, which is hardly insignificant.
Of course, the other important thing to remember is -- Vandy was doing it with worse players.
I won't get into the coverage unit itself, since it should be fairly obvious that the backups at UGA should be every bit as skilled athletically as the starters for Vandy. There's absolutely no question that Georgia should be able to cover kicks as well as Belin's old squad.
But let's look at the kickers.
Vandy finished second in the SEC in coverage despite the fact that their kicker -- Ryan Fowler -- had just three touchbacks all season.
Georgia finished last in woeful fashion, despite the fact that its kicker -- Blair Walsh -- was a Groza finalist and led the SEC with 17 touchbacks.
So to be clear, Walsh had fourteen more kickoffs than Fowler in which the opposition wasn't able to return the kick, and Georgia still allowed an average of five more yards per kickoff return for the season.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Practice Notes: Walsh, Butler Earn National Recognition
The only thing better for Blair Walsh and Drew Butler than wrapping up their seasons with national awards would be doing it together.
They’ll get a chance to do just that next month, as Butler was named a finalist for the Ray Guy Award, given annually to the nation’s top punter, and Walsh earned a nod as a finalist for the Lou Groza Award for the country’s best kicker.
“If that’s what happens, that would be awesome,” said Butler, who is leading the nation in punting average in his first year as a starter for Georgia. “(Walsh) is definitely worthy of a trophy like that, and if that’s in the cards, I think it shows we’ve both done what we were asked to do on a consistent basis.”
Butler is averaging 48.8 yards on 50 punts this season and has been one of the Bulldogs’ most consistent performers all season. He’ll join Michigan senior Zoltan Mesko and Florida junior Chas Henry in Orlando on Dec. 10 for the award presentation.
Walsh will be there with Butler, competing against Alabama’s Leigh Tiffin and UCLA’s Kai Forbath for top kicker honors.
The sophomore has connected on 16 of 17 field goal attempts this season and leads the SEC in touchbacks, but he admits he was a but surprised to be named a finalist.
“I knew it was going to be close because I’m a big stat follower,” Walsh said. “I was right on the edge and it was nice to get it. There was a lot of hard work put into that.”
BRUISED BUT BETTER
Brandon Boykin set the Georgia record for kick returns in a season and is closing in on 1,000 return yards this year, but he was on the sideline when Branden Smith fumbled away the opening kickoff of the second half against Kentucky last week. While Boykin said he cringed at the play, he isn’t blaming his teammate for the loss.
“It was tough just seeing that momentum shift, but we were still in it,” Boykin said. “We still had a chance to win. It didn’t really hurt us as much as people probably think it did.”
Smith wouldn’t have been in the game at all had Boykin not injured his hip on a kick return in the first half. Boykin said a player’s facemask hit him on his hip bone, causing significant soreness, but X-rays revealed no serious damange.
“There’s nothing really wrong besides a big bruise, so we’re just trying to get it treated and get me ready for Tech,” Boykin said.
The sophomore cornerback returned to special teams duty for the remainder of the game, compiling 103 yards on four returns, but only saw a few more plays on defense in the second half.
While the injury has resulted in a bruise all the way down his leg, Boykin said he’s feeling better and plans to be on the field this week against Georgia Tech.
“I expect to play, I’ll be back,” he said. “I feel like it’s getting better to the point where I can run, and by Saturday, I’ll be able to run full speed.”
REPRESENTING THE FAMILY
Darryl Gamble abandoned his normal No. 50 jersey last week, instead donning No. 18 in honor of his cousin, injured safety Bacarri Rambo. But it wasn’t entirely his decision.
“Rambo’s my cousin, so he asked me to and I decided to do it for him. It seemed like the right thing to do at the moment,” Gamble said.
As it turned out, it might not have been a bit of a jinxed jersey for Gamble. One week after Rambo suffered a concussion late in the fourth quarter against Auburn wearing his No. 18, Gamble saw his playing time dip with the jersey on his back, too. That even caught Rambo’s attention.
“I talked to him after the game and he said he didn’t see me as much because of the way rotations were going I didn’t get as much playing time as I usually do,” Gamble said.
But Gamble isn’t complaining. He’s just hopeful Rambo will be back on the field this week, and glad he had a chance to honor his teammate.
“It was representing South Georgia,” Gamble said, “and if I got injured, I’m pretty sure he would have worn my number.”
CHANGE OF HEART
Rantavious Wooten wasn’t expecting the ball to come his way when he saw Kentucky’s defensive alignment. Trevard Lindley was deep, and Wooten figured quarterback Joe Cox would find another receiver.
Instead, Cox lofted a perfect pass downfield, and Wooten ran his route perfectly, darting in front of Kentucky’s cornerback at the last instant to haul in the pass before falling backward into the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown reception – the first of his career.
“I didn’t know what to think,” Wooten said of the celebration that ensued. “There was too much going on and people were slapping me in the side of the head and stuff. I was just happy we got a touchdown.”
The freshman receiver caught another touchdown on a 43-yard pass from Cox in the second half, too, giving Georgia a 14-point lead at the time. That lead evaporated down the stretch, however, and while Wooten said he has gotten dozens of calls and texts from people congratulating him on his big game, he’s had difficulty celebrating.
“It was wonderful at the time when we were winning the game,” Wooten said. “It was wonderful, it felt great, up until we started losing the game and things got out of sync. Then the feeling about losing took over the feeling of feeling great about my first two touchdown passes.”
ON THE MEND
Receiver A.J. Green remains questionable for Saturday’s game against Georgia Tech, head coach Mark Richt said, but Wooten reported that the Bulldogs’ star receiver is in much better spirits this week after suffering a shoulder sprain against Auburn.
“I don’t know as far as when he’s going to play, but I know he’s feeling pretty good, he told me,” Wooten said.
They’ll get a chance to do just that next month, as Butler was named a finalist for the Ray Guy Award, given annually to the nation’s top punter, and Walsh earned a nod as a finalist for the Lou Groza Award for the country’s best kicker.
“If that’s what happens, that would be awesome,” said Butler, who is leading the nation in punting average in his first year as a starter for Georgia. “(Walsh) is definitely worthy of a trophy like that, and if that’s in the cards, I think it shows we’ve both done what we were asked to do on a consistent basis.”
Butler is averaging 48.8 yards on 50 punts this season and has been one of the Bulldogs’ most consistent performers all season. He’ll join Michigan senior Zoltan Mesko and Florida junior Chas Henry in Orlando on Dec. 10 for the award presentation.
Walsh will be there with Butler, competing against Alabama’s Leigh Tiffin and UCLA’s Kai Forbath for top kicker honors.
The sophomore has connected on 16 of 17 field goal attempts this season and leads the SEC in touchbacks, but he admits he was a but surprised to be named a finalist.
“I knew it was going to be close because I’m a big stat follower,” Walsh said. “I was right on the edge and it was nice to get it. There was a lot of hard work put into that.”
BRUISED BUT BETTER
Brandon Boykin set the Georgia record for kick returns in a season and is closing in on 1,000 return yards this year, but he was on the sideline when Branden Smith fumbled away the opening kickoff of the second half against Kentucky last week. While Boykin said he cringed at the play, he isn’t blaming his teammate for the loss.
“It was tough just seeing that momentum shift, but we were still in it,” Boykin said. “We still had a chance to win. It didn’t really hurt us as much as people probably think it did.”
Smith wouldn’t have been in the game at all had Boykin not injured his hip on a kick return in the first half. Boykin said a player’s facemask hit him on his hip bone, causing significant soreness, but X-rays revealed no serious damange.
“There’s nothing really wrong besides a big bruise, so we’re just trying to get it treated and get me ready for Tech,” Boykin said.
The sophomore cornerback returned to special teams duty for the remainder of the game, compiling 103 yards on four returns, but only saw a few more plays on defense in the second half.
While the injury has resulted in a bruise all the way down his leg, Boykin said he’s feeling better and plans to be on the field this week against Georgia Tech.
“I expect to play, I’ll be back,” he said. “I feel like it’s getting better to the point where I can run, and by Saturday, I’ll be able to run full speed.”
REPRESENTING THE FAMILY
Darryl Gamble abandoned his normal No. 50 jersey last week, instead donning No. 18 in honor of his cousin, injured safety Bacarri Rambo. But it wasn’t entirely his decision.
“Rambo’s my cousin, so he asked me to and I decided to do it for him. It seemed like the right thing to do at the moment,” Gamble said.
As it turned out, it might not have been a bit of a jinxed jersey for Gamble. One week after Rambo suffered a concussion late in the fourth quarter against Auburn wearing his No. 18, Gamble saw his playing time dip with the jersey on his back, too. That even caught Rambo’s attention.
“I talked to him after the game and he said he didn’t see me as much because of the way rotations were going I didn’t get as much playing time as I usually do,” Gamble said.
But Gamble isn’t complaining. He’s just hopeful Rambo will be back on the field this week, and glad he had a chance to honor his teammate.
“It was representing South Georgia,” Gamble said, “and if I got injured, I’m pretty sure he would have worn my number.”
CHANGE OF HEART
Rantavious Wooten wasn’t expecting the ball to come his way when he saw Kentucky’s defensive alignment. Trevard Lindley was deep, and Wooten figured quarterback Joe Cox would find another receiver.
Instead, Cox lofted a perfect pass downfield, and Wooten ran his route perfectly, darting in front of Kentucky’s cornerback at the last instant to haul in the pass before falling backward into the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown reception – the first of his career.
“I didn’t know what to think,” Wooten said of the celebration that ensued. “There was too much going on and people were slapping me in the side of the head and stuff. I was just happy we got a touchdown.”
The freshman receiver caught another touchdown on a 43-yard pass from Cox in the second half, too, giving Georgia a 14-point lead at the time. That lead evaporated down the stretch, however, and while Wooten said he has gotten dozens of calls and texts from people congratulating him on his big game, he’s had difficulty celebrating.
“It was wonderful at the time when we were winning the game,” Wooten said. “It was wonderful, it felt great, up until we started losing the game and things got out of sync. Then the feeling about losing took over the feeling of feeling great about my first two touchdown passes.”
ON THE MEND
Receiver A.J. Green remains questionable for Saturday’s game against Georgia Tech, head coach Mark Richt said, but Wooten reported that the Bulldogs’ star receiver is in much better spirits this week after suffering a shoulder sprain against Auburn.
“I don’t know as far as when he’s going to play, but I know he’s feeling pretty good, he told me,” Wooten said.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Post-Game Notes: Bobo's Move Pays Dividends
(NOTE: You can read my game story from Georgia's win over Vanderbilt HERE.)
With his offense struggling to find its way the past three weeks, Mike Bobo decided he needed to take on a more personal approach to play calling.
For the first time since becoming Georgia’s offensive coordinator in 2007, Bobo watched Georgia’s 34-10 win over Vanderbilt from the sideline rather than the press box – a change that seemed to spark the offense.
“I think he just wanted more energy on the sideline,” quarterback Joe Cox said. “He wanted to celebrate when we made plays, and even on the defensive side of the ball, he was getting us into the game the way he was cheering for the defense. It was great to have him on the sideline.”
The move came as a surprise to virtually everyone on Georgia’s sideline other than head coach Mark Richt and the Bulldogs’ quarterbacks, whom Bobo had informed of his plans last Thursday.
It wasn’t exactly a comfortable surrounding for Bobo, but it was a chance to get a more personal feel for the action.
“I just really didn’t have a good feel for our football team and have been thinking about it all year,” Bobo said. “We hadn’t played well the last two weeks and kind of put it on the backburner. It’s more to look into their eyes and try to get a feel for how we’re doing and hopefully relax a little better.”
From his bird’s-eye view in the press box, Bobo said he can get a better look at the types of defenses the opposition employs, but he thought the experience of being surrounded by his players outweighed the drawbacks.
“It’s a little more difficult to see the play unfold,” Bobo said, “but you really get an idea of what they’re in. It was pretty evident to see what their game plan was. They were going to play two deep to our base personal, and we had to be able to run the ball.”
The move paid dividends as the Bulldogs racked up 399 yards of total offense – nearly double their tally from a week earlier. Georgia found the end zone four times, too, including twice in the red zone, after failing to move the ball inside Tennessee’s 35-yard line last week.
While the offensive execution wasn’t always perfect, it was a vast improvement, and Bobo’s presence on the sideline had a lot to do with the increased production, Cox said.
“He’s a real competitive guy and he coaches with a lot of energy,” Cox said. “He wants his players to play with a fire and a passion, too, and I think it was good to have that on the sideline where he could convey that to us instead of being up in the booth and having to talk to individuals one after another.”
Bobo’s move to the field left just linebackers coach John Jancek and receivers coach Tony Ball in the press box, but Jancek said the small contingent of coaches upstairs didn’t have any ill effects.
Richt had told Bobo that if the plan wasn’t working out by halftime, he could return to the press box for the remainder of the game, but an in-game adjustment proved unnecessary.
“I think it’s up to the coordinator to decide where he’ll be most effective,” Richt said. “Do I think it was a positive thing to be down on the field? I think it was, and I’m assuming he’ll want to do that in the future.”
GROUND GAME GETS GOING
It was the drive Georgia had been waiting for all season, even if it didn’t prove crucial to the game’s outcome.
The Bulldogs’ had already secured their win over Vanderbilt – the final tally was 34-10 – but it was that last touchdown that really gave the team something to celebrate.
Georgia’s struggling running game had mustered just 53 yards on 20 carries through three quarters, despite Vanderbilt ranking as one of the worst run defenses in the league. The Bulldogs’ final scoring drive, however, represented a turning point.
Georgia drove 68 yards on 10 plays – all runs – and capped the drive with a 9-yard touchdown run by fullback Fred Munzenmaier on fourth down.
“That eats up a lot of clock, and it gives you a lot of confidence in your running game when you say, we’re going to run the ball right at you at the end of the game,” quarterback Joe Cox said. “When you do it all the way down the field and put points on the board, it’s a great feeling. I think we needed that probably more than any other drive.”
The drive was anchored by a 33-yard run by freshman Washaun Ealey, but Carlton Thomas and Munzenmaier each contributed key yardage, too.
For the game, six Georgia running backs totaled at least 10 yards apiece, and the dedication to running the football was a key in the Bulldogs’ increased offensive output.
“It felt good that we ran the ball,” receiver A.J. Green said. “Success is running the ball, and that opens up the passing game. We did that (Saturday), and it felt good.”
Georgia finished with 37 rushes for 173 yards – its highest total of the season.
The success was crucial for the stagnant Bulldogs’ offense, which ranked last in the SEC and 104th nationally in rushing entering Saturday’s contest.
“We want to run the ball, we have good backs, and we have a good line,” Cox said. “We just needed to get it working. We don’t need to give up on it if it’s not working in the first half, and I’m glad we stuck with it. It turned out to be big for us.”
HIS PLAY DOES THE TALKING
Sophomore tailback Caleb King had been waiting a long time to get his first touchdown of the season, but when the moment finally arrived, he couldn’t do much celebrating.
“They tell me I can’t really talk that much,” said King, who is still recovering from a broken jaw suffered two weeks ago in a loss to LSU.
King was fitted with a special protective facemask and a mouth guard with additional padding to ensure he would make it through the game without doing additional damage to his jaw.
He missed last week’s game while recovering from the injury along with a concussion that occurred on the same play, another stumbling block in what has been a difficult season for King. He also missed the first two games of the season along with much of preseason practice with a hamstring injury.
“I thought this was my year, and then the injuries came,” King said. “It was tough just sitting down and watching the game, but I knew I could contribute to the team.”
King was a key contributor in Saturday’s win, picking up 35 yards on six touches, including two touchdowns.
His first score was a two-yard rumble into the end zone, and his second came on a screen pass that went 21 yards.
“It was the perfect call at the perfect time, and the line was out there blocking, so I just followed them straight to the end zone,” King said of the latter touchdown.
CREDIT WHERE CREDIT’S DUE
Joe Cox had a career-long 65-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter Saturday, one he’ll probably tell his kids about one day.
Just don’t expect him to go into too much detail.
The score came on a short dump to receiver A.J. Green, who made people miss on the way to the end zone, and a personal career-best for himself too.
“We were on the right hash, I threw it further than a yard,” Cox said, laughing. “No, I probably won’t mention that. I’m not going to sit here and act like I made a great play. Everybody saw what A.J. did.”
Green merely provided his weekly addition to his personal highlight reel, making a Vanderbilt defensive back miss in space before weaving his way through the rest of the Commodore defense.
It was a departure from his usual jump-ball touchdown grabs, but hardly surprising.
“That was fun,” Green said. “This right here is just real life for me. I’m loving every minute of it. It’s just getting better each game.”
As for the highlight-reel run, Cox said it was a nice change-of-pace from Green’s usual heroics, but it hardly came as a shock.
“Everybody knows what he can do,” Cox said. “That play he scored on, that was a little crazy, but nothing really surprises me anymore, and that’s why we throw him the ball.”
EALEY BREAKS A LONG ONE
Georgia’s leading rusher was freshman Washaun Ealey, who broke a 33-yarder in the fourth quarter. That was the longest run by a Georgia tailback since Richard Samuel broke an 80-yarder against Arkansas a month ago, and the longest of Ealey’s short career.
“I was just trying to score, hopefully I could get my first big touchdown,” Ealey said. “It didn’t happen, but we’ve got to get some more.”
Ealey finished the game with 71 yards on 13 carries and enjoyed the first start of his career.
“He’s running with a lot of energy right now, that’s the main thing,” Cox said of Ealey. “He wants to run hard, he wants the ball in his hands and he’s been practicing real hard, and that’s what gets guys on the field.”
GARBAGE TIME PROVES PRODUCTIVE
The fourth quarters haven’t been much fun for Georgia this season. The Bulldogs have trailed in every game this year prior to Saturday’s win over Vandy, and there hasn’t been much time for the Bulldogs’ backups to see action.
So when the opportunity finally came for head coach Mark Richt to get some reserves in the game, he was happy to do it.
The Bulldogs final drive was meant to run the final 1 minute, 15 seconds off the clock, but it turned out to be a showcase for some reserve linemen and fifth-string tailback Dontavius Jackson, who picked up 38 yards on just three carries.
“That very last drive, we probably could have taken a knee,” Richt said. “We didn’t call a timeout or anything. We just had some young kids that we were just trying to let them play. We had some offensive linemen that had never played before and Dontavius got a few totes, which was good to see.”
Linemen A.J. Harmon, Kevin Perez and Casey Nickels all saw action for the first time this season on the drive.
KICK BACK AND RELAX
The key to Georgia’s win Saturday was a new relaxed approach, Green said, and the key to the new approach was a liberating realization the team came to during the week.
“We had nothing to lose,” Green said.
Georgia set aside its big-picture goals and simply played for the moment, and the players found a renewed bit of enthusiasm that they hope will follow through into this week’s open date and a looming showdown with No. 1 Florida.
“We got things rolling in the right direction, and we’ve got to use these two weeks to get ready to play our best game,” linebacker Rennie Curran said. “People are going to doubt us, and we know people don’t have as much respect for us as Florida – deservingly so. They’ve got the record, they’ve made plays. We’ve got to keep our minds right and do everything it takes to get ready for this game.”
Saturday’s win was a big morale boost, and the bye week should give Georgia plenty of time to prepare for its archrival. But it’s that new attitude that might be the key for the Bulldogs as they mold their strategy for a potentially enormous upset in two weeks.
“The pressure is on them,” cornerback Brandon Boykin said of Florida. “We’ve got nothing to lose. We can just go out there and play as hard as we can, and this momentum from this win, I feel like we’re going to carry that over and continue to get better.”
WALSH’S SECOND SHOT
Blair Walsh continued his torrid start to the season, connecting on two more field goals Saturday. The sophomore kicker is now 10-of-11 on field-goal tries this season, including a perfect 3-for-3 on kicks of 50 yards or longer.
Walsh didn't add to the total on those 50-yarders Saturday, but he did come close.
With the clock about to expire on the first half, Georgia was pinned on a third-down play, and Richt sent Walsh in to attempt a 57-yard field goal. The kick would have been his career long.
Instead, a Vanderbilt defender got his hand on the ball, sending it sideways just as it got off the ground. As it turned out, the Commodores' player was flagged for illegally jumping over the defensive line to block the kick, and Walsh got a second crack at it -- this time from just 42 yards out.
“I thought it was good off my foot," Walsh said of his first try from 57. "But a make is a make, and I’m glad they called it because it wasn’t cool that the guy jumped over the line.”
EXTRA POINTS
-- Josh Davis got his first start of the season at right tackle, while Clint Boling opened the game at right guard. Tailback Washaun Ealey and fullback Fred Munzenmaier also got their first career starts Saturday.
-- After failing to record a sack last week, Georgia's defensive front rebounded with three sacks of quarterback Larry Smith -- one each by Kade Weston, Justin Houston and Demarcus Dobbs. Georgia tallied nine tackles for a loss in the game.
-- Rennie Curran led Georgia with nine tackles. He has been the Bulldogs' leading tackler in every game this season.
-- Safety Quintin Banks returned to action after missing all but one game during the past two seasons due to a variety of injuries. He finished with two tackles, including one for a loss.
-- Reshad Jones recorded his first interception of the season for Georgia in the first half, and the Bulldogs turned it into a touchdown on the other end following the long bomb to A.J. Green. It was the first time all season Georgia had more points off turnovers than its opponent. For the season, Georgia has scored 21 points off six turnovers and allowed 71 points following 17 turnovers.
-- Georgia got its first taste of the red zone Saturday, capping an eight-play, 64-yard drive with a two-yard TD by Caleb King, his first of the year. The Bulldogs scored a touchdown on another red-zone try in the fourth quarter. Last week against Tennessee, Georgia did not reach the red zone for the first time since the 1990 Clemson game, a span of 232 contests.
* Tyler Estep contributed to this notebook.
With his offense struggling to find its way the past three weeks, Mike Bobo decided he needed to take on a more personal approach to play calling.
For the first time since becoming Georgia’s offensive coordinator in 2007, Bobo watched Georgia’s 34-10 win over Vanderbilt from the sideline rather than the press box – a change that seemed to spark the offense.
“I think he just wanted more energy on the sideline,” quarterback Joe Cox said. “He wanted to celebrate when we made plays, and even on the defensive side of the ball, he was getting us into the game the way he was cheering for the defense. It was great to have him on the sideline.”
The move came as a surprise to virtually everyone on Georgia’s sideline other than head coach Mark Richt and the Bulldogs’ quarterbacks, whom Bobo had informed of his plans last Thursday.
It wasn’t exactly a comfortable surrounding for Bobo, but it was a chance to get a more personal feel for the action.
“I just really didn’t have a good feel for our football team and have been thinking about it all year,” Bobo said. “We hadn’t played well the last two weeks and kind of put it on the backburner. It’s more to look into their eyes and try to get a feel for how we’re doing and hopefully relax a little better.”
From his bird’s-eye view in the press box, Bobo said he can get a better look at the types of defenses the opposition employs, but he thought the experience of being surrounded by his players outweighed the drawbacks.
“It’s a little more difficult to see the play unfold,” Bobo said, “but you really get an idea of what they’re in. It was pretty evident to see what their game plan was. They were going to play two deep to our base personal, and we had to be able to run the ball.”
The move paid dividends as the Bulldogs racked up 399 yards of total offense – nearly double their tally from a week earlier. Georgia found the end zone four times, too, including twice in the red zone, after failing to move the ball inside Tennessee’s 35-yard line last week.
While the offensive execution wasn’t always perfect, it was a vast improvement, and Bobo’s presence on the sideline had a lot to do with the increased production, Cox said.
“He’s a real competitive guy and he coaches with a lot of energy,” Cox said. “He wants his players to play with a fire and a passion, too, and I think it was good to have that on the sideline where he could convey that to us instead of being up in the booth and having to talk to individuals one after another.”
Bobo’s move to the field left just linebackers coach John Jancek and receivers coach Tony Ball in the press box, but Jancek said the small contingent of coaches upstairs didn’t have any ill effects.
Richt had told Bobo that if the plan wasn’t working out by halftime, he could return to the press box for the remainder of the game, but an in-game adjustment proved unnecessary.
“I think it’s up to the coordinator to decide where he’ll be most effective,” Richt said. “Do I think it was a positive thing to be down on the field? I think it was, and I’m assuming he’ll want to do that in the future.”
GROUND GAME GETS GOING
It was the drive Georgia had been waiting for all season, even if it didn’t prove crucial to the game’s outcome.
The Bulldogs’ had already secured their win over Vanderbilt – the final tally was 34-10 – but it was that last touchdown that really gave the team something to celebrate.
Georgia’s struggling running game had mustered just 53 yards on 20 carries through three quarters, despite Vanderbilt ranking as one of the worst run defenses in the league. The Bulldogs’ final scoring drive, however, represented a turning point.
Georgia drove 68 yards on 10 plays – all runs – and capped the drive with a 9-yard touchdown run by fullback Fred Munzenmaier on fourth down.
“That eats up a lot of clock, and it gives you a lot of confidence in your running game when you say, we’re going to run the ball right at you at the end of the game,” quarterback Joe Cox said. “When you do it all the way down the field and put points on the board, it’s a great feeling. I think we needed that probably more than any other drive.”
The drive was anchored by a 33-yard run by freshman Washaun Ealey, but Carlton Thomas and Munzenmaier each contributed key yardage, too.
For the game, six Georgia running backs totaled at least 10 yards apiece, and the dedication to running the football was a key in the Bulldogs’ increased offensive output.
“It felt good that we ran the ball,” receiver A.J. Green said. “Success is running the ball, and that opens up the passing game. We did that (Saturday), and it felt good.”
Georgia finished with 37 rushes for 173 yards – its highest total of the season.
The success was crucial for the stagnant Bulldogs’ offense, which ranked last in the SEC and 104th nationally in rushing entering Saturday’s contest.
“We want to run the ball, we have good backs, and we have a good line,” Cox said. “We just needed to get it working. We don’t need to give up on it if it’s not working in the first half, and I’m glad we stuck with it. It turned out to be big for us.”
HIS PLAY DOES THE TALKING
Sophomore tailback Caleb King had been waiting a long time to get his first touchdown of the season, but when the moment finally arrived, he couldn’t do much celebrating.
“They tell me I can’t really talk that much,” said King, who is still recovering from a broken jaw suffered two weeks ago in a loss to LSU.
King was fitted with a special protective facemask and a mouth guard with additional padding to ensure he would make it through the game without doing additional damage to his jaw.
He missed last week’s game while recovering from the injury along with a concussion that occurred on the same play, another stumbling block in what has been a difficult season for King. He also missed the first two games of the season along with much of preseason practice with a hamstring injury.
“I thought this was my year, and then the injuries came,” King said. “It was tough just sitting down and watching the game, but I knew I could contribute to the team.”
King was a key contributor in Saturday’s win, picking up 35 yards on six touches, including two touchdowns.
His first score was a two-yard rumble into the end zone, and his second came on a screen pass that went 21 yards.
“It was the perfect call at the perfect time, and the line was out there blocking, so I just followed them straight to the end zone,” King said of the latter touchdown.
CREDIT WHERE CREDIT’S DUE
Joe Cox had a career-long 65-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter Saturday, one he’ll probably tell his kids about one day.
Just don’t expect him to go into too much detail.
The score came on a short dump to receiver A.J. Green, who made people miss on the way to the end zone, and a personal career-best for himself too.
“We were on the right hash, I threw it further than a yard,” Cox said, laughing. “No, I probably won’t mention that. I’m not going to sit here and act like I made a great play. Everybody saw what A.J. did.”
Green merely provided his weekly addition to his personal highlight reel, making a Vanderbilt defensive back miss in space before weaving his way through the rest of the Commodore defense.
It was a departure from his usual jump-ball touchdown grabs, but hardly surprising.
“That was fun,” Green said. “This right here is just real life for me. I’m loving every minute of it. It’s just getting better each game.”
As for the highlight-reel run, Cox said it was a nice change-of-pace from Green’s usual heroics, but it hardly came as a shock.
“Everybody knows what he can do,” Cox said. “That play he scored on, that was a little crazy, but nothing really surprises me anymore, and that’s why we throw him the ball.”
EALEY BREAKS A LONG ONE
Georgia’s leading rusher was freshman Washaun Ealey, who broke a 33-yarder in the fourth quarter. That was the longest run by a Georgia tailback since Richard Samuel broke an 80-yarder against Arkansas a month ago, and the longest of Ealey’s short career.
“I was just trying to score, hopefully I could get my first big touchdown,” Ealey said. “It didn’t happen, but we’ve got to get some more.”
Ealey finished the game with 71 yards on 13 carries and enjoyed the first start of his career.
“He’s running with a lot of energy right now, that’s the main thing,” Cox said of Ealey. “He wants to run hard, he wants the ball in his hands and he’s been practicing real hard, and that’s what gets guys on the field.”
GARBAGE TIME PROVES PRODUCTIVE
The fourth quarters haven’t been much fun for Georgia this season. The Bulldogs have trailed in every game this year prior to Saturday’s win over Vandy, and there hasn’t been much time for the Bulldogs’ backups to see action.
So when the opportunity finally came for head coach Mark Richt to get some reserves in the game, he was happy to do it.
The Bulldogs final drive was meant to run the final 1 minute, 15 seconds off the clock, but it turned out to be a showcase for some reserve linemen and fifth-string tailback Dontavius Jackson, who picked up 38 yards on just three carries.
“That very last drive, we probably could have taken a knee,” Richt said. “We didn’t call a timeout or anything. We just had some young kids that we were just trying to let them play. We had some offensive linemen that had never played before and Dontavius got a few totes, which was good to see.”
Linemen A.J. Harmon, Kevin Perez and Casey Nickels all saw action for the first time this season on the drive.
KICK BACK AND RELAX
The key to Georgia’s win Saturday was a new relaxed approach, Green said, and the key to the new approach was a liberating realization the team came to during the week.
“We had nothing to lose,” Green said.
Georgia set aside its big-picture goals and simply played for the moment, and the players found a renewed bit of enthusiasm that they hope will follow through into this week’s open date and a looming showdown with No. 1 Florida.
“We got things rolling in the right direction, and we’ve got to use these two weeks to get ready to play our best game,” linebacker Rennie Curran said. “People are going to doubt us, and we know people don’t have as much respect for us as Florida – deservingly so. They’ve got the record, they’ve made plays. We’ve got to keep our minds right and do everything it takes to get ready for this game.”
Saturday’s win was a big morale boost, and the bye week should give Georgia plenty of time to prepare for its archrival. But it’s that new attitude that might be the key for the Bulldogs as they mold their strategy for a potentially enormous upset in two weeks.
“The pressure is on them,” cornerback Brandon Boykin said of Florida. “We’ve got nothing to lose. We can just go out there and play as hard as we can, and this momentum from this win, I feel like we’re going to carry that over and continue to get better.”
WALSH’S SECOND SHOT
Blair Walsh continued his torrid start to the season, connecting on two more field goals Saturday. The sophomore kicker is now 10-of-11 on field-goal tries this season, including a perfect 3-for-3 on kicks of 50 yards or longer.
Walsh didn't add to the total on those 50-yarders Saturday, but he did come close.
With the clock about to expire on the first half, Georgia was pinned on a third-down play, and Richt sent Walsh in to attempt a 57-yard field goal. The kick would have been his career long.
Instead, a Vanderbilt defender got his hand on the ball, sending it sideways just as it got off the ground. As it turned out, the Commodores' player was flagged for illegally jumping over the defensive line to block the kick, and Walsh got a second crack at it -- this time from just 42 yards out.
“I thought it was good off my foot," Walsh said of his first try from 57. "But a make is a make, and I’m glad they called it because it wasn’t cool that the guy jumped over the line.”
EXTRA POINTS
-- Josh Davis got his first start of the season at right tackle, while Clint Boling opened the game at right guard. Tailback Washaun Ealey and fullback Fred Munzenmaier also got their first career starts Saturday.
-- After failing to record a sack last week, Georgia's defensive front rebounded with three sacks of quarterback Larry Smith -- one each by Kade Weston, Justin Houston and Demarcus Dobbs. Georgia tallied nine tackles for a loss in the game.
-- Rennie Curran led Georgia with nine tackles. He has been the Bulldogs' leading tackler in every game this season.
-- Safety Quintin Banks returned to action after missing all but one game during the past two seasons due to a variety of injuries. He finished with two tackles, including one for a loss.
-- Reshad Jones recorded his first interception of the season for Georgia in the first half, and the Bulldogs turned it into a touchdown on the other end following the long bomb to A.J. Green. It was the first time all season Georgia had more points off turnovers than its opponent. For the season, Georgia has scored 21 points off six turnovers and allowed 71 points following 17 turnovers.
-- Georgia got its first taste of the red zone Saturday, capping an eight-play, 64-yard drive with a two-yard TD by Caleb King, his first of the year. The Bulldogs scored a touchdown on another red-zone try in the fourth quarter. Last week against Tennessee, Georgia did not reach the red zone for the first time since the 1990 Clemson game, a span of 232 contests.
* Tyler Estep contributed to this notebook.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Practice Notes: Two Kings With Concussions
Georgia’s already thin wide receiver corps took another big hit this week.
Head coach Mark Richt said freshman receiver Tavarres King was “very unlikely” to make the trip to Tennessee for Saturday’s game after suffering a concussion last week against LSU.
That leaves Georgia with just five healthy scholarship receivers, but only two – A.J. Green and Michael Moore – have any significant playing time this season.
“All hands will be on deck, I can say that,” Richt said.
Tight end Orson Charles and cornerback Branden Smith have both been used in wide receiver roles at various times this season, but the injury to King likely means more playing time for sophomore Israel Troupe and freshmen Rantavious Wooten and Marlon Brown.
One of the country’s most highly recruited receivers last year, Brown has seen just a handful of snaps so far this season and has not caught a pass, but Richt said he has continued to make progress during practice and could be part of the game plan this week.
“He’s one step closer than he was before Tavarres getting hurt,” Richt said. “He’s not a whole lot different than what was happening with Washaun Ealey. We kept getting him ready and getting him to the point where he could function in a game, and Marlon is rapidly moving in that direction.”
Playing time would be particularly rewarding for Brown this week, as the Memphis native would have a chance to play in front of his home-state fans against a program that was in hot pursuit of him during the recruiting process.
That extra bit of pressure doesn’t worry offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, however.
“He’s an even-keeled kid who works hard,” Bobo said. “I think he’s got the right attitude and he’ll be successful if he keeps that attitude.”
King has 10 catches for 170 yards and a touchdown in five games this season. Wooten has two catches, and Brown and Troupe have yet to record a reception in 2009.
PULLED IN ALL DIRECTIONS
After working a few snaps on offense in each of Georgia’s first four games, Smith might see less action on that side of the ball for the next few weeks.
Smith, who has one catch for 3 yards and six rushes for 80 yards this season, didn’t earn a touch on offense last week against LSU after his practice time with the group was cut short during the preceding week.
“With some injuries at corner, he’s been playing more corner here lately, so practice time with Branden has gone down a little bit,” Bobo said. “Yeah, it’s easy to draw up a play and say we’re going to do this play, but if you don’t have guys to practice it, it’s a little more difficult.”
The same situation holds true with backup quarterback Logan Gray, who Bobo said has been avoided in the game plan because of an injury to third-string quarterback Aaron Murray.
“You have Aaron Murray out and your backup in the game running some plays, if you get him hurt, that puts you in a situation where you really don’t have a back-up quarterback,” Bobo said. “So that changes your thought process a little bit of what you’re going to do offensively with Logan Gray.”
Despite the apparent limitations on two of Georgia’s change-of-pace weapons, Bobo said both Gray and Smith will continue to have a role in the playbook.
“There’ll always be a few plays with (Smith) in the game plan and with Logan,” Bobo said. “But it just depends on what we feel gives us the best chance.”
MORE INJURY NEWS
Tailback Caleb King also suffered a concussion and a broken jaw after a hit during last week’s game, and Richt said he was almost certain that sophomore Richard Samuel would get the start this week.
Linebackers Marcus Dowtin and Akeem Dent will miss this week’s game as well. Dent is still recovering from a lingering hamstring injury that has kept him out of the past two games, and Dowtin underwent surgery on a torn ligament in his left ring finger on Sunday.
Senior Marcus Washington and sophomore Nick Williams will likely handle the majority of the reps Dent and Dowtin would have played, but Richt said there was a chance some of the younger linebackers such as Christian Robinson, Akeem Hebron and Charles White could see action, too.
“We’ve been repping them all along and giving them as much work as we can, and more than likely they’ll get more opportunity in the game than they have,” Richt said.
DOUBLE DUTY
While Gray may not be seeing much action at quarterback so far this season, he’s getting plenty of work on special teams. Gray has worked on Georgia’s kickoff coverage unit and has been the team’s primary punt returner in situations where a fair catch is likely.
Those were roles Gray played last season, but he said he wasn’t expecting another year of action. But he’s not complaining.
“I think it comes with being the backup quarterback, I wasn’t going to do as many special teams,” Gray said. “Coming into the season, I didn’t even think I was going to catch punts. It was sort of a last-second thing with our punt safe team when we know a fair catch is coming, I guess Coach (Jon) Fabris wanted me to keep doing it.”
MY BAD, GUYS
Brandon Boykin is used to celebrating interceptions, but after making his second pick of the season to halt a potential touchdown drive against LSU, the sophomore cornerback immediately knew he had messed up.
With the Tigers driving deep into Georgia territory in the first quarter, Boykin picked off a Jordan Jefferson pass in the end zone. Rather than settle for a touchback, however, Boykin attempted to return the interception. He was tackled at the 2-yard line, and Georgia's offense was unable to sustain a drive. The result was bad field position for much of the fist half for the Bulldogs.
"That was my fault," Boykin said. "It wasn’t very smart of me to take that out. I was just trying to make a play, and initially I thought there was daylight, but there wasn’t. The smart thing to do would have been to take a knee and give my offense great field position. But I can’t look at that. If I get the opportunity to take it in the end zone, I definitely will take a knee, so it was a learning experience and I’ll get better from it.”
CHANGE BREWING?
For the second straight year, Georgia's kickoffs have been an adventure, but this season there is one big difference: Richt has an alternative to kicker Blair Walsh.
The Bulldogs signed junior college transfer Brandon Bogotay during the offseason to push Walsh for the kickoff job, and while a change hasn't come yet, Richt said the team has given some thought to handing the job to Bogotay if Walsh continues to struggle.
"It's been considered," Richt said. "We haven't done it to this point, but everybody's got to perform and certainly we want Blair to do that. I definitely don't want to throw him under the bus for all the issues on that team, but it's been part of the issue, not getting it where we need to get it. The ball placement hasn't been as sharp."
EXTRA POINTS
-- I noted this last week, but Bobo was a bit more emphatic in his pronouncement this week -- quarterbacks Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger will both redshirt, barring an injury to one of Georgia's top two quarterbacks.
-- Tight ends coach John Lilly said that there still has been no decision on whether tight end Bruce Figgins will accept a medical redshirt for this season. Figgins will be serving the sixth and final game of a suspension this week and would be eligible to return to action against Vanderbilt on Oct. 17. Lilly said the ultimate decision on whether to play would be up to Figgins.
-- Richt on today's practice session: "I thought today's practice was good. I thought the guys played with good tempo, good focus. Overall it's been a really good Tuesday and Wednesday. We'll see how it goes tomorrow. We're going to go over to the stadium and crank the noise and try to get it so loud we can't hear. Hopefully we don't blow a speaker."
Head coach Mark Richt said freshman receiver Tavarres King was “very unlikely” to make the trip to Tennessee for Saturday’s game after suffering a concussion last week against LSU.
That leaves Georgia with just five healthy scholarship receivers, but only two – A.J. Green and Michael Moore – have any significant playing time this season.
“All hands will be on deck, I can say that,” Richt said.
Tight end Orson Charles and cornerback Branden Smith have both been used in wide receiver roles at various times this season, but the injury to King likely means more playing time for sophomore Israel Troupe and freshmen Rantavious Wooten and Marlon Brown.
One of the country’s most highly recruited receivers last year, Brown has seen just a handful of snaps so far this season and has not caught a pass, but Richt said he has continued to make progress during practice and could be part of the game plan this week.
“He’s one step closer than he was before Tavarres getting hurt,” Richt said. “He’s not a whole lot different than what was happening with Washaun Ealey. We kept getting him ready and getting him to the point where he could function in a game, and Marlon is rapidly moving in that direction.”
Playing time would be particularly rewarding for Brown this week, as the Memphis native would have a chance to play in front of his home-state fans against a program that was in hot pursuit of him during the recruiting process.
That extra bit of pressure doesn’t worry offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, however.
“He’s an even-keeled kid who works hard,” Bobo said. “I think he’s got the right attitude and he’ll be successful if he keeps that attitude.”
King has 10 catches for 170 yards and a touchdown in five games this season. Wooten has two catches, and Brown and Troupe have yet to record a reception in 2009.
PULLED IN ALL DIRECTIONS
After working a few snaps on offense in each of Georgia’s first four games, Smith might see less action on that side of the ball for the next few weeks.
Smith, who has one catch for 3 yards and six rushes for 80 yards this season, didn’t earn a touch on offense last week against LSU after his practice time with the group was cut short during the preceding week.
“With some injuries at corner, he’s been playing more corner here lately, so practice time with Branden has gone down a little bit,” Bobo said. “Yeah, it’s easy to draw up a play and say we’re going to do this play, but if you don’t have guys to practice it, it’s a little more difficult.”
The same situation holds true with backup quarterback Logan Gray, who Bobo said has been avoided in the game plan because of an injury to third-string quarterback Aaron Murray.
“You have Aaron Murray out and your backup in the game running some plays, if you get him hurt, that puts you in a situation where you really don’t have a back-up quarterback,” Bobo said. “So that changes your thought process a little bit of what you’re going to do offensively with Logan Gray.”
Despite the apparent limitations on two of Georgia’s change-of-pace weapons, Bobo said both Gray and Smith will continue to have a role in the playbook.
“There’ll always be a few plays with (Smith) in the game plan and with Logan,” Bobo said. “But it just depends on what we feel gives us the best chance.”
MORE INJURY NEWS
Tailback Caleb King also suffered a concussion and a broken jaw after a hit during last week’s game, and Richt said he was almost certain that sophomore Richard Samuel would get the start this week.
Linebackers Marcus Dowtin and Akeem Dent will miss this week’s game as well. Dent is still recovering from a lingering hamstring injury that has kept him out of the past two games, and Dowtin underwent surgery on a torn ligament in his left ring finger on Sunday.
Senior Marcus Washington and sophomore Nick Williams will likely handle the majority of the reps Dent and Dowtin would have played, but Richt said there was a chance some of the younger linebackers such as Christian Robinson, Akeem Hebron and Charles White could see action, too.
“We’ve been repping them all along and giving them as much work as we can, and more than likely they’ll get more opportunity in the game than they have,” Richt said.
DOUBLE DUTY
While Gray may not be seeing much action at quarterback so far this season, he’s getting plenty of work on special teams. Gray has worked on Georgia’s kickoff coverage unit and has been the team’s primary punt returner in situations where a fair catch is likely.
Those were roles Gray played last season, but he said he wasn’t expecting another year of action. But he’s not complaining.
“I think it comes with being the backup quarterback, I wasn’t going to do as many special teams,” Gray said. “Coming into the season, I didn’t even think I was going to catch punts. It was sort of a last-second thing with our punt safe team when we know a fair catch is coming, I guess Coach (Jon) Fabris wanted me to keep doing it.”
MY BAD, GUYS
Brandon Boykin is used to celebrating interceptions, but after making his second pick of the season to halt a potential touchdown drive against LSU, the sophomore cornerback immediately knew he had messed up.
With the Tigers driving deep into Georgia territory in the first quarter, Boykin picked off a Jordan Jefferson pass in the end zone. Rather than settle for a touchback, however, Boykin attempted to return the interception. He was tackled at the 2-yard line, and Georgia's offense was unable to sustain a drive. The result was bad field position for much of the fist half for the Bulldogs.
"That was my fault," Boykin said. "It wasn’t very smart of me to take that out. I was just trying to make a play, and initially I thought there was daylight, but there wasn’t. The smart thing to do would have been to take a knee and give my offense great field position. But I can’t look at that. If I get the opportunity to take it in the end zone, I definitely will take a knee, so it was a learning experience and I’ll get better from it.”
CHANGE BREWING?
For the second straight year, Georgia's kickoffs have been an adventure, but this season there is one big difference: Richt has an alternative to kicker Blair Walsh.
The Bulldogs signed junior college transfer Brandon Bogotay during the offseason to push Walsh for the kickoff job, and while a change hasn't come yet, Richt said the team has given some thought to handing the job to Bogotay if Walsh continues to struggle.
"It's been considered," Richt said. "We haven't done it to this point, but everybody's got to perform and certainly we want Blair to do that. I definitely don't want to throw him under the bus for all the issues on that team, but it's been part of the issue, not getting it where we need to get it. The ball placement hasn't been as sharp."
EXTRA POINTS
-- I noted this last week, but Bobo was a bit more emphatic in his pronouncement this week -- quarterbacks Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger will both redshirt, barring an injury to one of Georgia's top two quarterbacks.
-- Tight ends coach John Lilly said that there still has been no decision on whether tight end Bruce Figgins will accept a medical redshirt for this season. Figgins will be serving the sixth and final game of a suspension this week and would be eligible to return to action against Vanderbilt on Oct. 17. Lilly said the ultimate decision on whether to play would be up to Figgins.
-- Richt on today's practice session: "I thought today's practice was good. I thought the guys played with good tempo, good focus. Overall it's been a really good Tuesday and Wednesday. We'll see how it goes tomorrow. We're going to go over to the stadium and crank the noise and try to get it so loud we can't hear. Hopefully we don't blow a speaker."
Monday, October 5, 2009
Kickoff Conundrum: Two Years of Momentum-Killing Mishaps
Let's take a trip down (bad) memory lane.
(NOTE: Before we begin our journey, you may want to read my story in today's Telegraph on the rollercoaster ride of Georgia's special teams this season.)
Now, I went back through Georgia's last 18 games looking for instances in which the Bulldogs made a big play or had momentum going in its direction, then had a disaster occur on a kickoff immediately afterward.
The following events are listed in chronological order, but please remember that this is ONLY kickoff-related problems since the start of the 2008 season that immediately followed Georgia touchdowns or started a half.
This is not a list of all of Georgia's bad kickoffs. This doesn't include the shanked punts against Georgia Tech last year, the special teams turnovers against South Carolina and Arkansas this season, the missed field goals in last year's Florida game or any of the other problems Georgia has suffered through on special teams in the past year-and-a-half.
These are examples only of problematic kickoff issues under very specific circumstances. All came either at the start of a half or following a Georgia touchdown or field goal.
Anyway, pour yourself a stiff drink and read on...
WEEK 1, 2008 vs. Georgia Southern
-- Georgia scores a touchdown with 5:55 left in the third quarter. The ensuing kickoff is returned to Southern's 47-yard line and GSU scores its first touchdown of the game 1:28 later. What had been a predictably dominant opening-week performance against a I-AA team ends with the Bulldogs allowing 21 points.
WEEK 2, 2008 vs. Central Michigan
-- Demarcus Dobbs picks off a Dan Lefevre pass late in the first half and returns it for a touchdown, breaking open what had been a relatively close game and giving Georgia a commanding 28-0 lead. The ensuing kickoff, however, goes out of bounds, giving CMU the ball at its own 40 with 1:02 left in the half. Thirty-five seconds later, they scored their first touchdown of the game.
WEEK 3, 2008 vs. South Carolina
-- Georgia's offense is sputtering, but the Bulldogs muster a field goal with 10:22 left in the second quarter to take a 3-0 lead. The Gamecocks return the ensuing kickoff 25 yards to their own 38, however, then score a touchdown 1:40 later to go up 7-3. That was the lone touchdown the Gamecocks scored in the game, and it was the best field position they had to start any drive.
WEEK 4, 2008 vs. Arizona State
-- Georgia scores its first touchdown of the game on a 9-yard run by Knowshon Moreno (you may remember him flying into the end zone) and the ensuing kickoff goes out of bounds. This time, however, the defense forces a three-and-out against the inept Sun Devils' offense.
WEEK 8, 2008 vs. LSU
-- Georgia is in command for much of the game but can't seem to put LSU away until Moreno takes a handoff and runs 68 yards for a touchdown to put the Bulldogs up 38-17. Walsh's ensuing kickoff, however, is returned 25 yards to the LSU 41. The Tigers score 1:58 later to pull back to within two touchdowns.
-- The Bulldogs once again appear to have iced the win over LSU when Darryl Gamble returns his second interception of the game for a touchdown to give Georgia a 52-31 lead late in the fourth quarter. The ensuing kickoff goes out of bounds and LSU tacks on yet another touchdown just 51 seconds later.
WEEK 9, 2008 vs. Florida
-- While the game was eventually a blowout, the first half was remarkably close. The Bulldogs booted a 35-yard field goal with 11:18 to play in the first half to pull to within 7-3. Rather than ride the momentum, however, Mark Richt calls for an on-side kick, which the Gators recover at the Georgia 41-yard line. Florida engineers a seven-play drive and scores a touchdown with 3:52 left in the half to go up 14-3 and never looked back.
WEEK 10, 2008 vs. Kentucky
-- Georgia looks dominant early, scoring touchdowns on each of its first two drives. Following the second touchdown, however, Walsh's ensuing kickoff goes out of bounds. Kentucky quickly goes 60 yards for a touchdown to make the score 14-7 in what would be a back-and-forth game the rest of the way.
-- With 13:49 remaining in the fourth quarter, Georgia scores on a Moreno touchdown to finally regain the lead 35-31 in a game that was way too close for comfort. Walsh's ensuing kickoff, however, was returned 96 yards all the way to the Georgia 4-yard line. Three plays later the Wildcats punched in the score to retake the lead 38-35.
WEEK 11, 2008 vs. Auburn
-- With Georgia trailing in the fourth quarter against an Auburn team with virtually no offensive firepower, A.J. Green finally gives the Bulldogs a lead and some breathing room, scoring with 8:24 to play in the game to put UGA up 17-13. The ensuing kickoff goes out of bounds, but the defense steps up and forces a punt.
WEEK 12, 2008 vs. Georgia Tech
-- Georgia jumps out to an early 7-0 lead, scoring on its first drive of the game. Walsh's ensuing kickoff goes out of bounds. The defense holds, however, after Georgia Tech goes for it on a fourth-and-2 from the Bulldogs' 33 and Josh Nesbitt's pass falls incomplete.
-- Georgia appears to take a commanding 28-12 lead with just 37 seconds left in the first half when Matthew Stafford hits Mohamed Massaquoi for a 3-yard touchdown. The ensuing kickoff goes out of bounds, but the Bulldogs are bailed out when Nesbitt throws an interception as time expires in the half.
-- The momentum of the interception didn't last long. Walsh's kickoff to open the second half goes out of bounds. Johnathan Dwyer runs 60 yards for a touchdown on the next play, making what looked like a blowout a one-score game.
-- With 4:04 left in the game, Stafford wraps up a monster performance, hitting Green for a 12-yard touchdown to pull Georgia to within three, 45-42. Roddy Jones returned the ensuing kickoff 37 yards to the Tech 44-yard line, however, and the Yellow Jackets ran seven more plays and took the clock down to zero, never giving the Bulldogs' offense another chance to cap the comeback.
BOWL GAME, 2008 vs. Michigan State
-- A close game finally broke open with nine seconds remaining in the third quarter when Stafford connected with Aron White for a touchdown, giving Georgia a 17-6 lead. Walsh's ensuing kickoff sailed out of bounds, setting MSU up at its own 40. While the Bulldogs' defense held firm and forced a punt, the bad kickoff helped swing field position. Georgia's next drive ended with a punt from its own 7-yard line and the Spartans got the ball back at their own 46. MSU scored on that drive to pull to within 17-12 -- their only touchdown of the game.
WEEK 1, 2009 vs. Oklahoma State
-- Georgia's offense had looked awful, but the defense kept the game close and the Bulldogs headed out for the second half trailing by just three. Walsh's opening kickoff, however, is returned 74 yards by Perrish Cox to give Oklahoma State the ball at the Georgia 24 to start its drive. Zac Robinson capped the drive with a 1-yard dive into the end zone to put the Cowboys up 17-7 -- effectively slamming the door on the listless Bulldogs.
WEEK 2, 2009 vs. South Carolina
-- In a game that had been back-and-forth throughout the first half, the Bulldogs finally seemed to put things out of reach when Michael Moore scored on a four-yard pass from Joe Cox with 9:04 left in the third quarter, giving Georgia a 38-23 lead. Chris Culliver returned the ensuing kickoff 57 yards to the Georgia 43, however, and the Gamecocks eventually booted a field goal on the drive.
WEEK 3, 2009 vs. Arkansas
-- Arkansas got off to a fast start, but Georgia answered with a 21-yard TD reception by White to tie the game at 7 with 9:56 left in the first quarter. Cobi Hamilton returned the ensuing kickoff 50 yards, however, setting the Razorbacks up with the ball at the Georgia 48. Ryan Mallett threw a touchdown on the next play to regain the lead, 14-7.
-- Tavarres King's 50-yard touchdown reception with 7:51 left in the third quarter gives Georgia a 34-28 lead. The ensuing kickoff goes out of bounds and five plays later Arkansas is back in the end zone and back in the lead, 35-34.
-- Georgia scores on Cox's fifth touchdown pass of the game with 10:46 left to play in the game and goes up 49-38. The ensuing kickoff sails out of bounds and Arkansas kicks a field goal eight plays later.
WEEK 5, 2009 vs. LSU
-- After doing absolutely nothing offensively for the better part of three quarters, Georgia scores to take a 7-6 lead with 14:15 left to play in the game. Trindon Holliday returns the ensuing kickoff 49 yards and LSU takes over at Georgia's 46. The Bulldogs catch a break, however, when the refs throw a personal foul flag on the Tigers, moving them back 15 yards. The drive ended with a punt.
-- Do I really need to take us through this one again? Georgia scores what may well have been one of the most memorable touchdowns of the Mark Richt era when A.J. Green hauls in a go-ahead score with 1:09 to play in the game. An absurd flag for excessive celebration flies in, icing on the cake of what so many Georgia fans must have already seen coming at this point.
Despite all the problems on kickoffs that we've just mentioned, Jon Fabris and the Georgia kickoff team decide it's time to get fancy. They break the huddle and immediately sprint to the line, where Walsh boots a kick straight down the middle of the field that's fielded by Holliday at the LSU 17-yard line. The coverage is a disaster, and Holliday bolts 40 yards to the Georgia 43. Adding insult to injury, Georgia is flagged for an illegal formation because it sent just three players to one side of the kicker when it broke the huddle. That moves the ball to the Bulldogs' 35, meaning the Tigers took over already in field-goal range for kicker Josh Jasper, who had connected from 52 yards out just two weeks earlier. As it turned out, it didn't matter when Charles Scott rumbled 33 yards for a the winning touchdown two plays later.
Rubbing it in a bit, LSU was flagged for the same infraction as Georgia after its touchdown, but had little trouble covering its kickoff.
By my count, that's 22 miscues on kickoffs following either crucial Georgia scores or to start a half in just the past 18 games. Twenty-two! In 18 games! Loud noises!
What could possibly cause such a trend?
Surely there are issues with the game plan on kickoffs.
Surely there are issues with the personnel being used on kickoffs.
Surely there are some issues with Blair Walsh's ability to properly execute the types of kickoffs he is asked to make.
Surely there are some serious issues with concentration, given that both the special teams and, in many cases, the defense immediately collapsed following such important momentum boosts created by the offense.
Surely there are issues in terms of preparation, execution, and recognition.
Surely the coaches must know this.
And yet it happens game after game after game for two straight years.
ADDENDUM: I wasn't paying close enough attention on Blair's missed 37-yard field goal, but I got this email from Bill A.: "That whole play was hurried because UGA didn't seem to know who was on its' FG team. It looked like a fire drill with players running on and off the field with the play clock evaporating. We barely beat the 40-second clock."
Remember the debacle of a field goal at the end of the first half in Arkansas when the coaching staff rushed the field-goal team onto the field rather than simply have Cox spike the football on first down to give the unit a chance to get properly set?
And here's what Nick Williams, who is on the kick coverage team, told me about the illegal formation on the kickoff against LSU:
“We know the rules, but guys sometimes don’t get a call or something and just lined up wrong.” This on the most crucial special teams play of the game -- and maybe of Georgia's season so far.
I'm all for giving Holliday some credit. He deserves it. He's a heck of a kick returner. But coming into this game, LSU ranked 117th in the nation in return average, and I think it's fair to wonder why Georgia couldn't do what Mississippi State and Louisiana-Lafayette could.
The preparation just seems bush league. Maybe I'm missing something, but I can't figure it out, and the coaching staff doesn't seem to want to give a better explanation.
ADDENDUM No. 2: Got this great comment from an anonymous poster, who obviously watched the replay closely... "Check the replay of the final two kickoffs.
"Georgia had three walk ons and a backup quarterback covering the kick from a huddle formation. LSU fields the ball on the 17 and no Georgia player enters the picture until the returner had already returned the ball 15 yards to the 32.
"LSU had 10 first and second team defenders covering the kick and lining up in their lanes. Georgia fields the kick on the 22 and the first LSU player enters the picture when the returner reaches the 26.
"Yep. It must have been the wind."
(NOTE: Before we begin our journey, you may want to read my story in today's Telegraph on the rollercoaster ride of Georgia's special teams this season.)
Now, I went back through Georgia's last 18 games looking for instances in which the Bulldogs made a big play or had momentum going in its direction, then had a disaster occur on a kickoff immediately afterward.
The following events are listed in chronological order, but please remember that this is ONLY kickoff-related problems since the start of the 2008 season that immediately followed Georgia touchdowns or started a half.
This is not a list of all of Georgia's bad kickoffs. This doesn't include the shanked punts against Georgia Tech last year, the special teams turnovers against South Carolina and Arkansas this season, the missed field goals in last year's Florida game or any of the other problems Georgia has suffered through on special teams in the past year-and-a-half.
These are examples only of problematic kickoff issues under very specific circumstances. All came either at the start of a half or following a Georgia touchdown or field goal.
Anyway, pour yourself a stiff drink and read on...
WEEK 1, 2008 vs. Georgia Southern
-- Georgia scores a touchdown with 5:55 left in the third quarter. The ensuing kickoff is returned to Southern's 47-yard line and GSU scores its first touchdown of the game 1:28 later. What had been a predictably dominant opening-week performance against a I-AA team ends with the Bulldogs allowing 21 points.
WEEK 2, 2008 vs. Central Michigan
-- Demarcus Dobbs picks off a Dan Lefevre pass late in the first half and returns it for a touchdown, breaking open what had been a relatively close game and giving Georgia a commanding 28-0 lead. The ensuing kickoff, however, goes out of bounds, giving CMU the ball at its own 40 with 1:02 left in the half. Thirty-five seconds later, they scored their first touchdown of the game.
WEEK 3, 2008 vs. South Carolina
-- Georgia's offense is sputtering, but the Bulldogs muster a field goal with 10:22 left in the second quarter to take a 3-0 lead. The Gamecocks return the ensuing kickoff 25 yards to their own 38, however, then score a touchdown 1:40 later to go up 7-3. That was the lone touchdown the Gamecocks scored in the game, and it was the best field position they had to start any drive.
WEEK 4, 2008 vs. Arizona State
-- Georgia scores its first touchdown of the game on a 9-yard run by Knowshon Moreno (you may remember him flying into the end zone) and the ensuing kickoff goes out of bounds. This time, however, the defense forces a three-and-out against the inept Sun Devils' offense.
WEEK 8, 2008 vs. LSU
-- Georgia is in command for much of the game but can't seem to put LSU away until Moreno takes a handoff and runs 68 yards for a touchdown to put the Bulldogs up 38-17. Walsh's ensuing kickoff, however, is returned 25 yards to the LSU 41. The Tigers score 1:58 later to pull back to within two touchdowns.
-- The Bulldogs once again appear to have iced the win over LSU when Darryl Gamble returns his second interception of the game for a touchdown to give Georgia a 52-31 lead late in the fourth quarter. The ensuing kickoff goes out of bounds and LSU tacks on yet another touchdown just 51 seconds later.
WEEK 9, 2008 vs. Florida
-- While the game was eventually a blowout, the first half was remarkably close. The Bulldogs booted a 35-yard field goal with 11:18 to play in the first half to pull to within 7-3. Rather than ride the momentum, however, Mark Richt calls for an on-side kick, which the Gators recover at the Georgia 41-yard line. Florida engineers a seven-play drive and scores a touchdown with 3:52 left in the half to go up 14-3 and never looked back.
WEEK 10, 2008 vs. Kentucky
-- Georgia looks dominant early, scoring touchdowns on each of its first two drives. Following the second touchdown, however, Walsh's ensuing kickoff goes out of bounds. Kentucky quickly goes 60 yards for a touchdown to make the score 14-7 in what would be a back-and-forth game the rest of the way.
-- With 13:49 remaining in the fourth quarter, Georgia scores on a Moreno touchdown to finally regain the lead 35-31 in a game that was way too close for comfort. Walsh's ensuing kickoff, however, was returned 96 yards all the way to the Georgia 4-yard line. Three plays later the Wildcats punched in the score to retake the lead 38-35.
WEEK 11, 2008 vs. Auburn
-- With Georgia trailing in the fourth quarter against an Auburn team with virtually no offensive firepower, A.J. Green finally gives the Bulldogs a lead and some breathing room, scoring with 8:24 to play in the game to put UGA up 17-13. The ensuing kickoff goes out of bounds, but the defense steps up and forces a punt.
WEEK 12, 2008 vs. Georgia Tech
-- Georgia jumps out to an early 7-0 lead, scoring on its first drive of the game. Walsh's ensuing kickoff goes out of bounds. The defense holds, however, after Georgia Tech goes for it on a fourth-and-2 from the Bulldogs' 33 and Josh Nesbitt's pass falls incomplete.
-- Georgia appears to take a commanding 28-12 lead with just 37 seconds left in the first half when Matthew Stafford hits Mohamed Massaquoi for a 3-yard touchdown. The ensuing kickoff goes out of bounds, but the Bulldogs are bailed out when Nesbitt throws an interception as time expires in the half.
-- The momentum of the interception didn't last long. Walsh's kickoff to open the second half goes out of bounds. Johnathan Dwyer runs 60 yards for a touchdown on the next play, making what looked like a blowout a one-score game.
-- With 4:04 left in the game, Stafford wraps up a monster performance, hitting Green for a 12-yard touchdown to pull Georgia to within three, 45-42. Roddy Jones returned the ensuing kickoff 37 yards to the Tech 44-yard line, however, and the Yellow Jackets ran seven more plays and took the clock down to zero, never giving the Bulldogs' offense another chance to cap the comeback.
BOWL GAME, 2008 vs. Michigan State
-- A close game finally broke open with nine seconds remaining in the third quarter when Stafford connected with Aron White for a touchdown, giving Georgia a 17-6 lead. Walsh's ensuing kickoff sailed out of bounds, setting MSU up at its own 40. While the Bulldogs' defense held firm and forced a punt, the bad kickoff helped swing field position. Georgia's next drive ended with a punt from its own 7-yard line and the Spartans got the ball back at their own 46. MSU scored on that drive to pull to within 17-12 -- their only touchdown of the game.
WEEK 1, 2009 vs. Oklahoma State
-- Georgia's offense had looked awful, but the defense kept the game close and the Bulldogs headed out for the second half trailing by just three. Walsh's opening kickoff, however, is returned 74 yards by Perrish Cox to give Oklahoma State the ball at the Georgia 24 to start its drive. Zac Robinson capped the drive with a 1-yard dive into the end zone to put the Cowboys up 17-7 -- effectively slamming the door on the listless Bulldogs.
WEEK 2, 2009 vs. South Carolina
-- In a game that had been back-and-forth throughout the first half, the Bulldogs finally seemed to put things out of reach when Michael Moore scored on a four-yard pass from Joe Cox with 9:04 left in the third quarter, giving Georgia a 38-23 lead. Chris Culliver returned the ensuing kickoff 57 yards to the Georgia 43, however, and the Gamecocks eventually booted a field goal on the drive.
WEEK 3, 2009 vs. Arkansas
-- Arkansas got off to a fast start, but Georgia answered with a 21-yard TD reception by White to tie the game at 7 with 9:56 left in the first quarter. Cobi Hamilton returned the ensuing kickoff 50 yards, however, setting the Razorbacks up with the ball at the Georgia 48. Ryan Mallett threw a touchdown on the next play to regain the lead, 14-7.
-- Tavarres King's 50-yard touchdown reception with 7:51 left in the third quarter gives Georgia a 34-28 lead. The ensuing kickoff goes out of bounds and five plays later Arkansas is back in the end zone and back in the lead, 35-34.
-- Georgia scores on Cox's fifth touchdown pass of the game with 10:46 left to play in the game and goes up 49-38. The ensuing kickoff sails out of bounds and Arkansas kicks a field goal eight plays later.
WEEK 5, 2009 vs. LSU
-- After doing absolutely nothing offensively for the better part of three quarters, Georgia scores to take a 7-6 lead with 14:15 left to play in the game. Trindon Holliday returns the ensuing kickoff 49 yards and LSU takes over at Georgia's 46. The Bulldogs catch a break, however, when the refs throw a personal foul flag on the Tigers, moving them back 15 yards. The drive ended with a punt.
-- Do I really need to take us through this one again? Georgia scores what may well have been one of the most memorable touchdowns of the Mark Richt era when A.J. Green hauls in a go-ahead score with 1:09 to play in the game. An absurd flag for excessive celebration flies in, icing on the cake of what so many Georgia fans must have already seen coming at this point.
Despite all the problems on kickoffs that we've just mentioned, Jon Fabris and the Georgia kickoff team decide it's time to get fancy. They break the huddle and immediately sprint to the line, where Walsh boots a kick straight down the middle of the field that's fielded by Holliday at the LSU 17-yard line. The coverage is a disaster, and Holliday bolts 40 yards to the Georgia 43. Adding insult to injury, Georgia is flagged for an illegal formation because it sent just three players to one side of the kicker when it broke the huddle. That moves the ball to the Bulldogs' 35, meaning the Tigers took over already in field-goal range for kicker Josh Jasper, who had connected from 52 yards out just two weeks earlier. As it turned out, it didn't matter when Charles Scott rumbled 33 yards for a the winning touchdown two plays later.
Rubbing it in a bit, LSU was flagged for the same infraction as Georgia after its touchdown, but had little trouble covering its kickoff.
----
By my count, that's 22 miscues on kickoffs following either crucial Georgia scores or to start a half in just the past 18 games. Twenty-two! In 18 games! Loud noises!
What could possibly cause such a trend?
Surely there are issues with the game plan on kickoffs.
Surely there are issues with the personnel being used on kickoffs.
Surely there are some issues with Blair Walsh's ability to properly execute the types of kickoffs he is asked to make.
Surely there are some serious issues with concentration, given that both the special teams and, in many cases, the defense immediately collapsed following such important momentum boosts created by the offense.
Surely there are issues in terms of preparation, execution, and recognition.
Surely the coaches must know this.
And yet it happens game after game after game for two straight years.
ADDENDUM: I wasn't paying close enough attention on Blair's missed 37-yard field goal, but I got this email from Bill A.: "That whole play was hurried because UGA didn't seem to know who was on its' FG team. It looked like a fire drill with players running on and off the field with the play clock evaporating. We barely beat the 40-second clock."
Remember the debacle of a field goal at the end of the first half in Arkansas when the coaching staff rushed the field-goal team onto the field rather than simply have Cox spike the football on first down to give the unit a chance to get properly set?
And here's what Nick Williams, who is on the kick coverage team, told me about the illegal formation on the kickoff against LSU:
“We know the rules, but guys sometimes don’t get a call or something and just lined up wrong.” This on the most crucial special teams play of the game -- and maybe of Georgia's season so far.I'm all for giving Holliday some credit. He deserves it. He's a heck of a kick returner. But coming into this game, LSU ranked 117th in the nation in return average, and I think it's fair to wonder why Georgia couldn't do what Mississippi State and Louisiana-Lafayette could.
The preparation just seems bush league. Maybe I'm missing something, but I can't figure it out, and the coaching staff doesn't seem to want to give a better explanation.
ADDENDUM No. 2: Got this great comment from an anonymous poster, who obviously watched the replay closely... "Check the replay of the final two kickoffs.
"Georgia had three walk ons and a backup quarterback covering the kick from a huddle formation. LSU fields the ball on the 17 and no Georgia player enters the picture until the returner had already returned the ball 15 yards to the 32.
"LSU had 10 first and second team defenders covering the kick and lining up in their lanes. Georgia fields the kick on the 22 and the first LSU player enters the picture when the returner reaches the 26.
"Yep. It must have been the wind."
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Practice Notes: Questions Remain on King's Status
It’s been a roller-coaster ride for tailback Caleb King the past few days, and that’s probably been the most painful part of his month-long hiatus from football.
On Saturday, he watched Georgia play Oklahoma State, sitting alone in his room. Sunday, he returned to practice and for the first time in weeks, he felt pretty good. By Tuesday, however, his practice was cut short once again, and his prospects for playing against South Carolina this Saturday took a hit.
“We saw him Sunday and for what we asked him to do that day, he ran around well,” head coach Mark Richt said. “Then we got into a full pads day and added more periods, the hamstring fatigued faster than it normally would, and we pulled him out. I would say it’s not a slam dunk at this point.”
King did some light work during individual workouts Wednesday and practiced during scout-team work, but he said he’s still not sure whether he has any chance of playing in Georgia’s home opener Saturday.
“I honestly don’t know,” King said. “If they don’t think I’m 110 percent, I know they’re not going to play me at all. So if I don’t, I’m not going to play at all, and if I do, I’ll play a lot.”
King said his hamstring is feeling much better, but the muscle fatigues much faster than normal due to his extended absence from the playing field and said coaches could decide to rest him another week to allow him time to build up the strength again.
That’s OK with him, King said, but he would just like to know an answer one way or the other.
“It’s frustrating, but it’s more frustrating because I don’t know what they’re going to do with me,” he said. “But it’s all right. I’ll play if I have to play, but if I don’t, I’ll sit down and wait ‘til next week.”
Richt said it will likely be after today’s practice that coaches will make a final decision on King’s availability.
DON’T BLAME THE FRESHMAN
Freshman kick returner Branden Smith took some heat from fans for twice deciding to return kicks from deep in his own end zone, but Tony Ball said it wasn’t Smith’s decision.
“It’s on (Shaun) Chapas,” Ball said. “The returner can sometimes get disoriented trying to field that type of kick, especially a young player like Branden. And I told (Chapas) if you have to, you go in the end zone and grab him and don’t let him come out. Those are the trials and tribulations, but they’re not issues that can’t be fixed.”
Chapas, who works as the upback, was told to make the decision on whether to return the kick or take a knee in the end zone for a touchback, but the angle of the kick made the choice difficult.
“My initial thought was Chapas should have kept him in the end zone,” Ball said. “After asking Chapas about it, he felt like it being a line-drive kick, that threw things off. There was some dynamics there where he had to make some decisions, but Chapas has done it for a couple of years, so I trust him.
NEW LOOK ON O LINE
Georgia’s offensive line will have a different look to it in the Bulldogs’ second outing of the season, and it won’t be just because starting left tackle Trinton Sturdivant is out for the season following an ACL injury.
Justin Anderson will get the starting nod at right guard this week over incumbent Chris Davis, who Richt said lacks the size to create a favorable matchup against South Carolina’s hefty defensive front.
“The guys we’re playing are big men, and (Anderson) has just got more girth to him,” Richt said. “Chris, I’m sure, will end up playing, but you get two big guards in there when you play a team that’s mostly a four-man front, usually they cover your guards and you want to get some big men in there to hold up against them.”
Senior Vince Vance will step in at left tackle for Sturdivant, who tore his ACL for the second time in as many years during the second half of Georgia’s opener against Oklahoma State.
Vance filled in for about 25 snaps against the Cowboys, and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said he turned in a strong performance.
“He did good,” Bobo said. “He played with energy and didn’t have hardly any missed assignments which is what we expect from Vince.”
NO HARM DONE
Both Richt and Bobo offered some minor criticisms of the offensive line’s performance against Oklahoma State, but Richt said he didn’t think any problems were a result of ankle injuries suffered by Davis and center Ben Jones late in preseason practice.
“I can’t say they feel great, but they weren’t limping around as they prepared in practice,” Richt said. “They did miss some work, some of those opportunities to just kind of get in the groove, but I don’t think the pain from the injuries caused any change of their ability to do their job.”
EALEY STILL IN THE MIX
With King potentially missing another week of action, Richt said he hasn’t ruled out using freshman tailback Washaun Ealey – both at running back and on special teams.
The problem, Richt said, is that due to an early elbow injury during fall camp, Ealey is still behind in terms of how much progress the coaching staff had hoped to see.
“If you have some cumulative reps and you miss some time, that’s one thing,” Richt said. “But if you’re not there to learn it from scratch, it’s hard to throw them into the middle of a game plan and say, ‘Go do it,’ when he doesn’t even have the basics down.”
Despite being a bit behind on the learning curve, however, Richt said Ealey has remained in the mix during practice and could still see action – if not against South Carolina, potentially down the road.
“We are still trying to incorporate him in those areas, and we’re still getting him reps to try to keep him greased up and keep his mind in it,” Richt said.
DURHAM BACK AT WORK
Senior receiver Kris Durham, who underwent season-ending shoulder surgery during the offseason, returned to receiving drills Wednesday for the first time.
Durham was kept out of any competitive situations, Richt said, but he got work in catching passes, which was an important benchmark.
“It’s encouraging and certainly he’s excited about it,” Ball said. “And it’s always good to have Kris around.”
CLOSER INSPECTION
After watching the film, Joe Cox said it was obvious he held the ball too long on too many snaps against Oklahoma State, a problem that led to a number of incompletions.
The problem, he said, was he started overthinking the situation, but when he takes the field against South Carolina, he’s promising a back-to-basics approach to making his reads.
“When you start looking around, you start getting your eyes in the wrong spot, you start worrying about too much,” Cox said. “It’s almost over-analyzing what’s going on. So that’s what I felt was happening with me, but it’s something where you just go back to your basic reads and fundamentals and work on timing.”
WHO’S TO BLAME?
When Richt addressed the media on Tuesday, his analysis of Georgia’s shortcomings against Oklahoma State was a fairly harsh critique of his offense. In short, he said the intensity was lacking.
“We didn’t play with speed and finish blocks like we should,” he said. “We just need that little extra effort on each play to block a little bit longer or create a little bit more space, and that can make all the difference in the world between a guy getting tripped up and a guy going to the house. I don’t want to cause any kind of panic, because it’s not that at all, but we want to see a little more fire coming out of them.”
Upon further review, however, Richt decided his comments might have been a bit too severe.
He said he watched the game film once more Tuesday evening and came to the conclusion that the shortcomings weren’t quite as problematic as they appeared at first blush.
“It really wasn’t so much up front, it was some perimeter blocking issues, some backs needing to continue running their feet or place their hat in a better spot,” Richt said. “We ran some outside plays and were getting hats on everybody and fit up on them pretty good, but just didn’t sustain long enough.”
TO PLAY OR NOT TO PLAY
Logan Gray figured to see some action against Oklahoma State, but as it turned out he was in on just one offensive play – a designed run for a short gain.
After the offense struggled to just 10 points, however, a vocal contingent of fans was hoping to see a bit more of the backup quarterback in Georgia’s next game.
That could be the case, Richt said, but nothing’s guaranteed.
“He can run our system, and we had planned to get him in the game mostly in the red-zone area,” Richt said. “We did get him in there one time, but unfortunately we didn’t get in the red zone very often. Right now, Joe’s definitely the No. 1 guy, and we’ll see if and when Logan will get in there.”
ONGOING BATTLE
Brandon Bogotay was brought in this offseason to provide competition on kickoffs for sophomore Blair Walsh, but it was the incumbent who earned the job again.
Richt said Walsh's consistency, hangtime and accuracy landed him the job, but he hasn't ruled out the possibility that Bogotay could still win the job down the road.
“It was very, very close," Richt said of the competition. "It wasn’t like Bogotay did poorly. In my opinion, they both kicked it good enough to win the job, and Bogotay’s not done by any stretch.”
IT’S NO BEAUTY PAGEANT
The history of the Georgia-South Carolina series suggests there won’t be many points scored Saturday. So despite his offense struggling badly in its first game of the season, Richt said a low-scoring affair wouldn’t be more cause for concern.
“All I’m worried about is winning the game,” Richt said. “I appreciate the victory and not the style points.”
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
From Georgia receiver A.J. Green on what this week’s game means: “Losing that last one last week, I just want a victory to get this feeling out of my stomach and get a victory under my belt.”
On Saturday, he watched Georgia play Oklahoma State, sitting alone in his room. Sunday, he returned to practice and for the first time in weeks, he felt pretty good. By Tuesday, however, his practice was cut short once again, and his prospects for playing against South Carolina this Saturday took a hit.
“We saw him Sunday and for what we asked him to do that day, he ran around well,” head coach Mark Richt said. “Then we got into a full pads day and added more periods, the hamstring fatigued faster than it normally would, and we pulled him out. I would say it’s not a slam dunk at this point.”
King did some light work during individual workouts Wednesday and practiced during scout-team work, but he said he’s still not sure whether he has any chance of playing in Georgia’s home opener Saturday.
“I honestly don’t know,” King said. “If they don’t think I’m 110 percent, I know they’re not going to play me at all. So if I don’t, I’m not going to play at all, and if I do, I’ll play a lot.”
King said his hamstring is feeling much better, but the muscle fatigues much faster than normal due to his extended absence from the playing field and said coaches could decide to rest him another week to allow him time to build up the strength again.
That’s OK with him, King said, but he would just like to know an answer one way or the other.
“It’s frustrating, but it’s more frustrating because I don’t know what they’re going to do with me,” he said. “But it’s all right. I’ll play if I have to play, but if I don’t, I’ll sit down and wait ‘til next week.”
Richt said it will likely be after today’s practice that coaches will make a final decision on King’s availability.
DON’T BLAME THE FRESHMAN
Freshman kick returner Branden Smith took some heat from fans for twice deciding to return kicks from deep in his own end zone, but Tony Ball said it wasn’t Smith’s decision.
“It’s on (Shaun) Chapas,” Ball said. “The returner can sometimes get disoriented trying to field that type of kick, especially a young player like Branden. And I told (Chapas) if you have to, you go in the end zone and grab him and don’t let him come out. Those are the trials and tribulations, but they’re not issues that can’t be fixed.”
Chapas, who works as the upback, was told to make the decision on whether to return the kick or take a knee in the end zone for a touchback, but the angle of the kick made the choice difficult.
“My initial thought was Chapas should have kept him in the end zone,” Ball said. “After asking Chapas about it, he felt like it being a line-drive kick, that threw things off. There was some dynamics there where he had to make some decisions, but Chapas has done it for a couple of years, so I trust him.
NEW LOOK ON O LINE
Georgia’s offensive line will have a different look to it in the Bulldogs’ second outing of the season, and it won’t be just because starting left tackle Trinton Sturdivant is out for the season following an ACL injury.
Justin Anderson will get the starting nod at right guard this week over incumbent Chris Davis, who Richt said lacks the size to create a favorable matchup against South Carolina’s hefty defensive front.
“The guys we’re playing are big men, and (Anderson) has just got more girth to him,” Richt said. “Chris, I’m sure, will end up playing, but you get two big guards in there when you play a team that’s mostly a four-man front, usually they cover your guards and you want to get some big men in there to hold up against them.”
Senior Vince Vance will step in at left tackle for Sturdivant, who tore his ACL for the second time in as many years during the second half of Georgia’s opener against Oklahoma State.
Vance filled in for about 25 snaps against the Cowboys, and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said he turned in a strong performance.
“He did good,” Bobo said. “He played with energy and didn’t have hardly any missed assignments which is what we expect from Vince.”
NO HARM DONE
Both Richt and Bobo offered some minor criticisms of the offensive line’s performance against Oklahoma State, but Richt said he didn’t think any problems were a result of ankle injuries suffered by Davis and center Ben Jones late in preseason practice.
“I can’t say they feel great, but they weren’t limping around as they prepared in practice,” Richt said. “They did miss some work, some of those opportunities to just kind of get in the groove, but I don’t think the pain from the injuries caused any change of their ability to do their job.”
EALEY STILL IN THE MIX
With King potentially missing another week of action, Richt said he hasn’t ruled out using freshman tailback Washaun Ealey – both at running back and on special teams.
The problem, Richt said, is that due to an early elbow injury during fall camp, Ealey is still behind in terms of how much progress the coaching staff had hoped to see.
“If you have some cumulative reps and you miss some time, that’s one thing,” Richt said. “But if you’re not there to learn it from scratch, it’s hard to throw them into the middle of a game plan and say, ‘Go do it,’ when he doesn’t even have the basics down.”
Despite being a bit behind on the learning curve, however, Richt said Ealey has remained in the mix during practice and could still see action – if not against South Carolina, potentially down the road.
“We are still trying to incorporate him in those areas, and we’re still getting him reps to try to keep him greased up and keep his mind in it,” Richt said.
DURHAM BACK AT WORK
Senior receiver Kris Durham, who underwent season-ending shoulder surgery during the offseason, returned to receiving drills Wednesday for the first time.
Durham was kept out of any competitive situations, Richt said, but he got work in catching passes, which was an important benchmark.
“It’s encouraging and certainly he’s excited about it,” Ball said. “And it’s always good to have Kris around.”
CLOSER INSPECTION
After watching the film, Joe Cox said it was obvious he held the ball too long on too many snaps against Oklahoma State, a problem that led to a number of incompletions.
The problem, he said, was he started overthinking the situation, but when he takes the field against South Carolina, he’s promising a back-to-basics approach to making his reads.
“When you start looking around, you start getting your eyes in the wrong spot, you start worrying about too much,” Cox said. “It’s almost over-analyzing what’s going on. So that’s what I felt was happening with me, but it’s something where you just go back to your basic reads and fundamentals and work on timing.”
WHO’S TO BLAME?
When Richt addressed the media on Tuesday, his analysis of Georgia’s shortcomings against Oklahoma State was a fairly harsh critique of his offense. In short, he said the intensity was lacking.
“We didn’t play with speed and finish blocks like we should,” he said. “We just need that little extra effort on each play to block a little bit longer or create a little bit more space, and that can make all the difference in the world between a guy getting tripped up and a guy going to the house. I don’t want to cause any kind of panic, because it’s not that at all, but we want to see a little more fire coming out of them.”
Upon further review, however, Richt decided his comments might have been a bit too severe.
He said he watched the game film once more Tuesday evening and came to the conclusion that the shortcomings weren’t quite as problematic as they appeared at first blush.
“It really wasn’t so much up front, it was some perimeter blocking issues, some backs needing to continue running their feet or place their hat in a better spot,” Richt said. “We ran some outside plays and were getting hats on everybody and fit up on them pretty good, but just didn’t sustain long enough.”
TO PLAY OR NOT TO PLAY
Logan Gray figured to see some action against Oklahoma State, but as it turned out he was in on just one offensive play – a designed run for a short gain.
After the offense struggled to just 10 points, however, a vocal contingent of fans was hoping to see a bit more of the backup quarterback in Georgia’s next game.
That could be the case, Richt said, but nothing’s guaranteed.
“He can run our system, and we had planned to get him in the game mostly in the red-zone area,” Richt said. “We did get him in there one time, but unfortunately we didn’t get in the red zone very often. Right now, Joe’s definitely the No. 1 guy, and we’ll see if and when Logan will get in there.”
ONGOING BATTLE
Brandon Bogotay was brought in this offseason to provide competition on kickoffs for sophomore Blair Walsh, but it was the incumbent who earned the job again.
Richt said Walsh's consistency, hangtime and accuracy landed him the job, but he hasn't ruled out the possibility that Bogotay could still win the job down the road.
“It was very, very close," Richt said of the competition. "It wasn’t like Bogotay did poorly. In my opinion, they both kicked it good enough to win the job, and Bogotay’s not done by any stretch.”
IT’S NO BEAUTY PAGEANT
The history of the Georgia-South Carolina series suggests there won’t be many points scored Saturday. So despite his offense struggling badly in its first game of the season, Richt said a low-scoring affair wouldn’t be more cause for concern.
“All I’m worried about is winning the game,” Richt said. “I appreciate the victory and not the style points.”
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
From Georgia receiver A.J. Green on what this week’s game means: “Losing that last one last week, I just want a victory to get this feeling out of my stomach and get a victory under my belt.”
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Notebook: Freshmen Ready For Action
The opening game of each season tends to bring a bit of first-time jitters for Georgia's freshmen, but for tight end Orson Charles, the scene at Boone Pickens Stadium on Saturday will seem a bit familiar.
It's not that Charles has ever visited Stillwater, Okla. before, but for the past six months, he's been dreaming about what the trip will be like.
"Ever since I found out I was going to Georgia, I looked at the schedule and I've just been dreaming about it – imagining scoring touchdowns, making that crucial block and just celebrating with my teammates after the victory," Charles said. "I'm getting enough sleep, but I'm always dreaming about the same thing."
Charles' fellow freshman tight end, Arhtur Lynch, said he hasn't been quite as consumed by visions of his first college downs, but he's definitely a bit anxious about what's in store.
"In high school, we had a lot of big games, but I can't really get a grasp on what it's going to be like," Lynch said. "It's going to be fun, it's going to be exciting, but it's going to be nerve-wracking because you know this isn't high school anymore."
Mark Richt has been down this road with freshmen before, but admits this season will be a bit different than even he is used to. It has been since 2003 that Georgia opened on the road – meaning there isn't a player on the roster that can pass along any advice on how the freshmen should handle the situation.
That, Richt said, might not be a bad thing.
"Those guys have no idea what's about to happen to them," he said. "They say the term ‘Ignorance is bliss' and it's probably true. The less you tell them, the better."
Regardless, it will be an experience the freshmen won't forget, Richt said. And more importantly, it's one they've waited a long time to enjoy.
"Camp has been long," Charles said. "We've been seeing too much of each other, been banging too much, and now we finally get to leave and go hit somebody else."
EARLY TEST
In last season's opener, Georgia went to then-freshman A.J. Green on just the third offensive play of the game and Green responded with a 36-yard catch to set up a touchdown.
"There's nothing quite like that first catch," Green said.
Richt said he's like to do a similar favor for a few of this year's true freshmen in Week 1, but he's not making any promises.
"It would be nice to, but I don't even know if we've established what the first play will be yet," Richt said. "I think the first time the opportunity arises for the freshmen, it's nice when they do make the play. It just gives them instant confidence. If they don't make the play, you've got to be there for them and give them another chance and let them know you believe in them."
EXCITEMENT ALL AROUND
It's not just the freshmen that are excited to get their first taste of action Saturday. Marcus Washington has been at Georgia for five seasons, but it's been more than a year since he last took the field on game day.
In the meantime, he's recovered from a serious shoulder injury and switched positions, from linebacker to defensive end, which makes Georgia's date with Oklahoma State as close to a new beginning as it gets.
"It's been a long time coming," Washington said. "I haven't played in over a year, and it's a new position, so it's almost like a fresh start for me. I just can't wait to get out there and see what I can do."
WHAT, YOU TOO?
The freshmen may not know what to expect Saturday, but Richt admits, he's not much different.
With Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno and Mohamed Massaquoi – the stalwarts of Georgia's offense for the past two seasons – now in the NFL, it's hard to make an accurate prediction as to what the Bulldogs might look like when they take the field against Oklahoma State. But rather than nerves, Richt said he's feeling more excitement at the possibilities.
"I get excited," Richt said. "I'm anxious, but curious is maybe the best word. I've very curious to see what we've got, curious to see how we'll respond in this game and throughout the season. But you get a good taste in Game 1."
READY, WILLING AND ABLE
Richt isn't giving away any scoop on who might handle the kickoff duties at Oklahoma State – sophomore Blair Walsh or JuCo transfer Brandon Bogotay – but he definitely sounds like he's gained a lot more confidence in the incumbent since the preseason began.
"I see a lot different focus from Blair," Richt said. "I think the competition of Bogotay coming in has really helped that situation. Both of those guys are really capable."
The competition has certainly kept both players sharp, but Walsh said it's not necessarily Bogotay's presence that has spurred him on to greater heights.
"I'm not the type of person who lays back when he has a job, but competition pushes everybody," Walsh said. "It's not just about bringing guys in so you have somebody pushing you the entire time. You've got to do what you've got to do and just working hard for me has been the key."
After a strong start to the season, Walsh struggled down the stretch last year – particularly when attempting directional kickoffs, a favorite philosophy of Georgia's kicking coach, Jon Fabris.
Whether the Bulldogs choose to kick to the corner or boot it deep, however, Walsh said he's aware that Oklahoma State presents a significant problem. Kick returner Perrish Cox is closing in on the Big 12 record for return yards, and his 895 return yards and two touchdowns made him one of the top threats in the country.
"We know what we're up against," Walsh said. "We know the guy is very good, and we've got to be on top of our game."
Walsh plans to be on top of his game, too. Regardless of which kicker is handling kickoffs, Walsh said he has something to prove, starting with Saturday's contest against the Cowboys.
"I've been working hard and I have something to prove to everybody to show that I can do what's asked of me and that I'm the guy for the job," Walsh said.
THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE
Oklahoma State's defense took a good bit of criticism a year ago after being embarrassed against rivals Texas Tech and Oklahoma and finishing 93rd in the nation in total defense.
That might be some encouraging information for Georgia, but with new defensive coordinator Bill Young now at the helm for the Cowboys, there's a bit of mystery as to just how good the unit might be.
"You look at where he's been, and if it's consistent, then schematically you know this is probably what he likes to do," Richt said. "But then as you're studying his scheme, you're not studying his personnel. If you're studying Oklahoma State's personnel, it's in a system that they're probably not going to be running. Coaches don't like the unknown, and we don't know for sure what's going to happen."
That makes the task of preparing for Oklahoma State a bit more of a challenge than normal.
The plan, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said, is simply to watch the Cowboys' personnel and study Young's past work, then hope to come up with a few options that look like they have a chance to be successful. The bottom line, however, is for Georgia's offense to be good at what they do best.
"You've got rules for your plays and blocking assignments and routes for different coverages," Bobo said. "So what we can execute and what we feel gives us the best chance to win against any kind of package is what we'll go into the game with."
THEY ALL LOOK GOOD
Don't ask freshman cornerback Branden Smith to pick out which of Georgia's young receivers has been the most impressive this preseason. With all he's been trying to learn in such a short time, they've all looked good.
"Right now everyone's impressing me," Smith said. "The college level is a whole other level. I'm still improving, still trying to learn. Their routes are so smooth, and everybody's running good routes. So everybody's challenging me."
Of course, when it comes to playing favorites, Smith isn't pulling punches. As difficult as it might be to cover any of Georgia's receivers, he knows one has a little more to his game than the rest.
"A.J., he's amazing," Smith said of sophomore receiver A.J. Green. "Anything in the air, he goes and gets it."
NO HARD FEELINGS
Richard Samuel will get the start at tailback Saturday, and he's expecting a pretty significant number of carries, too. While that might be a good opportunity for him to gloat after numerous fans wondered if he might be better suited to linebacker this offseason, fullback Shaun Chapas said he never heard Samuel complain about the critiques.
"As far as I could tell, I don't think he ever let any of that bother him," Chapas said. "He's always been a student of the game and tried to go in and get better each day."
That attitude hasn't changed much in the wake of his recent success, either. Samuel ignored the critics at his low points, and he said he hasn't paid much attention to the enthusiasm surrounding him now.
"I'd say people are a little more excited," he said, "but I'm just going on with my day."
KING FOR A DAY?
With just six scholarship receivers, Georgia's coaches know they'll be counting on several unproven players to come up big in the passing game. That list might start with redshirt freshman Tavarres King, and Richt said he's been pleased with the attitude King has had throughout the preseason.
"The one area of improvement that I have seen has been in his confidence level," Richt said. "It's much more positive and stronger this fall. In this past scrimmage, in the running game, he really competed. That's something that is an indication of his confidence level."
After getting a taste of action early last season, then riding the bench with a medical redshirt the final three months, King admits he's in a far better emotional state this time around. The promise of significant playing time and a shot at some big plays is enough to keep anyone motivated.
"It's kind of exciting going into the season knowing that I could be a marquee guy, that I could be what Mohamed Massaquoi was last year," King said.
BOYKIN TO RETURN KICKS
Sophomore cornerback Brandon Boykin is the likely starter at kick returner, Richt said Thursday, while Prince Miller will handle the majority of the punt returns against Oklahoma State.
While Boykin is the top candidate for kick returns, Richt said freshman Branden Smith and Samuel are also in the mix, adding that Samuel's duties as the starting tailback – even with just two scholarship running backs likely to play – hasn't changed the way the team will use him on special teams.
"If we thought Richard was the best return man, he'd be there," Richt said. "Richard's actually covering some kicks for us. We're trying to put our best people in a position to help us win, and we think our special teams plays are just as important as our scrimmage down plays."
SPECIAL MOMENT FOR FRESHMEN
Prior to the start of fall camp, Richt said he anticipated that a number of Georgia's true freshmen would see action on special teams this season.
As Georgia prepares for Oklahoma State, Richt said he's not sure how many will actually start, but most of the 12 who are traveling to Stillwater will see some action on special teams.
"I don't know how many true freshmen are starters, but I know they're all over our special teams, and in the course of a game, you tend to get into your two-deep pretty quick," Richt said. "So I wouldn't be surprised if a good many of them play for us on a special team."
RUNNING DOWN THE LIST
The 12 freshmen making the trip for Georgia are:
QBs Zach Mettenberger and Aaron Murray; RB Washaun Ealey; WRs Marlon Brown and Rantavious Wooten; TEs Arthur Lynch and Orson Charles; DLs Abry Jones and Montez Robinson; LB Mike Gilliard; DBs Branden Smith and Shawn Williams
Sophomore kicker Brandon Bogotay will also be on the trip.
KEEPING AN EYE OUT
The college football season officially kicks off tonight with games between Oregon and Boise State and South Carolina and NC State. While Richt's focus will still be on Saturday's contest in Oklahoma, he said he'll be keeping a careful watch on tonight's games, too.
"When you watch those games, you can do some role playing. You're watching it and you're like, ‘What would I do in this situation right now?' It's kind of a practice game for you. Situations, as much as you try to simulate them out here, there's always something that could happen that you didn't plan for. When I watch these games, situations will come up, and I might get on the horn with a coach and say, ‘Did you see what happened last night? Are we ready for that?' There's a checklist for all these situations, but everyone once in a while something will pop up."
*NOTE: Our meetings with Richt on Thursdays come before practice, so there won't be any post practice notes. I'll post the release from UGA after practice though.
It's not that Charles has ever visited Stillwater, Okla. before, but for the past six months, he's been dreaming about what the trip will be like.
"Ever since I found out I was going to Georgia, I looked at the schedule and I've just been dreaming about it – imagining scoring touchdowns, making that crucial block and just celebrating with my teammates after the victory," Charles said. "I'm getting enough sleep, but I'm always dreaming about the same thing."
Charles' fellow freshman tight end, Arhtur Lynch, said he hasn't been quite as consumed by visions of his first college downs, but he's definitely a bit anxious about what's in store.
"In high school, we had a lot of big games, but I can't really get a grasp on what it's going to be like," Lynch said. "It's going to be fun, it's going to be exciting, but it's going to be nerve-wracking because you know this isn't high school anymore."
Mark Richt has been down this road with freshmen before, but admits this season will be a bit different than even he is used to. It has been since 2003 that Georgia opened on the road – meaning there isn't a player on the roster that can pass along any advice on how the freshmen should handle the situation.
That, Richt said, might not be a bad thing.
"Those guys have no idea what's about to happen to them," he said. "They say the term ‘Ignorance is bliss' and it's probably true. The less you tell them, the better."
Regardless, it will be an experience the freshmen won't forget, Richt said. And more importantly, it's one they've waited a long time to enjoy.
"Camp has been long," Charles said. "We've been seeing too much of each other, been banging too much, and now we finally get to leave and go hit somebody else."
EARLY TEST
In last season's opener, Georgia went to then-freshman A.J. Green on just the third offensive play of the game and Green responded with a 36-yard catch to set up a touchdown.
"There's nothing quite like that first catch," Green said.
Richt said he's like to do a similar favor for a few of this year's true freshmen in Week 1, but he's not making any promises.
"It would be nice to, but I don't even know if we've established what the first play will be yet," Richt said. "I think the first time the opportunity arises for the freshmen, it's nice when they do make the play. It just gives them instant confidence. If they don't make the play, you've got to be there for them and give them another chance and let them know you believe in them."
EXCITEMENT ALL AROUND
It's not just the freshmen that are excited to get their first taste of action Saturday. Marcus Washington has been at Georgia for five seasons, but it's been more than a year since he last took the field on game day.
In the meantime, he's recovered from a serious shoulder injury and switched positions, from linebacker to defensive end, which makes Georgia's date with Oklahoma State as close to a new beginning as it gets.
"It's been a long time coming," Washington said. "I haven't played in over a year, and it's a new position, so it's almost like a fresh start for me. I just can't wait to get out there and see what I can do."
WHAT, YOU TOO?
The freshmen may not know what to expect Saturday, but Richt admits, he's not much different.
With Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno and Mohamed Massaquoi – the stalwarts of Georgia's offense for the past two seasons – now in the NFL, it's hard to make an accurate prediction as to what the Bulldogs might look like when they take the field against Oklahoma State. But rather than nerves, Richt said he's feeling more excitement at the possibilities.
"I get excited," Richt said. "I'm anxious, but curious is maybe the best word. I've very curious to see what we've got, curious to see how we'll respond in this game and throughout the season. But you get a good taste in Game 1."
READY, WILLING AND ABLE
Richt isn't giving away any scoop on who might handle the kickoff duties at Oklahoma State – sophomore Blair Walsh or JuCo transfer Brandon Bogotay – but he definitely sounds like he's gained a lot more confidence in the incumbent since the preseason began.
"I see a lot different focus from Blair," Richt said. "I think the competition of Bogotay coming in has really helped that situation. Both of those guys are really capable."
The competition has certainly kept both players sharp, but Walsh said it's not necessarily Bogotay's presence that has spurred him on to greater heights.
"I'm not the type of person who lays back when he has a job, but competition pushes everybody," Walsh said. "It's not just about bringing guys in so you have somebody pushing you the entire time. You've got to do what you've got to do and just working hard for me has been the key."
After a strong start to the season, Walsh struggled down the stretch last year – particularly when attempting directional kickoffs, a favorite philosophy of Georgia's kicking coach, Jon Fabris.
Whether the Bulldogs choose to kick to the corner or boot it deep, however, Walsh said he's aware that Oklahoma State presents a significant problem. Kick returner Perrish Cox is closing in on the Big 12 record for return yards, and his 895 return yards and two touchdowns made him one of the top threats in the country.
"We know what we're up against," Walsh said. "We know the guy is very good, and we've got to be on top of our game."
Walsh plans to be on top of his game, too. Regardless of which kicker is handling kickoffs, Walsh said he has something to prove, starting with Saturday's contest against the Cowboys.
"I've been working hard and I have something to prove to everybody to show that I can do what's asked of me and that I'm the guy for the job," Walsh said.
THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE
Oklahoma State's defense took a good bit of criticism a year ago after being embarrassed against rivals Texas Tech and Oklahoma and finishing 93rd in the nation in total defense.
That might be some encouraging information for Georgia, but with new defensive coordinator Bill Young now at the helm for the Cowboys, there's a bit of mystery as to just how good the unit might be.
"You look at where he's been, and if it's consistent, then schematically you know this is probably what he likes to do," Richt said. "But then as you're studying his scheme, you're not studying his personnel. If you're studying Oklahoma State's personnel, it's in a system that they're probably not going to be running. Coaches don't like the unknown, and we don't know for sure what's going to happen."
That makes the task of preparing for Oklahoma State a bit more of a challenge than normal.
The plan, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said, is simply to watch the Cowboys' personnel and study Young's past work, then hope to come up with a few options that look like they have a chance to be successful. The bottom line, however, is for Georgia's offense to be good at what they do best.
"You've got rules for your plays and blocking assignments and routes for different coverages," Bobo said. "So what we can execute and what we feel gives us the best chance to win against any kind of package is what we'll go into the game with."
THEY ALL LOOK GOOD
Don't ask freshman cornerback Branden Smith to pick out which of Georgia's young receivers has been the most impressive this preseason. With all he's been trying to learn in such a short time, they've all looked good.
"Right now everyone's impressing me," Smith said. "The college level is a whole other level. I'm still improving, still trying to learn. Their routes are so smooth, and everybody's running good routes. So everybody's challenging me."
Of course, when it comes to playing favorites, Smith isn't pulling punches. As difficult as it might be to cover any of Georgia's receivers, he knows one has a little more to his game than the rest.
"A.J., he's amazing," Smith said of sophomore receiver A.J. Green. "Anything in the air, he goes and gets it."
NO HARD FEELINGS
Richard Samuel will get the start at tailback Saturday, and he's expecting a pretty significant number of carries, too. While that might be a good opportunity for him to gloat after numerous fans wondered if he might be better suited to linebacker this offseason, fullback Shaun Chapas said he never heard Samuel complain about the critiques.
"As far as I could tell, I don't think he ever let any of that bother him," Chapas said. "He's always been a student of the game and tried to go in and get better each day."
That attitude hasn't changed much in the wake of his recent success, either. Samuel ignored the critics at his low points, and he said he hasn't paid much attention to the enthusiasm surrounding him now.
"I'd say people are a little more excited," he said, "but I'm just going on with my day."
KING FOR A DAY?
With just six scholarship receivers, Georgia's coaches know they'll be counting on several unproven players to come up big in the passing game. That list might start with redshirt freshman Tavarres King, and Richt said he's been pleased with the attitude King has had throughout the preseason.
"The one area of improvement that I have seen has been in his confidence level," Richt said. "It's much more positive and stronger this fall. In this past scrimmage, in the running game, he really competed. That's something that is an indication of his confidence level."
After getting a taste of action early last season, then riding the bench with a medical redshirt the final three months, King admits he's in a far better emotional state this time around. The promise of significant playing time and a shot at some big plays is enough to keep anyone motivated.
"It's kind of exciting going into the season knowing that I could be a marquee guy, that I could be what Mohamed Massaquoi was last year," King said.
BOYKIN TO RETURN KICKS
Sophomore cornerback Brandon Boykin is the likely starter at kick returner, Richt said Thursday, while Prince Miller will handle the majority of the punt returns against Oklahoma State.
While Boykin is the top candidate for kick returns, Richt said freshman Branden Smith and Samuel are also in the mix, adding that Samuel's duties as the starting tailback – even with just two scholarship running backs likely to play – hasn't changed the way the team will use him on special teams.
"If we thought Richard was the best return man, he'd be there," Richt said. "Richard's actually covering some kicks for us. We're trying to put our best people in a position to help us win, and we think our special teams plays are just as important as our scrimmage down plays."
SPECIAL MOMENT FOR FRESHMEN
Prior to the start of fall camp, Richt said he anticipated that a number of Georgia's true freshmen would see action on special teams this season.
As Georgia prepares for Oklahoma State, Richt said he's not sure how many will actually start, but most of the 12 who are traveling to Stillwater will see some action on special teams.
"I don't know how many true freshmen are starters, but I know they're all over our special teams, and in the course of a game, you tend to get into your two-deep pretty quick," Richt said. "So I wouldn't be surprised if a good many of them play for us on a special team."
RUNNING DOWN THE LIST
The 12 freshmen making the trip for Georgia are:
QBs Zach Mettenberger and Aaron Murray; RB Washaun Ealey; WRs Marlon Brown and Rantavious Wooten; TEs Arthur Lynch and Orson Charles; DLs Abry Jones and Montez Robinson; LB Mike Gilliard; DBs Branden Smith and Shawn Williams
Sophomore kicker Brandon Bogotay will also be on the trip.
KEEPING AN EYE OUT
The college football season officially kicks off tonight with games between Oregon and Boise State and South Carolina and NC State. While Richt's focus will still be on Saturday's contest in Oklahoma, he said he'll be keeping a careful watch on tonight's games, too.
"When you watch those games, you can do some role playing. You're watching it and you're like, ‘What would I do in this situation right now?' It's kind of a practice game for you. Situations, as much as you try to simulate them out here, there's always something that could happen that you didn't plan for. When I watch these games, situations will come up, and I might get on the horn with a coach and say, ‘Did you see what happened last night? Are we ready for that?' There's a checklist for all these situations, but everyone once in a while something will pop up."
*NOTE: Our meetings with Richt on Thursdays come before practice, so there won't be any post practice notes. I'll post the release from UGA after practice though.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Tuesday Tidbits: Oklahoma State Edition
A few tidbits from today's media session with Mark Richt and players...
-- Richt spent much of this preseason saying Georgia wasn't approaching Oklahoma State any different than it has previous opening-week opponents. Today, however, he said his assistant coaches began game planning earlier than usual. Wish I hadn't taken the time to transcribe those previous quotes.
-- Richt discussed Georgia's successful track record when having extra time to prepare for games. He said the ability for players to get comfortable with their roles is key because knowing what to do allows them to play faster. As a result, Georgia's record in opening games, bowl games and games following a bye week is 25-5 (with just one of those losses coming in the past three seasons).
-- Richt touted the improvement of Blair Walsh in both the field-goal and PAT game and on kickoffs. Can't help but wonder if that's a sign of things to come against Oklahoma State.
-- Richt said he expects Vince Vance and Justin Anderson to get a chance to play vs. the Cowboys, but they won't start. He also said Josh Davis is getting close to returning from offseason shoulder surgery and could be ready in one or two weeks.
-- Georgia's travel list will come out tomorrow, but Richt would not comment about who would be on it yet.
-- Richt said both Abry Jones and Montez Robinson will play this season, but said he couldn't promise either would play Saturday.
-- A few things I noticed on Georgia's game notes:
Akeem Dent is listed as the backup Sam linebacker. Darryl Gamble is listed as the starter at Mike and Darius Dewberry the starter at Sam. I'll be surprised, however, if Dent doesn't see a good bit of playing time, assuming his hamstring is fully recovered.
Did you know... Georgia hasn't beaten an opponent from outside the Southeast region in season-opening game since 1953. Of course, they also haven't played one since 1958. (FYI, they beat Villanova 32-19 in Philadelphia in '53).
This will only be the fifth time in Richt's tenure that Georgia has played a top-10 team on the road (obviously not counting the games in Jacksonville). In the previous four matchups, Georgia is 3-1. The only loss was to No. 3 Auburn in 2004.
-- Richt spent much of this preseason saying Georgia wasn't approaching Oklahoma State any different than it has previous opening-week opponents. Today, however, he said his assistant coaches began game planning earlier than usual. Wish I hadn't taken the time to transcribe those previous quotes.
-- Richt discussed Georgia's successful track record when having extra time to prepare for games. He said the ability for players to get comfortable with their roles is key because knowing what to do allows them to play faster. As a result, Georgia's record in opening games, bowl games and games following a bye week is 25-5 (with just one of those losses coming in the past three seasons).
-- Richt touted the improvement of Blair Walsh in both the field-goal and PAT game and on kickoffs. Can't help but wonder if that's a sign of things to come against Oklahoma State.
-- Richt said he expects Vince Vance and Justin Anderson to get a chance to play vs. the Cowboys, but they won't start. He also said Josh Davis is getting close to returning from offseason shoulder surgery and could be ready in one or two weeks.
-- Georgia's travel list will come out tomorrow, but Richt would not comment about who would be on it yet.
-- Richt said both Abry Jones and Montez Robinson will play this season, but said he couldn't promise either would play Saturday.
-- A few things I noticed on Georgia's game notes:
Akeem Dent is listed as the backup Sam linebacker. Darryl Gamble is listed as the starter at Mike and Darius Dewberry the starter at Sam. I'll be surprised, however, if Dent doesn't see a good bit of playing time, assuming his hamstring is fully recovered.
Did you know... Georgia hasn't beaten an opponent from outside the Southeast region in season-opening game since 1953. Of course, they also haven't played one since 1958. (FYI, they beat Villanova 32-19 in Philadelphia in '53).
This will only be the fifth time in Richt's tenure that Georgia has played a top-10 team on the road (obviously not counting the games in Jacksonville). In the previous four matchups, Georgia is 3-1. The only loss was to No. 3 Auburn in 2004.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Practice Notes: Tailbacks to Highlight Wed. Scrimmage
It's just nine days into fall practice, but it's already crunch time for a number of depth-chart battles.
Georgia hits the practice fields twice Wednesday, beginning with a morning session in shoulder pads and a full scrimmage at Sanford Stadium in the afternoon. The scrimmage will be the first opportunity for coaches to evaluate players under game conditions, and a number of key preseason battles will begin to take shape afterward.
"I'm interested to see how those guys compete when they get hit and playing in the stadium and playing out there without their coaches behind them telling them what's going on," offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. "I'm just excited to see whose going to step up, try to get an idea of what our identity is going to be based on who can make plays and who'll move the football."
The most intriguing of those competitions is at tailback, where five players have earned roughly equal reps with the first-team offense during the first week-and-a-half of practice, but running backs coach Bryan McClendon said the ranks should get thinner after he sees his troops in action.
"I'm really holding off until this scrimmage to sort of get in some sort of pecking order," McClendon said. "It's really up to those guys now."
If fans are curious to see who impresses during the scrimmage, the actual competitors are downright giddy.
"I look at the scrimmage as the first test, the first exam," said sophomore tailback Richard Samuel. "It's the first test to show that you can put together everything we learned and be able to execute. The scrimmage will allow us to show coaches that we can get the job done, so it's pretty important."
Samuel split back-up duties a year ago with Caleb King, and while McClendon insists it remains an open competition, the two are the favorites for playing time again this season.
King, in particular, has made the most of his offseason and garnered the confidence of his coach during the early practices this fall.
"He came in in a lot better shape," McClendon said of King. "He actually picked up weight. He's actually gotten a bit heavier, just as far as body mass. A lot of that is due to age, and a lot of that is due to him taking the opportunity. He works his tail off, and he's making good. I'm excited to see what all those guys are going to do."
BUMPS AND BRUISES
Injuries to Marlon Brown and Rantavious Wooten have Georgia's receiving corps stretched thin as the team readies for its first scrimmage of the year.
Brown injured his finger Saturday and has been limited to route-running drills since. He said he plans to test the finger during Wednesday's morning practice to determine whether he'll be able to participate in the afternoon scrimmage.
Wooten fell victim to soreness in his hamstring and didn't practice Tuesday. Bobo said he didn't expect Wooten to miss significant time but wasn't sure if the freshman would be ready for the scrimmage.
"Marlon and Rantavious have had a couple little setbacks that have held them out of practice, and we're just eager to get them healthy and see what they can do," Bobo said.
While the time away from practice is problematic for the two freshmen, Bobo said he didn't anticipate their absence preventing them from seeing action early in the season this year.
"I really believe we're going to have to play those guys because we're so thin at receiver," he said. "The main thing is just getting them out there in practice so we can get them ready for the season."
Freshman tailback Washaun Ealey is also recovering from a hyperextended elbow, but fullback Shaun Chapas said he expected Ealey to scrimmage Wednesday with a protective brace.
GETTING COMFORTABLE
Last week, Bobo was concerned about the offensive line's ability to gel as a unit, but after a few more practices, he's been impressed with how well the group has played together.
Trinton Sturdivant, Chris Davis, Ben Jones, Cordy Glenn and Clint Boling are currently projected as Georgia's starting five, and Bobo said they've taken nearly all the reps with the first team since practice began last week.
"Vince Vance and Justin Anderson are backing up and really pushing those guys for playing time, but right there, that's the five," Bobo said. "You can kind of see us coming together. The more those guys play together, the more they get used to each other, the better they become as a group."
While Bobo has been pleased with the line's progress, he's still not ready to proclaim the unit set. That, he said, will take a bit more time.
"We've got the ability to be a good offensive line," Bobo said. "If we could stay together and stay healthy, in a couple years we might be great. A lot of people say we're going to be great, but that takes time. But we definitely have the ability."
SECOND TIME'S A CHARM
His freshman season didn't end how he had hoped, but Blair Walsh said his confidence hasn't been shaken. In fact, he feels a lot better heading into this season than he did a year ago.
"This time last year the head was spinning," Walsh said. "Just knowing what to expect is a lot better. You know how to pace yourself, and that helps a whole lot."
Walsh is competing against junior college transfer Brandon Bogotay for kicking duties this fall after struggling on kickoffs and going through a minor slump on field goals in the latter half of the 2008 season.
But while last year was a frustrating daze, this season, Walsh is ready for whatever might be in store for him.
"Coming in here and having a full summer to get ready," he said, "I definitely feel more prepared."
ORSON IMPRESSES
This year marks Michael Moore's fifth fall camp at Georgia, so he's not easily impressed by what he sees on the practice fields. But then again, freshman Orson Charles isn't your everyday tight end.
Moore said Charles made two spectacular catches over the middle during Monday's practice sessions that had Georgia's receivers in awe and had Moore wondering what Charles might be able to accomplish on game day.
"Orson Charles is going to bring another dynamic that we haven't seen before," Moore said. "He's a great pass-catching tight end. He just knows how to go up and get the ball. He's a different body type. He's like a big wide receiver, and it's going to cause some matchup problems."
LET'S PLAY FOUR
Georgia's three losses last season weren't so much three bad games. Instead, it was three bad halves of football, and that's something Bobo hopes the Bulldogs can avoid this season.
From spring practice through Tuesday's workouts, the key element Bobo has looked for in his players has been consistency. And while things haven't been perfect so far, Bobo has been happy with the results.
"There was maybe one day where I wasn't pleased with the effort and thought maybe we wasted a day, but for the most part, guys have been getting after it and trying to get better every day," Bobo said. "That's our main focus is to play hard for four quarters and play with some consistency, and that starts now."
For all the criticism the defense earned during dismal performances against Alabama, Florida and Georgia Tech a year ago, Bobo said a portion of the blame has to fall to his offensive players, too. While the D struggled to make stops, Georgia's offense mustered just three points in the first half against Florida, was shut out during the critical third quarter against Tech and failed to dent the scoreboard until the second half against the Crimson Tide.
Regardless of the defensive improvement, Bobo said the offense has to do its part to help swing momentum this year.
"We want to be more consistent, have less three-and-outs, try to change field position, limit giving the defense a short field and stuff like that," Bobo said. "There were a couple of times we might have been struggling defensively and then we disappear as an offense and maybe could have changed some momentum in certain games."
PINNING IT ON THE KIDS
The biggest question from concerned fans since practice began seems to be about which quarterbacks are throwing all the interceptions.
Head coach Mark Richt pointed the finger at the No. 2 unit after Monday's practice, but Bobo got a bit more specific.
"I think the defense has done a nice job of making plays on balls in the air, catching some balls and intercepting them," he said. "But when you've got two freshmen quarterbacks in there, you're going to have turnovers. That's just how it goes."
There is some good news, however, as Bobo sees it: "I'd rather it happen now than Saturdays," he said.
MAN IN MOTION
Bobo said a key for wide receiver A.J. Green's success this season will be moving him around the field to create confusion on the defense. Whether a lot of motion will become a widespread part of the offensive attack, however, will depend a lot on who else lines up alongside Green.
"It really depends what the other guys that are in there, what they can handle," Bobo said. "If we end up with Orson Charles and a couple other freshmen receivers, I don't know how much they can handle movement. You want them to go out there and be able to play fast and execute using their athletic ability."
Georgia hits the practice fields twice Wednesday, beginning with a morning session in shoulder pads and a full scrimmage at Sanford Stadium in the afternoon. The scrimmage will be the first opportunity for coaches to evaluate players under game conditions, and a number of key preseason battles will begin to take shape afterward.
"I'm interested to see how those guys compete when they get hit and playing in the stadium and playing out there without their coaches behind them telling them what's going on," offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. "I'm just excited to see whose going to step up, try to get an idea of what our identity is going to be based on who can make plays and who'll move the football."
The most intriguing of those competitions is at tailback, where five players have earned roughly equal reps with the first-team offense during the first week-and-a-half of practice, but running backs coach Bryan McClendon said the ranks should get thinner after he sees his troops in action.
"I'm really holding off until this scrimmage to sort of get in some sort of pecking order," McClendon said. "It's really up to those guys now."
If fans are curious to see who impresses during the scrimmage, the actual competitors are downright giddy.
"I look at the scrimmage as the first test, the first exam," said sophomore tailback Richard Samuel. "It's the first test to show that you can put together everything we learned and be able to execute. The scrimmage will allow us to show coaches that we can get the job done, so it's pretty important."
Samuel split back-up duties a year ago with Caleb King, and while McClendon insists it remains an open competition, the two are the favorites for playing time again this season.
King, in particular, has made the most of his offseason and garnered the confidence of his coach during the early practices this fall.
"He came in in a lot better shape," McClendon said of King. "He actually picked up weight. He's actually gotten a bit heavier, just as far as body mass. A lot of that is due to age, and a lot of that is due to him taking the opportunity. He works his tail off, and he's making good. I'm excited to see what all those guys are going to do."
BUMPS AND BRUISES
Injuries to Marlon Brown and Rantavious Wooten have Georgia's receiving corps stretched thin as the team readies for its first scrimmage of the year.
Brown injured his finger Saturday and has been limited to route-running drills since. He said he plans to test the finger during Wednesday's morning practice to determine whether he'll be able to participate in the afternoon scrimmage.
Wooten fell victim to soreness in his hamstring and didn't practice Tuesday. Bobo said he didn't expect Wooten to miss significant time but wasn't sure if the freshman would be ready for the scrimmage.
"Marlon and Rantavious have had a couple little setbacks that have held them out of practice, and we're just eager to get them healthy and see what they can do," Bobo said.
While the time away from practice is problematic for the two freshmen, Bobo said he didn't anticipate their absence preventing them from seeing action early in the season this year.
"I really believe we're going to have to play those guys because we're so thin at receiver," he said. "The main thing is just getting them out there in practice so we can get them ready for the season."
Freshman tailback Washaun Ealey is also recovering from a hyperextended elbow, but fullback Shaun Chapas said he expected Ealey to scrimmage Wednesday with a protective brace.
GETTING COMFORTABLE
Last week, Bobo was concerned about the offensive line's ability to gel as a unit, but after a few more practices, he's been impressed with how well the group has played together.
Trinton Sturdivant, Chris Davis, Ben Jones, Cordy Glenn and Clint Boling are currently projected as Georgia's starting five, and Bobo said they've taken nearly all the reps with the first team since practice began last week.
"Vince Vance and Justin Anderson are backing up and really pushing those guys for playing time, but right there, that's the five," Bobo said. "You can kind of see us coming together. The more those guys play together, the more they get used to each other, the better they become as a group."
While Bobo has been pleased with the line's progress, he's still not ready to proclaim the unit set. That, he said, will take a bit more time.
"We've got the ability to be a good offensive line," Bobo said. "If we could stay together and stay healthy, in a couple years we might be great. A lot of people say we're going to be great, but that takes time. But we definitely have the ability."
SECOND TIME'S A CHARM
His freshman season didn't end how he had hoped, but Blair Walsh said his confidence hasn't been shaken. In fact, he feels a lot better heading into this season than he did a year ago.
"This time last year the head was spinning," Walsh said. "Just knowing what to expect is a lot better. You know how to pace yourself, and that helps a whole lot."
Walsh is competing against junior college transfer Brandon Bogotay for kicking duties this fall after struggling on kickoffs and going through a minor slump on field goals in the latter half of the 2008 season.
But while last year was a frustrating daze, this season, Walsh is ready for whatever might be in store for him.
"Coming in here and having a full summer to get ready," he said, "I definitely feel more prepared."
ORSON IMPRESSES
This year marks Michael Moore's fifth fall camp at Georgia, so he's not easily impressed by what he sees on the practice fields. But then again, freshman Orson Charles isn't your everyday tight end.
Moore said Charles made two spectacular catches over the middle during Monday's practice sessions that had Georgia's receivers in awe and had Moore wondering what Charles might be able to accomplish on game day.
"Orson Charles is going to bring another dynamic that we haven't seen before," Moore said. "He's a great pass-catching tight end. He just knows how to go up and get the ball. He's a different body type. He's like a big wide receiver, and it's going to cause some matchup problems."
LET'S PLAY FOUR
Georgia's three losses last season weren't so much three bad games. Instead, it was three bad halves of football, and that's something Bobo hopes the Bulldogs can avoid this season.
From spring practice through Tuesday's workouts, the key element Bobo has looked for in his players has been consistency. And while things haven't been perfect so far, Bobo has been happy with the results.
"There was maybe one day where I wasn't pleased with the effort and thought maybe we wasted a day, but for the most part, guys have been getting after it and trying to get better every day," Bobo said. "That's our main focus is to play hard for four quarters and play with some consistency, and that starts now."
For all the criticism the defense earned during dismal performances against Alabama, Florida and Georgia Tech a year ago, Bobo said a portion of the blame has to fall to his offensive players, too. While the D struggled to make stops, Georgia's offense mustered just three points in the first half against Florida, was shut out during the critical third quarter against Tech and failed to dent the scoreboard until the second half against the Crimson Tide.
Regardless of the defensive improvement, Bobo said the offense has to do its part to help swing momentum this year.
"We want to be more consistent, have less three-and-outs, try to change field position, limit giving the defense a short field and stuff like that," Bobo said. "There were a couple of times we might have been struggling defensively and then we disappear as an offense and maybe could have changed some momentum in certain games."
PINNING IT ON THE KIDS
The biggest question from concerned fans since practice began seems to be about which quarterbacks are throwing all the interceptions.
Head coach Mark Richt pointed the finger at the No. 2 unit after Monday's practice, but Bobo got a bit more specific.
"I think the defense has done a nice job of making plays on balls in the air, catching some balls and intercepting them," he said. "But when you've got two freshmen quarterbacks in there, you're going to have turnovers. That's just how it goes."
There is some good news, however, as Bobo sees it: "I'd rather it happen now than Saturdays," he said.
MAN IN MOTION
Bobo said a key for wide receiver A.J. Green's success this season will be moving him around the field to create confusion on the defense. Whether a lot of motion will become a widespread part of the offensive attack, however, will depend a lot on who else lines up alongside Green.
"It really depends what the other guys that are in there, what they can handle," Bobo said. "If we end up with Orson Charles and a couple other freshmen receivers, I don't know how much they can handle movement. You want them to go out there and be able to play fast and execute using their athletic ability."
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