Notes: Sturdivant Question Lingers for O Line

With all five starters returning from last season, Georgia’s offensive line will be among the most experienced in the country this season. Still, there’s one big question mark looming on the horizon that could throw the established line into chaos.

After two years sidelined with injuries, left tackle Trinton Sturdivant is on pace to be ready for the season opener, and that could mean a shake-up among the five starters – Clint Boling, Cordy Glenn, Ben Jones, Chris Davis and Josh Davis – who performed so well down the stretch in 2009.

“Trinton looks good,” Josh Davis said. “I think he’s right on schedule to be back when they said he was. I saw him out there (last week). He looked real good. He’s moving around real well. He told me he feels strong and he thinks he’ll be able to come back and do what he’s supposed to do.”

That’s good news for the Bulldogs, no doubt. Sturdivant was a freshman All-American in 2007 and oozes potential – assuming he’s healthy.

But Georgia’s line jelled nicely in the latter half of last season, and a healthy Sturdivant would likely displace Boling – another potential All-American – and send either Josh or Chris Davis to the bench. That’s a possibility that Josh Davis has done his best to ignore for now.

“It crosses my mind but I have no idea,” Josh Davis said. “I have no clue about what (will happen). That’s why (offensive line) coach (Stacy) Searels gets the big bucks to figure that out. I’m sure the best five will play every week. That’s how we’ll roll with it.”

That’s been Searels’ mantra since he arrived at Georgia, so it’s likely a scenario that the current crop of Bulldogs linemen are familiar with. Still, chemistry matters more on the line than virtually anywhere else on the field, and even Davis admits that there will need to be some adjustments as the season progresses.

“Of course chemistry is important,” Davis said. “We played together the last six games of last year and we did all right. But it’s just as important to have a good player. Trinton is a good player. Any way he plays he’s going to do good. I feel like that about all of us. Most of us can play most of the positions. That’s why we did so well in the past because certain guys moving around just learning new positions. It really won’t matter about chemistry because he’s a good player and everyone that can possibly be put in that slot can play that position.”

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

As Georgia’s starting quarterback, Aaron Murray knows he’ll be viewed as a leader on the offense. As the lone new face on a unit that returns 10 starters, however, he also knows that leadership role won’t simply be handed to him either. So one of Murray’s biggest goals for this offseason is to prove to his teammates that he’s earned the job.

With that in mind, Murray has already been busy prepping for the 2010 season. He’s organizing passing drills twice a week around class schedules. He’s doing rehab and strength training on his shoulder nearly every day to make sure he’s healthy for the season. He’s putting in at least 90 minutes of time in the gym each day, working with receivers and defensive backs with some one-on-one drills, running a handful of seven-on-seven drills with the rest of the offense and then spending more than an hour a day in the film room. It’s a grind, but it’s something he knows he needs to do to earn the respect of the veterans around him.

“I’ve got to find my way of being a leader on this team, my way to motivate people and figure out ways to push them and make them do stuff they never knew they could do,” Murray said. “That’s not going to come in a week or two. It’s going to take some time to better understand the guys and what they can do and motivate them and hopefully by this summer hopefully I’ll make some strides in that category.”

So far, so good on that front. Murray’s teammates are already touting his work ethic and expecting big things from the freshman quarterback when the season gets going in a couple of months.

Last week, after players wrapped up a workout session, Murray got some of his linemen and running backs together to spend a few extra minutes practicing handoffs. He just wanted to work on the little things, lineman Josh Davis said.

“He’s stepping up to the challenge tremendously,” Davis said. “He’s putting in extra work. He’s trying his best to lead because the quarterback is a leadership position. He’s working his butt off to get it done every day.”

BRING THE PAIN

Last year, Justin Houston averaged more sacks per game than anyone in the SEC – and that was under Georgia’s old defensive regime.

This year, he’ll be turned loose on opposing quarterbacks as an outside linebacker – moving from defensive end in Todd Grantham’s new 3-4 scheme – and be given the freedom to play a more aggressive style than in years past.

“It’s going to allow me to get more pressure on the quarterback,” Houston said. I’m a stand up guy, so this defense is pretty much a pressure defense so it’s going to allow me to rush more.”

So, if he was already among the best in the SEC last year, how much better might he be now that he’s playing in a scheme that focuses his skills on getting to the quarterback?

Houston isn’t exactly giving away any answers to that question just yet other than to say he’ll do what it takes to win.

“I don’t have an individual goal really,” Houston said. “I just want to do my part and whatever that is to win I just want to do that. I haven’t really looked at individual goals lately. If it takes for me to get 15 sacks for us to win, I’ll get 15 sacks. That’s my goal.”

ON AN ISLAND

New defensive backs coach Scott Lakatos thinks he has a pretty strong corps of cornerbacks, and he’s planning to let their talents take over on the field in 2010 by waving goodbye to a lot of zone coverage and rolling the dice with a lot more man-to-man.

“He’s basically saying that my guy is better than your guy, and we’re going to see what happens,” junior Brandon Boykin said. “He’s basically putting you out there on that island, and you just have to have confidence in yourself. I think that’s something that he’s trying to build in us. If we make mistakes we just have to have that short memory, so he’s kind of teaching all those things.”

Those are some lessons Boykin is thrilled to learn. After two straight years with few takeaways and too many big plays allowed, Boykin thinks the new scheme plays to the Bulldogs’ strengths and will make the secondary a lot more dangerous.

“That’s what every corner wants is to get that one-on-one matchup,” Boykin said. “That’s what people get their respect from – not playing zone as much. It gives you a chance to just go out there and show what you have.”

Of course, Boykin also knows that the trust Lakatos has put in his corners has to be rewarded with a lot of effort by the players. The increased man coverage every Saturday means an increased level of importance in how Georgia’s defensive backs prepare for those one-on-one battles during the week.

“No matter how good you are, you still have to work on our technique,” Boykin said. “It’s something that you got to continually work on because everybody is different as far as receivers. You have to see what their strengths are. It will require watching film and things like that. I think we’re doing a good job of that early, and I think we’ll see those improvements going into the fall.”

NEW KID IN TOWN

In terms of hype entering their freshmen years, there probably isn’t much that Branden Smith has in common with the newest member of the Georgia secondary, but that doesn’t mean Derek Owens hasn’t already drawn some comparisons to his speedy teammate.

“He reminds me a lot of Branden Smith,” Boykin said of the 5-11, 180-pound Owens. “He’s quick, great hips. He doesn’t have a lot of technique right now but his quickness makes up for all of that. Really, really quick and has fluid hips. Once he gets the technique he’s going to be really good.”

Owens will likely be competing with Jordan Love and Sanders Commings for a backup role among the cornerbacks in 2010.

DIFFERENT STYLE, SAME RESULTS

As they did at the end of 2009, the Bulldogs figure to open this season with an even split in carries between tailbacks Washaun Ealey and Caleb King, and that’s OK with the offensive line.

For the line, Josh Davis said it doesn’t matter which player gets the football, the blocking schemes are still the same. The only difference between King and Ealey, as far as he’s concerned, is how much smack talk he hears coming from the backfield.

“The only difference we can tell between those two guys in the backfield is Washaun is more lively, and he talks more than Caleb,” Davis said. “You know Caleb is a quiet guy, and Washaun will be talking a little more trash. That’s the only difference to me is the personalities. They both have good speed, good power and a little swagger about them. It’s good having both of them.”

Notes: King Out, Brown Back

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NEW D HELPS RECEIVERS

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

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

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

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

WELCOME BACK, BRUCE

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

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

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

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

Scrimmage Notes: Richt Reserves Comment on Cab Controversy

(Note: CLICK HERE to see the stats from Saturday's scrimmage. The rest of my notes from the day's work are below...)

Two days after reports surfaced that as many as four Georgia football players may have been involved in an incident in which three university students were threatened and assaulted in a taxi, head coach Mark Richt remained mostly silent on the matter – for now.

“I believe by Monday we’ll have all the information needed,” Richt said. “There’s things I’d like to say about it, but I won’t. I’ll wait. I’ll wait until Monday.”

The report first came to light in a story in The Red & Black last Thursday, in which three people filed a police report claiming that four black men had shared a taxi from downtown Athens with them, making violent and sexual comments on the ride while slapping or hitting two of the accusers multiple times. The report indicated that the accusers believed the men were members of the Georgia football team.

Police continue to investigate the incident, but as of Saturday, no players had been charged with a crime, and Richt indicated that the only players who missed Saturday’s scrimmage were due to injury.

DURHAM, CUFF STEAL THE SHOW

Georgia’s scrimmage proved to be a big day for the offense, particularly senior receiver Kris Durham.

Three of the Bulldogs’ four offensive touchdowns went to Durham, Richt said, and the senior finished with four catches for 74 yards.

“I was about the second best (receiver),” said A.J. Green, who caught six passes for 80 yards. “But I didn’t compare to Durham though.”

Durham caught a fade pattern from Logan Gray on the first drive of the scrimmage then hauled in two post pattern passes for touchdowns, too. The big numbers were a welcome after Durham missed all of last season with a shoulder injury.

“He’s doing good, and I know he’s excited about practicing again and playing football again,” Richt said.

Added Green: “From Day 1, I know he’s going to be a weapon. The question is just going to be can he stay healthy, but he’s going to make some big plays, and it was good to see him out there with three touchdowns.”

While the defense didn’t have quite as impressive a showing Saturday, corner Vance Cuff managed to turn in the day’s highlight, making a one-handed interception of an Aaron Murray pass in the back of the end zone.

“Vance is really gaining confidence daily, and he’s making some really nice plays – plays that I hadn’t seen him make on a consistent basis,” Richt said. “I think you can just see his demeanor, his confidence level has really risen.”

Green said Cuff has grown by leaps and bounds this spring and, although he’s still involved in a stiff competition with Branden Smith for the open starting cornerback job, Cuff has added an element of physicality to his repertoire that makes him a touch matchup.

“He’s getting more aggressive. He has the speed to go with anybody, but he’s getting much better,” Green said. “He’s more slender, tall, and I feel like he can get his hands on you quicker than some of the shorter ones because he has long arms. And he’s just jamming a lot of the receivers at boundary, and he’s been real aggressive.”

FEWER FLAGS SATURDAY

There were so many penalties during Thursday’s practice that Richt said he hardly cared how the offense and defense performed. When practice ended, he had his players rolling the length of the field – twice. It was enough punishment to have several players on the verge of vomiting, but it seemed to get his point across.

Georgia’s offense committed just one infraction during Saturday’s scrimmage – a false start on one of the receivers – and the defense had just three.

Richt said he hoped Saturday’s more refined play would be the rule, and said Thursday’s lackluster performance was likely based more on a bit of displaced energy from his players.

“Spring ball, you’re smacking that same guy day after day after day,” Richt said. “You’re competing with him, and sometimes they just lose their patience with each other and you get a dumb foul. He’ll lose his composure because he wants to whip that guys o badly. It wasn’t all bad because the energy level and the fight was great, but we just had too many penalties.”

BUMPS & BRUISES

Aside from players out for the remainder of spring practice, Georgia had just three players miss Saturday’s scrimmage. Tailbacks Caleb King and Dontavius Jackson and receiver Marlon Brown all sat out, but all are expected to be back for the final week of practice.

“It’s getting better,” King said of his sore knee. “They just wanted me to rest on it, and I know for sure I’m coming back on Tuesday. It was just flaring up.”

Fellow tailback Washaun Ealey was also limited during the day’s scrimmage due to a minor knee injury, getting just five carries, leaving the majority of the tailback work to Carlton Thomas and walk-on Kevin Lanier.

“I got a little banged up, so it was mostly Carlton,” Ealey said. “I just got a little knee bruise, but I’m still practicing. It’s not a factor.”

FINAL THOUGHTS

While the offense was the winner Saturday, Richt said the defense had it's moments, too.

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

And while there is still one more week of spring practice yet, Aron White adds that today's work was a crucial moment for many of the players involved in position battles.

“We’ve still got a couple more practices to get in, so it’s by no means over, but it was definitely a day to go out and see where we’re at," White said. "It’s close to a game as we’ll get before the (fall), and guys tried to take advantage of that.”

While the quarterbacks said the rotation between the first and second-team units was about even, Clint Boling said he was fairly impressed with how the backup offensive line performed.

“There’s a little bit of different experience-wise," Boling said. "Us in the first group, we’ve been playing together for two or three years, and we have a continuity between all of us. Those guys rotate around a lot. But they’re doing a good job out there.”

QB COMPETITION

I'm writing my feature for tomorrow's Telegraph on the quarterback derby, so be sure to check that out. In the meantime, here's a few of the quotes about the QBs following Saturday's scrimmage.

Logan Gray on his performance...
“I felt good today. It was nice on the first drive getting some rhythm going and completing some balls, and we kept it going throughout. Me, Aaron and Zach, it seemed like the whole offense had a pretty solid day.”

Aaron Murray on his spring...
“I think I’ve definitely improved, and that was my main goal this spring. So I just want to keep improving this week and have a good G-Day.”

Richt on how the QBs have done this spring...
“It has been a good competition and I am pleased with it. I’m pleased because by sitting in there every day and listening to Coach Bobo install and coach and teach, watching how they react and watching how quickly they can answer the questions correctly, and just to see them have their notepads and making notes, they’re just good students of the game. And you can see it out on the field. They’re really making very few mistakes, and we’re pretty complicated when it comes to declaring linebackers for blocking schemes and deciding whether you should run this way or that way or check to a pass or change the protection or if you’re throwing hot. All these things, there’s a lot to think about and they’re really processing it very well.”

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.

Notes: New Beginnings for UGA's Ends

By FLETCHER PAGE

Former Georgia defensive ends Cornelius Washington, Justin Houston and Montez Robinson were pegged as perfectly suited to play outside linebacker in Todd Grantham’s 3-4 scheme.

All reports indicate the trio is thriving, but in their absence, the defense end corps is a bit of a mystery. Outside of senior Demarcus Dobbs, there aren’t many proven players at the position. Dobbs said that’s OK.

“I think we’re holding up pretty well,” he said. “The defense ends that have moved down to end from last year for the 3-4, I think we’re getting it. It’s takes time to get used to the spacing, and the 3-technique. It’s different. It’s a different experience, but in due time, with the help of coach [Rodney Garner] I think we’re getting it.”

The 3-technique differs from last season’s normal 5-technique look. Grantham’s scheme employs both techniques, but the end slated to use each differs from play-to-play.

Ends in the 3-technique line up outside of the offense guard, and are responsible for maintaining outside leverage. Those in the five, line up outside of the offense tackle. The change sounds easy, but it’s fairly complicated for a group who played only the 5-technique for years.

“It’s more quick,” Dobbs said of the 3-technique. “It’s more fast, and it’s kind of hard to adjust to. [Garner] doesn’t have us moving around that much, but those are the two positions that we mainly play.”

Dobbs is a projected starter, but points to a few other names who, although unproven, have done well thus far in spring.

“I think Brandon Wood is coming along well,” he said. “There’s a couple of mental errors here and there, but his physical ability, you can see it on film. You can tell the guy has a bunch of potential.

“Kiante Tripp, he has that big body. He has an NFL-type body. All he needed was an opportunity, and I think he’s taking advantage of this opportunity to really shine.”

BOYKIN IN AT NICKEL

With his play last season cornerback Brandon Boykin essentially locked up a starting position for this season.

Nothing is guaranteed, but Boykin doesn’t plan on relinquishing the spot he grabbed three interceptions from in 2009.

With his play, Boykin also earned added responsibility.

When Georgia employs nickel coverage, with an added defensive back, it’s Boykin who slids down to cover the slot receiver.

“It’s not much of a difference because when the corner moves into the slot, it’s just like the nickel,” Boykin said.

The real change, Boykin said, is learning the blitzing packages. From his nickel spot, Boykin will be asked to cover bigger receivers in the slot, and at times, to rush the quarterback. The added tasks matches Boykin’s style, since he says he loves to plays physical.

“There’s a lot of similarities, but for me personally, it’s learning the nickel,” Boykin said. “My freshman year I played the nickel, but it was in coach [Willie] Martinez’ scheme and it was a little different. In this scheme, we have more blitzes and man-to-man schemes, so that’s what’s changing.”

FRIENDLY RIVALRY

It might be the least intriguing spring practice battle, but even if being the nominal starter at tailback isn’t particularly riveting material for fans to discuss, it’s something Washaun Ealey and Caleb King are following closely.

“It’s a friendly rivalry,” said Ealey, the rising sophomore who thrived down the stretch last season. “We try to outdo each other in everything we do, whether it’s playing basketball or playing video games or just hanging around. We just always like to kid around about stuff like that, about who’s the best.”

In Saturday’s scrimmage, both tailbacks impressed, but neither exactly separated himself. King carried six times for 79 yards, while Ealey ran nine times and picked up 64 yards.
At this point, however, head coach Mark Richt isn’t exactly worrying about who the starter will be. Instead, he’s simply enthused by the effort both runners have turned in.

“Caleb and Washaun have a very good friendship, and I think they both want to be the starter,” Richt said. “They both want to prove they deserve the most carries, and I really like they way they’re practicing. Both of them, you can tell they enjoy each other’s friendship, but they are really practicing with a lot of tempo.”

Notes: Mett Suspended One Game

By FLETCHER PAGE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MAKING THE SWITCH

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

OUT, BUT NOT FOR LONG...

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

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

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

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

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

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

COMMINGS GUNNING FOR NICKEL

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

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

But he’s not satisfied with that.

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

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

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

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

Video Mailbag: Lakatos, Leadership and Learning the D

You guys had questions for Orson Charles, Nick Williams, Caleb King and DeAngelo Tyson. They had answers for you...



Thanks to Brandon Spoon for shooting and editing the video.

Georgia's players are off this week, but we'll do this again when practice picks back up. Be sure to follow me on Twitter for your chance to submit questions for the players.

Practice Notes: Dawgs Seek Replacement For Green

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NOT GONNA HAPPEN

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

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

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

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

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

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

KING FOR A DAY

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

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

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

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

EMPTY SEATS

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

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

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

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

NO HARD FEELINGS

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

CONSISTENCY IS THE KEY

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

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

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

CAPTAINS FOR SATURDAY

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

Notes: Dawgs Keeping Big Game in Perspective

This week’s matchup is circled on Georgia’s calendar every season. Florida is a huge rival, and the game typically determines which team will head to Atlanta to represent the SEC East in the conference’s championship game.

This year, however, things are different for the Bulldogs. For only the second time since 1996, Georgia will be unranked when it faces Florida, and while the Bulldogs’ Eastern Division title hopes remain on life support, this game is about more than simply keeping their preseason goals alive.

“Even if both teams were ranked or unranked, it’s always a big game,” quarterback Joe Cox said. “Now with us being an unranked team playing the No. 1 team, it could change our season. We want to use this game as a great opportunity to turn our season around. That’s what we’re going for.”

Of course, even Cox knows that’s a lot of pressure to put on his team, which enters the game with three losses for the first time in 13 seasons. So while he admits there’s a lot ride on the outcome in terms of team morale, he said the Bulldogs are doing their best to keep the game in perspective.

“We don’t want to beat Florida in order to save the season or turn things around, we just want to beat Florida to beat Florida, for us,” Cox said. “We’re not talking about all the things that could come with it because there’s no need to talk about it and be thinking about stuff like that. We want to come out and execute our game plan and win the game.”

A win would be sweet, however, after Georgia has suffered through its most tumultuous season since head coach Mark Richt arrived in 2001. And knocking Florida from its perch atop the rankings – that’d be pretty nice, too.

But while the rivalry aspect of the game serves to energize the fans, Georgia’s No. 1 goal is to keep things simple. It’s not about what happened earlier this year or what has happened in seasons past, Cox said. It’s simply about getting a win this week – even if that win might be a little bigger than the others.

“I didn’t play 18 years ago, and I don’t know who did,” Cox said. “It’s all about this year, and that’s how you need to approach every game. You can talk about who won in 1957, but it doesn’t have anything to do with when you play on Saturday. That’s more something for fans to go back and forth about and bragging rights.”

RIVALRY RENEWED

The first time A.J. Green saw Florida defensive end Carlos Dunlap, he assumed there were a few years between them. As it turned out, the bulked-up Dunlap was just a year older than the lanky Bulldogs receiver.

“I’ve been playing against that guy since the sixth grade,” Green said. “I remember seeing how big he was and saying, ‘Man, this guy is huge. He’s not my age.’”

Dunlap and Green grew up near each other in South Carolina and were rivals throughout their careers, playing against each other in grade school and high school on both the football field and the basketball court. During one game in high school, Dunlap’s coach even split him out at cornerback to try to defend the speedy Green – a move that didn’t exactly pay off.

“It was a game at home, a rivalry, a sold-out game,” Green said. “He came over and tried to jam me one time. If he had gotten his hands on me, he probably would have knocked me down, but he didn’t get his hands on me.”

Instead, Green raced by Dunlap, and the two have been going back-and-forth ever since.
But while their on-field rivalry is intense, Green said the two are good friends away from the game and talk on a regular basis about their roles with their teams and their roles in the community.

“We were the face of South Carolina, and a lot of people, a lot of kids look up to us,” Green said.

When Green was being recruited out of high school, Dunlap was one of his primary advisors, offering words of encouragement and advice on earning playing time as a freshman. Oddly, Green said, Dunlap never tried to sell his friend on Florida or chastised him when he chose the Gators’ archrival.

“He’s a great guy,” Green said. “He’s grown as a person. In high school, he had an attitude pretty much. But now, he’s a good guy, and we talk all the time. Before I came up here, he talked to me about how it was to come and play, how hard it was to come in in the summer and get everything down pat to try to play right away.”

Green said his hope is that the two might finally be teammates in the NFL one day after being rivals for so long as amateurs. This week, however, Dunlap is anything but a friend.
The burly defensive end has already recorded five sacks this season, and while he may be a friend of Green’s, quarterback Joe Cox said he’s not particularly excited to get to know Dunlap on Saturday.

“He’s a big guy who is strong and he moves very well,” Cox said. “Their whole defense is, you can look at all their guys, but he definitely does stand out.”

STARVING FOR A WIN

Caleb King is hungry.

Sure, he’s hungry for a win this week against rival Florida. And he’s been starved for a chance at redemption after blowing a blocking assignment last season that sent him to the bench for the next few weeks. And after a two-touchdown performance in his last game, he’s dying for a chance to build on his success.

But mostly, he’s just hungry – for some real food.

After breaking his jaw in Georgia’s loss to LSU on Oct. 3, King has been barred from eating solid foods, meaning all his meals have come in the forms of shakes, soups and other less-than-hearty delicacies.

“Everybody can eat a meal, but I have to eat a drink,” King said. “It’s hard. I just have to be in the weight room more than everybody else so I can keep my strength and keep my weight up.”

King’s diet has been monitored by Georgia’s training staff, but for the most part, he’s been on his own to find ways to keep his body strong despite the lack of solid foods.

“I blend stuff, I drink a lot of Muscle Milk – morning, afternoon, at night for dinner,” he said. “If I think I just need something, I drink it. So it’s just pretty much the same routine every day.”

That’s a routine he’ll be thrilled to end, but he’s not sure when that might happen.
His jaw is healing, but he’s far less concerned about the injury and more about when he can dive into a steak.

“I’ve been thinking about it, but (trainer) Ron (Courson) tells me he’ll tell me when it’s time, and he hasn’t even given me a hint,” King said. “He hasn’t even looked my way yet, so I don’t know.”

The upside, King said, is that he’s had plenty of film study and strength training to keep him occupied, but as good as some success on the field Saturday might taste, it probably won’t be quite as good as his first real meal.

“I already told Ron, the first meal, they’re going to have to pay for it,” King said. “I’ll go in and chow down.”

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

Prince Miller finally brought a spark to Georgia’s punt-return game two weeks ago with two returns totaling 95 yards, but keeping that trend going won’t be an easy task this week.

Through seven games, Florida has yet to allow even a single punt-return yard to its opponents behind punter Chas Henry, making the Gators a worthy adversary for Georgia punter Drew Butler, who leads the nation in punting average. With those statistics, Mark Richt said field position will be tough to come by.

“Chas Henry is fantastic,” Richt said. “He hasn’t punted a lot, but he can boom it with distance and great height. He can easily get a five second hang time, and when you get that hang time, you’re not going to return it.”

Of course, punting is just one aspect of the special teams, and Richt said it will be incumbent upon the Bulldogs to win more than just one of those battles.

Last year, a botched on-side kick led to a Florida touchdown, while kicker Blair Walsh missed three field-goal tries for the Bulldogs in a loss. This season, however, Walsh is among the best kickers in the country, and Georgia’s special teams have provided a number of highlights that have Richt convinced Georgia could be in for a successful day Saturday.

“It’s a situation where you’re going against one of the better special teams teams in the league and in the country,” Richt said. “It’ll be a challenge, but we’ve had a lot more good than bad in my opinion on our special teams, and I think we’re moving in a very good direction.”

WHERE’D HE GO?

Georgia’s fans may assume linebacker Rennie Curran is the Bulldogs’ version of Superman after he has led the team in tackles in all seven games so far this season, but even Superman needs a break.

So while linebackers coach John Jancek said he would love to have Curran on the field at all times, that just hasn’t been an option, and the All-SEC junior has sat out a handful of key series during the past few games.

“The guy can’t play every single snap,” Jancek said. “He’s on all the special teams, and you have to factor those plays in. And you’ve got to be able to substitute, roll guys in and keep guys fresh.”

That trend will continue throughout the season, Jancek said, with the idea being that keeping Curran fresh for most of the plays is better than having him winded on all of them.

“Rennie, as great of a player as he is, he’s not going to be as effective as he should be or could be if he’s taking every snap,” Jancek said.

BIG CHALLENGE AWAITS

The season hasn’t exactly been an easy ride for Georgia’s offense, which has had its share of ups and downs. But despite a handful of tough opponents along the way, quarterback Joe Cox admits this week’s game will likely be the Bulldogs’ toughest.

Florida ranks first nationally in total defense, second in pass defense, 12th in run defense and second in scoring defense, allowing just more than 10 points per game. In addition, the Gators return several key players from injury, including All-SEC linebacker Brandon Spikes, meaning Georgia has its work cut out for it.

“You look at them statistically, they definitely are the best we’ve faced,” Cox said. “They have great athletes, they’re ranked pretty much one or two in everything in the country, so they’re definitely the best. I’m glad we had two weeks to prepare for them.”

Practice Notes: Richt Cracks Down After Latest Arrest

A second player in three weeks was arrested for misdemeanor traffic violations Wednesday when offensive lineman Vince Vance was taken into custody by the Athens-Clarke County police for driving without a license.

Head coach Mark Richt said Vance, 22, had a learner’s permit, which would allow him to operate the vehicle if another adult was present, but that was not the case at the time of the arrest. The violation is the second in the past year for Vance, who was arrested on a similar charge last November.

“He doesn’t have a car, and he claims that he never drives unless he has someone 21 (years old) with (him) which is legal to do," Richt said. "So here’s a kid who doesn’t have a suspended license. It’s a legal license. Now, why he has a learner’s permit at this age, everybody’s asking the same question. But he drove by himself and had a traffic violation and when they ran it, he broke the law."

Richt said the arrest will not affect Vance’s playing time in this week’s game against Florida.

“It’s not affecting his playing status at all,” Richt said. “If he starts, he was going to start, if he doesn’t start, he wasn’t going to start.”

Richt said further punishment is being handled in-house, but said that the team’s focus on these minor traffic offenses has increased in recent weeks.

Three weeks ago, cornerback Vance Cuff was arrested for driving a scooter with a suspended license, and linebacker Rennie Curran also had a bench warrant issued for him after he failed to appear in court following a speeding violation.

“I can’t even tell you what we’ve been trying to get done in regard to making sure these things don’t happen,” Richt said. “I’m highly frustrated. I’ve taken things a little bit more into my own hands to make sure these things get resolved.”

The problem, Richt said, is that rules are often nearly impossible to enforce. While the school tries to ensure each player has a valid license, situations like the one faced by Vance result from players not having the proper class of license, which is forcing Richt to take a firm stand on the issue.

“My feeling is, every single Georgia football player must have not only a valid license, but a Class C license,” Richt said.

Still, Richt said, it remains difficult to keep tabs on any potential moving violations, parking tickets and other minor issues that can, if ignored, become more serious. Finding a foolproof plan to combat the issues will take some time, he said.

“I can’t snap my finger and get it done overnight,” Richt said. “If a kid gets a ticket and he can’t take care of it quickly enough, he could find himself with an issue there. So it’s a real pain in the rear, quite frankly.”

While neither Vance nor Cuff were charged with anything more serious than a misdemeanor, Richt said the problem is more about image than substance.

"It’s one thing to get stopped and get a citation," Richt said. "I don’t think anybody gets too bent out of shape. But if a guy gets stopped and he’s arrested, that’s a more serious matter. These are misdemeanor issues, but it’s an arrest nonetheless, and it’s embarrassing. It’s embarrassing to the program and to them. So we’ve got to do a better job, and I’m taking the blame for not making certain these things were taken care of, but we’re going to get it straight.”

Richt said he would personally take account of players' driving status and make an effort to constantly remind players that moving violations and other traffic citations must be reported to the coaching staff.

In Curran's case, a traffic ticket went unpaid, and a bench warrant was issued. That's not uncommon, Richt said, as the busy schedule of classes and football can often cause a player to forget to follow up on such issues.

While Richt is understanding of why the problems can arise, however, he's unwilling to tolerate further excuses.

“I don’t think anybody’s purposely trying to do those things, but if they don’t follow through, that’s another problem," he said. "So all these things can happen and they seem little … but those little things if you don’t handle your responsibilities, then you get bigger problems. That’s part of growing up, that’s part of college, that’s part of what we’re trying to help these guys understand. They’ve got to grow up, be a man, handle your responsibilities so we don’t have to deal with this. But we have got to make sure we’re monitoring these things so we don’t have these things blow up on us.”

RECORD CHASER

As far as the record books go, Florida quarterback Tim Tebow is currently tied with former Georgia great Herschel Walker for the SEC’s record for career rushing touchdowns, meaning the much-reviled Gators star could set the mark against Walker’s old team this week. That doesn’t exactly sit well with some of Georgia’s players.

“It seems like everybody is trying to make history on us,” defensive tackle Jeff Owens said, referencing Eric Berry’s attempt to set a record for interceptions against Georgia three weeks ago. “We want to keep him out of the end zone. He’s a tough player, always trying to get that extra yard, so we’ve just got to scratch and claw and try to stop him.”

Tebow has 49 career rushing touchdowns, five of which have come against Georgia. While that officially ties the record, Walker has five additional touchdowns that came in bowl games, which were not counted toward official totals at the time.

Regardless of the caveats, Georgia isn’t interested in seeing Tebow break Walker’s record – officially or unofficially – this week.

“Just knowing the type of player that Herschel was and the type of guy that he is now, we just want to represent for the guys who played before us,” linebacker Rennie Curran said. “That would be huge for us to hold their offense and Tebow and not let them score. We know they like to put the ball in his hands on the goal line so that is going to be our main goal. Not just because it is going to be a record but because as a defense we just want to play our best game.”

Of course, that’s as much a compliment to Tebow as anything. For as much as Georgia’s players hope they can maintain Walker’s record, quarterback Joe Cox admits he has a great deal of respect for Tebow, too.

“He’s unique being such a big, powerful runner,” Cox said. “You see a lot of quarterbacks nowadays that can run, but it’s not like a guy that runs like a fullback. You don’t have a lot of guys that play quarterback that are your goal line back. I think he’s different in that sense. I don’t know how many guys can take that many carries in a conference like this. I don’t know how many you’ll see that are like him. You’ll see a lot of guys that are dual-threat, but guys that can take that many carries and be the goal-line back? I don’t know.”

HAPPY TO BE BACK

Cox is making his first start in a Georgia-Florida game this season, and he’s happy to be doing it in Jacksonville, Fla.

There was a great deal of debate over the future of the game in recent months, but a deal to keep the game in Jacksonville appears imminent, and that’s just the way it should be, Cox said.

“I know there are people that think this game needs to come to Atlanta, but it doesn’t matter because wherever you are, it’s going to be a 50-50 crowd, and it’s always really cool to see it like that,” he said. “Two teams that are big rivals, they get to share the stadium, and it’s one of the best games in college football and it’s always fun to be a part of.”

NEW FACE EARNS PRAISE

Early in the season, Christian Robinson was buried on the depth chart at linebacker. But with injuries to Akeem Dent and Marcus Dowtin, the redshirt freshman has seen significant playing time the past two weeks, and he’s made the most of it.

In the past two games, Robinson has made six tackles – including one for a loss – in reserve duty, and linebackers coach John Jancek said his progress has been impressive.

“Christian has a very bright future here,” Jancek said. “He’s only a freshman, but he’s really caught on to things very well. He’s a dedicated player, he plays very hard. I look for him to continue getting better and better and better. His biggest thing will be his physical development once we end this season.”

EXTRA POINTS

-- Georgia practice in full pads today, a change from its normal schedule following a bye week. The Bulldogs were making up for yesterday’s indoor workout, which was necessitated due to bad weather. The team will practice in shorts Thursday and have a brief walk-through Friday in preparation for Saturday’s game against Florida.

-- Richt said he was not sure who would start at tailback this week but indicated several of Georgia’s five scholarship tailbacks could play. He said, to this point, no one back has emerged that can handle all of Georgia’s playbook to the standards necessary, so different backs will be used for different play calls. Of the backs on the roster, however, Richt said sophomore Caleb King is closest to being a full-time player.

-- Richt still would not comment on a starting lineup for the offensive line, but Clint Boling (LT), Cordy Glenn (LG), Ben Jones (C), Chris Davis (RG) and Josh Davis (RT) handled the first-team reps during the early periods of Wednesday’s practice.

-- Richt said linebacker Akeem Dent went through a full practice today and will be able to play Saturday. Defensive end Kiante Tripp has also been cleared to play after missing most of the season with a neck stinger.

Short Cuts: How Bad a Runner is Richard Samuel?

The biggest UGA story during my week off might have been Mark Richt's admission that there was at least a chance Richard Samuel would be moved to linebacker next season. The rationale is simple: Samuel is big, strong and fast, but he just doesn't have those natural instincts a running back needs to hit the hole and break tackles. The evidence is simple, too: He makes contact, then goes down. Too many short runs, not enough first downs. But is it true?

Here's a rundown of the runs made by each of Georgia's four primary tailbacks this season:

Player	Total Runs	0/Neg. (Pct)	1-3 yds (Pct)	4-6 yds (Pct)	7-9 yds (Pct)	10+ yds (Pct)
R.Samuel	77	16 (20.7%)	31 (40.3%)	15 (19.5%)	9 (11.6%)	6 (7.8%)
C. King	35	9 (25.7%)	13 (37.1%)	6 (17.1 %)	1 (2.9%)	6 (17.1%)
W. Ealey	31	6 (19.3%)	15 (48.4%)	6 (19.3%)	3 (9.6%)	1 (3.2%)
C.Thomas	19	3 (15.8%)	5 (26.3%)	5 (26.3%)	2 (13.2%)	4 (21.1%)

Well, it's hard to argue with the notion that Samuel does, indeed, provide a hefty dose of short runs. In fact, 61 percent of the time Samuel carries the football, he picks up fewer than 3 yards. That's not going to get it done.

But is that Samuel's fault or are there other forces at work here?

Look at Georgia's other three tailbacks: Caleb King picks up 3 yards or fewer on 62.8 percent of his carries. Washaun Ealey fails to top 3 yards on a whopping 67.7 percent of his carries. Only Carlton Thomas has had more success at picking up consistent yardage on his runs than Samuel, and his numbers are dubious for several reasons including both a small sample size and the fact that the majority of his work has come during "garbage time" efforts.

So is Samuel really more prone to going down on first contact? These numbers say no. The problem is either a.) All of Georgia's tailbacks fail to break tackles or b.) Georgia's O line simply isn't making longer runs an option.

Of course, there's also the other end of the scale. What about those really long runs -- the ones that seriously erode a defense's confidence and set the offense up with strong field position? On that end, King is the clear winner, and Samuel doesn't seem to have much success. Perhaps that is a better indication of "instincts." Perhaps those real running lanes have been a rarity this season, but when they do appear, King has taken advantage of them while Samuel has not.

That seems reasonable, but if we expand our definition of "big play" to include any of more than 7 yards, suddenly the difference between Samuel and King disappears. So maybe it's not first contact that Samuel has more trouble with than others, but second contact.

Again, none of this is a foolproof answer to the question, but at the same time it does sort of dampen that conventional wisdom that Samuel simply isn't cut out to play tailback.

A few other points worth noting from this data:

-- If Georgia does move Samuel, I'm not sure the coaching staff can be criticized for a failed experiment. What does seem perplexing, however, is why -- if Samuel needed time to develop his skills as a runner -- he wasn't redshirted last year when he was just 17 and had minimal tailback experience.

-- Washaun Ealey seems to be the ray of hope for most fans, but while he has had a couple of more memorable runs, his overall body of work is clearly the worst of the four.

-- Carlton Thomas needs more touches. He's not a traditional runner, but when given a chance to succeed, he does it. Coaches need to stop looking at him as a third or fourth option and start viewing him as a real weapon for the offense.

I did a good bit more research on the running game as well, and we'll get to that later today and tomorrow, so stay tuned.

ADDENDUM: I should also note that perhaps the most stinging indictment of Samuel is not his short runs but rather his propensity for fumbles. I'll take a series of 2-yard totes over a turnover any day.

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.

Practice Notes: Problems on the Line Prove Perplexing

Georgia has tried it all when it comes to getting its ground game going, and no tailback has been the answer so far. The similar results from different runners might be a sign, however, that the problems start up front.

Coming into the season, Georgia expected to have one of the deepest and most talented offensive lines in the country, but so far, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said the unit has simply not worked hard enough to get the job done.

“We’ve just got to be more physical at the point of attack,” he said.

Head coach Mark Richt said the tailbacks haven’t done a good enough job of picking up yards after contact, but the problem still remains that the contact is coming far too soon.

Bobo said he wants to see the line blow defenders off the ball, opening up some bigger lanes for the tailbacks to run through, but so far that simply hasn’t happened.

Injuries have played a part. While Georgia figured to be a deep unit, with eight returning players with starting experience, that depth has evaporated quickly.

Left tackle Trinton Sturdivant was lost for the season with a knee injury in Week 1, and tackle Josh Davis has been slow to return from two offseason shoulder surgeries.

Meanwhile, Chris Davis has been playing at left guard despite a lingering hip injury, and fellow guard Vince Vance is less than 12 months removed from ACL surgery.

“We’ve just got some depth issues there,” Bobo said. “We have some young guys we think are good players, but they’re just not ready yet. Josh Davis is getting back in the mix coming off shoulder surgery last season. He’s been practicing, but he hasn’t been 100 percent. We’re trying to work him in there to possibly be an answer to us playing a little better.”

While Georgia’s biggest issues running the ball have been between the tackles, Bobo said the injuries to Vance and Davis, along with a preseason ankle injury suffered by center Ben Jones, have not hindered the unit’s performance.

That said, a lack of intensity at tight end and fullback haven’t exactly helped either.

“It’s not totally on the offensive line,” Bobo said. “It’s the offense as a whole, coaches included, and we’ve got to pull it together, bond together, and figure out a way to get a victory this week.”

FINDING THE RIGHT MIX

Caleb King will return from a one-game hiatus this week after missing last week’s game against Tennessee with a concussion and a broken jaw. Richt said he was pleased with how King has practiced this week and said there was a chance the sophomore could get the start.

If King does open the game in Georgia’s backfield, it would mark the first time this season that someone other than Richard Samuel got the starting nod, but it won’t signal any change to the backfield-by-committee approach Georgia has employed during the past four games.

“Caleb will play for sure, but I’m not sure if he’ll start the game. Richard will play and Washaun (Ealey) will play, and Carlton (Thomas) might play a little, too. We’ll be looking for the hot hand, a hot set of wheels.”

That’s the approach the Bulldogs have used virtually every week since King returned from a two-week absence caused by a hamstring injury earlier this season. In five of the six games, a different runner has accounted for the team’s longest run of the day and four different tailbacks have at least 13 carries this year.

The constant lineup shuffling hasn’t proved effective, as Georgia has failed to crack 100 yards on the ground as a team in three games, but Richt said no back has managed to offer enough encouragement for the coaches to settle on one player.

“I think we’ve probably gone into a couple games thinking, if this guy gets it going, we’re going to keep letting him go,” Richt said. “But we just haven’t felt like we’re certain enough going into any game to say we’re going to stick with this guy for 20 carries no matter what. We just haven’t gotten there.”

Samuel leads the team with 71 carries for 317 yards, but has just nine runs for 36 yards in the past two games.

DESERVING OF THE START

He was supposed to be the grizzled veteran coming off the bench this season, but Kade Weston has earned the starting nod in each of Georgia’s past three games, and Richt said that’s all about his performance and not a knock on senior Geno Atkins, who has been relegated to backup duty.

“They’re all playing well,” Richt said, “but Kade’s earned the right to start. You can only start two at a time, but Kade, Jeffrey (Owens) and Geno have all been team captains, so they’ve all played well enough.”

For the season, Weston has four tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks and 13 quarterback hurries – the second best total on the team behind Atkins. It’s a far cry from last season when he finished the year with just three hurries and no sacks.

“Last year he had a knee issue that bothered him the whole year and it kept him from getting in prime condition,” Richt said. “He battled away for the team even though he was hurt, and this year he’s been healthy, he’s been in tremendous condition, and his play has reflected all that hard work.”

KEEP ON SELLING

With rumors swirling about changes to the staff and a two-game losing streak in the books, Richt knows that he needs to keep an even more watchful eye on recruiting at this point in his season.

After thumping Georgia last week, Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin said he looked at the annual game against the Bulldogs as the most important of the season in terms of convincing recruits to leave the state of Georgia and join the Volunteers. Richt said he’s certain more than a few other schools are giving talking to the Bulldogs’ commitments now that the season has taken on a more ominous tone.

“That’s just common practice out there,” he said. “You just keep battling and fighting. Whether you’re winning or not, whether you’re having a great season or a so-so season, you can never take for granted what you have as far as your commitments are concerned. You’ve got to recruit to the end. A lot of times we’ll say when a guy commits to you, that’s when the recruiting has begun. It takes on a different life.”

Richt said he’s certain that coaches from competing schools have already put some negative ideas about Georgia into the minds of some of the Bulldogs’ commitments, and it’s usually not surprising to hear the concerns of the players a few days later.

“A recruit and his parents will ask you anything that is on their mind and in their heart about those kinds of things,” Richt said. “And a lot of times you can just about predict where that thought came from.”

Richt said he tries to avoid negative recruiting when talking to high school players, but he warns them that other schools won’t be so kind.

“I want them to ask me anything because I tell them, when you’re being recruited always take with a grain of salt if another school is telling you something about Georgia,” he said. “Don’t necessarily believe everything you hear. … If another school is saying this about Georgia and that about Georgia, instead of just believing it, you need to ask us, because we’re the ones who really know the deal.”

MISSING IN ACTION

With the merry-go-round at tailback circling through yet again this week, one name has been noticeably absent from the discussion – redshirt freshman Dontavius Jackson.

Jackson missed much of last season and spring practice with injuries and never managed to get into a groove during the preseason. Instead, he’s made his mark on special teams, so far, and hasn’t been written off by coaches just yet.

“Right now I doubt he’ll get some carries from scrimmage, but he’s competing,” Richt said. “He’s playing some special teams and he’s done some scout-team work that’s been impressive. He’s not sitting there getting totally rusty. He’s still working but I don’t know if he’ll get any carries this week.”

LESS FOR MOORE

Coming into the season, senior receiver Michael Moore figured to be the primary alternative on offense when star wideout A.J. Green was blanketed with double coverage. As it has turned out, Moore hasn't been a major factor.

The senior had six catches last week, but none for more than 14 yards, and in four of his six games this season, he has caught two passes or fewer.

"He's had a couple of drops that were catchable balls that should have been made, and those are the things we're focused on," receivers coach Tony Ball said. "He's done a couple things in dropping balls and not creating some space that has prevented him from not having numbers."

Ball said Moore has been a part of Georgia's offensive scheme, but he may not have been targeted as often as anticipated due to extenuating circumstances during the games.

Moreover, Ball said, Moore's movement around the field has forced the receiver to adjust to a changing role, and that, too, could be a factor in his limited production.

"A year ago, he was primarily an inside receiver and he was the recipient of teams trying to take away A.J. and Mohamed (Massaquoi)," Ball said. "Now he's had to take on that role of playing inside and outside, and that could have been a factor in getting a limited amount of catches."

EXTRA POINTS

-- Despite the weather, Georgia practiced outside at Sanford Stadium on Thursday. Wednesday’s practice was moved indoors to focus on getting extra reps on fundamentals, Richt said.

-- Georgia’s coaching staff will take their mandatory furlough days next week, with the assistant coaches taking Monday off from work and Richt taking Friday off.