Georgia’s pro day has just been completed. And there ended up being a bit more drama than expected.
The player a lot of scouts came to see was A.J. Green, and they did get to see him – but only through a computer, and only after a long set of deliberations.
The issue was who would throw to Green. The star receiver has been training with Justin Roper, a former University of Montana quarterback who now lives in Buford. But according to an obscure NFL rule, that prohibited scouts from watching Roper pass to Green – or Kris Durham or fullback Shaun Chapas – in person.
At first it appeared to be a lockout-related issue. No current NFL quarterback, such as Matt Stafford (who was in attendance) could participate, because players are locked out. And anyone throwing to the receivers had to be draft-eligible, ruling out Aaron Murray.
Roper, who works with San Diego based passing guru George Whitehead, is draft-eligible. But the NFL also stipulates that the passer must live in the “Athens metroplex,” as Whitehead put it. Buford was not inside the Athens metroplex.
There was a lot of back-and-forth, with head coach Mark Richt engaging in a lot of checking himself. In the end, Green held firm on wanting to use Roper.
“That’s the only quarterback that I had timing with. So my agent and I felt he was the best guy for the job,” Green said.
So after a long set of negotiations – including calls to the NFL league office – it was determined that Roper could pass to Green and the others, but the scouts couldn’t watch. So after all the other positions had gone through their drills, the NFL scouts moved inside to watch the catching drills on ESPN3.
As you’d suspect, Green was impressive in his drills. But he did take a spill near the end, tripping over a cord barrier.
“I caught myself,” Green said. “I had on some gloves, so I was all right.”
A few other notes off the top of my notebook:
- Green hasn’t made a decision about whether to attend the draft. He wants to, but is waiting to see what happens on the NFL Players’ Association boycott call. Green said he was hoping for a “conclusion” to the matter.
“It’d be nice to go to New York, that’d be a dream come true,” Green said.
- Green was asked about his Wonderlic score, which was reported to be low. There are 50 questions on the test, and Green said he only got to about 20 of them.
“I didn’t even finish,” Green said. “I was thinking too much. I didn’t want to skip any questions. … If you come back here and look at my grades, you know I’m not dumb.”
- While Green didn’t do anything but get weighed and catch passes, Justin Houston went through drills at defensive end and linebacker. He said teams are looking at him at both positions, and didn’t express a preference.
Interestingly, Houston said he only got a second-round grade from the NFL draft advisory committee. That’s part of the reason he took his decision right up to the deadline, only notifying Richt the night before.
“As of right now, I do think that I made the right decision,” Houston said. “But in due time, we’ll see.”
- Clint Boling said teams are looking at him at guard and tackle, but that more teams seem to be looking at him at guard.
“As long as I can play guard, tackle, something like that, it doesn’t really matter to me,” Boling said.
- There was also a Marcus Dowtin sighting, as the former Georgia linebacker was among the many non-participants who attended. Dowtin announced his intention to transfer after the season, and said he was looking at Division II schools such as Texas A&M-Kingsvile, Northwest Missouri, North Alabama and Carson-Newman.
Dowtin, who is not currently enrolled at Georgia, said those teams might let him also play running back.
- Logan Gray, who is also transferring from Georgia, was also in attendance, hanging out with fellow current and former players. Gray is set to visit Colorado in a couple weeks.
- And continuing the trend of awkward appearances, guess who the Carolina Panthers’ representative was on Tuesday? That would be Warren Belin, who left as Georgia’s inside linebackers coach in February to take the linebackers job at Carolina.
- I wasn’t one of the people who brought a stopwatch and breathlessly watched every drill. But it seemed that Kris Durham did well in his receiving drills and sprints, Kiante Tripp showed up well in the weight room, and the Cincinnati Bengals – who have the fourth pick – spent an awful amount of time sidling up and talking with Green.
Showing posts with label Clint Boling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Clint Boling. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Practice Notes: Samuel Moving Inside
Richard Samuel is on the move again, although this time it’s not quite as drastic as his switch from offense to defense earlier this offseason.
After a brief tryout at outside linebacker, new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham decided Samuel was a better fit playing inside linebacker, where he’ll be better able to utilize his speed in coverage.
“He can run, he can cover, and by playing inside, you can still blitz, but there’s a little more coverage element involved, and that would utilize his speed,” Grantham said.
Grantham said all his inside linebackers have crosstrained at both inside positions – the Mike and Mo, as Grantham is calling them – and Samuel will work at each.
That still leaves Georgia a bit thin at outside linebacker, but head coach Mark Richt said the staff felt the best option was to put Samuel where he had the best chance to succeed rather than trying to fill out a depth chart.
“It’s probably a little bit more natural for him (to play inside),” Richt said. “We started him outside a little bit because of some issues with numbers at outside linebacker, but to give him a more fair opportunity, we moved him inside.”
NICKEL FOR YOUR THOUGHTS
Georgia’s new-look secondary has been a work in progress so far this spring, with Brandon Boykin, the lone returning starter, switching from boundary corner to field corner, and three other starting jobs up for grabs.
Bacarri Rambo appears to have one of the open safety jobs locked down, but the other two players working with the No. 1 unit have been a bit of a surprise – sophomore Shawn Williams at safety and senior Vance Cuff at corner.
“I like what I see out of Vance, he’s definitely competing hard,” Boykin said. “I definitely think (Williams) has gotten better and is continuing to compete. Nothing’s set in stone, but I think he could definitely have a shot at that safety spot.”
Nick Williams, Jakar Hamilton and Quintin Banks are also in the running for the vacant starting safety job, while Sanders Commings, Jordan Love and Branden Smith are battling for the open cornerback role.
At nickel, Boykin said he and Smith have gotten the most work, but even that remains an open competition.
“As of right now, we’re the nickels,” Boykin said. “I plan on being the nickel once the season starts, but we really don’t know. Right now we’re just trying to learn the system, so we’ll see.”
NOWHERE MAN
Senior offensive lineman Clint Boling said he has been pleased with the progress of Trinton Sturdivant, who is recovering from his second knee surgery in as many years. Sturdivant has been jogging and doing some light workouts, but won’t be a full participant in spring practice.
That leaves the future for Boling wide open once again. Boling started as a freshman at guard, then shifted to right tackle as a sophomore. After Sturdivant went down, he eventually moved to left tackle, but swapped back to the right side again to start the 2009 season. Midway through last year, however, Boling was on the move again to replace Sturdivant, so by the time his senior season is ready to kick off, he has no idea where he might end up.
“I really don’t know,” Boling said. “I’ve switched around so much that it’s all kind of run together so it doesn’t matter which position I’m playing, I guess.”
BUILDING LEADERSHIP
Georgia held its first character education meetings of the spring on Thursday, and Richt talked to his seniors about developing their leadership on the practice field. The result was the most spirited day of practice so far, Richt said.
Identifying some leaders within the locker room will be a key step this spring. Last year’s veterans – Joe Cox, Jeff Owens and Rennie Curran – are all gone, and while Richt singled out Clint Boling, Darryl Gamble and Akeem Dent as players who have stepped into that leadership role, he said there are plenty of jobs available and plenty of candidates for the gig.
“I don’t want to discourage anybody by not calling him out because all those guys are really doing a good job,” Richt said.
EXTRA POINTS
-- Richt on Thursday’s practice: “It’s a great energy bunch right now. They’ve got a lot of enthusiasm. It was the first day in some form of pads where they could actually hit somebody, I think they were excited about that. But both sides of the ball came out to get better. We’re making a ton of mistakes, I know that. But when we’re making mistakes with the type of tempo and energy we’re having, it’s fun to see. We see really good athletes out there making plays on both sides of the ball, and I’m really encouraged right now.
-- On the injury front, offensive lineman Dallas Lee left practice for about 10 minutes due to some asthma issues, but returned for the completion of workouts. Safety Jakar Hamilton left practice early Tuesday with a foot injury, but he was back to a full workout Thursday.
-- Richt singled out an unnamed blogger who he thought misunderstood how the team planned to use Logan Gray on special teams this season. While Richt didn’t name names and said he “rarely, if ever” reads blogs, he felt the need to clear the air because, “the gentleman just didn’t understand why he was back there returning punts”
“When Logan is back there, it’s a time when the offensive team is punting it in, it’s a pooch kick,” Richt said. “Our defense, our punt return team, is in punt safe to keep them from faking the punt because they’ve crossed our 50-yard line. So all Logan is doing is making the decision on whether to make the fair catch or let the ball hit. The fine gentleman who writes the blog, I don’t think he really understood that very much. I just thought if everybody got educated on that, they might understand a little bit better why Logan would do that. He was 100 percent last year on making those decisions and never bobbled the ball. That’s not a hard thing to do, and we’re not expecting him to return the punt because those punts don’t get returned.”
Re-reading what I wrote Tuesday about Logan, I’m fairly certain I wasn’t the offending party. Then again, Richt was looking in my general direction during his remarks. Or perhaps he was simply checking out the score of the UNLV-Northern Iowa game.
After a brief tryout at outside linebacker, new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham decided Samuel was a better fit playing inside linebacker, where he’ll be better able to utilize his speed in coverage.
“He can run, he can cover, and by playing inside, you can still blitz, but there’s a little more coverage element involved, and that would utilize his speed,” Grantham said.
Grantham said all his inside linebackers have crosstrained at both inside positions – the Mike and Mo, as Grantham is calling them – and Samuel will work at each.
That still leaves Georgia a bit thin at outside linebacker, but head coach Mark Richt said the staff felt the best option was to put Samuel where he had the best chance to succeed rather than trying to fill out a depth chart.
“It’s probably a little bit more natural for him (to play inside),” Richt said. “We started him outside a little bit because of some issues with numbers at outside linebacker, but to give him a more fair opportunity, we moved him inside.”
NICKEL FOR YOUR THOUGHTS
Georgia’s new-look secondary has been a work in progress so far this spring, with Brandon Boykin, the lone returning starter, switching from boundary corner to field corner, and three other starting jobs up for grabs.
Bacarri Rambo appears to have one of the open safety jobs locked down, but the other two players working with the No. 1 unit have been a bit of a surprise – sophomore Shawn Williams at safety and senior Vance Cuff at corner.
“I like what I see out of Vance, he’s definitely competing hard,” Boykin said. “I definitely think (Williams) has gotten better and is continuing to compete. Nothing’s set in stone, but I think he could definitely have a shot at that safety spot.”
Nick Williams, Jakar Hamilton and Quintin Banks are also in the running for the vacant starting safety job, while Sanders Commings, Jordan Love and Branden Smith are battling for the open cornerback role.
At nickel, Boykin said he and Smith have gotten the most work, but even that remains an open competition.
“As of right now, we’re the nickels,” Boykin said. “I plan on being the nickel once the season starts, but we really don’t know. Right now we’re just trying to learn the system, so we’ll see.”
NOWHERE MAN
Senior offensive lineman Clint Boling said he has been pleased with the progress of Trinton Sturdivant, who is recovering from his second knee surgery in as many years. Sturdivant has been jogging and doing some light workouts, but won’t be a full participant in spring practice.
That leaves the future for Boling wide open once again. Boling started as a freshman at guard, then shifted to right tackle as a sophomore. After Sturdivant went down, he eventually moved to left tackle, but swapped back to the right side again to start the 2009 season. Midway through last year, however, Boling was on the move again to replace Sturdivant, so by the time his senior season is ready to kick off, he has no idea where he might end up.
“I really don’t know,” Boling said. “I’ve switched around so much that it’s all kind of run together so it doesn’t matter which position I’m playing, I guess.”
BUILDING LEADERSHIP
Georgia held its first character education meetings of the spring on Thursday, and Richt talked to his seniors about developing their leadership on the practice field. The result was the most spirited day of practice so far, Richt said.
Identifying some leaders within the locker room will be a key step this spring. Last year’s veterans – Joe Cox, Jeff Owens and Rennie Curran – are all gone, and while Richt singled out Clint Boling, Darryl Gamble and Akeem Dent as players who have stepped into that leadership role, he said there are plenty of jobs available and plenty of candidates for the gig.
“I don’t want to discourage anybody by not calling him out because all those guys are really doing a good job,” Richt said.
EXTRA POINTS
-- Richt on Thursday’s practice: “It’s a great energy bunch right now. They’ve got a lot of enthusiasm. It was the first day in some form of pads where they could actually hit somebody, I think they were excited about that. But both sides of the ball came out to get better. We’re making a ton of mistakes, I know that. But when we’re making mistakes with the type of tempo and energy we’re having, it’s fun to see. We see really good athletes out there making plays on both sides of the ball, and I’m really encouraged right now.
-- On the injury front, offensive lineman Dallas Lee left practice for about 10 minutes due to some asthma issues, but returned for the completion of workouts. Safety Jakar Hamilton left practice early Tuesday with a foot injury, but he was back to a full workout Thursday.
-- Richt singled out an unnamed blogger who he thought misunderstood how the team planned to use Logan Gray on special teams this season. While Richt didn’t name names and said he “rarely, if ever” reads blogs, he felt the need to clear the air because, “the gentleman just didn’t understand why he was back there returning punts”
“When Logan is back there, it’s a time when the offensive team is punting it in, it’s a pooch kick,” Richt said. “Our defense, our punt return team, is in punt safe to keep them from faking the punt because they’ve crossed our 50-yard line. So all Logan is doing is making the decision on whether to make the fair catch or let the ball hit. The fine gentleman who writes the blog, I don’t think he really understood that very much. I just thought if everybody got educated on that, they might understand a little bit better why Logan would do that. He was 100 percent last year on making those decisions and never bobbled the ball. That’s not a hard thing to do, and we’re not expecting him to return the punt because those punts don’t get returned.”
Re-reading what I wrote Tuesday about Logan, I’m fairly certain I wasn’t the offending party. Then again, Richt was looking in my general direction during his remarks. Or perhaps he was simply checking out the score of the UNLV-Northern Iowa game.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Practice Notes: Recruiting Implications Will Be Big Saturday
In his first year on the job at Tennessee, Lane Kiffin made a point to put a target on Georgia. He called the Bulldogs his team’s biggest rival, and for good reason. The Volunteers need to recruit in Georgia, and Kiffin wanted to get his regime off on the right foot. The result was a dominant win over the Bulldogs in Knoxville last month.
This week, Georgia faces another first-year coach of another SEC program that relies on the Peach State to fill a sizable portion of its roster when Auburn comes to Athens. And once again, the victor will earn bragging rights – not just among fans, but in the living rooms of recruits throughout the state.
“Winning helps recruiting,” Georgia recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner said. “That’s the single most important factor is winning. Everybody loves a winner, and if you win, you’re hot, and you’re the most attractive person out there.”
For the past three years, Georgia’s had the edge over Auburn, but that hasn’t stopped the Tigers from competing for many of the same players the Bulldogs have recruited. Twenty players on Auburn’s current roster hail from Georgia, and a win for first-year coach Gene Chizik would help to boost that number in the future.
But the familiarity also breeds a bit of intensity, too, and head coach Mark Richt said his current players aren’t interested in letting Auburn become the latest to earn a win over the Bulldogs, on the field or on the recruiting trail.
“Auburn being so close to our border, just about every guy that we have on our team was more than likely recruited by Auburn and has been to Auburn and has seen what they are all about,” Richt said. “It’s a big deal for us as a staff, it’s a big deal for us as a team.”
CHANGE FOR THE BETTER
A year ago, Clint Boling was pressed into action at left tackle thanks to a slew of injuries at the position, and he never quite felt at home.
This season, Boling has made the move once again, but now he’s a bit more comfortable playing the most demanding position on the offensive line.
“I got a lot of experience playing left tackle last year and I’ve been working on it the last few weeks of practice, so I feel a lot more comfortable there now,” Boling said. “It’s not a big deal at all.”
Boling has started the past two games at left tackle after opening the season as Georgia’s starter on the right side of the line. When Trinton Sturdivant went down with a season-ending knee injury, many fans clamored for Boling to return to the left side where he eared rave reviews a year ago, but the change was slow to come.
With the return of junior Josh Davis from injury, however, Georgia had more leeway to fill any void Boling might leave on the right side of the line, and Boling said one the pieces were in place, everyone was happy to make the move.
“I think Coach (Stacy) Searels was just trying to find the best lineup he wanted with a group of guys that could play hard and do what he wanted to do,” Boling said. “And if that was me at left tackle and Josh at right tackle, then both Josh and I will do whatever Coach Searels wants to do.”
NO HUDDLE, NO PROBLEM
Georgia opened last week’s game against Tennessee Tech with a new look on offense – a no-huddle attack that kept the Golden Eagles guessing.
“We did the first couple of series. It wasn’t no-huddle, hurry-up offense, but it was just something we had gone into the game planning on doing,” quarterback Joe Cox said. “We wanted to get some plays run, get the line up and down fast, and try to put points on the board quick those first couple of drives. We scored on both those drives.”
The fast-paced offense was something offensive coordinator Mike Bobo had been toying with but saw a prime opportunity to run it against Tennessee Tech, and it gave Georgia a chance to show a more dynamic side of an offensive unit that has failed to show much life at times this season.
“It was just a change of pace, something that a lot of people haven’t seen us do, and it definitely caught them off guard because they were looking to the sideline trying to figure out what they needed to get in, and we went right down the field,” Cox said.
Despite the success the offense had against Tennessee Tech, Bobo isn’t sure if he’ll continue to use the approach going forward, but he said he liked the results enough to keep it as a possibility.
“It’s something we mess around with from time to time, and a lot is depending on our depth at receiver and how much we can do,” Bobo said. “But it was one of those games that we did want to spread them out and get our guys in space, and that’s something we could use in any game.”
TIGHT ENDS ARE TOP DAWGS
With A.J. Green out of the lineup last week, Cox found his tight ends made for appealing targets downfield against Tennessee Tech. The Bulldogs’ tight ends caught seven passes and one touchdown in the game, and that’s a trend Cox said he thinks can continue as Aron White and Orson Charles continue to develop within the offense.
“We’ve got two tight ends that are really making a lot of plays right now,” Cox said. “They’re dedicated to run blocking and work hard on it every day, and they’re great in the passing game. Orson and Aron, they run great routes and have great hands. You don’t have too many of those, and we’re lucky enough to have to of them on the same team.”
LINEMEN ON THE MEND
Two of Georgia's injured offensive linemen are making strides toward recovery, but Richt isn't sure either will be practicing before the spring.
Freshman Austin Long underwent back surgery before the season and has yet to practice with the team. There was hope he might be ready to practice by December leading up to an anticipated bowl game, but Richt said that's unlikely.
"He's got another appointment with the doctor, and it's sometime in December, to try to gauge how well it's healing," Richt said. "There's a possibility it's healed, but there may have to be some things that are taken out."
Richt said Long has been relegated to minor workouts -- elliptical machines and exercise bikes -- but he has not been able to run or do any significant weight lifting.
Trinton Sturdivant tore his ACL for the second time in as many years in Georgia's opener against Oklahoma State, but Richt said the left tackle is already well ahead of where he was two months after his first surgery.
"He's very excited about the repair," Richt said. "This is so much different than the last one because there was so much less damage that was done. The recovery is faster or at least he feels better faster. He feels like it's a great repair, he's confident in it, and he's excited about the future."
INJURY UPDATES
Richt on A.J.: "A.J. looks like A.J. Green, which is a very good thing. You'd never know he had any issues, and he might be a little more fresh than he would have been because we really didn't let him exert hardly at all."
Richt on Justin Houston: "He was wearing green but he was practicing and we expect him to play."
Richt on Quintin Banks: "He had a dislocated finger and they just kind of put it back together again and taped it to the next finger and go."
PRACTICE UPDATE
For the second straight day, Georgia's coaches and players braved the elements to get in a day's worth of practice, and while the energy was high, Richt said the passing game has been challenged by a day of rain and a day of high winds.
"We really haven't had a chance to throw and catch extremely well with the horrible weather yesterday," Richt said. “I think the wind was blowing like 14 to 20 mile-an-hour gusts out there, so it wasn't ideal conditions. Hopefully tomorrow we can have a pretty day. But we got the work in we needed to get done these last two days, and I'm happy with that and think we've got a good, solid plan.”
FOX LANDS RECRUIT
In the first day of college basketball’s early national signing period, first-year Georgia coach Mark Fox landed another recruit from the state of Florida when Orlando-area prospect Cady Lalanne signed a national letter of intent to join the Bulldogs.
“Cady is a terrific young kid who has the ability to score inside and outside,” Fox said of the 6-foot-8, 215-pound Lalanne. “One of the things we were looking for was a good interior offensive player, and I think we were able to find him. But his versatility on offense is something I really like, too. He was also very well-coached in high school, so I expect that his transition to college will be a smooth one.”
Lalanne is Georgia’s first recruit for the 2010-11 season, but Fox also landed guard Vincent Williams from the state of Florida soon after being hired in April.
Lalanne is rated as the nation’s No. 37 forward prospect by ESPN and the No. 21 center prospect by Scout.com.
This week, Georgia faces another first-year coach of another SEC program that relies on the Peach State to fill a sizable portion of its roster when Auburn comes to Athens. And once again, the victor will earn bragging rights – not just among fans, but in the living rooms of recruits throughout the state.
“Winning helps recruiting,” Georgia recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner said. “That’s the single most important factor is winning. Everybody loves a winner, and if you win, you’re hot, and you’re the most attractive person out there.”
For the past three years, Georgia’s had the edge over Auburn, but that hasn’t stopped the Tigers from competing for many of the same players the Bulldogs have recruited. Twenty players on Auburn’s current roster hail from Georgia, and a win for first-year coach Gene Chizik would help to boost that number in the future.
But the familiarity also breeds a bit of intensity, too, and head coach Mark Richt said his current players aren’t interested in letting Auburn become the latest to earn a win over the Bulldogs, on the field or on the recruiting trail.
“Auburn being so close to our border, just about every guy that we have on our team was more than likely recruited by Auburn and has been to Auburn and has seen what they are all about,” Richt said. “It’s a big deal for us as a staff, it’s a big deal for us as a team.”
CHANGE FOR THE BETTER
A year ago, Clint Boling was pressed into action at left tackle thanks to a slew of injuries at the position, and he never quite felt at home.
This season, Boling has made the move once again, but now he’s a bit more comfortable playing the most demanding position on the offensive line.
“I got a lot of experience playing left tackle last year and I’ve been working on it the last few weeks of practice, so I feel a lot more comfortable there now,” Boling said. “It’s not a big deal at all.”
Boling has started the past two games at left tackle after opening the season as Georgia’s starter on the right side of the line. When Trinton Sturdivant went down with a season-ending knee injury, many fans clamored for Boling to return to the left side where he eared rave reviews a year ago, but the change was slow to come.
With the return of junior Josh Davis from injury, however, Georgia had more leeway to fill any void Boling might leave on the right side of the line, and Boling said one the pieces were in place, everyone was happy to make the move.
“I think Coach (Stacy) Searels was just trying to find the best lineup he wanted with a group of guys that could play hard and do what he wanted to do,” Boling said. “And if that was me at left tackle and Josh at right tackle, then both Josh and I will do whatever Coach Searels wants to do.”
NO HUDDLE, NO PROBLEM
Georgia opened last week’s game against Tennessee Tech with a new look on offense – a no-huddle attack that kept the Golden Eagles guessing.
“We did the first couple of series. It wasn’t no-huddle, hurry-up offense, but it was just something we had gone into the game planning on doing,” quarterback Joe Cox said. “We wanted to get some plays run, get the line up and down fast, and try to put points on the board quick those first couple of drives. We scored on both those drives.”
The fast-paced offense was something offensive coordinator Mike Bobo had been toying with but saw a prime opportunity to run it against Tennessee Tech, and it gave Georgia a chance to show a more dynamic side of an offensive unit that has failed to show much life at times this season.
“It was just a change of pace, something that a lot of people haven’t seen us do, and it definitely caught them off guard because they were looking to the sideline trying to figure out what they needed to get in, and we went right down the field,” Cox said.
Despite the success the offense had against Tennessee Tech, Bobo isn’t sure if he’ll continue to use the approach going forward, but he said he liked the results enough to keep it as a possibility.
“It’s something we mess around with from time to time, and a lot is depending on our depth at receiver and how much we can do,” Bobo said. “But it was one of those games that we did want to spread them out and get our guys in space, and that’s something we could use in any game.”
TIGHT ENDS ARE TOP DAWGS
With A.J. Green out of the lineup last week, Cox found his tight ends made for appealing targets downfield against Tennessee Tech. The Bulldogs’ tight ends caught seven passes and one touchdown in the game, and that’s a trend Cox said he thinks can continue as Aron White and Orson Charles continue to develop within the offense.
“We’ve got two tight ends that are really making a lot of plays right now,” Cox said. “They’re dedicated to run blocking and work hard on it every day, and they’re great in the passing game. Orson and Aron, they run great routes and have great hands. You don’t have too many of those, and we’re lucky enough to have to of them on the same team.”
LINEMEN ON THE MEND
Two of Georgia's injured offensive linemen are making strides toward recovery, but Richt isn't sure either will be practicing before the spring.
Freshman Austin Long underwent back surgery before the season and has yet to practice with the team. There was hope he might be ready to practice by December leading up to an anticipated bowl game, but Richt said that's unlikely.
"He's got another appointment with the doctor, and it's sometime in December, to try to gauge how well it's healing," Richt said. "There's a possibility it's healed, but there may have to be some things that are taken out."
Richt said Long has been relegated to minor workouts -- elliptical machines and exercise bikes -- but he has not been able to run or do any significant weight lifting.
Trinton Sturdivant tore his ACL for the second time in as many years in Georgia's opener against Oklahoma State, but Richt said the left tackle is already well ahead of where he was two months after his first surgery.
"He's very excited about the repair," Richt said. "This is so much different than the last one because there was so much less damage that was done. The recovery is faster or at least he feels better faster. He feels like it's a great repair, he's confident in it, and he's excited about the future."
INJURY UPDATES
Richt on A.J.: "A.J. looks like A.J. Green, which is a very good thing. You'd never know he had any issues, and he might be a little more fresh than he would have been because we really didn't let him exert hardly at all."
Richt on Justin Houston: "He was wearing green but he was practicing and we expect him to play."
Richt on Quintin Banks: "He had a dislocated finger and they just kind of put it back together again and taped it to the next finger and go."
PRACTICE UPDATE
For the second straight day, Georgia's coaches and players braved the elements to get in a day's worth of practice, and while the energy was high, Richt said the passing game has been challenged by a day of rain and a day of high winds.
"We really haven't had a chance to throw and catch extremely well with the horrible weather yesterday," Richt said. “I think the wind was blowing like 14 to 20 mile-an-hour gusts out there, so it wasn't ideal conditions. Hopefully tomorrow we can have a pretty day. But we got the work in we needed to get done these last two days, and I'm happy with that and think we've got a good, solid plan.”
FOX LANDS RECRUIT
In the first day of college basketball’s early national signing period, first-year Georgia coach Mark Fox landed another recruit from the state of Florida when Orlando-area prospect Cady Lalanne signed a national letter of intent to join the Bulldogs.
“Cady is a terrific young kid who has the ability to score inside and outside,” Fox said of the 6-foot-8, 215-pound Lalanne. “One of the things we were looking for was a good interior offensive player, and I think we were able to find him. But his versatility on offense is something I really like, too. He was also very well-coached in high school, so I expect that his transition to college will be a smooth one.”
Lalanne is Georgia’s first recruit for the 2010-11 season, but Fox also landed guard Vincent Williams from the state of Florida soon after being hired in April.
Lalanne is rated as the nation’s No. 37 forward prospect by ESPN and the No. 21 center prospect by Scout.com.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Practice Notes: Robinson Happy to Get His Chance
At first, the award was little more than a nice sign of recognition following a season of hard work. But when Montez Robinson told his foster father he won the SEC’s defensive lineman of the week honors after a two-sack performance against Tennessee Tech, the weight of the award suddenly hit home.
“My dad, he was crying because he was just overwhelmed,” Robinson said. “Everybody was just congratulating me, but I was just like, it’s just an award. But it really does mean something to me, and it obviously means a lot to other people in their eyes.”
Robinson isn’t the first Georgia player to win the award this season, but when he took notice of the other Bulldogs to earn the honor, it put into perspective just how far he had come in a short period of time.
“The more and more I think about it, I see how prestigious it is,” Robinson said. “Geno Atkins and Justin (Houston) have been in the game a couple of years, and I get it as a freshman. I’m just thinking that’s pretty good.”
Robinson finished the game with five tackles – 2.5 for a loss – in his first extended action of the season. He said he hoped the performance had earned him more playing time going forward, but at the very least, it has caught the eye of some of his teammates.
“He has worked hard, earned the coaches trust and finally got that playing time,” linebacker Rennie Curran said. “I was in the same position when I came in my freshman year. It took me a little while for the light to come on and for me to earn the trust of my teammates and my coaches, but I always believed in myself and I feel like he is the same way. He believes in his ability and what he can do, and we need all the player makers that we can get on defense, especially at defensive end.”
JUMP AND SHOUT
Before last week’s game, Mark Richt decided any player flagged for a penalty would leave the game for the remainder of that series. As it turned out, he had to pull a player from action 11 times.
Six times an offensive lineman was flagged for a false start, and quarterback Joe Cox said the infractions should have gone the other way.
Tennessee Tech’s defensive linemen were routinely mimicking Cox’s cadence at the line of scrimmage – an infraction according to NCAA rules – causing Georgia’s linemen to flinch.
“You could see the guy right in front of Ben Jones in a three point stance, you could see him (flinch) and yell something, and that's when the whole line moves,” Cox said. “He said, ‘Set, go.’ I remember that. And we all pointed right at him, looking at the referee saying, 'He's yelling out the snap count.'"
For whatever reason, the referees didn’t take notice, but Georgia line coach Stacy Searels did. This week in practice, Searels has been doing his best to recreate the situation, hoping to keep Georgia’s linemen steady, even if the other team offers a distraction.
“We’ll focus on it more in practice because they’re not the only team that shifts and has somebody say, ‘Move,’ when they shift,” Cox said. “Coach Searels made it a point (in practice) that every single time we ran a play that he would just start yelling stuff while I was in the middle of my snap count, trying to see if anybody would jump, and nobody did.”
For his part, Richt said he planned to continue pulling players from the game when they are flagged for a penalty, but he may adjust his mandate that they sit the remainder of the series.
Cox said it was difficult to keep a lot of continuity on the line when players were being substituted so often, and left tackle Clint Boling said the rule took its toll on the offensive line.
“It was definitely a little bit different, but Coach Richt is just trying to clean things up and make sure we play a bit more disciplined,” Boling said. “I’m not really sure whether it slows guys down or what it does, but it does make you think a little bit that you want to play hard, but at the same time you don’t want to get any penalties.”
NO PROMISES FOR GRAY
After Richt announced Cox would remain his starting quarterback last week, he also promised a series early in the game for backup Logan Gray. As it turned out, it took six drives before Gray got his taste of action, and that ended with an interception.
Richt said he still had confidence in Gray, but against a more formidable opponent this week, there won’t be any further assurances of playing time for the sophomore quarterback.
“I wouldn’t sit here and promise it right now publicly, although we would like to continue to help him grow as a quarterback,” Richt said. “I wouldn’t say going into this game we are going to nail it down, at least not publicly.”
HE’S GOT WHEELS
Cox admits he won’t be winning any foot races in the near future, and for the season, the quarterback has just 13 rushing attempts that didn’t end in sacks.
“I’m definitely not a dual-threat guy,” he said.
But against Tennessee Tech, Cox did pick up eight yards on a nifty run that, while not exactly wowing fans with his speed, managed to catch the defense off guard. Not coincidentally, he said, it was also his first game without an interception this season, and Cox hopes that making a few more plays with his legs can keep that trend going.
“I probably should have (run) it more,” Cox said. “That’s one thing I said last week is, if I don’t like how it looks, I’m just going to take off and run. So I’ll probably end up doing that more but just make sure I take care of the ball.”
NO REGRETS ON BROWN
Richt decided before the season began that freshman receiver Marlon Brown would see action this year, and by the second week of the season, Brown had indeed taken reps on offense.
But in the seven games since, Brown’s playing time hasn’t increased much, and even against an overmatched Tennessee Tech team last week, the freshman saw little action and wasn’t targeted on a single pass.
Despite Brown’s minimal role, however, Richt said that the decision not to redshirt him has paid dividends.
“He is absolutely improving as a route-runner, as a ball-catcher, a blocker. He’s understanding what we’re doing much better,” Richt said. “He’s so much further ahead right now than he would have been hanging around on the scout team. We think he’s going to be making a big impact sooner than later. I don’t regret that right now.”
FEELING BETTER
Richt said defensive end Justin Houston was expected to return to action this week after sitting out against Tennessee Tech with an elbow injury.
Receiver A.J. Green also missed last week’s game with a bruised lung, but returned to full practice Sunday and said he’s completely healthy.
“I’m 100 percent. I’m rested, I’m ready to go,” Green said. “I felt it like the first day or so, and then it just went away.”
PRACTICE IN THE RAIN*
The Georgia Bulldogs practiced for two and a half hours in a steady rain that fluctuated between a wind-blown, driving drizzle to a solid, soaking downpour on Tuesday afternoon. The final 30 minutes of the full pads workout were conducted under the heaviest rainfall of the day. By the time the team wrapped up, puddles were commonplace on the FieldTurf surface and an inch-high stream was flowing from the driveway that goes from the upper grass fields to the lower section of the facility.
"I can probably remember one or two we've had like this but not too many," Richt said. "Over the course of nine years, you're bound to have a couple. I was relatively happy with the effort. We got the work in. It wasn't the best throwing and catching but we got the work in, which was most important."
Richt said the staff decided to practice in the elements as opposed to indoors due to the nature of Tuesday's routine.
"We have about 45 minutes of special teams practice on Tuesdays," Richt said. "You just can't take that inside. Those are things you have to be out and simulate and get a good feel for. If you don't get them in today, you spend the rest of the week trying to cram in too much."
(*From UGA press release)
EXTRA POINTS
-- Richt announced the captains for Saturday's game would be quarterback Joe Cox, center Ben Jones, cornerback Prince Miller and defensive tackle Jeff Owens.
-- Jon Fabris came in for interviews following practice wearing a soaking wet, long black rain jacket and hood, which made him look quite a bit like the villain from "I Know What You Did Last Summer," but another reporter topped that, noting he resembled the Gorton's fisherman. Either way, comedy gold.
“My dad, he was crying because he was just overwhelmed,” Robinson said. “Everybody was just congratulating me, but I was just like, it’s just an award. But it really does mean something to me, and it obviously means a lot to other people in their eyes.”
Robinson isn’t the first Georgia player to win the award this season, but when he took notice of the other Bulldogs to earn the honor, it put into perspective just how far he had come in a short period of time.
“The more and more I think about it, I see how prestigious it is,” Robinson said. “Geno Atkins and Justin (Houston) have been in the game a couple of years, and I get it as a freshman. I’m just thinking that’s pretty good.”
Robinson finished the game with five tackles – 2.5 for a loss – in his first extended action of the season. He said he hoped the performance had earned him more playing time going forward, but at the very least, it has caught the eye of some of his teammates.
“He has worked hard, earned the coaches trust and finally got that playing time,” linebacker Rennie Curran said. “I was in the same position when I came in my freshman year. It took me a little while for the light to come on and for me to earn the trust of my teammates and my coaches, but I always believed in myself and I feel like he is the same way. He believes in his ability and what he can do, and we need all the player makers that we can get on defense, especially at defensive end.”
JUMP AND SHOUT
Before last week’s game, Mark Richt decided any player flagged for a penalty would leave the game for the remainder of that series. As it turned out, he had to pull a player from action 11 times.
Six times an offensive lineman was flagged for a false start, and quarterback Joe Cox said the infractions should have gone the other way.
Tennessee Tech’s defensive linemen were routinely mimicking Cox’s cadence at the line of scrimmage – an infraction according to NCAA rules – causing Georgia’s linemen to flinch.
“You could see the guy right in front of Ben Jones in a three point stance, you could see him (flinch) and yell something, and that's when the whole line moves,” Cox said. “He said, ‘Set, go.’ I remember that. And we all pointed right at him, looking at the referee saying, 'He's yelling out the snap count.'"
For whatever reason, the referees didn’t take notice, but Georgia line coach Stacy Searels did. This week in practice, Searels has been doing his best to recreate the situation, hoping to keep Georgia’s linemen steady, even if the other team offers a distraction.
“We’ll focus on it more in practice because they’re not the only team that shifts and has somebody say, ‘Move,’ when they shift,” Cox said. “Coach Searels made it a point (in practice) that every single time we ran a play that he would just start yelling stuff while I was in the middle of my snap count, trying to see if anybody would jump, and nobody did.”
For his part, Richt said he planned to continue pulling players from the game when they are flagged for a penalty, but he may adjust his mandate that they sit the remainder of the series.
Cox said it was difficult to keep a lot of continuity on the line when players were being substituted so often, and left tackle Clint Boling said the rule took its toll on the offensive line.
“It was definitely a little bit different, but Coach Richt is just trying to clean things up and make sure we play a bit more disciplined,” Boling said. “I’m not really sure whether it slows guys down or what it does, but it does make you think a little bit that you want to play hard, but at the same time you don’t want to get any penalties.”
NO PROMISES FOR GRAY
After Richt announced Cox would remain his starting quarterback last week, he also promised a series early in the game for backup Logan Gray. As it turned out, it took six drives before Gray got his taste of action, and that ended with an interception.
Richt said he still had confidence in Gray, but against a more formidable opponent this week, there won’t be any further assurances of playing time for the sophomore quarterback.
“I wouldn’t sit here and promise it right now publicly, although we would like to continue to help him grow as a quarterback,” Richt said. “I wouldn’t say going into this game we are going to nail it down, at least not publicly.”
HE’S GOT WHEELS
Cox admits he won’t be winning any foot races in the near future, and for the season, the quarterback has just 13 rushing attempts that didn’t end in sacks.
“I’m definitely not a dual-threat guy,” he said.
But against Tennessee Tech, Cox did pick up eight yards on a nifty run that, while not exactly wowing fans with his speed, managed to catch the defense off guard. Not coincidentally, he said, it was also his first game without an interception this season, and Cox hopes that making a few more plays with his legs can keep that trend going.
“I probably should have (run) it more,” Cox said. “That’s one thing I said last week is, if I don’t like how it looks, I’m just going to take off and run. So I’ll probably end up doing that more but just make sure I take care of the ball.”
NO REGRETS ON BROWN
Richt decided before the season began that freshman receiver Marlon Brown would see action this year, and by the second week of the season, Brown had indeed taken reps on offense.
But in the seven games since, Brown’s playing time hasn’t increased much, and even against an overmatched Tennessee Tech team last week, the freshman saw little action and wasn’t targeted on a single pass.
Despite Brown’s minimal role, however, Richt said that the decision not to redshirt him has paid dividends.
“He is absolutely improving as a route-runner, as a ball-catcher, a blocker. He’s understanding what we’re doing much better,” Richt said. “He’s so much further ahead right now than he would have been hanging around on the scout team. We think he’s going to be making a big impact sooner than later. I don’t regret that right now.”
FEELING BETTER
Richt said defensive end Justin Houston was expected to return to action this week after sitting out against Tennessee Tech with an elbow injury.
Receiver A.J. Green also missed last week’s game with a bruised lung, but returned to full practice Sunday and said he’s completely healthy.
“I’m 100 percent. I’m rested, I’m ready to go,” Green said. “I felt it like the first day or so, and then it just went away.”
PRACTICE IN THE RAIN*
The Georgia Bulldogs practiced for two and a half hours in a steady rain that fluctuated between a wind-blown, driving drizzle to a solid, soaking downpour on Tuesday afternoon. The final 30 minutes of the full pads workout were conducted under the heaviest rainfall of the day. By the time the team wrapped up, puddles were commonplace on the FieldTurf surface and an inch-high stream was flowing from the driveway that goes from the upper grass fields to the lower section of the facility.
"I can probably remember one or two we've had like this but not too many," Richt said. "Over the course of nine years, you're bound to have a couple. I was relatively happy with the effort. We got the work in. It wasn't the best throwing and catching but we got the work in, which was most important."
Richt said the staff decided to practice in the elements as opposed to indoors due to the nature of Tuesday's routine.
"We have about 45 minutes of special teams practice on Tuesdays," Richt said. "You just can't take that inside. Those are things you have to be out and simulate and get a good feel for. If you don't get them in today, you spend the rest of the week trying to cram in too much."
(*From UGA press release)
EXTRA POINTS
-- Richt announced the captains for Saturday's game would be quarterback Joe Cox, center Ben Jones, cornerback Prince Miller and defensive tackle Jeff Owens.
-- Jon Fabris came in for interviews following practice wearing a soaking wet, long black rain jacket and hood, which made him look quite a bit like the villain from "I Know What You Did Last Summer," but another reporter topped that, noting he resembled the Gorton's fisherman. Either way, comedy gold.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Practice Notes: Cox Copes With Criticism
Joe Cox swears he hasn’t owned a working computer in 18 months. At times it might have been an inconvenience, but lately, he’s been happy not to have it.
With Georgia’s 4-4 start to the season and Cox’s 12 interceptions to go along with the record, Cox hasn’t had much interest in surfing the Internet to see what fans are saying about his performance.
“Anybody can get on that and talk about sports,” Cox said. “That’s like me going on WebMD and talking like I’m a doctor and telling these guys what they should be doing in hospitals. That’s the least of my worries.”
It’s not that Cox doesn’t understand the concerns of fans. He freely admits that he hasn’t played well, and he said he would have understood if head coach Mark Richt had decided to bench him after last week’s three-interception performance against Florida.
But being at the center of a sea of criticism is no easy task, and the only real option, he said, is to avoid it.
“When you have a bad game, and you go out to eat the following week, you feel like there might be people at the restaurant talking bad about you,” he said. “It’s tough. You don’t want to go out sometimes and be places. I’ve changed so much in my life as far as how much I do and where I go just based on the role that I have on the football team. It’s tough to get used to. You never know how crazy it is until you’re really in that position.”
Cox said he even warns his parents to stay away from message boards and fan blogs after the games. While he can handle the criticism, he said they take it much more personally.
The animosity aimed at Cox reached a new crescendo this week as the Bulldogs dropped their second straight game to Florida, with Cox’s bad throws at the center of the underwhelming performance.
But rather than let his quarterback twist in the wind this week, Richt announced Monday that Cox would remain the starter, citing a unanimous vote among the coaches.
“It means a lot having your coach’s confidence. I’m definitely glad it’s not something I have to answer, and I’m just glad I have another week where I have to play football.”
It hasn’t been the senior year Cox had dreamed of, and the costs of being the starting quarterback at Georgia have been greater than even he expected, but he still wouldn’t trade the job for anything.
“I definitely don’t want to have the plug pulled on me and not play any more for the rest of the year. I have another chance and I want to make the best of it.”
LEARNING ON THE FLY
Freshman Washaun Ealey got the starting nod at tailback for two straight weeks, but a missed block against Florida will likely cost him that role this week. While Ealey continues to run the ball well, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said pass protection remains a concern that’s too big to ignore.
“It’s always a big concern with young backs,” Bobo said. “I do know he knows what to do, he just did not execute the proper techniques of how to block. It was costly in (the last) game … but I think he’ll improve. He’s just got to trust his technique and execute it properly.”
Bobo said Ealey has gotten plenty of advice this week from the Bulldogs’ expected starter, Caleb King.
Last year, King missed a key block against Florida as well and then-running backs coach Tony Ball benched him for the next few games. The punishment was tough, but the lesson was learned, and King improved dramatically during the offseason.
Ealey won’t be benched, he just won’t start. Unlike last season, Georgia’s need for a strong runner outweighs any benefit a stint on the sideline might offer. It’s in stark contrast to the decisions Richt made with another freshman tailback a few years ago.
“That's one of the main reasons why Knowshon (Moreno) ended up redshirting because when it got time to doing those kind of things, especially early on in camp, he was a freshman,” Richt said. “He was struggling at it, and we had three veteran guys, three very proven guys.”
Georgia didn’t have that luxury this season, but Richt doesn’t have any regrets about playing Ealey, who waited until the fifth game of the season before seeing action. It simply means that the Bulldogs will have to take the good with the bad as Ealey learns on the field.
“This time around,” Richt said, “we are playing the freshman and kind of taking some of the lumps."
WILLING TO WAIT
With four games remaining and the chances of an SEC East crown now gone, Richt said this week he plans to keep shooting for wins this season rather than giving additional playing time to some younger players as preparation for the future.
While the decision met with mixed reviews from fans, Georgia’s up-and-comers aren’t complaining about the veterans keeping their jobs.
“In every sport there’s always a person pushing for a starting spot, but I don’t believe there’s any jealousy amongst the players that would make a younger player think he wants to move an older player out,” said sophomore linebacker Marcus Dowtin, who has seen his role increase as the season has progressed. “We compete at practice every day, and the coaches will make the best decisions.”
Baccari Rambo has earned more playing time each week, too, but has so far been unable to push senior Bryan Evans from the starting lineup at safety. While Rambo said he would love the starting job, he said he respects his coaches for giving the veterans a chance to turn things around.
“I think by Coach Richt supporting the veterans, when I get my time, that’ll happen to me,” Rambo said. “When they make mistakes, I try to learn from them. I think it’s a great thing how Coach Richt supports the veterans and lets them try to get better and correct their mistakes.”
HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM
Defensive end Justin Houston is doubtful for Saturday’s game after suffering a hyperextended elbow last week, and Richt said there will likely be a rotation of players filling the void.
Cornelius Washington, Montez Robinson and Kiante Tripp are likely to each see a bump in playing time against Tennessee Tech if Houston missed the game, Richt said. Tripp has been inactive for the past six games after seeing some early action, due mostly to a shoulder injury that has hindered his progress since moving from the offensive line in January.
“He was working his way into some playing time early on, and then the injuries set him back for a long time,” Richt said. “Being injured that long, it’s just hard to snap your fingers and be right back where you were. … But I’ve seen a lot of effort an energy out of him this week, that’s for sure.”
MORE BAD BLOOD?
Florida coach Urban Meyer announced Wednesday that linebacker Brandon Spikes would sit out all of the Gators' game against Vanderbilt this week as punishment for attempting to gouge the eyes of Georgia tailback Washaun Ealey. Meyer had originally only suspended Spikes for the first half.
But while Spikes' punishment was increased, Meyer also noted that Georgia linebacker Nick Williams had hit quarterback Tim Tebow late on a play and should have been flagged. Meyer brought the hit to the attention of the SEC head of officials this week but did not disclose the league's response. Richt said that after reviewing the film, Meyer's critique was correct.
For his part, Williams said he was unaware that Meyer had sent the tape to the SEC, but said the hit was just part of the game and was not intentional.
"I was just trying to make a play," Williams said. "Tebow is a great player, and it's obvious you better get him on the ground or he's going to spark something. I was just trying to make a play, and I didn't think anything of it. I wasn't trying to hurt him or anything, I was just out there playing."
NOT-SO-BREAKING NEWS
Defensive end Neland Ball hasn't been a participant in practice since the preseason, and Wednesday we found out why.
Richt announced that Ball had been given a medical disqualification in September, but the news had not been officially released.
Ball, a redshirt sophomore, played in five games in 2008. He missed all of spring practice this year with a tendon injury in his knee, but it was a chronic back problem that brought about the medical DQ.
BOLING BACK
Left tackle Clint Boling suffered a knee injury against Florida last week, but Richt said the junior should be available this week.
"Boling is fine," Richt said. "He was able to go with no limitations (at practice) today."
With Georgia’s 4-4 start to the season and Cox’s 12 interceptions to go along with the record, Cox hasn’t had much interest in surfing the Internet to see what fans are saying about his performance.
“Anybody can get on that and talk about sports,” Cox said. “That’s like me going on WebMD and talking like I’m a doctor and telling these guys what they should be doing in hospitals. That’s the least of my worries.”
It’s not that Cox doesn’t understand the concerns of fans. He freely admits that he hasn’t played well, and he said he would have understood if head coach Mark Richt had decided to bench him after last week’s three-interception performance against Florida.
But being at the center of a sea of criticism is no easy task, and the only real option, he said, is to avoid it.
“When you have a bad game, and you go out to eat the following week, you feel like there might be people at the restaurant talking bad about you,” he said. “It’s tough. You don’t want to go out sometimes and be places. I’ve changed so much in my life as far as how much I do and where I go just based on the role that I have on the football team. It’s tough to get used to. You never know how crazy it is until you’re really in that position.”
Cox said he even warns his parents to stay away from message boards and fan blogs after the games. While he can handle the criticism, he said they take it much more personally.
The animosity aimed at Cox reached a new crescendo this week as the Bulldogs dropped their second straight game to Florida, with Cox’s bad throws at the center of the underwhelming performance.
But rather than let his quarterback twist in the wind this week, Richt announced Monday that Cox would remain the starter, citing a unanimous vote among the coaches.
“It means a lot having your coach’s confidence. I’m definitely glad it’s not something I have to answer, and I’m just glad I have another week where I have to play football.”
It hasn’t been the senior year Cox had dreamed of, and the costs of being the starting quarterback at Georgia have been greater than even he expected, but he still wouldn’t trade the job for anything.
“I definitely don’t want to have the plug pulled on me and not play any more for the rest of the year. I have another chance and I want to make the best of it.”
LEARNING ON THE FLY
Freshman Washaun Ealey got the starting nod at tailback for two straight weeks, but a missed block against Florida will likely cost him that role this week. While Ealey continues to run the ball well, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said pass protection remains a concern that’s too big to ignore.
“It’s always a big concern with young backs,” Bobo said. “I do know he knows what to do, he just did not execute the proper techniques of how to block. It was costly in (the last) game … but I think he’ll improve. He’s just got to trust his technique and execute it properly.”
Bobo said Ealey has gotten plenty of advice this week from the Bulldogs’ expected starter, Caleb King.
Last year, King missed a key block against Florida as well and then-running backs coach Tony Ball benched him for the next few games. The punishment was tough, but the lesson was learned, and King improved dramatically during the offseason.
Ealey won’t be benched, he just won’t start. Unlike last season, Georgia’s need for a strong runner outweighs any benefit a stint on the sideline might offer. It’s in stark contrast to the decisions Richt made with another freshman tailback a few years ago.
“That's one of the main reasons why Knowshon (Moreno) ended up redshirting because when it got time to doing those kind of things, especially early on in camp, he was a freshman,” Richt said. “He was struggling at it, and we had three veteran guys, three very proven guys.”
Georgia didn’t have that luxury this season, but Richt doesn’t have any regrets about playing Ealey, who waited until the fifth game of the season before seeing action. It simply means that the Bulldogs will have to take the good with the bad as Ealey learns on the field.
“This time around,” Richt said, “we are playing the freshman and kind of taking some of the lumps."
WILLING TO WAIT
With four games remaining and the chances of an SEC East crown now gone, Richt said this week he plans to keep shooting for wins this season rather than giving additional playing time to some younger players as preparation for the future.
While the decision met with mixed reviews from fans, Georgia’s up-and-comers aren’t complaining about the veterans keeping their jobs.
“In every sport there’s always a person pushing for a starting spot, but I don’t believe there’s any jealousy amongst the players that would make a younger player think he wants to move an older player out,” said sophomore linebacker Marcus Dowtin, who has seen his role increase as the season has progressed. “We compete at practice every day, and the coaches will make the best decisions.”
Baccari Rambo has earned more playing time each week, too, but has so far been unable to push senior Bryan Evans from the starting lineup at safety. While Rambo said he would love the starting job, he said he respects his coaches for giving the veterans a chance to turn things around.
“I think by Coach Richt supporting the veterans, when I get my time, that’ll happen to me,” Rambo said. “When they make mistakes, I try to learn from them. I think it’s a great thing how Coach Richt supports the veterans and lets them try to get better and correct their mistakes.”
HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM
Defensive end Justin Houston is doubtful for Saturday’s game after suffering a hyperextended elbow last week, and Richt said there will likely be a rotation of players filling the void.
Cornelius Washington, Montez Robinson and Kiante Tripp are likely to each see a bump in playing time against Tennessee Tech if Houston missed the game, Richt said. Tripp has been inactive for the past six games after seeing some early action, due mostly to a shoulder injury that has hindered his progress since moving from the offensive line in January.
“He was working his way into some playing time early on, and then the injuries set him back for a long time,” Richt said. “Being injured that long, it’s just hard to snap your fingers and be right back where you were. … But I’ve seen a lot of effort an energy out of him this week, that’s for sure.”
MORE BAD BLOOD?
Florida coach Urban Meyer announced Wednesday that linebacker Brandon Spikes would sit out all of the Gators' game against Vanderbilt this week as punishment for attempting to gouge the eyes of Georgia tailback Washaun Ealey. Meyer had originally only suspended Spikes for the first half.
But while Spikes' punishment was increased, Meyer also noted that Georgia linebacker Nick Williams had hit quarterback Tim Tebow late on a play and should have been flagged. Meyer brought the hit to the attention of the SEC head of officials this week but did not disclose the league's response. Richt said that after reviewing the film, Meyer's critique was correct.
For his part, Williams said he was unaware that Meyer had sent the tape to the SEC, but said the hit was just part of the game and was not intentional.
"I was just trying to make a play," Williams said. "Tebow is a great player, and it's obvious you better get him on the ground or he's going to spark something. I was just trying to make a play, and I didn't think anything of it. I wasn't trying to hurt him or anything, I was just out there playing."
NOT-SO-BREAKING NEWS
Defensive end Neland Ball hasn't been a participant in practice since the preseason, and Wednesday we found out why.
Richt announced that Ball had been given a medical disqualification in September, but the news had not been officially released.
Ball, a redshirt sophomore, played in five games in 2008. He missed all of spring practice this year with a tendon injury in his knee, but it was a chronic back problem that brought about the medical DQ.
BOLING BACK
Left tackle Clint Boling suffered a knee injury against Florida last week, but Richt said the junior should be available this week.
"Boling is fine," Richt said. "He was able to go with no limitations (at practice) today."
Monday, November 2, 2009
Cox Remains Starter, Green Out
Per UGA release...
University of Georgia head football coach Mark Richt confirmed Monday that senior quarterback Joe Cox will remain the starter for the Bulldogs.
"It was unanimous among our staff that Joe gives us the best chance to win and that’s where our focus needs to be.,” said Richt. “There’s still a lot of football left this season. We tell our players to finish the drill and we are committed to doing that this week and each week the remainder of the season. We have faith in Joe that he gives us the best opportunity to do that. At the same time, we do plan on Logan Gray getting some playing time this week at quarterback.”
Richt also updated the injury situation from Saturday and status for this week’s game against Tennessee Tech. He said A.J. Green suffered a pulmonary contusion and will not play this week; Clint Boling had a knee contusion and is probable; and Justin Houston suffered a hyper extended elbow and is doubtful.
And from the SEC, regarding Brandon Spikes:
The Southeastern Conference has reviewed and accepted the disciplinary actions taken by the University of Florida regarding football student-athlete Brandon Spikes. The university suspended Spikes for the first half of its next game (vs. Vanderbilt, Nov. 7) for an unsportsmanlike act during the Gators' last game (vs. Georgia, Oct. 31).
ADDENDUM: Here is what Brandon Spikes had to say:
"I accept responsibility for my actions and I accept the consequences of my actions. I would like to apologize to my team and the coaching staff and Washun Ealey. Football is a very physical and emotional game, but there is no excuse for my actions."
University of Georgia head football coach Mark Richt confirmed Monday that senior quarterback Joe Cox will remain the starter for the Bulldogs.
"It was unanimous among our staff that Joe gives us the best chance to win and that’s where our focus needs to be.,” said Richt. “There’s still a lot of football left this season. We tell our players to finish the drill and we are committed to doing that this week and each week the remainder of the season. We have faith in Joe that he gives us the best opportunity to do that. At the same time, we do plan on Logan Gray getting some playing time this week at quarterback.”
Richt also updated the injury situation from Saturday and status for this week’s game against Tennessee Tech. He said A.J. Green suffered a pulmonary contusion and will not play this week; Clint Boling had a knee contusion and is probable; and Justin Houston suffered a hyper extended elbow and is doubtful.
And from the SEC, regarding Brandon Spikes:
The Southeastern Conference has reviewed and accepted the disciplinary actions taken by the University of Florida regarding football student-athlete Brandon Spikes. The university suspended Spikes for the first half of its next game (vs. Vanderbilt, Nov. 7) for an unsportsmanlike act during the Gators' last game (vs. Georgia, Oct. 31).
ADDENDUM: Here is what Brandon Spikes had to say:
"I accept responsibility for my actions and I accept the consequences of my actions. I would like to apologize to my team and the coaching staff and Washun Ealey. Football is a very physical and emotional game, but there is no excuse for my actions."
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Practice Notes: Bobo to Stay on Sidelines
The sideline might not be the most comfortable place for Mike Bobo to watch a game, but it’s hard to argue with success.
For the first time in his career as offensive coordinator, Bobo called plays from the sideline in Georgia’s last outing against Vanderbilt, and the result was the team’s easiest win of the year, highlighted by a season-high in rushing yards. While the view wasn’t quite as good as it was from the press box, Bobo said he liked the feel of being on the sideline and said he’ll be there again this week when the Bulldogs take on No. 1 Florida.
“In the box, it’s like you’re watching a TV screen except you can see the whole thing, so you can see if we executed, and you can see if we don’t,” Bobo said. “Down there, you can feel the passion and the excitement, the highs and lows of when things go well and when things don’t go well. That part I liked. It’s a little more intense down there for sure.”
While Bobo won’t have access to the bird’s-eye view the press box affords, he said the negative impact of watching from the sideline has been lessened by the efforts of receivers coach Tony Ball, who provides pictures and analysis from the box while Bobo is on the field.
“You’ve got to have guys up there that are capable of giving you a picture and Coach Ball does a good job of that,” Bobo said. “You’ve got to prepare well to where you can recognize their looks and make sure they’re playing the way we thought they were, and if they didn’t, we’ve got to be able to make adjustments.”
The upside to Bobo’s appearance on the sideline is mental, he said.
With so many first-year starters on offense, Bobo was concerned that the unit was lacking confidence. Players were talented enough to succeed, but he wanted to be on the field where he could remind them of that, even in the face of failure.
“We’ve got a lot of young guys that haven’t made a lot of plays in some games,” Bobo said. “We have guys we feel we have some ability, but for whatever reason, they’re not making the play or they had their head down at certain times. (I wanted to) have the ability to say, ‘Hey you’ve got the ability, let’s go and get it done,’ or just to look them in the eye and say, ‘We can do it.’”
MYSTERY SURROUNDS O LINE
During Georgia’s off week, Clint Boling said he had spent some time working at left tackle, moving over from the right side where he has played all season.
Josh Davis got his first start of the season against Vanderbilt, too, giving the Bulldogs yet another look on the offensive line – their fourth different starting lineup of the season.
But Tuesday, head coach Mark Richt said he isn’t expecting a major shake-up for this week’s contest against Florida.
“We really don’t have a lot of choices, so I don’t see a lot of change there,” he said. “The guys that have been playing will continue to play. We may move them around a little bit, but I’m not even sure of that.”
Richt said Davis, Boling, Vince Vance, Ben Jones, Chris Davis and Justin Anderson will all see action, but he wouldn’t commit to the specific roles for any of them.
So while the head coach isn’t predicting change, he isn’t exactly promising the status quo either. That has Bobo convinced that this week’s lineup may have a look fans haven’t seen yet this year.
“I’d say probably, but you’ll just have to wait and see,” Bobo said. “But it’s been different every single week.”
‘BACKERS BACK
Georgia’s depleted linebacker corps figures to get an infusion of healthy bodies this week with both Akeem Dent and Marcus Dowtin expected to return to action after extended absences due to injuries.
“(Dent) looks like he’s going to be able to make the trip, but we’ll see how he progresses here during the week as we run a little bit more,” linebackers coach John Jancek said. “Dowtin has been cleared and is ready to go.”
Dowtin missed the past two games after suffering a ligament tear in his finger that required surgery following Georgia’s loss to LSU. Dowtin had earned regular work as a reserve linebacker and was third on the team in tackles at the time of the injury.
“We really missed Marcus not having him for the last two ballgames,” defensive coordinator Willie Martinez said. “Marcus has been one of our playmakers – a kid that can run, athletic, smart. He really was playing really well.”
Dent has missed nearly every practice since mid-August with a nagging hamstring injury, and his return brings a much needed veteran presence.
“I think he’s ready to go,” Martinez said. “We tried to get him to come back and maybe it was too soon. He re-aggravated that injury he had. … We haven’t had Akeem, his leadership and toughness. To get him back in the presence of the team is really huge.”
WARMER WEATHER
Temperatures in Jacksonville, Fla. for Saturday’s game are expected to be in the 80s with plenty of sunshine, which is a welcome change of pace for the Bulldogs.
Georgia hasn’t played a game in temperatures warmer than 80 degrees since its opener, and their last game against Vanderbilt began with temperatures in the mid-40s.
But while the warmer weather comes as a treat, it also means the Bulldogs might have to dig a bit deeper on their depth chart to rotate in fresh players as the heat takes its toll on the starters.
“I think we’re definitely going to have to have a lot of subs, especially in a warm game,” quarterback Joe Cox said. “But I’m just glad the weather is going to be good. We’ve had a lot of crazy weather situations this year. We might have to use some subs, but we’ll see how it goes.”
CHAPAS READY TO GO
Thanks to a stinger in his neck, fullback Shaun Chapas watched Georgia's last game against Vandy from the comfort of his own living room, but he hardly felt comfortable.
"It felt really weird," he said. "I'd never missed a game before, and right before kickoff I just had this overwhelming sense that I needed to be somewhere. That was kind of weird, but I really did enjoy watching the game from the sense that it looked like we got the running game going and we won, so that made it fun."
Chapas said the injury has healed fully already and he will be ready to play against Florida this week in a game that holds a bit of extra meaning for the Jacksonville native. While he hasn't gotten official word that he'll start over Fred Munzenmaier, he said he expects to.
"I would imagine," he said. "We haven't talked about it, but I would assume so."
EXTRA POINTS
-- Georgia had a 12-period indoor practice today due to significant rain in the area.
"It was a good day with good focus," Richt said. "We walked through things, which is important mental preparation and also helps get the sensation of what your body is supposed to do during the game. It really didn't hurt us in our physical preparation either because we had our typical Tuesday practice on Sunday and we'll get our regular Wednesday practice in tomorrow."
-- Bobo said he expected the team would still use a rotation at running back this week.
For the first time in his career as offensive coordinator, Bobo called plays from the sideline in Georgia’s last outing against Vanderbilt, and the result was the team’s easiest win of the year, highlighted by a season-high in rushing yards. While the view wasn’t quite as good as it was from the press box, Bobo said he liked the feel of being on the sideline and said he’ll be there again this week when the Bulldogs take on No. 1 Florida.
“In the box, it’s like you’re watching a TV screen except you can see the whole thing, so you can see if we executed, and you can see if we don’t,” Bobo said. “Down there, you can feel the passion and the excitement, the highs and lows of when things go well and when things don’t go well. That part I liked. It’s a little more intense down there for sure.”
While Bobo won’t have access to the bird’s-eye view the press box affords, he said the negative impact of watching from the sideline has been lessened by the efforts of receivers coach Tony Ball, who provides pictures and analysis from the box while Bobo is on the field.
“You’ve got to have guys up there that are capable of giving you a picture and Coach Ball does a good job of that,” Bobo said. “You’ve got to prepare well to where you can recognize their looks and make sure they’re playing the way we thought they were, and if they didn’t, we’ve got to be able to make adjustments.”
The upside to Bobo’s appearance on the sideline is mental, he said.
With so many first-year starters on offense, Bobo was concerned that the unit was lacking confidence. Players were talented enough to succeed, but he wanted to be on the field where he could remind them of that, even in the face of failure.
“We’ve got a lot of young guys that haven’t made a lot of plays in some games,” Bobo said. “We have guys we feel we have some ability, but for whatever reason, they’re not making the play or they had their head down at certain times. (I wanted to) have the ability to say, ‘Hey you’ve got the ability, let’s go and get it done,’ or just to look them in the eye and say, ‘We can do it.’”
MYSTERY SURROUNDS O LINE
During Georgia’s off week, Clint Boling said he had spent some time working at left tackle, moving over from the right side where he has played all season.
Josh Davis got his first start of the season against Vanderbilt, too, giving the Bulldogs yet another look on the offensive line – their fourth different starting lineup of the season.
But Tuesday, head coach Mark Richt said he isn’t expecting a major shake-up for this week’s contest against Florida.
“We really don’t have a lot of choices, so I don’t see a lot of change there,” he said. “The guys that have been playing will continue to play. We may move them around a little bit, but I’m not even sure of that.”
Richt said Davis, Boling, Vince Vance, Ben Jones, Chris Davis and Justin Anderson will all see action, but he wouldn’t commit to the specific roles for any of them.
So while the head coach isn’t predicting change, he isn’t exactly promising the status quo either. That has Bobo convinced that this week’s lineup may have a look fans haven’t seen yet this year.
“I’d say probably, but you’ll just have to wait and see,” Bobo said. “But it’s been different every single week.”
‘BACKERS BACK
Georgia’s depleted linebacker corps figures to get an infusion of healthy bodies this week with both Akeem Dent and Marcus Dowtin expected to return to action after extended absences due to injuries.
“(Dent) looks like he’s going to be able to make the trip, but we’ll see how he progresses here during the week as we run a little bit more,” linebackers coach John Jancek said. “Dowtin has been cleared and is ready to go.”
Dowtin missed the past two games after suffering a ligament tear in his finger that required surgery following Georgia’s loss to LSU. Dowtin had earned regular work as a reserve linebacker and was third on the team in tackles at the time of the injury.
“We really missed Marcus not having him for the last two ballgames,” defensive coordinator Willie Martinez said. “Marcus has been one of our playmakers – a kid that can run, athletic, smart. He really was playing really well.”
Dent has missed nearly every practice since mid-August with a nagging hamstring injury, and his return brings a much needed veteran presence.
“I think he’s ready to go,” Martinez said. “We tried to get him to come back and maybe it was too soon. He re-aggravated that injury he had. … We haven’t had Akeem, his leadership and toughness. To get him back in the presence of the team is really huge.”
WARMER WEATHER
Temperatures in Jacksonville, Fla. for Saturday’s game are expected to be in the 80s with plenty of sunshine, which is a welcome change of pace for the Bulldogs.
Georgia hasn’t played a game in temperatures warmer than 80 degrees since its opener, and their last game against Vanderbilt began with temperatures in the mid-40s.
But while the warmer weather comes as a treat, it also means the Bulldogs might have to dig a bit deeper on their depth chart to rotate in fresh players as the heat takes its toll on the starters.
“I think we’re definitely going to have to have a lot of subs, especially in a warm game,” quarterback Joe Cox said. “But I’m just glad the weather is going to be good. We’ve had a lot of crazy weather situations this year. We might have to use some subs, but we’ll see how it goes.”
CHAPAS READY TO GO
Thanks to a stinger in his neck, fullback Shaun Chapas watched Georgia's last game against Vandy from the comfort of his own living room, but he hardly felt comfortable.
"It felt really weird," he said. "I'd never missed a game before, and right before kickoff I just had this overwhelming sense that I needed to be somewhere. That was kind of weird, but I really did enjoy watching the game from the sense that it looked like we got the running game going and we won, so that made it fun."
Chapas said the injury has healed fully already and he will be ready to play against Florida this week in a game that holds a bit of extra meaning for the Jacksonville native. While he hasn't gotten official word that he'll start over Fred Munzenmaier, he said he expects to.
"I would imagine," he said. "We haven't talked about it, but I would assume so."
EXTRA POINTS
-- Georgia had a 12-period indoor practice today due to significant rain in the area.
"It was a good day with good focus," Richt said. "We walked through things, which is important mental preparation and also helps get the sensation of what your body is supposed to do during the game. It really didn't hurt us in our physical preparation either because we had our typical Tuesday practice on Sunday and we'll get our regular Wednesday practice in tomorrow."
-- Bobo said he expected the team would still use a rotation at running back this week.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Following Directions: Boling Move Makes Sense
One thing about the problems in the running game that remains difficult to really analyze statistically is the impact of the offensive line. I'm not a coach, so film study of the line is both inaccessible and fairly useless for me. Maybe the line stinks, maybe the runners do. I pretty much have to take the coaches' words for it. It's the ultimate anecdotal evidence position.
Of course, there is one bit of statistical data I do have access to that might tell us a little bit about Georgia's O line as it relates to the running game.
While the play-by-play from each game is hardly a vivid description of actual events, I do have directional results from four of Georgia's seven contests so far. That is, the play-by-play tells us whether the tailback ran left, right or up the middle. For three of the games, I don't have that info, but for 88 of Georgia's 165 carries by its tailbacks this season, we do have the data. Considering that's more than 50 percent, I think it's fair to extrapolate those results out to give us a bit better overall picture of where Georgia has had success and where it has struggled.
| Direction | Carries | Yards | Average |
| Middle | 46 | 204 | 4.43 |
| Left | 18 | 41 | 2.27 |
| Right | 24 | 131 | 5.46 |
First, a couple of notes:
-- This research is for tailbacks only. I did not include runs by Branden Smith and Logan Gray or any of the fullbacks or QB sneaks, etc., as those tend to be the most reliable examples of true rushing attempts.
-- The directional analysis was at the complete disgression of the scorekeeper, so it's hard to truly define whether "middle" means between the left guard and left tackle or straight behind center, etc. It's simply a "between the tackles" run.
-- The four games we get these numbers from are South Carolina, Arkansas, Arizona State and LSU.
Now, some conclusions:
-- Georgia's split between "up the middle" and "outside" runs is nearly 50/50. That may not be a good thing and it may also be another holdover of Mike Bobo's fascination with "balance." (Also, I think I'm overusing "quotation marks" on this post.)
-- Those numbers down the middle are skewed a bit by Richard Samuel's 80-yarder against Arkansas. Obviously that run can't be discounted, but it does inflate the overall average quite a bit. If you calculate the yards per carry average for runs between the tackles without that carry, it's a mundane 2.75 ypc.
-- The overall yards per carry average by the tailbacks in these games was 4.17 ypc. So looking at the raw numbers, Georgia was about average down the middle, well below average running left and well above average running right.
Considering Georgia has started three different left tackles this season and has had left guard manned by an injured Chris Davis and Vince Vance, who is recovering from ACL surgery less than 12 months ago, there's probably a good reason why the Bulldogs have had less success running in that direction. I've said for more than a month now that Georgia has missed Trinton Sturdivant far more than people are acknowledging, but these numbers really bear that out.
On the other hand, Clint Boling has essentially been a constant at right tackle this season, and clearly that has been Georgia's best option to run behind (or around).
So perhaps the news that Stacy Searels was considering moving Boling from the right side back to left tackle, where he played last year, shouldn't come as much of a surprise. In fact, it seems like a pretty obvious solution.
Now the question becomes -- can anyone else step up to provide a few more running lanes for the Dawgs?Thursday, August 20, 2009
Practice Notes: Offense Moves Forward Without Jones
Ben Jones made an appearance at practice Thursday, but it was Chris Davis and Kevin Perez taking all the reps at center for Georgia.
Jones sprained his left ankle during Wednesday's practice and coaches said his return remains a day-to-day decision. Meanwhile, Georgia's offense is already moving forward without him.
"You hate to see anybody go down," quarterback Joe Cox said. "Everybody was pretty worried at first, but people get hurt in football. We've just got to move on for now, and hopefully he's back in time to play."
Asked whether that meant in time to play Oklahoma State, Cox pleaded ignorance – a refrain repeated by right tackle Clint Boling, who said Jones remained in high spirits despite the injury.
"He's a tough kid," Boling said. "It definitely hurts him not being out there, but I'm sure he'll get back out there as soon as he can, and we'll be ready to have him back, too."
Head coach Mark Richt declined comment on the injury Wednesday and skipped his normal post-practice media session Thursday in order to attend his son's football game.
While the timetable for Jones' return remains vague, Boling said the important point is that the sophomore center will be back eventually, which is a big departure from the season-ending injuries suffered by two of Georgia's starters on the line last season.
"That's the last thing anybody wants is to have anything like last year with that many guys getting hurt," Boling said.
STAYING POSITIVE
Caleb King has made a point of ducking reporters since injuring his hamstring last week, but fellow tailback Carlton Thomas said it's not because King is sulking.
Despite being forced to the sideline in the middle of an intense competition for playing time at tailback, King has kept a positive attitude throughout the process, Thomas said.
"He's been very positive in practice every day," Thomas said. "He's come in in the morning to rehab, just trying to get ready. You never see him down, even though there's probably a time when he's down because he wants to compete. But he's doing everything he can to get back and be ready for Oklahoma State."
While King is missing crucial chances to perform before a final depth chart is set for Georgia's opener, Thomas said he thinks King's attitude on the sideline has impressed coaches as much as anything he could have done on the field.
"It is a big test," Thomas said. "It's a test for anybody who has an injury this close to playing time. It's going to test you mentally, so I feel like if he overcomes it, he's going to have a lot of success."
A HELPING HAND
Adjusting to college football and memorizing a playbook is no easy task, but freshmen receivers Marlon Brown and Rantavious Wooten said the process has been made a lot smoother thanks to the leadership of their quarterback.
"He's been a great help," Brown said of Cox, a fifth-year senior. "He's been going over the playbook with me whenever we're free. It's a blessing because he knows everything."
While Wooten has worked tirelessly to grasp the intricacies of the playbook, he said he has been amazed at Cox's knowledge of the offense – not just at quarterback, but for every position.
"He'll teach me different releases, spinning, all that different kind of stuff," Wooten said. "He's a great teacher, a great leader. He's teaching me all the right things."
For his part, Cox isn't taking much credit for his receivers' development. He said he has made a point of offering tips when needed, but said Michael Moore and A.J. Green have been the real mentors for the young wideouts.
Regardless of who has done the bulk of the teaching, the lessons appear to be paying off, Cox said.
"When you come in as a freshman at any position, you get to a point where your head starts spinning, and then you start coming out of it," Cox said. "I think they're definitely out of that fog now, and they're starting to recognize things quicker and run the right routes. They're coming along nicely."
UNTIMELY VACATION
Georgia president Michael Adams announced the dates for the university's mandatory furlough days Wednesday, and the off time isn't well suited to the football staff, who are being forced to take time off along with faculty and staff.
All university employees will be forced to take off Oct. 30, Nov. 25 and Dec. 24 this year – which would mean Richt and his staff would be on vacation the day before Georgia takes on Florida and three days before the Bulldogs travel to Georgia Tech.
Georgia's sports information department confirmed that the football staff will comply with the furloughs, but there will be an appeals process available to request different days from the ones Adams announced Thursday. The caveat, as reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, is that the days must still occur during October and November, meaning coaches must take time away during the height of football season.
While the details are still being ironed out, Boling said he had his doubts that his rather intense line coach, Stacy Searels, would really be able to step away at such a crucial time.
"I wish," Boling said, "but I don't think it's going to happen."
(NOTE: You can read Tim Tucker's excellent recap of the situation HERE.)
CATCHING ON
The platitudes for freshman tight end Orson Charles have come pretty regularly from players, but the general consensus was that his skills were still fairly raw.
No doubt, the tight end still has some work to do, but Cox said the finer points aren't too far off.
"He's always been a good route runner," Cox said. "Now it's just fine-tuning certain routes, and I think he's gotten better every day. He's been working on his blocking a lot and done a good job getting better."
SOUNDS PAINFUL
Richt wasn't around to comment on today's practice, and no assistant coaches were made available. But thanks to the beauty of social networking, there is a bit of insight into today's workouts, courtesy of Jeff Owens' Twitter page.
"Today's practice was one of the hardest practices in four years," Owens wrote, then followed with, "Just stitting in the training room icying (sic) my knee. The coaches tried to kill us today."
BUT HOW ARE YOU?
Boling answered plenty of questions about Jones' injury -- OK, maybe answered is a strong term -- but he was quick to put an end to any concern about his own sore wrist.
Boling injured his wrist during a practice last week when he collided with a player's helmet. He has had the wrist wrapped since then, but he said it hasn't slowed him any.
"It's fine, it was nothing serious," Boling said. "I just kind of wrapped it up and go. It was no big deal at all."
HEALTHY AS CAN BE
Vince Vance managed to get in some work with the first team offensive line with Jones out, and Boling said the senior has looked strong in his return from an ACL injury.
Vance was the team's starting guard before moving to left tackle four games into the season. One month later, however, he tore his ACL and joined teammate Trinton Sturdivant, who suffered a similar injury last August, in the trainer's room.
"He's been fine physically," Boling said of Vance. "Trinton hurt his a little bit earlier, but they both really look the same physically. They both have been full speed in practice the whole time, and there haven't really been any setbacks."
QUIET POKES
This time it's a team Georgia's playing that is having a blackout.
Oklahoma State isn't planning to don the black uni's, but the team has instituted a media blackout, apparently due in part to coach Mike Gundy's annoyance at the constant questions about the health of his quarterback, Zac Robinson.
Tuesday was the last day Gundy or any players met with the media, and Wednesday a blanket "no comment" was issued to all reporters. Players, coaches and Gundy will all be taking a vow of silence until the Monday before the season opener.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Bobo Tempers O Line Expectations
The popular notion among most pundits is that Georgia's offense will miss Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno, but a healthy and experienced offensive line will make up a good chunk of the difference. Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo isn't exactly buying into that notion just yet.
"We've got some experience coming back at O line, but we don't have five guys who have played the same position next to each other," Bobo said. "I know everybody thinks we're going to be awesome on the offensive line, but we've got to find some continuity right now."
While Georgia does return nine linemen with playing experience this season, the numbers aren't quite as impressive as they might seem at first glance.
Two potential starters -- Trinton Sturdivant and Vince Vance -- are both coming back from ACL surgery, and Sturdivant hasn't played a single down since the 2008 Suger Bowl.
Two other former starters may not see much action at all, at least early on. Josh Davis underwent two shoulder surgeries during the offseason and is not expected to participate in practices during the preseason, while Chris Davis, who started all 13 games last year, has been slow to recover from offseason hip surgery.
"We'll have to observe Chris Davis some more coming off the injury, and the same is true of Trinton and Vince, but Chris was not quite as far along," head coach Mark Richt said.
Tanner Strickland played in reserve duty last season but will miss all of 2009 with a shoulder injury he suffered while lifting weights this offseason, and Kiante Tripp, who started three games at left tackle last year, has moved to the defensive line this season.
Richt said the battle for starting jobs this fall is essentially between just six players -- Sturdivant, Vance, Ben Jones, Clint Boling, Cordy Glenn and Justin Anderson. Anderson also battled injuries down the stretch last season but appears healthy now.
That leaves just three linemen -- Boling, Jones and Glenn -- who return with both significant playing experience and no questions about health. The depth behind that group is still thin, too, Bobo said, but Richt sees a few players capable of stepping up.
"Casey Nichols is a guy who has put himself in a pretty good position to be a very reliable guy. I don't know if he'll break the starting lineup, but he could be productive," Richt said. "A.J. Harmon had a productive spring, and from what I've seen just looking at his body, he's done a really good job there. But again, he's got to learn what to do and get comfortable in that area. Then you have a bunch of young guys that are trying to prove that they're ready to play."
That group includes freshmen Dallas Lee, who enrolled early this spring but missed the G-Day game with an injury, and Chris Burnette, who Boling thinks could be ready if pressed into service.
"Chris is a really smart guy, and this summer he picked up things right away," Boling said. "I think if we had to, he could play for us right away."
So the question of the offensive line's success is really more a matter of perspective.
For Bobo, he's taking a cautious approach. There is ability, he said, but seeing is believing.
"We've still got to find five guys that we feel comfortable with in there right now on what we can do," he said. "Just because those guys have played, they haven't played together, and we've got a long way to go."
Richt, on the other hand, is a bit more optimistic. After seeing a patchwork line piece together a strong season a year ago, any sense of stability seems like a dramatic improvement.
"We're counting on the offensive line to perform well," Richt said. "We do have more maturity, more experience under our belt, so we're expecting better play. I think we progressed pretty darned well considering what we were playing with (last year), but now I think we can expect a little more. Their bodies are certainly bigger and stronger. Their knowledge is better. I really do think they'll perform better."
"We've got some experience coming back at O line, but we don't have five guys who have played the same position next to each other," Bobo said. "I know everybody thinks we're going to be awesome on the offensive line, but we've got to find some continuity right now."
While Georgia does return nine linemen with playing experience this season, the numbers aren't quite as impressive as they might seem at first glance.
Two potential starters -- Trinton Sturdivant and Vince Vance -- are both coming back from ACL surgery, and Sturdivant hasn't played a single down since the 2008 Suger Bowl.
Two other former starters may not see much action at all, at least early on. Josh Davis underwent two shoulder surgeries during the offseason and is not expected to participate in practices during the preseason, while Chris Davis, who started all 13 games last year, has been slow to recover from offseason hip surgery.
"We'll have to observe Chris Davis some more coming off the injury, and the same is true of Trinton and Vince, but Chris was not quite as far along," head coach Mark Richt said.
Tanner Strickland played in reserve duty last season but will miss all of 2009 with a shoulder injury he suffered while lifting weights this offseason, and Kiante Tripp, who started three games at left tackle last year, has moved to the defensive line this season.
Richt said the battle for starting jobs this fall is essentially between just six players -- Sturdivant, Vance, Ben Jones, Clint Boling, Cordy Glenn and Justin Anderson. Anderson also battled injuries down the stretch last season but appears healthy now.
That leaves just three linemen -- Boling, Jones and Glenn -- who return with both significant playing experience and no questions about health. The depth behind that group is still thin, too, Bobo said, but Richt sees a few players capable of stepping up.
"Casey Nichols is a guy who has put himself in a pretty good position to be a very reliable guy. I don't know if he'll break the starting lineup, but he could be productive," Richt said. "A.J. Harmon had a productive spring, and from what I've seen just looking at his body, he's done a really good job there. But again, he's got to learn what to do and get comfortable in that area. Then you have a bunch of young guys that are trying to prove that they're ready to play."
That group includes freshmen Dallas Lee, who enrolled early this spring but missed the G-Day game with an injury, and Chris Burnette, who Boling thinks could be ready if pressed into service.
"Chris is a really smart guy, and this summer he picked up things right away," Boling said. "I think if we had to, he could play for us right away."
So the question of the offensive line's success is really more a matter of perspective.
For Bobo, he's taking a cautious approach. There is ability, he said, but seeing is believing.
"We've still got to find five guys that we feel comfortable with in there right now on what we can do," he said. "Just because those guys have played, they haven't played together, and we've got a long way to go."
Richt, on the other hand, is a bit more optimistic. After seeing a patchwork line piece together a strong season a year ago, any sense of stability seems like a dramatic improvement.
"We're counting on the offensive line to perform well," Richt said. "We do have more maturity, more experience under our belt, so we're expecting better play. I think we progressed pretty darned well considering what we were playing with (last year), but now I think we can expect a little more. Their bodies are certainly bigger and stronger. Their knowledge is better. I really do think they'll perform better."
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
O Line Finally Taking Shape
If you follow me on Twitter, you got some of this information yesterday, just minutes after I spoke with Georgia left tackle Trinton Sturdivant. If you're not following me on Twitter... what are you waiting for?
Since Sturdivant first hurt his knee last August, Georgia's offensive line has been in flux. Seven different players started games on the line during the season, and since the Bulldogs' bowl game, three linemen have undergone surgery. Still, the strength projected to return in the fall is staggering, but the question has remained: What exactly will the line look like when Georgia takes the field against Oklahoma State to start the season?
While the ongoing answer throughout the offseason so far has been, "We don't have a clue," Sturdivant said the team is actually working on solidifying a starting five now.
"Right now we have a set lineup that we're going through at and we look really good," Sturdivant said. "We're just focusing on getting used to the player beside us because last year, everybody was mixed up, switching positions every week."
That lineup features Sturdivant back at left tackle where he starred as a freshman in 2007. He said he's 100 percent recovered from the severe knee injury he suffered in the second week of fall practice last year and says he injured knee actually feels stronger than the healthy one now. He has completed treatment and is a full go.
Next to Sturdivant is Vince Vance at left guard. Vance is also recovering from ACL surgery, but is getting closer to a complete recovery. Although Vance started the first six games of last season, he's never played with Sturdivant, and building that relationship has been a focus of the past few weeks of drills, Sturdivant said.
Ben Jones reprises his role as the team's center after grabbing the job as a true freshman last season. Jones underwent surgery this offseason, but is already back at full speed.
Cordy Glenn was Georgia's other true freshman starter on the offensive line last season, and while Sturdivant said Glenn prefers to work on the left side of the line -- and he has been practicing some at left tackle, too -- he's currently slotted as the right guard.
Clint Boling, last year's MVP of the line, is currently working at right tackle after holding down the job on the left side after Vance's injury midway through the year last season.
"We're just getting better with knowing each other, how our tendencies are on the field, on pass situations, run situations," Sturdivant said. "Right now, we're focusing on getting better with the lineup that we have now."
Of course, there are still a few other linemen with eyes on playing time. Josh Davis started four games last season but has undergone two shoulder surgeries this offseason and isn't a sure bet to be ready when the season starts in September.
Chris Davis played all of last season with a nagging and painful hip injury. He's been getting work at left guard and center this offseason, but Sturdivant said he still hasn't fully recovered from surgery to repair the hip injury and has been unavailable during a number of the team's drills. Whether Davis can recover completely in time to make a run at a starting job remains to be seen.
"We really don't know how he will pan out as far as the injury," Sturdivant said. "We know he's an excellent player, but we're just hoping he can get back his strength to where he was."
Justin Anderson found his place at right tackle midway through the 2008 season as well, but a foot injury limited him during the team's final three games. He still has a shot at the starting lineup in 2009, too, but for now he's been working behind Glenn at right guard.
Perhaps the most intriguing name still in the mix, however, is freshman Chris Burnette.
Burnette arrived on campus earlier this month but has already impressed his teammates with his physical skills.
"He's really quick, really fast, explosive," Sturdivant said. "He's not as strong as he wants to be right now in the weight room, but that will come. He's very explosive, has really good technique. He's going to be a really good player."
Beyond the physical tools, however, Burnette has picked up the playbook astoundingly fast. Burnette was nearly named valedictorian at Troup County High School and his academic accomplishments have been obvious on the playing field, Sturdivant said.
"He already knows all the calls and the plays and it's really amazing how fast he's caught on since he's only been here about three weeks," Sturdivant said. "But everything that we've put in front of him, he knows. We can call any call, and he just spits it out just like that. I know he had a 5.8 GPA in high school, and it's definitely transferring."
So, does Burnette really have a shot at significant playing time his freshman year? Considering the track record of offensive line coach Stacy Searels, Sturdivant thinks it's likely.
"With Coach Searels, I feel like anybody has a shot," he said. "And of course we have a lot of experienced players, and it may seem like he may not play, but if he gets on the field and puts those pads on and is showing great technique and blowing people off the ball, I don't see signs of him not playing."
Since Sturdivant first hurt his knee last August, Georgia's offensive line has been in flux. Seven different players started games on the line during the season, and since the Bulldogs' bowl game, three linemen have undergone surgery. Still, the strength projected to return in the fall is staggering, but the question has remained: What exactly will the line look like when Georgia takes the field against Oklahoma State to start the season?
While the ongoing answer throughout the offseason so far has been, "We don't have a clue," Sturdivant said the team is actually working on solidifying a starting five now.
"Right now we have a set lineup that we're going through at and we look really good," Sturdivant said. "We're just focusing on getting used to the player beside us because last year, everybody was mixed up, switching positions every week."
That lineup features Sturdivant back at left tackle where he starred as a freshman in 2007. He said he's 100 percent recovered from the severe knee injury he suffered in the second week of fall practice last year and says he injured knee actually feels stronger than the healthy one now. He has completed treatment and is a full go.
Next to Sturdivant is Vince Vance at left guard. Vance is also recovering from ACL surgery, but is getting closer to a complete recovery. Although Vance started the first six games of last season, he's never played with Sturdivant, and building that relationship has been a focus of the past few weeks of drills, Sturdivant said.
Ben Jones reprises his role as the team's center after grabbing the job as a true freshman last season. Jones underwent surgery this offseason, but is already back at full speed.
Cordy Glenn was Georgia's other true freshman starter on the offensive line last season, and while Sturdivant said Glenn prefers to work on the left side of the line -- and he has been practicing some at left tackle, too -- he's currently slotted as the right guard.
Clint Boling, last year's MVP of the line, is currently working at right tackle after holding down the job on the left side after Vance's injury midway through the year last season.
"We're just getting better with knowing each other, how our tendencies are on the field, on pass situations, run situations," Sturdivant said. "Right now, we're focusing on getting better with the lineup that we have now."
Of course, there are still a few other linemen with eyes on playing time. Josh Davis started four games last season but has undergone two shoulder surgeries this offseason and isn't a sure bet to be ready when the season starts in September.
Chris Davis played all of last season with a nagging and painful hip injury. He's been getting work at left guard and center this offseason, but Sturdivant said he still hasn't fully recovered from surgery to repair the hip injury and has been unavailable during a number of the team's drills. Whether Davis can recover completely in time to make a run at a starting job remains to be seen.
"We really don't know how he will pan out as far as the injury," Sturdivant said. "We know he's an excellent player, but we're just hoping he can get back his strength to where he was."
Justin Anderson found his place at right tackle midway through the 2008 season as well, but a foot injury limited him during the team's final three games. He still has a shot at the starting lineup in 2009, too, but for now he's been working behind Glenn at right guard.
Perhaps the most intriguing name still in the mix, however, is freshman Chris Burnette.
Burnette arrived on campus earlier this month but has already impressed his teammates with his physical skills.
"He's really quick, really fast, explosive," Sturdivant said. "He's not as strong as he wants to be right now in the weight room, but that will come. He's very explosive, has really good technique. He's going to be a really good player."
Beyond the physical tools, however, Burnette has picked up the playbook astoundingly fast. Burnette was nearly named valedictorian at Troup County High School and his academic accomplishments have been obvious on the playing field, Sturdivant said.
"He already knows all the calls and the plays and it's really amazing how fast he's caught on since he's only been here about three weeks," Sturdivant said. "But everything that we've put in front of him, he knows. We can call any call, and he just spits it out just like that. I know he had a 5.8 GPA in high school, and it's definitely transferring."
So, does Burnette really have a shot at significant playing time his freshman year? Considering the track record of offensive line coach Stacy Searels, Sturdivant thinks it's likely.
"With Coach Searels, I feel like anybody has a shot," he said. "And of course we have a lot of experienced players, and it may seem like he may not play, but if he gets on the field and puts those pads on and is showing great technique and blowing people off the ball, I don't see signs of him not playing."
Saturday, April 11, 2009
G-Day Notes: Defense Finishes Strong
(*Check out Macon.com for full coverage of G-Day)
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Georgia's defense spent most of the 2008 season hearing about how bad they had played. The words hurt, but it was hard to argue with the results. They had hardly reached the standard to which they expect to be held.
So this spring brought a new attitude, linebacker Rennie Curran said. The defense has played with a chip on its shoulder, a goal to be reached and a mission to put the memories of last season's failures far behind them. It showed during a dominant defensive performance Saturday that saw just 16 points scored in Georgia's annual G-Day game.
"All the guys came out and played hard, played consistent, and I felt like we really made strides in terms of our discipline, not making those penalties and all that," Curran said. "So it was a good day overall."
Head coach Mark Richt was impressed by the performance, too.
Georgia's defenders kept the offense out of the end zone throughout the game until Carlton Thomas scored on a 20-yard run with just 1:08 left in the fourth quarter. Although the game time was reduced from 15-minute quarters to 10, the two offenses combined for just 329 total yards, while the defense racked up 10 combined sacks and Bryan Evans secured the game's only turnover – an interception of a Zach Mettenberger pass.
"The defense took this game very seriously and was excited about continuing the edge they had established this spring," Richt said. "I saw a lot of good, clean tackling and not many mistakes in the perimeter. I didn't see any busts that would make you nervous."
It was an important step for the defense's mentality, Curran said, but it was just the spring game. The true test, he said, will be keeping the edge the players have developed this spring through the long offseason and into the fall. But so far, Curran feels like the fresh start has done the defense a world of good.
"We have a lot more confidence in knowing that no matter where we are on the field, we can get the job done, get off the field and get the offense the ball back," Curran said. "It's really a different mentality that I see from each and every player."
NO HELPING HANDS
As well as the defense played Saturday, there almost certainly would have been a few more points scored if Georgia's receivers had done a better job holding on to the football.
"I thought each quarterback put the ball on the money most of the time," Richt said. "It would have been nice to see the receivers hold on to it, and it would have been a lot more exciting for fans as well."
Receivers dropped six passes in the game – several of which would have been for big gains. Aron White dropped two passes over the middle, and Israel Troupe had a grab close to the end zone that squirted out of his hands at the last second. Vernon Spellman, Caleb King and Zach Renner also had drops in the game.
It was a source of concern Saturday, but quarterback Joe Cox said the performance hasn't been indicative of the job the receivers had done overall this spring.
"We haven't had a problem with drops, so it was kind of surprising to see so many of them," Cox said. "But it happens. This is just one of those things where you make a mistake, and you just try to not make it again. I'm still completely confident in the wide receivers we have, and I know they'll use this day to work that much harder this summer to get ready for the season."
READY FOR RETURNS
Jeff Owens used a towel to rally the crowd during a few dull moments in the game. Demarcus Dobbs wore a protective boot and hobbled up and down the sideline with crutches tucked under his arms. Bruce Figgins watched his depleted corps of tight ends haul in six of the 21 receptions in the game but never stepped on the field, himself.
More than two dozen Bulldogs missed Saturday's G-Day game due to injuries, but by the time Richt sees his team again in August, that number shouldn't be nearly as high.
"We're short about 25 healthy bodies, and when our rookies and freshmen come in, by June there will be another 50 healthy guys running around, which will be a boost in and of itself," Richt said.
Only wide receiver Kris Durham, who will undergo shoulder surgery next month, and offensive lineman Josh Davis, who had two shoulder surgeries this offseason, are expected to miss any of the regular season, Richt said.
Still, this spring proved to be only marginally useful in terms of defining roles in the fall because there were simply too many players on the sidelines to make a fair assessment. But while the competition may not have been as fierce as the coaching staff preferred, the results were still positive.
"I think we accomplished as much as we could under the circumstances," Richt said. "Now it's going to be up to our senior leaders to take us from this point to where we need to be in August."
ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN
One position in which injuries prevented much shuffling on the depth chart this spring was on the offensive line.
After a season in which offensive line coach Stacy Searels had to piecemeal a group together nearly every week, plenty of depth appears to be on the horizon once Trinton Sturdivant, Chris Davis, Vince Vance and Josh Davis return from injuries. All four missed the spring.
"We'll have some options in the fall, so there's no telling what can happen," said Clint Boling, one of the few healthy starters guaranteed of a spot in the starting lineup in the fall. "We'll have a lot of guys with experience, and that's going to help us all. It's going to bring out the competition, and guys are eager to accept that."
While Boling figures to be a clear-cut starter in September, just where he'll land on the line is up in the air. He played every position on the line except center a year ago, and Richt said there's no safe bet as to where he might end up in 2009.
"If Trinton comes back healthy, I could see Clint playing the left guard spot," Richt said. "That's if we feel certain that Cordy (Glenn)'s a right tackle. Cordy could still be a guard and Vincent Vance might be a right tackle. There's a lot of things that could move around."
FINALLY GETTING ACTION
Dontavius Jackson has watched and waited long enough. The freshman tailback redshirted the 2008 season and was held out of spring practice with an injury up until Monday. But Jackson finally returned to full participation last week, and although his work on G-Day – three carries for just one yard – was hardly eye-popping, Richt said he was happy just to have his tailback healthy and carrying the football.
"He came out healthy," Richt said. "It's tough to not get into any kind of contact until this game, but I was just glad he got to play, get tackled a few times and get the confidence that his injury is OK."
A GOOD CROWD
There's nothing quite like having your first taste of action in front of fans at Sanford Stadium to be broadcast for the world to see, but that's exactly what was in store for freshman quarterback Zach Mettenberger on Saturday.
"I'd never been on national TV," Mettenberger said. "It was definitely a different atmosphere out there than Oconee County."
The G-Day game was broadcast nationally for the first time by ESPN on Saturday, and several former Bulldogs made the trip to Athens to put in some time in front of the cameras or behind the microphone.
Matt Stinchcomb, Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno were among the many former Georgia players on hand for the game, but Richt was far more impressed with the turnout in the stands.
The official attendance totaled 42,458, and the team raised 15,000 pounds worth of donations for the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia as well.
"It was a great crowd, beautiful weather," Richt said. "I thought it was a great day for Georgia football."
G-DAY STATISTICS
Rushing
Carlton Thomas 8-59, 1 TD
Shaun Chapas 3-25
Caleb King 7-22
Kalvin Daniels 3-20
Fred Munzenmaier 4-8
Dontavius Jackson 3-1
Passing
Joe Cox 9-16-0-105
Logan Gray 9-13-0-91
Aaron Murray 3-5-0-62
Zach Mettenberger 0-3-1-0
Receiving
Israel Troupe 5-38
Aron White 3-50
Marquise Brown 3-62
Derek Rich 2-44
Carlton Thomas 2-0
A.J. Green 1-35
Tony Wilson 1-9
Tavarres King 1-7
Bryce Ros 1-5
Fred Munzenmaier 1-4
Caleb King 1-4
Field Goals
Blair Walsh 1-of-1, 51
Andrew Jensen 1-of-1, 48
Jamie Lindley 1-of-1, 24
Defense
Christian Robinson, 5 tackles, 1.5 TFL
Baccari Rambo, 5 tackles, 1 TFL
Nick Williams, 5 tackles, 1 forced fumble
Justin Houston, 4 tackles, 4 TFL, 3 sacks
DeAngelo Tyson, 3 tackles, 1 PBU
Charles White, 3 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 PBU
Brandon Boykin, 3 tackles, 1 sack
Bryan Evans, 3 tackles, 1 INT (27 yards)
Marcus Washington, 3 tackles, 3 sacks
Makiri Pugh, 3 tackles
Marcus Dowtin, 2 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 PBU
Sanders Commings, 2 tackles, 1 PBU
Trent Dittmer, 1 tackle, 1 sack
Devin Hollander, 1 fumble recovery
* For full coverage of G-Day, including the performance of Georgia's quarterbacks and running backs, check out Macon.com.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Searels Speaks... Again!
So for two years, Stacy Searels refused to talk to the media. Then, several things happened:
1.) He was widely lauded by everyone who watched Georgia's O line overcome myriad injuries last year.
2.) Mike Bobo informed him, jokingly, that he'd be fined for missing media requests.
3.) He interviewed for a coaching job at another school.
Whether any of those things caused a change of heart in Searels' attitude toward us lowly media folks, I can't say. But the important part is, he's talking. First, he spoke with reporters at signing day. Now, he's talking to us during the spring. He's probably not too happy about it, but hey, we all do things we don't want. Like how I had to root for the Giants in last year's Super Bowl because I actually hated the Patriots more. Friggin' Belichick.
Anyway, Searels chatted with us for a few minutes Wednesday, and here are some highlights of what he had to say along with some video from the interview...
Searels on Dallas Lee's introduction to spring practice...
"He's doing good. It's a kid who should still be in high school right now, but he's out there working and it's an eye-opening experience for him."
Searels on when he knew he had a special player in Clint Boling...
"When I went and watched him play basketball and saw him dunk and score 20-something points, I thought that was pretty impressive for an offensive lineman."
Searels on what this spring is about...
"Right now, we're looking at this spring as trying to get to be the best we can be individually. Then when we get everybody back, we'll figure out through the summer and summer camp how we'll fit in to the positions. Right now we're working on the fundamentals, we're working on competing, toughness. Those are the things we're looking for."
Searels on how he'll decide next year's O line starting lineup...
"The thing we believe here, and I've heard it said many times, is we want to get the best five on the field. I don't care if he's a guard, center or a tackle. If it gets in a situation where you have a guy with a guard's body who is the very best tackle – that's what we would do. We want to try to find the best five combination, and the first sub is going to be the sixth guy. He's going to be the best player. He's not going to be the second right tackle. He's going to be the sixth best player. That's why I want guys to understand how it all fits together. You're not just a right tackle. You're not just a left guard. You're an offensive lineman and you need to understand that it all works together and if someone goes down and you're the next guy in line, you go."
1.) He was widely lauded by everyone who watched Georgia's O line overcome myriad injuries last year.
2.) Mike Bobo informed him, jokingly, that he'd be fined for missing media requests.
3.) He interviewed for a coaching job at another school.
Whether any of those things caused a change of heart in Searels' attitude toward us lowly media folks, I can't say. But the important part is, he's talking. First, he spoke with reporters at signing day. Now, he's talking to us during the spring. He's probably not too happy about it, but hey, we all do things we don't want. Like how I had to root for the Giants in last year's Super Bowl because I actually hated the Patriots more. Friggin' Belichick.
Anyway, Searels chatted with us for a few minutes Wednesday, and here are some highlights of what he had to say along with some video from the interview...
Searels on Dallas Lee's introduction to spring practice...
"He's doing good. It's a kid who should still be in high school right now, but he's out there working and it's an eye-opening experience for him."
Searels on when he knew he had a special player in Clint Boling...
"When I went and watched him play basketball and saw him dunk and score 20-something points, I thought that was pretty impressive for an offensive lineman."
Searels on what this spring is about...
"Right now, we're looking at this spring as trying to get to be the best we can be individually. Then when we get everybody back, we'll figure out through the summer and summer camp how we'll fit in to the positions. Right now we're working on the fundamentals, we're working on competing, toughness. Those are the things we're looking for."
Searels on how he'll decide next year's O line starting lineup...
"The thing we believe here, and I've heard it said many times, is we want to get the best five on the field. I don't care if he's a guard, center or a tackle. If it gets in a situation where you have a guy with a guard's body who is the very best tackle – that's what we would do. We want to try to find the best five combination, and the first sub is going to be the sixth guy. He's going to be the best player. He's not going to be the second right tackle. He's going to be the sixth best player. That's why I want guys to understand how it all fits together. You're not just a right tackle. You're not just a left guard. You're an offensive lineman and you need to understand that it all works together and if someone goes down and you're the next guy in line, you go."
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