Notes: Plenty of Options at Punt Returner

John Lilly joked last week that he was looking into finding another year of eligibility for former Georgia corner Prince Miller. As a punt returner, Miller was a consistent threat, and that’s a weapon Lilly said won’t be easy to replace.

It’s not surprising then that Lilly – who took over special teams coordination duties from Jon Fabris this season – tried at least a half-dozen players at punt returner during the spring, and he’s still not much closer to making a decision on who will eventually land the job.

“We’ve rotated a lot of bodies back there and we haven’t really made any decisions as far as paring that down,” Lilly said. “That’s one of those things that’s going to go deep into the fall before we decide.”

Rantavious Wooten, Carlton Thomas, Brandon Boykin, Branden Smith and Bacarri Rambo all took reps at punt returner during spring practice, but the practices never progressed to a point where anyone could get a firm grasp on who might land the gig full time.

“We’re just catching balls right now,” Wooten said. “We haven’t set a depth chart or said it’s this guy or anything.”

Of course, the wild card in the competition could be Georgia’s star receiver, A.J. Green.

Green floated the idea a few weeks ago, and Lilly said the All-SEC receiver has been working at returner during practice for most of the past three years.

“He’s caught them his whole career here in practice,” Lilly said. “He has the ability. Everyone knows the kind of hands he’s got and he can judge the ball and do those kinds of things. … He’s certainly one of the guys that’s in the mix.”

The idea of using Georgia’s most dangerous offensive weapon for occasional special teams duty hasn’t necessarily met with universal approval from fans who worry that Green could get hurt.
Lilly realized the concerns, but he said it’s hard to ignore a weapon like Green, which makes the receiver’s presence in the return game a real possibility.

“I think in any position on the field and in any area of the kicking game, if somebody can help you win a football game and has that ability, you would use him there,” Lilly said of Green. “Some people would like to see it, some people wouldn’t want to see it. But if you talk to him, I think he’s love to do it. I don’t know if we’ll necessarily do that, but it’s nice to have it as an option.”

ALL YOU NEED IS GLOVE

It began as an experiment early in the spring, but Aaron Murray said he plans to keep wearing a glove on his throwing hand – at least for a few more months.

Murray said he plans to use the glove during summer workouts before deciding whether the glove will remain a longterm fixture, but thus far, he’s been pleased with the results.

“I felt comfortable with it, I felt I’ve done well with it over the spring, and I feel like I have more control over the ball,” Murray said. “We’ll probably see how I do over the summer with the heat and see if that has anything to do with it, and I’ll talk with (the coaching staff) and keep them updates on how I feel with it.”

WORTH THE GAMBLE

Darryl Gamble didn’t get much practice time at outside linebacker before being thrown into the fire at G-Day, but all things considered, he’s pleased with his progress.

“I did all right having just off two days of practice,” Gamble said of his G-Day performance. “I mean, there wasn’t anything difficult to try to understand. I think I did a pretty good job in my assignments, and I didn’t have anything bad happen while I was out there.”


That’s more than enough to keep Gamble in the mix at a position seriously lacking depth – with just three other scholarship players on the roster at the moment.


Gamble’s familiarity with the position in the 4-3 scheme Georgia ran last year has helped ease the transition, however, and by the time fall camp opens in August, he figures to be on top of most of the major changes.


“In the 4-3 our Sam was pretty much on the line too,” Gamble said. “It’s pretty much the same thing, but we’re rushing more. So it’s just the fact of learning all the plays, and trying to learn more about defensive line than linebacker. That's the main difference.”

Notes: Dawgs Continue to Support Robinson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BETTING ON GAMBLE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A few more quotes on Gamble's move:

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

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

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

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

KING STILL SITTING OUT

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

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

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

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

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

SCRIMMAGE REDUX

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

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

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

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

EXTRA POINTS

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

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

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

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

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

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

Notes: Tight Ends Bring Versatility to Offense

By FLETCHER PAGE

Still adding to the list of what they can do, Aron White and Orson Charles should offer defenses a matchup dilemma this fall.

Both tight ends are athletic enough to split out at receiver, with the formation options at offensive coordinator Mike Bobo’s disposal essentially endless.

“It’s going to be good to have those guys just to confuse the defense,” said quarterback Aaron Murray. “Not knowing if we’re in a two-tight formation, or spread, or three receiver look.”

Both White and Charles play tight end and receiver in high school. They’ve got the size to hang in the trenches, blocking or catching pass over the middle, but also the quickness to flex out wide.

Playing the matchup game, Georgia can flex either Charles or White, or both, if a linebacker is trying to cover them.

The possibilities are endless.

“It’s going to pose a great threat,” Murray said. “It’s going to be pretty hard for the defense. You look at our defense now, we come out with two tight ends, and they think we’re going to be in a two-tight formation and we split one out, or we split two out and they’re in a base defense. They’re not ready to handle four receivers. It causes it a lot of confusion just because of their athleticism.”

And with so much depth at tight end, adding Bruce Figgins and Arthur Lynch to the mix, flexing White or Charles out adds another way to get more players involved in the offense with surplus opportunities to make plays.

“They’re really trying to get us involved because we’re deep,” Charles said. “We’ve got athletes all over the entire room. You look at all of us, we all have things that we all need to work on, but we have things we are just real good at. You know, just trying to put your players out there and let them play, and let them win ball games.”

Charles admits, learning all these positions and schemes is a challenge. But he’s never been one to back down from a test. He and White have spent extra time, working on the finer details of route running to prepare.

“I know coach [John] Lilly says I still have to work on my footwork, just little simple stuff like that,” Charles said. “That’s what we’re trying to correct right now. That will make a whole difference. Everybody can work on footwork, because if you don’t have footwork and get your [helmet] in the right place, then you don’t have anything.”

With White and Charles’ ever evolving versatility, the offense continues to add dimensions.

“It causes a lot of confusion just because of their athleticism,” Murray said.

MORE VERSATILITY

Speaking of interchangeable pieces, DeAngelo Tyson is splitting practice reps at defensive tackle and end, and says he doesn’t care where he plays. As long as he can help the team, he’ll do it.

“It all depends on what group of d-linemen are in,” he said. “If it’s just some guys who are experienced at end, they play end. If some more d-tackles come in, then I move to end, try to learn and try to play it to the best of my ability.”

Tyson was a tackle last season, almost certain to move into the starting lineup with the graduation of Jeff Owens, Geno Atkins and Kade Weston. But in defensive coordinator Todd Grantham’s 3-4 scheme, Tyson’s size, 6-foot-2, 295-pounds, gives the potential for a move to the outside. Grantham loves big-bodied ends, and Tyson’s athleticism is coveted.

Tyson says Grantham has been everything he expected as a coach.

“He gives me advice on how to play, and how to make me a better person at the position,” he said. “So, I think he is a good coach.

With spring practice in full swing, Tyson is happy with the defensive progress.

“It takes time to learn it,” Tyson said. “We practice every day, go over our playbooks. It’s going to take a little time. As long as I keep working at it, practice hard then I should be able to do what I’m supposed to do and help out the team win some games.”

LEADING THE CHARGE

Head coach Mark Richt singled out a couple of players, on a few occasions, who have provided leadership this season.

Darryl Gamble is the first name he mentions on defense.

Gamble doesn’t come off as overly comfortable when asked of his expected outspoken role. But he says he realizes it’s what seniors do. The fact that he is stepping up in a leadership role this early is encouraging since he will most likely be starting at an inside linebacker position, and making many reads and calls in-game during the season.


"I guess it's my role," he said. "I'm a senior. You're supposed to lead. A lot of guys follow me, so it's easy for me to go and tell somebody how to do stuff."

Richt also pointed to Akeem Dent as a leader, who just like Gamble, figures to play as an inside linebacker this year.

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.

Notes: Outside Look at Inside Linebacker

It’s safe to say Justin Houston is excited about his new role on Georgia’s defense. His job – mainly crushing a few quarterbacks – won’t change much, but he’s loving the new setting of the 3-4 defense, where he moves to outside linebacker from defensive end.

“It was a good experience to be out there learning what we’ve got to work on,” Houston said of the Bulldogs’ first taste of the new scheme last week. “I just have to drop back (into coverage) every now and then. I like to drop back. I get tired of just banging all the time.”

Houston admitted he wasn’t always fully aware of where he was supposed to be or what he was supposed to do during Day 1 of practice, but he thinks he’ll pick up the basics pretty quickly. His teammates playing inside linebacker, however, won’t have it quite so easy.

“The inside guy has a lot to learn,” Houston said. “The outside guys, to me it’s simple. I’m picking it up pretty fast. But the inside guys, Akeem Dent and Darryl Gamble, we were talking about it coming off the field that the things they have to learn, they’ve got a long ways to go.”

New defensive coordinator Todd Grantham will be coaching the outside linebackers and said their primary role is still to rush the quarterback. The inside linebackers, however, will have an increased presence in the running game, will be required to work in coverage and the Mike linebacker position will essentially be the quarterback of the defense.

“It’ll mean more communication, especially from my part,” said Gamble, a senior who played middle linebacker for much of the past two seasons. “You’ve got to be able to see more, get the line and even the DBs adjusted to what’s going on in front of us.”

It’s no surprise then that the two top contenders for the job are Georgia’s most veteran linebackers – Gamble and Dent.

“Me and him, we’ve got a lot of reps under our belt, more than a lot of other guys on the defense,” Gamble said. “So it’ll be better off hearing it from us than hearing from somebody else that doesn’t know a lot about what’s going on on Saturdays.”

ON THE MOVE

Nick Williams arrived at Georgia as a safety. Midway through his freshman season, he moved to linebacker. When injuries disrupted the depth chart at safety last spring, he moved back to safety. By the time the season started, however, he was a linebacker once again. And now, as spring begins for Georgia in 2010, Williams is once again on the move – and he couldn’t be happier.

“I was excited when I heard I was back at safety,” Williams said. “I liked linebacker, but I wasn’t big enough. I knew that, but I was going to play it regardless. So when Coach (Mark Richt) told me I was going back to safety, and this was my permanent spot, I’m like, ‘That’s good.’ It wasn’t hard switching back.”

Williams said he needs to drop a few pounds before the season starts – he’s at about 220 now – but beyond that, safety feels like home.

Even better than the new position, however, is the new style, Williams said. In Grantham’s new defense, the safeties are given a lot more room to run and make plays, and that’s exactly what Williams wants to do.

“This is just a fun defense to play in,” he said. “You’re running around making plays. You’re not just assigned to one gap. You’re making plays. You never know who’s blitzing, the safeties are always running and moving around. It’s fun.”

Of course, before Williams can make too many plays, he needs to land a starting job. Both of last year’s starters are gone, which leaves the competition this spring tight between Bacarri Rambo – last year’s top backup – junior college transfer Jakar Hamilton, veteran Quintin Banks and Williams.

During Georgia’s first practice, Williams said he and Hamilton split most of the first-team reps, but said the other safety position really isn’t up for grabs.

“I see it as one open position because Rambo’s got his locked,” Williams said. “He’s ready to go.”

ANY WAY YOU WANT IT

Branden Smith had plenty of highlight moments in his freshman campaign, but he didn’t exactly secure his place in the pecking order of the defensive backfield. In fact, much of Smith’s impact in 2009 was felt on the offensive side of the football.

That should change a bit this season as Smith battles to land the starting job at cornerback opposite Brandon Boykin, but his playing time on offense last year didn’t necessarily maximize his study time for his current job.

“I wish I could have played defense a little more last year, but on the other hand, I’m just here to help the team win, that’s all,” Smith said.

Smith finished last season with just 14 tackles and two pass break-ups, playing in a back-up role on defense, generally in nickel coverages.

On offense, Smith met with a bit more success – rushing for 208 yards and two touchdowns on the season. He handled kick returns, too, but has occasional problems hanging onto the football.

This spring, Smith said he plans to focus on developing his skills at corner and said he hasn’t spoken with new defensive backs coach Scott Lakatos about playing offense or special teams, too. Still, the idea of being an all-purpose contributor remains of keen interest for Smith.

“I like playing both ways, but my main focus is just winning,” Smith said. “If I had to play offense the rest of the season to help the team win, that’s what I’d have to do.”

For now, however, Smith's role is to be the student, and he's enjoying the early lessons from his new coach.

“Coach Lakatos is real different from (former) Coach (Willie) Martinez. Both of them have their ways, just teaching different stuff," Smith said. "Now we’ve got to learn the things (Lakatos) is teaching us, and … his teaching style is way different. Coach Lakatos, he sits down and shows us how to do things. He is a teacher, really.”

HEAD OF THE CLASS

Kris Durham is thrilled to be suiting up this spring in order to finish out his Georgia career on a high note. But it's not just on the field.

Durham gets decked out for his other full-time gig each day this semester, too. He's student teaching a history class at Oconee County Middle School to finish up his degree, and while he's in charge of the classroom, he said he's learned a few lessons along the way.

“It’s definitely different," said Durham, who plans to begin grad school at UGA this summer. "I used to think I was getting away with a lot of stuff, but teachers see more than you think they do.”

Each weekday from 7:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., Durham is in the classroom, with recent lectures focusing on civil rights, Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott.

Of course, before he could get to teaching, he had to get past the excitement among his students that they would be learning from a Georgia football player.

Durham didn't reveal his other job, but his students had no trouble unveiling his true identity.

“They figured that out after about the first 20 minutes," Durham said. "I had to get that out of the way real quick and make sure they saw me as not just a football player, but I’m here to help you guys learn and help educate.”

As much as Durham is looking forward to getting back on the football field after missing all of last season with a shoulder injury, his off-field work is proving every bit as rewarding.

“I’ve been blessed by having so many good teachers and coaches, I just feel like that’s how I’ve got to pay it forward,” he said. "I get to enjoy the youth of America. I get to have my influence on them. It’s just a good way to give back.”

WHAT THE OFFENSE SEES

Not sure if I had posted this before, but here's Mike Bobo's take on the 3-4 defense:

“I think the big difficulty in the 3-4 is you have the outside backers that are backers/rush guys. As an offense, it’s hard to account – do I account for those guys as outside guys as a D lineman or as a linebacker? You’re worried about mismatches and blocking. I still want my left tackle to block that guy, but in that front, my fullback or my back might have to block that outside backer, and that’s a mismatch. So that’s where it causes some confusion for offenses is identifying personnel and trying to get the right matchup on those guys. In a 3-4, you can disguise and you don’t know where they’re coming from. You create mismatches, get to the quarterback and cause confusion.”

Video Mailbag: SEC East, Ealey's Number and Smith's Speed

You guys had questions for the players, and we got you some answers. Our pal Brandon Spoon put together the compilation video with Washaun Ealey, Darryl Gamble and Branden Smith answer questions you guys posed on Twitter last week...



We'll keep doing these, so be sure you're following me on Twitter to get your questions answered by your favorite Bulldogs.

If you missed Friday's printer-friendly mailbag, you can read that HERE. And if you missed Monday's, that one can be found HERE.

And I'll be back tomorrow with more answers to your reader mail in Part IV of the mailbag.

Practice Notes: Rambo Happy to Be Back

Growing up, one of Bacarri Rambo’s idols was a local football player named Brandon Register, who went on to play safety at UAB. Register was ahead of Rambo at Seminole County and had a reputation as being one of the hardest hitters in the state. It was a style Rambo always hoped to emulate.

“When I was little, I used to always look up to the older guys, especially him,” Rambo said. “They used to be like, ‘That guy hits so hard, he knocks himself out out there.’ I was like, ‘Man, I want to try that one day.’”

Rambo did just that against Auburn last month, breaking up a reception late in the fourth quarter with a bone-crunching hit and knocking himself unconscious in the process.

The result – beyond the game-saving pass break-up – was a concussion that cost him the final two games of the regular season and the realization that perhaps knocking himself out making a tackle was a rather silly objective for a young football player.

“I didn’t know it was going to come against Auburn,” Rambo said. “I thought I’d do it in high school or something. And I don’t want that to happen anymore. That was a bad experience.”

Rambo remembers little of the play, but he said he’s watched replays on television several times since it happened.

“I watch it every time it comes on,” he said. “People will call me and say the Auburn game’s on. I turn to it and I’m like, ‘I still don’t remember that play. What happened?’ It’s just crazy, really.”

When Rambo checked out of the hospital the next day, he found 150 friend requests on his Facebook page, about 50 emails from well-wishers and more than 30 missed calls from friends and family. The support was incredible, he said.

But his recovery really wasn’t particularly painful. Rambo experienced headaches for about two weeks after the hit, which is what kept him sidelined against Kentucky and Georgia Tech. But it was the time away from football that really hurt.

“I wasn’t dizzy or sensitive to lights and noises, but I was having headaches,” he said. “After Georgia Tech week, my headaches went away and I was ready to play.”

Rambo said he has no lingering symptoms of the concussion and beginning Wednesday he was a full participant in practice – no green non-contact jerseys and no concerns about the injury. He’s simply happy to be back to work.

“It’s been a month since I played football and I’m anxious to get back out there and do my thing and play football with the fellas,” Rambo said. “I’m going to go out there and do all I can to support the seniors and this team.”

IN ROD WE TRUST

Georgia may be down three defensive coaches after Willie Martinez, Jon Fabris and John Jancek were dismissed earlier this month, but the defensive ends may have picked up a de facto assistant in the meantime.

Senior Rod Battle is out for the season with a knee injury and is scheduled to graduate Friday, but in the meantime he’s spending his final few weeks in Athens helping his teammates prepare for their bowl game against Texas A&M, picking up right where Fabris left off.

“Rod has always been a guy with great technique, so I think it’s real easy for him to teach us,” defensive end Justin Houston said.

NO RASH DECISIONS

Linebacker Darryl Gamble said his teammates haven’t spent much time discussing the potential replacements for Martinez at defensive coordinator, but he wouldn’t be surprised if he gets his chance to weigh in on the final decision before it’s made.

“Coach (Mark) Richt is pretty open, and I think he’ll bring in a couple older guys, a few other upperclassmen, to see what we think,” Gamble said. “He always says it’s the seniors’ team.”

Richt said Wednesday that he was in no rush to make a hire, but expected a decision would be made by the first week in January. That’s fine with Gamble – even if he doesn’t get to add his two cents on who the eventual hire is.

“If he makes his decision, we’re behind him 100 percent, but I think he’ll try to get a little feedback from us before he makes his decision,” Gamble said.

NOT FEELING THE PRESSURE

On paper, it looks like an ugly mismatch for the Bulldogs. Georgia’s defense is shorthanded, preparing for the bowl without three defensive coaches. Texas A&M’s offense is dangerous, ranked first in the Big 12 and fifth nationally in total offense.

That might be a sign of a shootout, but offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said he’s not worrying about keeping pace with a potentially high-flying Aggies offense. After all, he said, expectations rarely match reality.

“Every time you think it’s going to be low-scoring, it ends up being a shootout, and every time you think it’s going to be a shootout, it ends up being low-scoring,” Bobo said. “We just have to prepare for what they do, get our guys ready to play and execute on the 28th when we play them.”

Those Who Don't Study History...

I have a story in today's Telegraph on the importance of the linebackers for Georgia this week.

In doing the reporting for the story, I didn't exactly get the warm fuzzies from the Bulldogs' comments about stopping the Gators. The keys to the game, they say, are many of the same things that they have struggled with the most this year -- stopping play-action, gap discipline, tackling.

And here's reason No. 1 for concern, and try not to throw up in your mouth after reading it:

Looking at Florida's offense -- a strong run game and a short passing attack that focuses on its tight end -- and wondered if the Gators might not end up looking a lot like South Carolina did earlier this season. As it turned out, Darryl Gamble had another analogy, and it's not one that offers tons of encouragement.

“Florida, they’ll try to give you a lot of misdirectional stuff," he said. "It’s more of playing like a Georgia Tech team. You’ve got to play your thing, what you’ve got to do. If you’ve got to stay in this gap, stay in this gap. It’s just more misdirectional stuff, so if your eyes are good, you should be good.”

Yikes. Um, that Georgia Tech game last year didn't go so well. And playing with your eyes? I felt like I had heard that before, so I went back to some comments made by Rennie Curran a few weeks ago and found what I was looking for.

“That’s another thing that comes from watching film. It’s eye progression and being disciplined. There are certain keys that give away that play-action, and those keys, you only know them if you study film, watch tendencies and know down and distance. Play-action is all about discipline in where your eyes go and knowing what you’re seeing.”

That's what Curran said after the Tennessee game when he complained that perhaps his teammates weren't spending enough time in the film room. Using their eyes has hardly been a strength this year.

The good news is, they've had an extra week to get in the film room for this game, so perhaps it will be a better overall effort that Georgia has seen previously. But Curran isn't arguing with Gamble's analysis. Regardless of Florida's struggles, this is a tough team to play -- not just physically, but mentally.

“They’re going to try to beat you deep, do different things to get you out of position, especially with having Tebow," Curran said. "They’re going to go to that spread and then Tebow’s going to try to run it. It just puts you on your heels a little bit more as far as not making mistakes and executing, making plays.”

Having said that, the road to success might not be as arduous as it used to be against Florida, and the key to stopping the Gators' offense, Curran said, isn't what most commentators will tell you. The key for Georgia's D? Make Tebow beat you.

“You want to put pressure on the quarterback to where he feels like he needs to make that extra play, make those extra yards," Curran said. "That’s pretty much what I’ve seen teams that have gotten Tebow to do – when he feels like he has to put the team on his back, he’s more prone to make a mistake.”

That's what Curran has learned from the past few weeks of watching the Gators. But how about defensive coordinator Willie Martinez? Here's a bit of what he had to say about this week's matchup…

On whether there is anything he can take, scheme-wise, from the success that Arkansas and Mississippi State had against Florida...

“Not really. They just played really well, really hard – the same things you say each and every week. The thing those guys did was they executed really well, they played really hard, they had those turnovers. Any time you’re turning the ball over, your opponent is going to have a good chance of winning. Arkansas played really hard, really well. Their defensive line played really well in the game. That’s what I saw. So you’re going into the ballgame, it’s the same thing. You want to try to control the line of scrimmage because that’s where it starts. They run the football. They set up the play-action pass really well. They have tremendous speed. They have great talent on the offensive side of the ball. You’ve just got to be patient and force them to execute and force them into third down-and-long situations, then once you get them into third down, you need to be successful.”

On working more this week to try to stop the play-action after struggling so badly against it in weeks past…

“We do that every week and it didn’t just start this week. You work on the things that hurt you in the previous game or throughout the season, and obviously build on the things you do really well. That’s no different. Prior to the Tennessee game, we did that. So we just have to play solid defense from the standpoint of lining up, fitting up right, making plays, forcing them into long yardage, and that means you have to do a really good job on first and second down and play-action. That’s always been part of their offense and why they’re so effective.”

On stopping Tim Tebow in the red zone this year after allowing him to rush for five touchdowns in the past two seasons…

“We’ve got to tackle better. We know he’s going to get the ball at those times, and you just have to make plays. He’s a very good player. If he wasn’t, we wouldn’t be talking about him every week. So you have to give him credit – he’s very talented and very tough. Our guys are looking forward to playing him, and you’ve just got to execute, play with an edge and play with a physicality that you need, especially in a game like this.”

On whether Florida's struggles in the vertical game mean he might challenge the Gators more, similar to what Mississippi State did by running a cover-zero last week…

“I don’t want to speak schematically, but the people that have had success and even our success when we beat them in ’07, it’s really the style that you play, the mentality you play with, the attitude you bring on every play. You’ve got to play physical. They’re a very talented football team, but we try not to make it about them. It’s really more about us and what we can do to help our team win. We know they’re tremendously talented on offense, but Mississippi State and Arkansas, they’re just playing hard, playing fast, making plays, forcing the quarterback to make poor decisions, whether it’s a breakdown in protection or just playing harder and faster. They just played really hard and really fast. That’s the key for us is to play that style, play that fast, play that hard and force the offense to get negative plays or keep them in long yardage.”

Notebook: King Looks for Big Game vs. Familiar Foe

Caleb King has run the ball well in his first two games back following a hamstring injury, but he has a special reason for putting on an even better show this week against LSU.

“Being from Baton Rouge, it’s just 10 minutes from the campus at LSU,” King said. “It’s hard for me to get tickets but I’m bringing like 10 or 15 people (to this year’s game). Last year, when we went to Baton Rouge, I had 23 people there. It’s always a big turn out for the LSU game.”

King grew up in Baton Rouge but moved to Georgia before middle school. He said most of his family remains LSU fans, however, but hopes they’ll be rooting for his side this Saturday.

“Honestly, I know when we don’t play LSU, they all go for LSU,” King said. “But since we’re playing them, I believe they’re going to wear the red and black.”

King said he was an LSU fan, too, but that all changed when he committed to Georgia. Now, three years into his Bulldogs career, he’s hoping he can have a career game against the team he grew up rooting for.

“Of course, I want to show up for my family, but it’s no pressure,” King said. “Game by game, I feel more comfortable, and I’m trying to make this my breakout game.”

COMMINGS OF AGE

After spending the majority of the preseason and early part of the regular season working at safety, Sanders Commings seems to be adjusting to cornerback quickly, head coach Mark Richt said.

“He’s progressing as a corner,” Richt said. “I like the move there. I can’t say 100 percent that’s where he’ll stay the rest of his career, but I think he’s going to be a very good corner for us.”

LSU brings a group of tall wide receivers to Athens this week, which Richt admits could be a mismatch for some of Georgia’s undersized corners. That could mean a bit more action for the 6-foot-2, 215-pound Commings.

“Sanders at least has more height and more weight to him where he might be able to match up better, but it’s not always a size thing,” Richt said. “We’ve had some corners that weren’t very tall but they played big, and I think we have some now that are like that.”

That doesn’t mean the matchups on Saturday will be easy. Terrence Tolliver checks in for LSU at 6-5 while preseason All-SEC receiver Brandon LaFell stands at 6-3.

“It’s going to be tough,” Richt said. “LaFell is one of the finest in the country. I think LaFell has proven that he has star quality and he’s a mismatch for anybody one-on-one, let alone whether they are our guys or not. I think just their shear size is going to be an issue for us.”

FOND MEMORIES

When Georgia traveled to Baton Rouge last year to take on LSU, it proved to be a breakout game for linebacker Darryl Gamble.

The then-sophomore picked off an LSU pass on the Tigers’ first drive of the game and returned it for a touchdown, then iced the Georgia victory with another interception return for a score in the fourth quarter.

Gamble said he’s watched the interceptions on film a few times this year in preparing for the Tigers’ visit to Athens this weekend, but he said he’s making no promises for an encore performance.

“People have been asking me about it, like ‘DG, what are you gonna do?’” Gamble said. “I say, ‘I don’t know,’ but I’ve been putting a lot of work in, watching a lot of film, and whatever happens, happens.”

FEELING BETTER

After missing Wednesday’s practice, cornerback Brandon Boykin was expected to be a full participant Thursday and Richt expects the sophomore to be on the field Saturday.

“I think he’ll be fine,” Richt said.

Junior cornerback Vance Cuff, who missed last week’s game with a knee sprain, has also been cleared to play this week.

Linebacker Akeem Dent was officially ruled out for Saturday’s game.

STICKING WITH RED

Georgia’s fifth game last season came with plenty of hype, with a top-10 opponent coming into town and the Bulldogs donning black jerseys as part of a planned “blackout.”

Once again, Georgia welcomes a top-10 team to Sanford Stadium for Week 5, but there won’t be any festivities surrounding the uniform to go along with LSU’s visit.

“I don’t think we’d do a black jersey or black helmet, we wouldn’t do a blackout of any kind unless we got the fans into it,” Richt said. “I don’t think it’s worth doing a blackout without it.”

NOBODY PUTS BABY IN A CORNER

During the TV timeouts in the latter stages of last week’s win over Arizona State, the music blared throughout Sanford Stadium, and a large contingent of Bulldogs broke out some of their best dancing moves to lighten the mood.

The lighthearted demeanor ruffled a few feathers among fans who wondered if the team was taking the close game as seriously as it should, but Richt said he thinks just the opposite was true.

“Our guys have a wonderful spirit,” Richt said. “I know some defensive guys were dancing a little bit in the fourth quarter and we had the last three drives of the game we had three-and-outs and they had negative yardage in the fourth quarter. So I don’t think you can say it was a bad thing. I don’t think it hurt their play.”

Richt said he understands the criticism, but thinks barring the players from a few spur-of-the-moment dance routines would create a new wave of criticism from the other side. The bottom line, he said, is results. If the team wins, they can dance all they want.

“I’d rather them be dancing than crying,” Richt said.

LSU’S SECRET WEAPON

Fans at LSU have been clamoring for more of highly touted freshman quarterback Russell Shepard, who has been in on 11 runs so far this season, gaining 74 yards, but has yet to throw a pass.

Shepard could prove to be an asset for the Tigers this weekend, but Richt said he’s not expecting the freshman quarterback to anything drastically different from what the Georgia coaches have already seen on film.

“We can only plan for what we’ve seen him do and try to anticipate what he might do, but it’s hard,” Richt said. “I don’t think they’re going to have a huge plan for him, but they may.”

GEORGIA’S SECRET WEAPON

Rantavious Wooten had his first two receptions of the season last week, both coming on third down for sizeable gains. But receiver may not be the only roll for Wooten this year, as Richt said the freshman has practiced many of the same plays Branden Smith has run on game days, including reverses and end arounds.

“Anything we’ve done with Branden Smith, (Wooten) has practiced in case something happened to Branden and we still liked the concept of what he’s doing,” Richt said. “They’re similar athletes.”

Defense Puts '08 Behind Them

If you watched much of the Georgia defense down the stretch last season, this assessment of the Oklahoma State offense should probably have you worried.

“We played offenses like that where they’ve had a running quarterback, and I don’t feel like this is any different," linebacker Rennie Curran said. "When you have a running quarterback, you just have to be really disciplined in containing him and making them one-dimensional, taking away that run ability. If you can do that, it can get really frustrating for them. You just can’t let them build momentum and confidence.”

In Georgia's final five games last year, containing mobile quarterbacks, stopping the run and playing disciplined football were all areas that didn't exactly give fans the warm fuzzies.

So if Oklahoma State presents many of the same challenges that a team like Kentucky, which had lesser talent at the skill positions, presented a year ago, how can Georgia fans have much hope of leaving Stillwater with a smile on their faces?

Well, how about four reasons?

1.) Lessons learned.

As much as fans may have been frustrated by what they saw on the field a year ago, it was nothing to how much it hurt Curran and his fellow defenders. The sinking feeling walking off the field, the criticism of their defensive coordinator and most of all, the losses -- they've stuck with the Bulldogs throughout the offseason and served as a reminder of what needs to be done better this time around.

“Really just from those experiences we had in the past, I feel like we’ve grown immensely from those," Curran said. "As a defense, I can say without a doubt that we all trust each other, that we all know how hard each of us have worked, and now we’re just ready to get on the field.”

2.) New blood.

I'm not sure if it's that Curran is glad to see a few folks from last year's defense gone, but he's definitely pleased with the new faces replacing them. Last season, Curran talked often about a lack of trust between the players on defense -- they weren't sure what to expect when game day came around. That's not true this season, and that's a big step for the defense.

“I feel like we have just a lot of hungry guys who are ready to get out there and make things happen," Curran said. "You look at the guys who left and the guys who are replacing them – Brandon Boykin for Asher Allen, Darryl Gamble coming in there for Dannell (Ellerbe), Bryan Evans – these are guys who have been waiting to get the opportunity and are just hungry and excited about wearing the ‘G’ and are dedicated. I’m excited. Whenever we step out on the field as a defense, it’s a good feeling knowing I’ve got guys who are as dedicated as I am and want us to win as much as possible.”

3.) New Focus.

For all the problems with fundamentals Georgia's defense demonstrated at times last year, there were two major problems that plagued the team all year: The first was a lack of pressure on the quarterback. The second was a lack of turnovers.

While it's hard to say those will both be solved Saturday, there's no doubt the issues have gotten plenty of attention from the team during the past eight months.

“Definitely in the standpoint of just getting to the ball and just the quickness of the defense," Boykin said. "It’s really standing out. Everybody’s trying to get to the ball and make turnovers. It’s kind of like a competition to see who can get there and get a pick first and things like that. That’s the fun thing about it and I feel like that’s going to carry over Saturday.”

4.) Leadership.

Last season, CJ Byrd was the only Georgia senior to start all 13 games on defense. Corvey Irvin was the only other consistent senior contributor, and he was only in his second season with the Bulldogs after transferring from Georgia Military College.

That won't be the case this year. Georgia will have six senior starters and four more experienced juniors on the field to kick off the game against Oklahoma State. Only Boykin has less than a year of significant playing time under his belt, and the veterans have raved about his ability to step in right away. It's a far different atmosphere than the one that pervaded the defense a year ago, redshirt freshman Makiri Pugh said.

“I think we have great leadership this year," Pugh said. "We have a lot of guys being accountable for their responsibilities. When a guy messes up, that guy knows he messed up and knows he has to fix it. There’s a sense of responsibility to Georgia that I can really feel. They’re a great team that will make you pay if you make a fundamental mistake, so that’s one of the things we’ve been focusing on.”

So... are you encouraged? Have some of your fears been assuaged? Or are you taking an "I'll believe it when I see it" attitude? OK, you really just want to type something bad about Willie Martinez, don't you? Go ahead. Get it over with. I won't hold it against you.

Seriously though... what is your prediction for this game? How many points will Oklahoma State score? If the high-powered Cowboys tally something in the high 20s or low 30s, can that be considered a success if Georgia still comes out on top?

Practice Notes: Caleb King Stepping Up

It has been nearly three years since Caleb King was a star. Since then, there has been plenty of hype, but not much for the highly recruited tailback to show for it.

An injury sidelined him much of his senior season at Greater Atlanta Christian, and King spent the past two seasons staring up the depth chart at Knowshon Moreno. Waiting his turn was difficult.

"On the sideline you would see him make a play and be like, dang, I can do that, too," King said. "It was tough."

This fall, things are different. Although King has hardly seized control of the starting job, there's no longer an immovable impediment in front of him. Four other tailbacks have their sights set on the same prize, but for the first time in a long time, King is in control of his own destiny. It's a situation he's enjoying.

"It's like Caleb has kicked into another gear," tailback Carlton Thomas said. "He just seems like a different guy coming to work every day, and you can tell in his performance on the practice field."

King earned marginal playing time last but earned scorn from his coach for occasional lackluster efforts, particularly in pass blocking. He had a chance to nab the starting job for himself this spring when his top competition, Richard Samuel, underwent wrist surgery, but King failed to distinguish himself from the other tailbacks before spring practice ended. The critics wondered if King would ever live up to expectations.

Whether it was the criticism of his past or the opportunity for his future, King responded this summer. He hit the weight room with increased vigor and said he's in his best shape since getting to Georgia. Through a week of practice this fall, his coaches have seen a distinct difference.

"I see him hustling," head coach Mark Richt said. "I've not seen one loaf in that guy, and he's had good energy level at practice."

Whether King actually gets the starting job remains to be seen, as Richt insists it will remain an open competition for the foreseeable future. But whether or not King starts is a secondary issue, the tailback said. What's important is that he knows he's done the work he needed to earn it.

"It's very important to me," King said. "I worked hard, and I'm not going to say I deserve it, but I know I've earned it with what I put in this summer."

EALEY BACK AT WORK

Freshman tailback Washaun Ealey participated in several of Georgia's drills Monday but was held out of contact work due to a hyperextended elbow he suffered last week.

Even with the lighter workload, however, Ealey's first few days on the job have been a whirlwind, he said.

"It's been very intense, and I've been learning a lot," Ealey said. "The coaches and the other running backs have been helping me with all the plays. I have to get used to how big and fast the other players are on defense and how much more physical I have to be."

With that in mind, Ealey asked out of his green non-contact jersey after the morning's workouts so he could be a full participant in the afternoon session.

Ealey wore a brace to prevent further damage to his elbow, but managed to take several hits during the afternoon session without any pain.

"He got hit a couple times and it didn't look like he came back crying," Richt said. "It's a little sore, a little tender, but he wants to compete and that's good."

FEELIN' HOT, HOT, HOT

The weather hasn't exactly made hitting the practice field too much fun during Georgia's first seven days of fall camp, but the long afternoons under the scorching sun may be a blessing in disguise.

Richt said he expects the temperatures in Stillwater, Okla. to approach triple digits when the Bulldogs open their season against Oklahoma State, and his staff has worked to prepare Georgia for the heat even before practice began.

"The coaches did a good job this summer of not having us working out in the mornings, but having us out there when it's hot," defensive tackle Kade Weston said. "You can tell the difference, and there would have been a lot of people cramped up or with IVs. It's tough going in the sun, but it's going to help a lot."

That doesn't mean that donning a helmet and pads was particularly comfortable, Weston said. In fact, he said players might benefit a lot more from being able to wear helmets during voluntary workouts in the summer, too.

"We were working all summer, but when we got down there with a helmet on, it felt different," Weston said. "If we could use helmets to condition in the summer, it would be a big help."

Richt said Monday that, despite the heat, he had seen very few players needed additional fluids or suffering from cramping.

"I liked what happened this morning and even this afternoon considering how hot it was," Richt said. "Most of our hot afternoons have been after walk-throughs, not after practice. I was a little concerned, but I didn't see anybody cramp during practice. Really after Day 2, I think we only had one guy with any kind of cramping issues."

KEEP IT GOING

With the first two-a-days in the books, quarterback Joe Cox said he's pleased with how far the team has come. The job now is to keep the momentum going.

"We've gotten better in the areas we needed to get better in, but now it's a grind," Cox said. "You have to find a way to keep everybody up, the tempo high in practice and make sure you get the work you need. You can't have a wasted day at this point once everything's been installed."

Particularly with the extensive heat and long practices, Cox said it's more important than ever for Georgia's leaders to step up and be vocal on the field.

"When you have two practices a day, you have to be focused and make yourself push through everything," Cox said. "There are times during the first practice when you're struggling and you're like, ‘Man, we still have another one of these this afternoon.' But it's just one of those things where the leaders have to step up and keep everybody enthused and pushing hard."

MORE BUMPS AND BRUISES

A few more minor health concerns cropped up for Georgia on Monday.

Defensive end Justin Houston sat out with a shoulder injury that Richt said wasn't particularly serious. Houson will likely miss Tuesday's walk-through as well, but should be ready for contact Wednesday.

Demarcus Dobbs underwent foot surgery during the offseason, and Richt decided to hold the defensive end out of Monday's late session as a precaution.

"Dobbs had the foot injury and just the volume of having a lot of reps, we tried to give him more of a one-a-day today," Richt said.

The most concerning of the group, however, is wide receiver Marlon Brown. Richt said the freshman chipped or broke a bone in one of his fingers that prevented him from catching passes Monday. While Richt wasn't certain when Brown would resume normal practices, he said the injury would not require surgery and wasn't likely to keep Brown out of many drills.

"He's running routes right now, but we're not throwing any balls to him," Richt said. "Probably by Wednesday we'll be throwing balls at him."

EXTRA POINTS...

-- Richt gave a thumbs up to both the offense and defense after Monday morning's contact drills. Georgia ran three full-contact drills -- an inside drill, three-on-three drill and goal-line drill -- and both sides of the football had their moments.

The offense won the inside drill and the defense dominated on the goal line. The three-on-three competition came down to an 8-8 tie, so Richt allowed a tie breaker that the defense narrowly edged out, he said.

-- One very encouraging note from this morning's competitive drills: The offense had just one penalty. The defense had none.

-- Georgia ran one-minute drills during the afternoon in which the offense tried to move the football into field-goal range with the clock ticking. The results were mixed.

The first-team offense quickly moved into range, but turned the ball over on an interception before attempting the kick. The second team did slightly better, also getting into field-goal range but the kick missed.

-- Darryl Gamble continued his take-away barrage with another interception Monday afternoon. "He's had a wonderful camp," Richt said. "He's got a great attitude. He just seems like he's over the hump. He's a veteran now, watching those other puppies suffer, which is fun for those guys. He's really done a good job."

-- It's not just Gamble playing great defense, however. Richt said the defense overall has been making plays in the passing game at an impressive rate. "I think we had 75 pass break-ups in the first six practices and a good many picks," he said. "We're catching the ball better."

-- Of course, the good news for the defense is bad news for the offense, and the amount of turnovers are still a big concern for Richt. Before fans worry too much about new starter Joe Cox, however, Richt said the majority of the turnovers are coming from the second team.

"I'd say the majority of the turnovers is with the No. 2 offense vs. the No. 1 defense – a great majority has been that," Richt said. "When you've got a veteran D-line like we have and throw a couple true freshmen in there, it's hard to protect like you'd like them to. So the majority of the turnovers are with the No. 2 unit, but it's still too many."

-- Georgia will practice again Tuesday, but will only do a walk-through and kicking drills. The Bulldogs have their second dose of two-a-days coming Wednesday, and Richt announced that the afternoon session will be the team's first scrimmage of the fall.

That makes Wednesday a key date for several depth-chart battles, particularly at running back, Richt said.

"We're going to have a scrimmage here pretty soon and that will begin to separate the guys," Richt said. "Even inside drill to a certain degree will give you a little taste of what kind of runners you have. Plus there's a lot of things that happen in meetings, and Coach (Bryan) McClendon's in there, and he knows who knows what. He knows who doesn't know it. And it may come down to a guy who is just not comfortable with his protections and his assignments. The other thing is ball security. If a guy has trouble holding on to the ball, he'll be watching. I wouldn't say there'll be any kind of reshuffling until after our first scrimmage, but I'd think we'd reshuffle a little bit right then."

Practice Notes: Geathers Makes the Grade

It took a little longer than expected, but Georgia's 2009 freshman class is finally complete.
Head coach Mark Richt confirmed Thursday that lineman Kwame Geathers was cleared by the NCAA and will be on campus when Georgia holds its fourth day of fall practice today.

Richt said he was informed Tuesday morning of the decision, but Geathers still won't be a full participant in the Bulldogs' practice sessions for a few more days. The NCAA mandates that players are given five days of acclimation time before participating in contact drills, which means Geathers will be in shorts today when his teammates are in shoulder pads, and he'll still be in shoulder pads when the team holds its first full-contact practice Monday.

Geathers brother, Robert, played at Georgia and is currently a member of the Cincinnati Bengals, and his uncle, James, played 13 years in the NFL as well, so Richt said he's confident Kwame Geathers will be in good shape upon arrival.

"He comes from a family that has a lot of football players," Richt said. "They know how to work."

DOWN AND OUT

Safety Reshad Jones injured his hamstring Wednesday and was held out of Thursday's practice. Although the injury is not serious, Richt said Jones will miss some time.

"It's too bad because he was really practicing well and leading," Richt said. "He'll be healthy enough by the time the season starts and he has enough quality reps and playing time that I don't think it will be a huge deal, but he quite frankly had a lot of positive momentum coming into this camp."

Quintin Banks took reps with the first team in place of Jones on Thursday, with Baccari Rambo and Sanders Commings working with the second team.

SHOWING IMPROVEMENT

With Justin Houston suspended for two games and nearly every one of Georgia's other defensive ends coming off an injury, the start of fall practice figured to be rough at the position. Instead, Richt said the defensive ends have been among the most impressive groups in camp.

"(Demarcus) Dobbs is in great shape, (Rod) Battle's in great shape, Cornelius Washington, we're getting a chance to see him do some things," Richt said. "I see a lot of good."

BACK AND FORTH

Sophomore Nick Williams arrived as a safety, moved to linebacker midway through the season last year, then was switched back to safety this offseason when John Knox transferred. The changes didn't end there, however, and Williams is back to weakside linebacker yet again.

The change during the offseason was made to strengthen the numbers among the safeties, but now that Georgia's freshmen have arrived on campus, Richt said the coaches made the decision to move Williams where they thought he would have the biggest impact.

"You want as much speed on the field as you possibly can," Richt said. "We feel like he's one of the guys that's going to make an impact for us, and right now we're trying to find where he's best going to be able to do that. I don't want to give away too much of the game plan, but we think he can help us there."

MOVIN' ON UP

Richt wasn't sure how much Chris Davis would be able to practice before the team took the field for its first practice Tuesday afternoon, but by the end of the day, the junior offensive lineman was back with the first team.

Davis started all 13 games last year, but underwent hip surgery during the offseason and was slow to recover. After three days of practice, however, Richt said Davis is doing much better.

"I don't think it feels great, but he played with it last year, and he says its better than it was a year ago," Richt said. "He's fighting through it, and it doesn't seem to be slowing him down."

Davis joins Trinton Sturdivant, Ben Jones, Cordy Glenn and Clint Boling with the first-team offensive line, bumping senior Vince Vance to the second team. Vance is coming off ACL surgery, and while his knee is close to 100 percent, Richt said he still has a ways to go in terms of conditioning and mentally preparing for the grueling pace line coach Stacy Searels insists upon.

"Coach Searels has a way of getting guys to practice a certain way, and it takes a while to get there," Richt said. "I think he was at that point before he got hurt, but he was away from it a while, and now he's got to get back into that mode."

ODDS AND ENDS

-- Darryl Gamble recovered a fumble Thursday, marking the third straight practice in which he has come up with a turnover. "He's just making plays," Richt said.

-- The buzzword all offseason has been leadership, and while that has come naturally to a lot of Georgia's veterans, Richt has been particularly pleased with one senior who has had to work a bit harder at become a vocal leader. "Prince Miller has probably done one of the best jobs of getting out of his comfort zone and becoming more of a vocal leader."

-- Richt on who has impressed so far:

"It's so great to have Geno (Atkins), Jeffrey (Owens) and Kade (Weston) inside. Those three seniors know the ropes and they're doing a great job."

"A.J. Green, he just makes plays every day. A.J. is practicing very well."

"I do like how our running backs seem to be very focused and are competing very hard. I think they truly believe it is a wide-open competition, which it is."

-- Freshman tight end Arthur Lynch has been working as the long snapper on special teams for the past three days. Richt said Lynch is likely the third man on the depth chart at the position. Ty Frix is considered the front-runner for the job.

-- Logan Gray got another vote of confidence from his head coach, but Richt isn't setting anything regarding the No. 2 QB job in stone just yet. "I like how Logan's practicing. Today, in my opinion, he's still a very solid No. 2, but we'll continue to rep everybody and see."

Practice Notes: QBs Struggle Early

If Mark Richt has an early complaint after two days of practice, it's about his quarterbacks. A handful of fumbles and a fair number of interceptions – including two picks and two fumble recoveries by Darryl Gamble – have been the result of some sloppy play early on by his group of passers.

"Most of the picks happened because of the quarterback just throwing the ball where he shouldn't have thrown it, making a bad decision," Richt said. "They've got to take better care of the ball."

It's all about fundamentals said sophomore Logan Gray, who currently is second on Georgia's depth chart at quarterback.

"Just getting back to the little things that are kind of sloppy the first couple of days," Gray said. "We've got to make sure we're touching up on those every single day – not fumbling the snap, fumbling giving the ball to the running back, missing a read and throwing into traffic – whatever it might be, every quarterback needs to be careful with the decisions they're making with the ball."

For now, however, Georgia's secondary is enjoying the early gifts, and they're making sure the quarterbacks know how much they appreciate it.

"We've got to talk a little smack to them," safety Nick Williams said. "That's what makes it fun."

SO FAR, SO GOOD

The first two days of fall practice have been the first full workouts of any kind in quite a while for a hefty contingent of players returning from injuries. While the Bulldogs haven't reached a particularly grueling part of their routine just yet, the early results for players like Jeff Owens, Trinton Sturdivant and Vince Vance have all been positive.

"You see no ill effects," Richt said. "You don't see them favoring anything. Again, until we have that first day of contact, you won't really know how that guy is feeling on the inside. I'm sure they're a little anxious about that first hit, but they no their best shot is to play full speed, and they're doing that now."

Richt said tailback Richard Samuel's wrist has not limited him at all thus far and said that he didn't expect any players to be held out of contact drills when the Bulldogs begin two-a-days Monday.

A HARD-LINE APPROACH

Georgia was one of the most penalized teams in the country a year ago, and Richt said he's taking steps this fall to ensure there isn't a repeat performance in 2009.

During practice, he's pulling players out of drills after they commit a penalty, and numerous players are being singled out when they're flagged. Assistants are tracking each penalty during practice, as well, and for the first time, Richt is personally monitoring the results.

"You've got to drill it, discipline it and the guys have to be serious about never wanting it to happen again," Richt said. "But so far, I see a good healthy attitude toward it."

The hard-line tactics even apply to Georgia's assistant coaches, Richt said.

In the past, assistants could argue a flag with the team's practice refs, but this year, they're not even allowed to joke about it.

"It's, 'Yes, sir, thank you for your help,' and go discipline your player," Richt said. "We can't let anything at this point get in the way of taking a very serious attitude toward every flag that's called."

A MINOR PROBLEM

Linebacker Christian Robinson played with his hand wrapped after a minor thumb sprain, Richt said. The injury may require a cast, but surgery would not be needed and Richt expects Robinson to continue practicing.

Uphill Climb for D-Ends

I've devoted a good amount of cyberspace to talking about Georgia's pass rush recently.

Yesterday, I blogged about Demarcus Dobbs' hopes that the defensive ends are finally getting healthy (well, sort of).

I also blogged a few weeks ago about Rod Battle's plans for a big senior season .

In today's Telegraph, I have a story about Georgia's plan to employ a trio of linebackers as stand-up rushers this season, too.

Overall, the news there sounds good. Players are getting healthier. They plan to have big seasons. Happy times have returned to Athens.

Mmmm.... not so fast.

Yes, health alone should improve Georgia's pass rush exponentially. Throughout the 2008 season and then to an even greater degree this spring, the injuries have simply been too much to overcome.

Yes, the healthy return of Jeff Owens gives Georgia a push up the middle that will be one of the strongest in the SEC -- and maybe the country.

And yes, using Darryl Gamble, Darius Dewberry and Marcus Washington as occasional rushers makes a lot of sense.

But the problems with Georgia's pass rush last season -- particularly off the end -- were immense, and outside of Kiante Tripp (who moved from the O line in January) and Montez Robinson (a true freshman), the faces are pretty much the same. In fact, the unit lost its lone consistent contributor in Jarius Wynn, who was selected in April's NFL draft.

Just how bad could things be? Here are some numbers.

Georgia finished 10th in the conference in sacks last season with just 23, but even that number is a bit deceiving since six of them came in the team's final game against an overmatched Michigan State and four more came against a dismal Arizona State offensive line. In Georgia's other 11 games, the Dawgs had a whopping 13 sacks.

The worst numbers came in conference play. Georgia tallied just nine sacks in eight SEC games last season, and only 2.5 of them came from the defensive end position. Of that group, Justin Houston is the only player who recorded a single sack -- and he'll be sitting out the first two games of the season with a suspension.

To clarify, when Georgia takes the field against Oklahoma State's high-octane offense on Sept. 5, they will do so without a single defensive end who recorded even half a sack during SEC play last year.

Houston's loss isn't a big deal in terms of total games, but the timing is particularly problematic. First off, of Georgia's returning players, only Rennie Curran recorded more sacks last season than Houston's 2.5.

Secondly, there will not be another defensive end playing in those first two games who both played that position last season and didn't suffer through a spring injury.

Third, Houston had made a giant leap forward during spring and was widely praised for both his off-field efforts in the weight room and film room and his on-field performance. He was a prime breakout candidate and likely Georgia's best hope for a dominant force at DE, and now he'll miss the first two weeks of the season.

While that might not seem like a big deal, here's what Mark Richt said last year about Dewberry and Fred Muzenmaier missing time early in the season due to suspensions:

"It's not easy to watch your teammates go do their thing, and it's not easy to put all that work in and have to watch, and both those guys have been set back. They're not as ready as they would be Game 3, and they're probably not going to get as many reps as they would have got if they were playing all along. Sometimes it sets a guy back for half a season."

Half a season? Even if that's a liberal assessment, it's not hard to wonder if the suspension will undo a great majority of the development Houston made this spring.

Either way, Georgia will still face Oklahoma State without its best defensive end, and that could mean tough times for the rest of the defense.

"It's going to be rough not having him at defensive end because he offers a lot as far as run support and pass rush, so we're going to have to find some ways to get around that – especially against Oklahoma State because those guys have a real good offense," Washington said.

And that leads to the other big issue that the poor pass rush creates.

As we mentioned, Georgia finished 10th in the SEC in sacks last season. Similarly, the Bulldogs finished toward the bottom of the pack in turnovers, taking away the ball just 16 times all season. The relationship between the two is simple: Disrupt what happens in the backfield, make the quarterback uncomfortable, force him to throw early and the results tend to be good. Give the quarterback extra time or take away one (or more) defenders in order to bring the blitz too often, and you're asking for a big play to happen.

As it turned out, Georgia's defense was burned by veteran QBs like Tim Tebow and John Parker Wilson and struggled against even marginal quarterbacks like Nick Stephens and Randall Cobb.

Now look back to 2007, when Georgia led the conference with 42 sacks. That year the team -- which featured essentially the exact same secondary, only with a year less experience -- created 26 turnovers.

That's essentially the equivalent to having one extra possession per game, usually with prime field position. How much of a difference do you think that might have made against Alabama or Georgia Tech last year?

Sure, a truly great secondary can help ease the burden of a lackluster pass rush, and the Bulldogs certainly have the potential for a solid group of DBs this year. But gone are Asher Allen and CJ Byrd, two experienced veterans, and in their place reside unproven sophomore Brandon Boykin and Bryan Evans, who has been playing safety for just nine months (and who was burned by Stephens multiple times while playing corner a year ago).

Even in the run game, the poor pass rush creates problems. As the ends continued to struggle to get to the quarterback last year, their impatience became evident. Opposing linemen took advantage, and the ends fell victim to cut blocks repeatedly, opening up gaping holes for tailbacks who spent far too much time in the Georgia secondary in the latter half of last season.(Yes, Reshad Jones could have done a better job of wrapping up, but he's taken a lot of heat for those big plays that probably could have been stopped long before Jones reached the ball carrier.)

Of course, this is the time of year for optimism. Offensive linemen are never quite as strong in July, and quarterbacks are never quite so adept at avoiding pressure. The future always looks bright, and Georgia's D ends are certainly talking the talk.

"Our unit has taken more leadership this offseason, and we've gotten more of the killer instinct mentality," Dobbs said. "We have everyone stepping up to the plate now and not just following an example. This year we plan on turning things around."

It's a nice sentiment, but the numbers say it will take a lot more than the desire to be better if Georgia is to turn things around this season. Maybe Gamble, Washington and company prove to be the secret weapon the Bulldogs have been looking for. Maybe Houston returns from his suspension even hungrier than before. Maybe Rod Battle and Demarcus Dobbs return to full health and take their games to the next level. Maybe Cornelius Washington or Montez Robinson become superstars in their first year of action. Maybe.

But that's an awful lot of question marks at this time of year at an integral position, and for all the concerns about Joe Cox's quarterbacking or who will carry the load at tailback, it seems to me that the pass rush will likely be the biggest factor in whether Georgia can complete another 10-win campaign or watches Tebow, Urban Meyer and the Gators enjoy another easy road to the Georgia Dome.

Discussing the D

Despite the departures of offensive stars Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno and Mohamed Massaquoi, the consensus among most fans seems to be that the key to the 2009 season will be the defense.

Hard to argue with that notion after Georgia's D was a disaster throughout much of last season, allowing 38 points or more six times.

Much to the chagrin of a vocal portion of the fan base, no major changes were made among the defensive coaches and three veteran starters -- Dannell Ellerbe, CJ Byrd and Asher Allen -- are all gone. So how does the defense expect to be a lot better in 2009?

Here are some thoughts from some of Georgia's defensive players...

Marcus Washington on the lessons of 2008...
"Last year was kind of a letdown, and I felt as if we let Georgia down because we did not perform the way a Georgia defense traditionally plays. You go back and you look at the defensive aspect of the games, and maybe if we did things a little differently, things would have turned out different. We've got to go in and refocus. We've got to make some stops. We've got to not give up big plays."

Reshad Jones on the most important change the D can make...
"I would say just turnovers period. As far as fumbles, knocking the ball out, interceptions, the overall turnovers. Turnovers help win ball games, give the offense better field position, stuff like that. I think we just need to focus on getting more turnovers."

Rennie Curran on the importance of attitude...
"We started off well last season but we lost our focus. Guys got hurt, but things like that happen. Now this season that we have everybody back, we need to just focus on the basics – running to the ball, executing on every play, not having mental breakdowns or physical breakdowns. We just have to focus on being as disciplined as possible."

Rod Battle on getting back to basics...
"It's just a renewed focus. The same stuff worked in years past, and we know what we want our style of play to be. We want to be a team that plays fast and physical, and I think if you do that, you make up for a lot of mistakes you make."

Akeem Dent on focusing on the little things...
"We're basically doing running, lifting, things like that, but when we do set out to do the drills, we go through with the blocking dummies and work on the fundamentals and the techniques, letting everyone have a chance to complete every drill. That's one thing we want to focus on this year is being able to wrap up and tackle to the ground."

Darryl Gamble on finishing plays...
"We had chances to make plays last year but they just weren't made. So it's really about taking advantage of opportunities, and I don't think we did good with that last year. We would be in the right places, but we've got to execute on what's there."

Battle on the defensive ends this season...
"If I was looking from the outside in, I would say (there's questions) and we realize that as a group. We're just trying to refocus as a group this offseason and try to make up some lost practices that we've all had. Hopefully we can get some momentum going at the position going into the season and hopefully be a bright spot."

Curran on what the young players can add this year...
"It's going to be great to see what those young guys have to offer. They're all bright-eyed and hungry to get on the field and they all love Georgia and are committed players. That's what we need more than anything is guys just ready to buy in and do things right. That's what I think we have in these young guys and I'm excited to see what they can do."

Brandon Boykin on what he expects from the D this year...
"I expect that Junkyard Dawg mentality that Georgia used to have back in the day. You can just tell the intensity in our workouts. We're not taking anything for granted this year. You can see the games where we gave up big plays against Florida and Georgia Tech, we're just trying to focus on not giving up those plays this year. We're doing everything this summer so when we come in the fall we don't run into a wall. I feel like as long as we stay hungry for the ball, we'll be fine in the fall."

So, how about you... what concerns you the most about the defense this season? What new additions do you think can have the biggest impact? What are your expectations when the D opens the season against high-powered Oklahoma State?