First off, I think our pal Brandon Spoon deserves an award for the great video work he's been doing for the site. I'd suggest a Peabody or a Pulitzer, though a Pabst Blue Ribbon will likely have to suffice.
In any case, he put together a great bit of video of the workouts and interviews from yesterday's Pro Day in Athens. Be sure to check it out...
Showing posts with label Geno Atkins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Geno Atkins. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Dawgs at the Combine
First, a couple of links worth checking out over at ESPN.com...
-- Mark Schlabach has an interesting story on the growth and significance of Junior Day around college football.
-- Len Pasquarelli has a good piece on Rennie Curran, who is fighting an uphill battle in the draft due to his size.
As for the combine, here's how Georgia's former players stacked up. You can find full combine results HERE.
-- I'm not sure how much any of this means when discussing Georgia's strength and conditioning program, but all for of the Bulldogs' participants ranked among the leaders on the bench press at their position.
Geno Atkins: Measured in at 6-1, which made him the shortest defensive tackle at the combine, in a tie with North Carolina's Aleric Mullins and, coincidentally, Georgia's own Jeff Owens. He checked in at 293 pounds, which was also among the lightest, but again no big surprise, since it's Atkins size that has been the biggest question mark when evaluating his draft stock. Of course, while he's not the tallest DT in the draft, he is among the fastest. He clocked in with a 4.75 40 time, behind only Arizona's Earl Mitchell, who ran a 4.70. Atkins was nearly a full second ahead of Terrence Cody (5.64). On the bench, he mustered 34 reps, tied for the third most among DTs. His 33-inch vertical left a bit to be desired, but his 9-9 in the broad jump was tops among those who participated.
Jeff Owens: Checked in at 6-1, 304, which is two inches less than his listed height at Georgia. Owens ran the 40 in 5 seconds flat, which was a little under the average at his position -- nothing that will necessarily turn heads, but good enough to keep his stock rising. Of course, where Owens really showed out was on the bench press, where he did a whopping 44 reps -- five more than the next closest competitor and 15 more than the average among other defensive tackles. As a point of comparison, Owens' 5.0/44 was every bit as impressive -- if not more so -- than Ndamukong Suh's 4.98/34. Arkansas offensive lineman Mitch Petrus was the only combine participant at any position to do more bench press reps than Owens.
Rennie Curran: A pulled hamstring forced Curran out of Monday's portion of the combine, which certainly didn't help his stock. He measured in at 5-10.5, which is a half-inch shorter than the 5-11 mark some scouts had said was the bare minimum and he was the only OLB who checked in at less than 6 feet. Despite his smaller size, Curran's arm length was 31.5 and his hand length was 10-3/8, both of which were above average. On the bench, Curran mustered 25 reps, which made him one of the top performers at his position, with only Missouri's Sean Witherspoon (34), Oklahoma's Keenan Clayton (27) and Penn State's Navarro Bowman (26) doing more.
Reshad Jones: Jones likely helped his draft stock a bit at the combine. His 24 reps on the bench press were second only to Oklahoma State's Lucien Antoine among all defensive backs, while his 4.54 40 time was the eighth best among safeties (although a good bit slower than Eric Berry's 4.40 or Taylor Mays' astounding 4.24). Defensive backs wrap up the combine this afternoon with broad jump, vertical and cone drills.
-- Mark Schlabach has an interesting story on the growth and significance of Junior Day around college football.
-- Len Pasquarelli has a good piece on Rennie Curran, who is fighting an uphill battle in the draft due to his size.
As for the combine, here's how Georgia's former players stacked up. You can find full combine results HERE.
-- I'm not sure how much any of this means when discussing Georgia's strength and conditioning program, but all for of the Bulldogs' participants ranked among the leaders on the bench press at their position.
Geno Atkins: Measured in at 6-1, which made him the shortest defensive tackle at the combine, in a tie with North Carolina's Aleric Mullins and, coincidentally, Georgia's own Jeff Owens. He checked in at 293 pounds, which was also among the lightest, but again no big surprise, since it's Atkins size that has been the biggest question mark when evaluating his draft stock. Of course, while he's not the tallest DT in the draft, he is among the fastest. He clocked in with a 4.75 40 time, behind only Arizona's Earl Mitchell, who ran a 4.70. Atkins was nearly a full second ahead of Terrence Cody (5.64). On the bench, he mustered 34 reps, tied for the third most among DTs. His 33-inch vertical left a bit to be desired, but his 9-9 in the broad jump was tops among those who participated.
Jeff Owens: Checked in at 6-1, 304, which is two inches less than his listed height at Georgia. Owens ran the 40 in 5 seconds flat, which was a little under the average at his position -- nothing that will necessarily turn heads, but good enough to keep his stock rising. Of course, where Owens really showed out was on the bench press, where he did a whopping 44 reps -- five more than the next closest competitor and 15 more than the average among other defensive tackles. As a point of comparison, Owens' 5.0/44 was every bit as impressive -- if not more so -- than Ndamukong Suh's 4.98/34. Arkansas offensive lineman Mitch Petrus was the only combine participant at any position to do more bench press reps than Owens.
Rennie Curran: A pulled hamstring forced Curran out of Monday's portion of the combine, which certainly didn't help his stock. He measured in at 5-10.5, which is a half-inch shorter than the 5-11 mark some scouts had said was the bare minimum and he was the only OLB who checked in at less than 6 feet. Despite his smaller size, Curran's arm length was 31.5 and his hand length was 10-3/8, both of which were above average. On the bench, Curran mustered 25 reps, which made him one of the top performers at his position, with only Missouri's Sean Witherspoon (34), Oklahoma's Keenan Clayton (27) and Penn State's Navarro Bowman (26) doing more.
Reshad Jones: Jones likely helped his draft stock a bit at the combine. His 24 reps on the bench press were second only to Oklahoma State's Lucien Antoine among all defensive backs, while his 4.54 40 time was the eighth best among safeties (although a good bit slower than Eric Berry's 4.40 or Taylor Mays' astounding 4.24). Defensive backs wrap up the combine this afternoon with broad jump, vertical and cone drills.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Practice Notes: King Set to Return
After more than a month on the sidelines, the news finally appears a bit brighter for tailback Caleb King.
The sophomore running back has been out with a sore hamstring since Aug. 12, but head coach Mark Richt said he practiced fully each of the past two days and his prospects for playing Saturday against Arkansas look good.
“It looks like very probable,” Richt said. “I’d be surprised if he didn’t play at this point.”
Richt said he couldn’t guess how many reps King is likely to play, but he said the addition to the running back depth chart, currently manned by Richard Samuel and Carlton Thomas, would be a benefit for the Georgia offense.
“It’s going to help us because he’s definitely a different style of runner,” Richt said. “I’m anxious to see what he can do. He’s always had good vision, good balance and he’s got to be pretty fresh.”
Samuel has been the go-to runner for Georgia in the first two games of the season, getting 20 carries against Oklahoma State and 15 against South Carolina.
It’s expected that Samuel will continue to handle the bulk of the load, but Richt said the return of King will allow the team to spread the carries out a bit more than it had previously.
“The tailback position is set for us now where we’re not going to ask just one kid to carry the entire load, so they’ll be able to help each other out,” Richt said.
GOING BACK INSIDE
Senior defensive tackles Geno Atkins and Jeff Owens saw plenty of action at an unfamiliar position in Georgia’s first two games, but their experiment at defensive end might be coming to an end.
With the return of Justin Houston from a two-game suspension, Richt said he didn’t expect the Bulldogs would need to use Atkins or Owens, who totaled around 50 reps at end during the first two games, to work off the edge as much going forward.
“I doubt we see them much out there,” Richt said, “but it depends on how the game goes.”
Atkins said he didn’t mind the transition, but he said he’ll be happy to get back to doing what he does best and leaving the surprisingly tough task of defensive end to the players who’ve been doing it a bit longer.
“I had to keep the contain, look for the reverse and focus my eyes on the quarterback to see if he takes it and runs with it or gives it to the running back,” Atkins said. “Now I know what the D ends are going through because they’ve got so much responsibility.”
WILLIAMS BACK AT WORK
After missing last week’s game against South Carolina with a hamstring injury, linebacker Nick Williams said he’ll be available for duty this week.
“It’s good now,” Williams said. “I’m back.”
Williams said the injury occurred in Georgia’s first game against Oklahoma State when he was jamming receiver Dez Bryant and felt a pull, and he immediately knew it was his fault he was hurt.
“I’m bad at stretching,” Williams said. “I never did it in high school, so they’ve had me on a strict stretching program now.”
THE BIGGER THEY ARE…
At 6-foot-7, Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett will be one of the biggest targets Georgia’s defense has faced in a while, but Rennie Curran said he’s not too concerned.
Curran said the biggest quarterback he could remember facing previously was Kentucky’s Andre Woodson, who was 6-5, in 2007.
In that game, Georgia had five sacks, which reinforced Curran’s philosophy about big quarterbacks.
“They’re all the same to me,” Curran said. “They all throw the ball, they just fall harder than others.”
THE BATTLE’S OVER
After defensive end Rod Battle went down with a season-ending knee injury, Richt was hopeful the senior might be able to apply for a sixth year of eligibility, but it appears that’s unlikely, and Battle’s career with Georgia could be over.
“My guess would be that he would not because his first (redshirt) year there was no injury involved in the red shirt,” Richt said. “You have to miss two seasons because of injury, and we have no documentation to help him with that.”
KEEPING CONFIDENCE
Branden Smith knows he didn’t instill a lot of confidence in his coaches on his first few attempts at returning kicks. Against Oklahoma State, he twice brought the ball out from deep in the end zone, and on his first return against South Carolina resulted in a fumble that set up a field goal for the Gamecocks.
But rather than give up on the freshman, coach Tony Ball sent him back out again, and Smith rewarded him with a 48-yard return to set the Bulldogs up with prime field position.
“I think it is a good thing that Coach Ball has confidence in me knowing that I have made a couple of bad plays,” Smith said. “At Oklahoma State I ran deep from the end zone and fumbled against South Carolina. By him putting me back out there I think that is a very good thing.”
ANOTHER ROUGH DAY
For the second straight practice, Richt said his team lacked much enthusiasm on the field, but he said he’s not concerned that the team will lack energy by game day.
“Today we were a little lethargic, I thought. There was not a ton of energy, but we grinded and we got it done. I think the boys are probably a little bit tired, but that’s the beauty of Thursday and Friday.”
The sophomore running back has been out with a sore hamstring since Aug. 12, but head coach Mark Richt said he practiced fully each of the past two days and his prospects for playing Saturday against Arkansas look good.
“It looks like very probable,” Richt said. “I’d be surprised if he didn’t play at this point.”
Richt said he couldn’t guess how many reps King is likely to play, but he said the addition to the running back depth chart, currently manned by Richard Samuel and Carlton Thomas, would be a benefit for the Georgia offense.
“It’s going to help us because he’s definitely a different style of runner,” Richt said. “I’m anxious to see what he can do. He’s always had good vision, good balance and he’s got to be pretty fresh.”
Samuel has been the go-to runner for Georgia in the first two games of the season, getting 20 carries against Oklahoma State and 15 against South Carolina.
It’s expected that Samuel will continue to handle the bulk of the load, but Richt said the return of King will allow the team to spread the carries out a bit more than it had previously.
“The tailback position is set for us now where we’re not going to ask just one kid to carry the entire load, so they’ll be able to help each other out,” Richt said.
GOING BACK INSIDE
Senior defensive tackles Geno Atkins and Jeff Owens saw plenty of action at an unfamiliar position in Georgia’s first two games, but their experiment at defensive end might be coming to an end.
With the return of Justin Houston from a two-game suspension, Richt said he didn’t expect the Bulldogs would need to use Atkins or Owens, who totaled around 50 reps at end during the first two games, to work off the edge as much going forward.
“I doubt we see them much out there,” Richt said, “but it depends on how the game goes.”
Atkins said he didn’t mind the transition, but he said he’ll be happy to get back to doing what he does best and leaving the surprisingly tough task of defensive end to the players who’ve been doing it a bit longer.
“I had to keep the contain, look for the reverse and focus my eyes on the quarterback to see if he takes it and runs with it or gives it to the running back,” Atkins said. “Now I know what the D ends are going through because they’ve got so much responsibility.”
WILLIAMS BACK AT WORK
After missing last week’s game against South Carolina with a hamstring injury, linebacker Nick Williams said he’ll be available for duty this week.
“It’s good now,” Williams said. “I’m back.”
Williams said the injury occurred in Georgia’s first game against Oklahoma State when he was jamming receiver Dez Bryant and felt a pull, and he immediately knew it was his fault he was hurt.
“I’m bad at stretching,” Williams said. “I never did it in high school, so they’ve had me on a strict stretching program now.”
THE BIGGER THEY ARE…
At 6-foot-7, Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett will be one of the biggest targets Georgia’s defense has faced in a while, but Rennie Curran said he’s not too concerned.
Curran said the biggest quarterback he could remember facing previously was Kentucky’s Andre Woodson, who was 6-5, in 2007.
In that game, Georgia had five sacks, which reinforced Curran’s philosophy about big quarterbacks.
“They’re all the same to me,” Curran said. “They all throw the ball, they just fall harder than others.”
THE BATTLE’S OVER
After defensive end Rod Battle went down with a season-ending knee injury, Richt was hopeful the senior might be able to apply for a sixth year of eligibility, but it appears that’s unlikely, and Battle’s career with Georgia could be over.
“My guess would be that he would not because his first (redshirt) year there was no injury involved in the red shirt,” Richt said. “You have to miss two seasons because of injury, and we have no documentation to help him with that.”
KEEPING CONFIDENCE
Branden Smith knows he didn’t instill a lot of confidence in his coaches on his first few attempts at returning kicks. Against Oklahoma State, he twice brought the ball out from deep in the end zone, and on his first return against South Carolina resulted in a fumble that set up a field goal for the Gamecocks.
But rather than give up on the freshman, coach Tony Ball sent him back out again, and Smith rewarded him with a 48-yard return to set the Bulldogs up with prime field position.
“I think it is a good thing that Coach Ball has confidence in me knowing that I have made a couple of bad plays,” Smith said. “At Oklahoma State I ran deep from the end zone and fumbled against South Carolina. By him putting me back out there I think that is a very good thing.”
ANOTHER ROUGH DAY
For the second straight practice, Richt said his team lacked much enthusiasm on the field, but he said he’s not concerned that the team will lack energy by game day.
“Today we were a little lethargic, I thought. There was not a ton of energy, but we grinded and we got it done. I think the boys are probably a little bit tired, but that’s the beauty of Thursday and Friday.”
From the Mailbag: Murray Hurt, Reshad's Flag and Talking About Kickoffs
Happy Wednesday ladies and gents. I wanted to take a quick moment to remind you that we'll be continuing with our weekly chat sessions once again, and I'll be chatting live at Macon.com/ugachat tomorrow (Thursday) at noon.
Here's what you can do: Go to Macon.com/ugachat now. Press the "play" button and submit your questions early. Then check back tomorrow at noon (or any time after) and get the answers. Or if you're bored at work and you take a late lunch break, just check in live as the chat is happening.
In the meantime, let's whet your appetite with a few mailbag questions today...
Chip F. writes: do you know why aaron murray did not throw at all during warmups saturday?
DH: Yes, Murray is currently day-to-day with what is described as triceps tendinitis. When I spoke with him last week, he had his elbow wrapped. I inquired as to the reason, and he said it was just normal soreness from throwing. But as Chip points out, he didn't throw during Saturday's warmups, and the "soreness" turned out to be a bit more serious. At this point, however, it's just something being controlled with some rest right now and nothing to be too worried about. What it does signal, however, is that unless something happens to Logan Gray or Joe Cox the rest of the way, both Murray and Zach Mettenberger will be headed for redshirts.
Anonymous Suckup writes: I'm just curious whether the officials thought the hit was illegal in and of itself (facemask, blow to the head, etc.) or whether the officials flagged him for hitting the ball carrier after he stepped on the sideline a couple of steps earlier. In short, was it supposedly a late hit or a dirty hit?
DH: I spoke with Willie Martinez about this yesterday. He said the original call he got on the field Saturday was for a late hit out of bounds. He spoke to league officials later, however, and they clarified that it was actually a personal foul for a horse-collar tackle. Martinez said the coaches have reviewed the film and agreed with the call.
To your first point, however -- yes, the runner pretty clearly was out of bounds before the hit even occurred.
Jason writes: Following up on a couple of your points, I'm really curious to see if you could get a real answer as to why Samuel was out of the game for so long.
DH: Mike Bobo's answer is that it was a combination of wanting to rest Samuel after he had five touches on one drive followed by a series of play calls that required Carlton Thomas to be on the field, particularly the reverse to Branden Smith that went for a 61-yard touchdown. All of that is fine, but it still seems to me that 15 minutes of game time without your top running back touching the football is a mistake, particularly on a third-and-four on a crucial drive on which Georgia ended up being forced to punt.
jferg writes: Can you do a little digging into why our "nfl" DTs aren't making more plays? i just assumed that one of those two would get to the qb on a fairly consistent basis. yet, it seems as if so far this season, they are getting shut down. thoughts?
DH: Well, for one, those NFL DTs are playing a lot of DE. Geno Atkins was there throughout the first half of the Oklahoma State game and Jeff Owens took more than 30 snaps at defensive end against South Carolina. Georgia's coaches are essentially doing a lot of mixing and matching right now, but the return of Justin Houston this week should help calm the waters, so to speak.
Moreover, after talking to coaches, they seemed pretty pleased with the pressure the DTs got against South Carolina. What they were unhappy with was the containment. Georgia had plenty of men in the backfield -- Martinez estimated more than 50 percent of South Carolina's snaps resulted in significant pressure from Georgia's line -- but they couldn't bring Stephen Garcia down, and the Gamecocks QB was routinely able to step up in the pocket, avoid the rush, and either use his feet for short gains or dump the ball off to a receiver in the middle of the field.
Anonymous writes: Are Neland Ball and Christian Robinson still on the roster? Just curious as I have not seen them and apparently Ball's little brother turned to the dark side.
DH: Yup, they're both on the team, but neither is playing much. Ball and Jeremy Longo have been slow to recover from offseason injuries and have not seen the field. Robinson actually got some positive reviews during fall camp, but a mix of depth at linebacker and the missed reps he had during his freshman season last year have kept him shuffled to the back of the pack. Charles White and Akeem Hebron are in a similar situation. We may see a bit more of at least one or two of them this week, however, with Nick Williams questionable and Darius Dewberry out for a second straight game. That being said, the coaches have already taken the step of moving Marcus Washington back to linebacker to help fill the void, so they obviously aren't particularly enthused with the idea of using Robinson, White or Hebron in key situations.
Michael writes: kickoffs? we're talking about kickoffs? its the simplest, most fundamental play of the game. the coach has been here for how many years now? and we're still discussing our strategy on kickoffs? seriously. we're talking about kickoffs. kickoffs. kickoffs? not the game, not the game. kickoffs. not the game, the university of georgia bulldogs are debating what they should do on kickoffs. kickoffs.
DH: Not a punt… not a punt… talkin' about kickoffs. What are we talking about here? Kickoffs. They might return one deep kickoff this year, and that's enough. If I can't kick deep, I can't kick deep. It's as simple as that. You know what I'm saying? We're just talking about kickoffs. We're sitting here… Georgia's supposed to be a franchise program, and we're sitting here talking about kickoffs. Not the game that they go out there and die for. Talking about kickoffs. I'm not shoving it aside like it don't mean anything. But what are we talking about, man? We're talking about kickoffs.
Dekalb writes: I am a Bulldogs Blog enthusiast and avid reader. I read the blog on my Blackberry a lot of times, and lately I can't read it on there because the page is too large to load with all the updates on it. Not sure if it is something you can fix, but I was talking to some of my buddies while we were in Athens this weekend, and they have been having the same problem.
DH: I heard this complaint from a few people, so I checked into it. Apparently the problem is that I've simply been posting too much. The settings on the blog left all posts from the previous seven days up on the main page, and since I've been posting more during the season, that managed to overwhelm the Blackberries. I changed the settings so now just the last 15 posts are on the main page, so hopefully that will help. If anyone is still having trouble though, let me know and I'll continue to work on the problem.
OK, that's it for now. Don't forget to submit your questions and check back tomorrow for our live chat at Macon.com/ugachat.
Here's what you can do: Go to Macon.com/ugachat now. Press the "play" button and submit your questions early. Then check back tomorrow at noon (or any time after) and get the answers. Or if you're bored at work and you take a late lunch break, just check in live as the chat is happening.
In the meantime, let's whet your appetite with a few mailbag questions today...
Chip F. writes: do you know why aaron murray did not throw at all during warmups saturday?
DH: Yes, Murray is currently day-to-day with what is described as triceps tendinitis. When I spoke with him last week, he had his elbow wrapped. I inquired as to the reason, and he said it was just normal soreness from throwing. But as Chip points out, he didn't throw during Saturday's warmups, and the "soreness" turned out to be a bit more serious. At this point, however, it's just something being controlled with some rest right now and nothing to be too worried about. What it does signal, however, is that unless something happens to Logan Gray or Joe Cox the rest of the way, both Murray and Zach Mettenberger will be headed for redshirts.
Anonymous Suckup writes: I'm just curious whether the officials thought the hit was illegal in and of itself (facemask, blow to the head, etc.) or whether the officials flagged him for hitting the ball carrier after he stepped on the sideline a couple of steps earlier. In short, was it supposedly a late hit or a dirty hit?
DH: I spoke with Willie Martinez about this yesterday. He said the original call he got on the field Saturday was for a late hit out of bounds. He spoke to league officials later, however, and they clarified that it was actually a personal foul for a horse-collar tackle. Martinez said the coaches have reviewed the film and agreed with the call.
To your first point, however -- yes, the runner pretty clearly was out of bounds before the hit even occurred.
Jason writes: Following up on a couple of your points, I'm really curious to see if you could get a real answer as to why Samuel was out of the game for so long.
DH: Mike Bobo's answer is that it was a combination of wanting to rest Samuel after he had five touches on one drive followed by a series of play calls that required Carlton Thomas to be on the field, particularly the reverse to Branden Smith that went for a 61-yard touchdown. All of that is fine, but it still seems to me that 15 minutes of game time without your top running back touching the football is a mistake, particularly on a third-and-four on a crucial drive on which Georgia ended up being forced to punt.
jferg writes: Can you do a little digging into why our "nfl" DTs aren't making more plays? i just assumed that one of those two would get to the qb on a fairly consistent basis. yet, it seems as if so far this season, they are getting shut down. thoughts?
DH: Well, for one, those NFL DTs are playing a lot of DE. Geno Atkins was there throughout the first half of the Oklahoma State game and Jeff Owens took more than 30 snaps at defensive end against South Carolina. Georgia's coaches are essentially doing a lot of mixing and matching right now, but the return of Justin Houston this week should help calm the waters, so to speak.
Moreover, after talking to coaches, they seemed pretty pleased with the pressure the DTs got against South Carolina. What they were unhappy with was the containment. Georgia had plenty of men in the backfield -- Martinez estimated more than 50 percent of South Carolina's snaps resulted in significant pressure from Georgia's line -- but they couldn't bring Stephen Garcia down, and the Gamecocks QB was routinely able to step up in the pocket, avoid the rush, and either use his feet for short gains or dump the ball off to a receiver in the middle of the field.
Anonymous writes: Are Neland Ball and Christian Robinson still on the roster? Just curious as I have not seen them and apparently Ball's little brother turned to the dark side.
DH: Yup, they're both on the team, but neither is playing much. Ball and Jeremy Longo have been slow to recover from offseason injuries and have not seen the field. Robinson actually got some positive reviews during fall camp, but a mix of depth at linebacker and the missed reps he had during his freshman season last year have kept him shuffled to the back of the pack. Charles White and Akeem Hebron are in a similar situation. We may see a bit more of at least one or two of them this week, however, with Nick Williams questionable and Darius Dewberry out for a second straight game. That being said, the coaches have already taken the step of moving Marcus Washington back to linebacker to help fill the void, so they obviously aren't particularly enthused with the idea of using Robinson, White or Hebron in key situations.
Michael writes: kickoffs? we're talking about kickoffs? its the simplest, most fundamental play of the game. the coach has been here for how many years now? and we're still discussing our strategy on kickoffs? seriously. we're talking about kickoffs. kickoffs. kickoffs? not the game, not the game. kickoffs. not the game, the university of georgia bulldogs are debating what they should do on kickoffs. kickoffs.
DH: Not a punt… not a punt… talkin' about kickoffs. What are we talking about here? Kickoffs. They might return one deep kickoff this year, and that's enough. If I can't kick deep, I can't kick deep. It's as simple as that. You know what I'm saying? We're just talking about kickoffs. We're sitting here… Georgia's supposed to be a franchise program, and we're sitting here talking about kickoffs. Not the game that they go out there and die for. Talking about kickoffs. I'm not shoving it aside like it don't mean anything. But what are we talking about, man? We're talking about kickoffs.
Dekalb writes: I am a Bulldogs Blog enthusiast and avid reader. I read the blog on my Blackberry a lot of times, and lately I can't read it on there because the page is too large to load with all the updates on it. Not sure if it is something you can fix, but I was talking to some of my buddies while we were in Athens this weekend, and they have been having the same problem.
DH: I heard this complaint from a few people, so I checked into it. Apparently the problem is that I've simply been posting too much. The settings on the blog left all posts from the previous seven days up on the main page, and since I've been posting more during the season, that managed to overwhelm the Blackberries. I changed the settings so now just the last 15 posts are on the main page, so hopefully that will help. If anyone is still having trouble though, let me know and I'll continue to work on the problem.
OK, that's it for now. Don't forget to submit your questions and check back tomorrow for our live chat at Macon.com/ugachat.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Notebook: Ball Clears Up the Confusion
Receivers Michael Moore and Marlon Brown both said their coach, Tony Ball, lost track of who had played during the game, leaving Brown and fellow freshman Rantavious Wooten on the sideline and Moore, A.J. Green and Tavarres King handling nearly every snap.
As it turned out, however, Ball said the decision not to play the freshmen was dictated by the game situations rather than an oversight.
“The timing, just the things that were happening and needing to make something happen and get something going, what better way to do that then to have your best players in there,” Ball said. “The intention was to play them, and the season is still young, so they’ll play. They just have to be patient. You’ve got to get A.J. and Mike and Tavarres flowing before you start subbing people.”
While neither Brown nor Wooten saw action against Oklahoma State, Ball said there’s every indication that both will play this week against South Carolina, but their rolls will likely be dictated once again by how the game unfolds.
“They’ll play, but if you were to ask me how many plays, I couldn’t tell you,” Ball said. “I think what you’re seeing this week is you’re seeing their legs come back and looking a lot more sudden and explosive, and that’s encouraging. Last week, you could still see the sluggishness in their performance.”
KING, DEWBERRY OUT
Richt said Tuesday he thought tailback Caleb King would be a near certainty for Georgia’s matchup against South Carolina, but after the sophomore failed to make it through any of this week’s practice sessions without soreness in his injured hamstring, Richt downgraded his assessment to “doubtful.”
Multiple additional sources confirmed to the Telegraph that King would not be available for the game, leaving sophomore Richard Samuel as the Bulldogs’ primary ball carrier. Samuel had 87 yards on 20 carries in Georgia’s opener.
King said Wednesday he wasn’t sure when he would return to action, but Richt said the primary obstacle for the tailback now is simply rebuilding the strength in his hamtring.
“We don’t really have any set limitation on him other than how far can he go before it fatigues and the last couple days he hasn’t been able to go too far into practice,” Richt said.
Linebacker Darius Dewberry was Georgia’s starting Sam linebacker for its opener against Oklahoma State, but the senior from Peach County tweaked a muscle and Richt said he’ll miss Saturday’s contest.
UNDER PRESSURE
Georgia’s defense didn’t record a single sack against Oklahoma State, but senior tackle Jeff Owens said it wasn’t for a lack of trying.
The Cowboys’ spread offense made getting to the quarterback a difficult task, as Zac Robinson ran few five- or seven-step drops, but that shouldn’t be as much of an issue against South Carolina and quarterback Stephen Garcia this week – and that’s news that has Georgia’s defense excited.
“That’s something you look forward to being a defensive lineman and they won’t be in shotgun the whole time, so hopefully we can apply some pressure and get some sacks,” senior defensive end Rod Battle said.
Saturday’s game will also be the last for Georgia before sophomore defensive end Justin Houston returns from a two-game suspension, and while Battle said he thought the back-up pass rushers handled themselves nicely last week, he’s eager to take the field with a full compliment of defensive ends.
“I don’t think anybody got too tired due to depth problems, and I think they’re continuing to get better, but we’ll be glad when Houston gets back,” Battle said.
TEMPORARY SOLUTION
Defensive tackle Geno Atkins saw action at defensive end throughout Georgia’s opener against Oklahoma State, and line coach Rodney Garner said there were plans to use tackle Jeff Owens in a similar role, but the game plan may not look the same this week against South Carolina.
“Part of that had to do with a particular play that they like to run that the bigger, more physical, meaner the defensive end, the better for the couple things we do,” Richt said of the unique alignment against Oklahoma State. “It wasn’t so much that we’re short of D ends as it was a schematic thing we thought would help us.”
Georgia plays its last game without suspended defensive end Justin Houston this week, but Garner said the coaching staff hasn’t ruled out using Atkins, Owens or fellow tackle Kade Weston as pass rushers in the future.
“We feel like Geno and Jeff and Kade and all those guys are some of our better players and we feel like we need to keep them on the field,” Garner said.
ANOTHER PIECE TO THE PUZZLE
Georgia will have one more option at defensive end this year than it did against the Cowboys.
After missing the Bulldogs’ opener with a shoulder injury, Kiante Tripp returned to practice this week and is cleared to play in Saturday’s game. How many snaps he’ll see, however, is still undetermined.
“He’s able to play, but how much he’ll play, if he plays, I don’t know that answer,” Richt said.
BROTHERLY LOVE
Freshman defensive lineman Kwame Geathers said he hadn’t even graduated high school yet before he started talking trash to his older brother about this week’s Georgia-South Carolina game.
Clifton Geathers, Kwame’s brother, is a defensive end for South Carolina, and Saturday’s game marks the first time the two brothers will face off against one another.
“I was talking smack to him and he was talking smack to me, but it’s going to be very exciting to see him on the other side,” Kwame Geathers said. “I don’t say anything about the game plan, just about who’s going to win and how good he’s going to do.”
Geathers said he’ll have plenty of family members in attendance for the game, but he’s still not sure which team they’ll be rooting for.
“Hopefully when they come here and see our fans, they’ll switch their minds over to Georgia,” Geathers said. “Or go half-and-half at least”
WHAT CONDITION THEIR CONDITION IS IN
Rennie Curran was as surprised as anyone when he had to take a seat on the sideline during last Saturday’s game and get IV fluids. He was one of several Bulldogs to need fluids after suffering from dehydration and cramping under the Oklahoma sun, and the physical limitations were an unexpected twist, Curran said, following an offseason of particularly grueling conditioning.
“I really don’t know what it was because the whole entire offseason we trained in the heat in the hottest time of the day,” Curran said. “I felt like we had put in our work, we had trained well and I don’t know if it was the turf or the atmosphere, but we got IVs, came back out and finished strong.”
LIVING THE DREAM
When Georgia’s team bus pulled up next to the plane the team was taking to Oklahoma last week, freshman quarterback Aaron Murray knew he’d finally made the big time.
“Getting on the plane and the bus actually drove to the plane, it was pretty cool, all that stuff,” Murray said. “From the hotel to the meetings, the whole experience, I loved every minute of it.”
Well, everything but the final score, he said.
Despite the loss and the lack of playing time – Murray remains third on Georgia’s quarterback depth chart – he said the experience was invaluable, not to mention pretty entertaining.
“It was pretty crazy, especially being so close to the fans,” Murray said. “There was some crazy stuff being said. But it was entertaining just standing on the sideline listening to them.”
Of course, things will be a bit different this week as Murray gets his first taste of the home crowd and life in the SEC. It’s an experience he’s excited about, however. After soaking in the crowd of just more than 57,000 in Stillwater, Okla. last week, he can’t wait to see what game days in the SEC will be like.
“When they announced it right after halftime, like 50-some thousand, I was like, we have 90,000. Tennessee has 100,000,” Murray said. “It’s going to be crazy in those games and I’m excited for this weekend.”
UP ON DOWTIN
Marcus Dowtin didn’t figure to get a ton of playing time against Oklahoma State, but after the sophomore linebacker saw increased action while several other players required IVs during the game, Curran said he’s gained confidence in his young teammate to get the job done on a more routine basis.
“It’s definitely impressive,” Curran said. “We always want to have young guys step in and he did a great job of keeping his poise. He did a great job on the goal line of just staying focused and making plays.”
RICHT'S RESPONSE
To those of you wonder, no, Richt wasn't thrilled about the report that Logan Gray would start Saturday, but he took it well for the most part. Still, when a reporter inquired as to how open practice might be today, Richt made sure he underscored where his frustration with the media rumors has taken the program.
"Even some of the people that might be out there on an earlier weekday, we try to shut it completely down," Richt said of practice. "But if one of the coaches' kids wanted to be there or my dad wanted to watch it, we're not going to say nobody. We try to close it down. We've told the players, usually parents are allowed, but there's so much going on to tell writers, stories and stuff like that. For some reason, they feel good when they see a little something they can tell the world. It makes them feel important, I guess. And the more of that that happens, the harder it makes it to say, 'Come on out and enjoy the day.' There are some things you could see that are very obvious to even my mother that we're doing this or that, and she might tell her girlfriend and she tells her son and then it's on the Net. I don't think you can stop it, but we try to control it a little bit. Maybe."
I guess this is as good a time as any to admit it: Richt's mom has been my source all along.
I'm kidding, of course, but there may be a silver lining to all this.
As Seth Emerson at The State reports via Twitter, South Carolina defensive coach Ellis Johnson is now a believer that he's going to see Logan Gray this weekend.
As it turned out, however, Ball said the decision not to play the freshmen was dictated by the game situations rather than an oversight.
“The timing, just the things that were happening and needing to make something happen and get something going, what better way to do that then to have your best players in there,” Ball said. “The intention was to play them, and the season is still young, so they’ll play. They just have to be patient. You’ve got to get A.J. and Mike and Tavarres flowing before you start subbing people.”
While neither Brown nor Wooten saw action against Oklahoma State, Ball said there’s every indication that both will play this week against South Carolina, but their rolls will likely be dictated once again by how the game unfolds.
“They’ll play, but if you were to ask me how many plays, I couldn’t tell you,” Ball said. “I think what you’re seeing this week is you’re seeing their legs come back and looking a lot more sudden and explosive, and that’s encouraging. Last week, you could still see the sluggishness in their performance.”
KING, DEWBERRY OUT
Richt said Tuesday he thought tailback Caleb King would be a near certainty for Georgia’s matchup against South Carolina, but after the sophomore failed to make it through any of this week’s practice sessions without soreness in his injured hamstring, Richt downgraded his assessment to “doubtful.”
Multiple additional sources confirmed to the Telegraph that King would not be available for the game, leaving sophomore Richard Samuel as the Bulldogs’ primary ball carrier. Samuel had 87 yards on 20 carries in Georgia’s opener.
King said Wednesday he wasn’t sure when he would return to action, but Richt said the primary obstacle for the tailback now is simply rebuilding the strength in his hamtring.
“We don’t really have any set limitation on him other than how far can he go before it fatigues and the last couple days he hasn’t been able to go too far into practice,” Richt said.
Linebacker Darius Dewberry was Georgia’s starting Sam linebacker for its opener against Oklahoma State, but the senior from Peach County tweaked a muscle and Richt said he’ll miss Saturday’s contest.
UNDER PRESSURE
Georgia’s defense didn’t record a single sack against Oklahoma State, but senior tackle Jeff Owens said it wasn’t for a lack of trying.
The Cowboys’ spread offense made getting to the quarterback a difficult task, as Zac Robinson ran few five- or seven-step drops, but that shouldn’t be as much of an issue against South Carolina and quarterback Stephen Garcia this week – and that’s news that has Georgia’s defense excited.
“That’s something you look forward to being a defensive lineman and they won’t be in shotgun the whole time, so hopefully we can apply some pressure and get some sacks,” senior defensive end Rod Battle said.
Saturday’s game will also be the last for Georgia before sophomore defensive end Justin Houston returns from a two-game suspension, and while Battle said he thought the back-up pass rushers handled themselves nicely last week, he’s eager to take the field with a full compliment of defensive ends.
“I don’t think anybody got too tired due to depth problems, and I think they’re continuing to get better, but we’ll be glad when Houston gets back,” Battle said.
TEMPORARY SOLUTION
Defensive tackle Geno Atkins saw action at defensive end throughout Georgia’s opener against Oklahoma State, and line coach Rodney Garner said there were plans to use tackle Jeff Owens in a similar role, but the game plan may not look the same this week against South Carolina.
“Part of that had to do with a particular play that they like to run that the bigger, more physical, meaner the defensive end, the better for the couple things we do,” Richt said of the unique alignment against Oklahoma State. “It wasn’t so much that we’re short of D ends as it was a schematic thing we thought would help us.”
Georgia plays its last game without suspended defensive end Justin Houston this week, but Garner said the coaching staff hasn’t ruled out using Atkins, Owens or fellow tackle Kade Weston as pass rushers in the future.
“We feel like Geno and Jeff and Kade and all those guys are some of our better players and we feel like we need to keep them on the field,” Garner said.
ANOTHER PIECE TO THE PUZZLE
Georgia will have one more option at defensive end this year than it did against the Cowboys.
After missing the Bulldogs’ opener with a shoulder injury, Kiante Tripp returned to practice this week and is cleared to play in Saturday’s game. How many snaps he’ll see, however, is still undetermined.
“He’s able to play, but how much he’ll play, if he plays, I don’t know that answer,” Richt said.
BROTHERLY LOVE
Freshman defensive lineman Kwame Geathers said he hadn’t even graduated high school yet before he started talking trash to his older brother about this week’s Georgia-South Carolina game.
Clifton Geathers, Kwame’s brother, is a defensive end for South Carolina, and Saturday’s game marks the first time the two brothers will face off against one another.
“I was talking smack to him and he was talking smack to me, but it’s going to be very exciting to see him on the other side,” Kwame Geathers said. “I don’t say anything about the game plan, just about who’s going to win and how good he’s going to do.”
Geathers said he’ll have plenty of family members in attendance for the game, but he’s still not sure which team they’ll be rooting for.
“Hopefully when they come here and see our fans, they’ll switch their minds over to Georgia,” Geathers said. “Or go half-and-half at least”
WHAT CONDITION THEIR CONDITION IS IN
Rennie Curran was as surprised as anyone when he had to take a seat on the sideline during last Saturday’s game and get IV fluids. He was one of several Bulldogs to need fluids after suffering from dehydration and cramping under the Oklahoma sun, and the physical limitations were an unexpected twist, Curran said, following an offseason of particularly grueling conditioning.
“I really don’t know what it was because the whole entire offseason we trained in the heat in the hottest time of the day,” Curran said. “I felt like we had put in our work, we had trained well and I don’t know if it was the turf or the atmosphere, but we got IVs, came back out and finished strong.”
LIVING THE DREAM
When Georgia’s team bus pulled up next to the plane the team was taking to Oklahoma last week, freshman quarterback Aaron Murray knew he’d finally made the big time.
“Getting on the plane and the bus actually drove to the plane, it was pretty cool, all that stuff,” Murray said. “From the hotel to the meetings, the whole experience, I loved every minute of it.”
Well, everything but the final score, he said.
Despite the loss and the lack of playing time – Murray remains third on Georgia’s quarterback depth chart – he said the experience was invaluable, not to mention pretty entertaining.
“It was pretty crazy, especially being so close to the fans,” Murray said. “There was some crazy stuff being said. But it was entertaining just standing on the sideline listening to them.”
Of course, things will be a bit different this week as Murray gets his first taste of the home crowd and life in the SEC. It’s an experience he’s excited about, however. After soaking in the crowd of just more than 57,000 in Stillwater, Okla. last week, he can’t wait to see what game days in the SEC will be like.
“When they announced it right after halftime, like 50-some thousand, I was like, we have 90,000. Tennessee has 100,000,” Murray said. “It’s going to be crazy in those games and I’m excited for this weekend.”
UP ON DOWTIN
Marcus Dowtin didn’t figure to get a ton of playing time against Oklahoma State, but after the sophomore linebacker saw increased action while several other players required IVs during the game, Curran said he’s gained confidence in his young teammate to get the job done on a more routine basis.
“It’s definitely impressive,” Curran said. “We always want to have young guys step in and he did a great job of keeping his poise. He did a great job on the goal line of just staying focused and making plays.”
RICHT'S RESPONSE
To those of you wonder, no, Richt wasn't thrilled about the report that Logan Gray would start Saturday, but he took it well for the most part. Still, when a reporter inquired as to how open practice might be today, Richt made sure he underscored where his frustration with the media rumors has taken the program.
"Even some of the people that might be out there on an earlier weekday, we try to shut it completely down," Richt said of practice. "But if one of the coaches' kids wanted to be there or my dad wanted to watch it, we're not going to say nobody. We try to close it down. We've told the players, usually parents are allowed, but there's so much going on to tell writers, stories and stuff like that. For some reason, they feel good when they see a little something they can tell the world. It makes them feel important, I guess. And the more of that that happens, the harder it makes it to say, 'Come on out and enjoy the day.' There are some things you could see that are very obvious to even my mother that we're doing this or that, and she might tell her girlfriend and she tells her son and then it's on the Net. I don't think you can stop it, but we try to control it a little bit. Maybe."
I guess this is as good a time as any to admit it: Richt's mom has been my source all along.
I'm kidding, of course, but there may be a silver lining to all this.
As Seth Emerson at The State reports via Twitter, South Carolina defensive coach Ellis Johnson is now a believer that he's going to see Logan Gray this weekend.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Owens, Atkins, Green on Watch Lists
From UGA release...
Georgia defensive tackles Geno Atkins and Jeff Owens and receiver A.J. Green and have been named to preseason "Watch Lists" for national awards. Atkins and Owens are both being considered for the Outland Trophy, which is given to the top interior lineman in the country, while
Green is a candidate for the Biletnikoff Award, presented annually to the nation's outstanding college football receiver.
Georgia defensive tackles Geno Atkins and Jeff Owens and receiver A.J. Green and have been named to preseason "Watch Lists" for national awards. Atkins and Owens are both being considered for the Outland Trophy, which is given to the top interior lineman in the country, while
Green is a candidate for the Biletnikoff Award, presented annually to the nation's outstanding college football receiver.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Practice Notes: Houston's Spirits Still High
Justin Houston won't be on the field for the first two games of Georgia's season, but that hasn't hindered his preparation.
The sophomore defensive end had a breakthrough spring and was expected to be the anchor of Georgia's pass rush, but a two-game suspension for violating team rules threatened to put the breaks on his growth. Instead of sulking, however, head coach Mark Richt said Houston has handled his punishment with maturity and gone right back to work.
"He's got a wonderful attitude," Richt said. "From the minute he had his issue, he was very remorseful. He took his discipline like a man and he's been working extremely hard. He understands he's got to pay a price, but he's anxious to get back into games."
Despite the suspension and a minor hamstring injury, Houston tackled his offseason with as much vigor as he did during a masterful spring in which he was one of just two healthy defensive ends.
Despite the suspension, Houston never missed a voluntary workout, and the results were obvious. When Georgia's players hit maxed out in the weight room at the end of their offseason conditioning, Houston set the team record for power cleans, lifting 420 pounds.
"He's been really good about it," defensive end Demarcus Dobbs said. "He's been coming to all the workouts, showing up on time and being a great leader to those other guys. Even though he's had this setback, he doesn't show it."
HAPPY IN THE MIDDLE
During his preseason news conference, Richt joked that he'd be far happier if Georgia was ranked No. 2 than No. 1 in the first polls of the season. Starting at the top didn't suit his team well a year ago.
As it turns out, he won't have much to worry about this preseason. The Bulldogs were ranked 13th in the first USA Today/Coaches' Poll, released Friday. The news didn't come as much of a surprise to Richt.
"I figured we'd be somewhere in there," he said.
The No. 13 ranking is the same place Georgia started in 2007 when the Bulldogs wound up winning the Sugar Bowl and finishing the season at No. 2 in the poll. With a difficult schedule that includes 11 BCS-conference opponents, Richt said the opportunity for a similar performance is there this season.
"Our schedule is set for if we have success, we'll move up, no doubt," he said.
A WHIRLWIND START
The NCAA mandates players have five days in shorts and shoulder pads before they can participate in contact drills during the preseason, and freshman lineman Kwame Geathers was already behind schedule after failing to earn NCAA clearance to report to camp until Thursday.
His first day in Athens was a whirlwind, Richt said, as the team rushed him through a physical and some quick orientation to make sure that the five-day clock started immediately.
Geathers' first practice Friday included little beyond running and conditioning, something Richt said the freshman needs to do a lot of during the coming days.
"It's very evident when you see a guy come in that late compared to a guy who has been here all summer, working with our strength staff all summer, working in the heat of the day, having veterans be able to teach him the ropes on and off the field," Richt said. "He's behind because he wasn't here, and we understand that. We'll be pushing him, but we can only go so quick."
GETTING HIS FEET WET
Senior linebacker Marcus Washington spent the majority of Friday's practice working with the defensive ends. Washington, who missed all of the 2008 season, spent some time as a stand-up rusher during spring practice, and Richt said the senior will continue to work at the new position regularly.
"He was working at defensive end in pass rush, in inside drills and a little bit in 11-on-11," Richt said. "He's starting to learn how to line up. We're seeing what kind of a knack Marcus has."
Richt said the plan is to use Washington at linebacker during traditional defensive sets and move him up to the line of scrimmage when the defense shifts to a nickel package.
A STYLIST'S NIGHTMARE
It's tradition for Georgia freshmen to get their heads shaved by their veteran teammates each preseason, but linebacker Chase Vasser is hoping to avoid the embarrassment. Already sporting some flowing locks, Vasser earned the name "Cush" due to his resemblance to former USC linebacker Brian Cushing.
Hoping to avoid the haircut, Vasser said he struck up a deal with senior Darius Dewberry in which, rather than going completely bald, the freshman can't cut his hair for a full year.
"I said I'll grow it out long for a year, so as of right now, I'll be growing it out long," Vasser said. "I've never had it shaved before, and I don't know if I might have a giant mole under there or something."
A NEW 105
Until classes begin, Georgia can only have 105 players in camp, which limits the number of walk-ons and injured players who can participate in practice. For the first few days, offensive lineman Josh Davis, who is recovering from two offseason shoulder surgeries, didn't make the cut, but a hamstring injury to redshirt freshman Johnathan Owens caused Richt to make a switch.
"We're doing it mainly because of (Davis') ability to teach the young players what to do," Richt said. "If we're going to have two guys injured, you might as well have a veteran in there."
Owens is only expected to miss about seven to 10 days, but his return will coincide with the start of classes and reduced roster restrictions.
Davis is expected to miss the majority of the preseason and will not be ready for game action in time for Georgia's opener against Oklahoma State on Sept. 5.
A QUICK RETURN?
Safety Reshad Jones sat out a second straight practice with a hamstring injury, but he hopes to make a prompt return to action.
Jones hurt the hamstring originally over the summer during a conditioning drill and said he re-injured it during one-on-one drills Thursday. While he understands the risk of trying to come back too quickly, Jones said he's doing everything he can to minimize his time off the field.
"I want to take it day by day, but I'm working hard in the training room doing everything possible to get back," Jones said.
Richt said the current timetable for Jones' return is a week to 10 days.
ALL ABOUT ATTITUDE
After four days of practice -- two in pads, two in shells -- Richt said it's hard to get too much of a gauge for the season so far. But while he sees plenty of mistakes from the youngsters, he likes the hustle the players have shown on the field.
"It's obvious there's a lot of guys who don't know what to do exactly the way coach wants it done every time, but the attitude, effort, coachability, enthusiasm, very good, and that's crucial," Richt said. "So to this point, I'm pretty pleased."
DAY FOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Once again, it was the defense that highlighted the day's practice session by creating a couple of key turnovers.
Richt said excellent coverage on a passing play by Darius Dewberry led to a nifty interception by Prince Miller, which Miller returned for a score. Defensive tackle Geno Atkins also drew praise for picking off a pass and returning it for a touchdown on a play Richt called, "a thing of beauty."
The sophomore defensive end had a breakthrough spring and was expected to be the anchor of Georgia's pass rush, but a two-game suspension for violating team rules threatened to put the breaks on his growth. Instead of sulking, however, head coach Mark Richt said Houston has handled his punishment with maturity and gone right back to work.
"He's got a wonderful attitude," Richt said. "From the minute he had his issue, he was very remorseful. He took his discipline like a man and he's been working extremely hard. He understands he's got to pay a price, but he's anxious to get back into games."
Despite the suspension and a minor hamstring injury, Houston tackled his offseason with as much vigor as he did during a masterful spring in which he was one of just two healthy defensive ends.
Despite the suspension, Houston never missed a voluntary workout, and the results were obvious. When Georgia's players hit maxed out in the weight room at the end of their offseason conditioning, Houston set the team record for power cleans, lifting 420 pounds.
"He's been really good about it," defensive end Demarcus Dobbs said. "He's been coming to all the workouts, showing up on time and being a great leader to those other guys. Even though he's had this setback, he doesn't show it."
HAPPY IN THE MIDDLE
During his preseason news conference, Richt joked that he'd be far happier if Georgia was ranked No. 2 than No. 1 in the first polls of the season. Starting at the top didn't suit his team well a year ago.
As it turns out, he won't have much to worry about this preseason. The Bulldogs were ranked 13th in the first USA Today/Coaches' Poll, released Friday. The news didn't come as much of a surprise to Richt.
"I figured we'd be somewhere in there," he said.
The No. 13 ranking is the same place Georgia started in 2007 when the Bulldogs wound up winning the Sugar Bowl and finishing the season at No. 2 in the poll. With a difficult schedule that includes 11 BCS-conference opponents, Richt said the opportunity for a similar performance is there this season.
"Our schedule is set for if we have success, we'll move up, no doubt," he said.
A WHIRLWIND START
The NCAA mandates players have five days in shorts and shoulder pads before they can participate in contact drills during the preseason, and freshman lineman Kwame Geathers was already behind schedule after failing to earn NCAA clearance to report to camp until Thursday.
His first day in Athens was a whirlwind, Richt said, as the team rushed him through a physical and some quick orientation to make sure that the five-day clock started immediately.
Geathers' first practice Friday included little beyond running and conditioning, something Richt said the freshman needs to do a lot of during the coming days.
"It's very evident when you see a guy come in that late compared to a guy who has been here all summer, working with our strength staff all summer, working in the heat of the day, having veterans be able to teach him the ropes on and off the field," Richt said. "He's behind because he wasn't here, and we understand that. We'll be pushing him, but we can only go so quick."
GETTING HIS FEET WET
Senior linebacker Marcus Washington spent the majority of Friday's practice working with the defensive ends. Washington, who missed all of the 2008 season, spent some time as a stand-up rusher during spring practice, and Richt said the senior will continue to work at the new position regularly.
"He was working at defensive end in pass rush, in inside drills and a little bit in 11-on-11," Richt said. "He's starting to learn how to line up. We're seeing what kind of a knack Marcus has."
Richt said the plan is to use Washington at linebacker during traditional defensive sets and move him up to the line of scrimmage when the defense shifts to a nickel package.
A STYLIST'S NIGHTMARE
It's tradition for Georgia freshmen to get their heads shaved by their veteran teammates each preseason, but linebacker Chase Vasser is hoping to avoid the embarrassment. Already sporting some flowing locks, Vasser earned the name "Cush" due to his resemblance to former USC linebacker Brian Cushing.
Hoping to avoid the haircut, Vasser said he struck up a deal with senior Darius Dewberry in which, rather than going completely bald, the freshman can't cut his hair for a full year.
"I said I'll grow it out long for a year, so as of right now, I'll be growing it out long," Vasser said. "I've never had it shaved before, and I don't know if I might have a giant mole under there or something."
A NEW 105
Until classes begin, Georgia can only have 105 players in camp, which limits the number of walk-ons and injured players who can participate in practice. For the first few days, offensive lineman Josh Davis, who is recovering from two offseason shoulder surgeries, didn't make the cut, but a hamstring injury to redshirt freshman Johnathan Owens caused Richt to make a switch.
"We're doing it mainly because of (Davis') ability to teach the young players what to do," Richt said. "If we're going to have two guys injured, you might as well have a veteran in there."
Owens is only expected to miss about seven to 10 days, but his return will coincide with the start of classes and reduced roster restrictions.
Davis is expected to miss the majority of the preseason and will not be ready for game action in time for Georgia's opener against Oklahoma State on Sept. 5.
A QUICK RETURN?
Safety Reshad Jones sat out a second straight practice with a hamstring injury, but he hopes to make a prompt return to action.
Jones hurt the hamstring originally over the summer during a conditioning drill and said he re-injured it during one-on-one drills Thursday. While he understands the risk of trying to come back too quickly, Jones said he's doing everything he can to minimize his time off the field.
"I want to take it day by day, but I'm working hard in the training room doing everything possible to get back," Jones said.
Richt said the current timetable for Jones' return is a week to 10 days.
ALL ABOUT ATTITUDE
After four days of practice -- two in pads, two in shells -- Richt said it's hard to get too much of a gauge for the season so far. But while he sees plenty of mistakes from the youngsters, he likes the hustle the players have shown on the field.
"It's obvious there's a lot of guys who don't know what to do exactly the way coach wants it done every time, but the attitude, effort, coachability, enthusiasm, very good, and that's crucial," Richt said. "So to this point, I'm pretty pleased."
DAY FOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Once again, it was the defense that highlighted the day's practice session by creating a couple of key turnovers.
Richt said excellent coverage on a passing play by Darius Dewberry led to a nifty interception by Prince Miller, which Miller returned for a score. Defensive tackle Geno Atkins also drew praise for picking off a pass and returning it for a touchdown on a play Richt called, "a thing of beauty."
Deleted Scenes: Dawgs' Strength Numbers
A lot of you have been asking, and I finally caved. I have a story in today's Telegraph on Georgia's offseason conditioning and the impressive strength numbers the players maxed out at last month.
Not all of the quotes I got from players made the final cut, but I wanted to share them here. Beyond that, I also acquired some of the top weight-room performances of the year along with this year's conditioning award winners...
Demarcus Dobbs on whether this has been the most intense offseason he's experienced...
"It has been. Our training staff has put us in a more strenuous workout than years past. They've been running us a lot more, and they're working on things that correlate into on the field. It's not just lifting weights, but stuff that's going to transition us toward getting on the field."
Dobbs on how the conditioning staff helped...
"The strength staff not only emphasized getting into shape, but we did a lot of stretching and things. We had a lot of hip flexors and hamstrings in the last camp, and we're doing a lot to emphasize those things to make sure we're healthy this year."
Shaun Chapas on the success of the offseason conditioning...
"I think we had a tremendous offseason going all the way back to January. We had great attendance, great participation, everybody was coming in every day and really working hard."
Jeff Owens on the importance of offseason conditioning...
"It starts during the offseason. All great teams have great offseason programs. This offseason, a lot of guys put a lot of effort into it and really wanted to get something out of it. I think it's going to transition onto the field."
Owens on using the weight room to avoid injuries...
"I think the weight room plays a big factor with injuries. The stronger you are, the more muscle you have, that prevents injuries. The more you lift, the more you stay in shape, the healthier you stay."
Caleb King on the offseason workout program...
"Coach Richt wanted to step up the summer program, and it really was stepped up. Everybody got tough and came out progressing."
King on who impressed him...
"Richard (Samuel) comes off that wrist injury, comes back squatting 500-something. That's pretty impressive, but he's always been strong in the weight room."
Dave Van Halanger on the atmosphere in the weight room...
"I've been around a lot of championship teams, and what you see different is the chemistry and morale. It's a special feeling, and you really know this is a special team. This team has all the attributes. I know every game our kids are going to fight their guts out. I believe that with all my heart. If we have the talent, Georgia will be real, real good."
Van Halanger on morale in the weight room...
"The chemistry is good, the morale is very good. They enjoy each other. They're a together team. They believe in each other. They believe in their leaders. This is a selfless team. They just want to win. They want to get it done, and they don't care who gets credit. This team has those intangibles. Now, do we have enough talent?"
Van Halanger on the freshmen performing...
"Wooten went from 162 pounds up to 175 since he got here at the beginning of the summer. Branden Smith, I don't think he lifted in a year, and now he loves coming in here. Little, skinny guys are making huge progress, so you can imagine what the other guys are doing."
Geno Atkins on the attitude toward offseason conditioning...
"We wanted to get stronger, faster, bigger to make sure that when we come out there for camp, everybody's healthy," Atkins said. "You want to treat your body like you'd treat a car – fuel it with the right stuff and tune it up to the max."
Bench Press
Defensive backs: Bryan Evans and Reshad Jones, 385 lbs
Defensive ends: Justin Houston, 435 lbs
Defensive tackles: Jeff Owens, 545 lbs
Specialists: Ty Frix and Blair Walsh, 285 lbs
Linebackers: Rennie Curran, 460 lbs
Off. linemen: Justin Anderson, 515 lbs
Quarterbacks: Joe Cox and Aaron Murray, 315 lbs
Fullbacks: Shaun Chapas, 390 lbs
Tailbacks: Dontavius Jackson, 375 lbs
Tight ends: Bryce Ros, 380 lbs
Wide receivers: Michael Moore, 380 lbs
Squats
Defensive backs: Prince Miller, 555 lbs
Defensive ends: Justin Houston, 600 lbs
Defensive tackles: Brandon Wood, 650 lbs
Specialists: Brandon Bogotay, 405 lbs
Linebackers: Rennie Curran, 615 lbs
Off. linemen: Vince Vance and Clint Boling, 620 lbs
Quarterbacks: Joe Cox, 425 lbs
Fullbacks: Shaun Chapas, 585 lbs
Tailbacks: Richard Samuel, 600 lbs
Tight ends: Orson Charles, 500 lbs
Wide receivers: A.J. Green, 450 lbs
Power Cleans
Defensive backs: Chad Gloer, 339 lbs
Defensive ends: Justin Houston, 420 lbs
Defensive tackles: Jeff Owens, 365 lbs
Specialists: Drew Butler, 280 lbs
Linebackers: Darius Dewberry, 391 lbs
Off. linemen: Vince Vance and Clint Boling, 353 lbs
Quarterbacks: Joe Cox, 316 lbs
Fullbacks: Shaun Chapas, 400 lbs
Tailbacks: Richard Samuel, 329 lbs
Tight ends: Aron White, 339 lbs
Wide receivers: A.J. Green and Craig Sager, 290 lbs
Power Index (Top 10)
1.) Rennie Curran
2.) Prince Miller
3.) Bryan Evans
4.) Brandon Boykin
5.) Carlton Thomas
6.) Darius Dewberry
7.) Reshad Jones
8.) Chad Gloer
9.) Richard Samuel
10.) Makiri Pugh
Award Winners:
Leon Farmer Award: Michael Moore (Sr./WR)
Leadership Award: Joe Cox (Sr./QB)
Top Lineman: Ben Jones (So./C)
Top Big Skill Position: Shaun Chapas (Jr./FB)
Top Small Skill Position: Prince Miller (Sr./CB)
Not all of the quotes I got from players made the final cut, but I wanted to share them here. Beyond that, I also acquired some of the top weight-room performances of the year along with this year's conditioning award winners...
Demarcus Dobbs on whether this has been the most intense offseason he's experienced...
"It has been. Our training staff has put us in a more strenuous workout than years past. They've been running us a lot more, and they're working on things that correlate into on the field. It's not just lifting weights, but stuff that's going to transition us toward getting on the field."
Dobbs on how the conditioning staff helped...
"The strength staff not only emphasized getting into shape, but we did a lot of stretching and things. We had a lot of hip flexors and hamstrings in the last camp, and we're doing a lot to emphasize those things to make sure we're healthy this year."
Shaun Chapas on the success of the offseason conditioning...
"I think we had a tremendous offseason going all the way back to January. We had great attendance, great participation, everybody was coming in every day and really working hard."
Jeff Owens on the importance of offseason conditioning...
"It starts during the offseason. All great teams have great offseason programs. This offseason, a lot of guys put a lot of effort into it and really wanted to get something out of it. I think it's going to transition onto the field."
Owens on using the weight room to avoid injuries...
"I think the weight room plays a big factor with injuries. The stronger you are, the more muscle you have, that prevents injuries. The more you lift, the more you stay in shape, the healthier you stay."
Caleb King on the offseason workout program...
"Coach Richt wanted to step up the summer program, and it really was stepped up. Everybody got tough and came out progressing."
King on who impressed him...
"Richard (Samuel) comes off that wrist injury, comes back squatting 500-something. That's pretty impressive, but he's always been strong in the weight room."
Dave Van Halanger on the atmosphere in the weight room...
"I've been around a lot of championship teams, and what you see different is the chemistry and morale. It's a special feeling, and you really know this is a special team. This team has all the attributes. I know every game our kids are going to fight their guts out. I believe that with all my heart. If we have the talent, Georgia will be real, real good."
Van Halanger on morale in the weight room...
"The chemistry is good, the morale is very good. They enjoy each other. They're a together team. They believe in each other. They believe in their leaders. This is a selfless team. They just want to win. They want to get it done, and they don't care who gets credit. This team has those intangibles. Now, do we have enough talent?"
Van Halanger on the freshmen performing...
"Wooten went from 162 pounds up to 175 since he got here at the beginning of the summer. Branden Smith, I don't think he lifted in a year, and now he loves coming in here. Little, skinny guys are making huge progress, so you can imagine what the other guys are doing."
Geno Atkins on the attitude toward offseason conditioning...
"We wanted to get stronger, faster, bigger to make sure that when we come out there for camp, everybody's healthy," Atkins said. "You want to treat your body like you'd treat a car – fuel it with the right stuff and tune it up to the max."
Georgia's Top Weight Room Performers, 2009
Bench Press
Defensive backs: Bryan Evans and Reshad Jones, 385 lbs
Defensive ends: Justin Houston, 435 lbs
Defensive tackles: Jeff Owens, 545 lbs
Specialists: Ty Frix and Blair Walsh, 285 lbs
Linebackers: Rennie Curran, 460 lbs
Off. linemen: Justin Anderson, 515 lbs
Quarterbacks: Joe Cox and Aaron Murray, 315 lbs
Fullbacks: Shaun Chapas, 390 lbs
Tailbacks: Dontavius Jackson, 375 lbs
Tight ends: Bryce Ros, 380 lbs
Wide receivers: Michael Moore, 380 lbs
Squats
Defensive backs: Prince Miller, 555 lbs
Defensive ends: Justin Houston, 600 lbs
Defensive tackles: Brandon Wood, 650 lbs
Specialists: Brandon Bogotay, 405 lbs
Linebackers: Rennie Curran, 615 lbs
Off. linemen: Vince Vance and Clint Boling, 620 lbs
Quarterbacks: Joe Cox, 425 lbs
Fullbacks: Shaun Chapas, 585 lbs
Tailbacks: Richard Samuel, 600 lbs
Tight ends: Orson Charles, 500 lbs
Wide receivers: A.J. Green, 450 lbs
Power Cleans
Defensive backs: Chad Gloer, 339 lbs
Defensive ends: Justin Houston, 420 lbs
Defensive tackles: Jeff Owens, 365 lbs
Specialists: Drew Butler, 280 lbs
Linebackers: Darius Dewberry, 391 lbs
Off. linemen: Vince Vance and Clint Boling, 353 lbs
Quarterbacks: Joe Cox, 316 lbs
Fullbacks: Shaun Chapas, 400 lbs
Tailbacks: Richard Samuel, 329 lbs
Tight ends: Aron White, 339 lbs
Wide receivers: A.J. Green and Craig Sager, 290 lbs
Power Index (Top 10)
1.) Rennie Curran
2.) Prince Miller
3.) Bryan Evans
4.) Brandon Boykin
5.) Carlton Thomas
6.) Darius Dewberry
7.) Reshad Jones
8.) Chad Gloer
9.) Richard Samuel
10.) Makiri Pugh
Award Winners:
Leon Farmer Award: Michael Moore (Sr./WR)
Leadership Award: Joe Cox (Sr./QB)
Top Lineman: Ben Jones (So./C)
Top Big Skill Position: Shaun Chapas (Jr./FB)
Top Small Skill Position: Prince Miller (Sr./CB)
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Media Days Notes: Slive Calls for 'Renewed Vows'
Commissioner Mike Slive gave SEC coaches a cease and desist order with regards to public mudslinging when they met in Destin, Fla., in June, a necessary step, he felt, with all the coaching turnover since the league adopted a compliance manifesto in 2004. He reiterated that message Wednesday.
"We cannot sustain our successes, which is now our ultimate goal, unless we avoid self inflicted wounds," Slive said, "unless we avoid calling attention to ourselves at the expense of others, and unless we remain committed to the conference, and, finally, unless we realize that we are inexorably tied to each other's athletic and academic successes, and we are tied to each other's athletic and academic failures."
Slive also addressed the spate of secondary recruiting violations that made big news this offseason. While Tennessee drew the most attention, Georgia self-reported several secondary violations, including excessive contact with recruits it attributed to a miscommunication between coaches. Slive claimed such violations were nothing new to intercollegiate athletics but did not brush them off, saying the conference reviews each report to determine its thoroughness and accuracy and reacts accordingly.
"When trends are detected, the penalties and corrective actions become more severe," he said. "As we told our coaches earlier this week in our SEC new coaches orientation program, any time any time they commit a secondary violation, they place themselves, their program, and the institution and the prospect at risk. The risk may be lost recruiting opportunities, lost ability to interact with prospects, and additional scrutiny for themselves and their program."
WHO DUNNIT?
Only three players were unanimous selections by the conference's coaches to the All-SEC team and the conference's most heralded player wasn't one of them. So on Day 1 of SEC Media Days, several reporters set out to find the coach who didn't vote for Tim Tebow.
"I don't know if you all are going to find the culprit," Vanderbilt's Bobby Johnson said, "but you can tell him it wasn't me."
Four SEC coaches took to the podium Wednesday and none confessed to leaving the former Heisman winner off their ballot. Tebow received 10 votes, and his coach, Urban Meyer, was not allowed to vote for anyone on his team.
The omission by the one anonymous coach seemed so odd that Arkansas' Bobby Petrino assumed the offending coach wasn't altogether coherent.
"I voted for Tebow," he said. "I'm not crazy."
Mississippi State's Dan Mullen, who was Tebow's offensive coordinator a year ago, was asked the question, too, and not surprisingly he had the Florida quarterback on his ballot as well.
The fourth coach to meet with reporters, Kentucky's Rich Brooks, said Tebow had burned the Wildcats so badly during the past two seasons that he had no choice but to vote for him, too.
So the mystery continues, whether or not anyone will actually admit to the snub.
A SCARY REPUTATION
A reporter asked Kentucky left tackle Zipp Duncan to name the toughest defensive linemen in the SEC to block. He didn't need much time to come up with his answer: Georgia's Geno Atkins.
"He's just a dynamic athlete," Duncan said. "He gets off the ball quick. He's got the speed to beat you and the strength to beat you, so he presents a really tough matchup."
PLENTY OF SEC ON ESPN
A new twist to the kickoff of SEC Media Days this year involved a special presentation by ESPN's John Wildhack, the network's executive vice president for programming acquisition.
ESPN and the SEC agreed to a new 15-year deal this year that will dramatically increase coverage of the league's sports, including football. Wildhack said 23 more SEC games would be televised this season than last year, including a regional game of the week, which will air on a newly launched platform called The SEC Network. Wildhack also said he expects SEC games to be featured more prominently on ESPN's regular Thursday night packages.
"Our goal is to serve the SEC football fan better than ever before," Wildhack said. "Last year, 77 million people watched SEC football on ESPN or ESPN2. We expect that number to increase significantly this season."
Each of Georgia's first three games will be carried on one of the network's platforms. The Bulldogs' opener against Oklahoma State kicks off at 3:30 p.m. on ABC, with the SEC opener against South Carolina a week later airing on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. Georgia's road date with Arkansas in Week 3 will be carried by either ESPN or ESPN2 and is set to kick off at 7:45 p.m.
RETURN ENGAGEMENT
New Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen knows that selling his team on a new system is no easy task, which is why he's so happy to have senior linebacker Jamar Chaney back in the fold has been such a blessing.
Chaney, who was originally a Georgia signee, figured to be the anchor of the Mississippi State defense a year ago, but a leg injury suffered in the first game cost him the entire season. He accepted a medical redshirt and decided to return to the Bulldogs for a second shot at his senior season – this time with a new head coach and a new role as salesman.
"From Day 1, he walked into my office and said, 'Coach, I'm going to believe in everything you're doing,'" Mullen said of Chaney. "Having a personality back like that, especially when you take over a new program, to help build that foundation of what we wanted the message we're trying to get across to our team … it's just fantastic."
PREPS AREN'T PREPARED
Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino thinks some changes need to be made in the way high school coaches are preparing quarterbacks for the next level. With more programs employing spread offenses, Petrino said many young quarterbacks aren't getting the necessary experience playing under center, and it's making the job of recruiting pocket passers a tough one for college coaches.
Petrino pointed to one of his own quarterbacks, Tyler Wilson, as a prime example of the problems of playing too much out of the shotgun. Wilson took every snap of his high school career in a no-huddle shotgun formation, and he has struggled since arriving at Arkansas with things as simple as the quarterback-center exchange or handoff placement on running plays.
The solution, Petrino said, might be mandating how high school coaches use their quarterbacks.
"I'm really happy that high schools are throwing the ball," Petrino said. "I just wish they would maybe put a rule in that they have to have at least 25, 40 percent from underneath center."
SLIM AND TRIM
Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett has always been described as having an NFL body. It's just a little slimmer now.
Mallett, the strong-armed, 6-foot-7 quarterback who emerged from the spring as the Razorbacks' projected starter, weighed 265 pounds when he transferred from Michigan last year. Since then, he's slimmed down to 238 pounds, something head coach Bobby Petrino hopes will help him be more elusive in the pocket against the SEC's quick defensive fronts.
"In him losing the weight, being more mobile, we're not going to lose our movement game, our ability to run sprint outs, run the bootleg game, be able to move the pocket," Petrino said. "In this league, with the defensive ends we face, the speed and athleticism of the defensive fronts, it's important that you change the launch point, and you can set your quarterback at different spots, take some pressure off the offensive line and running backs at times."
* The Ledger-Enquirer's Andy Bitter contributed to these notes.
"We cannot sustain our successes, which is now our ultimate goal, unless we avoid self inflicted wounds," Slive said, "unless we avoid calling attention to ourselves at the expense of others, and unless we remain committed to the conference, and, finally, unless we realize that we are inexorably tied to each other's athletic and academic successes, and we are tied to each other's athletic and academic failures."
Slive also addressed the spate of secondary recruiting violations that made big news this offseason. While Tennessee drew the most attention, Georgia self-reported several secondary violations, including excessive contact with recruits it attributed to a miscommunication between coaches. Slive claimed such violations were nothing new to intercollegiate athletics but did not brush them off, saying the conference reviews each report to determine its thoroughness and accuracy and reacts accordingly.
"When trends are detected, the penalties and corrective actions become more severe," he said. "As we told our coaches earlier this week in our SEC new coaches orientation program, any time any time they commit a secondary violation, they place themselves, their program, and the institution and the prospect at risk. The risk may be lost recruiting opportunities, lost ability to interact with prospects, and additional scrutiny for themselves and their program."
WHO DUNNIT?
Only three players were unanimous selections by the conference's coaches to the All-SEC team and the conference's most heralded player wasn't one of them. So on Day 1 of SEC Media Days, several reporters set out to find the coach who didn't vote for Tim Tebow.
"I don't know if you all are going to find the culprit," Vanderbilt's Bobby Johnson said, "but you can tell him it wasn't me."
Four SEC coaches took to the podium Wednesday and none confessed to leaving the former Heisman winner off their ballot. Tebow received 10 votes, and his coach, Urban Meyer, was not allowed to vote for anyone on his team.
The omission by the one anonymous coach seemed so odd that Arkansas' Bobby Petrino assumed the offending coach wasn't altogether coherent.
"I voted for Tebow," he said. "I'm not crazy."
Mississippi State's Dan Mullen, who was Tebow's offensive coordinator a year ago, was asked the question, too, and not surprisingly he had the Florida quarterback on his ballot as well.
The fourth coach to meet with reporters, Kentucky's Rich Brooks, said Tebow had burned the Wildcats so badly during the past two seasons that he had no choice but to vote for him, too.
So the mystery continues, whether or not anyone will actually admit to the snub.
A SCARY REPUTATION
A reporter asked Kentucky left tackle Zipp Duncan to name the toughest defensive linemen in the SEC to block. He didn't need much time to come up with his answer: Georgia's Geno Atkins.
"He's just a dynamic athlete," Duncan said. "He gets off the ball quick. He's got the speed to beat you and the strength to beat you, so he presents a really tough matchup."
PLENTY OF SEC ON ESPN
A new twist to the kickoff of SEC Media Days this year involved a special presentation by ESPN's John Wildhack, the network's executive vice president for programming acquisition.
ESPN and the SEC agreed to a new 15-year deal this year that will dramatically increase coverage of the league's sports, including football. Wildhack said 23 more SEC games would be televised this season than last year, including a regional game of the week, which will air on a newly launched platform called The SEC Network. Wildhack also said he expects SEC games to be featured more prominently on ESPN's regular Thursday night packages.
"Our goal is to serve the SEC football fan better than ever before," Wildhack said. "Last year, 77 million people watched SEC football on ESPN or ESPN2. We expect that number to increase significantly this season."
Each of Georgia's first three games will be carried on one of the network's platforms. The Bulldogs' opener against Oklahoma State kicks off at 3:30 p.m. on ABC, with the SEC opener against South Carolina a week later airing on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. Georgia's road date with Arkansas in Week 3 will be carried by either ESPN or ESPN2 and is set to kick off at 7:45 p.m.
RETURN ENGAGEMENT
New Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen knows that selling his team on a new system is no easy task, which is why he's so happy to have senior linebacker Jamar Chaney back in the fold has been such a blessing.
Chaney, who was originally a Georgia signee, figured to be the anchor of the Mississippi State defense a year ago, but a leg injury suffered in the first game cost him the entire season. He accepted a medical redshirt and decided to return to the Bulldogs for a second shot at his senior season – this time with a new head coach and a new role as salesman.
"From Day 1, he walked into my office and said, 'Coach, I'm going to believe in everything you're doing,'" Mullen said of Chaney. "Having a personality back like that, especially when you take over a new program, to help build that foundation of what we wanted the message we're trying to get across to our team … it's just fantastic."
PREPS AREN'T PREPARED
Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino thinks some changes need to be made in the way high school coaches are preparing quarterbacks for the next level. With more programs employing spread offenses, Petrino said many young quarterbacks aren't getting the necessary experience playing under center, and it's making the job of recruiting pocket passers a tough one for college coaches.
Petrino pointed to one of his own quarterbacks, Tyler Wilson, as a prime example of the problems of playing too much out of the shotgun. Wilson took every snap of his high school career in a no-huddle shotgun formation, and he has struggled since arriving at Arkansas with things as simple as the quarterback-center exchange or handoff placement on running plays.
The solution, Petrino said, might be mandating how high school coaches use their quarterbacks.
"I'm really happy that high schools are throwing the ball," Petrino said. "I just wish they would maybe put a rule in that they have to have at least 25, 40 percent from underneath center."
SLIM AND TRIM
Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett has always been described as having an NFL body. It's just a little slimmer now.
Mallett, the strong-armed, 6-foot-7 quarterback who emerged from the spring as the Razorbacks' projected starter, weighed 265 pounds when he transferred from Michigan last year. Since then, he's slimmed down to 238 pounds, something head coach Bobby Petrino hopes will help him be more elusive in the pocket against the SEC's quick defensive fronts.
"In him losing the weight, being more mobile, we're not going to lose our movement game, our ability to run sprint outs, run the bootleg game, be able to move the pocket," Petrino said. "In this league, with the defensive ends we face, the speed and athleticism of the defensive fronts, it's important that you change the launch point, and you can set your quarterback at different spots, take some pressure off the offensive line and running backs at times."
* The Ledger-Enquirer's Andy Bitter contributed to these notes.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Practice Notes: Longo Done For Spring
Just when coaches thought things couldn't get much worse for Georgia's defensive ends, another Bulldogs pass rusher has been shelved for the spring.
Freshman Jeremy Longo suffered a shoulder injury that will likely keep him off the practice field for the remainder of spring practice, head coach Mark Richt announced Tuesday. Longo was hurt during Monday's scrimmage, suffering what Richt called a "sublex" injury, which momentarily shifts the shoulder out of joint.
"It didn't dislocate," Richt said. "Sometimes those will create enough damage where you need to operate, but they don't think is one of those situations. But it's going to be sore enough where I doubt he gets back in before spring is over."
That leaves Georgia with just two healthy scholarship players at the position – Justin Houston and Kiante Tripp, who just moved from the offensive line last month.
With so few players to fill the void lefty by the myriad injuries at the position Georgia's coaches have been forced to resort to desperate measures.
"We took two of our walk-on tight ends, and I'm not even sure which two we took, and moved them to defensive end to help us get through the rest of the time," Richt said.
Beyond the sudden shift of the walk-ons, Richt promises few other changes. While the situation at defensive end has become dire, he said it was crucial to make sure the rest of the players were able to get in the requisite work they need to improve this spring.
"We're not going to cancel spring ball, we're not going to stop practicing, we're not going to quit tackling, we're not going to quit going full speed," Richt said. "We've just got a lot of guys that need a lot of work, and we want to continue to improve on the tempo of really both sides of the ball. We're not going to back down."
HE CAN'T BE STOPPED
Sure, several of Georgia's top offensive linemen are sidelined with injuries, but Mark Richt isn't sure it would matter who was lined up across from defensive tackle Geno Atkins.
"Geno is just a dominant football player right now," Richt said. "I don't know if anybody can block him."
For his part, however, Atkins is playing it coy. He said he definitely feels his game has improved – and he did have two sacks during Monday's scrimmage that was largely won by the offense – but he said there's still plenty of things he hopes to improve before he hits the field this fall.
"I feel like I've still got a lot to work on, but my pass rushing skills have gotten better," Atkins said. "I felt like I needed to work on my fundamentals and my footwork and have a better pass-rush game."
SHOWING OFF
While Atkins has been dominant, Richt said he has seen plenty of other Bulldogs step up their games this spring as well.
Near the top of his list of spring standouts has been linebacker Nick Williams, who had six tackles in Monday's scrimmage and is making a quick adjustment to his new position after moving from safety last fall.
"Nick Williams made some great strides," Richt said. "He's still learning what to do, but he's a guy who will play hard, will stick his face on you and try to run through you. He's certainly got some technique issues right now, but his effort, his attitude and his toughness have really showed."
Ah, but it wouldn't be like Richt to dispense small doses of platitudes when he could heap some praise on a handful of other top performers as well.
Here's a quick run-down, via Richt, of the top spring performances…
"A.J. Green, I thought he's done outstanding. Joe Cox has total control of everything he was trying to do. I think Cordy Glenn has been practicing extremely well. I thought Bryan Evans played with great energy and enthusiasm. Bryan had a nice day. (Vance) Cuff is coming along. Cuff, for a guy that when spring started wasn't even getting any reps, he's really had a nice spring so far. Rennie (Curran) is outstanding. (Akeem) Dent is playing well."
Richt said that depth chart decisions are usually made after the first scrimmage, but he had not had a chance to discuss any changes with his assistants prior to Tuesday's practice.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK
While the injuries at defensive end continue to mount for the Bulldogs, two other players who have spent the spring in green non-contact jerseys appear close to returning.
Running back Dontavius Jackson has participated in many of the non-contact drills this spring and Richt said he could be good to go at full speed by this weekend or early next week.
Richt also said linebacker Akeem Hebron appears ready to return to full participation by this weekend as well.
NO WORRIES
Georgia's freshmen quarterbacks have been the center of attention, and Logan Gray said he has been impressed by their progress. But when it comes to the battle to land the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, Gray isn't too concerned with what the young pups on the roster are doing.
"I'm watching them every day in practice, but all I've tried to focus on is myself and every single rep that I take," Gray said. "No matter what they do, that doesn't have any outcome on my situation."
HE'S FINE
Wide receiver Kris Durham sat out of Monday's practice with a minor shoulder injury, but he said he returned to individual drills Tuesday and doesn't anticipate any longterm problems.
"It's fine," he said. "I was out there today and did some individual (workouts) and other stuff, just trying to work it back in."
STRONG SHOWING
Former Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford held an individual workout for the Detroit Lions on Tuesday in hopes of securing his spot as the first overall pick in next month's NFL draft. While the workout was meant for a select audience, several of his former teammates and coaches dropped by to check out his performance.
"I came down and watched a little bit of it," Kris Durham said. "I had to show a little support. He looked pretty good out there. Hopefully he can settle that No. 1 spot."
Durham said Stafford has remained fairly stoic throughout the process, a fact that isn't at all surprising for those who know the quarterback well.
"That's just his personality," Durham said. "You can tell he has that confidence, and whoever wants him, he's going to go in there and show what he can do."
BUSY WEEK
Mark Richt said the team will have two more short practices this week and will scrimmage for the second time on Saturday. Last week's rained out practice session resulted in a five-practice week for the Bulldogs, which is something Richt hadn't done in the past.
"I don't know if we've gone five practices in one week since I've been here during spring ball, but that's the plan for now," Richt said.
Freshman Jeremy Longo suffered a shoulder injury that will likely keep him off the practice field for the remainder of spring practice, head coach Mark Richt announced Tuesday. Longo was hurt during Monday's scrimmage, suffering what Richt called a "sublex" injury, which momentarily shifts the shoulder out of joint.
"It didn't dislocate," Richt said. "Sometimes those will create enough damage where you need to operate, but they don't think is one of those situations. But it's going to be sore enough where I doubt he gets back in before spring is over."
That leaves Georgia with just two healthy scholarship players at the position – Justin Houston and Kiante Tripp, who just moved from the offensive line last month.
With so few players to fill the void lefty by the myriad injuries at the position Georgia's coaches have been forced to resort to desperate measures.
"We took two of our walk-on tight ends, and I'm not even sure which two we took, and moved them to defensive end to help us get through the rest of the time," Richt said.
Beyond the sudden shift of the walk-ons, Richt promises few other changes. While the situation at defensive end has become dire, he said it was crucial to make sure the rest of the players were able to get in the requisite work they need to improve this spring.
"We're not going to cancel spring ball, we're not going to stop practicing, we're not going to quit tackling, we're not going to quit going full speed," Richt said. "We've just got a lot of guys that need a lot of work, and we want to continue to improve on the tempo of really both sides of the ball. We're not going to back down."
HE CAN'T BE STOPPED
Sure, several of Georgia's top offensive linemen are sidelined with injuries, but Mark Richt isn't sure it would matter who was lined up across from defensive tackle Geno Atkins.
"Geno is just a dominant football player right now," Richt said. "I don't know if anybody can block him."
For his part, however, Atkins is playing it coy. He said he definitely feels his game has improved – and he did have two sacks during Monday's scrimmage that was largely won by the offense – but he said there's still plenty of things he hopes to improve before he hits the field this fall.
"I feel like I've still got a lot to work on, but my pass rushing skills have gotten better," Atkins said. "I felt like I needed to work on my fundamentals and my footwork and have a better pass-rush game."
SHOWING OFF
While Atkins has been dominant, Richt said he has seen plenty of other Bulldogs step up their games this spring as well.
Near the top of his list of spring standouts has been linebacker Nick Williams, who had six tackles in Monday's scrimmage and is making a quick adjustment to his new position after moving from safety last fall.
"Nick Williams made some great strides," Richt said. "He's still learning what to do, but he's a guy who will play hard, will stick his face on you and try to run through you. He's certainly got some technique issues right now, but his effort, his attitude and his toughness have really showed."
Ah, but it wouldn't be like Richt to dispense small doses of platitudes when he could heap some praise on a handful of other top performers as well.
Here's a quick run-down, via Richt, of the top spring performances…
"A.J. Green, I thought he's done outstanding. Joe Cox has total control of everything he was trying to do. I think Cordy Glenn has been practicing extremely well. I thought Bryan Evans played with great energy and enthusiasm. Bryan had a nice day. (Vance) Cuff is coming along. Cuff, for a guy that when spring started wasn't even getting any reps, he's really had a nice spring so far. Rennie (Curran) is outstanding. (Akeem) Dent is playing well."
Richt said that depth chart decisions are usually made after the first scrimmage, but he had not had a chance to discuss any changes with his assistants prior to Tuesday's practice.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK
While the injuries at defensive end continue to mount for the Bulldogs, two other players who have spent the spring in green non-contact jerseys appear close to returning.
Running back Dontavius Jackson has participated in many of the non-contact drills this spring and Richt said he could be good to go at full speed by this weekend or early next week.
Richt also said linebacker Akeem Hebron appears ready to return to full participation by this weekend as well.
NO WORRIES
Georgia's freshmen quarterbacks have been the center of attention, and Logan Gray said he has been impressed by their progress. But when it comes to the battle to land the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, Gray isn't too concerned with what the young pups on the roster are doing.
"I'm watching them every day in practice, but all I've tried to focus on is myself and every single rep that I take," Gray said. "No matter what they do, that doesn't have any outcome on my situation."
HE'S FINE
Wide receiver Kris Durham sat out of Monday's practice with a minor shoulder injury, but he said he returned to individual drills Tuesday and doesn't anticipate any longterm problems.
"It's fine," he said. "I was out there today and did some individual (workouts) and other stuff, just trying to work it back in."
STRONG SHOWING
Former Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford held an individual workout for the Detroit Lions on Tuesday in hopes of securing his spot as the first overall pick in next month's NFL draft. While the workout was meant for a select audience, several of his former teammates and coaches dropped by to check out his performance.
"I came down and watched a little bit of it," Kris Durham said. "I had to show a little support. He looked pretty good out there. Hopefully he can settle that No. 1 spot."
Durham said Stafford has remained fairly stoic throughout the process, a fact that isn't at all surprising for those who know the quarterback well.
"That's just his personality," Durham said. "You can tell he has that confidence, and whoever wants him, he's going to go in there and show what he can do."
BUSY WEEK
Mark Richt said the team will have two more short practices this week and will scrimmage for the second time on Saturday. Last week's rained out practice session resulted in a five-practice week for the Bulldogs, which is something Richt hadn't done in the past.
"I don't know if we've gone five practices in one week since I've been here during spring ball, but that's the plan for now," Richt said.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Practice Notes: Competition at Kicker
By season's end last year, Mark Richt had promised to go to Poland to find a kicker who could reach the end zone on kickoffs. As it turned out, he only had to go as far as his mailbox.
Georgia announced Thursday that it had signed kicker Brandon Bogotay, a junior college transfer from San Diego, who only began playing football midway through his senior year in high school.
Bogotay still had another year of eligibility remaining at Grossmont College in El Cajon, Calif., and his coach didn't send out any footage of the kicker, assuming he would return for his sophomore season. Bogotay decided to send out some tape on his own.
"He might have heard that Poland comment," Richt said. "I can't tell you how many times we watched that video."
It didn't take long for Richt to decide Bogotay had what Georgia was missing a year ago, but Georgia wasn't the only school interested. Bogotay had visited Hawaii a week earlier and had interest from several other schools, too, so Richt decided it was time to pull the trigger on a scholarship offer.
"Word started to get going, and I didn't want to get in a position where somebody closer to home got him," Richt said.
From Bogotay's highlight footage, Georgia's coaching staff was convinced he could be the answer on kickoffs -- an area the Bulldogs struggled mightily with a year ago.
"If you've seen tape on him, the obvious thing is that he has a very strong leg," Richt said. "Now, can he do it here? I don't know if the air is different in San Diego. There's just things you don't really know for sure. But we saw enough to think he has a chance to help us get really great field position when we kick the ball off."
Richt had said finding someone to handle kickoff duties this year would be a top offseason priority, but until he signed Bogotay, it appeared freshman Blair Walsh would land the job again by default.
"My goal as head coach is to make sure that we're better than we were a year ago, and we feel he gives us a chance to do that," Richt said. "If we get the exact same production that we got a year ago, did we really get better? I felt like we saw enough that this guy can help us be better, and that's what you want."
Richt said it will be an open competition this fall for all kicking duties, including extra points and field goals, and he expects that Bogotay's presence will push the current crop of Georgia kickers even if he doesn't win the job.
After a freshman season in which he delivered mixed results in the kicking game, Walsh said he is open to the challenge, but hopes to retain his job as both the field-goal and kickoff man.
"The mind-set that I have is they are bringing him in to compete at both positions, and that's what they're saying right now," Walsh said. "I've just got to treat it like that."
DAWGS SHOW RENEWED ENERGY
Tuesday, head coach Mark Richt lamented his team's lack of energy on the practice field, referring to the performance as "luke warm." Before the Bulldogs hit the field Thursday, Richt told his players he wanted to see more hustle, and that's exactly what he got.
"I really did like today," Richt said. "Tuesday I wasn't too thrilled. I thought we lost a little bit of that edge, but we really ran hard today. Guys were flying around. Both sides of the ball, great hustle, a lot of enthusiasm."
The strong day of practice was a good sign, quarterback Joe Cox said. While he admits that maintaining a high level of energy day in and day out is a tough task, he said bouncing back from a lackluster performance two days earlier illustrated the team's desire to stay motivated.
"That's the main goal is not to take any steps back and have a day where everybody knows it wasn't what we should have done," Cox said. "It's hard trying to keep people motivated every day for practice, but that is my main goal."
One of the day's biggest stars was freshman cornerback Brandon Boykin, who had two interceptions, but Richt said there has been no shortage of players who have impressed this spring.
"Our offensive line has had a couple times where they picked up some tough blitzes," Richt said. "Joe did a good job of working the pocket, threw some nice balls. ... Caleb (King) had a nice day running the ball in inside drill and on 11-on-11."
One play in particular stood out for Richt. It came on a pass from Cox to freshman Tavarres King, and Richt said it underscored how well the entire offense was working together.
"(The pass was) square over the middle that was within inches of Rennie (Curran) knocking it down, but it was a great catch on the run," Richt said. "There was a nice pick up of a blitz, Joe moving in the pocket, throwing a beautiful ball, Tavarres reaching out to snatch it on the dead run. It was impressive."
DOMINANT DOG
From Cox to Carlton Thomas to Bryan Evans and Rennie Curran, the spring platitudes have been plentiful. But if Richt had to narrow down his list to one MVP of spring practice, there's no doubt who would get the award.
"The most dominating player to this point has been Geno Atkins," Richt said.
Atkins has been a beast stopping the run and getting to the quarterback, and Tuesday he even returned an interception for a touchdown. The performance hasn't been particularly surprising, Richt said, as Atkins has been among Georgia's top defensive players the past two seasons, but this spring, the senior defensive tackle has taken things to a new level.
"They all struggle with him," Richt said. "Even a guy like Cordy Glenn, Ben Jones, he's tough as heck. They're talented guys, and Geno just kind of has his way with everybody right now."
A LOT ON THE LINE
Georgia will hold its first scrimmage of the spring tomorrow, and Joe Cox said no one on the team is taking it lightly. While coaches figure to use the practice to give some of the younger players a few more opportunities than they might normally get, Cox said Mark Richt already issued a warned his veterans that there will be a lot on the line for everyone.
"If you're a starter, tomorrow is where you solidify your spot," Cox said. "If you're a guy looking for playing time, tomorrow is where you get playing time. It is really good for the younger guys because they do get more reps, but it's not a period where the older guys can chill. It's time to prove ourselves that we can stay where we need to stay."
GREEN FEELING BLUE
A.J. Green wasn't sure how much he would be able to participate this spring due to a nagging groin injury, but through five practices, he was a full go. Thursday, however, he felt some soreness, and coaches decided to play it safe, sitting him out of most of the team's work.
"I wasn't 100 percent today," Green said. "I just had a little soreness. I did one-on-ones and stuff like that. They just told me to sit everything else out."
Both Richt and Green said they hoped he would be a full participant in Friday's scrimmage.
A LOT TO LEARN
For most of the Bulldogs, the spring is about picking up where they left off after their bowl game. For Georgia's receivers, however, new coach Tony Ball has implemented some major changes from the program they were used to.
"He's not changing the system, but he's changing how we do a lot of the little things," wideout Michael Moore said.
Where former coach John Eason took more of a big-picture approach to coaching, Moore said Ball has gone back to the basics. Instead of learning a plays, the receivers are working on fundamentals like coming out of breaks and gaining leverage on a defender.
"(Eason) stressed more the play, while Coach Ball stresses how to run your route," Moore said.
That has made this spring more of a learning experience for the receivers than for many of their teammates at other positions, and Moore said he has had to put in a bit of extra time at the office just to keep up.
"For us, we can't have enough time," Moore said. "After practice, me and A.J. (Green), we're still out there working on the stuff that Coach Ball is teaching us."
FLAG FIXATION
A year ago, penalties were the bane of Mark Richt's existence. Flags cost Georgia crucial yardage in nearly every game overturned several of the team's biggest plays of the year. Eventually, the penalties became the hot-button issue of the team's practice sessions, and punishments were in store for the whole team if it was flagged for too many infractions on game day.
"I can't say why we had as many penalties as we had a year ago because we didn't do anything that we hadn't done since I'd been here," Richt said. "As the season went along, we spent a lot more time emphasizing it, but it just got away from us."
Richt said Georgia's coaches aren't punishing players for penalties as much as they are encouraging a renewed focus on fundamentals. If a player is making smart decisions and getting into the proper position on a play, the odds of drawing a flag decrease significantly.
"By no means are we going to ignore it, but we're going back to the basics," Richt said. "The better our fundamentals and the better position we're in, I feel there's a lot less chance we'll have those kinds of penalties."
SPEECHES, BUT NO PLAQUES
Matthew Stafford had an arm so impressive it could earn him the distinction of becoming the top overall pick in the NFL draft. That's an asset Joe Cox knows he can't match, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have a strong weapon of his own.
"Joe's No. 1 thing is his leadership abilities," wide receiver Michael Moore said. "I don't want to say we didn't have leadership last year because we definitely did with people like Mohamed (Massaquoi) and Corvey Irvin. But Joe's a more rah-rah guy. He'll get in your face and get you amped up. It's little things like that. That's the No. 1 thing that stands out to me between him and Matt."
Down the road at Florida, the Gators have a smooth-talking quarterback of their own. In fact, Florida thought so highly of Tim Tebow's post-game speech after a loss to Mississippi last season, that the school had his words etched into a plaque that will now hang outside the team's new football facility.
Moore said he thinks Cox can bring that same type of fire to the Georgia locker room, but he doubts he'll see any halftime speeches plastered to the locker room wall anytime soon.
"I wouldn't put it past him," Moore said. "Joe has some good quotes. But as far as hanging them up, I don't know if the head man will do that."
KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE...
A reporter joked with Mark Richt before Thursday's news conference that Lane Kiffin had called Richt "a good buddy."
The compliment might have seemed a bit odd after Kiffin had reportedly made some less-than-kind statements about Richt's recruiting abilities earlier this year, but the Georgia coach at least attempted to appreciate the olive branch.
"Well, that's good," Rich said with a wry smile. "I need friends."
Georgia announced Thursday that it had signed kicker Brandon Bogotay, a junior college transfer from San Diego, who only began playing football midway through his senior year in high school.
Bogotay still had another year of eligibility remaining at Grossmont College in El Cajon, Calif., and his coach didn't send out any footage of the kicker, assuming he would return for his sophomore season. Bogotay decided to send out some tape on his own.
"He might have heard that Poland comment," Richt said. "I can't tell you how many times we watched that video."
It didn't take long for Richt to decide Bogotay had what Georgia was missing a year ago, but Georgia wasn't the only school interested. Bogotay had visited Hawaii a week earlier and had interest from several other schools, too, so Richt decided it was time to pull the trigger on a scholarship offer.
"Word started to get going, and I didn't want to get in a position where somebody closer to home got him," Richt said.
From Bogotay's highlight footage, Georgia's coaching staff was convinced he could be the answer on kickoffs -- an area the Bulldogs struggled mightily with a year ago.
"If you've seen tape on him, the obvious thing is that he has a very strong leg," Richt said. "Now, can he do it here? I don't know if the air is different in San Diego. There's just things you don't really know for sure. But we saw enough to think he has a chance to help us get really great field position when we kick the ball off."
Richt had said finding someone to handle kickoff duties this year would be a top offseason priority, but until he signed Bogotay, it appeared freshman Blair Walsh would land the job again by default.
"My goal as head coach is to make sure that we're better than we were a year ago, and we feel he gives us a chance to do that," Richt said. "If we get the exact same production that we got a year ago, did we really get better? I felt like we saw enough that this guy can help us be better, and that's what you want."
Richt said it will be an open competition this fall for all kicking duties, including extra points and field goals, and he expects that Bogotay's presence will push the current crop of Georgia kickers even if he doesn't win the job.
After a freshman season in which he delivered mixed results in the kicking game, Walsh said he is open to the challenge, but hopes to retain his job as both the field-goal and kickoff man.
"The mind-set that I have is they are bringing him in to compete at both positions, and that's what they're saying right now," Walsh said. "I've just got to treat it like that."
DAWGS SHOW RENEWED ENERGY
Tuesday, head coach Mark Richt lamented his team's lack of energy on the practice field, referring to the performance as "luke warm." Before the Bulldogs hit the field Thursday, Richt told his players he wanted to see more hustle, and that's exactly what he got.
"I really did like today," Richt said. "Tuesday I wasn't too thrilled. I thought we lost a little bit of that edge, but we really ran hard today. Guys were flying around. Both sides of the ball, great hustle, a lot of enthusiasm."
The strong day of practice was a good sign, quarterback Joe Cox said. While he admits that maintaining a high level of energy day in and day out is a tough task, he said bouncing back from a lackluster performance two days earlier illustrated the team's desire to stay motivated.
"That's the main goal is not to take any steps back and have a day where everybody knows it wasn't what we should have done," Cox said. "It's hard trying to keep people motivated every day for practice, but that is my main goal."
One of the day's biggest stars was freshman cornerback Brandon Boykin, who had two interceptions, but Richt said there has been no shortage of players who have impressed this spring.
"Our offensive line has had a couple times where they picked up some tough blitzes," Richt said. "Joe did a good job of working the pocket, threw some nice balls. ... Caleb (King) had a nice day running the ball in inside drill and on 11-on-11."
One play in particular stood out for Richt. It came on a pass from Cox to freshman Tavarres King, and Richt said it underscored how well the entire offense was working together.
"(The pass was) square over the middle that was within inches of Rennie (Curran) knocking it down, but it was a great catch on the run," Richt said. "There was a nice pick up of a blitz, Joe moving in the pocket, throwing a beautiful ball, Tavarres reaching out to snatch it on the dead run. It was impressive."
DOMINANT DOG
From Cox to Carlton Thomas to Bryan Evans and Rennie Curran, the spring platitudes have been plentiful. But if Richt had to narrow down his list to one MVP of spring practice, there's no doubt who would get the award.
"The most dominating player to this point has been Geno Atkins," Richt said.
Atkins has been a beast stopping the run and getting to the quarterback, and Tuesday he even returned an interception for a touchdown. The performance hasn't been particularly surprising, Richt said, as Atkins has been among Georgia's top defensive players the past two seasons, but this spring, the senior defensive tackle has taken things to a new level.
"They all struggle with him," Richt said. "Even a guy like Cordy Glenn, Ben Jones, he's tough as heck. They're talented guys, and Geno just kind of has his way with everybody right now."
A LOT ON THE LINE
Georgia will hold its first scrimmage of the spring tomorrow, and Joe Cox said no one on the team is taking it lightly. While coaches figure to use the practice to give some of the younger players a few more opportunities than they might normally get, Cox said Mark Richt already issued a warned his veterans that there will be a lot on the line for everyone.
"If you're a starter, tomorrow is where you solidify your spot," Cox said. "If you're a guy looking for playing time, tomorrow is where you get playing time. It is really good for the younger guys because they do get more reps, but it's not a period where the older guys can chill. It's time to prove ourselves that we can stay where we need to stay."
GREEN FEELING BLUE
A.J. Green wasn't sure how much he would be able to participate this spring due to a nagging groin injury, but through five practices, he was a full go. Thursday, however, he felt some soreness, and coaches decided to play it safe, sitting him out of most of the team's work.
"I wasn't 100 percent today," Green said. "I just had a little soreness. I did one-on-ones and stuff like that. They just told me to sit everything else out."
Both Richt and Green said they hoped he would be a full participant in Friday's scrimmage.
A LOT TO LEARN
For most of the Bulldogs, the spring is about picking up where they left off after their bowl game. For Georgia's receivers, however, new coach Tony Ball has implemented some major changes from the program they were used to.
"He's not changing the system, but he's changing how we do a lot of the little things," wideout Michael Moore said.
Where former coach John Eason took more of a big-picture approach to coaching, Moore said Ball has gone back to the basics. Instead of learning a plays, the receivers are working on fundamentals like coming out of breaks and gaining leverage on a defender.
"(Eason) stressed more the play, while Coach Ball stresses how to run your route," Moore said.
That has made this spring more of a learning experience for the receivers than for many of their teammates at other positions, and Moore said he has had to put in a bit of extra time at the office just to keep up.
"For us, we can't have enough time," Moore said. "After practice, me and A.J. (Green), we're still out there working on the stuff that Coach Ball is teaching us."
FLAG FIXATION
A year ago, penalties were the bane of Mark Richt's existence. Flags cost Georgia crucial yardage in nearly every game overturned several of the team's biggest plays of the year. Eventually, the penalties became the hot-button issue of the team's practice sessions, and punishments were in store for the whole team if it was flagged for too many infractions on game day.
"I can't say why we had as many penalties as we had a year ago because we didn't do anything that we hadn't done since I'd been here," Richt said. "As the season went along, we spent a lot more time emphasizing it, but it just got away from us."
Richt said Georgia's coaches aren't punishing players for penalties as much as they are encouraging a renewed focus on fundamentals. If a player is making smart decisions and getting into the proper position on a play, the odds of drawing a flag decrease significantly.
"By no means are we going to ignore it, but we're going back to the basics," Richt said. "The better our fundamentals and the better position we're in, I feel there's a lot less chance we'll have those kinds of penalties."
SPEECHES, BUT NO PLAQUES
Matthew Stafford had an arm so impressive it could earn him the distinction of becoming the top overall pick in the NFL draft. That's an asset Joe Cox knows he can't match, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have a strong weapon of his own.
"Joe's No. 1 thing is his leadership abilities," wide receiver Michael Moore said. "I don't want to say we didn't have leadership last year because we definitely did with people like Mohamed (Massaquoi) and Corvey Irvin. But Joe's a more rah-rah guy. He'll get in your face and get you amped up. It's little things like that. That's the No. 1 thing that stands out to me between him and Matt."
Down the road at Florida, the Gators have a smooth-talking quarterback of their own. In fact, Florida thought so highly of Tim Tebow's post-game speech after a loss to Mississippi last season, that the school had his words etched into a plaque that will now hang outside the team's new football facility.
Moore said he thinks Cox can bring that same type of fire to the Georgia locker room, but he doubts he'll see any halftime speeches plastered to the locker room wall anytime soon.
"I wouldn't put it past him," Moore said. "Joe has some good quotes. But as far as hanging them up, I don't know if the head man will do that."
KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE...
A reporter joked with Mark Richt before Thursday's news conference that Lane Kiffin had called Richt "a good buddy."
The compliment might have seemed a bit odd after Kiffin had reportedly made some less-than-kind statements about Richt's recruiting abilities earlier this year, but the Georgia coach at least attempted to appreciate the olive branch.
"Well, that's good," Rich said with a wry smile. "I need friends."
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Practice Notes: Dogs Show Less Energy
Maybe it was the two days off that proceeded Tuesday's practice. Maybe it was the grind of a second day in full pads that sapped the energy out of the players. Whatever it was, it didn't leave head coach Mark Richt particularly enthused with the performance of his team after Georgia's fifth of 15 spring practices.
"I think today was kind of luke warm," Richt said. "It didn't fire me up that much. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't championship level. The energy level wasn't quite what I'd seen to this point."
While Richt has said the defense has been significantly ahead of the offense throughout the spring thus far, he did say there was some leveling off in that competition Tuesday. During inside drills particularly, the offense looked sharper than it had before, including Saturday's first day in full pads in which Richt said the defense dominated.
There was some good news on defense Tuesday, too. Richt said the defense racked up four interceptions, including picks by Prince Miller and Reshad Jones. One unlikely defender managed to haul in an interception, too, and even returned for a touchdown.
"Geno Atkins intercepted a ball and took it to the house," Richt said. "It was only about five or six yards, but it was pretty exciting."
BACKFIELD BASICS
With Richard Samuel out of action, the competition for carries in Georgia's backfield isn't likely to be resolved before the fall no matter what, but Carlton Thomas' big spring has certainly made things a bit more intriguing.
"Carlton has done a very nice job of running the ball inside," Richt said. "He's made more people miss and broken more tackles at this point than Caleb (King) has, but Caleb is doing an outstanding job, himself."
Richt said King has a slight advantage in the blocking game due to the extra year of experience and game-day snaps he has gotten that Thomas has not. After watching both of them in practice, however, neither has shown they're ready to take over for the departed Knowshon Moreno just yet.
"We need to get both those guys quite a bit more reps in pass protection to be able to start separating them," Richt said.
While Samuel won't be fully healed from wrist surgery until June, Thomas and King are about to get a bit more competition for playing time this spring. Freshman Dontavius Jackson returned to practice Tuesday and participated in several of the team's drills. Although he technically wasn't supposed to take any hits, Richt said Jackson was knocked to the ground by accident on one play, but immediately popped back up, no worse for wear.
"He's phasing in right now, and it might be as early as next Monday (that he's back)," Richt said. "I think he'll go full before it's over."
LONG ROAD BACK
Bruce Figgins didn't have much trouble playing through the pain of a serious shoulder injury for most of last season, but sitting on the sideline while it heals is turning out to be a bit of a chore.
Figgins said his spring has consisted of little more than simple strength training workouts, and he's getting a little anxious to find his way back onto the field.
"It's real hard," Figgins said. "You try to come with a positive attitude and still try to get yourself better day by day, watching film and watching what other people do."
Figgins' progress has been slow but steady so far, and his last visit with the doctors showed that the shoulder has shown no ill effects following a season of wear and tear and surgery in January.
"I'm slowly progressing in my rehab, week by week adding on stuff trying to get it stronger," he said. "I talked with the trainers (last weekend) who said it's good, it's healed, but you don't want to rush it. You don't want to take any risks, so that's where we're at, just trying to strengthen it up."
While Figgins' workouts are limited, his growth as a player hasn't been. He said the time on the sideline has given him a fresh perspective on what his role with the team can be, and he's using the lack of on-field action as a chance to develop his game in other ways.
"This is when a lot of leadership comes in," Figgins said. "I've grown a lot from having to sit back and not being able to do anything but push other guys."
SAFETY DANCE
It appeared that there might be a close battle for the chance to replace CJ Byrd at safety this season, but defensive coordinator Willie Martinez said Tuesday he feels pretty comfortable with a starting tandem of Reshad Jones and Bryan Evans right now.
Evans shifted from cornerback to safety midway through last season, a transition Martinez said isn't usually a simple one because of the increased knowledge a safety must have of the defense, but Evans has made it look easy.
"He understands our scheme," Martinez said. "He's done a good job of paying attention to what those guys were doing even when he was playing corner."
More than just knowing his role, Richt said Evans has embraced the change. After platooning at corner for two years, Evans seems right at home and his enthusiasm about the new challenge has been evident.
"He's very excited about safety," Richt said. "He's shown as much spirit as anyone. He's high tempo, high energy. He's doing a good job and he's found a nice home."
SO FAR, SO GOOD
Figgins and Jackson are just two of nearly two dozen Georgia players currently sidelined with injuries following a season in which it seemed like the population of the trainer's room grew daily.
So far this spring, however, the Bulldogs have managed to stay relatively healthy, and Richt said no major calamities have hit the players.
"We've got a couple of guys with fingers and thumbs taped up," Richt said, "but so far so good."
"I think today was kind of luke warm," Richt said. "It didn't fire me up that much. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't championship level. The energy level wasn't quite what I'd seen to this point."
While Richt has said the defense has been significantly ahead of the offense throughout the spring thus far, he did say there was some leveling off in that competition Tuesday. During inside drills particularly, the offense looked sharper than it had before, including Saturday's first day in full pads in which Richt said the defense dominated.
There was some good news on defense Tuesday, too. Richt said the defense racked up four interceptions, including picks by Prince Miller and Reshad Jones. One unlikely defender managed to haul in an interception, too, and even returned for a touchdown.
"Geno Atkins intercepted a ball and took it to the house," Richt said. "It was only about five or six yards, but it was pretty exciting."
BACKFIELD BASICS
With Richard Samuel out of action, the competition for carries in Georgia's backfield isn't likely to be resolved before the fall no matter what, but Carlton Thomas' big spring has certainly made things a bit more intriguing.
"Carlton has done a very nice job of running the ball inside," Richt said. "He's made more people miss and broken more tackles at this point than Caleb (King) has, but Caleb is doing an outstanding job, himself."
Richt said King has a slight advantage in the blocking game due to the extra year of experience and game-day snaps he has gotten that Thomas has not. After watching both of them in practice, however, neither has shown they're ready to take over for the departed Knowshon Moreno just yet.
"We need to get both those guys quite a bit more reps in pass protection to be able to start separating them," Richt said.
While Samuel won't be fully healed from wrist surgery until June, Thomas and King are about to get a bit more competition for playing time this spring. Freshman Dontavius Jackson returned to practice Tuesday and participated in several of the team's drills. Although he technically wasn't supposed to take any hits, Richt said Jackson was knocked to the ground by accident on one play, but immediately popped back up, no worse for wear.
"He's phasing in right now, and it might be as early as next Monday (that he's back)," Richt said. "I think he'll go full before it's over."
LONG ROAD BACK
Bruce Figgins didn't have much trouble playing through the pain of a serious shoulder injury for most of last season, but sitting on the sideline while it heals is turning out to be a bit of a chore.
Figgins said his spring has consisted of little more than simple strength training workouts, and he's getting a little anxious to find his way back onto the field.
"It's real hard," Figgins said. "You try to come with a positive attitude and still try to get yourself better day by day, watching film and watching what other people do."
Figgins' progress has been slow but steady so far, and his last visit with the doctors showed that the shoulder has shown no ill effects following a season of wear and tear and surgery in January.
"I'm slowly progressing in my rehab, week by week adding on stuff trying to get it stronger," he said. "I talked with the trainers (last weekend) who said it's good, it's healed, but you don't want to rush it. You don't want to take any risks, so that's where we're at, just trying to strengthen it up."
While Figgins' workouts are limited, his growth as a player hasn't been. He said the time on the sideline has given him a fresh perspective on what his role with the team can be, and he's using the lack of on-field action as a chance to develop his game in other ways.
"This is when a lot of leadership comes in," Figgins said. "I've grown a lot from having to sit back and not being able to do anything but push other guys."
SAFETY DANCE
It appeared that there might be a close battle for the chance to replace CJ Byrd at safety this season, but defensive coordinator Willie Martinez said Tuesday he feels pretty comfortable with a starting tandem of Reshad Jones and Bryan Evans right now.
Evans shifted from cornerback to safety midway through last season, a transition Martinez said isn't usually a simple one because of the increased knowledge a safety must have of the defense, but Evans has made it look easy.
"He understands our scheme," Martinez said. "He's done a good job of paying attention to what those guys were doing even when he was playing corner."
More than just knowing his role, Richt said Evans has embraced the change. After platooning at corner for two years, Evans seems right at home and his enthusiasm about the new challenge has been evident.
"He's very excited about safety," Richt said. "He's shown as much spirit as anyone. He's high tempo, high energy. He's doing a good job and he's found a nice home."
SO FAR, SO GOOD
Figgins and Jackson are just two of nearly two dozen Georgia players currently sidelined with injuries following a season in which it seemed like the population of the trainer's room grew daily.
So far this spring, however, the Bulldogs have managed to stay relatively healthy, and Richt said no major calamities have hit the players.
"We've got a couple of guys with fingers and thumbs taped up," Richt said, "but so far so good."
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