It's going to be a slow morning on the blog. I'm about to head to Macon for the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame's annual Pigskin Preview Day, where Mark Richt and other coaches and players from around the state will be meeting with media.
UGA's player reps will be Kris Durham and Akeem Dent, so if you have any questions for them, let me know.
I'll hopefully have some updates from Macon this afternoon.
In the meantime, two stories came out in the past 24 hours that don't exactly show Georgia's coaches in the best of light:
-- Nash Nance said former Georgia recruit Da'Rick Rogers had "bad dealings" with Georgia's coaches in the days before he committed to Tennessee.
-- Makiri Pugh's position coach says Georgia offered him little support after he decided to transfer, failing to even return calls from schools interested in bringing Pugh in.
Now, neither story comes directly from the source, but does this dose of negative publicity worry you at all? Or is it a whole bunch of nothing?
Showing posts with label Makiri Pugh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Makiri Pugh. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Safety Pugh to Transfer
Georgia safety Makiri Pugh has decided to transfer, according to a release from the school Wednesday.
Pugh redshirted his first season in Athens in 2008 and saw minimal playing time in 2009, mostly on special teams. He was part of a crowded field at safety and appeared to be behind Bacarri Rambo, Nick Williams, Jakar Hamilton and Quintin Banks on the depth chart at the position.
“We are appreciative of Makiri’s contributions during his two years at Georgia,” head coach Mark Richt said. “We understand and support his decision to transfer and wish him great success the remainder of his career.”
Pugh redshirted his first season in Athens in 2008 and saw minimal playing time in 2009, mostly on special teams. He was part of a crowded field at safety and appeared to be behind Bacarri Rambo, Nick Williams, Jakar Hamilton and Quintin Banks on the depth chart at the position.
“We are appreciative of Makiri’s contributions during his two years at Georgia,” head coach Mark Richt said. “We understand and support his decision to transfer and wish him great success the remainder of his career.”
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Notes: Uga VII Dies Suddenly
After less than two seasons as Georgia’s mascot, Uga VII died of heart-related causes Thursday.
The English bulldog took the reins as one of the nation’s most well known mascots just last year. The death came as a surprise to Uga VII’s owner, Frank W. “Sonny” Seiler.
“We are all in a state of shock,” Seiler said in a statement released by the university. “We had no warning whatsoever.”
There will be no mascot present on the sidelines at Saturday’s final regular-season home game for Georgia, a rarity since the first Uga was officially introduced in 1956.
Georgia head coach Mark Richt was informed of the news Thursday afternoon and spoke with Seiler soon after.
“I was sad to hear about Uga VII,” Richt said. “You never think something like that can happen that quickly, and I’m sad we won’t have him on the sideline anymore.”
Uga VII presided over 23 games, with Georgia posting a record of 16-7 during that span – the fourth best winning percentage the Bulldogs have had with any of the Uga mascots.
The dog was a popular figure among Georgia fans following his introduction in August of 2008 prior to the Bulldogs’ home opener against Georgia Southern. Richt said the line of fans waiting for their photos with the dog dwarfed the amount hoping for a snapshot with the Georgia coaches or players.
Uga VII was known for his more laid-back personality, rarely showing as much playfulness as his father, who gained a reputation for a mischievous personality.
Seiler said there are several options for Uga VIII, but noted that no replacement would be made official until next year.
Georgia’s players were not made available for comment Thursday, but after news of Uga VII’s death, several players including Jeff Owens and Michael Moore expressed sadness and sympathy and posted photos of their time with the dog on their Facebook and Twitter pages.
“This is a very sad day for the Seiler family, but also for all Georgia people,” athletics director Damon Evans said. “Just as his ancestors, (Uga VII) had captured the hearts of college football fans everywhere as the country’s No. 1 mascot. He had been truly embraced by all those who follow the Georgia Bulldogs across the country.”
ON THE MOVE?
There will be five senior defensive tackles who take the field before Georgia’s final game of the season Saturday to be honored as part of the team’s senior day festivities, which means there will be a serious blow to the Bulldogs’ depth at that position next season.
Meanwhile, Georgia figures to return all five starters on its offensive line, which makes for a crowded depth chart ahead of A.J. Harmon, the burly redshirt freshman who switched from the defensive to offensive line prior to the season.
But while a switch back might make perfect sense for Harmon and the Bulldogs in terms of numbers, head coach Mark Richt said it isn’t likely to happen.
“I have talked to him about that throughout the year, and you never say never, only because you never know what kind of injuries may hit your team,” Richt said. “But right now, we have no thoughts at all about moving him. We feel like he’s making good progress.”
Georgia will return just four scholarship defensive tackles next year, including three true freshmen -- Derrick Lott, Kwame Geathers and Abry Jones. Deangelo Tyson and Jones are the only two to receive playing time this season.
Harmon has seen minimal playing time this season, but he has shown significant progress in shedding weight and getting into better shape after entering school at nearly 330 pounds.
“A.J.’s come a long way at O line,” Richt said. “He’s reshaped his body. He needs more strength, but we like how he’s been progressing so we think we’ll keep him there.”
While Harmon appears unlikely to swap positions, the door is still open for tailback Richard Samuel to make the move to linebacker, but Richt said no official decisions on that will be made until after the season, when coaches can do a thorough review of the scenario.
“I don’t want to get into that because I don’t want to disrupt his life right now, but we’re going to look at everything in totality once this season’s over,” Richt said. “We’ll look at some things when there’s a little breathing room and some time to think about it.”
RECRUITING HYPE HEATS UP
What looked like an already crowded signing class for next season could get bigger for two reasons.
First, Georgia may have more scholarships to offer than previously assumed. With Tony Wilson, Bryce Ros and Neland Ball all earning medical disqualifications in the past seven months, a few more scholarships have opened up. Add to that the departure of juniors Kevin Perez and Ricardo Crawford, who both will graduate and leave the program despite having an additional season of eligibility remaining, and the Bulldogs have a bit more room to maneuver.
Still, Richt said the increased scholarships available won’t change the approach he has taken toward recruiting this season.
“I wouldn’t say that, oh now we can go get two more,” Richt said. “We’re recruiting the same guys we’ve been recruiting all along, so that hasn’t changed.”
While the extra scholarships may help boost Georgia’s signing class, which already has 18 commitments according to Rivals.com, it was the atmosphere from last week’s game against Auburn that may have an even bigger impact.
Georgia hosted one of its biggest crowds of recruits at the game, and Richt said the emotion of the win and the enthusiasm of the crowd, including an emotional moment when they chanted the name of injured safety Bacarri Rambo, did plenty to wow the potential future Bulldogs.
“It was fantastic … just how the crowd reacted to our team, to the Dawg Walk, to the play of our team and of course how they chanted Rambo’s name and just how loud they got at the end,” Richt said. “And for the official visits, they were in the locker room after the game and got to see how we celebrate in there. It was just a perfect night for football, and we played well against a very good team. It was a great representation of what Georgia football is about, so I couldn’t have asked for more on that one.”
DAWGS WON'T GO GREEN
It won’t be the first time this season that Georgia has gone to battle without A.J. Green, and the Bulldogs managed to post 31 points a week ago without their star receiver. Still, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said there’s no replacing a player of Green’s caliber without changing the battle plan.
“It was good to see and get those guys in there to have opportunities, and they made plays,” Bobo said. “It’s a little bit difficult in the sense that you have a guy that was pretty dependable when the ball came his way in his ability to make plays and cause defenses to account for him.”
Bobo said he still was unsure who would get the start opposite Tavarres King this week, with Michael Moore, Rantavious Wooten and Israel Troupe all in the mix.
Regardless of who plays in Green’s place, Bobo said the key will be for Georgia to continue running the ball effectively, even with Kentucky’s defense likely to put extra defenders in the box to stop the run.
“We’ll still probably get a little bit more one-on-one that we did when he was out there, but we’re still going to have to be able to run the ball efficiently,” Bobo said.
MIXED BAG FOR COX
Bobo has made no secret that he believes Joe Cox is Georgia’s best quarterback, but he’s not going so far as to call Cox’s senior season a complete success.
Through 10 games, Cox has completed 58 percent of his passes, throwing 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Cox’s season has been marked by inconsistency, from his five-touchdown performance against Arkansas to his dismal three-interception game in a loss to Florida.
“He’s been up and down,” Bobo said. “There’s been flashes of playing very well and leading this football team, but there’s been some inconsistency in throwing the ball accurately.”
Bobo said the lack of accuracy has been a surprise, given Cox’s history throughout his first four seasons in the program, but said the problems have usually been a result of hesitancy rather than judgment.
“Going into this season, he was a very accurate passer, knows his progressions,” Bobo said. “But a lot has to do with not trusting it, worrying about making the mistake, and then we’re making mistakes. You’ve got to play ball. If it’s not there, you’ve got to protect it, and there’s a fine line there. There’s going to be tight windows … and you’ve got to be willing to throw the ball in tight spaces, and then there’s going to be times when you’ve got to take a sack.”
FUTURE UNCLEAR FOR PUGH
Before the season began, redshirt freshman Makiri Pugh hoped he might be in line for significant playing time at both safety and nickel corner, but 10 games into the season, those opportunities have not developed.
Pugh has seen limited action on special teams but has made only the rare appearance on defense this season, and the lack of playing time has been frustrating.
“It’s been kind of rough really,” Pugh said. “I’ve only seen time on punt return and block, so I’ve just been trying to keep a positive attitude. I have guys ahead of me, so I’ve just got to keep on working. I’m just focused on getting better at the things I’m weak at to get that opportunity. Obviously the season is winding down, but you never know what can happen, so I’ve just got to stay prepared.”
With freshman Bacarri Rambo set to miss this week’s game, Pugh is hopeful he could see action as a potential replacement, but after a season of waiting, he has learned not to predict playing time.
“We’ll see how it goes,” he said. “I’ve been second team at safety and nickel the entire season, so I’m just going to prepare like I usually do, know the game plan and be ready. Playing is more of a reality. If one guy or two guys get nicked up, and I’m in there.”
With Georgia struggling to a 6-4 record, Pugh said it has been difficult to remain on the sideline, despite the losses. Richt has said he plans to continue playing starters for the remainder of the season rather than giving playing time to younger players in order to prepare them for the future – a plan Pugh at least tentatively endorses.
“We want to win, that’s the bottom line,” Pugh said. “But I think being on the bench on an undefeated team is a little different than being on the bench on a team that’s 6-4. But we care about winning and if they feel they have the guys out there that are giving us the best chance to win, then you have to go along with it. You’ve just got to work.”
What that means for Pugh’s future is still to be determined. The safety said he has not given serious consideration to a transfer, but will evaluate his situation once the season is over.
“I’m trying not to look ahead,” Pugh said. “We know we’re going to lose some seniors this year, but we don’t really know exactly how it’s going to work out. I haven’t really looked ahead too much because we’re in the middle of the season and I still have responsibilities this season.”
CLEARING UP THE CONTROVERSY
I had a couple people inquire about a moment on the sideline during Georgia's win over Auburn last week when defensive coordinator Willie Martinez was discussing a play with safety Reshad Jones and linebacker Rennie Curran appeared to shove Martinez away from Jones.
Some folks thought it was a sign of issues brewing between Georgia's defensive coordinator and its top defensive player, but Curran said it was nothing more than playful roughhousing that occurs all the time.
“I always try to get Coach Martinez pumped up, so I’ll come up and chest bump him sometimes," Curran said. "Before the game, we’ll be jumping up and getting rowdy and I’ll come up and push Coach Martinez just to get fired up. It’s perception, man. You see one thing and think another and take it out of proportion.”
(One other note... My latest Twitter updates are available along the right hand side of this page. For breaking info such as Uga's death, I may not have time immediately to post a story, but I'll typically post updates via Twitter that you can access.)
The English bulldog took the reins as one of the nation’s most well known mascots just last year. The death came as a surprise to Uga VII’s owner, Frank W. “Sonny” Seiler.
“We are all in a state of shock,” Seiler said in a statement released by the university. “We had no warning whatsoever.”
There will be no mascot present on the sidelines at Saturday’s final regular-season home game for Georgia, a rarity since the first Uga was officially introduced in 1956.
Georgia head coach Mark Richt was informed of the news Thursday afternoon and spoke with Seiler soon after.
“I was sad to hear about Uga VII,” Richt said. “You never think something like that can happen that quickly, and I’m sad we won’t have him on the sideline anymore.”
Uga VII presided over 23 games, with Georgia posting a record of 16-7 during that span – the fourth best winning percentage the Bulldogs have had with any of the Uga mascots.
The dog was a popular figure among Georgia fans following his introduction in August of 2008 prior to the Bulldogs’ home opener against Georgia Southern. Richt said the line of fans waiting for their photos with the dog dwarfed the amount hoping for a snapshot with the Georgia coaches or players.
Uga VII was known for his more laid-back personality, rarely showing as much playfulness as his father, who gained a reputation for a mischievous personality.
Seiler said there are several options for Uga VIII, but noted that no replacement would be made official until next year.
Georgia’s players were not made available for comment Thursday, but after news of Uga VII’s death, several players including Jeff Owens and Michael Moore expressed sadness and sympathy and posted photos of their time with the dog on their Facebook and Twitter pages.
“This is a very sad day for the Seiler family, but also for all Georgia people,” athletics director Damon Evans said. “Just as his ancestors, (Uga VII) had captured the hearts of college football fans everywhere as the country’s No. 1 mascot. He had been truly embraced by all those who follow the Georgia Bulldogs across the country.”
ON THE MOVE?
There will be five senior defensive tackles who take the field before Georgia’s final game of the season Saturday to be honored as part of the team’s senior day festivities, which means there will be a serious blow to the Bulldogs’ depth at that position next season.
Meanwhile, Georgia figures to return all five starters on its offensive line, which makes for a crowded depth chart ahead of A.J. Harmon, the burly redshirt freshman who switched from the defensive to offensive line prior to the season.
But while a switch back might make perfect sense for Harmon and the Bulldogs in terms of numbers, head coach Mark Richt said it isn’t likely to happen.
“I have talked to him about that throughout the year, and you never say never, only because you never know what kind of injuries may hit your team,” Richt said. “But right now, we have no thoughts at all about moving him. We feel like he’s making good progress.”
Georgia will return just four scholarship defensive tackles next year, including three true freshmen -- Derrick Lott, Kwame Geathers and Abry Jones. Deangelo Tyson and Jones are the only two to receive playing time this season.
Harmon has seen minimal playing time this season, but he has shown significant progress in shedding weight and getting into better shape after entering school at nearly 330 pounds.
“A.J.’s come a long way at O line,” Richt said. “He’s reshaped his body. He needs more strength, but we like how he’s been progressing so we think we’ll keep him there.”
While Harmon appears unlikely to swap positions, the door is still open for tailback Richard Samuel to make the move to linebacker, but Richt said no official decisions on that will be made until after the season, when coaches can do a thorough review of the scenario.
“I don’t want to get into that because I don’t want to disrupt his life right now, but we’re going to look at everything in totality once this season’s over,” Richt said. “We’ll look at some things when there’s a little breathing room and some time to think about it.”
RECRUITING HYPE HEATS UP
What looked like an already crowded signing class for next season could get bigger for two reasons.
First, Georgia may have more scholarships to offer than previously assumed. With Tony Wilson, Bryce Ros and Neland Ball all earning medical disqualifications in the past seven months, a few more scholarships have opened up. Add to that the departure of juniors Kevin Perez and Ricardo Crawford, who both will graduate and leave the program despite having an additional season of eligibility remaining, and the Bulldogs have a bit more room to maneuver.
Still, Richt said the increased scholarships available won’t change the approach he has taken toward recruiting this season.
“I wouldn’t say that, oh now we can go get two more,” Richt said. “We’re recruiting the same guys we’ve been recruiting all along, so that hasn’t changed.”
While the extra scholarships may help boost Georgia’s signing class, which already has 18 commitments according to Rivals.com, it was the atmosphere from last week’s game against Auburn that may have an even bigger impact.
Georgia hosted one of its biggest crowds of recruits at the game, and Richt said the emotion of the win and the enthusiasm of the crowd, including an emotional moment when they chanted the name of injured safety Bacarri Rambo, did plenty to wow the potential future Bulldogs.
“It was fantastic … just how the crowd reacted to our team, to the Dawg Walk, to the play of our team and of course how they chanted Rambo’s name and just how loud they got at the end,” Richt said. “And for the official visits, they were in the locker room after the game and got to see how we celebrate in there. It was just a perfect night for football, and we played well against a very good team. It was a great representation of what Georgia football is about, so I couldn’t have asked for more on that one.”
DAWGS WON'T GO GREEN
It won’t be the first time this season that Georgia has gone to battle without A.J. Green, and the Bulldogs managed to post 31 points a week ago without their star receiver. Still, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said there’s no replacing a player of Green’s caliber without changing the battle plan.
“It was good to see and get those guys in there to have opportunities, and they made plays,” Bobo said. “It’s a little bit difficult in the sense that you have a guy that was pretty dependable when the ball came his way in his ability to make plays and cause defenses to account for him.”
Bobo said he still was unsure who would get the start opposite Tavarres King this week, with Michael Moore, Rantavious Wooten and Israel Troupe all in the mix.
Regardless of who plays in Green’s place, Bobo said the key will be for Georgia to continue running the ball effectively, even with Kentucky’s defense likely to put extra defenders in the box to stop the run.
“We’ll still probably get a little bit more one-on-one that we did when he was out there, but we’re still going to have to be able to run the ball efficiently,” Bobo said.
MIXED BAG FOR COX
Bobo has made no secret that he believes Joe Cox is Georgia’s best quarterback, but he’s not going so far as to call Cox’s senior season a complete success.
Through 10 games, Cox has completed 58 percent of his passes, throwing 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Cox’s season has been marked by inconsistency, from his five-touchdown performance against Arkansas to his dismal three-interception game in a loss to Florida.
“He’s been up and down,” Bobo said. “There’s been flashes of playing very well and leading this football team, but there’s been some inconsistency in throwing the ball accurately.”
Bobo said the lack of accuracy has been a surprise, given Cox’s history throughout his first four seasons in the program, but said the problems have usually been a result of hesitancy rather than judgment.
“Going into this season, he was a very accurate passer, knows his progressions,” Bobo said. “But a lot has to do with not trusting it, worrying about making the mistake, and then we’re making mistakes. You’ve got to play ball. If it’s not there, you’ve got to protect it, and there’s a fine line there. There’s going to be tight windows … and you’ve got to be willing to throw the ball in tight spaces, and then there’s going to be times when you’ve got to take a sack.”
FUTURE UNCLEAR FOR PUGH
Before the season began, redshirt freshman Makiri Pugh hoped he might be in line for significant playing time at both safety and nickel corner, but 10 games into the season, those opportunities have not developed.
Pugh has seen limited action on special teams but has made only the rare appearance on defense this season, and the lack of playing time has been frustrating.
“It’s been kind of rough really,” Pugh said. “I’ve only seen time on punt return and block, so I’ve just been trying to keep a positive attitude. I have guys ahead of me, so I’ve just got to keep on working. I’m just focused on getting better at the things I’m weak at to get that opportunity. Obviously the season is winding down, but you never know what can happen, so I’ve just got to stay prepared.”
With freshman Bacarri Rambo set to miss this week’s game, Pugh is hopeful he could see action as a potential replacement, but after a season of waiting, he has learned not to predict playing time.
“We’ll see how it goes,” he said. “I’ve been second team at safety and nickel the entire season, so I’m just going to prepare like I usually do, know the game plan and be ready. Playing is more of a reality. If one guy or two guys get nicked up, and I’m in there.”
With Georgia struggling to a 6-4 record, Pugh said it has been difficult to remain on the sideline, despite the losses. Richt has said he plans to continue playing starters for the remainder of the season rather than giving playing time to younger players in order to prepare them for the future – a plan Pugh at least tentatively endorses.
“We want to win, that’s the bottom line,” Pugh said. “But I think being on the bench on an undefeated team is a little different than being on the bench on a team that’s 6-4. But we care about winning and if they feel they have the guys out there that are giving us the best chance to win, then you have to go along with it. You’ve just got to work.”
What that means for Pugh’s future is still to be determined. The safety said he has not given serious consideration to a transfer, but will evaluate his situation once the season is over.
“I’m trying not to look ahead,” Pugh said. “We know we’re going to lose some seniors this year, but we don’t really know exactly how it’s going to work out. I haven’t really looked ahead too much because we’re in the middle of the season and I still have responsibilities this season.”
CLEARING UP THE CONTROVERSY
I had a couple people inquire about a moment on the sideline during Georgia's win over Auburn last week when defensive coordinator Willie Martinez was discussing a play with safety Reshad Jones and linebacker Rennie Curran appeared to shove Martinez away from Jones.
Some folks thought it was a sign of issues brewing between Georgia's defensive coordinator and its top defensive player, but Curran said it was nothing more than playful roughhousing that occurs all the time.
“I always try to get Coach Martinez pumped up, so I’ll come up and chest bump him sometimes," Curran said. "Before the game, we’ll be jumping up and getting rowdy and I’ll come up and push Coach Martinez just to get fired up. It’s perception, man. You see one thing and think another and take it out of proportion.”
(One other note... My latest Twitter updates are available along the right hand side of this page. For breaking info such as Uga's death, I may not have time immediately to post a story, but I'll typically post updates via Twitter that you can access.)
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Practice Notes: Pugh Better, King Not
After two radio interviews, Mark Richt's morning news conference, player interviews in the afternoon, writing two blog posts, a notebook and feature for tomorrow's paper and doing more interviews tonight, I simply don't have the energy for any more quote transcribing (though if someone would like to work as my transcription assistant, there's a six pack of Milwaukee's Best in it for you). So, just a few brief details from tonight's practice...
-- Makiri Pugh returned to practice for the first time today since being diagnosed with swine flu last Thursday. Mark Richt said no other players showed symptoms, and Pugh said he's feeling 100 percent now and expects to play Saturday.
-- Richt heavily endorsed the notion that Caleb King will play this week during his morning session with media, but Mike Bobo put a damper on that prognosis tonight. He said Caleb wore a green non-contact jersey in practice and was very limited once again.
-- Bobo said Vince Vance graded out pretty well in his approximately 25 snaps on the O line Saturday and will continue to be the left tackle for the foreseeable future.
-- Marlon Brown confirmed what Michael Moore told me Sunday: Tony Ball said he simply didn't realize Brown and Rantavious Wooten hadn't played against Oklahoma State.
“He said the game was moving so fast and he was trying to find out what plays worked and what didn’t work, and he said he just forgot, it slipped his mind,” Brown said.
-- Reshad Jones said coaches told him his hit that drew a flag in the second half Saturday was not a penalty after watching the film closer. He also got a text immediately after the game from last year's starting safety, CJ Byrd, saying "Nice hit."
-- I got some clarification from Willie Martinez on what happened on the fourth down play with the disputed spot. He said that Georgia could have challenged the play, but chose not to rather than risk losing a timeout. The refs could have chosen to review it since it was so close, but they also decided against it. Here's the exact quote:
"The game was going so fast, and obviously they review every play," Martinez said. "You're always careful -- it's Coach Richt's call -- but you're always careful with losing a timeout in a tight ballgame. You just hope that it was close enough for them to review it, but obviously it wasn't."
-- I didn't get a chance to talk to Logan Gray, but Anthony Dasher from Rivals writes that up until Saturday morning, Gray thought he was going to be the starter against Oklahoma State with Joe Cox experiencing flu symptoms. (Note: Subscription only.)
I did talk to Aaron Murray, and he said he was a bit more confident that Cox would be in the lineup.
"I was preparing, but we knew pretty well that Joe would be back and make the start," Murray said. "But I go into every game preparing in case something happens because it builds good habits, watching film and preparing as if I were the starter."
-- Also, I forgot to include this quote from Richt's morning presser in my earlier post, but for all you folks who hate the directional kicking, I figured you'd really enjoy Richt's synopsis of the South Carolina game: "As I look at this game I’m seeing two defenses that played pretty darn good and two offenses that are trying to find their way. More than likely the special teams will be the deciding factor in this one."
-- And for those of you craving post-practice info, here's the official UGA release...
The No. 21-ranked Georgia Bulldogs (0-1) practiced for approximately two and a half hours in full pads on Tuesday afternoon in preparation for this Saturday's Southeastern Conference opener against South Carolina (1-0) at Sanford Stadium.
"Practice was long and hard," said head coach Mark Richt. "They hung in there and fought through it pretty good."
At the beginning of practice, Richt announced the captains for this weekend's contest as Rennie Curran and Kade Weston for the defense, Joe Cox for the offense and Prince Miller for the special teams.
Richt also met with the media Tuesday afternoon for the Bulldogs' weekly press conference. There he discussed the matchup with South Carolina at length.
"They are really an outstanding football team," Richt said. "As I look at this game I’m seeing two defenses that played pretty darn good and two offenses that are trying to find their way. More than likely the special teams will be the deciding factor in this one. As we know, it’s a team that we have always had great battles with and very, very close games. We have won six of the last eight and just about every time we play, the score is within a touchdown. Rarely has anybody scored more than 20 points on either side. The way it’s shaping up, it looks like another one of those, quite frankly.
"We’ll play it with a lot of energy and enthusiasm," Richt continued. "I know it will be exciting to be home for our players. We are looking forward to our Dog Walk and getting the guys excited about the game. The night atmosphere certainly adds to the atmosphere. It’s the first Southeastern Conference game. The SEC has begun and we are looking to go 1-0.”
-- Makiri Pugh returned to practice for the first time today since being diagnosed with swine flu last Thursday. Mark Richt said no other players showed symptoms, and Pugh said he's feeling 100 percent now and expects to play Saturday.
-- Richt heavily endorsed the notion that Caleb King will play this week during his morning session with media, but Mike Bobo put a damper on that prognosis tonight. He said Caleb wore a green non-contact jersey in practice and was very limited once again.
-- Bobo said Vince Vance graded out pretty well in his approximately 25 snaps on the O line Saturday and will continue to be the left tackle for the foreseeable future.
-- Marlon Brown confirmed what Michael Moore told me Sunday: Tony Ball said he simply didn't realize Brown and Rantavious Wooten hadn't played against Oklahoma State.
“He said the game was moving so fast and he was trying to find out what plays worked and what didn’t work, and he said he just forgot, it slipped his mind,” Brown said.
-- Reshad Jones said coaches told him his hit that drew a flag in the second half Saturday was not a penalty after watching the film closer. He also got a text immediately after the game from last year's starting safety, CJ Byrd, saying "Nice hit."
-- I got some clarification from Willie Martinez on what happened on the fourth down play with the disputed spot. He said that Georgia could have challenged the play, but chose not to rather than risk losing a timeout. The refs could have chosen to review it since it was so close, but they also decided against it. Here's the exact quote:
"The game was going so fast, and obviously they review every play," Martinez said. "You're always careful -- it's Coach Richt's call -- but you're always careful with losing a timeout in a tight ballgame. You just hope that it was close enough for them to review it, but obviously it wasn't."
-- I didn't get a chance to talk to Logan Gray, but Anthony Dasher from Rivals writes that up until Saturday morning, Gray thought he was going to be the starter against Oklahoma State with Joe Cox experiencing flu symptoms. (Note: Subscription only.)
I did talk to Aaron Murray, and he said he was a bit more confident that Cox would be in the lineup.
"I was preparing, but we knew pretty well that Joe would be back and make the start," Murray said. "But I go into every game preparing in case something happens because it builds good habits, watching film and preparing as if I were the starter."
-- Also, I forgot to include this quote from Richt's morning presser in my earlier post, but for all you folks who hate the directional kicking, I figured you'd really enjoy Richt's synopsis of the South Carolina game: "As I look at this game I’m seeing two defenses that played pretty darn good and two offenses that are trying to find their way. More than likely the special teams will be the deciding factor in this one."
-- And for those of you craving post-practice info, here's the official UGA release...
The No. 21-ranked Georgia Bulldogs (0-1) practiced for approximately two and a half hours in full pads on Tuesday afternoon in preparation for this Saturday's Southeastern Conference opener against South Carolina (1-0) at Sanford Stadium.
"Practice was long and hard," said head coach Mark Richt. "They hung in there and fought through it pretty good."
At the beginning of practice, Richt announced the captains for this weekend's contest as Rennie Curran and Kade Weston for the defense, Joe Cox for the offense and Prince Miller for the special teams.
Richt also met with the media Tuesday afternoon for the Bulldogs' weekly press conference. There he discussed the matchup with South Carolina at length.
"They are really an outstanding football team," Richt said. "As I look at this game I’m seeing two defenses that played pretty darn good and two offenses that are trying to find their way. More than likely the special teams will be the deciding factor in this one. As we know, it’s a team that we have always had great battles with and very, very close games. We have won six of the last eight and just about every time we play, the score is within a touchdown. Rarely has anybody scored more than 20 points on either side. The way it’s shaping up, it looks like another one of those, quite frankly.
"We’ll play it with a lot of energy and enthusiasm," Richt continued. "I know it will be exciting to be home for our players. We are looking forward to our Dog Walk and getting the guys excited about the game. The night atmosphere certainly adds to the atmosphere. It’s the first Southeastern Conference game. The SEC has begun and we are looking to go 1-0.”
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Defense Puts '08 Behind Them
If you watched much of the Georgia defense down the stretch last season, this assessment of the Oklahoma State offense should probably have you worried.
“We played offenses like that where they’ve had a running quarterback, and I don’t feel like this is any different," linebacker Rennie Curran said. "When you have a running quarterback, you just have to be really disciplined in containing him and making them one-dimensional, taking away that run ability. If you can do that, it can get really frustrating for them. You just can’t let them build momentum and confidence.”
In Georgia's final five games last year, containing mobile quarterbacks, stopping the run and playing disciplined football were all areas that didn't exactly give fans the warm fuzzies.
So if Oklahoma State presents many of the same challenges that a team like Kentucky, which had lesser talent at the skill positions, presented a year ago, how can Georgia fans have much hope of leaving Stillwater with a smile on their faces?
Well, how about four reasons?
1.) Lessons learned.
As much as fans may have been frustrated by what they saw on the field a year ago, it was nothing to how much it hurt Curran and his fellow defenders. The sinking feeling walking off the field, the criticism of their defensive coordinator and most of all, the losses -- they've stuck with the Bulldogs throughout the offseason and served as a reminder of what needs to be done better this time around.
“Really just from those experiences we had in the past, I feel like we’ve grown immensely from those," Curran said. "As a defense, I can say without a doubt that we all trust each other, that we all know how hard each of us have worked, and now we’re just ready to get on the field.”
2.) New blood.
I'm not sure if it's that Curran is glad to see a few folks from last year's defense gone, but he's definitely pleased with the new faces replacing them. Last season, Curran talked often about a lack of trust between the players on defense -- they weren't sure what to expect when game day came around. That's not true this season, and that's a big step for the defense.
“I feel like we have just a lot of hungry guys who are ready to get out there and make things happen," Curran said. "You look at the guys who left and the guys who are replacing them – Brandon Boykin for Asher Allen, Darryl Gamble coming in there for Dannell (Ellerbe), Bryan Evans – these are guys who have been waiting to get the opportunity and are just hungry and excited about wearing the ‘G’ and are dedicated. I’m excited. Whenever we step out on the field as a defense, it’s a good feeling knowing I’ve got guys who are as dedicated as I am and want us to win as much as possible.”
3.) New Focus.
For all the problems with fundamentals Georgia's defense demonstrated at times last year, there were two major problems that plagued the team all year: The first was a lack of pressure on the quarterback. The second was a lack of turnovers.
While it's hard to say those will both be solved Saturday, there's no doubt the issues have gotten plenty of attention from the team during the past eight months.
“Definitely in the standpoint of just getting to the ball and just the quickness of the defense," Boykin said. "It’s really standing out. Everybody’s trying to get to the ball and make turnovers. It’s kind of like a competition to see who can get there and get a pick first and things like that. That’s the fun thing about it and I feel like that’s going to carry over Saturday.”
4.) Leadership.
Last season, CJ Byrd was the only Georgia senior to start all 13 games on defense. Corvey Irvin was the only other consistent senior contributor, and he was only in his second season with the Bulldogs after transferring from Georgia Military College.
That won't be the case this year. Georgia will have six senior starters and four more experienced juniors on the field to kick off the game against Oklahoma State. Only Boykin has less than a year of significant playing time under his belt, and the veterans have raved about his ability to step in right away. It's a far different atmosphere than the one that pervaded the defense a year ago, redshirt freshman Makiri Pugh said.
“I think we have great leadership this year," Pugh said. "We have a lot of guys being accountable for their responsibilities. When a guy messes up, that guy knows he messed up and knows he has to fix it. There’s a sense of responsibility to Georgia that I can really feel. They’re a great team that will make you pay if you make a fundamental mistake, so that’s one of the things we’ve been focusing on.”
So... are you encouraged? Have some of your fears been assuaged? Or are you taking an "I'll believe it when I see it" attitude? OK, you really just want to type something bad about Willie Martinez, don't you? Go ahead. Get it over with. I won't hold it against you.
Seriously though... what is your prediction for this game? How many points will Oklahoma State score? If the high-powered Cowboys tally something in the high 20s or low 30s, can that be considered a success if Georgia still comes out on top?
“We played offenses like that where they’ve had a running quarterback, and I don’t feel like this is any different," linebacker Rennie Curran said. "When you have a running quarterback, you just have to be really disciplined in containing him and making them one-dimensional, taking away that run ability. If you can do that, it can get really frustrating for them. You just can’t let them build momentum and confidence.”
In Georgia's final five games last year, containing mobile quarterbacks, stopping the run and playing disciplined football were all areas that didn't exactly give fans the warm fuzzies.
So if Oklahoma State presents many of the same challenges that a team like Kentucky, which had lesser talent at the skill positions, presented a year ago, how can Georgia fans have much hope of leaving Stillwater with a smile on their faces?
Well, how about four reasons?
1.) Lessons learned.
As much as fans may have been frustrated by what they saw on the field a year ago, it was nothing to how much it hurt Curran and his fellow defenders. The sinking feeling walking off the field, the criticism of their defensive coordinator and most of all, the losses -- they've stuck with the Bulldogs throughout the offseason and served as a reminder of what needs to be done better this time around.
“Really just from those experiences we had in the past, I feel like we’ve grown immensely from those," Curran said. "As a defense, I can say without a doubt that we all trust each other, that we all know how hard each of us have worked, and now we’re just ready to get on the field.”
2.) New blood.
I'm not sure if it's that Curran is glad to see a few folks from last year's defense gone, but he's definitely pleased with the new faces replacing them. Last season, Curran talked often about a lack of trust between the players on defense -- they weren't sure what to expect when game day came around. That's not true this season, and that's a big step for the defense.
“I feel like we have just a lot of hungry guys who are ready to get out there and make things happen," Curran said. "You look at the guys who left and the guys who are replacing them – Brandon Boykin for Asher Allen, Darryl Gamble coming in there for Dannell (Ellerbe), Bryan Evans – these are guys who have been waiting to get the opportunity and are just hungry and excited about wearing the ‘G’ and are dedicated. I’m excited. Whenever we step out on the field as a defense, it’s a good feeling knowing I’ve got guys who are as dedicated as I am and want us to win as much as possible.”
3.) New Focus.
For all the problems with fundamentals Georgia's defense demonstrated at times last year, there were two major problems that plagued the team all year: The first was a lack of pressure on the quarterback. The second was a lack of turnovers.
While it's hard to say those will both be solved Saturday, there's no doubt the issues have gotten plenty of attention from the team during the past eight months.
“Definitely in the standpoint of just getting to the ball and just the quickness of the defense," Boykin said. "It’s really standing out. Everybody’s trying to get to the ball and make turnovers. It’s kind of like a competition to see who can get there and get a pick first and things like that. That’s the fun thing about it and I feel like that’s going to carry over Saturday.”
4.) Leadership.
Last season, CJ Byrd was the only Georgia senior to start all 13 games on defense. Corvey Irvin was the only other consistent senior contributor, and he was only in his second season with the Bulldogs after transferring from Georgia Military College.
That won't be the case this year. Georgia will have six senior starters and four more experienced juniors on the field to kick off the game against Oklahoma State. Only Boykin has less than a year of significant playing time under his belt, and the veterans have raved about his ability to step in right away. It's a far different atmosphere than the one that pervaded the defense a year ago, redshirt freshman Makiri Pugh said.
“I think we have great leadership this year," Pugh said. "We have a lot of guys being accountable for their responsibilities. When a guy messes up, that guy knows he messed up and knows he has to fix it. There’s a sense of responsibility to Georgia that I can really feel. They’re a great team that will make you pay if you make a fundamental mistake, so that’s one of the things we’ve been focusing on.”
So... are you encouraged? Have some of your fears been assuaged? Or are you taking an "I'll believe it when I see it" attitude? OK, you really just want to type something bad about Willie Martinez, don't you? Go ahead. Get it over with. I won't hold it against you.
Seriously though... what is your prediction for this game? How many points will Oklahoma State score? If the high-powered Cowboys tally something in the high 20s or low 30s, can that be considered a success if Georgia still comes out on top?
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Practice Notes: Dawgs Find Plenty of Room to Improve
Georgia got an early taste of what's in store when it opens the season against Oklahoma State when the Bulldogs held a practice game against the scout team Wednesday, and the results weren't exactly encouraging.
"Overall, my feeling was that we weren't quite ready to beat Oklahoma State, so I'm glad we have 10 more days to prepare," head coach Mark Richt said. "We're playing the No. 9 team in the country, a team with (numerous) senior starters on defense, a team with an offense that is nothing short of spectacular. We've got to be sharp, and we weren't sharp today."
The problems weren't disastrous, Richt said, but they were numerous.
After finishing among the most penalized teams in the country a year ago, the Bulldogs' penchant for drawing flags reared its head again Wednesday, although Richt cautioned the problems were mostly a result of playing a number of inexperienced players.
"We had a few too many penalties," Richt said. "We were substituting pretty freely because it was warm, and some of our younger guys didn't really handle it very well in my opinion."
Richt said the first-team offense had a holding penalty and an illegal formation flag that each halted drives or forced field goals.
In addition to the flags, the offense simply wasn't clicking on all cylinders, Richt said.
The unit posted 27 points in the 30-minute practice game, but it wasn't the type of success he had hoped for.
"It was just an erratic day," Richt said. "It just was not sharp. It wasn't awful, but when you're playing this game, and you have almost your first and second team vs. the rest, you would think we'd have been a little more explosive offensively against that group."
While the offense seemed sluggish, Richt did have some kudos for his defensive unit.
"There were some really fine defensive plays, some good solid tackling," Richt said. "I thought the tackling was pretty good."
STARTING FROM BEHIND
The final score of Wednesday's practice game was 27-24 Georgia, but it wasn't quite as close as the margin might indicate.
Richt set the teams up to play just the second half of the simulated action, and the No. 1 unit took the field having spotted the scout team three touchdowns before a single snap had taken place.
"I wanted a little sense of urgency for both sides of the ball to make it a tight ballgame," Richt said. "The defense twice had to play with a three-point lead, which I thought they did a good job of."
It was a somewhat familiar situation for quarterback Joe Cox, too.
Cox's last significant action during a game came in 2006 when he came on in relief of Matthew Stafford in the second half against Colorado trailing 13-0. Cox rallied the Bulldogs to a 14-13 win, just as he maneuvered the first-team offense to a comeback victory Wednesday.
Despite his calm under pressure, however, Cox said he'd be just fine with his defense keeping the Cowboys off the scoreboard.
"No, I don't want to spot Oklahoma State 14," Cox said. "I think they did that so we'd really come out and have a different mind-set, and I think it was definitely a good thing. (After the scrimmage), we don't want to say we lost because we couldn't come back."
GOING OFF SCRIPT
One plus for Georgia's offense was the opportunity to run through the playbook in a game situation, Cox said.
In practice, most of the offensive plays are scripted in advance, but Wednesday the Bulldogs got to take the training wheels off.
"We just went off Coach (Mike) Bobo's call sheet, some things we like that we thought would work for the Oklahoma State game," Cox said. "Anything could come in at any time, so it really tests your knowledge and tests everything you've been working on the past few weeks in camp."
The results were clearly mixed, Cox said, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The early scrimmage work gave the offense a chance to revamp a few of its plans for its date with the Cowboys on Sept. 5.
"We saw a lot of things we did really well that we can definitely solidify in our game plan or maybe tweak a little bit," Cox said. "There's probably some things that we ran that we said maybe that's not what we want to run. It's good to have a scrimmage like this and have some time to go back and make some changes to the game plan."
NO DECISIONS YET
Freshman quarterbacks Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger took turns playing the role of Oklahoma State's Zac Robinson during Wednesday's practice game, and only helped the scout team muster three points against Georgia's first-team defense.
That's been indicative of the struggles both have endured at various points this fall, but Richt said he's still not close to deciding whether either or both of the two will redshirt this season.
"I don't think we're there yet," Richt said. "We've still got some time and we've got some games to play. I don't want either one of those guys thinking they're redshirting right this minute."
KING OF THE HILL
Tavarres King was one of Wednesday's offensive stars, hauling in a touchdown reception from quarterback Logan Gray. While it was another strong moment for the redshirt freshman, the more important improvement in his game has come when the ball isn't in his hands, Richt said.
King came in undersized and had to put on weight this offseason, but the work has paid off and Richt said his receiver is looking much improved in the blocking game.
"He's getting better," Richt said. "He's certainly getting much more aggressive as a blocker, and blocking as a receiver is really much more about attitude and technique."
CAPTAINS ANNOUNCED
Richt announced the captains for Georgia's opener against Oklahoma State. Cox will represent the offense, with Rennie Curran and Jeff Owens representing the defense, and Demarcus Dobbs representing the special teams.
The beauty of the decision, Richt said, is that it was so hard to make.
"A lot of guys to chose from," he said. "It was not easy to decide on that. There were a lot of names that came up, a lot of names that crossed my mind that deserved it, which is good."
DOUBLE DUTY
Richt announced last week that Richard Samuel had a firm grip on the top of the tailback depth chart, but that doesn't mean he won't continue his work on kick returns, where he tallied 401 return yards as a freshman last season.
Samuel is one of five players getting work at the position, Richt said, and likely a leading candidate for the majority of the work.
"(Samuel), (Brandon) Boykin and Branden Smith are the top three guys right now," Richt said. "Carlton (Thomas) is in there, too, but I don't know if he'd be in the top three right now. But he's been getting work there along with Bryan Evans."
GOT YOU COVERED
The special teams work during Georgia's practice game is a bit more simulated than the rest of the scrimmage. Kickoffs are live, but the return men already have a second ball waiting and don't catch the kicks – a move made to ensure every kick is returned rather than wasting a rep.
That doesn't make judging the overall kicking game a simple task, but from what he did see, Richt was pleased with how the first-team coverage units played.
"It's a little bit tough to grade or judge how the kicks are going in relation to our coverage, but today the coverage was outstanding," Richt said.
WHO WANTS HIGHLIGHTS?
Richt didn't have stats available following Wednesday's practice game, but a few highlights were easy to recall.
On the defensive side, Brandon Boykin stood out.
"I just happened to see a real fine form tackle by Boykin on the sideline, just a real good job of breaking down and putting his face on the guy and running his feet on contact," Richt said.
Makiri Pugh and Boykin each had interceptions in the game as well, with Pugh's sealing the victory for the Georgia squad.
One rookie made some noise on the scout-team defense, too.
"Just from the naked eye on the sideline, it looked like Derrick Lott had a nice day," Richt said. "He played real strong inside, made some nice unassisted tackles. He stood out."
On offense, King and A.J. Green each caught touchdowns, but Richt was a bit more reserved in his praise.
"I thought Joe was sharp running the system," Richt said of his quarterback. "He was accurate throwing the ball."
Richt on tailback Richard Samuel: "Good day. It wasn't spectacular but it was a good day, solid."
EXTRA POINTS
-- The lone turnover by the first-team offense came on an interception. Richt didn't mention which quarterback threw it but he referred to Cox as "accurate" while simply saying Logan Gray "got some snaps." So read between the lines.
-- Ben Jones didn't participate Wednesday, and Kevin Perez worked at center, with Trinton Sturdivant, Chris Davis, Cordy Glenn and Clint Boling rounding out the rest of the No. 1 offensive line.
-- Jeff Owens on who impressed him: "Geno Atkins as usual. He always does great."
-- Richt said the practice game didn't result in any serious injury concerns.
-- Blair Walsh booted all three field goals in the game and Richt said the sophomore kicker had a strong hold on the field-goal and PAT job.
-- Rod Battle continues to impress. Richt said he had one or two sacks in the game.
-- Mettenberger, Murray and Vernon Spellman all took turns playing OSU quarterback Zac Robinson. Rantavious Wooten handled the role of Dez Bryant for the scout team.
-- Richt on Marcus Washington: "He got to play and played a good bit, but I can't sit here and say he did anything exceptional."
-- Akeem Dent, Reshad Jones, Bryan Evans and Caleb King all sat out of Wednesday's scrimmage, but Richt said Jones and Evans could have gone but were held out for precautionary reasons.
-- Darius Dewberry and Aron White sat out all of last week's practices but were full participants in the practice game.
-- King didn't participate, but Richt said he would be back by Monday at the latest. Richt said the next week's practice makes for an easier transition for many of the injured players returning to the lineup. "We're at the point now where there's going to be so much scout team work, and the tempo of the scout work is not quite like the (other drills). It's good tempo, but it's not the same tempo as when you're competing against the No. 1 or No. 2 units. So those guys tend to integrate into practice during scout work, and hopefully they catch up on their fundamentals when they're healthy again."
-- Jeff Owens says his goal is to get to 1,000 Twitter followers before opening day. So far, he’s at 830. If you want to help him out, you can follow him HERE.
-- Don't forget, the blog is taking the day off tomorrow. I'll be back Friday when the Dawgs hit the practice field again. You can follow me on Twitter for breaking news updates.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Practice Notes: Freshmen Receivers Catching On
Marlon Brown has already been asking around to find out what to expect when he takes the field in Stillwater, Okla. for the first game of his college career.
The wait for game day seemed endless for the first three months he was on campus, but now that it's less than two week away, he's starting to feel the pressure a bit.
"It's actually real, real soon," Brown said. "I've asked Mike (Moore) and Kris Durham and A.J. (Green), and they said it's hectic."
Brown's debut may be coming faster than he expected, but head coach Mark Richt said his freshmen receivers – Brown and Rantavious Wooten – need to be ready for action.
"Both of them started out pretty good, then I think both of them hit a little bit of a wall, and now I think both of them are beginning to pick it up again and make progress," Richt said. "But they're getting a ton of opportunities in practice, and they'll both get playing time."
Moore said he's seen his fair share of mistakes from the two freshmen, but their attitude has remained positive and the progress has been steady. Moore said Brown and Wooten have demonstrated a strong knowledge of the playbook, and now they're simply working on executing at full speed.
That's crucial for the Bulldogs, who have just four other scholarship receivers.
"I think they're far along enough where they can help the team now," Moore said. "I think the coaches are comfortable with them, and as a player, I feel comfortable with them now, too."
THE PRESSURE IS ON
Georgia will have a first-year starter at punter and could have another handling kickoffs, and both will be tested early.
Oklahoma State's special teams are among the best in the country, with punt returner Dez Bryant, who had two returns for touchdowns last season, and kick returner Perrish Cox, who is on pace to break the Big 12 record for return yards early this season.
"They're outstanding there, and our kicking game has just got to be outstanding," Richt said. "It starts with the kicker and punter, but our coverage teams, when you talk about wanting to be in midseason form Game 1, we better be."
As to which player will be handling kickoffs -- either Brandon Bogotay or Blair Walsh -- remains a mystery – and it's not one for which Richt is planning to offer a solution any time soon.
"I doubt that will ever be announced before the first game, so don't ask," Richt said, joking with reporters Monday. "We've narrowed it down to two, so that's pretty good."
While Richt is playing coy on who will handle kickoffs, he said he simply hasn't decided on the approach that kicker will take. Georgia's kicking game struggled badly last year with directional kicking, but Richt said that still could be the plan against Oklahoma State.
"As we get closer to it, we'll have to make some decisions on if we'll kick to them or not," Richt said.
One bright spot, however, appears to be the work of new punter Drew Butler, who Richt said has had a tremendous few weeks in practice.
"I hope he punts in the games like he's been punting in practice," Richt said. "He's been very good. He never had an issue with operation time."
INJURY UPDATES
Freshman cornerback Jordan Love missed Monday's practice due to a lingering toe injury he has had since high school. Richt said it's less severe than a turf toe, but Georgia's staff is taking a conservative approach.
"We let him rest a bit, cool off, then hook him up again," Richt said. "It's a day-to-day, pain-tolerance kind of thing."
Safeties Bryan Evans and Reshad Jones and tight end Aron White all returned to a full practice Monday after sitting out the majority of the past two weeks with hamstring injuries. While none participated in a sprinting exercise at the end of practice, Richt was otherwise pleased with their progress.
"They had green jerseys on, but they did just about everything," Richt said.
Two players who did not participate were left tackle Trinton Sturdivant, who Richt said is sick with a gastro-intestinal illness, and Darius Dewberry, who Richt said was close to returning from a hamstring injury.
NICKEL FOR YOUR THOUGHTS
With so many teams running spread offenses around the SEC, Richt said the nickel back position has become ever more important. The problem is, Georgia has been limited in who it can use at the position recently thanks to fall injuries to safeties Jones, Evans and Quintin Banks.
The primary nickel at this point, Richt said, has been redshirt freshman Makiri Pugh, who has also worked at safety. Redshirt freshman Sanders Commings was getting reps, but Richt said that has tapered off some. Prince Miller, who is Georgia's starting wide corner, could also handle the job if need be, with freshman Branden Smith handling cornerback duties, Richt said.
One more intriguing option at the nickel is linebacker Nick Williams, who moved from safety last season. Williams has already been playing the strongside linebacker spot, which is the position that leaves the field when the nickel enters the game. With Williams' versatility, Richt said, Georgia could essentially run a base package in the nickel, too.
"He in essence knows the nickel also," Richt said. "He runs pretty good for a linebacker, so he might be able to play some downs without having to make that substitution."
EARNING HIS PLAYING TIME
While Kiante Tripp hasn't been working with the first-team defensive ends this fall, Richt said he has been impressed with how the converted offensive lineman has handled himself.
"I thought Kiante was playing extremely hard," Richt said. "He's gotten in tremendous condition. He's a very athletic big guy. I would say he's going to play, and the better he plays, the better chance he has of gaining more playing time."
Tripp missed much of last week with a minor shoulder injury but returned to practice Monday.
NO ONE-TRICK PONY
With Michael Moore working so much in the slot, a few fans wondered if he would see a lot of the field when Georgia was in a two-wideout set. Not to worry, Moore said.
He has spent a significant amount of time working at the Z and X receiver spots, too, and said he'll be starting opposite A.J. Green in all sets.
That means there will be a good bit of pressure on Moore to perform, Richt said, but a strong start to the season for the senior receiver could go a long way toward opening up Georgia's offense.
"A.J.'s going to get the most attention, so the bottom line is he's got to win when he has man coverage, which he'll probably see a good bit of," Richt said of Moore. "If he proves he can defeat it and it becomes an issue for people, they'll have to mix up what they're doing, maybe try to double both, and then we'll have a lot better opportunity to run the football."
PRACTICE REPORT
Here's what Richt had to say about the current practice schedule: "Today we were in full pads. It was a pretty long practice. We had some live inside drill, live open-field tackling. Tomorrow will be mostly scout work and then we'll kind of prepare everybody for our practice game on Wednesday."
The wait for game day seemed endless for the first three months he was on campus, but now that it's less than two week away, he's starting to feel the pressure a bit.
"It's actually real, real soon," Brown said. "I've asked Mike (Moore) and Kris Durham and A.J. (Green), and they said it's hectic."
Brown's debut may be coming faster than he expected, but head coach Mark Richt said his freshmen receivers – Brown and Rantavious Wooten – need to be ready for action.
"Both of them started out pretty good, then I think both of them hit a little bit of a wall, and now I think both of them are beginning to pick it up again and make progress," Richt said. "But they're getting a ton of opportunities in practice, and they'll both get playing time."
Moore said he's seen his fair share of mistakes from the two freshmen, but their attitude has remained positive and the progress has been steady. Moore said Brown and Wooten have demonstrated a strong knowledge of the playbook, and now they're simply working on executing at full speed.
That's crucial for the Bulldogs, who have just four other scholarship receivers.
"I think they're far along enough where they can help the team now," Moore said. "I think the coaches are comfortable with them, and as a player, I feel comfortable with them now, too."
THE PRESSURE IS ON
Georgia will have a first-year starter at punter and could have another handling kickoffs, and both will be tested early.
Oklahoma State's special teams are among the best in the country, with punt returner Dez Bryant, who had two returns for touchdowns last season, and kick returner Perrish Cox, who is on pace to break the Big 12 record for return yards early this season.
"They're outstanding there, and our kicking game has just got to be outstanding," Richt said. "It starts with the kicker and punter, but our coverage teams, when you talk about wanting to be in midseason form Game 1, we better be."
As to which player will be handling kickoffs -- either Brandon Bogotay or Blair Walsh -- remains a mystery – and it's not one for which Richt is planning to offer a solution any time soon.
"I doubt that will ever be announced before the first game, so don't ask," Richt said, joking with reporters Monday. "We've narrowed it down to two, so that's pretty good."
While Richt is playing coy on who will handle kickoffs, he said he simply hasn't decided on the approach that kicker will take. Georgia's kicking game struggled badly last year with directional kicking, but Richt said that still could be the plan against Oklahoma State.
"As we get closer to it, we'll have to make some decisions on if we'll kick to them or not," Richt said.
One bright spot, however, appears to be the work of new punter Drew Butler, who Richt said has had a tremendous few weeks in practice.
"I hope he punts in the games like he's been punting in practice," Richt said. "He's been very good. He never had an issue with operation time."
INJURY UPDATES
Freshman cornerback Jordan Love missed Monday's practice due to a lingering toe injury he has had since high school. Richt said it's less severe than a turf toe, but Georgia's staff is taking a conservative approach.
"We let him rest a bit, cool off, then hook him up again," Richt said. "It's a day-to-day, pain-tolerance kind of thing."
Safeties Bryan Evans and Reshad Jones and tight end Aron White all returned to a full practice Monday after sitting out the majority of the past two weeks with hamstring injuries. While none participated in a sprinting exercise at the end of practice, Richt was otherwise pleased with their progress.
"They had green jerseys on, but they did just about everything," Richt said.
Two players who did not participate were left tackle Trinton Sturdivant, who Richt said is sick with a gastro-intestinal illness, and Darius Dewberry, who Richt said was close to returning from a hamstring injury.
NICKEL FOR YOUR THOUGHTS
With so many teams running spread offenses around the SEC, Richt said the nickel back position has become ever more important. The problem is, Georgia has been limited in who it can use at the position recently thanks to fall injuries to safeties Jones, Evans and Quintin Banks.
The primary nickel at this point, Richt said, has been redshirt freshman Makiri Pugh, who has also worked at safety. Redshirt freshman Sanders Commings was getting reps, but Richt said that has tapered off some. Prince Miller, who is Georgia's starting wide corner, could also handle the job if need be, with freshman Branden Smith handling cornerback duties, Richt said.
One more intriguing option at the nickel is linebacker Nick Williams, who moved from safety last season. Williams has already been playing the strongside linebacker spot, which is the position that leaves the field when the nickel enters the game. With Williams' versatility, Richt said, Georgia could essentially run a base package in the nickel, too.
"He in essence knows the nickel also," Richt said. "He runs pretty good for a linebacker, so he might be able to play some downs without having to make that substitution."
EARNING HIS PLAYING TIME
While Kiante Tripp hasn't been working with the first-team defensive ends this fall, Richt said he has been impressed with how the converted offensive lineman has handled himself.
"I thought Kiante was playing extremely hard," Richt said. "He's gotten in tremendous condition. He's a very athletic big guy. I would say he's going to play, and the better he plays, the better chance he has of gaining more playing time."
Tripp missed much of last week with a minor shoulder injury but returned to practice Monday.
NO ONE-TRICK PONY
With Michael Moore working so much in the slot, a few fans wondered if he would see a lot of the field when Georgia was in a two-wideout set. Not to worry, Moore said.
He has spent a significant amount of time working at the Z and X receiver spots, too, and said he'll be starting opposite A.J. Green in all sets.
That means there will be a good bit of pressure on Moore to perform, Richt said, but a strong start to the season for the senior receiver could go a long way toward opening up Georgia's offense.
"A.J.'s going to get the most attention, so the bottom line is he's got to win when he has man coverage, which he'll probably see a good bit of," Richt said of Moore. "If he proves he can defeat it and it becomes an issue for people, they'll have to mix up what they're doing, maybe try to double both, and then we'll have a lot better opportunity to run the football."
PRACTICE REPORT
Here's what Richt had to say about the current practice schedule: "Today we were in full pads. It was a pretty long practice. We had some live inside drill, live open-field tackling. Tomorrow will be mostly scout work and then we'll kind of prepare everybody for our practice game on Wednesday."
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Practice Notes: Samuel Seizing Control at Tailback
After Saturday's scrimmage, running backs coach Bryan McClendon met with each of his five tailbacks to give them a progress report on their play and an update on their status on the depth chart, which he said is finally starting to take shape.
"You do see a pecking order start to fold itself out," McClendon said. "Everyone understands it's based off what I see out there on the field. You start to see how stuff plays itself out a little bit."
To be sure, McClendon isn't declaring a winner of the competition to replace Knowshon Moreno as Georgia's starting tailback, but sophomore Richard Samuel does appear to have a leg up at the moment.
Samuel wowed coaches in Georgia's first scrimmage, racking up 108 yards on the ground on just five carries. His numbers in Saturday's scrimmage weren't quite as impressive, but he ran hard and the film showed clear progress.
"Right now, you can see Richard start to sort of take things on, and you do start to see him start to separate himself from other guys in the pack," McClendon said. "Now to say he's the clear-cut guy, maybe or maybe not. There's still a long time to see. We've still got three more weeks to go."
Samuel's primary competition figured to be sophomore Caleb King, but King has missed the past week of practice with a hamstring injury.
McClendon said he saw enough of King before the injury that the missed time hasn't set him back, and stressed that he didn't want any of the tailbacks to assume injuries were a key factor in how the depth chart takes shape.
While King may have fallen behind Samuel at this point, it may be even more important for him to stay ahead of redshirt freshman Carlton Thomas.
After an impressive spring, Thomas racked up 90 yards on six carries in Saturday's scrimmage. Although Thomas isn't an ideal size for the role of an every-down back, he has continued to show he belongs in the mix.
That puts a bit of pressure on King to come back strong, as McClendon said he doesn't anticipate more than two tailbacks seeing significant action in the early going.
"You're definitely looking for guys to solidify themselves in that top two just to get the quality reps," he said. "You need four guys because it's a long season, and those backs get hit on a lot, but as far as me saying we're going to play four guys, I just don't think that will be the case."
A REAL GRAY AREA
While the tailbacks continue to compete, the battle for the back-up quarterback job hasn't been that much of a competition.
Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said he has been impressed with all four of his quarterbacks, but senior Joe Cox and sophomore Logan Gray have clearly been ahead of the pack.
"I think Joe has done a nice job of establishing himself," Bobo said. "You can tell he's been here five years. He has great knowledge of the system and great command of what we're trying to do. I think Logan's had a great spring and he's really improved from spring until the fall, and he's really gotten better every practice. The young guys are still just trying to figure things out. It's going a little bit fast for them."
With Cox firmly planted in the role of starter, Bobo still isn't ready to call the fight for the second spot a done deal. After all, he said, Matthew Stafford was tied for third on the depth chart after two scrimmages in 2006, but by Week 3 of the season, he was the starter.
For now, however, there's an obvious pecking order.
"Right now I'd say that Joe is a solid No. 1 and Logan is a solid No. 2," Bobo said.
'NOT GOOD ENOUGH'
After two days off and the first day of classes, Georgia's players finally returned to the practice field Tuesday, and it wasn't the warmest of welcomes, head coach Mark Richt said.
While Richt said a few players were likely still getting the hang of mixing classwork with football, and a few others had strong individual performances, the overall grade for the day's practice didn't meet the standards the coaches wanted.
"It was not good enough," Richt said. "It wasn't a horrible practice. There were some good things, but it wasn't good enough to win, especially with who we're playing Game 1. It wasn't good enough."
LIKES WHAT HE SEES
Georgia's three most experienced safeties are all wearing green non-contact jerseys, meaning a couple of redshirt freshmen are getting plenty of work in practice.
While Richt said Baccari Rambo had an impressive interception in the end zone during Tuesday's practice, the star of the show has been converted corner Makiri Pugh, who may have found a home at safety.
"Safety and the nickel is where he belongs," Richt said. "He's a much more natural safety, and I think he's found a home. After looking at the film (of Saturday's scrimmage) he made some really fine open-field tackles. I really liked what I saw."
HURTS SO GOOD
Receiver Marlon Brown has spent nearly the entirety of fall practice with his hand wrapped to protect an injured finger, but Richt said it hasn't slowed the talented freshman.
Brown had two catches in Saturday's scrimmage, but it was his blocking that caught the eye of his coaches.
"As we talked about personnel, (receivers) coach (Tony) Ball mentioned specifically that he liked that he fought in the downfield blocking and didn't use his hand as an excuse or complain about it in any way," Richt said.
HAMMIES HAPPEN
Rex Bradberry is a member of Georgia's strength and conditioning staff and is working on his PhD at Georgia. Bradberry has spent a good bit of time studying hamstring injuries, Richt said, as part of what might become his dissertation, and his findings are something Richt already assumed true.
"It happens every single camp," Richt said. "It's almost identical now as it was 20 years ago. You just have X amount of guys that are going to get pulls."
Georgia has six full- or part-time starters currently sidelined with hamstrings, with safety Bryan Evans and linebacker Akeem Dent the most recent additions to a list that already included Darius Dewberry, Reshad Jones, Aron White and Caleb King.
While the number is higher than Richt would like, he said none of the injuries appear particularly serious, and his staff has remained cautious when bringing players back.
"Hamstrings are funny in that you get to the point where you feel you're ready to go, but when you accelerate or burst as if the game's riding on it, sometimes you can come back too soon," Richt said. "So I always like to tell the guys, when you feel like you're ready, you're still another three or four days away at least."
ONE BAD DAY
Georgia's coaches have made a point of stressing penalty-free play this fall, but last Friday's practice was a bad one.
"The last practice prior to the scrimmage was horrible," Richt said. "It was a day mentally where I think everybody gave in to the heat, gave in to fatigue, and things got a little sloppy. That was really the only day where if you watched the stats, you'd say Georgia was a very undisciplined football team."
Since then, however, things have been back to normal, and Richt said the number of flags in Saturday's scrimmage and Tuesday's practice were minimal.
ODDS AND ENDS
-- Defensive end Kiante Tripp missed Tuesday's practice with a shoulder bruise.
-- It's official. The news that senior Marcus Washington has been working at defensive end isn't new, but Richt made Washington's move from linebacker official Tuesday. "That's what he's working," Richt said. "We know he can play linebacker if need be, but he's in the meetings and he's taking every rep at D-end right now."
-- Freshman lineman Chris Burnette has been spending most of his time at center recently, a move that Richt said is a perfect fit. "It's not 100 percent, but we think he's a fine center prospect," Richt said. "His body type is definitely center/guard, and you want your centers to be smart and athletic, and he's definitely that."
-- Richt confirmed that Aron White is still his No. 1 tight end, but how he prefaced his response to the inquiry might tell you something about how good the freshmen have looked. When asked who was atop his depth chart, Richt's immediate response: "That's a really good question."
-- While McClendon was a bit cagey about revealing his current depth chart, Bobo said Samuel and Thomas are currently running with the No. 1 unit and Washaun Ealey and Kalvin Daniels are running with the twos. Dontavius Jackson just returned to practice Tuesday after missing several days.
-- When it comes to the other depth-chart battles, Richt isn't handing out too many details. He said he spoke with coaches to get a rough idea of who the 75 members of Georgia's travel team would be for Oklahoma State, but he didn't ask about the actual depth charts and he's not naming names beyond that. "I listened to them basically give me a review of how each player did in the scrimmage and how they've done to this point," Richt said.
-- Geno Atkins, Rennie Curran and Jeff Owens were among 62 players named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list, which was released Tuesday. Georgia is one of just four schools -- Penn State, Florida and Alabama are the others -- with at least three players named on the list.
"You do see a pecking order start to fold itself out," McClendon said. "Everyone understands it's based off what I see out there on the field. You start to see how stuff plays itself out a little bit."
To be sure, McClendon isn't declaring a winner of the competition to replace Knowshon Moreno as Georgia's starting tailback, but sophomore Richard Samuel does appear to have a leg up at the moment.
Samuel wowed coaches in Georgia's first scrimmage, racking up 108 yards on the ground on just five carries. His numbers in Saturday's scrimmage weren't quite as impressive, but he ran hard and the film showed clear progress.
"Right now, you can see Richard start to sort of take things on, and you do start to see him start to separate himself from other guys in the pack," McClendon said. "Now to say he's the clear-cut guy, maybe or maybe not. There's still a long time to see. We've still got three more weeks to go."
Samuel's primary competition figured to be sophomore Caleb King, but King has missed the past week of practice with a hamstring injury.
McClendon said he saw enough of King before the injury that the missed time hasn't set him back, and stressed that he didn't want any of the tailbacks to assume injuries were a key factor in how the depth chart takes shape.
While King may have fallen behind Samuel at this point, it may be even more important for him to stay ahead of redshirt freshman Carlton Thomas.
After an impressive spring, Thomas racked up 90 yards on six carries in Saturday's scrimmage. Although Thomas isn't an ideal size for the role of an every-down back, he has continued to show he belongs in the mix.
That puts a bit of pressure on King to come back strong, as McClendon said he doesn't anticipate more than two tailbacks seeing significant action in the early going.
"You're definitely looking for guys to solidify themselves in that top two just to get the quality reps," he said. "You need four guys because it's a long season, and those backs get hit on a lot, but as far as me saying we're going to play four guys, I just don't think that will be the case."
A REAL GRAY AREA
While the tailbacks continue to compete, the battle for the back-up quarterback job hasn't been that much of a competition.
Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said he has been impressed with all four of his quarterbacks, but senior Joe Cox and sophomore Logan Gray have clearly been ahead of the pack.
"I think Joe has done a nice job of establishing himself," Bobo said. "You can tell he's been here five years. He has great knowledge of the system and great command of what we're trying to do. I think Logan's had a great spring and he's really improved from spring until the fall, and he's really gotten better every practice. The young guys are still just trying to figure things out. It's going a little bit fast for them."
With Cox firmly planted in the role of starter, Bobo still isn't ready to call the fight for the second spot a done deal. After all, he said, Matthew Stafford was tied for third on the depth chart after two scrimmages in 2006, but by Week 3 of the season, he was the starter.
For now, however, there's an obvious pecking order.
"Right now I'd say that Joe is a solid No. 1 and Logan is a solid No. 2," Bobo said.
'NOT GOOD ENOUGH'
After two days off and the first day of classes, Georgia's players finally returned to the practice field Tuesday, and it wasn't the warmest of welcomes, head coach Mark Richt said.
While Richt said a few players were likely still getting the hang of mixing classwork with football, and a few others had strong individual performances, the overall grade for the day's practice didn't meet the standards the coaches wanted.
"It was not good enough," Richt said. "It wasn't a horrible practice. There were some good things, but it wasn't good enough to win, especially with who we're playing Game 1. It wasn't good enough."
LIKES WHAT HE SEES
Georgia's three most experienced safeties are all wearing green non-contact jerseys, meaning a couple of redshirt freshmen are getting plenty of work in practice.
While Richt said Baccari Rambo had an impressive interception in the end zone during Tuesday's practice, the star of the show has been converted corner Makiri Pugh, who may have found a home at safety.
"Safety and the nickel is where he belongs," Richt said. "He's a much more natural safety, and I think he's found a home. After looking at the film (of Saturday's scrimmage) he made some really fine open-field tackles. I really liked what I saw."
HURTS SO GOOD
Receiver Marlon Brown has spent nearly the entirety of fall practice with his hand wrapped to protect an injured finger, but Richt said it hasn't slowed the talented freshman.
Brown had two catches in Saturday's scrimmage, but it was his blocking that caught the eye of his coaches.
"As we talked about personnel, (receivers) coach (Tony) Ball mentioned specifically that he liked that he fought in the downfield blocking and didn't use his hand as an excuse or complain about it in any way," Richt said.
HAMMIES HAPPEN
Rex Bradberry is a member of Georgia's strength and conditioning staff and is working on his PhD at Georgia. Bradberry has spent a good bit of time studying hamstring injuries, Richt said, as part of what might become his dissertation, and his findings are something Richt already assumed true.
"It happens every single camp," Richt said. "It's almost identical now as it was 20 years ago. You just have X amount of guys that are going to get pulls."
Georgia has six full- or part-time starters currently sidelined with hamstrings, with safety Bryan Evans and linebacker Akeem Dent the most recent additions to a list that already included Darius Dewberry, Reshad Jones, Aron White and Caleb King.
While the number is higher than Richt would like, he said none of the injuries appear particularly serious, and his staff has remained cautious when bringing players back.
"Hamstrings are funny in that you get to the point where you feel you're ready to go, but when you accelerate or burst as if the game's riding on it, sometimes you can come back too soon," Richt said. "So I always like to tell the guys, when you feel like you're ready, you're still another three or four days away at least."
ONE BAD DAY
Georgia's coaches have made a point of stressing penalty-free play this fall, but last Friday's practice was a bad one.
"The last practice prior to the scrimmage was horrible," Richt said. "It was a day mentally where I think everybody gave in to the heat, gave in to fatigue, and things got a little sloppy. That was really the only day where if you watched the stats, you'd say Georgia was a very undisciplined football team."
Since then, however, things have been back to normal, and Richt said the number of flags in Saturday's scrimmage and Tuesday's practice were minimal.
ODDS AND ENDS
-- Defensive end Kiante Tripp missed Tuesday's practice with a shoulder bruise.
-- It's official. The news that senior Marcus Washington has been working at defensive end isn't new, but Richt made Washington's move from linebacker official Tuesday. "That's what he's working," Richt said. "We know he can play linebacker if need be, but he's in the meetings and he's taking every rep at D-end right now."
-- Freshman lineman Chris Burnette has been spending most of his time at center recently, a move that Richt said is a perfect fit. "It's not 100 percent, but we think he's a fine center prospect," Richt said. "His body type is definitely center/guard, and you want your centers to be smart and athletic, and he's definitely that."
-- Richt confirmed that Aron White is still his No. 1 tight end, but how he prefaced his response to the inquiry might tell you something about how good the freshmen have looked. When asked who was atop his depth chart, Richt's immediate response: "That's a really good question."
-- While McClendon was a bit cagey about revealing his current depth chart, Bobo said Samuel and Thomas are currently running with the No. 1 unit and Washaun Ealey and Kalvin Daniels are running with the twos. Dontavius Jackson just returned to practice Tuesday after missing several days.
-- When it comes to the other depth-chart battles, Richt isn't handing out too many details. He said he spoke with coaches to get a rough idea of who the 75 members of Georgia's travel team would be for Oklahoma State, but he didn't ask about the actual depth charts and he's not naming names beyond that. "I listened to them basically give me a review of how each player did in the scrimmage and how they've done to this point," Richt said.
-- Geno Atkins, Rennie Curran and Jeff Owens were among 62 players named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list, which was released Tuesday. Georgia is one of just four schools -- Penn State, Florida and Alabama are the others -- with at least three players named on the list.
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