Notes: Dawgs Continue to Support Robinson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BETTING ON GAMBLE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A few more quotes on Gamble's move:

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

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

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

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

KING STILL SITTING OUT

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

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

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

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

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

SCRIMMAGE REDUX

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

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

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

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

EXTRA POINTS

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

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

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

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

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

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

Richt on Robinson, Taxi Controversies

Richt on the Montez Robinson situation:

On the decision to dismiss Robinson...
“Montez had some things he knew he had to do, disciplinary-wise. Then there were some things he knew he couldn’t do if he wanted to stay. There’s some things I was expecting, there’s some things the Association was expecting, there’s some things the university was expecting, and the law for that matter. And he wasn’t able to live up to that. That’s why he is where he is now.”

On his feelings about what happened...
“I’ll say this about Montez – I really love that kid. I really do care very much about all the guys at Georgia, whether they’re on scholarship or a walk-on or whatever it may be. And when we sign a kid at Georgia and he becomes one of ours, I feel like it’s my responsibility to help him grow up into a man, and hopefully realize all his dreams athletically and academically, too. I take it seriously trying to help these guys make it in life. Some guys have farther to go than others, and if a guy makes a mistake or even a couple, you try like mad to find a way to keep them in the fold and hope that they can learn from it and become better for it in the end. But there are times when a guy does enough where he’s lost the privilege to play for Georgia, which is where Montez is at right now. But do we still care about him? Yes. Do we still want to make sure he lands somewhere where he can continue on and finish strong? If we remember Michael Lemon’s situation, Michael went through some things, and he got to the point where he couldn’t stay at Georgia. But we helped him get into junior college at Georgia Military College and he did a good job there. I’m thankful that Coach Bert Williams gave him a chance and when he left there, he was able to say this kid deserves another opportunity. I’m very thankful for Coach O’Brien to take a chance, because he had to stick his neck out a little bit to get him in there at NC State. But from what I hear, the kid is doing fantastic, and he’s got a chance to realize all the dreams he had. Even though he’s not here, we think about him and we want him to succeed, and we feel the same way about Montez.”

On his visit with Robinson in prison...
“He’s just hurting. He’s suffering right now. But we’re helping him understand that he can still have a bright future if from this point forward he does what he’s supposed to do, what he needs to do. He still has the goal of getting an education. He still has the goal of playing college football. And so I don’t think he’s been robbed of that opportunity. It’s just not going to be at Georgia. But he loved it at Georgia.”

Richt on the taxi situation:

On the eventual outcome...
“I’m just glad that it all came out and that none of our guys were a problem. The only gentleman involved in it was a peacemaker. The thing that’s hard to take is just all the time and speculation and everybody just assuming it was our guys and assuming they would do these things.”

On any feelings of vindication...
“I just hope that as much time as everybody spent reporting that, I hope they spend as much time reporting that it was not our guys, and if anything, somebody was trying to help out some people that needed help. But I just learned that’s part of the way things are.”

Monday Mini Mailbag

Running through a handful of questions from the past week or so on this lovely Monday afternoon...

Story: It seems odd that with all the depth issues at wide receiver the coaches are standing firm Branden Smith will focus primarily on defense. I'm not so sure Thing One couldn't be a Percy Harvin clone.

David: For now, Smith is only working on defense, according to DBs coach Scott Lakatos.

“For the most part, he’s been working at corner," Lakatos said. "He’s got some things he does with special teams, but as far as how they’re going to utilize him of offense, that’s to be determined.”

I think this is more of a spring practice mentality though. There's a new defense being installed and a new coach at Smith's position, so it was important to maximize his time on that side of the ball. When the fall rolls around, my guess is we'll see a bit different approach, and Lakatos said he doesn't mind sharing.

“That’s up to whatever we need to do to win games,” Lakatos said.

As for how Smith is doing in his job at corner, it's been a little bit of an up-and-down spring, but he's not lacking for action.

“We’ve had him with the second unit and in the nickel stuff and he’s worked with both groups," Lakatos said. "He’s played corner and some nickel, and we’re trying to get him exposed to as much stuff as we can.”

Carter writes: We fans found out after the season ended that Joe Cox's actual height was significantly shorter than his listed. We were told he was a Drew Brees when he was actually a Doug Flutie. Please allay my fears and tell me that Murray is a legit 6'1".

David: Well, I've never held a tape measure up to make sure, but Murray looks to me to have an inch or two on Cox for sure. That said, he's definitely the shortest of the three QBs competing this spring.

But it's about more than height, too. Cox's physical issues were threefold:

1.) He wasn't particularly tall -- probably in the 5-11 to 6-foot range.

2.) He didn't have the strongest of arms and was also battling a shoulder injury. Despite what most fans seemed to think, this didn't bother him on the deep throws, which he actually connected on at a decent clip. It was the throws over the middle that needed some extra zip to float over a linebacker. Cox's arm strength issues weren't about throwing for distance, they were about throwing with heat.

3.) Cox was slow-footed, which exacerbated the issues with his height.

In Murray's case, he isn't significantly taller than Cox, but every little bit helps.

Moreover, his arm is a good bit stronger. While Zach Mettenberger gets the hype for his Stafford-esque cannon, Murray's not that far behind. The kid can zip passes over the middle with plenty of heat.

And the most important thing with Murray is that he's mobile -- not just in terms of breaking contain and picking up yards downfield, but he moves in the pocket.

When you're shorter, you need to be able to move around to find a throwing lane. Cox did that, but not nearly as well as Murray can. Heck, even if you're a QB who is 6-5, there are going to be a number of linemen who still tower above you, so movement in the pocket is still going to matter. Murray does it as well as anyone.

Meat writes: I was doing the Red and Black crossword while reading this blog while not studying for my test tomorrow and one of the answers was Hale. The definition is healthy. For whatever that's worth.

David: I ate tacos for breakfast today. For whatever that's worth.

Trae writes: What are the "rolls" that you keep speaking of? I know they are punishment but what exactly do the players do?

David: They're pretty much exactly what they sound like. Players essentially roll from one end zone to the other and back again. And if this doesn't sound all that bad, I'd encourage you to try it. I think Thursday was the worst I've seen players look coming off the field in a long, long time.

Dawgjammin writes: Odd to not see any receiving stats on the TE's Charles or White. How is Figgins doing this spring? What about WOOTEN DA BALL CARRIEAH?

David: The scrimmage stats we get from Richt are generally the leaders in the stat categories, rather than a complete list. If you notice, the QBs had 30 completions total, but we only had 15 receptions listed on the stat sheet. So most of those were going to guys like White, Charles, Wooten and Figgins.

As for Bruce Figgins specifically, I talked to Orson Charles about him and he said Figgins looks great so far.

HVL Dawg writes: I've heard more about hips this year than any time before in life. Who knew hips were this important in football?

David: It's amazing how much you can learn from Shakira about football, isn't it?

AppleDawg writes: People better prepare themselves for our D to have major issues at time for 2010.

A 3-4 D is not put in and working in less than a year. Glance at Saban's first years of installing his system at MSU, LSU, and Bama and you see struggles and embarrassing loses his first year (UAB at LSU, ULM at Bama)

We will have a LOT of players out of position during big games, imo

David: I wrote about reasons for optimism last week, and I think there are plenty.

This, however, is not one of them.

As much as I believe this defense will be improved longterm, it's not an overnight fix. The players are learning more each day, but being able to execute a new scheme at full speed during game conditions takes a lot more than 15 spring practices to perfect. Moreover, Grantham is still coaching with players brought in for a 4-3 scheme, not a 3-4. There's no traditional nose, far too few outside linebackers, and while the corners should be decent this year, Scott Lakatos much prefers taller players for the job.

I'd say there's a good chance the defense will be better overall in 2010 than it was in 2009, which is a good thing. But make no mistake, there will be problems, there will be some big plays, and there will be some games you'll leave shaking your head wondering what happened.

It's a work in progress, which means a good bit of the situations these players see on the field this year will be situations they'll be seeing for the first time. I think Grantham is a heck of a coach, but as you wrote, if it takes Saban at least a year to get things right, it's hard to hold anyone else to a higher standard.

BigMuddyDawg writes: I feel really terrible for all of those involved. I've read that Montez has led a rough life and I'm certainly not making any excuses for his actions. But I was very hopeful that under the guidance of Mark Richt and his staff, Montez would be able put a lot of the bad stuff behind him. I still believe in him and will continue to hope for the best for him.

David: That's been one side of the fallout from Montez Robinson's dismissal. This has been the other...

Trey writes: Really? You are on scholarship to a great school and you can't keep from beating the crap out of people even though you know it will probably be strike three? Nobody should feel sorry for this young man, what an idiot.

David: And I get that, too. If you're a fan who has seen your school's reputation take a hit because of a player who had multiple chances to do the right thing, you have every right to be angry.

I'm not going to make any excuses for Montez. He had more than enough chances, and Mark Richt's decision was no doubt the right one. But having said that, anyone who doesn't think this is sad news all around simply doesn't have a clue what Montez has been through.

I had planned to write an in-depth story on Robinson's background and what led him to Georgia. I may still do that, but obviously it will have a far different tone now. In order to finish the story, I'd need to talk to Montez again, too, and for a kid who has some very serious trust issues, I can't help but wonder if that will be an option. We shall see.

I did start working on the story though, and I learned more than enough about who Montez Robinson is to share a few things:

1.) The people who are blaming Rodney Garner now for bringing Robinson to Georgia are absurd. First off, Garner recruited a heck of a football player, and Georgia was hardly the only top school going after Robinson.

Secondly, Robinson and Garner have a similar past, and I know Garner saw something in Montez that made him want to believe this kid could turn his life around. I didn't spend nearly as much time with Robinson as Garner did, and I wanted to believe, too.

But most importantly, football at this level is often about giving kids a chance, and Montez is hardly the only player with a problematic background to come to Georgia. In fact, he's not the only player on this year's team with a background that involves group homes, foster families and very little parental oversight. The impressive thing is how many of those kids have become exactly what Garner hoped Montez would become.

I'm sure I'll be ripped for being a flaming liberal by a handful of people who think I'm making excuses for people who aren't taking responsibility for their own behavior, but I think Garner -- and obviously Mark Richt and all the college coaches who undertake the responsibility of trying to change the lives of kids like Montez -- should be credited for the immense number of success stories rather than trashed by fans because a few didn't manage to overcome the immense obstacles set before them.

For someone like Montez to turn his life around, to become the person his background never gave him the chance to be, to find happiness in a life that has been filled with disappointment -- that almost takes a miracle. And while it's the sad situations like Robinson now finds himself in that steal most of the headlines, I'm continually amazed at how many miracles the game of college football continues to provide for kids like him.

2.) Montez ruined his best chance to turn his life around, and he did so by hurting the people who most wanted to help. I can understand why some fans now think he's not deserving of their sympathy. But this is a story that goes well beyond Montez. He supported his family. His younger brothers looked up to him as if he were some sort of god. He was supposed to be blazing the path out of an awful situation that the rest of his brothers and sisters could then follow. I can't fathom what a crushing blow this is for them, particularly given all the disappointment that they've already faced in their lives. The ripple effects of this situation go well beyond the depth chart at outside linebacker.

3.) I understand the sentiment that Robinson had more than his share of chances, and I understand the frustration that comes when he knew what would happen if he messed up again, and he did it anyway.

But I'll share one final story with you that I hope helps shed a little bit of light on all of this.

I talked to Rodney Garner about Montez back in November, and he told me that he was particularly happy about a recent breakthrough the two of them had. A few weeks earlier, Garner had sent Robinson a text message telling him he loved him.

Robinson's reaction was utter confusion. He didn't understand why Garner would say something like that. Garner told me Montez was actually afraid Garner might be gay, or that responding to the sentiment would make him gay.

It was the first time in Robinson's life that an adult male had said he loved him, and Robinson had no idea how to respond.

This is the inherent problem for kids like Montez. What most of us take for granted as normal ways of handling our emotions are completely foreign for him. For Montez to properly channel his anger or communicate his feelings is like you or I trying to speak Latin. He simply was never given the training or education or tools to do it, and that's not something that a few months of therapy or coaching oversight can change.

In the weeks after that, however, Montez came to grips with things. He talked to Thomas Settles, the chaplain at Georgia, and he talked about his feelings a bit with Garner, too. Those were big steps for a kid who doesn't trust anyone easily. By the time I interviewed Garner for the story, Robinson was at a point where he could tell Garner he loved him, too.

That was a monumental step forward for Robinson. The shame of it is, I can't help but wonder how many more steps forward he might have been able to take if he hadn't let down the people who care the most about him.

Ultimately, we're all responsible for our own actions, and I have no doubt Montez knows that, too. His decisions and his actions are what led him to where he is now.

Mark Richt made the right decision Sunday. Montez made too many of the wrong decisions along the way. But I think the best response to all of this -- and perhaps the only thing to take from a very sad situation -- is this one...

Young Swole writes: Life is more important than football. I hope you can find some peace in your life one day Montez.

David: Well said.

Georgia returns to the practice field tomorrow. We're still waiting to hear if there will be any announcement from Mark Richt today about the taxi incident. If anything comes up between now and then, I'll have it posted here.

And if you have a question for future mailbags, feel free to email me at dhale@macon.com.

Robinson Arrested on Battery Charge

UPDATE: Montez Robinson has officially been dismissed from the team, according to a Georgia release...

University of Georgia sophomore Montez Robinson of Avon, Indiana, has been dismissed from the football team according to UGA head coach Mark Richt.

“Montez has not been able to conform to some conditions and stipulations that were placed on him as a result of previous off-field issues,” said Richt. “I think this decision is in the best interest of everyone.”

Richt also said he hopes Robinson will at some point continue his education at another institution.

As a backup defensive end in 2009, Robinson played in 11 games and recorded five total tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss, and two quarterback sacks.

***

Georgia linebacker Montez Robinson was arrested Sunday on a charge of simple misdemeanor domestic battery and was being held without bail while awaiting a bond hearing, according to Athens Clarke County Police.

Robinson, 20, turned himself in on a warrant issued Saturday and was booked at 12:40 p.m. Sunday, marking his third arrest in the last six months.

Robinson was previously arrested on simple battery charges stemming from an incident on Oct. 20, then again for second-degree criminal damage after police said he broke taillights on a female Georgia student’s car in November.

The previous incidents kept Robinson out of Georgia’s bowl game against Texas A&M and earned him a two-game suspension to start the 2010 season by head coach Mark Richt. Along with the suspension, Robinson was to be attending anger management courses.

Robinson, a rising sophomore, played sparingly last season but was considered one of Georgia’s top three outside linebackers this season – a position without significant depth.

As of Sunday evening, neither Richt nor the school had released a comment on the issue, and when contacted by the Telegraph, defensive line coach Rodney Garner, the coach who recruited Robinson to Georgia, said he had not been aware of the arrest.

Last week, a police report surfaced in which three students claimed they had been harassed and threatened by four black men in a cab, and that one of the victims believed assailants were football players. While that investigation remains ongoing, Georgia assistant sports communications director Leland Barrow said the charges against Robinson are not related to the taxi incident.

Notes: Competition Is Key This Spring

By FLETCHER PAGE

(*Check out Fletcher's story on the progress Georgia's 3-4 defense is making HERE.)

The theme of spring practice should be dubbed "competition."

Occupying most of the headlines coming into spring, a three-way quarterback battle figured to be the most exciting competition. However popular the quarterback race, Logan Gray, Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger aren’t the only Bulldogs dealing with competition.

“It’s definitely a big competition,” said tight end Orson Charles. “It’s competition everywhere. I mean, how am I going to get better if I don’t have a competition? How is Aaron going to get better without Zach and Logan? It’s competition everywhere, and that’s how you get better.”

The competition for playing time has noticeably picked up on the defensive side of the ball. Last spring, the defense was predominately upperclassmen laden, with most starting spots locked up early.

That’s not the case this year, not with defensive coordinator Todd Grantham keeping players on their toes. Grantham has ratcheted up the competition by implementing the new 3-4 defense. No player has been guaranteed playing time, and no starting spot announced.

“It’s great because it brings a lot out of players, knowing that you might not be the starter,” said safety Nick Williams. “Nobody has a starting job. You can get kind of content when you know you’re going to be playing as a starter on Saturday nights, so you don’t practice as hard.”

The winner amid all this competition? The Georgia team as whole, since players say practice has been intense, with each man bringing his best every day.

“Everybody is out there just flying around,” Williams said. “And I like how the coaches are doing it. They haven’t set on who is starting at each position. They have swapped everybody out, keep everybody wondering really. No one knows, so you have to come out every day with your best.”

HOUSTON ROUNDS OUT HIS GAME

Justin Houston says he’s in a familiar position.

Two years ago, while redshirting during his freshman season, Houston was moved to outside linebacker. He worked in pass coverage, briefly learning how to do more than just rush the quarterback.

He was moved back to defensive end, his high school position, and enjoyed success the past two seasons, only having to pin his ears back and get to the quarterback.

Now in Grantham’s new 3-4 scheme, Houston finds himself changing positions again. He’s back at outside linebacker, and while he still gets to rush the quarterback on most occasions, he’s trying to complete his game at the new position.

“The main focus right now, what I’m trying to do, is drop back into coverage,” Houston said. “I pretty much, in pass rushing I’ve still got some moves to work on, but my main focus right now is learning how to drop into coverage.”

Houston says the time spent at outside linebacker, even though in the 4-3 scheme, helped prepare him for his current role.

“I’m starting to get back in the groove of things, and starting to get back used to it,” he said.

SHAKE-UP AT OLB

Houston and Cornelius Washington are the projected starters at outside linebacker, but there have been some moves made behind the tandem on the depth chart.

Grantham announced the changes Tuesday.

“We moved Reubon Faloughi to Sam [strongside], and Montez Robinson to Will [weakside],” Grantham said. “So Reubon is now behind Cornelius and Montez is behind Justin. I thought that went really well. I was pleased thought, I really was.”

Faloughi and Robinson, as well as Washington, made the switch from defensive end to outside linebacker, just like Houston.

“I think we’re all in the same position,” Houston said. “I think as defensive ends, you learn how to pass rush, but you don’t learn how to drop in coverage. I think everybody is in the same shoes, learning how to drop into coverage.”

GRANTHAM SETTLING IN

Moving from the NFL back to the college coaching ranks could be considered a culture shock.

Professional players already have a foundation of knowledge and understanding. College coaches get players basically starting at square one.

Grantham shrugs off the notion of a culture shock, but says he has made some adjustments in his coaching approach.

“The level of teaching is different,” he said. “You’re taking guys that are really raw, and you’re teaching them quite a bit of stuff. So you’ve got to make you’re your mechanics, and methods of teaching are one that they can understand, and that they can improve. It’s a little but slower process probably from that standpoint. But at the same time, I still think we’ll get there. It just takes time.”

So far, Grantham’s message, and methods for delivering it, has worked.

“Coach Grantham is a good coach,” said defensive end DeAngelo Tyson. “He gives me advice how to play, and how to make me a better person at the position. So, I think he is a good coach.”

Practice Notes: Aggies Present Big Challenge to Dawgs' D

Georgia has faced plenty of fast-paced offenses this season, but Texas A&M will present a challenge unlike any the Bulldogs have battled before.

The Aggies run an up-tempo style that often yields 80 or more plays a game, keeping defenses on their toes and creating plenty of chaos on the field.

“It’s quicker than anyone we’ve seen,” Georgia linebacker Rennie Curran said. “If you watch the film, they catch a lot of teams off guard, a lot of defenses aren’t ready.”

Oklahoma State and Auburn both ran quick-paced offenses as well, with the Tigers’ attack being a similar style of no-huddle to Texas A&M, but Georgia head coach Mark Richt said that the Aggies take things to an even higher level.

“They want as many plays as they can possibly get,” Richt said. “They are fast. That’s their goal. More plays, more yards, more points. That’s the way they see it.”

The results have been positive for Texas A&M, which ranks first in the Big 12 in total offense and fifth nationally, totaling 465 yards per game on average.

What makes the Aggies even tougher to defend is that they rarely substitute players, which prevents the defense from adjusting personnel, too, but A&M still manages to run multiple formations on offense.

“They go fast without changing any personnel,” Richt said. “And what they do with the same personnel group is run multiple formations. Multiple formations and speed between plays is creating problems for everybody they’ve played.”

The battle plan defensively is the same as what Georgia used against Auburn – plenty of scout team work in practice against the hurry-up and close attention to film study to quickly recognize keys.

But more than the defensive adjustments, Richt said the best plan for stopping the Aggies’ high-flying attack is to keep it on the sideline.

“The longer we can hold the ball,” Richt said, “the better we’ll be.”

STAYING ON THE FIELD

With a makeshift defensive coaching staff for the bowl game, Richt said he wasn’t sure which of Georgia’s two graduate assistants – Todd Hartley or Mitch Doolittle – would coach from the field and which would head to the press box yet, but on the offensive side of the ball, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo remains comfortable on the sideline.

Bobo had coached from the press box virtually his entire career, but against Vanderbilt this season, he moved to the field and the result has been a dramatically improved offensive attack.

“We’ve improved in particular in the run game and possibly the overall intensity level of the team,” Richt said. “He’s got a lot of enthusiasm on the ground, and it hasn’t seemed to bother him to make the calls he likes to make, so I would think he’d keep doing it.”

TOUGH CALL ON ROBINSON

Georgia defensive end Montez Robinson will not travel with the Bulldogs to the bowl game in Shreveport, La. and remains on indefinite suspension, but Richt said he’s moving closer to a decision on the freshman’s future.

“We’re working on that decision is the best we can say,” Richt said.

Richt refused to put a definitive timetable on the decision, but he said the choice of whether to reinstate Robinson or dismiss him from the team has been a particularly difficult one.

Robinson spent much of his life in foster care and group homes and has shouldered a large portion of the responsibility for caring for his younger siblings. Richt said he remains torn in trying to balance the discipline necessary after Robinson was charged with assault earlier this month and the desire to keep him in a stable environment.

“It’ll be a tough decision, I can tell you,” Richt said.

INJURY UPDATES

Updating several key bumps and bruises as the Bulldogs prepare for the bowl game...

Reshad Jones has been in a green non-contact jersey for the past few practices. “He’s got more of a tendonitis issue in his knee, but nothing real serious," Richt said. He added that there may be some other nagging injuries but did not expect Jones to miss the bowl game.

A.J. Green has remained in Green but said he is completely healthy. Richt said the team remains cautious for now. “He’s doing everything, but we’re trying to minimize any contact right now," Richt said. "The day after Christmas, when we’re in pads that day, he probably won’t be in green and we’ll let him get some contact.”

Bacarri Rambo has made a full recovery since suffering a concussion after making a hit against Auburn. Richt said Sunday's practice was a particularly good one for Rambo, who shows no signs of hesitancy at the point of contact after the injury. “The speed at which he’s breaking on the ball, even when we’re asking our guys to thud runners and receivers, he’s doing a great job of making direct hits and he does it the way it needs to be done," Richt said. "Bacarri is really a fine football player.” “He’s sticking his face on those guys and wrapping up and running his feet with no hesitation right now.”

Wide receiver Marlon Brown has missed the past three practices after suffering a concussion last week during practice.

EXTRA POINTS

-- Asked about players for next year that have shown significant promise during the bowl practices, Richt offered defensive tackle Kwame Geathers and freshmen quarterbacks Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger.

-- Richt said that, while bowl practices are often a time for next year's players to get a start on impressing coaches, about 90 percent of the work done this month has been about preparing for the bowl game against Texas A&M.

-- Richt said it would have been understandable for some of the players to slack off a bit with the defensive coaching changes and the lower-tier bowl game this month, but he said for the most part the tempo has been high. "The second or third day of installation, it just wasn't good. I think the first couple days of install, Day 2 and 3, you could tell they were thinking too much. They were getting the calls but they weren't playing very fast. So we were pleased they were getting it, understanding it and communicating it well, but they really weren't playing fast enough and physical enough. Today, that was our big emphasis -- hey you know the plan now or at least you have it in your mind well enough to where you can start executing it with some speed and some physicalness. They did that today. It was a really good day. I guess you could have a problem with that, but I don't see that right now. I see a great attitude."

Update on Robinson Arrest

UPDATED: Here's the statement from UGA:

University of Georgia freshman defensive end Montez Robinson of Avon, Ind., has been suspended indefinitely from the Bulldog team following his arrest Thursday in Athens.

“I’m certainly disappointed in the situation with Montez (Robinson),” said UGA head coach Mark Richt. “We have expectations and standards for our student-athletes and his actions are not in line with those. We are suspending him indefinitely from all team activities.”

----

For the second time this week, Georgia freshman defensive end Montez Robinson was arrested by the university police Thursday and charged with one count of misdemeanor simple assault and one count of second-degree criminal damage, a felony.

Robinson was arrested early Monday morning on a charge of underage possession of alcohol after a parking attendant reported broken glass and found a Lexus with both rear taillights broken in a parking deck on campus.

After police determined the owner of the vehicle, Armita Meghan Didehvar, they found her speaking with Robinson, who police said exhibited signs of alcohol consumption.

Since Robinson was underage, police placed him under arrest, at which point, he “became very agitated while being placed into double locked handcuffs,” according to the police report filed by officer Freddie Evans of the university police. “He started to yell and scream while being placed in the rear of a caged unit.”

At the time, Robinson was charged only with underage possession of alcohol, but the follow-up investigation resulted in the battery charges, which necessitated Robinson’s arrest Thursday.

Robinson was also charged with simple assault and battery surrounding an altercation between he and Didehvar on Oct. 20 in which Robinson was reported to have thrown Didehvar to the ground, causing minor injuries, including cuts on her knee. The police report also states that a witness, Alesha Asijie, attempted to intervene in the incident and was threatened with physical harm by Robinson.

Didehvar told the Red and Black on Thursday that the accounts of the October incident were untrue, stating that she and Robinson, “just had an argument.”

Robinson was being held without bond as of Friday afternoon, according to the Athens Clarke County jail booking report.

The freshman defensive end has played sparingly this season, but earned SEC defensive lineman of the week honors following Georgia’s win over Tennessee Tech last month.

Robinson played in high school in both Alabama and Indiana and was originally an Auburn commitment, who changed his mind after former Tigers coach Tommy Tuberville resigned following the 2008 season.

Robinson spent much of his youth as a ward of the state of Alabama, and Georgia recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner had expressed hope that his career with the Bulldogs might help turn Robinson’s life around.

“I see him maturing, but I still see the mistrust he has in people,” Garner said of Robinson last month. “I guess that’s sort of understandable based on what he’s been through. It’s still hard to get him to trust people because he’s been let down so much in life, but we’re trying to get him to understand that there are people here who really care about him.”

Georgia and head coach Mark Richt have yet to release a statement regarding either of Robinson’s arrests.

ADDENDUM: I'm supposed to remain in an objective role here, and I in no way deem Robinson's actions to be acceptable, but I've spent a good bit of time talking to him in recent weeks as well as several other people close to him, and I feel like a little context should be provided.

What the arrest reports and statements from UGA and most stories won't mention is a particularly difficult upbringing for Robinson. It won't mention that he spent the majority of his youth in and out of foster care and group homes. It won't mention how he lived in nine different places between the ages of eight and 18. It won't mention how his father was murdered when he was too young to even remember it happening or how he spent countless hours caring for his younger brothers and sisters -- more than a dozen of them. It won't mention how he went from an awful school situation in Alabama to one of the best schools in Indiana and worked to get his grades up enough in a two-year span to qualify for admission to Georgia.

Again, I'm not trying to build a case for Robinson here and none of that background excuses his actions, but just keep in mind that there is always a lot more context to these stories than you're likely to hear in the news reports.

Another UGA Player Arrested

Georgia freshman defensive end Montez Robinson was arrested early Monday morning and charged with underage possession of alcohol, according to the Athens Clarke County booking reports.

Robinson was arrested at 4:06 a.m. Monday morning by university police and released about 90 minutes later on a $500 bond.

Robinson was named the SEC's defensive lineman of the week after a two-sack performance against Tennessee Tech but has played sparingly the rest of the season.

Home Is Where Your Helmet Is

A lot was made this week of freshman defensive end Montez Robinson earning SEC defensive lineman of the week honors, just a few weeks removed from some serious thoughts about transferring. That got me to thinking... Robinson certainly isn't alone in feeling a bit out of place at Georgia in his early career.

A handful of players who traveled the farthest to come to Georgia are getting minimal playing time, so I decided to look into how those players -- Brandon Bogotay, Arthur Lynch and Robinson -- have been coping. As a transplant to Athens, I know it can be a bit of a culture shock.

Anyway, my original version of the story came out pretty long, and with newspapers getting smaller, there just isn't room for 50-inch features anymore. So I had to make some cuts, and in the process, I think the story lost a lot of its color and detail.

You're free to read that version of the story online now, if you'd like. But, if like the Big Lebowski, you're not into the whole brevity thing, I figured I'd post the full version of the story here, without any cuts made to it.

Here goes...

----

It was the Fourth of July before Aron White’s freshman year at Georgia when he took a trip home to Columbia, Mo. for the holiday. He had been in Athens for a while, working out with teammates and getting ready for his rookie season, and the trip home was a welcome reward after a difficult start to his career with the Bulldogs.

Throughout the visit home, White couldn’t quite shake the feeling that he wasn’t supposed to leave. Many of his friends were in school at nearby Missouri, and being home was like old times. He missed family, he missed friends, he missed normalcy. Being home felt right.

Nearly four months passed before White made another trip back to Columbia, this time during Georgia’s off week in 2007. He hadn’t played a down that season, instead redshirting while fellow freshman Bruce Figgins earned praise from coaches and fans for his early contributions. Life in Athens was still unconfortable.

But that second trip to Missouri was different. White was happy to see his brothers, but many of his friends were occupied with school. Most had made new friends he didn’t know. The bedroom he had grown up in suddenly felt foreign. The bed wasn’t as comfortable. The décor wasn’t his own.

He missed Georgia.

“It was home, but it was just like, I knew by the end of that weekend I wanted to go back, I missed people,” White said. “I went home and slept in my old room, and it wasn’t the same. You don’t have all those things you surround yourself with. It wasn’t my bed, it wasn’t my TV, I didn’t have my movies or my posters hanging on the wall. That was definitely the point I realized that if I were to leave Georgia, I’d definitely miss it.”

White’s story is hardly unique. It’s an annual right of passage for Georgia’s freshmen, but it’s never a simple process.

While some players are eased into life in Athens with routine trips to nearby homes and meals prepared by mom or nights out with old friends, players like White can only make the occasional trip home, planned far in advance and paid for with scarce funds.

While some players transition is overshadowed by success on the field and immediate praise from fans and coaches, players like White often have far more time alone on the sidelines to question the decisions they made that led them to Georgia.

It’s never simple, but for some players, the transition is arduous.

“You definitely second guess yourself sometimes,” freshman tight end Arthur Lynch said, his words tinged with a heavy New England accent. “It’s not the easiest thing, and it’s something you can’t really adjust to because it’s so different than where I’m from. But you get used to it after a while.”

Athens may be one of the most beloved college towns in the country, but for players like Lynch, it’s a world apart from where he grew up.

The 6-foot-5 Dartmouth, Mass. native came to Georgia this summer expecting to stand out, but it’s the accent that always throws people. He can’t hide it. He might as well be speaking a foreign language compared to the slow, Southern dialect prevalent throughout Georgia.

There are other differences, too. There are things Lynch finds utterly perplexing about the South. He’s learned to keep most of those opinions to himself. He's not yet comfortable enough with his surroundings to ruffle any feathers. Life is simply different here.

Kicker Brandon Bogotay knows the feeling. He arrived in July from San Diego, and while the weather was a few degrees warmer and the beach was no longer within walking distance, things seemed relatively normal.

And then the rain came.

“It’s been raining, and I never really saw much rain out there,” Bogotay said. “The scooter rides in the morning have been pretty cold.”

Bogotay joked that he owned just two long-sleeved shirts when he came to Athens, but he’s in the market for a new wardrobe now.

For other players, however, the culture shock isn’t so much about the weather or the slang. It’s about family and security. It's about knowing who to trust and where to find comfort.

Defensive end Montez Robinson grew up in Indiana, then moved to Alabama when he was in grade school. His family life was difficult, but he was always close with his brothers. His father died when he was young and he and his brothers spent much of their lives as wards of the state. After his sophomore year in high school, he moved back to Indiana and later committed to Auburn.

When Tigers’ coach Tommy Tuberville resigned at the end of last season, however, Robinson’s life was shaken up yet again, and he re-opened his recruitment, eventually settling on Georgia, where assistant coach Rodney Garner assured Robinson he would find a home.

Through his first few months in Athens, however, Robinson simply wanted to see his family again.

“At first it was hard being away from home,” Robinson said. “There’s a couple other guys that are far from home, and we were always talking about how much we missed our families.”

It happens every season. The initial thrill of college grows old, the lure of home grows stronger, and eventually they all ask the same question: Did I do the right thing?

“I don’t care if you’re from 15 minutes away or 15 hours away, you’re not at home anymore when you go to college,” tight ends coach John Lilly said. “I think it’s natural to go through an adjustment period, and probably a little bit of a homesick period.”

As many times as they’ve seen it happen, Lilly said there’s no universal solution to getting a player past that point. They’re all different, but there is support.

Lilly said the coaching staff tries to talk to players' families and friends, asking them to offer encouragement rather than reminders of what was left behind.

Head coach Mark Richt has worked hard to create a family environment around the team, too. Coaches wives and children are frequent visitors, with the team holding a weekly family night after practice when they all share a meal together.

But while encouragement is offered, the job of most coaches is to impart discipline and demand excellence. They rely on the other players to handle the role of friend.

“It’s a difficult thing when you’re riding someone and you’re pushing them, you can’t be their buddy,” said Jon Fabris, Robinson’s position coach. “Yet you understand that there are players that have been there and you can tell them, ‘Hey, keep an eye on this guy.’ I think you can get better support through their peers because, who hasn’t gone through that?”

The feeling of being an outsider in a strange place is only exacerbated for those freshmen who rarely see the field. That has been the case for Bogotay, Lynch and Robinson this season.

Game days provide some solace, but offer little playing time.

White sees plenty of parallels between his career and Lynch’s. Both came from another part of the country. Both joined the team at the same time as another, more highly recruited player at their position. Both knew their role early on would be mostly as an understudy.

“It’s hard to deal with not coming in and being the guy and feeling like somebody else is getting all the spotlight or that he’s the guy people want to see take over,” White said. “It’s tough to deal with sometimes, but we remember that we’re all working toward the same goal, and so you just have to work hard as a player so you can be a part of that.”

That’s the approach Robinson has tried to take this season.

He admits he considered a transfer. There were too many days when going home seemed a far better option than going to practice. But things change. They always do.

Robinson got his first serious playing time last week against Tennessee Tech. He finished the game with the first five tackles of his career, including two sacks. He won the SEC’s defensive lineman of the week award two days later, and his foster father cried when he heard the news.

“You know when you can do something like that and the gratitude that people give you and the feeling you get afterwards, it eases things down a little bit, and it makes you want to work harder for things like that,” Robinson said.

It helped that Robinson’s two younger brothers, Armonze and Elijah, his foster parents and one of his cousins were all in Athens for his big game last week. They added a bit of home to a place that suddenly didn’t feel so foreign anymore anyway.

“Having success makes him love this place a little bit more,” Garner said. “Hopefully a lot of positives that come out of him having success, and that’s my hope for him, too.”

It’s probably too soon to call the game a turning point for Robinson, but sometimes it happens that quickly. That was true for White when he visited Missouri back in 2007 and realized it wasn’t home anymore. It has been true for dozens of others, too.

“You realize that home changes,” Lilly said. “You have all these great memories of high school and those kinds of things, and then when you do get back, it’s nice to go home and see people, but as the years go by you realize that home really is where you go to school. That’s where all your friends are and where your life really is at that point.”

Lynch tasted a bit of success last week, too, grabbing the first two receptions of his career during a fourth-quarter drive. There were no SEC awards that followed, but it was a good starting point, he said.

And seeing Robinson enjoy the spotlight after an impressive performance – that helped, too.

“You hope to catch a break and get on the field like Montez did Saturday,” Lynch said. “You keep moving, keep working hard in practice, and hopefully your time will come.”

Bogotay has taken the field just once this season, which is one more time than he has visited home. But even he isn’t sulking.

“I’m looking forward to the next trip home, but I love it out here,” he said. “It’s a big change, but overall I’m having a great time out here.”

Things change. Home is wherever you make it. It’s a conclusion everyone comes to eventually.

In fact, while Robinson was considering leaving Georgia just a few weeks ago, he’s now busy recruiting his brothers to join him in Athens.

“I have two brothers getting recruited from here, and they just want to go wherever I go,” he said. “I’m trying to convince them.”

It changes that fast, White said. Sometimes it happens after a big play. Sometimes it happens after a few friends are made. Sometimes, like White, a new perspective suddenly arises.

“Early on, I didn’t know if I fit in around here. It wasn’t so much football, it was just really hard for me to cope, being away from home,” White said. “But I realized it was about more than just feeling comfortable. I made a commitment to be here. The coaches gambled on me, they gave me this opportunity, and I didn’t feel like I was giving it a chance. By season’s end, I knew this was the right place for me and I had made the right decision.”

It’s a story he has passed along to Lynch, Robinson, Bogotay and others. It’s a story that dozens of other players on the team could tell, too, with just a few of the details changed.

Everyone gets homesick, White said. But eventually they all decide that Georgia is home.

“They’ll come around,” White said. "(Lynch), Montez, Bogotay, they’ll all come around. Because there are guys who live 45 minutes away that don’t want to go home on weekends. It’s too much fun being here.”

Notes: Curran Mulls NFL Future

With the season winding down and the hype surrounding next year’s top NFL draft picks heating up, Rennie Curran knew he would have some tough decisions to make.

The junior linebacker is second in the SEC in tackles and is on pace for his second straight 100-tackle season at Georgia, and many draft services see him as a potential early draft choice. So from family and friends to fans who see him on campus, he’s already being hounded about his future.

“That’s one thing people always want to know,” Curran said. “They see you in that position and you’re ranked high and having a good season, and they want to know.”

Curran said Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno, teammates last season who were both selected in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft, set a nice template for how to handle things, and that’s a path Curran plans to follow.

“Knowshon and Stafford, I watched them go through the same thing, and they did a good job handling it,” Curran said. “Right now, I’m just focused on the season, honestly. It crosses my mind just like it would anybody else who was in the situation I’m in, but it’s a good situation to be in and have to think about. But for the most part, I’m just focused on what got me here, which is working hard and finishing strong, because that’s all I really feel like matters.”

BACK TO THE BENCH

He’s the reigning SEC defensive lineman of the week, but that doesn’t mean Montez Robinson will be seeing a ton of action this week, head coach Mark Richt said.

The freshman defensive end earned his first serious playing time of the season against Tennessee Tech, racking up five tackles and two sacks while filling in for injured starter Justin Houston. But Houston’s injured elbow appears healthy this week, and that means Robinson will be back to his role of backup.

While his big week didn’t bump him up the depth chart, however, it wasn’t without it’s benefits.

“It’d be difficult to get him the same amount of reps he got last week with Justin being back, but he’s progressing and gaining confidence in himself, and we’re gaining more confidence in him,” Richt said.

Beyond the confidence boost for Robinson, it was a nice reminder for Georgia’s coaches that a once glaring hole on defense now appears to be turning into a strength.

Georgia was so thin at defensive end in the spring that two walk-on tight ends were forced to switch positions so the team could scrimmage, and when starter Rod Battle went down with a season-ending injury early in the year, things look bleak.

But Robinson’s emergence, coupled with Houston’s strong play and improved seasons from Demarcus Dobbs and Cornelius Washington, depth is far less of an issue that Richt might have imagined.

“Considering what happened a year ago and Roderick going out relatively early, you might have thought, well, here we go again,” Richt said. “But it really hasn’t been that way.”

ALIVE AND KICKING

This week’s matchup against Auburn has earned some buzz due in part to the tremendous talent both teams sport at kicker. The Tigers’ Wes Bynum and Georgia’s Blair Walsh are both among the country’s most accurate field-goal kickers, and while Walsh struggled in kickoffs last season, he has turned that around and is now the SEC’s leader in touchbacks.

All that success has been good for Georgia, but it has left Brandon Bogotay, the junior college transfer from San Diego brought in to challenge Walsh for the job, without much playing time this season.

“Every game I want to get in, so I’m just waiting for my shot,” Bogotay said.

Despite the lack of playing time – which has involved just one kickoff this season – Bogotay isn’t complaining. In fact, he’s thrilled to see the kicking game doing so well.

“Everyone wants to get their PT, but we push each other, we get better from each other, and it’s really all about the team,” Bogotay said. “As long as one of us is performing, I’m going to be happy.”

WAITING IN THE WINGS

There weren’t many members of Georgia’s 2009 signing class that haven’t seen the field this season, and several of those being redshirted are due to injuries. But of the six healthy players still waiting their turn to see the field on game day, Richt said many have adopted a healthy attitude toward work on the scout team.

“The great majority of their life right now is being on the scout team, but they can get better by doing it,” Richt said.

Richt pointed to past scout-team stars like Odell Thurman and Thomas Davis as examples of how this year’s redshirts are handling the job.

“Every day they said, ‘We’re going to give these guys as much grief as possible,’ and they got better,” Richt said. “I think we’ve got a little bit of that going on right now.”

Quarterbacks Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger both earned praise from offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, who said that both have gotten far more work with the first- and second-team offenses in practice this season than past freshmen quarterbacks, due in part to starter Joe Cox’s injury that keeps him from throwing on Wednesdays.

Linebacker Chase Vasser suffered a minor injury after a scooter accident on campus earlier this season, but Richt said he’s healthy again and performing well.

“Chase has done a good job on the scout team for us, and he’s back on track doing fine,” Richt said.

Georgia’s two freshmen offensive linemen – Chris Burnette and Dallas Lee -- have helped the scout team look far more impressive than years past, too.

“We’ve actually had one of our better offensive scout teams in a while. We’ve had some really good offensive linemen over there that have been able to give us a better picture.”

But the star of the redshirts, Richt said, might be defensive tackle Kwame Geathers, who has come particularly far from his first days on campus, when he arrived three days after the start of fall camp, slow and overweight.

“I don’t know the number that he dropped, but it was probably in the 30-pound range if not more,” Richt said. “That guy really did a phenomenal job of really getting his body down to where he could run and have some stamina.”

REMEMBER WHEN

Throughout a tumultuous season that has seen Georgia drop four of its first nine games, Richt hasn’t had much of a roadmap for navigating the troubled waters in Athens. But his best comparison has been to look back at the Bulldogs’ 2006 season, when after a 6-4 start, Georgia won its final three games – all against ranked foes.

That run began with a shocking upset of Auburn on the road, a game in which Richt admitted afterward that he didn’t think his team could win. Now, as the Bulldogs try to rally to another strong finish, he’s doing his best to instill confidence in his players by reminding them of how much that 2006 team overcame.

“There’s definitely some parallels and some similarities,” Richt said. “We don’t know how it’s all going to finish, but as you’re looking for something to build on or put in front of your team to tell them that you can do it, you want to grab those positive comparisons.”

BIG WEEK FOR RECRUITING

The biggest group of recruits to visit Georgia on a game day since Richt has been in Athens came when the Bulldogs hosted Auburn in 2005, he said. Most years, the Georgia-Auburn game draws a hefty crowd.

This year’s game may not draw quite as many recruits as the ’05 game did, Richt said, but it will be close, and the players who will be in Athens rate pretty high on Georgia’s wish list.

“It’s big, it’s what you would expect for Georgia-Auburn,” Richt said. “I know that as we covered the names that are coming in, not only is it a long list, but it’s a list of outstanding players for 2010, 2011 and even a couple of 2012s in there.”

Of course, the problem then becomes handling such a big group of players, but Richt isn’t complaining.

“It’s going to be a difficult day to manage because you want to spend time with these people and let them know how much you care about them,” Richt said. “When there’s such a massive number, it’s very difficult to get everybody the amount of love they probably feel like they deserve. But that’s a good problem to have.”

FIRST CATCH FEELS GOOD

When he got to Georgia, tight end Arthur Lynch was already well aware of his role on the offense. Aron White and Orson Charles were both lean, athletic tight ends with immense receiving skills. Lynch was the brawn.

But with Georgia’s big lead in the fourth quarter last week, Lynch got his first chance to show that he’s capable of more than just pushing people around, picking up two receptions back to back – the first two catches of his career.

“That was a cool experience,” Lynch said. “We were up big and the other team was playing hard, but they called the same route twice and I caught it. It was cool to get in there and see what it was like. I’ve been playing at spots blocking, but in terms of route running and out catching passes, I hadn’t had the opportunity to do that until that game, so it was definitely cool to get a part of the offense.”

PARKING PROBLEMS

Tailgaters may want to be aware of some reduced parking around campus for Saturday’s game against Auburn. Due to the wet weather brought by Tropical Storm Ida, several grass-covered areas typically used for parking, including the lots near the intramural fields off East Campus Drive, will not be available. The school also urged fans to carpool, to avoid using pull-behind trailers and reconsider placing heavy objects on the wet grounds in other grass-covered parking areas.

Practice Notes: Robinson Happy to Get His Chance

At first, the award was little more than a nice sign of recognition following a season of hard work. But when Montez Robinson told his foster father he won the SEC’s defensive lineman of the week honors after a two-sack performance against Tennessee Tech, the weight of the award suddenly hit home.

“My dad, he was crying because he was just overwhelmed,” Robinson said. “Everybody was just congratulating me, but I was just like, it’s just an award. But it really does mean something to me, and it obviously means a lot to other people in their eyes.”

Robinson isn’t the first Georgia player to win the award this season, but when he took notice of the other Bulldogs to earn the honor, it put into perspective just how far he had come in a short period of time.

“The more and more I think about it, I see how prestigious it is,” Robinson said. “Geno Atkins and Justin (Houston) have been in the game a couple of years, and I get it as a freshman. I’m just thinking that’s pretty good.”

Robinson finished the game with five tackles – 2.5 for a loss – in his first extended action of the season. He said he hoped the performance had earned him more playing time going forward, but at the very least, it has caught the eye of some of his teammates.

“He has worked hard, earned the coaches trust and finally got that playing time,” linebacker Rennie Curran said. “I was in the same position when I came in my freshman year. It took me a little while for the light to come on and for me to earn the trust of my teammates and my coaches, but I always believed in myself and I feel like he is the same way. He believes in his ability and what he can do, and we need all the player makers that we can get on defense, especially at defensive end.”

JUMP AND SHOUT

Before last week’s game, Mark Richt decided any player flagged for a penalty would leave the game for the remainder of that series. As it turned out, he had to pull a player from action 11 times.

Six times an offensive lineman was flagged for a false start, and quarterback Joe Cox said the infractions should have gone the other way.

Tennessee Tech’s defensive linemen were routinely mimicking Cox’s cadence at the line of scrimmage – an infraction according to NCAA rules – causing Georgia’s linemen to flinch.

“You could see the guy right in front of Ben Jones in a three point stance, you could see him (flinch) and yell something, and that's when the whole line moves,” Cox said. “He said, ‘Set, go.’ I remember that. And we all pointed right at him, looking at the referee saying, 'He's yelling out the snap count.'"

For whatever reason, the referees didn’t take notice, but Georgia line coach Stacy Searels did. This week in practice, Searels has been doing his best to recreate the situation, hoping to keep Georgia’s linemen steady, even if the other team offers a distraction.

“We’ll focus on it more in practice because they’re not the only team that shifts and has somebody say, ‘Move,’ when they shift,” Cox said. “Coach Searels made it a point (in practice) that every single time we ran a play that he would just start yelling stuff while I was in the middle of my snap count, trying to see if anybody would jump, and nobody did.”

For his part, Richt said he planned to continue pulling players from the game when they are flagged for a penalty, but he may adjust his mandate that they sit the remainder of the series.
Cox said it was difficult to keep a lot of continuity on the line when players were being substituted so often, and left tackle Clint Boling said the rule took its toll on the offensive line.

“It was definitely a little bit different, but Coach Richt is just trying to clean things up and make sure we play a bit more disciplined,” Boling said. “I’m not really sure whether it slows guys down or what it does, but it does make you think a little bit that you want to play hard, but at the same time you don’t want to get any penalties.”

NO PROMISES FOR GRAY

After Richt announced Cox would remain his starting quarterback last week, he also promised a series early in the game for backup Logan Gray. As it turned out, it took six drives before Gray got his taste of action, and that ended with an interception.

Richt said he still had confidence in Gray, but against a more formidable opponent this week, there won’t be any further assurances of playing time for the sophomore quarterback.

“I wouldn’t sit here and promise it right now publicly, although we would like to continue to help him grow as a quarterback,” Richt said. “I wouldn’t say going into this game we are going to nail it down, at least not publicly.”

HE’S GOT WHEELS

Cox admits he won’t be winning any foot races in the near future, and for the season, the quarterback has just 13 rushing attempts that didn’t end in sacks.

“I’m definitely not a dual-threat guy,” he said.

But against Tennessee Tech, Cox did pick up eight yards on a nifty run that, while not exactly wowing fans with his speed, managed to catch the defense off guard. Not coincidentally, he said, it was also his first game without an interception this season, and Cox hopes that making a few more plays with his legs can keep that trend going.

“I probably should have (run) it more,” Cox said. “That’s one thing I said last week is, if I don’t like how it looks, I’m just going to take off and run. So I’ll probably end up doing that more but just make sure I take care of the ball.”

NO REGRETS ON BROWN

Richt decided before the season began that freshman receiver Marlon Brown would see action this year, and by the second week of the season, Brown had indeed taken reps on offense.

But in the seven games since, Brown’s playing time hasn’t increased much, and even against an overmatched Tennessee Tech team last week, the freshman saw little action and wasn’t targeted on a single pass.

Despite Brown’s minimal role, however, Richt said that the decision not to redshirt him has paid dividends.

“He is absolutely improving as a route-runner, as a ball-catcher, a blocker. He’s understanding what we’re doing much better,” Richt said. “He’s so much further ahead right now than he would have been hanging around on the scout team. We think he’s going to be making a big impact sooner than later. I don’t regret that right now.”

FEELING BETTER

Richt said defensive end Justin Houston was expected to return to action this week after sitting out against Tennessee Tech with an elbow injury.

Receiver A.J. Green also missed last week’s game with a bruised lung, but returned to full practice Sunday and said he’s completely healthy.

“I’m 100 percent. I’m rested, I’m ready to go,” Green said. “I felt it like the first day or so, and then it just went away.”

PRACTICE IN THE RAIN*

The Georgia Bulldogs practiced for two and a half hours in a steady rain that fluctuated between a wind-blown, driving drizzle to a solid, soaking downpour on Tuesday afternoon. The final 30 minutes of the full pads workout were conducted under the heaviest rainfall of the day. By the time the team wrapped up, puddles were commonplace on the FieldTurf surface and an inch-high stream was flowing from the driveway that goes from the upper grass fields to the lower section of the facility.

"I can probably remember one or two we've had like this but not too many," Richt said. "Over the course of nine years, you're bound to have a couple. I was relatively happy with the effort. We got the work in. It wasn't the best throwing and catching but we got the work in, which was most important."

Richt said the staff decided to practice in the elements as opposed to indoors due to the nature of Tuesday's routine.

"We have about 45 minutes of special teams practice on Tuesdays," Richt said. "You just can't take that inside. Those are things you have to be out and simulate and get a good feel for. If you don't get them in today, you spend the rest of the week trying to cram in too much."

(*From UGA press release)

EXTRA POINTS

-- Richt announced the captains for Saturday's game would be quarterback Joe Cox, center Ben Jones, cornerback Prince Miller and defensive tackle Jeff Owens.

-- Jon Fabris came in for interviews following practice wearing a soaking wet, long black rain jacket and hood, which made him look quite a bit like the villain from "I Know What You Did Last Summer," but another reporter topped that, noting he resembled the Gorton's fisherman. Either way, comedy gold.

Notebook: Turnovers Remain a Concern for Dawgs

In many ways, Georgia and LSU have had similar seasons. Both teams rank near the bottom of the conference in rushing yards, have seen highly regarded offensive lines struggle and have failed to get a consistent pass rush. But if there’s one statistic that starkly contrasts the Tigers and Bulldogs, it’s the turnover margin.

Through four games, LSU leads the SEC with a plus-seven turnover margin, while Georgia is among the worst teams in the nation with a minus-nine.

While that’s a concern for head coach Mark Richt, he said the past doesn’t have to be prologue to what happens Satuday.

“Turnover ratios are important, but what’s happened in the past I don’t think is very important at all,” Richt said. “I’m more concerned about the turnover ratio Saturday than I am what we’ve had to this point, so hopefully we’ll get that thing turned around and be in a whole lot better shape.”

To ensure that happens, Georgia’s coaching staff has taken a more disciplinarian approach to preventing turnovers during practice this week, but that’s not always a solution.

“We work on that every day at practice,” wide receiver A.J. Green said. “I don’t know what’s the problem. It’s not like we’re not trying, but it’s just happened.”

Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said the team actually enhanced its discipline for fumbles and interceptions during practice last week, making the entire team do calisthenics when one person coughed up the football. The result was yet another three-turnover game.

“This week we (did) a little more ball security at practice,” Bobo said. “But at the same time, I don’t want to talk about it to the team every day. We want to practice it to where they’re consciously doing it in practice. It’s like telling somebody after they drop a ball, ‘Hey, catch it.’ Well, why did they drop it? You’ve got to coach it up.”

Linebacker Rennie Curran hopes the increased focus on protecting the football works because with No. 4 LSU coming to town Saturday, the Bulldogs can’t afford to give away offensive drives and set the Tigers up with easy scores.

“When we play a team like LSU, we have to have a perfect game,” Curran said. “We can’t give them any room to breathe. We have to get ready to play our best game of football. We have to put all the mistakes we made behind us, get ready to have a great game and put it all together.”

MAKING PROGRESS

Freshman defensive end Montez Robinson had seen little action during the first three games of the year, but was on the field for a few extra snaps last week against Arizona State.

That’s a trend that defensive coordinator Willie Martinez said could continue, and if Robinson keeps progressing at the same rate, Georgia’s defensive ends could become a lot more dangerous as the season goes along.

“He’s getting better and better,” Martinez said. “He’s learning the system, and he’s a great athlete. And we need it. We need that push. He did some nice stuff. He’s learning it, and he’s got the ability, so that’s a good thing to see.”

STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

Georgia’s big defensive stands in the fourth quarter of last week’s win over Arizona State proved to be crucial in the Bulldogs pulling out a last-second victory, but the effort also helped to rejuvenate the beleaguered defense, too.

“That fourth quarter was huge,” Curran said. “It shows we’re a serious defense. It shows that no matter where we are on the field we’re going to stay positive and we can stop anybody. That was our attitude when we got that sudden-change situation. Before we even hit the field, we were like, ‘Hey, let’s do this. It’s our opportunity to show greatness.’”

FIGURING IT ALL OUT

After four weeks of tough tests against four BCS-conference foes, Georgia’s players admit they still aren’t quite sure how good the team really is, but safety Bryan Evans thinks the hard-fought games are helping to shape the team’s identity.

“We don’t have a true identity yet,” Evans said, “but it’s molding into an identity where we’re fighting through the tough games.”

Of course, the real mark of a good team always comes down to its record, quarterback Joe Cox said, and on that scale, he’s happy with where the Bulldogs are at.

“I know that after Week 1, if you’d asked us where we wanted to be going into the LSU game, we’d have said 3-1,” Cox said. “That’s where we are. We’ve found ways to win, we’ve stuck together. When the defense needed to make plays, we made plays. When the offense needed to make plays, we made plays. So there’s a lot of things in between that we need to correct that could make us a pretty good football team. We’re fully aware of the things we need to work on, but once we correct those things, we could be a good team.”

CAN’T FORGET CARLTON

After racking up 43 yards on 12 touches in Georgia’s first three games, freshman tailback Carlton Thomas disappeared from the offense last week. But offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said the team hasn’t forgotten about him. In fact, with the running game struggling, Georgia’s coaches aren’t crossing off any options from the playbook.

“I would not rule out Carlton Thomas,” Bobo said. “We haven’t ran the ball like we’ve wanted to, so I wouldn’t rule out any running back on our roster getting a chance to run the ball.”

SHORT DRIVES, SHORT RUNS

Georgia’s ground game ranks 11th in the SEC through four games, and while the blame has been shared between the offensive line and the tailbacks thus far, there’s a chance the entire offense is to blame.

Through four games, nearly 70 percent of all of Georgia’s offensive drives have lasted five plays or fewer, meaning few opportunities for the tailbacks to get in a groove running the football.

“It’s hard to get in a groove, and once we are in, we’re pass blocking or don’t get the ball for entire series,” tailback Caleb King said. “But the balls we do get, we have to do better at taking advantage of it.”

Richt said he isn’t going to complain about Georgia’s quick-strike touchdowns, something quarterback Joe Cox has made a habit of so far. But the number of turnovers and three-and-outs has been disturbing, and it’s a trend he hopes will change this week.

LSU also provides an opportunity for Georgia to improve its running numbers, too. King said the Tigers play an aggressive style in their front four, and the best way to counter that is to run the football – meaning he’ll have more chances to make a big play.

“I think we’ll run the ball a lot, so that’s a good thing,” King said. “We’ll see what happens.”

Practice Notes: Offense Remains a Mystery for Georgia

The film room is usually the starting point in preparation for an unknown opponent, but this year, there might not be too much studying Oklahoma State's coaches can do to prepare for Georgia's offense.

With four new starters at the skill positions and a bevy of fresh-faced reserves ready for their first work as college players, there will be a much different look on offense than the Bulldogs had a year ago. The problem is, even Georgia isn't quite sure what to expect.

"It's going to be different, no doubt, and I'm not sure what it's going to look like," head coach Mark Richt said. "I've got an idea on a couple guys, but there's a lot we just don't know."

Only fullback Shaun Chapas and wide receiver A.J. Green return as skill-position starters from a unit that was one of the most feared in the SEC a year ago. The rest of the unit, however, will be getting used to new surroundings.

Quarterback Joe Cox, tight end Aron White, wide receiver Michael Moore and tailback Richard Samuel are all expected to get starting nods Saturday, but the group combines for just eight starts in their careers prior to this season.

Even the offensive line, while stocked with veterans, hasn't played together with the current lineup before, meaning it might take a while for Georgia's coaches and players to get a feel for what they have to work with.

That doesn't mean the Bulldogs aren't expecting to produce some offensive fireworks, however.

"I feel really good about everything that we have in right now and everything that we're doing," Cox said. "I think we've got a good plan set and we have the guys to execute it. So I'm not worried."

PROBLEMS FOR THE POKES

Tuesday provided some bad news for Oklahoma State.

First, starting tight end Jamal Mosley left the team for personal reasons. Head coach Mike Gundy refused to comment further about Mosley's departure, but The Oklahoman speculated that recent legal problems for the sophomore could have played a role. Mosley was also charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession in June but was currently in good standing with the program.

That news was fallowed Tuesday by a report by Oklahoma State's Scout Web site that said starting linebacker Orie Lemon tore his ACL during Monday's practice and would miss the season.

Lemon started all 13 games for the Cowboys last season at middle linebacker.

DEPTH FOR A CHANGE

After spending the 2008 season putting together a patchwork offensive line, Georgia opens the 2009 season with a surprising level of depth.

Trinton Sturdivant, Chris Davis, Ben Jones, Cordy Glenn and Clint Boling are expected to be the starting five for Georgia on Saturday, which means former starters Vince Vance and Justin Anderson will be watching from the sidelines.

With temperatures expected to be in the high 80s in Stillwater, however, Richt said he expects that there will be some backups rotating in during the game.

“I'm pretty confident that we'll play more than five linemen,” Richt said. “I think Vince will play. I think Justin Anderson will play.”

Josh Davis, who started three games for the Bulldogs last season, won't be available Saturday while he continues his rehab following multiple shoulder surgeries this offseason. Davis is getting closer to making a return, however, and Richt said the junior could be in position for playing time in the near future.

“He's not going to play this week, but hopefully in a week or two, Josh will be in a position where he can be in the mix, which would be good for us,” Richt said.

DEPTH CHART DRAMA

Outside of Richard Samuel's climb to the top of the tailback rotation, Georgia's first official depth chart of the season offered few changes from how it was expected to look before preseason practices began.

The lone surprise might be at linebacker, where Darryl Gamble has moved to the top of the depth chart at middle linebacker and senior Darius Dewberry is listed as the top Sam linebacker.

That leaves Akeem Dent, who started 10 games in 2008, the odd man out, but linebackers coach John Jancek said not to read too much into Dent's status as a reserve. A nagging hamstring injury cost Dent nearly two weeks of practice, and that was just enough to keep him from solidifying a starting post.

“He missed a bunch of practice and Darryl has obviously done a great job,” Jancek said. “Dewberry's been back a couple weeks now and shown he's ready to play. But it's not anything where (Dent) is not going to play. He's got a role in there and will probably get just as many reps as Darryl. It's a great situation to have when you have a bunch of guys with experience.”

Jancek said he expects Dewberry, Dent, Gamble, Rennie Curran, Nick Williams and Marcus Dowtin all to see action against Oklahoma State.

EXPECTING ACTION

Defensive tackle Abry Jones and defensive end Montez Robinson may not be among the freshmen who see action in Georgia's opener, but the two have impressed enough this preseason to give Richt a good indication they'll be on the field at some point this season.

“Before this season's over, (they'll play),” Richt said. “I'm not going to say they will or won't in this first game, but we're targeting them to play this season.”

BRINGING ANOTHER BACK

Running backs coach Bryan McClendon said Caleb King told him his hamstring felt better Tuesday, but the sophomore tailback still wasn't not back and practice. Sources told the Telegraph Monday that King would not make the trip to Stillwater, but McClendon said that would not be official until the team's travel roster is released Wednesday.

Assuming King won't be able to play this week, McClendon said redshirt freshman Dontavius Jackson would be the likely fourth tailback on the depth chart behind Samuel, Carlton Thomas and Kalvin Daniels. While McClendon said freshman Washaun Ealey has turned in some strong practices this week, traveling Jackson is a more practical alternative.

“You definitely want to bring an extra guy,” McClendon said. “Dontavius is pretty much already going because we use him on some special teams.”

THIN AT RECEIVER

In last year's opener, Georgia had nine different players catch a pass against Georgia Southern, with none collecting more than three.

That distribution isn't likely to be quite so wide this year, with a thin corps of receivers that includes just six scholarship players, including two freshmen.

“We're not going to expect them to play a major role right now, but they've certainly got to be ready to play,” receivers coach Tony Ball said of his freshmen, Marlon Brown and Rantavious Wooten. “And with what we're asking them to do, I think they can go out there and perform.”

That's the expectation Cox has for them, too, but he's not planning to have the outcome of the game hinge on their success. With veterans Michael Moore and A.J. Green, Cox said he expects a few more passes to sail in the direction of Georgia's best receivers.

“You don't want to just have the other team knowing they're going to throw it to one guy,” Cox said. “So we want to spread it around, but we know who our playmakers are, and we've got to be creative in finding ways to get those guys the ball more.”

Of course, finding a breakout receiver among the freshman class wouldn't be anything new for Georgia. Last year, Green burst onto the scene in the Bulldogs' opener, catching a 36-yard reception on just his third play from scrimmage to set up a touchdown.

After watching Brown, Wooten and tight ends Arthur Lynch and Orson Charles this preseason, Green said he wouldn't be surprised to see a repeat performance from one of this year's new faces.

“I know they'll be able to handle it,” Green said. “They're confidence is pretty high right now. They listen, they work hard. They're ready.”

WALK-ON READY TO GO

If the depth at wideout becomes a problem, Ball said only one of Georgia's walk-ons is ready to step into a game situation at this point – junior Marquise Brown.

Brown, who appeared in two games last season, was an offensive star during the spring, catching three passes for 62 yards in the annual G-Day game, making him a prime option should Ball need to dig deep into his depth chart on game day.

“He's gotten a lot of work with the first and second group,” Ball said. “If I had to tag a walk-on that could help us, it would be him.”

SPEEDY SAMUEL

His style may be bruising, but there's more to Georgia tailback Richard Samuel, according to his offensive coordinator.

While Samuel's size – he's 6-2, 224 pounds – and his running style put him in a category with some fullbacks, it's his speed that sets him apart.

“Richard can run,” offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. “He's very fast. If he gets out in the open field – there's a lot of people in this league that can run, but compared to guys we've had in the past, I'd say he's the fastest since I've been here.”

That includes Bobo's time as a player, and that's probably as far back as he has to go to find anything resembling an apt comparison.

“He's similar to Robert Edwards,” Bobo said, “and Richard might be a little bit faster.”

DOUBLE DUTY

Samuel's speed might make him a weapon on special teams, too, after he ended last season as Georgia's top kick returner.

As the opener approaches, Ball said he's still looking at four or five potential return men on kickoffs, and Samuel's other duties as starting tailback won't be a factor in who ends up getting the call on game day.

“I wouldn't hesitate to put him back there because he's got experience,” Ball said of Samuel. “I'll make my decision (based on) how he handles the ball, how he communicates. It isn't rocket science, but I've got to feel comfortable with that person.”