Mark Richt has heard enough people wonder aloud if he has a proper football personality. The truth is, he’s not going to argue with anyone who says he’s an exceptionally nice guy – even if it’s not meant as a compliment.
But while Richt doesn’t plan to change his attitude on the field much, he recognizes that his new defensive coordinator may help fill a gap when it comes to that in-your-face style generally associated with football coaches.
“He’s intense, there’s no doubt,” Richt said of Todd Grantham’s demeanor on the field. “That’s what you want is a guy that’s got some fire in him. Everybody knows my demeanor and has a little bit of a feel for that. I think it’s probably good to have somebody who’s a little more outwardly excited. I do get excited on the inside sometimes, but it’s good to have that energy on the sidelines.”
For his part, Grantham said he has plenty to be excited about.
After 11 years in the NFL, being back in the college ranks has provided a healthy dose of excitement for a coach who already exudes enthusiasm, and last week’s G-Day game offered Grantham his first taste of what life is like inside Sanford Stadium.
"It was awesome.” Grantham said. “The fans are great, you know? Everybody's got their red on. I look forward to seeing it filled up.”
It will be a few more months before that happens, but when Georgia opens its first season with Grantham on the sideline, the coach’s lofty expectations won’t be limited to just his players.
“We need to make sure that stadium becomes a benefit to our defense because if they're loud, with the things we're going to be doing, it will be very difficult for an offense to change plays, change protections,” Grantham said. “When you're loud at home, the offense has to go on a solid count. That means that everybody's looking for the ball. So basically the advantage that normally the offense has is no longer there. So I'm definitely going to encourage our fans to be as loud as they can from here on out."
MARLON ON THE MEND
Marlon Brown spent the majority of the spring in a green non-contact jersey and he finished G-Day without a catch, which all might be a good indication that 2010 could look far too much like his disappointing 2009 campaign.
But while Brown may still be a bit shy of where he’d like to be in terms of progress, his teammates think he’s light years ahead of where he was a year ago.
“I see some qualities I didn’t see last year,” fellow sophomore receiver Rantavious Wooten said. “He’s gotten faster, he’s getting in and out of cuts and moving better than he did last year. He’s lost some weight, too, and I credit that to him. I think he’s ready to play.”
Given the lack of depth at receiver this year, Brown won’t be looked at as a luxury this season as he was last year when he caught just two passes as a true freshman.
Much of his shortcomings in 2009, however, could be attributed to a lack of experience after he played at a small high school that didn’t provide anything close to SEC caliber competition.
But those problems have been largely rectified in the past few months, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said, and that’s a credit to Brown’s dedication.
“A lot of times that has to do with being more comfortable with the offense and getting more comfortable with his ability to execute things,” Bobo said. “That comes with practice. We’re definitely pleased with Marlon. I like how he comes out and doesn’t back down. He’s very physical. He needs to continue to fine-tune his route running, and I think he’ll be a major player for us this year.”
HAPPY IN ATHENS
On Georgia’s crowded depth chart at tight end, Arthur Lynch is clearly the odd man out for much of the spring. He lacks the experience of Bruce Figgins, the speed of Orson Charles or the versatility of Aron White. But his 39-yard touchdown catch-and-run at G-Day gave ample evidence that Lynch is still a dangerous weapon for the Bulldogs.
“I wanted to get some film on me and make some plays out there, and this was a good way to do it,” Lynch said.
While Lynch was the low man in the tight end pecking order a year ago, the Massachusetts native was also a bit of a fish out of water in Athens. Although the lack of playing time did frustrate Lynch, Charles said his teammate still felt right at home at Georgia.
“Transferring and stuff like that, it never crossed Arthur’s mind,” Charles said. “Yeah, he was upset, but he knew he had to get better, and now he’s looking good out there. I’m really excited for this year and to see how coaches are going to use us.”
GLAD TO BE BACK
In Georgia’s second spring scrimmage, Kris Durham hauled in three touchdown catches. Last week on G-Day, he was the day’s top receiver. It’s not exactly the same as celebrating a big score on a fall Saturday, but there’s no doubt that after a year on the sideline following a shoulder injury, Georgia’s lone senior receiver was thrilled to be back at work.
“It makes you appreciate the game more and appreciate everything everyone goes through,” Durham said of last year’s lost season. “I was kind of on the outside last year, so I’m just looking forward this year to being back in the mix.”
Georgia’s coaches are excited about the possibility, too. The Bulldogs’ receiving corps will be a bit green – with only A.J. Green having more than 20 career receptions. But Durham provides a veteran presence that Richt said will be crucial in 2010.
“Kris is so valuable because he knows every wide receiver position, he can get to the line of scrimmage and make sure everybody gets lined up properly,” Richt said. “He’s a tough guy you can throw screens to – because not many guys want to take the ball over the middle like he will. He can play inside or outside receiver, he’ll block, and he’s a leader.”
WOOTEN WAITING
His freshman season started slowly, but once Rantavious Wooten got onto the field, things began to click quickly. After catching just two passes in Georgia’s first six games, Wooten grabbed a reception in five of the team’s last six regular-season contests and earned the confidence of his coaches.
This season, Wooten is hoping to build on his strong finish to 2009, but he’s not expecting to be treated like one of the veterans just yet.
“I just want the ball,” Wooten said. “I don’t know what Coach Bobo or Coach (Tony) Ball have in store for me, but I just want to show them that I can play, and hopefully they see that and try to get me the ball. That’s all I can hope for.”
POSITIVE RESULTS
Corners Brandon Boykin and Vance Cuff shared the spring award for most improved players on defense, and Richt credits a good bit of that to the impressive work being done by first-year defensive backs coach Scott Lakatos.
“One thing about Coach Lakatos that I see, he’s a great technician and he seems to communicate well,” Richt said. “I think the players have a healthy respect for him and his knowledge, and there’s been some positive results which gives guys more faith in what’s being taught.”
Showing posts with label Rantavious Wooten. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rantavious Wooten. Show all posts
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Notes: Plenty of Options at Punt Returner
John Lilly joked last week that he was looking into finding another year of eligibility for former Georgia corner Prince Miller. As a punt returner, Miller was a consistent threat, and that’s a weapon Lilly said won’t be easy to replace.
It’s not surprising then that Lilly – who took over special teams coordination duties from Jon Fabris this season – tried at least a half-dozen players at punt returner during the spring, and he’s still not much closer to making a decision on who will eventually land the job.
“We’ve rotated a lot of bodies back there and we haven’t really made any decisions as far as paring that down,” Lilly said. “That’s one of those things that’s going to go deep into the fall before we decide.”
Rantavious Wooten, Carlton Thomas, Brandon Boykin, Branden Smith and Bacarri Rambo all took reps at punt returner during spring practice, but the practices never progressed to a point where anyone could get a firm grasp on who might land the gig full time.
“We’re just catching balls right now,” Wooten said. “We haven’t set a depth chart or said it’s this guy or anything.”
Of course, the wild card in the competition could be Georgia’s star receiver, A.J. Green.
Green floated the idea a few weeks ago, and Lilly said the All-SEC receiver has been working at returner during practice for most of the past three years.
“He’s caught them his whole career here in practice,” Lilly said. “He has the ability. Everyone knows the kind of hands he’s got and he can judge the ball and do those kinds of things. … He’s certainly one of the guys that’s in the mix.”
The idea of using Georgia’s most dangerous offensive weapon for occasional special teams duty hasn’t necessarily met with universal approval from fans who worry that Green could get hurt.
Lilly realized the concerns, but he said it’s hard to ignore a weapon like Green, which makes the receiver’s presence in the return game a real possibility.
“I think in any position on the field and in any area of the kicking game, if somebody can help you win a football game and has that ability, you would use him there,” Lilly said of Green. “Some people would like to see it, some people wouldn’t want to see it. But if you talk to him, I think he’s love to do it. I don’t know if we’ll necessarily do that, but it’s nice to have it as an option.”
ALL YOU NEED IS GLOVE
It began as an experiment early in the spring, but Aaron Murray said he plans to keep wearing a glove on his throwing hand – at least for a few more months.
Murray said he plans to use the glove during summer workouts before deciding whether the glove will remain a longterm fixture, but thus far, he’s been pleased with the results.
“I felt comfortable with it, I felt I’ve done well with it over the spring, and I feel like I have more control over the ball,” Murray said. “We’ll probably see how I do over the summer with the heat and see if that has anything to do with it, and I’ll talk with (the coaching staff) and keep them updates on how I feel with it.”
WORTH THE GAMBLE
Darryl Gamble didn’t get much practice time at outside linebacker before being thrown into the fire at G-Day, but all things considered, he’s pleased with his progress.
“I did all right having just off two days of practice,” Gamble said of his G-Day performance. “I mean, there wasn’t anything difficult to try to understand. I think I did a pretty good job in my assignments, and I didn’t have anything bad happen while I was out there.”
That’s more than enough to keep Gamble in the mix at a position seriously lacking depth – with just three other scholarship players on the roster at the moment.
Gamble’s familiarity with the position in the 4-3 scheme Georgia ran last year has helped ease the transition, however, and by the time fall camp opens in August, he figures to be on top of most of the major changes.
“In the 4-3 our Sam was pretty much on the line too,” Gamble said. “It’s pretty much the same thing, but we’re rushing more. So it’s just the fact of learning all the plays, and trying to learn more about defensive line than linebacker. That's the main difference.”
It’s not surprising then that Lilly – who took over special teams coordination duties from Jon Fabris this season – tried at least a half-dozen players at punt returner during the spring, and he’s still not much closer to making a decision on who will eventually land the job.
“We’ve rotated a lot of bodies back there and we haven’t really made any decisions as far as paring that down,” Lilly said. “That’s one of those things that’s going to go deep into the fall before we decide.”
Rantavious Wooten, Carlton Thomas, Brandon Boykin, Branden Smith and Bacarri Rambo all took reps at punt returner during spring practice, but the practices never progressed to a point where anyone could get a firm grasp on who might land the gig full time.
“We’re just catching balls right now,” Wooten said. “We haven’t set a depth chart or said it’s this guy or anything.”
Of course, the wild card in the competition could be Georgia’s star receiver, A.J. Green.
Green floated the idea a few weeks ago, and Lilly said the All-SEC receiver has been working at returner during practice for most of the past three years.
“He’s caught them his whole career here in practice,” Lilly said. “He has the ability. Everyone knows the kind of hands he’s got and he can judge the ball and do those kinds of things. … He’s certainly one of the guys that’s in the mix.”
The idea of using Georgia’s most dangerous offensive weapon for occasional special teams duty hasn’t necessarily met with universal approval from fans who worry that Green could get hurt.
Lilly realized the concerns, but he said it’s hard to ignore a weapon like Green, which makes the receiver’s presence in the return game a real possibility.
“I think in any position on the field and in any area of the kicking game, if somebody can help you win a football game and has that ability, you would use him there,” Lilly said of Green. “Some people would like to see it, some people wouldn’t want to see it. But if you talk to him, I think he’s love to do it. I don’t know if we’ll necessarily do that, but it’s nice to have it as an option.”
ALL YOU NEED IS GLOVE
It began as an experiment early in the spring, but Aaron Murray said he plans to keep wearing a glove on his throwing hand – at least for a few more months.
Murray said he plans to use the glove during summer workouts before deciding whether the glove will remain a longterm fixture, but thus far, he’s been pleased with the results.
“I felt comfortable with it, I felt I’ve done well with it over the spring, and I feel like I have more control over the ball,” Murray said. “We’ll probably see how I do over the summer with the heat and see if that has anything to do with it, and I’ll talk with (the coaching staff) and keep them updates on how I feel with it.”
WORTH THE GAMBLE
Darryl Gamble didn’t get much practice time at outside linebacker before being thrown into the fire at G-Day, but all things considered, he’s pleased with his progress.
“I did all right having just off two days of practice,” Gamble said of his G-Day performance. “I mean, there wasn’t anything difficult to try to understand. I think I did a pretty good job in my assignments, and I didn’t have anything bad happen while I was out there.”
That’s more than enough to keep Gamble in the mix at a position seriously lacking depth – with just three other scholarship players on the roster at the moment.
Gamble’s familiarity with the position in the 4-3 scheme Georgia ran last year has helped ease the transition, however, and by the time fall camp opens in August, he figures to be on top of most of the major changes.
“In the 4-3 our Sam was pretty much on the line too,” Gamble said. “It’s pretty much the same thing, but we’re rushing more. So it’s just the fact of learning all the plays, and trying to learn more about defensive line than linebacker. That's the main difference.”
Monday, November 23, 2009
Practice Notes: Walsh, Butler Earn National Recognition
The only thing better for Blair Walsh and Drew Butler than wrapping up their seasons with national awards would be doing it together.
They’ll get a chance to do just that next month, as Butler was named a finalist for the Ray Guy Award, given annually to the nation’s top punter, and Walsh earned a nod as a finalist for the Lou Groza Award for the country’s best kicker.
“If that’s what happens, that would be awesome,” said Butler, who is leading the nation in punting average in his first year as a starter for Georgia. “(Walsh) is definitely worthy of a trophy like that, and if that’s in the cards, I think it shows we’ve both done what we were asked to do on a consistent basis.”
Butler is averaging 48.8 yards on 50 punts this season and has been one of the Bulldogs’ most consistent performers all season. He’ll join Michigan senior Zoltan Mesko and Florida junior Chas Henry in Orlando on Dec. 10 for the award presentation.
Walsh will be there with Butler, competing against Alabama’s Leigh Tiffin and UCLA’s Kai Forbath for top kicker honors.
The sophomore has connected on 16 of 17 field goal attempts this season and leads the SEC in touchbacks, but he admits he was a but surprised to be named a finalist.
“I knew it was going to be close because I’m a big stat follower,” Walsh said. “I was right on the edge and it was nice to get it. There was a lot of hard work put into that.”
BRUISED BUT BETTER
Brandon Boykin set the Georgia record for kick returns in a season and is closing in on 1,000 return yards this year, but he was on the sideline when Branden Smith fumbled away the opening kickoff of the second half against Kentucky last week. While Boykin said he cringed at the play, he isn’t blaming his teammate for the loss.
“It was tough just seeing that momentum shift, but we were still in it,” Boykin said. “We still had a chance to win. It didn’t really hurt us as much as people probably think it did.”
Smith wouldn’t have been in the game at all had Boykin not injured his hip on a kick return in the first half. Boykin said a player’s facemask hit him on his hip bone, causing significant soreness, but X-rays revealed no serious damange.
“There’s nothing really wrong besides a big bruise, so we’re just trying to get it treated and get me ready for Tech,” Boykin said.
The sophomore cornerback returned to special teams duty for the remainder of the game, compiling 103 yards on four returns, but only saw a few more plays on defense in the second half.
While the injury has resulted in a bruise all the way down his leg, Boykin said he’s feeling better and plans to be on the field this week against Georgia Tech.
“I expect to play, I’ll be back,” he said. “I feel like it’s getting better to the point where I can run, and by Saturday, I’ll be able to run full speed.”
REPRESENTING THE FAMILY
Darryl Gamble abandoned his normal No. 50 jersey last week, instead donning No. 18 in honor of his cousin, injured safety Bacarri Rambo. But it wasn’t entirely his decision.
“Rambo’s my cousin, so he asked me to and I decided to do it for him. It seemed like the right thing to do at the moment,” Gamble said.
As it turned out, it might not have been a bit of a jinxed jersey for Gamble. One week after Rambo suffered a concussion late in the fourth quarter against Auburn wearing his No. 18, Gamble saw his playing time dip with the jersey on his back, too. That even caught Rambo’s attention.
“I talked to him after the game and he said he didn’t see me as much because of the way rotations were going I didn’t get as much playing time as I usually do,” Gamble said.
But Gamble isn’t complaining. He’s just hopeful Rambo will be back on the field this week, and glad he had a chance to honor his teammate.
“It was representing South Georgia,” Gamble said, “and if I got injured, I’m pretty sure he would have worn my number.”
CHANGE OF HEART
Rantavious Wooten wasn’t expecting the ball to come his way when he saw Kentucky’s defensive alignment. Trevard Lindley was deep, and Wooten figured quarterback Joe Cox would find another receiver.
Instead, Cox lofted a perfect pass downfield, and Wooten ran his route perfectly, darting in front of Kentucky’s cornerback at the last instant to haul in the pass before falling backward into the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown reception – the first of his career.
“I didn’t know what to think,” Wooten said of the celebration that ensued. “There was too much going on and people were slapping me in the side of the head and stuff. I was just happy we got a touchdown.”
The freshman receiver caught another touchdown on a 43-yard pass from Cox in the second half, too, giving Georgia a 14-point lead at the time. That lead evaporated down the stretch, however, and while Wooten said he has gotten dozens of calls and texts from people congratulating him on his big game, he’s had difficulty celebrating.
“It was wonderful at the time when we were winning the game,” Wooten said. “It was wonderful, it felt great, up until we started losing the game and things got out of sync. Then the feeling about losing took over the feeling of feeling great about my first two touchdown passes.”
ON THE MEND
Receiver A.J. Green remains questionable for Saturday’s game against Georgia Tech, head coach Mark Richt said, but Wooten reported that the Bulldogs’ star receiver is in much better spirits this week after suffering a shoulder sprain against Auburn.
“I don’t know as far as when he’s going to play, but I know he’s feeling pretty good, he told me,” Wooten said.
They’ll get a chance to do just that next month, as Butler was named a finalist for the Ray Guy Award, given annually to the nation’s top punter, and Walsh earned a nod as a finalist for the Lou Groza Award for the country’s best kicker.
“If that’s what happens, that would be awesome,” said Butler, who is leading the nation in punting average in his first year as a starter for Georgia. “(Walsh) is definitely worthy of a trophy like that, and if that’s in the cards, I think it shows we’ve both done what we were asked to do on a consistent basis.”
Butler is averaging 48.8 yards on 50 punts this season and has been one of the Bulldogs’ most consistent performers all season. He’ll join Michigan senior Zoltan Mesko and Florida junior Chas Henry in Orlando on Dec. 10 for the award presentation.
Walsh will be there with Butler, competing against Alabama’s Leigh Tiffin and UCLA’s Kai Forbath for top kicker honors.
The sophomore has connected on 16 of 17 field goal attempts this season and leads the SEC in touchbacks, but he admits he was a but surprised to be named a finalist.
“I knew it was going to be close because I’m a big stat follower,” Walsh said. “I was right on the edge and it was nice to get it. There was a lot of hard work put into that.”
BRUISED BUT BETTER
Brandon Boykin set the Georgia record for kick returns in a season and is closing in on 1,000 return yards this year, but he was on the sideline when Branden Smith fumbled away the opening kickoff of the second half against Kentucky last week. While Boykin said he cringed at the play, he isn’t blaming his teammate for the loss.
“It was tough just seeing that momentum shift, but we were still in it,” Boykin said. “We still had a chance to win. It didn’t really hurt us as much as people probably think it did.”
Smith wouldn’t have been in the game at all had Boykin not injured his hip on a kick return in the first half. Boykin said a player’s facemask hit him on his hip bone, causing significant soreness, but X-rays revealed no serious damange.
“There’s nothing really wrong besides a big bruise, so we’re just trying to get it treated and get me ready for Tech,” Boykin said.
The sophomore cornerback returned to special teams duty for the remainder of the game, compiling 103 yards on four returns, but only saw a few more plays on defense in the second half.
While the injury has resulted in a bruise all the way down his leg, Boykin said he’s feeling better and plans to be on the field this week against Georgia Tech.
“I expect to play, I’ll be back,” he said. “I feel like it’s getting better to the point where I can run, and by Saturday, I’ll be able to run full speed.”
REPRESENTING THE FAMILY
Darryl Gamble abandoned his normal No. 50 jersey last week, instead donning No. 18 in honor of his cousin, injured safety Bacarri Rambo. But it wasn’t entirely his decision.
“Rambo’s my cousin, so he asked me to and I decided to do it for him. It seemed like the right thing to do at the moment,” Gamble said.
As it turned out, it might not have been a bit of a jinxed jersey for Gamble. One week after Rambo suffered a concussion late in the fourth quarter against Auburn wearing his No. 18, Gamble saw his playing time dip with the jersey on his back, too. That even caught Rambo’s attention.
“I talked to him after the game and he said he didn’t see me as much because of the way rotations were going I didn’t get as much playing time as I usually do,” Gamble said.
But Gamble isn’t complaining. He’s just hopeful Rambo will be back on the field this week, and glad he had a chance to honor his teammate.
“It was representing South Georgia,” Gamble said, “and if I got injured, I’m pretty sure he would have worn my number.”
CHANGE OF HEART
Rantavious Wooten wasn’t expecting the ball to come his way when he saw Kentucky’s defensive alignment. Trevard Lindley was deep, and Wooten figured quarterback Joe Cox would find another receiver.
Instead, Cox lofted a perfect pass downfield, and Wooten ran his route perfectly, darting in front of Kentucky’s cornerback at the last instant to haul in the pass before falling backward into the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown reception – the first of his career.
“I didn’t know what to think,” Wooten said of the celebration that ensued. “There was too much going on and people were slapping me in the side of the head and stuff. I was just happy we got a touchdown.”
The freshman receiver caught another touchdown on a 43-yard pass from Cox in the second half, too, giving Georgia a 14-point lead at the time. That lead evaporated down the stretch, however, and while Wooten said he has gotten dozens of calls and texts from people congratulating him on his big game, he’s had difficulty celebrating.
“It was wonderful at the time when we were winning the game,” Wooten said. “It was wonderful, it felt great, up until we started losing the game and things got out of sync. Then the feeling about losing took over the feeling of feeling great about my first two touchdown passes.”
ON THE MEND
Receiver A.J. Green remains questionable for Saturday’s game against Georgia Tech, head coach Mark Richt said, but Wooten reported that the Bulldogs’ star receiver is in much better spirits this week after suffering a shoulder sprain against Auburn.
“I don’t know as far as when he’s going to play, but I know he’s feeling pretty good, he told me,” Wooten said.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Notes: Richt Downplays Conditioning Concerns
Willie Martinez has been squarely in the crosshairs of caustic fans for two seasons. Mike Bobo has seen his playcalling critiqued by a bevy of message board pundits. Even Mark Richt has earned the scorn of fans unhappy with the team’s 4-4 start to the season and its 10-7 record over the past 17 games.
But the most recent coach to come under the microscope at Georgia is strength and conditioning coordinator Dave Van Halanger, a longtime assistant for numerous successful programs. With Georgia’s struggles on the offensive and defensive lines and problems running the football or bringing down opposing rushers, some critics have wondered if Georgia simply isn’t strong enough this season. Richt thinks that’s just par for the course.
“Everybody wants us to win, everybody wants to find some kind of angle to see where they think we’ve got issues,” Richt said. “So if everybody’s going to start chiming in on what we need to do, then it’s obvious that every part of our program is going to be looked at and questioned.”
Richt said across the board his staff works to keep up with the latest advances around college football, whether it be strength and conditioning, Xs and Os or simple coaching methodology.
“Coaches go to conventions, strength coaches go to conventions, everybody goes to the seminars trying to stay on top of the cutting edge,” Richt said. “Everybody gets together and they discuss the things they have, the things they do, what do you like and what don’t you like. And everybody’s got friends in the business where you can compare notes.”
It’s common practice during every offseason to evaluate Georgia’s program against what the competition is doing, Richt said, and that hasn’t changed in the nine seasons he’s been in Athens.
“We’re always out talking to other folks,” Richt said. “Our offensive and defensive staffs are either taking off somewhere, bringing somebody in or both. Our strength staff does that, too. We just do that across the board.”
Richt said most other coaches are happy to exchange ideas, although not normally within the same conference. But he said it’s not uncommon to seek out coaches from around the country who play a similar style on offense or defense or who have played against common opponents and bounce ideas off each other after the season has ended.
“If you want to get better at throwing certain screens to your receiver or things of that nature, you’re going to find a team that does it great and ask how do you do it?” Richt said. “Instead of just trying to watch the film and hope you get it right, you just go ask them. And most people will help you. It’s hard to go within the league. You won’t get much help there. But you go as far as you’ve got to go, and sometimes it’s an NFL team.”
STILL NO RAMBO
For the past month, Georgia’s coaches have given redshirt freshman safety Baccari Rambo increased playing time and have been pleased with the results. But despite the struggles of starters Reshad Jones and Bryan Evans in coverage against Florida and Tennessee, Richt said it’s unlikely Rambo will move past either veteran on the depth chart.
“I don’t know if he’ll move into the starting lineup but he’s earned playing time and he’s playing well,” Richt said. “He’s continued to practice well, and that’s good, good for us."
Richt said this week he planned to continue playing veterans that give the Bulldogs their best chance to win their remaining four games despite many of the team’s preseason goals now being defunct.
Rambo offers the option for Georgia to both keep a quality product on the field this season, Richt said, while also giving playing time to a younger player projected to see a bigger role next year. But Richt doesn’t think Rambo needs to be in the starting lineup to be prepared for next season.
“I don’t think he would have to start to say that would make him more ready a year from now,” Richt said. “He’s playing plenty to help us be ready for next year.”
WOOTEN GETS THE NOD
With sophomore receiver A.J. Green out of action this week with a bruised lung, freshman Rantavious Wooten is slated to make his first start of the season against Tennessee Tech, and the fast rise up the depth chart isn’t coming as a surprise to Wooten’s teammates.
Richt said that veterans raved about Wooten’s performance over the summer, giving Richt and early indication that the true freshman would be in position to help out immediately.
“They loved Wooten from the get-go – his quickness, ability to change direction and just how quickly he was picking up the route running,” Richt said.
Wooten has just four catches so far this season in minimal duty backing up Green, but that will change this week, and Richt said he expects Wooten to make the most of his chance.
“He’s going to get a really outstanding opportunity this weekend,” Richt said. “Wooten playing a position behind A.J. certainly hasn’t given him a ton of opportunities. This will be the biggest opportunity to this point for him, and I think he’s excited, he’s up for it.”
BROWN READY AND WAITING
Wooten isn’t the only freshman receiver hoping to make an impact against Tennessee Tech.
Marlon Brown thought his breakout game had come last month against Tennessee when he had the first two catches of his career. But a hip pointer a few days later derailed his plans for a bigger role.
“After the game, I was like, yeah, I’m going to get a little more playing time,” Brown said. “Then that Tuesday at practice I had the hip pointer going up for a pass.”
Brown said he was healthy enough to play in the past two games for Georgia, but he didn’t see any action. That should change with Green out this week, and Brown’s hoping for another opportunity to showcase his skills.
“I’m just going to go in, warm up, and if he says, ‘Marlon, you’re in the game,’ I’m going to go in the game and do my job,” he said.
HOME SWEET HOME
It has been more than a month since Georgia played in front of its home crowd, and Richt is thrilled to be back.
“If you’re home three or four games in a row, sometimes it’s good to get away,” he said. “But when you’ve been gone a long time, it’s good to get back home. I’m looking forward to being with the Georgia people.”
It’s been a rocky ride since Georgia’s last home date – a narrow loss in the final minute to LSU. The Bulldogs where thumped on the road at Tennessee, beat Vanderbilt prior to an off week, then settled for another dismal performance in Jacksonville, Fla. against the rival Gators.
With three losses in their last four games and not a lot of pats on the back along the way, Rambo said getting back in front of a cheering crowd will be a welcome dose of enthusiasm for a team in need of some positive energy.
“I know going off to play, we’ve been doing that for a month, and the opponent’s fans haven’t been too nice to us,” Rambo said. “It’s great to come back home and see our friends and let them support us. I think it’s going to be a great feeling to get back home and play again.”
But the most recent coach to come under the microscope at Georgia is strength and conditioning coordinator Dave Van Halanger, a longtime assistant for numerous successful programs. With Georgia’s struggles on the offensive and defensive lines and problems running the football or bringing down opposing rushers, some critics have wondered if Georgia simply isn’t strong enough this season. Richt thinks that’s just par for the course.
“Everybody wants us to win, everybody wants to find some kind of angle to see where they think we’ve got issues,” Richt said. “So if everybody’s going to start chiming in on what we need to do, then it’s obvious that every part of our program is going to be looked at and questioned.”
Richt said across the board his staff works to keep up with the latest advances around college football, whether it be strength and conditioning, Xs and Os or simple coaching methodology.
“Coaches go to conventions, strength coaches go to conventions, everybody goes to the seminars trying to stay on top of the cutting edge,” Richt said. “Everybody gets together and they discuss the things they have, the things they do, what do you like and what don’t you like. And everybody’s got friends in the business where you can compare notes.”
It’s common practice during every offseason to evaluate Georgia’s program against what the competition is doing, Richt said, and that hasn’t changed in the nine seasons he’s been in Athens.
“We’re always out talking to other folks,” Richt said. “Our offensive and defensive staffs are either taking off somewhere, bringing somebody in or both. Our strength staff does that, too. We just do that across the board.”
Richt said most other coaches are happy to exchange ideas, although not normally within the same conference. But he said it’s not uncommon to seek out coaches from around the country who play a similar style on offense or defense or who have played against common opponents and bounce ideas off each other after the season has ended.
“If you want to get better at throwing certain screens to your receiver or things of that nature, you’re going to find a team that does it great and ask how do you do it?” Richt said. “Instead of just trying to watch the film and hope you get it right, you just go ask them. And most people will help you. It’s hard to go within the league. You won’t get much help there. But you go as far as you’ve got to go, and sometimes it’s an NFL team.”
STILL NO RAMBO
For the past month, Georgia’s coaches have given redshirt freshman safety Baccari Rambo increased playing time and have been pleased with the results. But despite the struggles of starters Reshad Jones and Bryan Evans in coverage against Florida and Tennessee, Richt said it’s unlikely Rambo will move past either veteran on the depth chart.
“I don’t know if he’ll move into the starting lineup but he’s earned playing time and he’s playing well,” Richt said. “He’s continued to practice well, and that’s good, good for us."
Richt said this week he planned to continue playing veterans that give the Bulldogs their best chance to win their remaining four games despite many of the team’s preseason goals now being defunct.
Rambo offers the option for Georgia to both keep a quality product on the field this season, Richt said, while also giving playing time to a younger player projected to see a bigger role next year. But Richt doesn’t think Rambo needs to be in the starting lineup to be prepared for next season.
“I don’t think he would have to start to say that would make him more ready a year from now,” Richt said. “He’s playing plenty to help us be ready for next year.”
WOOTEN GETS THE NOD
With sophomore receiver A.J. Green out of action this week with a bruised lung, freshman Rantavious Wooten is slated to make his first start of the season against Tennessee Tech, and the fast rise up the depth chart isn’t coming as a surprise to Wooten’s teammates.
Richt said that veterans raved about Wooten’s performance over the summer, giving Richt and early indication that the true freshman would be in position to help out immediately.
“They loved Wooten from the get-go – his quickness, ability to change direction and just how quickly he was picking up the route running,” Richt said.
Wooten has just four catches so far this season in minimal duty backing up Green, but that will change this week, and Richt said he expects Wooten to make the most of his chance.
“He’s going to get a really outstanding opportunity this weekend,” Richt said. “Wooten playing a position behind A.J. certainly hasn’t given him a ton of opportunities. This will be the biggest opportunity to this point for him, and I think he’s excited, he’s up for it.”
BROWN READY AND WAITING
Wooten isn’t the only freshman receiver hoping to make an impact against Tennessee Tech.
Marlon Brown thought his breakout game had come last month against Tennessee when he had the first two catches of his career. But a hip pointer a few days later derailed his plans for a bigger role.
“After the game, I was like, yeah, I’m going to get a little more playing time,” Brown said. “Then that Tuesday at practice I had the hip pointer going up for a pass.”
Brown said he was healthy enough to play in the past two games for Georgia, but he didn’t see any action. That should change with Green out this week, and Brown’s hoping for another opportunity to showcase his skills.
“I’m just going to go in, warm up, and if he says, ‘Marlon, you’re in the game,’ I’m going to go in the game and do my job,” he said.
HOME SWEET HOME
It has been more than a month since Georgia played in front of its home crowd, and Richt is thrilled to be back.
“If you’re home three or four games in a row, sometimes it’s good to get away,” he said. “But when you’ve been gone a long time, it’s good to get back home. I’m looking forward to being with the Georgia people.”
It’s been a rocky ride since Georgia’s last home date – a narrow loss in the final minute to LSU. The Bulldogs where thumped on the road at Tennessee, beat Vanderbilt prior to an off week, then settled for another dismal performance in Jacksonville, Fla. against the rival Gators.
With three losses in their last four games and not a lot of pats on the back along the way, Rambo said getting back in front of a cheering crowd will be a welcome dose of enthusiasm for a team in need of some positive energy.
“I know going off to play, we’ve been doing that for a month, and the opponent’s fans haven’t been too nice to us,” Rambo said. “It’s great to come back home and see our friends and let them support us. I think it’s going to be a great feeling to get back home and play again.”
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Notebook: King Looks for Big Game vs. Familiar Foe
Caleb King has run the ball well in his first two games back following a hamstring injury, but he has a special reason for putting on an even better show this week against LSU.
“Being from Baton Rouge, it’s just 10 minutes from the campus at LSU,” King said. “It’s hard for me to get tickets but I’m bringing like 10 or 15 people (to this year’s game). Last year, when we went to Baton Rouge, I had 23 people there. It’s always a big turn out for the LSU game.”
King grew up in Baton Rouge but moved to Georgia before middle school. He said most of his family remains LSU fans, however, but hopes they’ll be rooting for his side this Saturday.
“Honestly, I know when we don’t play LSU, they all go for LSU,” King said. “But since we’re playing them, I believe they’re going to wear the red and black.”
King said he was an LSU fan, too, but that all changed when he committed to Georgia. Now, three years into his Bulldogs career, he’s hoping he can have a career game against the team he grew up rooting for.
“Of course, I want to show up for my family, but it’s no pressure,” King said. “Game by game, I feel more comfortable, and I’m trying to make this my breakout game.”
COMMINGS OF AGE
After spending the majority of the preseason and early part of the regular season working at safety, Sanders Commings seems to be adjusting to cornerback quickly, head coach Mark Richt said.
“He’s progressing as a corner,” Richt said. “I like the move there. I can’t say 100 percent that’s where he’ll stay the rest of his career, but I think he’s going to be a very good corner for us.”
LSU brings a group of tall wide receivers to Athens this week, which Richt admits could be a mismatch for some of Georgia’s undersized corners. That could mean a bit more action for the 6-foot-2, 215-pound Commings.
“Sanders at least has more height and more weight to him where he might be able to match up better, but it’s not always a size thing,” Richt said. “We’ve had some corners that weren’t very tall but they played big, and I think we have some now that are like that.”
That doesn’t mean the matchups on Saturday will be easy. Terrence Tolliver checks in for LSU at 6-5 while preseason All-SEC receiver Brandon LaFell stands at 6-3.
“It’s going to be tough,” Richt said. “LaFell is one of the finest in the country. I think LaFell has proven that he has star quality and he’s a mismatch for anybody one-on-one, let alone whether they are our guys or not. I think just their shear size is going to be an issue for us.”
FOND MEMORIES
When Georgia traveled to Baton Rouge last year to take on LSU, it proved to be a breakout game for linebacker Darryl Gamble.
The then-sophomore picked off an LSU pass on the Tigers’ first drive of the game and returned it for a touchdown, then iced the Georgia victory with another interception return for a score in the fourth quarter.
Gamble said he’s watched the interceptions on film a few times this year in preparing for the Tigers’ visit to Athens this weekend, but he said he’s making no promises for an encore performance.
“People have been asking me about it, like ‘DG, what are you gonna do?’” Gamble said. “I say, ‘I don’t know,’ but I’ve been putting a lot of work in, watching a lot of film, and whatever happens, happens.”
FEELING BETTER
After missing Wednesday’s practice, cornerback Brandon Boykin was expected to be a full participant Thursday and Richt expects the sophomore to be on the field Saturday.
“I think he’ll be fine,” Richt said.
Junior cornerback Vance Cuff, who missed last week’s game with a knee sprain, has also been cleared to play this week.
Linebacker Akeem Dent was officially ruled out for Saturday’s game.
STICKING WITH RED
Georgia’s fifth game last season came with plenty of hype, with a top-10 opponent coming into town and the Bulldogs donning black jerseys as part of a planned “blackout.”
Once again, Georgia welcomes a top-10 team to Sanford Stadium for Week 5, but there won’t be any festivities surrounding the uniform to go along with LSU’s visit.
“I don’t think we’d do a black jersey or black helmet, we wouldn’t do a blackout of any kind unless we got the fans into it,” Richt said. “I don’t think it’s worth doing a blackout without it.”
NOBODY PUTS BABY IN A CORNER
During the TV timeouts in the latter stages of last week’s win over Arizona State, the music blared throughout Sanford Stadium, and a large contingent of Bulldogs broke out some of their best dancing moves to lighten the mood.
The lighthearted demeanor ruffled a few feathers among fans who wondered if the team was taking the close game as seriously as it should, but Richt said he thinks just the opposite was true.
“Our guys have a wonderful spirit,” Richt said. “I know some defensive guys were dancing a little bit in the fourth quarter and we had the last three drives of the game we had three-and-outs and they had negative yardage in the fourth quarter. So I don’t think you can say it was a bad thing. I don’t think it hurt their play.”
Richt said he understands the criticism, but thinks barring the players from a few spur-of-the-moment dance routines would create a new wave of criticism from the other side. The bottom line, he said, is results. If the team wins, they can dance all they want.
“I’d rather them be dancing than crying,” Richt said.
LSU’S SECRET WEAPON
Fans at LSU have been clamoring for more of highly touted freshman quarterback Russell Shepard, who has been in on 11 runs so far this season, gaining 74 yards, but has yet to throw a pass.
Shepard could prove to be an asset for the Tigers this weekend, but Richt said he’s not expecting the freshman quarterback to anything drastically different from what the Georgia coaches have already seen on film.
“We can only plan for what we’ve seen him do and try to anticipate what he might do, but it’s hard,” Richt said. “I don’t think they’re going to have a huge plan for him, but they may.”
GEORGIA’S SECRET WEAPON
Rantavious Wooten had his first two receptions of the season last week, both coming on third down for sizeable gains. But receiver may not be the only roll for Wooten this year, as Richt said the freshman has practiced many of the same plays Branden Smith has run on game days, including reverses and end arounds.
“Anything we’ve done with Branden Smith, (Wooten) has practiced in case something happened to Branden and we still liked the concept of what he’s doing,” Richt said. “They’re similar athletes.”
“Being from Baton Rouge, it’s just 10 minutes from the campus at LSU,” King said. “It’s hard for me to get tickets but I’m bringing like 10 or 15 people (to this year’s game). Last year, when we went to Baton Rouge, I had 23 people there. It’s always a big turn out for the LSU game.”
King grew up in Baton Rouge but moved to Georgia before middle school. He said most of his family remains LSU fans, however, but hopes they’ll be rooting for his side this Saturday.
“Honestly, I know when we don’t play LSU, they all go for LSU,” King said. “But since we’re playing them, I believe they’re going to wear the red and black.”
King said he was an LSU fan, too, but that all changed when he committed to Georgia. Now, three years into his Bulldogs career, he’s hoping he can have a career game against the team he grew up rooting for.
“Of course, I want to show up for my family, but it’s no pressure,” King said. “Game by game, I feel more comfortable, and I’m trying to make this my breakout game.”
COMMINGS OF AGE
After spending the majority of the preseason and early part of the regular season working at safety, Sanders Commings seems to be adjusting to cornerback quickly, head coach Mark Richt said.
“He’s progressing as a corner,” Richt said. “I like the move there. I can’t say 100 percent that’s where he’ll stay the rest of his career, but I think he’s going to be a very good corner for us.”
LSU brings a group of tall wide receivers to Athens this week, which Richt admits could be a mismatch for some of Georgia’s undersized corners. That could mean a bit more action for the 6-foot-2, 215-pound Commings.
“Sanders at least has more height and more weight to him where he might be able to match up better, but it’s not always a size thing,” Richt said. “We’ve had some corners that weren’t very tall but they played big, and I think we have some now that are like that.”
That doesn’t mean the matchups on Saturday will be easy. Terrence Tolliver checks in for LSU at 6-5 while preseason All-SEC receiver Brandon LaFell stands at 6-3.
“It’s going to be tough,” Richt said. “LaFell is one of the finest in the country. I think LaFell has proven that he has star quality and he’s a mismatch for anybody one-on-one, let alone whether they are our guys or not. I think just their shear size is going to be an issue for us.”
FOND MEMORIES
When Georgia traveled to Baton Rouge last year to take on LSU, it proved to be a breakout game for linebacker Darryl Gamble.
The then-sophomore picked off an LSU pass on the Tigers’ first drive of the game and returned it for a touchdown, then iced the Georgia victory with another interception return for a score in the fourth quarter.
Gamble said he’s watched the interceptions on film a few times this year in preparing for the Tigers’ visit to Athens this weekend, but he said he’s making no promises for an encore performance.
“People have been asking me about it, like ‘DG, what are you gonna do?’” Gamble said. “I say, ‘I don’t know,’ but I’ve been putting a lot of work in, watching a lot of film, and whatever happens, happens.”
FEELING BETTER
After missing Wednesday’s practice, cornerback Brandon Boykin was expected to be a full participant Thursday and Richt expects the sophomore to be on the field Saturday.
“I think he’ll be fine,” Richt said.
Junior cornerback Vance Cuff, who missed last week’s game with a knee sprain, has also been cleared to play this week.
Linebacker Akeem Dent was officially ruled out for Saturday’s game.
STICKING WITH RED
Georgia’s fifth game last season came with plenty of hype, with a top-10 opponent coming into town and the Bulldogs donning black jerseys as part of a planned “blackout.”
Once again, Georgia welcomes a top-10 team to Sanford Stadium for Week 5, but there won’t be any festivities surrounding the uniform to go along with LSU’s visit.
“I don’t think we’d do a black jersey or black helmet, we wouldn’t do a blackout of any kind unless we got the fans into it,” Richt said. “I don’t think it’s worth doing a blackout without it.”
NOBODY PUTS BABY IN A CORNER
During the TV timeouts in the latter stages of last week’s win over Arizona State, the music blared throughout Sanford Stadium, and a large contingent of Bulldogs broke out some of their best dancing moves to lighten the mood.
The lighthearted demeanor ruffled a few feathers among fans who wondered if the team was taking the close game as seriously as it should, but Richt said he thinks just the opposite was true.
“Our guys have a wonderful spirit,” Richt said. “I know some defensive guys were dancing a little bit in the fourth quarter and we had the last three drives of the game we had three-and-outs and they had negative yardage in the fourth quarter. So I don’t think you can say it was a bad thing. I don’t think it hurt their play.”
Richt said he understands the criticism, but thinks barring the players from a few spur-of-the-moment dance routines would create a new wave of criticism from the other side. The bottom line, he said, is results. If the team wins, they can dance all they want.
“I’d rather them be dancing than crying,” Richt said.
LSU’S SECRET WEAPON
Fans at LSU have been clamoring for more of highly touted freshman quarterback Russell Shepard, who has been in on 11 runs so far this season, gaining 74 yards, but has yet to throw a pass.
Shepard could prove to be an asset for the Tigers this weekend, but Richt said he’s not expecting the freshman quarterback to anything drastically different from what the Georgia coaches have already seen on film.
“We can only plan for what we’ve seen him do and try to anticipate what he might do, but it’s hard,” Richt said. “I don’t think they’re going to have a huge plan for him, but they may.”
GEORGIA’S SECRET WEAPON
Rantavious Wooten had his first two receptions of the season last week, both coming on third down for sizeable gains. But receiver may not be the only roll for Wooten this year, as Richt said the freshman has practiced many of the same plays Branden Smith has run on game days, including reverses and end arounds.
“Anything we’ve done with Branden Smith, (Wooten) has practiced in case something happened to Branden and we still liked the concept of what he’s doing,” Richt said. “They’re similar athletes.”
Deleted Scenes: Rantavious Wooten
In case you haven't read it yet, I have a story in today's Telegraph on the development of freshman receiver Rantavious Wooten. After earning just one snap in the first two games, Wooten has seen his playing time increase dramatically in the past two weeks, including hauling in two crucial third-down receptions against Arizona State.
While the story turned out to be much longer than I'd hoped, I didn't come close to getting all my Wooten-isms in. So, here's a few more snippets from my interview with him, for your reading pleasure…
David Hale: I know you're fast, but there are certainly a few other speedsters on this team, including Bryan Evans and Branden Smith. So, who's fastest?
Rantavious Wooten: There are some fast guys, but running routes during one-on-ones, I feel like I can compete with whoever they say the fastest is, I feel like I’m right there with them.
DH: You've been praised for your route-running pretty much since Day 1. How did you get so good at it?
RW: I learned on my own how to do things. I do a lot of studying of guys like Percy Harvin and Desean Jackson. That’s who I really look at to see how they run their routes and think about would I run my routes the same way. Just be smart and think, if I was a DB, what would I do to him. I think about it that way and then do the opposite of what he’s doing.
DH: What was it like against Arkansas when you finally got some real playing time?
RW: It was pretty good. Of course I was nervous. It was a great environment and the fans were rocking. But to get out there, getting my first hit, it loosened me up a little bit. After that, it kept rolling, my confidence was way up because I wasn’t expecting to play that much. Everything is just falling into place now.
DH: Tell me about your first catch. It looked like you had a little hitch in your route, but you recovered and hauled in a long one right near the sideline.
RW: The way we usually run it at practice is to wait until the last second and he throws it over the opposite-side shoulder, so that’s what I was really trying to do was try to keep my line and stay close as long as possible and then look back at the ball and separate at the end.
DH: What has it been like earning more playing time while Marlon (Brown) is still waiting?
RW: Marlon’s just working. We know things will happen, and we both need work as freshman. We’re both working hard and just pushing each other in practice. We’re going to get there no matter what, and hopefully he’ll get more playing time and I’ll get more playing time.
DH: Has Marlon kept a good attitude despite not seeing much action?
RW: He’s not discouraged or anything. He knows what he needs to work on, just like I know what I need to work on. Everything Coach asks him to do, he’s doing, and his time is going to come. He’s that ideal receiver that’s got the body, the vertical, the hands. He’s going to get there, he’s just got to apply himself.
DH: A.J. Green has obviously been a big topic of conversation this week, and everyone I ask says that they don't even make a big deal about his great catches anymore since they see him do it in practice so often. You weren't around him last year, so I'm curious, is it still impressive to you when you see him make some of those grabs?
RW: Every time I see him make a great catch like that, it’s never, ‘OK, he just made that catch.’ I’m always excited. Every time he makes a catch, I’m excited. I’m on the sideline pointing to him. Everybody else will be like, ‘Yeah, he caught it.’ I’m like, ‘Wow, did you see how he caught that?’ Even though I see him make that kind of catch a lot, it still has that ‘Wow’ factor for me.
DH: OK, I have to ask you about the YouTube clips with your high school highlights. The "Wooten da ball carrier" stuff… it's like those Free Credit Report commercials. It's so annoying, yet so catchy. What do you think about it?
RW: When I first posted it on YouTube, people were commenting on it, but they weren’t leaving comments about the video itself. They were leaving comments about the narrator. They were talking about the announcer and how bad he sucked and what he kept saying. I was like, ‘Man, he’s going to start something with this.’ Every comment was ‘Wooten da ball carrier,’ or ‘He may go.’ It looked like it came up here, too, and that’s what people are saying now.
DH: So have you spoken with the Georgia PA guy to see if you can get that call made during games here?
RW: I haven’t talked to him yet about that. I don’t plan to. But the more I get involved in the offense and the more I touch the ball, I’m pretty sure that it’ll carry over.
DH: Well, despite the lack of 'Wooten da ball carrier' references last week, you did get a nice cheer of 'Woooooot' from the crowd after your first catch. How'd that make you feel?
RW: It was crazy. I didn’t know what to think. I was excited because I knew that the fans had accepted me now. It just felt great. It was amazing, and I walked off the field smiling.
Friday, September 25, 2009
UGA Notes: D Line Looks For Pressure
While the secondary has gotten the majority of the blame for Georgia’s defensive problems the past two weeks, defensive tackle Jeff Owens said his unit will be the key to shutting down the opposition’s passing attack.
“It starts with getting more sacks up front,” Owens said. ‘I think we’re nowhere near where we can be, and we need to get over that hump to get where we can be. But we’re going to keep progressing and just get better because we’re not where we want to be right now.”
Through three games, Georgia has recorded just four sacks, despite opponents throwing the ball or using the quarterback as a runner on more than 70 percent of their offensive plays the past two weeks.
Georgia finished last season ranked 11th in the SEC in sacks, with the bulk of its success coming in non-conference games against Arizona State and Michigan State. The Bulldogs worked on the pass rush this offseason, but so far the results haven’t shown up on the field.
“It gets frustrating after all the effort and time you put into it during the offseason, you think you’re going to come out and have a better season than last year,” defensive end Demarcus Dobbs said. “But it’s still early on. It gets frustrating, but we just have to keep grinding and try to go make a play.”
Part of the problem, Dobbs said, is that the group hasn’t been able to function at full capacity often this season.
Starting defensive end Justin Houston missed the first two games of the season with a suspension, and Owens and fellow defensive tackle Geno Atkins were forced to rush off the edge for nearly 60 snaps during the first two weeks.
Dobbs said the group showed some signs of improvement last week – sacking quarterback Ryan Mallett twice – but that more time together will be a key in getting the pass rush going on a consistent basis.
“We have to be able to mesh as a group,” Dobbs said. “Sometimes we’re getting pressure from the edge and people aren’t in the middle and we lose contain. But it takes chemistry, and you have to know the other person’s strength and when to cover somebody. It will come in time.”
HE’S THE MAN
It was against Arizona State last season that wide receiver A.J. Green had his first breakout performance – racking up 150 receiving yards in the first half.
Since then, Green hasn’t surprised too many defenses, and as the sophomore continues to compile big games, even his quarterback thinks there’s a chance Green will go down as the best receiver to play at Georgia.
“He’s one of the best I’ve ever seen,” Joe Cox said. “He’s an incredible playmaker, and he could end up being one of the best players that ever played here.”
As to what makes Green so impressive, head coach Mark Richt said it’s hard to identify just one thing. The beauty of having Green is that he does everything so well.
“When you take his combination of height and the range of his arms, his speed and agility; a lot of guys who are tall might be fast and can make a play on a deep ball, but A.J. can out-jump people, he can run by people,” Richt said. “He can make them miss, and he’s becoming a pretty darn good blocker. There isn’t much that you’d ask a receiver to do that he can’t do well. He’s pretty good, and I’m glad we have him.”
WOOTEN GETS THE NOD
After earning just one snap during the first two games, freshman receiver Rantavious Wooten saw a big increase in his workload against Arkansas last week.
While Wooten was targeted for just one throw and ran a sweep that failed to gain, he was in on a number of plays, and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said that’s a trend that will continue this week.
“We’ve just got to play some of those guys and Wooten has done a good job at practice,” Bobo said. “He’s extremely quick and explosive and does a nice job running routes. He hasn’t had many opportunities to catch the ball. We tossed him a sweep. But you’ll see more of him this week just because of our number issue at receiver.”
DO-IT-ALL GUY
With tailback Caleb King sidelined for Georgia’s first two games, the burden of being the counterpunch for starter Richard Samuel fell to redshirt freshman Carlton Thomas.
The results so far have been mediocre, at best. The 5-foot-7 tailback has mustered just 25 yards on 10 carries, including one fumble. Thomas has been far more successful as a receiver, catching two passes for 18 yards – utilizing his elusiveness in space to his benefit.
Now that King is back, running backs coach Bryan McClendon said the team would like to find ways to better utilize Thomas, but he said it’s still essential that his freshman tailback learn all the intricacies of the position.
“There’s definitely things Carlton can do, but Carlton needs to work on being a guy that can get in there and we can run everything with him,” McClendon said. “That’s the focus he needs to take. We need to get him ready to go every play if he has to. There are definitely things he can do, but we want to make sure he knows everything come Saturday.”
JOE COOL
Georgia has trailed by double digits in the first quarter in each of its past two games, and the Bulldogs have won both. The common denominator, according to tight end Aron White, is the guy doing all the talking in the huddle.
Against South Carolina, the Bulldogs’ offense barely saw the field in the first quarter, and a special-teams turnover cost Georgia an early possession last week as well, but White said Cox has been calm, cool and collected each time – a bit asset in coming back from behind.
“Joe’s just extremely lighthearted when he’s in the huddle,” White said. “He came back into the huddle, just smiling, some words of encouragement, and we see his confidence and that does a lot to motivate guys and take some of the pressure off.”
COACHES STILL HIGH ON BROWN
Although Marlon Brown has yet to see any significant action, Bobo said he’s still expecting the freshman receiver to be a contributor to Georgia’s offense before the season is done.
“Marlon is starting to show some progress,” Bobo said. “Marlon is working hard, and we’re not at all disappointed with Marlon. I think Marlon has as much potential as anybody we’ve got on this team, it’s just a matter of him understanding what’s going on and learning how to do things.”
DREAM MATCHUP
With the Pac-10’s Arizona State making its first trip to Athens this weekend, linebacker Rennie Curran was asked which team outside the SEC he would most like to play. He said he’d like to stay in the Pac-10, but set his sights a little higher.
“Southern Cal because they are respected across the nation and they get a lot of hype,” Curran said. “Also, because of the kind of program they have. I was hoping we would get them a couple years ago in the Sugar Bowl, but they had their rule with the Rose Bowl. I think that would have been bigger than the National Championship.”
BUSY WEEKEND
Richt said he expects a high number of recruits to be visiting Athens this week, but it’s next week’s matchup against LSU that’s the really hot ticket.
“From what we’re hearing, there’s an awful lot of interest in this LSU game already,” Richt said. “It’s probably more than we can handle. There’s only so many that can get in, so it’s probably going to be tough to get everybody in who wants to get in.”
“It starts with getting more sacks up front,” Owens said. ‘I think we’re nowhere near where we can be, and we need to get over that hump to get where we can be. But we’re going to keep progressing and just get better because we’re not where we want to be right now.”
Through three games, Georgia has recorded just four sacks, despite opponents throwing the ball or using the quarterback as a runner on more than 70 percent of their offensive plays the past two weeks.
Georgia finished last season ranked 11th in the SEC in sacks, with the bulk of its success coming in non-conference games against Arizona State and Michigan State. The Bulldogs worked on the pass rush this offseason, but so far the results haven’t shown up on the field.
“It gets frustrating after all the effort and time you put into it during the offseason, you think you’re going to come out and have a better season than last year,” defensive end Demarcus Dobbs said. “But it’s still early on. It gets frustrating, but we just have to keep grinding and try to go make a play.”
Part of the problem, Dobbs said, is that the group hasn’t been able to function at full capacity often this season.
Starting defensive end Justin Houston missed the first two games of the season with a suspension, and Owens and fellow defensive tackle Geno Atkins were forced to rush off the edge for nearly 60 snaps during the first two weeks.
Dobbs said the group showed some signs of improvement last week – sacking quarterback Ryan Mallett twice – but that more time together will be a key in getting the pass rush going on a consistent basis.
“We have to be able to mesh as a group,” Dobbs said. “Sometimes we’re getting pressure from the edge and people aren’t in the middle and we lose contain. But it takes chemistry, and you have to know the other person’s strength and when to cover somebody. It will come in time.”
HE’S THE MAN
It was against Arizona State last season that wide receiver A.J. Green had his first breakout performance – racking up 150 receiving yards in the first half.
Since then, Green hasn’t surprised too many defenses, and as the sophomore continues to compile big games, even his quarterback thinks there’s a chance Green will go down as the best receiver to play at Georgia.
“He’s one of the best I’ve ever seen,” Joe Cox said. “He’s an incredible playmaker, and he could end up being one of the best players that ever played here.”
As to what makes Green so impressive, head coach Mark Richt said it’s hard to identify just one thing. The beauty of having Green is that he does everything so well.
“When you take his combination of height and the range of his arms, his speed and agility; a lot of guys who are tall might be fast and can make a play on a deep ball, but A.J. can out-jump people, he can run by people,” Richt said. “He can make them miss, and he’s becoming a pretty darn good blocker. There isn’t much that you’d ask a receiver to do that he can’t do well. He’s pretty good, and I’m glad we have him.”
WOOTEN GETS THE NOD
After earning just one snap during the first two games, freshman receiver Rantavious Wooten saw a big increase in his workload against Arkansas last week.
While Wooten was targeted for just one throw and ran a sweep that failed to gain, he was in on a number of plays, and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said that’s a trend that will continue this week.
“We’ve just got to play some of those guys and Wooten has done a good job at practice,” Bobo said. “He’s extremely quick and explosive and does a nice job running routes. He hasn’t had many opportunities to catch the ball. We tossed him a sweep. But you’ll see more of him this week just because of our number issue at receiver.”
DO-IT-ALL GUY
With tailback Caleb King sidelined for Georgia’s first two games, the burden of being the counterpunch for starter Richard Samuel fell to redshirt freshman Carlton Thomas.
The results so far have been mediocre, at best. The 5-foot-7 tailback has mustered just 25 yards on 10 carries, including one fumble. Thomas has been far more successful as a receiver, catching two passes for 18 yards – utilizing his elusiveness in space to his benefit.
Now that King is back, running backs coach Bryan McClendon said the team would like to find ways to better utilize Thomas, but he said it’s still essential that his freshman tailback learn all the intricacies of the position.
“There’s definitely things Carlton can do, but Carlton needs to work on being a guy that can get in there and we can run everything with him,” McClendon said. “That’s the focus he needs to take. We need to get him ready to go every play if he has to. There are definitely things he can do, but we want to make sure he knows everything come Saturday.”
JOE COOL
Georgia has trailed by double digits in the first quarter in each of its past two games, and the Bulldogs have won both. The common denominator, according to tight end Aron White, is the guy doing all the talking in the huddle.
Against South Carolina, the Bulldogs’ offense barely saw the field in the first quarter, and a special-teams turnover cost Georgia an early possession last week as well, but White said Cox has been calm, cool and collected each time – a bit asset in coming back from behind.
“Joe’s just extremely lighthearted when he’s in the huddle,” White said. “He came back into the huddle, just smiling, some words of encouragement, and we see his confidence and that does a lot to motivate guys and take some of the pressure off.”
COACHES STILL HIGH ON BROWN
Although Marlon Brown has yet to see any significant action, Bobo said he’s still expecting the freshman receiver to be a contributor to Georgia’s offense before the season is done.
“Marlon is starting to show some progress,” Bobo said. “Marlon is working hard, and we’re not at all disappointed with Marlon. I think Marlon has as much potential as anybody we’ve got on this team, it’s just a matter of him understanding what’s going on and learning how to do things.”
DREAM MATCHUP
With the Pac-10’s Arizona State making its first trip to Athens this weekend, linebacker Rennie Curran was asked which team outside the SEC he would most like to play. He said he’d like to stay in the Pac-10, but set his sights a little higher.
“Southern Cal because they are respected across the nation and they get a lot of hype,” Curran said. “Also, because of the kind of program they have. I was hoping we would get them a couple years ago in the Sugar Bowl, but they had their rule with the Rose Bowl. I think that would have been bigger than the National Championship.”
BUSY WEEKEND
Richt said he expects a high number of recruits to be visiting Athens this week, but it’s next week’s matchup against LSU that’s the really hot ticket.
“From what we’re hearing, there’s an awful lot of interest in this LSU game already,” Richt said. “It’s probably more than we can handle. There’s only so many that can get in, so it’s probably going to be tough to get everybody in who wants to get in.”
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Notebook: Arkansas Tight End Has Georgia's Attention
Willie Martinez said the game plan last week was to avoid getting beat deep, and the result was an eight-catch, 96-yard performance for South Carolina tight end Weslye Saunders.
The game plan may have to change this week with Arkansas’ offense featuring All-SEC tight end D.J. Williams, but Martinez said the biggest key for Georgia’s defense will be execution.
“We didn’t tackle well in the last game, and that cost us,” Martinez said. “And we’ve got to do a better job of pressuring the quarterback, whether that’s through blitzing or the four-man rush. And we’ve got to do better in coverage.”
Martinez said Georgia was willing to give up some yards underneath against South Carolina, but linebackers coach John Jancek said Williams commands a bit more attention.
“It’s a different style in terms of what they do,” Jancek said. “I think Arkansas has some really good thoughts on how they want to get the ball to the tight end, and we need to be aware of where he’s at.”
The defensive effort should get a boost with the return of linebacker Nick Williams this week after the sophomore missed last week’s action with a sore hamstring. Georgia was without two of its top three Sam linebackers, who are usually tasked with covering the tight end.
“I’ve heard he’s a great player,” Nick Williams said of the Arkansas tight end. “I think I can help, even if it’s just with the depth so guys aren’t taking every snap at linebacker.”
AWESOME ORSON
Freshman Orson Charles was supposed to be eased into the offense, but he’s already proven he can be a weapon for Georgia.
Charles’ four catches and 84 yards receiving are both second-best on the team, and quarterback Joe Cox said the tight end is causing havoc for defenses already, despite his lack of experience.
“He’s definitely a great threat in the passing game,” Cox said. “He has really great speed, runs good routes, has good hands. You can tell that sometimes he’s having to think a lot about things, and that just comes with experience and just practicing. He’s learning a lot and it’s good that he’s getting plays early. You can see his confidence getting higher and higher with every ball he catches. He’s going to be a good one.”
While several of Georgia’s freshmen, including fellow tight end Arthur Lynch, have yet to secure the confidence of offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, Charles’ work ethic and reliability have stood out. That’s a good sign, Bobo said, and he expects Charles to see increased action in the coming weeks.
“He’s a conscientious kid who studies extremely hard and wants to be good and he has ability on top of that,” Bobo said. “He’ll continue to be more of the plan and the package because of his work ethic and his ability to make plays.”
BANKS OUT AGAIN
Safety Quintin Banks was cleared for action last week following a knee injury suffered during fall camp, but the problem flared up again during practice this week, and head coach Mark Richt said he won’t make the trip to Arkansas.
Richt said the knee problem was nothing more than swelling, however, and he expects Banks to return to practice next week.
“He’s coming off an injury that he’s on the front end of when he could come back and he looked good, but it puffed up on him and that’s typical,” Richt said. “You just kind of back down and get the swelling out and try again.”
Richt said that defensive end Kiante Tripp and linebacker Darius Dewberry will also miss the game at Arkansas, but Williams, tailback Caleb King and offensive lineman Josh Davis, each of whom missed last week’s game, will all be on the trip.
ANDERSON GETS THE START
Justin Anderson will start his second straight game at right guard Saturday, with Cordy Glenn working at left guard and Chris Davis coming off the bench.
Richt said Anderson looked sharp against South Carolina, and the coaches are anxious to allow the sophomore to continue to gain experience.
“He’s a good football player but he’s like any young guy, kind of up and down,” Richt said. “Sometimes you worry about how they’ll do in the course of a game, but as we always realize in the end, the more you play him the better he gets, the more comfortable he gets.”
Richt said the overall effort by the offensive line was strong a week ago, despite the offense totaling just 307 yards in the game.
“We pass protected pretty good, and we ran the ball well," Richt said. "I thought the line played pretty good, and some of the issues we had in total yards was just the number of plays we ran.”
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Defensive end Cornelius Washington recorded the first sack of his career in the first half against South Carolina last week, and Richt said the play was a perfect example of why coaches are so high on the redshirt freshman.
“There’s another example of a freshman who’s getting to play and is just going to get better in a hurry,” Richt said. “I thought he improved a lot from Game 1 to Game 2.”
Richt said Washington engaged his blocker and pushed him back into the quarterback before breaking free for the sack – a technique the coaches teach in order to prevent the quarterback from knowing which way to scramble.
“That was really a clinic on that one particular play, and it just shows what he’s capable of,” Richt said. “Now he just needs to get consistent at it.”
MURRAY STARTS THROWING
Freshman quarterback Aaron Murray began light throwing again Wednesday after dealing with triceps tendonitis for the past week.
Richt said Murray will make the trip to Arkansas, but he isn’t sure when Murray will return to full practices.
“He threw a little bit (Wednesday), but not a lot, and it wasn’t in a competitive setting,” Richt said. “Trying to predict that would be like predicting when Caleb (King) was coming back. It’s hard to say.”
FIGURING IT ALL OUT
Two weeks into the season, and wide receiver Michael Moore admits, he’s still not quite sure what to make of Georgia’s offensive attack.
The Bulldogs struggled to post just 10 points in their opener, then rebounded with 41 against South Carolina a week later. That makes figuring out which version of the offense will emerge this weekend a tough call.
“I really don’t know,” Moore said. “There’s a lot more playmakers than there was in years past. There had always been one or two guys – this guy or that guy. Now I think we’re able to spread the ball out a little bit more and get more people involved.”
The biggest leap forward from the first game to the second, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said, was the energy the team played with, but the task of finding an offensive identity is still an ongoing process.
“I still think we’re still honing in on what we are offensively,” Bobo said. “But if we’ll play hard and eliminate the mistakes, we’ll have a chance to move the ball and score points in games.”
MORE TO COME
Marlon Brown and Rantavious Wooten didn’t see the field at all in Georgia’s opener and managed just three plays combined a week later, but Richt isn’t writing them off. In fact, he thinks the pair could develop along a path similar to another accomplished Georgia receiver.
“I’m not going to predict it’ll happen like it did for Fred Gibson, but it wasn’t until Game 3 that Fred Gibson really started to come on and play,” Richt said. “We have every intention to keep playing them and getting them more and more comfortable. Some of it was just not feeling comfortable that they knew exactly what to do on every play without somebody behind them coaching them, but they’re getting better.”
ROAD TO RETURN
With Rod Battle out for the remainder of the season, the depth at defensive end will continue to be an issue, but Richt said two of Georgia’s youngsters could be closing in on a return.
Richt said sophomore Neland Ball is getting close to returning to practice, and redshirt freshman Jeremy Longo could return to work next week.
Longo had shoulder surgery during the offseason and Richt said he suffered a minor knee injury that hindered his return this fall.
“Not being able to move around as well on his knee was keeping him from progressing into combat with his shoulder,” Richt said, “but I think by next week we’ll begin to phase him into contact.”
NO DOUBTIN' DOWTIN
Sophomore linebacker Marcus Dowtin wasn't planning on getting a lot of playing time early this season, but when he got his opportunity in Week 1 against Oklahoma State, he made the most of it.
Dowtin was the team's leading tackler in that game, then followed it up with another strong performance a week later against South Carolina. He now ranks second on the team with 14 tackles, and he's garnered some confidence from Jancek, too.
“Marcus has earned more playing time," Jancek said. "He’s got still a number of things he needs to work on but he’s making progress and you’ve just got to keep moving forward.”
WAITING ON WOOD
Defensive tackle Brandon Wood has yet to practice this season while recovering from a labrum injury, but Richt said he hasn't completely counted Wood out yet. If the junior can return soon, Richt said, he could still avoid a medical redshirt.
“He could still play," Richt said. "He’s been trying to progress, and if he feels healthy enough and doctors say he can go, he’ll have a choice to make here.”
WASHED OUT
After two practices earlier this week that Richt described as lethargic, the Bulldogs' Thursday workouts were moved indoors thanks to rain.
Rather than lament the missed time on the field, Richt said he hoped the mental reps would sharpen the team's fundamentals against Arkansas and the lack of running would allow the players to be refreshed in time for Saturday's game.
“We’ve had enough practice outside in the weather. I didn’t feel like we needed to get soggy today, and we’ll get a chance to concentrate on the assignments and the mental aspect of the game, which is the great majority of what today’s about anyway. I think that’ll be good for us. To hold off on any kind of running today would probably be a good thing and help freshen the boys up a little.”
The game plan may have to change this week with Arkansas’ offense featuring All-SEC tight end D.J. Williams, but Martinez said the biggest key for Georgia’s defense will be execution.
“We didn’t tackle well in the last game, and that cost us,” Martinez said. “And we’ve got to do a better job of pressuring the quarterback, whether that’s through blitzing or the four-man rush. And we’ve got to do better in coverage.”
Martinez said Georgia was willing to give up some yards underneath against South Carolina, but linebackers coach John Jancek said Williams commands a bit more attention.
“It’s a different style in terms of what they do,” Jancek said. “I think Arkansas has some really good thoughts on how they want to get the ball to the tight end, and we need to be aware of where he’s at.”
The defensive effort should get a boost with the return of linebacker Nick Williams this week after the sophomore missed last week’s action with a sore hamstring. Georgia was without two of its top three Sam linebackers, who are usually tasked with covering the tight end.
“I’ve heard he’s a great player,” Nick Williams said of the Arkansas tight end. “I think I can help, even if it’s just with the depth so guys aren’t taking every snap at linebacker.”
AWESOME ORSON
Freshman Orson Charles was supposed to be eased into the offense, but he’s already proven he can be a weapon for Georgia.
Charles’ four catches and 84 yards receiving are both second-best on the team, and quarterback Joe Cox said the tight end is causing havoc for defenses already, despite his lack of experience.
“He’s definitely a great threat in the passing game,” Cox said. “He has really great speed, runs good routes, has good hands. You can tell that sometimes he’s having to think a lot about things, and that just comes with experience and just practicing. He’s learning a lot and it’s good that he’s getting plays early. You can see his confidence getting higher and higher with every ball he catches. He’s going to be a good one.”
While several of Georgia’s freshmen, including fellow tight end Arthur Lynch, have yet to secure the confidence of offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, Charles’ work ethic and reliability have stood out. That’s a good sign, Bobo said, and he expects Charles to see increased action in the coming weeks.
“He’s a conscientious kid who studies extremely hard and wants to be good and he has ability on top of that,” Bobo said. “He’ll continue to be more of the plan and the package because of his work ethic and his ability to make plays.”
BANKS OUT AGAIN
Safety Quintin Banks was cleared for action last week following a knee injury suffered during fall camp, but the problem flared up again during practice this week, and head coach Mark Richt said he won’t make the trip to Arkansas.
Richt said the knee problem was nothing more than swelling, however, and he expects Banks to return to practice next week.
“He’s coming off an injury that he’s on the front end of when he could come back and he looked good, but it puffed up on him and that’s typical,” Richt said. “You just kind of back down and get the swelling out and try again.”
Richt said that defensive end Kiante Tripp and linebacker Darius Dewberry will also miss the game at Arkansas, but Williams, tailback Caleb King and offensive lineman Josh Davis, each of whom missed last week’s game, will all be on the trip.
ANDERSON GETS THE START
Justin Anderson will start his second straight game at right guard Saturday, with Cordy Glenn working at left guard and Chris Davis coming off the bench.
Richt said Anderson looked sharp against South Carolina, and the coaches are anxious to allow the sophomore to continue to gain experience.
“He’s a good football player but he’s like any young guy, kind of up and down,” Richt said. “Sometimes you worry about how they’ll do in the course of a game, but as we always realize in the end, the more you play him the better he gets, the more comfortable he gets.”
Richt said the overall effort by the offensive line was strong a week ago, despite the offense totaling just 307 yards in the game.
“We pass protected pretty good, and we ran the ball well," Richt said. "I thought the line played pretty good, and some of the issues we had in total yards was just the number of plays we ran.”
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Defensive end Cornelius Washington recorded the first sack of his career in the first half against South Carolina last week, and Richt said the play was a perfect example of why coaches are so high on the redshirt freshman.
“There’s another example of a freshman who’s getting to play and is just going to get better in a hurry,” Richt said. “I thought he improved a lot from Game 1 to Game 2.”
Richt said Washington engaged his blocker and pushed him back into the quarterback before breaking free for the sack – a technique the coaches teach in order to prevent the quarterback from knowing which way to scramble.
“That was really a clinic on that one particular play, and it just shows what he’s capable of,” Richt said. “Now he just needs to get consistent at it.”
MURRAY STARTS THROWING
Freshman quarterback Aaron Murray began light throwing again Wednesday after dealing with triceps tendonitis for the past week.
Richt said Murray will make the trip to Arkansas, but he isn’t sure when Murray will return to full practices.
“He threw a little bit (Wednesday), but not a lot, and it wasn’t in a competitive setting,” Richt said. “Trying to predict that would be like predicting when Caleb (King) was coming back. It’s hard to say.”
FIGURING IT ALL OUT
Two weeks into the season, and wide receiver Michael Moore admits, he’s still not quite sure what to make of Georgia’s offensive attack.
The Bulldogs struggled to post just 10 points in their opener, then rebounded with 41 against South Carolina a week later. That makes figuring out which version of the offense will emerge this weekend a tough call.
“I really don’t know,” Moore said. “There’s a lot more playmakers than there was in years past. There had always been one or two guys – this guy or that guy. Now I think we’re able to spread the ball out a little bit more and get more people involved.”
The biggest leap forward from the first game to the second, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said, was the energy the team played with, but the task of finding an offensive identity is still an ongoing process.
“I still think we’re still honing in on what we are offensively,” Bobo said. “But if we’ll play hard and eliminate the mistakes, we’ll have a chance to move the ball and score points in games.”
MORE TO COME
Marlon Brown and Rantavious Wooten didn’t see the field at all in Georgia’s opener and managed just three plays combined a week later, but Richt isn’t writing them off. In fact, he thinks the pair could develop along a path similar to another accomplished Georgia receiver.
“I’m not going to predict it’ll happen like it did for Fred Gibson, but it wasn’t until Game 3 that Fred Gibson really started to come on and play,” Richt said. “We have every intention to keep playing them and getting them more and more comfortable. Some of it was just not feeling comfortable that they knew exactly what to do on every play without somebody behind them coaching them, but they’re getting better.”
ROAD TO RETURN
With Rod Battle out for the remainder of the season, the depth at defensive end will continue to be an issue, but Richt said two of Georgia’s youngsters could be closing in on a return.
Richt said sophomore Neland Ball is getting close to returning to practice, and redshirt freshman Jeremy Longo could return to work next week.
Longo had shoulder surgery during the offseason and Richt said he suffered a minor knee injury that hindered his return this fall.
“Not being able to move around as well on his knee was keeping him from progressing into combat with his shoulder,” Richt said, “but I think by next week we’ll begin to phase him into contact.”
NO DOUBTIN' DOWTIN
Sophomore linebacker Marcus Dowtin wasn't planning on getting a lot of playing time early this season, but when he got his opportunity in Week 1 against Oklahoma State, he made the most of it.
Dowtin was the team's leading tackler in that game, then followed it up with another strong performance a week later against South Carolina. He now ranks second on the team with 14 tackles, and he's garnered some confidence from Jancek, too.
“Marcus has earned more playing time," Jancek said. "He’s got still a number of things he needs to work on but he’s making progress and you’ve just got to keep moving forward.”
WAITING ON WOOD
Defensive tackle Brandon Wood has yet to practice this season while recovering from a labrum injury, but Richt said he hasn't completely counted Wood out yet. If the junior can return soon, Richt said, he could still avoid a medical redshirt.
“He could still play," Richt said. "He’s been trying to progress, and if he feels healthy enough and doctors say he can go, he’ll have a choice to make here.”
WASHED OUT
After two practices earlier this week that Richt described as lethargic, the Bulldogs' Thursday workouts were moved indoors thanks to rain.
Rather than lament the missed time on the field, Richt said he hoped the mental reps would sharpen the team's fundamentals against Arkansas and the lack of running would allow the players to be refreshed in time for Saturday's game.
“We’ve had enough practice outside in the weather. I didn’t feel like we needed to get soggy today, and we’ll get a chance to concentrate on the assignments and the mental aspect of the game, which is the great majority of what today’s about anyway. I think that’ll be good for us. To hold off on any kind of running today would probably be a good thing and help freshen the boys up a little.”
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Practice Notes: Penalties No Problem
Throughout the preseason, Mark Richt made cutting down on penalties a focus. Two games into the season, Georgia ranks 109th in penalties, but given the intensity his team has shown, Richt isn’t complaining.
“If you have to chose between the team playing the way we played with the amount of energy, fire and enthusiasm the whole game, and if the byproduct of that is penalties, I’ll take that over a team that doesn’t have a penalty but doesn’t have a pulse to go with it,” Richt said.
Georgia was flagged 13 times in a win over South Carolina last Saturday bringing the team’s total to 20 for the season. The numbers have been offset, however, by a barrage of penalties against the opposition, too. Oklahoma State was whistled for 15 penalties in Georgia’s opener and South Carolina had 11 flags, including two that overturned touchdowns, last week.
“Some games get wild,” Richt said. “That game got wild.”
Richt said the key for Georgia will be reducing the number of avoidable penalties like offsides calls or having too many men on the field. What he doesn’t want to see happen is players like safety Reshad Jones, who was flagged for personal fouls in each of the first two games, reduce their intensity on game day.
“I love the way he is playing,” Richt said of Jones. “I don’t think he has tried to hurt anybody. As far as the sideline play (against South Carolina), I think he was trying to tackle the guy. You are running full speed, and reaching out and grabbing what you can. Going back to the other play at Oklahoma State, I think he did everything right.”
Defensive coordinator Willie Martinez said Jones' flag against South Carolina was originally deemed a late hit by the referees on the field, but was later clarified to be a horse-collar tackle. Martinez said after reviewing the film that he agreed with the assessment.
SEEING SOME ACTION
Freshman receiver Rantavious Wooten joked with senior Michael Moore after Saturday’s game that he finally had a chance to run a route. Wooten was in on just one play against South Carolina, but it was one more play than he had earned a week earlier. The fact that it was a passing play made it even better.
“He’s building off of that, and he’s excited now,” Moore said.
Wooten and fellow freshman Marlon Brown saw just three combined reps in Georgia’s second game of the season after being shut out of playing time in the opener, but quarterback Joe Cox said the lack of action isn’t a knock on their skills. The coaches are simply easing them into the game plan.
“I definitely think they can help us but we want to make sure they know what to do,” Cox said. “It gets crazy just trying to hear my call in the huddle and when we start moving tight ends and doing certain motions with them – we just want o make sure they have everything down. They definitely have ability, but you don’t want to have them come in and miss something important because they weren’t sure.”
The close games Georgia has played in each of the first two weeks haven’t helped matters, but Cox said he’s confident Brown and Wooten will both see increased action as the season progresses.
“It probably would have been different if we’d have put (South Carolina) away,” Cox said. “Then I’m sure Marlon and Rantavious would have gotten a lot of plays. I know they’re ready to play as far as their mentality, but we need to make sure they’ve got everything down in our game plan and they’ll definitely start to get on the field more and more.”
HAPPY RETURNS
With Rod Battle going down with a season-ending knee injury, virtually everyone on Georgia's defense is taking a deep sigh of relief that Justin Houston returns from a two-game suspension this week.
But as excited as the coaches might be, it's defensive tackle Jeff Owens, who had to sub for Battle throughout much of last week's game, that might be the happiest to have the sophomore defensive end back for this week's contest.
"He took 33 snaps at defensive end last game, so I believe he'll appreciate me a lot coming back," Houston said.
LINEBACKER CONCERNS
Georgia will be without senior linebacker Darius Dewberry for a second straight week, Richt said, and sophomore Nick Williams is questionable after sitting out last week’s contest against South Carolina.
“It would be nice to have all those guys healthy,” Richt said. “Dewberry was playing extremely well, and Nick was another one of those young guys who was getting better everyday at practice, and you hate to slow down that progress.”
With Dewberry, a Peach County alum, and Williams sidelined, South Carolina tight end Weslye Saunders found plenty of room to get open and finished the game with eight catches for 96 yards. Richt said Darryl Gamble will likely get the task of stopping All-SEC tight end D.J. Williams against Arkansas this week, but the linebacking crew will also get some help from a senior Marcus Washington, who had been moved to defensive end at the start of fall camp.
“Marcus is back at linebacker because we’ve lost a couple of guys there, but he could still be a swing guy in case of an emergency,” linebackers coach John Jancek said. “We’ll go into the game using him as a linebacker and possibly move him to defensive end as well.”
DAILY CALEB UPDATE
Richt said Tuesday morning that the status of tailback Caleb King isn't much different this Tuesday than it was last -- it's a mystery.
But offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said King made it through the entirety of Tuesday's practice, which was a crucial first step toward getting the sophomore back onto the field.
"He looked better than last week, so that's a good sign, but we'll see how he progresses through the week," Bobo said.
READY BUT NOT READY
Safety Quintin Banks has had a hard time staying healthy for the past two years, so now that he’s finally been cleared to start playing again after a knee injury last month, the coaches are taking it slow.
A year ago, the former Houston County standout played in just one game due to a myriad of injuries, and he missed Georgia’s opener this season as well. Banks was dressed for last week’s game against South Carolina but did not play.
“He’s able to play, but he hasn’t had a lot of practice reps,” Richt said. “He hasn’t done a lot of things full speed. I wouldn’t say that he is 100 percent back to the best Quintin Banks can be.”
STRONG START FOR JONES
Richt said one of the most promising developments from Georgia’s first game to its second was the progress made by the freshmen on special teams. At the top of that list, Richt said, is former Northside star Abry Jones, who complimented an increased amount of playing time at defensive tackle with a strong performance on Georgia’s kick return unit that tallied 252 yards last week.
“He has a lot of ability, but he has a ways to go on his fundamentals,” Richt said. “He has a ways to go on every little thing that you have to learn, but we feel like he is going to get better in a hurry, which he is. Abry is moving very rapidly into a very fine player and I think the sky is the limit for him.”
WHERE WAS SAMUEL?
Perhaps the most perplexing part of Georgia's win over South Carolina was the emergence then sudden disappearance of tailback Richard Samuel.
On Georgia's first scoring drive offensively, Samuel had five touches including an 11-yard run and a 16-yard reception, capping the series with a 1-yard touchdown run with 1:56 remaining in the first quarter. After that, however, Samuel got just one more carry in the first half -- also an 11-yard dash -- while Carlton Thomas was on the field throughout much of the second quarter, including working as the pitch man on Branden Smith's 61-yard run on a reverse.
Bobo said Samuel's absence was due to a combination of the play calls and a desire to get the sophomore tailback some rest.
"(Samuel) had ran several times on that drive and ran physically hard, and we just wanted to get him out of the game," Bobo said. "The play for the reverse called for Carlton. … It was the plays we were calling and the players we have for those calls."
GRAY AREA
With Cox hurting, fans assumed they'd see a bit more of backup quarterback Logan Gray against South Carolina, but that wasn't the case.
Just as he had a week earlier against Oklahoma State, Gray got just one snap on offense, and the rationale behind his absence was simply the pace dictated by the game.
"This game we had only 53 snaps and losing possessions hurt his opportunity to go in the game," Bobo said. "Joe was very effective when he was in there and we didn't want to break the rhythm he was in."
Gray will get all the snap with the No. 1 unit during Wednesday's practice again this week, and that will be the routine throughout the season. While Bobo wouldn't guarantee more playing time for the sophomore quarterback on game day, he said the extra action with the first-team offense in practice can be a big stepping stone in Gray's development.
"It's beneficial for him that he's getting a lot of first-team reps and continuing to grow as a quarterback and establish himself as a leader in that huddle with the first group," Bobo said. "The more he becomes comfortable on the practice field, the greater the chance he'll have to get more significant playing time."
SLOW DAY AT PRACTICE
Georgia just dodged the rain for Tuesday's practice, but the effort was a bit dreary still, Richt said.
"It was a little bit sluggish," he said. "I'm sure the game Saturday took a good bit out of them. We've got time to get them ready to play by Saturday."
Richt also announced his captains for this week's game against Arkansas. Clint Boling is the offensive captain, while DeAngelo Tyson gets the nod for the defense. After several key special-teams plays made the difference in Georgia's win over South Carolina last week, Richt made a rare move of naming two captains -- Brandon Boykin and Rennie Curran -- from that unit this week.
"We've probably done it before while I've been at Georgia but I can't really remember a time off the top of my head – at least recently – when we've done so," Richt said.
“If you have to chose between the team playing the way we played with the amount of energy, fire and enthusiasm the whole game, and if the byproduct of that is penalties, I’ll take that over a team that doesn’t have a penalty but doesn’t have a pulse to go with it,” Richt said.
Georgia was flagged 13 times in a win over South Carolina last Saturday bringing the team’s total to 20 for the season. The numbers have been offset, however, by a barrage of penalties against the opposition, too. Oklahoma State was whistled for 15 penalties in Georgia’s opener and South Carolina had 11 flags, including two that overturned touchdowns, last week.
“Some games get wild,” Richt said. “That game got wild.”
Richt said the key for Georgia will be reducing the number of avoidable penalties like offsides calls or having too many men on the field. What he doesn’t want to see happen is players like safety Reshad Jones, who was flagged for personal fouls in each of the first two games, reduce their intensity on game day.
“I love the way he is playing,” Richt said of Jones. “I don’t think he has tried to hurt anybody. As far as the sideline play (against South Carolina), I think he was trying to tackle the guy. You are running full speed, and reaching out and grabbing what you can. Going back to the other play at Oklahoma State, I think he did everything right.”
Defensive coordinator Willie Martinez said Jones' flag against South Carolina was originally deemed a late hit by the referees on the field, but was later clarified to be a horse-collar tackle. Martinez said after reviewing the film that he agreed with the assessment.
SEEING SOME ACTION
Freshman receiver Rantavious Wooten joked with senior Michael Moore after Saturday’s game that he finally had a chance to run a route. Wooten was in on just one play against South Carolina, but it was one more play than he had earned a week earlier. The fact that it was a passing play made it even better.
“He’s building off of that, and he’s excited now,” Moore said.
Wooten and fellow freshman Marlon Brown saw just three combined reps in Georgia’s second game of the season after being shut out of playing time in the opener, but quarterback Joe Cox said the lack of action isn’t a knock on their skills. The coaches are simply easing them into the game plan.
“I definitely think they can help us but we want to make sure they know what to do,” Cox said. “It gets crazy just trying to hear my call in the huddle and when we start moving tight ends and doing certain motions with them – we just want o make sure they have everything down. They definitely have ability, but you don’t want to have them come in and miss something important because they weren’t sure.”
The close games Georgia has played in each of the first two weeks haven’t helped matters, but Cox said he’s confident Brown and Wooten will both see increased action as the season progresses.
“It probably would have been different if we’d have put (South Carolina) away,” Cox said. “Then I’m sure Marlon and Rantavious would have gotten a lot of plays. I know they’re ready to play as far as their mentality, but we need to make sure they’ve got everything down in our game plan and they’ll definitely start to get on the field more and more.”
HAPPY RETURNS
With Rod Battle going down with a season-ending knee injury, virtually everyone on Georgia's defense is taking a deep sigh of relief that Justin Houston returns from a two-game suspension this week.
But as excited as the coaches might be, it's defensive tackle Jeff Owens, who had to sub for Battle throughout much of last week's game, that might be the happiest to have the sophomore defensive end back for this week's contest.
"He took 33 snaps at defensive end last game, so I believe he'll appreciate me a lot coming back," Houston said.
LINEBACKER CONCERNS
Georgia will be without senior linebacker Darius Dewberry for a second straight week, Richt said, and sophomore Nick Williams is questionable after sitting out last week’s contest against South Carolina.
“It would be nice to have all those guys healthy,” Richt said. “Dewberry was playing extremely well, and Nick was another one of those young guys who was getting better everyday at practice, and you hate to slow down that progress.”
With Dewberry, a Peach County alum, and Williams sidelined, South Carolina tight end Weslye Saunders found plenty of room to get open and finished the game with eight catches for 96 yards. Richt said Darryl Gamble will likely get the task of stopping All-SEC tight end D.J. Williams against Arkansas this week, but the linebacking crew will also get some help from a senior Marcus Washington, who had been moved to defensive end at the start of fall camp.
“Marcus is back at linebacker because we’ve lost a couple of guys there, but he could still be a swing guy in case of an emergency,” linebackers coach John Jancek said. “We’ll go into the game using him as a linebacker and possibly move him to defensive end as well.”
DAILY CALEB UPDATE
Richt said Tuesday morning that the status of tailback Caleb King isn't much different this Tuesday than it was last -- it's a mystery.
But offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said King made it through the entirety of Tuesday's practice, which was a crucial first step toward getting the sophomore back onto the field.
"He looked better than last week, so that's a good sign, but we'll see how he progresses through the week," Bobo said.
READY BUT NOT READY
Safety Quintin Banks has had a hard time staying healthy for the past two years, so now that he’s finally been cleared to start playing again after a knee injury last month, the coaches are taking it slow.
A year ago, the former Houston County standout played in just one game due to a myriad of injuries, and he missed Georgia’s opener this season as well. Banks was dressed for last week’s game against South Carolina but did not play.
“He’s able to play, but he hasn’t had a lot of practice reps,” Richt said. “He hasn’t done a lot of things full speed. I wouldn’t say that he is 100 percent back to the best Quintin Banks can be.”
STRONG START FOR JONES
Richt said one of the most promising developments from Georgia’s first game to its second was the progress made by the freshmen on special teams. At the top of that list, Richt said, is former Northside star Abry Jones, who complimented an increased amount of playing time at defensive tackle with a strong performance on Georgia’s kick return unit that tallied 252 yards last week.
“He has a lot of ability, but he has a ways to go on his fundamentals,” Richt said. “He has a ways to go on every little thing that you have to learn, but we feel like he is going to get better in a hurry, which he is. Abry is moving very rapidly into a very fine player and I think the sky is the limit for him.”
WHERE WAS SAMUEL?
Perhaps the most perplexing part of Georgia's win over South Carolina was the emergence then sudden disappearance of tailback Richard Samuel.
On Georgia's first scoring drive offensively, Samuel had five touches including an 11-yard run and a 16-yard reception, capping the series with a 1-yard touchdown run with 1:56 remaining in the first quarter. After that, however, Samuel got just one more carry in the first half -- also an 11-yard dash -- while Carlton Thomas was on the field throughout much of the second quarter, including working as the pitch man on Branden Smith's 61-yard run on a reverse.
Bobo said Samuel's absence was due to a combination of the play calls and a desire to get the sophomore tailback some rest.
"(Samuel) had ran several times on that drive and ran physically hard, and we just wanted to get him out of the game," Bobo said. "The play for the reverse called for Carlton. … It was the plays we were calling and the players we have for those calls."
GRAY AREA
With Cox hurting, fans assumed they'd see a bit more of backup quarterback Logan Gray against South Carolina, but that wasn't the case.
Just as he had a week earlier against Oklahoma State, Gray got just one snap on offense, and the rationale behind his absence was simply the pace dictated by the game.
"This game we had only 53 snaps and losing possessions hurt his opportunity to go in the game," Bobo said. "Joe was very effective when he was in there and we didn't want to break the rhythm he was in."
Gray will get all the snap with the No. 1 unit during Wednesday's practice again this week, and that will be the routine throughout the season. While Bobo wouldn't guarantee more playing time for the sophomore quarterback on game day, he said the extra action with the first-team offense in practice can be a big stepping stone in Gray's development.
"It's beneficial for him that he's getting a lot of first-team reps and continuing to grow as a quarterback and establish himself as a leader in that huddle with the first group," Bobo said. "The more he becomes comfortable on the practice field, the greater the chance he'll have to get more significant playing time."
SLOW DAY AT PRACTICE
Georgia just dodged the rain for Tuesday's practice, but the effort was a bit dreary still, Richt said.
"It was a little bit sluggish," he said. "I'm sure the game Saturday took a good bit out of them. We've got time to get them ready to play by Saturday."
Richt also announced his captains for this week's game against Arkansas. Clint Boling is the offensive captain, while DeAngelo Tyson gets the nod for the defense. After several key special-teams plays made the difference in Georgia's win over South Carolina last week, Richt made a rare move of naming two captains -- Brandon Boykin and Rennie Curran -- from that unit this week.
"We've probably done it before while I've been at Georgia but I can't really remember a time off the top of my head – at least recently – when we've done so," Richt said.
Tuesday Tidbits: Week 3
Light day of interviews this morning. Only three players were made available for the media, so we're not quite as overwhelmed with info as usual, but here's some of what we learned from Georgia's Tuesday news conference.
-- Mark Richt was exceptionally pleased with Georgia's special teams, particularly the kick return unit. Six of the starters on that unit are freshmen and Justin Fields is the lone senior, and their work against Oklahoma State was abysmal, Richt said. Of Georgia's five kick returns in the opener, Richt said there wasn't a single play in which just three members of the front five made their block and only once did two of them execute properly.
"They got called out, not in a real bad way, but we said, 'Men, we've got to have production,'" Richt said.
The improvement from week 1 to week 2, Richt said, was "astounding."
Richt said all five of the front five executed their blocks on Brandon Boykin's 100-yard return and he said the work remained strong throughout the game.
-- Richt said he wasn't exactly thrilled with Georgia's 13 penalties, but he wasn't too upset either. "The enthusiasm for really the whole game, if a byproduct of that is some penalties, I'll take that over a team that doesn't ever have a penalty but also doesn't have a pulse."
-- Along those lines, Richt said he's not chastising Reshad Jones any for the two personal foul flags he's gotten in Games 1 and 2. Richt said he doesn't think refs are targeting Jones, but he said he's been happy with how the junior safety has handled his job.
"I love the way he's playing, and I love the energy he's playing with," Richt said. "I don't think he tried to hurt anybody as far as the sideline play. He was just trying to tackle the guy. The other play at Okie State, I think he did everything right. … I don't want to say anything to Reshad except just keep playing real hard."
-- Richt joked about the variety of big news surrounding Joe Cox that has come out the past two weeks and said he had planned to make his quarterback show up for today's news conference wearing an eye patch.
That didn't happen, but Cox was wearing tape on his left ring finger. Cox said he jammed the finger trying to tackle Eric Norwood six yards deep in the end zone following an interception. "I guess that's what I get for throwing a pick six," Cox said.
-- Cox said his shoulder injury -- which was first reported last week -- first began causing him problems in February. He said he took several days off during the spring from throwing, and the plan to take Wednesday practices off from throwing this fall had been in place since then. The reports that he would be benched in favor of Logan Gray only surfaced last week because someone mistakenly assumed Cox's off day was an indication that he wouldn't play.
While Cox said the injury hasn't affected him in a game situation at all and doesn't hurt when he throws, he said the fact that Gray is getting significant practice time with the No. 1 unit is a silver lining.
-- Cox said he thinks Rantavious Wooten and Marlon Brown are more than ready to play, but said he thinks coaches have been reluctant to put them in the huddle during key situations because their knowledge of the offense is still limited. He said he expects that to change as the season goes along.
-- Richt said he didn't know who would start at guard this week -- Chris Davis or Justin Anderson. The official depth chart from the school has Davis listed as the starter, but Anderson started last week's game. Either way, Richt said, both will see significant action this week.
-- Richt raved about the work Abry Jones has done and pointed to him as one of the freshmen on special teams to make the biggest improvement from Week 1 to Week 2.
-- Richt said he isn't sure whether Marcus Washington will primarily see action at linebacker or defensive end this week. Justin Houston returns at D-end, but the team lost starter Rod Battle to a season-ending knee injury. The linebacker corps took a hit last week, however, with Nick Williams and Darius Dewberry missing the game. Richt said Williams has a chance to return this week but Dewberry will not play.
-- Darryl Gamble is currently listed as Georgia's starting Sam linebacker, but Richt said the team would prefer to have him at Mike. Marcus Dowtin is listed as the starter there.
-- Caleb King's status for this week appears no different from last week -- he's questionable and will need to prove he can last through a full practice before his playing time is considered.
-- Josh Davis was cleared to return to action after missing the first two games while recovering from two offseason shoulder surgeries. Richt said he wasn't sure how much work the junior tackle would get this week.
-- Quintin Banks was cleared to play last week but he didn't see action in the South Carolina game. "He's able to play, but he hasn't had a lot of practice reps, and I wouldn't say he's 100 percent back to the best Quintin Banks he can be," Richt said.
-- Richt said he was pleased with the penetration that the pass rush got last week against South Carolina, but complained that the containment was lacking, pointing mostly to the interior part of the defensive line. "I would have liked to have seen the big men inside squeezing better than they did and making more plays," he said.
-- Richt noted that due to a low-end opening opponent and a bye week last week, he figured Arkansas had been game planning for Georgia for quite some time. While the off week before the game isn't as crucial for getting players fresh this early in the season, Richt said it's that extra time to game plan that makes a key difference. He noted, too, that Georgia's next opponent, Arizona State, will also have had a bye and two games vs. non-BCS conference teams leading up to their date with the Bulldogs.
-- Mark Richt was exceptionally pleased with Georgia's special teams, particularly the kick return unit. Six of the starters on that unit are freshmen and Justin Fields is the lone senior, and their work against Oklahoma State was abysmal, Richt said. Of Georgia's five kick returns in the opener, Richt said there wasn't a single play in which just three members of the front five made their block and only once did two of them execute properly.
"They got called out, not in a real bad way, but we said, 'Men, we've got to have production,'" Richt said.
The improvement from week 1 to week 2, Richt said, was "astounding."
Richt said all five of the front five executed their blocks on Brandon Boykin's 100-yard return and he said the work remained strong throughout the game.
-- Richt said he wasn't exactly thrilled with Georgia's 13 penalties, but he wasn't too upset either. "The enthusiasm for really the whole game, if a byproduct of that is some penalties, I'll take that over a team that doesn't ever have a penalty but also doesn't have a pulse."
-- Along those lines, Richt said he's not chastising Reshad Jones any for the two personal foul flags he's gotten in Games 1 and 2. Richt said he doesn't think refs are targeting Jones, but he said he's been happy with how the junior safety has handled his job.
"I love the way he's playing, and I love the energy he's playing with," Richt said. "I don't think he tried to hurt anybody as far as the sideline play. He was just trying to tackle the guy. The other play at Okie State, I think he did everything right. … I don't want to say anything to Reshad except just keep playing real hard."
-- Richt joked about the variety of big news surrounding Joe Cox that has come out the past two weeks and said he had planned to make his quarterback show up for today's news conference wearing an eye patch.
That didn't happen, but Cox was wearing tape on his left ring finger. Cox said he jammed the finger trying to tackle Eric Norwood six yards deep in the end zone following an interception. "I guess that's what I get for throwing a pick six," Cox said.
-- Cox said his shoulder injury -- which was first reported last week -- first began causing him problems in February. He said he took several days off during the spring from throwing, and the plan to take Wednesday practices off from throwing this fall had been in place since then. The reports that he would be benched in favor of Logan Gray only surfaced last week because someone mistakenly assumed Cox's off day was an indication that he wouldn't play.
While Cox said the injury hasn't affected him in a game situation at all and doesn't hurt when he throws, he said the fact that Gray is getting significant practice time with the No. 1 unit is a silver lining.
-- Cox said he thinks Rantavious Wooten and Marlon Brown are more than ready to play, but said he thinks coaches have been reluctant to put them in the huddle during key situations because their knowledge of the offense is still limited. He said he expects that to change as the season goes along.
-- Richt said he didn't know who would start at guard this week -- Chris Davis or Justin Anderson. The official depth chart from the school has Davis listed as the starter, but Anderson started last week's game. Either way, Richt said, both will see significant action this week.
-- Richt raved about the work Abry Jones has done and pointed to him as one of the freshmen on special teams to make the biggest improvement from Week 1 to Week 2.
-- Richt said he isn't sure whether Marcus Washington will primarily see action at linebacker or defensive end this week. Justin Houston returns at D-end, but the team lost starter Rod Battle to a season-ending knee injury. The linebacker corps took a hit last week, however, with Nick Williams and Darius Dewberry missing the game. Richt said Williams has a chance to return this week but Dewberry will not play.
-- Darryl Gamble is currently listed as Georgia's starting Sam linebacker, but Richt said the team would prefer to have him at Mike. Marcus Dowtin is listed as the starter there.
-- Caleb King's status for this week appears no different from last week -- he's questionable and will need to prove he can last through a full practice before his playing time is considered.
-- Josh Davis was cleared to return to action after missing the first two games while recovering from two offseason shoulder surgeries. Richt said he wasn't sure how much work the junior tackle would get this week.
-- Quintin Banks was cleared to play last week but he didn't see action in the South Carolina game. "He's able to play, but he hasn't had a lot of practice reps, and I wouldn't say he's 100 percent back to the best Quintin Banks he can be," Richt said.
-- Richt said he was pleased with the penetration that the pass rush got last week against South Carolina, but complained that the containment was lacking, pointing mostly to the interior part of the defensive line. "I would have liked to have seen the big men inside squeezing better than they did and making more plays," he said.
-- Richt noted that due to a low-end opening opponent and a bye week last week, he figured Arkansas had been game planning for Georgia for quite some time. While the off week before the game isn't as crucial for getting players fresh this early in the season, Richt said it's that extra time to game plan that makes a key difference. He noted, too, that Georgia's next opponent, Arizona State, will also have had a bye and two games vs. non-BCS conference teams leading up to their date with the Bulldogs.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Boykin Assesses Freshmen
UGA cornerback Brandon Boykin discusses the Georgia receiving corps and the new additions in the defensive backfield, along with assessing A.J. Green's basketball skills.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Practice Notes: Freshmen Receivers Catching On
Marlon Brown has already been asking around to find out what to expect when he takes the field in Stillwater, Okla. for the first game of his college career.
The wait for game day seemed endless for the first three months he was on campus, but now that it's less than two week away, he's starting to feel the pressure a bit.
"It's actually real, real soon," Brown said. "I've asked Mike (Moore) and Kris Durham and A.J. (Green), and they said it's hectic."
Brown's debut may be coming faster than he expected, but head coach Mark Richt said his freshmen receivers – Brown and Rantavious Wooten – need to be ready for action.
"Both of them started out pretty good, then I think both of them hit a little bit of a wall, and now I think both of them are beginning to pick it up again and make progress," Richt said. "But they're getting a ton of opportunities in practice, and they'll both get playing time."
Moore said he's seen his fair share of mistakes from the two freshmen, but their attitude has remained positive and the progress has been steady. Moore said Brown and Wooten have demonstrated a strong knowledge of the playbook, and now they're simply working on executing at full speed.
That's crucial for the Bulldogs, who have just four other scholarship receivers.
"I think they're far along enough where they can help the team now," Moore said. "I think the coaches are comfortable with them, and as a player, I feel comfortable with them now, too."
THE PRESSURE IS ON
Georgia will have a first-year starter at punter and could have another handling kickoffs, and both will be tested early.
Oklahoma State's special teams are among the best in the country, with punt returner Dez Bryant, who had two returns for touchdowns last season, and kick returner Perrish Cox, who is on pace to break the Big 12 record for return yards early this season.
"They're outstanding there, and our kicking game has just got to be outstanding," Richt said. "It starts with the kicker and punter, but our coverage teams, when you talk about wanting to be in midseason form Game 1, we better be."
As to which player will be handling kickoffs -- either Brandon Bogotay or Blair Walsh -- remains a mystery – and it's not one for which Richt is planning to offer a solution any time soon.
"I doubt that will ever be announced before the first game, so don't ask," Richt said, joking with reporters Monday. "We've narrowed it down to two, so that's pretty good."
While Richt is playing coy on who will handle kickoffs, he said he simply hasn't decided on the approach that kicker will take. Georgia's kicking game struggled badly last year with directional kicking, but Richt said that still could be the plan against Oklahoma State.
"As we get closer to it, we'll have to make some decisions on if we'll kick to them or not," Richt said.
One bright spot, however, appears to be the work of new punter Drew Butler, who Richt said has had a tremendous few weeks in practice.
"I hope he punts in the games like he's been punting in practice," Richt said. "He's been very good. He never had an issue with operation time."
INJURY UPDATES
Freshman cornerback Jordan Love missed Monday's practice due to a lingering toe injury he has had since high school. Richt said it's less severe than a turf toe, but Georgia's staff is taking a conservative approach.
"We let him rest a bit, cool off, then hook him up again," Richt said. "It's a day-to-day, pain-tolerance kind of thing."
Safeties Bryan Evans and Reshad Jones and tight end Aron White all returned to a full practice Monday after sitting out the majority of the past two weeks with hamstring injuries. While none participated in a sprinting exercise at the end of practice, Richt was otherwise pleased with their progress.
"They had green jerseys on, but they did just about everything," Richt said.
Two players who did not participate were left tackle Trinton Sturdivant, who Richt said is sick with a gastro-intestinal illness, and Darius Dewberry, who Richt said was close to returning from a hamstring injury.
NICKEL FOR YOUR THOUGHTS
With so many teams running spread offenses around the SEC, Richt said the nickel back position has become ever more important. The problem is, Georgia has been limited in who it can use at the position recently thanks to fall injuries to safeties Jones, Evans and Quintin Banks.
The primary nickel at this point, Richt said, has been redshirt freshman Makiri Pugh, who has also worked at safety. Redshirt freshman Sanders Commings was getting reps, but Richt said that has tapered off some. Prince Miller, who is Georgia's starting wide corner, could also handle the job if need be, with freshman Branden Smith handling cornerback duties, Richt said.
One more intriguing option at the nickel is linebacker Nick Williams, who moved from safety last season. Williams has already been playing the strongside linebacker spot, which is the position that leaves the field when the nickel enters the game. With Williams' versatility, Richt said, Georgia could essentially run a base package in the nickel, too.
"He in essence knows the nickel also," Richt said. "He runs pretty good for a linebacker, so he might be able to play some downs without having to make that substitution."
EARNING HIS PLAYING TIME
While Kiante Tripp hasn't been working with the first-team defensive ends this fall, Richt said he has been impressed with how the converted offensive lineman has handled himself.
"I thought Kiante was playing extremely hard," Richt said. "He's gotten in tremendous condition. He's a very athletic big guy. I would say he's going to play, and the better he plays, the better chance he has of gaining more playing time."
Tripp missed much of last week with a minor shoulder injury but returned to practice Monday.
NO ONE-TRICK PONY
With Michael Moore working so much in the slot, a few fans wondered if he would see a lot of the field when Georgia was in a two-wideout set. Not to worry, Moore said.
He has spent a significant amount of time working at the Z and X receiver spots, too, and said he'll be starting opposite A.J. Green in all sets.
That means there will be a good bit of pressure on Moore to perform, Richt said, but a strong start to the season for the senior receiver could go a long way toward opening up Georgia's offense.
"A.J.'s going to get the most attention, so the bottom line is he's got to win when he has man coverage, which he'll probably see a good bit of," Richt said of Moore. "If he proves he can defeat it and it becomes an issue for people, they'll have to mix up what they're doing, maybe try to double both, and then we'll have a lot better opportunity to run the football."
PRACTICE REPORT
Here's what Richt had to say about the current practice schedule: "Today we were in full pads. It was a pretty long practice. We had some live inside drill, live open-field tackling. Tomorrow will be mostly scout work and then we'll kind of prepare everybody for our practice game on Wednesday."
The wait for game day seemed endless for the first three months he was on campus, but now that it's less than two week away, he's starting to feel the pressure a bit.
"It's actually real, real soon," Brown said. "I've asked Mike (Moore) and Kris Durham and A.J. (Green), and they said it's hectic."
Brown's debut may be coming faster than he expected, but head coach Mark Richt said his freshmen receivers – Brown and Rantavious Wooten – need to be ready for action.
"Both of them started out pretty good, then I think both of them hit a little bit of a wall, and now I think both of them are beginning to pick it up again and make progress," Richt said. "But they're getting a ton of opportunities in practice, and they'll both get playing time."
Moore said he's seen his fair share of mistakes from the two freshmen, but their attitude has remained positive and the progress has been steady. Moore said Brown and Wooten have demonstrated a strong knowledge of the playbook, and now they're simply working on executing at full speed.
That's crucial for the Bulldogs, who have just four other scholarship receivers.
"I think they're far along enough where they can help the team now," Moore said. "I think the coaches are comfortable with them, and as a player, I feel comfortable with them now, too."
THE PRESSURE IS ON
Georgia will have a first-year starter at punter and could have another handling kickoffs, and both will be tested early.
Oklahoma State's special teams are among the best in the country, with punt returner Dez Bryant, who had two returns for touchdowns last season, and kick returner Perrish Cox, who is on pace to break the Big 12 record for return yards early this season.
"They're outstanding there, and our kicking game has just got to be outstanding," Richt said. "It starts with the kicker and punter, but our coverage teams, when you talk about wanting to be in midseason form Game 1, we better be."
As to which player will be handling kickoffs -- either Brandon Bogotay or Blair Walsh -- remains a mystery – and it's not one for which Richt is planning to offer a solution any time soon.
"I doubt that will ever be announced before the first game, so don't ask," Richt said, joking with reporters Monday. "We've narrowed it down to two, so that's pretty good."
While Richt is playing coy on who will handle kickoffs, he said he simply hasn't decided on the approach that kicker will take. Georgia's kicking game struggled badly last year with directional kicking, but Richt said that still could be the plan against Oklahoma State.
"As we get closer to it, we'll have to make some decisions on if we'll kick to them or not," Richt said.
One bright spot, however, appears to be the work of new punter Drew Butler, who Richt said has had a tremendous few weeks in practice.
"I hope he punts in the games like he's been punting in practice," Richt said. "He's been very good. He never had an issue with operation time."
INJURY UPDATES
Freshman cornerback Jordan Love missed Monday's practice due to a lingering toe injury he has had since high school. Richt said it's less severe than a turf toe, but Georgia's staff is taking a conservative approach.
"We let him rest a bit, cool off, then hook him up again," Richt said. "It's a day-to-day, pain-tolerance kind of thing."
Safeties Bryan Evans and Reshad Jones and tight end Aron White all returned to a full practice Monday after sitting out the majority of the past two weeks with hamstring injuries. While none participated in a sprinting exercise at the end of practice, Richt was otherwise pleased with their progress.
"They had green jerseys on, but they did just about everything," Richt said.
Two players who did not participate were left tackle Trinton Sturdivant, who Richt said is sick with a gastro-intestinal illness, and Darius Dewberry, who Richt said was close to returning from a hamstring injury.
NICKEL FOR YOUR THOUGHTS
With so many teams running spread offenses around the SEC, Richt said the nickel back position has become ever more important. The problem is, Georgia has been limited in who it can use at the position recently thanks to fall injuries to safeties Jones, Evans and Quintin Banks.
The primary nickel at this point, Richt said, has been redshirt freshman Makiri Pugh, who has also worked at safety. Redshirt freshman Sanders Commings was getting reps, but Richt said that has tapered off some. Prince Miller, who is Georgia's starting wide corner, could also handle the job if need be, with freshman Branden Smith handling cornerback duties, Richt said.
One more intriguing option at the nickel is linebacker Nick Williams, who moved from safety last season. Williams has already been playing the strongside linebacker spot, which is the position that leaves the field when the nickel enters the game. With Williams' versatility, Richt said, Georgia could essentially run a base package in the nickel, too.
"He in essence knows the nickel also," Richt said. "He runs pretty good for a linebacker, so he might be able to play some downs without having to make that substitution."
EARNING HIS PLAYING TIME
While Kiante Tripp hasn't been working with the first-team defensive ends this fall, Richt said he has been impressed with how the converted offensive lineman has handled himself.
"I thought Kiante was playing extremely hard," Richt said. "He's gotten in tremendous condition. He's a very athletic big guy. I would say he's going to play, and the better he plays, the better chance he has of gaining more playing time."
Tripp missed much of last week with a minor shoulder injury but returned to practice Monday.
NO ONE-TRICK PONY
With Michael Moore working so much in the slot, a few fans wondered if he would see a lot of the field when Georgia was in a two-wideout set. Not to worry, Moore said.
He has spent a significant amount of time working at the Z and X receiver spots, too, and said he'll be starting opposite A.J. Green in all sets.
That means there will be a good bit of pressure on Moore to perform, Richt said, but a strong start to the season for the senior receiver could go a long way toward opening up Georgia's offense.
"A.J.'s going to get the most attention, so the bottom line is he's got to win when he has man coverage, which he'll probably see a good bit of," Richt said of Moore. "If he proves he can defeat it and it becomes an issue for people, they'll have to mix up what they're doing, maybe try to double both, and then we'll have a lot better opportunity to run the football."
PRACTICE REPORT
Here's what Richt had to say about the current practice schedule: "Today we were in full pads. It was a pretty long practice. We had some live inside drill, live open-field tackling. Tomorrow will be mostly scout work and then we'll kind of prepare everybody for our practice game on Wednesday."
Friday, August 21, 2009
Get to Know: Rantavious Wooten
Marlon Brown garnered more headlines during recruiting season, but to hear Georgia's veteran receivers talk, it's Rantavious Wooten who has looked like a veteran during the first few weeks of fall practice.
Senior Michael Moore raved about Wooten's sharp routes and cornerback Brandon Boykin marveled at Wooten's speed. The biggest knock on the receiver from Belle Glades, Fla. was his size, and strength and conditioning coach Dave Van Halanger said Wooten has even excelled at improving that -- gaining 11 pounds during his first two months on campus.
So what is it about Wooten that has allowed him to make such a strong first impression? I chatted with him about that and a few less serious topics in our latest "Get to Know" feature...
David Hale: You got started playing football a little later in life. What first attracted you to the game, and what was it that allowed you to develop so quickly?
Rantavious Wooten: When I was growing up in middle school, I just ran track. I even started basketball late. I started everything late. But all my friends were doing it, and I was missing out. I saw how much fun they were having, and I decided to go out and give it a try.
I had tried previously in Pop Warner, but it didn’t work out for me. So I just went my ninth-grade year, and I learned. I watched people to get better. I played my freshman year the whole year on the freshman team. I never got moved up. And that was a message to me that I needed to work harder.
So going into my sophomore year, I worked that whole summer to get better, studying other people to get myself better. I started on varsity my sophomore year, and it’s been going on since then. I think what helped me get ahead of people was my speed, and then I’ve just kept on working on my hands and my route running, and it all came together.
DH: You mentioned your speed. You came in knowing you were a pretty fast guy, but Georgia has a few players like that. Have you raced Branden Smith or Bryan Evans or Carlton Thomas yet to see who's the fastest?
RW: Of course they’re all fast guys, but we haven’t really had a competition. We’re all on the same team. We’re all trying to do big things and show people that we can do it. It’s not a competition, it’s just making each other better. We can all say who is faster, but we’ve never had the competition to see who really is.
DH: I'm sure there's still a little smack talk that goes on between you guys though, right?
RW: There is. A couple people are always asking about me and Branden, and we say the same thing – I don’t know, we just come in here and do what we do.
DH: So you're extraordinarily fast, but if you could have a skill from one other player on the team for one day, what would it be?
RW: The leaping ability of Brandon Boykin.
DH: Yeah, I hear he's a beast on the basketball court, too.
RW: Yeah, he gets after it.
DH: OK, so if you could meet any celebrity, who would it be?
RW: Beyonce.
DH: Do I need to ask why, or should that be pretty obvious?
RW: That should be obvious.
DH: Did you have any nicknames growing up?
RW: They actually called me Gecko.
DH: What does that mean?
RW: I don’t know. We all just gave each other dumb names. Like, one of my friends was Alligator. We just gave each other dumb names, and mine was Gecko.
DH: What's your favorite food?
RW: I'd probably say chicken.
DH: Do you have a place in Athens yet that you like to go?
RW: I eat a lot at Wingsters just because it’s delivery.
DH: You're a Florida guy who decided to come to Georgia rather than one of the in-state schools. Did you hear a lot of complaints from people around you when you picked Georgia?
RW: I didn’t really interact with a lot of people like that because at the end of the day, I knew it was up to me, regardless of what they said or how they feel. Of course there was a couple people upset who felt like I should have gone to Florida or Miami, but I just felt like I just did what was best for me.
DH: You weren't the only Florida guy to come up to Athens this year. Aaron Murray and Orson Charles did, too, and looking at the likely commitments for next season, Georgia appears to have a handful more on their way. Is it becoming the popular thing to do in Florida to head north to play college ball?
RW: I feel like it’s going to become a trend. From my school, a lot of people like Georgia now. I’ve talked to them, and they say, they’re my top school. I feel like a lot of people are going to start coming to Georgia to play.
DH: Is that one of those things where it sort of builds on itself, that you guys go back and start convincing more and more Florida players to come to school at Georgia?
RW: Yeah, get 'em up here. We want to get the best guys, wherever they’re from, and help this team get better every year. Florida has some talented athletes, and they look at us and see there’s a chance to come in and play early, and that’s going to help.
DH: Well, speaking of your chance to play, what kind of impact do you think you can have this season?
RW: I just continue working, and it’s all going to shake out. I’m looking forward to playing, Marlon’s looking forward to playing, but whatever happens, when I get on the field and get that chance, I’m going to take full advantage of it. So whatever turn they give me, I’m going for it.
DH: OK, well that will lead me to my last question, which actually comes from one of my readers. You get a lot of comparisons to former Florida player Percy Harvin in terms of your skill set and body type. Do you think you might get into that Wildcat formation or do some running with the football like he did at Florida?
RW: I feel like I’m pretty good at that. I feel like I can do that. I have two different styles I can play, and I can turn it on and just play ball. If I get in that package, it’s going to be something dangerous.
(h/t to @shadcraft21 for the Percy Harvin question. I'll have answers to more of your Twitter inquiries in the next few days.)
Senior Michael Moore raved about Wooten's sharp routes and cornerback Brandon Boykin marveled at Wooten's speed. The biggest knock on the receiver from Belle Glades, Fla. was his size, and strength and conditioning coach Dave Van Halanger said Wooten has even excelled at improving that -- gaining 11 pounds during his first two months on campus.
So what is it about Wooten that has allowed him to make such a strong first impression? I chatted with him about that and a few less serious topics in our latest "Get to Know" feature...
David Hale: You got started playing football a little later in life. What first attracted you to the game, and what was it that allowed you to develop so quickly?
Rantavious Wooten: When I was growing up in middle school, I just ran track. I even started basketball late. I started everything late. But all my friends were doing it, and I was missing out. I saw how much fun they were having, and I decided to go out and give it a try.
I had tried previously in Pop Warner, but it didn’t work out for me. So I just went my ninth-grade year, and I learned. I watched people to get better. I played my freshman year the whole year on the freshman team. I never got moved up. And that was a message to me that I needed to work harder.
So going into my sophomore year, I worked that whole summer to get better, studying other people to get myself better. I started on varsity my sophomore year, and it’s been going on since then. I think what helped me get ahead of people was my speed, and then I’ve just kept on working on my hands and my route running, and it all came together.
DH: You mentioned your speed. You came in knowing you were a pretty fast guy, but Georgia has a few players like that. Have you raced Branden Smith or Bryan Evans or Carlton Thomas yet to see who's the fastest?
RW: Of course they’re all fast guys, but we haven’t really had a competition. We’re all on the same team. We’re all trying to do big things and show people that we can do it. It’s not a competition, it’s just making each other better. We can all say who is faster, but we’ve never had the competition to see who really is.
DH: I'm sure there's still a little smack talk that goes on between you guys though, right?
RW: There is. A couple people are always asking about me and Branden, and we say the same thing – I don’t know, we just come in here and do what we do.
DH: So you're extraordinarily fast, but if you could have a skill from one other player on the team for one day, what would it be?
RW: The leaping ability of Brandon Boykin.
DH: Yeah, I hear he's a beast on the basketball court, too.
RW: Yeah, he gets after it.
DH: OK, so if you could meet any celebrity, who would it be?
RW: Beyonce.
DH: Do I need to ask why, or should that be pretty obvious?
RW: That should be obvious.
DH: Did you have any nicknames growing up?
RW: They actually called me Gecko.
DH: What does that mean?
RW: I don’t know. We all just gave each other dumb names. Like, one of my friends was Alligator. We just gave each other dumb names, and mine was Gecko.
DH: What's your favorite food?
RW: I'd probably say chicken.
DH: Do you have a place in Athens yet that you like to go?
RW: I eat a lot at Wingsters just because it’s delivery.
DH: You're a Florida guy who decided to come to Georgia rather than one of the in-state schools. Did you hear a lot of complaints from people around you when you picked Georgia?
RW: I didn’t really interact with a lot of people like that because at the end of the day, I knew it was up to me, regardless of what they said or how they feel. Of course there was a couple people upset who felt like I should have gone to Florida or Miami, but I just felt like I just did what was best for me.
DH: You weren't the only Florida guy to come up to Athens this year. Aaron Murray and Orson Charles did, too, and looking at the likely commitments for next season, Georgia appears to have a handful more on their way. Is it becoming the popular thing to do in Florida to head north to play college ball?
RW: I feel like it’s going to become a trend. From my school, a lot of people like Georgia now. I’ve talked to them, and they say, they’re my top school. I feel like a lot of people are going to start coming to Georgia to play.
DH: Is that one of those things where it sort of builds on itself, that you guys go back and start convincing more and more Florida players to come to school at Georgia?
RW: Yeah, get 'em up here. We want to get the best guys, wherever they’re from, and help this team get better every year. Florida has some talented athletes, and they look at us and see there’s a chance to come in and play early, and that’s going to help.
DH: Well, speaking of your chance to play, what kind of impact do you think you can have this season?
RW: I just continue working, and it’s all going to shake out. I’m looking forward to playing, Marlon’s looking forward to playing, but whatever happens, when I get on the field and get that chance, I’m going to take full advantage of it. So whatever turn they give me, I’m going for it.
DH: OK, well that will lead me to my last question, which actually comes from one of my readers. You get a lot of comparisons to former Florida player Percy Harvin in terms of your skill set and body type. Do you think you might get into that Wildcat formation or do some running with the football like he did at Florida?
RW: I feel like I’m pretty good at that. I feel like I can do that. I have two different styles I can play, and I can turn it on and just play ball. If I get in that package, it’s going to be something dangerous.
(h/t to @shadcraft21 for the Percy Harvin question. I'll have answers to more of your Twitter inquiries in the next few days.)
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Practice Notes: Offense Moves Forward Without Jones
Ben Jones made an appearance at practice Thursday, but it was Chris Davis and Kevin Perez taking all the reps at center for Georgia.
Jones sprained his left ankle during Wednesday's practice and coaches said his return remains a day-to-day decision. Meanwhile, Georgia's offense is already moving forward without him.
"You hate to see anybody go down," quarterback Joe Cox said. "Everybody was pretty worried at first, but people get hurt in football. We've just got to move on for now, and hopefully he's back in time to play."
Asked whether that meant in time to play Oklahoma State, Cox pleaded ignorance – a refrain repeated by right tackle Clint Boling, who said Jones remained in high spirits despite the injury.
"He's a tough kid," Boling said. "It definitely hurts him not being out there, but I'm sure he'll get back out there as soon as he can, and we'll be ready to have him back, too."
Head coach Mark Richt declined comment on the injury Wednesday and skipped his normal post-practice media session Thursday in order to attend his son's football game.
While the timetable for Jones' return remains vague, Boling said the important point is that the sophomore center will be back eventually, which is a big departure from the season-ending injuries suffered by two of Georgia's starters on the line last season.
"That's the last thing anybody wants is to have anything like last year with that many guys getting hurt," Boling said.
STAYING POSITIVE
Caleb King has made a point of ducking reporters since injuring his hamstring last week, but fellow tailback Carlton Thomas said it's not because King is sulking.
Despite being forced to the sideline in the middle of an intense competition for playing time at tailback, King has kept a positive attitude throughout the process, Thomas said.
"He's been very positive in practice every day," Thomas said. "He's come in in the morning to rehab, just trying to get ready. You never see him down, even though there's probably a time when he's down because he wants to compete. But he's doing everything he can to get back and be ready for Oklahoma State."
While King is missing crucial chances to perform before a final depth chart is set for Georgia's opener, Thomas said he thinks King's attitude on the sideline has impressed coaches as much as anything he could have done on the field.
"It is a big test," Thomas said. "It's a test for anybody who has an injury this close to playing time. It's going to test you mentally, so I feel like if he overcomes it, he's going to have a lot of success."
A HELPING HAND
Adjusting to college football and memorizing a playbook is no easy task, but freshmen receivers Marlon Brown and Rantavious Wooten said the process has been made a lot smoother thanks to the leadership of their quarterback.
"He's been a great help," Brown said of Cox, a fifth-year senior. "He's been going over the playbook with me whenever we're free. It's a blessing because he knows everything."
While Wooten has worked tirelessly to grasp the intricacies of the playbook, he said he has been amazed at Cox's knowledge of the offense – not just at quarterback, but for every position.
"He'll teach me different releases, spinning, all that different kind of stuff," Wooten said. "He's a great teacher, a great leader. He's teaching me all the right things."
For his part, Cox isn't taking much credit for his receivers' development. He said he has made a point of offering tips when needed, but said Michael Moore and A.J. Green have been the real mentors for the young wideouts.
Regardless of who has done the bulk of the teaching, the lessons appear to be paying off, Cox said.
"When you come in as a freshman at any position, you get to a point where your head starts spinning, and then you start coming out of it," Cox said. "I think they're definitely out of that fog now, and they're starting to recognize things quicker and run the right routes. They're coming along nicely."
UNTIMELY VACATION
Georgia president Michael Adams announced the dates for the university's mandatory furlough days Wednesday, and the off time isn't well suited to the football staff, who are being forced to take time off along with faculty and staff.
All university employees will be forced to take off Oct. 30, Nov. 25 and Dec. 24 this year – which would mean Richt and his staff would be on vacation the day before Georgia takes on Florida and three days before the Bulldogs travel to Georgia Tech.
Georgia's sports information department confirmed that the football staff will comply with the furloughs, but there will be an appeals process available to request different days from the ones Adams announced Thursday. The caveat, as reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, is that the days must still occur during October and November, meaning coaches must take time away during the height of football season.
While the details are still being ironed out, Boling said he had his doubts that his rather intense line coach, Stacy Searels, would really be able to step away at such a crucial time.
"I wish," Boling said, "but I don't think it's going to happen."
(NOTE: You can read Tim Tucker's excellent recap of the situation HERE.)
CATCHING ON
The platitudes for freshman tight end Orson Charles have come pretty regularly from players, but the general consensus was that his skills were still fairly raw.
No doubt, the tight end still has some work to do, but Cox said the finer points aren't too far off.
"He's always been a good route runner," Cox said. "Now it's just fine-tuning certain routes, and I think he's gotten better every day. He's been working on his blocking a lot and done a good job getting better."
SOUNDS PAINFUL
Richt wasn't around to comment on today's practice, and no assistant coaches were made available. But thanks to the beauty of social networking, there is a bit of insight into today's workouts, courtesy of Jeff Owens' Twitter page.
"Today's practice was one of the hardest practices in four years," Owens wrote, then followed with, "Just stitting in the training room icying (sic) my knee. The coaches tried to kill us today."
BUT HOW ARE YOU?
Boling answered plenty of questions about Jones' injury -- OK, maybe answered is a strong term -- but he was quick to put an end to any concern about his own sore wrist.
Boling injured his wrist during a practice last week when he collided with a player's helmet. He has had the wrist wrapped since then, but he said it hasn't slowed him any.
"It's fine, it was nothing serious," Boling said. "I just kind of wrapped it up and go. It was no big deal at all."
HEALTHY AS CAN BE
Vince Vance managed to get in some work with the first team offensive line with Jones out, and Boling said the senior has looked strong in his return from an ACL injury.
Vance was the team's starting guard before moving to left tackle four games into the season. One month later, however, he tore his ACL and joined teammate Trinton Sturdivant, who suffered a similar injury last August, in the trainer's room.
"He's been fine physically," Boling said of Vance. "Trinton hurt his a little bit earlier, but they both really look the same physically. They both have been full speed in practice the whole time, and there haven't really been any setbacks."
QUIET POKES
This time it's a team Georgia's playing that is having a blackout.
Oklahoma State isn't planning to don the black uni's, but the team has instituted a media blackout, apparently due in part to coach Mike Gundy's annoyance at the constant questions about the health of his quarterback, Zac Robinson.
Tuesday was the last day Gundy or any players met with the media, and Wednesday a blanket "no comment" was issued to all reporters. Players, coaches and Gundy will all be taking a vow of silence until the Monday before the season opener.
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