2008 Woodie Awards
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There’s not much to report on as the green jerseys are almost out of sight and out of mind.
Those in a green jersey included Neland Ball, Kalvin Daniels, Makiri Pugh and Kade Weston. Weston was riding the stationary bike outside.
Wide receiver Walter Hill’s hand was clubbed up and he was back in a red jersey.
Also, there was a sixth quarterback throwing the ball around. Not that it really matters but I’m a little curious as to who it was. It looked like the Bulldogs might do some situational drills as Georgia Southern looks to play two quarterbacks, Lee Chapple and Antonio Henton - a transfer from Ohio State. To add to the feel, there was a reserve quarterback in 14 and a reserve quarterback wearing 7, which are both of those GSU players’ numbers, respectively.
However, there was a QB wearing No. 10 out there and I’m not really sure why. Then again, it probably doesn’t matter in the long run.
Judging from head coach Mark Richt’s comments yesterday, one would be inclined to think that Saturday’s opponent, Georgia Southern was ranked No. 17 in the AP poll, not in the Football Championship Subdivision poll.
“They are a team that has had tremendous success over the years,” Richt said in a press conference. “Appalachian State only lost one game last year and that was to Georgia Southern, so that gets my attention… They will have a lot of young guys playing Their receiving corps is their most veteran group. Their running backs are young, and we are young in that category too as we have a sophomore and three freshman. Defensively they have nine guys who have at least started in one game.
Three of their four defensive backs are back, and they have 37 interceptions among them and they know how to force turnovers.”
Richt also said that a lot of pride will be on the line because many players on both rosters knew each other from high school football and that it “will be a pretty heated rivalry.”
YOUNG IS IN
While Richt did not say exactly how many freshman would play in the game Saturday, he estimated that as many as “8-12 true freshman should see playing time.
”Several of those freshman should include Caleb King and Richard Samuel as part of the stable of young running backs behind sophomore starter Knowshon Moreno. But other than that, Richt was non-commital about who else will see some carries.
“Richard Samuel and Caleb King will both get reps,” He said. “I hope Dontavius (Jackson) and Carlton (Thomas) both get reps too. I’m not discounting them from getting a carry here and there. All those tailbacks are still in the running to play as true freshmen (but) Richard and Caleb are the frontrunner for the next reps. I can’t say who will be the first one to get the carry.”
PROTECTION PROBLEMS
It is still not a secret that the biggest question mark for Georgia remains that offensive line. After the graduation of Fernando Velasco last year, and the year-long injury to Trindon Sturdivant all of the potential starters are young and out of position.
“We were thinking there would be three returning starters,” Richt said. “But with an injury and a suspension, we have one returning starter. Chris Davis played guard (last year), and now he’s our center. Everyone else is a first time starter.”
Photo by Daniel Shirey
Rain forced practice to be moved up Monday night, and head coach Mark Richt said that wasn’t really a good thing.
“Practice I thought was pretty bad, considering we’re five days away and our last day in pads,” he said.
“We did move up practice to try and beat the weather forecast…it blew over and (practice) wasn’t over, and I can only hope that was the reason they lost their edge. It looked like they lost their edge, which is sad to say.”
The Bulldogs won’t really know exactly what to expect from Georgia Southern until Saturday, but Richt said the defense overpowered the offense Monday afternoon.
“When we competed in our individual type stuff…receivers versus DBs, I know the defensive backs kind of handled the offense today in that regard. The offense I thought was just sloppy most all the day.”
Junior receiver Michael Moore said the rain might have had something to do with it, but that it was still inexcusable.
“There’s no excuse. It wasn’t the weather we wanted. That didn’t help but it’s not an excuse,” he said. “I guess today was just a little slow day. We’ve actually had a great camp, great practices so far until today. I guess this is just one of those speed bump type days.”
Moreno, King out of green
Tailbacks Knowshon Moreno and Caleb King were no longer donning green no-contact jerseys Monday. Moreno has been wearing one since the second week of fall camp.
“It’s not his choice to wear the green, he probably wouldn’t have worn it as much as we made him wear it,” Richt said. “But he’s out of the green, which is good. No limitations.”
More complete practice notes coming soon….
The SEC and ESPN reached an unprecedented deal to broadcast a variety of games from the conference for 15 years beginning in 2009 that is worth 2.25 billion dollars.
This agreement is the longest in ESPN’s history and was announced today by ESPN’s president George Bodenheimer and SEC commissioner Mike Slive. Games televised nationally by ESPN will be branded as “SEC on ESPN” and the other ESPN channels will pick up SEC broadcasts.
“The SEC delivers tremendous quality and depth and a devoted, widespread fan base,” Bodenheimer said. “This historic deal will offer fans more SEC access than ever before through every form of media that exists today or may be developed during the life of this long-term arrangement. We applaud the leadership of the conference as well as these great academic and athletic institutions for supporting this groundbreaking collaboration.”
From the ESPN and SEC press release, here is what the agreement entails:
In regards to football, ESPN will have their choice to televise any game it wishes, picking after CBS chooses its SEC game of the week. After that, every SEC game will be covered by the ESPN network.
“This agreement makes the Southeastern Conference the most widely-distributed conference in the country,” Slive said.
With this agreement, the possibility of an SEC network, similar to the Big Ten Network, is highly unlikely.
It’s raining at the practice fields, but the fact that both Knowshon Moreno and Caleb King were wearing red instead of what’s become their usual green may be a ray of sunshine for Georgia fans.
Fullback Brannan Southerland was walking around in pads and a green jersey, but didn’t partake in any drills that I saw.
More to come after rain-soaked practice…
All past Uga’s have had nicknames (Uga VI was unofficially known as “Uga V’s Whatchagot Loran”), and that got me thinking.We students don’t really have any say, but I was curious what the public thinks—what would you want Uga VII’s nickname to be? You can post suggestions here or e-mail them to me at testep@randb.com. The best/most entertaining monikers will be in First & Goal on Friday, so think long and hard.
With far fewer green jerseys on the field Saturday, coach Mark Richt said that everything is starting to improve, from the flow of practices to overall morale.
“(Having more guys on the field) makes it easier on everybody. Just the planning of the practice, the peace of mind for the coaches just knowing that they’ve got the depth if they have one guy that rolls an ankle you’re not sunk at that position. It just creates more energy and excitement at practice,” he said.
“And when you’re practicing and you’ve got 22 guys standing over there watching it just doesn’t seem right for the guys that are working. That’s why we’re constantly making those guys do push ups, sit ups, jogging, doing something that’s not enjoyable.”
Stafford looking to be more efficient
Quarterback Matthew Stafford has put up very efficient numbers during scrimmages during fall camp, and that obviously has coaches expecting a carry over into Saturday’s game with Georgia Southern and the rest of the season.
“I’ve been very pleased this camp. He’s really taken it upon himself to be really focused everyday, and he knew the goal coming in was to become more efficient offensively and that started with him,” offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said.
“I really felt if he played better that our receivers would play better. He has still been extremely accurate and I think everybody’s play has picked up around him because his play’s been better.”
That said, a lot of that depends upon the maturity of the offensive line.
“I would think (Stafford would be more efficient). He ought to be,” Richt said smiling. “You’ve got to block. The better we block the more efficient we’ll be.”
Scout team still praiseworthy
Richt continued to praise the scout team that has been playing Georgia Southern’s defense in recent days, adding that he would spend more time evaluating the scout team offense on Monday.
“Today I’ll have to say was another outstanding day of tempo and effort. I was especially proud of the scout team that was going against our offense, the defensive group. They really gave great effort and actually gave our offense all they could handle today, which is good, that’s what we need.”
“We will get better because of their effort and attitude today…there’s just as big a part of us as anyone else.”
Lots of special teams questions still remain
The Bulldogs have been spending a lot of time working on special teams in scrimmages and practices alike, but Richt said it would probably be Monday before any definitive answers. And even then, they may not quite be definitive.
“We spent a good bit of time on kicking again today. The last three days we’ve spent a lot of time on kicking. You guys want to know some answers, but that’s what we want to know. We want to know some answers. We’re still evaluating, we’re trying to decide what to do,” he said.
“I’m hoping the dust will be settling down pretty good by Monday. I hope to know who we thinks going to go play and start and all those things. And some answers might be we’re going to play two or three guys at a certain spot just to see who can do it the best. We might roll some special teamers just to see what they can do.”
Running back stable still, well, stable
With Caleb King and Richard Samuel considered the frontrunners vying for the No. 2 tailback spot, Richt said that the rest of the Bulldogs’ young corps of runners is impressing too.
“Dontavius (Jackson) actually has had as good a camp as anybody, especially as a runner,” he said.
“Carlton (Thomas) has had some outstanding days and some not so good days. But really they’re all like that I don’t want to call him out. Carlton has done some things that are outstanding in my opinion, but I think Richard and Dontavius being here at the mid-year has helped them pull ahead of Carlton a little bit knowledge-wise, of the system. But Carlton’s coming right along.”
“They all have good hands, they’re fast, they’re quick, they’re agile. They’re good backs. We have not discounted any one of those guys playing scrimmage snaps or special teams.”
So after showing up at 9:30 like we were told, finally taken down to the field to watch two periods (10 minutes) of practice at about 11:45.
There were a lot fewer green jerseys today (roughly eight, but that’s about as official as Richt’s stats from Thursday’s scrimmage), with LB Dannell Ellerbe and DE Rod Battle being the most notable guys no longer part of gang green.Tanner Strickland was in green….
…Blair Walsh, Drew Butler and Co. were having fun kicking a volleyball around as we the media were being escorted back inside Butts-Mehre…
By FLETCHER PAGE
With only a week left until the season opener, and after a Thursday scrimmage that left much to be desired, head coach Mark Richt changed his plans for practice Friday night.
With the team scheduled to only participate in shells, one could have anticipated an easier day on the practice field.
Any easy expectations went unfulfilled.
“I threw the pads on them and I said we’re going to go play,” Richt said. “They could have either been mad or bummed out or they could have got excited. And they got excited.”
This time around Richt and his staff were much more pleased with the effort from the consensus No. 1 team in the country.
“That part fired me up about this team as far as guys that want to go compete and go play,” Richt said. “Just their attitude was probably what got me more excited although what happened on the field was pretty good to.”
Offensive line continues to mesh
The live day on the practice field provided the offensive line with another opportunity to grow as a unit.
The line shuffle began after starter tackle Trinton Sturdivant went down to a knee injury last week. Redshirt sophomore Chris Davis believes he and his teammates finally are settling back into the groove.
“It’s just a process. A day-by-day process,” Davis said. “It started at day one at spring practice and it’s something that’s built on and on and it’s getting stronger everyday.
Davis, currently sitting atop the depth chart at center, is enjoying the moment and leaving everything on the field.
“Getting to play football, man, there’s nothing like it,” Davis said. “A lot of people take for granted the ability and the chance we have just to go out there and play football. A lot of people are out working right now and we’re getting to play football.”
LB White out for season
On the injury front, Richt announced that redshirt freshman middle linebacker Charles White would miss the season due to an Achilles tendon injury. White, a 6-1, 217-pound native of Columbia, S.C., was injured in practice on Thursday and was expected to be a key player on special teams and also to provide depth at middle linebacker this season.
Head coach Mark Richt said linebacker Charles White went down early with a foot injury in Georgia’s practice game, where it simulated next Saturday’s opener against Georgia Southern against each other.
“Charles White hurt his Achilles,” Richt said. “We don’t know how bad it is but he hurt is Achilles on the first play. We don’t know for sure how bad but he wasn’t able to finish.”
Richt: Georgia Southern beat Dogs in simulation
In the practice scrimmage, Richt said the players that divided up to play as Georgia Southern came out on top over Georgia.
However, this was because Richt overruled a touchdown that would have given Georgia the win and marked the Buldogs down at Georgia Southern’s 25-yard-line with a game-winning field goal on the line.
“Georgia Southern actually won because on the last drive of the game I told them if they stopped our offense on a two-minute drill where we needed a field goal to win it then they won,” Richt said. “We actually hit a streak for a touchdown but I called him down at the 25, we kicked it and we missed it so Georgia Southern won by two.”
Richt said the practice game did not have any tackling, except on three kickoff plays, and thy used the “thud” method, where the defenders would wrap up the offense but not tackle them down.
Scrimmage stats
Richt read some unofficial scrimmage stats from Thursday’s Georgia-Georgia Southern practice simulation.
Passing:
Matthew Stafford: 4-5, 70 yards, 1 TD
The statistician apparently messed up since backup quarterback Logan Gray was wearing No. 14 for Georgia Southern and grouped Logan Gray’s and Joe Cox’s stats together, so here they are: 9-13, 216 yards, 2 TD
Rushing:
Richard Samuel: 3 car., 10 yards, 1 TD
Dontavious Jackson: 11 car., 51 yards
Carlton Thomas: 4 car., 20 yards
Receiving:
Kris Durham: 3 rec., 57 yards
Demiko Goodman: 3 rec., 89 yards, 1 TD
Tripp Chandler: 1 rec., 22 yards
A.J. Green: 1 rec., 26 yards, 1 TD
Mohamed Massaquoi: 1 rec., 16 yards
Kenneth Harris: 1 rec., 9 yards
Tavarres King: 1 rec., 57 yards, 1 TD
Defensive tackles take new names on the field
When the Bulldogs defensive tackles are in the trenches they are no longer Jeff Owens, Geno Atkins, Corvey Irvin and Kade Weston.
Owens and Irvin said the interior linemen all have different nicknames they refer to each other as when they are playing in each game.
“I’m Swag and this is Stroker,” Irvin said, pointing and identifying Owens.
“Kade is Tap,” Owens said, “and Geno is Stacks,” Owens and Irvin said together.
Irvin is also known as the Birdman, for a reason Irvin isn’t sure of.
“This is how we identify each other in the game,” Owens said.
Owens sentimental about senior season
It’s starting to sink in for senior defensive tackle Jeff Owens that this year will be the last time he suits up between the hedges.
“Like today, I was thinking this is one time less I’ll be in Sanford Stadium since this is my senior year,” Owens said. “It’s coming quick. We’ve got what, eight more times to play. It’s going to come quick so I’ve got to make the best of every day.”
Owens said he’s ready to play in what will be the first game of his last season, but that the team still has some work to do before they are ready.
“We have the talent and the ability but we’ve just got to execute better,” Owens said. Georgia Southern’s going to come down and try to knock us off. They are going to try to be the App State-Michigan from last year. We just got to focus on our goals and what we are trying to succeed this season, play hard and get after them.”
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