Tuesday Practice Notes

The Bulldogs wrapped up their final up-tempo practice before the Georgia Southern game Tuesday. Here's the release from UGA Athletics:

The top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs stepped up their preparations for Saturday's season opener against Georgia Southern on Tuesday with a two-hour practice in shoulder pads and shorts.

The Bulldogs' Tuesday workout resembled their usual Wednesday game-week session, with the majority of the practice concentrating on offensive and defensive execution against the scout teams.

"It was better than yesterday," head coach Mark Richt said. "We really went into full-time scout team mode a day earlier than usual. We want to make sure we understand our assignments and responsibilities and make sure we're fresh when we get there on Saturday."

Earlier in the afternoon, Georgia conducted a press conference to discuss Saturday's contest in depth.

"I know our players are ready to play a game," Richt said. "Our coaches are ready to see what we have. I m sure the fans are excited about getting this thing rolling, too. Georgia Southern has a great program. They are only 27 years old and they have more victories than anyone in the history of 1-AA football and the most national championships. They are a team that has had tremendous success over the years.

"Appalachian State only lost one game last year and that was to Georgia Southern, so that gets my attention," Richt continued. "We have a high level of respect for Georgia Southern. Most of their kids are from in-state just as ours are. We think it will be a pretty heated rivalry. I know we have some players who played high school ball with these guys, so there is a lot of pride in this game."