Tuesday Tidbits: Auburn Week

Quick notes from Mark Richt's Tuesday news conference:

-- Richt said he would like to get time for Logan Gray again this week at QB, but would not promise it would happen. He said the plan was actually to give the third series of the game to Gray last week, but he delayed due to the success Georgia was having on offense to start the game.

-- The policy of pulling a player from the game after a penalty will continue again this week, Richt said, but he wasn't sure if he would stick to keeping players out for the entire series. Joe Cox said the constant changes last week made thing particularly problematic on the offensive line, with A.J. Harmon coming in at one point having no idea what was going on.

-- Cox also said that what Tennessee Tech was doing to get Georgia to jump was clearly against the rules and that Georgia's players pointed it out to the refs several times, but the refs refused to call it. So during practice this week, Cox said that Stacy Searels is making a point of mimicking Cox's cadence to try to get the line to jump.

-- Geno Atkins' numbers have increased dramatically the past three games, but Richt said that's more a function of the better play by the defensive ends and that Atkins has been performing well all season.

-- Despite the weather, Richt said Georgia would practice in full outdoors today.

-- Richt on Branden Smith playing offense longterm: "I don't know if we'll get to Champ Bailey numbers as far as the amount of plays in a game, but I don't think that's out of the question." Richt said that Smith has had to concentrate on defense this year, but he expects more time in the offensive meetings for Smith during spring practice.

-- Richt said that, despite Marlon Brown's minimal playing time, he has no regrets about not redshirted the freshman receiver. "He is absolutely improving as a route runner, ball catcher, blocker, his understanding of what we're doing is much better. He's so much farther ahead right now than he would have been just hanging around on the scout team. And we think he's going to be making a big impact sooner than later."

-- Richt said Justin Houston should be ready to play Saturday and said that A.J. Green practiced in full on Sunday with no ill effects. He said there were no other serious injuries that should keep players out of Saturday's game against Auburn.