UGA confirms that C. King, two others out

Let's take a quick break from travel hell day to officially report that Caleb King and two of his teammates will not be playing in the Liberty Bowl.

King is out for the game because of UGA academic policy, according to the football team. This comes as no surprise after earlier in the week, when the Bulldog tailback told a source that he was missing the trip because of an academic issues.

Two reserves, cornerback Derek Owens and offensive lineman A.J. Harmon, will also miss the game, according to the team. Owens and Harmon have what were described as NCAA-related issues.

UGA also said that all three players would be eligible for spring practice.

King's absence is the big one, especially with senior fullback Shaun Chapas also out, because of ankle surgery. Washaun Ealey and Carlton Thomas are basically all that's left at tailback; head coach Mark Richt said earlier in the week that freshman Ken Malcome would not have the redshirt taken off just for the bowl.

Georgia was in a similar spot midway through the season, when King was suspended two games following an arrest for failing to appear in court on a speeding charge. The Bulldogs ended up using Ealey and Thomas, while also giving carries to fullbacks Fred Munzenmaier and Zander Ogletree.

We will have more from Richt on Monday. (The plan was to have more from Richt today in Memphis, but thanks to travel delays, we're frantically typing this blog post in Charlotte, waiting for the connecting flight to Memphis. Well ... happy holidays!)