Notes: Belin Brings New Plan to Kickoffs

For most of the past two years, Georgia fans have cringed and crossed their fingers with each kickoff. This season, Warren Belin aims to change all that.

The Bulldogs’ new linebackers coach and kickoff coordinator isn’t giving away any trade secrets just yet, but he said he’s made special teams a priority this spring, and he’s planning to tailor his philosophy on kickoffs to highlight the strengths of the players he has to work with.

“Each week, things are going to change as I look at film and see what the returns we’re facing – those returns may dictate what we do on game day,” Belin said. “So for me to come in as the coach in charge of the kickoff team, I’m just going to use the basic fundamentals and take advantage of our kickers, and use the speed that we have to cover the kicks.”

Sounds simple enough, but for fans frustrated by two years of brutal kick coverage – Georgia ranked 117th nationally in kickoff coverage and lost to LSU due in large part to a botched fourth-quarter kickoff – that simplicity is music to their ears.

Gone will be the philosophy of directional kicking. Belin plans to use kicker Blair Walsh’s strong leg to his advantage. And gone will be the plan to play mostly walk-ons and underused reserves on kick coverage. Belin, a former special teams coordinator at Vanderbilt, wants the best players on the field at all times – including offensive and defensive starters when possible.

“I have a philosophy … of using a guy that does that particular drill or that particular scheme the best, whether he’s a starter or a back up or a young man who’s shown he can develop as a walk-on,” Belin said. “If he’s a guy that can cover and avoid blocks and go make tackles, we need to find a spot for him. I’d love to use all the starters we can, but if those starters aren’t ready to fit that position, I’ll use the next guy who does it the best scheme-wise.”

Of course, part of finding the right players for the job is making special teams a priority, even this spring. Belin said he and tight ends coach John Lilly, who organizes all the special teams meetings, have done their best this spring to make sure the players know that their work on kickoffs and other special teams units are going to be crucial.

“You have to have a third of your practice designed for special teams,” Belin said. “I think Coach Richt, when we come out at the start of practice – and we put it all at the beginning of practice – that’s showing our guys special teams are going to be very, very important.”

HAVE A NICE TRIPP

If there’s one constant in Kiante Tripp’s football career, it’s change. So while his teammates on Georgia’s defense have been busy adjusting to life in Todd Grantham’s new 3-4 scheme, it’s business as usual for Tripp, who spends virtually every spring learning something completely new.

The difference this time, he said, is that this new-look defense seems to be perfectly tailored to fit his skill set.

“Being 290 and being an athlete at the same time, the 3-4 is good because I can use my athleticism in the inside and use my size and power for the run,” Tripp said. “I like the defense because you don’t know what’s going to happen, it confuses the offense, and we’re doing damage out there.”

During his first four seasons at Georgia, Tripp’s versatility and athleticism actually hindered his career, as coaches moved him from the defensive line to the offensive line to tight end and back again, never quite sure where best to utilize his talents. Now, his versatility makes him an asset without having to leave the defensive line.

The majority of his work has been at defensive end when the defense is using three down linemen. In nickel situations when the scheme shifts to the more traditional four-man front, however, Tripp slides inside to tackle. His speed and athleticism matched with his hulking frame allows him to handle both jobs, and his work has impressed head coach Mark Richt.

“Kiante has done well,” Richt said. “He’s moved around a lot, as we know, positionally. Now we know we’ve got him in his final resting place, so to speak. I think he’s embracing it and he’s doing well. He’ll play. He’ll help us.”

BATTLE TESTED

A year ago, Bacarri Rambo was struggling just to earn playing time. Now, he’s embracing the role of veteran leader among Georgia’s safeties.

Rambo finished last season with 25 tackles, two interceptions and five pass breakups, mostly in reserve duty, but he learned a lot along the way from starters Reshad Jones and Bryan Evans.

Although Rambo hasn’t officially locked up a starting job now that Jones and Evans have moved on, he’s spent virtually all of spring practice working with the No. 1 unit, and he’s taken the opportunity to try to provide the same mentorship he enjoyed last year for the group of young safeties working their way up the depth chart this season.

“Last year when I was playing, Reshad and Bryan helped me out,” Rambo said. “It was my first season, and I didn’t know stuff like they knew. Since they taught me, I feel like I can help those other guys out on the field and be a great leader to those guys.”

Good Quote, Bad Quote: Pre-Spring Edition

We got to pepper Georgia's players with a lot of questions yesterday, and to prove they weren't anywhere close to midseason form when it comes to dealing with the media, we actually got a few good, candid answers. They'll be sick of us soon enough, though, no doubt.

Of course, mixed with the great quotes were a few not-so-great ones, too. So, let's trot out the first edition of our new feature at Bulldogs Blog… Good Quote, Bad Quote.

GOOD QUOTE:

“I was talking to Coach (Mark) Richt about being All-American. I believe that if I would have stayed healthy last year, I would have easily gotten that. So that’s my goal is just to be an All-American.”

That's from A.J. Green, the only guy I know who can use the phrase "Just an All-American" and I wouldn't suggest he might be underselling the accomplishment.

BAD QUOTE:

I asked A.J. what it's been like for him that, entering his third year at UGA, he'll now be playing with his third different quarterback. He said it was definitely a bit odd, particularly since he played with the same QB all through high school. So my follow-up question, of course, was this: "So, does that mean you'll definitely be sticking around for your senior year so you can play with the same QB twice?"

Sadly, there was no such commitment coming from the star wide out: “I don’t know, man," Green said. "Whatever happens.”

I think we all have a pretty good feel for what might happen.

GOOD QUOTE:

“Tell Darick ‘pretty boy’ Rogers he doesn’t have to know me but I bet he will feel me!! Lol”

And…

“I compete against the best receiver in the nation everyday at practice. Why should i worry about that guy.”

Both of those quotes came from Bacarri Rambo's Twitter page in the days following Da'Rick Rogers' last-minute departure from his commitment to UGA and his eventual decision to head to Tennessee instead. Funny stuff, and we all love a little trash talk, right?

Of course, that leads us to...

BAD QUOTE:

“I wasn’t really directly talking to him. I was just shocked that you would say you were going to one school and then change your mind at the last (minute). It wasn’t directed to him. It was directed to no one. I was just confused and curious as to why they would do things like that. But if he wanted to think it was him, I can’t stop him from thinking that, so it’s whatever.”

That's Rambo on his explanation of the war of words with Rogers. Hey, I'm all for trying to throw some water on the fire now, Bacarri, but it's hard to say you didn't direct your comments at a guy when you used his name. Of course, I guess when you hit like Rambo does, who's gonna argue with him?

GOOD QUOTE:

Kris Durham was on hand for interviews, all dressed up in khakis and a button-down shirt. The reason for the nice duds? Well, he said he got dressed up for us, which we of course appreciated, but in fact it's because he has been student teaching at Oconee County Middle School.

Anyway, Durham said he's had the occasional behavior problems with his students, so I asked if he ever threatened to send Bacarri Rambo after them to get them to behave.

“No," Durham said, "I don’t have him using his Twitter page very much.”

Burrrrrrrn!

BAD QUOTE:

Tell me if you remember hearing this before…

“I believe we’re working harder than last year. Last year, we had a lot of leaders and we thought things were just going to be handed to us and didn’t work as hard as we should, I thought at least. This year, we’re working hard.”

That's not from Joe Cox or Rennie Curran or any of the guys who spoke on the subject last offseason. That's from A.J. Green yesterday.

Sorry, A.J. I'm just not buying in this year.

GOOD QUOTE:

“From what they said the other day, they gave more A’s than they’ve given in a long time. The guys are really going to work, just really trying hard to impress the coaches and trying to get better. You can tell everybody’s excited around here, especially the defensive guys. We’re ready to go to where I feel Coach (Todd) Grantham and the defensive staff will just let us play and let us have fun out there."

Now, I'm definitely going to be a bit more skeptical of the hard work and leadership quotes this offseason, but I gotta say, this quote from Marcus Dowtin is pretty encouraging.

While I'm sure every offseason is The Best Offseason Ever, I think there probably is a good bit of truth to what Dowtin said. In fact, it was obvious just from talking to the defensive players how enthusiastic and excited they are about the new regime and the new scheme.

In fact, here's one last quote I think every UGA fan will be excited about, courtesy of Mr. Rambo...

GOOD QUOTE

“It’s a whole lot different, especially with the footwork that Coach (Scott) Lakatos is teaching us," Rambo said of working with his new defensive backs coach. "Most of the people in the NFL run the same thing as Coach Lakatos is teaching us. It’s a whole different footwork thing from Coach Martinez.”

And not to bash Willie Martinez, but here's how Branden Smith discussed learning that new footwork:

“Backpedaling, coming out of the breaks, turning – those are different," Smith said. "The footwork that Coach Lakatos is teaching us right now, I’ve done it in high school, so it’s nothing new and it’s easier to learn.”

I can only assume if it was good enough for the five-star player in high school, and it's good enough for the pros in the NFL, it's going to be a nice addition to the secondary at UGA.

Notes: Dawgs View Sturdivant as 'Luxury'

After missing all but about 40 minutes of the past two seasons, Trinton Sturdivant hasn’t been forgotten by Georgia’s coaches. But just the same, they’re not exactly counting on him either.

After an impressive freshman season at left tackle in 2007, Sturdivant tore multiple ligaments in his left knee in fall camp in 2008, then suffered a torn ACL in Georgia’s opening game last season.

Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said Sturdivant is ahead of schedule in his recovery from his most recent knee surgery, but the battle plan for the Bulldogs’ offense is to proceed as if their left tackle won’t be around in 2010.

“When we’re talking about our objectives as an offense and what we want to accomplish this spring, we want to establish depth at the offensive line with out counting on Trinton Sturdivant,” Bobo said. “He’s a luxury. We think he’s going to be back, he’s ahead of schedule, he’s doing great, but we have to establish depth besides him.”

In each of the past two seasons, Georgia shuffled replacements at left tackle after Sturdivant’s injuries, and in both cases, it took the offensive line a while to find its groove.

So this season, Bobo hopes to have a group ready to play with or without Sturdivant – which likely means opening with senior Clint Boling filling the left tackle job, where he worked at the ends of both the 2008 and 2009 season and performed well enough to earn All-SEC honors.

Of course, while that’s the plan for now, it’s certainly not etched in stone if that luxury becomes a reality, Bobo said.

“If we get ‘The Luxury,’ he’ll probably be at left tackle,” Bobo said of Sturdivant. “Whoever those best five are, we’re going to put them in the best position where we think they can be successful. If Trinton’s out there, and he’s one of our best five, my bet is he’d be at left tackle.”

QUIETING THE CONTROVERSY

After soon-to-be Tennessee wide receiver Da’Rick Rogers spurned Georgia just days before signing day this year, Bulldogs safety Bacarri Rambo voiced some displeasure with the lack of commitment shown by players who were once committed to coming to Athens.

On his Facebook page, Rambo wrote he though it was “messed up” for players to renege on a commitment at the last minute and promised, “When I catch you on the field I’m going to knock fire from you.”

That started an ongoing war of words between Rambo and Rogers in which the receiver lambasted the safety via Facebook and Twitter and Rambo returned serve with a few quips of his own.

Now that the feud seems to have simmered down, Rambo said it was all a bit of a misunderstanding.

“I wasn’t really directly talking to him,” Rambo said. “I was just shocked that you would say you were going to one school and then change your mind at the last (minute). It wasn’t directed to him. It was directed to no one. I was just confused and curious as to why they would do things like that. But if he wanted to think it was him, I can’t stop him from thinking that, so it’s whatever.”

Regardless of any confusion, Rambo doesn’t think he has much to clear up. He said he has no plans to contact Rogers, but won’t continue the war of words either.

“I’m going to try to be the better man and just let that die down and not say anything to him,” Rambo said.

A GOOD MOVE

A large contingent of Georgia fans that drooled over Richard Samuel’s physical skills but scratched their heads at his inability to avoid contact as a tailback got their wish this offseason when the rising junior was moved to linebacker.

As it turns out, those fans weren’t alone in hoping for a change for the talented former tailback. Junior linebacker Marcus Dowtin said he has been lobbying Samuel to make the switch for two years.

“I spoke to Richard when we first got up here freshman year and told him you should make that switch and come over to linebacker with me,” Dowtin said. “So I always wanted him to do that, and now that he’s over there, he’s definitely going to do something great. He’s an athlete. He’s strong, he’s fast, and I think he’ll be a great complement to me, and I can be a great complement to him out there. He’s made our linebacker corps a lot more athletic and a lot faster.”

EXTRA POINTS

* Tailback Washaun Ealey said he still hopes to swap his uniform number from 24 to 3 – the number he and all of his family members wore during their high-school playing days – but he has yet to get a final OK from head coach Mark Richt.

* Cornerback Chad Gloer was moved to wide receiver this month to help fill in the gaps on a shallow depth chart.

* Despite some rumors that a move to the offensive line could be in store, Bobo said Kwame Geathers is staying put on defense.

* Cornerback Jordan Love is back at work after missing much of last season with a toe injury that has nagged him since high school. He underwent surgery to repair the injury, and fellow corner Branden Smith said the results are encouraging so far. “Right now, he’s feeling good,” Smith said. “He’s ready for the season to start right now. His recovery is coming along very well.”

* Spring practice officially begins Thursday, but Bobo said that is more of an opportunity to meet with the players and maximize their practice time. The team will then take 12 days off during Georgia’s spring break before reconvening – and essentially re-doing the Day 1 workouts – on March 14.

* Bobo was also sporting a black eye during interviews Thursday. The injury came courtesy of grad assistant Mitch Doolittle during Wednesday's pick-up basketball game.

I got lots more info, including plenty on the defensive changes, from today’s meetings with players, but you’ll have to wait until tomorrow for that.

Practice Notes: Aggies Present Big Challenge to Dawgs' D

Georgia has faced plenty of fast-paced offenses this season, but Texas A&M will present a challenge unlike any the Bulldogs have battled before.

The Aggies run an up-tempo style that often yields 80 or more plays a game, keeping defenses on their toes and creating plenty of chaos on the field.

“It’s quicker than anyone we’ve seen,” Georgia linebacker Rennie Curran said. “If you watch the film, they catch a lot of teams off guard, a lot of defenses aren’t ready.”

Oklahoma State and Auburn both ran quick-paced offenses as well, with the Tigers’ attack being a similar style of no-huddle to Texas A&M, but Georgia head coach Mark Richt said that the Aggies take things to an even higher level.

“They want as many plays as they can possibly get,” Richt said. “They are fast. That’s their goal. More plays, more yards, more points. That’s the way they see it.”

The results have been positive for Texas A&M, which ranks first in the Big 12 in total offense and fifth nationally, totaling 465 yards per game on average.

What makes the Aggies even tougher to defend is that they rarely substitute players, which prevents the defense from adjusting personnel, too, but A&M still manages to run multiple formations on offense.

“They go fast without changing any personnel,” Richt said. “And what they do with the same personnel group is run multiple formations. Multiple formations and speed between plays is creating problems for everybody they’ve played.”

The battle plan defensively is the same as what Georgia used against Auburn – plenty of scout team work in practice against the hurry-up and close attention to film study to quickly recognize keys.

But more than the defensive adjustments, Richt said the best plan for stopping the Aggies’ high-flying attack is to keep it on the sideline.

“The longer we can hold the ball,” Richt said, “the better we’ll be.”

STAYING ON THE FIELD

With a makeshift defensive coaching staff for the bowl game, Richt said he wasn’t sure which of Georgia’s two graduate assistants – Todd Hartley or Mitch Doolittle – would coach from the field and which would head to the press box yet, but on the offensive side of the ball, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo remains comfortable on the sideline.

Bobo had coached from the press box virtually his entire career, but against Vanderbilt this season, he moved to the field and the result has been a dramatically improved offensive attack.

“We’ve improved in particular in the run game and possibly the overall intensity level of the team,” Richt said. “He’s got a lot of enthusiasm on the ground, and it hasn’t seemed to bother him to make the calls he likes to make, so I would think he’d keep doing it.”

TOUGH CALL ON ROBINSON

Georgia defensive end Montez Robinson will not travel with the Bulldogs to the bowl game in Shreveport, La. and remains on indefinite suspension, but Richt said he’s moving closer to a decision on the freshman’s future.

“We’re working on that decision is the best we can say,” Richt said.

Richt refused to put a definitive timetable on the decision, but he said the choice of whether to reinstate Robinson or dismiss him from the team has been a particularly difficult one.

Robinson spent much of his life in foster care and group homes and has shouldered a large portion of the responsibility for caring for his younger siblings. Richt said he remains torn in trying to balance the discipline necessary after Robinson was charged with assault earlier this month and the desire to keep him in a stable environment.

“It’ll be a tough decision, I can tell you,” Richt said.

INJURY UPDATES

Updating several key bumps and bruises as the Bulldogs prepare for the bowl game...

Reshad Jones has been in a green non-contact jersey for the past few practices. “He’s got more of a tendonitis issue in his knee, but nothing real serious," Richt said. He added that there may be some other nagging injuries but did not expect Jones to miss the bowl game.

A.J. Green has remained in Green but said he is completely healthy. Richt said the team remains cautious for now. “He’s doing everything, but we’re trying to minimize any contact right now," Richt said. "The day after Christmas, when we’re in pads that day, he probably won’t be in green and we’ll let him get some contact.”

Bacarri Rambo has made a full recovery since suffering a concussion after making a hit against Auburn. Richt said Sunday's practice was a particularly good one for Rambo, who shows no signs of hesitancy at the point of contact after the injury. “The speed at which he’s breaking on the ball, even when we’re asking our guys to thud runners and receivers, he’s doing a great job of making direct hits and he does it the way it needs to be done," Richt said. "Bacarri is really a fine football player.” “He’s sticking his face on those guys and wrapping up and running his feet with no hesitation right now.”

Wide receiver Marlon Brown has missed the past three practices after suffering a concussion last week during practice.

EXTRA POINTS

-- Asked about players for next year that have shown significant promise during the bowl practices, Richt offered defensive tackle Kwame Geathers and freshmen quarterbacks Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger.

-- Richt said that, while bowl practices are often a time for next year's players to get a start on impressing coaches, about 90 percent of the work done this month has been about preparing for the bowl game against Texas A&M.

-- Richt said it would have been understandable for some of the players to slack off a bit with the defensive coaching changes and the lower-tier bowl game this month, but he said for the most part the tempo has been high. "The second or third day of installation, it just wasn't good. I think the first couple days of install, Day 2 and 3, you could tell they were thinking too much. They were getting the calls but they weren't playing very fast. So we were pleased they were getting it, understanding it and communicating it well, but they really weren't playing fast enough and physical enough. Today, that was our big emphasis -- hey you know the plan now or at least you have it in your mind well enough to where you can start executing it with some speed and some physicalness. They did that today. It was a really good day. I guess you could have a problem with that, but I don't see that right now. I see a great attitude."

Practice Notes: Rambo Happy to Be Back

Growing up, one of Bacarri Rambo’s idols was a local football player named Brandon Register, who went on to play safety at UAB. Register was ahead of Rambo at Seminole County and had a reputation as being one of the hardest hitters in the state. It was a style Rambo always hoped to emulate.

“When I was little, I used to always look up to the older guys, especially him,” Rambo said. “They used to be like, ‘That guy hits so hard, he knocks himself out out there.’ I was like, ‘Man, I want to try that one day.’”

Rambo did just that against Auburn last month, breaking up a reception late in the fourth quarter with a bone-crunching hit and knocking himself unconscious in the process.

The result – beyond the game-saving pass break-up – was a concussion that cost him the final two games of the regular season and the realization that perhaps knocking himself out making a tackle was a rather silly objective for a young football player.

“I didn’t know it was going to come against Auburn,” Rambo said. “I thought I’d do it in high school or something. And I don’t want that to happen anymore. That was a bad experience.”

Rambo remembers little of the play, but he said he’s watched replays on television several times since it happened.

“I watch it every time it comes on,” he said. “People will call me and say the Auburn game’s on. I turn to it and I’m like, ‘I still don’t remember that play. What happened?’ It’s just crazy, really.”

When Rambo checked out of the hospital the next day, he found 150 friend requests on his Facebook page, about 50 emails from well-wishers and more than 30 missed calls from friends and family. The support was incredible, he said.

But his recovery really wasn’t particularly painful. Rambo experienced headaches for about two weeks after the hit, which is what kept him sidelined against Kentucky and Georgia Tech. But it was the time away from football that really hurt.

“I wasn’t dizzy or sensitive to lights and noises, but I was having headaches,” he said. “After Georgia Tech week, my headaches went away and I was ready to play.”

Rambo said he has no lingering symptoms of the concussion and beginning Wednesday he was a full participant in practice – no green non-contact jerseys and no concerns about the injury. He’s simply happy to be back to work.

“It’s been a month since I played football and I’m anxious to get back out there and do my thing and play football with the fellas,” Rambo said. “I’m going to go out there and do all I can to support the seniors and this team.”

IN ROD WE TRUST

Georgia may be down three defensive coaches after Willie Martinez, Jon Fabris and John Jancek were dismissed earlier this month, but the defensive ends may have picked up a de facto assistant in the meantime.

Senior Rod Battle is out for the season with a knee injury and is scheduled to graduate Friday, but in the meantime he’s spending his final few weeks in Athens helping his teammates prepare for their bowl game against Texas A&M, picking up right where Fabris left off.

“Rod has always been a guy with great technique, so I think it’s real easy for him to teach us,” defensive end Justin Houston said.

NO RASH DECISIONS

Linebacker Darryl Gamble said his teammates haven’t spent much time discussing the potential replacements for Martinez at defensive coordinator, but he wouldn’t be surprised if he gets his chance to weigh in on the final decision before it’s made.

“Coach (Mark) Richt is pretty open, and I think he’ll bring in a couple older guys, a few other upperclassmen, to see what we think,” Gamble said. “He always says it’s the seniors’ team.”

Richt said Wednesday that he was in no rush to make a hire, but expected a decision would be made by the first week in January. That’s fine with Gamble – even if he doesn’t get to add his two cents on who the eventual hire is.

“If he makes his decision, we’re behind him 100 percent, but I think he’ll try to get a little feedback from us before he makes his decision,” Gamble said.

NOT FEELING THE PRESSURE

On paper, it looks like an ugly mismatch for the Bulldogs. Georgia’s defense is shorthanded, preparing for the bowl without three defensive coaches. Texas A&M’s offense is dangerous, ranked first in the Big 12 and fifth nationally in total offense.

That might be a sign of a shootout, but offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said he’s not worrying about keeping pace with a potentially high-flying Aggies offense. After all, he said, expectations rarely match reality.

“Every time you think it’s going to be low-scoring, it ends up being a shootout, and every time you think it’s going to be a shootout, it ends up being low-scoring,” Bobo said. “We just have to prepare for what they do, get our guys ready to play and execute on the 28th when we play them.”

Practice Notes: Green, Rambo Downgraded to Doubtful

Hope gave way to reality Wednesday, as Georgia head coach Mark Richt announced both safety Bacarri Rambo and receiver A.J. Green were likely to miss Saturday’s game against Georgia Tech.

Just a day earlier, Richt said he was confident that Rambo, who suffered a concussion against Auburn two weeks ago, would be ready in time for Tech, but the redshirt freshman was not cleared to play by trainer Ron Courson, putting his chances of playing at almost none.

“Ron just says he’s not ready yet, so he’s not ready,” Richt said. “I don’t think he’ll play.”

The same is true for Green, Georgia’s leading receiver who has missed two of the past three games with varying injuries. A sprained shoulder suffered against Auburn had Green questionable for action already, but with just one practice session remaining before Saturday’s kickoff against the Yellow Jackets, Richt said there was little chance the star receiver would see action.

“My term is hopeful because you hope he makes it, but he’s doubtful, too,” Richt said. “I wouldn’t rule him out, but the chances aren’t very good at all.”

SCARY MOMENT FOR SAMUEL, NORTON

Georgia will be without third-string tailback Richard Samuel for this weekend’s game against Tech after the sophomore collided with walk-on cornerback Christian Norton in practice Tuesday, sending both players to the hospital.

Samuel was running a route in the flat, but after catching the football, Norton delivered a hard hit to the tailback that sent both players to the ground.

“It was a pretty hard collision for both of them, and both of them ended up getting a concussion," Richt said. "For safety sake, we sent them over to the hospital for X-rays and to get looked at.”

Norton was knocked unconscious, and both players suffered concussions and minor neck injuries, Richt said.

None of the injuries were considered severe, and both players were released from the hospital the same day.

“We don’t think either one of them is going to have any kind of long-lasting issues from it but it was scary there for a minute,” Richt said.

Samuel had been Georgia’s starting tailback for much of the season but has seen his playing time dwindle in recent weeks. Still, he was a starter on both the kickoff return unit and punt return unit on special teams.

Richt said he was unsure if either player would be ready for Georgia’s bowl game.

AVOIDING THE RUMOR MILL

Despite rampant speculation about the future of many of Georgia’s assistant coaches, Richt said the energy at practice this week has remained high and players are avoiding the rumors about resignations and terminations on the staff.

“What I’ve found is they’re going to go about as hard as we go,” Richt said. “I think the coaches still kind of make the weather for the guys. If we go out there and we get to work and coach ‘em up and have the same expectations we’ve always had, then they’ll rise to that.”

Of course, the rumors have spread beyond the locker room, and Richt said he’s sure that other schools are using the speculation as a recruiting tool with many top prospects.

“I’m sure people do that, and people are going to use whatever they can use,” he said. “Right now, again, we’ve just got to focus on this ballgame. All these things we’re talking about aren’t going to help us win, so that’s what we’re focusing on right now.”

Georgia’s coaching staff is scheduled to take a furlough day prior to the end of the month as part of the state’s mandatory furloughs, but most are expected to hit the road for the start of the NCAA’s open contact period for recruiting as early as Sunday.

As for addressing those rumors about his assistant coaches, Richt said he’s doing his best not to listen to the rumblings.

“You can’t let public opinion run your program is probably the best way to say it,” Richt said.

EXTRA POINTS

Georgia defensive tackle Jeff Owens was named to the SEC Football Community Service team for his work with Habitat for Humanity, the Boys and Girls Club and numerous other charity organizations.

Sunday Teleconference Notes (11/22)

Not much in terms of concrete answers in Sunday's teleconference with Mark Richt. Here's what was said:

-- Richt called the fumbled kickoff to start the second half the turning point, noting that had Georgia scored, they would have taken a 21-point lead, but giving Kentucky the quick score instead left Georgia up by just seven, allowing the Wildcats to continue working their game plan without adjusting its approach and taking more chances.

-- Richt said neither A.J. Green nor Bacarri Rambo were slam dunks to play this week, but said he was hopeful on both.

-- Georgia will not hold classes this week, which Richt said will be a big advantage for the Bulldogs, who can now go beyond the normal 20 hours of prep time to get ready for Georgia Tech.

-- Richt said they'll do more full-speed tackling in practice this week and work to simulate the types of blocking Georgia Tech does in order to prepare the defense for the task of stopping the Jackets.

-- Richt said Reshad Jones, who was criticized heavily after last year's Tech game, has been Georgia's best perimeter tackler this season.

-- Asked about the postseason picture: "I'm not sure where, but I can promise you we'll be thankful anywhere we get to go."

-- Richt again reiterated that he did not feel the toss sweep was a risky play on the third-and-1 at the 1. He said the toss sweep is a routine part of Georgia's offense and it was reasonable to run it there.

-- After watching the film, he said Washaun Ealey had started his break toward the line too soon on the toss sweep and was in bad position to receive the toss. "Why? I don't know. I'm sure it had something to do with the guy being a true freshman."

-- Regarding the kickoff problems, Richt again went back to the well of the coverage team being too young. He said last year was a good coverage team, but problems with the kicking. This year is good kicking, but a young coverage team ("We've been breaking in a bunch of rookies covering it, so that's been more of the issue"). On the fix: "I would think as time goes on, those boys will get better at what they do and Blair will continue to do well and we ought to be in good shape. But right now we're searching for answers. And also we ran up against a team that really is the finest in the league and probably one of the best in the country, too. So some of the things we try to do really weren't all that effective."

-- On why Georgia has not improved in areas of penalties and turnovers: "The turnover thing has never been like this. That's really the thing that did us in. The penalties -- offensive we had a couple and overcame them, and they didn't really cost us. Well, I think one of them did. Defensively, of course, the penalties hurt us and they continued to score on those drives. But it's definitely been frustrating no doubt. It looked like we had turned the corner last week with the penalties cut down dramatically and winning the turnover ratio was the difference in winning and losing that one. I don't think the penalties got us as much as the turnovers did. If we just don't turn it over and they don't turn it over, I believe we win the ballgame. But that's not what happened."

-- And finally, since there was not an AJC columnist there to pose the question, I asked Richt about the state of the program. My question exactly: "I know you've said that you remain confident in the state of the program, but I think fans see the last 16 games, you have a record of 9-7. What do you say to fans who see the results but don't know what's happening in the locker room?"

His answer: "Well I would just tell them that they need to keep supporting us, keep believing in us and we're going to keep working on our end to make them proud. That's the main thing."

My follow up: "So you would say that the results of the last 16 games are an aberration rather than a sign that the program is not strong?"

His answer: "Well I think that all programs go through some cycles. We've been on a pretty good upswing for quite some time and this year has certainly been a downturn when it comes to record. That's the way I -- I mean, it is what it is. But will we get it back on track and get back to the winning ways we're used to? I think so. I don't think there's any doubt about it."

-- These teleconferences don't make for the easiest back and forth, and clearly Richt wasn't going to start getting into any specifics, so perhaps more follow-up questions would have been a lost cause. But here are four questions I did not get to ask, but would still really like to know:

Why, if he attributes Ealey's mistake to being a true freshman, why they didn't have Caleb King in the game instead?

Why the kickoff coverage team is still a bunch of rookies 11 games into the season?

Beyond the results of this past game, why is it that there have not been improvements on the turnovers or penalties?

What, exactly, makes him so certain that the program will turn things around going forward?

I would like to know those things because I have no doubt those are the things you guys want to know. Whether any of those questions would have come with a reasonable response, I just don't know.

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.”

Practice Notes: Cox Copes With Criticism

Joe Cox swears he hasn’t owned a working computer in 18 months. At times it might have been an inconvenience, but lately, he’s been happy not to have it.

With Georgia’s 4-4 start to the season and Cox’s 12 interceptions to go along with the record, Cox hasn’t had much interest in surfing the Internet to see what fans are saying about his performance.

“Anybody can get on that and talk about sports,” Cox said. “That’s like me going on WebMD and talking like I’m a doctor and telling these guys what they should be doing in hospitals. That’s the least of my worries.”

It’s not that Cox doesn’t understand the concerns of fans. He freely admits that he hasn’t played well, and he said he would have understood if head coach Mark Richt had decided to bench him after last week’s three-interception performance against Florida.

But being at the center of a sea of criticism is no easy task, and the only real option, he said, is to avoid it.

“When you have a bad game, and you go out to eat the following week, you feel like there might be people at the restaurant talking bad about you,” he said. “It’s tough. You don’t want to go out sometimes and be places. I’ve changed so much in my life as far as how much I do and where I go just based on the role that I have on the football team. It’s tough to get used to. You never know how crazy it is until you’re really in that position.”

Cox said he even warns his parents to stay away from message boards and fan blogs after the games. While he can handle the criticism, he said they take it much more personally.
The animosity aimed at Cox reached a new crescendo this week as the Bulldogs dropped their second straight game to Florida, with Cox’s bad throws at the center of the underwhelming performance.

But rather than let his quarterback twist in the wind this week, Richt announced Monday that Cox would remain the starter, citing a unanimous vote among the coaches.

“It means a lot having your coach’s confidence. I’m definitely glad it’s not something I have to answer, and I’m just glad I have another week where I have to play football.”

It hasn’t been the senior year Cox had dreamed of, and the costs of being the starting quarterback at Georgia have been greater than even he expected, but he still wouldn’t trade the job for anything.

“I definitely don’t want to have the plug pulled on me and not play any more for the rest of the year. I have another chance and I want to make the best of it.”

LEARNING ON THE FLY

Freshman Washaun Ealey got the starting nod at tailback for two straight weeks, but a missed block against Florida will likely cost him that role this week. While Ealey continues to run the ball well, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said pass protection remains a concern that’s too big to ignore.

“It’s always a big concern with young backs,” Bobo said. “I do know he knows what to do, he just did not execute the proper techniques of how to block. It was costly in (the last) game … but I think he’ll improve. He’s just got to trust his technique and execute it properly.”

Bobo said Ealey has gotten plenty of advice this week from the Bulldogs’ expected starter, Caleb King.

Last year, King missed a key block against Florida as well and then-running backs coach Tony Ball benched him for the next few games. The punishment was tough, but the lesson was learned, and King improved dramatically during the offseason.

Ealey won’t be benched, he just won’t start. Unlike last season, Georgia’s need for a strong runner outweighs any benefit a stint on the sideline might offer. It’s in stark contrast to the decisions Richt made with another freshman tailback a few years ago.

“That's one of the main reasons why Knowshon (Moreno) ended up redshirting because when it got time to doing those kind of things, especially early on in camp, he was a freshman,” Richt said. “He was struggling at it, and we had three veteran guys, three very proven guys.”

Georgia didn’t have that luxury this season, but Richt doesn’t have any regrets about playing Ealey, who waited until the fifth game of the season before seeing action. It simply means that the Bulldogs will have to take the good with the bad as Ealey learns on the field.

“This time around,” Richt said, “we are playing the freshman and kind of taking some of the lumps."

WILLING TO WAIT

With four games remaining and the chances of an SEC East crown now gone, Richt said this week he plans to keep shooting for wins this season rather than giving additional playing time to some younger players as preparation for the future.

While the decision met with mixed reviews from fans, Georgia’s up-and-comers aren’t complaining about the veterans keeping their jobs.

“In every sport there’s always a person pushing for a starting spot, but I don’t believe there’s any jealousy amongst the players that would make a younger player think he wants to move an older player out,” said sophomore linebacker Marcus Dowtin, who has seen his role increase as the season has progressed. “We compete at practice every day, and the coaches will make the best decisions.”

Baccari Rambo has earned more playing time each week, too, but has so far been unable to push senior Bryan Evans from the starting lineup at safety. While Rambo said he would love the starting job, he said he respects his coaches for giving the veterans a chance to turn things around.

“I think by Coach Richt supporting the veterans, when I get my time, that’ll happen to me,” Rambo said. “When they make mistakes, I try to learn from them. I think it’s a great thing how Coach Richt supports the veterans and lets them try to get better and correct their mistakes.”

HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM

Defensive end Justin Houston is doubtful for Saturday’s game after suffering a hyperextended elbow last week, and Richt said there will likely be a rotation of players filling the void.

Cornelius Washington, Montez Robinson and Kiante Tripp are likely to each see a bump in playing time against Tennessee Tech if Houston missed the game, Richt said. Tripp has been inactive for the past six games after seeing some early action, due mostly to a shoulder injury that has hindered his progress since moving from the offensive line in January.

“He was working his way into some playing time early on, and then the injuries set him back for a long time,” Richt said. “Being injured that long, it’s just hard to snap your fingers and be right back where you were. … But I’ve seen a lot of effort an energy out of him this week, that’s for sure.”

MORE BAD BLOOD?

Florida coach Urban Meyer announced Wednesday that linebacker Brandon Spikes would sit out all of the Gators' game against Vanderbilt this week as punishment for attempting to gouge the eyes of Georgia tailback Washaun Ealey. Meyer had originally only suspended Spikes for the first half.

But while Spikes' punishment was increased, Meyer also noted that Georgia linebacker Nick Williams had hit quarterback Tim Tebow late on a play and should have been flagged. Meyer brought the hit to the attention of the SEC head of officials this week but did not disclose the league's response. Richt said that after reviewing the film, Meyer's critique was correct.

For his part, Williams said he was unaware that Meyer had sent the tape to the SEC, but said the hit was just part of the game and was not intentional.

"I was just trying to make a play," Williams said. "Tebow is a great player, and it's obvious you better get him on the ground or he's going to spark something. I was just trying to make a play, and I didn't think anything of it. I wasn't trying to hurt him or anything, I was just out there playing."

NOT-SO-BREAKING NEWS

Defensive end Neland Ball hasn't been a participant in practice since the preseason, and Wednesday we found out why.

Richt announced that Ball had been given a medical disqualification in September, but the news had not been officially released.

Ball, a redshirt sophomore, played in five games in 2008. He missed all of spring practice this year with a tendon injury in his knee, but it was a chronic back problem that brought about the medical DQ.

BOLING BACK

Left tackle Clint Boling suffered a knee injury against Florida last week, but Richt said the junior should be available this week.

"Boling is fine," Richt said. "He was able to go with no limitations (at practice) today."

Practice Notes: Dawgs Look to Jump Start Running Game

There have been plenty of problems on offense in the past three games for Georgia, but the biggest stumbling block has been the team’s inability to run the football.

Against Tennessee last week, the Bulldogs mustered just 89 yards rushing – more than half of which came in the fourth quarter after the Volunteers had the game well in hand – and for the season, their ground game ranks 104th in the country.

With those kinds of numbers, quarterback Joe Cox said, getting the rest of the offense to click can be a difficult task.

“It is tough just because a lot of people feel that they can just come at us when we’re in passing situations, especially once you get down,” Cox said. “It’s tough when you feel like you’ve become one-dimensional and we definitely need to pick up our running game.”

Turning around the moribund rushing attack has been a mystery to Georgia’s coaches so far. In six games, five different players have tallied the day’s longest run, and while Richard Samuel has started each game, Georgia has relied heavily on four different runners already.

“No one has really stood out. No one has really asserted himself to the point where he’s our guy,” head coach Mark Richt said. “No one really has made the offensive line look better than maybe they are blocking at times. We have pretty much been getting what we’ve been blocking for, which statistically hasn’t been a whole heck of a lot.”

Samuel will get another shot this week to prove he can handle the load, but Richt said he doesn’t expect anyone to get a bulk of the work. Still, of all the backs, Samuel has met with the most consistent success – even if that hasn’t been much.

“His deal is confidence,” offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. “Coming into this year, he had a lot of expectations on him, and he kind of takes everything to heart sometimes when he doesn’t have success. But we think he’s a talented back, and we think he’s got to help us in the run game for us to be successful.”

For any of Georgia’s backs to be successful, however, the blocking up front needs to improve. While the Bulldogs’ offensive line has been reshuffled due to injuries since the start of the year, Bobo said the bottom line remains attitude.

“We need to play with more passion up front, we need to finish blocks and we need to have a sense of urgency when we’re running the football,” Bobo said. “That’s offensive linemen, that’s tight ends and that’s running backs. You’ve got to take pride in it, and you’ve got to play hard and physical.”

While there haven’t been many highlights, there have been glimpses of what the tailbacks and the line can do when everything clicks into place this season, highlighted by an 80-yard run for Samuel against Arkansas.

That’s what has been so maddening, Cox said, but it also offers some hope for improvement down the line.

“That’s probably been the most frustrating thing is that we know it’s there but it hasn’t been working,” Cox said. “It’s something that we got to just keep chipping away at. We know we have good backs, we know we have a good line and we just got to get it going so we know we can do it.”

FIGGINS TAKES REDSHIRT

Junior tight end Bruce Figgins missed the first six games of the season following a suspension for a violation of team rules, but he decided this week that he’ll instead sit out the entire season.

Figgins underwent offseason shoulder surgery, but he said the redshirt decision was based on more than health. Having already missed half the season, Figgins decided it was best to finish his rehabilitation and start with a clean slate in 2010.

“There’s pros and cons to either, but Coach Richt came to the conclusion that I should take a red shirt and we’re rolling with that, and I’m looking forward to next year,” Figgins said.

While the decision was ultimately Figgins’, he said he got input from family, friends and his coaches before signing off on the plan. He said the success of freshman Orson Charles and sophomore Aron White at tight end this season didn’t factor into his final decision.

“The coaches put in their input, but I was the last to decide,” Figgins said. “I was the last say so.”

KIDS TO SEE MORE ACTION

With Georgia’s hopes of a conference title nearly vanished, Richt said he isn’t giving up on the season, but he may give some of the younger players a chance to see a bit more action.

Richt said redshirt freshman Baccari Rambo will see an increase in his playing time at safety, establishing a three-man rotation with Bryan Evans and Reshad Jones.

Freshman Branden Smith should see more work at corner, too, spelling senior Prince Miller.

Richt said his two freshman receivers, Marlon Brown and Rantavious Wooten had earned more playing time, too, following Brown’s first significant action of the season last week.

“Marlon is smoothing out his game, I guess is the best way to put it,” Richt said. “He is a talent, he just needed to get more reps to become a smooth competitor, a smooth receiver. He has proved to be a pretty tenacious blocker. You can tell he wants it, you can tell he’s getting better. He has earned a right to play more snaps for us and hopefully he’ll get more opportunities to catch the ball because he has good hands.”

INJURY UPDATES

Tavarres King and Caleb King each returned to limited practice Tuesday after both missed last week’s game with concussions.

Caleb King figures to be in the mix at tailback, where Bobo said there will be an open competition for carries this week.

Tavarres King expects to step back into his role as the team’s starting receiver opposite A.J. Green. King’s absence last week left Georgia with just five healthy receivers, and watching his offense struggle without him was difficult, he said.

“It hurt really bad watching my teammates and wanting to be out there,” he said.
While neither player participated in contact drills Tuesday, Tavarres King said he’s on track to play against Vanderbilt.

“I did everything that I could, just limited contact,” he said. “I expect to play.”

Cornerback Vance Cuff saw limited action last week following a knee injury, but Richt said he should get in a full week of practice this week and is in line for an increased role on defense against the Commodores.

Linebackers Akeem Dent and Marcus Dowtin are both unlikely to play this week, Richt said. Both are expected back after the team’s off week.

DAWGS DON’T DO DOME

After some speculation earlier this month that Georgia could move its annual matchup against in-state rival Georgia Tech to the Georgia Dome for the 2011 season opener, athletics director Damon Evans said Tuesday that the school had decided against the plan.

“After careful consideration, we did not think in the final analysis it was in the best interest of our football program to play the game as a season opener in 2011,” Evans said. “I think the most significant factor was that we did not want to give up the home game that year and make a change in the current home game rotation with Georgia Tech.”

SHADES OF GRAY?

With Cox struggling in his past three games, Richt said there was a chance backup quarterback Logan Gray could see more work in the coming weeks.

Richt was quick to endorse Cox as his starter, but he wouldn’t rule out handing a series or two to Gray as a change of pace.

“He’s been practicing well the past two weeks, I know that,” Richt said. “I wouldn’t say that’s out of the question.”

Gray ran Georgia’s offense on its final two drives against Tennessee, completing just 1-of-4 passes for six yards. The Bulldogs did have their most success running the football when Gray was in the game, however.

“Logan’s done a nice job,” Bobo said. “He’s done an extremely good job getting better as a quarterback. I think he’s ready if he gets into the game. Obviously if we continue to struggle, he could be something that could spark our offense.”

REPEAT PERFORMANCE

Georgia doesn't have to look too far into the past to find a template for how the rest of its season could unfold.

The Bulldogs were 5-4 following four losses in five games 2006, but rebounded to beat three straight ranked teams, including a Chick-fil-A Bowl victory over Virginia Tech.

While a turnaround of that magnitude may still be a long way off, Cox said the team may actually be in better shape to accomplish the feat this season.

“I think our unity is better than 2006, and I think we could end up having a better season than 2006, but as far as hitting a tough stretch and how everything is around you, it’s about the same," Cox said. "People around here are used to winning. We’ve had some really successful teams the past nine years, and people expect us to win every game. We do, too. And when it doesn’t happen, everybody’s mad, including us. It’s something that does remind me of 2006, but it’s something we can definitely get turned around and have a successful season.”

The key to the improvement down the stretch in 2006 was tenacity, Richt said. While demands for immediate changes to the coaching staff and player personnel by fans followed the Bulldogs' most recent defeat at Tennssee, Richt said the dedication of his coaches and players will be the turning point in whether the Bulldogs can rebound this season.

“It’s hard to measure a team’s ability to withstand pressure," he said. "I think a lot of teams fold under that kind of pressure. A lot of coaching staffs fold under that kind of pressure and we never did. We were very resilient. We were very persistent. We stayed the course. We didn’t make a bunch of wholesale changes, whether it was players, coaches or anything like that. We just kept grinding, we kept banging away. You just never know how close you are to success until you live it out."

EXTRA POINTS

-- I know I said I'd have some commentary from Rennie Curran on the defensive effort, but it turned out to be a little more than a note. I'll have the full text tomorrow.

A few notes on the basketball teams from today's preseason news conference:

-- Travis Leslie is cleared to play this season, according to coach Mark Fox. Leslie missed the tail end of last season for academic reasons.

-- Albert Jackson is wearing a cast to protect an injured finger, but Fox said he'll be ready to practice when camp opens Friday.

-- Ricky McPhee was given a scholarship for his senior season, as was Tyler Whatley.

-- Dustin Ware on Trey Thompkins: "Trey is looking like he’s just ready to be a monster this year. He came back and I almost didn’t recognize him his body looked so good."

-- On the women's side, Angel Robinson had to have her knee scoped, but Andy Landers said she should be ready to practice fully before the season begins.

-- Landers also said he expects all seven of his freshmen to play significantly this season.

Practice Notes: King Likely Out For Tennessee

Caleb King’s return to the lineup for Georgia may have been short lived.

The tailback, who missed the first two games of the season with a hamstring injury, suffered broken jaw and a concussion following a hit in the fourth quarter of Georgia’s loss to LSU last week, and head coach Mark Richt said King was doubtful to play this week against Tennessee.

“There’s a concussion that he also had from the shot that he took, and that’s probably more of a concern right now,” Richt said. “He can’t do anything until the concussion symptoms clear. As soon as they clear, I think they would let him practice immediately with the no-contact and they might OK him to play as early as this week. I don’t think that’s out of the question, but it’s probably not likely.”

King had just seven yards on eight carries last week, but added 30 yards receiving and had been Georgia’s most successful runner in each of the previous two games.

The jaw injury will not require a wire, however, and Richt said there is hope the injury could heal quickly.

“There are different kinds of fractures,” Richt said. “This one the doctors don’t feel will need any type of surgery, and actually, they feel like relatively soon we can protect him to the point where he can play. So it’s not a season-ending thing by any stretch. It might be a stretch to say this week, but we’re not really counting that out.”

True freshman Washaun Ealey saw his first action of the season prior to King’s injury and was the only Bulldogs runner to meet with any type of success against a stout LSU defense.

Still, Richt said he expects Richard Samuel to be the starter this week, just as he has been in each of Georgia’s first five games.

That doesn’t mean Ealey won’t play often, regardless of King’s status, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said, and while the freshman was off the field in most passing situations last week, he could see a far bigger role against Tennessee.

“We wanted his first time out of the box put him in a situation where he could be successful and not rattle him with something where he wasn’t successful and would lose confidence,” Bobo said. “But he’s very capable.”

DOWTIN GOES DOWN

Linebacker Marcus Dowtin underwent surgery on a torn ligament in his left ring finger Sunday and said he won’t be available for this week’s game.

Dowtin started two games this season and is third on the Bulldogs in tackles with 26. He sat out all of Tuesday’s practice, and said he’s unlikely to resume contact this week. Dowtin said he hopes to be available in time for Georgia’s Oct. 17 game against Vanderbilt.

“I’m just rehabbing, trying to take it easy on my hand so I can come back next week full go,” Dowtin said.

Christian Robinson and Marcus Washington have handled the majority of the second-team reps at middle linebacker in Dowtin’s absence.

TIME FOR A CHANGE

There were no hard feelings a day after SEC officials admitted a mistake in flagging receiver A.J. Green for an excessive celebration penalty that helped cost Georgia crucial field position in the loss to LSU, Richt said, but that doesn’t mean the issue will go away.

After three players – Green, Orson Charles and LSU’s Charles Scott – were flagged for celebration penalties in last week’s game, Richt said he thinks it’s time that the SEC considers changing the rule, which prohibits players from any gestures officials believe calls attention to themselves or is unsportsmanlike toward an opponent.

“I think it might be time to look at that and say we just have to be careful not to take the joy out of the game for the players and the ability to celebrate something good,” Richt said.

Green was flagged following a go-ahead touchdown with 1:09 left to play. He immediately celebrated with teammates and made no overt gestures following the play, but the referees still called an infraction.

Because the rule is so vague and can so easily be interpreted differently by different officials, quarterback Joe Cox said it essentially forces players to minimize their emotions during the game.

“I do think sometimes it takes away from the emotion that you play with,” Cox said. “Football is an emotional game, and it’s tough when you try to have emotion with your teammates and not try to disrespect the other team, but there’s people trying to get you to stop. I don’t think it’s something that should be penalized.”

STILL A BIG GAME

This week’s meeting between Georgia and Tennessee marks the first time the two teams have faced off while neither was ranked in the top 25 since 1937. But with the Bulldogs coming off an emotional loss to No. 4 LSU last week and the Volunteers still looking for their first SEC win, linebacker Rennie Curran said he has no doubt the players are still treating it as a big game.

“It’s a huge game every time out two teams meet up,” Curran said. “There is a lot of tradition involved, a lot of emotions and goals that can be achieved for whoever wins. It is going to be a big game for both teams.”

BIG CHANGES AREN'T LIKELY

A week after Georgia's porous kick coverage cost the Bulldogs a win over LSU, Richt said he isn't expecting any major changes to how Georgia prepares its special teams.

“It’s very, very difficult as far as time," Richt said. "We are crammed to the gill on this 20-hour rule. Every minute is accounted for and even if you add five minutes to that team, you are going to pull five from something else. Whoever is losing that five minutes is screaming and squawking and rightfully so because they feel like they don’t have enough time to get it just like they want it."

Richt said he believes Georgia already spends more time practicing and meeting with special teams units than most programs, but admits that the lack of experience -- particularly on the kickoff coverage unit -- has been costly.

"We are very, very immature on that team," Richt said. "We have too many young guys side-by-side on those teams, on the kickoff coverage team in particular it’s probably the youngest bunch we’ve ever had out there."

Richt pointed to injuries to special teams stalwarts like Chad Gloer, who missed last week with a hamstring injury, as one reason for the problems, but he said the biggest solution will simply be giving the younger players time to develop.

"You only get good at something through experience," Richt said. "You hate to have bad things happen to you in the process, but they have. … We have to continue to work on our consistency on the hang time and ball placement and guys’ abilities to basically execute what’s being coached.”

With so many young players forced into the special teams units, another option could be involving more of the veterans from Georgia's first- and second-team offense and defense. But that creates a new set of problems, Richt said, which makes the option unlikely.

"Some people think you can just throw a guy in there and all of a sudden he’s good," Richt said. "There is technique involved in that just like there is technique involved in playing linebacker or anyone else. It’s not that easy just to throw someone in there. All that stuff takes reps and time to get better at."

MORE TO COME

Redshirt freshman safety Baccari Rambo has seen his playing time increase each of the past two weeks, and that's a trend that Richt said will continue as the season progresses.

“Rambo is playing well, he’s tackling well, he’s gaining confidence on special teams and at the safety position," Richt said. "He’s got ball skills and he’s got a pick. He just deserves to play. I think it’s good for him, Reshad and Bryan if he gets more reps. You just don’t want those two safeties to get every single rep. I think we’ll see more of Baccari.”

TOP TACKLER

After a career-best 16 tackles against LSU, linebacker Rennie Curran broadened his SEC lead in takedowns to 10 over Vanderbilt's Chris Marve.

The 16-tackle game was a nice highlight, he said, but it was hardly a personal best despite being the high-water mark since arriving at Georgia.

"Going back to high school, I made about 20 tackles a game, so that's something I always strive for," Curran said. "I don't even set limits for myself. I just try to get as many tackles as I can to help this team win. If I have to make 20 or 30, I'm going to do it."

Curran now has 56 tackles through five games after finishing last season with 115, the most by a Bulldogs defender since 1998.

While he said finishing the year as the SEC's top tackler is an honor he's shooting for, it's not his top priority.

“It would be a great accomplishment because when you work hard at something, you want to see results," he said. "It would be awesome. But at the same time, if our defense isn’t well respected in the league and well respected nationally, it wouldn’t mean much to me.”

CALEB'S HIT NOT UNCOMMON

Richt said he had not seen the video of the hit that injured tailback Caleb King but was made aware by several media members Tuesday that it appeared to be an illegal tackle.

Richt said he would investigate it further, but said that hits like the one on King happen often throughout the course of a game and are usually not made maliciously.

“If you watch film you see those kind of shots every single day, every single game," Richt said. "It’s not that unusual to have that. If you are tackling a runner, you have to stick your face at the guy and sometimes a runner at the last second drops his head. There are so many times helmets hit. But again I’ve not seen the shot, so I couldn’t tell you. From what I understand he played after the tackle.”

Practice Notes: Samuel's Job In Jeopardy

Richard Samuel figured to lose some carries after Caleb King returned to the lineup for the first time this season against Arkansas, but after two fumbles during the game, Samuel could be in danger of losing his starting job.

“I don’t know if we are ready to move him from the No. 1 position, but I would say if that kind of thing continued, we’d have to really consider whether or not he should start for us,” head coach Mark Richt said. “You can’t have two a game, that’s for sure, and continue to play the kind of football you need to to win.

Samuel had the first 100-yard game of his career against Arkansas, picking up 104 yards on 16 carries, including one for an 80-yard touchdown, but he coughed the ball up in crucial situations twice.

In the first quarter, Samuel mishandled a pitch from quarterback Joe Cox that was recovered by Arkansas to set up a touchdown. In the second half, Samuel lost the football after being hit at the end of a run. He scrambled to recover the ball, scooping it into his chest before the Razorbacks could grasp control.

Ball security has been an ongoing issue for the sophomore tailback, who had problems with fumbles last season, including one on the first carry of his career. Coaches had hoped Samuel had rectified the issue during preseason practice this year, but the tailback said he still has some work to do.

“I approach it as focusing more on the ball itself – the little fundamentals of protecting the ball and looking the ball in,” Samuel said.

Complicated the backfield situation further was the strong performance by King in his first action of the season. The sophomore ran for 59 yards on 11 carries, often looking more explosive than Samuel.

“There will definitely be a plan to play both of them,” Richt said. “Caleb did very well. He ran the ball well. He pass protected well and secured the ball well. He showed no signs of the hamstring becoming an issue for him, so it was a very good performance.”

King said he was excited about regaining a key role in the offense, but he said running backs coach Bryan McClendon has not indicated how the carries might be split this week.

CHANGES IN STORE

After his defense allowed 41 points against Arkansas – a second straight lackluster performance – defensive coordinator Willie Martinez said some changes could be in store.

Arkansas had numerous big plays, and Georgia struggled to stop the opposing passing game for the second straight week. The Bulldogs have allowed 721 passing yards in the past two games, and nearly all of the members of the defensive backfield have been beaten at least once, and Martinez said he thinks it’s time to see what some of his younger players can do.

“We’re going to get some other guys some more opportunities,” Martinez said. “We’ve got some young players we’re trying to get in there.”

Redshirt freshman Sanders Commings will see action at both safety and cornerback, Martinez said, while Baccari Rambo has earned additional playing time at safety as well.

“We’re going to play Baccari Rambo more,” Martinez said. “I should have played him more in this past ballgame just because of the amount of reps.”


DENT, DEWBERRY QUESTIONABLE

For the second straight week, Georgia played without two of its top linebackers, as Darius Dewberry and Akeem Dent missed the game against Arkansas, both with sore hamstrings. Martinez said both could miss this week’s contest against Arizona State as well.

“We’d like to have them back, but they’re still questionable,” Martinez said. “We hope to get them back, because it’s important.”

Dewberry and Nick Williams missed the game against South Carolina two weeks ago, but while Williams was able to return last week, Dent was a surprise scratch.

The absence of the veteran linebacker was obvious, Rennie Curran said, as the use of several younger players caused some problems in coverage.

“There were plays that could have been made that he normally would have made if he was out there,” Curran said of Dent. “We’ve got young guys in that were a little confused at times, and that’s going to happen when a guy goes down.”

Despite Martinez’s cautious approach, Curran said he was optimistic Dent could be ready to play this weekend.

“I feel like he’ll be able to come back this week,” he said. “He’s a warrior, and he fights through everything.”

MORE INJURY NEWS

It looked much worse than it actually was when cornerback Vance Cuff was helped off the field in the second half against Arkansas last week. Cuff suffered an MCL sprain and is day to day, and the junior didn’t participate in Tuesday’s practice.

Despite his absence, Richt said he remained optimistic that Cuff could be ready for Saturday’s home date with the Sun Devils.

“At this point, I’d say it’s possible that he plays,” Richt said. “We’re more hopeful than not. If he can’t do anything at all tomorrow, we’d probably get a little discouraged, but (trainer) Ron (Courson) feels like he is going to have a chance.”

LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES

With Cuff potentially missing time, freshman Branden Smith could see increased action this week.

Smith was beaten badly for a long touchdown against Arkansas last week, but Martinez said the freshman speedster has taken a good approach to the bad play.

“It’s not something you want to see what happened to him in the game Saturday, but he is really working hard," Martinez said. "He’s talented and excited, and he gets better each day, each week. So I’m excited about him.”

THAT'S MUCH BETTER

Two weeks ago, Joe Cox did all he could to avoid the critics. This week, he's relishing the spotlight after tying a team record with five touchdown passes and leading the Bulldogs to their second straight come-from-behind win.

“It’s a lot different just being in Athens after you win," Cox said. "You go places, and everybody wants to pat you on the back. After a loss, you don’t even want to go out of your house. You don’t want to go out to eat and be seen in places because you know people are probably talking about you."

Of course, Cox hasn't forgotten those low points either, nor is he trying to. In fact, he said he's used the criticism as motivation.

"Anybody who's a competitor, if you have people saying you're not good, you want to play good," Cox said. "That's something I say to myself before every game is that these people don't think I'm any good. It's been driving our offense, too, since Week 1. Everybody says we have a terrible offense, we don't have Knowshon and Matthew, it's the end of the world, we're not going to be able to score any points for the rest of the season. Obviously, we want to prove people wrong."

So far, so good. The Bulldogs have posted 93 points in their past two games -- their highest total in a two-game stretch since 2004. More importantly, the team is winning, and that's a while lot more fun than the alternative.

"We know what it feels like to lose, we know what it feels like to win, and we definitely want to keep winning,” Cox said.

ANCHORS AWAY

Richt said there are two big weights holding his team back -- turnovers and penalties.

And always the storyteller, Richt had his own analogy for the coaching staff's approach to the issues.

“I always make the analogy of the team being a train," Richt said. "You want to get that train on the track and you want to get it rolling down the track and gain momentum and energy as you go. … We are getting it rolling pretty good, but I think we’ll roll a whole lot faster if we don’t have the two anchors out the back of the caboose that are stuck in the ground dragging behind us, and that is our turnover ratio is very poor and penalties have cropped up on us. If we can just cut those anchors lose, I think we will fly even better and if we just improve in those two areas, I think everything will improve.”

Knox Headed to GMC

Mark Richt didn't mention any problems with grades when I spoke to him earlier this week, but as it turns out, one player didn't make the cut. Safety John Knox will transfer to Georgia Military College for academic reasons. Here's the UGA release...

University of Georgia redshirt sophomore free safety John Knox of Statesboro will transfer to Georgia Military College (GMC) for academic considerations according to Bulldog head coach Mark Richt.

Knox will begin classes at GMC this month. He played in 12 games in 2008 recording eight total tackles.

Knox was Georgia's second most experienced safety behind Reshad Jones after serving as the primary (and at times, only) backup last season. He's a good hitter with solid speed, but was far from consistent. Still, he made some nice progress last year.

So what does this mean?

Well, for one, it means Bryan Evans better be ready. Evans already appeared to have the inside edge on the starting job after moving from corner to safety late last season, but now it's all but guaranteed that he'll be the man. He looked good in Georgia's bowl game and was a strong leader this spring, according to everyone I spoke with, so he appears up to the challenge.

It also means Quintin Banks needs to stay healthy. Banks figured to play the role Knox did last year, but missed all but one game with various injuries. He didn't see much action this spring either, but could easily fill the void left by Knox if he's back to 100 percent by fall.

And it probably means we'll see a good bit of Baccari Rambo, the scout team QB extraordinaire, who earned very positive reviews from teammates this spring. Rambo is young and, after redshirting last year, has no game-day experience, but there's a lot of talent and athleticism there, and he's gotten a lot bigger since he arrived.

All in all, this could be a lot worse. There's no one with quite as much experience as Knox to step in, but there's no shortage of players who could easily handle the job.

Don't be too surprised, either, if we see Knox back in a year, a la Akeem Hebron.