Practice Notes: Richt Mum on Jax Deal

One of the offseason’s most controversial topics for debate took another step toward being settled Wednesday when Georgia’s athletics association board of directors approved a recommendation by athletics director Damon Evans to continue negotiations to keep the annual game between the Bulldogs and Florida Gators in Jacksonville, Fla.

The current contract for the game runs through next season, sparking debate that the venue could be changed – either moving it to Atlanta on a permanent basis or alternating between the two cities.

Georgia coach Mark Richt said during the offseason that he felt Florida had a distinct advantage by playing closer to its campus, but after the board’s decision Wednesday, he was taking a more political stance.

“My only focus on that game or any game is just trying to win it, and not really being too concerned about where it’s being played,” Richt said. “So any question that you ask me about the game, that will be my answer. Refer to answer No. 1.”

While negotiations with the city of Jacksonville remain ongoing, Evans endorsed the status quo during a quarterly meeting with the athletics association’s board of directors Wednesday, saying that the current venue offers significant benefits for both the school and the fanbase.

“An extraordinary amount of study has been done on the various options available and a great deal of input has been gathered,” Evans said. “After all the fact-gathering and evaluation of those factors, I’m convinced that moving forward with discussions on extending the contract in Jacksonville is the appropriate way to go.”

In May, Richt told fans at a Bulldog Club meeting that he thought the current set-up was inequitable for Georgia, which has lost 15 of the past 18 matchups with Florida – 16 of which occurred in Jacksonville.

“When people ask me the question, ‘Do you really think (Jacksonville) is a neutral site?’, I say, ‘No, it’s not neutral,’” Richt said at the meeting, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “When you play in the state of Florida every year –- we fly, they drive; it’s hotter for us, it’s cooler for them. It’s played in a stadium that (used to be called) the Gator Bowl. But what the heck? If nothing else, we’ll make Jacksonville pay more to keep it there. . . . I wouldn’t feel bad having a ‘neutral site’ game in Georgia – in the Georgia Dome.”

Richt has since backed off those statements and refused to comment further about the issue.
Meanwhile, Evans said he thought continuing to play the game in Jacksonville would provide significant recognition for Georgia, assist in recruiting and provide a boost to the economy in the southern part of the state.

Richt said he has not had recent conversations with Evans about the issue.

“Not any time in recent times,” Richt said. “There’s been discussions over the years but I’m really more concerned about trying to win the game than where it’s being played.”

KING, SAMUEL TO SEE SPLIT

After Caleb King made a successful return to the playing field following a six-week absence with a hamstring injury and incumbent Richard Samuel fumbled twice in Georgia’s win over Arkansas last week, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said the decision on who would start at tailback was “still yet to be determined.”

Samuel ran for an 80-yard touchdown in the game, but had just 24 yards on his 15 other carries, two of which ended with fumbles. King picked up 59 yards on 11 carries in the game and earned praise for his improved pass blocking.

Bobo said the likely scenario will be that both players will see action early.

“I think it a lot depends on how they’re running the football,” Bobo said. “I think both guys will get equal amount early on and if we feel one guy is hotter than the other, I think we’ll stick with him.”

MURRAY TO REDSHIRT?

Freshman quarterback Aaron Murray is sitting out of practice for the second straight week with triceps tendonitis, and Bobo said that doesn’t bode well for his chances at avoiding a redshirt.

“He’s still not practicing,” Bobo said when asked if Murray would earn a redshirt. “Yeah, I would say so. He hasn’t practice in over two weeks. Right now, he’s not playing.”

Richt was more cautious in his approach, saying that there was still a chance Murray could play this season.

The same is true of several of Georgia’s other freshman who have yet to see playing time, including tailback Washaun Ealey and linebacker Chase Vasser.

“I’m pushing that decision closer to Week 6,” Richt said. “If you had some injury situations or promoted a guy to first or second team and you know he’s going to get considerable reps every game, I think getting him in the last six games is worth it. It might be worth it with just four to go, especially if you’re in contention for an SEC title.”

GETTING SOME REST

Left tackle Vince Vance sat out of Tuesday’s practice with some soreness in his left knee. Vance missed the latter half of last season following ACL surgery on the knee, but Bobo said the recent soreness was nothing to be concerned about.

“It’s just natural for any guy coming off an knee injury to have some soreness, and you’ve got to work through that,” Bobo said. “He practiced (Wednesday) and looked fine.”

Cordy Glenn worked at left tackle during Tuesday’s practice, and Bobo said Glenn worked there for significant snaps during Georgia’s game against Arkansas last week, with Chris Davis subbing in for Glenn at left guard. Bobo said Vance will start this week’s game, however, with Glenn at guard and Davis coming off the bench.

HE’S NO SLOUCH

Like every Wednesday, quarterback Joe Cox didn’t throw a pass during yesterday’s practice. A nerve problem in his throwing shoulder causes pain during many everyday activities, and coaches have decided an extra day of rest could mean a stronger arm on game day.

But despite the reduced role during practice, Cox said he’s hardly taking the day off. While he may not be throwing passes, he said he’s staying involved in everything else that’s happening on the practice field.

“It’s not like I come out there in my street clothes and just watch,” Cox said. “I practice. There are some periods where I’ll still do the pass plays, I just won’t throw. I’ll take my drop and act like I’m going to throw, just won’t throw it. It’s not a day off of practice. It’s just a day off from throwing.”

NO HARM DONE

Georgia’s back-to-back shootout wins have created a renewed round of criticism for defensive coordinator Willie Martinez, whose unit struggled down the stretch last season and has allowed 78 points in the past two games this year.

While the cries for Martinez’s job have worked to galvanize some players, Richt said the ire from fans rarely seeps into the coaches’ offices.

“I think people don’t understand how busy we are,” Richt said. “We are working our tails off. I would guess we are working somewhere around 80 hours a week. We are looking at the next opponent. We are getting prepared for the next game and trying to correct any mistakes that we made in this game, but we are moving forward and constantly doing that. We don’t get too caught up in that kind of thing.”

For his part, Martinez knows the criticism, but he’s not taking it to heart. He admits he needs to have his players better prepared than they have been the past two games, but said his time is best spent coaching rather than addressing the critics.

“I don’t pay attention to it, but obviously it’s not fun playing this kind of defense,” Martinez said. “I’m very happy that we won. … You want to do whatever you can to help the team win, and we want to play better defense. So yeah, we’re not happy about it.”

While Richt isn’t settling for how the defense has performed the past two games, he said it’s far more important that Georgia won the ballgames and that the team hasn’t splintered amid the criticism.

“We are a very, very strong team,” Richt said. “You are not going to see anyone pointing fingers. You are not going to see anyone do anything other than encourage their teammate and their fellow coach. That’s just the way we’ve been operating here for the last nine years and that’s not going to change.”

PASSING FANCY

Georgia’s defense has been stout against the run this season – but perhaps a little too stout.
While the Bulldogs have held opposing tailbacks far below their season averages in each of their three games this season, defensive end Demarcus Dobbs said that the focus on stopping the run has allowed offenses to take advantage through the air.

“Our defense is centered on stopping the run first, but we are so focused on stopping the run that we have to do a better job at converting to pass rush and getting to the quarterback,” Dobbs said.

The excessive focus on the run has left Georgia particularly prone to play-action passes by the offense, and Dobbs said that was a particular problem in recent weeks as South Carolina and Arkansas combined for 721 yards through the air. More than 70 percent of the offensive plays the opposition has run the past two weeks have been passing plays.

“A lot of teams kill us with play action because we’re so zoned into the run,” Dobbs said. “Play action will kill a defense and we have to learn to convert and get into the quarterback’s face, even if it isn’t a sack, but just to alter his throws a little bit so our DBs can make a play.”

That’s an ongoing process, Dobbs said, but it starts with preparation in the film room and at practice.

“It will come with experience and being able to read stats better and studying their offensive line,” Dobbs said. “It just goes by reading stances, reading the way the linemen are blocking, if they’re giving half-effort blocks and heading down the line and not advancing upfield, you should be able to see that with your eyes and convert into a pass rush.”

NO LOVE FOR LOVE

Freshman cornerback Jordan Love has yet to play this season due to a toe injury he originally suffered in high school. While Richt hoped the injury would heal with rest, the answer isn’t quite so clear now.

“He’s not recovering well enough to where he’s close to playing and I still don’t know if this will require some surgery ultimately,” Richt said. “We’re trying to get it to where he could play this season, but as time’s rolling on it may take a repair to get him right.”

EXTRA POINTS

Richt said linebacker Darius Dewberry would likely return to action this week after missing the past two games. Akeem Dent, who missed action during the preseason with a sore hamstring and sat out last week’s win over Arkansas, is unlikely to play this week, Richt said.

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.”

Practice Notes: Dawgs Getting Impatient

It has been three weeks since Georgia started fall camp, and the grueling pace of practice is starting to wear on the players.

It's not that the Bulldogs are easing up, it's just that they're getting tired of tackling each other.

"I think we're just ready to play somebody else," quarterback Joe Cox said. "You come out of camp and it's kind of a relief, but you're really still in it, you just have school to go along with it."

A year ago, Georgia was already into the game-planning phase for its opener, but this August, the team has an additional week to prepare for its first game of the season against Oklahoma State.

On the positive side, it's an extra week to get ready for what promises to be one of Georgia's toughest opening-week opponents in years. The downside, however, is that all the reps in practice are starting to get a little dull.

"We're ready to hit that phase where we're game planning and worrying about other teams and going other places rather than just coming out and doing the same things every day," Cox said.

After three weeks of the most grueling preseason senior Jeff Owens can remember, however, the extra week of practice time isn't so much about preparation as it is about rejuvenation.

"This extra week will help guys get their legs back up under them," Owens said. "I think we can just go out and work on our fundamentals and get better, make sure everyone knows the scheme of the defense."

THE SUM OF THEIR PARTS

Richt offered a ringing endorsement to sophomore Richard Samuel on Friday, saying the tailback was firmly atop Georgia's depth chart. But while Samuel hopes to approach the 1,400 rushing yards compiled by Knowshon Moreno a year ago, the plan for replacing the 33 receptions and nearly 400 receiving yards Moreno added is still likely to be a committee approach.

"I think we're kind of going to pull from everybody to get certain aspects of what Knowshon did," Cox said. "Richard's a hard runner, kind of a bruiser and he gets open, but it's not like he has incredible ball skills."

Samuel caught just two passes for 11 yards as a freshman, numbers likely to increase with additional playing time this season. Still, fellow tailbacks Caleb King and Carlton Thomas are better known for their abilities as receivers and are likely to see plenty of action in that role.

"A guy like Caleb or Carlton, they have really smooth hands," Cox said. "I'm not saying we're not going to throw the ball to Richard, but I definitely think we'll be using them rather than expecting Richard to run every down and catch every ball we throw to the backs."

HOUSE CALLS

Senior defensive end Marcus Washington returned to the practice field Saturday after missing two days due to illness. Sophomore linebacker Marcus Dowtin worked out with the team, too, but in a green, non-contact jersey. Dowtin had missed nearly a week with strep throat.

"He's been in the bed," Richt said of Dowtin. "He hasn't even been going to class. But he's coming out of it now and he's made enough progress for us to believe he'll be back Monday."

The two illnesses were enough to warrant quick medical attention for both players, but it's a scenario Richt said his training staff has been preparing for since the spring.

With the outbreak of the H1N1 virus – better known as the swine flu – Richt said trainer Ron Courson and his staff have been quick to diagnose flu symptoms and isolate players who may be ill.

"We had a few guys over the summer that we moved them out of their dorms or we moved a roommate out of the dorm when we thought a guy might have some flu symptoms," Richt said. "Even Dowtin, we kept him away from everybody even though we knew it was more of a strep throat thing. Ron always does a great job, but on this we were pretty proactive."

DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE

Last season, Georgia entered the year with its best-ever preseason ranking, players on the cover of Sports Illustrated and a ton of hype surrounding the team. The result was a disappointing 10-3 campaign in which the Bulldogs never came close to meeting lofty expectations.

This year, the shoe is on the other foot as Oklahoma State features the Sports Illustrated cover boys and national attention. While Cox isn't ready to call that an advantage for his side, he said he's well aware of the perils of too much publicity before a team even hits the field.

"I don't know how much of an advantage it will be," Cox said. "They might feed off of it. I just know it wasn't the best thing for us, or at least it didn't turn out to be last year. I like the way we're ranked. I like being in an underdog situation. I think it made us work harder this offseason, and we'll see how it affected them when we play them."

(NOTE: Cox may not know if it's an advantage, but I highly recommend reading this story from The Oklahoman and forming your own opinion.)

SCOUTING THE COW POKES

Georgia began scout team work for Oklahoma State on Friday -- doing about 20 minutes of preparations, head coach Mark Richt said. The scout team work will increase gradually this week, culminating with Georgia's final preseason scrimmage Wednesday in which the No. 1 units will play a simulated game against the scout team's version of Oklahoma State.

"We're in good shape," Richt said. "We're ready to move into our scout team units. By Wednesday we want them to have enough work so that when we have that game, they've give us a pretty good look."

After Wednesday's practice game, the Bulldogs will take Thursday off, then return to full practices Friday and Saturday. Next Sunday is a regularly scheduled off day and Georgia then begins its normal preparations the following Monday with a practice in full pads.

"It'll be good to be moving toward the game plan, but I think it will also be good to get their bodies refreshed," Richt said.

IT'S A MYSTERY

As to what Georgia might expect from Oklahoma State, Richt has some good news and some bad news.

When it comes to the defensive side of the football, Richt said the Cowboys offer some familiar looks.

"Defensively, as far as schematically, they're a lot like Arizona State," Richt said. "Their base is a 4-3 and they play quarters coverage. Their fire zones are similar to most everybody else. We're very close to them schematically in the secondary."

The problem, however, is on offense. Oklahoma State features three talented playmakers in quarterback Zac Robinson, wideout Dez Bryant and tailback Kendall Hunter and usually employ spread formations. The problem is, the Cowboys' spread isn't much like the others Georgia has played in the past.

"Offensively, I can't really say there's anybody that would closely relate to them," Richt said.

REPLACING MO-MASS

Finding a suitable replacement for departed wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi wasn't a difficult chore Cox said. Senior Michael Moore is expected to earn the bulk of the throws that went to Massaquoi a year ago, and that's a role Cox said Moore was ready for even before this season.

"He's a guy who works hard every day, knows what to do, and he's dependable," Cox said. "Any time you have a guy like that you want to get him the ball because you know he's going to be in the right place at the right time."

FITTING RIGHT IN

The attention has focused on the new faces fighting for the starting tailback job this offseason, but head coach Mark Richt said the new man coaching the tailbacks has done a pretty impressive job so far, too.

Bryan McClendon has only been on the job for about eight months, but Richt said the players have enjoyed his coaching style and the rest of the staff has been a strong support system.

"He's got great support with (last year's running backs coach) Tony (Ball) being right there, and of course, Mike (Bobo) and really Coach (Stacy) Searels," Richt said. "So he's surrounded by a really good support and everybody believes in him. And the players, they believe in him and are responding real well."

INJURY UPDATES

-- Demarcus Dobbs and Nick Williams had both been in green jerseys following minor neck sprains last week, but both were back on the field and full participants in Saturday's practice.

-- Caleb King is looking better, but he may not practice fully for a few more days. "I will say he'll start doing some drill work, doing some ball handling, maybe doing some pass skeleton, but I don't know," Richt said. "He's getting close though."

-- A handful of players with hamstring injuries could be back as full participants in Georgia's next practice Monday. "By Monday, hopefully a lot of these guys that haven't been working will work," Richt said. "I think Reshad (Jones) is real close, Aron White's real close. (Bryan) Evans, I'm not sure if he'll go full speed Monday, but they're all getting work."

-- Add Darius Dewberry to the "getting close" list, with a little extra praise coming his way. "Dewberry's very close. I would say this week coming up and maybe Monday," Richt said. "He really had a great summer. He's in tremendous shape, he's strong, and he knows what he's doing and has become very good at it."

-- One player lagging in his recovery is linebacker Akeem Dent, whose timetable for a return remains unclear. "Dent is actually a little further behind some of these other guys," Richt said. "He's not responding as quickly. I'm hoping by the end of the week Dent will be able to go but I'm more optimistic about the other hamstrings."

EXTRA POINTS

-- Just in case you haven't cruised over to Macon.com yet, be sure to check out my story on tailback Carlton Thomas, who has kept his name in the conversation for significant playing time this offseason despite the constant concerns about his size.

-- Matthew Stafford is getting the start for the Detroit Lions tonight, in case you were wondering.

-- Got an email from Sean F. asking: "Do you know when Jeff will begin his blog again? And has it not been updated lately due to NCAA rules or just the time constraints of football?"

There are no problems with NCAA or team rules. Quite the opposite, actually. Jeff's biggest issue, he said, has been finding good topics to write about, but the school is actually planning to give him a hand with that, and he'll be back to blogging soon.

"I've got a lot of stuff coming up," Owens said. "I'm supposed to get hooked up with sports communication to put it on GeorgiaDogs.com and they're going to have different people talking about what they want to hear, what they want to read and stuff, so that'll give me help."

Saturday Odds & Ends: Tavarres, Thompkins and Tattoos

A few tidbits for your Saturday reading pleasure...

-- Georgia's scrimmage won't start until 8 p.m. tonight. Fletcher Page will have stats posted as soon as possible afterward, but it will probably be pretty late.

-- Speaking of Fletcher, he has a nice feature on Darius Dewberry in today's Telegraph that I encourage you to check out.

-- Another link for ya... Bernie's Dawg Blawg has video of yesterday's Watermelon cutting festivities. One note for Bernie: Baccari Rambo's not a good swimmer, so I think yesterday's fun in the pool was not as much fun for him.

-- Answering a couple of tweets...

First, @dukes01 asks: How is Tavarres King doing?

Rather than type up the whole response, I'll simply point you over to Macon.com. I had a story on TK and Israel Troupe earlier this week with some updates on their progress. Here's the money quote on King, however, courtesy of cornerback Brandon Boykin:

"A.J. (Green) is a great receiver, but T.K.'s just as good. He has the smoothest routes I have ever seen. It's tough guarding him, and I do it every day. I think this year you're going to see T.K. get on the field and make some plays."

And second, @allyugadawg hit on a big mystery with this question: Why do all of our coaches wear sweatshirts in the summer? Seriously, it bugs me. I need to know.

I asked Claude Felton, Georgia's excellent sports information director, and he said he always assumed it was a weight-loss tool. But the mystery got even deeper yesterday, according to Fletcher, who said Mark Richt even had long sleeves on in the pool!

Tyler Estep's best guess: Richt has some serious tattoos he doesn't want to show off.

-- And one final bit of info that should come as some good news. I'm doing a freelance story for a magazine previewing Kentucky's upcoming basketball season under John Calipari, so I interviewed Wildcats sophomore Darius Miller the other day to get some quotes.

Miller spent the summer playing with the USA Under-19 team, where he was teammates with Georgia's Trey Thompkins, so I managed to sneak in a question about that, too.

Miller's assessment is pretty encouraging...

"Trey's real good," he said. "I'd seen him before, and I think he's been working real hard because he's gotten a lot better. He really impressed me when he was over there. He had a lot of good games, a couple 20-point games, and that's tough to do when you play with a lot of good players."

Miller said he has stayed in touch with Thompkins over the summer and he's definitely looking forward to the Wildcats' first matchup against the Dawgs once the SEC season gets going.

"It should be a lot of fun," Miller said, "and we'll probably do a little bit of trash talking that day, too."

Practice Notes: Houston's Spirits Still High

Justin Houston won't be on the field for the first two games of Georgia's season, but that hasn't hindered his preparation.

The sophomore defensive end had a breakthrough spring and was expected to be the anchor of Georgia's pass rush, but a two-game suspension for violating team rules threatened to put the breaks on his growth. Instead of sulking, however, head coach Mark Richt said Houston has handled his punishment with maturity and gone right back to work.

"He's got a wonderful attitude," Richt said. "From the minute he had his issue, he was very remorseful. He took his discipline like a man and he's been working extremely hard. He understands he's got to pay a price, but he's anxious to get back into games."

Despite the suspension and a minor hamstring injury, Houston tackled his offseason with as much vigor as he did during a masterful spring in which he was one of just two healthy defensive ends.

Despite the suspension, Houston never missed a voluntary workout, and the results were obvious. When Georgia's players hit maxed out in the weight room at the end of their offseason conditioning, Houston set the team record for power cleans, lifting 420 pounds.

"He's been really good about it," defensive end Demarcus Dobbs said. "He's been coming to all the workouts, showing up on time and being a great leader to those other guys. Even though he's had this setback, he doesn't show it."

HAPPY IN THE MIDDLE

During his preseason news conference, Richt joked that he'd be far happier if Georgia was ranked No. 2 than No. 1 in the first polls of the season. Starting at the top didn't suit his team well a year ago.

As it turns out, he won't have much to worry about this preseason. The Bulldogs were ranked 13th in the first USA Today/Coaches' Poll, released Friday. The news didn't come as much of a surprise to Richt.

"I figured we'd be somewhere in there," he said.

The No. 13 ranking is the same place Georgia started in 2007 when the Bulldogs wound up winning the Sugar Bowl and finishing the season at No. 2 in the poll. With a difficult schedule that includes 11 BCS-conference opponents, Richt said the opportunity for a similar performance is there this season.

"Our schedule is set for if we have success, we'll move up, no doubt," he said.

A WHIRLWIND START

The NCAA mandates players have five days in shorts and shoulder pads before they can participate in contact drills during the preseason, and freshman lineman Kwame Geathers was already behind schedule after failing to earn NCAA clearance to report to camp until Thursday.

His first day in Athens was a whirlwind, Richt said, as the team rushed him through a physical and some quick orientation to make sure that the five-day clock started immediately.

Geathers' first practice Friday included little beyond running and conditioning, something Richt said the freshman needs to do a lot of during the coming days.

"It's very evident when you see a guy come in that late compared to a guy who has been here all summer, working with our strength staff all summer, working in the heat of the day, having veterans be able to teach him the ropes on and off the field," Richt said. "He's behind because he wasn't here, and we understand that. We'll be pushing him, but we can only go so quick."

GETTING HIS FEET WET

Senior linebacker Marcus Washington spent the majority of Friday's practice working with the defensive ends. Washington, who missed all of the 2008 season, spent some time as a stand-up rusher during spring practice, and Richt said the senior will continue to work at the new position regularly.

"He was working at defensive end in pass rush, in inside drills and a little bit in 11-on-11," Richt said. "He's starting to learn how to line up. We're seeing what kind of a knack Marcus has."

Richt said the plan is to use Washington at linebacker during traditional defensive sets and move him up to the line of scrimmage when the defense shifts to a nickel package.

A STYLIST'S NIGHTMARE

It's tradition for Georgia freshmen to get their heads shaved by their veteran teammates each preseason, but linebacker Chase Vasser is hoping to avoid the embarrassment. Already sporting some flowing locks, Vasser earned the name "Cush" due to his resemblance to former USC linebacker Brian Cushing.

Hoping to avoid the haircut, Vasser said he struck up a deal with senior Darius Dewberry in which, rather than going completely bald, the freshman can't cut his hair for a full year.

"I said I'll grow it out long for a year, so as of right now, I'll be growing it out long," Vasser said. "I've never had it shaved before, and I don't know if I might have a giant mole under there or something."

A NEW 105

Until classes begin, Georgia can only have 105 players in camp, which limits the number of walk-ons and injured players who can participate in practice. For the first few days, offensive lineman Josh Davis, who is recovering from two offseason shoulder surgeries, didn't make the cut, but a hamstring injury to redshirt freshman Johnathan Owens caused Richt to make a switch.

"We're doing it mainly because of (Davis') ability to teach the young players what to do," Richt said. "If we're going to have two guys injured, you might as well have a veteran in there."

Owens is only expected to miss about seven to 10 days, but his return will coincide with the start of classes and reduced roster restrictions.

Davis is expected to miss the majority of the preseason and will not be ready for game action in time for Georgia's opener against Oklahoma State on Sept. 5.

A QUICK RETURN?

Safety Reshad Jones sat out a second straight practice with a hamstring injury, but he hopes to make a prompt return to action.

Jones hurt the hamstring originally over the summer during a conditioning drill and said he re-injured it during one-on-one drills Thursday. While he understands the risk of trying to come back too quickly, Jones said he's doing everything he can to minimize his time off the field.

"I want to take it day by day, but I'm working hard in the training room doing everything possible to get back," Jones said.

Richt said the current timetable for Jones' return is a week to 10 days.

ALL ABOUT ATTITUDE

After four days of practice -- two in pads, two in shells -- Richt said it's hard to get too much of a gauge for the season so far. But while he sees plenty of mistakes from the youngsters, he likes the hustle the players have shown on the field.

"It's obvious there's a lot of guys who don't know what to do exactly the way coach wants it done every time, but the attitude, effort, coachability, enthusiasm, very good, and that's crucial," Richt said. "So to this point, I'm pretty pleased."

DAY FOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Once again, it was the defense that highlighted the day's practice session by creating a couple of key turnovers.

Richt said excellent coverage on a passing play by Darius Dewberry led to a nifty interception by Prince Miller, which Miller returned for a score. Defensive tackle Geno Atkins also drew praise for picking off a pass and returning it for a touchdown on a play Richt called, "a thing of beauty."

Uphill Climb For D-Ends

I've devoted a good amount of cyberspace to talking about Georgia's pass rush recently.

Yesterday, I blogged about Demarcus Dobbs' hopes that the defensive ends are finally getting healthy (well, sort of).

I also blogged a few weeks ago about Rod Battle's plans for a big senior season .

In today's Telegraph, I have a story about Georgia's plan to employ a trio of linebackers as stand-up rushers this season, too.

Overall, the news there sounds good. Players are getting healthier. They plan to have big seasons. Happy times have returned to Athens.

Mmmm.... not so fast.

Yes, health alone should improve Georgia's pass rush exponentially. Throughout the 2008 season and then to an even greater degree this spring, the injuries have simply been too much to overcome.

Yes, the healthy return of Jeff Owens gives Georgia a push up the middle that will be one of the strongest in the SEC -- and maybe the country.

And yes, using Darryl Gamble, Darius Dewberry and Marcus Washington as occasional rushers makes a lot of sense.

But the problems with Georgia's pass rush last season -- particularly off the end -- were immense, and outside of Kiante Tripp (who moved from the O line in January) and Montez Robinson (a true freshman), the faces are pretty much the same. In fact, the unit lost its lone consistent contributor in Jarius Wynn, who was selected in April's NFL draft.

Just how bad could things be? Here are some numbers.

Georgia finished 10th in the conference in sacks last season with just 23, but even that number is a bit deceiving since six of them came in the team's final game against an overmatched Michigan State and four more came against a dismal Arizona State offensive line. In Georgia's other 11 games, the Dawgs had a whopping 13 sacks.

The worst numbers came in conference play. Georgia tallied just nine sacks in eight SEC games last season, and only 2.5 of them came from the defensive end position. Of that group, Justin Houston is the only player who recorded a single sack -- and he'll be sitting out the first two games of the season with a suspension.

To clarify, when Georgia takes the field against Oklahoma State's high-octane offense on Sept. 5, they will do so without a single defensive end who recorded even half a sack during SEC play last year.

Houston's loss isn't a big deal in terms of total games, but the timing is particularly problematic. First off, of Georgia's returning players, only Rennie Curran recorded more sacks last season than Houston's 2.5.

Secondly, there will not be another defensive end playing in those first two games who both played that position last season and didn't suffer through a spring injury.

Third, Houston had made a giant leap forward during spring and was widely praised for both his off-field efforts in the weight room and film room and his on-field performance. He was a prime breakout candidate and likely Georgia's best hope for a dominant force at DE, and now he'll miss the first two weeks of the season.

While that might not seem like a big deal, here's what Mark Richt said last year about Dewberry and Fred Muzenmaier missing time early in the season due to suspensions:

"It's not easy to watch your teammates go do their thing, and it's not easy to put all that work in and have to watch, and both those guys have been set back. They're not as ready as they would be Game 3, and they're probably not going to get as many reps as they would have got if they were playing all along. Sometimes it sets a guy back for half a season."

Half a season? Even if that's a liberal assessment, it's not hard to wonder if the suspension will undo a great majority of the development Houston made this spring.

Either way, Georgia will still face Oklahoma State without its best defensive end, and that could mean tough times for the rest of the defense.

"It's going to be rough not having him at defensive end because he offers a lot as far as run support and pass rush, so we're going to have to find some ways to get around that – especially against Oklahoma State because those guys have a real good offense," Washington said.

And that leads to the other big issue that the poor pass rush creates.

As we mentioned, Georgia finished 10th in the SEC in sacks last season. Similarly, the Bulldogs finished toward the bottom of the pack in turnovers, taking away the ball just 16 times all season. The relationship between the two is simple: Disrupt what happens in the backfield, make the quarterback uncomfortable, force him to throw early and the results tend to be good. Give the quarterback extra time or take away one (or more) defenders in order to bring the blitz too often, and you're asking for a big play to happen.

As it turned out, Georgia's defense was burned by veteran QBs like Tim Tebow and John Parker Wilson and struggled against even marginal quarterbacks like Nick Stephens and Randall Cobb.

Now look back to 2007, when Georgia led the conference with 42 sacks. That year the team -- which featured essentially the exact same secondary, only with a year less experience -- created 26 turnovers.

That's essentially the equivalent to having one extra possession per game, usually with prime field position. How much of a difference do you think that might have made against Alabama or Georgia Tech last year?

Sure, a truly great secondary can help ease the burden of a lackluster pass rush, and the Bulldogs certainly have the potential for a solid group of DBs this year. But gone are Asher Allen and CJ Byrd, two experienced veterans, and in their place reside unproven sophomore Brandon Boykin and Bryan Evans, who has been playing safety for just nine months (and who was burned by Stephens multiple times while playing corner a year ago).

Even in the run game, the poor pass rush creates problems. As the ends continued to struggle to get to the quarterback last year, their impatience became evident. Opposing linemen took advantage, and the ends fell victim to cut blocks repeatedly, opening up gaping holes for tailbacks who spent far too much time in the Georgia secondary in the latter half of last season.(Yes, Reshad Jones could have done a better job of wrapping up, but he's taken a lot of heat for those big plays that probably could have been stopped long before Jones reached the ball carrier.)

Of course, this is the time of year for optimism. Offensive linemen are never quite as strong in July, and quarterbacks are never quite so adept at avoiding pressure. The future always looks bright, and Georgia's D ends are certainly talking the talk.

"Our unit has taken more leadership this offseason, and we've gotten more of the killer instinct mentality," Dobbs said. "We have everyone stepping up to the plate now and not just following an example. This year we plan on turning things around."

It's a nice sentiment, but the numbers say it will take a lot more than the desire to be better if Georgia is to turn things around this season. Maybe Gamble, Washington and company prove to be the secret weapon the Bulldogs have been looking for. Maybe Houston returns from his suspension even hungrier than before. Maybe Rod Battle and Demarcus Dobbs return to full health and take their games to the next level. Maybe Cornelius Washington or Montez Robinson become superstars in their first year of action. Maybe.

But that's an awful lot of question marks at this time of year at an integral position, and for all the concerns about Joe Cox's quarterbacking or who will carry the load at tailback, it seems to me that the pass rush will likely be the biggest factor in whether Georgia can complete another 10-win campaign or watches Tebow, Urban Meyer and the Gators enjoy another easy road to the Georgia Dome.

Health, Opportunity Elude Dewberry

As frustrating as 2008 was for so many Bulldogs, few had more frustrating seasons than Darius Dewberry.

Fall camp began amid controversy. His season started with a suspension. His return was barely a blip on the radar and playing time was hard to find. When things finally began to click into place -- including a two-tackle, one-interception game against Vandy -- a shoulder injury cropped up and cost him the rest of the season.

After missing all of spring practice, Dewberry is finally feeling better and, while a healthy start to fall practice isn't a sure thing, he's hoping to make the most of his senior season.

"I'm doing pretty good," Dewberry said. "I think I'm pretty healthy right now. I'm still rehabbing my shoulder a little bit, but I think it's going pretty well. I'm definitely getting a lot stronger."

Dewberry is hoping that he'll be cleared to go at full speed when fall practice begins in August, but playing time may still be an issue.

After missing so much of last season, Dewberry was shuffled toward the bottom of the depth chart. With an influx of incoming freshmen at the position, a return to health of injured veterans like Marcus Washington and Akeem Hebron, the emergence last season of Akeem Dent and Darryl Gamble and the quick transition for Nick Williams after moving from safety, there's a crowd of Bulldogs hoping to crack the lineup at linebacker this fall.

The solution may be a position change for Dewberry, who has long been rumored as a candidate to play defensive end.

"Yeah, they've talked with me about it and I think I'll get some snaps there next season," Dewberry said.

During spring practice, both Gamble and Washington were used as stand-up rushers at defensive end, and while both are expected to get reps there in the fall, Dewberry's size and strength make him a natural fit at the position.

"There's not really that big of a transition from linebacker to d-end. They are really similar. I think I'll play both position next year like Marcus and Darryl."