Lessons Learned: The Real Impact of G-Day

Yesterday I wrote that a post essentially asking any fans who wanted to consider themselves rational to take a big step back and remember that G-Day offers little in terms of definitive answers about what might be in store this spring.

My aim certainly wasn't to marginalize your appreciation of G-Day, but rather to simply offer a reminder that life in September will be a good bit different than it was last Saturday.

But never let it be said that I simply paint with a broad brush, offering little to you fine readers beyond a blanket statement that I have nothing to offer. So, with that, here are a few things I think we can take away from G-Day…

1.) There is more than one QB battling for the starting job.

In my post yesterday, I may have gone a bit too far in defending Aaron Murray and negating the fine performance of Zach Mettenberger. That was not intentional, but rather a reaction to the overzealous enthusiasm that accompanied Mett's big day.

A fair number of people seem to have interpreted that as me making excuses for Murray. Not true. I assure you, I don't have a horse in this race. On a personal level, I genuinely like Aaron, Zach and Logan Gray. All three have been generous with their time, honest in their answers and personable during our interactions. I have no reason to favor one over another.

What I have said -- and I've said this because I was asked, and it's my job to provide all the information I can -- is that I believe Murray to be the favorite in the QB race. This is for numerous reasons, from his high school pedigree to his physical tools to his more refined mechanics to his reportedly impressive work ethic to off-the-record discussions I've had with people close to the program to the simple fact that Murray won't be suspended for the start of the season.

I still feel comfortable in saying that Murray was and likely still is the favorite. But I feel no obligation to continue beating that drum to defend that statement if it becomes obvious it's no longer true. I wrote that Murray was the favorite for the job, and I believe he was. But if Gray or Mettenberger's name is atop the depth chart when it finally is released, I'll be 100 percent fine with that. In fact, it'd make for a better story.

And what I think we really did learn from G-Day is that Murray isn't a shoo-in for the gig.

Gray performed admirably, as he did in the previous scrimmage as well. You might also read something into the fact that he took all the first-half reps with the No. 1 offense. And as I wrote yesterday, the style of play didn't exactly allow for Gray to really exhibit his strengths. He's mobile and athletic, which is a secondary concern in a scrimmage in which the QBs aren't allowed to be tackled.

(Note: I also asked Murray why the snaps were divided as they were -- with Mett only working with the No. 2 unit. He didn't provide the rationale, but he did tell me that was the plan from the coaches going into Saturday's scrimmage.)

And Mettenberger obviously proved that his off-field problems weren't going to affect his on-field performance. He was impressive all spring, and that's particularly encouraging given these stat lines:

0-of-3 for 0 yards and 1 INT
1-of-5 for 39 yards
1-of-10 for 4 yards and 1 INT

Those were Mett's performances last spring. It doesn't get much uglier than that. And yet here he was last Saturday making some brilliant throws -- with the one to Rantavious Wooten along the sideline really standing out. He's taken huge strides, which is a credit to Mett, to Mike Bobo and to the other two QBs who have continued to push him.

So here's the point: It's silly to let G-Day completely change your perspective on Mettenberger or Murray, but it's very good to know that regardless of who ends up being the starter in September, he won the job because he beat out strong competition, rather than being handed the role by default.

Oh, and one more thing on the QBs: The one play that will probably be most remembered this spring is Murray's awful interception right into the chest of linebacker Marcus Dowtin. Make no mistake, it was a brutal throw.

But that was the only interception of the game by any of the three quarterbacks, and for the spring, only five picks were thrown -- two of which came in Hail Mary situations, according to Richt.

With a first-year starter guaranteed to be under center in the fall, a few mistakes are bound to happen no matter who the QB is, but last fall we were talking endlessly about numerous INTs thrown in each scrimmage, and this spring, protecting the football appeared to be a job well done across the board.

2.) The OLBs may need some work.

On the plus side, Justin Houston and Cornelius Washington looked superb as pass rushers, finishing with a combined nine tackles and three sacks against the first-team offense -- and that was with Todd Grantham calling for nothing but the most vanilla of defensive schemes. If the serious blitz packages were in play -- who knows how good they might have looked?

But while the pass rush looks to be in good hands with Houston and Washington, the depth at the position is still a big question mark, and all of the LBs probably need to work a bit on their coverage skills.

The tight ends -- who would typically be the responsibility of one of the LBs in coverage -- had six receptions for 125 yards on G-Day, and Orson Charles probably should have had at least one more for big yardage. They were open a lot, and regardless of how vanilla your scheme is, Derek Rich shouldn't be sprinting down the field alone.

But I talked with Houston about this during the spring and he said this was probably the biggest area of concern because it's the biggest change in terms of roles for the OLBs from what they did at defensive end in the past. So it's going to take some getting used to, and that's what this summer and fall camp will be all about.

3.) Washaun Ealey don't take no $h*t from nobody...

… and neither does Todd Grantham.

On what was by all accounts a pretty bland G-Day, the minor tussle between Washaun Ealey and Nick Williams toward the end of the game was one of the few points of relative excitement.

Given Ealey's history (i.e. the Florida game last year), you might understand why he was a bit anxious to respond after any perceived on-field injustice.

And given the critiques of Williams' play in the Florida game last year -- when he was accused of a blatant late hit on Tim Tebow -- it may not be impossible to believe he was the aggressor here. It certainly appeared he held Ealey down a bit too long after a tackle, and considering Ealey was already dinged up with a minor knee injury, he may have understandably taken exception.

But two things…

There's no need to throw a punch in that situation, and I seriously hope Mark Richt or Bryan McClendon has sat Ealey down and told him that can't happen in front of the fans and, more specifically, in a real game situation. If that had been on a Saturday in the fall and the punch had been thrown at an opposing player from Florida or Tennessee or Arkansas, Georgia's talented tailback likely would have been facing a suspension.

The other thing I took from that incident was Grantham's reaction. He was hot -- not angry at Ealey, but angry at Williams. I was on the field for the entire incident and he gave Williams an earful, then blasted some of the other defenders for allowing a nine-yard run. It was by far the most obvious display of what Mark Richt called Grantham's "enthusiasm" on the field.

Two minutes later, the game was over and the Grantham-coached Black team had won the day. And with the intensity of his rant still fresh in my mind at least, he went over to each player on his team and congratulated them on a job well done -- including a special pat on the back for Williams.

I'm not sure if it means much of anything really, but it was probably the best indication we've had so far of how Grantham views his role as coach. In the NFL, the approach is different. But Grantham handled the situation every bit as you'd expect a college coach to do it: Scare the heck out of the guys who messed up, then pat them on the back the first chance you get to congratulate them on something else.

4.) Kris Durham is healthy

This is another case of controlling your optimism a bit, but it's probably OK to see the glass as a bit more than half full in Kris Durham's case.

Durham has never had more than 13 receptions in a season, and the last pass he caught came from Matthew Stafford in the Capital One Bowl two years ago. So anyone who is expecting Durham to blossom into a superstar or even to dethrone Tavarres King from his nominal role as starter might be setting the bar a bit too high.

But what G-Day did show us is that Durham can be a valuable weapon when healthy, and he appears to be healthy for the first time in a while. He had three catches for 54 yards in the game -- the most of any receiver -- and hauled in the lone touchdown for the No. 1 offensive unit. He even took a good hit to his surgically repaired shoulder and came right back into the game.

That's particularly good news because, while the success of Georgia's passing game is likely to rely more on the continued improvement of King and Wooten and Marlon Brown, it's crucial that Durham can step into the role occupied by Michael Moore last season -- a solid performer, a senior leader, a guy who can line up at any of the receiver positions and a consistent target in the red zone. Saturday, Durham looked like he was up for the job.

A year ago, Moore had 25 receptions for 249 yards and five touchdowns. If Durham can replicate that -- and maybe add a few more catches to the tally -- that will be a very good sign for a passing attack that is big on talent but short on seniority.

5.) Georgia can play an organized football game.

Those were SEC refs on the field Saturday, and while I'm fairly certain they didn't blow their whistle and toss a flag at each opportunity, it should be noted that the two teams combined for just one penalty -- an offsides call on Reuben Faloughi.

Given the emphasis Richt & Co. have put on reducing the flags this spring, that's a very good sign. And given that a scrimmage like that means walk-ons and rarely used backups are playing significant minutes, the coaches are split up on different sides of the field, and the scrimmage marked the first time players had to perform in front of fans this spring -- it's virtually a miracle that there weren't more screw-ups.

It's definitely too early to say the penalty problem is behind them, but it was good to get a genuine example of how flawlessly the fundamentals can be executed when it's made a priority.

6.) No one got (seriously) hurt.

It sounds trite, but this is probably the most important information that can come from any practice. As much as fans were looking for improvement or an idea of who the QB would be or a glimpse of the new 3-4 defense -- nothing mattered more than ensuring the Bulldogs would have their full stable of players when fall camp opened.

Josh Davis suffered a shoulder bruise, as did Cornelius Washington -- but both injuries are considered minor, and neither are expected to miss any significant time. Caleb King, Richard Samuel and Israel Troupe all sat out of G-Day, but they'll be back soon, too. And even the guys we haven't seen in a long, long time -- Trinton Sturdivant, Bean Anderson, Fred Munzenmaier, Tanner Strickland, Austin Long -- they're all on schedule to be full participants in fall camp.

Given the luck Georgia has had with injuries the last few years, that's huge news -- and perhaps the most important thing to take from this spring.

Cold Water on the Hot Debates

I guess I knew this was going to happen, but hoped it wouldn't. Still, here we are.

People think I'm crazy for saying Aaron Murray is still the favorite to win the QB job. Others are talking about how Murray will eventually transfer because Zach Mettenberger will win the QB job. Others have floated even more ridiculous thoughts after Saturday's G-Day game.

Folks, I don't mean to sound condescending when I say this, but you're reading waaaaaay too much into one scrimmage.

First off, nothing we saw Saturday was real. The offense was kept under wraps so the defense could remain even more under wraps. Mark Richt didn't want to show anything from a defensive standpoint, and to ensure that could be the case, the offense was tailored to remain vanilla, too. So even if you want to call everything else equal -- which it wasn't -- all we saw was three quarterbacks tasked with managing the most basic concepts without seeing how they'd respond to anything more complex -- or any pressure from the defense.

You may not be the biggest Aaron Murray fans, and you may not want to believe anything you haven't seen with your own eyes, but every report I've had from a player or coach for the past year has said how well Murray does with picking up the more nuanced concepts of running an offense. Saturday did not play to his strengths.

Moreover, there's a lot more to evaluating the QBs -- or anyone on the team -- than the stat lines. No, Murray didn't look great. And yes, Mettenberger looked very good.

But look at the previous two scrimmages and their stat lines are virtually identical. Then remember Murray only got to throw three passes in the first half Saturday, and Mettenberger worked the entire game against the No. 2 defensive unit. Oh, and that No. 2 unit wasn't even a true second-team since a decent portion of the second-team actually played on the first team, too, so that two players in a relatively close position battle both got reps with the 1s.

But even all of that is nothing to worry too much about. Because the truth is, G-Day has virtually no relation to what happens in the fall. It's just something to talk about until August gets here.

Here's a little something from Marc Weiszer to shed some light on why you might not want to write off a QB who had a poor performance on G-Day:

"David Greene, who won more games in major college football than any quarterback not named Colt McCoy, didn’t exactly light it up in his first couple of G-Day showings.

Greene and Cory Phillips combined to complete 17 of 45 passes in 2001 and Greene completed 2 of 13 in the 2002 G-Day game."

But hey, that Greene character was a bum anyway, right? Oh, and that fellow who won more games than Greene, he thinks pretty highly of Aaron Murray.

I went back through the blog archives, and here are a few things I wrote after last year's G-Day game…

-- "The defense has played with a chip on its shoulder, a goal to be reached and a mission to put the memories of last season's failures far behind them. It showed during a dominant defensive performance Saturday that saw just 16 points scored in Georgia's annual G-Day game."

-- Carlton Thomas was the breakout offensive player of the game and we all thought he was in line for a lot of playing time.

-- I wrote about how deep the O line would be and how dominant a group it might be in the fall.

-- In a links column, I actually wrote these words: "Mark Bradley says there's a number of reasons to be optimistic about the Bulldogs following yesterday's final spring workout."

I can only assume that was the last time Bradley offered much optimism about 2009.

In fact, please please please go back and read the column Bradley wrote after last year's G-Day. It's stunning to see how little the stories of the spring corresponded to what happened in the fall.

(And that's no knock on Bradley... we all wrote essentially the same things.)

And if you're wondering, you can find the stat lines from last year's G-Day game HERE.

If you're looking for correlations between G-Day and the season, there really weren't any -- aside from Justin Houston's performance, perhaps. Then again, two weeks after that game, he was suspended.

So, while I know it's a long offseason and we all need things to talk about, let's please stop short of making grand pronouncements about the future based on one scrimmage. There's a lot more to what goes into these decisions than that.

Everything You Need to Know for G-Day

G-Day is just 24 hours away. Here's the down-low on everything you'll need to be prepared for the big day...

Rosters:

You can find the full rosters for the Red Team and the Black Team HERE. Keep in mind, Georgia's three QBs will rotate between both teams to give roughly equal reps with the No. 1 unit offense.

Injury Updates:

The following players are out or unlikely to play tomorrow: Caleb King, Justin Anderson, Trinton Sturdivant, Austin Long, A.J. Harmon, Josh Murray, Richard Samuel, Tanner Strickland, Israel Troupe, Jeremy Longo and Fred Munzenmaier.

More Background Info:

-- You can read all the major details, including information about the alumni game which precedes G-Day HERE.

-- You can catch up on much of what you might have missed this spring by listening to podcasts with both myself (HERE) and Fletcher Page (HERE).

-- And don't forget to bring a canned good or 10 for Georgia's canned food drive. Last year, the event took in more donations than ever before, and head coach Mark Richt said he's hoping to top that number this time around.

Game Rules:

G-Day should be handled pretty much the same as past years.

There will be four 12-minute quarters, with clock rules mirroring that of a normal game.

There will be no live kickoffs. Instead, each new possession will begin at the 25-yard line of the offensive team.

There will be live field goals, PATs and punting, but the defense will not rush.

And, as I said, the QBs will rotate between teams.

Stars of the spring:

Check out the full list of spring award winners HERE.

Check out my recent stories on two of the stars of the spring -- Jakar Hamilton HERE and Reuben Faloughi HERE.

I asked a number of the defensive players for who they thought was the most improved on that side of the ball this spring, and the resounding answer from every single one was the same: Vance Cuff.

On offense, I got a lot of votes for Carlton Thomas -- which is pretty much the same answer I got last year -- and a few others. Here's what Mike Bobo had to say:

On Shaun Chapas: “I can’t say enough about Shaun Chapas. Every day, the way he approaches practice, he’s our fullback and he’s not in there on every personnel group, but just the energy he brings, he’s in there on every play in every huddle and does a great job of leading those guys. He’s probably the leader of our offense. He’s a very unselfish player, and that’s what you want in a fullback.”

On Cordy Glenn: “Cordy Glenn has had an outstanding spring. He’s just outstanding the way he’s worked, the way he’s competed. Sometimes that’s tough for guys to do with us being so thin at certain positions when you know somebody behind you is not going to take your job. You’re out there knowing I’m pretty much going to start, but he’s had the right mind-set every day. He has tremendous talent, but just to see improvement in him, the knowledge of what we’re doing, early on as a freshman he had to depend on a lot of guys next to him to help him out and now he pretty much knows what we’re doing and he’s able to execute and then use his God-given ability to dominate. He’s had an outstanding spring.”

On Carlton Thomas: “Carlton had a great spring last year, and this year, he’s had an even better spring from the standpoint of his physicality – not just in how he runs the ball because he’s always run physical for his size, but in his pass protection, he’s done an outstanding job, and he’s done a good job of protecting the football. That’s the one thing that got him a little bit last year was protecting the football a little bit early on. He’s done a nice job of that this spring, so he’s just got to continue to do that and keep showing us in practice he can hold on to the football and play physical and do everything as a back that we ask of him.”

Answering some questions:

Anonymous writes: I am from Massachusetts but I am a huge Georgia fan. I am wondering though if G-Day is going to be streamed on ESPN360.com or some other website. Do you know if it will be?

David: You can watch the game on ESPN360.com, view highlights on GeorgiaDogs.com or watch it live on television on CSS starting at 2 p.m. And, of course, if you're in Athens and you can tear yourself away from watching Tiger for a couple of hours, the game is free to attend in person.

Andy writes: Tragically, I will be at a wedding (Saturday). Totally inexcusable considering the bride and groom are Dawg fans too. I will be relying on a live blog from you, David. Don't let me down!

David: If you promise to swipe a few drinks from the open bar at the wedding for me, it's a deal! (Oh, and please, no Electric Slide.)

JFerg writes: For G-day…will we go ones vs ones or ones vs twos?

David: The Black Team is the No. 1 defense and No. 2 offense, and the Reds are the No. 1 offense and No. 2 defense, so yes, the 1s go against the 1s, and the 2s play the 2s. Of course, if you inspect the rosters a little closer, the 2s are more like the 3s at a number of positions where the coaching staff has allowed two players battling for the same job to both run with the No. 1 unit.

Josh writes: Longtime blog reader and it's a must read for me pretty much daily. Any info about parking for GDay? I saw nothing on the association's website

David: Well normally I wouldn't answer this question, but since you complimented me so well, OK. It's open season for parking. There are no reserved lots, so it's pretty much first come, first served, according to UGA's sports info department.

Chris writes: Will the press box be open for Saturday's game? I know general admission is free but I wasn't sure if they are going to use the press box or not.

David: Press box will be for working media, same as a regular-season game, from what I understand. Although if you want to transcribe my interviews for me after the game, that will free Fletcher Page up to get to the bar early.

(*Note: I know I promised a mailbag today, but I just don't have time. Monday though...)

What to expect in the game:

-- First off, for those of you who think G-Day means nothing, you may be right. But Brandon Spoon's reviews of the past few years shows that there may be a bit of correlation between how well the offense performs Satuday and how well the team will do this fall. Check it out HERE.

-- As for how watered down the schemes will be, here's what Mark Richt has to say about just how much the fans will see Saturday: "I know the fans are probably waiting for a lot of this, that and the other. We might do this, that and not the other. We'll do some things, but we don't want to show too much. And we've put in a few things offensively that we don't want to show. Sometimes the more the offense does with formations and shifts and things like that, the more it shows how our defense would react to it. We don't want to do things offensively that's going to make the defense show how they might adjust to certain things. I don't want to say it's going to be vanilla, because it won't be. We'll be doing some blitzing and stunting defensively, and there'll be plenty of plays offensively we think we can run that we'll have a chance to score. But as much of the strategy, the nuts and bolts of how we operate, we're going to try to keep other people from learning too much about our defense, I would guess."

So, bottom line, they'll be answering some questions a little at a time, but for the big reveal, you'll have to wait a while longer.

Also, between each quarter, there will be scenes from an alternate dimension where Logan Gray is the incumbent starting quarterback and Willie Martinez is still the DC, but no real explanation will be given to what we're watching.

(*Note: If you don't watch "Lost" that last joke went over your head completely.)

Richt on how important G-Day is for the players: "It's very much like a scrimmage, and maybe a little more (important) because there are fans there, they are on TV. Those are some of the things that the quarterback has to be able to deal with. And hopefully, he's not thinking one thing about that. It shouldn't affect him in any way, but sometimes it does. So I'd say (it's more important) for the QB position, but I think everybody. I think they all know they're going to be on TV and they all know a lot of people will be in the stands. You just don't know how that affects a guy."

Aaron Murray on what G-Day means in the QB battle: "I think it's big for all of us, but I don't think whoever goes out there and has the best game is going to end up being the guy. We've had three or four weeks now where we've all put in good work and improved day in and day out, so I think it's a whole body of work. The practices are like the quizzes, the other two scrimmages were the tests and this could be like the final. But the final's not your whole grade, it's just part of it. It's most of it, but I think everything we've done so far in the practices and scrimmages goes a lot in these coaches' eyes. So we've just got to look at it as another day to go out there and get better."

And finally, here's some video of Todd Grantham giving the low down on what he's expecting to see at G-Day...

Notes: Update on G-Day Info, Injuries & Rosters

OK, just a quick post-practice run-down today...

Practice notes...

-- Practice was cut short by five plays, according to Mark Richt, thanks to rain and lightning.

-- Aaron Murray said he's looked at each practice as a quiz, the two scrimmages as tests and Saturday will be the final exam for the QBs. Said he's eagerly awaiting news on the depth chart.

-- Dontavius Jackson confirmed he was the "peacemaker" in the taxi cab incident, but said he could not comment further due to the ongoing investigation.

On G-Day...

Mark Richt says the won't run a "vanilla" offensive and defensive scheme on Saturday, but it will be dialed back. Said Richt, "Fans may be expecting this, that and the other, and we might give 'em this and that, but not the other."

There won't be live kickoffs, but there will be live punting. Punts, FGs and PATs won't be rushed by the D though.

They'll play 12-minute quarters, unless Richt changes his mind between now and then.

On injuries...

Chris Davis' hip is bothering him. He may not play G-Day, but it's nothing serious.

Tavarres King and Kris Durham both have minor hand injuries, but both will play.

Abry Jones should practice Friday, but was in green today. Same with Marcus Dowtin.

Caleb King was in green and will not play on G-Day.

Richard Samuel was out of practice Thursday, too. Richt wasn't sure the specific injury, but he said Samuel was doubtful to play Saturday. (And I'm working on finding out what the specific injury was.)

Marlon Brown practiced Thursday and should be 100 percent for G-Day.

-- And finally, the much awaited G-Day rosters...

The black team, which will actually be wearing white, is the first-team D and second-team offense. The red team is the first-team offense and second-team defense.

Richt said all three quarterbacks will rotate between both teams.

(Note: * = player who is hurt and not expected to participate.)

Black Team	Red Team
Branden Smith	Washaun Ealey
Brandon Boykin	Luis Capella
Drew Butler	Caleb King*
Marlon Brown	Zach Mettenberger
Brandon Harton	Logan Gray
Bacarri Rambo	Orson Charles
Sanders Commings	AJ Green
Matt Sweat	Jordan Love
Jakar Hamilton	Aaron Murray
Greg Lanier	Austin Herod
Vance Cuff	Tavarres King
Rhett McGowan	Blake Sailors
Dontavius Jackson	Timothy Boleman
Israel Troupe*	Kris Durham
Carlton Thomas	Josh Murray
Chris Young	Rantavious Wooten
Brandon Bogotay	Richard Samuel*
Kevin Lanier	Jeremy Sulek
Wes Van Dyk	Cameron Allen
Marcus Dowtin	Corey Dunson
Dustin Royston	Alex Parsons
Justin Houston	Makiri Pugh
Charles White	Eric Elliot
Josh Sailors	Quintin Banks
Fred Munzenmaier*	Micah King
Darryl Gamble	Chase Vasser
Akeem Dent	Mike Gilliard
Josh Parrish	Shawn Williams
Demarcus Dobbs	Akeem Hebron
Ben Reynolds	Cortney Newmans
Matt DeGenova	Nick Williams
Dallas Lee	Rickey Lowe
John Bodin	Kyle Brock
Kolton Houston	Chris Grund
Jonathan Owens	Jason Veal
Chris Burnette	Christian Robinson
Ty Frix	Chad Gloer
Kiante Tripp	Jackson Griffeth
Ben Harden	Shaun Chapas
Justin Anderson*	Jeremy Longo*
Taylor Bradberry	Tanner Strickland*
Cornelius Washington	Blair Walsh
Derek Rich*	Clint Boling
Arthur Lynch	Ben Jones
Bruce Figgins	Chris Davis
Abry Jones	AJ Harmon*
Billy Johnson	Cordy Glenn
DeAngelo Tyson	Austin Long*
Jamie Lindley	Trinton Sturdivant*
	Josh Davis
	Aron White
	Derrick Lott
	Nick Franks
	Candler Cook
	Scott Eichler
	Reuben Faloughi
	Brandon Wood
	Trent Dittmer
	Kwame Geathers

G-Day Details

From UGA release...

University of Georgia football fans will get their first glimpse of the 2010 edition of the Bulldogs on Saturday, April 10 in Sanford Stadium as the Red squad competes against the Black squad at the annual G-Day game set to kickoff at 2:05 p.m. The game will be televised live by CSS.

“I think it's a great celebration of Georgia football and the University of Georgia,” head coach Mark Richt said of G-day. “It's great for our fans to get a chance to see our guys and see how far they've progressed throughout the spring.”

The G-Day festivities will begin at noon with an alumni flag football game. Approximately 80 Georgia football letterwinners spanning six decades will take part in the light-hearted competition. Some notables on the roster include previous NFL players Scott Adams, Ray Donaldson, Randall Godfrey, Spike Jones, Larry Rakestraw, Paul Snellings and Kirk Warner.

Due to the construction of Reed Plaza, certain sections of Sanford Stadium will be not open for seating. The north side of the stadium from sections 01 through 13 will be closed in the 100, 200, 300 and 600 levels. Seating is prohibited in these areas for safety reasons. The entrance gates on this side of Sanford Stadium will also be closed. The University of Georgia Athletic association urges fans to abide by these guidelines. The gates that will be utilized for the public are the main gate under the Sanford Drive bridge as well as gates 1, 6, 7, 7a, 8, 9 and 10.

Admission to the game is free and Sanford Stadium gates will open at 11:30 a.m. Along with television coverage by CSS, the game will air on the Georgia Bulldog Radio Network, with AM 960 The Ref in Athens, WSB AM 750 and other affiliates statewide carrying the broadcast. The game will also be available on satellite radio via Sirius channel 122 and XM channel 43.

Listen Up

Tired of reading about Georgia? Would you prefer to simply have someone tell you about it instead? Well, you're in luck.

You can now listen to my interview with Bill Shanks from Monday in which we discuss G-Day, the quarterback situation, Brandon Boykin and the ongoing problems I seem to have with my phone connection every time I talk with Bill.

Anyway, enjoy.

Catch G-Day Again

CSS will be re-airing the ESPN G-Day coverage tonight at 7 p.m. and again Thursday at 9 p.m. for those of you who want to relive the excitement.

CSS is also putting together its own version of the game coverage which will be broadcast in a few weeks. I'll keep you posted.

G-Day Wrap-up

I'm about to head out the door to Augusta to cover the final round of the Masters (and, no doubt, Tiger's dramatic comeback), so I won't have time to write up a Hot Reads for this week. Still, there was plenty written about the action yesterday at Sanford Stadium, so here's a quick round-up of the G-Day coverage.

-- I led my coverage with the performances of the four quarterbacks, each of whom could take something positive from the game. Most impressive, in my opinion, was Logan Gray.

-- Speaking of the QBs, Mike Lough says there's no reason to worry about Joe Cox this season.

-- The running back battle was one we were all excited to see this spring, but the end result was simply that all of Georgia's tailbacks still have a lot of work to do.

-- The defense finished on a high note this spring.

-- Mark Bradley says there's a number of reasons to be optimistic about the Bulldogs following yesterday's final spring workout.

-- Georgia picked up two commits -- a Buford lineman and a safety from Florida -- for its 2010 class yesterday.

-- The Banner-Herald has some G-Day quotes from the participants.

-- And Chris Low wraps up the spring at Georgia with a nice piece on Mark Richt.

G-Day Notes: Defense Finishes Strong

(*Check out Macon.com for full coverage of G-Day)

---

Georgia's defense spent most of the 2008 season hearing about how bad they had played. The words hurt, but it was hard to argue with the results. They had hardly reached the standard to which they expect to be held.

So this spring brought a new attitude, linebacker Rennie Curran said. The defense has played with a chip on its shoulder, a goal to be reached and a mission to put the memories of last season's failures far behind them. It showed during a dominant defensive performance Saturday that saw just 16 points scored in Georgia's annual G-Day game.

"All the guys came out and played hard, played consistent, and I felt like we really made strides in terms of our discipline, not making those penalties and all that," Curran said. "So it was a good day overall."

Head coach Mark Richt was impressed by the performance, too.

Georgia's defenders kept the offense out of the end zone throughout the game until Carlton Thomas scored on a 20-yard run with just 1:08 left in the fourth quarter. Although the game time was reduced from 15-minute quarters to 10, the two offenses combined for just 329 total yards, while the defense racked up 10 combined sacks and Bryan Evans secured the game's only turnover – an interception of a Zach Mettenberger pass.

"The defense took this game very seriously and was excited about continuing the edge they had established this spring," Richt said. "I saw a lot of good, clean tackling and not many mistakes in the perimeter. I didn't see any busts that would make you nervous."

It was an important step for the defense's mentality, Curran said, but it was just the spring game. The true test, he said, will be keeping the edge the players have developed this spring through the long offseason and into the fall. But so far, Curran feels like the fresh start has done the defense a world of good.

"We have a lot more confidence in knowing that no matter where we are on the field, we can get the job done, get off the field and get the offense the ball back," Curran said. "It's really a different mentality that I see from each and every player."

NO HELPING HANDS

As well as the defense played Saturday, there almost certainly would have been a few more points scored if Georgia's receivers had done a better job holding on to the football.

"I thought each quarterback put the ball on the money most of the time," Richt said. "It would have been nice to see the receivers hold on to it, and it would have been a lot more exciting for fans as well."

Receivers dropped six passes in the game – several of which would have been for big gains. Aron White dropped two passes over the middle, and Israel Troupe had a grab close to the end zone that squirted out of his hands at the last second. Vernon Spellman, Caleb King and Zach Renner also had drops in the game.

It was a source of concern Saturday, but quarterback Joe Cox said the performance hasn't been indicative of the job the receivers had done overall this spring.

"We haven't had a problem with drops, so it was kind of surprising to see so many of them," Cox said. "But it happens. This is just one of those things where you make a mistake, and you just try to not make it again. I'm still completely confident in the wide receivers we have, and I know they'll use this day to work that much harder this summer to get ready for the season."

READY FOR RETURNS

Jeff Owens used a towel to rally the crowd during a few dull moments in the game. Demarcus Dobbs wore a protective boot and hobbled up and down the sideline with crutches tucked under his arms. Bruce Figgins watched his depleted corps of tight ends haul in six of the 21 receptions in the game but never stepped on the field, himself.

More than two dozen Bulldogs missed Saturday's G-Day game due to injuries, but by the time Richt sees his team again in August, that number shouldn't be nearly as high.

"We're short about 25 healthy bodies, and when our rookies and freshmen come in, by June there will be another 50 healthy guys running around, which will be a boost in and of itself," Richt said.

Only wide receiver Kris Durham, who will undergo shoulder surgery next month, and offensive lineman Josh Davis, who had two shoulder surgeries this offseason, are expected to miss any of the regular season, Richt said.

Still, this spring proved to be only marginally useful in terms of defining roles in the fall because there were simply too many players on the sidelines to make a fair assessment. But while the competition may not have been as fierce as the coaching staff preferred, the results were still positive.

"I think we accomplished as much as we could under the circumstances," Richt said. "Now it's going to be up to our senior leaders to take us from this point to where we need to be in August."

ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN

One position in which injuries prevented much shuffling on the depth chart this spring was on the offensive line.

After a season in which offensive line coach Stacy Searels had to piecemeal a group together nearly every week, plenty of depth appears to be on the horizon once Trinton Sturdivant, Chris Davis, Vince Vance and Josh Davis return from injuries. All four missed the spring.

"We'll have some options in the fall, so there's no telling what can happen," said Clint Boling, one of the few healthy starters guaranteed of a spot in the starting lineup in the fall. "We'll have a lot of guys with experience, and that's going to help us all. It's going to bring out the competition, and guys are eager to accept that."

While Boling figures to be a clear-cut starter in September, just where he'll land on the line is up in the air. He played every position on the line except center a year ago, and Richt said there's no safe bet as to where he might end up in 2009.

"If Trinton comes back healthy, I could see Clint playing the left guard spot," Richt said. "That's if we feel certain that Cordy (Glenn)'s a right tackle. Cordy could still be a guard and Vincent Vance might be a right tackle. There's a lot of things that could move around."

FINALLY GETTING ACTION

Dontavius Jackson has watched and waited long enough. The freshman tailback redshirted the 2008 season and was held out of spring practice with an injury up until Monday. But Jackson finally returned to full participation last week, and although his work on G-Day – three carries for just one yard – was hardly eye-popping, Richt said he was happy just to have his tailback healthy and carrying the football.

"He came out healthy," Richt said. "It's tough to not get into any kind of contact until this game, but I was just glad he got to play, get tackled a few times and get the confidence that his injury is OK."

A GOOD CROWD

There's nothing quite like having your first taste of action in front of fans at Sanford Stadium to be broadcast for the world to see, but that's exactly what was in store for freshman quarterback Zach Mettenberger on Saturday.

"I'd never been on national TV," Mettenberger said. "It was definitely a different atmosphere out there than Oconee County."

The G-Day game was broadcast nationally for the first time by ESPN on Saturday, and several former Bulldogs made the trip to Athens to put in some time in front of the cameras or behind the microphone.

Matt Stinchcomb, Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno were among the many former Georgia players on hand for the game, but Richt was far more impressed with the turnout in the stands.

The official attendance totaled 42,458, and the team raised 15,000 pounds worth of donations for the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia as well.

"It was a great crowd, beautiful weather," Richt said. "I thought it was a great day for Georgia football."

G-DAY STATISTICS

Rushing
Carlton Thomas 8-59, 1 TD
Shaun Chapas 3-25
Caleb King 7-22
Kalvin Daniels 3-20
Fred Munzenmaier 4-8
Dontavius Jackson 3-1

Passing
Joe Cox 9-16-0-105
Logan Gray 9-13-0-91
Aaron Murray 3-5-0-62
Zach Mettenberger 0-3-1-0

Receiving
Israel Troupe 5-38
Aron White 3-50
Marquise Brown 3-62
Derek Rich 2-44
Carlton Thomas 2-0
A.J. Green 1-35
Tony Wilson 1-9
Tavarres King 1-7
Bryce Ros 1-5
Fred Munzenmaier 1-4
Caleb King 1-4

Field Goals
Blair Walsh 1-of-1, 51
Andrew Jensen 1-of-1, 48
Jamie Lindley 1-of-1, 24

Defense
Christian Robinson, 5 tackles, 1.5 TFL
Baccari Rambo, 5 tackles, 1 TFL
Nick Williams, 5 tackles, 1 forced fumble
Justin Houston, 4 tackles, 4 TFL, 3 sacks
DeAngelo Tyson, 3 tackles, 1 PBU
Charles White, 3 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 PBU
Brandon Boykin, 3 tackles, 1 sack
Bryan Evans, 3 tackles, 1 INT (27 yards)
Marcus Washington, 3 tackles, 3 sacks
Makiri Pugh, 3 tackles
Marcus Dowtin, 2 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 PBU
Sanders Commings, 2 tackles, 1 PBU
Trent Dittmer, 1 tackle, 1 sack
Devin Hollander, 1 fumble recovery

* For full coverage of G-Day, including the performance of Georgia's quarterbacks and running backs, check out Macon.com.

G-Day: Who to Watch

With so many injuries and a somewhat contrived format, it's hard to really take a lot from today's G-Day game at Sanford Stadium. But that doesn't mean there aren't a few good storylines.

Here's who I'll be watching during today's game...

10. Darryl Gamble. He'll play some stand-up defensive end today, and it could be a tryout for a more full-time gig in that role in the fall.

9. Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger. My money says at least one of them gets some playing time in 2009. Their performances today could go a long way to deciding which one.

8. Kiante Tripp. He and Justin Houston will be the only scholarship D-ends playing today. I think we know what to expect from Houston, who has apparently blossomed this spring, but I'm far more curious to see how Tripp has handled his new position.

7. Geno Atkins. Mark Richt says he's been the most dominant player of the spring, that no one can handle him. It will be interesting to see Cordy Glenn & co. try.

6. Rennie Curran. Any chance to watch Rennie play has to be appreciated.

5. Brandon Boykin. To hear the other players talk about him, his position shouldn't be listed as "cornerback." It should just be "playmaker."

4. Carlton Thomas. He's gotten more hype this spring than the final episode of "ER." Here's hoping at least Thomas lives up to the talk.

3. A.J. Green. He says he's 100 percent healthy for the first time since August. Should be fun to see what he can do.

2. Caleb King. He was supposed to use this spring as his chance to nail down the starting tailback job. It hasn't happened, but leaving on a high note could set him up nicely for the fall.

1. Joe Cox. He has said all the right things this spring. Now is our first chance to see if he can put his arm where his mouth is.

So... who will you be watching today?

Georgia Announces Spring Awards

From UGA Athletics...

The University of Georgia head football coach Mark Richt announced its spring football awards Friday in conjunction with the annual spring G-Day football game.

The awards are given annually at the conclusion of spring practice to recognize improvement, dedication and performance on the field.

Highlighting the list of awards were the recipients of the long-standing Coffee County Hustle Award given annually to the player(s) showing the most desire during spring drills. Recipients include Joe Cox, QB, Charlotte, N.C.; Michael Moore, WR, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Nick Williams, LB, Bainbridge; Demarcus Dobbs, DE, Savannah; and Bryan Evans, DB, Jacksonville, Fla.

The list of 2009 awards are as follows:

Best All-Around Offensive Player: Clint Boling, OT, Alpharetta

True Grit Award: Ben Jones, C, Centreville, Ala.

Most Improved Offensive Lineman: Casey Nickels, OT, Tignall

Most Improved Player: Marquise Brown, WR, Lanham, Md.

Most Improved Running Back: Carlton Thomas, RB, Frostproof, Fla.

Biggest Surprise of Spring (Offense): Logan Gray, QB, Columbia, Mo.

Outstanding Walk On (Offense): Casey Nickels, OT, Tignall

Most Consistent Running Back: Shaun Chapas, RB, St. Augustine, Fla.

Most Improved Defensive Tackle: DeAngelo Tyson, DL, Statesboro

Most Improved Defensive End: Justin Houston, DE, Statesboro

Most Improved Linebacker: Christian Robinson, LB, Norcross

Most Improved Defensive Back: Brandon Boykin, DB, Fayetteville

Outstanding Walk On (Defense): Brandon Wheeling, DL, Dallas

Coffee County Hustle Award: Joe Cox, QB, Charlotte, N.C.; Michael Moore, WR, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Nick Williams, LB, Bainbridge; Demarcus Dobbs, DE, Savannah; Bryan Evans, DB, Jacksonville, Fla.

Video Blog: Rennie Curran Talks G-Day

Georgia linebacker Rennie Curran discusses the team's attitude toward G-Day now that it's being broadcast on ESPN, as well as some players that have stood out to him this spring.

Catching Up With... Brad Nessler

We're just one day away from the 2009 G-Day game. In case you had any questions about the basics of attending the event, you can find that info HERE.

Don't forget, too, that while the game is free for all fans, you are encouraged to bring a donation for the Northeast Georgia Food Bank.

The unofficial rosters for the game are also posted HERE, if you're interested.

As you're no doubt aware, the G-Day game will also be broadcast live on ESPN this year. Calling the game for the WWL are Brad Nessler, Kirk Herbstreit and Wendi Nix. Due to the restraining order currently in place (trumped up charges, if you ask me), I was not able to talk with Wendi, but Brad Nessler -- who lives in Georgia, by the way -- was kind enough to spend a few minutes with me to preview the game. I spoke with Brad on Wednesday, just one day after he returned from the Final Four in Detroit. Here's what he had to say...

David Hale: So essentially you guys are coming into town to broadcast an intra-squad scrimmage, albeit a pretty well-hyped one. How do you approach broadcasting a game like this?

Brad Nessler: I think if you have something like they had last year at Alabama, that's a little more exciting. I think they had 92,000 people there. I don't know if that's going to happen in Athens, but I think for me, because it's basically a local game, it's fun for me because I can be a little bit more of a fan, take a look at the guys that are replacing the Matts and the Knowshons and that type of thing.

It's a two-hour show more than a two-hour game, and I guess for some of the kids, it's a two-hour showcase for some of them. We approach it a little differently. We're going to have a lot of fun. We're probably going to have some guys on the phone that are ex-Bulldogs, and we may have another one in the booth.

DH: Florida and Alabama have both had their spring games broadcast live before, too, with Bama bringing in a whole lot of fans, as you mentioned. Are you surprised at the level of attention these games now receive?

BN: From what I understand, there was a written agreement of some sort that you have to win 10 games or more to be considered. I don't think New Mexico State is going to call ESPN and say, 'We want our spring game on TV.' But so far, it's been kind of just a southern thing. It just proves that college football in the south never sleeps. That's what I get out of it. I was watching the basketball game with a bunch of buddies and half of them were talking about Georgia football.

DH: You're a Georgia guy. What are you expecting the atmosphere to be like at Sanford Stadium on Saturday?

BN: With it being Easter weekend, I don't what the turnout will be. Maybe it will be great because it's spring break, it's something to do for free, maybe take the family over there and watch a couple hours of football. I think we're supposed to have a nice day, so maybe it will be a big deal. I don't know. I'll be interested to find out what kind of response they're going to get over there.

DH: As a broadcaster, what are the major storylines or players you're interested in seeing during the game?

BN: I've been waiting to see Caleb King snap out of it and be the guy everybody thought he was in high school for a year or so. He had to wait his turn. Well, his turn is up, and I'm not 100 percent sure whether he's going to be the main guy or not. I think they hope he will be, but they've got some other injured guys who won't be around until fall. It will be interesting to watch him.

I'm looking forward to seeing A.J. Green in person. I don't get to do a lot of Georgia games normally because they're always on CBS. I remember watching Rennie Curran play in the high school playoffs and I thought, 'Man, who is this kid?' He's an All-American candidate if you ask me. I guess those kind of questions.

I'm looking forward to seeing Joe Cox. Everybody says he's a great leader even though he's never started. You look at him and you hope he can do what D.J. did following David, and if he can, how cool would that be?

I think the other thing is just the fact that this time a year ago they were talking No. 1 and all that stuff, so I don't think that helped them at all. With the expectations maybe a little bit lower, they might turn around and have as good a year or a better year without those expectations weighing on their shoulders. This is kind of the start of it.

DH: You mentioned you approach this broadcast as a two-hour show, rather than a typical game. So what does ESPN have in store for the fans watching the show on TV?

BN: I think Kirk's going to do some kind of feature that will run at halftime, and I'd be surprised if it wasn't with Joe Cox about taking over for Matthew Stafford. We'd like to get Matt or Knowshon to either be there or be on the phone with us. That was my idea, but I don't know. I suggested having Coach Richt on for one series. I'm not supposed to say but there's another ex-Bulldog that's going to have a little bit of a tryout with us, but I don't think I'm supposed to say anything so leave that as a surprise guest.

DH: And how about you, personally? You're going to have to memorize a lot more names than usual for a game like this, and the whole situation is pretty informal compared to a typical game you might cover. How do you plan to handle calling a game like this?

BN: It's not going to be all down and distance and telestration. There's probably going to be times when the wrong guy has the wrong number on for all I know, and I won't have my official spotter and stat guys. I'll have a statistician, but I'm not sure if that even matters in this case, because I'm sure Mark is going to come up with some form of scoring system for the defense as well as the offense.

There's not going to be kickoff returns, the punts aren't going to be live, so all that time gives us a chance to talk big picture. Probably more about the SEC. This time a year ago, Florida did the spring game and went on to win the national championship. I think we'll just talk big picture. Sometimes it will be football, sometimes straight play by play. We'll have a bunch of laughs sometimes and won't know who caught the ball or made the tackle.

I made an inquiry with our producer the other day and said, 'Now, we're not wearing shirts and ties for this thing are we?' And he said, 'Yeah, that's the way it looks.' But I just got an email a little while ago that said somebody overruled somebody else and we're going casual. So I was like, 'Perfect!' But everything's going to be more relaxed, and hopefully we'll have fun for two hours.

Dooley Helps Celebrate G-Day

Two bits of Vince Dooley-related info for you...

1.) Auburn University has given Dooley a Lifetime Achievement Award.

2.) Dooley will be available on G-Day to sign autographs and promote his new book at Off Campus Bookstore on Baxter Street.

Here's all the info, courtesy of Dodd Rentz...

Legendary Georgia Football Coach Vince Dooley will be appearing at Off Campus Bookstore on Saturday April 11th (G-Day) to sign his latest publication, "Dooley's Play Book". Coach Dooley will be at the store to greet fans and sign copies of the book from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. prior to the G-Day game. He will return immediately following the completion of the game to again greet fans and sign books for about 1 ½ hours. Off Campus Bookstore is located at 696 Baxter Street in Athens.

"Dooley's Play Book" is a collaboration between Dooley and renowned artist Steve Penley. The book chronicles 34 of the most memorable plays in Georgia football history as chosen by Coach Dooley. Coach Dooley gives a detailed description of each play and also diagrams the plays in his own hand. Each play is completed with an artistic rendering by Penley. The book also features a section on Georgia's outstanding kickers as well as a chapter on Georgia Bulldogs in the College Football Hall of Fame. Signed copies are also available online at dawgwear.net following the event.

Who: Coach Vince Dooley
When: Saturday, April 11th 11:30 am and then immediately following the completion of the G-Day Game.
Where: The Off Campus Bookstore is located at 696 Baxter Street, Athens, GA

For more information: Call Dodd Rentz at 706-340-4390

G-Day Rosters

Here are the preliminary rosters for the G-Day game on Saturday. These may be changed, however, before the actual kickoff of the game.

^ - May play for both teams
* - Injured player

Red Team Coaches: Mike Bobo (offensive playcaller), John Jancek (defensive playcaller), Tony Ball and Jon Fabris.

Black Team Coaches: Stacy Searels (offensive playcaller), Willie Martinez (defensive playcaller), Rodney Garner, John Lilly, Bryan McClendon, Joe Tereshinski

Red Team

Black Team

3 Taylor Bradberry FLK RFr. 4 Caleb King TB RSo. 5 Zach Mettenberger QB Fr. 5 Stephen Braue FS Sr. 8 A.J. Green FLK SO. 11 Aaron Murray QB Fr. 12 Tavarres King SE RFr. 14 Joe Cox QB Sr. *16 Kris Durham SE Sr. 17 Chad Gloer SC Jr. ^18 Bacarri Rambo SS RFr. ^20 John Knox FS RSo. *23 Twoey Hosch WR RFr. 25 Vance Cuff WC Jr. 26 Christian Norton WC Jr. 26 Tony Wilson FLK Jr. ^29 Makiri Pugh FS RFr. 30 Carlton Thomas TB RFr. 37 Akeem Hebron WLB Jr. 38 Marcus Dowtin WLB So. 39 Dustin Banks TE RFr. 39 Nick Williams SLB So. *42 Cameron Allen FB RFr. 43 Kevin Lanier FB RFr. 44 Marcus Washington MLB Sr. 47 Trenton Turner TE RFr. 49 Shaun Chapas FB Jr. *52 Darius Dewberry SLB Sr. *53 Jeremy Longo DE RFr. 54 Tanner Strickland OG RSo. 57 Blair Walsh PK So. 60 Clint Boling LT Jr. 61 Ben Jones C So. *63 Chris Davis RG Jr. *64 Matt DeGenova DE RSo. 65 Devin Hollander SLB Sr. 66 John Bodin OL RFr. 68 Ben Harbin TE RFr. 71 Cordy Glenn LG So. *72 Vince Vance LT Sr. *77 Trinton Sturdivant LT RSo. *78 Josh Davis RT Jr. 79 Justin Anderson RT RSo. 81 Aron White TE RSo. 82 Michael Moore FLK Sr. *83 Cornelius Washington DT RFr. *89 Bruce Figgins TE Jr. *92 Neland Ball DE RSo. ^93 Brandon Wheeling DL Sr. 95 Ty Frix LS RFr. 96 Andrew Jensen PK Sr. *97 Brandon Wood DT Jr. 98 Ricardo Crawford DT Jr. 98 Trent Dittmer P Jr.

^2 Brandon Boykin SC So. 3 Bryan Evans FS Sr. 6 Logan Gray QB RSo. *6 Andrew Johnson SS Jr. 9 Reshad Jones FS Jr. 10 Zach Renner SE RSo. 13 Drew Butler P RSo. 15 Jonathan Batson QB Jr. ^19 Sanders Commings SC RFr. *19 Craig Sager WR Jr. 20 Marquise Brown SE Jr. *22 Richard Samuel TB So. 23 Prince Miller WC Sr. *27 Dontavius Jackson TB RFr. 28 Israel Troupe FLK RSo. 30 Eric Elliot WC RSo. 31 Quintin Banks SS Jr. 33 Kalvin Daniels TB Jr. 35 Rennie Curran WLB Jr. ^35 Jason Veal FB RFr. 37 Cortney Newmans TB RSo. *41 Roderick Battle DE Sr. 42 Justin Houston DE RSo. 43 Charles White MLB RSo. 44 Josh Sailors FB RSo. 45 Christian Robinson SLB RFr. *46 Justin Fields FB Jr. 48 Jackson Griffeth WLB RFr. 48 Fred Munzenmaier FB Jr. 50 Darryl Gamble SLB Jr. 51 Akeem Dent MLB Jr. 56 Geno Atkins DT Sr. *58 Demarcus Dobbs DE Jr. 64 Dallas Lee C Fr. 67 Jonathan Owens OL RFr. 70 A.J. Harmon OL RFr. 73 Casey Nickels LT Jr. 74 Kevin Perez OG Jr. ^75 Kiante Tripp DE Jr. 76 Ben Harden RG RSo. ^83 Richard Lowe TE RFr. 84 Bryce Ros TE RFr. 87 Vernon Spellman FLK Sr. 90 Derek Rich TE Jr. 91 Kade Weston DT Sr. ^93 Brandon Wheeling DL Sr. 94 Billy Johnson LS RFr. 94 DeAngelo Tyson DT So. *95 Jeff Owens DT Sr. 95 Jordan Stowe PK RFr. 99 Jamie Lindley PK So.

Busy Day Awaits Gamble

Darryl Gamble has been locked in a daunting competition for playing time at linebacker this spring, but playing time will be the least of his concerns Saturday.

With Georgia's long list of defensive end injuries, Gamble has practiced at both Sam linebacker and as a stand-up pass rusher on the line, and he expects to do a lot of both during Saturday's G-Day game.

"I'm going both ways, so I'll probably be in more than anybody else," Gamble said. "But it just depends on what formation the offense comes out in. If they're in the passing situation, I'm going to D-end. In runs, I'll play Sam."

Practice Notes: Durham to Miss '09 Season

Georgia wide receiver Kris Durham will miss the season with a torn labrum in his shoulder, head coach Mark Richt announced Wednesday.

Durham, a senior who caught 13 passes for 199 yards last season, suffered the injury two weeks ago and has not practiced since. Richt said Durham could have attempted to play through the injury, but that the coaches, trainers and Durham were all in agreement that surgery was the best option.

"It's a decision that we all feel like was in his best interest," Richt said. "He feels very strong that it is in his best interest, too. He just wants to make sure that his senior year is a strong, healthy one."

Durham will redshirt the upcoming season and return for a fifth year with the Bulldogs in 2010.

Richt said the surgery is scheduled for May. Had Durham hoped to get on the field in 2009, they would have performed the procedure earlier, but instead the receiver will wait until the end of his academic year before undergoing the surgery. Richt said it is typically a minimum recovery time of about six months.

Durham's absence leaves Georgia with just seven scholarship receivers for 2009. Michael Moore and A.J. Green are the projected starters, with Tony Wilson, Tavarres King, Israel Troupe and incoming freshmen Rontavious Wooten and Marlon Brown rounding out the roster. Richt said freshman cornerback Branden Smith could get some action at receiver, too, and freshman tight end Orson Charles could also be split out wide.

"It is going to push other guys to the forefront," Richt said. "Durham would have been a big part of what we're doing, and him leaving definitely puts a hole. He was at least in our top four."

JUST FOR KICKS

The spring isn't exactly a showcase for special teams, so Mark Richt hasn't seen a whole lot of punter Drew Butler, but he's still pretty confident Butler is ready to take over for Brian Mimbs.

The son of former Georgia kicker Kevin Butler, Drew got in a few punts a season ago, mostly in situations that dictated a pooch kick. That's all Richt needed to notice the best asset Butler brings to the table.

"One thing about Butler is he's got a very quick operation time where he'll catch it and get the ball off really quickly," Richt said. "Mimbs wasn't slow by any means, but Butler is a little bit quicker. The snap, the catch and the punt, that operation time is really outstanding."

Of course, replacing a two-year starter like Mimbs won't be easy, and Butler still needs to work on the one thing for which Mimbs was best known.

"Butler, when he hits it, it's very, very nice, but he has to become a little more consistent," Richt said. "But it's good to see he has the ability to hang it high and deep. He just has to get a little more consistent."

STILL THE SAME

Offensive line coach Stacy Searels got a new title this offseason – that of running game coordinator – but Richt said that hasn't meant anything new for the offense.

"Coach Searels title was basically a public announcement of what's already been happening. He's been the run game coordinator, and him and Coach (Mike) Bobo work close. Coach Bobo still has the final say on everything, but as Mike's studying the perimeter, (Searels) is studying the guts."

A NEW ATTITUDE

Richt was vocal in his support for defensive coordinator Willie Martinez a year ago, even as the defense struggled down the stretch.

The support has paid off this spring, Richt said, and the Georgia defense has looked sharp during the past four weeks.

"I see a defensive team that is very unified right now and has a little bit of a chip on their shoulder," Richt said. "They feel like they have something to prove. We've quite frankly allowed them to practice in such a manner as to create the attitude or the edge that they need to."

WRAPPING THINGS UP

Georgia finished its 13th practice Wednesday of the 15 allowed by the NCAA in the spring.

"It went fast," Richt said, "real fast."

Richt said the players looked sharp in the pleasant conditions offered by the light winds and warm temperatures. The team will be back in action Friday for a brief workout before hitting the field at Sanford Stadium on Saturday for the annual G-Day game.

"Friday will be not a whole lot. It's a shorts day." Richt said. "We'll probably do a little pass skel, then break up into teams."

The G-Day game is free to attend, and Richt encouraged Georgia fans to pack the house, including organizing group outings if possible. The game will air on ESPN at 1 p.m. Saturday.

"You can even TiVo it," Richt said, "and watch yourself when you get home."

Practice Notes: A Cold Day in Athens

It was an abridged media session with Mark Richt today, and there wasn't exactly anything immensely important to come of it, but here's some news worth noting:

-- It was cold... really cold. Richt lamented the weather over some hot chocolate after practice, and he reflected a bit on what Georgia might be missing under wet, windy conditions this coming season.

"Matt can throw the ball extremely well in the wind and the wet situations. It didn't seem to faze him at all," Richt said of former quarterback Matthew Stafford. "As a matter of fact, if it rained with Matt, it was probably an advantage to us because the DBs were going to slip around a little bit, and it wasn't going to affect how Matt threw the ball. Joe, we'll see how well he throws the wet ball if we play in those conditions."

Richt then showed a bit of rooting interest for where Stafford might land in this month's NFL draft.

"I guess Detroit plays inside," Richt joked. "Oh, but I guess he might not go to Detroit. But when the wind was whipping out there, we said, 'This is how Stafford's going to have it every day.'"

-- Richt discussed his rationale for moving spring practice back one week this year, noting that the agreement with ESPN to broadcast the G-Day game did play into the decision.

-- Dontavius Jackson returned to a full practice without a green, non-contact jersey for the first time this spring today and Richt said he'll be a full participant in the G-Day game.

-- A few guys who won't be available for G-Day: Kris Durham, who injured his shoulder two weeks ago, will miss the rest of the spring. Richt said they have not decided yet whether it will require surgery and Durham didn't offer too much more detail than that. Akeem Hebron was a player Richt mentioned last week as potentially returning to action, but by Monday, Richt admitted he wasn't ready. Same goes for Quintin Banks, who is still rehabbing from a mid-season injury that has limited him to mostly non-contact work this spring.

-- Baccari Rambo suffered a minor MCL sprain last week and has not practiced since, but Richt said he should be ready for the spring game.

-- Bryan Evans suffered a concussion during the scrimmage on Saturday, but Richt said he is responding well and should be good to go later this week.

-- One player who is now completely healthy is wide receiver A.J. Green, who said he is 100 percent for the first time since last summer. "I didn't limit me game-wise, but practice-wise, not being able to go every day and stuff like that. Sometimes it would be bothering me and I was missing out on reps that could help me."

As for the rest of the practice news and notes, here's the UGA official release, which employs a delightful use of the word "blustery" in the lead. That always reminds me of my favorite childhood episode of "Winnie the Pooh"...

The Georgia football team practiced for an hour and a half in pads and shorts at the Woodruff practice fields on a blustery Monday afternoon.

With the wind gusting up to more than 30 miles an hour and temperatures dropping into the 40s, the Bulldogs had their first of three practices before the annual G-Day game arrives on Saturday.

“It was very cold and windy out there today so we just tried to layer up and get things done,” said head coach Mark Richt. “According to Coach (Wayne) Norton, who has coached the track team for almost 20 years here, this was the coldest day his teams have practiced on during the month of April and I can believe it.”

Richt also commented on several players who are either returning from injury or who will now be out for the rest of the spring.

“Kris Durham injured his shoulder a few days back and he is definitely out for the rest of spring,” Richt said. “Bryan Evans also got a concussion during Saturday’s scrimmage, but we think he could be back as soon as Wednesday. As far as coming back, Charles White practiced for the first time (since an Achilles tendon injury last season) during the scrimmage and did a nice job. He was very physical out there and remembered all of the schemes from his position.”

One of the questions marks for Georgia this offseason has been who will replace running back Knowshon Moreno, who entered the NFL draft and is expected to be a first-round pick. So far, redshirt freshman Carlton Thomas has impressed Richt and the coaching staff.

“He’s a little like Tyson Browning. Probably more powerful but not as fast,” explained Richt. “But his agility and ability to change direction are probably more like Tyson than any other player I have coached at Georgia or Florida State.”

The annual G-Day spring game will kick off at 1:00 p.m. and be televised live by ESPN. Brad Nessler will handle the play-by-play duties, with Kirk Herbstreit providing the color analysis and Wendy Nix adding sideline reporting. Admission to the game is free. A lettermen’s alumni game will precede the varsity game with starting time scheduled for 11:15 a.m.

Sanford Stadium gates will open at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday. Gates utilized for the public will be the main gate under the Sanford Drive bridge as well as gates 2, 4, 6, 7 and 9.

In lieu of an admission fee, fans are encouraged to bring food donations to benefit the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia. Among the items most needed are soups, peanut butter, canned fruits and vegetables, cereal, rice, pasta and pop-top canned goods.

The Quest For G-Day

UPDATE: A couple people asked about the tailgating policies for G-Day. Here's the word, from UGA's Mike Mobley...

The policies are the same...here’s a link to those.

http://gamedaygameplan.com/

The one thing that is different is that there obviously aren’t nearly as many permitted lots as there are on a game day. For example, I think we’re only using the East Campus lot for media.

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As you're probably well aware by now, we've reached the final week of spring practice. Georgia will practice today, Wednesday and will have a completely closed practice Friday with no interviews. Saturday is G-Day, and this year, the event will be bigger than ever.

Here's a quick run-down of all you'll need to know to plan your G-Day festivities.

WHO: Me, you, several thousand other people, Wendi Nix
WHAT: Georgia's annual spring G-Day game
WHEN: Saturday at 1 p.m.
WHERE: Sanford Stadium or ESPN

The game will be broadcast live by ESPN (on the main network -- or ESPN1, if you prefer) for the first time in school history. ESPN's crew for the game is Brad Nessler, Kirk Herbstreit and Wendi Nix. (More on that later this week on the blog.)

While you can certainly enjoy the game from the comfort of your living room, Mark Richt is hoping most of you will come out and help fill Sanford Stadium. "We really want to fill it up and encourage our fans to show the nation what we're all about," Richt said.

The admission is completely free, but Georgia is accepting donations to the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia. This is a charity Richt and the rest of the Georgia coaching staff have worked closely with in the past, and Richt specifically asked us to pass along some info on what the Food Bank was looking for ("Even if it's just on a blog or something," Richt said).

So, don't be a total freeloader, and bring some of the following: Peanut butter, canned soup, canned vegetables, canned fruits, canned or dried beans, baked beans, canned chicken or tuna, cereal, rice, pasta and sauce, plus any kind of pop-top canned goods.

Richt also cautioned that last year, they had to throw away a lot of food because it was past the expiration dates, so please check that stuff closely.

Before the game, Georgia will also hold a lettermen flag football game. The game will bring back at least 80 (and possibly more than 100) former Georgia lettermen for their own scrimmage with a little less hitting but, potentially, a lot more injuries. "Might be fun, might be comical, I don't know," Richt said.

The flag football game will begin at 11:15 a.m. on Saturday, immediately preceding the G-Day game. Athens residents Mack Guest and Jack Davis will be the two coaches for the game. Ten former All-SEC standouts headline the list. Those players are: Scott Adams, Kentrell Curry, Tony Cushenberry, Guest, Jim McCullough, Curt McGill, David McKnight, Pud Mosteller, Curt Mull and Greg "Muddy" Waters. Foots Clemens, a linebacker from 1952-54, is the oldest former player scheduled to participate.

As for the G-Day game itself, there won't be too many changes in the rules for this year. They'll play four quarters using a normal game clock, but the quarters will only be 8-10 minutes long (Richt still isn't sure on that). There won't be any kickoffs, instead they'll start drives with the ball placed wherever Georgia's coaches feel is an appropriate average starting field position. The teams will punt, but it won't be live. They will kick field goals and PATs.

As for what to expect in the action: "I want the nation to see a team that plays hard, that competes, that has a good time doing it, is organized and well coached and disciplined," Richt said. "That's what I want the country to see, and that's what I want to see every day in practice."

OK, I think that's about it. Any other questions about the game, let me know and I'll look into it this week for you.