Notes: Richt Mum on Taxi Incident

What seemed like an April Fool’s joke turned out to be no laughing matter, and Georgia coach Mark Richt is still working to get to the bottom of a story that several of his players made threats to a couple in a cab in Athens last week.

The Red & Black reported that four men physically and verbally assaulted a couple in a taxi on March 29 and the victims believed the men were Georgia football players.

That was the extent of the report as of Thursday evening, Richt said, and he was in the dark about further details.

“Right now, it’s speculation,” he said. “We don’t really know anything for sure. I’m aware of the report, and we’ll just wait and see what’s going to happen from here. I don’t want to over- or under-react at this point.”

The police report said that the four men harassed the couple and slapped the victims multiple times while making suggestive sexual remarks.

Richt said he is working to get more information, but he said he only learned of the incident moments before practice began and had not had a chance to discuss it with the team.

“I had (the story) stuck in front of my face real quick right as I was walking on the field, and I really wasn’t aware of it.,” he said. “I don’t even know enough about it to answer that question.”

(NOTE: More from Marc Wieszer on the incident.)

THE RIGHT DIRECTION

Georgia’s kickoff philosophy was one of the most talked-about issues of the year last season, but kicker Blair Walsh said that should change in 2010.

Under former coach Jon Fabris, Georgia routinely employed a directional kicking philosophy in which the kicker aims his kickoffs to a specific spot on the field. In the past two years, however, Walsh had trouble keeping those kickoffs in bounds and Georgia ranked 117th in the nation last season, allowing nearly 26 yards per return on kickoffs.

This spring, Fabris is gone, and new coach Warren Belin has taken the restraints off of Walsh and will let him boot a few more long ones. Walsh led the SEC with 17 touchbacks last year.

“It’s not like it was here the past two years directional-wise,” Walsh said. “It’s a lot more use of my talent I would say. I was fine doing what they wanted me to do. I’m a team player, and I can go along with it. But it’s a lot more use of my talent, and I’m happy about it. I don’t feel like there’s a restraint on me anymore. Without giving too much away, it’s different.”

KING SITS OUT

Tailback Caleb King did not participate in Thursday’s practice due to a combination of an illness and a sore knee.

Richt said King hurt the knee in high school and occasionally has problems with swelling and soreness. Those symptoms returned after Tuesday’s practice, but Richt was still hopeful that King could participate Thursday. Instead, the tailback was further hindered by nausea Thursday morning and sat out the day’s workouts as a precaution.

“It wasn’t like there was some kind of incident that happened on the field that made it happen,” Richt said of the knee injury. “It just got a little irritated.”

Richt said the injury was “nothing serious” and called it a sprain. He said the team was hopeful that King would be able to participate fully in Saturday’s scrimmage.

WORKING OVERTIME

Outside linebacker Justin Houston dripped sweat and staggered to do an interview in front of a camera following practice. Safety Jakar Hamilton said he was holding back vomit. Nick Williams doubted he’d be able to eat when he got home because he was too tired.

The reason for such post-practice anguish was a grueling bit of discipline done by the team before they left the field Thursday. A rash of penalties during practice meant the entire team had to roll 200 yards – up the field and back – before wrapping up the hottest day of practice so far this spring.

Williams said the rolling may actually have been a bit better than being forced to run, but by the looks of his teammates, they hardly caught a break. But Williams wasn’t complaining. He said he understands the need for the punishment.

“It was high energy (at practice), but we just had a lot of penalties,” he said. “That’s something we’ve got to fix. We were a penalized team last year, so that’s something we’re working on. And hopefully this year it won’t be a burden on why we may or may not win games.”

EXTRA POINTS

Richt said he cut practice about 25 minutes short Thursday, due in part to the high temperatures – which reached into the mid-80s – and in part to ensure a strong showing at Saturday’s scrimmage.

“I wanted them to be really fresh and excited about scrimmaging because it’s really the last scrimmage where we can do all the things we want to do schematically,” Richt said. “This Saturday is really the last big test with all the stuff we’ve installed.”

Because the team’s final scrimmage on G-Day is open to the public, Richt said the team will employ a more vanilla scheme then, making Saturday’s work crucial because it will be the final time coaches can see the team execute everything that has been installed this spring.

On the injury front, linebackers Marcus Dowtin and Chase Vasser were among a small group of players who missed practice with injuries. Receiver Marlon Brown was in a green non-contact jersey but participated in most of the team’s workouts.

Notes: Outside Look at Inside Linebacker

It’s safe to say Justin Houston is excited about his new role on Georgia’s defense. His job – mainly crushing a few quarterbacks – won’t change much, but he’s loving the new setting of the 3-4 defense, where he moves to outside linebacker from defensive end.

“It was a good experience to be out there learning what we’ve got to work on,” Houston said of the Bulldogs’ first taste of the new scheme last week. “I just have to drop back (into coverage) every now and then. I like to drop back. I get tired of just banging all the time.”

Houston admitted he wasn’t always fully aware of where he was supposed to be or what he was supposed to do during Day 1 of practice, but he thinks he’ll pick up the basics pretty quickly. His teammates playing inside linebacker, however, won’t have it quite so easy.

“The inside guy has a lot to learn,” Houston said. “The outside guys, to me it’s simple. I’m picking it up pretty fast. But the inside guys, Akeem Dent and Darryl Gamble, we were talking about it coming off the field that the things they have to learn, they’ve got a long ways to go.”

New defensive coordinator Todd Grantham will be coaching the outside linebackers and said their primary role is still to rush the quarterback. The inside linebackers, however, will have an increased presence in the running game, will be required to work in coverage and the Mike linebacker position will essentially be the quarterback of the defense.

“It’ll mean more communication, especially from my part,” said Gamble, a senior who played middle linebacker for much of the past two seasons. “You’ve got to be able to see more, get the line and even the DBs adjusted to what’s going on in front of us.”

It’s no surprise then that the two top contenders for the job are Georgia’s most veteran linebackers – Gamble and Dent.

“Me and him, we’ve got a lot of reps under our belt, more than a lot of other guys on the defense,” Gamble said. “So it’ll be better off hearing it from us than hearing from somebody else that doesn’t know a lot about what’s going on on Saturdays.”

ON THE MOVE

Nick Williams arrived at Georgia as a safety. Midway through his freshman season, he moved to linebacker. When injuries disrupted the depth chart at safety last spring, he moved back to safety. By the time the season started, however, he was a linebacker once again. And now, as spring begins for Georgia in 2010, Williams is once again on the move – and he couldn’t be happier.

“I was excited when I heard I was back at safety,” Williams said. “I liked linebacker, but I wasn’t big enough. I knew that, but I was going to play it regardless. So when Coach (Mark Richt) told me I was going back to safety, and this was my permanent spot, I’m like, ‘That’s good.’ It wasn’t hard switching back.”

Williams said he needs to drop a few pounds before the season starts – he’s at about 220 now – but beyond that, safety feels like home.

Even better than the new position, however, is the new style, Williams said. In Grantham’s new defense, the safeties are given a lot more room to run and make plays, and that’s exactly what Williams wants to do.

“This is just a fun defense to play in,” he said. “You’re running around making plays. You’re not just assigned to one gap. You’re making plays. You never know who’s blitzing, the safeties are always running and moving around. It’s fun.”

Of course, before Williams can make too many plays, he needs to land a starting job. Both of last year’s starters are gone, which leaves the competition this spring tight between Bacarri Rambo – last year’s top backup – junior college transfer Jakar Hamilton, veteran Quintin Banks and Williams.

During Georgia’s first practice, Williams said he and Hamilton split most of the first-team reps, but said the other safety position really isn’t up for grabs.

“I see it as one open position because Rambo’s got his locked,” Williams said. “He’s ready to go.”

ANY WAY YOU WANT IT

Branden Smith had plenty of highlight moments in his freshman campaign, but he didn’t exactly secure his place in the pecking order of the defensive backfield. In fact, much of Smith’s impact in 2009 was felt on the offensive side of the football.

That should change a bit this season as Smith battles to land the starting job at cornerback opposite Brandon Boykin, but his playing time on offense last year didn’t necessarily maximize his study time for his current job.

“I wish I could have played defense a little more last year, but on the other hand, I’m just here to help the team win, that’s all,” Smith said.

Smith finished last season with just 14 tackles and two pass break-ups, playing in a back-up role on defense, generally in nickel coverages.

On offense, Smith met with a bit more success – rushing for 208 yards and two touchdowns on the season. He handled kick returns, too, but has occasional problems hanging onto the football.

This spring, Smith said he plans to focus on developing his skills at corner and said he hasn’t spoken with new defensive backs coach Scott Lakatos about playing offense or special teams, too. Still, the idea of being an all-purpose contributor remains of keen interest for Smith.

“I like playing both ways, but my main focus is just winning,” Smith said. “If I had to play offense the rest of the season to help the team win, that’s what I’d have to do.”

For now, however, Smith's role is to be the student, and he's enjoying the early lessons from his new coach.

“Coach Lakatos is real different from (former) Coach (Willie) Martinez. Both of them have their ways, just teaching different stuff," Smith said. "Now we’ve got to learn the things (Lakatos) is teaching us, and … his teaching style is way different. Coach Lakatos, he sits down and shows us how to do things. He is a teacher, really.”

HEAD OF THE CLASS

Kris Durham is thrilled to be suiting up this spring in order to finish out his Georgia career on a high note. But it's not just on the field.

Durham gets decked out for his other full-time gig each day this semester, too. He's student teaching a history class at Oconee County Middle School to finish up his degree, and while he's in charge of the classroom, he said he's learned a few lessons along the way.

“It’s definitely different," said Durham, who plans to begin grad school at UGA this summer. "I used to think I was getting away with a lot of stuff, but teachers see more than you think they do.”

Each weekday from 7:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., Durham is in the classroom, with recent lectures focusing on civil rights, Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott.

Of course, before he could get to teaching, he had to get past the excitement among his students that they would be learning from a Georgia football player.

Durham didn't reveal his other job, but his students had no trouble unveiling his true identity.

“They figured that out after about the first 20 minutes," Durham said. "I had to get that out of the way real quick and make sure they saw me as not just a football player, but I’m here to help you guys learn and help educate.”

As much as Durham is looking forward to getting back on the football field after missing all of last season with a shoulder injury, his off-field work is proving every bit as rewarding.

“I’ve been blessed by having so many good teachers and coaches, I just feel like that’s how I’ve got to pay it forward,” he said. "I get to enjoy the youth of America. I get to have my influence on them. It’s just a good way to give back.”

WHAT THE OFFENSE SEES

Not sure if I had posted this before, but here's Mike Bobo's take on the 3-4 defense:

“I think the big difficulty in the 3-4 is you have the outside backers that are backers/rush guys. As an offense, it’s hard to account – do I account for those guys as outside guys as a D lineman or as a linebacker? You’re worried about mismatches and blocking. I still want my left tackle to block that guy, but in that front, my fullback or my back might have to block that outside backer, and that’s a mismatch. So that’s where it causes some confusion for offenses is identifying personnel and trying to get the right matchup on those guys. In a 3-4, you can disguise and you don’t know where they’re coming from. You create mismatches, get to the quarterback and cause confusion.”

Video Mailbag: Lakatos, Leadership and Learning the D

You guys had questions for Orson Charles, Nick Williams, Caleb King and DeAngelo Tyson. They had answers for you...



Thanks to Brandon Spoon for shooting and editing the video.

Georgia's players are off this week, but we'll do this again when practice picks back up. Be sure to follow me on Twitter for your chance to submit questions for the players.

Kickoff Conundrum: Two Years of Momentum-Killing Mishaps

Let's take a trip down (bad) memory lane.

(NOTE: Before we begin our journey, you may want to read my story in today's Telegraph on the rollercoaster ride of Georgia's special teams this season.)

Now, I went back through Georgia's last 18 games looking for instances in which the Bulldogs made a big play or had momentum going in its direction, then had a disaster occur on a kickoff immediately afterward.

The following events are listed in chronological order, but please remember that this is ONLY kickoff-related problems since the start of the 2008 season that immediately followed Georgia touchdowns or started a half.

This is not a list of all of Georgia's bad kickoffs. This doesn't include the shanked punts against Georgia Tech last year, the special teams turnovers against South Carolina and Arkansas this season, the missed field goals in last year's Florida game or any of the other problems Georgia has suffered through on special teams in the past year-and-a-half.

These are examples only of problematic kickoff issues under very specific circumstances. All came either at the start of a half or following a Georgia touchdown or field goal.

Anyway, pour yourself a stiff drink and read on...

WEEK 1, 2008 vs. Georgia Southern

-- Georgia scores a touchdown with 5:55 left in the third quarter. The ensuing kickoff is returned to Southern's 47-yard line and GSU scores its first touchdown of the game 1:28 later. What had been a predictably dominant opening-week performance against a I-AA team ends with the Bulldogs allowing 21 points.

WEEK 2, 2008 vs. Central Michigan

-- Demarcus Dobbs picks off a Dan Lefevre pass late in the first half and returns it for a touchdown, breaking open what had been a relatively close game and giving Georgia a commanding 28-0 lead. The ensuing kickoff, however, goes out of bounds, giving CMU the ball at its own 40 with 1:02 left in the half. Thirty-five seconds later, they scored their first touchdown of the game.

WEEK 3, 2008 vs. South Carolina

-- Georgia's offense is sputtering, but the Bulldogs muster a field goal with 10:22 left in the second quarter to take a 3-0 lead. The Gamecocks return the ensuing kickoff 25 yards to their own 38, however, then score a touchdown 1:40 later to go up 7-3. That was the lone touchdown the Gamecocks scored in the game, and it was the best field position they had to start any drive.

WEEK 4, 2008 vs. Arizona State

-- Georgia scores its first touchdown of the game on a 9-yard run by Knowshon Moreno (you may remember him flying into the end zone) and the ensuing kickoff goes out of bounds. This time, however, the defense forces a three-and-out against the inept Sun Devils' offense.

WEEK 8, 2008 vs. LSU

-- Georgia is in command for much of the game but can't seem to put LSU away until Moreno takes a handoff and runs 68 yards for a touchdown to put the Bulldogs up 38-17. Walsh's ensuing kickoff, however, is returned 25 yards to the LSU 41. The Tigers score 1:58 later to pull back to within two touchdowns.

-- The Bulldogs once again appear to have iced the win over LSU when Darryl Gamble returns his second interception of the game for a touchdown to give Georgia a 52-31 lead late in the fourth quarter. The ensuing kickoff goes out of bounds and LSU tacks on yet another touchdown just 51 seconds later.

WEEK 9, 2008 vs. Florida

-- While the game was eventually a blowout, the first half was remarkably close. The Bulldogs booted a 35-yard field goal with 11:18 to play in the first half to pull to within 7-3. Rather than ride the momentum, however, Mark Richt calls for an on-side kick, which the Gators recover at the Georgia 41-yard line. Florida engineers a seven-play drive and scores a touchdown with 3:52 left in the half to go up 14-3 and never looked back.

WEEK 10, 2008 vs. Kentucky

-- Georgia looks dominant early, scoring touchdowns on each of its first two drives. Following the second touchdown, however, Walsh's ensuing kickoff goes out of bounds. Kentucky quickly goes 60 yards for a touchdown to make the score 14-7 in what would be a back-and-forth game the rest of the way.

-- With 13:49 remaining in the fourth quarter, Georgia scores on a Moreno touchdown to finally regain the lead 35-31 in a game that was way too close for comfort. Walsh's ensuing kickoff, however, was returned 96 yards all the way to the Georgia 4-yard line. Three plays later the Wildcats punched in the score to retake the lead 38-35.

WEEK 11, 2008 vs. Auburn

-- With Georgia trailing in the fourth quarter against an Auburn team with virtually no offensive firepower, A.J. Green finally gives the Bulldogs a lead and some breathing room, scoring with 8:24 to play in the game to put UGA up 17-13. The ensuing kickoff goes out of bounds, but the defense steps up and forces a punt.

WEEK 12, 2008 vs. Georgia Tech

-- Georgia jumps out to an early 7-0 lead, scoring on its first drive of the game. Walsh's ensuing kickoff goes out of bounds. The defense holds, however, after Georgia Tech goes for it on a fourth-and-2 from the Bulldogs' 33 and Josh Nesbitt's pass falls incomplete.

-- Georgia appears to take a commanding 28-12 lead with just 37 seconds left in the first half when Matthew Stafford hits Mohamed Massaquoi for a 3-yard touchdown. The ensuing kickoff goes out of bounds, but the Bulldogs are bailed out when Nesbitt throws an interception as time expires in the half.

-- The momentum of the interception didn't last long. Walsh's kickoff to open the second half goes out of bounds. Johnathan Dwyer runs 60 yards for a touchdown on the next play, making what looked like a blowout a one-score game.

-- With 4:04 left in the game, Stafford wraps up a monster performance, hitting Green for a 12-yard touchdown to pull Georgia to within three, 45-42. Roddy Jones returned the ensuing kickoff 37 yards to the Tech 44-yard line, however, and the Yellow Jackets ran seven more plays and took the clock down to zero, never giving the Bulldogs' offense another chance to cap the comeback.

BOWL GAME, 2008 vs. Michigan State

-- A close game finally broke open with nine seconds remaining in the third quarter when Stafford connected with Aron White for a touchdown, giving Georgia a 17-6 lead. Walsh's ensuing kickoff sailed out of bounds, setting MSU up at its own 40. While the Bulldogs' defense held firm and forced a punt, the bad kickoff helped swing field position. Georgia's next drive ended with a punt from its own 7-yard line and the Spartans got the ball back at their own 46. MSU scored on that drive to pull to within 17-12 -- their only touchdown of the game.

WEEK 1, 2009 vs. Oklahoma State

-- Georgia's offense had looked awful, but the defense kept the game close and the Bulldogs headed out for the second half trailing by just three. Walsh's opening kickoff, however, is returned 74 yards by Perrish Cox to give Oklahoma State the ball at the Georgia 24 to start its drive. Zac Robinson capped the drive with a 1-yard dive into the end zone to put the Cowboys up 17-7 -- effectively slamming the door on the listless Bulldogs.

WEEK 2, 2009 vs. South Carolina

-- In a game that had been back-and-forth throughout the first half, the Bulldogs finally seemed to put things out of reach when Michael Moore scored on a four-yard pass from Joe Cox with 9:04 left in the third quarter, giving Georgia a 38-23 lead. Chris Culliver returned the ensuing kickoff 57 yards to the Georgia 43, however, and the Gamecocks eventually booted a field goal on the drive.

WEEK 3, 2009 vs. Arkansas

-- Arkansas got off to a fast start, but Georgia answered with a 21-yard TD reception by White to tie the game at 7 with 9:56 left in the first quarter. Cobi Hamilton returned the ensuing kickoff 50 yards, however, setting the Razorbacks up with the ball at the Georgia 48. Ryan Mallett threw a touchdown on the next play to regain the lead, 14-7.

-- Tavarres King's 50-yard touchdown reception with 7:51 left in the third quarter gives Georgia a 34-28 lead. The ensuing kickoff goes out of bounds and five plays later Arkansas is back in the end zone and back in the lead, 35-34.

-- Georgia scores on Cox's fifth touchdown pass of the game with 10:46 left to play in the game and goes up 49-38. The ensuing kickoff sails out of bounds and Arkansas kicks a field goal eight plays later.

WEEK 5, 2009 vs. LSU

-- After doing absolutely nothing offensively for the better part of three quarters, Georgia scores to take a 7-6 lead with 14:15 left to play in the game. Trindon Holliday returns the ensuing kickoff 49 yards and LSU takes over at Georgia's 46. The Bulldogs catch a break, however, when the refs throw a personal foul flag on the Tigers, moving them back 15 yards. The drive ended with a punt.

-- Do I really need to take us through this one again? Georgia scores what may well have been one of the most memorable touchdowns of the Mark Richt era when A.J. Green hauls in a go-ahead score with 1:09 to play in the game. An absurd flag for excessive celebration flies in, icing on the cake of what so many Georgia fans must have already seen coming at this point.

Despite all the problems on kickoffs that we've just mentioned, Jon Fabris and the Georgia kickoff team decide it's time to get fancy. They break the huddle and immediately sprint to the line, where Walsh boots a kick straight down the middle of the field that's fielded by Holliday at the LSU 17-yard line. The coverage is a disaster, and Holliday bolts 40 yards to the Georgia 43. Adding insult to injury, Georgia is flagged for an illegal formation because it sent just three players to one side of the kicker when it broke the huddle. That moves the ball to the Bulldogs' 35, meaning the Tigers took over already in field-goal range for kicker Josh Jasper, who had connected from 52 yards out just two weeks earlier. As it turned out, it didn't matter when Charles Scott rumbled 33 yards for a the winning touchdown two plays later.

Rubbing it in a bit, LSU was flagged for the same infraction as Georgia after its touchdown, but had little trouble covering its kickoff.

----

By my count, that's 22 miscues on kickoffs following either crucial Georgia scores or to start a half in just the past 18 games. Twenty-two! In 18 games! Loud noises!

What could possibly cause such a trend?

Surely there are issues with the game plan on kickoffs.

Surely there are issues with the personnel being used on kickoffs.

Surely there are some issues with Blair Walsh's ability to properly execute the types of kickoffs he is asked to make.

Surely there are some serious issues with concentration, given that both the special teams and, in many cases, the defense immediately collapsed following such important momentum boosts created by the offense.

Surely there are issues in terms of preparation, execution, and recognition.

Surely the coaches must know this.

And yet it happens game after game after game for two straight years.

ADDENDUM: I wasn't paying close enough attention on Blair's missed 37-yard field goal, but I got this email from Bill A.: "That whole play was hurried because UGA didn't seem to know who was on its' FG team. It looked like a fire drill with players running on and off the field with the play clock evaporating. We barely beat the 40-second clock."

Remember the debacle of a field goal at the end of the first half in Arkansas when the coaching staff rushed the field-goal team onto the field rather than simply have Cox spike the football on first down to give the unit a chance to get properly set?

And here's what Nick Williams, who is on the kick coverage team, told me about the illegal formation on the kickoff against LSU: “We know the rules, but guys sometimes don’t get a call or something and just lined up wrong.” This on the most crucial special teams play of the game -- and maybe of Georgia's season so far.

I'm all for giving Holliday some credit. He deserves it. He's a heck of a kick returner. But coming into this game, LSU ranked 117th in the nation in return average, and I think it's fair to wonder why Georgia couldn't do what Mississippi State and Louisiana-Lafayette could.

The preparation just seems bush league. Maybe I'm missing something, but I can't figure it out, and the coaching staff doesn't seem to want to give a better explanation.

ADDENDUM No. 2: Got this great comment from an anonymous poster, who obviously watched the replay closely... "Check the replay of the final two kickoffs.

"Georgia had three walk ons and a backup quarterback covering the kick from a huddle formation. LSU fields the ball on the 17 and no Georgia player enters the picture until the returner had already returned the ball 15 yards to the 32.

"LSU had 10 first and second team defenders covering the kick and lining up in their lanes. Georgia fields the kick on the 22 and the first LSU player enters the picture when the returner reaches the 26.

"Yep. It must have been the wind."

Notebook: Arkansas Tight End Has Georgia's Attention

Willie Martinez said the game plan last week was to avoid getting beat deep, and the result was an eight-catch, 96-yard performance for South Carolina tight end Weslye Saunders.

The game plan may have to change this week with Arkansas’ offense featuring All-SEC tight end D.J. Williams, but Martinez said the biggest key for Georgia’s defense will be execution.

“We didn’t tackle well in the last game, and that cost us,” Martinez said. “And we’ve got to do a better job of pressuring the quarterback, whether that’s through blitzing or the four-man rush. And we’ve got to do better in coverage.”

Martinez said Georgia was willing to give up some yards underneath against South Carolina, but linebackers coach John Jancek said Williams commands a bit more attention.

“It’s a different style in terms of what they do,” Jancek said. “I think Arkansas has some really good thoughts on how they want to get the ball to the tight end, and we need to be aware of where he’s at.”

The defensive effort should get a boost with the return of linebacker Nick Williams this week after the sophomore missed last week’s action with a sore hamstring. Georgia was without two of its top three Sam linebackers, who are usually tasked with covering the tight end.

“I’ve heard he’s a great player,” Nick Williams said of the Arkansas tight end. “I think I can help, even if it’s just with the depth so guys aren’t taking every snap at linebacker.”

AWESOME ORSON

Freshman Orson Charles was supposed to be eased into the offense, but he’s already proven he can be a weapon for Georgia.

Charles’ four catches and 84 yards receiving are both second-best on the team, and quarterback Joe Cox said the tight end is causing havoc for defenses already, despite his lack of experience.

“He’s definitely a great threat in the passing game,” Cox said. “He has really great speed, runs good routes, has good hands. You can tell that sometimes he’s having to think a lot about things, and that just comes with experience and just practicing. He’s learning a lot and it’s good that he’s getting plays early. You can see his confidence getting higher and higher with every ball he catches. He’s going to be a good one.”

While several of Georgia’s freshmen, including fellow tight end Arthur Lynch, have yet to secure the confidence of offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, Charles’ work ethic and reliability have stood out. That’s a good sign, Bobo said, and he expects Charles to see increased action in the coming weeks.

“He’s a conscientious kid who studies extremely hard and wants to be good and he has ability on top of that,” Bobo said. “He’ll continue to be more of the plan and the package because of his work ethic and his ability to make plays.”

BANKS OUT AGAIN

Safety Quintin Banks was cleared for action last week following a knee injury suffered during fall camp, but the problem flared up again during practice this week, and head coach Mark Richt said he won’t make the trip to Arkansas.

Richt said the knee problem was nothing more than swelling, however, and he expects Banks to return to practice next week.

“He’s coming off an injury that he’s on the front end of when he could come back and he looked good, but it puffed up on him and that’s typical,” Richt said. “You just kind of back down and get the swelling out and try again.”

Richt said that defensive end Kiante Tripp and linebacker Darius Dewberry will also miss the game at Arkansas, but Williams, tailback Caleb King and offensive lineman Josh Davis, each of whom missed last week’s game, will all be on the trip.

ANDERSON GETS THE START

Justin Anderson will start his second straight game at right guard Saturday, with Cordy Glenn working at left guard and Chris Davis coming off the bench.

Richt said Anderson looked sharp against South Carolina, and the coaches are anxious to allow the sophomore to continue to gain experience.

“He’s a good football player but he’s like any young guy, kind of up and down,” Richt said. “Sometimes you worry about how they’ll do in the course of a game, but as we always realize in the end, the more you play him the better he gets, the more comfortable he gets.”

Richt said the overall effort by the offensive line was strong a week ago, despite the offense totaling just 307 yards in the game.

“We pass protected pretty good, and we ran the ball well," Richt said. "I thought the line played pretty good, and some of the issues we had in total yards was just the number of plays we ran.”

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE

Defensive end Cornelius Washington recorded the first sack of his career in the first half against South Carolina last week, and Richt said the play was a perfect example of why coaches are so high on the redshirt freshman.

“There’s another example of a freshman who’s getting to play and is just going to get better in a hurry,” Richt said. “I thought he improved a lot from Game 1 to Game 2.”

Richt said Washington engaged his blocker and pushed him back into the quarterback before breaking free for the sack – a technique the coaches teach in order to prevent the quarterback from knowing which way to scramble.

“That was really a clinic on that one particular play, and it just shows what he’s capable of,” Richt said. “Now he just needs to get consistent at it.”

MURRAY STARTS THROWING

Freshman quarterback Aaron Murray began light throwing again Wednesday after dealing with triceps tendonitis for the past week.

Richt said Murray will make the trip to Arkansas, but he isn’t sure when Murray will return to full practices.

“He threw a little bit (Wednesday), but not a lot, and it wasn’t in a competitive setting,” Richt said. “Trying to predict that would be like predicting when Caleb (King) was coming back. It’s hard to say.”

FIGURING IT ALL OUT

Two weeks into the season, and wide receiver Michael Moore admits, he’s still not quite sure what to make of Georgia’s offensive attack.

The Bulldogs struggled to post just 10 points in their opener, then rebounded with 41 against South Carolina a week later. That makes figuring out which version of the offense will emerge this weekend a tough call.

“I really don’t know,” Moore said. “There’s a lot more playmakers than there was in years past. There had always been one or two guys – this guy or that guy. Now I think we’re able to spread the ball out a little bit more and get more people involved.”

The biggest leap forward from the first game to the second, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said, was the energy the team played with, but the task of finding an offensive identity is still an ongoing process.

“I still think we’re still honing in on what we are offensively,” Bobo said. “But if we’ll play hard and eliminate the mistakes, we’ll have a chance to move the ball and score points in games.”

MORE TO COME

Marlon Brown and Rantavious Wooten didn’t see the field at all in Georgia’s opener and managed just three plays combined a week later, but Richt isn’t writing them off. In fact, he thinks the pair could develop along a path similar to another accomplished Georgia receiver.

“I’m not going to predict it’ll happen like it did for Fred Gibson, but it wasn’t until Game 3 that Fred Gibson really started to come on and play,” Richt said. “We have every intention to keep playing them and getting them more and more comfortable. Some of it was just not feeling comfortable that they knew exactly what to do on every play without somebody behind them coaching them, but they’re getting better.”

ROAD TO RETURN

With Rod Battle out for the remainder of the season, the depth at defensive end will continue to be an issue, but Richt said two of Georgia’s youngsters could be closing in on a return.

Richt said sophomore Neland Ball is getting close to returning to practice, and redshirt freshman Jeremy Longo could return to work next week.

Longo had shoulder surgery during the offseason and Richt said he suffered a minor knee injury that hindered his return this fall.

“Not being able to move around as well on his knee was keeping him from progressing into combat with his shoulder,” Richt said, “but I think by next week we’ll begin to phase him into contact.”

NO DOUBTIN' DOWTIN

Sophomore linebacker Marcus Dowtin wasn't planning on getting a lot of playing time early this season, but when he got his opportunity in Week 1 against Oklahoma State, he made the most of it.

Dowtin was the team's leading tackler in that game, then followed it up with another strong performance a week later against South Carolina. He now ranks second on the team with 14 tackles, and he's garnered some confidence from Jancek, too.

“Marcus has earned more playing time," Jancek said. "He’s got still a number of things he needs to work on but he’s making progress and you’ve just got to keep moving forward.”

WAITING ON WOOD

Defensive tackle Brandon Wood has yet to practice this season while recovering from a labrum injury, but Richt said he hasn't completely counted Wood out yet. If the junior can return soon, Richt said, he could still avoid a medical redshirt.

“He could still play," Richt said. "He’s been trying to progress, and if he feels healthy enough and doctors say he can go, he’ll have a choice to make here.”

WASHED OUT

After two practices earlier this week that Richt described as lethargic, the Bulldogs' Thursday workouts were moved indoors thanks to rain.

Rather than lament the missed time on the field, Richt said he hoped the mental reps would sharpen the team's fundamentals against Arkansas and the lack of running would allow the players to be refreshed in time for Saturday's game.

“We’ve had enough practice outside in the weather. I didn’t feel like we needed to get soggy today, and we’ll get a chance to concentrate on the assignments and the mental aspect of the game, which is the great majority of what today’s about anyway. I think that’ll be good for us. To hold off on any kind of running today would probably be a good thing and help freshen the boys up a little.”

Practice Notes: King Set to Return

After more than a month on the sidelines, the news finally appears a bit brighter for tailback Caleb King.

The sophomore running back has been out with a sore hamstring since Aug. 12, but head coach Mark Richt said he practiced fully each of the past two days and his prospects for playing Saturday against Arkansas look good.

“It looks like very probable,” Richt said. “I’d be surprised if he didn’t play at this point.”

Richt said he couldn’t guess how many reps King is likely to play, but he said the addition to the running back depth chart, currently manned by Richard Samuel and Carlton Thomas, would be a benefit for the Georgia offense.

“It’s going to help us because he’s definitely a different style of runner,” Richt said. “I’m anxious to see what he can do. He’s always had good vision, good balance and he’s got to be pretty fresh.”

Samuel has been the go-to runner for Georgia in the first two games of the season, getting 20 carries against Oklahoma State and 15 against South Carolina.

It’s expected that Samuel will continue to handle the bulk of the load, but Richt said the return of King will allow the team to spread the carries out a bit more than it had previously.

“The tailback position is set for us now where we’re not going to ask just one kid to carry the entire load, so they’ll be able to help each other out,” Richt said.

GOING BACK INSIDE

Senior defensive tackles Geno Atkins and Jeff Owens saw plenty of action at an unfamiliar position in Georgia’s first two games, but their experiment at defensive end might be coming to an end.

With the return of Justin Houston from a two-game suspension, Richt said he didn’t expect the Bulldogs would need to use Atkins or Owens, who totaled around 50 reps at end during the first two games, to work off the edge as much going forward.

“I doubt we see them much out there,” Richt said, “but it depends on how the game goes.”

Atkins said he didn’t mind the transition, but he said he’ll be happy to get back to doing what he does best and leaving the surprisingly tough task of defensive end to the players who’ve been doing it a bit longer.

“I had to keep the contain, look for the reverse and focus my eyes on the quarterback to see if he takes it and runs with it or gives it to the running back,” Atkins said. “Now I know what the D ends are going through because they’ve got so much responsibility.”

WILLIAMS BACK AT WORK

After missing last week’s game against South Carolina with a hamstring injury, linebacker Nick Williams said he’ll be available for duty this week.

“It’s good now,” Williams said. “I’m back.”

Williams said the injury occurred in Georgia’s first game against Oklahoma State when he was jamming receiver Dez Bryant and felt a pull, and he immediately knew it was his fault he was hurt.

“I’m bad at stretching,” Williams said. “I never did it in high school, so they’ve had me on a strict stretching program now.”

THE BIGGER THEY ARE…

At 6-foot-7, Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett will be one of the biggest targets Georgia’s defense has faced in a while, but Rennie Curran said he’s not too concerned.

Curran said the biggest quarterback he could remember facing previously was Kentucky’s Andre Woodson, who was 6-5, in 2007.

In that game, Georgia had five sacks, which reinforced Curran’s philosophy about big quarterbacks.

“They’re all the same to me,” Curran said. “They all throw the ball, they just fall harder than others.”

THE BATTLE’S OVER

After defensive end Rod Battle went down with a season-ending knee injury, Richt was hopeful the senior might be able to apply for a sixth year of eligibility, but it appears that’s unlikely, and Battle’s career with Georgia could be over.

“My guess would be that he would not because his first (redshirt) year there was no injury involved in the red shirt,” Richt said. “You have to miss two seasons because of injury, and we have no documentation to help him with that.”

KEEPING CONFIDENCE

Branden Smith knows he didn’t instill a lot of confidence in his coaches on his first few attempts at returning kicks. Against Oklahoma State, he twice brought the ball out from deep in the end zone, and on his first return against South Carolina resulted in a fumble that set up a field goal for the Gamecocks.

But rather than give up on the freshman, coach Tony Ball sent him back out again, and Smith rewarded him with a 48-yard return to set the Bulldogs up with prime field position.

“I think it is a good thing that Coach Ball has confidence in me knowing that I have made a couple of bad plays,” Smith said. “At Oklahoma State I ran deep from the end zone and fumbled against South Carolina. By him putting me back out there I think that is a very good thing.”

ANOTHER ROUGH DAY

For the second straight practice, Richt said his team lacked much enthusiasm on the field, but he said he’s not concerned that the team will lack energy by game day.

“Today we were a little lethargic, I thought. There was not a ton of energy, but we grinded and we got it done. I think the boys are probably a little bit tired, but that’s the beauty of Thursday and Friday.”

Practice Notes: Penalties No Problem

Throughout the preseason, Mark Richt made cutting down on penalties a focus. Two games into the season, Georgia ranks 109th in penalties, but given the intensity his team has shown, Richt isn’t complaining.

“If you have to chose between the team playing the way we played with the amount of energy, fire and enthusiasm the whole game, and if the byproduct of that is penalties, I’ll take that over a team that doesn’t have a penalty but doesn’t have a pulse to go with it,” Richt said.

Georgia was flagged 13 times in a win over South Carolina last Saturday bringing the team’s total to 20 for the season. The numbers have been offset, however, by a barrage of penalties against the opposition, too. Oklahoma State was whistled for 15 penalties in Georgia’s opener and South Carolina had 11 flags, including two that overturned touchdowns, last week.

“Some games get wild,” Richt said. “That game got wild.”

Richt said the key for Georgia will be reducing the number of avoidable penalties like offsides calls or having too many men on the field. What he doesn’t want to see happen is players like safety Reshad Jones, who was flagged for personal fouls in each of the first two games, reduce their intensity on game day.

“I love the way he is playing,” Richt said of Jones. “I don’t think he has tried to hurt anybody. As far as the sideline play (against South Carolina), I think he was trying to tackle the guy. You are running full speed, and reaching out and grabbing what you can. Going back to the other play at Oklahoma State, I think he did everything right.”

Defensive coordinator Willie Martinez said Jones' flag against South Carolina was originally deemed a late hit by the referees on the field, but was later clarified to be a horse-collar tackle. Martinez said after reviewing the film that he agreed with the assessment.

SEEING SOME ACTION

Freshman receiver Rantavious Wooten joked with senior Michael Moore after Saturday’s game that he finally had a chance to run a route. Wooten was in on just one play against South Carolina, but it was one more play than he had earned a week earlier. The fact that it was a passing play made it even better.

“He’s building off of that, and he’s excited now,” Moore said.

Wooten and fellow freshman Marlon Brown saw just three combined reps in Georgia’s second game of the season after being shut out of playing time in the opener, but quarterback Joe Cox said the lack of action isn’t a knock on their skills. The coaches are simply easing them into the game plan.

“I definitely think they can help us but we want to make sure they know what to do,” Cox said. “It gets crazy just trying to hear my call in the huddle and when we start moving tight ends and doing certain motions with them – we just want o make sure they have everything down. They definitely have ability, but you don’t want to have them come in and miss something important because they weren’t sure.”

The close games Georgia has played in each of the first two weeks haven’t helped matters, but Cox said he’s confident Brown and Wooten will both see increased action as the season progresses.

“It probably would have been different if we’d have put (South Carolina) away,” Cox said. “Then I’m sure Marlon and Rantavious would have gotten a lot of plays. I know they’re ready to play as far as their mentality, but we need to make sure they’ve got everything down in our game plan and they’ll definitely start to get on the field more and more.”

HAPPY RETURNS

With Rod Battle going down with a season-ending knee injury, virtually everyone on Georgia's defense is taking a deep sigh of relief that Justin Houston returns from a two-game suspension this week.

But as excited as the coaches might be, it's defensive tackle Jeff Owens, who had to sub for Battle throughout much of last week's game, that might be the happiest to have the sophomore defensive end back for this week's contest.

"He took 33 snaps at defensive end last game, so I believe he'll appreciate me a lot coming back," Houston said.

LINEBACKER CONCERNS

Georgia will be without senior linebacker Darius Dewberry for a second straight week, Richt said, and sophomore Nick Williams is questionable after sitting out last week’s contest against South Carolina.

“It would be nice to have all those guys healthy,” Richt said. “Dewberry was playing extremely well, and Nick was another one of those young guys who was getting better everyday at practice, and you hate to slow down that progress.”

With Dewberry, a Peach County alum, and Williams sidelined, South Carolina tight end Weslye Saunders found plenty of room to get open and finished the game with eight catches for 96 yards. Richt said Darryl Gamble will likely get the task of stopping All-SEC tight end D.J. Williams against Arkansas this week, but the linebacking crew will also get some help from a senior Marcus Washington, who had been moved to defensive end at the start of fall camp.

“Marcus is back at linebacker because we’ve lost a couple of guys there, but he could still be a swing guy in case of an emergency,” linebackers coach John Jancek said. “We’ll go into the game using him as a linebacker and possibly move him to defensive end as well.”

DAILY CALEB UPDATE

Richt said Tuesday morning that the status of tailback Caleb King isn't much different this Tuesday than it was last -- it's a mystery.

But offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said King made it through the entirety of Tuesday's practice, which was a crucial first step toward getting the sophomore back onto the field.
"He looked better than last week, so that's a good sign, but we'll see how he progresses through the week," Bobo said.

READY BUT NOT READY

Safety Quintin Banks has had a hard time staying healthy for the past two years, so now that he’s finally been cleared to start playing again after a knee injury last month, the coaches are taking it slow.

A year ago, the former Houston County standout played in just one game due to a myriad of injuries, and he missed Georgia’s opener this season as well. Banks was dressed for last week’s game against South Carolina but did not play.

“He’s able to play, but he hasn’t had a lot of practice reps,” Richt said. “He hasn’t done a lot of things full speed. I wouldn’t say that he is 100 percent back to the best Quintin Banks can be.”

STRONG START FOR JONES

Richt said one of the most promising developments from Georgia’s first game to its second was the progress made by the freshmen on special teams. At the top of that list, Richt said, is former Northside star Abry Jones, who complimented an increased amount of playing time at defensive tackle with a strong performance on Georgia’s kick return unit that tallied 252 yards last week.

“He has a lot of ability, but he has a ways to go on his fundamentals,” Richt said. “He has a ways to go on every little thing that you have to learn, but we feel like he is going to get better in a hurry, which he is. Abry is moving very rapidly into a very fine player and I think the sky is the limit for him.”

WHERE WAS SAMUEL?

Perhaps the most perplexing part of Georgia's win over South Carolina was the emergence then sudden disappearance of tailback Richard Samuel.

On Georgia's first scoring drive offensively, Samuel had five touches including an 11-yard run and a 16-yard reception, capping the series with a 1-yard touchdown run with 1:56 remaining in the first quarter. After that, however, Samuel got just one more carry in the first half -- also an 11-yard dash -- while Carlton Thomas was on the field throughout much of the second quarter, including working as the pitch man on Branden Smith's 61-yard run on a reverse.

Bobo said Samuel's absence was due to a combination of the play calls and a desire to get the sophomore tailback some rest.

"(Samuel) had ran several times on that drive and ran physically hard, and we just wanted to get him out of the game," Bobo said. "The play for the reverse called for Carlton. … It was the plays we were calling and the players we have for those calls."

GRAY AREA

With Cox hurting, fans assumed they'd see a bit more of backup quarterback Logan Gray against South Carolina, but that wasn't the case.

Just as he had a week earlier against Oklahoma State, Gray got just one snap on offense, and the rationale behind his absence was simply the pace dictated by the game.

"This game we had only 53 snaps and losing possessions hurt his opportunity to go in the game," Bobo said. "Joe was very effective when he was in there and we didn't want to break the rhythm he was in."

Gray will get all the snap with the No. 1 unit during Wednesday's practice again this week, and that will be the routine throughout the season. While Bobo wouldn't guarantee more playing time for the sophomore quarterback on game day, he said the extra action with the first-team offense in practice can be a big stepping stone in Gray's development.

"It's beneficial for him that he's getting a lot of first-team reps and continuing to grow as a quarterback and establish himself as a leader in that huddle with the first group," Bobo said. "The more he becomes comfortable on the practice field, the greater the chance he'll have to get more significant playing time."

SLOW DAY AT PRACTICE

Georgia just dodged the rain for Tuesday's practice, but the effort was a bit dreary still, Richt said.

"It was a little bit sluggish," he said. "I'm sure the game Saturday took a good bit out of them. We've got time to get them ready to play by Saturday."

Richt also announced his captains for this week's game against Arkansas. Clint Boling is the offensive captain, while DeAngelo Tyson gets the nod for the defense. After several key special-teams plays made the difference in Georgia's win over South Carolina last week, Richt made a rare move of naming two captains -- Brandon Boykin and Rennie Curran -- from that unit this week.

"We've probably done it before while I've been at Georgia but I can't really remember a time off the top of my head – at least recently – when we've done so," Richt said.

Just How Good Are Charles & Lynch?

After watching the tight end position essentially disappear from Georgia's offense a year ago, hopes are high for the position this year. But how good are Georgia's two freshmen tight ends, really? Well, that's probably hard to say until we actually see them play. Until then, the next best opinion is probably the one that comes from the guys covering Orson Charles and Arthur Lynch in practice.

So, with that in mind, I got some input from linebacker Nick Williams, who has seen a good bit of both tight ends while playing Sam linebacker this preseason.

Here's what Williams had to say...

On Lynch: "Arthur is really aggressive, and that's going to help our running game. He's a great blocker. He can catch, he's got great hands, but he's a great blocker. He's a smart player. That's the one thing I've learned. I always hear Coach Lilly saying, 'Good job, Arthur.' I'm thinking, man, this guy's a freshman? He's got all the intangibles."

On Charles: "He's got good speed, good size, and he can run. He's coming on at blocking, too. His footwork is good, good balance. He's going to be a great player. Whenever you're lining up over Orson, you know he's got at any time he could break a big play, so you better be going hard. And he can do so many things that when I'm lined up over him I'm thinking, is he blocking, going out for a pass, because he's a good blocker, he can run routes, he can catch a pass. So you've got to be 3-D-like. He's going to be a good one."

Bottom line, Williams said: He's as excited as anyone to see Lynch and Charles in action.

"I want to see them," Williams said. "I go against them every day and I want to see what they do in the game."

Deleted Scenes: Curran's Leadership

If you checked out the blog yesterday and read my post on Rennie Curran, you already know I had a story in today's Telegraph on the Georgia linebacker.

But even between the story in the paper and the post yesterday, I still had plenty of good quotes left over, so I figured they were worth posting here. So, here ya go...

Chase Vasser on Rennie's leadership...
"He's very intense, but when I make mistakes, I try not to get down on myself because I want to be perfect, but he's the first person to come to me and tell me to relax. He's a true leader."

Nick Williams on what Rennie brings to the defense...
"Truthfully, every play before the play, you think, oh man, I've got to be on my Ps and Qs. I have to be on top of my game. You have a guy like Rennie, and every play he's going hard. He's running hard, you know he's going to be in the right spot at the right time. When I'm out on the field, I'm just like, I'm going to match Rennie. I'm going to run to the ball, do the little things, work on my technique. It's amazing to see his field presence. I can just play fast because he'll call out everybody. He'll tell them all the calls so I can just play fast."

Williams on whether it's worse to be corrected by Rennie or Coach Jancek...
"I think I'd say Rennie because he'll tell me, 'Man, you've got to get that right.' Coach is going to coach you regardless, whether you're doing right or doing bad. You might think you had the perfect play, but the coach is going to tell you you need to fix this or fix that. But Rennie, But it's rewarding though."

Rennie Curran on what it's like to be a star now...
"When I go back to high school, little kids ask me for my autograph. It's kind of a surreal feeling to go back and experience that when you've always been that young kid. Even when I walk through the mall and see my jerseys hanging up, it's like, wow, I really have come a long way. I have a good family, and it hasn't changed me. I'm still the same guy. I still keep the same people around and everything. It's a good feeling to just come up here and work hard and just see the fruits."

Curran on being snubbed by many preseason All-SEC lists...
"It definitely gives you a little bit of motivation to know that people might not respect you as much as you think they should, but at the end of the day, you're just trying to win those games. If the offense is doing well, the defense is doing well and we're winning games, that respect is going to come. The lists that they're making because their teams made it far. They made it to the SEC championship, to the national championship. We can't expect to get respected when my defense isn't producing and people are getting 40 points on us. That's how it works."

Curran on how he feels about the Bulldogs' successful offseason...
"It's a real proud feeling to know where we came from last year and how much that affected our season and how we all responded. The leadership helped people realize why we came here – and that was to go to school, play football and hopefully make a living for yourself one day. We just realized that and refocused and come in day in and day out and handle whatever task we were faced with."

Curran on the morale of this year's team vs. last year...
"It's been night and day with the morale of the team, the attitude of the guys. Whether it's running 10 hundreds or whatever, everybody's just focusing on doing whatever it takes. It's great to have all the guys buy in and know that when they come to Butts-Mehre, it's time to work, that they separate the work from the play."

Curran on his goals for this season...
"Really my goal is just to pretty much be as perfect as I can on the field and continue to improve on the field. I don't really care about how many tackles I have or anything, but if I'm doing the right thing to help the team, that's the main thing. I don't want to be the guy to mess up that causes a loss. That's everything to me is just to be a productive player so I can say I helped contribute. It really wouldn't matter if I was first team or scout team, as long as I know I contributed to this team and I got better every single day."

Practice Notes: Geathers Makes the Grade

It took a little longer than expected, but Georgia's 2009 freshman class is finally complete.
Head coach Mark Richt confirmed Thursday that lineman Kwame Geathers was cleared by the NCAA and will be on campus when Georgia holds its fourth day of fall practice today.

Richt said he was informed Tuesday morning of the decision, but Geathers still won't be a full participant in the Bulldogs' practice sessions for a few more days. The NCAA mandates that players are given five days of acclimation time before participating in contact drills, which means Geathers will be in shorts today when his teammates are in shoulder pads, and he'll still be in shoulder pads when the team holds its first full-contact practice Monday.

Geathers brother, Robert, played at Georgia and is currently a member of the Cincinnati Bengals, and his uncle, James, played 13 years in the NFL as well, so Richt said he's confident Kwame Geathers will be in good shape upon arrival.

"He comes from a family that has a lot of football players," Richt said. "They know how to work."

DOWN AND OUT

Safety Reshad Jones injured his hamstring Wednesday and was held out of Thursday's practice. Although the injury is not serious, Richt said Jones will miss some time.

"It's too bad because he was really practicing well and leading," Richt said. "He'll be healthy enough by the time the season starts and he has enough quality reps and playing time that I don't think it will be a huge deal, but he quite frankly had a lot of positive momentum coming into this camp."

Quintin Banks took reps with the first team in place of Jones on Thursday, with Baccari Rambo and Sanders Commings working with the second team.

SHOWING IMPROVEMENT

With Justin Houston suspended for two games and nearly every one of Georgia's other defensive ends coming off an injury, the start of fall practice figured to be rough at the position. Instead, Richt said the defensive ends have been among the most impressive groups in camp.

"(Demarcus) Dobbs is in great shape, (Rod) Battle's in great shape, Cornelius Washington, we're getting a chance to see him do some things," Richt said. "I see a lot of good."

BACK AND FORTH

Sophomore Nick Williams arrived as a safety, moved to linebacker midway through the season last year, then was switched back to safety this offseason when John Knox transferred. The changes didn't end there, however, and Williams is back to weakside linebacker yet again.

The change during the offseason was made to strengthen the numbers among the safeties, but now that Georgia's freshmen have arrived on campus, Richt said the coaches made the decision to move Williams where they thought he would have the biggest impact.

"You want as much speed on the field as you possibly can," Richt said. "We feel like he's one of the guys that's going to make an impact for us, and right now we're trying to find where he's best going to be able to do that. I don't want to give away too much of the game plan, but we think he can help us there."

MOVIN' ON UP

Richt wasn't sure how much Chris Davis would be able to practice before the team took the field for its first practice Tuesday afternoon, but by the end of the day, the junior offensive lineman was back with the first team.

Davis started all 13 games last year, but underwent hip surgery during the offseason and was slow to recover. After three days of practice, however, Richt said Davis is doing much better.

"I don't think it feels great, but he played with it last year, and he says its better than it was a year ago," Richt said. "He's fighting through it, and it doesn't seem to be slowing him down."

Davis joins Trinton Sturdivant, Ben Jones, Cordy Glenn and Clint Boling with the first-team offensive line, bumping senior Vince Vance to the second team. Vance is coming off ACL surgery, and while his knee is close to 100 percent, Richt said he still has a ways to go in terms of conditioning and mentally preparing for the grueling pace line coach Stacy Searels insists upon.

"Coach Searels has a way of getting guys to practice a certain way, and it takes a while to get there," Richt said. "I think he was at that point before he got hurt, but he was away from it a while, and now he's got to get back into that mode."

ODDS AND ENDS

-- Darryl Gamble recovered a fumble Thursday, marking the third straight practice in which he has come up with a turnover. "He's just making plays," Richt said.

-- The buzzword all offseason has been leadership, and while that has come naturally to a lot of Georgia's veterans, Richt has been particularly pleased with one senior who has had to work a bit harder at become a vocal leader. "Prince Miller has probably done one of the best jobs of getting out of his comfort zone and becoming more of a vocal leader."

-- Richt on who has impressed so far:

"It's so great to have Geno (Atkins), Jeffrey (Owens) and Kade (Weston) inside. Those three seniors know the ropes and they're doing a great job."

"A.J. Green, he just makes plays every day. A.J. is practicing very well."

"I do like how our running backs seem to be very focused and are competing very hard. I think they truly believe it is a wide-open competition, which it is."

-- Freshman tight end Arthur Lynch has been working as the long snapper on special teams for the past three days. Richt said Lynch is likely the third man on the depth chart at the position. Ty Frix is considered the front-runner for the job.

-- Logan Gray got another vote of confidence from his head coach, but Richt isn't setting anything regarding the No. 2 QB job in stone just yet. "I like how Logan's practicing. Today, in my opinion, he's still a very solid No. 2, but we'll continue to rep everybody and see."

Practice Notes: QBs Struggle Early

If Mark Richt has an early complaint after two days of practice, it's about his quarterbacks. A handful of fumbles and a fair number of interceptions – including two picks and two fumble recoveries by Darryl Gamble – have been the result of some sloppy play early on by his group of passers.

"Most of the picks happened because of the quarterback just throwing the ball where he shouldn't have thrown it, making a bad decision," Richt said. "They've got to take better care of the ball."

It's all about fundamentals said sophomore Logan Gray, who currently is second on Georgia's depth chart at quarterback.

"Just getting back to the little things that are kind of sloppy the first couple of days," Gray said. "We've got to make sure we're touching up on those every single day – not fumbling the snap, fumbling giving the ball to the running back, missing a read and throwing into traffic – whatever it might be, every quarterback needs to be careful with the decisions they're making with the ball."

For now, however, Georgia's secondary is enjoying the early gifts, and they're making sure the quarterbacks know how much they appreciate it.

"We've got to talk a little smack to them," safety Nick Williams said. "That's what makes it fun."

SO FAR, SO GOOD

The first two days of fall practice have been the first full workouts of any kind in quite a while for a hefty contingent of players returning from injuries. While the Bulldogs haven't reached a particularly grueling part of their routine just yet, the early results for players like Jeff Owens, Trinton Sturdivant and Vince Vance have all been positive.

"You see no ill effects," Richt said. "You don't see them favoring anything. Again, until we have that first day of contact, you won't really know how that guy is feeling on the inside. I'm sure they're a little anxious about that first hit, but they no their best shot is to play full speed, and they're doing that now."

Richt said tailback Richard Samuel's wrist has not limited him at all thus far and said that he didn't expect any players to be held out of contact drills when the Bulldogs begin two-a-days Monday.

A HARD-LINE APPROACH

Georgia was one of the most penalized teams in the country a year ago, and Richt said he's taking steps this fall to ensure there isn't a repeat performance in 2009.

During practice, he's pulling players out of drills after they commit a penalty, and numerous players are being singled out when they're flagged. Assistants are tracking each penalty during practice, as well, and for the first time, Richt is personally monitoring the results.

"You've got to drill it, discipline it and the guys have to be serious about never wanting it to happen again," Richt said. "But so far, I see a good healthy attitude toward it."

The hard-line tactics even apply to Georgia's assistant coaches, Richt said.

In the past, assistants could argue a flag with the team's practice refs, but this year, they're not even allowed to joke about it.

"It's, 'Yes, sir, thank you for your help,' and go discipline your player," Richt said. "We can't let anything at this point get in the way of taking a very serious attitude toward every flag that's called."

A MINOR PROBLEM

Linebacker Christian Robinson played with his hand wrapped after a minor thumb sprain, Richt said. The injury may require a cast, but surgery would not be needed and Richt expects Robinson to continue practicing.

Back to Where He Started

With John Knox headed elsewhere and Quintin Banks still recovering from a nagging knee injury, the depth at safety ended up a bit thinner than anticipated this summer. So while Nick Williams was one of Georgia's breakout players this spring at linebacker, it now appears he's made the official move back to safety, where he began his career a year ago.

"They're moving him back to safety for now, and he's a high-energy guy, so anywhere he goes he'll make an impact," said Darryl Gamble, one of Williams' close friends and former high school teammate. "He's strong from working out with the linebackers so I think that'll give us a step back into the past with the hard-hitting safeties. And if he knows what's going on in front of him, I think that will help him more of knowing what to do back there."

A Few Quick Notes

I'm over at the Butts-Mehre building for football interviews and figured I'd address a few things quickly that have come up...

-- First off, a bunch of people have emailed me already about the report on 790 in Atlanta about a potential home-and-home with Michigan beginning next year. If it's true, no one around here seems to know anything about it. But I doubt there's much truth to it.

For one, Georgia already has 12 games scheduled for 2011, so they'd have to drop an opponent.

Secondly, a game at the Big House next season would leave the Dawgs with just five home games.

Thirdly, I spoke with Damon Evans last month and he said he didn't expect to have three games against non-conference BCS opponents again soon, and Georgia already has Colorado and Louisville (respectively) on the schedule for the next two seasons (along with the annual date against Tech).

Simply put, there doesn't seem to be a lot of logic to it. Now, does that mean there aren't talks in the works for a series further down the road? That may be, but I would be shocked if this happened for 2010 or 2011.

-- Talked to Darryl Gamble, who said Nick Williams has now moved back to safety officially. Gamble said Williams has taken the move well and will bring back the "hard-hitting safety days" at Georgia.

-- Quintin Banks says he had an MRI on his knee recently and that it showed good improvement. He said the knee is still sensitive and has some swelling after workouts, but he's at about 95 percent now and expects to be out of his green jersey when camp starts next month.

Stars of the Spring

As spring practice drew to a close last week, I took an unscientific straw poll of 18 Georgia players and coaches to get their thoughts on who had improved the most during the past month.

The question posed was simple enough: Which one or two players on each side of the ball have taken the biggest step forward this spring?

The answers varied wildly. There were some veterans with more than 20 starts under their belts already. There were some freshmen who had yet to play a single snap on game day. The majority of the votes, however, tended to focus on the handful of freshmen and redshirt freshmen who got a taste of life in the SEC a year ago and took what they learned to the practice field this spring.

In all, there were three names mentioned more than any other. Several others received multiple votes, and a bunch more appeared on one ballot. Here's how things shook out…

(*Note: classes are as of the start of 2009 season)

(*Note: some of the links provided are to notebooks, so you may have to scroll down to find the appropriate article)

The Top Performers

Carlton Thomas (RB, RFr.), eight votes

Background: The undersized Thomas came into spring practice as "the other running back" with Sophomore Caleb King expected to nail down a job as at least a part-time starter replacing the departed Knowshon Moreno. Instead, it was Thomas who wowed teammates with his speed and elusiveness.

At stake: Thomas figures to be strongly in the mix for a starting job now this fall, but the return of Richard Samuel and Dontavius Jackson from injury and the arrival of freshman Washaun Ealey will make it a competitive battle for carries.

Quotable: "Last year he was just trying to learn the plays, but this year, he's playing wide open and making plays," said Thomas' roommate Nick Williams. "You're not going to get a big hit, you're not going to sling him down, so just break down, let him do his thing, and then make the tackle."

"He's just so quick that if he sees a hole, he can get through it in a hurry," wide receiver Kris Durham said. "And he's always running straight downhill. I always saw him as more of a scat back, but he's hit it through the tackles real well."

"I know we're battling," said fellow tailback Caleb King, "but he's doing good."

Brandon Boykin (CB/So.), seven votes

Background: Boykin played in all 13 games a season ago, but mostly in limited duty as a nickel back. His speed and athleticism, however, had already turned heads during practice last year.

At stake: When Asher Allen surprised many by foregoing his final year of eligibility to enter the NFL draft, Georgia's short corner position was thrown up for grabs. While incoming freshman Branden Smith figures to make a run at the job in the fall, Boykin's big spring has certainly given him a leg up in the race.

Quotable: "He's just an athlete, and he's just always in the right spot at the right time," said tailback Caleb King.

"You ought to see him on the basketball court just going up and dunking on people," wide receiver A.J. Green said. "It's amazing how someone his size can get up so high."

"He's always been a big-time playmaker but he's excelled his game so much this year," said Nick Williams, who played in the secondary with Boykin as part of Georgia's No. 2 unit much of last season. "He's playing with confidence, he knows what to do, and when a play needs to be made, he's there."

Nick Williams (LB, So.), five votes

Background: Williams arrived at Georgia a year ago as a safety, but was moved to linebacker midway through the season because of a rash of injuries at the position. Williams took to the new role quickly and coaches liked what they saw enough to keep him there this spring. He's put on 30 pounds in the past year and hopes to add another 5-10 more before the season starts.

At stake: As thin as the linebacker position was last year, it's that deep this season, and with Rennie Curran ahead of Williams on the depth chart, he's not likely to see a ton of action in 2009 regardless. But Williams' progress has been so impressive that coaches will have to think about getting him on the field whenever possible, and he's secured a role as one of the top special-teams performers already.

Quotable: "Nick is a high-energy individual," defensive coordinator Willie Martinez said. "Anything he does, he can't sit still, and we like that. But it's trying to calm him down though in times when he's got to focus, but he's learning it."

"Nick's definitely a character," linebacker Rennie Curran said. "He's a little goofy kid, but he really has a passion. He has a real positive attitude, and I'm excited about what he's going to do for our defense."

"He played a lot of special teams and I think that's where you develop that desire to go hard every play," wide receiver Tony Wilson said.

Strong Support

Justin Houston (DE, So.), three votes

Background: Houston was a part-time starter a year ago, finishing with 19 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 16 QB hurries. By the mid-point of spring practice, he was the only healthy scholarship defensive end with any game experience at the position.

At stake: Georgia's D-ends were dismal last season, failing to get pressure on the quarterback with any consistency. This spring, nearly all of them were relegated to the sidelines with injuries. Houston used the opportunity to improve his game and now has a chance to be a major weapon for the Bulldogs' 2009 pass rush.

Quotable: "I thought a lot of guys perked up, but the guy that really caught my eye in a hurry was Justin Houston," head coach Mark Richt said. "Considering the limited amount of plays these guys are getting, that was by far the most productive defensive player."

"One name that always jumps out is Justin Houston," linebacker Rennie Curran said. "I've watched him in the weight room just sort of explode in his improvement."

"With the D ends being so thin, for him to push through that on almost every snap has been impressive," lineman Chris Davis said. "He's worked hard."

"I thought it was going to be rough, but I looked at it as a time to get better, and the more reps I got, the better I got," Houston said. "Every rep I got was a chance to do it my hardest, and I got better."

Aaron Murray (QB, Fr.), three votes

Background: Murray arrived as an early enrollee with a huge amount of hype. He rallied from a broken leg early in the season to lead his Plant High School team to a Florida state title. His mix of athleticism and arm strength made him one of the nation's top recruits.

At stake: Joe Cox seems established as the starter at this point, but there are shades of the 2006 season when true freshman Matthew Stafford overtook fifth-year senior Joe Tereshinski for the starting quarterback job midway through the season. Murray isn't quite the natural QB Stafford was, and Cox is a good bit better than Tereshinski, but there may just be a few snaps for the freshman anyway if he continues his strong play. He finished spring with the longest play from scrimmage in each of the Bulldogs' three practices.

Zach Mettenberger (QB, Fr.), three votes

Background: Like Murray, Mettenberger arrived at Georgia a semester early to get a leg up on the competition. Unlike Murray, Mettenberger didn't have quite the hype or pedigree. What he does have is a mighty impressive arm that offensive coordinator Mike Bobo compared favorably to Stafford's.

At stake: Mettenberger's spring didn't go nearly as smoothly as Murray, and he struggled to complete passes in each of the scrimmages. Of the two, he seems more likely to redshirt in 2009, but there's still plenty of potential there. The knock on Mettenberger coming in was his footwork, and coaches have raved about his improvement in that area.

Quarterback Quotables: "I'm really, really pleased with the quarterbacks," head coach Mark Richt said. "Zach is placing the ball very, very well. Aaron has found the open man deep a couple times, which is good. I stand right in the huddle and listen to them call the play and they're getting more and more confidence. There's a lot less confusion."

"I'm surprised how quick they're picking up the offense, and they've both got great arms," wide receiver A.J. Green said.

"When they first came in, you could tell they were nervous," offensive lineman Clint Boling said. "But as spring went on, they got more and more comfortable, they knew what they were doing, and hopefully they can keep building on that. I think they did a good job this spring."

"I've been very pleased with his knowledge of the game and his approach to studying," offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said of Mettenberger. "I've been fairly pleased with how he moves, his footwork in the pocket. We knew we were going to have to work on his feet, but he's worked hard at that and actually moved pretty good avoiding the rush."

"Our main goal has been to get better every day, and from a quarterback standpoint, each of us has gotten a lot better from Day 1, so it's been a lot of fun," Murray said. "It's a big learning curve jumping in here, but I feel pretty good right now."

"You take every rep and every scrimmage and try to learn from it," Mettenberger said. "My stats people probably look at and think, 'Oh man, he sucks,' but there's a lot behind the scenes. The knock on me was my footwork, but I think my footwork's been 10 times better than what people have seen."

Making Strides

Prince Miller (CB, Sr.), two votes

The low-down: Miller has been a solid contributor for two years now, but he took a step forward last year as a full-time starter and has taken on a leadership role this spring as the senior member of the cornerbacks. More importantly, said fellow senior Bryan Evans, going against A.J. Green each day in practice has made Miller into a better player. "I think Prince can do nothing but get better going against A.J. Green, one of the best receivers in the country," Evans said. "You're not going to see too many receivers like A.J." That sentiment was shared by the man, himself. "He got better," Green said of Miller. "He's pushing me and I'm trying to push him, and we're competing every day."

Marcus Dowtin (LB, So.), two votes

The low-down: Dowtin worked primarily at middle linebacker this spring after seeing some action all over the field last year. He's got a lot of competition ahead of him, but with two sacks in the G-Day game, he's firmly in the mix for playing time. "In the film room, he's become a lot more football smart," linebacker Rennie Curran said. "He's really responded well, he's buying into the program, and he's going to be a huge contributor in the future."

Sanders Commings (CB, RFr.), two votes

The low-down: Commings appears poised to handle the primary nickelback role this season. He's battling for a spot at the short corner but is behind Brandon Boykin on the depth chart right now. With his size – he's 6-2, 210 – he won't be overwhelmed by any receiver in the league, but he's still a little green in terms of experience. "They definitely have the look in their eye like they're ready to get out there and contribute," wideout Kris Durham said of Commings and Boykin. "They're coming out with a new focus and a new state of mind."

Baccari Rambo (S, RFr.), two votes

The low-down: Rambo still looks to be behind Bryan Evans and Quintin Banks on the depth chart at safety, but he impressed this spring with his athletic ability and his willingness to hit. He spent a lot of time last season as the QB for the scout team, however, and that may have impressed his coach as much as anything. "Bacarri Rambo, if you had to turn him into a quarterback in a pinch, he can play," head coach Mark Richt said. "That might come into play for us."

Rennie Curran (LB, Jr.), two votes

The low-down: Curran had an All-SEC season a year ago and could become an All-American this year. He's been far more concerned with becoming the most vocal leader of the Georgia defense, however, after the D came up far short of expectations a year ago.

Tavarres King (WR, RFr.), two votes

The low-down: With the loss of Kris Durham for the season due to a shoulder injury, Georgia needs another wide receiver to step up. That might just be King, who saw action in a few games early in the year before falling victim to an ankle injury and taking a medical redshirt. "In the past he wasn't as consistent, but he's been making a lot of plays and showing he really wants to get out there," linebacker Rennie Curran said.

Geno Atkins (DT, Sr.), two votes

The low-down: Atkins turned down a chance to potentially be a first-round pick in the NFL draft, and Georgia's coaches were thrilled. Atkins has easily been the most dominant player in camp this spring, and he's hopeful that he'll be just as successful on game days in the fall. "Geno is just a dominant football player right now," head coach Mark Richt said. "I don't know if anybody can block him."

Kade Weston (DT, Sr.), two votes

The low-down: Weston battled through a nagging knee injury last year and had trouble staying on the field. This year, he'll be teamed with fellow seniors Atkins and Jeff Owens on the interior line, and Bulldogs fans are expecting big things.

Fred Munzenmaier (FB, Jr.), two votes

The low-down: With several of the running backs shelved this spring, Munzenmaier got his chance to touch the football early and often in Georgia's scrimmages. He has just two career carries in games – both went for touchdowns – but he showed he knew what to do with the ball in his hands during a couple of scrimmages this spring. Mark Richt said there could be a bigger role as a ball carrier ahead for Munzenmaier. "He hasn't had a lot of opportunities to do it," fellow fullback Shaun Chapas said, "but when given a chance, he's looked really good."

Others Receiving Votes

(*Note: Each received one vote)

Bryan Evans (S, Sr.), Logan Gray (QB, So.), Tony Wilson (WR, Jr.), Michael Moore (WR, Sr.), A.J. Green (WR, So.), Christian Robinson (LB, RFr.), Quintin Banks (S, Jr.), A.J. Harmon (OL, RFr.), Caleb King (RB, So.), Tanner Strickland (OL, So.), Ty Frix (RFr., Sn.), Drew Butler (P, So.).

Quotables…

Clint Boling on Tanner Strickland: "I thought Tanner has done a good job this spring of taking the opportunity and trying to get a chance to play. He's accepted the role, and hopefully in the fall when guys come back, he'll still be trying as hard as he was this spring."

Rennie Curran on A.J. Harmon: "He's just had a real transformation from his first year up until now. He's really just kept a positive attitude through everything, really worked hard in the weight room."

Aron White on Caleb King and Carlton Thomas: "They're playing more confident now and are two guys to watch out for next year doing big things."

Logan Gray on A.J. Green: "He's been stepping up, and he's definitely a fun guy to throw to."

Blair Walsh on special teams: "They're trying to get other positions settled, but we try to individually perform well. We lost our punter and our snapper from last year, and Ty Frix and Drew Butler have really come along great."

Mike Bobo on Logan Gray: "It's a big spring for Logan and establishing himself at that position, showing us that he can do the finer things of playing quarterback fundamentally."

Caleb King on his spring: "My biggest things was the blocking, and I think I'm doing excellent in the blocking scheme this spring."

Tony Wilson on his recovery from injury: "As far as the progress out of the surgery, it's the same, but now that I'm getting out there and putting some pressure on it, it's totally different. I can actually get out there and move and get in and out of cuts a little bit more."

Willie Martinez on Bryan Evans: "Bryan has done a really good job of being positive and each and every day he's getting better and better and better with understanding it."