King will play, and other stuff

Caleb King will play this Saturday. Definitely. For sure.

Which means probably.

The tailback, who missed the past two games with a sprained ankle, was thought to be playing the previous two weeks, yet missed each game. This time he said he’s “100 percent” certain to go at Mississippi State.

Running backs coach Bryan McClendon agreed, saying King would “definitely” be out there. But he added that King’s ankle was only “close” to 100 percent.

McClendon said he made the decision not to play King in warm-ups against Arkansas. King disagreed with that call.

“Me personally I felt like I could play,” King said. “But the doctors and the coaches know best.”

- Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo was asked yet again about the lack of passes thrown to the tight ends. He repeated that all three teams they’ve faced so far have lined safeties up to face the run, which has kept the middle clogged up.

When A.J. Green returns, Bobo said that would “naturally” open up the inside a bit more, and added that establishing the run would also do that.

As for Green and his absence, Bobo continued to not belabor that point.

“The bottom line is we’ve got what we’ve got, and we’ve got to find a way to win a football game. We’re taking it as a challenge, and we haven’t been able to do that. And it’s disappointing, I think for everybody in that room. Offense, players and coaches. We’ve gotta get back to grinding and figure out a way to get a win in Starkville.”

Effort was not a problem against Arkansas, according to Bobo.

“The fight was good,” Bobo said. “We’ve just gotta clean up a few things and that’s every position and every coach, going into next game. I think the fight was there, and the desire was there, compared to the week before in Carolina.”

- Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham's brief scouting report on Mississippi State:

"They do a good job of spreading the ball around. They've got some guys that they try to get you (stopping) in space. So tackling in space is critical. So we're gonna have to play well and play consistent. ...

"They're a multiple offense, and they do enough that you've got to work on everything."

- Kris Durham, who came up a bit gimpy after a catch in Tuesday’s practice, has been dealing with a minor Achilles injury for a couple weeks. Bobo said he didn’t think it would be an issue.

- Bobo said he expected guard Chris Davis to be “ready to go” and didn’t name a starter between Davis and Tanner Strickland. Bobo also said that Trinton Sturdivant was in on 17 plays at left tackle on Saturday, so the line is now a comfortable seven-deep.

- As for fullback Shaun Chapas, Bobo would only say they hoped to get the senior back for Mississippi State.

- Grantham and secondary coach Scott Lakatos each said that Shaun Williams and Jakar Hamilton will both play. The pair are basically in a rotation at safety with Bacarri Rambo.

Nick Williams is the fourth guy there, and could be a factor at some point.

- And finally, Aron White has been identified as the man who hit Bobo in the nose early in the Arkansas game, leaving him with a scar. White told Bobo he knocked him celebrating the team’s first touchdown in the first quarter. (And as it turns out, its only one until the fourth quarter.)

Ealey not to blame for final sack?

To the naked eye, and YouTube, the Arkansas sack on Aaron Murray - which may have decided the outcome - was easily blamed on Washaun Ealey. The Georgia tailback appeared to whiff on a block, allowing Jake Bequette a clear shot.

But that's an unfair rap, according to Ealey's coaches. They say the tailback was told to cut low, as he did, and it was simply a coverage sack.

"(Murray) had two guys (to throw to) underneath, and they basically covered those guys," offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. "It was a quick-gain protection where you're cutting up front, and Ealey had cut the guy, and the guy got up. It was basically a coverage sack."

Bobo added that it was a three-step drop for Murray.

"You wish he might've saw (Bequette) out of his vision and he might've made him miss," Bobo said. "But there was really that you really could've done."

Ealey is actually getting better at his pass protection, according to running backs coach Bryan McClendon.

"If you see him from last year to this year he looks like a brand new guy," McClendon said. "I just think coming from that offense he was in, in that wing-T, coming out of high school, I mean if it was a pass route he was either play-faking or getting out on a route. He just never had to do it. He just never had to do it until he got up here."

Practice updates

Senior receiver Kris Durham came up gimpy after making a catch early in Tuesday's practice. (The portion the media is allowed to watch.) Durham was walking on his own power, but we'll have to find out later whether it's anything serious.

Nose tackle Justin Anderson, who has been dealing with turf toe, was not at practice. That's another sign he shouldn't be expected back anytime soon.

Cornerback-punt returner Branden Smith (concussion) was watching from the sideline. Head coach Mark Richt said earlier in the day there was a chance Smith could practice today, but apparently not.

Freshman tailback Ken Malcome, also dealing with a concussion, was sitting a few feet from Smith.

Guard Chris Davis (hip and knee) was riding a stationary bike.

Now the better news: Fullback Shaun Chapas (ankle) and ILB Marcus Dowtin (shoulder stinger) were practicing in green jerseys. Tailback Caleb King (ankle) was in a regular jersey.

Richt's message to fans, plus injury notes

Near the end of his weekly news conference on Tuesday, Mark Richt was asked about the fans not being happy with the state of the team (and program) with an 0-2 start in the SEC.

“They’re not?” Richt said, smiling. “Neither is my mom. Well, the state of the program is we’re getting ready for Mississippi State. It’s early in the year. We’re getting ready to play another Southeastern Conference game, trying to get one win in the league. ... Just keep supporting, keep fighting, and we will too.”

Richt didn’t get into it much more. It was more of his emphasis from the Sunday teleconference: Just get back to work, keep grinding, and not necessarily using the record as motivation.

“I don’t think we’ve gotta remind them that we’re 0-2 right now,” Richt said.

A few other notes:

- Branden Smith did have a concussion, and his status for Saturday’s game at Mississippi State is uncertain. The cornerback-punt returner won’t practice on Tuesday, but Richt said Smith had “a chance” to practice before the week was out.

“He is getting better,” Smith said.

Speaking of concussions, freshman tailback Ken Malcome also had one recently. Malcome has yet to play and is likely going to redshirt anyway.

And speaking of freshmen who are hurt while redshirting, Dexter Morant had shoulder surgery more than a week ago. The linebacker-defensive end probably won’t practice the rest of the fall, as he might need surgery on the other shoulder too.

- Tailback Caleb King is likely to play. But fullback Shaun Chapas is questionable.

- Guard Chris Davis won’t go in regular drills Tuesday, but could be ready for Saturday. Inside linebacker Marcus Dowtin should play.

- Nick Williams hasn’t been playing because he’s been working at safety and linebacker. It’s an ongoing saga with Williams, who is listed as safety but has been worked at linebacker, especially last week with Dowtin’s injury.

“It’s unfortunate that we haven’t been able to settle him into one position,” Richt said.

- Richt had kind thinigs to say about Kiante Tripp, who has been getting some snaps on the line. Tripp technically is an end, but has been playing the nose tackle spot in nickel situations.

“He’s not been overly productive in terms of sacks or tackles for loss,” Richt said. “But you can be doing your job up front and not necessarily getting the statistics to prove it.”

Tuesday morning notes

Greetings from Stegeman Coliseum, where Mark Richt is T-minus a half-hour from his weekly news conference. I’ll have details afterwards, but before that here are a few extra notes:

- Punter Drew Butler acknowledged that he’s disappointed in his performance so far. He had a down day at South Carolina, then his final punt against Arkansas helped the Razorbacks decide to go for the game-winning drive.

“That last punt, I just didn’t execute it well, kinda put the defense in a bad spot,” Butler said. “I’ve taken responsibility for that. I’ve talked to the coaches about it. I’ve gotta move on.”

Butler said he’s healthy. The poor punting has just been

“Kicking’s a lot like golf. I know people say that a lot," Butler said. "But if you have a bad front nine, you kind of go to the halfway house, take a deep breath and go play well on the back nine. And that’s how punting is.

“I was kicking the ball well, and then just had a bad 18th hole, I guess you could say. I double-bogeyed the final hole. But there’s always another week. And the season’s young.”

- Players did notice last Saturday that fans were leaving Sanford Stadium early in the fourth quarter.

Jakar Hamilton was on the sideline, having been benched following his second facemask penalty. The Bulldogs were down 24-10 when some fans headed for the exits, but a couple big drives probably made them regret it.

“People were leaving the stadium, thinking the game was over with,” Hamilton said. “So when we stopped them, and we scored, it just brought back life.”

- Finally, count me among the many who were baffled, and disheartened, upon the news of Kenny McKinley’s death. The former South Carolina receiver reportedly took his own life in Denver, where he was in his second year with the Broncos. He was on the injured list this season.

I covered McKinley almost his entire career at South Carolina, where he finished as the school’s leading receiver. If you were at the Georgia game a couple weeks ago, you might have seen his name and stats painted on one of the walls. He broke Sterling Sharpe’s school records.

McKinley, who grew up and played high school ball in Atlanta, was at the Georgia-South Carolina game, and was introduced to the crowd during a timeout. He was cheered wildly.

Kenny always had a smile on his face, and was one of, if not my favorite, interview on the team. Such a pleasant disposition, and came from a good family. It just doesn’t make sense. Rest in peace.

Shawn Williams: 'I take that loss myself'

Shawn Williams is accepting blame for Arkansas’ game-winning touchdown on Saturday.

That may be shouldering too much blame, since all Williams could have done was tackle Childs, who still would have been down in field goal position. But that doesn’t appear to matter to Williams.

“I take that loss myself, because I think I should’ve made the tackle,” Williams said after Monday’s practice. “But it is what it is. I can’t look back. I can’t change it. But if I could I would.”

Childs caught the pass at the 25, which would have been in field goal range anyway.
But he cut past Williams and reached the end zone with 15 seconds left.

Childs was asked by media in Fayetteville on Monday if Williams thought Childs was trying to get out of bounds.

“I don’t know what he was thinking. But he was thinking the wrong thing,” Childs said.

Williams was asked about Childs' comment.

“I really couldn’t say,” he said. “It’s not a guessing game. It’s a matter of how you react. I just over-ran it.”

Williams said the Bulldogs were in a zone coverage. Cornerback Sanders Commings was first lined up on Childs, then moved to pick up tight end D.J. Williams, leaving Childs wide open near the sideline.

Asked if another defender could have helped, Williams shook his head.

“It’s just my fault, and I missed the tackle,” he said. “That one’s on me.”

On a better note, Williams said his family has purchased a new home in Early County.

Their previous one burned down in July.

“They’re doing good,” Williams said of his family.

Depth chart notes

Some notes from Georgia’s just-released depth chart:

- Tanner Strickland is now listed as the starter at right guard. Chris Davis was listed as the starter last week, but his 12-game starting string was ended when Strickland went in his place. Clint Boling played much of the second half at right guard, with Trinton Sturdivant playing Boling’s left tackle slot. (Boling is still first at LT, followed by Sturdivant.)

- Shaun Chapas is listed third on the fullback depth chart, an indication that his ankle will keep him out for a second straight game.

- Among other players who missed the Arkansas game with injuries: Caleb King is listed as the backup tailback, behind Washaun Ealey, while CB Branden Smith, NT Justin Anderson and ILB Marcus Dowtin are listed at their respective backup spots. (Smith is listed as the punt returner.)

- Jakar Hamilton is still listed as the starting strong safety. Shawn Williams went most of the way in the second quarter against Arkansas.

- Senior ILB Akeem Hebron is the chosen man to wear No. 31 this Sunday. A different senior this week is donning the number in honor of Quintin Banks, who retired with chronic knee trouble.

Mr. Brightside

The anger is strong in the land of Bulldog fans, as Darth Vader would say. Two straight losses have popped the angst meter up to, well not 11 on a 1-10 scale, but let’s say a 7, or maybe 7.5?

Well, filled with angst is no way to start your week. So here are a few tidbits to brighten you up:

- The schedule is about to get easier. Three of the next four opponents have losing records, and the one that doesn’t, Colorado, is the subject of a New York Times story today on how much the program is struggling.

- A strong finish to the season is still possible. Florida is looking vulnerable, Auburn and Kentucky haven't been convincing, Georgia Tech hasn’t been a world-beater. And then there's Idaho State.

- A.J. Green is only out one more game.

- Aaron Murray is coming along pretty well, and is only a freshman.

- Blair Walsh has been pretty good.

- A lot of other problem areas can only improve, right? … Right?

Or if that doesn’t help:

- You live in Athens, one of the most beautiful small cities in America. Or, if you don’t live here, hopefully you at least get to come here a lot.

- You aren’t Tyler Colvin. I mean, ouch.

- The fall TV season is about to start, which means more “Dexter,” “Two and a Half Men,” “Modern Family,” and … OK, that may be about it. No more “24” and “Lost,” which some of you may be happy about.

But the main thing is “Dexter.” Cannot wait.

Speaking of which, “Man Men” appears to be gearing up for a good finish. Sunday night’s episode was more about the women on the show, along with the very interesting dynamic between Don Draper and his daughter. Time-wise, it’s also zipping along so quickly – now in 1965 – that I’m half expecting the next episode to have the ad agency asked to help Michael Vick improve his image.

Wait, where was I? Oh yeah.

- You aren't New Mexico, which ranks 119th out of 120 programs in FBS in scoring offense ... and 120th in scoring defense.

- You aren’t one of the various Canadian media outlets that reported former NHL head coach Pat Burns had died, only to be called and have the story refuted by … Pat Burns.

So there you go, Bulldog fans. It could be worse, and it might get better. Now, go have a good week.

Richt: 'We're moving in the right direction''

Georgia head coach Mark Richt struck an optimistic tone on his Sunday teleconference, saying he sees improvement across his team, while granting that the losses were “discouraging.”

“I had a sense after the game that this team was really improving and making strides,” Richt said. “And after watching the film I think we’re moving in the right direction, and that’s a good thing.”

Freshman quarterback Aaron Murray is getting better, according to Richt, who compared that player’s learning curve to that of many on defense, who are still picking up the new system.

“It’s always discouraging to lose any game,” Richt said. “So we’re not happy about the win-loss record right now. But when you do the job that we do and you coach and you teach and you give them assignments … and you watch guys improve, that’s an encouraging thing, and that’s what I’m talking about.”

A few more notes from Richt’s teleconference:

- The only player that Richt knew was out for sure next week is backup center Chris Burnette. He did not have an update on any of the other players who missed Saturday’s game (CB-PR Branden Smith, ILB Marcus Dowtin, among them).

- Tackle Trinton Sturdivant took a shot to his leg, but Richt didn’t think it was serious. Sturdivant, who is recovering from consecutive knee surgeries, saw a lot of time at left tackle against Arkansas.

“Trinton is moving forward and deserves to get more opportunity and will get better moving forward as we go,” Richt said. “Definitely a bit of rust on him though.”

- No change in the offensive play-calling structure. Richt said offensive coordinator Mike Bobo is “calling the game,” though he will occasionally interject in key situations, and remains involved in planning during the week.

- The blame was spread around for the six sacks given up to Arkansas. He did say that Murray fares better when he moves up in the pocket.

“I’m not gonna sit here and I don’t wanna throw out anything that would sound like dirty laundry on these kids,” Richt said. “I care very much about their mental well being. But it was definitely a combination. There were some O-line issues, there were some running back issues as pass protectors. And there were quarterback issues. It was really spread out. It wasn’t just one culprit.”

- Finally, the coach was asked about having to motivate his players, now with a 1-2 record.

“My guess is these guys will get right back on the horse, start right, and get right back to work,” Richt said. “I think we all wanna have a real positive result in the win column. So I don’t think that’ll be an issue. I think we’ve got some really strong leadership and people that care.”

Fleeting thoughts: After Arkansas

For the third straight week, Georgia now has a game vital to its season, and in the eyes of some, even its program.

First, it needed to beat South Carolina to set the tone for the season, and be on track to contend for the division with Florida.

Then, the Bulldogs needed to beat Arkansas in order to avoid falling out of the East race, being 0-2 in the league, and so forth.

OK, having failed at both of those, NOW this is the most important game. The previous two games were basically regarded as toss-ups, but what about Mississippi State? I’ll be interested to see the line on that one.

More thoughts, followed later by grades:

- I understand the concern – and hyperventilating – by Bulldog fans. It’s not just that Georgia went 0-2 in these two games. It’s that it didn’t look like the better team in either one.

You can’t say either game came down to a bad call, a fluke play, or something like that. Georgia never led in either game. The offense and defense (and even special teams) all shared blame in each loss.

- Yes, Arkansas and South Carolina are each top 15 teams, at least at this point. And Georgia can plausibly say that it lost to two of the SEC’s better teams, after Alabama and Florida.

At some point you can’t keep saying, “Well we lost to so-and-so who’s a really good team, and then so-and-so who’s also a really good team.” Pretty soon, you’ve said that so much that you’re looking up at a ton of other teams.

- Having said that, I still think it’s hard to issue a hard judgment on the state of the program, or even how good this team is, until it plays a game or two with A.J. Green. What if starting on Oct. 2, it’s obvious the offense is a whole lot different with him in there?

I know the Bulldogs played well without him last year. And I was one of the people saying they still had a chance when he was suspended, that losing a receiver, even a star one, wasn’t the same as a starting quarterback or running back.

Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I wasn’t. But I do want to see how the Bulldog offense looks with Green in there, before I go making any broad declarations.

- Let's not focus wholly on the offense and gloss over what happened at the end of each half. You simply cannot allow a team to start at its own 20 with 46 seconds left – and get a field goal – and then start at its own 27 with 47 seconds left – and get a touchdown. That’s 10 points that just shouldn’t have happened, whether or not Ryan Mallett is the next Peyton Manning.

- Caleb King not playing may have been pivotal to the outcome. If he plays, maybe Ealey still gets most of the carries – but King is definitely in there at the end for that third down play from the 50, and picks up the blitz. Ealey, as we know, did not. If Murray doesn’t get sacked, who knows what he does with that.

- And now, the grades:

QUARTERBACK: Aaron Murray’s games are becoming pretty similar. A solid effort, not spectacular, but with no major mistakes. Just like the coaches wanted. (Which makes the losses more perplexing.) Murray passed for 253 yards despite a lot of pressure, including six sacks. His lone interception was a case of the ball just getting away from him, and the team didn’t end up paying for it. He also rushed a lot more, gaining 44 yards (then losing 35 of it on the sacks.) … B.

RUNNING BACKS: Ealey was solid as a ball-carrier (87 yards and a TD on 18 carries), but his missed block was key. Now you see why the coaches were going to start Caleb King after the preseason because of his pass protection. Carlton Thomas also had 30 yards on six carries. … C.

RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: Kris Durham and Tavarres King had some big plays, each catching a ball for 40-plus yards. But where was Marlon Brown? Why did Aron White make the only catch for the tight ends? (And it was a nifty one.) I don’t think the blame lies with the receivers themselves, so I won’t grade them down. … B-.

OFFENSIVE LINE: Six sacks. Not a lot of holes for the running game. Yup, another confounding game from a unit that was supposed to be among the team’s best. You can’t blame their troubles on not having A.J. The lineup was tinkered with, going with Tanner Strickland at right guard, then moving Clint Boling there and putting in Trinton Sturdivant at left tackle. Nothing seemed to work that great. … D.

DEFENSIVE LINE: The run defense was much better this week. Stout, you might even say. On the other hand, the front three has now gone three games without a sack. And the only TFL it was credited with on Saturday was a half-one, by Kwame Geathers. … C+.

LINEBACKERS: Justin Houston was pretty quiet, after his three-sack game against the Gamecocks. Cornelius Washington had the team’s only sack, on Arkansas’ second-to-last drive. They did help in the run-stopping. But Arkansas still had too much of an intermediate passing game. … C+.

SECONDARY: There’s only so much you can do against Ryan Mallett. But it would be easier to excuse if not for the constant breakdowns: The two touchdowns off play-action, the quick strikes at the end of the first half to set up a field goal, and the three-play touchdown drive to win the game. … D-.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Drew Butler was back on his game for most of the game, until his low-hanging final punt. He was trying to angle it to the sideline, but it went off the side of his foot, and left Arkansas enough room to go for it, rather than play for overtime. Logan Gray, subbing for Branden Smith, had a 25-yard punt return. Brandon Boykin’s longest kick return was for 33, as the kick return unit continues to be a bit average. And the punt coverage unit somehow let a punter run for a first down. … C.

COACHING: Well, the play-calling in the fourth quarter was pretty good, at least for two drives. And this week there were no wasted timeouts. On the bad side, well, one field goal in the second and third quarter can’t happen against Arkansas. And even when the other team is in a certain set, you have to figure out a way to use the tight ends more. …

Defensively, the gameplan seemed to be to stop the run and make Mallett beat you – which he did, but mainly at the end of each half. But the comeback also deserves some credit: When some fans were giving up and heading home early in the fourth quarter, the team stayed around and made it a game again. Albeit one that didn’t end well for the Bulldogs … C+.

Morning reading

- UGA president Michael Adams, speaking to reporters as he ate a pregame meal in the press box, said he didn't think A.J. Green knew he was dealing with an agent, and has discussed the arrests issue with all athletics department personnel.

“Frankly I think it’s time to move on. I’m not exactly sure, you guys could probably explain this to me better than I could to you. He’s a star player, he’s an important player, I understand all of that,” Adams said. “But we’re gonna have 85 more out there (Saturday), and I think they’re ready. They are stars, but you don’t build one season around one player. And I think it’s time to move on. And as I said, maybe at the end of the year, maybe he’s fresher than some of those defensive backs that are covering him. I’ll try to look on the bright side.”

My game story from the loss to Arkansas, if you can stand to rehash it.

ATHENS — Place-kicker Blair Walsh was warming up. His Georgia defensive teammates were figuring their work for the day was done. The offense was at midfield, poised to finish off a stirring comeback and keep all those high hopes alive.

During the next few plays it all changed so quickly, it left those same players stunned, hands on hips. It may have left their season on the ropes.

Bill Shanks' column from the game, which points out that Georgia may now have the right scheme and defensive coordinator, but not the right personnel.

ATHENS — There were many reasons the Georgia Bulldogs lost Saturday. Of course, the long list of injured and suspended players didn’t help matters. But with a chance to stop Arkansas from winning at the very end, Georgia once again learned something about its new defense.

It’s going to take a while before it can make big plays like were needed at the end against the Razorbacks.

- Fletcher Page's sidebar on the Bulldog offense.

Looking at the game as a whole, Georgia finished 6-of-15 on third-down conversions. Georgia finished with 19 first downs, but nine came in the fourth quarter.

On three occasions, Murray was sacked on third down, including on the pivotal third-and-4 play with less than a minute to go.

In total, Murray was sacked six times and scrambled past the line of scrimmage another 14 times.

“I think a couple of times I held (the ball) a tad bit too long,” Murray said.

- And my notes, leading with the extensive injury list. Plus the gameline from Arkansas-Georgia.

- Tom Dienhart from Rivals/Yahoo thinks the loss to Arkansas increases the pressure on Mark Richt and staff.

Richt might have sealed his fate in Athens.

People in the bars and restaurants along Broad Street will talk about this one for a long time, just like they still discuss the last game as big as this one for Richt - the 2002 Auburn game.

(I would posit that saying Richt "might have sealed his fate" is going a bit far. But Dienhart has an interesting take nonetheless.)

- ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach's take from the game.

- Moving along, Georgia's next opponent, Mississippi State, fell at LSU, but it could've been worse, according to this write-up.

And here's columnist Rick Cleveland's take on the MSU game for the Clarion-Ledger.

Some quick postgame notes and quotes

Georgia's locker room stayed closed for longer than usual after the game. After most of the team was excused, the players and coaches requested by the media stayed in the room, and it didn't open again for about another 10 minutes.

When we did get in, we encountered a team clearly refocusing its goals. After the loss to South Carolina, players maintained that their goals were still ahead of them, a one-loss team could still win the SEC East, etc. But a second straight loss seemed to hit home that the road ahead had changed.

"As of right now, our focus needs to be on winning a conference game," head coach Mark Richt said.

More quick takes before I delve into writing my game story:

- Richt on the comeback: "They weren't willing to give in. And that's the sign of a team that's got something to it."

- Richt also addressed what was essentially the where-do-we-go-from-here question:

“I really believe you just go back to work,” Richt said. “It’s just a real healthy thing. There’ll be moments for everybody over this weekend where we’ll be in pain mentally about it. But the best medicine we have is gathering back up on Monday, watching the film, getting rid of that taste and getting ready for the next opponent.”

- Todd Grantham blamed the final touchdown on a coverage breakdown, which he called the "theme of the day."

“You can’t say it’s one play," he said. "I think if you look at the game … I thought we attacked blockers better up front. I thought we were more physical up front. Then I thought we would play good, then we would give up an explosive play.”

- Aaron Murray remains a relentlessly positive person. This was how he summed up the offense's day:

“We started off fine. We had a touchdown the first drive. We had some good drives, I felt. We were moving the ball, we just weren’t finishing then. In the second drive we started slow then we were finishing drives like we were supposed to. We just didn’t in the end. We had our sparks in and out throughout the day.”

- Richt was asked if he had any comment on A.J. Green's suspension being upheld on appeal.

"No, I don't," he said, then added: "He’s a good kid. He’s a really good kid. A good person.”

- Richt said right guard Chris Davis didn't play because he was banged up, and also because he was the team's only backup center, and they wanted him available in case something happened to starter Ben Jones. (A cynic might say that Richt was covering for the fact that Davis was simply benched.)

- Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo addressed the lack of throws to the tight ends by saying it was the result of other teams stacking the box more.

"We’re getting more one-on-one coverage outside, and more people on top of the tight end,” Bobo said.

(We'll have more from Bobo on the overall offensive game in Sunday's stories.)

Fourth quarter blog

0:14 left in game, Arkansas takes 31-24 lead

The game just turned two different times, and in a bad way for Georgia. This time it's going to be too late to turn it again.

Arkansas has a touchdown lead, as Ryan Mallett only needed three plays to pass Arkansas 73 yards into the Georgia end zone. The drive started with 47 seconds left.

It had seemed so good for Georgia just a few seconds before that. It had the ball at midfield, with 1:04 left, and had third-and-four.

But Aaron Murray was sacked from the blind side. Drew Butler's ensuing punt took a bad bounce.

Three plays later, Mallett hit Greg Childs on the left sideline, Childs cut upfield, a tackle was missed, and he was in.

Georgia's players reacted to the play nearly in unison, putting their hands on their hips.

A heartbreaking way for the game to turn, and finish.

2:18 left in game, still tied at 24

Georgia's defense answers the call again. Not only does it stop Arkansas, but it backs them up six yards: Justin Houston with a big stop on a first-down run (why was Arkansas running?) and Cornelius Washington with a second-down sack.

The Bulldogs may have dodged a bullet on third down, when Ryan Mallett had a receiver open down the right sideline. But he missed him, forcing the punt.

A booming punt by Arkansas' Dylan Breeding is the only thing that staved off disaster for the Razorbacks. Georgia takes over at its 34 with plenty of time.

3:55 left in game, Georgia ties it at 24

Hope you didn't get frustrated and stop watching at the 11-minute mark.

Georgia, which had scored 16 points the previous seven quarters, has scored 14 on the past two drives, and we're now tied with 3:55 left.

Aaron Murray hit Kris Durham on a long pass to get inside the 20, Logan Gray took a direct snap and gained a few yards, and then the big play:

On third down, tight end Aron White - yes, a tight end - hauled in a pass near his knees to get to the 3. Then Washaun Ealey took it in.

Now it's back on the Georgia defense to stop Ryan Mallett. Can they do it?

5:40 left in game, Georgia trails 24-17

How quickly things turn. Sanford Stadium is very loud, even with some departed fans, as Georgia is about to get the ball back with a chance to tie it up.

The Georgia defense, when it hasn't been buying play fakes and blowing assignments, has been very stout today. It was again on Arkansas' drive just now, forcing Ryan Mallett into an incompletion on a key third down.

Better yet for Georgia, Arkansas backed itself up before the punt with an unsportsmanlike call and a false start. The ensuing punt was downed near midfield, and with more than five minutes left, the Bulldogs are very much in business.

7:52 left in game, Georgia within 24-17

The Bulldogs aren't dead yet. Tavarres King and Aaron Murray hooked up on a 10-yard touchdown play - King squirming off of two tacklers - and Georgia is back within one score.

It was King's second career touchdown catch. The first one was last year ... against Arkansas.

King's play was huge, as it was on third down, and you could feel the offense sensing it was about to fail in the red zone again. King should've been bottled up by Arkansas, but he did a great job getting into the end zone.

The big play was on a 46-yard completion to Kris Durham. If Murray had thrown it a bit further, or sooner, Durham may have scored.

No matter, as three plays later King took care of it. Now it's back up to the defense.

9:39 left in game, Georgia trails 24-10

First off, sorry that updates have been kind of slow. The wireless in the press box has been as lackluster as the Georgia offense.

Fans started to leave Sanford Stadium a few minutes ago, after Georgia's drive stalled at the Arkansas 30. Clearly the Bulldogs had to go for it, but the play-calling on third and fourth down at that point was, shall we say, unsuccessful.

Georgia now has the ball back and is trying to muster another drive.

Two stats making their way around that will repeated often if this holds up: Georgia has not started 0-2 in the SEC since 1993, which was also the last time it lost to Arkansas.

Third quarter blog

0:08 left in third quarter, Arkansas takes 24-10 lead

Sigh. Another blown assignment by the defense, and Arkansas has its biggest lead of the game.

And it happened in a suspiciously familiar way: A receiver (this time Ronnie Wingo) slipped behind the defense after a Ryan Mallett play-fake, and Mallett hit him wide open for a touchdown.

It was set up by what could end up being the play of the game: Joe Adams caught a short pass from Mallett and darted around defenders for a 38-yard play. That seemed to suck the air out of the Georgia defense, and quite frankly a touchdown seemed inevitable.

So the onus is back on the offense, but I'm just not sure it has it in for a comeback. Not based on what we've seen the past seven quarters.

2:40 left in third quarter, Georgia now within 17-10

Georgia's offense showed some signs of life, after a hibernation of nearly two quarters, and it's now back to a one-possession game.

Blair Walsh's 43-yard field goal makes it a seven-point game, and there's a bit more life in the crowd now as well.

What was the difference there? Aaron Murray completed a few passes to get the team past midfield, opening up the run a bit. The drive then sputtered when Murray was pass-rushed on third down and had to throw it away.

It was a good start, but Georgia's stsill going to need more eventually. The lack of a downfield passing threat is really inhibiting the Bulldogs. And the defense needs to keep making stops.

7:50 left in third quarter, Georgia trails 17-7

Apparently a shootout would've benefited Georgia.

A defensive struggle? Nope, the current 17-7 score looks too much like the final from last week.

Georgia's defense forces another three-and-out from Ryan Mallett and company. Mallett helped them out a bit there, misfiring to an open receiver on first down. But hey, against a Heisman Trophy candidate, the Bulldogs will take it any way they can.

Incidentally, DeAngelo Tyson was back out there at nose tackle for Georgia, which is good news. Abry Jones has also played some on the line.

Run defense hasn't been a problem for Georgia this week, but it might as this game goes on, unless the Bulldog offense can start moving the ball and preventing the Georgia defense from being worn down.

It would also help if the punt return unit wouldn't get an unsportsmanlike penalty called. Sanders Commings (who earned a start today, at nickel cornerback) was whistled for one, backing the Bulldogs up to their own 12.

Let's see what Mike Bobo, Aaron Murray and company have in store for this drive. How long can the offense keep sputtering before the dam breaks for the Arkansas offense?

11:50 left in third quarter, Georgia trails 17-7

Aaron Murray messed up on the first play of the second half. Now the defense has bailed him out, and the Georgia freshman quarterback is back on the clock.

Murray's overthrow led to an Arkansas interception, seeming to give the Razorbacks great field position. But they celebrated dastardly, at least according to the officials, and were penalized 15 yards for it.

Three plays later Ryan Mallett quick-kicked - yes, quick-quicked - and it barely rolled into the end zone for a touchback.

We're starting to fall into the defense-good, offense-bad mode. Murray and company really need to matriculate down the field here.

Halftime thoughts

- Bloody nose or not, I don’t think that first half is going to make some fans feel much better about Mike Bobo.

You can’t say there hasn’t been more imagination in the playcalling than there was last week. The problem is the kind of creativity. The direct snaps to Washaun Ealey aren’t yielding much, the end-around to Rantavious Wooten was a bust, and so on.

- The changes to the offensive line haven’t fixed the run-blocking. Ealey and Carlton Thomas haven’t moved the needle much, and Caleb King may be dressed but he hasn’t played yet.

- The pass blocking has actually gotten worse, and Murray’s scrambling has actually prevented more sacks. Plus, other than the long pass play to Tavarres King on the first drive, the Bulldogs still have no downfield passing game.

Does this offense miss A.J. Green? You bet.

- The defense hasn’t played too badly. The run defense has especially improved, and the tackling is much better. Arkansas has all of 12 rushing yards on 11 attempts.

But Ryan Mallett, when he’s had time to pass, has been spectacular. He has 232 passing yards at the half.

Georgia’s strategy has seemed to be to stop the run and hope good pass coverage and pass rush will stem Mallett’s damage. It hasn’t worked yet. Will Todd Grantham drop more players into coverage for the second half?

- But to me it still comes back down to the offense. It needs to do SOMETHING. The second quarter started to feel like the second half at South Carolina, when the ineffectiveness of the offense kept the defense on the field, and it eventually wore down.

As I said in the earlier blog, that 10-point deficit feels like 30 right now for Georgia.

Second quarter blog

End of half, Arkansas extends lead to 17-7

Bad end of half for Georgia. And it enters the half with the fans in Sanford Stadium mumbling a worried chorus. Justifiably.

Arkansas' Zach Hocker nailed a 48-yard field goal with four seconds left, on a try that never should've been possible. But Ryan Mallett's 39-yard completion down to the Georgia 41 set it up, followed by a third-down conversion to get in field goal range.

The only good news for Georgia is it gets the ball to start the second half. But with its offense sputtering the way it is right now, those 10 points look like 30.

21 seconds left in first half, Georgia still trails 14-7

Georgia at least succeeded in taking time off the clock. Not that it did too much good.

When you have Ryan Mallett, you see 46 seconds as plenty of time to get downfield. It only took him one play to get past midfield, completing a pass down to the Georgia 41.

Not that anyone needed my verification, but having seen Mallett last year and now, he's a legit No. 1 overall draft prospect. What an arm.

4:33 left in second quarter, Georgia still trails 14-7

Go for it at your own 30 in the second quarter, only down one possession? Awful, terrible, bonehead move if you don't make it. Brilliant, confidence-inducing move if do.

Therefore a great move by Georgia, as Aaron Murray sneaks it through.

Unfortunately for Georgia, Murray's running continues to be its best offense. One play later (after a delay of game penalty) Murray scrambled out of a potential sack and got the first down - with Kris Durham delivering a punishing block at the end of the run.

Stacey Searels continues to tinker with his line. Trinton Sturdivant has been playing left tackle, with Clint Boling shifting over to right guard.

But to be honest, the run blocking still isn't that great. And the pass blocking has actually gotten worse from last week.

Murray can't run the ball all game, folks.

9:46 left in second quarter, Arkansas still leads 14-7

Georgia's offense is starting to look limited again, punting for a second straight drive. It's not getting much on the ground, and Aaron Murray hasn't been able to get many passes off, mainly because of good coverage.

It appears Georgia has followed through, early, on its threat to make a change at one of the guard spots.

Junior Tanner Strickland has been playing at right guard, while Chris Davis, a senior, is on the sidelines. We hadn't heard about an injury to Davis, but he's wearing a hat, so who knows.

The only real movement Georgia got on that drive was a completion to Kris Durham, and Murray scrambling.

Murray said this week he doesn't like to scramble. I thought that was unwise. Murray now appears to agree with me. He did so a couple times early on the drive, once for a first down and then for just a few yards.

But even the latter run was a good indication that Murray will be running often today, unlike last week: He recognized quickly that the play fake hadn't been bought by the defense, and darted up the middle to save a couple yards.

13:51 left in second quarter, Arkansas re-takes lead, 14-7

Georgia's defense is still good against the run, but now it can't stop Ryan Mallett's passing.

Mallett got Arkansas down to the 1-yard line with three long pass plays. A couple plays later, Joe Davis pushed it in.

Potentially more bad news for Georgia, and its resurgent run defense: Nose tackle DeAngelo Tyson was shaken up at the end of the drive. The Dogs obviously need him back, with Bean Anderson already out with turf toe.

Those of you who wanted to see Kwame Geathers play some, you're about to get your wish.

It's still pretty early, but Georgia's offense could use a quick answer here.

Interesting side note: Georgia was charged for two 0-yard penalties at the end of the drive. The first was on a face mask at the end of the play down to the goal-line. The second was an illegal formation call before the first-down play.

First quarter blog

1:41 left in first quarter, still 7-7

Georgia fans can breathe a sigh of relief, after a 62-yard touchdown punt return by Arkansas was nullified by a penalty.

It seemed an obvious call. But the flag wasn't thrown until the runner was at about the Georgia 40, clearly headed for the end zone.

Arkansas' sideline didn't protest it too much, though during the timeout Bobby Petrino called the referee over for an explanation.

By the way, Drew Butler appears to be back in form. His punt went 52 yards and hung in the air awhile.

The bad news for the Bulldogs is their offense went three-and-out. A reverse to Rantavious Wooten lost yardage on first down - strange call deep in your own territory considering Wooten hasn't played much so far.

3:37 left in first quarter, still 7-7

Answer to previous question: No.

The Georgia defense had a big series there, stopping Arkansas on third down for the second time on the drive. Allowing the Razorback punter to get the first down did cost the team some field position. But the Bulldog defense had to gain a measure of more confidence, showing it could stop Ryan Mallett and company again.

The tackling is much better. Georgia is very, very physical so far.

And Arkansas has not been able to run. It has negative yardage on first down so far.

5:50 left in first quarter, still 7-7

Did Georgia's special teams fail it again?

Arkansas just had what should have been a three-and-out on its second drive. But punter Dylan Breeding then scrambled for the first down, after a muffed punt snap. It was a close call, but Breeding appeared to barely get to the marker.

Georgia then called timeout before the next play.

Given that this could be a shootout, clearly that's not the kind of thing that needs to be happening for the Bulldogs.

The good news for the Bulldogs is their run defense has tightened up a lot. At least so far. The Hogs aren't getting anything on the ground, and the Bulldogs are indeed telling Ryan Mallett to beat them.

7:49 left in first quarter, Georgia ties it at 7

So, anybody already having a flashback to last year?

Georgia has tied it at 7 on a 1-yard, fourth-down keeper by Aaron Murray. Georgia might be expecting a high-scoring game too, so it decided to go for the seven rather than take the sure field goal. And it worked.

A somewhat daring play call, having Murray fake the handoff, spin left and go into the left corner. One Razorback was close to Murray in the backfield, but the quarterback got away.

The score was set up by a 47-yard completion by Murray to Tavarres King.

Aaron Murray play-faked the Arkansas defense, which was stacked at the line, almost daring Georgia to do something without A.J. Green. Well, the Bulldogs still had Tavarres King.

King caught it for 47 yards. King was actually stride for stride with the Arkansas defender when the pass went in the air, but got him turned and got free for the pass.

From there Georgia tried a couple direct snaps to Washaun Ealey, netting eight yards to get close to the end zone.

Fred Munzenmaier, starting in place of the injured Shaun Chapas, also had a nice one-handed grab earlier in the drive.

12:27 left in first quarter, Arkansas takes 7-0 lead

Georgia's defense followed up a great start to the game with a bad few mental errors, and now Arkansas has a 7-0 lead.

Ryan Mallett hits tight end Chris Gragg for a 57-yard touchdown pass. Arkansas had third-and-inches, and off play-action Ryan Mallett hit Gragg wide open downfield, and Gragg sauntered into the end zone.

Georgia's defense bought the play fake hook line and sinker. We're trying to figure out if it was ... oh no ... safety Bacarri Rambo who was to blame.

This came after a false start by Georgia, on what would have been third-and-six. And this after a good Bulldog start to the game's opening drive.

It's always good, defensively, to start the game with a six-yard loss. Especially when the tackle is by the player (Rambo) who was called out this week for being too timid in the previous game.

That's just what happened for Georgia as its game opened. Problem is, two plays later Arkansas star quarterback maneuvered in the pocket and found Greg Childs over the middle for a long gain and a first down.

Three plays later, Arkansas should have had third-and-six. Then it became third-and-short, and you know the rest.

Adams: I've challenged football staff on arrest issue

University of Georgia president Michael Adams said he spoke within the last couple of weeks with the entire athletics department, including the football staff, about the number of arrests of players.

Nine Georgia football players have been arrested this year, including two in the past month.

“They don’t like it any more than I do,” Adams said. “And I think they’ll deal with it. You’re dealing with 19-year-olds. We have more in the general student population than I would like. We’ve had too much in the football program. We expect coaches and the A.D.s to provide role models and leadership for their players. And I told the whole athletic association that.”

Adams said there are three basic rules: Follow NCAA and SEC guidelines, go to class, and stay out of trouble.

”You don’t have to be Phi Betta Kappa. But you have to do those three things to play here,” Adams said. “We expect people to represent us in a positive fashion on and off the field. That’s not an unrealistic expectation.”

And what could the athletic staff do to stop the rash of arrests?

“I don’t tell them how to do their jobs and they don’t tell me how to do mine,” Adams said. “I think the message there is very clear.”

UGA president Adams discusses Green suspension

University of Georgia president Michael Adams declined to criticize the NCAA’s decision on A.J. Green, and said the school did everything it could in the appeal process.

Adams also feels that it’s time to “move on.”

“It’s certainly not too light,” Adams said of Green’s four-game suspension, which was upheld on appeal Friday. “And yet I’m not in the position to criticize the NCAA. They are trying to send a message (about) contact with agents, or runners, or representatives. And I don’t think AJ knew what he was dealing with. And I think that’s part of why they stuck with the four games.”

Pressed, Adams said he would “be surprised if (Green) knew this guy was an agent.” But Adams also thinks the player “knows” that.

“Frankly I think it’s time to move on. I’m not exactly sure, you guys could probably explain this to me better than I could to you. He’s a star player, he’s an important player, I understand all of that,” Adams said.

“But we’re gonna have 85 more out there today, and I think they’re ready. They are stars, but you don’t build one season around one player. And I think it’s time to move on. And as I said, maybe at the end of the year, maybe he’s fresher than some of those defensive backs that are covering him. I’ll try to look on the bright side.”

Green is set to return for Georgia’s game at Colorado on Oct. 2.

Adams didn’t have any specific details of the Green case, saying he was not on the appeal call to the NCAA, which happened Friday.

“There’s just not much that somebody in a position like mine can do on something like this,” Adams said. “You can spend the money, you can get the best counsel, and get the best advice you can get and make the appeal. I will say I think the university did everything to help him that the university could.”

Pregame blog (updated with King and Dowtin)

11:27 a.m.: Yet more stuff

Freshman Dexter Morant has his left arm in a sling. The linebacker was set to redshirt anyway (especially after his brief retirement from football the first week of preseason).

In case there was any need for reminder, tight end Arthur Lynch is also not dressed out. Listed fourth on the depth chart, the sophomore is on track for a redshirt.

Fullback Shaun Chapas, already ruled out today, is limping pretty noticeably on his left ankle.

Arkansas has just taken the field for its warmups. The Hogs are going with a white-on-white look today.

11:15 a.m.: More stuff

Logan Gray could be returning punts today in Branden Smith's absence. Gray, who did it last year, is taking most of the punts in warmups.

Caleb King is testing his ankle, and looks OK. I just saw him take a few hits in a pregame drill, with no major repercussions.

Freshman tailback Ken Malcome isn't dressed out, as the team continues to angle for him to redshirt. (King's status helps that.)

11:05 a.m.: Green sighting

A.J. Green just walked onto the field with the rest of his teammates. The suspended receiver is wearing his red No. 8 jersey and black shorts. It even looks like Green is wearing shoulder pads.

Also, I forgot to mention earlier that Richard Samuel (knee) isn't dressing out either, but he wasn't expected back either. Right now it's a matter of whether Samuel will take a medical redshirt or not.

Samuel of course had 104 rushing yards - 80 of them on a touchdown - against Arkansas last year, before shifting to defense for this season.

11:00 a.m.: King playing, Dowtin out

Tailback Caleb King (ankle) will dress out today, according to Georgia. It's still uncertain whether he'll actually get a carry.

Inside linebacker Marcus Dowtin is not playing today. He suffered a shoulder stinger in practice a few days ago.

Dowtin, a reserve, had four tackles last week at South Carolina.

10:15 a.m.

First, some injury updates.

Branden Smith is out for the game after incurring what head coach Mark Richt called "concussion-like symptoms" this week in practice. That's potentially a big loss for the Bulldogs, given his Mr. Do Everything skills.

Meantime, tailback Caleb King's status will apparently be decided in warmups. He's dealing with a badly twisted ankle, which kept him out of last week's game.

Fullback Shaun Chapas and nose tackle Justin Anderson are definitely out. They were doubtful for this game, Chapas with an ankle injury and Anderson with turf toe.

I'll pass along more definite info on King as I get it.